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. [...]

Madison County Farm Bureau President Jeffery Hamrick Madison County Farm Bureau (MCFB) President Jeffery Hamrick has always known one thing for certain, that he wanted to be a farmer. “Ever since I could remember, I knew that I wanted to farm,” Hamrick stated. And a farmer he became! Hamrick is a fifth generation hay and [...]

UF/IFAS Small Farms Academy The UF Small Farms Academy (SFA) was initiated in 2010 in response to the need to offer uniquely designed, hands-on training programs that will help sustain existing small farms and increase the number of new small farms. The initial training programs were developed and offered at the Suwannee Valley Agricultural Extension [...]

Secure Your Farm Farm security is important for biosecurity, the safety of livestock and people, and reputation management. Securing your farm means you want to protect the safety of your animals, people on your property and your livelihood. Good security measures include having proper lighting, motion detectors, security cameras and locks or key code access [...]

School Gardens Sought for a Golden Shovel The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness will award golden shovel awards to school garden projects. In its third year, the Golden Shovel Awards will recognize gardens developed or sustained throughout the school year. Categories include: Best New Garden Best Revitalized [...]

Advocacy at the Capitol Hundreds of Florida Farm Bureau members from across Florida convened at the state Capitol to meet with legislators during Florida Farm Bureau’s annual Legislative Days in Tallahassee, March 7-8. Priority topics discussed with lawmakers included a land buying proposal that calls for the removal of 60,000 acres of productive farmland from [...]

Calhoun/Gulf Co. Farm Bureau President Cecil Bodiford Calhoun/Gulf County Farm Bureau (CGCFB) president, Cecil Bodiford, was born and raised in agriculture. He and his wife, Judy, live on the north central border of Calhoun County in the small town of Altha. “My granddaddy farmed before me and my parents and so on,” he stated. “We [...]