Some creative alternatives to Christmas tree and holiday decorating. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. You can take just about anything to create a holiday tree and decorations. Used wrapping paper cut and fastened to the wall can be turned into a tree. It’s perfect if you’re short on space. Or, a terra cotta tree made with upside …
Chairman Roberts Receives NCBA’s Capitol Hill Top Hand Award
(NCBA) — The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) recognized U.S. Senator and Chairman of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee, Pat Roberts (R-Kansas) with the Capitol Hill Top Hand Award in honor of his long career fighting for cattle producers and rural communities in our nation’s capital. “Chairman Roberts is a pillar of the cattle industry and there is no …
Pandemic Fuels some of 2020’s Most-Searched UF/IFAS Extension Information
(UF/IFAS) — The coronavirus pandemic occupied space in everyone’s minds this year, prompting online searches about any variety of topics related to it. The year’s most popular UF/IFAS Extension EDIS publications were no exception, with two of the top 10 being brand-new documents related to food safety and the coronavirus. In all, the Electronic Data Information Source, which hosts peer-reviewed …
Peanut Institute Shares Research on Eating Lightly Salted Peanuts
The Peanut Institute, the company put together by the American Peanut Shellers to do peanut research, is sharing research conducted on people eating lightly salted peanuts and how a medical condition may be reversed. This research was conduted by researchers at Harvard. The study is the first of its kind to look at the affects of peanut consumption on a …
FDACS Update: Additional County Farmworker COVID-19 Testing Availability
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) are announcing additional COVID-19 testing sites and dates in Miami-Dade, Hendry, Collier, Hillsborough, and Glades County for farmworkers. The ongoing efforts to provide access to testing for farmworkers is in partnership with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), and local county governments. “As the pandemic remains a major health threat, we’re continuing our work to provide …
AFBF Welcomes Continued Monitoring of Monarch Butterfly
(AFBF) — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it will leave the monarch butterfly off the endangered species list. The Service issued a “warranted but precluded” decision, which means the monarch will be considered a candidate species for now. The Service will continue to study the species and review its candidacy for listing on an annual basis. “America’s farmers …
GFVGA Announces COVID-19 Handbook for Georgia Ag Laborers
(GFVGA) — The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, GFVGA, in collaboration with the Georgia Department of Public Health, Georgia Department of Agriculture and the University of Georgia Extension, has developed a practical and comprehensive COVID-19 handbook for growers and farm labor contractors in the specialty crop industry. Written specifically for Georgia growers, Protecting Yourself Against the Coronavirus, focuses on maintaining a safe and healthy …
Growers’ Input on Pests Needed
Entomologist Lauren Diepenbrock is seeking Florida citrus growers’ help in determining information gaps and future directions for her research on pests. To get that help, she’s asking growers to participate in a survey, which is available here. Diepenbrock, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher, would like to have growers take the survey by March 31, 2021. …
New Grant Supports Peanut Farmer Education: Q&A with Program Director
(NPB) — Times are challenging on the farm these days. Farmers run and finance large and diverse businesses, manage capital, handle labor issues and navigate regulations. An operator is constantly busy working in their business. The Executive Farm Management Program (EFMP) is designed to help farmers work on their business. In 2021, the National Peanut Board is proud to partner …
FMCSA Extends Hours of Service Waivers into 2021
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently made another announcement related to Hours-of-Service (HOS). The FMCSA has issued an extended and expanded national emergency declaration in response to the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency. Another round of HOS waivers has been issued to help ensure the timely delivery of necessary items. The previous extension of …