The Florida Department of Agriculture has established a partnership program with the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association to conduct a number of initiatives over the next two years through a USDA specialty crop block grant.
Read more here.
Report (1:00 mp3)
It is a growing reality that major cuts to IFAS will impact far more than just agriculture industries in Florida. In these reports, comments from Florida Pest Control President/CEO Dempsey “D.R.” Sapp Jr, who is in Tallahassee this week as part of a Florida Pest Management Association member delegation.
Speaking of industry events in the state Capitol, Florida Cattlemen’s Association members are arriving in Tallahassee early this week for several days of legislative visits, and next week is Florida Farm Bureau’s huge legislative reception Tuesday March 18th at the Civic Center located a couple blocks behind the state Capitol. More information on the Farm Bureau activities can be found through your nearest county Farm Bureau office. Report (1:00 mp3) Report (1:00 mp3)
This report is a brief interview with Senator J D Alexander from Polk County who chairs the Ag Committee in the Florida Senate. Speaking with us moments after Thursday’s Ag Committee meeting in the state Capitol, he says it will be an important Session for agriculture and that producers need to get involved in the process. Report (1:55 mp3)
Catching up with Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charlie Bronson at this week’s Florida Ag Hall of Fame festivities 
in Tampa, he talks to our audience about the looming budget battle in the upcoming Legislature, and how producers themselves must become more directly involved in telling the story of the industry.
Report (2:40 mp3)
Regardless of what you may have been told about comments he “reportedly made…” you can now hear in the report below, in his own words, what University of Florida President Bernie Machen thinks of the Florida agriculture industry and the budget crisis facing the University and the State of Florida as a whole. Speaking to us here at Southeast AgNet moments ago in an effort to reach Florida agriculture directly, Machen wants to set the record straight about comments attributed to him that he says he never made. Machen also wants agriculture to understand the severe budget challenges facing the University of Florida and other state institutions going into this year’s legislative session.
UF Pres Bernie Machen Interview (4:42 mp3)
HAVE YOU RETURNED YOUR QUESTIONNAIRE YET?
This week’s Annual Meeting and Legislative Breakfast 
events hosted by the Georgia Agribusiness Council in Atlanta drew a good crowd of the state’s agriculture leaders, 
numerous lawmakers and legislative staffers. One of the big news items of the day is the announcement by GA Governor Sonny Perdue that some of the watering restrictions in Georgia will be relaxed, 
for now anyway, to help support the nursery industry and efforts by the public to establish new plantings of trees and shrubs. Governor Perdue also is set to sign a new state water bill today that Georgia agriculture industry leaders have been very involved in helping to develop. In the reports posted herein, hear Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue’s comments to the media (mp3)right after he spoke to the GAC breakfast this morning. Also hear 
comments from Georgia Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association Exec Charles Hall (mp3) 
including an update about a referendum deadline coming up for GA Vegetable producers to vote on a new marketing order; Georgia Farm Bureau President Vincent ‘Zippy’ Duvall comments (mp3) on the water bill and other present concerns for Georgia agriculture; and GA Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin also offers comments (mp3) for our listeners, speaking to us just before the GAC breakfast this morning. Also to see who’s in these photos, just place your cursor over each photo and the cut line will appear.
We’ve been contacted by several farm groups and industry leaders who are urging farmers to contact University of Florida’s President and the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives to say “no” to disproportionate cuts to the IFAS budget.
Dade County Farm Bureau writes, “It seems that some people want to believe that agriculture in Florida is a dying industry. At the very least, some of our lawmakers want to use that as a reason for proposing drastic cuts to the IFAS budget.
HAVE YOU RETURNED YOUR QUESTIONNAIRE YET?
In these two reports, excerpts from an exclusive interview with Acting U S Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner during his quick visit to Florida this week. Conner explains concerns he says are holding up Farm Bill progress in Congress. Hear the entire Conner interview in a previous post to this website.
Report (1:00 mp3) Report (1:00 mp3)
FEBRUARY 4TH IS THE DEADLINE - HAVE YOU RETURNED YOUR QUESTIONNAIRE YET?
Acting U S Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner is traveling heavily these days all over the nation, making talks and engaging agriculture folks in discussions about Farm Bill negotiations that seem logjammed in Congress. In Florida this week to talk citrus issues, and to meet with a national gathering of farm cooperatives going on in Orlando, we appreciate being given exclusive access to Conner for the phone interview posted in this report. All specialty crop producers should listen closely to Conner’s concerns about the Farm Bill. Report (9:00 mp3)
FEBRUARY 4TH IS THE DEADLINE - HAVE YOU RETURNED YOUR QUESTIONNAIRE YET?
