Publisher’s Letter

There’s always a bit of buzz that comes with the October edition of Central Florida Ag News. The air is full of possibility as citrus growers await the USDA’s official season forecast and the announcement of the Polk County Farm Bureau Ag Program of the Year and Teacher of the Year is made. We always […]

Whew! It seems like just yesterday that Floridians were picking up the pieces after Hurricanes Ian and Nicole, and now, just as the 2023 Hurricane Season starts to ramp up, our neighbors in the northern portion of the state fielded a blow from Hurricane Idalia. While towns in sparsely populated Taylor, Dixie, and Levy counties

This is one of my favorite editions of Central Florida Ag News, though you may notice that I say that about a lot of them. To be honest, I just can’t pick a favorite. Agritourism, sometimes referred to as agri-tainment, is the marriage of Florida’s top two industries — tourism and agriculture. The industry thrives

No matter how humble you are, sometimes it’s necessary to recognize milestones and thepeople who have helped in achieving them. This edition marks the 13th anniversary of Central Florida Ag News. It seems like just yesterday that our managing editor at the time, Celeste Walls, and I were working with Bill Braswell and Sheriff Grady

Let’s face it: Politics are always a mixed bag. There are always hot-button topics that prove difficult to navigate, but when the good outweighs the bad like it overwhelmingly did in this 2023 Florida Legislative session, I’d call that a win.  An estimated 1,700 bills were filed, only roughly 300 of which passed. Fortunately, the

I think it’s fair to say that most Florida growers and ranchers would be pleased with less red tape and fewer hoops to jump through for aid and assistance.  In fact, that’s part of what those in the industry are hoping a renewed Farm Bill would accomplish. Christian Spinosa talked about that with us for

The cattle industry has long been a key part of Florida’s economy. In fact, the state just recently celebrated its rich 500-year history with the 2022 Great Florida Cattle Drive. As the centuries have passed, the state has seen a lot of change, still cattle ranching remains an important part of the Florida heritage. Florida

It seems like just last week we were picking up the pieces after Hurricanes Ian and Nicole upended our lives. To be fair, even though the storms made landfall late last year, officials are just now learning the exact extent of the damage and loss the agriculture industry suffered in the storms. The good news

If you recently felt more excitement in the air but you weren’t quite sure why, I think I can explain.  The Central Florida ag community was abuzz this past month as students from all corners of the area came together for the Polk County Youth Fair. The much-anticipated event gives kids a chance to test

The new year is upon us, and I, for one, am looking forward with optimism.  Sure, one of the most intense hurricanes in Florida history cleaved a path across the state just three months ago. Many of our farmers and ranchers are still reeling from the damage and subsequent fallout of that disaster. Sure, the