Featured

Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Names 2021 Inductees By GRACE BOGGESS HIRDES The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame was created to honor distinguished leaders who have made significant contributions to the Florida citrus industry, and the Selection Committee has announced its four distinguished leaders for 2021 who will be inducted during the upcoming 58th Citrus […]

Hemp Acreage Expected to Soar as Florida Gains Experience With Crop by HEATHER MACHOVINA The hemp industry in Florida launched during 2020, with Florida farmers receiving their first hemp cultivation permits from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in April. According to the Hemp Advisory Committee, the state issued 611 cultivation licenses and licensed

USDA Revises Citrus Forecast, but Growers Taking It In Stride by TERESA SCHIFFER In December, the USDA revised its citrus season forecast for Florida, and the news wasn’t good. The projected production dropped about 2 percent from October’s initial forecast, which translates to one million fewer boxes of Hamlin and Navel oranges from the Sunshine

Experienced Plant Enthusiasts Share Their Tips and Favorite Plants by LEXI BROWN According to a recent survey, an estimated 33.1 million U.S. households participated in indoor gardening in 2019. As we have all spent the last year in-and-around our homes, the interest in the hobby has drastically increased. There has never been a better time

After many meetings with District Schools, the Youth Fair Board and the County Health Department the Fair can go on with  changes.   The main concern from the Health Department is the large crowds and people following safety precautions. To this end we have partnered with PGTV and they will be live-streaming all of our

Bell Peppers, Cucumbers and Eggplants Thrive During Florida Winters by ERIKA ALDRICH Sponsored by Farm Credit of Central Florida The arrival of winter in The Sunshine State means a shift in crops. Florida’s tropical climate is well-suited for year-round growing, and the winter months in Florida are perfect for crops that like it warm but

There’s More to This Plant Than Movies Will Tell You by TIM CRAIG Every December there are certain things you can count on: holiday music in every store, extra cookies and snacks appearing out of nowhere, and nonstop Hallmark movies like “The Mistletoe Promise,” where people find romance in unlikely places and unbelievable ways.  

U.S. Sugar Is Home to the Largest, Contiguous, Privately Owned Wi-Fi Network in America by HEATHER MACHOVINA U.S. Sugar was built on innovation. In the beginning, the key to its continued growth was the Clewiston Sugar House, which could process 1,500 tons of sugarcane per day. Since the 1940s, it has been adapted, changed, and

Dade City’s Ergle Christmas Tree Farm helps the holiday spirit bloom by PAUL CATALA For at least a decade, Tony and Tracy Sanderson have driven  roughly eight miles south for their Christmas centerpiece.  The Trilby couple — and in the past with their now-grown son, Blain—have made Dade City’s Ergle Christmas Tree Farm their go-to

Traders Hill Farm Takes Sustainable Farming to Another Level by TERESA SCHIFFER Farming is changing rapidly in the 21st century. We are seeing major improvements in the way farmers care for the land they cultivate, innovations in the technology used to plant, care for, and harvest crops, and greater emphasis on overall sustainability and environmental