Tag: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

‘Cutting-edge science’ from UF/IFAS Extension helps farmer preserve water, other parts of his ecosystem

by Brad Buck
March 9, 2026

For about 20 years, Colin Furness and his family have bred and raised miniature cattle and donkeys, and specialized in getting people started with their own herd of mini livestock. They raise registered Herefords, Florida Cracker cattle and ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture
Tags: Cattle, Cost Share, Dyllan Furness, Farm, Fencing, Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services, Jonael Bosques, Peace River, Sowing Sustainability, Tropical Soda Apple, UF/IFAS Extension Hardee County, Water, Water Preservation, Water Quality, Wetlands

‘Lanky Lassie’ shortbread plus UF/IFAS Extension incubator equals success for Marine Corps veteran

by Brad Buck
March 9, 2026

Combat-injured Marine Corps veteran Mary Katherine Mason-Alston makes shortbread with a family recipe that goes back to her great-grandmother. To sell to people far and wide from her Dade City store, she needed a food permit, which she ... READ MORE

Category: Professional Development, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: "Lanky Lassie Shortbread", Dade City, Entrepreneur, Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services, Food Permit, Incubator, Marine Corps, Mary Katherine Mason-Alston, Military, Retail, Shortbread, SMARTstart, UF/IFAS Extension Pasco County, Veterans Day, Whitney Elmore, Wholesale

UF/IFAS Extension helps Southwest Florida by reducing water use on farm by 40%

by Brad Buck
March 9, 2026

Sakata Seed America Inc. shares the same water as urban residents in Southwest Florida. So, farm manager Cory Dombrowski wanted to see if he could irrigate more efficiently at the research farm east of Fort Myers. He did. With the help of ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation
Tags: App, Cory Dombrowski, Cost-share Program, Craig Frey, Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services, Fort Myers, Nutrient Savings, Research Farm, Sakata Seed Inc., Saving, Soil Moisture Sensor, Southwest Florida, Sowing Sustainability, Vegetable Extension Agent, Water, Water Savings

When red tide hits, is your seafood safe? A UF expert answers questions

by Brad Buck
March 30, 2026

With varying levels of red tide lingering off the coast of Southwest Florida – from Tampa Bay to Naples -- some seafood eaters may wonder whether they can safely consume fish and shellfish caught in the Gulf. We talked to Razieh Farzad, a ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Bivalves, Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services, Florida Sea Grant, Food Safety, Food Science And Human Nutrition, Gulf Of Mexico, Harvesting, Mollusks, Razieh Farzad, Red Tide, Seafood

Building better begonias

by Tory Moore
February 26, 2026

Begonias are among the top five most popular plants found in flower beds and Florida leads the way in production with sales valuing more than $11.8 million, according to the USDA. But heat waves and drought have hurt begonia production in the ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Horticulture, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Archive, Begonias, Climate Change, Environmental Horticulture, Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services, FNGLA, Grant, Plant Breeding, USDA

Scientists to share latest hemp production research during free Aug. 13 field day

by Megan Winslow
August 4, 2025

What: Hemp Field Day, presented by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). When: Aug. 13, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Where: The UF/IFAS Plant Science Research and Education Unit, 2556 Co. Hwy. 318, Citra. About: ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Cannabis Sativa Plants, Citra, Drone, Economic, Emerging Crop, FDACS, Fertilizer, Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services, Free, Hemp, Hemp Field Day, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Lunch, Marijuana, Megan Winslow, Mulch, Pilot Project, Plant, Plant Science Research And Education Unit, Psreu, Research, Tour, UF, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, Weed

Scientists seek to curtail bird flu’s spread through education, outreach efforts

by Megan Winslow
July 10, 2025

Though the current public health risk of H5N1 bird flu is low, the University of Florida (UF) is taking a proactive approach to education about the illness, which is responsible for one human death in the United States, as well as outbreaks ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Health & Nutrition, Livestock, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: Avian Flu, Backyard Chickens, Benjamin Anderson, Bird Flu, Center For Public Issues Education In Agriculture And Natural Resources, Chicken, Cindy Sanders, College Of Public Health & Health Professions, Department Of Environmental And Global Health, Disease, Education, Emerging Pathogens Institute, Extension, FDACS, Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services, Florida Department Of Health, Florida EDEN, Florida Extension Disaster Education Network, Guide, H5N1, H5N1 Coordination Group, Hen, IFAS, Illness, Infection, Influenza, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Megan Winslow, Migratory, Outreach, Pathogen, PIE Center, Polutry, Response, Ricky Telg, Risk, SCCAHS, Science, Southeastern Coastal Center For Agricultural Health And Safety, Tips, Transmission, UF, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, Virus

Automating irrigation of Suwannee Valley crop saved more than 164 million gallons of water in 2024

by Megan Winslow
June 12, 2025

May is peak watermelon season in North Florida, and farmers are busy tending to their crops as they anticipate harvesting around Memorial Day. Rather than painstakingly twisting water valves, however, an ever-growing number are relying on automated ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
Tags: FDACS, Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services, Gilchrist County, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Irrigation, Office Of Agricultural Water Policy, Suwannee County, Suwannee River Water Management District, SV Ag Update, Tyler Pittman, UF, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, Watermelon

UF scientist honored with ASHS Early Career Award for genetic advances in vanilla, hibiscus and hydrangeas

by Lourdes Mederos
June 12, 2025

Xingbo Wu is a rising star in the field of horticulture sciences, as recognized by the highly acclaimed American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS), a leading organization with over a century of advancing horticultural research and education. The ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Horticulture, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: American Society For Horticultural Science, Ashs, ASHS 2025 Professional Early Career Award For Research, AskIFAS, DNA, Edis, Edward Evans, FDACS, Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services, Florida Nursery Growers And Landscape Association Endowment Fund, FNGLA, Hibiscus, Hibiscus Breeding Program, Hydrangea, Innovation And Creativity, National Institute Of Food And Agriculture, News, Nifa, Plant Breeding, Soil Conditions, Tropical Research And Education Center, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Plant Breeding, University Of Florida, USDA, Vanilla, Xingbo Wu

Finger Limes: An HLB-Tolerant Prospect for Florida Growers

by Eva Sailly
March 21, 2025

Finger limes appear as a promising choice to growers searching for alternative citrus crops thriving in Florida. The Australian Lime Improvement Program hosted the most recent Finger Lime Field Day to highlight ongoing research and market ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Fruits & Vegetables, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Citrus, Citrus Greening Disease, Citrus Research And Education Center, Finger Lime, Finger Limes, Florida Citrus, Florida Department Of Agriculture And Consumer Services, Food And Resource Economics, Food Trend, FRED, HLB, Horticultural Sciences, Huanglongbing, Manjul Dutt, Plant Breeding, Psreu, Taste, UF/IFAS PSREU

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