Category: Agriculture

Grow more Keystone Plants? … Here is a pictorial list!

by Maria Quirico
December 27, 2025

Keystone Plants for Central Florida Planting native species is an excellent first step toward attracting beneficial insects. In his influential book Nature’s Best Hope, author, conservationist, and entomologist Douglas Tallamy explains ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Agriculture, Clubs & Volunteers, Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Curriculum, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Forests, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Discovery Gardens, Doug Tallamy, Keystone Plants, Native Florida Plants, Perennials, Shrubs, Trees

Is My Lawn Dead—and Should I Be Fertilizing Right Now?

by Sara MacDonald
December 22, 2025

Winter lawn care tips for St. Lucie County homeowners Each winter, people in St. Lucie County notice their grass growing more slowly or turning brown. This makes many homeowners ask: “Is my lawn dead?” and “Should I add fertilizer to ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Lawn, Recreation, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Extension, Florida Friendly Landscape, UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County

Beef Quality Assurance (BQA)-What’s the Big Deal?

by laurahbennett
December 22, 2025

Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) is basically a synonym for Best Management Practices with the spin of having a focus on the consumer. Beef producers are doing their best to assure quality beef for their buyers. The BQA website best describes the ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Farm Management, Livestock
Tags: SFBF, SFBFP

Yaupon Holly: America’s Native Tea Plant

by Wendy Mussoline
December 19, 2025

When you think of tea, your mind probably jumps to green or black tea from Asia. But did you know the only caffeinated plant native to North America grows right here in Florida? Meet Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria), a resilient evergreen shrub ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops
Tags: Caffeinated Plant, Citrus, Florida Tea, Native, Organic, Yaupon Holly

From 5,000 strawberries to DNA breakthrough: Doctoral grad sweetens the future of fruit

by Brad Buck
December 18, 2025

As we enter the height of Florida’s strawberry production season, many consumers crave the taste and aroma of the fruit. That’s part of what compels Mark Porter to try to enhance those qualities.For his doctoral dissertation, Porter led ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Horticulture
Tags: Aroma, Consumers, DNA, DNA Test, Doctoral Dissertation, Flavor, Genome, Growers, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, Mark Porter, Ph.D., Plant Breeding, Plant Breeding Ph.D. Program, Seonghee Lee, Sour, Strawberries, Strawberry Breeding, Sweet, Taste

Beef Production: Past, Present, Future

by hbaker
December 17, 2025

Beef production, and the future of it, have been at the forefront of conversations lately in the cattle industry. Knowing that cattle inventories are at the lowest they have been in over 70 years, it is also known that the quantity of beef produced ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Farm Management, Livestock, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Beef Cattle, Beef Cattle Market, Hannah Baker, Range Cattle REC, SV Ag Update

Starting Your Greenhouse or Nursery Business in Central Florida: Pest and Disease Management Resources

by Brooke Moffis
December 17, 2025

Embarking on a greenhouse or nursery venture in the Central Florida region can be both exciting and daunting. One of the most critical aspects of ensuring the health of your horticulture and greenhouse crops is effectively managing pests and ... READ MORE

Category: Horticulture, Pests & Disease

A Tale of Three Daddy Long Legs

by Caitlin Sollazzo
December 17, 2025

I feel like it’s time to clear up a few common misconceptions. I recently acquired a pet daddy long legs because I have free will, and I use it to the fullest. If you’re in the entomology or arthropod world like me, you probably already ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Arachnology, DaddyLongLegs, Entomology, Manatee County Extension, SpiderMyths

UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences expands as Environmental Horticulture faculty and staff join the department under a shared vision.

by Eva Sailly
December 17, 2025

The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is uniting faculty and staff from Environmental Horticulture with Horticultural Sciences Department, strengthening collaboration across teaching, research, and ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Events, Work & Life
Tags: Environmental Horticulture, Horticultural Sciences Department, One Horticulture, Plant Science, Teaching

Dr. Gerardo Nunez Named to Fruit + Vegetable 40 Under Forty Class of 2025

by Eva Sailly
December 16, 2025

Dr. Gerardo Nunez, Assistant Professor of Horticultural Sciences, has been named to the Fruit + Vegetable 40 Under Forty Class of 2025, a national recognition honoring emerging leaders who are making meaningful contributions to the specialty ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Award, Blueberry, Fruit + Vegetable 40 Under Forty, Gerardo Nunez, Horticultural Sciences, Nunez Lab, Plant Breeding, Small Fruit Horticulture Lab, Teaching, UF/IFAS CALS

Subscribe For More Great Content