Study Reveals Pigs Can Transmit FMD Prior to Signs of Sickness

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus spreads much more aggressively in pigs than previous research suggests, according to a new study by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists. The study, recently published in Scientific Reports, shows that pigs infected with the FMD virus were highly contagious to other pigs just 24 hours after infection—long before showing any clinical signs of infection such as …

Florida, Georgia Square Off Again in Water War

Florida says the case is the “last, best hope” to save the Apalachicola River region from destruction. Georgia says Florida’s arguments threaten to cause hundreds of millions of dollars in “real harm” to the Peach State. Now, a federal appellate judge based in New Mexico will have to sort out the long-running battle between Florida and Georgia over water in …

NRCS Providing Technical Assistance

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) principal agency for providing conservation technical assistance to private landowners, conservation districts, tribes, and other organizations. NRCS Chief, Matt Lohr, says technical assistance is free. Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Production ResearchMay 8, 2026Florida Cattle Enhancement Board Provides Opportunities to Develop Preliminary Data For Future Grant ProjectsMay 1, …

Ag Organizations Endorse USMCA

The National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, the National Association of Wheat Growers, and the National Sorghum Producers announced their collective support for the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA). The announcement came as the organizations took part in the Commodity Classic, held in Orlando, Florida. The groups say Mexico and Canada account for 25 percent of all U.S. agriculture exports …

2019 Georgia Grown Executive Chefs Announced

Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Gary W. Black and Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA) CEO Karen Bremer announced six new Georgia Grown Executive Chefs at the 2019 Taste of Georgia Legislative Reception. The Georgia Grown Executive Chef program is a statewide program designed to promote and foster relationships between chefs and farmers while spreading awareness about the quality of locally sourced and …

National Nutrition Month Advice: Eat More Fresh, Fewer Processed Foods

Nutrients from fresh foods give you “more bang for your nutritional buck,” says a registered dietitian with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “For every calorie, there’s also going to be a lot of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in that food that contribute to our health,” said Laura Acosta, also a lecturer in the UF/IFAS …

Young Farmers Conference Features Farm Tours

Overcast skies couldn’t keep the smiles off nearly 400 faces as they crisscrossed central and east Alabama during the 2019 Young Farmers Conference in Montgomery. The Alabama Farmers Federation’s annual conference was March 1-3. Farm tours, back by popular demand for the third consecutive year, showcased some of the state’s most impressive operations, lending invaluable insight to agriculture’s up-and-coming generation. …

Commissioner Nikki Fried Appoints Steven Hall as General Counsel

Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried on Friday announced that Steven Hall will serve as General Counsel for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Hall had previously served as Acting General Counsel under the previous administration, and will now lead the Department’s legal efforts as General Counsel. Hall first began with the Department as a law clerk in 2005 and became Deputy General Counsel in …