Florida Romaine Gets Cleared, New Labeling Approaches

Florida-grown romaine lettuce has been cleared as safe to eat according to a release from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) sent out earlier this morning. The clearing came from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) after concluding the outbreak came from a region in California. The …

Florida-Grown Romaine Cleared as FDA Continues E. coli Outbreak Investigation

Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have cleared Florida-grown romaine lettuce. Their ongoing investigation into the multi-state E. coli outbreak has determined that the implicated romaine comes from areas of California. On Nov. 20, the CDC advised the public not to eat any romaine …

UF/IFAS Professor Emeritus Wins International Award For Cattle Reproduction

A University of Florida animal sciences graduate research professor emeritus has won the 2018 International Ruminant Reproduction Symposium Pioneer Award (IRRS), given to scientists who have trained students and made major contributions to understanding reproductive biology in cattle. Bill Thatcher won the award at the 10th IRRS, held in Iguacu Fos, Brazil, Sept. 16-20. This award is one of the …

Friendly Reminder from the Florida Beef Council

With the end of 2018 nearing, Florida Beef Council CEO Jim Handley has a friendly reminder for producers across the state. Friendly Reminder from the Florida Beef Council Image credit: Florida Beef Council / Grilled Porterhouse Steaks with Garlic Herb Peppercorn Crust / Get the Recipe Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune …

Senator Takes Aim Again at Garden Regulations

After being unable to get the House to go along during the 2018 legislative session, state Senator Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, will try again to prevent local governments from regulating homeowners’ vegetable gardens. Bradley last week filed a bill (SB 82) that would largely bar regulations on vegetable gardens on residential property. The bill stems from a legal dispute between …

UF/IFAS Economists Issue County-Level Estimates for Hurricane Michael Agricultural Losses

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 …