(NSF) — A task force focused on red tide outbreaks along the Gulf Coast has been reorganized within the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the revised panel, tasked with studying the causes of red tide, during a press conference Friday at the SandBar Tiki & Grille in Englewood. The panel, comprised of researchers and scientists, …
Charles W. Obern Named 2019 Farmer of the Year
To be successful in farming requires a good deal of stamina, flexibility, and determination, along with a love of the art of growing things. Charles “Chuck” Obern, owner of C&B Farms, Inc., embodies all these qualities, in addition to curiosity—an instinctive awareness that research can provide previously undiscovered or underutilized methods to improve crop health and yields. Graduating from the …
Northeast Florida Farms Test ‘Eyes in the Ground’ Through UF Program
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (UF/IFAS) — Farming is a business of uncertainty. Through droughts and downpours, generations of Florida farmers have continued to till the land and contribute to a multibillion-dollar industry for the state. But agricultural innovations aim to minimize that uncertainty, and among the technological advances working to improve farmers’ crop yields are soil moisture sensors, which a University of …
Solutions Sought for Algae Woes
TALLAHASSEE (NSF) — Experts looking into toxic algae outbreaks that have exploded in state waterways want to know if anyone has a proven, innovative cleanup strategy that can be used. And they want to know quickly. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is formally accepting information through July 15 on ways to prevent, combat or clean up harmful algal blooms …
Meetings on Algae, Citrus and Water Management Ring Alarms for Florida Agriculture
Three meetings this week in three different areas of the state brought more discussion that should wake up producers and others in agriculture who have remained mostly silent for decades. As the state’s population continues to swell by a 1,000 new residents each day, Florida’s population will likely exceed 22-million next year. As the nation’s third most populous state, there’s …
State Task Force Tackles Toxic Algae
TALLAHASSEE (NSF) — Reducing harmful nutrients in state waters, through moves such as more monitoring and staffing, is an expected short-term goal of a new task force set up by Gov. Ron DeSantis to look at toxic algae fouling Florida waterways. But with a brief timeline for the five-member Blue Green Algae Task Force to reach its initial findings, don’t …
South Florida Water Managers Debate BMPs, Discuss New Regulations
by Gary Cooper In this new atmosphere of starting over from scratch with South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) leadership, a growing number of people in agriculture are asking more often and more loudly, “What’s going on?” Agriculture appears to be under the microscope, some say more like under attack, as a fast-growing urban sector reacts to what they don’t …
Commissioner Nikki Fried Announces New Water Policy Director
Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried announced her appointment of Christopher Pettit as Director of Agricultural Water Policy for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Speaking outside the South Florida Water Management District, Fried highlighted Pettit’s background in water resources management in Florida and beyond. A livestream of the press conference may be viewed here. “Addressing our state’s water issues was one of my …
Peanut Genome Sequenced with Unprecedented Accuracy
Improved pest resistance and drought tolerance are among potential benefits of an international effort in which Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and their collaborators have produced the clearest picture yet of the complex genomic history of the cultivated peanut. Scientists undertook this large project to better understand the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underpin the peanut plant’s growth and development, …
Florida Agriculture Concerned with Budget Issues
The Florida agriculture community sent a letter this week to state budget leaders concerning issues with funding certain aspects of agriculture. Sam Ard, Florida Cattlemen’s Association director of governmental affairs, explains what the letter was about and updates other items still being discussed during the Florida legislative session. Here is a copy of the letter: Speaker of the House Jose …