(FLGOV) — Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointments of Jack Bispham and Seth Weightman to the Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board. Jack Bispham Bispham, of Myakka City, is the owner and operator of Red Bluff Plantation. Previously, he was the owner of Bayside Sod from 1988 until 2018. He has served as a Soil and Water Conservation Service …
Governor DeSantis Appoints Benjamin Butler to the SFWMD Governing Board
(FLGOV) — Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Benjamin Butler to the South Florida Water Management District Governing Board. This appointment fills the final vacancy on this nine-member board. Benjamin Butler Butler, of Lorida, is the manager of Butler Oaks Farm, a family owned dairy farm. Butler Oaks Farm has operated for more than 80 years and has received …
DeSantis Unveils Website on Water Quality
(NSF) — Gov. Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis on Tuesday rolled out a new multi-agency website that will provide water-quality updates, initially focused on waterways in South Florida. A joint effort of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Department of Health, the website — protectingfloridatogether.gov — is touted …
Florida Beef Council Participates in Big Event
The Florida Beef Council (FBC) took part in a big event in St. Petersburg this past weekend. In this week’s Beef Checkoff report, FBC Director of Beef Marketing and Promotion DeAnne Maples says the council was able to see a lot of people and serve a lot of beef. Sponsored ContentFlorida Senator Shares Origins of Florida Cattle Enhancement BoardNovember 14, 2025CIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsNovember 8, …
USDA Designates Four Florida Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas
Emergency Support to Producers in Surrounding Counties/Border States Also Available (USDA/FSA) — Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated four Florida counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers who suffered losses due to recent weather events may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA)Â emergency loans. These natural disaster designations allow FSA to extend much-needed emergency credit to …
Florida Sugar Producers Give a Hoot About Pest Control
(ASA) — The sugarcane fields of south Florida are home to more than just high-quality sugar. The tall stalks provide a habitat to countless creatures that call the region home. Birds, reptiles, and small mammals all live in the farm fields, sharing their habitat with humans that grow cane. It’s been like this since sugarcane was commercially cultivated in the …
SFWMD Starts Public Process to Revise Rules for Northern Everglades and Coastal Estuaries Water Quality
Schedule of public workshops and interactive website announced where public can participate and provide input as District works to amend a Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program rule (SFWMD)Â — The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) initiates a public rule-making process to support water quality improvements in the Northern Everglades, which includes the Lake Okeechobee Watershed and the St. Lucie …
Funding Fight Begins for Florida Forever
(NSF) — A proposal to designate $100 million a year of voter-approved money to the Florida Forever conservation program began moving through Senate committees Monday. However, even after past funding proposals failed and as legislative leaders remain vague about future spending, environmentalists are pushing for three times that amount, seeking to match what Florida Forever received annually more than a …
Florida Natural Resources Meeting Cancelled
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Florida has announced the State Technical Committee Meeting that was scheduled for Nov. 19 at the Florida Farm Bureau in Gainesville has been cancelled. It will be rescheduled at a later date. For more information, e-mail Nina Bhattacharyya or call 352-338-9554. Sponsored ContentFlorida Senator Shares Origins of Florida Cattle Enhancement BoardNovember 14, 2025CIR …
Florida Industrial Hemp Conference Underway
The inaugural Florida Industrial Hemp Conference is taking place in Orlando. The event was put together to foster the development of an industrial hemp industry in the state. Topics at the conference include the latest information on state and federal legislation, growing and cultivation, research, banking and more. Gene Jones, co-founder of the conference, says the program also will cover the …