If you call up a farmer today and ask him what’s happening, he would probably respond, waiting on the rain. Some isolated showers have come across the southeast Georgia area and the southwest area, but not enough to solve the water shortage. Some peanut producers have started irrigating to try to get enough peanuts to come up along when most of the corn is gone and …
Wildfires Creating Major Problems in Georgia and Florida
Wildfires, the major problems in the southeast corner of Georgia and along the Georgia Florida line. One of the largest fires, the Pineland Road wildfire, has grown to consume 31,000 acres near Fargo, Georgia, about 120 miles northeast of Tallahassee, Florida. It’s only 10 percent contained as of early this week. The Highway 82 fire is in Atkinson County, Georgia and they said that …
Drought and Wildfires Impacting Southeastern States
Drought impacts have escalated in recent weeks across the southeast impacting crop planting and pasture availability. Now, wildfires have become a threat in both Georgia and Florida, with disaster declarations and burn bans put in place. Earlier this month, USDA designated 30 Alabama counties as primary natural disaster areas and 12 contiguous disaster counties due to drought impacts and this …
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Urges Action Ahead of Wildfire Season
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson, in collaboration with the Florida Forest Service is urging Floridians to take action ahead of this year’s Wildfire season. According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, “Florida’s peak wildfire season usually encompasses April, May, and June, and the National Interagency Fire Center has predicted an “above normal significant wildfire potential” across the state …
Deputy Secretary Vaden Shares Details on Forest Service Relocation Efforts
With the recent announcement of the relocation of the US Forest Service Headquarters to Salt Lake City and operational service centers in various locations across the country, we caught up with USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden to learn what forestry professionals can expect from this reorganization. Deputy Secretary Vaden said, “Well, what they can expect is a lot more focus …
Commissioner Simpson Announces Hurricane Disaster Relief Applications Now Open
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson has announced that agricultural producers can now apply for hurricane disaster relief for 2023 and 2024. The Florida Block Grant Disaster Relief Program will provide over $600 million in grant funding in which the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services says can, “assist with infrastructure damage, market loss, citrus loss, and timber damage …
Southeast Cattle Associations Pass Directive Aimed At Addressing EU Deforestation Rule
Several of the Southeastern State Cattlemen’s Associations came together to pass a resolution during the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association CattleCon in Nashville last week. The resolution aimed to address the European Union’s Deforestation Rule that was passed in 2025 and according to the resolution this rule “imposes unnecessary restrictions that infringe upon American private property rights, a foundational freedom for …
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Announces Hurricane Disaster Assistance
Florida Producers Eligible for Hurricane Disaster Relief Funds Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson has announced that agricultural producers across the state who were impacted by hurricanes in 2023 and 2024 may now apply for hurricane disaster relief funds. The funding will be distributed through the Florida Block Grant Disaster Program to assist eligible producers with losses tied to infrastructure …
Florida Cattlemen’s Pushing against EU Deforestation Rule at NCBA Convention
Florida Cattlemen Join Southeast Effort to Oppose EU Deforestation Rule at NCBA Convention The Florida Cattlemen’s Association is joining with other Southeastern states to push back against the European Union’s deforestation rule through the policy process at the NCBA Convention and Trade Show. The effort is focused on protecting land-use flexibility and private property rights for cattle producers and landowners …
Alabama Christmas Tree Farm Project Donates Trees To Marines
Alabama Agriculture Project Brings Christmas Trees and Holiday Joy to Marines in North Carolina The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries has announced a heartwarming outcome from one of its efforts to strengthen and modernize Christmas tree production across the state. A research project conducted in partnership with Auburn University has resulted in the donation of more than 200 Christmas …









