October 2024 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published the Final Herbicide Strategy Framework (“Herbicide Strategy”) which outlines the changes that growers may need to implement on their farms to be in compliance with herbicide labels.

In 2022, the EPA was found in violation of their consultation process regarding the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and the Federal Fungicide, Insecticide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Due to this, the EPA will be releasing a series of frameworks to address registration and labeling of herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides, and fungicides. The Herbicide Strategy is the first of its kind aimed to minimize ecological impacts on federally endangered and threatened (listed) species and their critical habitats.

The Herbicide Strategy proposes the mitigation or efficacy points that a grower may need to gain through a “mitigation menu” of approved practices to be in compliance with an herbicide label. Furthermore, the Strategy identifies Pesticide Use Limitation Areas (PULAs), where growers will be subject to earn an even greater number of points due to their potential increased vulnerability to impacting endangered and threatened species through run-off, erosion, and spray drift.

To access the Final Herbicide Strategy issue brief, click here. Please contact Maddie Campbell with any questions or concerns.

October 2024 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

By J. Scott Angle
[email protected]
@IFAS_VP

Agricultural land disappearing. A new expressway cutting through pastures. A generation of youth who need to learn where their food comes from.

Sound familiar? It’s what UF/IFAS Clay County Extension Director Annie Wallau and Clay County Farm Bureau President Gayward Hendry are facing as they work together to promote local agriculture.

On the strength of Hendry’s nomination highlighting Wallau’s efforts to teach Clay County’s next generation about the role farms and farmers play in their community and economy, she will be honored at this month’s annual meeting as the Florida Farm Bureau Extension Professional of the Year.

Wallau has been a leader in educating youth about agriculture, food, health, and nutrition.

When the pandemic shut down the county fair, it stopped the popular AgVentures® station-to-station hands-on projects to teach students where their food comes from.

Wallau worked with Clay County Farm Bureau and Clay County Fair Association on the idea of bringing the lessons to the students. The field trip in a box was born.

UF/IFAS and Clay County Farm Bureau packed and delivered the boxes with lesson plans and hands-on activity supplies on forestry, beekeeping, gardening, and beef, including the game Beef-o Bingo that gives students a fun way to learn about the many by-products of the beef industry that we find in our everyday lives.

And Annie worked to create Story Walk, which engaged students in ag literacy and physical activity by posting pages from a book on Florida agriculture throughout schools grounds, giving teachers the opportunity to take their students outdoors to walk and read.

Wallau has partnered with Farm Bureau to organize the Farm-City week luncheon that brings together Clay County’s civic and agricultural communities. She even hosted it at the Extension office until the event was so successful that it outgrew the space.

In addition to making Clay County a place to grow food, she is working to grow leaders. When Wallau met 4-Her Cross Middleton five years ago, she saw in him a future agriculturalist. She talked to him about careers in Extension, and she met with him frequently at her office to counsel him on selecting a college major at UF compatible with his learning style, background and career goals.

Cross graduated from the UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences in May, and Wallau has continued to advise him on how to engage with Farm Bureau. Cross now leads the county’s Young Farmers & Ranchers chapter and serves on the county board. Cross and Wallau are now working together to try to bring a new farmers market to Clay County.

My thanks go to President Hendry and Administrative Assistant Terri Davis of the Clay County Farm Bureau for nominating Annie. Thank you, too, to President Jeb Smith for personally informing Annie with a call that she said absolutely blindsided her in the best way.

Extension professional of the year is one of the highest honors an agent can earn because of who it comes from. Our decades-old partnership has great value to us, and when Farm Bureau elevates an agent, it is meaningful to our entire organization.

J. Scott Angle is the University of Florida’s Senior Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources and leader of the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).

September 2024 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) published their notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on a new standard titled Heat Injury and Illness Prevention in Outdoor and Indoor Work Settings (Heat Rule).

The Heat Rule would apply to all employees working outside or indoors, including agricultural workers.

To read the NPRM, please click here. Florida Farm Bureau is reviewing the NPRM and will continue to share updates as they become available.  Please be on the lookout for a Farm Bureau Action Alert with instructions on how to make your voice heard and comments recorded before the deadline of December 30, 2024.

September 2024 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter 

Raulie Raulerson has been named the new Assistant Director of Local Government and Community Affairs. Raulerson joins the team with experience as the Environmental Administrator for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Office of Agricultural Water Policy. Raulerson also has experience with the South Florida Water Management District and served as a research assistant with the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement.

Raulerson is a Florida native and has worked closely with agricultural producers on water
and environmental issues for the last 18 years of his career. He obtained his
Bachelor’s degree in biology from Florida State University and a master’s degree in
Software Engineering from the University of West Florida.

Raulerson resides in DeLand with his wife Rachel and is excited for the opportunity to
continue helping Farm Bureau members and agricultural producers in North Florida and
the Panhandle.

