Sweet Grown Alabama announced it has been awarded a grant to track locally grown products purchased by five grocery store and distribution partners in the state. Awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in partnership with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI), this specialty crop block grant provides financial incentives to the stores in exchange for local …
USDA Announces Dealer Statutory Trust to Protect Livestock Sellers
The Department of Agriculture this week announced a new Dealer Statutory Trust to Protect Livestock Sellers. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, signed in December, amended the Packers and Stockyards Act by adding language to establish a “Dealer Statutory Trust” for the benefit of unpaid cash sellers of livestock. Much like the existing packer and poultry trusts, the amendment requires livestock dealers …
Timpoochee: 4-H Camp in Need of Repairs Following Eta
Hurricane Eta soaked Florida when it made landfall last November. Left in its wake were structures and facilities at Camp Timpoochee, a 95-year-old 4-H camp located along the shore of Choctwhatchee Bay in Niceville, Florida. Scott Angle, Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources at the UF/IFAS, provided an update on what it will take to rebuild and have up …
Agricultural Issues Surfacing during Georgia Legislative Session
Week six of the 2021 Georgia State Legislative Session was a short, but busy one for lawmakers. According to Georgia Agribusiness Council (GAC) President Will Bentley, a lot of things are starting to surface that GAC has been working on. And while Bentley notes the GAC Annual Meeting and Legislative Breakfast could not be held this year due to Covid-19, …
Wild Edible Plants You Can Transform into a Cooking and Baking Flour
The wild plants you can transform into a popular cooking and baking ingredient. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. There are many wild edible plants that you can make into flour – the ingredient you use to cook and bake with, that is. However, some of these need to be mixed and matched with other grains in order …
Commissioner Nikki Fried on Tropical Storm Eta Secretarial Disaster Declaration
On Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture informed Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried it has granted a Secretarial disaster declaration for several key counties impacted by Tropical Storm Eta, rain, flooding, and wind that occurred from Nov. 7 through Nov. 10. The storm was projected to cause at least $85 million in crop losses, especially in seasonal produce. Those counties include Collier, Hendry, Lee, and Miami-Dade …
Rules Clarified for Buying / Selling Seeds and Plants Online From Other Countries
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is providing additional guidance to help online buyers and sellers comply with U.S. laws when they import seeds and live plants from other countries. The information, available on the APHIS website, is essential to help protect critical U.S. agriculture infrastructure and natural resources from potential invasive pest and disease …
Parasite Hijacks Iron in Honey Bees
(USDA/ARS) — An Agricultural Research Service (ARS) entomologist has discovered the Nosema ceranae parasite that causes major problems and death in honey bees works by hijacking its host’s iron for itself. Iron is as essential a micronutrient for honey bees as it is for people. Honey bees usually get enough to meet their needs from their flower pollen diet. They use iron …
USDA, FDA Offer Update on Transmission of COVID-19 Through Food or Food Packaging
The following statement about COVID-19 and its impact through food or food packaging can be attributed to Acting USDA Secretary Kevin Shea and Acting FDA Commission Janet Woodcock: After more than a year since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak was declared a global health emergency, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the U.S. …
University of Florida Focusing on AI
Researchers with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) are working as teams to use artificial intelligence (AI) to attack complex issues. An example of such teamwork is Arnold Schumann, a professor at the Citrus Research and Education Center, working with weed scientist Nathan Boyd at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. They use machine …