Tag: Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Add aromatic vanilla to your Valentine’s Day with Ask IFAS’ bilingual guide to DIY homemade vanilla extract

by Lourdes Mederos
January 13, 2026

The holidays may be behind us, but the season of celebration isn’t over. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, you may be wondering how to turn the chill of winter into something sweet, thoughtful and homemade. The University of ... READ MORE

Category: Crops, Home Landscapes, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Aromatic, Ask IFAS, Beans, Capsules, Cured Vanilla Beans, Deserts, DIY, Domestic Vanilla Industry, Food, Guide, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, News, Orchid, Pods, Polination, Tropical Research And Education Center, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Tropical Research And Education Center, University Of Florida, Valentine's Day, Vanilla, Vanilla Extract, Vanilla Planifolia, Vanilla-breeding, Vine

Intentional hosting: The key to a good, stress-free gathering

by Lourdes Mederos
December 18, 2025

Gatherings don’t have to feel overwhelming or revolve entirely around food. The key to a meaningful celebration is intentional hosting, a practice that Jessica Alfonso-Rodriguez experienced and developed while growing up in South Florida. ... READ MORE

Category: Health & Nutrition, Relationships & Family, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Work & Life
Tags: Board Games, Celebration, Connect, Family An D Consumer Sciences, Gatherings, Healthy Appetizers, Holiday, Holiday Gatherings, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Intentional Hosting, Jessica Alfonso- Rodriguez, Menu, Mindful Moment, Mindfullness, Mocktails, News, Planning Activities, South Florida, Stress-free, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County, University Of Florida, Yearlong

Have 2026 resolutions? Here is how to make them stick

by Lourdes Mederos
December 16, 2025

Every January, millions set ambitious wellness resolutions only to abandon them within weeks. In fact, the second Friday of January is known as Quitter’s Day, a reminder of how quickly good intentions fade. For 2026, we turn to Jessica ... READ MORE

Category: , Conservation, Health & Nutrition, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Box Breathing, Consistency, Family And Consumer Sciences, Goals, Habit, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Jessica Alfonso- Rodriguez, Mindful Moment, Mindfullness, Plan, Progress, Quitter's Day, Resolutions, Routine, SMART Objectives, Sustainability, Track, UF IFAS Family And Consumer Sciences, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County, University Of Florida, Wellness Resolutions

Innovative tool offers palm owners, growers new line of defense against trunk rot, protecting iconic trees

by Lourdes Mederos
November 13, 2025

Ever wonder why some palm varieties flourish while others suddenly bend at the trunk or topple over completely? From the iconic coconut palm to towering royal palms, these signature features of Florida’s landscapes are facing a silent ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Conservation, Crops, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Advancement, Biological Controls, Braham Dhillon, Canary Island Date Palms, Coconut Palm, Conservation, Date Palms, Disease, Disease Resistance, Entomology And Nematology, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Fronds, Fungicides, Germplasm Collection, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Invasive, Leaflets, Lethal Fungus, Monica Elliott, News, Palm, Palm Landscape, Pathogens, Plant Pathology, Plant Pathology Department, Research, Resilient, Royal Palms, Thielaviopsis Trunk Rot, Trunk Rot, U.S. Department Of Agriculture Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research And Education (USDA-SSARE), UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, USDA, USDA-ARS, Wahingtonia Palms

Can invasive plants increase tick exposure risk? Scientists reveal a surprising link to human health

by Lourdes Mederos
November 12, 2025

An invasive grass found on almost every continent and considered a pest in 73 countries isn’t just weeding out native plants, it is creating a haven for disease-carrying ticks and raising public health risk concerns. A new University of ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Conservation, Crops, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Health & Nutrition, Home Landscapes, Invasive Species, Lawn, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Agronomy Department, Ask IFAS, Cogongrass, Conservation Efforts, Disease, Drew Hiatt, Entomology And Nematology, Forest, Health, Human, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Invasion Science, Invasion Science Institute, Invasive Species, Lakeland, Lime Disease, Luke Flory, Mosquito, News, Rick, Southeast United States, Tick-borne, U.S> Forestry Service, UF, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida

UF/IFAS PIE Center to host policy communication workshop for professionals in agriculture and natural resources

by Annabel Henson
November 6, 2025

The UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources (PIE Center) will host a Lunch & Learn workshop focused on policy communication strategies for professionals in agriculture and natural resources (ANR) on ... READ MORE

Category: Events, Professional Development, UF/IFAS
Tags: Center For Public Issues Education, Center For Public Issues Education In Agriculture And Natural Resources, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, News, Policy Communication, UF-IFAS

Hongos ostra dorados cultivados y vendidos en Florida: Científica recomienda precaución

by Luz Bahder
November 3, 2025

Creado por Lourdes Mederos, gerente de relaciones públicas en español para el Departamento de Comunicaciones de UF/IFAS. Los hongos ostra dorados, conocidos también como setas doradas u ostras amarillas, con sus brillantes sombreros ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Crops, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Biodiversidad, Bosques, Ciclo Del Carbono, Comestible, Comunidad Fúngica, Descomposición De La Madera, Diversidad Genética, Ecosistemas Saludables, Hongo, Hongo Ostra Amarillo, Hongo Ostra Dorado, Hongos Nativos, Inaturalist, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Invasivo, Michelle Jusino, Mushroom Observer, Patología Forestal, Servicio Forestal De Los Estados Unidos, Seta, Seta Ostra Amarilla, Seta Ostra Dorada

Golden oyster mushrooms cultivated, sold in Florida: Scientist urges caution

by Lourdes Mederos
November 3, 2025

The golden oyster mushroom, with bright yellow pillowy caps, are a popular buy that are sold in grow-your-own kits as well as standard grocery stores, farmer and gourmet markets. A University of Florida researcher warns it is quietly invading ... READ MORE

Category: , Conservation, Forests, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Wildlife
Tags: Citizen Science, Culinary Connoisseurs, Culinary Mushroom Enthusiasts, Cultivating, Disrupt Ecosystems, Ecosystems, Farmer Market, Fungal Communities, Fungal Diseases, Golden Oyster Mushrooms, Gourmet Market, Grocery Stores, Grow-your-own Kits, Human Activities, Inaturalist, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Invasive, Invasive Species, Michelle Jusino, Mushroom Observer, News, Research, School Of Forest Fisheries And Geomatic Sciences, Transporting, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida

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