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 …
Farm Bureau Gears Up to Fight for Florida Ag
The Florida legislative session begins next week, and Florida Farm Bureau (FFB) is ready for a busy session. Adam Basford, FFB legislative affairs director, is gearing up to fight for Florida agriculture. Every year, FFB has multiple priorities to bring to legislators. For this session, one of the biggest focus points will be on the damage caused by Hurricane Michael, …
Fresh From Florida in New York
By Breanna Kendrick The New York Produce Show and Conference in New York City is an important event for Florida growers. Deb May, trade development administrator with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), says last month was her fifth time attending the annual show. Florida farm operators seem to be a big presence at this event, as …
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Winning Fight Against Destructive, Disease-Carrying Snail
Tallahassee, Fla. – Today, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam announced that more than 168,000 Giant African Land Snails (GALS) have been eliminated in Florida since the invasive snail was discovered in Miami-Dade County in 2011. In addition, due to the success of the program, the department has decommissioned two additional core areas, two of the largest is the …
UPDATED: E. coli Source Released
Update on E. coli outbreak (Dec. 14): According to a release from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the E. coli outbreak has been traced back to a single farm’s irrigation reservoir. The farm is located in Santa Barbara County, California. According to the FDA release, the farm has not shipped lettuce since Nov. 20 and is being cooperative with …
Putnam and the USDA Declare the Oriental Fruit Fly Eradicated in Miami-Dade County
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have declared eradication in the Oriental fruit fly outbreak in the predominantly agricultural Redland area of Miami-Dade County. Due to early detection and rapid response, no quarantine was required during this program. This successful Oriental fruit fly eradication is the second one during this …
Kelly Morgan Named New Director of UF/IFAS Southwest Florida Research and Education Center
By: Beverly James, 352-273-3566, beverlymjames@ufl.edu GAINESVILLE, Fla. – As Best Management Practices Coordinator for the state, Kelly Morgan has spent years helping growers find optimum ways to irrigate and fertilize their crops to maximize results. Now, he will get the chance to coordinate even more groundbreaking research. The University of Florida has named Morgan the new director of the UF/IFAS …
Latest Data from UF Citizen Scientists Show Air Potato Beetles Flourishing in Florida
Contact: Samantha Grenrock, 352-294-3307 (office), 949-735-1076 (cell), grenrosa@ufl.edu GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Across Florida, thousands of small, red beetles have been battling the invasive air potato vine for the last eight years, one bite at a time. And they appear to be prospering, according to the latest data collected through the collaborative efforts of the University of Florida, the Florida Department …
The Top 3 Things on Florida Farm Bureau’s Legislative Plate
The Florida Farm Bureau held its legislative days in Tallahassee, where it advocated for an “Ag Strong” legislative agenda. Adam Basford, director of legislative affairs for Florida Farm Bureau, was pleased with the turnout at this year’s events. Sporting “Ag Strong” pins, nearly 200 members of the Florida Farm Bureau made appointments with their legislators to advocate for critical agriculture …