The Florida Master Gardener program, part of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), recently created a Legacy Fund to help support educational projects directly in counties. The Legacy Fund was created by an anonymous donor in 2017, and the first applications were received in the summer of 2018. “The Master Gardener Legacy Fund will support …
Trump Signs Off on Major Reservoir Project
Construction of a reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee that state lawmakers envision as a way to help a region beset by toxic algae blooms was part of a wide-ranging water bill signed Tuesday by President Donald Trump. The $6 billion America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 includes authorization for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin work on a …
Citrus Production Guide Provides Perfect Tool for Growers
Researchers at the Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) have revamped the Citrus Production Guide. What used to be a guide focused on pest management has stretched its scope to include horticulture and plant pathology, among other topics. Lauren Diepenbrock, an entomologist at the CREC, encourages citrus growers to grab a copy of the guide. Regarding HLB, the guide offers …
Florida Peanut Industry Dealing with Aftermath of Michael
Producers in the Florida Panhandle continue to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Michael. Southeast AgNet’s Randall Weiseman talked with Ken Barton, executive director of the Florida Peanut Producers Association, about what the peanut and cotton industries in that part of the state are dealing with. Florida Peanut Industry Dealing with Aftermath of Michael Sponsored ContentFlorida Senator Shares Origins of …
Discussing Critical Beef Industry and Trade Issues
The North Florida Cattlemen’s Association (NFCA) invites producers to take part in “Critical Beef Industry and Trade Issues” Thursday, October 25, in Live Oak, Florida. It will be held at the University of Florida/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) Suwannee Valley Center Pavilion, located at 7580 County Road 136. Sponsored ContentFlorida Senator Shares Origins of Florida Cattle Enhancement …
Fried, Caldwell Face Off Over Medical Marijuana, Water
Democrat Nikki Fried, a medical-marijuana lobbyist, had to defend her desire to move the state’s oversight of medical marijuana into the agency she wants to run. Her Republican opponent, state Rep. Matt Caldwell, was questioned about his support for a bill that delayed for 20 years an unmet deadline to reduce nutrients flowing into Lake Okeechobee. Fried and Caldwell — …
Weekly Livestock Market Report
Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, for the week ended October 19, 2018, compiled by the Livestock Market News Service for all three states. AL Livestock Market Report: AL Livestock Market Report At Alabama Livestock Auctions for the Week ended Oct 19, 2018, receipts at 21 markets totaled an estimated 13,700 head compared to …
Florida Cattle Producers See Destruction from Hurricane Michael
We are seeing a lot in the news about the devastation Hurricane Michael caused in Florida, but we don’t see much on how it affected agriculture, especially cattle ranches in the state. Jim Handley, Florida Cattlemen’s Association executive vice president, discusses the damage found on many farms in Hurricane Michael’s path. He tells what is being done to help those …
Timber Damage from Hurricane Michael Estimated at $1.3 Billion
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam and the Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, announced the estimated value of timber damage in Florida due to Hurricane Michael is $1.3 billion, impacting nearly 3 million acres of forestland. “This is a catastrophic loss to the forest industry in the Florida Panhandle,” said …
Putnam Continues to Meet with Agricultural Leaders to Assess Damage
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam has been in regular communication with federal partners, including Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary Sonny Perdue, as well as the agriculture industry to assess agricultural damage caused by Hurricane Michael. He met with agricultural leaders on the topic, and the Florida Forest Service is finalizing its analysis of damage to timber. “Recovery …