The Polk County Youth Fair wrapped up its latest annual ag event at the end of January. Youth from all over the county had the opportunity to show off the fruits of their labors, representing weeks and months of hard work. From dog showmanship and archery to showing hand-raised livestock and displaying horse handling skills, [...]
The USDA has been on the forefront of creating innovation for the ag industry. From grants for environmental stewardship and growth to lunch programs that get our farmer’s produce into public school lunches, the USDA offers a myriad of benefits to ag and non-ag folks alike. In mid-January, the USDA announced a new program to [...]
Farming and ranching are ventures fraught with pitfalls, and Florida has its fair share of difficulties and hardships. Considering factors such as fickle weather that can be hot as a furnace, dry as a bone, wet as a fish or downright dangerous, and Florida’s host of pathogens and pests, being in agriculture in Florida is [...]
Farms and ranches grow and raise the products of healthy living—fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats and dairy—but the statistics show that farm living is a healthy thing as well. Here’s a look at the ways and means behind the healthfulness of a farm lifestyle. […]
Citrus Greening has ravaged the Florida citrus industry for the last 10 years, and the stakes keep getting higher and higher. In early December, the USDA released an updated citrus forecast, and the outlook was anything but rosy. According to the new estimates, the USDA is forecasting only 69 million boxes for all oranges, which [...]
The ag industry’s fruits of labor are all around us, and the holidays are a good time to appreciate how blessed we are to live in a nation with such a healthy and beneficial agriculture industry. Our holidays are truly made bright by the hard-working men and women in the ag industry. See how the [...]
Many Americans choose to adorn their homes over the holidays with a Christmas tree, and many of those are real trees. While the American Christmas Tree Association suggests that 80% of U.S. households choose an artificial tree, the USDA Census of Agriculture statistics show that over 17 million trees were harvested in 2012 (the latest [...]
The Florida Everglades encompass thousands of square miles of South Florida real estate that are vastly important to the Sunshine State. Water flows south from Central Florida in a “River of Grass,” essentially recycling and recharging the water and providing a unique ecosystem for hundreds of different species, many of them endangered. However, the Everglades once [...]
As you enjoy your Thanksgiving turkey and all the trimmings—either as you sit down to eat or as you dive into leftovers—I hope you took a moment to give thanks for the men and women in agriculture across our great country that made your meal possible. Explore these agriculture statistics about the ways and means [...]
The U.S. has not had diplomatic ties with Cuba since 1961, but the recent efforts by the Obama Administration to renew governmental relations with the Caribbean island nation have put Cuba-U.S. ties on the front burner. It’s front-page news, and the U.S. agriculture industry—especially in Florida—has taken notice. Recently, USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack was part [...]
