UF/IFAS Researcher Hopes to Breed, Grow Nutritious Pumpkins in Florida

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By Brad Buck, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Pumpkins and their seeds are good for you. For example, the flesh of the fruit is a good source of many vitamins and fiber, and its seeds provide unsaturated fats that help reduce cholesterol, among their other health benefits. The pumpkin’s nutrient values are driving Geoffrey Meru, a fruit …

Florida NRCS Offers Sign-up for Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Rivers Project

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GAINESVILLE, Fla., March 13, 2018 — USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is accepting applications from agricultural producers until April 30 for a Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project that improves water quality and quantity. The “Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Rivers (ACFR) Conservation Partnership for Alabama, Florida, and Georgia” project in the ACFR basin covers 13 million acres in eastern Alabama, western Georgia …

Grower Input Drives Seed Technology

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Cecelia Chi-Ham, director of global R&D strategy for HM Clause, said she attended the Vegetable & Flower Seed Conference to support many meetings, including the plant breeding innovation meetings. Presented by the American Seed Trade Association, the conference took place in January in San Diego, California. Chi-Ham is in the business of developing new varieties of seeds for growers. In …

The Four Newest Members to the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame

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Four more Florida agricultural leaders were inducted into the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame on Feb. 13. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam presented the inductees with their awards, while Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black served as the master of ceremonies during the banquet. In a room filled with agricultural leaders from across the state, Alfonso and J. Pepe Fanjul, Lowell …

Putnam on Disaster Funding for Florida Agriculture

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Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives passed a spending bill that includes more than $2.3 billion for agricultural assistance: “The passage of this spending bill is a critical first step to finally getting Florida’s farmers, ranchers and growers long-awaited and desperately needed relief. Without this emergency assistance, …

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Experimental Crop Bed Design Survived Hurricane Irma

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While producers and growers across Florida lost some, if not all, of their crops due to Hurricane Irma, a University of Florida researcher saw his experimental bedding survive the storm. “We were testing for flooding, and didn’t expect to have winds strong enough the effects of wind force on crops,” said Sanjay Shukla, UF/IFAS professor in the agricultural and biological …

Secretary Perdue Outlines USDA Services in the Event of a Government Shutdown

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(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue Friday outlined U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) services available in the event of a government shutdown. “USDA is committed to safeguarding life and property through the critical services we provide – and should the government shut down, we will continue to do just that,” said Secretary Perdue. “I am proud of …

An Update on the Farm Bill

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Robert Redding, an attorney representing agriculture groups in Washington, D.C., recently gave a federal regulation update presentation during the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference in Savannah, Georgia. His talk included the topic of the upcoming farm bill. Farm bill leaders, House Ag Chairman Mike Conaway and Senate Ag Chairman Pat Roberts, wanted to have the bill finished by the …

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Georgia Weighs In on Water War with Florida

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The Florida-Georgia water war has made it to the nation’s highest court due to a dispute about water conservation. The water war involves the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers. These rivers begin in Georgia, then join to form the Apalachicola River, which is near the Florida border and flows into the Apalachicola Bay. Florida began the war by requesting limitations on Georgia’s fresh water use. …

Bill Seeks Tighter Scrutiny of Organic Products

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By Brian German Congress will be reviewing legislation that would establish greater oversight for organic products.  The bill, known as the Organic Farmer and Consumer Protection Act, was introduced by Rep. John J. Faso (R-NY) and has 33 House cosponsors. The bill aims to update organic import documentation with new technology and create stricter enforcement of organic products coming into …