It's spring. The hay barn is almost empty, it has finally rained (a little) and the pastures are green – I completely understand the allure of just opening the gate and moving on to something other than feeding cows. However, for the long-term ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Livestock, UF/IFAS Extension
Ornamental growers must provide fertilizers to the substrate when growing crops in containers because the organic substrate contains few nutrients. The cost of fertilizer use, around 8% of total production cost, ranks third among all ... READ MORE
Category: , Horticulture
Strawberry growers pour roughly $130 million a year, nationally, into a surprisingly stubborn problem: a part of the plant that sabotages fruit production. These fast-growing offshoots – called “runners” – stretch out from the mother ... READ MORE
Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture
Viburnums are a cornerstone crop for many Florida nurseries, but over the past two decades growers have faced increasingly severe foliar disease problems—especially during propagation. What was once a nearly trouble‑free crop has, in some ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Crops, UF/IFAS Extension
Recap of April 2026 First Friday with Florida First Detector This month, we explored several invasive pests that threaten pine forests. Florida has roughly 17 million acres of forestland, with a large portion dominated by pine species. Our ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Forests, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Livestock, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, Professional Development, UF/IFAS ExtensionOn a warm spring morning in Southwest Florida, the garden doesn’t just grow—it hums. If you pause long enough, you’ll notice it. A leaf that wasn’t chewed yesterday now carries a series of holes caused by cabbageworm. Ants move steadily ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) will host the 2026 NFREC Beef and Forage Field Day on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, near Marianna. The event will ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Events, Livestock, UF/IFAS Extension
I have been a Volunteer Precipitation Reporter for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRahs) since November 2018, with the station ID of FL-JK-6 (Florida - Jackson County - station #6 highlighted in the red box in ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Water
There is nothing quite like the burst of joy that comes with a fresh delivery of woodchips for my garden. The pile steams a columnar breath in the air; a living, breathing mound of organic potential, and working through it feels grounding, meditative. At ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Farm Management, Forests, Home Landscapes, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension,