by Brad Buck, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Some people love to eat a juicy, seedless watermelon for a tasty, refreshing snack during a hot, Florida summer day. University of Florida scientists have found a way to stave off potential diseases while retaining that flavor. Consumers increasingly savor the convenience and taste of seedless watermelons, said Xin …
New Date for Florida State Technical Advisory Committee Meeting
We told recently that USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida was inviting producers and landowners to its State Technical Advisory Committee meeting, on August 17. But NRCS announced this week the date of that meeting has been changed. The meeting instead has been moved up a couple of days and now will take place August 15. Sponsored ContentFlorida …
Drought Funding Application Deadline Nearing in Alabama
July 28 is an important date to remember. That is the application deadline for landowners impacted by last year’s extreme drought to apply for funding through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Alabama. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Helps to Support Forage Development and Management PracticesMarch 6, 2026CIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsMarch 1, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Offers Targeted Research for …
A Bit More Cotton in Georgia than Expected
When USDA released its 2017 planted acreage reports at the end of June, it showed area planted to cotton this year is estimated at 12.1 million acres, up 20 percent from last year. Cotton growers in Georgia planted an estimated 1.35 million acres, up 14 percent from last year. Georgia Cotton Commission Executive Director Richey Seaton said that is a …
Foods Harmful to Your Health
Cathy Isom tells us about some of the foods we eat every day that could be harmful to our health. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Many of the healthy foods we eat every day: fruits, vegetables, and other plants that are good for us also could be harmful to our health, if prepared or eaten improperly. …
Chinese Buyers Commit to Large U.S. Soybean Purchase
Demand already looks good for the 2017 soybean crop. China is the number one purchaser of U.S. soybeans, buying 60 percent of American soy exports every year. The U.S. Soybean Export Council, along with several American and Chinese organizations, will host a Chinese delegation of buyers at a soybean trade contract agreement signing ceremony. The event takes place on July …
Red Meat Export Momentum Continues
U.S. red meat (beef and pork) exports had a strong month of May, increasing significantly from April as well as from 2016 levels. USDA statistics compiled by the U.S. Meat Export Federation show pork exports reached more than 222,000 metric tons. That’s an 11 percent year-over-year increase and the fourth largest monthly volume on record. Pork exports were valued at …
Trade Retaliation Worries Ag Groups
18 agriculture groups representing the majority of production agriculture sent a letter to the Trump administration recommending it avoid placing restrictions on steel and aluminum imports. The groups are worried that such a move would negatively impact U.S. food and agriculture exports. The groups said in the letter that, “the aftermath of those restrictions could be disastrous for the global …
Agri View: Organic Foods Growing
Everett Griner talks about organic foods covers more in today’s Agri View. Now, what began as a social fad has turned into a worldwide heath obsession. Organic foods. It has grown from a small number of independent growers to nearly 25,000 certified organic operations. That is in America. Worldwide the number is now estimated at over 37,000 certified …
Veterinarians: Establish Offshore FMD Vaccine Bank
Warning of the dire economic consequences of an outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), swine veterinarians from around the country during Capitol Hill visits will urge congressional lawmakers to establish an offshore vaccine bank to help quickly control and eradicate the animal disease. The 23 veterinarians are in town as part of the Swine Veterinarian Public Policy Advocacy Program of the …