The government shutdown is delaying a comment period for the Trump administration’s new Waters of the U.S. proposal. The Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers will delay publishing the proposed WOTUS replacement in the Federal Register until after funding is restored at EPA, according to Politico. The 60-day comment period won’t begin until the proposed rule is published …
Senators Back Rooting Out Vegetable Garden Regulations
Despite concerns from the Florida League of Cities, a Senate committee Tuesday approved a bill that would largely prevent local governments from regulating homeowners’ vegetable gardens. The Senate Community Affairs Committee unanimously backed the measure (SB 82), which Sen. Rob Bradley, R-Fleming Island, has filed for the legislative session that starts March 5. The Senate passed a similar bill during …
Perdue on Extension of Market Facilitation Program Deadline
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced an extension to the original deadline for Market Facilitation Program applications. Agricultural producers who are seeking payments through the program, which is a part of the trade mitigation initiative, will now have more time to submit their applications. “President Trump instructed me, as Secretary of Agriculture, to craft a program that would …
Commissioner Nikki Fried Inaugurated as 12th Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Commissioner lays out a fresh agenda that will keep Florida growing Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried was inaugurated as Florida’s 12th Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services. As Commissioner, she will oversee a $1.8 billion department with nearly 4,000 employees, a $137 billion economic impact, and widespread responsibility for Florida’s food production and safety, consumer protection and licensing, and our state’s …
UF Researchers to Breed a New Variety of Florida-Friendly Hops
Researchers with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences have been awarded a two-year grant for $194,000 to breed varieties of hops that can grow in Florida. The researchers, based at the UF/IFAS Mid Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka, Florida, said the grant will help continue their work to bring an alternative crop to the …
2019 Starting with More Uncertainty for Farmers
Farm bill passage in late 2018 was thought to provide certainty to U.S. agriculture moving forward. However, 2019 started with perhaps more uncertainty than ever before. The government shutdown has U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency offices across the nation closed, just as farmers are seeking advice for the upcoming planting season. Meanwhile, the farm bill, which provides …
Alabama Irrigation Workshops
The Alabama Soil and Water Conservation Committee has been working with the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) and Auburn University (AU), to identify which watersheds will have funding priority. In response to this initiative, Alabama Extension will host two free irrigation workshops for producers that include trainings, as well as on-farm demonstrations of …
Commodity Classic Early Registration Discount Ends January 10
Thursday, January 10th is the deadline for the early registration discount for Commodity Classic—America’s largest farmer-led, farmer-focused agricultural and educational experience. The 2019 Commodity Classic will be held Thursday, February 28 through Saturday, March 2 in Orlando, Fla. To register, reserve hotel rooms and sign up for email updates, visit Commodity Classic.com. A complete schedule of events is also available on the …
Lawmakers Eye ‘Long, Long Recovery’ from Hurricane
Hurricane Michael, which pummeled 10 Panhandle counties and spurred evacuation orders for 375,000 Floridians in October, left nearly seven times the debris of Hurricane Irma, which barreled across 45 counties in 2017. And in the three months since Michael came ashore at Mexico Beach, debris continues to be picked up, more than 102,000 people have registered for assistance, and 16 …
Georgia Peanut Farm Show Set for Jan. 17
Kelley Manufacturing Co. sponsors the grand door prize. Producers can improve the bottom-line of their farming operation with knowledge, connections and information gained at the 43rd annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference, held at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center, Jan. 17, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Peanut farmers and those involved in the peanut industry …