How one recipient of the Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award is conserving our state’s resources THOSE IN AGRICULTURE have long been stewards of the lands that they utilize to raise a crop or turn out livestock to pasture, but some go above and beyond the norm. In Florida, ag producers who utilize “environmentally innovative farming practices” are […]
Preserving the present to protect the future Read More »
How biotechnology, drones, and plant breeding are advancing agriculture TECHNOLOGY has the ability to change the world, and it will likely be needed to protect it too. It’s a sentiment that those in Florida agriculture know all too well. With challenges like citrus greening, laurel wilt in avocados, and high consumer expectations for fruits and
Research that goes beyond the lab for citrus, avocados, and bell peppers Read More »
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.
An important update on the fight against HLB Read More »
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.
2015-16 Citrus Forecast: Experts take a look down the path of this year’s harvest season Read More »
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
Agritechnology Academy teaches youth of the suburbs Read More »
Polk County Farm Bureau names the Ag Teacher of the Year: Kyle Carlton THERE ARE SOME CAREERS out there that have a large impact on many people. Agriculture is definitely one of those vocations, as farmers and ranchers feed and clothe the world’s population. Teaching is also another occupation that affects the lives of many,
The ripple effects of an ag instructor Read More »
IT’S TOO darn hot ! That’s a given in Central Florida. But we still have to eat. And there are a few folks who brave the heat to bring us fresh fruits and vegetables at local farmers’ markets. They have my sympathy, and as often as I can get to one of them, my money.
Recipe Spotlight: What’s cooking this fall from your local farmers’ market Read More »
Frontier farmers take a step back to black with this alternative crop TOO MUCH HANDLING will ruin them, they are time-consuming to harvest, and sometimes they have thorns — but consumers love blackberries, and they are a viable fruit to be grown as an alternative to citrus in Florida.
Venturing into the pampered world of blackberries Read More »
UF/IFAS rebuilding research ranks with new funding POLK, HILLSBOROUGH and surrounding Florida farmers and natural resource managers are about to reap a huge brain gain. In its recently passed budget, the state Legislature provided enough money to the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences to hire more than 45 new faculty members.
Taking a teamwork approach to science Read More »
IF THERE’S ONE THING local citrus growers are paying close attention to of late, it’s the concept of alternative crops. As citrus greening continues to threaten citrus crops and cause hardships for growers, researchers, business leaders, and farmers have devoted sharp attention to what other products they can grow besides citrus.
Not just a border tree — possibilities with eucalyptus crops Read More »
