by Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida More than 100 wildfires were burning across Florida as the week began, with 23 consuming more than 100 acres. And the state has yet to get into the lightning-filled warmer months. On Tuesday, the Cabinet kicked-off a pre-planned “wildfire awareness week” with Gov. Rick Scott issuing an executive order that declared a …
Southeast Landowners Continue to Restore Longleaf Forests
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service continues to work with agricultural producers and conservation partners to restore longleaf forests through the Longleaf Pine Initiative (LLPI), a program that was launched back in 2010. NRCS Associate Chief for Conservation, Leonard Jordan, says NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to producers, helping them implement a variety of conservation practices. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester …
Ag Subcommittee Evaluates Effectiveness of Forestry Initiatives
Rep. Frank Lucas (OK-03), Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry, held a hearing to evaluate the effectiveness of the forestry initiatives in the 2014 Farm Bill. This hearing is a continuation of the committee’s hearing series to set the stage for the next farm bill. The subcommittee heard from a broad panel of experts who …
Alabama NRCS Reminds Landowners about Long Leaf Pine Initiative
While the regional drought monitor looks much better today than it did a few weeks ago, there are still many areas in the Northern half of Alabama in the severe to extreme drought category. And Tim Albritton, state staff forester with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Alabama, knows some forest owners have been able to fair the drought …
Wildfire Season
From: Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam I recently toured damage caused by a wildfire in Polk County that burned 5,500 acres and destroyed more than 10 homes. I was reminded that we can’t underestimate the danger that wildfires pose, and we can’t be more grateful to our heroes who run toward danger to protect us. Last week, the Florida Forest Service responded to …
Winter Tree Damage
Cathy Isom has some tips on what to do if your trees are damaged by winter storms. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsMarch 1, 2025Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024TriEst Ag Group: Partners in ProfitabilityApril 1, 2024
40 Percent of Farms Managed by Multiple Operators
New data released last week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows nearly 40 percent of all U.S. farms are managed by more than one operator. USDA’s Economic Research Service says in 2015, 39 percent of the more than 800,000 U.S. farms had secondary operators. USDA says commercial-sized farms often require more management and labor than an individual can provide. …
Florida Agricultural Policy Outlook Conference is Next Week
Those in agriculture won’t want to miss the Florida Agricultural Policy Outlook Conference coming up next week. University of Florida/IFAS economists and other experts will discuss economic insights helpful for making informed business and policy decisions. The second annual event, organized by the UF/IFAS food and resource economics department, will be held February 9th from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. …
Commissioner Putnam Seeks Nominations for Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award
From the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services: TALLAHASSEE, Fla.–Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam is now accepting nominations for the Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award, which has been presented annually since 1994 to environmentally innovative Florida farmers. The award recognizes enterprises that demonstrate leadership in developing and implementing progressive techniques to safeguard the environment and conserve natural resources. Nominations …
UF/IFAS Study: Voters Want to Preserve Forests, Water
by Brad Buck, UF/IFAS Sources: Melissa Kreye, Damian Adams, UF/IFAS Voters are likely to approve referenda for forest and water conservation in the eastern United States, including Florida, because demand for ecosystem protection is increasing, according to a new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences study. Sponsored ContentCIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsMarch 1, 2025Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober …