Agricultural Safety Center, UF/IFAS Release Heat-Related Illness Toolkit

Clint ThompsonFlorida

The Southeastern Coastal Center for Agricultural Health and Safety (SCCAHS) and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) have partnered to create an online toolkit to help protect agricultural workers from the summer heat. Last year’s sweltering summer temperatures convinced SCCAHS leadership that additional promotion about heat-related illness education could save lives. Even before the summer …

Gather Family, Friends for Tailgate, Complete with Florida-Grown Foods, UF/IFAS Cultivars

Web AdminFlorida

It’s game day. The excitement around stadiums is palpable. The college football season kicked off this weekend, and many fans enjoyed the company of family and friends while tailgating before and after the game. That meant food – lots of it. Tailgaters might think about eating some Florida-grown grub, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) experts …

Hurricane Idalia Recovery: Well Water Safety After Natural Disaster

Web AdminFlorida, Water

After Hurricane Idalia, is your well water safe to use? If your private well or septic system is damaged during the storm, your well water may be contaminated with harmful bacteria. To avoid getting sick, make sure you boil or disinfect your water before using it for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, cleaning wounds or cooking. Boil water for at …

S.C. Farmers, Food Processors Seeking Organic Certification May Qualify for Grant Funding

Web AdminOrganic, South Carolina

COLUMBIA – South Carolina farmers and food processors who want to pursue organic certification may qualify for reimbursement through a grant administered by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) and funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency. For some producers, organic certification can help reach new customers and align with existing ones. “This funding enabled …

FoodTransport App Assists in Transporting Foods

Web AdminAgriculture Technology

FoodTransport, a new free smartphone application from University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) postharvest experts, provides brief but authoritative recommendations for shipping perishable foods via truck or rail. The user-friendly app is the next step in a years-long project that started in 2017 when UF/IFAS scientists began working to revise and digitize a USDA handbook last updated in …

Farming Safety Emphasized at Watermelon Meeting

Web AdminFarm Safety

By Clint Thompson Farming is an inherently dangerous occupation. But growers don’t usually think about the dangers that come with driving a tractor and working with various pieces of equipment. Not when it is a practice they have done day in and day out for decades. It is a concept not lost on Serap Gorucu, assistant professor in the University …

Food Recalls vs. Outbreaks: What Growers Need to Know

Web AdminFood Safety

By Camila Rodrigues The number of news stories on produce recalls from retail stores and outbreaks related to contaminated food have increased in recent years. These include recent cases of hepatitis A linked to fresh strawberries and several cases of E. coli outbreaks linked to romaine lettuce. The terms “recall” and “outbreak” can be very confusing since they are commonly …

USDA Announces Framework to Shore Up Food Supply Chain

Web AdminSpecialty Crops

WASHINGTON, June 1 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced details of a framework to transform the food system that will benefit Southeast specialty crop producers. The goals of USDA’s Food System Transformation framework include: Building a more resilient food supply chain that provides more and better market options for consumers and producers while reducing carbon pollution: The pandemic …

UF/IFAS to Host Annual Farm Safety Day

Web AdminAgri-business, General, Specialty Crops

The 31st annual Southwest Florida Farm Safety Day is scheduled for Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7 at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee, Florida. The educational event is designed to emphasize the importance of farm and equipment safety. The deadline for registration is Friday, April 22. …