agriculture - Central Florida Ag News

Dinner of Distinction award recipient, Rep. Jake Raburn

Supporting UF/IFAS innovation and research through legislative leadership HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY Representative Jake Raburn has now earned what I call the “grand slam” of legislator-of-the-year awards from the agriculture community. Last year, the Florida Farm Bureau and Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association named him their top lawmaker. The Florida Forestry Association did so this year.

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An important update on the fight against HLB

TWO MONTHS AGO, the topic for this column was the optimism that pervades the Florida citrus industry about an eventual victory over the citrus greening (HLB) disease.

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Encouraging the new generation of farmers through story-telling

Fellow farmers talk sustainable agriculture and share tried-and-true recipes in Forrest Pritchard’s new book SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE is a popular topic, and one of its chief proponents, seventh-generation farmer and bestselling author Forrest Pritchard, has written yet another book about the topic. “Growing Tomorrow is a classic American road trip,” Pritchard explains, “told in stories, photos,

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Tips to gobble up if you want to start a turkey farm

THE AGE-OLD SAYING of “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” is a true one — especially for farmers. More and more, we’re talking with growers who are looking to diversify their family ag operations. With Thanksgiving approaching, the sheer number of turkeys available at your local grocery store may cause you to consider

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Q&A with the PCCA Sweetheart on upholding the cattle tradition

BAILEY BUCHANON, the current Polk County Cattlemen’s Association Sweetheart, is proud to call herself a cowgirl, and is a true example of a homegrown girl who loves her roots. Central Florida Ag News asked her some questions about the industry and her goals as this year’s Sweetheart in upholding some of the cattle traditions.

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A legal thriller with a vein of agriculture that reads like a hometown map

History, good vs. evil, and twists of fate combine in this fictional novel DO YOU LOVE historical fiction with a vein of agriculture growing throughout? How about a legal thriller that flashes between the drama of a present-day courthouse and the hallowed grounds of World War II Europe? If you’ve answered a resounding “yes” to

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Commissioner’s AgriCorner: The time for bold water policy is now

WATER IS THE BIGGEST long-term challenge facing Florida. And that is exactly why I have implored all Floridians, including the general public, legislators and the media, to take seriously the more than one-billion-gallon-per-day shortfall Florida will face by 2030 if we do nothing.

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Ag Time with Abby: FFA wants to amplify on ag causes and careers

{Amp•li•fy — increase of volume} THE THEME of the 2014-15 National FFA year was to amplify our voice, not just in our FFA career but in our lives, families, and communities. In the opening session of the 88th National FFA Convention, Andy Paul, 2014-15 National FFA president, stated that “in order to chase our dreams,

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2015-16 Citrus Forecast: Experts take a look down the path of this year’s harvest season

JUST AS CITRUS GROWERS have done for many years, area industry folks gathered together to listen to the estimates for the upcoming harvest via the USDA Citrus Crop Forecast.

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Agritechnology Academy teaches youth of the suburbs

Polk County Farm Bureau’s Ag Program of the Year award goes to Auburndale High School AGRICULTURE IS IN NEED of young people interested in stepping in and picking up the tools of the industry — both on the farms and in the research labs — and working hard. It’s something Kimberly Shaske knows well. She

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