Article by Katrina Elsken Cattle ranches have been in the Lake Okeechobee watershed since pioneers first settled the area, but before the Central and South Florida Project for Flood Control, the nutrient loads entering Lake Okeechobee were not a problem, Gary Ritter of Florida Farm Bureau told South Florida Water Management District representatives at the Nov. 5 workshop in Okeechobee. “The …
Research Probe Ways to Increase Yields of Grain Crops
(USDA/ARS) — Scientists with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) are working on field trials and genetic studies that could one day double the yields of sorghum, which is one of the world’s most important sources of food, animal feed and biofuel. The efforts follow recent discoveries by ARS scientist Zhanguo Xin, who is based in …
Enrollment for CSP Grassland Conservation Initiative Ends Friday
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) wants to remind landowners the extended deadline to enroll in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) Grassland Conservation Initiative is this Friday, November 8, 2019. The program is available to producers with base acreage that has been in grass or grasslands over a nine-year period, rather than planted with commodity crops. Eligible producers may have received a …
China Urges Trump to Lift Tariffs
(NAFB) — China wants the United States to commit to lifting tariffs to reach a phase one trade agreement. The South China Morning Post reports Beijing needs America to be more responsive to its concerns, if it wants Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit the U.S. to sign the deal. There’s been no firm commitment by the U.S. to delay …
Montana Senator Introduces Resolution to Restart COOL
(NAFB) — Senator Jon Tester of Montana introduced a resolution in support of the reestablishment of Country of Origin Labeling. The COOL resolution puts forth a firm statement of support for the program, which was repealed back in 2015. The introduction follows months of coordination and collaboration by Tester, who’s been pulling together consumer and producer stakeholders to push the …
44th Annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show Set for Jan. 16, 2020, in Tifton
Make plans to attend the 44th annual Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020, from 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia. The one-day show is free and open to all farmers and industry representatives to attend. Attendees will have the opportunity to visit …
Nominations Open for Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer Award
(GPC) — Nominations are now open for the Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer. The state winner will be announced at the Georgia Peanut Farm Show on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2020, in Tifton, Georgia. The award is sponsored by the Georgia Peanut Commission and BASF. The Outstanding Georgia Young Peanut Farmer Award is based upon the applicant’s overall farm operation; environmental …
Governor Ron DeSantis Appoints Two to the SFWMD Governing Board
(FLGOV) — Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointments of Jack Bispham and Seth Weightman to the Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board. Jack Bispham Bispham, of Myakka City, is the owner and operator of Red Bluff Plantation. Previously, he was the owner of Bayside Sod from 1988 until 2018. He has served as a Soil and Water Conservation Service …
Governor DeSantis Appoints Benjamin Butler to the SFWMD Governing Board
(FLGOV) — Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Benjamin Butler to the South Florida Water Management District Governing Board. This appointment fills the final vacancy on this nine-member board. Benjamin Butler Butler, of Lorida, is the manager of Butler Oaks Farm, a family owned dairy farm. Butler Oaks Farm has operated for more than 80 years and has received …
DeSantis Unveils Website on Water Quality
(NSF) — Gov. Ron DeSantis and First Lady Casey DeSantis on Tuesday rolled out a new multi-agency website that will provide water-quality updates, initially focused on waterways in South Florida. A joint effort of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Department of Health, the website — protectingfloridatogether.gov — is touted …