farmers

Safe Food Production Training to be Available to Florida’s Small and Beginning Farmers

Dan Education, Florida, Industry News Release

(UF/IFAS) — A new opportunity for Florida’s small and medium-sized produce farmers will become a reality with the support of a U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety Outreach Program (FSOP) grant designed to produce and provide easy-to-access training in safe food production methods to underserved farmers. Faculty from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and Florida …

decision

Decision-Support Tool Using HiPerGator May Help Manage Devastating Avocado Disease

Dan Citrus, Florida, Fruits, Industry News Release, Research, Specialty Crops

UF/IFAS researchers are working on a decision-support app to help policy makers and growers decide the best regional treatment options for laurel wilt disease, which is challenging Florida’s $35 million-a-year avocado crop. Laurel wilt disease is spread by several ambrosia beetle vectors. People, whether they grow avocados or not, can spread the beetles when they move infested wood products – …

genome

Genome Sequencing and Other UF Research

Dan Citrus, Research

Michael Rogers discusses the importance of the recent sequencing of the trifoliate orange genome by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers and others. He also tells how growers can learn more about UF/IFAS research ….. Read more about the Genome Sequencing and Other UF Research on the Citrus Industry website.

black spot

Black Spot Likely in More Florida Counties

Dan Citrus, Florida, Research

Although citrus black spot has only been detected in commercial groves in five Southwest Florida counties, it is still spreading and likely to be in additional counties, according to plant pathologist Megan Dewdney. The five counties with detections are Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee. Dewdney is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor at …

covid

Proving COVID-19 Isn’t Foodborne

Dan Citrus

When the COVID-19 pandemic became news in the United States early this year, some consumers and others wondered if it might be spread by food or food packaging. Food scientist Michelle Danyluk says ….. Read more about Proving COVID-19 Isn’t Foodborne on the Citrus Industry website.

Citrus Advisory System Provides PFD Alerts

Dan Citrus, Education

Beep. Beep. Beep. That’s the sound of an alert telling a citrus grower it’s time to spray fungicide to help prevent fruit from falling off the tree due to postbloom fruit drop (PFD). University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researchers have developed a Citrus Advisory System (CAS) that ….. Read more Citrus Advisory System Provides PFD …

earth day

50th Anniversary of Earth Day Stresses Climate Change, Health

Dan Climate Change, Environment, Florida

(UF/IFAS) — Cooped up inside during the novel coronavirus quarantine? Go for a walk. As you amble outside your home, bear in mind the effort required to preserve the beauty around you, says a UF/IFAS Extension regional sustainability agent. That message from Ramona Madhosingh-Hector resonates, especially as we near April 22, the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. This year, Earth …

aquaculture

UF Surveys to Identify Impact of Pandemic on Florida’s Agriculture and Marine Industries

Dan Aquaculture, Beef, Cattle, Corn, Cotton, Dairy, Economy, Equine, Field Crops, Florida, Forestry, Fruits, General, Hemp, Labor and Immigration, Livestock, Nursery Crops, Organic, Pasture, Peanuts, Pecans, Pollinators, Pork, Poultry, Research, Seeds, Sheep-Goats, Soybeans, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Vegetables, Wheat

(UF/IFAS) — With agriculture and marine industries occupying a large portion of Florida’s economy, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) wants to better understand how measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 are impacting these sectors. Starting today, faculty from the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics (FRE) department are deploying surveys to UF/IFAS Extension agents …

food

Farmers Give to Food Banks in Time of COVID-19

Dan Florida, General, Industry News Release

(UF/IFAS) — With the COVID-19 shutdowns increasing people’s need for food, some consumers rely on nonprofits for a bite to eat. To help, farmers in Florida and elsewhere are donating excess produce to food banks, said a UF/IFAS expert. In fact, some food banks are helping farmers by offsetting some of their costs, thus incentivizing growers to harvest food they …

ifas extension

UF/IFAS Extension Helps Get Food Directly From Farmers to Customers During Pandemic

Dan Florida, General, Industry News Release

(UF/IFAS) — As the novel coronavirus disrupts the usual methods to deliver food from farms to consumers, UF/IFAS Extension agents are helping connect growers with customers. Two such specialists are Sarah Bostick, an agriculture agent with UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County and Lisa Hickey, a sustainability agent with UF/IFAS Extension Manatee County. The two are now working together to encourage farmers …