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

NOTICE 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, …

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 14.6 million 480-pound bales, 27% lower than the 2019 crop. The United States yield for all cotton is estimated at 847 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 …

Trump Backs Simpson for Agriculture Commissioner

(Tuesday, May 11, 2021/NSF) — Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday endorsed Florida Senate President Wilton Simpson, R-Trilby, in a potential run for state agriculture commissioner. “Wilton Simpson has done an outstanding job as President of the Florida State Senate, and I hope he runs for Florida Agriculture Commissioner in 2022 —- he will have my complete and total endorsement!” …

Nikki Fried: Agriculture Needs a Seat at the Table When We’re Discussing What to do on Immigration

By Clint Thompson According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the H-2A program allows U.S. employers who meet specific regulatory requirements to bring foreign nationals to the United States to fill temporary agricultural jobs. The program is also very costly; in some cases, prohibitively so, for farmers trying to earn a profit and remain sustainable. Florida Ag Commissioner Nikki …