Water is the lifeblood of any farming operation. Many involved in the agriculture sector are working to do all they can to help Florida conserve water and make the most of this essential natural resource. Tatiana Borisova, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) water resource economist, gave an overview of the water-quality policies and programs in …
Irrigation and Nutrition Management in the Era of HLB
A solid nutrition and irrigation program can enhance the productivity of HLB-affected trees and improve citrus tree health, potentially making production profitable even under HLB conditions. This was the subject of Davie Kadyampakeni’s talk during a March 9 OJ Break virtual meeting held for citrus growers. Kadyampakeni is a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) assistant …
Gov. Ron DeSantis Gives His State of the State Address to Florida Joint Session
(NSF) — Gov. Ron DeSantis gave his State of the State address Tuesday to formally start the 2021 legislative session. Here are his remarks, as prepared for delivery: Mr. Speaker, Mr. President, members of the House and Senate, and fellow citizens: I see, in many parts of our country, a sad state of affairs: schools closed, businesses shuttered and lives …
Maintenance Work: Check Equipment Now
It is hard to think about irrigating crops right now, especially amid the rainy and soggy conditions some areas in South Georgia have experienced over the past few weeks. But it is likely to become a reality at some point during the growing season. It behooves farmers to check their equipment and make any necessary modifications now rather than waiting …
USDA Investing to Protect Communities in Florida
The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) will be investing more than $46 million this year through the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership for projects that mitigate wildfire risk, improve water quality, and restore healthy forest ecosystems on public and private lands. Through the projects, USDA’s Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) are working hand-in-hand with agricultural producers, forest landowners, and …
Duval Soil and Water Full Board Meeting via Zoom Coming Up
(USDA/NRCS/FL) — The Duval Soil and Water Conservation District Full Board will meet on Wednesday, January 20, 2021, at 3:30 p.m. at the Duval Agricultural Extension Office, 1010 N. McDuff Ave, Jacksonville, FL 32254. This meeting will be held via Zoom teleconference. At this time the Extension Office is open only at limited capacity. Public participation is encouraged, but members …
An Easy, Mess-Free Way to Water Houseplants
An easy, mess-free way to water your houseplants. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Forget the watering can. There is a genius plant watering hack going viral that you will want to try for your houseplants. The technique is known as bottom watering. The potting soil basically acts like a sponge and draws the water into the tiny …
Judge Says Trial Needed in Conservation Dispute
(NSF) — A Leon County circuit judge has said a trial is needed in part of a long-running lawsuit about how the Legislature carried out a 2014 constitutional amendment aimed at land and water conservation. Environmental groups in October asked Circuit Judge Charles Dodson to grant summary judgment finding that some state budget items from 2015 and 2016 violated the …
SFWMD Accepting Applications for Cost-Share Water Projects
The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) announced it is accepting applications for cost-share projects to develop alternative water supply projects and water conservation projects. This is part of the state of Florida’s continuing efforts to identify and implement cost-effective strategies to protect its water resources while meeting Florida’s water needs. Partnering with local governments and other entities for implementation …
Alabama Irrigation Questionnaires are Due January 31
The Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries (ADAI) continues to encourage producers who performed agriculture irrigation upgrades in the 2020 calendar year to complete the required irrigation questionnaire. While ADAI is responsible for collecting completed irrigation questionnaires from producers seeking a tax credit in 2020, the Alabama Department of Revenue (ADOR) will issue any irrigation tax credits to eligible applicants. …