UF/IFAS, Communities to Team Up Again for Annual Peanut Butter Challenge

Dan Florida, Industry News Release, Peanuts

Start spreading the news – and the peanut butter! From Oct. 1 to Nov. 21, you can donate unopened jars of peanut butter to hungry Panhandle families through the Peanut Butter Challenge, a project coordinated by UF/IFAS Extension faculty and volunteers. During those dates, you may drop off jars at your UF/IFAS Extension county office. UF/IFAS Extension works with the …

Weekly Livestock Market Report

Dan Alabama, Cattle, Florida, Georgia

Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, for the week ended September 21, 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 Sep 21, 2018, receipts at 21 markets totaled an estimated 14,800 head compared to …

Scott Seeks Red Tide Research, Draws Criticism

Dan Environment, Florida, Industry News Release, Water

Gov. Rick Scott wants state wildlife commissioners to seek funding for a red-tide research center and to restart a long-dormant task force, as waters along Florida’s Gulf Coast continue to face an expanding red-tide outbreak that began last year. Environmentalists said Scott’s latest proposals won’t cure the ongoing problems and criticized the funding proposal as a campaign stunt. In a …

University of Florida Working on Egyptian Wheat Production

Randall Weiseman Florida

By Breanna Kendrick The University of Florida is developing simulation software that calculates crop growth to estimate yields for different crops in varying environments. These modeling tools can be run on computers quickly and can calculate how a yield might change in future climates. Senthold Asseng is a professor at the University of Florida who develops mathematical modeling and computer …

NIFA Invests in Research to Solve Critical Water Problems

Dan Florida, Industry News Release, Research, Water

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced seven grants for research that will provide solutions to critical water problems across the United States. These awards were made through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Water for Food Production Systems Challenge Area. AFRI is authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill and administered by …

Commissioner Putnam Announces 2019 Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame Honorees

Josh McGill Florida

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam and the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame Foundation announced the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame inductees for 2019. The induction ceremony will be held at the Florida State Fair’s Agricultural Hall of Fame Banquet on Feb. 12, 2019. More information is available FloridaAgHallofFame.org. “Agriculture is Florida’s oldest industry, and it continues to support …

Groups Seek to Lift Stay in Conservation Money Case

Dan Environment, Florida, Industry News Release, Water

Arguing that time “is of the essence,” environmental groups Wednesday requested that a judge lift a stay of a ruling that found state lawmakers did not properly carry out a 2014 constitutional amendment that requires spending on land and water conservation. Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Dodson in July ruled in favor of groups such as the Florida Wildlife Federation …

Putnam Names Dr. Ann Blount the 2018 Woman of the Year in Agriculture

Dan Florida, Industry News Release

Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam announced that Dr. Ann Blount has been named the 2018 Woman of the Year in Agriculture. Dr. Blount has dedicated her career to researching and implementing innovative techniques to improve fall forage production in Florida’s southern coastal areas. The award, now in its 34th year, recognizes women who have made outstanding contributions to Florida …

Florida Dairy Production Conference is Next Week

Dan Dairy, Florida

The 54th Florida Dairy Production Conference will be held September 26 at the Straughn IFAS Extension Professional Development Center in Gainesville. The program starts at 9:00 a.m. and will include topics like team building to maximize performance and animal welfare, the economics of animal welfare, how to implement a successful milk quality program, the impact of transition disorders on production …

State Funnels More Money to Addressing Water Woes

Dan Aquaculture, Florida, Industry News Release, Water

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is pumping another $4 million into efforts to help local communities suffering from red tide and a massive algae outbreak, raising spending to $13 million for the water problems. The agency’s money will be used in Pinellas, Manatee, Collier, Sarasota, Lee and Martin counties. The added spending, announced Tuesday by Gov. Rick Scott’s office, …