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 …

Reviewing 2020 Peanut Crop Numbers

Looking back at all of the numbers from the 2020 U.S. peanut crop, Tyron Spearman reports there won’t be enough peanuts to go around from last year’s crop. 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 …

National FFA Week Starts Saturday

Starting Saturday, more than 760,000 FFA members across the country will share the story of agriculture as part of National FFA Week. Whether it is through service projects or community gatherings, this special week is a time for FFA members to raise awareness about the role the National FFA Organization plays in developing agriculture’s future leaders and the importance of agricultural …

New Form Required for Some NRCS Customers

If you are a producer or landowner who participates in USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) conservation programs, you may receive information in the mail from the Farm Service Agency (FSA) about a form you’ll need to fill out. Starting this year, all producers and landowners participating or applying to participate in certain NRCS conservation programs must complete form CCC-902, Farm Operating Plan. …

Crop Insurance Town Hall Held by Commissioner Nikki Fried and USDA

(FDACS) — Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried held a town hall meeting on crop insurance issues at Chipola College in Marianna, Florida. Fried was joined via Zoom by Acting Administrator Richard Flournoy of the USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) and other RMA senior and regional leaders to answer questions from agriculture producers on crop insurance and risk management. Photos/Video: A video recording and high-res …

Bids Placed on Peanut Butter

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently put out bids for peanut butter, and Tyron Spearman reports those bids have now been awarded. 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 …

ACEP and Public-Private Partnership

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released the final rule for its Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP). The program enables agricultural producers and private landowners to protect farmlands, grasslands, and wetlands with conservation easements. Jimmy Bramblett, with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), discusses the relationship between landowners and the federal government under ACEP. ACEP’s agricultural land easements (ALE) component assists state and local …