Good soil management is critical for retaining organic matter especially with Florida’s sandy soils. Soil organic matter stores water, nutrients, and microbes--all necessary things for a healthy crop. Leaving soil bare exposes it to the ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management
At the annual Manasota Regional Envirothon held yesterday, 115 students on 23 teams representing seven Manatee and Sarasota County high schools competed at Oscar Scherer State Park in Osprey. The Envirothon is an outdoor environmental team competition ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, , Conservation, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
Pecans have long been an important and high-value agricultural crop, and that hasn’t changed as we progress through the 21st century. Pecans are native to the USA and Mexico, with their natural habitat being riverbanks and floodplains west ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Horticulture
Pollinators are of extreme importance to our Florida Flatwoods ecosystem. They are responsible for transferring genes of plants from one flower to another increasing fruit set in wild and domesticated species. By doing so, these organisms ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Farm Management, Invasive Species, Livestock, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, , Wildlife
At the annual Manasota Regional Envirothon held in early February, over 140 students on 26 teams representing eight Manatee and Sarasota County high schools competed at Oscar Scherer State Park in Osprey. The Envirothon is an outdoor environmental ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Events, Forests, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
At the annual Manasota Regional Envirothon held in late January, over 110 students representing seven Manatee and Sarasota County high schools competed at Oscar Scherer State Park in Osprey. The Envirothon is an outdoor environmental team competition ... READ MORE
Category: , Conservation, Events, Forests, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
At one time or another, we have all added rocks or broken pieces of clay pots to the bottom of a container to improve drainage. This practice can actually have the opposite effect, causing the potting soil to stay too moist. Since many container ... READ MORE
Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes
The annual Manasota Regional Envirothon looked a bit different this year. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event was held virtually to provide a safe environment for the students to compete. Although we missed seeing the students face ... READ MORE
Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Events, Farm Management, Forests, Horticulture, Invasive Species, Livestock, Natural Resources, Recreation, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Manatee County students in grades six through 12 were eligible to compete in the annual Farm City Week Manatee River Soil and Water Conservation District speech contest. Designed to develop leadership through participation in public speaking ... READ MORE
Category: , Forests, Natural Resources