Florida Agriculture in the Classroom (FAITC) moved their annual Agriculture Literacy Day to the fall this year, and the new date is Tuesday, November 13, 2018. Agriculture Literacy Day this year will be using the book, “These Florida Farms!” That is the 2008-2009 book, and they invite Florida agriculture industry volunteers to find an elementary school near them. Florida Department …
State Cabinet Race Heads Toward Recount
Despite a declaration of victory Tuesday night by Republican Matt Caldwell, the race for Florida agriculture commissioner likely will require a recount, joining expected recounts in the U.S. Senate race and a handful of state legislative contests. Caldwell, a state House member from North Fort Myers, led by less than 13,000 votes late Wednesday morning in the Cabinet race against …
Caldwell Claims Victory in Agriculture Commissioner Race
Republican state Rep. Matt Caldwell declared victory Tuesday night as he held a narrow advantage in the contest to succeed term-limited Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. Caldwell, a real-estate appraiser from North Fort Myers, gave an acceptance speech from an election watch party, according to WGCU Public Media. As of 11:30 p.m., Caldwell led Democrat Nikki Fried by about 41,000 votes …
WHIP Signup Ends Next Week
As agricultural producers across parts of Alabama, Florida and Georgia continue to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Michael, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) wants to remind producers affected by hurricanes and wildfires last year that signup for assistance through the 2017 Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (2017 WHIP) ends Nov. 16, 2018. Eligible crops, trees, bushes or vines, …
Weekly Livestock Market Report
Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, for the week ended November 02, 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-November 02, 2018, receipts at 21 markets totaled an estimated 15,500 head compared to 17,440 …
Florida Disaster Assistance and Hurricane Recovery Workshops
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) wants to remind agricultural producers affected by Hurricane Michael that representatives from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA), Rural Development (RD) and Risk Management Agency (RMA) will present disaster assistance workshops next week. Topics to be discussed include emergency assistance for livestock & crop-related expenses and losses; financial assistance programs …
Lake Okeechobee Fishermen Set the Record Straight on Algae Facts and Fiction
My travels through and around my childhood region of South Florida in recent months allowed me to bore into a few more angles of the algae story. Much of what the public is being told about Lake Okeechobee water and its connection to green algae in coastal waterways is simply not true. The facts remain the facts, and this issue …
Hurricane-Ravaged Florida Farmers Wonder Who’s Listening
While much of mainstream news seems to be stuck on mid-term campaign coverage or arguing about whether words matter, thousands of rural farm families severely impacted by Hurricane Michael and other recent storms are starting to wonder if their words are even being clearly heard. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam hosted an agricultural listening session late Tuesday afternoon in Blountstown …
Assistance Helps Farmers, Ranchers Conserve Natural Resources
Application deadline for financial assistance Dec. 21 Florida farmers, ranchers and forest owners can apply until Dec. 21 for financial and technical assistance from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for fiscal year 2019 funding. Although applications are accepted on a continuous basis for all programs, funding selections are typically made once a year. Through EQIP, agricultural landowners may …
Water Woes Become a Political Wildcard
Throughout the summer, politicians heard from Floridians angered by the latest bouts of toxic blue-green algae in the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee rivers, along with a festering red-tide outbreak on the Gulf Coast. Protesters focused on the state’s handling of rising sea levels, a limited acknowledgement of climate change and past actions by Gov. Rick Scott such as reducing funding …