Shiitake mushrooms

Growing Mushrooms Outdoors

by Matt Lollar
September 11, 2026

Mushrooms are an excellent low calorie food with a high fullness factor (they fill you up).  But the “common” or “button” mushroom lacks natural flavor.  On the other hand, shiitake mushrooms have all the benefits of button mushrooms, ... READ MORE

Category: Agribusiness
Tags: Agriculture, Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Extension, Ffl, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Florida Yards And Neighborhoods, Franklin, Fungi, Fungus, Fyn, Gadsden, Garden, Gardening, Gardening In The Panhandle, GI-BMP, Gulf, Holmes, Horticulture, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Log, Office, Okaloosa, Outdoor, Oyster, Panhandle, Panhandle Gardening, Santa Rosa, Shiitake, Uf, Uf/ifas, Wakulla, Walton, Washington
Mulched Amarylys plant bed

Mulch in Northwest Florida Landscapes

by Joshua Criss
September 10, 2026

Mulch: A Critical Tool in Your Landscape When most people think about mulch in Northwest Florida, they picture a layer of pine bark or wood chips spread beneath trees and shrubs to give the landscape a clean, finished appearance. While mulch ... READ MORE

Category: Florida-Friendly Landscaping
Tags: Agriculture, Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Extension, Ffl, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Florida Yards And Neighborhoods, Franklin, Fyn, Gadsden, Garden, Gardening, Gardening In The Panhandle, GI-BMP, Gulf, Holmes, Horticulture, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Office, Okaloosa, Panhandle, Panhandle Gardening, Santa Rosa, Uf, Uf/ifas, Wakulla, Walton, Washington
Tractor demonstration

Santa Rosa County Farm Tour – October 1

by Matt Lollar
September 3, 2026

The 2026 Santa Rosa County Farm Tour will be held on Thursday, October 1. Participants will visit working farm sites, talk with growers, learn about conservation practices, and see Florida agriculture firsthand. Registration and breakfast ... READ MORE

Category: Events
Tags: Agriculture, Bay, Bus, Calhoun, Escambia, Event, Extension, Ffl, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Florida Yards And Neighborhoods, Franklin, Fyn, Gadsden, Garden, Gardening, Gardening In The Panhandle, GI-BMP, Gulf, Holmes, Horticulture, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Office, Okaloosa, Panhandle, Panhandle Agriculture, Santa Rosa, Tour, Uf, Uf/ifas, Wakulla, Walton, Washington
Lovebugs on flowers

Don’t Believe the Rumors, We Didn’t Invent Lovebugs!

by Matt Lollar
September 1, 2026

The University of Florida did not invent lovebugs.  However, we know enough about them to dispel a couple rumors and share a few facts. Rumor #1 - Lovebugs were developed by the University of Florida to eat mosquitoes. Sometime after ... READ MORE

Category: Pests & Disease
Tags: Agriculture, Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Extension, Ffl, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Florida Yards And Neighborhoods, Franklin, Fyn, Gadsden, Garden, Gardening, Gardening In The Panhandle, GI-BMP, Gulf, Holmes, Horticulture, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Office, Okaloosa, Panhandle, Panhandle Gardening, Santa Rosa, Uf, Uf/ifas, Wakulla, Walton, Washington
Hydroponic Lettuce

Santa Rosa Farming Series

by Matt Lollar
August 14, 2026

The Santa Rosa County Extension Office (6263 Dogwood Dr., Milton, FL 32570) will be hosting a series of classes for people interested in starting a farm business or diversifying their current operations.  Each class will focus on a specific ... READ MORE

Category: Events
Tags: Aquaponics, Christmas, Class, County, Event, Extension, Farm, Farming, Fruit, Hydroponics, IFAS, Mushroom, Panhandle Agriculture, Series, Training, Tree, Uf, Vegetable, Workshop
Zebra longwing on zinnia

Fall Support for Pollinators

by Joshua Criss
August 6, 2026

It may not seem like it, but the days are getting have steadily shorteer. With that, we’ve also begun our journey to fall. Aside from images of glowing fireplaces and pumpkin spice everything, those of us in the gardening world should put ... READ MORE

Category: HOME LANDSCAPES
Tags: Agriculture, Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Extension, Ffl, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Florida Yards And Neighborhoods, Franklin, Fyn, Gadsden, Garden, Gardening, Gardening In The Panhandle, GI-BMP, Gulf, Holmes, Horticulture, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Office, Okaloosa, Panhandle, Panhandle Gardening, Panhandle Horticulture, Santa Rosa, Uf, Uf/ifas, Wakulla, Walton, Washington
Dogfennel

What’s That Weed? Dogfennel

by Matt Lollar
July 30, 2026

Dogfennel (Eupatorium capillifolium), which some people refer to as summer cedar, is a perennial weed that can be difficult to control.  When mowed down or cut it grows back from a woody base.  Additionally, it produces seeds with hairs that ... READ MORE

Category: HOME LANDSCAPES, Pests & Disease
Tags: Agriculture, Bay, Calhoun, Control, Dog, Dogfennel, Escambia, Extension, Fennel, Ffl, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Florida Yards And Neighborhoods, Franklin, Fyn, Gadsden, Garden, Gardening, Gardening In The Panhandle, GI-BMP, Gulf, Herbicide, Holmes, Horticulture, Invasive, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Manage, Office, Okaloosa, Panhandle, Panhandle Gardening, Pesticide, Santa Rosa, Uf, Uf/ifas, Wakulla, Walton, Washington, Weed
Landscape with pond

All About Rain Gardens

by Joshua Criss
June 24, 2026

With all the rainy days in northwest Florida lately, you’d be forgiven for wondering if your property would be better suited to being one giant pond. More importantly, you may begin to wonder where all that runoff will end up. It will likely ... READ MORE

Category: HOME LANDSCAPES
Tags: Agriculture, Bay, Calhoun, Escambia, Extension, Ffl, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Florida Yards And Neighborhoods, Franklin, Fyn, Gadsden, Garden, Gardening, Gardening In The Panhandle, GI-BMP, Gulf, Holmes, Horticulture, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Office, Okaloosa, Panhandle, Panhandle Horticulture, Santa Rosa, Uf, Uf/ifas, Wakulla, Walton, Washington
honey bees on a ray flower

Knee High by the Fourth of July Nonsense

by Matt Lollar
June 23, 2026

I'm sure you've heard the old saying "Knee High by the Fourth of July" in reference to growing corn.  Well, it's just not true in this part of the country.  In fact, it doesn't hold much truth in America's Corn Belt either.  If we planted ... READ MORE

Category: Fruits & Vegetables
Tags: Agriculture, America, Bay, Calhoun, Corn, Escambia, Extension, Farm, Ffl, Florida Friendly Landscaping, Florida Yards And Neighborhoods, Franklin, Fyn, Gadsden, Garden, Gardening, Gardening In The Panhandle, GI-BMP, Gulf, Holmes, Horticulture, Independence, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Office, Okaloosa, Panhandle, Panhandle Gardening, Santa Rosa, Uf, Uf/ifas, Vegetable, Wakulla, Walton, Washington

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