Grow with Google partnered with the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture (AFBFA) to train 2,000 teachers in digital skills. These teachers will reach 200,000 students in rural communities around America by the end of the 2022-2023 school year. AFBFA is supporting this effort by creating the Farm Bureau Foundation Fellows Program, which is an 8-month program designed to help fellows develop a place-based curriculum that incorporates...
Feeding Minds Press has released a new title, Hero for the Hungry by Norman Borlaug. This book tells the story of Norman Borlaug, the "Father of the Green Revolution," and his fight to end world hunger. “We’re excited to introduce today’s youth to Norman Borlaug,” said Daniel Meloy, executive director of the Foundation. “With ‘Hero for the Hungry,’ we hope Norman Borlaug’s story of science and true American grit inspires young...
The United States Department of Agriculture (UDSA) has a new $550 million program that is supporting projects that enable underserved producers access to land, capital, and markets, and train the next diverse generation of agricultural professionals. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the funding is part of “USDA’s unwavering commitment to advancing equity for all, including people who have been underserved, marginalized, and adversely...
Shannon Carnevale, Natural Resources and Conservation Extension Agent for UF/IFAS Extension Polk County, and Lara Milligan, Natural Resources Agent for UF/IFAS Extension Pinellas County, started their podcast, Naturally Florida in June of 2021. Since, they have published over 18 episodes, which are available on most common podcast apps such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Amazon Music. This podcast won the Silver Award for...
Gut health takes 2 forms in cattle: how effectively the nutrients in the food are being processed and used by the body, and how effectively pathogens are being contained in the digestive tract so they are not impacting the rest of the body. These pathogens are beneficial to the digestive tract in cattle as they assist in the food breakdown process. In animals with good gut health, there is a barrier that keeps these pathogens contained. When...
Breaded and stuffed raw chicken products have been the cause of 14 outbreaks and over 200 foodborne illnesses since 1988. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will declare Salmonella as an adulterant in breaded and stuffed raw chicken products. Some of these products in the food appeared to be cooked, but were only heat treated to set the batter and breading, or still raw. “Food safety is at the heart of everything,” says Ag...
Studies have been done by Fundecitrus that found the first four stages of orange tree shoot development are the most attractive ones to Huanglongbing (HLB) spreading psyllids. These stages, (V1 to V4) are critical to take care of in a young orange trees life, insecticides should be used to keep the pesky psyllids away. “This is because the insecticides applied to the leaves do not have a systemic action, that is, they do not move within the...
With hurricane season upon us, it is important to have your ag or livestock operation prepared for the strong winds, heavy rain, and possible tornados that these storms produce. UF/IFAS have some recommendations for preparing your operations, which include making sure generators are working and there is enough gas to run them, and fixing any damage to barns and buildings, paying special attention to the roof. Visit the link below for more ways...
The hot and dry weather in Georgia has been beneficial to the peach harvest because it keeps the diseases at a minimum, but this lack of rain will cause the peaches to be smaller as water causes the fruit to expand. The size and color of the peach are what sell, "People like large, really, brilliant red peaches. If you don't have enough water in particular, you can not produce a larger peach." said Phil Brannen, University of Georgia Extension...
Pasco County, Florida is now under quarantine after a community gardener in Port Richey came across a giant African land snail on June 23rd. This snail eats up to 500 different species of plants and even the paint and stucco off your house. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said, "The giant African land snail is one of the most dangerous snails in the world. These snails could be devastating to Florida agriculture and...
