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| ’Tis the season to serve and think about your future in the ag industry | FFA IS AN ORGANIZATION that revolves around service. One act of service that many FFA chapters in Polk County participated in recently was the Great American Teach-In.

IT’S ALMOST CHRISTMAS, BUT THAT’S NOT NEWS. The problem is what to get for the person who has everything and you have nothing for. Food is always a good answer, and luckily, we’re in Florida where fresh produce is a year-round treat. You need just enough freshness to say Merry Christmas … just enough to

As I reflect on things I am thankful for this month, I would like to thank the recent donors to Project Fill ’Em Up: Jarrett Gordon Ford, Center State Bank at Southern Dunes, and Dundee Elementary Academy. Thanks to their generosity, there will be three less hungry Hornets at Haines City High School.

It has been a great privilege to represent Florida as Commissioner of Agriculture for the last four years, and I’m proud of what we have been able to accomplish together, not only for our $100 billion agriculture industry, but also for all of our state’s 19 million residents. We have worked hard to grow and

If food looks wonderful, chances are that it tastes as good as it looks. Our traditional five senses (sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste) tell us what to expect from something by looks first, then by smell. Taste comes next. We don’t hear much from food unless it’s Rice Krispies. The list of five senses

For 30 years, Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services have recognized outstanding women who played a critical role in the history and success of agriculture in Florida. This year’s recipient has not only made significant contributions to agriculture, she has worked faithfully to grow Florida’s next generation of

I’m late. I’m late for a very important… These hectic days it seems like we are all modeled after the White Rabbit from the novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. But being in a hurry is no excuse to start your day with a cup of black coffee and a doughnut at work.

“Living to Serve” is the last phrase in the FFA motto, and Florida FFA members have truly taken it to heart this past year. One chapter in particular, Auburndale High School (AHS) FFA, has gone above and beyond to help their fellow classmates and neighbors.

We think we know what the face of hunger looks like when we see starving children featured on television from countries around the globe. But we need to expand our thinking of what hunger is— what the face of hunger looks like— because it is in our backyards, our elementary schools, and our communities right

There’s nothing more frustrating than picking out strawberries at the grocery store, just to find that some of the berries from the batch have already gone bad. As shoppers, we want the best, freshest berries for our buck. A team of researchers, led by the University of Florida, is creating a new tracking system to