heartland

Meetings on Algae, Citrus and Water Management Ring Alarms for Florida Agriculture

Dan Editorial, Environment, Florida, Lake Okeechobee, Water

Three meetings this week in three different areas of the state brought more discussion that should wake up producers and others in agriculture who have remained mostly silent for decades. As the state’s population continues to swell by a 1,000 new residents each day, Florida’s population will likely exceed 22-million next year. As the nation’s third most populous state, there’s …

everglades

South Florida Water Managers Debate BMPs, Discuss New Regulations

Dan Editorial, Florida, Lake Okeechobee, Water

by Gary Cooper In this new atmosphere of starting over from scratch with South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) leadership, a growing number of people in agriculture are asking more often and more loudly, “What’s going on?” Agriculture appears to be under the microscope, some say more like under attack, as a fast-growing urban sector reacts to what they don’t …

water

Fact Checking South Florida’s Water Politics – What Got Us Here?

Dan Editorial, Florida, Lake Okeechobee

by Gary Cooper Roots of Algae Debate Show Political Rhetoric Trumping the Facts Politically driven actions in recent months have undeniably brought major upheaval and confusion in South Florida’s water management circles. More than eight million people who are living in and invested in South Florida are directly impacted by these decisions in one way or another. Misinformation swirls about …

Florida legislative session

Is Florida Agriculture Under Attack by State Political Leaders?

Dan Editorial, Florida, Legislative, Water

by Gary Cooper As Florida lawmakers return home from a frustrating legislative session for Florida’s agriculture industry, the state’s farmers and ranchers wonder where they stand in a political environment that is much different than years past. Florida’s population continues to grow with about 1,000 new residents daily, with no end in sight. The negative environmental impacts from this historic …

fried

News from Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried: Week of January 28th, 2019

Dan Editorial, Florida

From Commissioner Nikki Fried It’s been a busy past few weeks making our way around the state — from touring our Panhandle communities to survey the damage from Hurricane Michael, to hearing from members of the Miami-Dade County Farm Bureau, to working with my fellow Cabinet members to honor and remember the victims of the Parkland tragedy.I’m thrilled to continue …

fried

Put Florida First and End the Shutdown

Dan Editorial, Industry News Release

As Americans, we have some basic, reasonable expectations. Among them: our food should be safe to eat, our businesses should be able to operate, our workers should be paid for their labor, and our government should function effectively. That shouldn’t be asking too much. Yet as the federal government shutdown extends past the four-week mark, even those basic expectations aren’t …