Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “Florida agriculture”
Florida’s 14th Annual Peanut Butter Challenge Combines Harvest with Hunger Relief As peanut farmers are about halfway through harvesting this year’s crop, Florida is once again rallying its communities for a meaningful cause: the 14th Annual Peanut Butter Challenge. This statewide effort aims to fight hunger and raise awareness of Florida’s vital peanut industry. “Peanut farmers are about halfway through …
Wilton Simpson Commits to Tackling Ultra-Processed Foods in Florida School Meals Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson is taking a strong stance on improving childhood nutrition by addressing the prevalence of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in school meals. In a recent press release, Simpson praised national efforts and pledged state-level action if needed. “The Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson is …
By Will Jordan Legislation and agriculture are not always friends. Policy can be developed with good intentions but miss the sound advice of agriculture when dealing with environmental, animal, or sustainability topics. Southeast AgNet recently visited with Florida Representative Lauren Melo during the Florida Cattlemen’s Association Convention in Marco Island about what it means to support agriculture as a legislator …
Submitted by Gene McAvoy, Regional Vegetable Extension Agent IV Emeritus with UF/IFAS “Up to the end of Feb our growers were having a banner year and it looked like this season would be one of those homeruns that come around every 5-6 years.” Here is a report that I prepared on the state of S Florida ag and shared with …
GAINESVILLE, FL (UF/IFAS) — One day after Hurricane Dorian crept past Florida’s Atlantic coast, impacts to the state’s agricultural and natural resources-based industries appear to be minimal, according to an economist with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. As of Thursday noon, the most notable effects were minor grapefruit losses in the Indian River area, a …
GAINESVILLE, FL (UF/IFAS) — Hurricane Dorian began its much-anticipated northward swing Tuesday morning and is now expected to skirt Florida’s Atlantic coast, threatening a dozen coastal counties that are home to 9 million residents and more than 770,000 acres of agricultural land. Though most agricultural production in these counties occurs 10 miles or more inland, crops could be lost to …
A panel of Florida agricultural leaders had a unique opportunity on May 16 to discuss Florida agriculture issues in front of the Florida delegation in Washington, D.C. The panel mainly focused on two topics: hurricane relief dollars and the impact of the U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) on Florida produce. Led by delegation co-chairs, Alcee Hastings and Vern Buchanan, Florida’s …
Commissioner Nicole “Nikki” Fried appeared before Members of Congress from Florida to discuss key issues facing the agriculture industry. At the invitation of delegation co-chairs U.S. Rep. Alcee L. Hastings and U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, Fried spoke on a panel alongside industry group leaders from the Florida Farm Bureau Federation, the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, and the Florida Forestry Association. Commissioner Fried raised …
by Gary Cooper As Florida lawmakers return home from a frustrating legislative session for Florida’s agriculture industry, the state’s farmers and ranchers wonder where they stand in a political environment that is much different than years past. Florida’s population continues to grow with about 1,000 new residents daily, with no end in sight. The negative environmental impacts from this historic …
In one of the strangest legislative years for Florida agriculture in decades, funding for many programs and services critical for farmers and ranchers are hitting a wall. Ranchers in particular are concerned about a program that they feel is critical to protect some of the best managed lands in the state from eventually being gobbled up as the state continues …
