(FDACS) — This is the halfway mark of Florida’s 60-day annual legislative session. Below, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services offer an update of the department’s priority legislation for the 2021 legislative session. “I’m proud of our common-sense, bipartisan legislative priorities this year, which include fighting child and family hunger, supporting Florida’s farmers, major climate and energy …
Deltapine Cotton Varieties Available for Southeast Growers
Each year, some growers wait for the release of the USDA Prospective Plantings report before making a final decision as to how many acres of each crop they will plant that season. As cotton growers prepare for the 2021 crop, another factor many have been watching is the price they’ll receive. Keylon Gholston, cotton product manager for Deltapine, notes cotton prices have been up and they …
Florida Senate Proposes Money for Everglades, Sea Level Rise
(NSF) — Gov. Ron DeSantis would get more than he requested for Everglades restoration and water projects in the coming year under an initial Senate budget proposal that also would set up a grant program to address sea-level rise. In addition, the Senate is proposing an increase in money for the state’s springs, a reduction to the Florida Forever conservation …
Florida Rancher Jim Strickland: Combat Climate Change Through Agriculture
(FDACS) — Sixth-generation Florida rancher Jim Strickland recently published an opinion piece on the important role Florida’s ranches play in combating climate change and preventing over-development. The op-ed was published in The Invading Sea, a collaboration of 25 Florida daily newspapers and WLRN Public Media reporting on climate change and environmental issues, and a project of the Florida Climate Reporting Network. Strickland is the owner …
Application Deadline Extended for the Quality Loss Adjustment Program
(USDA/FSA) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is extending the deadline from March 5 to April 9 for agricultural producers to apply for the Quality Loss Adjustment (QLA) Program because of recent winter storms and some clarifications to program rules. This program assists producer who suffered crop quality losses due to qualifying 2018 and 2019 natural disasters. “Because of …
The Threat of Wildfires Remains from Fallen Timber
(NSF) — State Forester Erin Albury warned Thursday that the threat of wildfires remains from fallen timber still strewn across areas of Northwest Florida decimated by Hurricane Michael more than two years ago. Albury cautioned residents in the region to keep property clear of debris as the volume of timber left by the Oct. 10, 2018, storm will continue to …
Native Legume for Improving Pastures in the Southern U.S.
Legumes are plants within the bean family capable of fixing nitrogen. Legumes can enhance conservation tillage systems, improve soil quality, reduce nitrogen requirements on row crops and pasture lands, enhance wildlife habitat, enhance pasture and hay land quality, and reduce soil erosion in cropland and critical areas. Warm and cool-season legume species produce high-quality forage and seed throughout the year …
Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance Expands Membership
Drills Down on Policy Recommendations (FACA) — The Food and Agriculture Climate Alliance (FACA) announced expanding membership and new policy working groups focused on developing a set of more specific policy proposals that drill down on the 40+ recommendations released by FACA in November 2020. FACA’s eight founding members — American Farm Bureau Federation (co-chair), Environmental Defense Fund (co-chair), FMI …
Biden Immigration Bill Introduced in Congress
(NAFB) — Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey and Representative Linda Sanchez of California, both Democrats, introduced President Biden’s immigration proposal into their respective chambers. The Hagstrom Report says both members of Congress say the bill will “create an earned pathway to citizenship for all 11 million undocumented immigrants, providing Dreamers, Temporary Protective Status holders, and some farm workers with …
Fried & FDACS Launch Bilingual Farmworker Vaccine Education Campaign
With the COVID-19 vaccine becoming available for at-risk populations in Florida, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services launched a bilingual vaccine education campaign to encourage COVID-19 vaccination among Florida’s farmworkers and agriculture community. A recent study found that food and agricultural workers are among those most at risk of death from COVID-19, facing a 39 percent increase in excess …