Could Support Domestic Industry University of Florida scientists have sequenced the genome of Vanilla, which will help them select the best types for breeding new varieties of the popular plant to grow in Florida. Some consumers crave vanilla. The U.S. leads the world in imported vanilla beans, said Alan Chambers, an assistant professor of tropical fruit breeding and genetics at …
Florida, Georgia Square Off Again in Water War
Florida says the case is the “last, best hope” to save the Apalachicola River region from destruction. Georgia says Florida’s arguments threaten to cause hundreds of millions of dollars in “real harm” to the Peach State. Now, a federal appellate judge based in New Mexico will have to sort out the long-running battle between Florida and Georgia over water in …
National Nutrition Month Advice: Eat More Fresh, Fewer Processed Foods
Nutrients from fresh foods give you “more bang for your nutritional buck,” says a registered dietitian with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “For every calorie, there’s also going to be a lot of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in that food that contribute to our health,” said Laura Acosta, also a lecturer in the UF/IFAS …
Weekly Livestock Market Report Week Ending 03-01-19
Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, for the week ended March 1, 2019, compiled by the Livestock Market News Service for all three states. AL Livestock Market Report: At Alabama Livestock Auctions for the Week ended Mar 1, 2019, receipts at 21 markets totaled an estimated 9,000 head compared to 7,397 last week and …
Commissioner Nikki Fried Appoints Steven Hall as General Counsel
Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried on Friday announced that Steven Hall will serve as General Counsel for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Hall had previously served as Acting General Counsel under the previous administration, and will now lead the Department’s legal efforts as General Counsel. Hall first began with the Department as a law clerk in 2005 and became Deputy General Counsel in …
Florida Cattlemen and Farm Bureau to Visit Tallahassee
The 2019 Florida legislative session kicks off Tuesday, March 5, in Tallahassee. Next week, Florida Farm Bureau Federation members from across the state will be in town for their annual Farm Bureau Legislative Days. March 6 will be a full day of events, including the Legislative Briefing Breakfast, meetings with state lawmakers and the Taste of Florida Agriculture Reception that …
Farm Bureau Gears Up to Fight for Florida Ag
The Florida legislative session begins next week, and Florida Farm Bureau (FFB) is ready for a busy session. Adam Basford, FFB legislative affairs director, is gearing up to fight for Florida agriculture. Every year, FFB has multiple priorities to bring to legislators. For this session, one of the biggest focus points will be on the damage caused by Hurricane Michael, …
Florida Land Deals Approved
Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet agreed Tuesday to spend $2.54 million from the Florida Forever conservation program to preserve land in Lake and Hamilton counties. The deals, approved with little comment, will pay $540,000 to Brian A. Richards for 83.4 acres in rapidly growing Lake County and $2 million to the owners of River Error Farms for 316 …
Bipartisan Senators Introduce Major Disaster Relief Package
President Trump Drives Effort For Disaster Relief Funding U.S. Senators David Perdue (R-GA), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Doug Jones (D-AL), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Rick Scott (R-FL), Tim Scott (R-SC), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) introduced a bipartisan disaster relief package with the backing of President Donald J. Trump. President Trump, working with this bipartisan group of senators, has confirmed …
10 Big Issues to Watch During the 2019 Florida Legislative Session
Florida lawmakers will gather March 5 in the House chamber to hear Gov. Ron DeSantis give his first State of the State address, the traditional start of the 60-day legislative session. Led by Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, and House Speaker Jose Oliva, R-Miami Lakes, lawmakers this year will deal with myriad issues, ranging from passing a state budget to …