How to perk up a bleak winter garden. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. If you’re wanting to bring more life to your garden during the cold months in winter, consider these key elements: Focal Points, Color and Structure, and Fragrance. Focal points include sculpture, garden structures, such as ponds or arbors, boulders or containers. For a splash of …
Florida Producers Reminded of USDA Inclement Weather Disaster Assistance Ahead of Weekend Cold Front
(FDACS/Tallahassee, FL/January 28, 2022) — Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is sharing information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on federal disaster assistance for producers facing inclement weather as Florida is expected to see record cold temperatures this weekend. A cold front moving across the state is expected to bring record low temperatures, triggering a hazardous weather warning from the National Weather Service. …
Create a Chicken Garden to Keep Your Feathered Friends Healthy
How to create a chicken garden to keep your feathered friends healthy, and also away from your harvest. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. A chicken garden is a great way to supplement your chickens’ diets while keeping them busy and away from your garden. Place your chicken garden in an area where they have easy access to, …
Growers Discuss Priorities for 2023 Farm Bill
The 2018 Farm Bill is set to expire in 2023, so preparations are underway to craft the behemoth legislation into law sometime next year. However, it is common for negotiations to extend into the following year. Whether the new farm bill is passed in 2023 or 2024, there’s a lot of work ahead. The farm bill was the focus of …
Driverless Technology Rapidly Rolling Toward Reality
What would have been seen as science fiction a decade ago is quickly becoming reality. In December, autonomous trucking startup TuSimple completed a truck run on the open road without a human in the vehicle. The 80-mile trip on surface roads and highways in Arizona between a rail yard in Tucson and a distribution center in Phoenix was completed successfully. According to …
Edible Plants that Grow Well in the Shade
Some edible plants that grow well in the shade. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. There are plenty of great edible plants, fruits and vegetables that will grow with very little sunlight. There are even some that you might not normally find at the market, but you can definitely grow in your own yard. For example, Ramps – …
Health Benefits of Holy Basil and How to Use It
The health benefits of Holy Basil and how to use it. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Holy basil, also known as tulsi in Hindu, or queen of the herbs, is part of the mint family and is a traditional medicinal herb native to tropical Southeast Asia. This aromatic plant has pale green leaves, hair stems, and small purple or white tubular flowers. It is …
A Cowboy’s Christmas Prayer
As we celebrate Christmas this year, Southeast AgNet’s Randall Weiseman brings back an old favorite, “A Cowboy’s Christmas Prayer” written by S. Omar Barker. A COWBOY’S CHRISTMAS PRAYERby S. Omar Barker (1895-1985) I ain’t much good at prayin’,and You may not know me, Lord —For I ain’t much seen in churches,where they preach Thy Holy Word.But you may have observed …
New H-2A Labor Wages Effective Dec. 29
A recent issue of the Florida Citrus Mutual Triangle newsletter provided information about the wage that growers must pay H-2A labor, effective Dec. 29. H-2A workers are foreign agricultural workers who are allowed to work in the United States temporarily. In recent years, the vast majority of Florida citrus has been harvested by H-2A workers. The Employment and Training Administration …
Port Problems Plague Producers
The ongoing supply-chain crisis is a big headache to businesses and consumers alike, with no end in sight for the immediate future. Perishable products are particularly at risk, as even a week or two delay can affect product quality. The port delays that caused the supply-chain crisis began on the West Coast with labor shortages due to the pandemic. These …