(FDACS) — Congressional leaders agreed upon a $900 billion coronavirus relief bill. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues setting new case records, the bill will provide some direct assistance to families and additional funding for food production and distribution, among other priorities. On the bill, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried offered the following statement: “For more than nine months, COVID-19 has upended the lives …
CoBank: 2021 Year Ahead Report on U.S. Rural Economy
The speed of the economic recovery will largely hinge on the availability, dissemination and reach of COVID-19 vaccines, pushing a pent-up consumer demand to later in 2021. That’s according to a comprehensive year-ahead outlook report just issued from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange Division. “The coming year will be a recovery year for most Americans and the businesses that make up the …
Georgia Ag Forecast to be Held Online Jan. 29
(CAES) — Economists from the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) will discuss the effects of COVID-19 on farming, highlight agritourism impacts in the state, and give a forecast of top commodities for the next year during the annual Georgia Ag Forecast. The live seminar will take place via Zoom webinar Friday, Jan. 29, beginning at …
Conservation Efforts Continue on Florida’s Farms, Ranches Amid Pandemic
(USDA/NRCS/FL) — USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Florida continued its conservation work across the state despite a year marked with a pandemic and natural disasters. The agency helped farmers, ranchers and forest landowners implement conservation practices to help conserve natural resources and boost their bottom lines. Additionally, NRCS launched new online tools that increased the efficiency, effectiveness and delivery of crucial …
Employment Outlook Promising for New College Graduates in Agriculture
(NAFB) — A report last week from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and Purdue University shows a strong job demand for new college graduates with degrees in agricultural programs. U.S. college graduates can expect approximately 59,400 job opportunities annually between 2020 and 2025. This reflects a 2.6 percent growth from the previous five years. Employer demand will exceed …
Creative Alternatives to Christmas Tree and Holiday Decorating
Some creative alternatives to Christmas tree and holiday decorating. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. You can take just about anything to create a holiday tree and decorations. Used wrapping paper cut and fastened to the wall can be turned into a tree. It’s perfect if you’re short on space. Or, a terra cotta tree made with upside …
Pandemic Fuels some of 2020’s Most-Searched UF/IFAS Extension Information
(UF/IFAS) — The coronavirus pandemic occupied space in everyone’s minds this year, prompting online searches about any variety of topics related to it. The year’s most popular UF/IFAS Extension EDIS publications were no exception, with two of the top 10 being brand-new documents related to food safety and the coronavirus. In all, the Electronic Data Information Source, which hosts peer-reviewed …
FDACS Update: Additional County Farmworker COVID-19 Testing Availability
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) are announcing additional COVID-19 testing sites and dates in Miami-Dade, Hendry, Collier, Hillsborough, and Glades County for farmworkers. The ongoing efforts to provide access to testing for farmworkers is in partnership with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), and local county governments. “As the pandemic remains a major health threat, we’re continuing our work to provide …
GFVGA Announces COVID-19 Handbook for Georgia Ag Laborers
(GFVGA) — The Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, GFVGA, in collaboration with the Georgia Department of Public Health, Georgia Department of Agriculture and the University of Georgia Extension, has developed a practical and comprehensive COVID-19 handbook for growers and farm labor contractors in the specialty crop industry. Written specifically for Georgia growers, Protecting Yourself Against the Coronavirus, focuses on maintaining a safe and healthy …
FMCSA Extends Hours of Service Waivers into 2021
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently made another announcement related to Hours-of-Service (HOS). The FMCSA has issued an extended and expanded national emergency declaration in response to the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency. Another round of HOS waivers has been issued to help ensure the timely delivery of necessary items. The previous extension of …