Florida Future Chef

FDACS Accepting Entries for Florida Future Chef 2026

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is accepting entries for Florida Future Chef 2026. According to the department, the Florida Future Chef is, a statewide student cooking competition that challenges young Floridians to creatively reimagine school meals using Florida-grown ingredients, while learning about the nutrition standards that guide the National School Lunch Program.” Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton …

Florida Cattle Enhancement Board

Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Funding to Enhance Brahman Genetics

The Florida Cattle Enhancement Board provides funding to research projects that benefit the cattle industry in Florida. We sat down with Dr. Mario Binelli who shared some details on how the funding from the Enhancement Board has enhanced Brahman genetics. “That is a beautiful program and we have been supported to conduct that program for at least five years. And …

Florida’s forest

UF/IFAS Study Notes Florida’s Forest Industry Impact

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has released results of a study of the Forest Industry in Florida. The findings show that Florida’s forest industry supports more than 103,000 jobs and generated nearly $29 billion in total economic input. According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, “Florida is home to approximately 16.76 million …

production research

Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Production Research

The Florida Cattle Enhancement Board has provided production research opportunities for the Florida cattle industry. We caught up with Gene Lollis, former Florida Cattlemen’s Association President and current Director of Ranch Operations at the Archbold Research Station, Buck Island Ranch to learn about his experience with the Florida Cattle Enhancement Board. “The Enhancement Board has been huge for our state. …

Florida Commissioner

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Announces Winner of 2026 Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson has announced Ernie Barnett as this year’s recipient of the Agricultural-Environmental Leadership award. Presented annually since 1994, this award highlights “environmentally innovative growers and ranchers who share a commitment to protecting and preserving Florida’s resources while continuing to produce the world-class agricultural goods we rely on.” Commissioner Simpson said, “Ernie Barnett has spent more …

Florida Cattle Enhancement Board

Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Opportunities to Develop Preliminary Data For Future Grant Projects

The Florida Cattle Enhancement Board provides opportunities for researchers to develop preliminary data for future grant projects funded by other sources. We recently sat down with Dr. Brad Daigenault with the University of Florida who provided insights on how the enhancement board funding provides an impact for further research studies. “Okay, so how do you make sure that yours gets funded? …

wildfires

Wildfires Creating Major Problems in Georgia and Florida

Wildfires, the major problems in the southeast corner of Georgia and along the Georgia Florida line. One of the largest fires, the Pineland Road wildfire, has grown to consume 31,000 acres near Fargo, Georgia, about 120 miles northeast of Tallahassee, Florida. It’s only 10 percent contained as of early this week. The Highway 82 fire is in Atkinson County, Georgia and they said that …