Senate Begins Weighing Negron’s Water Plan

Buy Jim Turner, News Service of Florida Florida already has enough land for water storage south of Lake Okeechobee, the head of the South Florida Water Management District said Wednesday as lawmakers began to ponder a $2.4 billion water redirection proposal intended to reduce toxic algae blooms on the east and west coasts. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL …

Officials to Release Sterile Flies in Homestead in Precautionary Move

From: Florida Department of Agriculture Following the announcement that a stray dog found in Homestead, Fla. was positive for New World screwworm, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced that it will begin releasing sterile flies on Friday, Jan. 13, 2017 in the Homestead area as a precautionary measure. Since the 1950s, …

UF/CALS Student Named Prestigious 2017 “Cultivator”

A University of Florida College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) student who studies improvements to production and quality of grapes has been named UF’s second Cultivator at the 2017 Farm Foundation Round Table. Crystal Conner, a plant science major, was one of six college students across the nation recognized as rising leaders in agriculture. The students shared their research …

Florida NRCS Reminds Landowners about Three Sign-up Deadlines

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Florida wants to remind landowners about three sign-up deadlines, one which is coming up yet this week. 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 Offers Growers Targeted Application of Herbicides or Beneficials …

Florida Farm Bureau Receives Highest Achievement

Florida Farm Bureau received the 2016 Pinnacle Award for outstanding member programs and achievement in 2016. The Pinnacle Award was presented by the American Farm Bureau Federation at its 2017 Annual Convention in Phoenix on Jan. 8. This is the third time Florida Farm Bureau has received the Pinnacle Award in five years. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL …

University of Florida Involved in Beef Tenderness Survey

The University of Florida was involved with the Beef Tenderness Survey, an effort through the National Beef Checkoff. In this checkoff report, Dr. Dwain Johnson, UF professor of meat science, says this survey takes place every five years. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2026FL Cattle Enhancement Board Wraps up Funding YearJune 30, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Awarded Researcher Discusses …

Crisafulli Won’t Run for Agriculture Commissioner

By Brandon Larrabee, The News Service of Florida Former House Speaker Steve Crisafulli bowed out of a potential race for agriculture commissioner on Tuesday, leaving the 2018 campaign for the Cabinet position without a clear front-runner. 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 …

APHIS Confirms New World Screwworm in Miami-Dade County, Florida

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed the presence of New World screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) in a stray dog near Homestead, Florida.  The dog was isolated and his infested wounds were treated. He is now in good health.  Federal and state officials have started active surveillance in the area. This is the …

APHIS Releases Epidemiology Report on New World Screwworm in Florida Keys

APHIS is releasing an epidemiology report outlining its initial findings of New World Screwworm (NWS) in Key deer from the National Key Deer Refuge in Big Pine Key, Florida. APHIS initiated the investigation to determine the origin of the screwworm fly and try to understand how it may have been introduced. Although the investigation did not identify one specific pathway, …

USDA Seeks Nominees for the National Peanut Board

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking nominations for the National Peanut Board to replace one producer member and alternate for the states of Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina and Virginia, for when those terms expire on Dec. 31, 2017. Each member and alternate will serve a 3-year term. Applications are due by May 1, 2017. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture …