Hurricane Irma causes $2.5B in damage to Florida crops
State officials say Hurricane Irma caused more than $2.5 billion in damage to Florida’s agricultural community.
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Citrus industry looks for aid after Irma
A long wait may be ahead for broad federal relief for Florida’s beleaguered citrus industry, “decimated” last week by a lethal hurricane that crossed the peninsula at the start of the growing season, state Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said Wednesday.
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Irma delivers punch to agriculture
Florida fruit growers and farmers have just barely begun to assess the damage Hurricane Irma wrought on the state’s citrus, sugar cane and vegetable crops—but they expect it will be significant. With power and communications still out across much of Florida, officials said Tuesday that getting a full picture will take weeks. What remains unknown: Exactly how much damage the crops suffered, how much producers might recover from crop insurance, and how much more people might pay for their morning…
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Family farms offer big quality for just a little capital
Not every vegetarian is opposed to eating meat in every circumstance. What they do oppose is the Fresh from Factory Farms brand of agriculture that makes antibiotics manufacturers rich and the rest of us fat and sick. So, it’s great news that Nicole Kozak and Manny Cruz have found a way to make a living farming the old-fashioned, pre-Industrial Revolution way. Treat yourself to a video tour of the couple’s farm, and farming methods, courtesy of Ft. Myers News-Press reporter…
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Adam Putnam: Your Thanksgiving meal began on a farm
Picking up ingredients for your family’s favorite Thanksgiving dishes locally can be so easy that we sometimes take for granted our ranchers’ and farmers’ hard work to provide the food we all rely on. Agriculture has been and will continue to be the cornerstone of society — it is the industry that provides for one of our most basic needs. Some elements of agriculture have remained unchanged over centuries while others have changed radically with scientific and technological advancements. Agriculture…
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Gwen Graham introduces ‘AgShare’ legislation with Ted Yoho
U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham – fresh off her barnstorming North Florida Farm Tour – is dropping an agriculture bill along with fellow North Floridian U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho. The bill would create a pilot “AgShare” program, which aims to free up farming equipment currently being held by the federal government for use by farmers. The legislation would create an equipment-sharing program administered through the Department of Defense, with an eye towards helping new farmers push past the extensive capital requirements that often serve as…
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Adam Putnam issues ‘agricultural state of emergency’ in Miami over fruit fly infestation
Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Adam Putnam declared Tuesday an Oriental Fruit Fly infestation in Miami-Dade County rises to the level of an agricultural emergency. “The Oriental Fruit Fly is one of the world’s most destructive pests and poses a significant threat to Florida’s $123 billion agriculture industry and the two million jobs it supports,” said Putnam in a statement. “Miami-Dade County’s agriculture industry is a $1.6 billion industry, and we will use every weapon in our arsenal that’s necessary to…
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