(Animal Agriculture Alliance) – Are the employees working on your farm there to help care for your animals? Do their goals align with your business? Unfortunately, it’s a common strategy for some animal rights activist organizations to have individuals go “undercover” on farms to record videos that can be taken out of context, stage scenes of animal mistreatment or encourage abuse to …
Honeybee Losses Jumped Sharply Higher Last Winter
Bee colony death numbers are continuing to climb. The Bee Informed Partnership released its latest survey last week, saying U.S. beekeepers lost 40 percent of their colonies last winter. That’s the largest number of overwintering hive losses since the survey began more than a decade ago. The total annual loss in 2018 was estimated to be slightly above average. An …
Commissioner Nikki Fried on Florida Hemp Bill Signed Into Law
Tallahassee, Fla. (FDACS) – SB 1020, the state hemp legislation was signed into law. Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried offered the following statement: “Tonight’s hemp bill signing marks a transformation in Florida, and a critical step on the journey to creating a green industrial revolution, strengthening agriculture with an alternative crop of the future, and expanding access to safe, quality CBD …
NPPC Launches ‘Keep America First in Agriculture’ Campaign
WASHINGTON, D.C. (NPPC) – The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) launched “Keep America First in Agriculture,” a new campaign to highlight the importance of establishing a proper regulatory framework for gene editing in American livestock. Gene editing technology, which introduces useful genetic variation into food animal breeding programs, promises significant animal health benefits, including a natural immunity to disease and a reduction in the need for antibiotic use. …
Scouting and Managing Spider Mites in Vegetables
AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. (ACES) – Summertime can be a productive season for growing vegetables. However, it is also a time that can be hot and dry. These are the perfect conditions for spider mites, a pest that can cause widespread damage quickly. When present in high numbers, they can be pests for many aspects of farming There are many species …
Novel Watermelon Rootstock Knocks Out Disease and Pests
CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA (USDA/ARS) — A new watermelon line, developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Clemson University scientists, gets to the root of the problem of a major disease and pest of watermelon crops in the southern United States. Carolina Strongback is a rootstock watermelon that is resistant to Fusarium wilt and the southern root-knot nematode, according to William “Pat” …
Final Hemp Rulemaking Workshop Held in North Florida
Tallahassee, Fla. (FDACS) – Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried joined key Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services officials to host the third public hemp rulemaking workshop at the R.A. Gray Building in Tallahassee. Today’s workshop was the third and final in a series of three events which took place in South, Central, and North Florida designed to ensure anyone interested in …
State Officials Prepare for Hemp Industry
With Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis facing a deadline this week to act on the hemp bill, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services held a final public workshop Monday as it prepares to carry out a measure that would lead to a state hemp program. The bill (SB 1020) would require the department to create a regulatory framework to …
Sign Up for Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program Grants
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced on June 20 its plans to invest up to $75 million in the Feral Swine Eradication and Control Pilot Program to respond to the threat feral swine pose to agriculture, native ecosystems, and human and animal health. Details on how to submit proposals are now available on Grants.gov. Click here to view the announcement. The …
Second Hemp Rulemaking Workshop Held in Central Florida
Tampa, Fla. (FDACS) — Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried joined key Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services officials to host the second public hemp rulemaking workshop at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa. “The goal of these workshops is to hear from the public on the coming state hemp program — to create a successful and inclusive program, it’s essential …