conservation

The Day South Florida Agriculture Changed

Dan Citrus, Corn, Dairy, Economy, Field Crops, Florida, Fruits, Organic, Peanuts, Pecans, Soybeans, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Vegetables, Wheat

Submitted by Gene McAvoy, Regional Vegetable Extension Agent IV Emeritus with UF/IFAS “Up to the end of Feb our growers were having a banner year and it looked like this season would be one of those homeruns that come around every 5-6 years.” Here is a report that I prepared on the state of S Florida ag and shared with …

UF/IFAS Offers More Resources for Growers

Dan Economy, Field Crops, Florida

(UF/IFAS) — UF/IFAS Extension is collaborating with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) to compile a list of farms, distributors, and farmers markets selling Florida-grown food directly to final consumers. The intention is to build a directory of sellers who are moving Florida-grown foods to consumers during the market disruptions caused by COVID-19. The list may include …

retail

COVID 19 Response: Your Grocery and Food-Safety Questions Answered

Dan Florida, Industry News Release

(UF/IFAS) — It’s a battle of facts vs. myths in the rush to get information to the public about how consumers can safely shop for groceries and handle food during the coronavirus pandemic. To get the correct data, we asked three experts with the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) to answer common questions: Keith Schneider, a UF/IFAS …

watermelon

Florida Watermelon Farmers Face Uncertainty Due to COVID-19

Dan Florida, Fruits, Industry News Release

(UF/IFAS) — As fruit and vegetable farmers in South Florida decide what to do with produce once destined for now-closed schools and restaurants, watermelon farmers in North Florida have recently finished planting their crop. Given the uncertainty around the market for fresh produce, the decision to plant came down to economics, said Mark Warren, agriculture agent for UF/IFAS Extension Levy …

dignity act

Coronavirus Safety Fact Sheets for Workers

Dan Alabama, Aquaculture, Beef, Cattle, Citrus, Corn, Cotton, Dairy, Field Crops, Florida, Forestry, Fruits, General, Georgia, Hemp, Industry, Industry News Release, Labor and Immigration, Livestock, Nursery Crops, Organic, Peanuts, Pecans, Research, Soybeans, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Vegetables, Wheat

Author: E. Vanessa Campoverde, UF/IFAS (UF/IFAS) — I have received several questions regarding what to do if you have employees or work with others during this Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in agricultural operations and related businesses. While there is plenty of information about how the virus work, how to protect yourself and others, etc. I compiled some information (with images) that can …

Florida Beef Cattle Short Course

Florida Cattlemen’s Institute and Allied Trade Show

Dan Cattle, Education, Florida

The 36th annual Florida Cattlemen’s Institute and Allied Trade Show will be held Thursday, January 10, 2019 at the Turner Agri-Civic Center in Arcadia. This year’s theme is “Building a Better Florida Cow”. Topics to be discussed include looking at a practical ranch approach to genetics, making selections for temperament, beef cattle reproduction and there will be a panel discussing …

farm safety

UF/IFAS Extension to Help Teach Updated Farm Safety

Dan Education, Florida, Industry News Release

Farm workers can learn updated safety rules from faculty with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension and others at a Dec. 18 conference in Sebring. UF/IFAS Extension faculty from several Central Florida counties – including Highlands, Hardee and Palm Beach — will work with emergency management officials to teach agricultural safety to farm laborers, said …

professor emeritus

UF/IFAS Professor Emeritus Wins International Award For Cattle Reproduction

Dan Cattle, Education, Florida, Research

A University of Florida animal sciences graduate research professor emeritus has won the 2018 International Ruminant Reproduction Symposium Pioneer Award (IRRS), given to scientists who have trained students and made major contributions to understanding reproductive biology in cattle. Bill Thatcher won the award at the 10th IRRS, held in Iguacu Fos, Brazil, Sept. 16-20. This award is one of the …

protein

UF/IFAS-led Global Group Seeks Traits for Wheat with More Protein

Dan Florida, Industry News Release, Research, Wheat

When consumers buy wheat products, such as bread or pasta, they expect to get protein with their purchase. But in a warming world with high atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, the genes required to keep wheat production high are the same ones that keep grain protein down, a University of Florida scientist says. By breeding wheat with specific traits, scientists can …

beef

Two Years After Birth, Cows from Heat-Stressed Cattle Produce Less Milk

Dan Dairy, Industry News Release, Research

If lactating dairy cattle get too hot, they don’t produce as much milk, and that can add up to economic losses of more than $1 billion a year in the U.S. alone, University of Florida researchers say. This loss can easily double if dry cows — those in late pregnancy that are not lactating — suffer from heat stress. That …