We’ve all heard the messages broadcast by environmentalists and conservationists: protect the Earth or else. We’ve also all likely heard about the types of pollution that cause the most damage and that need to be addressed first in an environmental triage of sorts. For instance, replacing the burning of fossil fuels with renewable energy will [...]
Avocados are a major crop in the Sunshine State, though citrus is the most well-known. The green, oily fruit is best known for making guacamole and has also made headlines recently for studies that confirm that avocados pack a lot of heart-healthy nutrition. Avocados are a $64 million dollar industry in Florida, and just like [...]
A team of researchers at Texas A&M University may be on the trail to slowing or stopping HLB altogether, using the power of a common superfood: Spinach. HLB, also referred to as citrus greening, is affecting the health of the Florida citrus industry with an infection rate of more than 75 percent of the state’s [...]
The numbers prove it: the organic industry is growing at a remarkable pace, both in the U.S. and across the world. On April 15th, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that data from the Agricultural Marketing Service’s (AMS) National Organic Program (NOP) show that the number of USDA-certified operations grew by 5 percent in the [...]
Are you considering a job in the agricultural industry? It looks like this could be a great time to enter that field. A recent report made public at the World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue indicates the time is right for young professionals to get into the agricultural industry. […]
Good news for commercial carriers on Florida highways! Drivewyze PreClear bypass service has recently reached an agreement with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement (OALE) to allow qualified carriers to bypass 22 agricultural inspection stations in Florida. There are already 440 weigh stations and inspection sites using [...]
Some might say the citrus industry has a bleak future. Worth $10 billion, the crop forecast from the USDA in January suggested low orange yields for this forecast and the next. A record number of attendees at the Florida Citrus Show in Ft. Pierce brainstormed with citrus leaders around the state to find new ways [...]
The age of growers in the US agricultural industry has slowly climbed since the 1920s, and is higher than it has ever been before. More than half of agriculture operators in the US are over the age of 55, and in Florida that number is at almost 70%. Fewer family-owned farms are being handed down [...]
In mid-December of this year, the US announced it would be normalizing relations between Cuba and the United States. This came as intriguing news to those in the produce industry which now has hopes of future trades with Cubans. Local ports in Florida, Texas and Louisiana will be targeted for the new trade lines to [...]
With a new web tool introduced by the University of Florida, a grower can potentially net an additional $900K-$1.7 million profit in a 10 year period for an average strawberry farm of 26 acres. Instead of the traditional method of weekly spraying during the growing season between November and March, this tool will tell you [...]
