Longleaf pine once covered 90 million acres from Texas to Florida, but today only 3 percent of the habitat remains. So the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) wants to remind landowners about the Longleaf Pine Initiative, which provides financial and technical assistance for conservation practices to help restore longleaf pine forests and enhance existing stands. Leonard …
USDA Offers Renewal Options for Expiring Conservation Stewardship Contracts
Agricultural producers wanting to enhance current conservation efforts are encouraged to renew their Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) contract. Through CSP, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) helps private landowners build their business while implementing conservation practices that help ensure the sustainability of their entire operation. Participants with existing CSP contracts expiring on Dec. 31, 2018 can access the benefits of …
Cool-Season Forages Field Days in Florida
A couple of winter forage field days are coming up this week in Florida. The first one will be held Thursday, March 8 at the University of Florida Dairy Unit in Gainesville starting at 10:00 am. There next one will be held Friday, March 9 at the White Oak Dairy in Lafayette County, and Shenandoah Dairy in Suwannee County starting at …
Negotiators Settle Florida Forever
Florida lawmakers have agreed on spending plans for the Florida Forever conservation program during negotiations for a new state budget. According to a story from the News Service of Florida, in a deal announced late Friday, House Appropriations Chairman Carlos Trujillo, R-Miami, and Senate Appropriations Chairman Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, said the state will provide more than $100 million in …
Final Week of Florida Legislative Session
Today kicks off the final week of the 2018 Florida Legislative Session, which is scheduled to end this Friday, March 9. But the budget has to be finalized by tomorrow, March 6 for the session to end as scheduled. That is because a legally required 72-hour “cooling off” period must take place after the budget is finalized before a final …
Weekly Livestock Market Report
Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, for the week ended March 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 March 02, 2018 receipts at 21 markets totaled an estimated 8,100 head compared to …
California Researchers Work Toward Early HLB Detection
Although the Florida citrus industry may have some slight differences compared to the California citrus industry, in the face of citrus greening disease the two industries are one and the same. Now, the brightest minds of both states are working to detect, manage and control this devastating disease. Most recently, University of California researchers have been working to find methods …
UF/IFAS Research: Tiny Insect May Help Reduce Hydrilla Presence in Florida Waters
A tiny insect with a big appetite for hydrilla could help reduce the presence of this troublesome invasive water weed in lakes, springs and rivers, says an entomologist with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. During National Invasive Species Awareness Week (Feb. 26 to March 2), researchers with UF/IFAS want to make residents aware of this …
Work to Save Florida’s Wetland Acres
According to a U.S Fish and Wildlife Service report, nearly half of Florida’s 20.3 million wetland acres have been lost since settlers began draining and diking them back in the 19th century. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida wants to make sure landowners are familiar with the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), which helps preserve and restore these …
Florida Legislature Budget Negotiations Underway
Florida House and Senate leaders kicked off formal negotiations on a new state budget Tuesday night, but they face hundreds of millions of dollars in unexpected costs and less tax revenue than originally thought. According to a story from the News Service of Florida, leaders held an initial conference committee meeting after announcing earlier in the day they had reached …