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Nominations are open for the 2023 Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame induction. This recognition honors members of the agriculture community who have made a lasting contribution to the industry. Anyone can nominate an agricultural veteran to be inducted. Nominations can be submitted electronically at [email protected] by 5 p.m. on…

Florida Farm Bureau’s Public Relations staff received top honors in three categories at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s national communications award contest in Omaha, NE on June 8. More than 150 entries were received from Farm Bureau states nationwide in categories including writing, media relations and video production. Florida Farm…

The 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season starts June 1 and lasts through November 30. Forecasters at the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center are predicting above-average hurricane activity this season. NOAA is predicting a range of 14 to 21 named storms this season, of which six to 10 could…

June 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter Being the sixth generation to grow up on her family’s farm in St. Johns County, Cady Smith’s involvement in agriculture has always come as second nature to her. Smith’s Farm Bureau involvement began when she was just an infant. Her parents, Jeb and Wendy Smith, have…

June 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter The Association of Florida Conservation Districts (AFCD) was formed in 1937 in conjunction with Florida’s Soil and Water Conservation Law.  According to AFCD, “Soil and water conservation districts were created to serve as a liaison between federal government and local landowners in order to address local…

June 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter Farm Bureau women from across district 3 gathered in Baker County at South Prong Plantation on May 21 for their annual district women’s conference. In addition to the plantation tour and guest speakers, attendees participated in a philanthropic event to support the First Coast Women’s Center. …

June 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter By J. Scott Angle [email protected] @IFAS_VP Jeb Smith’s family began farming in Hastings 100 years ago. The UF Potato Investigation Lab moved into the neighborhood the next year. The Smiths and UF/IFAS have worked together ever since. Smith had plenty of family history to share when…

June 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter HB 909 clarifies that the Secretary of Environmental Protection has exclusive jurisdiction in setting standards for evaluating environmental conditions and assessing potential liability for the presence of contaminants on land that is classified as agricultural, and is being converted to a nonagricultural use. This legislation was…

June 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter A question that is on the mind of many Florida farmers and ranchers is “How do I remain viable with the never-ending costs of inputs”?  Near the end of 2021, many conversations on and off the farm were centered on rising fertilizer costs and the availability…

Rooted in Innovation Alto Straughn, Alachua County Straughn Farms “I told myself if I ever get myself out of this mess I’m nowhere near going to have anything to do with farming. And I didn’t intend to, really, but life throws you a lot of loops. As it turns out…

          Eight farmers and ranchers were honored for their natural resource conservation with a County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship (CARES) award on May 5, 2022 at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center- Suwannee Valley during the 21st Annual Suwannee CARES Celebration.

May 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter Cody and Courtney Darling YF&R State Leadership Group, District 2 First generation perennial peanut farmers Cody and Courtney Darling have had an unconventional path on their journey to building a farming business and legacy. The couple grew up with different backgrounds. One in farming, one without.