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Secretary Rollins Tours Citrus Grove, Announces $675 Million in Disaster Relief for Florida Agricultural Producers FELDA, Fla. – Florida citrus growers welcomed U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins to Southwest Florida on Monday, July 21, where she toured CPI Groves and announced $675 million in disaster relief block grant funding to support Florida’s agriculture industry, […]

by MEREDITH BAUER, UF/IFAS Florida 4-H is proud to announce the posthumous induction of Alden Hilliker into the Florida 4-H Hall of Fame. Hilliker was a Florida 4-H state specialist who worked at the state headquarters on the University of Florida campus. For many years, Hilliker led the annual Florida 4-H Congress, now called 4-H

by MEGAN WINSLOW, UF/IFAS A new Florida law that prohibits local governments from banning synthetic turf installation on some single-family residential properties could make it easier for homeowners to replace grass lawns with green plastic.   As part of his research as an associate professor of turfgrass science for the University of Florida’s Institute of Food

by BRAD BUCK, UF/IFAS With passion fruit, you get more than just a tasty drink or snack. It’s packed with nutrients like vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants, making it a popular choice for healthier eating.  It’s also important to farmers in tropical and subtropical regions – including central, Southeast and Southwest Florida – where it

by MEGAN WINSLOW, UF/IFAS Though the current public health risk of H5N1 bird flu is low, the University of Florida (UF) is taking a proactive approach to education about the illness, which is responsible for one human death in the United States, as well as outbreaks among dairy cows and poultry. UF’s H5N1 Coordination Group combines

by MEREDITH BAUER, UF/IFAS Florida 4-H is proud to announce the induction of Roy Carter, a retired Gulf County University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension director, into the Florida 4-H Hall of Fame. Carter has been an advocate for youth in agriculture for more than four decades. Carter made history

BARTOW, Fla. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its final citrus crop forecast for the 2024-2025 harvest season July 11, projecting 12.15 million boxes of oranges. Additionally, the USDA forecasted 1.3 million boxes of grapefruit and 400,000 boxes of tangerines and tangelos. This month’s forecast reflects an increase in production of oranges and a steady production

by MEGAN WINSLOW Bob Hochmuth grew up on a 1,000-acre vegetable farm on Maryland’s eastern shore. As a child, he watched his father and two uncles manage the farm, and the three men were always busy. They didn’t allow anyone to disrupt their work. Except one man. “I noticed that whenever this individual came to

This course will be available this fall to non-degree-seeking students. Advanced Citriculture will take a deep dive of the biology of citrus, but always with production in mind. Thus, anyone interested in citrus production will be equipped with an understanding of what is happening beneath the production responses. The course is intense, intended to give

by BRAD BUCK, UF/IFAS Targeted weed-spraying can save tomato farmers 71% of the herbicide they use, new University of Florida research shows. It also cuts input costs related to weed management for growers by 75%. The results mean that targeted spray technology lowers the amount of herbicides in the environment, said Nathan Boyd, lead scientist