Black farmers will soon be able to vie for a highly sought-after medical marijuana license in Florida. According to the News Service of Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration on Thursday rolled out a process for Black farmers with ties to Florida to compete for a designated license to grow, process and dispense medical marijuana. Part of the 2017 law required …
Application Period Now Open for 2022 Hemp Licenses in Alabama
This week, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) started accepting applications from hemp growers, processors/handlers and universities for a 2022 industrial hemp license. Applications will only be accepted online through the Kelly Registration System at agi.alabama.gov/hempapp. The deadline to apply for a 2022 hemp license is November 29, 2021. In 2016, the Alabama Legislature passed the Alabama Industrial Hemp Research Program Act, Section 2-8-380 Code of …
Florida Lawmakers Seek Answers on Black Farmer Marijuana License
(Tallahassee/NSF) — Black farmers in Florida have waited more than four years to vie for a license to participate in the state’s lucrative medical-marijuana industry. But it’s still unknown exactly how much longer they’ll have to continue to bide their time. Under the state’s medical marijuana law, one license must go to a grower who had been part of settled lawsuits …
Hemp: Controversial Plant that is Gaining Popularity
A controversial plant that is gaining popularity and what you need to know about growing it yourself. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Hemp is growing in popularity because it can be used to make many products including rope, clothing, shampoo, foods, 3.5g CBD Flower for smoking, and supplements like this bulk cbd oil. Some are using these …
Protect Against the COVID-19 Delta Variant
If you would have asked us last September if there would still be a need to write a tip about COVID-19 a year later, our answer would have been, “We sure hope not.” So, what’s changed? The simplest explanation is the emergence of the Delta variant. When you hear us talk about food safety, we don’t often talk about variants. …
Crop Dumping by Mexico Targeted by Florida Ag Commissioner Nikki Fried
Concerns about crop dumping have been a refrain in the state since shortly after the North American Free Trade Agreement was approved more than a quarter century ago. (TALLAHASSEE/August 30, 2021) — Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried on Monday urged people to purchase Florida-grown blueberries, strawberries and other produce to help counter what she described as “unfair foreign trade practices” by …
Vilsack and Tai to Meet with USDA Ag Policy Committee
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai will meet with the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee Friday. Topics include current and new trade deals, trade agreement implementation and concerns within the agreements. The committee, managed by the Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative’s office, offers advice on U.S. trade policy. The committee consists of six technical …
Avoiding Heat-Related Deaths
A new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) report showed 215 people in Florida died from heat-related causes in the last 10 years. The fact that heat-related deaths happen throughout the year surprised the researchers who wrote the report. Serap Gorucu, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering, helped write the report. She and …
Deadline Nearing to Apply for ADAI Relief Program
Back in April, the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries (ADAI) announced they were administering the Alabama Agriculture Relief Program (AARP) to provide USDA relief funds to farmers who suffered losses due to Hurricane Michael in 2018. While the original deadline to apply was June 25th, they want to remind those who experienced necessary expenses related to losses of beef …
High Tunnel System Grants Available in Florida
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida is investing $300,000 in Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG). These are for high tunnel systems that improve weather resiliency and improve degraded plant conditions. Florida State Conservationist, Juan Hernandez, explains why CIG is a competitive grant. Grants will be awarded to applicants matching funds on a dollar-for-dollar basis from non-federal sources that can include cash or in-kind contributions. …