Agricultural Producers Urged to Learn About Irrigating Wisely at Free UF Event

GAINESVILLE, FL (UF/IFAS) — UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County will host a free event highlighting water-saving technologies available to agricultural producers and how this equipment has already aided growers in the area. Irrigating Wisely in Florida’s Agriculture, held at Brown’s Farm in Hawthorne, Florida, on Sept. 17, will share information on best management practices for utilizing water-saving technologies as well as …

U.S., U.K. Trade Talks Could Get Bumpy Around Poultry

(NAFB) — Assuming that trade negotiations ever get going between the United States and the United Kingdom, feathers on both sides could get ruffled over poultry. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson told U.S. Vice President Mike Pence that, “We’re not to keen on chlorinated chicken.” During a visit to the U.K. last week, Pence did admit that poultry could become …

Heartland Seat on SFWMD Board Draws 13 Applicants

Publisher/Editor Katrina Elsken, of Lake Okeechobee News, gives us a rundown of each of the 13 applicants for the vacant seat for the at-large member for an area that includes Glades, Highlands, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola and Polk counties. The Heartland seat has been vacant since March on the South Florida Water Management District board. TALLAHASSEE — Thirteen people have submitted …

UF/IFAS Economist: Hurricane Dorian’s Impact on Florida Agriculture Minimal

GAINESVILLE, FL (UF/IFAS) — One day after Hurricane Dorian crept past Florida’s Atlantic coast, impacts to the state’s agricultural and natural resources-based industries appear to be minimal, according to an economist with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. As of Thursday noon, the most notable effects were minor grapefruit losses in the Indian River area, a …

Florida Breathes Easier After Dodging ‘Big One’

“A lot of the ag producers out there are so grateful that we didn’t have a straight-on hit, that they’re starting to coordinate as well through us some of the products we might be able to send down to the Bahamas,” Fried said. TALLAHASSEE (NSF) — Emergency operations slowly started to wind down Wednesday as Hurricane Dorian remained offshore, inching …

Poultry Industry Announces Alliance with OSHA

Washington, D.C. (NCC) –The poultry industry has long recognized the importance of establishing collaborative relationships to promote employee health and safety practices and to develop programs to enhance poultry workplaces. As such, the industry is pleased the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has agreed to an alliance to share information, guidance and access to training …

USDA to Survey Farm Chemical Use and Production Costs

ATHENS, GA (USDA/NASS) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will gather information about farm economics and production practices from cotton producers across Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina as part of the 2019 Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS). “ARMS is a vital survey that tracks how farms use technology to manage production of their major field …

Dorian’s Swing Threatens 770,000 Acres of Ag Land in Florida East Coast Counties

GAINESVILLE, FL (UF/IFAS) — Hurricane Dorian began its much-anticipated northward swing Tuesday morning and is now expected to skirt Florida’s Atlantic coast, threatening a dozen coastal counties that are home to 9 million residents and more than 770,000 acres of agricultural land. Though most agricultural production in these counties occurs 10 miles or more inland, crops could be lost to …