(FDACS) — Following Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried’s call for a Secretarial disaster designation for Florida counties impacted by Hurricane Sally, on Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) designated Okaloosa and Walton counties as primary and Bay, Holmes, Santa Rosa, and Washington counties as secondary disaster areas. Producers in these counties are now eligible for USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) disaster loans in addition to producers in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties who …
NCBA Region II Meeting in Alabama This Week
Cattlemen and Cattlewomen from across the Southeast will be in Montgomery, Alabama this week for the NCBA Region II meeting. Members from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee will be on hand to talk about the various issues affecting producers across the region. Alabama Cattlemen’s Association (ACA) Executive Vice President, Erin Beasley, says they will be meeting …
Florida Beef Council Ready for Burger Week
While various promotions through the Beef Checkoff take place each year across Florida, there are two events taking place this week. DeAnne Maples, director of education & promotion for the Florida Beef Council (FBC), says you can get a great burger at a great price at both events. For more information about these and other Beef Checkoff promotions in Florida, contact the …
Black Spot Likely in More Florida Counties
Although citrus black spot has only been detected in commercial groves in five Southwest Florida counties, it is still spreading and likely to be in additional counties, according to plant pathologist Megan Dewdney. The five counties with detections are Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee. Dewdney is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences associate professor at …
Two New National FFA Officers Are From Southeast
More than 217,000 people took part in the virtual 93rd National FFA Convention and Expo last week, where the 2020-21 National FFA Officer Team was announced. Two FFA members serving on the new team come from right here in the Southeast. The new president is Doster Harper from Covington, Georgia; an agriscience and environmental systems major at the University of Georgia. The new …
Weekly Livestock Market Report Week Ending 10-30-2020
Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, for the week ended October 30, 2020, compiled by the Livestock Market News Service for all three states. AL Livestock Market Report: At Alabama Livestock Auctions, for the Week ended October 30, 2020, receipts at 21 markets totaled an estimated 10,800 head compared to 14,300 last week and …
Commodity Classic Announces Transition to Digital Experience
(NCGA) — Commodity Classic has announced it will transition its annual conference and trade show, originally scheduled for March 4-6, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas, to an alternative digital format. The change was necessary due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The new format is expected to be offered the first week in March 2021. “This is about doing …
Could the Miracle Fruit be for South Florida?
New study uncovers data showing how bountiful it can grow in the subtropics (UF/IFAS) — Scientists at University of Florida’s Tropical Research and Education Center have unlocked the mystery behind a highly sought-after berry known as the Miracle fruit in a study published this week. This news brings much needed insight to local growers, and food and drink manufacturers who …
New Blueberry Variety Honors Benefactor and UF Alumnus Alto Straughn
(UF/IFAS) — When Patricio Muñoz developed the University of Florida’s newest blueberry variety, he wanted to name the fruit in honor of Alto Straughn, a longtime, strong supporter of UF’s blueberry breeding program. Muñoz decided to call the new variety the ‘Sentinel.’ “A ‘sentinel’ is a watcher or guardian,” said Muñoz, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of horticultural sciences. “It is …
NCBA President Marty Smith Issues Statement on Florida Meetings
(NCBA) — The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) was invited to participate in two Florida producer meetings this week to discuss industry issues. Let me be clear, NCBA will not participate in events with organizations litigating against NCBA or the Beef Checkoff. Nor will we engage in events that that lend a voice to anti-agriculture activists like Marty Irby, a …