June 2023 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

By J. Scott Angle
[email protected]
@IFAS_VP

You get first shot at the latest blueberry varieties developed in Gainesville, strawberries from Balm, peanuts from Marianna, forages tested in Ona, tropical foliage from Apopka, sweet corn from Belle Glade and squash from Homestead.

The common thread running through this tapestry of discovery is the Florida Foundation Seed Producers (FFSP). John Beuttenmuller and his team make sure that our innovation machine runs for you.

FFSP works closely with the UF/IFAS plant breeding team on cultivars that thrive under Florida conditions. When those varieties are ready for release, Florida farmers get the opportunity to use them, generally years ahead of international competitors.

Meanwhile, when that head start plays out and you’re moving on to new varieties, FFSP eventually licenses cultivars abroad to protect its intellectual property, and they reinvest that money into Florida-focused innovation. 

It’s hard to imagine that we’d have a new blueberry lab in Gainesville without this revenue stream. You’re getting an innovation factory for the next discovery funded in significant part from royalties from the last breakthrough. 

FFSP licensing royalties have also been used to build greenhouses for our strawberry breeding team. And one of the high-profile gifts of our last capital campaign was the establishment of the FFSP Plant Breeding Endowment. It sets up a friendly competition to find the most potentially impactful new breeding projects at UF and brings in representatives from industry to pick which ones to fund.

FFSP does more than promote new versions of old standbys. It is central to the search for the next new Florida crop. Namely, it’s been a prime sponsor of 33 projects aimed at figuring out if enterprises ranging from barley to vanilla, olives to vegetable high tunnels, are the best bet for a new commercially viable commodity. 

And now that we’ve got 15 new faculty with expertise in artificial intelligence, we need to jumpstart their work. FFSP helped light the fuse by providing much of the funding to bring together 11 teams around projects ranging from accelerated precision plant breeding to automated strawberry yield protection. We expect AI technologies, licenses and startup companies to result.

Beuttenmuller is a friend of the Farm Bureau. He sits on your Peanut and Cotton Advisory Committee. He’s long made sure Farm Bureau is represented on his FFSP board. Nate Jameson, whose wife Anna is on the Sumter County Farm Bureau board, is FFSP’s board vice president. Kevin Morgan served on the board until his retirement as assistant to the former Farm Bureau president. Another former FFBF administrator, Jaime Jerrells, served on the FFSP board and continues to do so in her new role for the commissioner of agriculture.

Beuttenmuller is a great example of someone who helps ensure that UF/IFAS innovation is relevant to Florida farmers by actually getting it into your hands through commercialization. 

New crop varieties are intellectual property. By protecting that property, Beuttenmuller and FFSP are protecting Florida agriculture. 

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).

June 2023 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

Erin Jones
Gilchrist County Farm Bureau President

Erin Jones is a fifth generation Gilchrist County resident. Growing up, her family had cattle, hay and peanuts on their family farm in Bell. Her family has approximately 60 commercial beef cows and a Simmental Angus bull. Jones was actively involved in 4-H and FFA during her youth.

Jones attended Florida Gateway College for her associate’s degree and transferred to the University of Florida where she received a bachelor’s degree in animal sciences. She is currently working on her master’s in agronomy from UF and works for UF/IFAS Extension as the Suwannee County Livestock Agent.

Although her parents have been Farm Bureau members for decades, Jones began her own journey with the organization when she started school at UF. She was a founding member of the Levy/Gilchrist County Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R). Jones has served as the chair of the Gilchrist County YF&R committee since 2017 and attained a position on the Gilchrist County Farm Bureau board in 2018. She currently serves as president of board.

Jones is a proud advocate for agriculture in her county and loves educating others about the benefits of being a Farm Bureau member. She enjoys participating in numerous outreach opportunities throughout the year, but particularly enjoys the Christmas parade in Bell every December and the Quilt Festival held in Trenton in March.

