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Cottage Food, Water BMPs, & Essential Farm Equipment at the 2025 Spring Southwest Florida Small Farmer Network Meeting

by Luis Rodriguez Rosado, Allie Williams, David Outerbridge, Jennifer Hagen and Jessica M. RyalsAvatar photo
April 18, 2025

Many farmers sell products directly from their farms to reach more customers. Some of these items require a food permit, but others can be sold without one under Florida’s Cottage Food Law. What is the Cottage Food Law? Florida's Cottage ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Fruits & Vegetables, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching, Water
Tags: BMPs, Cottage Food Law, Farm Equipment, Farm Management, Irrigation, Small Farms, Southwest Florida Small Farms Network, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County, Water

Apicultura en Florida: Comprensión de la Loque Americana y Europea (“Foulbrood”) en las abejas melíferas

by Luis Rodriguez Rosado
April 10, 2025

Las abejas melíferas son esenciales para nuestro sistema agrícola, desempeñando un papel crucial en el proceso de polinización del 85% de nuestros cultivos. Sin embargo, estos insectos laboriosos se enfrentan a diversas amenazas. Entre ellas ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Livestock, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: American Foulbrood, Beekeeping, Bees, En Espanol, Espanol, European Foulbrood, Foulbrood, Honeybees

Beekeeping in Florida: Understanding American and European Foulbrood in Honey Bees

by Luis Rodriguez Rosado
April 10, 2025

Honey bees are essential to our agricultural system, playing a critical role in the pollination process of 85% of our crops. However, these industrious insects face several threats. Among some of these threats are bacterial diseases such as ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Livestock, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: American Foulbrood, Beekeeping, Bees, European Foulbrood, Foulbrood, Honeybees, Pests
Tiny blue five-petaled flowers against long green leaves.

Spring Gardening Tip: Prepping a Landscape Bed for Planting

by Anne Yasalonis and polkmgAvatar photo
April 7, 2025

Spring is a great time to plan for that new garden or landscape bed, and one of the most important steps to take for the future health and beauty of your new plants is pre-planting landscape bed preparation. Unfortunately, it is often a dreaded ... READ MORE

Category:
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Ayasalonis, Bed Prep, Central Florida, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Florida-Friendly Plants, Flowers, Master Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteer, Mulch, Polk County, Polkgardening, Spring, Spring Gardening, UF/IFAS Polk County, Your Central Florida Yard Podcast

Springtime and the Eastern Lubber Grasshopper

by Anne Yasalonis and polkmgAvatar photo
April 4, 2025

THEY’RE BAAAACK.... Those monster munchers of your amaryllis, crinum, other lilies and, well, many of your favorite garden ornamentals and edibles!  We’re talking about lubber grasshopper nymphs currently hatching out in many of our ... READ MORE

Category: Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease,
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Ayasalonis, Central Florida, Florida Pests, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Gardening, Grasshopper, Insect, Lubber Grasshoppers, Master Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteer, Polk County, Polkmg, UF/IFAS Polk County, Your Central Florida Yard Podcast
Master Gardener Volunteers at a farmer's market event table.

A Gardener’s Story: A Special Bonus Episode of Your Central Florida Yard Podcast

by Anne Yasalonis and Julie SchelbAvatar photo
March 25, 2025

A Gardener's Story, A very special bonus episode of Your Central Florida Yard podcast A Gardener’s Story is special bonus episode where we sit down with a UF/IFAS Extension Master Gardener Volunteer who is dedicating their time and ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, UF/IFAS Extension,
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Ayasalonis, Central Florida, Flowers, Gardening, Jschelb, Master Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteer, Polk County, Polkmg, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County, Your Central Florida Yard Podcast

Green Industries Best Management Practices (GI-BMP) Informative Video

by Luis Rodriguez Rosado, Julie Schelb and Jasi RomeroAvatar photo
March 13, 2025

The Green Industries Best Management Practices (GI-BMPs) workshop teaches landscaping practices that are good for the environment and help protect Florida’s water and natural resources. This science-based program is designed for landscape ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Fertilizer, Fertilizer License, GIBMP, Landscape, Polk Florida Friendly Landscaping, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County

Vídeo Informativo Sobre las Mejores Prácticas de Manejo de las Industrias Verdes (GI-BMP)

by Luis Rodriguez Rosado, Julie Schelb and Jasi RomeroAvatar photo
March 13, 2025

El taller de Mejores Prácticas de Manejo de las Industrias Verdes (GI-BMP por sus siglas en inglés) enseña prácticas de paisajismo beneficiosas para el medio ambiente y que ayudan a proteger las fuentes de agua y los recursos naturales de ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: En Espanol, Espanol, Fertilizer, Fertilizer License, GIBMP, Polk Florida Friendly Landscaping, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County

Winter Gardens in Central Florida

by Anne Yasalonis and polkmgAvatar photo
February 19, 2025

Our recent central Florida weather proves yet again that every couple of years gardeners face plant-damaging cold temperatures. During these cold snaps we bring out frost cloths and bring in containerized plants. With bated breath and crossed ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Lawn,
Tags: Anne Yasalonis, Ayasalonis, Central Florida, Dead Plants, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Florida-Friendly Plants, Flowers, Freeze, Frost, Gardening, Jschelb, Master Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteer, Polkgardening, Pruning, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County, Winter, Your Central Florida Yard Podcast

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