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In an era of increasing urbanization, farmers and ranchers are finding people still love the outdoors and the nostalgia of country living. As they look for creative ways to increase revenue, they are turning to agritourism, by hosting wedding receptions in their barns, letting the public pick fresh produce, and inviting groups to their farms […]

Members talk shop on being a part of the ‘voice of agriculture’ Some people join an organization to receive the great benefits; others might sign-on because they hope to advance a worthy cause.  If for the former, they might weigh the cost of membership with how much money their active status will save them in

Champion breeds from 14th Annual Performance Horse Sale Horses are all-around good, but a great horse is akin to magic.  That magic could be found in spades at the recent 14th Annual UF Performance Horse Sale. The sale was a culmination of the educational efforts of the UF Equine Sciences Program. “The school has been

With more arsenal against greening comes new plantings As Florida’s citrus growers battle greening, fourth generation citrus grower Kyle Story— along with his dad, Victor Story, Jr., and brother, Matt— has planted a new orange grove in southeastern Hardee County. Much like investors buying in a down market, the family decided to put their money

Audubon Florida recently named 4th-generation cattle business Adams Ranch the recipient of its 2014 Sustainable Rancher Award. The award is given annually to a ranch operation that demonstrates unparalleled concern and advocacy for the environment. Adams Ranch works hard to preserve the natural vegetation and wildlife on its 50,000 acres, which span through St. Lucie,

Q&A with Andrea Dunlap on the 7th annual Youth Field Day Of all the attractions and events that fire the imagination, there are few and far between that seek to inspire a love for agriculture and cattle ranching in the leaders of tomorrow.  This year’s Youth Field Day and Expo, which was held on June

Blueberry profits down after some of the crop misses the marketing window Florida’s blueberry production dropped this year after an unseasonably warm December followed by a cool and cloudy spring that delayed the crop. Although growers lost profits during the state’s lucrative spring marketing window, some benefited from u-pick, organics, and marketers who stuck with

Promising lab studies show how to stop psyllids in their tracks Citrus greening, also known as Huanglongbing (HLB), has been rapidly infecting citrus groves all around the world. Since the first detection of the disease in south Florida more than eight years ago, citrus greening is now a well-known threat, due to its particularly devastating

Ridge Riders 4-H Group puts on horse shows to help feed local kids On May 17, Ridge Point Stables, located on Firetower Road near Lake Hatchineha, hosted the second Ridge Riders 4-H Charity Horse Show.  The proceeds of the horse show went to kidsPACK of Polk County. Last year, the leaders of the Ridge Riders

Why four million acres of Florida farm and ranch lands are already enrolled Agriculture has been in the spotlight for many years for environmental problems. It seems we always have to defend our way of life to prevent government intrusion and/or taxation. Most of this is greatly due to people that do not understand agriculture