(NSF) — Gov. Ron DeSantis would get more than he requested for Everglades restoration and water projects in the coming year under an initial Senate budget proposal that also would set up a grant program to address sea-level rise. In addition, the Senate is proposing an increase in money for the state’s springs, a reduction to the Florida Forever conservation …
Investment in Land and Water Conservation Announced by USDA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service will invest more than $218 million to fund Great American Outdoors Act projects. Their objective is to conserve critical forest and wetland habitat, support the economic recovery of rural communities and increase public access to national forests and grasslands. This investment will improve public access by funding strategic land acquisitions. Funds will also …
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 …
Florida Cattlemen Concerned with Water Issue
The 2021 Florida Legislative Session kicked off this past Tuesday, and already various issues are before state lawmakers. One of those issues involves water, and more specifically the Central Florida Water Initiative. Director of Governmental Affairs for the Florida Cattlemen’s Association, Sam Ard, says they perceive legislation will be filed to address issues with it. Sponsored ContentWhat Sets Provysol® Fungicide ApartJuly 8, …
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 …
Supreme Court Weighs Arguments in Water Battle
(NSF) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday plunged back into a years-long water battle between Florida and Georgia, at times sounding skeptical of arguments that more water should be directed to Florida in a river system shared by the states. The fight is rooted in a collapse of the iconic oyster industry in Apalachicola Bay at the southern end …
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 …