Headlines

US (CA): Carrier of citrus greening turns up in San Gorgonio Pass – 2/2/2012
The Citrus Psyllid has been detected in various places around the state since 2008, but the disease it spreads, huanglongbing, or citrus greening disease, has yet to be found anywhere in the state. [Read More]

Citrus Leadership: Three Honored for a Combined 143 Years of Service – 1/28/2012
The three men in the 2012 Florida Citrus Hall of Fame class have a combined 143 years of service to their industry, virtually their entire adult lives. [Read More]

Cooperative Movement Guided Hunt's Philosophy – 1/28/2012
Frank Hunt II is a cooperative guy. [Read More]

Lester Helped Steer Industry Through Many Challenges – 1/28/2012
Battling disease and citrus freezes, competing with imported orange juice, fights over the effectiveness of orange juice advertising and the growers' taxes that support it — such issues that pass for Florida citrus news these days look like the same old story to Bernie Lester. [Read More]

Family Taught Barben Much About the Citrus Business – 1/28/2012
When Pennsylvania native Robert Barben married the former Jane Hartt in July 1945, he could barely distinguish an orange from a tangerine. [Read More]

Norman's 'ag-gag'EditorialBy TBO.COM | Tbo.com – 1/23/2012
State Sen. Jim Norman doesn't learn. A year after failing to make felons out of people who take video or still photos of farms without owners' permission, the Tampa Republican once again is seeking to make criminals out of farm visitors with cameras. [Read More]

Illegal immigration: More at stake than you think – 1/22/2012
Ask most Americans about "illegal immigration" and they are likely to conjure an image of someone of Hispanic origin swimming across the Rio Grande or evading border patrolmen in the desert. The reality is that just who is "illegal," how they got here and their impact on our society is much more complex than the visual impression we get from television news. [Read More]

Citrus market turning up sweet – 1/22/2012
Cold weather scares aside, it's good to be in the Florida citrus business these days. [Read More]

Small OJ makers promote Made in USA labels – 1/16/2012
In the wake of a scare affecting imports of orange juice, growers and juice companies in Florida are reminding customers their product isn't from abroad. [Read More]

Henry Swanson: Persistent prophet warned of state's water woes – 1/14/2012
Henry Swanson began a lonely crusade more than a half-century ago, warning that epic fights over scarce water would come to Florida. [Read More]

FDA releases Canada OJ results, more due next week – 1/13/2012
U.S. health regulators on Friday cleared the way for the first shipments of imported orange juice to enter the country since January 4, when authorities began testing for an illegal fungicide discovered in juice products from Brazil. [Read More]

California woman takes on Tropicana over purity claims – 1/11/2012
A freshly-squeezed lawsuit is calling into question just how fresh Tropicana orange juice really is. [Read More]

Could Florida's next big cash crop be pomegranates? – 1/11/2012
Move over citrus, there's a new fruit in town. [Read More]

The U.S. government could ban Brazilian oranges after low levels of fungicide carbendazim detected – 1/10/2012
Orange juice futures surged Tuesday amid fears the U.S. government could ban Brazilian oranges after low levels of fungicide were detected by a juice company. [Read More]

New OJ Campaign Targeting 'Non-Loyalists' – 1/7/2012
Marketing executives at the Florida Department of Citrus today face the agency's greatest challenge: reversing a 10-year decline in U.S. orange juice sales in an increasingly competitive and fragmented beverage market. [Read More]

Pierson citrus grower embraces shrinking regional industry – 1/7/2012
When Tony Lombardy talks about citrus, it has an air of professorial authority to it. [Read More]

Bill would undo Senate's new role in picking Department of Citrus chief – 1/6/2012
A state representative who is a former chairman of the Florida Citrus Commission filed a bill this week that would restore the panel's authority to appoint the head of the Florida Department of Citrus. [Read More]

Predator Wasps to be Introduced in L.A. to Counter Citrus Pests – 1/6/2012
Mark Hoddle has the makings of a Hollywood blockbuster. That's not something one usually says about an entomologist. The script might start this way: [Read More]

Tales from the grove – 12/18/2011
Despite the fact that over the last decade the number of acres of citrus in Florida has declined every year. [Read More]

My Word: Leave immigration reform to the feds – 12/18/2011
If potential harm to our shaky economy isn't enough to give them pause, Florida lawmakers considering immigration reform need only look at the mess in Alabama to see the negative consequences overzealous, enforcement-focused policies can have. State legislators chose not to rush on this issue last session, and recent events in our neighboring state show they were wise in this decision. [Read More]

Citrus Agency Gives Nod To Publix Official for Post – 12/16/2011
A divided Florida Citrus Commission search committee voted to recommend Publix executive Douglas Ackerman to become the next executive director of the Florida Department of Citrus. [Read More]

Citrus looking good – 12/14/2011
It should be a very good Christmas season for local citrus growers, because three weeks into the harvesting season, projections are slightly up from last year, and there appear to be few, if any, problems for the industry. [Read More]

Mexico: Veracruz declared HLB-free – 12/14/2011
The Mexican government has declared the state of Veracruz free of citrus greening disease, following laboratory tests after an outbreak in the municipality of Tempoal, website Hoytamaulipas.net reported. [Read More]

