Aerobotics Brings Technological Edge to Agriculture by TERESA SCHIFFER There is a new technology being deployed by farmers across the country to aid in monitoring and managing the farmland. Welcome to the 21st century, where flying drones scope out the landscape, equipped with special sensors for collecting pertinent data, relaying information and delivering targeted payloads […]
Michelle Stagner Offers Glimpse Into How White Horse Ranch CARES by PAUL CATALA Since the first horses and cows took up temporary residence on the ranch’s 80-plus acres situated not far from Lakeland’s moderate urbanization of subdivisions, schools and stores, Michelle Stagner has worked hard to be sensitive – environmentally, that is. Walking through the
UF/IFAS Researching New Breeds of Pumpkins and Calabazas as Next Niche Crop by LOURDES RODRIGUEZ Peanuts cartoonist Charles M. Shultz yielded popularity to an almighty pumpkin in the 1966 animated TV Special “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown.” Today, pumpkin popularity for holiday decor, healthy snacking, and scrumptious recipes during fall and winter months
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New 4R Certification Program Launches With Help of Major Ag Players Water quality is a topic near and dear to the hearts of those in Florida agriculture, and the announcement of a new Florida 4R Certification Program focusing on improving water quality is proof of that dedication. Announced at the first 4R Field Day on
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Data Monitoring Technology Gives Farmers a New Advantage by TERESA SCHIFFER Modern technology is changing the way we do almost everything, that’s an inescapable fact. Even the ancient practices of agriculture are being updated for this modern era. Farmers now have a plethora of new tools at their disposal to help them maximize their yields
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Artists Paint Fiberglass Cattle in Campaign for Great Florida Cattle Drive by MATT COBBLE On Saturday, October 26, arts and agriculture enthusiasts in Central Florida were treated to a unique art show. The paintings were not on canvas, or hung on walls. Instead, these paintings were displayed on seven life-sized, hand-sculpted Fiberglass bulls, each hand-painted
Tarpon Springs Artist Captures Floridian Culture and History by MARY TOOTHMAN Christopher Still’s art serves many purposes. It is a teacher. It is a visual history. It has imagination; sometimes there are 3-D depictions. There are puzzles and mysteries. Most of all, though, the works of art have heart. When a person can combine their
Ag Angels Program Thriving in 13th Year Serving Children in Hardee and Highlands Counties by TERESA SCHIFFER Christmas is a special time of year for most of us. It’s a time filled with light, laughter, and generosity. When Scott Kirouac learned that for some children, Christmas was just another day, his heart broke. It was
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UF/IFAS Experts Help Farmers Cope with Mental Stress by BRAD BUCK, UF/IFAS Correspondent When some people think of a farmer, they conjure an image of a stoic, tough-as-nails figure – one who can cope with any hardship. But that’s not always the case, particularly when cold, heat, drought, disease or a natural disaster strikes their
From Family Farm to County Extension Director, Citrus Is in Laurie Hurner’s Blood by BRAD BUCK, UF/IFAS correspondent Laurie Hurner grew up in a fifth-generation Florida citrus-growing family, and she and her sisters worked their farm in Highlands County. “My parents had three daughters,” says Hurner, the director of UF/IFAS Extension Highlands County and the
