Growing Your Own Tomatillos

Cathy Isom gives you some great tips about growing your own tomatillos. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Tomatillos look like small green tomatoes, and do belong to the same nightshade family, but they’re slightly different plants. An unripe green tomato, for instance, isn’t the same thing as a tomatillo. Tomatillos don’t turn red and are covered in …

USDA Provides Funding to Florida to Support Projects that Protect Agriculture and Natural Resources

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is allocating $7.2 million to Florida as part of its effort to strengthen the nation’s infrastructure for pest detection and surveillance, identification, and threat mitigation, and to safeguard the U.S. nursery production system. Overall, USDA is providing $66 million in funding this year to support 407 projects in 49 states, Guam, Puerto Rico, and …

Growing Kale for Greens Year-round

Cathy Isom gives you a few good tips about growing the low maintenance plant that will give you a continuous supply of greens throughout the year. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Kale has about a dozen varieties and is one of the wonderfully versatile plants that you can transplant or sow nearly anytime during the season. Though …

Mustard Greens-a Good Spring Crop

Cathy Isom fills you in about the raw green with a unique flavor you can continually grow every few weeks. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Mustard greens add just the right amount of zing to dishes, and they’re easy-as-pie to raise.  They’re a versatile plant, too. You can grow mustard micro-greens in under a week, or you can …

National Nutrition Month Advice: Eat More Fresh, Fewer Processed Foods

Nutrients from fresh foods give you “more bang for your nutritional buck,” says a registered dietitian with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “For every calorie, there’s also going to be a lot of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in that food that contribute to our health,” said Laura Acosta, also a lecturer in the UF/IFAS …

Training for Farmers and Growers on Produce Safety Rule

This one-day workshop is being offered to produce growers. The training will cover the standardized curriculum designed by the Produce Safety Alliance, which meets the regulatory requirements of the Produce Safety Rule under FSMA (Food Safety Modernization Act). The course will provide a foundation of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and co-management information, FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirements, and details on …

Perdue Calls on Agriculture to Fight Back against Movement

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue is calling on agriculture to fight back against the “Fear Your Food” movement. During last week’s Ag Outlook Forum, Perdue said the “Fear Your Food” movement could harm efforts to feed the world’s soaring population and shouldn’t go unanswered.  â€śThis growing fear has the potential to sideline, deter, critical technologies that we already use, and derail …

Growing Your Own Potatoes

Although there are numerous varieties, Cathy Isom lets you know about how to grow your own potatoes. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. If you want a consistent supply of potatoes, it’s a good idea to choose two different varieties. Pick an early type that’ll be ready by early summer, and a main crop choice that’ll be ready …