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five butterflies in a row

A Bug Eat Bug World

by David Austin
March 12, 2025

Those Pesky Bugs If you are like many people, you might cringe at seeing some unknown creature crawling across your prized plant. Your Spidey senses might kick in, and you may want to act. Before you reach for a spray bottle, please take ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Lawn, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension,
Tags: Beneficial Insects, Bugs, Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Gardening, Hometown Gardener, IPM, Pollinator Plants, UF/IFAS Extension

How ranchers and cows can help sequester carbon

by Alissa Hevesh
November 26, 2024

Increasing amounts of carbon are being emitted into the atmosphere, playing a role in our changing climate patterns. Reducing these emissions requires policy, behavior change, and access to new technologies (among other things). While we may ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Conservation, Farm Management, Livestock, NATURAL RESOURCES, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Carbon Sequestration, Cattle, Climate Change, Climate Resiliency, Conservation, Cows, Pasture Management, Ranchers

Using Individual Plant Covers as an Approach to Protect Young Citrus Trees

by David Austin
October 2, 2024

The State of Florida Citrus Florida has always been known for its citrus production.  If it weren’t called the Sunshine State, it could be known as the Citrus State. After all, the state flower is the orange blossom. In the early 2000s, ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension,
Tags: Citrus, Highlands Horticulture Digest, Hometown Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteers, UF/IFAS Extension

Natural resources: our ally in climate change

by Alissa Hevesh
August 6, 2024

We are right in the middle of hurricane season here in Florida, and much of the state is experiencing the last remnants of Tropical Storm Debby. In Highlands County, we got by without much damage, but things did get windy and wet. Other areas ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Farm Management, NATURAL RESOURCES, Water
Tags: Alissa Hevesh, Climate Change, Dispersed Water Management, Ecosystem Services, Flood Resilience, Flooding, Managed Lands, Natural Resources, SFWMD, Wetlands
Four edible perennials you can plant in your yard

Cultivating a Food Forest in Your Yard

by David Austin
May 29, 2024

To grow your food is to know your food Step outside your door and gather the ingredients for a salad or pick some fruit for breakfast. It wasn't so long ago that people lived that way and grew much of what they ate. With the convenience of ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Fruits & Vegetables, Health & Nutrition, Home Landscapes, Home Management, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Extension,
Tags: Agriculture, Classes, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Food Forest, Gardening, Highlands County, Highlands Horticulture Digest, Hometown Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteers, Permaculture, UF/IFAS Extension, Vegetables

Navigating the Thistle Lifecycle: Strategies for Effective Thistle Management in Pastures

by Kalan Royal
December 13, 2023

Thistles are a common weed found in pastures throughout South Florida that can have an economic impact on your cattle operation through loss of grazing and reduced forage production which can lead to reduced weaning weights. Thistles are biennials, ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Livestock
Tags: Highlands County, Livestock, Pasture Management, Pasture Weeds, Thistles, Weed Control
Bees on a hive frame

August 19th was National Honey Bee Day

by David Austin
August 21, 2023

  Celebrating honey bees Honey bees deserve their day in the sun. After all, they work most daylight hours and their jobs never seem to end. They are working from the moment they chew their way out of the cell they developed in, until ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, UF/IFAS Extension,
Tags: Bees, Highlands County, Highlands Horticulture Digest, Hometown Gardener, Honey, Master Gardener Volunteers, Pollination, UF/IFAS Extension
Two large Florida Alligators bask in the sun while faccing away from each other, tail to tail.

Convert your yard to a Florida-Friendly one

by David Austin
April 10, 2023

Don't kill yourself any longer Is taking care of your yard hard on your pocketbook and your back? Has it become something out of an Alfred Hitcok film?  Are you frustrated with your plants not doing well? Someone may have told you, “That’s ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Home Landscapes, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Gardening, Highlands County, Highlands Horticulture Digest, Hometown Gardener, Master Gardener Volunteers, UF/IFAS Extension

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