“We table at the Quilt Festival because there’s such a variety of people that come to the event,” said Jones.  “I feel like we get the most exposure for agriculture at that event.”

The Gilchrist County Farm Bureau board is heavily focused on youth education and development. Jones believes in the future of the young people in her community and is continuously looking for ways to engage them in agriculture.

“Growing forward for us is being able to invest in the younger generation. They are the future of our organization,” said Jones. “If we can continue to educate young people we can continue to grow agriculture in our county.”

June 2023 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

As the voice of agriculture, Florida Farm Bureau Federation strives to honor farming and ranching families throughout the state through public recognition and by also telling their stories of environmental stewardship.

Florida Farm Bureau’s County Alliance Responsible Environmental Stewardship (CARES) program publicly recognizes Florida farmers and ranchers who demonstrate exemplary efforts to protect Florida’s natural resources by implementing Best Management Practices.

Recipients are awarded a This Farm CARES sign to demonstrate to all Floridians that agricultural producers are fully committed to protecting Florida’s environment.

Help us continue to formally recognize and share the stories of Florida farmers and ranchers and their efforts to be good environmental stewards by nominating your own farm/ ranch or that of a colleague.

To nominate a farmer or rancher for their commitment to conserving our state’s natural resources for future generations, click here. The nomination deadline for the 2023 year is June 16, 2023.

Email questions regarding the nomination process to [email protected] or contact the CARES Coordinator, Courtney Darling at (352) 204-7609.

Young Farmers & Ranchers are between the ages of 18-35 who have a desire to network, share ideas, participate in community projects and hone their leadership skills. The Florida Farm Bureau has an array of opportunities for this group of young agriculturists to become strong leaders for the future of agriculture.

One of those opportunities is the Annual Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Conference, which will be held July 7-9, 2023 in Orlando at the at the Orlando World Center Marriot.

The weekend conference, themed, Growing Forward, will guide attendees in ways to grow as individuals and on their farming operations. The agenda is slated with competitive events like the Achievement in Agriculture, Excellence in Agriculture and Discussion Meet, farm tours, networking opportunities and professional development sessions.

This year hear from keynote speakers Cody and Erika Archie of Bar 7 Ranch in Gatesville, Texas. Together, these first-generation ranchers raise beef cattle and dorper sheep while also utilizing various social media channels to serve as agriculture advocates.

Breakout sessions start Friday July 7 at noon where you can Grow Forward by hearing from speakers like Dr. Wendy-Lin Bartels, Research Assistant Scientist at the University of Florida’s School of Forest, Fisheries and Geomatic Sciences and Tom Donnelly, Grassroots Program Development for the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Saturday July 8 is full of farm and fun festivities with a various selection of farm tours to choose from including Showcase of Citrus, H&A Farms, Agristarts and Rafter 4R Ranch. The tours are from 11- 2:30 p.m. and includes a bagged lunch. Sign up here for a farm tour here and learn more about local Florida Agriculture. The evening will wrap up with cornhole and volleyball tournaments followed by live music.

Applications are now open for the Program Activity Award and Conference Scholarships. The deadline to apply for the Program Activity Award, Conference Scholarships, Excellence in Agriculture Award and Achievement in Agriculture Award is June 9 by 5 p.m. The deadline to apply for the Discussion Meet is June 16, by 5 p.m.

The room block is available for stays (insert dates) and closes (insert date). The last day to register for the 2023 Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Conference.

For more information on the conference and to register, click here.

May 2023 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

Stormie Bigham
Women’s Leadership Committee , District 1

Although she did not grow up on a farm, Stormie Bigham has been welcomed with open arms in the agricultural community. After marrying a rancher, Bigham worked as the bookkeeper for the family farm.  In 2006, they sold the farm in Sumter County, and over the span of three years, moved their beef cattle operation to Jackson County. After the move, Bigham worked as the bookkeeper for the Jackson County Cattlemen’s Association. In addition to cattle, the farm grew hay and seed.

