Maximizing Benefits of Cover Crops for Soil Health

Investing in soil health is an adaptive strategy to improve the sustainability and productivity of soils. Cover cropping is a management practice in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) toolbox used to contribute to soil health on working lands. The NRCS Plant Materials Program, through its network of Plant Materials Centers (PMCs), recently completed a …

Beef Slaughter Rates Approaching Normal

Beef processing plants are approaching normal slaughter rates. Gary Crawford has the story. Sponsored ContentStrong Relationship Exists Between the Florida Cattle Enhancement Board and UF-IFASApril 17, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Funding For Quicker Response to Research QuestionsApril 10, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Opportunities That Spark Research ProjectsApril 3, 2026United Dairy Farmers of Florida Director Encouraged About the FutureMarch …

Alabama Peanut Check-off Wins 95% Approval in Referendum

Dothan, AL, July 29, 2020 – Alabama peanut farmers voted to continue the current assessment on peanuts that is collected by the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries and administered by the Alabama Peanut Producers Association (APPA). In a referendum conducted on July 23, 2020, 95% of those who voted said “yes” to continuing APPA’s programs in education, promotion and …

Peanut Producers Have Various Concerns Right Now

Peanut producers in the Southeast have various factors they need to be concerned with right now. That goes for if they operate in dryland or have an irrigated crop, says Scott Monfort, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension peanut agronomist. The extreme dry conditions are a major concern for growers with dryland peanuts. Monfort estimates about 50% of Georgia’s crop is …

EPA Supports States in Addressing PFAS Across the Southeast

ATLANTA (July 29, 2020) — On Tuesday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the progress it has made in aggressively addressing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at the national level as it implements the PFAS Action Plan — the most comprehensive cross-agency plan ever to address an emerging chemical of concern. Just as important as this progress at the federal …

Georgia Produce Safety Program Still Helping Growers

Due to travel restrictions from COVID-19, the Georgia Department of Agriculture Produce Safety Program suspended its Grower Training Classes for now. But it is still available to help growers with a variety of information. Produce Safety Education and Outreach Coordinator, Maggie Brown, told Southeast AgNet’s Randall Weiseman they are doing inspections and have started offering their On Farm Readiness Reviews …

New On-Line System Available for Consumers to Report Unsolicited Seed Packages from China

MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) continues to collect reports from citizens who received unsolicited packages from China containing seeds. ADAI has established an on-line reporting system for Alabama residents who received suspicious seeds they did not order. Please visit www.agi.alabama.gov/reportseeds and provide the requested information. At the end of the on-line form, consumers will …

Pilot Program for Feral Swine Control Underway in Alabama

Last November, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced it was awarding $3.7 million to fund pilot projects to control feral swine in Alabama. These projects are part of the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program (FSCP), a joint effort between USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). NRCS and APHIS are …

Task Force Introduces New Beef Industry Long Range Plan

The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) summer business meeting continues today in Colorado. On Tuesday, the Beef Industry Long Range Plan task force officially introduced its new five-year plan for 2021-2025. The task force’s mission is to ensure the long-term prosperity of the U.S. beef industry by sustainably producing the most trusted, highest quality and consistently satisfying protein for consumers …

UPDATE: FDACS Asking Floridians to Report Suspicious Seed Packets from China

Tallahassee, Fla. – The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) continues to warn Floridians about unsolicited packages of seeds received through the mail. The seed packets, which may arrive unexpectedly in packages bearing Chinese characters, may bear the name China Post, and may be labeled as jewelry, have been reported in multiple states including Virginia, Kansas, Washington, Oklahoma, …