New Rules Aimed at Protecting Tomato Crops

(NSF) — New federal inspection rules go into place Friday on tomatoes and peppers, a month after Florida agricultural officials expressed concern that a virus had been found in tomatoes imported from Mexico. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that tomatoes and pepper fruit from Mexico, Israel and the Netherlands must be inspected for tomato brown rugose fruit virus, …

Facts of the Flow: Lake Okeechobee, 2019 Year-to-Date

(SFWMD) — Here is the latest update on inflows into Lake Okeechobee for the calendar year to date. This data is provided by SFWMD’s DBHYDRO database. There has been no back-pumping into Lake Okeechobee from the Everglades Agricultural Area this year. Source: South Florida Water Management District Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Funding For Quicker Response to Research QuestionsApril …

Florida Ag Expo Is Thursday

Growers are invited to attend the 2019 Florida Ag Expo, which will be held Thursday, Nov. 21, at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) in Wimauma. This will be the best year yet for the event, as AgNet Media is partnering with UF/IFAS to provide growers with the latest research information. Not …

Florida Beef Council Promoting Holiday Beef Video

Just in time for the holidays, Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner. is releasing a new video to help “spice up” any gathering and celebration. In this week’s Beef Checkoff report, DeAnne Maples,  Florida Beef Council (FBC) director of education and promotion, tells why FBC is excited to share this video in Florida. The Beef Drool Log is a video featuring a prime rib roast cooking …

DeSantis Touts to Continue “Momentum” on Environmental Issues

(NSF) — Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday proposed a $91.4 billion state budget for next year, touting plans to funnel more money to public-school teachers and continue “momentum” on environmental issues. The proposal is an initial step as lawmakers prepare for the January start of the annual legislative session, which will include negotiating a budget for the fiscal year that …

2020 Plant Trends Head Off the Beaten Garden Path

(UF/IFAS) — Expect to see more eco-conscious and unconventional plants in homes and gardens for 2020, according to horticultural experts with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Below are some of the hottest trends to look for in the new year. Plants are considered native to your area if they naturally occur there. “One trend I …

Weekly Livestock Market Report Week Ending 11-15-19

Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, for the week ended November 15, 2019, compiled by the Livestock Market News Service for all three states. AL Livestock Market Report: At Alabama Livestock Auctions for the week ended November 15, 2019, receipts at 21 markets totaled an estimated 14,500 head compared to 17,962 last week and …

Conservation Funding Fight Goes to Supreme Court

(NSF) — Environmental groups are going to the Florida Supreme Court in a long-running legal battle about whether state lawmakers have properly carried out a 2014 constitutional amendment designed to boost land and water conservation. The groups filed a notice Friday that is a first step in asking the Supreme Court to decide the case. As is common, the notice does not …

Everglades: Soil Mapping the River of Grass

(USDA/NRCS Florida) — In the south Florida sweltering heat, soil scientists Craig Prink and Martin Figueroa suit up in long-sleeved shirts, long pants, hats, and tightly wrap bandanas around their faces to protect against the sun, water glare, and insects. Heavy gloves and neoprene footwear keep the serrated-edged sawgrass from slicing their skin when they wade through the water. They …