by Brad Buck, University of Florida/IFAS Bumblebees can boost blueberry yield by 70 percent, good news for Florida growers in the heart of their blueberry season, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences study shows. The news also accentuates the need for blueberry pollinators, said Joshua Campbell, a post-doctoral researcher in the UF/IFAS entomology and nematology department. …
EAA Farmers, Inc. Issues Statement on Passage of SB 10
A statement from Danielle Alvarez, spokesperson for EAA Farmers, Inc., following the passage of SB10 during the Senate Appropriations Committee: “Today’s amendment acknowledges what EAA farmers have said all along: a storage reservoir south of Lake Okeechobee can be accomplished within the existing footprint of state-owned lands without the need to acquire additional farmland. However, an EAA reservoir will not …
Senate Panel Signs Off on Revamped Water Plan
by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida A revised measure that seeks to create a “deep” water-storage project south of Lake Okeechobee — and win support from the House and people throughout the Glades region — was overwhelmingly backed Wednesday by the Senate Appropriations Committee. The $1.5 billion measure (SB 10), which relies on federal money to cover half …
U.S. Sugar Exec Comments Regarding Senator Rob Bradley’s Strike-All Amendment to Senate Bill 10
Statement from Judy Sanchez, Senior Director for Corporate Communications & Public Affairs for U.S. Sugar “This amendment makes significant progress and demonstrates that the Florida Senate has begun taking seriously the concerns of residents from communities south of Lake Okeechobee. The decision to no longer take 60,000 to 153,000 acres of farmland out of production is a positive step forward. While the amendment improves the bill, there …
Negron Trims Controversial Water Plan
by Jim Turner, The News service of Florida Senate President Joe Negron on Tuesday toned down a wide-ranging water bill intended to protect his district’s waterways, as he sought to make it more palatable to House leaders and people living south of Lake Okeechobee. The Stuart Republican was joined by other Senate leaders in announcing an amendment to the measure …
Florida RCPP Proposals Due in Two Weeks
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Florida is accepting pre-proposals for fiscal year 2018 funding through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCCP). But a reminder, those proposals are due in just over two weeks, April 21. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher Discusses New World …
Florida, Georgia to Split Fees for Special Master
From: The News Service of Florida Florida and Georgia will split nearly $51,000 in additional fees for Special Master Ralph Lancaster, who in February sided with Georgia in a long-running legal battle about water use in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded …
Florida Budget to be Discussed This Week in Tallahassee
The budget is always a major issue during any Florida legislative session, and according to Florida Cattlemen’s Association Director of Governmental Affairs Sam Ard, many issues of importance to agriculture will be affected by budget talks this week. The 2017 Florida legislative session is scheduled to end May 5. To learn more, go to the FCA website. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture …
Florida Commissioner’s Spotlight: The Florida Agricultural Museum’s Family Farm Days
On this week’s Commissioner’s Spotlight, Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam talks about The Florida Agricultural Museum’s Family Farm Days being held Saturday, April 22, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The event will include guided tours that take guests through a pioneer homestead built in 1880, a rustic citrus complex and barns, horseback trail rides, and other dynamic exhibits. …
Questions Remain About Negron Water Priority
From News Service of Florida Senate President Joe Negron’s priority of creating a reservoir to protect rivers and estuaries east and west of Lake Okeechobee appears to have a murky future. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher Discusses New World Screwworm OverviewJune 19, 2026Verdant Robotics …