Tag: UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County

Blueberry growers work to bounce back after a chilly winter, deliver sumptuous fruit to consumers

by Brad Buck
March 11, 2026

After a winter that hit harder than anyone expected, freezing blossoms and fruit, and bruising hopes, Florida blueberry growers are working to recover from this chilly season. They’re coaxing every bit of sweetness they can from the surviving ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Antioxidant, Blueberries, Blueberry Breeding Program, Blueberry Season, Cultivars, Doug Phillips, Food Is Medicine, Freeze, Growers, Harvest, Josh Payne, Nutirents, Nutrition, Patricio Munoz, Production, Recovery, Registered Dietitian, UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County

Citizen scientists: Join the pollinator count and help the bees

by Brad Buck
July 30, 2025

About 70% of the world’s crop production relies on pollinator insects for survival. That makes it helpful to know how many pollinators are out there. As a citizen scientist, you can participate in this year’s Great Southeast Pollinator ... READ MORE

Category: SFYL Hot Topic
Tags: Bees, Butterflies, Carpenter Bees, Citizen Scientists, Count, Entomology, Flies, Great Southeast Pollinator Census, Honey Bees, Jeremy Rhoden, Lorna Bravo, Moths, Plants, Pollinators, Tia Silvasy, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Extension Broward County, UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, UF/IFAS Extension Marion County, Wasps

Blueberries: A healthy, tasty snack from Florida farmers

by Brad Buck
March 19, 2025

As we head into the heart of Florida blueberry harvest season – March through May -- growers are shipping the fruit to market to meet statewide and national consumer demand. You can find Florida-grown berries in stores, farmer’s markets ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Health & Nutrition
Tags: Anthocyanin, Blueberry Breeding Program, Blueberry Season, Consumers, Doug Phillips, Grocery Stores, Growers, Harvest, Horticultural Sciences, Joshua Payne, Nutrition, Patricio Munoz, Registered Dietitian, Snack, Statewide Blueberry Extension Coordinator, U-pick, UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County

UF scientist, veteran wins national award for program connecting military personnel to ag careers

by Brad Buck
May 14, 2024

A veteran himself, University of Florida plant pathologist Gary Vallad wanted to give back to his comrades-in-arms. So, he and Simon Bollin started the Veterans Florida Agriculture Program (VFAP), which helps train veterans for jobs in that ... READ MORE

Category: Professional Development
Tags: Department Of Defense SkillBridge Program, Gary Vallad, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, Jobs, Military, Research And Education Centers, Simon Bollin, UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, USDA-NIFA, USDA-NIFA Partnership Award, Veterans Florida Agriculture Program, Workforce

UF/IFAS experts give tips to manage the eastern lubber grasshopper, which can damage plants, citrus and vegetables

by Brad Buck
April 10, 2024

Eastern lubber grasshoppers are out in force throughout the Southeast, including some parts of Florida. They’re munching away on landscape plants, citrus and vegetable crops, while gardeners and growers are trying to minimize the damage. These ... READ MORE

Category: Fruits & Vegetables, Lawn, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS
Tags: Citrus, Crop Damage, Eastern Lubber Grasshopper, Gardens, Norm Leppla, Pest Management, Tia Silvasy, UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, Vegetables

Answers from UF/IFAS experts as pollen blankets your car and makes you sneeze

by Brad Buck
March 13, 2024

Achoo! It’s pollen season. You might sneeze, and you might have to wash your vehicle to remove the green, dust-like coating that comes from plants. We asked Lynn Barber, the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ agent at UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough ... READ MORE

Category: Health & Nutrition, Home Landscapes
Tags: Allergies, Alyssa Vinson, Lynn Barber, Oak Trees, Plants, Pollen, Sneezing, Tips, Trees, UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, UF/IFAS Extension Manatee County

Peak strawberry season means more Florida-grown, flavorful fruit at the market

by Brad Buck
January 18, 2024

We’re at the height of the Florida strawberry harvesting season – a time when the state’s growers are doing all they can to make sure consumers can choose from among the best of their favorite fruit at the market. “It has been an ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Aroma, Best Practices, Breeding, Cultivars, Florida Strawberry Growers Association, Growers, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center, Horticultural Sciences, Kenneth Parker, Strawberries, Strawberry Season, Taste, UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, Vance Whitaker, Wael Elwakil, Yield

Workshop teaches benefits, law of agritourism

by Brad Buck
October 4, 2023

Many farmers are incorporating tourism into their operations to draw visitors and earn an alternate source of income. If you’re interested in establishing an agritourism business, you can now register for and attend a workshop scheduled for ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Agritourism, Allie Williams, Education, Entertainment, Farms, Florida Agritourism Law, Food, Luis Rodriguez, Revenue, UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, UF/IFAS Extension Polk County, Wildlife, Workshop, Zoom

Say ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ with a plant – maybe even one bred by UF/IFAS

by Brad Buck
April 25, 2023

Making mom breakfast or taking her out for lunch for Mother’s Day (May 14) are both nice gestures. But if you want something that lasts long and looks good, try giving her a plant, say University of Florida experts. “A beautiful live ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Caladiums, Coleus, David Clark, Environmental Horticulture, Gift, Mother's Day, Plant Breeding, Plants, Social Interaction, Tia Silvasy, UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, UF/IFAS Plant Breeding, Zhanao Deng

Webinars aim to make this season less taxing

by Brad Buck
January 11, 2023

With a new year, many people are already starting to think about one of life’s certainties: federal income taxes. They’re due April 18. To learn more about how to file your tax return, Lisa Leslie, a family and consumer sciences agent ... READ MORE

Category: UF/IFAS
Tags: Certified Financial Planner, Credits, Lisa Leslie, Tax Filing, Tax Preparation, Taxes, UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, Webinars

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