by Brad Buck, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences University of Florida researchers are sounding a warning bell that fresh produce may be hard to come by in the future. Scientists with the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences cite changes in our climate, loss of fresh water and competition for resources as major threats to farmers’ …
Chlorine Dioxide Pouches Can Make Produce Safer and Reduce Spoilage
A small plastic pouch, half the size of a credit card, could soon make the nation’s produce safer by killing off pathogens that make people sick. The pouch, developed with help from Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists, releases chlorine dioxide gas, which eliminates E. coli and other pathogens from the surfaces of fruits and vegetables. Worrell Water Technologies of Delray Beach, Florida, hopes …
Growing Veggies by Vertical Gardening
If you enjoy growing your own veggies, Cathy Isom tells you why vertical gardening is the way to grow. She also clues you in on how to do it without putting a dent in your pocketbook. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. To grow your own fresh fruits and veggies in a garden at home you don’t …
Research on Pests and Beneficial Species Funding from USDA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced 21 grants totaling $7.6 million for research to help manage pests and beneficial species that affect agricultural crops. The funding is made possible through NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program, authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. “There continues to be a critical need to …
Picking Your Produce in a Grocery Store Farm
Instead of going to the field to pick your vegetables, herbs or spices, what about the grocery store? Cathy Isom tells us about the company that wants to put a farm in every grocery store. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. The way we eat food, how we eat it, and also how we buy it, is constantly changing. …
Agri View: Raising a New Improved Potato
Everett Griner talks about the scientist working on producing a newly improved potato in today’s Agri View. Now if we rated vegetables for quality, health, and taste, it wouldn’t even be close. Given the vast selection, we have to choose from, the potato would win hands down. Not just in America, but all over the world. …
Keeping Fruits and Veggies Fresh
Cathy Isom has some tips about how to keep your fruits and veggies fresher, longer. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. There is nothing more annoying or perhaps upsetting when finding one of your favorite fruits and vegetables that you’ve been waiting to enjoy has already ripened to the point of rotten. Every year, the typical American family ends …
Agri View: Chemical Challenge to Control Insects
Everett Griner talks about controlling insects and pests is a challenge without the use of chemicals in today’s Agri View. Farmers use a lot of chemicals to kill bugs. It might surprise you to know how much. Well, it is in the thousands of tons. Our EPA has called on the government to ban the use of …
Regrow Vegetables from Your Scraps
Have you ever looked at the leftovers from some of your vegetables when you prepare a meal? The part of the carrot you are fixing to throw away and wonder if it would regrow? Or the portion if the head of lettuce? Cathy Isom tells you about the foods that you can regrow from scraps. That’s coming up on This …
Healthy Diet with Affordable Produce
Cathy Isom helps us maintain a healthy diet by taking us on a stroll down the produce aisle. Cathy tells us about the plant-based foods we should always have on hand, even if we’re on a budget. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. When it comes to a healthy diet, sometimes what’s in our wallet determines what comes home …