Gary Vallad, professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida, was awarded researcher of the year today during the award luncheon at the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association’s (FFVA) annual convention. Vallad is stationed at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Wimauma, Florida. He works on several crops including tomato, watermelon, pomegranate and more. Vallad says it …
Weekly Livestock Market Report
Here are the Alabama, Florida, and Georgia livestock market reports for the week ended September 22, 2017, compiled by the Livestock Market News Service for all three states. AL Livestock Market Report: At Alabama Livestock Auctions for the week ended September 22, 2017, receipts at 21 markets totaled an estimated 21,900 head compared to 6,777 last week and 14,706 …
USDA Approves D-SNAP for Florida Disaster Counties
Floridians struggling with the after-effects of Hurricane Irma could be eligible for help buying food through USDA’s Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP), the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said that households who may not normally be eligible under regular SNAP rules may qualify for D-SNAP — if their income is under the disaster limits and they …
Florida Farm Bureau Donates to Families Here and in Texas
Florida farmers well know the difficulty of restoring operations after a major storm. They are busy reconstructing and repairing their own properties in the wake of Hurricane Irma’s destruction. But they have also taken a moment to help other farm families in need. The Florida Farm Bureau State Board of Directors has established a Hurricane Irma Disaster Relief Fund to …
Assistance Helps Florida Farmers Conserve Natural Resources
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Florida has announced that farmers, ranchers, and forest owners can now apply for financial and technical assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The signup period is open until November 17 for the fiscal year 2018 funding. Assistance Helps Farmers, Ranchers Conserve Natural Resources Application deadline for financial assistance Nov. 17 Florida farmers, …
Rubio, Nelson Push for Agriculture Help
U.S. Sen Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., want the federal government to quickly approve aid for farmers, small business and communities impacted by Hurricane Irma. In a letter Wednesday to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, the senators asked for “expedited consideration of any disaster declaration and assistance requests.” Irma caused extensive damage to citrus crops …
Scientist Recognized for Research in Mosquito-Borne Disease Control
University of Florida entomology professor Jeffrey Bloomquist is known to have a restless curiosity about everything, ranging from insecticide toxicology to mosquito control and resistance. That boundless need to know has paid off for Bloomquist, a faculty member with the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. He recently was honored with the American Chemical Society International Award for Research …
Cracker Cattle Could Get State Designation
Florida cracker cattle would be named the state “heritage cattle breed,” under a proposal filed this week by Rep. MaryLynn Magar, R-Tequesta. Cracker cattle are descended from Spanish cattle brought to North America in the 16th Century. The proposal (HB 155) is filed for consideration during the 2018 legislative session and, if approved, would place the breed alongside horse conchs, …
Officials Survey Hurricane Damage in Florida
On September 18, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, Congressman Tom Rooney ad Senator Marco Rubio flew in a helicopter to get an aerial view of farm damage from Hurricane Irma. Described by Rubio as an “agriculture catastrophe,” the storm ravished many Florida crops. Since many Florida vegetables were not in the ground yet, they …
Lake Okeechobee Rise Spurs More Water Releases
Water started to be released southwest from Lake Okeechobee on Tuesday morning, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers seeks to stem a post-hurricane rise in the lake’s water level. The Army Corps had resumed flows from the lake east toward the St. Lucie Estuary on Friday but held off on western releases because of flooding from Hurricane Irma that …