Field to the Hill 2017 Farm Bureau members traveled to Washington D.C. May 23-25 for the annual Field to the Hill national advocacy trip. More than 80 members visited with the Florida congressional delegation on federal priority issues that impact Florida Farmers and ranchers. Top issues discussed included immigration reform and e-verify; NAFTA renegotiation and [...]
UF’s Impact on Florida Jack Payne Please check out the new University of Florida website that documents the economic impact the university makes on Florida: http://economicimpact.ufl.edu/ It’s a university-wide document, but UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is all over it. I congratulate Alan Hodges, Mohammad Rahmani, and Rod Clouser of the UF/IFAS Food [...]
Florida Farm Bureau Member Takes Part in Farmers Roundtable Lynetta Usher Griner pictured on the right in blue. Levy County Farm Bureau member Lynetta Usher Griner, an owner/operator of Usher Land and Timber, Inc. of Fanning Springs, took part in a Farmers Roundtable with more than a dozen farmers and representatives of the agricultural community [...]
Creating a Culture of Gratitude The 2017 Florida Farm Bureau Administrative Assistants Conference took place in Daytona Beach at The Shores Resort and Spa April 19-21. During the three-day event, more than 50 women attended engaging sessions on membership and marketing, estate planning, Farm Bureau banking services and attended a continuing education class on law [...]
Act to Protect Property Rights Farm Bureau members should seize the opportunity to take action in support of private property rights. So said Doug Kruse, development officer for Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF), last month. “This is probably the best time to be pushing hard,” he added. “Actions now could determine future government policy.” In a [...]
Student Scholarships-Peanut Scholarship The Florida Peanut Producers Association will award two $1,200 scholarships to deserving high school seniors and/or college students. Applicants must represent an active peanut growing farm family. Winners will receive $600 when the scholarship winners are announced and the remaining $600 will be awarded after the completion of one semester and documentation [...]
Student Scholarships-Tobacco Scholarship A Group of 2016 Tobacco Scholarship Recipients Florida Farm Bureau Federation is offering up to $2,000 per student in tobacco scholarships for qualified applicants who attend post-secondary institutions. Funding for the scholarships comes from a 1997 Tobacco Settlement regarding the marketing of tobacco products. Current and former Florida flue cured tobacco growers [...]
Bees Boost Blueberry Yield Bumblebees can boost blueberry yield by 70 percent, according to a recent study by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. According to researcher Joshua Campbell, the recent findings “are relevant for growers who are growing blueberries in greenhouses and high tunnels.” After caging bumblebees, hives with highbush blueberry [...]
Avian Influenza Update As of March 28, Avian influenza (AI) has been detected in five states: Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Wisconsin but has not been found in Florida poultry. Containing any incident of AI is a state and national priority. Working in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the state of Florida is [...]
Continued Commitment to Florida Farmers Jack Payne Extension folks have been learning from Suwannee County Farm Bureau President Randall Dasher for 30 years. Dasher was one of the first farmers Bob Hochmuth met when he arrived at the Suwannee Valley Agricultural Extension Center in the late 80’s. Back then, Bob and Randall talked greenhouse hydroponics. [...]
