applicants

Florida NRCS to Hold State Technical Committee Meeting

Dan Conservation, Education, Environment, Florida, USDA-NRCS

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida will conduct a State Technical Committee meeting on March 3 by web conference. Chair of the event, Florida State Conservationist Juan Hernandez, says the meeting will have two distinctive portions. The committee is composed of individuals and groups from a variety of agricultural and natural resource interests, as well as farmers. And while the …

funding

USDA Forecasts Drop in Farm Income in 2021

Dan Education, USDA

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) just came out with its first farm income forecast for 2021. And according to a story from Gary Crawford, it could be an unusual income year.   USDA Chief Economist Seth Meyer has more key numbers from the new farm income forecast.

gardening

Researchers Help Expand Indoor Gardening Trend Triggered by Pandemic

Dan Coronavirus, Education, Florida, Fruits, Herbs, News from Our Sponsors, Research, Specialty Crops, Vegetables

(UF/IFAS) — COVID-19 led many people to start gardening, and it’s no passing fancy. Recent research shows that about 80% of those who took up gardening since the beginning of COVID-19 will continue the pastime in 2021. Growing in the outdoor garden is one thing. Tending to plants indoors at home presents other challenges and opportunities. As they recognized the …

usda

The Goals of Pest Management

Dan Citrus, Education, Pest/Pest Control

Editor’s note: This article grants one continuing education unit (CEU) in the Core category toward the renewal of a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services restricted-use pesticide license when the accompanying test is submitted and approved. Integrated pest management (IPM) uses a combination of methods to keep pest populations at an acceptable level, which are economical and have little …

florida

2021 Florida Virtual Beef Conference

Dan Beef, Cattle, Education

For the past 35 years, the Florida Panhandle Ag Extension Team has offered a cattle rancher educational program in Marianna that included a trade show. But, due to COVID19, the 2021 event will be a 90-minute webinar with two invited speakers, brief updates from cattle and forage researchers, and then a question and answer panel discussion. According to Doug Mayo, …

employment

Employment Opportunities Good for Ag Graduates

Dan Citrus, Education

A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) report that projects strong employment opportunities for new college graduates interested in agriculture and related fields opened with a cautionary preface. Termed “A 2020 Pandemic Note,” it stated that the underlying study and preparation for the report began in September 2019, “when global socio-economic conditions were much different from today.” It stated that fewer …

groves

Weed-Control Strategies for Florida Groves

Dan Citrus, Education, Research

Weed management is a key component of Florida’s citrus production. A warm, humid climate and frequent rainfall provide a favorable environment for weed emergence and growth in citrus groves. Steve Futch, a former multi-county citrus Extension agent for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, delivered a presentation during the 2021 virtual Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable …

masters

Masters of Beef Advocacy Program Updates Training Modules

Dan Beef, Cattle, Education

The Masters of Beef Advocacy (MBA) program recently announced they have updated their training modules. The updates, called MBA NextGen, make it easier for a new generation of farmers and ranchers to share their stories and advocate for the beef industry. Manager of Communications for the MBA program, Paul Dybedahl, told Southeast AgNet’s Randall Weiseman this program is open to anyone. …