Everett Griner explains just what is going on with the world-wide wine consumption.
Palm Beach County Farm Bureau is inviting its members and other Farm Bureau leaders and members from throughout South Florida for its first annual “Fun Shoot” to be held Saaturday August 22, 2009 at Quail Creek Plantation located between Ft. Pierce and Okeechobee on Highway 70. CLICK HERE for a printable PDF file with all the details, and consider joining other south Florida Farm Bureau friends for this fun day Fun Shoot event! With questions contact Lewanna at Palm Beach County Farm Bureau at 561-498-5200, or e-mail her at pbcfb1@bellsouth.net.
Thefts are still costly to farmers. Today Everett Griner talks about just what is targeted.
This in today from the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA):
FFVA JOINS SUIT TO FIGHT H-2A REFORM
FFVA and other growers’ associations filed suit June 9 against the U.S. Dept. of Labor in order to stop the present administration’s attempt to suspend Bush-era H-2A regulations that most of the industry still supports because of their simplicity and ease of use.
The suit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, alleges that newly appointed Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis violated the Administrative Procedure Act in her efforts to withdraw the present H-2A rule.
The associations are asking for a permanent injunction to stop the administration from suspending the present H-2A regulations.
“It’s extremely important that the present regulations not be suspended as Florida growers have yet to file their H-2A certifications for the upcoming season,” said Walter Kates (photo), FFVA vice president of Labor Relations.
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In this report, USDA Radio’s Gary Crawford (photo) talks with Meteorologist Brad Rippey about the potential for an El Nino weather pattern to develop, and if it does, what the impacts on various areas of the U S may be.
From drought conditions to downright flood conditions in many Florida specialty crop production areas, growers continue to deal with rain in many areas of Florida, some right about the time of harvest. Stay tuned in days to come, as AgNet’s Julie McPeake (photo) takes the anchor position for Specialty Crop news reports here at the network.
THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA - By KEITH LAING
THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, May 21, 2009……….Saying there might not be enough political money to go around in a down economy when his party will be seeking to win races for the U.S. Senate and governor, Republican Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Bronson said Thursday that he would not run to replace Gov. Charlie Crist in 2010.
“There are going to be party people out there at the grassroots who probably aren’t going to like this,” Bronson said at a news conference Thursday. “A lot of them are going to be disappointed …but facts are facts and the numbers are there and I’ve got to live with the fact that this thing got really tight really quick, on the money side especially.” Read the rest of this entry »
The drought in Florida is quickly coming to an end. USDA Radio’s Susan Carter has this feature with Meteorologist Brad Rippey.
The Nineteenth Annual 2009 Southwest Florida Farm Safety Day is almost here and will be held on Saturday, 6 June 2009. Safe and competent equipment operators are important to farm employers. Accidents, which cause damage, injury or death to employees, equipment and crops are costly. Organizers of the event believe all types of accidents can be reduced with proper employee training. The training at the event has been designed to help farm employees perform better, operate safely to prevent accidents, fulfill necessary training requirements and build pride in themselves and their farm company. Read the rest of this entry »
Catching up with Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives Larry Cretul 
at a Marion County Farm Bureau farm tour luncheon Friday we asked about the impact of the Seminole Gaming Compact on horse racing in Florida; a possible special session; farm to fuel initiatives; grass roots input to lawmakers with respect to the new lobbying restrictions, and what his future plans may be considering he term limits out of his House seat after next Session. Click the icon to hear his remarks.
Ag Watch (pdf file) from the FFB Legislative office in Tallahassee.
Former state Senator Rod Smith of Alachua County, a close runner-up for the Democratic nomination for Governor the last time around, is reportedly expected to run for Attorney General if A-G Bill McCollum throws his hat in the ring for governor. McCollum’s decision to do so is all but a given at this point. Florida politics will be active in the coming year. It’s the first time in well over a century that all key posts in Florida government will be up for grabs. Behind the scenes already lots of rumors are flying about how internal party politics are already impacting who may run and who may not.
Applications Accepted Until May 29, 2009 - GAINESVILLE, May 8, 2009—The United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida announces over $1.3 Million in funding available for qualified applicants for a new Organics Initiative. The initiative meets the Obama Administration’s promise to encourage more organic agriculture production. Funding for the initiative is being made available as part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). “Assisting organic producers is one of the priorities of the 2008 Farm Bill,” said Carlos Suarez, State Conservationist for NRCS in Florida. The 2009 Organics Initiative is a nationwide special initiative to provide financial assistance to National Organic Program (NOP) certified organic producers as well as producers in the process of transitioning to organic production. Read the rest of this entry »
This news release just in late today from U S Sugar Corporation, saying the amended terms of the acquisition package will protect rural jobs and the environment:
CLEWISTON —May 8, 2009 (U S Sugar Corp.) —The Board of Directors of the U.S. Sugar Corporation today approved the amended contract terms for the South Florida Water Management District’s acquisition of the Company’s land in two affordable phases that enable the Company to continue its operations.
“Our Board approved the revised acquisition approach implementing Governor Crist’s bold vision for our property. While the vision and goal remain unchanged, the economy dictated this more affordable approach,” said Robert Coker, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs. Read the rest of this entry »
If you’re a farmer or in the crop protection product industry in Florida, you will want to hear these reports featuring Florida Fertilizer and Agri-Chemical Association Executive Mary Hartney. She explains how the state legislature this year singled out food crop protection products for another doubling of registration fees that may make it more difficult for some companies to justify registering some products that are exclusively needed here in Florida. One ag chemical company representative told us “it’s like we’re all walking around with targets on our backs!”
