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Manufacturing is on the rise across the United States – and Polk County stands out as one of its biggest success stories. Polk has transformed itself into a hub for advanced manufacturing, producing everything from sterile IV fluids to high-grade steel.  Advanced manufacturing is one of Polk’s targeted industries, and it’s growing faster here than […]

For the past few years, Florida orange growers who had an Actual Production History (APH) crop insurance policy rather than a Dollar Amount policy were more likely to receive indemnity payments. They also provided a higher average payout, according to a UF/IFAS associate professor and Extension economist. However, just because APH has been the best

President Trump’s recent proposal to increase beef imports from Argentina has sparked a heated debate, particularly among Florida’s ranchers and farmers. The plan is to quadruple the tariff rate quota for Argentinian beef to 80,000 metric tons, with the ultimate goal of lowering skyrocketing beef prices in the United States. Domestic beef prices hit record

Bot flies may be small, but their impact on a horse’s health can be substantial. In Florida their tiny yellow eggs can appear on your horse’s coat signaling the start of a multi-stage life cycle that ends inside your horse.  Understanding the Bot Fly Life Cycle Bot flies don’t bite or sting. Their primary goal

The current shutdown of the federal government may have slowed the approval process of one of the most promising breakthroughs in the citrus industry’s fight against greening. Soilcea, the biotechnology firm whose new CarriCea T1 variety rootstock is seen by some as a new chapter in the Florida citrus industry’s decades-long fight against greening, is

Sustainability is the name of the game in the citrus industry in the HLB era; everyone is working to keep citrus production sustainable until a workaround to citrus greening is found. UF/IFAS associate professor Davie Kadyampakeni led a citrus seminar at the recent Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo where he presented the “5Rs of sustainable citrus

The New World screwworm (NWS) is a devastating pest that was eradicated from the United States in 1966. Unfortunately, it’s now making a troubling resurgence in Mexico, just 70 miles from the U.S. border. Its reappearance has ranchers and veterinarians on high alert. What Is New World Screwworm? The New World screwworm is the larval

In the expansive fight to save Florida citrus from HLB, the tiniest molecular factors may have the biggest impact. At least that’s one of the guiding principles that Dr. Manjul Dutt, assistant professor at the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred, is using in his ongoing research to create citrus trees that are

With a 2025 population estimate of 852,878 (U.S. Census), the county is quickly becoming a magnet for both talent and opportunity. This growth brings a major advantage in a larger, more diverse workforce for expanding companies. That’s one reason why Polk, again, ranks ninth in the nation for talent attraction, according to a Lightcast Talent

When it comes to caring for your horse, you probably think first about their hooves, skin, and diet. But there’s another vital area that’s easy to overlook — their teeth. Just like humans, horses rely on healthy teeth for comfort, proper digestion, and overall well-being. Horses’ teeth grow continuously throughout their lives — as much