DeSantis: Keep Up ‘Momentum’ on Water Issues

Dan Environment, Florida, Industry News Release, Lake Okeechobee, Water

TALLAHASSEE, FL (NSF) — During an appearance in Bonita Springs Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis encouraged advocates for clean water to keep pressing lawmakers to pass conservation measures in the upcoming 2020 legislative session. DeSantis, proudly noting that legislators this year exceeded his environmental funding request of $625 million by $55 million, said local voices are needed to maintain the “momentum” …

Conservation Reserve Program Signup Ends Friday

Dan Environment

Farmers and ranchers with expiring Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts may now re-enroll in certain CRP continuous signup practices or, if eligible, select a one-year contract extension. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) also is accepting offers from those who want to enroll for the first time in one of the country’s largest conservation programs. But FSA’s 52nd signup for CRP …

NRCS Continues Promoting Soil Health

Dan Environment, Soil, USDA-NRCS

Soil health, also referred to as soil quality, is defined as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans. And USDA’s National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) continues to promote the benefits and importance of soil health. Plus, this year the Soil Health Partnership (SHP) is celebrating its fifth anniversary and the foundational collaborations that developed …

Glades Sugarcane Farmers Continue Water Quality Success

Dan Environment, Industry News Release, Specialty Crops, Sugar, Water

Recently, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) announced that once again, sugarcane and vegetable farmers in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) surpassed annual phosphorus reduction targets by reducing phosphorus 44 percent – bringing the average annual reduction to 56 percent since the program began in 1996. “Good news on water gets lost in the shuffle, but sugarcane farmers continue …

Forum Addresses Climate Change and Agriculture

Dan Education, Environment, Florida, Weather

By Ernie Neff Florida ag producers, scientists, Congresswoman Kathy Castor and others discussed agriculture in the face of climate change in a forum held Monday in Gainesville. The forum was Agriculture and Forestry in a Changing Climate: What the Future Holds for Florida. Jack Payne, senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources at the University of Florida Institute of …