The Florida Legislature passed Senate Bill 1020, establishing a state hemp program within the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The historic vote comes after the 2018 federal Farm Bill removed prohibitions on industrial hemp in place since 1937 and authorized states to create hemp programs. Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried, a noted advocate for hemp, cannabis, and medical marijuana, offered the following statement: “Today’s …
Northwest Florida Residents to Congress: Do Something Now
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) released the following video featuring Hurricane Michael survivors telling their personal stories, and asking Congress to put politics aside, and do its job. Even though the Category 5 storm devastated Florida’s Panhandle almost seven months ago, Congress continues to play politics instead of passing critical disaster funding for local communities still struggling to recover. For …
Florida Legislature Expected to Wrap Session up Saturday
Florida lawmakers are expected to vote sometime Saturday afternoon on what ended up being a $91.1 billion budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. According to the News Service of Florida, the budget was distributed at 1:32 p.m. Wednesday, triggering the start of a constitutionally required 72-hour “cooling off” period before the House and Senate can vote on …
Florida Beef Cattle Short Course is Next Week
The 2019 Florida Beef Cattle Short Course will be held May 8-10 at the Alto and Patricia Straughn IFAS Extension Professional Development Center in Gainesville. The premier educational event is designed for serious beef cattle producers in the Southeast. Discussions will be held concerning the beef cattle industry’s future direction, there will be information provided on management decision making skills, and new information about …
Lawmakers Back Homeowner Vegetable Gardens
The Florida House on Wednesday gave final approval to a measure that would prevent local governments from regulating homeowners’ vegetable gardens. The 93-16 vote will send the bill (SB 82) to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The issue stems from a dispute between homeowners Hermine Ricketts and Laurence Carroll and the village of Miami Shores over an ordinance that banned front-yard vegetable …
Florida Budget Chiefs Finalize State Spending Plan
House and Senate budget chiefs agreed Tuesday to a roughly $90 billion budget deal, but lawmakers will not end the 2019 legislative session on time. The budget needed to be distributed Tuesday to meet the scheduled Friday end of the session. That is because of a mandatory 72-hour “cooling off” period before lawmakers can vote on the budget. But the …
Florida Beef Council Represented in Denver
Folks representing the Florida Beef Council (FBC) recently made a trip to Denver for an orientation. DeAnne Maples, director of beef marketing and promotion, was one of those attending and explained to Southeast AgNet’s Randall Weiseman what the event was all about. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board …
Coastal Headwaters Longleaf Forest Project
As part of a multi-year effort to expand longleaf pine forests across the Southeast, last week the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida, The Conservation Fund, and Resource Management Service held an event in Pace, Florida, to celebrate the completion of the first phase of the Coastal Headwaters Longleaf Forest project. The 3,719-acre conservation easement will restore …
Florida Legislative Session Scheduled to End Friday
Friday, May 3rd, is the scheduled end of the 60-day Florida legislative session. Lawmakers are slated to finish the session this week after what some say will be a frenzy of activity. According to the News Service of Florida, that means finishing negotiations by Tuesday on the $90-some billion budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1. Because of a …
Final Week of Florida Legislative Session
This is the final week for the 2019 Florida legislative session. The budget is one of the major issues lawmakers will be trying to finalize. Florida Cattlemen’s Association Director of Governmental Affairs Sam Ard says it’s been a tough year for agriculture in the budget. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, …