Although Bigham and her family had been Farm Bureau members for years, they did not become as actively involved until their move to Jackson County. Bigham was approached by her Farm Bureau district field representative about joining the Women’s Leadership Committee and started her new role in January 2020. Due to COVID-19, Bigham was unable to meet her fellow committee members in person until December 2020. The committee met quarterly over virtual Zoom meetings and by the time they were able to meet face-to-face Bigham felt like she already knew everyone and felt connected with her fellow committee members. She relishes the opportunities Farm Bureau has provided her to grow her knowledge of agriculture and hone her leadership skills.

“I love the fellowship we have in Farm Bureau and the opportunity to work with other women and educate them about the importance of agriculture,” said Bigham.

One of Bigham’s favorite events that her county Farm Bureau participates in is the two-day Panhandle Watermelon Festival. Hosted in late June, the festival offers free entertainment for families, including a concert. Bigham’s county Farm Bureau has a booth every year to recruit new members and educate attendees about the benefits of being a Farn Bureau member.

“We set out FAMA products and a photo booth with a tractor and flowers,” said Bigham. “We had over 10,000 people attend last year, and a lot of traffic come through our booth.”

Bigham is continuously educating those around her about the many benefits of Farm Bureau and the importance of agriculture in their community through various outreach opportunities and events.

“I am growing forward by not only expanding my knowledge of agriculture in our state but educating others and helping them grow forward in their knowledge and understanding as well.”

May 2023 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

By J. Scott Angle
[email protected]
@IFAS_VP

In a state where Farm Bureau members are so good at producing just about any kind of food, it’s bewildering that we import upwards of 80 percent of our seafood.

I believe we’re at a moment where we have the potential to change that. The latest USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans basically call on us to double our seafood consumption. How are we going to meet the demand if Americans actually act on this advice? The shutdown of wild harvesting of oysters in Apalachicola Bay makes this an even heavier lift.

Leslie Sturmer of UF/IFAS Extension and the UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station, who has a history of helping turn fishers into farmers, believes we can still be a great oyster-producing state, and we can do it through oyster farming.

Three years ago the UF/IFAS research office set up a starter fund to incentivize investigation into what it calls emerging enterprises, and Sturmer’s oyster work was one of the first projects it funded.

Sturmer built on that early funding and is currently seeking ways to reduce oyster mortality by working with oyster farmers in the Pensacola Bay, Indian River Lagoon, Alligator Harbor, Oyster Bay, and Mosquito Lagoon as well as Apalachicola Bay.

More recently, we launched another starter fund aimed at developing applications of artificial intelligence to help farmers, and again seafood made the list. Aquaculture scientist Huiping Yang has teamed up with two of our recent faculty hires with expertise in AI in hopes of accelerating the breeding of new improved hard clam varieties.

That kind of partnering of scientists is essential to finding solutions to complex challenges.

So is partnering with stakeholders. That’s why Sturmer serves as technical adviser to the Florida Farm Bureau Federation’s Aquaculture Advisory Committee.

Matt DiMaggio, the new director of the UF/IFAS Tropical Aquaculture Lab in Ruskin, does as well. DiMaggio has big plans to expand the Lab’s traditional portfolio focused on ornamental fish to include food fish. I like his plan and intend to support the additional scientists needed as I can find the resources to do so.

Aquaculture doesn’t always have to mean shooting for the center of the plate. We have scientists investigating how to grow coral as a way to restore ecosystems. We’ve looked at baitfish. We even have a biogeochemist working on the prospects for harvesting seaweed.

She sees potential for seaweed as an ingredient in cattle feed that would reduce the animals’ methane emissions.

But we have to do more than see whether it can be done. We need to know if can be done profitably. That’s why we economists Bachir Kassas, John Lai, and Andrew Ropicki of the Food and Resource Economics Department exploring whether consumers would pay more for milk and beef with a smaller carbon footprint, the kind you might get from seaweed-fed cows.