Something different in this post that all fruit and vegetable growers will want to hear about. It can be said that farmers know what farmers need. My cousin Mark DuBois grew up in the family vegetable farming business in south Florida. 
After years in development his family’s inventions are now helping all kinds of growers meet EPA guidelines for portable personal cleanup in the field, and saving growers money and hassle when it comes to efficiently killing weeds. In this interview, hear Mark describe the Scrub N Go and Weed Wipe systems, now available to growers everywhere, and learn more about their product line from either of the websites linked to the product names above. Mark DuBois Interview (2:00 mp3)
FEBRUARY 4TH IS THE DEADLINE - HAVE YOU RETURNED YOUR QUESTIONNAIRE YET?
As a producer you should of received your Ag Census form in the mail, and you are urged to complete it and return it by the deadline. Tyron Spearman tells us today just how important this census is. Report (:45 mp3)
This post sponsored by:
TALLAHASSEE — Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson is alerting the state’s agricultural producers that some highway restrictions have been eased to enable them to quickly harvest and transport crops that are vulnerable to the impending freezing weather conditions. (more…)
There’s a program for farms called FARMS in the Soutwest Florida Water Management District that often works with USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service on implementing production-scale agricultural BMP projects to provide resource benefits that include water quality improvement, reduction of upper Floridan aquifer withdrawals and/or conservation, restoration or augmentation of the area’s water resources and ecology.
Report (1:30 mp3)
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson has announced that Colleen Boggs of Homestead has been selected to receive the “Woman of the Year in Agriculture” award for 2007.
Boggs is owner and president of Pine Island Nursery, a family-owned and operated nursery in southern Miami-Dade County. Established in 1972, Pine Island Nursery is a leading producer and exporter of tropical fruits, and tropical fruit, nut and spice trees.
“Colleen Boggs has contributed greatly to Florida’s agricultural industry during her lifetime of service,” Bronson said. “After working as an assistant taxonomist, high school biology teacher, horse boarder and construction project manager, Colleen bought a small nursery and turned it into a major exporter of fruit and trees. Along the way she overcame major setbacks due to hurricanes and crop disease, never wavering from her commitment to excellence and drive for success.”
Read more here.
It only happens once each five years and producers of any kind of agriculture products are required to be counted. We’re working with USDA’s National Agriculture Statistics Service in our region again to help get the word out about the Census of Agriculture, so stay tuned for lots of information and frequent reminders about it in the coming weeks. Agriculture Census questionnaires will be mailed the last week of this year and should be returned by the first week of February 2008. Prompt action by producers will save a lot of extra time and effort to chase down the forms not returned on time. Learn more from USDA’s special Census of Agriculture website.
This post sponsored by:
Cindy’s audio report including comments from FFBF Vice president Rick Roth of Belle Glade on how the “No-Match” rule would affect his operation.
Report (1:00 mp3)
Wednesday, October 10, 2007 - 11:43 PDT SAN FRANCISCO - A federal judge in San Francisco barred the Bush administration today from threatening to prosecute businesses for knowingly employing illegal immigrants if they fail to fire workers whose Social Security numbers don’t match government records.
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer issued a nationwide preliminary injunction barring the government from enforcing the so-called no-match rule, which was scheduled to take effect last month but was blocked by temporary restraining orders from Breyer and another judge. Today’s order remains in effect until a suit by labor unions challenging the rule goes to trial sometime next year or until a higher court intervenes. (more…)
The Environmental Protection Agency has approved a one-year registration of iodomethane (methyl iodide) as an alternative to methyl bromide under highly restrictive provisions governing its use. Iodomethane can be used as a pre-plant soil fumigant to control plant pathogens, nematodes, insects, and weeds on strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, ornamentals, turf, trees, and vines.
Report (1:00 wma)
Florida Farm Bureau’s 66th annual meeting is being held this week in Daytona Beach. Find out more on-line here.
Report (1:00 mp3)
At the annual meeting, former FFBF president Carl Loop will receive the Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award, the Federation’s highest honor, for a lifetime of service to agriculture.
Report (1:00 mp3)
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson talks about about Florida’s License and Bond Law.
