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The U.S. Department of Agriculture granted Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried’s request for a Secretarial disaster declaration for several key counties impacted by Hurricane Sally. The Secretarial disaster declaration names Calhoun, Gadsden, Holmes, Jackson, and Washington Counties as primary disaster areas related to Hurricane Sally, as well as Bay, Gulf,…
Read More Florida Agriculture Commissioner Granted Hurricane Sally Secretarial Disaster Declaration
By: Brad Buck, bradbuck@ufl.edu, A new University of Florida app will help the state’s blueberry growers identify and manage disease and insect injuries commonly encountered in Florida before their crop is ruined. Collectively, blueberries are a $60 million-per-year crop in Florida. Patricio Munoz, the UF/IFAS…
Read More UF/IFAS-Developed Blueberry App to Help Growers Battle Diseases and Pests
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried sent a second letter to the Governor reiterating her September 11 request that part of Florida’s federal CARES Act funding provided for emergency relief to Florida schools and school districts be dedicated to supporting the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) sponsors. Last year, more than 289 million school meals…
Read More Florida Agriculture Commissioner to Governor “Keep Children Fed During COVID-19”
By: Samantha Murray No one could have predicted the kind of year 2020 has been. But in late 2019, when UF/IFAS experts were asked to predict the top food and garden trends for the coming year, they made some startlingly accurate predictions. Today, these trends…
Read More What’s in Store for 2021? UF/IFAS Experts Predict Food and Garden Trends
More than 27,000 rural acres near Yeehaw Junction in Florida’s southern Osceola County has been gifted to the University of Florida to protect one of the last natural areas of its kind and to serve as a living classroom and laboratory for students and faculty…
Read More 27,000 Acres Gifted to the University of Florida for Conservation, Outdoor Classroom Labs
LAKELAND, Fla. – Lou Shepherd, Sr. Forester- Even a pandemic cannot curtail the giving spirit and strengthening of Polk county communities. At least when you are sheltering in place, you can go outside and enjoy the trees. This fall, both the City of Ft. Meade…
Read More Florida Forest Service-Lakeland, Take Nothing For Granted
Veterans Florida, a non-profit created by the State of Florida to help military veterans transition to civilian life and to promote Florida’s status as the nation’s most veteran-friendly state, has received a three-year, $745,000 grant from the US Department of Agriculture to fund the Veterans…
Read More Veterans Florida Wins $745,000 USDA Grant For Agriculture Fellowships
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has launched the “AskUSDA” Contact Center program which is designed to serve as the “one front door” for phone, chat, and web inquiries, transforming how the public interacts with the USDA. The USDA says, “The AskUSDA site makes it…
Read More USDA Launches “AskUSDA” to Improve and Simplify Customer Service
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is offering six easy ways to prepare for your holiday meals and parties without running up your water bill. During the holidays, water plays a role in everything from food preparation to the cleanup process. Here’s how to…
Read More Florida SFWMD, Six Easy Ways to Save Water and Money During the Holidays
Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced Scholars Programs for students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and tribal land-grant colleges and universities. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is encouraging students attending eligible Florida institutions to apply. “With the Florida agriculture industry’s increasing need for professionals skilled in cutting-edge innovation…
Read More Florida Agriculture Commissioner Encourages Students to Apply for USDA Scholarships at Historically Black and Tribal Colleges and Universities