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After 62 years in the auction business, it’s hard to think of something that we haven’t sold. Last week, for the first time in our career, we sold a Florida olive grove. The last time I saw an olive tree was when I was standing in the Mount of Olives where Jesus used to go […]

When natural disasters impact Florida growers, it’s good to know that we have advocates working to help us get federal aid. Crop Disaster Recovery, Inc. is one such organization, and their founder and CFO, Kimberly Lott, has some valuable information to share regarding disaster relief.   “H.R. bill 5305 was signed into law last September

There is a saying that’s been on my mind lately: “Trust … but verify.”   It’s not a unique saying. I’m sure most who are involved in business have either heard it, said it, or both. But the more I’ve thought about it, the more I see two parts to this saying, and both parts

Controlling gastrointestinal parasites & deworming    Parasites can be a significant problem in horses and with increased resistance to current deworming medication, it is critical to create an effective strategy and plan. There are numerous species of worms that can infect horses, with three types being the most common. While some changes are visible, they

Postbloom fruit drop (PFD) has not been a huge issue in Florida citrus groves since 2016, but a recent UF/IFAS Tip of the Week maintained that conditions were favorable in late 2021 and that PFD buttons, or persistent calyces, were observed in groves in 2022 before the weather turned cold. Essentially, this means that the

As members of the agricultural community, we know better than most the importance of taking care of our land. We make our living from it, and use it to provide our community with high-quality food. So we have to become good stewards of the land, not only because of how we use it today, but

Lesson to the Wise: Attend the Field Days. You never know what might happen.  Growers, processors, packers and nurserymen met at the Whitmore Foundation Farm on December 3rd in doing a farm tour of the variety display, rootstock trials, scion trials, new scion plantings, replicated trials of advanced material, and NVDMC’s variety demonstration block introducing

The 75th Polk County Youth Fair has come and gone, but it certainly is not forgotten! We started with the national anthem and the Lord’s Prayer, and we were blessed with a safe and successful event!   We don’t have the final auction totals yet but the sale prices will exceed one million dollars. The

I’ve been thinking about the best piece of business advice I ever received. It was from a family friend and successful business owner. One day, over a meal, he said, “Go where the customers take you.”   Sometimes the deepest advice comes in the shortest of sentences.   That advice has been valuable throughout my

While Florida is known as The Sunshine State, freezing temperatures are not unheard of. The threat of a citrus freeze is ever-present during the winter months, and low temperatures can easily lead to freeze damage in citrus trees. Citrus trees can experience heavy damage to wood, leaves, and fruit when exposed to freezing temperatures, either