Is healthy living important to you? It has just become more important to Florida. Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam and other agriculture industry leaders launched the “Living Healthy in Florida” campaign. Putnam said the initiative is the first of its kind to combine the resources of elected officials, state agencies, nonprofits and others in [...]
Do you support a local or national charity? Most people I know do support charitable causes, whether it’s buying toys for at risk children during the holiday season or helping find a cure for cancer, they support something important to them or their family. Some people I know go even further and have launched a [...]
The American Farm Bureau presented to the House Ways and Means committee in early April advocated for tax change. In a recent article, their message was clear Farmers and ranchers need tax certainty to thrive in a modern economy, and making permanent deductions that expired in 2013 is a good first step. […]
The Florida citrus industry provides a $9 billion annual economic impact and employs nearly 76,000 people. It’s almost immeasurable as to how much damage the citrus greening issue is causing. Latest reports share another reduction of 4 million boxes produced last month. […]
Have you ever heard of Aquaponics? It’s a new form of farming, without soil. It’s where food is grown in water that is filled with fish. In an aquaponic system, water from an aquaculture system is fed to a hydroponic system where the by-products are broken down by nitrogen-fixing bacteria into nitrates and nitrites, which are used by the plants as [...]
Florida’s agriculture industry makes a $108 billion economic impact. It’s received a beating over the past few years with the growing citrus greening issue and other pests. Agriculture producers received some good news recently from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The state department announced Florida will receive $5.4 million in federal funding [...]
Florida ranks seventh among all states in the United States with agriculture. Each year, Florida exports $3.1 billion in agriculture products to 140 countries around the world. One of its most successful crops is the blueberry. Florida blueberries pack a powerful nutritional punch. In just one cup of delicious blueberries there are only 84 calories [...]
The Florida Future Farmers of America (FFA) Association state headquarters held a groundbreaking ceremony on March 10. The new headquarters is part of the Florida Farm Bureau in Gainesville. There were an estimated 230 guests in attendance, of which 100 or so FFA members – all middle or high school age. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam [...]
Lately, we’ve been sharing about Florida’s citrus greening issue. We thought it would be nice to share about a positive greening initiative that is taking place across Florida. A recent article in Florida Today shares how farmers and ranchers are working to reduce the impact farming has on the environment. One problem has been nutrient [...]
Did you know the Florida citrus industry and beekeepers industry are uniquely linked? Both are facing serious challenges. Some of the resolutions for citrus growers to combat the tremendous greening problem adversely affect the honey industry. Beekeepers traditionally place hives in citrus groves so the bees produce citrus-flavored honey, one of the most popular flavors [...]
