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All Florida Executive Director Travis Thompson Teaching Fourth-Graders About Conservation  by REBEKAH PIERCE When Aldo Leopold wrote about land management and conservation in his book, “A Sand County Almanac,” published more than 75 years ago, he likely didn’t particularly have Central Florida fourth-graders in mind as his target audience. And while his book, which has […]

by TIM CRAIG Sponsored by Visit Central Florida The next time tourists get ready for a Central Florida vacation, they may want to pack a knife and fork alongside their trunks and sunscreen. According to Grand View Research, culinary tourism was an estimated $2.7 billion industry in 2024 and is expected to grow nearly 20

Strawberry Growers Grapple With Hurricanes, Extreme Cold but Still Come Out on Top by RYAN MILEJCZAK photo by JESS McDONALD Florida growers are only a few months into this year’s strawberry season, but they’re already saying it is one of the best in recent years. In the words of Kenneth Parker, Executive Director of the

by MARY FRANCES MEIER The Highlands County Master Gardener Volunteers will offer a spring plant sale on Saturday, February 22 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Bert J. Harris Jr. Agriculture Center in Sebring.  After several weeks of especially chilly weather, some folks may need some new plants to freshen up the garden.

Alturas Grower David Lawson Pushes Citrus Trees for Strawberries in Bid to Forge a Future  by REBEKAH PIERCEphotos by TYLER DiGIOVINE & JESS McDONALD When asked why he chose to become a farmer, David Lawson responded with a question in turn. “How many times in your life do you need a lawyer? A police officer?

38 Years Strong in a Field of Their Own by REBEKAH PIERCE Central Florida is known for its thriving cattle industry, as well as for crops like citrus, tomatoes, watermelon, and bell peppers. While agriculture has been the name of the game since the area was settled, all the way back in the mid-1800s, sheep

Harvest Collective Helping Area Farmers Connect With Consumers by MAGGIE THARP There’s a new business that’s making it easier than ever for residents to support farms, ranches, and other local businesses.  Founded by Lakeland native Mikaela Booth in late 2024, The Harvest Collective works with farmers and other local producers to get their products to

by RYAN MILEJCZAK Sponsored by Farm Credit of Central Florida There are few things better than a sweet and juicy strawberry. And when it comes to winter strawberries, nobody beats the sunshine state.  The strawberries we eat today, known more specifically as the “garden strawberry,” are a hybrid species known as Fragaria x ananassa.  While

by KENDALL FARRAR, Bok North FFA Reporterphotos by advisors JENNIFER WILLIAMS and HAYLEY NEAL December was a festive and fruitful month for our chapter at Bok Academy North FFA! True to the FFA mission statement — “Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve” — we’ve enjoyed incredible experiences filled with

by REBEKAH PIERCE Picture this: Cattle grazing lazily, their tails swishing back and forth languidly as their profiles stand starkly against the horizon. Wild turkeys dot the landscape, picking up seeds and bugs as they wind across the pasture and back into the forest. Wood storks, ducks, stands of palms, and freshwater marshes abound. It