POSITIVE PUBLIC AWARENESS is a significant aspect of agriculture today. In fact, I would say that the issue of public awareness is almost as important today as repairing our soils’ microbial populations with compost and compost tea. As the agriculture community becomes smaller and more diversified, our farms, groves, and ranches are encroached upon by […]
Inviting the public to come out and have fun on the farm Read More »
WHILE FFA CHAPTERS are high school-affiliated and operated programs whose primary focus is on the breeding, raising, and showing of livestock, 4-H clubs are more independent, as they do not operate out of schools. The community-based 4-H clubs often focus on livestock as well, but some groups branch into various other applications of agriculture. For
Shooting to skill: Teaching 4-H students firearm safety and responsibility Read More »
IN THE PHOTO: Since the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services assumed responsibility of the state’s School Nutrition Program three years ago, the number of Florida schools recognized nationally for their efforts to create a healthy environment for their students has grown from 24 to 374. Allamanda Elementary School in Palm Beach County is
Commissioner’s AgriCorner: Bringing Florida’s harvest to school cafeterias Read More »
WITH THIS BEING the AgriTourism and Recreation edition of Central Florida Ag News, I thought it would be a good time to talk about our Rural Land and Home Loans, and why it’s a perfect fit for the rural land lover or hobby farmer looking to plant some roots and enjoy a little “fun on
Making rural land ownership simple for the land lover Read More »
IT’S TOO darn hot ! That’s a given in Central Florida. But we still have to eat. And there are a few folks who brave the heat to bring us fresh fruits and vegetables at local farmers’ markets. They have my sympathy, and as often as I can get to one of them, my money.
Recipe Spotlight: What’s cooking this fall from your local farmers’ market Read More »
“DON’T PUT all of your eggs in the same basket.” The adage that originated in agriculture — the wise diversification advice applied most often to investment strategy — has come full circle in a big way. Diversity in financial investments and business services is a smart move, and so it is in the business of
Helping you answer two key questions for small farm diversification Read More »
PROGRESSIVE GROWERS today are looking for alternative growing methods for conventional farming and gardening. They are seeking alternatives to chemical sprays for fungicides and pesticides. Their desire is to become better and more efficient growers by developing a mind-set of sustainability as they come to understand harsh chemicals and overfertilization do much damage to the
Alternative methods of growing crops in a tough environment Read More »
Frontier farmers take a step back to black with this alternative crop TOO MUCH HANDLING will ruin them, they are time-consuming to harvest, and sometimes they have thorns — but consumers love blackberries, and they are a viable fruit to be grown as an alternative to citrus in Florida.
Venturing into the pampered world of blackberries Read More »
