Commissioner Nikki Fried Releases Hurricane Michael Video: “America’s Forgotten Disaster”

Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried released a new mini-documentary video entitled “America’s Forgotten Disaster,” highlighting the destruction and consequences of Hurricane Michael, with a focus on forestry and timber. The video documents Commissioner Fried’s tours of Panhandle communities devastated by Hurricane Michael, features visually powerful reminders of the damage to forests and timber farms and the looming threat of wildfire, and includes …

NRCS Florida State Technical Committee Meeting

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida has announced they will conduct a State Technical Committee Meeting on May 21, from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Doyle Conner Agriculture Building Auditorium in Gainesville. The meeting is open to the public and will give an overview of the 2018 Farm Bill programs and conservation easements. This year’s …

APHIS Launches Webpage for Pests and Diseases

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is launching a new “Pests and Diseases” webpage. The new page lists all pest and disease programs managed by APHIS as part of its mission to protect American agriculture and natural resources. On the new page, users can search by type (plant, animal), keyword (avian, fruit fly, cotton), …

UF Hosts International Forest Health Expert

The world is more interconnected than ever. Globalization allows for vast economic growth and development. However, there can be unintended consequences – the introduction of potentially threatening non-native species into new ecosystems. “Many small but mighty pests and pathogens are moving around the world,” said Jiri Hulcr, an associate professor with the UF/IFAS School of Forest Resources and Conservation (SFRC), …

Commissioner Nikki Fried and Dignitaries Discuss Hurricane Damage and Recovery

On Monday, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried, State Senator George Gainer (R-Panama City), State Representative Brad Drake (R-DeFuniak Springs) and Florida Forest Service Director Jim Karels toured Hurricane Michael-damaged Jackson County and surrounding areas and discussed hurricane damage and ongoing recovery efforts and needs. The group toured several agricultural operations including timber, cotton and soybean farms in Jackson and Calhoun counties, and met with state forest …

Flatwoods Fire and Nature Festival

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida invites everyone to attend the Flatwoods Fire and Nature Festival, January 26, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on the University of Florida’s Austin Cary Forest off Waldo Road in Gainesville, FL. During the family-friendly festival, you can enjoy prescribed fire demonstrations, fire ecology tours, live wildlife, live music, food trucks, exhibits, quail mascot Burner …

Florida Forest Service Provides Safety Tips for Disposing of Christmas Trees

The Florida Forest Service, a division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, is encouraging Floridians to dispose of Christmas trees safely. Dry limbs and needles from discarded Christmas trees can be an ignition source for fire if not properly cleared away from homes and natural areas. One way to avoid this potential fire hazard is by recycling …

Worried about Future Christmas Tree Farmers

Christmas tree growers of today are worried that as they retire, there are no younger growers lined up to take over. Gary Crawford has the story. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Resources To Researchers For Applied ResearchJune 12, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Encourages Research into Producers QuestionsJune 5, 2026Cattle Producers Proud of Efforts Funded Through the Florida Cattle Enhancement …