(UF/IFAS) — University of Florida entomologist Lauren Diepenbrock is looking to the future of her research program and needs citrus industry professionals to help her see a clear picture. Since arriving at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in 2018, she has worked with many growers to identify best practices for successful …
Grower Discusses Conservation Steps
Travis Miller, part owner and manager of the 330-acre DeSoto Grove in DeSoto County, was recently recognized by the Florida Farm Bureau Federation for his natural resource conservation efforts. Miller and 22 other Florida farmers and ranchers received the Farm Bureau’s County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship (CARES) award. Miller reports on the conservation steps taken at DeSoto Grove: “We enrolled into …
Hemp Program Lighting Up Florida Agriculture
(NSF) — Hemp is blazing among Florida’s agriculture inventory in the seven months since it was first allowed to be legally grown in the Sunshine State, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried told business leaders Tuesday. Fried said 22,078 acres are currently licensed for hemp, nearly equal to the acreage in Florida of tomatoes, watermelon and snap peas, and double the …
Feeding Florida Beef to Coast Guard Members
The Florida Beef Council (FBC), together with the Florida Cattlewomen (FCW) and a few members of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association (FCA) will be busy this Thursday cooking a great beef meal for members of the Coast Guard. FBC Director of Education & Promotion DeAnne Maples says they expect to feed more than 200 people. For more information about Beef Checkoff …
COVID-19 Impacts on Florida Citrus
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Florida’s citrus industry were recently summarized by Fritz Roka, director of the Florida Gulf Coast University’s (FGCU) Center of Agribusiness. Roka discussed pandemic impacts on both the citrus production side of the industry and the packing and juice-processing segments. Here are some highlights of Roka’s presentation that apply to both the production and …
Weekly Livestock Market Report Week Ending 12-04-2020
Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, for the week ended December 04, 2020, compiled by the Livestock Market News Service for all three states. AL Livestock Market Report: At Alabama Livestock Auctions, for the week ended December 04, 2020, receipts at 21 markets totaled an estimated 16,016 head compared to 199 last week and …
Commissioner Nikki Fried on U.S. House Passage of MORE Act
(FDACS) — The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.3884, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, by a vote of 228-164. This comprehensive, bipartisan cannabis reform package would decriminalize marijuana and take much-needed steps to address the racial injustices of prohibition. As of November 2020, a record-high 68 percent of Americans support marijuana legalization. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, a noted cannabis advocate, offered the …
What’s in Store for 2021? UF/IFAS Experts Predict Food and Garden Trends
(UF/IFAS) — No one could have predicted the kind of year 2020 has been. But in late 2019, when UF/IFAS experts were asked to predict the top food and garden trends for the coming year, they made some startlingly accurate predictions. Today, these trends are no longer forecasts but facts of life in a year characterized by a global pandemic …
New UF/IFAS App to Identify Toxic Plants
(UF/IFAS) — Some livestock, pets and even children occasionally nibble on poisonous plants, presenting a potential pitfall to the animals and youth. Now, a new, free app designed by UF/IFAS researchers and Extension faculty helps you identify toxic plants. Not only is this the first app to identify strictly Florida plants, it’s also the first to distinguish between toxic weeds. …
Florida NRCS Severe Erosion Signup Ends Dec 4
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida is providing Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) funds to help agricultural producers address severe erosion and irrigation retrofit. But, applications for financial assistance are due Friday, December 4. Producers in these counties are eligible to apply: Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Jackson, Gadsden, Liberty, Franklin, Gulf, Calhoun, and Bay counties. Florida State Conservationist, Juan Hernandez, …