Cathy Isom starts this mini-series with a few helpful tips about how to start a vegetable garden using old tires. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Tire gardening is a great way to save the planet, by recycling old rubber tires, and to maximize your yields and minimize the amount of work it takes to produce a successful garden. It’s …
Commissioner Nikki Fried Highlights COVID-19 Crop Losses
(FDACS) — Agriculture Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) released the Florida Seasonal Crop COVID-19 Impact Assessment, a new report providing data on crop losses facing Florida farmers. Based on figures reported by growers, total crop losses across the state through mid-April 2020 may exceed $522.5 million. Florida is the nation’s second-largest producer of seasonal specialty crops such as blueberries, strawberries, …
USDA Approves Florida’s State Hemp Program
(FDACS) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) formally approved Florida’s state hemp program, clearing the way for Florida growers to begin cultivating hemp later this month. Agriculture Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried, who will oversee Florida’s state hemp program through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), offered the following statement: “After months of incorporating feedback from the public, growers, and industry stakeholders, …
UF Surveys to Identify Impact of Pandemic on Florida’s Agriculture and Marine Industries
(UF/IFAS) — With agriculture and marine industries occupying a large portion of Florida’s economy, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) wants to better understand how measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 are impacting these sectors. Starting today, faculty from the UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics (FRE) department are deploying surveys to UF/IFAS Extension agents …
Georgia Produce Safety Program Website
Because of the times we currently live in, the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) halted any trainings for growers on the produce safety rule and on-farm readiness reviews until further notice. But, GDA Produce Safety Education and Outreach Coordinator Maggie Brown, told Southeast AgNet’s Randall Weiseman they have great information on their website. That’s website again is Georgiaproducesafety.com. Sponsored ContentCIR …
Florida Farmers Worried About Presence of Foreign Produce
During the Florida Farm Bureau Federation (FFBF) and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Town Hall last week concerning COVID-19 and its effects on Florida agriculture, one issued discussed was how fresh produce growers were having difficultly moving their products. But foreign produce continues to be prevalent in stores. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said this is something …
USDA Working on Aid for Livestock, Dairy, Specialty Crops
(NAFB) — Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue is working on developing aid programs for livestock, dairy, and specialty crop producers ahead of any aid to traditional commodity producers in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. The Hagstrom Report says House Ag Committee Chair Collin Peterson spoke with Perdue, who told the chairman that he’s trying to develop systems to provide aid …
The Day South Florida Agriculture Changed
Submitted by Gene McAvoy, Regional Vegetable Extension Agent IV Emeritus with UF/IFAS “Up to the end of Feb our growers were having a banner year and it looked like this season would be one of those homeruns that come around every 5-6 years.” Here is a report that I prepared on the state of S Florida ag and shared with …
Plant a Fruit Tree-Reduce Stress and Store Trips
Times, they are changing. Cathy Isom has what you can plant to reduce stress and the number of trips to the store. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. While so much of the world is on pause right now, some small businesses are still up and running as best as they can. Among them are local plant nurseries. …
Florida Watermelon Farmers Face Uncertainty Due to COVID-19
(UF/IFAS) — As fruit and vegetable farmers in South Florida decide what to do with produce once destined for now-closed schools and restaurants, watermelon farmers in North Florida have recently finished planting their crop. Given the uncertainty around the market for fresh produce, the decision to plant came down to economics, said Mark Warren, agriculture agent for UF/IFAS Extension Levy …