Different Varieties of Pomegranates to Grow

The many different varieties of Pomegranates you can grow or find at your local grocer. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. With a taste of tartness combined with a sweet undertone, pomegranate reminds me of cherries or cranberries. ‘Sweet’ is a favorite variety because it’s sweet, as the name suggests. The skin is pink or light red, preceded …

Interesting Facts About One of the World’s Oldest Fruits

Some interesting facts about one of the world’s oldest cultivated fruits.  That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Pomegranates have earned a reputation as a nutritional powerhouse, but they aren’t exactly the easiest fruits to seed or prepare. We will get into that later in the next couple of programs. Pomegranates are one of the world’s oldest cultivated fruits. …

UF/IFAS Researchers Help Wineries Capitalize on Carbonation Craving

Oenophiles rejoice! University of Florida researchers are helping wineries make their product bubbly to meet taste trends and expand their business. Andrew MacIntosh, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of food science and human nutrition, is working with Florida wineries to teach and encourage more of them to produce carbonated wine. About one in  10 Florida wineries currently carbonate, and they use the …

Growing Kumquats, a Popular and Beautiful Mini Fruit

How to grow a popular and beautiful mini fruit. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Kumquats are tiny tasty fruits that look like mini oranges. The flesh is a little sour, while the skin is sweet, giving them a unique flavor. Growing these lovely, grape-sized fruits is relatively easy. They’re a good tree for beginning gardeners. They’re self-pollinating so …

Farm Bureau Survey: Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Down 4%

(AFBF) — Thanksgiving celebrations will look different for many Americans this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gatherings are likely to be fewer and farther between, with social distancing and perhaps even remote family get-togethers. One tradition that continues this year is the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual cost survey of classic items found on the Thanksgiving Day dinner table. …

Decision-Support Tool Using HiPerGator May Help Manage Devastating Avocado Disease

UF/IFAS researchers are working on a decision-support app to help policy makers and growers decide the best regional treatment options for laurel wilt disease, which is challenging Florida’s $35 million-a-year avocado crop. Laurel wilt disease is spread by several ambrosia beetle vectors. People, whether they grow avocados or not, can spread the beetles when they move infested wood products – …

Time to Consider Growing Your Own Vegetables

Why now is the best time to consider growing your own vegetables.  That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. We are closing in on almost a year since the COVID-19 pandemic sort of halted the world, forcing us to retreat into our homes and forgo physical social contact. Though grocery stores are open for business, government officials have asked …