Tallahassee, Fla. (FDACS) — Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried announced the members of her new Hemp Advisory Committee, which will help guide the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ hemp rulemaking process and the state’s emerging hemp industry development. Commissioner Fried is committed to Florida becoming a national leader on industrial hemp production. The appointment of committee members comes after the …
DeSantis, Cabinet Back Conservation Land Buys
(NSF) — Gov. Ron DeSantis and Cabinet members agreed Thursday to buy and conserve more than 900 acres of land across the state at a combined cost of just over $11 million. The land, which will be acquired with Florida Forever conservation funds, are 717 acres within the Wakulla Springs Protection Zone in Wakulla County, 129 acres in Charlotte County …
Industry Reaction to Trade Aid Announcement
Source: American Farm Bureau Federation Farm Bureau Welcomes Trade Assistance, Urges Return to Open Markets The following statement may be attributed to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall: “We greatly appreciate President Trump’s concern for America’s farmers and ranchers in these difficult economic times, and we are grateful for this continued trade assistance to help our farmers and ranchers stay …
USDA Announces Details of Support Package for Farmers
(USDA) — U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced further details of the $16 billion package aimed at supporting American agricultural producers while the Administration continues to work on free, fair, and reciprocal trade deals. In May, President Trump directed Secretary Perdue to craft a relief strategy in line with the estimated impacts of unjustified retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural goods and …
Pheromones Give Nematodes a Boost in Controlling Pests
(USDA/ARS) — Beneficial nematodes are used as biological control agents to fight a variety of insect pests that severely damage crops. However, in many cases the nematodes don’t measure up to other control methods such as certain chemical pesticides. A recent Agricultural Research Service (ARS) study, published in The Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, shows that beneficial nematodes (also called entomopathogenic nematodes) …
Senate Committee Advances Food Supply Protection Bill
(NAFB) — The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee has approved a bill to protect the nation’s food supply. The committee unanimously approved The Protecting America’s Food & Agriculture Act of 2019, introduced by Senate Agriculture Committee leaders Pat Roberts and Debbie Stabenow. The bill would authorize U.S. Customs and Border Protection to hire additional inspectors to fully staff …
Hyde-Smith Proposes Fisheries, Aquaculture Disaster Funding
(NAFB) — A Senate bill proposed this week would create a disaster program for commercial fishing and aquaculture operations. Introduced by Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, the Commercial Fishing and Aquaculture Protection Act of 2019 would authorize a risk-management tool for the sector. Hyde-Smith says the bill would help commercial fisheries, farm-raised catfish, and other seafood producers mitigate losses associated with …
Big Cypress Plan Raises Sportsmen’s Ire
by Chris Felker, Lake Okeechobee News BIG CYPRESS PRESERVE — The Big Cypress Sportsmen’s Alliance Inc. (BCSA) is up in arms and alerting its members and the public to what it calls a secret conspiracy among federal agencies to “condemn or forcefully obtain 248 private inholdings within the boundaries of the preserve.” This post on social media Thursday, June 27, …
Comment Period Open on Hours-of-Service Regulations for Ag Drivers
(NAFB) — The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration announced it’s looking for public comments on potential revisions to agricultural commodity or livestock definitions in its hours-of-service regulations. The Hagstrom Report says the agency worked hand-in-hand with the Department of Agriculture to provide clarity for the nation’s commercial drivers and farmers. Currently, states determine their harvesting and planting seasons. Drivers who …
Facts of the Flow: Lake Okeechobee, 2019 Year-to-Date
(SFWMD) — Here is the latest update on inflows into Lake Okeechobee for the calendar year to date. There has been no back-pumping into Lake Okeechobee from the Everglades Agricultural Area this year. This data is provided by SFWMD’s DBHYDRO database. Source: SFWMD Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Producers Proactive In Research Efforts Funded by the Florida Cattle Enhancement BoardJanuary 16, 2026Florida …