(NSF) — Gov. Ron DeSantis’ push for a politically charged immigration proposal has begun to expose a clash between Republicans as this year’s legislative session starts. The governor kicked off the session Tuesday by reminding lawmakers about one of his top priorities: a proposed mandate for all Florida employers to use the federal government’s E-Verify system to check new hires …
State Approves Paying Sugar Grower to End Lease
Florida will pay $2.4 million to a sugar grower as part of an effort to clean and shift water south from Lake Okeechobee through the Everglades. Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet — Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and Attorney General Ashley Moody — agreed Tuesday to pay $1,940 an acre to New Hope Sugar …
Keeping an Eye on Dorian
Update Sept. 3, 2019: After being stalled over the Bahamas for the majority of the holiday weekend, Hurricane Dorian is expected to start moving north today, still staying off the east coast of Florida. Gary England from the University of Florida released another update this morning about how the storm may impact northeast Florida as it slowly starts heading north: …
Solutions Sought for Algae Woes
TALLAHASSEE (NSF) — Experts looking into toxic algae outbreaks that have exploded in state waterways want to know if anyone has a proven, innovative cleanup strategy that can be used. And they want to know quickly. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is formally accepting information through July 15 on ways to prevent, combat or clean up harmful algal blooms …
State Officials Prepare for Hemp Industry
(NSF) — With Gov. Ron DeSantis facing a deadline this week to act on the bill, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services held a final public workshop Monday as it prepares to carry out a measure that would lead to a state hemp program. The bill (SB 1020) would require the department to create a regulatory framework to …
Meetings on Algae, Citrus and Water Management Ring Alarms for Florida Agriculture
Three meetings this week in three different areas of the state brought more discussion that should wake up producers and others in agriculture who have remained mostly silent for decades. As the state’s population continues to swell by a 1,000 new residents each day, Florida’s population will likely exceed 22-million next year. As the nation’s third most populous state, there’s …
Fried Rallies Support for Hemp Industry
TALLAHASSEE (NSF) — Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried on Friday encouraged supporters of a new state hemp industry to tell Gov. Ron DeSantis to sign a bill that would lead to a regulatory framework for the crop. Fried said an envisioned hemp “revolution” needs the governor’s signature on the bill (SB 1020), which would create a hemp program within the Department …
Legislative Leaders Meet on USMCA and Disaster Relief
It was a busy Friday in the Southeast for U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue as he and other legislative leaders sat down with representatives from Florida and Georgia agriculture on June 7. The day started with a meeting in Tallahassee, Florida, followed by a meeting in Doerun, Georgia. The main topics of discussion were the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and …
Lawmakers Try to Set Stage for Hemp Industry
Moving quickly after the passage of a federal law, the Florida Legislature on Friday gave final approval to a bill aimed at creating an industrial-hemp industry in the state. Senators voted 39-0 to pass the bill (SB 1020), after the House approved it in a 112-1 vote Wednesday. The bill is ready to go to Gov. Ron DeSantis. The state …
South Florida Water: Combating Fake News with Facts and Farm Tours
In recent weeks, South Florida farmers and residents continue to grow with nervous concern about misinformation circulating about Lake Okeechobee and related regional water issues. A couple of meetings taking place in recent days in local communities around the lake exemplify the growing rumble among grassroots residents and businesses throughout the entire region, especially those in rural areas. A growing …