Agridiversity is an increasingly important part of agriculture as the statistics show that the industry will need people from all backgrounds to consider agriculture as a career if we are going to feed the world’s growing population. In the pages of this month’s Central Florida Ag News, you’ll read stories of the diversity of […]
Crop Diversification in Central Florida— Where to Begin by DON HARDEN Read More »
The U.S. cow herd continues to grow at a very fast rate. An AgWeb.com piece examining the growth maintains the cow herd expansion from 2014 through 2016 was the biggest since the 1970s. The USDA–National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Cattle Inventory report was released January 1. The report showed increased growth in cow herd, and
U.S. Cow Herd Large and Young Read More »
THE 2012 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE counted 2.1 million farms in the U.S., with 97 percent being considered family-owned operations. While that designation could be any number of configurations of family members, siblings, and extended kin, the one that packs the most important punch is the multigenerational family farming business. We count the number of farming
A smoother transition for passing on the family farming tradition Read More »
AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS like FFA and 4-H are celebrated for their ability to get America’s youth interested in ag, but did you know there are similar programs at the college level? These postsecondary ag programs take the principles of programs like 4-H and FFA to the next level. The word from all agriculture sectors is that
College-level ag programs offer training and open doors Read More »
“EVERYONE KNOWS that land without water isn’t worth much.” That was the sentiment of Tony Toso, a California Farm Bureau Federation director, rancher, and professional agricultural land appraiser, in a 2014 article about ground water rights. No matter the locale of the farm or the crop being grown, access to water is of the utmost
Water access a key component to farmland value Read More »
EVERYONE KNOWS what soil is, but in agriculture, we pay close attention to our soils to best protect them, so the land can, in turn, help grow larger yields. Though it may not seem so to us, soil is a very thin layer on the Earth’s surface, and it’s easily lost.
Digging up details on what it takes for proper soil and land management Read More »
NOW THAT THE NEW YEAR has arrived, it’s time to make some plant and garden resolutions that will add life to your outdoor space. Here are the gardening tips for January to get your lawn and garden started off the right way.
Set up your lawn and garden for a great year Read More »
EVERY YEAR, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) presents the Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award to three agriculture operations that “demonstrate a sustained commitment to conserving Florida’s natural resources and improving our environment.” The praises of this year’s winners were sung by Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam in a recent Growing Produce article. Putnam
Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award winners a credit to ag Read More »
IT’S TIME FOR the most important fertilization of the year. For a green lawn this winter and quick takeoff next spring, feed it now. A combination of weed and feed may be advisable, especially if your lawn is weedy. Winterizer fertilizer would follow two to four weeks later.
November signals the beginning of Florida’s winter Read More »
IT’S ARGUABLE THAT some of the best art is created by Mother Nature, and a recent partnership between The Wildlife Society and the Feed a Bee program, operated by life-science group Bayer: Science for A Better Life, is creating masterpieces through a series of native wildflower planting events to benefit bees and other pollinators. Florida
Florida bees to benefit from partnership Read More »
