UF Scientist Wins National Award for Program Connecting Military Personnel to Ag Careers by BRAD BUCK, UF/IFAS A veteran himself, University of Florida plant pathologist Gary Vallad wanted to give back to his comrades-in-arms. So, he and Simon Bollin started the Veterans Florida Agriculture Program (VFAP), which helps train veterans for jobs in that field. […]
Transitioning From National Security to Food Security Read More »
provided by FLORIDA CITRUS MUTUAL Bartow, Fla. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued a May 2024 revised citrus crop forecast for the 2023-2024 harvest season on Friday, May 10. Florida citrus growers are expected to harvest 17.8 million boxes of oranges this season, down 5 percent from the April forecast. Additionally, the USDA forecasted 1.8 million boxes of
Citrus Forecast Down 5% in USDA’s May Forecast Read More »
by BRAD BUCK Ever since Florida farmers have been growing tomatoes, they’ve picked them by hand or hired laborers. It’s painstaking work that might be made easier soon with machine-harvestable tomatoes developed by University of Florida scientists. Now that the varieties are available, growers in Florida’s $400 million-a-year industry hope they can use mechanized harvesting,
Growers Hope Machine-Harvestable Tomatoes Can Help Lower Labor Costs Read More »
provided by the FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AND AGRICULTURAL SERVICES TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — In addition to previously issued safety protocols and polices, and in response to USDA confirmed cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in domestic livestock in eight states, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson today issued Emergency Rule 5CER24-4. The Emergency Rule imposes specific restrictions
Bartow, Fla. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture issued its April 2024 citrus crop revised forecast for the 2023-2024 harvest season today. Florida citrus growers are expected to harvest 18.8 million boxes of oranges this season. Additionally, the USDA forecasted 2 million boxes of grapefruit and 500,000 boxes of tangerines and tangelos. Though the forecast for oranges
April Citrus Forecast Slips to 18.8 Mil. Boxes of Oranges Read More »
provided by FLORIDA CITRUS MUTUAL Bartow, Fla. – The Florida Legislature’s Fiscal Year 2024-25 budget includes $47 million to champion the Sunshine State’s citrus industry for the following: Additionally, the Florida Legislature’s Fiscal Year 2024-25 budget includes a $100 million annual appropriation for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, which aims to protect working agricultural operations
Florida Legislature’s 2024-25 Budget Includes $47 Million for Embattled Citrus Industry Read More »
by BRAD BUCK, UF/IFAS Florida is home to over 315 species of native wild bees, which thrive on flowers for survival. But some bees are in critical decline. While the public is increasingly interested in conserving pollinators and in pollinator-friendly gardening, a 2020 University of Florida survey showed a knowledge gap in consumers’ ability to
App Helps Consumers Find Pollinator-Friendly Plants for Their Landscape Read More »
by BRAD BUCK, UF/IFAS We’re at the height of the Florida strawberry harvesting season – a time when the state’s growers are doing all they can to make sure consumers can choose from among the best of their favorite fruit at the market. Kenneth Parker, executive director of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association, thanked Vance
UF/IFAS Strawberry Breeders Play Key Role in Thriving Industry Read More »
If you’re perusing the produce section, you generally seek fresh, pleasant-looking fruit – the kind most consumers want to buy. Usually, that means you see few, if any, blemishes. Fruit bruising has many causes: compression, impact or vibration during harvesting, transportation and packaging operations, says Xue Zhou, a doctoral student at the UF/IFAS College of
Looking for the Perfect Strawberry? AI Has You Covered Read More »
