What: The UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center Suwannee Valley (NFREC-SV) is hosting a free and open to the public Community Day at the Farm.
Where: UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center Suwannee Valley, 8202 County Road 417, Live Oak, Fl, 32060.
When: 8:30 a.m. – 12 p.m. ET, Saturday, April 18, 2026.
Cost: No Cost to Attend.
Registration: Please visit the Eventbrite link to register.
Media RSVP contact: Bob Hochmuth, UF/IFAS NFREC-SV Assistant Director, bobhoch@ufl.edu, (O) 386 219-4255, (C) 386-288-6301
About: Join UF/IFAS researchers, faculty and staff for a community-focused day at the farm at UF/IFAS NFREC Suwannee Valley to learn about innovative research and experience the bountiful orchards and trolley field tours.
“This event focuses on the families that live in this area,” said Bob Hochmuth, assistant director at the center. “We want the community to see first-hand the type of research being conducted at this center.”
Much of the research being conducted at UF/IFAS NFREC-SV is aimed at supporting local homeowners and planters in a wide range of topics from growing produce in container gardens to start-up orchards.
The trolley tour will take visitors through a variety of fields and orchards where cold-hardy selections for regional growers are on display including watermelon, blackberries, chestnuts, citrus and more.
The equipment and processes that help farmers to improve methods of growing food are also available for visitors to learn about and interact with, including self-driving and high clearance tractors and systems for irrigation and fertilizer management.
“Farmers in the Suwannee Valley are very familiar with this UF/IFAS Center, but we do not want to be the best kept secret from the public,” said Hochmuth. “We’re excited to showcase how our innovative research benefits not only industry farmers, but the public as well.”
To attend the free Community Day at the Farm event please register at the Eventbrite link.
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ABOUT UF/IFAS
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.
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