A good time was had by all at this year’s Florida Fertilizer and Agrichemical Association’s Scholarship Fund Golf Tournament at Lake Wales Country Club. It is all for a good cause. FFAA’s Scholarships have helped dozens of students and continues to award scholarships annually to Florida students majoring in agricultural fields. Learn more about how you can support, or apply for FFAA scholarships by e-mailing Mary Hartney or Amy Pappas at the FFAA office in Winter Haven.
Who is safe from recession? Everett Griner explains.
CLEWISTON – April 28, 2009 – U.S. Sugar Corporation announced today that a federal judge has dismissed all of the plaintiffs’ claims in 12 of the 13 counts in a lawsuit against the company, its executives and board of directors and dismissed all of the claims of 5 of the 6 plaintiffs in the sole remaining count. Read the rest of this entry »
While in Washington D C this week we discussed the sugar program with American Sugar Alliance spokesman Luther Markwart, who says the program that was implemented as part of the most recent farm bill is working well for U S sugarcane and sugarbeet growers. Hear his comments in these reports.
Again this year Southeast AgNet is in Washington D C as part of a contingent of broadcast members of the National Association of Farm Broadcasters. The purpose of the trip is newsgathering and as expected a strong turnout of farm broadcasters are on hand this year to visit with new members of the Administration at USDA and various other newsmakers who live and work in the nation’s Capitol.
Ag Watch (pdf file) from the FFB Legislative office in Tallahassee.
In Tallahassee lots of folks are still wondering if things can get taken care of with budget matters in time to end the Session on time in two weeks. As of Wednesday morning House and Senate conference committees had not formally met to start ironing out major differences in the two versions of the budget. More on that in this first report.
Meanwhile, in this next report, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Charlie Bronson (photo) offers some insight from his view in Tallahassee, about one of the toughest state legislative budget sessions in many years. .
This reminder in today from Gene McAvoy, County Extension Director, Regional Vegetable Agent IV, UF/IFAS Hendry County Extension, LaBelle, Florida 33935
Revised Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification Effective April 3, 2009
Introduction
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issued a reminder that effective April 3, 2009, all U.S. employers are required to use the revised Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, (Rev. 02/02/09). The revision date can be found in the lower right-hand corner of the form. Read the rest of this entry »
A great deal of attention has been focused lately on House and Senate versions of a state budget far apart philisophically yet getting closer to Conference Committee anyway. Meanwhile, as Central Floirda Congressman Adam Putnam reminded us recently at Farm Bureau week activities in Tallahassee, there are some critical FEDERAL budget and tax issues presently on the table as well. Hear his pointed comments about some of them in this report.
Florida Senator Carey Baker, Chairman of the Senate Committee on General Government Appropriations, mentioned a few key agriculture issues in a short interview with AgNet this week in Tallahassee. Among them, legislation continues to move forward on urban fertilizer application regulation, 
and another bill that should help simplify duplicative regulatory permitting for farmers and ranchers.
There is also an effort afoot to fine tune the Bert Harris Private Property Rights Act due to recent legal challenges and court decisions testing the relatively new and unique legislation. In this cut, Baker also discusses the critical budget conference process and hints of problems if House and Senate Conferees do not work efficiently to settle wide gaps in budget philosophies quickly during the final two weeks of the Session.
And as far as the budget negotiations ahead, Baker emphasizes how all other bills are at risk until budget matters are settled.
Citrus Expo 2009 updates CLICK HERE NOW!
In this brief report, comments from Dan Stengle representing the Florida Property Rights Coalition about the Bert Harris Private Property Rights Act. Stengle and others say the Harris law needs some tweeking as a result of some recent court cases, and they hope to see it done yet during this legislative session. We have much more on this with Stengle and we’ll be posting more segments of the interview very soon.
CLICK HERE for the latest update from Florida Farm Bureau’s (FFB) Charles Shinn regarding key agriculture issues in South Florida. This issue includes more on the status of the proposed purchase of U S Sugar and other water management district headlines. It also contains some long term weather predictions.
Here’s this week’s 4-08-09 edition of Florida Farm Bureau’s
Ag Watch (pdf file) from the FFB Legislative office in Tallahassee.
A release from Florida Congressman Adam Putnam’s Ag Commissioner Campaign office this week touted Putnam’s fundraising record for the Ag Commissioner’s race. The release says 95% of the 486-thousand-plus dollars he raised in a two month period came from Florida supporters, and that the amount raised was the most ever in a single quarter for that particular race. In this report, Putnam’s comments to AgNet recently about how agriculture and the Commissioner’s position are so misunderstood by so many Floridians.
Agricultural and Life Sciences Alumni and Friends Golf Tournament Scheduled for May 29
Gainesville, Fla. – Tee off to support agricultural and life sciences student scholarships!
University of Florida College of Agricultural and Life Sciences alumni and friends are invited to campus on Friday, May 29 to participate in the 7th annual CALS Alumni and Friends golf tournament. The tournament will be held at the Mark Bostick Golf Course at The University of Florida. Read the rest of this entry »
