Florida lawmakers should provide financial help to the agriculture industry to aid its recovery from Hurricane Irma, the Senate president said Friday. Without putting a price tag on the state’s contribution, Senate President Joe Negron appeared to favor tax cuts and mitigation measures rather than loans. He pointed to major damage sustained by citrus growers but also said assistance should …
Supreme Court Asked to Rule on Garden Ban
A Miami Shores couple has asked the Florida Supreme Court to take up a constitutional challenge to an ordinance that bars planting vegetable gardens in the front yards of homes. Hermine Ricketts and Laurence Carroll want the Supreme Court to hear an appeal of a ruling last month by the 3rd District Court of Appeal that upheld the Miami Shores …
UF study: Farm to School Program Boosts Fruit, Veggie Intake
It’s one thing to offer students fruits and vegetables for school lunch; it’s another for them to actually eat them. Children who attend schools with Farm to School programs eat more fruits and vegetables, new University of Florida research shows. In 2010, Congress passed the federal Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. In approving the legislation, lawmakers wanted to improve children’s nutrition. …
Greenhouse Veggies to Grow in Winter
Cathy Isom has some tips about the best veggies to grow in the greenhouse during the colder winter months. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Greenhouse Veggies to Grow in Winter Some of your favorite vegetables can be grown during the colder winter months, especially if your greenhouse is setup to allow thermal mass heating. Summertime annuals will …
Agri View: Pecan Nut Problem
Everett Griner talks about the pecan weevil in today’s Agri View. Everett checks out the exploding population of the pecan weevil, and the damage being caused. Growers have two choices, and Everett tells us what these choices are. Pecan Nut Problem Image: Pecan Weevil/Clemson University Sponsored ContentFlorida Cattle Producers Proactive In Research Efforts Funded by the Florida Cattle Enhancement BoardJanuary …
Fighting the Sugar Policy Modernization Act
Amendments designed to gut no-cost U.S. sugar policy were rejected three times on the Senate floor, two times on the House floor, and twice at the committee level during the 2014 Farm Bill debate. But with talks taking place for the 2018 Farm Bill, Phillip Hayes, spokesperson for the American Sugar Alliance, says backers of those defeated amendments are trying again …
UF Web Tool Helps South Carolina, Florida Strawberry Growers
Strawberry growers in Florida and South Carolina are reaping the benefits of a UF/IFAS web-based system designed to ward off two deadly pathogens, a new University of Florida study shows. That’s good news as Florida’s strawberry growers start a new season. Strawberries pack a powerful economic punch nationwide and in the Sunshine state, bringing in $2.3 billion to the national …
Agri View: California Winery Losses
Everett Griner talks about losses suffered to the California winery business due to the wildfires in today’s Agri View. Everett lets us know just what we can expect the price or our wine and grape juice to be over the next couple of years. Image:Â Wine rack from the now burned down Signorello Estate winery in Napa, CA. Apparently glass will …
Most Popular Thanksgiving Side Dishes
What is your favorite? Cathy Isom gives us the most popular Thanksgiving side dishes. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Thanksgiving dinner wouldn’t be complete without a roast turkey or a ham as the star of the dining room table. But the dishes surrounding the stars on your plate matter, too. So, folks at The Daily meal.com …
Exploring a World without Food Animals
What would happen if U.S. farmers stopped producing animals for food and Americans went vegan? Some have called for a move in that direction to address increasing concerns about U.S. health, eating habits, and climate change. Researchers at USDA‘s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Virginia Tech recently explored those questions and found surprising results. Mary Beth Hall, an ARS animal scientist at the U.S. …