Statement from Judy Sanchez, Senior Director for Corporate Communications & Public Affairs for U.S. Sugar “This amendment makes significant progress and demonstrates that the Florida Senate has begun taking seriously the concerns of residents from communities south of Lake Okeechobee. The decision to no longer take 60,000 to 153,000 acres of farmland out of production is a positive step forward. While the amendment improves the bill, there …
Best Time to Mow?
Cathy Isom continues her series on lawn and garden care this week by filling you in on what you need to know before you mow for the first time this spring. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher …
Survey: Consumers Baffled by Food Labels
A recent survey shows global consumers remain baffled by food labels. Sponsored by Elanco, The Truth About Food survey gathered input from 3,300 consumers in 11 countries. Of the findings, online meat industry publication Meatingplace reports the survey shows 82 percent of consumers said they buy organic products mainly because they believe the foods to be pesticide-free. But, In reality, …
AG Sessions Says Deportation to Focus on Felons, not Farm Workers
The Western Growers Association says recent comments by Attorney General Jeff Sessions indicate the Justice Department will focus on deporting felons, not farm workers. Sessions recently told Fox News the Justice Department does not intend to target illegal immigrants who have not committed crimes beyond illegally entering the country. Western Growers Association CEO Tom Nassif called the comments encouraging. Nassif …
Purdue Ag Economy Barometer Shows Slip in Confidence
The Ag Economy Barometer from Purdue University found confidence among farmers and ranchers slipped again last month. The Barometer slipped to 124 in March, marking the second month in a row that producer sentiment dropped below the prior month’s level. A rating below 100 is negative, while a rating above 100 indicates positive sentiment regarding the agriculture industry. Recent weakness …
Senate Ag Appropriator Says no Budget Cuts this Fiscal Year
The chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations panel says there will be no budget cuts this fiscal year. North Dakota Republican John Hoeven says the current fiscal year is “too far along” to make an adjustment now, as requested by President Donald Trump. The President has proposed an $18 billion cut in discretionary spending, including more than $1 billion from …
Perdue Vote Won’t Happen This Week
The U.S. Senate will not be taking a vote to confirm Agriculture Secretary nominee Sonny Perdue this week. Instead, the Senate will be focusing time on a filibuster and confirmation vote for Supreme Court Justice nominee Neil Gorsuch. With an upcoming recess, the delay means the vote for Perdue won’t happen until late this month, at the earliest. The former …
Agri View: Cattle Grazing Cost
Everett Griner talks about cost of grazing cattle increasing in today’s Agri View. 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
Negron Trims Controversial Water Plan
by Jim Turner, The News service of Florida Senate President Joe Negron on Tuesday toned down a wide-ranging water bill intended to protect his district’s waterways, as he sought to make it more palatable to House leaders and people living south of Lake Okeechobee. The Stuart Republican was joined by other Senate leaders in announcing an amendment to the measure …
Subcommittee Examines Credit Programs in the Farm Bill
Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Commodity Exchanges, Energy, and Credit, held a hearing to evaluate the effectiveness of farm bill authorized credit programs administered by the Farm Service Agency (FSA). This hearing is a continuation of the committee’s hearing series to set the stage for the next farm bill. Members of the committee …