From the U.S. Department of Agriculture by Amelia Hines Dortch, NRCS Alabama It’s a simple sign that has a pretty easy request, “Buy Fresh. Buy Local.” It’s one that Gene Thornton hangs at his market stand each week at The Market at Ag Heritage Park on the Auburn University campus in Alabama. During market season, the sixth-generation farmer travels more …
Brevard Ag Conservation Workgroup
Local farmers and ranchers are invited to a workgroup with the Brevard Soil and Water Conservation District and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service to identify and prioritize county conservation efforts. August 10, 4 p.m. at Brevard County Agricultural Center 3695 Lake Dr. Cocoa, Florida 32926. For more information contact David Millard at 321-633-1702 ext. 241.
South Florida Farmers Continue Everglades Restoration Success
From the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association: BELLE GLADE, Fla. (August 9, 2016) – Everglades Agricultural Area farmers are marking another year of their successful track record in Everglades restoration by sending clean water into the system. During a year of El Nino rainfall – at times more than 350 percent above average – EAA producers’ Best Management Practices reduced …
Conservation Project in Alabama Converting Forests to Longleaf Pine
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Alabama, together with The Conservation Fund and its partner Resource Management Services, LLC, is working through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) on a project to convert forests to Longleaf Pine. Steve Musser, assistant state conservationist for programs for Alabama NRCS, says the project is the Coastal Headwaters Forests (CHF) Partnership. Download Audio
Alabama NRCS Sign-ups Underway for 2017 Programs
Steve Musser, assistant state conservationist for programs for USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Alabama, wants producers to know that the service is now accepting applications for 2017 programs. Download Audio
Saving Florida’s Citrus Industry Through Collaboration and Innovation
From Kevin Shea, Administrator, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service: The Florida citrus industry is under siege and the invader is a tiny bug called the Asian citrus psyllid (ACP). The ACP spreads a disease known as Huanglongbing (HLB) or citrus greening, and together they are destroying groves that have been cultivated by families for generations. But all is …
USDA Announces Safety Net Assistance for Milk Producers Due to Tightening Dairy Margins
From the U.S. Department of Agriculture: WASHINGTON, Aug. 4, 2016 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced approximately $11.2 million in financial assistance to American dairy producers enrolled in the 2016 Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy). The payment rate for May/June 2016 will be the largest since the program began in 2014. The narrowing margin between milk prices and …
Taller, Thinner Crop Beds Helping Florida Growers
Research efforts through the University of Florida/IFAS continues in many areas, including tomato production. And Dr. Jack Payne, UF senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources, says one researcher’s work has found a way for growers to cut costs with how they grow tomatoes and other crops with raised beds. Download Audio
Strawberry Growers May Eventually Save $30 Million a Year with Findings in New UF Study
From the University of Florida/IFAS By: Brad Buck GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Strawberry growers may eventually save $30 million a year with genetic findings from a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences study. UF/IFAS researchers are looking for ways to thwart angular leaf spot, a pathogen that can destroy up to 10 percent of Florida’s $300 million-a-year strawberry …
Florida Defends Amendment 1 Spending
FROM THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA: Attorneys for the House and Senate this week fired back in a legal battle about whether lawmakers have improperly carried out a 2014 constitutional amendment that seeks to boost conservation efforts.