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 …
You Can Help Bring Back the Bee Population
Without our pollinators, there would be no food. Cathy Isom continues her series on bees by telling us what we can do to help bring back the bee population. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Bees are the winged wonders that are really important to us but unfortunately are a dwindling population. Bees occur on every continent except …
Forum Addresses Climate Change and Agriculture
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 …
Best Flowers to Grow for a Bee Garden
In her previous program Cathy Isom let you know about raising your own Queen Bee. She continues her series today filling you in about the best and most beautiful flowers for a bee garden. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. A garden full of bright, seasonal flowers can nourish your local bees through every season. Consider planting these …
Farmers Prevented From Planting Crops on More Than 19 Million Acres
Agricultural producers reported they were not able to plant crops on more than 19.4 million acres in 2019, according to a new report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This marks the most prevented plant acres reported since USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) began releasing the report in 2007 and 17.49 million acres more than reported at this time …
Agriculture and Forestry in a Changing Climate: What the Future Holds for Florida
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (UF/IFAS) — A forum that will highlight climate challenges to Florida’s farms, ranches, and forests and steps that the state’s producers are taking in response is set for Monday, Aug. 12, at the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center in Gainesville. Agriculture and Forestry in a Changing Climate: What the Future Holds for Florida is also expected to …
State Revives Red Tide Task Force
(NSF) — A task force focused on red tide outbreaks along the Gulf Coast has been reorganized within the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the revised panel, tasked with studying the causes of red tide, during a press conference Friday at the SandBar Tiki & Grille in Englewood. The panel, comprised of researchers and scientists, …
Lawsuit Filed Over Lake Okeechobee Releases and U.S. Army Corps-Created Water Shortage
Clewiston, Fla. (U.S. Sugar) – U.S. Sugar announced that it shared similar concerns with environmental groups who filed an earlier lawsuit over the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ complete disregard of its own policies and procedures governing Lake Okeechobee. The Company filed a lawsuit this morning in federal district court. “Since November of 2018, the Corps has released unprecedented volumes …
Georgia NRCS Promoting New Soil App
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Georgia wants to remind producers about the recent release of the iOS and Android SoilWeb app, version 2.0. While the app was first released back in 2010, it now has a cleaner and more modern interface with GPS-location-based links to access detailed digital soil survey data published by the NRCS. Dee Pederson, …
Soil Moisture Monitoring Discussed at Sunbelt Field Day
During last week’s Sunbelt Ag Expo Field Day in Moultrie, Georgia, one of the tram stops gave attendees updated information concerning monitoring of soil moisture in fields. Tyron Spearman did an interview which explains how sensors are helping producers with their irrigation needs. 2018 Sunbelt Ag Expo Field Day – Casey Cox Video by: Georgia Peanut Commission Casey Cox, Mitchell …