Seaweed aquaculture in Florida? A farmer’s perspective.

by Angela Collins
December 3, 2025

Global seaweed production is currently at an all time high (World Bank, 2023; FAO, 2024). Almost all of that production occurs in Asia. The small amount that does occur in the US is restricted to cold water species, like the kelps of New England ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Coasts & Marine, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: Aquaculture, Clams, Florida Sea Grant, Macroalgae, Seaweed, Shellfish, Tampa Bay
Four images from the 2025 Farm City Week Agricultural Tour: Roma tomatoes at West Coast Tomato; bright red poinsettias at Orban’s Nursery; rows of chartreuse foliage plants at Manatee Farms; and iced whole fish packed in a box at A.P. Bell Fish Company. Photos by UF/IFAS Extension Manatee County

Highlights From the 2025 Manatee County Farm City Week Agricultural Tour

by Caitlin Sollazzo
November 21, 2025

A huge thank-you to everyone who joined us for the 34th Annual Farm City Week Agricultural Tour. We had a full bus, a full schedule, and a full day of learning, connecting, and experiencing agriculture firsthand. Thank you to every operation ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Horticulture, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: A.P. Bell Fish Co., Manatee Farms, Orban's Nursery, Palma Sola Botanical Park, West Coast Tomato

Porterweed Rust

by Caitlin Sollazzo
November 12, 2025

Sometimes nature can be quite beautiful. This is rust (Puccinia urbaniana) infecting native porterweed (Stachytarpheta jamaicensis). If you look closely, you can even see tiny fly larvae feeding on the spores of the rust fungus.Rust is a type ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, , Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Horticulture, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, UF/IFAS Teaching
Tags: Florida Friendly Landscape, Horticulture, Manatee County, Manatee County Extension

UF/IFAS Extension Manatee County 2025 Farm City Week Agricultural Tour: Keeping Agriculture Alive in 2025.

by Caitlin Sollazzo
October 31, 2025

The 34th Annual Farm City Week Agricultural Tour in Manatee County is a fun-filled, day-long, chartered bus tour that will take place on Friday, November 14, 2025 from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. Attendees will get a rare opportunity to go behind-the-scenes ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Agribusiness, Agriculture, , Coasts & Marine, Disaster Preparation, Events, Farm Management, Horticulture, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension
Tags: AP Bell, ManateeFarms, Orban's, WestCoastTomato

Southwest Small Farmers Network Meeting Fall 2025

by David Outerbridge
October 7, 2025

On Wednesday, September 3, 2025, the Southwest Florida Small Farmers Network held our late summer/early fall meeting at ECHO Global Farm in Fort Myers, FL. The focus of the meeting was Community Food Systems, Agroecology, and information on ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Farm Management, Natural Resources, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching,
Tags: Southwest Florida Small Farms Network, Southwest Small Farmers Network

When to Plant Vegetables in Florida

by Ida VanDamme
September 29, 2025

If you’ve struggled to grow good vegetables in Florida and you happen to be from up North, you’re not alone.  Or maybe you just got into gardening and don’t know where to start.  One determining factor of success is knowing when to plant ... READ MORE

Category:
Left to right: Larval Antlion, pupal antlion, adult antlion.

Antlion Insects as Pets?

by Caitlin Sollazzo
September 6, 2025

My Story One day on a walk, I noticed a cluster of tiny funnel-shaped pits in the sand. I knew right away who made them … an antlion larva, also called a “doodlebug.” These little predators are masters at building some of the most ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Agriculture, , Conservation, Florida-Friendly Landscaping, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Wildlife
Tags: 4-H, Antlions, Insects, Manatee County Extension
Families Are Coping with Financial Struggles

Families Are Coping with Financial Struggles

by Nelly Nelson
August 15, 2025

Families are coping with financial struggles as we move through 2025; many families across the nation are grappling with the growing weight of financial stress. From rising living costs and housing shortages to job market shifts driven by automation ... READ MORE

Category:
Tags: Family And Consumer Sciences, Family Money Management, Financial Assistance, Financial Management, Manatee County, Manatee County Extension, Money Management, UF/IFAS Extension

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