(SFWMD) — Here is the latest update on inflows into Lake Okeechobee for the calendar year to date. This data is provided by SFWMD’s DBHYDRO database. There has been no back-pumping into Lake Okeechobee from the Everglades Agricultural Area this year. Source: South Florida Water Management District Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Supports Beef Education and Promotion ProgramsJanuary 23, 2026Florida …
New Blackberries: Eclipse, Galaxy, and Twilight
(USDA/ARS) — The best of eastern and western blackberry genetics have been melded to create Eclipse, Galaxy and Twilight, three new blackberry varieties released by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). ARS’ Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory in Corvallis, Oregon, working in cooperation with the Oregon State University Agricultural Experiment Station, has blended the desirable traits of eastern erect-cane blackberries and western …
USDA Offers Secure New Options for Signing, Sharing Documents Online
Farmers and ranchers working with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) or Farm Service Agency (FSA) can now sign and share documents online in just a few clicks. By using Box or OneSpan, producers can digitally complete business transactions without leaving their homes or agricultural operations. Both services are free, secure, and available for multiple NRCS and FSA programs. Box is a secure, cloud-based site …
Cattle Producers Recognized for Outstanding Environmental Stewardship
(NCBA) — In a special edition of NCBA’s Cattlemen to Cattlemen, seven of the nation’s top cattle operations were honored for implementing practices that make them true stewards of land, air and water resources. Each of these farms and ranches exemplify the commitment of all producers to protect the resources in their care and improve their operations for future generations …
U.S. Winter Outlook: Cooler North, Warmer South
(NAFB) — Expect a dry, warm winter in the south, and cooler, wetter, conditions in the North, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA last week released its U.S. Winter Outlook, indicating weather impacts from an ongoing La Nina. Forecasters at NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center are also closely monitoring persistent drought during the winter months ahead. Currently, large …
Reuters: Payments to Farmers at All Time High
Direct payments to U.S. farmers are at an all-time high. Record government subsidies, much needed in the turbulent trade environment and coronavirus pandemic, are projected to make up more than a third of farm income in 2020. In a report by Reuters, the Environmental Working Group called agriculture aid in the latest COVID-19 relief package “old-fashioned vote-buying.” Farmers, facing steep …
Georgia Cotton Commission Encourages Enrollment in U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol Program
By Clint Thompson The Georgia Cotton Commission encourages producers to join the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol movement. They’ll have until the end of January to enroll in the program for the 2020 growing season. Ken Burton, Executive Director for U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, said enrollment for the 2021 year will start around March or April. “It will enable producers to …
FDACS Announces Hendry County Farmworker COVID-19 Testing
(FDACS) — Commissioner Nikki Fried and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) are announcing additional COVID-19 testing sites in Hendry County for farmworkers as the fall harvest season begins. The product of a 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, today’s announcement follows COVID-19 testing for farmworkers that was made available earlier this month in Miami Dade, Hillsborough, …
Bacon Farmers Seek Immediate Covid-Relief Action
(NPPC) — President Trump expressed disappointment regarding the ongoing stalemate in the development of new COVID-relief legislation, saying his lead negotiator “hasn’t come home with the bacon.” Without immediate relief for hog farmers in crisis, the treasury secretary may not be the only one not bringing home the bacon, according to the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC). “We’ve lost hog …
DEP Acquires Land Within St. Joe Timberland Florida Forever Project
(FL/DEP) — The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in partnership with the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida, has purchased a 578-acre parcel in Gulf County within the St. Joe Timberland Florida Forever project. The property lies within the Apalachicola River and Bay watershed and expands upon the state’s recent 20,168-acre addition to the Lake Wimico tract. Through this acquisition, the public will …