I’VE SAID IT BEFORE, but it merits repeating: Florida agriculture is big. Make that HUGE. It’s huge in scope, in numbers, and importance — importance not only to those of us fortunate to live here but also to people across the nation and around the world.
Florida Agriculture Is Putting Up Big Numbers Read More »
Sifting for the silver lining amid the challenges of Florida’s blue gold FLORIDA BLUEBERRY GROWERS had a tough season, coming into the marketplace late, with about 30 percent of their usual crop. Some harvest workers moved north, which left many growers turning to offer u-pick to harvest their crop or leave berries on the bushes.
The 2016 blueberry season roundup Read More »
THE END OF APRIL marks the beginning of watermelon harvest season in Central Florida, and for growers like Andy McDonald, it’s especially sweet. That’s because McDonald double crops, planting the watermelon seedlings in his Plant City strawberry fields. McDonald takes advantage of any lull in strawberry picking in early February to place the plants into
Harvest time: Double cropping — a watermelon season preview Read More »
TEN MONTHS OUT OF EACH YEAR, during the citrus harvesting season, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agriculture Statistics Service provides an estimate of Florida citrus production. The estimates, which also include citrus grown in California and Texas as well as projected yields for frozen concentrated orange juice, begin in October (the first report for
How the USDA citrus forecast is calculated Read More »
Florida Department of Agriculture works to eradicate pest in Miami-Dade AN AGRICULTURAL STATE of emergency is in effect now in Florida because of Oriental fruit fly infestation, and Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam says an aggressive fight is under way to ward off the devastating pest.
State of emergency due to Oriental fruit fly Read More »
THE HARM that the citrus greening (Huanglongbing, or HLB) disease has done to the Florida citrus industry in the past decade is undeniable, but also undeniable is the full-court-press effort to do something about it. That effort breeds not just optimism but confidence that greening is going to be whipped.
Recent developments in the fight against greening Read More »
More than just a symbol of hope, growers keep up the fight against citrus greening THE ROUNDUP of news on the most recent harvesting season is in keeping with the citrus forecast’s unsteady tempo of up-and-down, down-and-up — but with the steady “can-do” attitude of growers. Things can get better, industry leaders say — but
Annual citrus report 2015 Read More »
BLUEBERRY GROWERS in eight more Florida counties are now eligible to purchase insurance through the federal government for the blueberry crop that will come to harvest in 2016. The announcement came July 8 in a memo from Brandon C. Willis, administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency (RMA).
Eight more Florida counties now eligible for blueberry crop insurance Read More »
Incentive programs and cutting-edge research keep growers planting EVEN THOUGH it is predicted that Florida’s orange crops will decrease by millions this year, industry leaders remain optimistic about the future.
Industry reactions on the latest citrus crop estimate Read More »
OFTENTIMES, FARMERS, RANCHERS and other ag folks are portrayed as being at odds with environmentalists and conservationists. Nothing could be further from the truth. As an agriculture and environmental lawyer, I can attest that there are few people who care as much about the land they live and work on and their animals as do
Stewards of the land and our environment Read More »
