The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recently announced updates to COVID-19 testing sites in Hendry, Miami-Dade, Collier and St. Lucie counties for farmworkers. The effort to provide access to no-cost testing for farmworkers is part of a partnership with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, the Florida Division of Emergency Management and county governments. Testing services will continue as …
Growing a Gorgeous Flower for Both Food and Medicine
Growing a gorgeous flower that has both food and medicine uses. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Multi-purpose plants are invaluable. Especially when you can maximize your harvests in more ways than one. The Purple Passion Flower is the perfect example. You can eat the fruits, flowers and leaves, and it’s an absolute pleasure to grow. The flowers …
U.S. Peanut Production Forecast Slightly Lower from Last Month
When USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released their November crop production estimates, they noted the U.S. peanut crop is still expected to be up twenty two percent compared to last year. But according to Tyron Spearman, the new report is down one percent from last month. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida …
Get Florida Freeze Updates With Winter Weather Watch
By Chris Oswalt There was a time back in 1962, on Dec. 12 and 13, when a devastating freeze in Florida decimated a significant portion of the state’s citrus industry. In Polk County, the freeze caused serious damage to 134,000 acres of citrus. In 1963, citrus growers were concerned about receiving timely weather information and frost warning bulletins. Back then, …
Popular UF/IFAS Vegetable Gardening Guide now Available in Spanish
(UF/IFAS) — With COVID-19 lingering, it might be a good time to use your green thumb to grow some vegetables in your garden. While you’re at it, you can get help from the UF/IFAS Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide — now also in Spanish — and as a downloadable web app. Because we’re nearing the holidays, let’s look at some vegetables you …
Best Defensive Plants to Keep Your Garden Safe
Some of the best defensive plants to keep your home and garden safe. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Natural plant barriers made up of defensive plants can be used as a source of protection on your property. Usually, modern fencing like an aluminum fence installation is used to keep animals in certain areas and can also be …
Deliveries of Peanuts Slow Down
The amount of peanuts being delivered to buying points across the Southeast have slowed down some. Tyrion Spearman looks at the latest numbers. 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 …
2020 Farm Service Agency County Committee Elections Underway
Ballots Have Been Mailed to Eligible Voters (USDA) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has mailed ballots for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) county committee elections to eligible farmers and ranchers across the country. To be counted, ballots must be returned to the local FSA county office or postmarked by December 7. “FSA has over 7,000 county committee members …
Joint Culturing Project for HLB?
Four researchers from around the country summarized their work on culturing the causal agent of HLB and agreed to consider a large, joint culturing project. The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) hosted the panel discussion on Nov. 5 about culturing Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas). CRDF organized the presentation after receiving a request for funding of a CLas culturing project from Washington State University researcher …
Injuries and Illnesses in Poultry Processing Fall Below All Manufacturing for First Time
(NCC) — The incidence of occupational injuries and illnesses within the poultry sector’s slaughter and processing workforce has fallen below all manufacturing for the first time since the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) began recording injuries and illnesses information in 1994. The total recordable poultry processing illness and injury rate for 2019 was 3.2 cases per 100 …