Here is the latest update on inflows into Lake Okeechobee for the calendar year to date. This data is provided by SFWMD’s DBHYDRO database. Source: SFWMD
How to Earn More of the Food Dollar
Staying profitable is always top-of-mind for agricultural producers. Brandon McFadden, an assistant professor at the University of Delaware, studies how producers can earn a bigger percentage of the food dollar. According to McFadden, an average of 12 percent of every dollar spent on food goes to producers. He then examined dollars spent on food at home versus food away from …
Panel Advocates for Florida Ag to Florida Delegation
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 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) on Florida produce. Led by delegation co-chairs Alcee Hastings and Vern Buchanan, Florida’s representatives …
Farm Leader Salutes Gov. DeSantis for Hurricane Recovery Loan Program
Florida Farm Bureau President John L. Hoblick has expressed his appreciation for the decision by Gov. Ron DeSantis to authorize a major state loan program for farm families struggling with recovery from the damage inflicted by Hurricane Michael. “We thank Governor DeSantis for his bold leadership in initiating this program,” Hoblick said. “Six months after the storm crushed the region, …
Enza Zaden Field Day Features Watermelons and More
Growers and seed distributors had a field day Tuesday at the Enza Zaden seed breeding and field trials facility near Myakka City, Florida. The main attraction was the watermelon trials that include new varieties being tested and introduced into the market. Other trials added great flavor to the day’s tour and discussions, with multiple plots for bell peppers, mature green …
Rep. Yoho Receives Golden Plow Award
Florida Congressman Ted Yoho received the American Farm Bureau Federation’s (AFBF) Golden Plow award on May 14. The award was presented to Yoho by AFBF President Zippy Duvall and Florida Farm Bureau (FFB) President John Hoblick in the AFBF headquarters in Washington, D.C. The Golden Plow award is the highest honor AFBF gives to current members of Congress who go …
Tips for Dual-Season Strawberry Production
By Ashley Robinson Joshua Mays, regional agronomist with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, discussed dual-season production of strawberries at the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference in January. Mays believes the most important factors for growers to consider before starting fall production of strawberries is their market and their ability to market strawberries to buyers that would cost them …
Beetle Borer in Blueberries
By Janine Spies Since 2014, several Florida blueberry growers have reported seeing tunneling or girdling on the canes of their blueberry bushes. Oscar Liburd at the University of Florida has been investigating the source of the damage in blueberries along with his graduate students Lindsy Iglesias and Krystal Ashman in the Fruit and Vegetable IPM Laboratory. In the summer of …
South Florida Water Managers Debate BMPs, Discuss New Regulations
by Gary Cooper In this new atmosphere of starting over from scratch with South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) leadership, a growing number of people in agriculture are asking more often and more loudly, “What’s going on?” Agriculture appears to be under the microscope, some say more like under attack, as a fast-growing urban sector reacts to what they don’t …
Fact Checking South Florida’s Water Politics – What Got Us Here?
by Gary Cooper Roots of Algae Debate Show Political Rhetoric Trumping the Facts Politically driven actions in recent months have undeniably brought major upheaval and confusion in South Florida’s water management circles. More than eight million people who are living in and invested in South Florida are directly impacted by these decisions in one way or another. Misinformation swirls about …