Florida agriculture

Florida Forever would receive $100 million, another $100 million is earmarked for the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, and $800 million would fund projects connecting the Ocala and Osceola National Forests.

The university is working with counties across the state to research solutions and educate the public about sustainable practices.

We discuss the future of technology in Florida’s ag industry with a national leader in developing the science that supports food production and management of natural resources.

Vance Whitaker, with the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Wimauma, discusses the science behind breeding the berries and offers insight into the … umm … field.

One Florida grower reported saving about $30,000 over three years by using the FAWN weather stations. Another reported saving $1,000 per year since 2010, and a third said tens of thousands of dollars were saved between 2010 and 2018.

“We're trying to understand, to really look at the movement of the of these strains throughout the production system so we can find where ... is the best place to manage them,” Gary Vallad of UF said.

Authorities warn people not to touch the mollusks if one is found. Instead, contact the Florida Department of Agriculture's Division of Plant Industry Helpline at 1-888-397-1517.

A farmworker, plumber and advocate describe their experiences with climate change, including less work in the fields as fruit plants dry up in rural Hillsborough County.

Un trabajador agrícola, un plomero, y un organizador comunitario, explican sus experiencias con el cambio climático, y el trabajo en los campos a medida que las plantas frutales se están secando en la zona rural del condado de Hillsborough.

Experiments will take place within Hillsborough County strawberry and tomato farms over the next four years thanks to an $850,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Currently, there's no cure for berries infected with leaf spot and fruit rot, but researchers are working on it: from experimenting with a spray to deciphering best crop management practices.

For a moment it looked like a major shift was underway in Florida agriculture, as more local produce was consumed locally. It didn't completely pan out but hopes remain high.