The U.S. Department of Agriculture is putting a focus on specialty crops with new investments and the Specialty Crop Competitiveness Initiative (SCCI) which it announced back in November. USDA undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs, and fifth-generation California farmer, Jenny Lester Moffitt says one goal is to hear directly from producers about ways in which USDA could support the industry. …
The 2024 Alabama-Florida Peanut Trade Show Held on Feb. 1
(DOTHAN, AL/Feb. 2, 2024) — Peanut growers from Alabama and Florida were able to fine-tune their farming operations with information gained at the Alabama-Florida Peanut Trade Show February 1, 2024 at the National Peanut Festival fairgrounds in Dothan, Alabama. The trade show was hosted by Alabama Peanut Producers Association (APPA) and Florida Peanut Producers Association (FPPA), and sponsored by National …
Vilsack on Food as Medicine
The ag secretary discusses food as medicine. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack provides his views on the subject of “Food is Medicine” during a Health and Human Services Department summit of the same name. “My point of view is, I think, somewhat couched by the fact that I lost my parents at a …
Commissioner Wilton Simpson Announces Preservation of Three Florida Family Farms Through the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson announced the preservation of three Florida family farms through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. The Watson Farm, a 550-acre farm and dairy operation in Gilchrist County, the Kirkland Farm, a 245-acre timber farm in Baker County, and Hart Pasture, a 1,600-acre cattle …
Florida NRCS Releases 2023 Report of Conservation Accomplishments
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Florida (NRCS-FL) recently released its annual report of accomplishments for Fiscal Year 2023, which highlights the impacts of federal and partner investments toward protecting and improving natural resources in Florida. According to the new report NRCS in Florida, from September 1, 2022, through September 30, 2023, obligated $44.6 million in financial assistance for Farm Bill …
UGA Production Workshops Key Part of GCC Annual Meeting
By Clint Thompson The Georgia Cotton Commission (GCC) reminds growers and industry leaders that its annual meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 31 at the University of Georgia (UGA) Tifton Campus Conference Center in Tifton, Georgia. An integral part of the commission’s annual meeting is the UGA Production Workshop, coordinated by members of the UGA Cotton Team. Multiple sessions will …
Missouri Bans Foreign Ownership of Some Farmland
Missouri Governor Mike Parson announced a ban on agricultural land purchases by citizens and businesses from six nations if the property is within ten miles of critical military facilities. Parson says he had countries like “China and other adversarial nations” in mind when issuing an executive order on the topic. The order puts the state Ag Department in charge of …
Simpson Announces Further Ranchland Protection
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner, Wilton Simpson, announced this week the protection of over 2,000 acres of Florida ranchland through the department’s Rural and Family Lands Protection Program. In an exclusive interview with Southeast AgNet, Commissioner Simpson shares more about the important role that ranching plays in Florida conservation. Following “approval by the Governor and Cabinet, …
USDA to Conduct the 2023 Census of Aquaculture
(USDA-NASS/WASHINGTON/Dec. 4, 2023) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) announced that starting Dec. 18 they will mail the 2023 Census of Aquaculture to all producers who indicated in their 2022 Census of Agriculture that they produce and sell aquaculture products. The deadline to respond is Jan. 15, 2024. An ag census special study, the …
Florida Ag Commissioner Issues Statement Ahead of Rural and Family Lands Protection Program’s Final Ranking Meeting
(FDACS/TALLAHASSEE, FL/Nov. 17, 2023) — Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson issued the following statement ahead of the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program’s final public meeting scheduled for Monday, November 20, in Tallahassee to create a ranked list of agricultural lands eligible for protection: “First, and most importantly, every single property on this list would be a tremendous asset to the …