The Free Press – Your Source For Tampa Area Local Breaking News, National Stories, Politics, Sports, Florida Agriculture, Legal, Florida Agriculture, and Jobs.
August 9, 2020 By: Staff Report TALLAHASSEE, Fla.- Governor DeSantis awarded nearly $1 million ($990,565) in Community Planning Technical Assistance (CPTA) grants to 22 local governments and four Regional Planning Councils to assist Florida communities. Administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), the CPTA…
Read More $1 Million Awarded, 22 Local Governments for Community Planning Technical Assistance
August 7, 2020 By: Jim Frankowiak HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla.- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has introduced new features on the farmers.gov website that are to make it easier for farmers to hire H-2A workers. The changes are to help farmers navigate the complex H-2A…
Read More USDA Adds New Features To FARMERS.GOV, Helping To Hire H-2A Workers
August 8, 2020 By: Staff Report Tallahassee, Fla.- The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is encouraging Florida produce growers to be aware of upcoming crop insurance deadlines, including for a new USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) program. Cabbage crop insurance: Florida cabbage growers face an August 15 deadline…
Read More FDACS Encourages Growers to Take Crop Insurance Actions by Deadlines
August 5, 2020 By: Staff Report GAINESVILLE, Florida, – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is standing up a new team that will lead a department-wide effort focused on serving beginning farmers and ranchers. To institutionalize support for beginning farmers and ranchers and to build…
Read More USDA Stands Up New Team to Better Serve Beginning Farmers and Ranchers in Florida and the US Virgin Islands
August 3, 2020 By: Staff Report Tallahassee, Fla. — Today, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried announced the launch of Be SMART Florida, a new statewide COVID-19 consumer awareness campaign asking Floridians to take small actions with proven results to slow the pandemic’s spread. A nonpartisan, bilingual, multi-channel awareness campaign, Be SMART Florida is an…
Read More Commissioner Nikki Fried Launches “Be SMART Florida” Statewide COVID-19 Campaign
August 3, 2020 By: Jim Frankowiak BARTOW, Fla. – Florida blueberry farmer Bill Braswell, who is also a member of the Polk County Board of County Commissioners, wants farmers in the Sunshine State to let their congressional representative’s trade relief is needed now. “Florida’s growers…
Read More Polk County – Braswell Wants Florida Farmers to ‘Flood’ D.C. Today
August 1, 2020 By: Staff Report TAMPA, Fla. – The American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture is providing educators and parents with tools that can be adapted to traditional, virtual and home classrooms to help students learn how food is grown. The Foundation has also awarded $17,000…
Read More AFB Announces New Agriculture Resources for Parents and Teachers
July 28, 2020 By: Jim Frankowiak TAMPA, Fla.- The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced launching of a third round of the Farmers to Families Food Box Program purchases with distribution to take place September 1 through October 31, 2020. Purchases during this round…
Read More USDA To Launch Third Round of Farmers to Families Food Box Program
July 28, 2020 By: Staff Report FDACS PR Tallahassee, Fla. – The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is warning Floridians about unsolicited packages of seeds received through the mail. The seed packets, which may arrive unexpectedly in packages bearing Chinese characters, may bear the name China Post, and may be…
Read More ‘Should Report them Immediately’ FDACS warns of Chinese Seeds
Jul 24, 2020 Tallahassee, Fla. — Today, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, an independently-elected member of the Florida Cabinet, hosted a virtual roundtable with frontline healthcare workers on Florida’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Commissioner Fried was joined by Dr. Ron Saff, Board Member of Florida Physicians for Social Responsibility; Dr. Mona Mangat,…
Read More Commissioner Nikki Fried Hosts Healthcare Roundtable with Frontline Workers