Hurricane Michael devastated coastal communities along the Florida Panhandle but the storm also caused significant agricultural crop losses well inland, as shown by a new report from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). County-level estimates from the UF/IFAS Economic Impact Analysis Program (EIAP) indicate that none of the four hardest-hit counties – Jackson, Gadsden, Suwannee …
Fried Looking Forward to Serving Florida Ag Community
After the manual recount was completed Sunday, Nikki Fried saw her lead over Republican candidate Matt Caldwell increase in the race for Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Since Caldwell has conceded the race, Fried is now focusing on the future as commissioner-elect. She told Southeast AgNet’s Randall Weiseman she looks forward to being the spokesperson and advocate for …
Caldwell Concedes Ag Commissioner Race to Fried
Republican Matt Caldwell pointed to a need for political “sanity” and a “peaceful transfer of power” Monday as he conceded the race for Florida agriculture commissioner to Fort Lauderdale lawyer Nikki Fried, the only Democrat to win statewide this year. Caldwell, a real-estate appraiser from North Fort Myers who has served the past eight years in the Florida House, said …
UF/IFAS-led Global Group Seeks Traits for Wheat with More Protein
When consumers buy wheat products, such as bread or pasta, they expect to get protein with their purchase. But in a warming world with high atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, the genes required to keep wheat production high are the same ones that keep grain protein down, a University of Florida scientist says. By breeding wheat with specific traits, scientists can …
Fried Maintains Hold in Ag Race After Manual Recount
Former medical-marijuana lobbyist Nikki Fried is on the verge of being the only Florida Democrat to capture a statewide win, gaining votes over Republican state Rep. Matt Caldwell in the race for agriculture commissioner after a manual recount was completed Sunday. The manual recount also had no effect on the outcome of three razor-thin legislative races, in which Democrat Janet …
Weekly Livestock Market Report
**This report will not be issued next week due to markets being closed for the Thanksgiving holiday.** Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, for the week ended November 16, 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 …
Farm Service Agency Accepting Emergency Forest Restoration Program Applications
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) Acting State Executive Director Justin Teuton announced that 17 Florida counties are accepting applications for the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) to address damages from Hurricane Michael. EFRP provides payments to eligible owners of nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) land to enable the owners to carry out emergency measures to restore land …
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Surveys Florida Timber Damage with Department Representatives
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and representatives from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Florida Forest Service, including State Forester Jim Karels, surveyed timber damage caused by Hurricane Michael and met with members of the timber industry. The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, had over 500 personnel involved …
Two Statewide Races Go to Manual Recounts
Floridians will have to wait a little longer to get official word about who will be the state’s next agriculture commissioner and who will serve in the U.S. Senate. Secretary of State Ken Detzner announced Thursday that manual recounts of “overvotes” and “undervotes” will be required in the two statewide races, as the margins between candidates were below 0.25 percent …
NRCS Programs Help after Natural Disasters
To help farmers and ranchers affected by the devastation caused by Hurricane Michael, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) staff in county, regional and state offices have been busy with a variety of programs to assist. One program through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Alabama, Florida and Georgia has specific ways of helping. NRCS Acting Chief Leonard Jordan …