florida farmers

Florida Farmers Brace for Cold Weather

Dan Cattle, Citrus, Field Crops, Florida, Fruits, Industry News Release, Livestock, Nursery Crops, Specialty Crops, Vegetables, Weather

Florida farmers were preparing Thursday for continuing cold weather, with temperatures expected to drop into the 30s overnight as far south as Fort Myers and Homestead. Many of Florida’s crops cannot handle freezing temperatures for long periods. Citrus and strawberry farmers are preparing harvests ahead of time, often running irrigation systems to create small layers of ice over the fruit …

fdacs

Time to Celebrate a Year-Round, Healthy Snack – the Strawberry

Dan Florida, Fruits, Industry News Release

by Brad Buck, University of Florida/IFAS May is National Strawberry Month, a time to reflect on the history of this sweet, nutrition-packed fruit that grows well in Florida – and to extol its health benefits. Strawberries originally grew in Europe. In France, people regarded them as the highest-quality aphrodisiac. People believed Alpine strawberries provided various medicinal benefits. While some used the leaves, …