Category: Water

Reassessing Meatless Monday: A Scientific Perspective on the Role of Meat in Sustainable Diets

by Bridget Stice and Jasi Romero

November 3, 2025

By Bridget Stice, UF/IFAS Extension Polk Meatless Monday campaigns urge the public to skip meat one day a week to "improve health and protect the planet". While reducing excessive consumption of any food can be beneficial, blanket campaigns ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Health & Nutrition, Livestock, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, , Water, Wildlife
Tags: Agriculture, Beef, Bstice, Featured, Livestock, Meat, Polk County, Polk County FL, Polkco, SFBF, Sustainability

Are There Snakes in Our Lakes? Here’s What UF/IFAS Experts Say

by Shannon Carnevale
August 6, 2025

You may have seen media reports about the various snakes found in Florida’s water bodies. This may be overwhelming or even scary to consider. However, while it’s not unusual to see a snake near water, University of Florida Institute of Food ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Living With Wildlife, Naturally Florida Podcast, Shannon Carnevale, UF IFAS Extension Internship, Wildlife

Florida Pesticide Licenses: Aquatic

by Luis Rodriguez Rosado
July 10, 2025

Florida is among the most highly regulated states when it comes to pesticide applications, offering 13 different types of pesticide licenses across more than 20 categories. This complex structure can make it challenging for applicators to determine ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Coasts & Marine, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
Tags: Applying Pesticides Correctly, Aquatic License, Aquatic Pesticides, Aquatic Plants, Herbicide, Pesticide License, Pest_control, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County

Licencias de Plaguicidas de Florida: Acuática (“Aquatic”)

by Luis Rodriguez Rosado
July 10, 2025

Florida es uno de los estados con mayor regulación en cuanto a la aplicación de plaguicidas, ofreciendo 13 diferentes tipos de licencias de plaguicidas con más de 20 categorías. Esta compleja estructura puede dificultar que los aplicadores ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Coasts & Marine, Invasive Species, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Water
Tags: Applying Pesticides Correctly, Aquatic License, Aquatic Pesticides, Aquatic Plants, En Espanol, Espanol, Herbicide, Pesticide License, Pest_control, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County

Know Your Beef – The Myths of Meatless Mondays

by Bridget Stice and Jasi Romero

May 12, 2025

Every Monday, some groups urge Americans to skip meat in the name of “helping the planet.” But here’s the truth: U.S. beef production is NOT the environmental problem it’s often made out to be. These campaigns rely on global averages ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Conservation, Crops, Farm Management, Livestock, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, SFYL Hot Topic, Turf, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Research, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Agriculture, Beef, Bstice, Featured, Livestock, Polk County, Sustainability

Cottage Food, Water BMPs, & Essential Farm Equipment at the 2025 Spring Southwest Florida Small Farmer Network Meeting

by Luis Rodriguez Rosado, Allie Williams, David Outerbridge, Jennifer Hagen and Jessica M. Ryals

April 18, 2025

Many farmers sell products directly from their farms to reach more customers. Some of these items require a food permit, but others can be sold without one under Florida’s Cottage Food Law. What is the Cottage Food Law? Florida's Cottage ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness, Agriculture, Crops, Farm Management, Fruits & Vegetables, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, UF/IFAS Teaching, Water
Tags: BMPs, Cottage Food Law, Farm Equipment, Farm Management, Irrigation, Small Farms, Southwest Florida Small Farms Network, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County, Water

Florida’s Carnivorous Plants, a spooky new episode from Naturally Florida!

by Shannon Carnevale and Lara Milligan

October 22, 2024

In this episode, we’re diving into one of the state’s most fascinating plant groups: carnivorous plants. These spooky species have adapted to capture prey in some of Florida’s most nutrient-poor environments. We’ll talk about how they ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Water
Tags: Carnivorous Plants, Naturally Florida Podcast, Podcast, Spooky Season

Using Sandbags for Flood Protection During Tropical Weather

by Shannon Carnevale
September 24, 2024

As we prepare for incoming tropical weather, protecting your home from floodwaters becomes a top priority, especially for those living in flood-prone areas. Using sandbags for flood protection is a commonly used and cost-effective method to ... READ MORE

Category: Disaster Preparation, Natural Resources, Water
Tags: Disaster, Disaster Preparation, Helene, Hurricane, Hurricane Preparation, Preparedness, Storms

Florida Pesticide Licenses: Right-of-Way

by Luis Rodriguez Rosado
June 6, 2024

Florida is one of the most regulated states concerning pesticide applications. Florida has 13 different pesticide licenses with over 20 categories. This makes it difficult for applicators to understand what license is the one they need for a ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Professional Development, Recreation, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Pesticide License, Pesticide_applicator, Pesticide_protection, Right-of-way, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County

Licencias de pesticidas de Florida: Derecho de Paso (“Right-of-Way”)

by Luis Rodriguez Rosado
June 6, 2024

Florida es uno de los estados más regulados en cuanto a aplicaciones de plaguicidas. Florida tiene 13 licencias de plaguicidas diferentes con más de 20 categorías. Esto dificulta que los aplicadores comprendan que licencia es la que necesitan ... READ MORE

Category: Conservation, Natural Resources, Pests & Disease, Recreation, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Extension, Water, Wildlife
Tags: Derecho-de-paso, En Espanol, Espanol, Pesticide License, Pesticide_applicator, Pesticide_protection, Right-of-way, UF/IFAS, UF/IFAS Polk County

Subscribe For More Great Content