St. Petersburg, Fla. — Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried announced on Thursday that Lykes Bros. Inc., one of Florida’s largest landowning agribusinesses, will invest in Brick Street Farms, a hydroponic vertical agriculture company. The two Tampa Bay companies were introduced through the Florida-Israel Agriculture Innovation Summit last November, hosted by Commissioner Fried and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer …
House Ag Republicans Introduce Broadband for Rural America Act
Washington, D.C. — Nowhere in the country is the “digital divide,” or lack of broadband access, more prevalent than in rural America. Hopefully, that will soon change. House Agriculture Republicans introduced the Broadband For Rural America Act today. It would provide more than $7 billion in authorizations for USDA broadband connectivity programs. It authorizes $3.7 billion per year for critical …
Irrigation Key During Hot, Dry Conditions
By Clint Thompson Cotton and peanut plantings are well underway across the Southeast. Unfortunately with it being hot and dry, these are not ideal conditions as seed and plants are being put in the ground. Wes Porter, a University of Georgia Cooperative Extension precision agriculture and irrigation specialist, stresses the importance of maintaining moisture in the soil. Irrigation helps promote …
Florida Forest Service Now Accepting Applications to Help Landowners Prevent Southern Pine Beetle Outbreaks
Tallahassee, Fla.– Applications are now being accepted for the 2021 Southern Pine Beetle Assistance and Prevention program for non-industrial, private forest landowners. They will be open through June 18. Florida Ag Commissioner Nikki Fried and the Florida Forest Service made the announcement on Monday for the program. It is limited to 44 northern Florida counties, which is the known range …
Duval Soil and Water Conservation District Full Board to Have Public Meeting
NOTICEÂ OF PUBLIC MEETING The Duval Soil and Water Conservation District Full Board will meet on Wednesday, May 19, 2021 at 3:30 p.m. at the Duval Agricultural Extension Office, 1010 N. McDuff Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32254. This hybrid meeting will be held via Zoom teleconference. At this time the Extension Office is open only at limited capacity. Public participation is encouraged, …
Florida Beef Council Leadership Participates in Checkoff Orientation
After a year of adaptation and uncertainty, State Beef Councils (SBCs) once again had the opportunity to come together in person to share ideas and learn about their role in the Beef Checkoff. Dr. Lujean Waters. director on the Florida Beef Council board, joined DeAnne Maples, Florida Beef Council (FBC) Director of Beef Marketing and Promotion, and 18 other states …
Purchasing Power: USDA to Buy $159.4 Million in Multiple Programs
WASHINGTON, May 13, 2021 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is helping multiple agricultural programs with a $159.4 million purchase. It announced on Thursday it will purchase $159.4 million domestically produced seafood, fruits, legumes, and nuts for distribution to a variety of domestic food assistance programs, including charitable institutions. This is one of many actions USDA is taking to …
Latest U.S. Drought Monitor Update
Except for a small part of South Florida and portions of South Carolina and North Carolina, the Southeast has sufficient moisture, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Georgia and Alabama received enough rainfall this past week to where there are no parts of either state that are abnormally dry. The only part of Florida that is abnormally dry is the …
USDA Releases Final 2020 Cotton Report
The United States Department of Agriculture released its 2020 final all cotton production report on Wednesday. Becky Sommer with the National Agricultural Statistics Service in Washington D.C. has the final numbers: The 2020 final all cotton production was estimated at 14.6Â million 480-pound bales, 27% lower than the 2019Â crop. The United States yield for all cotton is estimated at 847Â pounds per …
Florida Challenged Over Pesticide Decision
(TALLAHASSEE, Wednesday, May 12, 2021/NSF) — Amid arguments about the troubled citrus industry and the health of farmworkers, a chemical company is challenging a state decision to block a pesticide that could help fight a disease that has caused massive damage in citrus groves. AgLogic Chemical, LLC filed an administrative challenge Tuesday, about three weeks after the state Department of …