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Southern Hill Farms Grows in Popularity as Public Turns Focus to Rural Fun by TERESA SCHIFFER Agritoursim has become a big deal to Florida farmers in recent years. Now, more than ever, people are expressing an interest in where their food comes from, how it is grown and prepared, and wanting to pass that knowledge […]

Island Grove Wine Company Rounds Out Offerings of Blueberry Nursery by MATT COBBLE photos provided by ISLAND GROVE WINE COMPANY   If someone tells you they are planning a trip to “wine country,” your mind likely conjures up images of the French countryside or Napa Valley. But there is an option a little closer to

Sponsored by Farm Credit of Central Florida by ERIKA ALDRICH Citrus is one of the oldest agriculture industries in The Sunshine State, with citrus being introduced to the state in the 1500s by Spanish explorers. To this day, citrus and the state of Florida are synonymous as oranges and other citrus are the first produce to

Season Ends on Satisfactory Note for Florida Growers By TERESA SCHIFFER Summer is here and the citrus season is just wrapping up in Florida. All things considered, most growers and experts are satisfied with this season’s yield. Florida’s famous oranges are harvested from October through June, grapefruit gets shipped between September and June, and tangerines,

Farmers Shine in Florida CattleWomen’s ‘Ultimate Ranch Dad’ Contest Last month in honor of Father’s Day, the Florida CattleWomen collected nominations for their “Ultimate Ranch Dad” contest. In celebration of area farmers, Central Florida Ag News is sharing the winners and other outstanding submissions. Submissions were divided by age group: Division One: Ages 4-7 Division

Steven Callaham Wins 2020 Citrus Achievement Award By PAUL CATALA As a Polk County native who was born and raised in Lake Wales during a time when the city had a substantially larger presence in the citrus industry, Steven Callaham was literally surrounded by the citrus industry. Most of his friends and friends’ families were

Leila Sabet Crowned Miss Florida Citrus After Virtual Pageant By MARY TOOTHMAN When Leila Sabet of Ponte Vedra Beach was crowned Miss Florida Citrus on June 13, you could have heard a pin drop. There was no large audience on hand to applaud or hoot and holler. The spectators for this pageant, you see, were

Hemp4Water Making Progress in Mission to Clean Lake Okeechobee.

Florida’s Climate Is Perfect for Growing Watermelon  Sponsored by Farm Credit of Central Florida by ERIKA ALDRICH Watermelon is a perennial summer favorite, and a big majority of the nation’s watermelon is grown in The Sunshine State. With Florida’s tropical weather and daily sunshine, watermelon is harvested throughout the year, though the highest production windows in

Decades of Hard Work by Agricultural Pioneers Made Industry What It Is Today  by HEATHER MACHOVINA Blueberries made it from farm to table in the U.S. in 1916, when the first commercial crop of highbush blueberries was harvested and sold out of Whitesbog, NJ. While the blueberry boom continued to happen in the northern, cold