Tag: South Florida

Invasive caiman may pose new challenges for Everglades restoration

by Lourdes Mederos
June 4, 2026

UF researchers pieced together the first comprehensive review of the spectacled caiman, a small invasive crocodile-like reptile. Introduced into South Florida more than 45 years ago, researchers have suspected caimans compete ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, Coasts & Marine, Conservation, Invasive Species, Natural Resources, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Colombia, Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, Crocodilians, EDDMaps, Environmental DNA Tools, Español, Exotic Pet Trade, Guayana, IFAS, Institute Of Food And Agricultural Sciences, Invasive Species, Native Wildlife, News, Research, South Florida, Spectacled Caiman, The Croc Docs, UF IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, UF-IFAS, University Of Florida, Wetland

Is okra rising from a kitchen, home garden staple to a ‘Food is Medicine’ star in Florida agriculture?

by Lourdes Mederos
May 26, 2026

What makes okra a smart choice for home gardens, healthier meals and Florida’s next great crop? University of Florida researchers from the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) say this adaptable crop illustrates how ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Blog Community, , Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Antioxidants, Ask IFAS, Crop, Dakshina Seal, Digestion, Easy-to-grow, Español, Farmers, Florida, Food Is Medicine, Gardens, Health, Health Benefits, Healthy, Heart Health, Homestead, IFAS, Invasive Pests, Kitchen, Monalisa Seaton, Nutrition, Okra, Ornamental Plants, Peyton Ecklund, Plant-based Foods, Seed-borne Diseases, Seeds, South Florida, Staple, Tropical Research And Education Center, Two-spotted Leafhopper, UF/IFAS Research, Vitamins, Xiaoying Li

Is okra rising from a kitchen, home garden staple to a ‘Food is Medicine’ star in Florida agriculture?

by Lourdes Mederos
May 26, 2026

Want to grow papaya trees in your backyard? Ask IFAS bilingual resource offers top research tips for success

by Lourdes Mederos
May 19, 2026

With the right care, papaya trees thrive in Florida backyards, producing sweet fruit and flowers. Depending on the variety, this slender tree can produce more than one bright white flower in less than 12 months. Well suited to Central ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Blog Community, Conservation, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Home Landscapes, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Ask IFAS, ASK UF/IFAS En Espanol, Central Florida, Diseases, English, Food Is Medicine, Harvesting, Healthy, Healthy Environment, Home, Irrigation Needs, Jonathan Crane, Landscape, Papaya, Papaya Growing, Papaya Seeds, Papaya Tree, Pests, Plants, South Florida, Superfruit, Sustainable, UF-IFAS, UF/IFAS Tropical Research And Education Center

Want to grow papaya trees in your backyard? Ask IFAS bilingual resource offers top research tips for success

by Lourdes Mederos
May 19, 2026

What’s New on Ask IFAS: Agricultural and Biological Engineering (Mar.–Apr. 2026)

by Amanda Quintos
May 14, 2026

Agricultural and Environmental Implications of Information-Driven Irrigation Scheduling: Insights from a Field-Scale Study with a Gravelly Loam Soil in South Florida Young Gu Her, Sandra Guzmán, Ashley Smyth, Laura Vasquez, Qingren Wang, and ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Natural Resources, Water
Tags: Agricultural Sustainability, Irrigation, Soil Moisture Sensors, South Florida

Setting the table: UF/IFAS ‘Food is Medicine’ farm shows how culturally relevant crops can strengthen agriculture

by Lourdes Mederos
April 27, 2026

In South Florida, a new University of Florida initiative is bringing the concept of “Food is Medicine” to life by helping farmers grow nutrient-dense, culturally relevant crops that reflect the region’s diverse consumer preference. That ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Blog Community, Crops, Events, Farm Management, Fruits & Vegetables, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Alternate Crops, Asian, Caribbean, Community Engagement, Consumer Demand, Cover Crops, Crops, Culturally Relevant Crops, Food Is Medicine, Growers, Harvest, Homestead, Latin American, Nutrient Dense, Producers, Production Systems, South Florida, Sustainable Farming, Sustainable Farming Practices, Tropical Research And Education Center, U-pick, UF/IFAS Extension Miami-Dade County, Vegetable Garden

Setting the table: UF/IFAS ‘Food is Medicine’ farm shows how culturally relevant crops can strengthen agriculture

by Lourdes Mederos
April 27, 2026

Cooking Up Health: The Mediterranean Way – Recent Program Highlights

by Jessica Alfonso-Rodriguez
April 24, 2026

About Program This month, I wrapped up our most recent Cooking Up Health: The Mediterranean Way series. The goal of this program is to help busy adults adopt the Mediterranean diet by providing easy tips, healthy swaps, and practical strategies. ... READ MORE

Category: , Health & Nutrition, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Family & Consumer Sciences, FCS, Food, FoodIsMedicine, Health, Miami-Dade, Nutrition, South Florida, UF/IFAS Extension

Be an invader detector: UF scientists call on public to help track elusive Asian Swamp Eels

by Lourdes Mederos
April 7, 2026

University of Florida researchers are urging South Floridians to help stop the spread of an invasive fish now secretly moving through canals, marshes and wetlands across the region’s most vulnerable environments. Visitors, residents, ... READ MORE

Category: Blog Community, , Conservation, Invasive Species, SFYL Hot Topic, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water
Tags: 1-888-IVEGOT1, Asian Swamp Eel, Canals, Citizen Science Month, Conservation, Croc Docs, Fish, Fort Lauderdale Research And Education Center, Frank J. Mazzotti, Frank Mazzotti, Invasive Species, IVEGOT1 Mobile App, South Florida, Southeast Asia, UF/IFAS Wildlife Ecology And Conservation, USGS, Wetlands

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