By Andrea Albertin and Mary Lusk As the state of Florida moves forward with watershed and springs basin restoration plans, also known as basin management action plans (BMAPS), reducing nitrogen loads to degraded water bodies is a priority in many areas. Nitrogen is an essential plant nutrient, but in excess in certain aquatic ecosystems it can lead to water-quality deterioration …
2019 Florida Blueberry Season Sees Success
By Karla Arboleda Florida blueberry growers had a successful year in terms of numbers for 2019. According to data from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and the Florida Blueberry Growers Association (FBGA), blueberry-growing operations have increased in acreage. Doug Phillips, blueberry Extension coordinator for UF/IFAS, said he surveyed growers to learn more about how …
Upbeat Hemp Update
Holly Bell, director of cannabis for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, provides an optimistic update on the future of hemp in Florida. Bell spoke at the first Florida Industrial Hemp Conference and Exhibition held Nov. 3–5 in Orlando. Following her presentation, she talked with Southeast AgNet’s Tacy Callies. According to Bell, growing hemp in Florida became legal on …
Governor Ron DeSantis Appoints Two to the SFWMD Governing Board
(FLGOV) — Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointments of Jack Bispham and Seth Weightman to the Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board. Jack Bispham Bispham, of Myakka City, is the owner and operator of Red Bluff Plantation. Previously, he was the owner of Bayside Sod from 1988 until 2018. He has served as a Soil and Water Conservation Service …
Governor DeSantis Appoints Benjamin Butler to the SFWMD Governing Board
(FLGOV) — Governor Ron DeSantis announced the appointment of Benjamin Butler to the South Florida Water Management District Governing Board. This appointment fills the final vacancy on this nine-member board. Benjamin Butler Butler, of Lorida, is the manager of Butler Oaks Farm, a family owned dairy farm. Butler Oaks Farm has operated for more than 80 years and has received …
Florida Tomato Committee Names McAvoy Researcher of the Year
(UF/IFAS) — He may hold the title “emeritus,” which means “retired,” but Gene McAvoy remains active with University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension and research, helping bring farmers’ concerns back to UF/IFAS scientists. In fact, he just won the Researcher of the Year Award from the Florida Tomato Committee. For the past 22 years, McAvoy …
SFWMD Starts Public Process to Revise Rules for Northern Everglades and Coastal Estuaries Water Quality
Schedule of public workshops and interactive website announced where public can participate and provide input as District works to amend a Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program rule (SFWMD) — The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) initiated a public rule-making process to support water quality improvements in the Northern Everglades, which includes the Lake Okeechobee Watershed and the St. Lucie …
FFVA President Discusses Updates on Labor Reform, USMCA
By Karla Arboleda Mike Joyner, president of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA), spoke to specialty crop growers about efforts toward labor reform and the current draft of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). LABOR REFORM While meeting with members of the Florida Blueberry Growers Association, Joyner talked about the Farm Workforce Modernization Act that was introduced on Oct. 30. …
Research to Reduce Pepper Diseases; Boost Production
(UF/IFAS) — Pepper is popular. Consumers eat all kinds, including jalapenos, habaneros, chilis and more. Because people eat so much of the fruit, peppers are worth hundreds of millions of dollars a year to the Florida and national economies. In fact, in 2018, bell and chili peppers alone were a $181 million-a-year industry in Florida and a $628 million-a-year industry …
Researching New Fertilizer Technologies in North Florida
By Karla Arboleda To find efficiency in reducing nitrogen levels in soil, researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) are working with several technologies. Bob Hochmuth, a UF/IFAS Extension agent at the North Florida Research and Education Center – Suwannee Valley (NFREC-SV), coordinates controlled-release fertilizer research. The work aims to improve the functionality of …