TAMPA, Fla. — Tickets are now on sale for the 40th annual Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame banquet on Feb. 12, which will honor four inductees who have made invaluable contributions to Florida agriculture. The banquet, which each year celebrates the accomplishments of industry leaders who have served in research, education and business, is held in the Special Events Center …
Desantis Urged to Help Farmers on Trade Deal
Incoming Gov. Ron DeSantis is being urged to use his close ties with President Donald Trump to bolster efforts to help Florida farmers fend off low-priced crop imports that weren’t addressed in the rewrite of the North American Free Trade Agreement. During a conference call last week, several members of DeSantis’ Transition Advisory Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources & …
Cole Crop Field Day Includes Some New Options
Every year the University of Florida (UF) Hastings Agricultural Extension Center holds its cole crop field day due to the high number of cabbage acreage in the tri-county area, which includes Putnam, St. Johns and Flagler counties. However, growers in the tri-county area have been expressing an interest in various alternative crops. So, Gary England, director of the center, made …
SmartIrrigation Technology Improves Tomato Production
By Ibukun T. Ayankojo and Kelly T. Morgan Fresh tomato production in the United States is dominated by the states of California and Florida. Florida harvests about 28,000 acres of tomatoes with a production value of $382 million. This accounts for approximately 40 percent of the total production value in the United States. IRRIGATION ACCURACY IS CRITICAL Vegetable production requires …
Exploring Alternative Crops for Hastings, Florida
By Breanna Kendrick Hastings is the potato capital of Florida, but local potato growers recently have been facing marketing challenges and contract reductions. Therefore, interest in alternative crops for the region is growing. Gary England, director of the University of Florida’s Hastings Agricultural Extension Center, and his team have been researching alternative crops for the Hastings area. They are conducting …
Commissioner Putnam Announces 2019 Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame Honorees
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam and the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame Foundation announced the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame inductees for 2019. The induction ceremony will be held at the Florida State Fair’s Agricultural Hall of Fame Banquet on Feb. 12, 2019. More information is available FloridaAgHallofFame.org. “Agriculture is Florida’s oldest industry, and it continues to support …
UF Study: Buyers Want Environmentally Safe Strawberry Production
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — As buyers browse strawberry packages at the supermarket, they might see labels such as “organically grown” or “locally grown.” But they’d also like to know if the fruit was produced in a way that preserves the environment, a new University of Florida (UF) study shows. Consumers say they’ll pay more for strawberries grown in a manner that …
Research Progress on Growing Olives in Florida
By Breanna Kendrick When olives began to be investigated as a potential crop for Florida, it made sense for Mack Thetford to be involved with the research. He has traditionally worked in plant propagation, dune restoration and evaluation of plants for drier landscapes, which is where olive trees are typically grown. Thetford is an associate professor of environmental horticulture with …
Sneak Peek: July VSCNews Magazine
The July issue of VSCNews magazine explores new technologies emerging in the field. Charles Barrett, an Extension agent with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), discusses his research with soil moisture sensors and how this technology can help improve irrigation practices. Precision application of fertilizer is on the horizon. UF/IFAS professor Arnold Schumann and his …
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 …