At a lunch meeting today in Tallahassee, Florida, with representatives of many of the state’s agricultural organizations, Agriculture Commissioner-Elect Nikki Fried told the group she plans to be a “champion for this industry” in her new role. Several major issues facing Florida agriculture were discussed during the lunch meeting, which was the first meeting of its kind with Fried since …
USDA Designates Three Alabama Counties Primary Natural Disaster Areas
Three Alabama counties have been designated as primary natural disaster areas from damages caused by Tropical Storm Gordon between Sept. 3-6. The designation, announced by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, covers Clarke, Mobile and Washington counties. “Tropical Storm Gordon was a slow-moving storm with strong winds and heavy rain,” said Alabama Farmers Federation President Jimmy Parnell. “Cotton and …
USDA Disaster Designation Assigned for Five Alabama Counties
On November 16, 2018, United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced that five Alabama counties are under Secretarial Natural Disaster Designation. He announced the declaration during a roundtable discussion with Congresswoman Martha Roby, Commissioner John McMillan and local farmers in Gordon, Alabama. The designation by USDA was prompted by excessive winds and rainfall from Hurricane Michael. The conditions caused …
USDA Designates Three Alabama Counties as Primary Natural Disaster Areas
Emergency Support to Producers in Surrounding Counties/Border State Also Available Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue designated three Alabama counties as primary natural disaster areas. Producers in Clarke, Mobile and Washington counties who suffered losses due to Tropical Storm Gordon between Sept. 3 and Sept. 6, 2018, may be eligible for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) emergency loans. This …
Two Statewide Races Go to Manual Recounts
Floridians will have to wait a little longer to get official word about who will be the state’s next agriculture commissioner and who will serve in the U.S. Senate. Secretary of State Ken Detzner announced Thursday that manual recounts of “overvotes” and “undervotes” will be required in the two statewide races, as the margins between candidates were below 0.25 percent …
FDACS Accepting Applications for Specialty Crop Grants
Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam announced the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is now accepting applications for $4 million in expected federal funding for the Florida Specialty Crop Block Grant program. The deadline to submit an application to the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program is Jan. 11, 2019. The grant, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, …
USDA Partners with Communities to Bring High-Speed Broadband e-Connectivity Infrastructure to Rural Areas
More than 27,000 Businesses and Residents to Get Improved e-Connectivity Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development Anne Hazlett announced that USDA is investing in infrastructure projects in a dozen states (.pdf) to improve e-Connectivity in rural communities. “In the modern economy, rural broadband is a lifeline to quality of life and economic opportunity,” Hazlett said. “With that impact, USDA is fiercely …
Georgia Participates in Food Safety Inspector Exchange Program with Ireland
Georgia recently welcomed visitors from Ireland as part of a novel Inspector Exchange Program co-hosted by the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) and Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (AFM). “The Inspector Exchange Program with Ireland intertwines the knowledge, skills and best practices between our two agencies, sharing information with a global perspective,” said Gary W. Black, Agriculture …
What Will Drive Animal Disease Traceability Advancements?
The Agriculture Secretary recently offered his view on aspects that will advance animal disease traceability improvements like those underway by USDA and the livestock sector. Rod Bain has the story. What Will Drive Animal Disease Traceability Advancements? Sponsored ContentWhat Sets Provysol® Fungicide ApartJuly 8, 2025CIR Agriculture Harvester ProductsJuly 1, 2025Nuseed Carinata Covers New GroundOctober 1, 2024
Lake Okeechobee Fishermen Set the Record Straight on Algae Facts and Fiction
My travels through and around my childhood region of South Florida in recent months allowed me to bore into a few more angles of the algae story. Much of what the public is being told about Lake Okeechobee water and its connection to green algae in coastal waterways is simply not true. The facts remain the facts, and this issue …