Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam announced that Dr. Ann Blount has been named the 2018 Woman of the Year in Agriculture. Dr. Blount has dedicated her career to researching and implementing innovative techniques to improve fall forage production in Florida’s southern coastal areas. The award, now in its 34th year, recognizes women who have made outstanding contributions to Florida …
Blackwater River State Forest Expands
Thanks to funding from the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Navy, Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam announced that the Blackwater River State Forest will expand by 800 acres due to the acquisition of the Florida Forever Project Area Wolfe Creek Forest. The Florida Forest Service partnered with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Santa Rosa County, the Naval …
Commissioner Adam Putnam’s Department Assists With Hurricane Florence Preparation and Response Efforts
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam announced that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is preparing to support Hurricane Florence evacuees and assist with response efforts. “Last year, our neighbors selflessly supported our response efforts in the wake of Hurricane Irma, and now it’s our turn to assist others. Hurricane Florence is a serious storm, and we …
Florida Successfully Combating Destructive, Disease-Carrying Giant African Land Snail
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam announced that more than 168,000 giant African land snails (GALS) have been eliminated in Florida since the invasive snail was discovered in Miami-Dade County in 2011. In addition to threatening more than 500 varieties of plants and agricultural commodities, GALS consume plaster and stucco to get the calcium needed to grow their shells. The …
Putnam Announces Winners of 2018 Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam announced the recipients of the Commissioner’s Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award, which recognizes the environmentally innovative farming techniques of Florida’s farmers and ranchers. This year’s recipients are: Jim Strickland of Blackbeards’ Ranch in Manatee County, Chuck Allison of Wild Goose Farms in Umatilla, and James Shinn of Shinn Groves/ Tree O’Groves in Lake Alfred. Florida’s …
Atypical Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Confirmed in Florida
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) announced that it is working closely with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding an atypical case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), a neurologic disease of cattle, in a six-year-old, mixed-breed beef cow in Florida. This animal never entered slaughter channels and at no time presented a risk to the food supply, …
New Florida Regulations for Harvesting Saw Palmetto Berries
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, along with the Endangered Plant Advisory Council, recently added saw palmetto to the Department’s commercially exploited plant list. The new requirements took effect July 17, 2018. OFFICE OF AGRICULTURAL LAW ENFORCEMENT LEGAL BULLETIN 2018-02 SAW PALMETTO After receiving input from public and private landowners, conservation interests, and other interested parties, the Endangered Plant Advisory …
FDACS Begins Efforts to Eradicate Oriental Fruit Fly
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has positively identified the presence of three Oriental fruit flies, Bactrocera dorsalis, in south Miami-Dade County. The initial fly was discovered during routine trapping, and additional flies were discovered during expanded trapping activities. The department, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, monitors more than 56,000 fruit fly traps statewide as an …
Mark Wilson Named 2017 Florida Farmer of the Year
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announced that Mark Wilson of Greendale Nursery in Homestead, Florida, was recognized as the 2017 Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Florida Farmer of the Year. Since 1990, the Southeastern Ag Expo Farmer of the Year Award has recognized exceptional agricultural practices, innovators, and pioneers from 10 southeastern states, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, …