Visit http://www.florida-agriculture.com/marketing/licensing_info.htm for more information about Florida’s License and Bond Law and the FDACS Bureau of License and Bond.
To learn more about an administrative judge ordering a Pasco County agricultural dealer to pay a horticulture grower more than $97,000 under Florida’s License and Bond Law, visit http://www.florida-agriculture.com/news/08-10-07.htm.
Report (1:00 mp3)
According to what Dr Jim Graham of University of Florida’s Citrus Research and Education Center learned while in South America recently, there has been a new outbreak of citrus greening in Brazil, due to the movement of Orange Jasmine, an ornamental plant recently put on the citrus greening ‘host plant’ list here in Florida. Hear comments from Dr Graham in this report, and stay tuned for more in days ahead.
Report (2:00 wma)
In the first report below, officials continue the march to restrict plants that carry citrus greening disease, and a calendar note about the upcoming Florida Fertilizer and Agrichemical Association Scholarship Fund Sporting Clays Tournament. In the second report, another reminder about this week’s 46th Annual Citrus Packinghouse Day at CREC in Lake Alfred, and information about a new electronic newsletter from CREC with monthly citrus research updates.
Report (2:00 mp3)
Report (2:00 mp3)
Specialty crop growers who are bugged by white flies have a new on-line resource to turn to for help. An online program called “Management Program for Whiteflies on Propagated Ornamentals With an Emphasis on the Q-biotype,” gas been developed to help growers afflicted by the pests. The comprehensive online resource can be accessed at: http://www.mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/LSO/bemisia/bemisia.htm.
Report (1:00 mp3)
For farmers wanting to know more about how to deal with a crackdown on illegal workers, here are some communications courtesy of Dade County Farm Bureau in Homestead, Florida that may be helpful.
Dade County Farm Bureau News (pdf file)
Dade County Farm Bureau News Part II (pdf file)
Sponsoring this news posting: 
In this report, according to news reports coming out this week, up to 1,500 producers of citrus, vegetables and nursery crops in Florida are being asked to prove they have crop insurance or refund disaster money provided following hurricanes of recent years. Also in part two of this report, Florida Citrus Production Advisory Council leader Peter McClure says while things came together to fund ramped up citrus research this year, there is good reason to repeat the effort year after year.
Report (2:00 mp3)
Find information at USDA’s Website About the Citrus Health Response Program
Pre-register for Seminars and Trade Show attendance at 
Plant materials are an important part of the conservation provisions recommended by the administration for the 2007 Farm Bill, according to Florida State Conservationist and chairman of the national plant materials advisory committee Niles Glasgow.
Find out more about the NRCS Plant Materials Program.
Report (1:40 mp3)
Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson says the red palm mite could threaten Florida’s ornamental palm industry. The mite causes serious leaf damage, which ruins the ornamental value of palms, and as much as a 50 percent loss in coconut production.
More information can be found on the FDACS website here.
Report (1:00 mp3)
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service got together this week on Dauphin Island to demonstrate the importance of the Plant Materials program in hurricane recovery.
Find out more about the NRCS Plant Materials Program.
AL Report (2:00 wma)
FL Report (1:00 wma)
Kerry Herndon, owner of Kerry’s Bromeliad Nursery, and Louis E. “Red” Larson, founder of the Larson family’s dairies, will be featured on “The Florida Report” Wednesday, May 16, 2007 at 6:30 pm (EDT) on RFD-TV, the cable and satellite network devoted to rural issues and lifestyles. Kerry’s Bromeliad Nursery is one of the largest potted orchid complexes in the world. Larson is one of the most respected dairy leaders in Florida. Viewers will also learn how Florida 4-H recruits adult volunteers to share their diverse life experiences with rural and urban youths.
The program will repeat on Thursday, May 17 at 2:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. and on Saturday, May 19, at 3:30 p.m. “The Florida Report” is part of the series, “Farm Bureau Today,” and is produced for Florida Farm Bureau by the Marketing Division of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Report (:45 wma)
In this week’s pod cast, the Tresspassing Bill moves forward in Florida legislature, cotton numbers are down in Florida, Florida growers increase other crops, citrus processor file a law suit, and the USDA introduces new rootstocks.
To hear Florida’s weekly reviews subscribe to our podcast .
Continuing our feature with Nate Jameson, President of Brite Leaf Nursery, he explains what it means to growers when the USDA introduces new rootstocks like they just did recently with US 897 and US 802. Report (1:00 wma)
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