From THE NEWS SERVICE OF FLORIDA By MARGIE MENZEL APALACHICOLA, August 13, 2015……….Apalachicola Bay is taking a long time to recover from a 2012 collapse that also severely damaged the local economy. Roughly 100 seafood workers have left the Franklin County area to find work. And financial stress is tempting the remaining workers to harvest oysters smaller than the legal …
Secretary of Agriculture Meets with Alabama Catfish Farmers
From the Alabama Farmers Federation: The nation’s top agriculture official was in west Alabama Wednesday awarding grants to rural communities and talking to farmers about issues ranging from overbearing environmental regulations to foreign trade. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, flanked by U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell, D-Birmingham, announced $4.9 million in Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Offers Unique Opportunity For Applied …
Commissioner John McMillan Applauds Congressman Byrne for his support and passage of the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015
From the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries: Montgomery, AL- John McMillan, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, released the following statement in response to the passage of the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing Enforcement Act of 2015 (H.R. 774). “During the 2015 Regular Session of the Alabama Legislature, the State of Alabama recognized the need for …
Commissioner Adam Putnam’s Statement Regarding Everglades Water Improvement
From the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services: TALLAHASSEE, Fla.–The South Florida Water Management District today announced that during the Water Year 2015 monitoring period, implementation of Best Management Practices on agricultural land resulted in a 79-percent phosphorous reduction in the Everglades Agricultural Area, which far exceeds the 25-percent reduction requirement. This achievement marks a 20-year milestone. “Farmers and …
UGA Skidaway Institute Produces Informational Video on Black Gill in Georgia Shrimp
From the University of Georgia: Savannah, Ga. – The University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography has produced an informational video to educate the public about black gill, a condition affecting Georgia shrimp, and the institute’s research into the problem. Black gill is a mysterious condition affecting shrimp from Florida to North Carolina. A number of shrimpers have blamed Sponsored …
National Award Recognizes Florida Land Steward Partnership
From USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Florida: Gainesville, Fla., Aug. 3, 2015 – The USDA Joint Forestry Team’s Two-Chief Award was recently presented to the Florida Land Stewardship Partnership for its outreach and land management planning efforts for private landowners. The award recognizes successful forestry conservation efforts made possible through Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Enhancement Board Offers Unique Opportunity For …
McMillan Advises Horse Owners to Vaccinate for EEE & West Nile Virus
From the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries: MONTGOMERY, AL– Agriculture & Industries Commissioner John McMillan announces that two positive tests for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) have been reported by the department’s diagnostic laboratory located in Auburn. One sample was collected from a horse located in Dallas county and the other sample was collected from a horse located in Mississippi. …
Florida Chef Wins Taste Challenge Gold Award
NEW ORLEANS – Chef Hari Pulapaka of Cress Restaurant, Deland, Florida was named the winner of the Gold award at the inaugural Farm to Table Chefs Taste Challenge (CTC), which took August 7, 2015 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. His winning creating was “NOLA – New Old Latin Asian” which featured Hatch Green Chile Panna Cotta, …
UF Researchers Develop Machine to Count Dropped Citrus
From the University of Florida/IFAS: As citrus greening continues to impact Florida’s groves, growers have found that they need a way to quickly and accurately count the amount of fruit dropped early to help identify problem areas, which will save time and money. University of Florida researchers Wonsuk “Daniel” Lee, Daeun “Dana” Choi, Reza Ehsani and Fritz Roka devised a …
Agriculture Secretary Vilsack Announces $4.9 Million in Investments for Rural Alabama Businesses and Community Infrastructure
From the U.S. Department of Agriculture: WHITE HALL, Ala., Aug. 12, 2015 – U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is in Alabama today to announce $4.9 million in new funding for projects that will protect public safety and health, improve water and wastewater infrastructure and create expanded economic opportunities in rural Alabama. “The investments that USDA is announcing in Alabama today …