Each year around April the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) awards the prestigious Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award to three agriculture operations that stand out for their demonstration of “a sustained commitment to conserving Florida’s natural resources and improving our environment.” Florida ag has long known that it holds a stewardship role for the unique environments [...]
Thankfully Hurricane Matthew didn’t bring the level of devastation it was capable of, but it did leave many people without power. It’s a good time to review safety around the downed power lines and electrical wires that are likely all over the east coast of Florida. Following hurricane protocol, you hopefully unplugged any electrical equipment [...]
The craft beer industry is growing quickly, and a UF/IFAS research team is exploring whether Florida growers could benefit from the growth of this niche industry through supplying this much-needed crop to large and small breweries. The research was started in the backyard of UF horticulturist Brian Pearson, who wanted to see if he could [...]
As a guest columnist for Central Florida Ag News magazine, this article of mine was recently published in the February 2016 edition. If you’ve been anywhere near a grocery store produce section in the last few years, then you’ve likely seen the “Fresh From Florida” label on everything from strawberries and oranges to chicken and [...]
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 [...]
If you live in Florida, and work in the Florida ag industry or enjoy nature, then you’re likely used to creepy-crawly things like bugs, arachnids and various reptiles. The tropical nature of Florida’s climate certainly invites a broad spectrum of snakes, spiders and other less-than-welcome creatures. Compared with other states, it seems Florida gets the [...]
October is National Seafood Month, which makes it a great time to highlight this unique section of the Sunshine State’s agricultural endeavors: Florida seafood. Few states can boast as many agrarian endeavors as Florida can. According to data compiled by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Florida is first in produce like [...]
Man’s best friend has long been a trusted hand on the farm or ranch, but did you know that a group of lovable canines also work hard every day at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, FDACS, to protect the Sunshine State’s $120-billion dollar industry? Five different dogs utilize their sensitive noses and [...]