September 2024 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

Florida Farm Bureau’s grassroots policy development is in full swing as members from across the state gathered during August to participate in the organization’s commodity and issue based advisory committee fall meetings. These committees meet twice annually to review current Farm Bureau policy and to surface emerging issues that may need heightened focus in the organization’s advocacy efforts.

County Farm Bureaus nominate members to serve on advisory committees and the final selections are made by Florida Farm Bureau Federation President Jeb Smith.  In addition to advisory committees, county Farm Bureaus can also submit resolutions for policy directly, as well as the Florida Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors.  Regardless of their method of generation, these new resolutions are reviewed by the oversight committee and then forwarded to the voting delegates to be ratified at the state Annual Meeting.

Member-ratified policy is the backbone of our organization. Without strong policy, we lack clear direction. The grassroots nature of this process is vital to ensure that our policy is truly representative of a broad cross section of our membership.  As the state’s largest general agriculture organization, it can be challenging to ensure that policy does not pit subsets of our membership against each other.  For this reason, our policy decisions are not made in haste; the process takes a full year to complete.

For more information on Farm Bureau’s policy development process, please contact the Agricultural Policy Department at 352.374.1543.

September 2024 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has published a final rule that revises pre-harvest agricultural water provisions in the FSMA Produce Safety Rule. The rule replaces the previous microbial quality criteria and testing requirements with systems-based, pre-harvest agricultural water assessments.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is committed to providing support for farms that may be affected by this rule change.

It is highly encouraged that all fruit and vegetable producers take advantage of the produce safety training opportunities provided in partnership with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF-IFAS) and FDACS. FDACS Food Safety Training Calendar can be found here.

Under the revised rule, covered farms using pre-harvest agricultural water for covered produce must conduct annual agricultural water assessments and assess factors such as water source, distribution system, protection from contamination sources, application methods, time interval between water application and harvest, crop characteristics, environmental conditions, and other relevant factors.

Based on the assessments, farms must determine if corrective or mitigation measures are necessary to minimize contamination risks. Prompt action is required for hazards related to animal activity, biological soil amendments of animal origin (BSAAOs), or untreated/improperly treated human waste. Mitigation measures should be implemented as soon as practicable for other hazards, or testing may be conducted.

The final rule also requires supervisory review of the written assessment and determinations made. Covered farms may be exempt from assessments if they meet specific requirements for their pre-harvest agricultural water.

Compliance dates for the pre-harvest agricultural water provisions are as follows: Large farms: 9 months after the effective date (April 7, 2025), Small farms: 1 year, 9 months after the effective date (April 6, 2026), Very small farms: 2 years, 9 months after the effective date (April 5, 2027).

FDACS is available to help assess Produce Safety Rule compliance, including the new ag water requirements, on your farm with a free On-Farm Readiness Review. To request an on-site readiness review, click here.

If you have any questions, call 863-578-1900, email Kirby Quam, or visit www.FDACS.gov/FSMA.

Additional Resources:
FSMA Final Rule on Pre-Harvest Agricultural Water | FDA

Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption

September 2024 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

Sixth generation Floridian Bobby Floyd grew up on his family’s cow/calf operation in Zolfo Springs. Throughout his life he has helped run cattle on the farm and has played an active role in the farm’s day-to-day operation.

After graduating from Hardee High School, Floyd attended the University of Florida and received his Bachelor of Science degree in food and resource economics.  He worked for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) for two years before switching careers. During his time at FDACS, Floyd worked as a nematode inspector. He collected soil samples and inspected nurseries to ensure their plants were safe to ship to other states. Floyd now works as a high school Algebra 1 teacher in Hardee County.

Floyd was first introduced to Florida Farm Bureau by one of his high school friends who was interested in starting a Young Farmers and Ranchers group. When Floyd learned of the numerous leadership and networking opportunities available through Farm Bureau, he was hooked. Joining the state YF&R Leadership Group has helped Floyd grow his network and agricultural knowledge.

“I enjoy networking with different people,” said Floyd. “When we went to Omaha earlier this year, I met so many likeminded people from across the country. Everyone does something different in agriculture and it was neat to learn about.”

Through the YF&R Leadership Group and teaching high school students, Floyd enjoys helping others find their tie to agriculture and strengthening his personal tie. He continues to help on his family’s farm and enjoys connecting with his roots.

“I am staying tied to ag by teaching others where our food comes from and by encouraging young people to learn more about agriculture.”

September 2024 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

By Rob Gilbert and Scott Angle
[email protected]
[email protected]

You may not have noticed there’s a change of leaders at UF/IFAS. Nor should you have to.

We know that for you, UF/IFAS is the county agent who delivers you the science you need to stay profitable today. It’s the researcher running a field trial in your community to answer questions to help you profit in the next five years. It’s the professor who equips your children and future employees with knowledge and skills to keep your operation profitable a generation from now.

