The second annual Growing Together Symposium was hosted at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in early August. The event was a forum for growers and agricultural industry professionals to learn about various business-related topics.
Center director Kirsten Pelz-Stelinski welcomed attendees and noted the Apopka, Florida, facility is continuing its mission to serve local growers, which are predominantly in the ornamental segment. But the facility also will be working in the urban agriculture and specialty crop segments.
Various topics were addressed during the event, including the next farm bill, which is currently under debate in the U.S. Congress. Bill Messina, UF/IFAS Extension coordinator for the Food and Resource Economics Department, spoke about the legislation and said the likelihood it would be passed this year appears slim. That’s due in part to the election and division between Republicans and Democrats on priorities among other things. Mostly likely, this means the 2018 farm bill will be extended again this year in September. He said the good news is specialty crops are being more actively discussed in potential new legislation.
Several presentations were given on cost-share opportunities growers could apply for to make improvements on their farms. These relate to water conservation and water quality improvements through the state water management districts and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Best Management Practices (BMP) program.
JP Fraites, assistant director of the FDACS Office of Agricultural Water Policy, spoke about changes coming to the department’s cost-share program. Last year, the agency funded about $12 million in cost-share projects. Fraites said he expects that total to be similar next year.
“We will be increasing the total allowable cost-share percentage next year,” he said. “We are increasing our cost-share up to 90% of the total cost of the project. And we are raising the cap for the dollar value of the project. We previously had a 75% cost-share and a $50,000 cap. We’ve raised that cap to $150K or 90%, whichever comes first.”
Fraites also announced a new website for the Florida BMP program during the event.
By Frank Giles