U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue hosted a roundtable meeting about youth in agriculture at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) on Dec. 8 in Tallahassee. Those involved in the discussion included FAMU President Larry Robinson, Florida Congressman Al Lawson, FAMU students, Florida FFA state officers and members of Florida 4-H. Perdue began the meeting by asking the participants what …
Fox Squirrels – Denizens of the Longleaf Forest
Recently, I was touring a friend’s property in the Florida sandhills through beautiful older longleaf pines, with an open understory that is regularly burned. As we came around the corner, two fox squirrels bounded towards the nearest large pine. In a minute, both had found a tree they liked and were gone from sight. I don’t know about you, but …
Challenge Raises More Than 20,000 Pounds of Peanut Butter for the Hungry
Spread the cheer and the protein! Some families will get more healthy food to eat, now that Florida Panhandle residents donated a record of more than 20,000 pounds of peanut butter for this year’s UF/IFAS Extension Peanut Butter Challenge, organizers said. Combine nearly 9,000 pounds in donations to UF/IFAS Extension county offices with 11,340 pounds from the Florida Peanut Producers …
Negron Backs Aid for Agriculture Industry
Florida lawmakers should provide financial help to the agriculture industry to aid its recovery from Hurricane Irma, the Senate president said Friday. Without putting a price tag on the state’s contribution, Senate President Joe Negron appeared to favor tax cuts and mitigation measures rather than loans. He pointed to major damage sustained by citrus growers but also said assistance should …
Weekly Livestock Market Report
Here are the weekly livestock market reports for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia, for the week ended December 8, 2017, compiled by the Livestock Market News Service for all three states. AL Livestock Market Report: 12-09-17 AL Livestock Market Report At Alabama Livestock Auctions for the Week ended-December 08, 2017, receipts at 21 markets totaled an estimated 17,200 head compared …
Secretary Perdue Hears from Florida Youth in Ag
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue visited Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) in Tallahassee today to host a round table discussion about youth in agriculture. Accompanied by FAMU president, Larry Robinson, Perdue shared his passion for encouraging young people to get involved in agriculture. Perdue heard from FAMU students, as well as members of Florida FFA and Florida 4-H, …
Forever Florida, St. Johns Proposals Get Senate Backing
Measures that would double Gov. Rick Scott’s spending request for the Florida Forever conservation program and earmark money to improve the St. Johns River continued to move easily through the Senate on Thursday. The Senate Environment and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee unanimously backed a proposal (SB 370) to designate $100 million a year for Florida Forever. Also, it approved a …
Supreme Court Asked to Rule on Garden Ban
A Miami Shores couple has asked the Florida Supreme Court to take up a constitutional challenge to an ordinance that bars planting vegetable gardens in the front yards of homes. Hermine Ricketts and Laurence Carroll want the Supreme Court to hear an appeal of a ruling last month by the 3rd District Court of Appeal that upheld the Miami Shores …
Florida NRCS Providing Assistance to Producers Affected by Irma
If you are an agricultural producer in the state of Florida, and suffered damage on your farm or ranch from Hurricane Irma, then you are encouraged to participate in a special signup. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida is conducting a sign up until December 28 to provide both financial and technical assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives …
UF Professor Helps Write Latest Edition of Gold Standard Propagation Textbook
Growers, students and professors use this textbook across the world, and now a UF/IFAS environmental horticulture professor has helped write the new edition of what those in the industry and academia consider the Bible of propagation texts. Sandra Wilson is now the fifth author in the nearly 60-year history of the book, Plant Propagation: Principles and Practices. Wilson co-authored the …