None of that changes when the UF senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources changes. For the past 14 months, Rob has led UF/IFAS as interim senior vice president while Scott served as UF’s provost. But Scott has returned from that assignment and resumed his role as leader of UF/IFAS on Sept. 6.

Our job is to work day and night to support the ag agents, researchers and teachers who meet you face to face.

Because we share a common priority to serve stakeholders such as Farm Bureau members, we expect you won’t notice any difference in service – unless you currently aren’t being served. Then we do intend to see what UF/IFAS can do to meet your needs.

It’s a commitment we’ve shared since Scott’s arrival in July 2020. Rob’s record of leadership of UF/IFAS over the past 14 months has demonstrated that this commitment from the senior vice president persists even as the incumbent changes.

Neither of us are corner-office administrators. We both like to get out to industry gatherings, and we want to meet as many of you as we can. We’ve both put thousands of miles on the road to meet producers from the Alabama border to south of Miami. Another big part of our job is to listen.

Scott plans to resume the barnstorming that brought him to all 67 counties in his first three years in Florida. Rob will remain in senior UF/IFAS leadership and continue to support our statewide programs, hear your suggestions, and thank you for feeding Florida, the nation and the world.

We work for you. We’ll both do all we can to keep the county agent, the researcher and the teacher working for you, too.

Rob Gilbert served as interim senior vice president of agriculture and natural resources until Sept. 6. Scott Angle returned to lead UF/IFAS on Sept. 6 after 14 months away.

August 2024 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

The Enivronmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released Proposed Interim Decision (PIDs) for the cancellation of Acephate, Captan, Ferbam, Thiram, and Ziram. This proposal is the result of a pesticide review that takes place every 15 years to stay in compliance with FIFRA.  

After the PID, a proposed decision will be published, followed by a final rule. If these chemistries are canceled, growers will be left with less tools to combat diseases, which thrive in Florida’s conditions. With the loss of dicamba earlier this year, the integrated pest management (IPM) tools that producers have are dwindling. Florida Farm Bureau opposes this cancellation because of their role in a variety of crop production in the state.   

More information regarding these chemicals as well as comments provided by Florida Farm Bureau can be found here.  

August 2024 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

By Rob Gilbert
[email protected]
@IFAS_VP

Mickey Diamond is a bridge between UF/IFAS and the Florida Farm Bureau Federation. He builds that bridge with service.

Part of that service is as your voice. He serves with straight talk. When I travel the state visiting our research centers, I always ask to meet with customers who know the center best. Invariably, those customers are local Farm Bureau leaders.

Diamond, a Santa Rosa County Farm Bureau board member, serves on the West Florida Research and Education Center (WFREC) Advisory Committee. It’s a group of committed volunteers who meet at the center to improve the science they deliver to producers.

For 10 years, he has served on the “Meet the Farmer” panel on the local chamber of commerce’s Agribusiness Day at WFREC.  And he makes his own formal visits to query the staff on new peanut varieties, farming practices, or cover crops. The conversations revolve around sustainability – that is, how can a farmer stay profitable while faced with hurricanes, freezes, pests, diseases, volatile markets and labor shortages?

“The thing you got to do is you have to figure out if it’s cost prohibitive,” Diamond says. “There’s not a spare penny in it today.”

That’s where knowledge comes in. Sometimes, it’s from our faculty who glean from data incremental ways to reduce costs or increase yields. Sometimes it’s wisdom from people like our farm manager Greg Kimmons, who brings 44 years of observations at WFREC to conversations with Diamond.

Attending meetings with scientists comes at a cost. As Diamond said, “A lot of times we can’t just drop and go. Ain’t nobody else to do it (work the farm) but us.”

That’s why I appreciated the opportunity to meet Diamond last month at WFREC.

Not only does he serve the center, but he inspires us to step on the gas as we seek the innovations that will keep you profitable. Frankly, Mickey is hard to keep up with.

He’s been using cover crops and strip tilling since the early 1990s. And his equipment is better than what we have at our underfunded center in Jay. He’s an example of what has inspired me to seek funding from the legislature in 2025 to buy state-of-the-art equipment for our centers across the state. Up-to-date equipment is critical for our ability to demonstrate what works on the farm with today’s tools, not those of 10 or 20 years ago.

Diamond exemplifies how advances in agricultural science come from a partnership between farmer and scientist. He runs real-world trials on his own land that parallel the carefully controlled experiments we do at WFREC. He gives us feedback on the cotton and peanut varieties he plants. And he serves as your voice, letting us know about what challenges you face every day as you plow, plant, irrigate, protect and harvest.

He has been doing this a long time. He was the 1996 Young Farmer & Rancher Achievement Award winner. He long ago won FFBF’s CARES award for environmental stewardship.

With his service, he’s helping create the conditions for his fellow farmers to keep producing food, feed, fiber and fuel for a long time to come.

Rob Gilbert is the University of Florida’s interim senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and leader of the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).