Publisher’s Letter

Like the first taste of cooler temperatures after a relentlessly sizzling summer, there’s a new energy creeping into the Florida citrus industry. For more than a decade, Florida citrus has existed in survival mode, its identity shaped by HLB, hurricanes, development, and a sense of impending doom. But since Sen. Ben Albritton’s rallying push that […]

There’s been so much excitement about citrus industry funding getting the green light in the state budget and the CRAFT application period opening that there was another development that flew a bit under the radar. In late July, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins met with Florida ag leaders and announced that help was

The Florida ag community heaved a collective sigh of relief when Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the $117.4 billion State Budget and left $140 million in funding for the Florida citrus industry intact. The celebration of that victory was overwhelming, and rightfully so! But there were other measures in the Budget also worth noting that will

While most people already know I’m a UCF man through and through (go Knights!), our Annual Blueberry Roundup Edition tends to bring out some pride in the orange and blue. That’s because the University of Florida and the state’s blueberry industry are inextricably linked in more ways than most people know. The bottom line is

If you’ve been waiting for a definitive word about the State of Florida’s final 2025-2026 budget, you’re going to have to hold out a little longer. The State Legislature failed to pass a budget and will be reconvening in Tallahassee on May 12 to iron out the details. Of particular interest is the portion of

Each year, the Legislative Session sends us on a virtual rollercoaster ride as bills make a splash, face scrutiny, and ultimately pass or fade in the chambers. A bill currently picking up support as it moves through the Senate prioritizes research on emerging crops in Florida. SB 178 would direct Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

Since its inception in 2010, Central Florida Ag News has been a staunch supporter of youth in ag. Even though we specifically designate this month as our “Youth in Ag” edition, we work throughout the entire year to highlight accomplishments and ongoing opportunities.  For example, our FFA Corner has been a longtime staple of our

People like to refer to citrus as Florida’s gold, but in February, our hearts are drawn to something a bit more red. While Florida’s citrus growers may be feeling a bit dismayed at the current outlook, there’s another group of growers whose industry is positively booming — strawberries. That’s because right now, Florida is in

We spend a lot of time discussing citrus, berries, and other various seasonal Florida crops here in Central Florida Ag News, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the state’s impressive nursery and landscape industry. It is, after all, one of the largest in the country. In fact, about 80% of all tropical and

There’s been a lot of talk and handwringing this year over the Corporate Transparency Act, which requires small businesses to report ownership information to the federal government by Jan. 1. So when the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas issued a nationwide preliminary injunction blocking the legislation from being enforced, it constituted