Among our existing fin fish aquaculture research is the work of Cortney Ohs at our Indian River Research and Education Center on how to raise hogfish in tanks as potential food fish. We also recently promoted Leonardo Ibarra-Castro at the UF Whitney Lab in St. Augustine to work on red snapper, snook and red drum.

Ropicki again is also our connection to an exciting company growing delicious, and environmentally friendly Atlantic salmon right here in Florida. As we continue to build on our expertise in fin fish as food, we’ve turned to Atlantic Sapphire.

I can attest to the quality of the product. One of the notable foods at our recent Flavors of Florida showcase of locally produced products was Atlantic Sapphire’s Bluehouse Salmon grown in Homestead.

Company leaders have also come to campus to give a seminar on their experience on the frontier of fin fish farming in Florida. Florida Sea Grant and Ropicki are currently helping to arrange internships at the company. To grow fish in Florida, we’ll have to grow the talent to do it.

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).

SUMMARY: Coordinates Florida Farm Bureau’s national affairs programs and serves as liaison with our 29 congressional offices and staff. Coordinates FFB’s Political Action Committee, including fundraising and other political activities. Provides support to the Ag Policy Division with policy development and implementation efforts through regulatory and legislative involvement. Is responsible for supporting and organizing county legislative programs.

by Joe Brent Gilmore
Too little rain and too much heat,
Scrambled eggs and smoked pork meat.
Flies, manure, and not much shade,
GOOD says he, if a dollar he’s made.
Up hours before down, still work’n at dusk,
Can’t take time out or he’ll go bust.
Truck needs tires and tractor’s broke,
The constant need for cash is no joke.
Breakfast at four, lunch in the field,
To hope he’ll be done by dark just not real.
Wife says dinner might be late,
Cause PTA won’t be over ’till eight.
Crop was in early but battered by frost,
Have to sow it again, or all will be lost.
Sun up Sun down, each days the same.
Its all up to the banker, what’s his name?
Dry fields, cloudless skys,
Long hours, potato pies,
Chicken feed and doggie doo,
Horses, cattle, and grandkids too.
Black birds caw and rabbits hop,
Dog just lets em eat the crop.
Fence is down the cows are out.
What the hecks it all about?
Feed prices up and stock prices down,
Gas so expensive can’t get to town.
Haven’t had a vacation in many-a-year,
But can’t go now, harvest times almost here.
Pants are torn, shirt needs mend’n,
Banker says foreclosure pend’n.
Sun up, Sun down, each days the same.
It’s all up to the banker, What his name?
Barn in shambles and needs a new door,
Could pay loan low interest, but banker wants more.
House needs paint’n, roof leaks too,
With all its more than man can do.
Daughters in college, tuition is due,
Sons gett’n married and leave’n too.
Could have used more help this year,
But thru it all he’ll persever.
Be it wise, be it foolish, he’ll do it again,
Cause he loves the land as if his best friend.
And he loves God and country, and do’n what’s right.
And he’ll go help his neightbor, if it takes him all night.
So out of bed early and do’n his best,
Much work to be done before he can rest.
Sun up, Sund down, each days the same.
But it’s up to the banker, WHAT’S HIS NAME?

April 2023 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

Earth Day is celebrated April 22.

A national Earth Day toolkit encourages citizens to band together to advance sustainability and climate action in commemoration of the day.

Practicing sustainability is a way of life for Florida farmers and ranchers. More than 10 million acres are dedicated to agriculture. These lands provide environmental benefits such as preserving the natural landscape and numerous ecosystem services. The careful stewardship of these lands contributes to clean air, water and provides wildlife habitat. Forests and rangeland support carbon sequestration, helping combat climate change.

As the voice for Florida agriculture, farmers and ranchers must tell their story of sustainability every day. Protecting the environment is what we do so we can provide an abundant supply of food and fiber for Americans nationwide.

Help us tell our story on sustainability. If you are a farmer who implements these everyday best management practices on the farm, we want to connect with you. Learn more about our This Farm CARES program and how you can nominate your or a neighbor’s operation.