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UF Study Uses UV Lamps to Control Strawberry Pest by UF/IFAS With about 11,000 acres — mostly in west-central Florida — strawberries are worth $399 million annually in Florida. That represents 10% of the national strawberry value and most of the domestically produced winter crop in the United States. Those economic figures make it critical […]

UF/IFAS Research Fuels the Future, Feeds the Less Fortunate by UF/IFAS UF/IFAS research and education centers (RECs) grow fruits and vegetables all across Florida to develop growing techniques and cultivars that benefit farmers. These centers are spread from Jay in the Panhandle to Homestead in Southeast Florida.  So, what happens to all that fresh food? 

Ag Angels’ Success Makes Way for Even More Opportunities For the last 15 years, Scott Kirouac and the Ag Angels program he founded have been making a difference in the lives of children who need it the most throughout Central Florida.  The Ag Angels program was established to help schools provide Christmas gifts for children

https://myfwc.com/news/all-news/desc-devices-comm-1222/ At its Nov. 30-Dec. 1 Commission meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) proposed a rule to require the possession of a descending device or venting tool that is rigged and ready for use on board a vessel when harvesting or attempting to harvest, including catch and release, reef fish in state

Citrus Greening Bacteria’s Complex Relationship With Tree Defense System Creates Challenges by UF/IFAS At the heart of the disease that threatens the Florida citrus industry is a complex exchange between the citrus tree and an insidious bacterium.  Huanglongbing, or HLB, also known as citrus greening, has wreaked havoc on Florida’s citrus groves for more than

Oxytetracycline Hydrochloride Injections Stir New Hope in the Industry by PAUL CATALA Although not yet widely tested, oxytetracycline hydrochloride injections are taking the spotlight as the latest hope to fight citrus greening. TJ BioTech’s oxytetracycline hydrochloride (OTC) ReMedium TI trunk injection most likely won’t be available for purchase until mid-December, but it has already created

Lakeland’s Emmersyn Smith Takes Second Place in Lunchroom Wars Student Chef Cookoff By KRISTEN GUEVARA Nine-year-old chef Emmersyn Smith of Lakeland got a taste of victory when she recently took second place in the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services 2022 Lunchroom Wars, the state’s official student chef cookoff.   “This was my first competition,

AdventHealth Celebration’s Freight Farm Prioritizes Nutrition and Sustainability by PAUL CATALA While most of us associate the name AdventHealth with medical care, AdventHealth Celebration is proving the scope of care goes beyond medical services.  In a marriage of agriculture and technology, the acute-care facility serving Walt Disney World and Greater Orlando has begun freight farming. 

Sugarcane a Sweet Infusion for Florida Economy by TERESA SCHIFFER Sponsored by Farm Credit of Central Florida Sugar may have its critics in the dietary world, but when it comes to dollars and cents, sugarcane contributes plenty to the health of the Florida economy. The sugarcane industry supports more than 19,000 jobs and pumps $4.7

Emergency Donation Event Organized to Help Florida Beekeepers Affected by Hurricane Ian story and photos by PAUL CATALA When Hurricane Ian came roaring through Southwest Florida in late September, its powerful winds and storm surge damaged more than homes and businesses. It disrupted or destroyed tens of thousands of bee colonies. That damage, in turn,