Growing Lavender for a Bountiful Harvest

Cathy Isom gives you a few of the tricks to growing Lavender for a bountiful harvest. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. There are a few key elements to successfully growing lavender. It wants lots of heat and sun, not too much water, tons of space to spread out, and lean soil. Lavender is divided into five main …

Farm Bureau Leader Responds to Congressman’s “Menace” Remarks

Among many reactions to south Florida Rep. Francis Rooney’s (SW FL – District 19) recently reported comments about what he called the “menace” of agriculture in the Everglades Agriculture Area, Florida Farm Bureau President John Hoblick is reaching out to the Congressman requesting a meeting to discuss the facts directly. In his letter, Hoblick informed Rooney that the Congressman’s recent …

Lawmakers Chip Away at Land Preservation Money

Lawmakers are pushing forward with plans to continue carving up millions of dollars voters more than four years ago directed to be spent on land and water protection, despite environmentalists’ concerns about the way the money is being used to help the Indian River Lagoon and Apalachicola Bay. Backers of the 2014 Florida Water and Land Conservation Initiative, who continue …

Groups Respond to EPA Proposal for Year-Round E15, RINs Reform

Renewable Fuels Association Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) President and CEO Geoff Cooper offered the following statement on EPA’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to allow year-round sales of E15 in conventional gasoline markets and modify Renewable Identification Number (RIN) provisions under the RFS:  “Today’s proposed rule means EPA is one step closer to making good on President Trump’s promise to allow …

EPA Proposes Rule to Allow E15 Waiver and to Improve RIN Market Transparency

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed regulatory changes to allow gasoline blended with up to 15 percent ethanol (E15) to take advantage of the 1-psi Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) waiver for the summer months that has historically been applied only to E10. EPA is also proposing regulatory changes to modify elements of the renewable identification number (RIN) compliance system …

Former SFWMD Gov. Board Member Talks Flood Control, Misinformation and Ag Concerns

This is the final installment in a series about the recent dismantling and complete replacement underway of the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) governing board. As the debate about South Florida’s water woes continues to grow almost as fast as the Florida population, farmers and ranchers around the state are starting to wonder what these abrupt changes at SFWMD …

USDA Announces Voting Period for Continuance Referendum for National Peanut Research and Promotion Program

For the first time, eligible peanut producers can opt to vote electronically or by paper ballot. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published a notice in the Federal Register announcing a referendum among eligible producers of peanuts to determine whether they favor continuance of the Peanut Promotion, Research and Information Order (Order), which authorizes the National Peanut Board. The …

Alabama Ag Commissioner on Department

After about two months on the job, Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Rick Pate wants folks across the state to realize the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) touches everyone’s lives in the state in one way or another. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher Discusses New World …

Positive Peanut Export Numbers

The latest numbers indicate 2018 was a good year for U.S. peanut exports. Tyron Spearman has the details. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher Discusses New World Screwworm OverviewJune 19, 2026Verdant Robotics Offers Growers Targeted Application of Herbicides or Beneficials through SharpShooter™June 16, 2026

Former SFWMD Governing Board Member Notes Ag’s New Absence

Family farmer Sam Accursio from Homestead was among the last four remaining South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) governing board members who spoke their minds bluntly during their final board meeting last month. Accursio’s family has been farming vegetables in Homestead for generations. He says recent actions and operational decisions could indicate a change of direction for the regional flood …