Political Event Falls Short on Facts

A recent southeast Florida algae rally drew a small crowd. By Gary Cooper U.S. Congressman Brian Mast (R-Palm City) hosted a campaign event in Stuart on Sunday and visited other South Florida areas in recent days. He partnered with anti-farming group BullSugar.org and featured activist Erin Brockovich to help push his recently introduced Stop Harmful Discharges Act in Congress. The …

Has Farming Become a Political Whipping Boy?

By Gary Cooper Urban expansion is impacting agriculture throughout the Southeast. Florida appears to be the first state in this region to dramatically shift to a much more urban-thinking electorate. In light of this year’s primary elections, there are some points Florida agriculturists should be thinking about. I know many of you have been pondering some of this already, based …

Polston Lab ‘Recruits’ Insects as Allies for Plants in Food Security Project

A University of Florida lab spearheaded a campaign to recruit insects as allies that can aid in reducing plant stress to enhance food security. The initial, 12-month “recruiting” effort by Jane Polston, a professor of plant pathology at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, successfully completes the first of three phases of a scheduled four-year project under the …

Easements: Preserving Old Florida

The Lightsey family has been running cattle in central Florida since the 1850s, but with 1,000 people moving to Florida daily, development encroaches on their legacy and the natural resources that support it. Cary Lightsey and his brother Layne have put 90 percent of their land on 10 ranches into conservation easements with the help of USDA and other groups. These …

Oriental Fruit Fly Eradicated in Miami-Dade County

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have declared eradication in the Oriental fruit fly outbreak in the predominantly agricultural Redland area of Miami-Dade County. Due to early detection and rapid response, no quarantine was required during this program. This successful Oriental fruit fly eradication is the second one during this …

Florida Beef Council Excited About New Promotion

The Florida Beef Council (FBC) is excited about a new promotion that will take place in a couple of weeks. FBC CEO Jim Handley explains what it involves. Florida Beef Council Excited about New Promotion Sponsored ContentStrong Relationship Exists Between the Florida Cattle Enhancement Board and UF-IFASApril 17, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Funding For Quicker Response to Research QuestionsApril …

RESTORE Council Approves Florida’s State Expenditure Plan

Plan providing $291M for 69 Projects across 23 Coastal Counties Last week, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler sent a letter to Mr. Noah Valenstein, Secretary of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Designated Alternate for the Governor of Florida to the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council), approving the State of Florida’s State …