Nelson: Citrus, Space To Thrive – 12/11/2011
Two crucial Florida industries, space and citrus, may have taken recent beatings from Washington politics, but they are on the route to thriving, according to U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson. [Read More]

Ag Deptartment Predicts Increased Orange Crop – 12/9/2011
The U.S. Department of Agriculture raised its orange crop forecast for the 2011-2012 season 2 percent this week. [Read More]

Field of Citrus Director Candidates Narrows – 11/29/2011
The field of candidates for the Florida Department of Citrus' executive director position is getting smaller. [Read More]

Palm Beach County citrus tree owners don't need legislative OK for canker payments, judge rules – 11/28/2011
The state should not wait on the legislature to pay the $19.2 million owed Palm Beach County homeowners whose healthy citrus trees were destroyed during the state's canker eradication program, a judge has ruled. [Read More]

Invasive species nibble away at your wallet – 11/27/2011
Invasive species aren't just exotic animals, scary snakes or annoying insects. They can also be bacteria and viruses that kill people. Although it's difficult to say what the most harmful invasive species is, "I'd probably point to West Nile virus," says Christopher Dionigi of the federal National Invasive Species Council (NISC). This year, 36 people have died from the virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Between 1999 and 2010, there were 1,220 fatal cases. [Read More]

Invasive species affecting growers – 11/16/2011
Invasive species in South Florida eventually become a threat to agriculture. Some of them have already spread to other parts of Florida. [Read More]

Threat of Citrus Greening to Industry Worse Than Feared – 11/15/2011
Florida citrus growers have feared citrus greening would threaten their existence since the state's first discovery of the bacterial disease in 2005. [Read More]

Lawsuit over destroyed citrus trees yet to yield fruit for plaintiffs – 11/15/2011
In the Lee County case, a hearing was held in Fort Myers on Tuesday on a flurry of pretrial motions. [Read More]

Citrus Chairman Doesn't Shy From Tough Decisions – 11/7/2011
Florida citrus commissioners in June took the rare step of electing a new member, Marty McKenna, as their chairman because they recognized the commission and Florida citrus faced challenges requiring a leader with good judgment who doesn't shy from tough decisions, his colleagues said. [Read More]

Obituary: Karick Price, Sr. – 11/6/2011
PRICE, SR., KARICK ASA, 72, after a valiant 30 year battle with Multiple Sclerosis, Karick finished the good fight and entered into his rest, at the request of his Lord and Savior, on Nov. 4, 2011. [Read More]

Critics battle EPA on water – 11/2/2011
New Environmental Protection Agency water quality standards in Florida would cost agricultural industries hundreds of million of dollars and cause sharp increases in food prices, according to state and local agricultural officials. [Read More]

Research Suggests Orange Juice Evokes Positive Emotions – 11/1/2011
Americans have been enjoying the great taste of orange juice for decades, and now research suggests they may turn to this refreshing beverage for how it makes them feel. A new study from the Florida Department of Citrus found drinking orange juice actually made participants feel positive, carefree and rejuvenated [Read More]

Looking for a job? Here’s something for you – 11/1/2011
The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. — Matthew 9:37 Good news. The jobs crisis is over. [Read More]

Florida Grown School Lunch – 10/25/2011
About one in five Florida schools serves fresh fruits and vegetables grown locally. That’s about to change. Starting in January every public school will have to serve Florida produce. Farmers, teachers and students were at the state capitol Monday sharing ideas about how to make school lunches healthier. [Read More]

Alabama’s immigration law has ruinous impact – 10/23/2011
Alabama is seeing the catastrophic results of its anti- immigrant law. [Read More]

Florida May Benefit From Free Trade Agreements – 10/22/2011
Importer Grymes Cannon eagerly awaits the end of paying a tariff on Colombian flowers that adds 4 cents to the cost of each stem he sells at his South Tampa floral arrangement business. [Read More]

Senate votes to end millionaire farm subsidies – 10/21/2011
Unable to agree on whether millionaires should be taxed more, Democrats and Republicans are in rare accord on one issue: Growers with million-dollar incomes shouldn't reap farm subsidies. [Read More]

Few Americans take immigrants’ jobs in Alabama – 10/21/2011
Potato farmer Keith Smith saw most of his Hispanic workers leave after Alabama’s tough immigration law took effect, so he hired Americans. It hasn’t worked out: They show up late, work slower than seasoned farm hands and are ready to call it a day after lunch or by midafternoon. Some quit after a single day. [Read More]

Growers should have profitable season – 10/20/2011
Florida citrus growers should enjoy another profitable season in 2011-12 despite falling U.S. orange juice sales and record high retail prices for consumers. [Read More]

Two From Polk in Agriculture Hall of Fame – 10/19/2011
Two men with Polk County ties — Gerald Mixon Sr., a former Haines City resident, and Sid Sumner of Bartow — will be inducted into the Florida Agriculture Hall of Fame in February. [Read More]

Migrant workers play a far-reaching productive role in Florida economy – 10/19/2011
Think you want tougher immigration laws? [Read More]

New app latest tactic for Immokalee Coalition – 10/19/2011
You've heard of the game Angry Birds.. but how about Angry Tomatoes? Its the latest tactic for the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to spread their message of fair wages for farm workers. [Read More]

What will Florida do? – 10/19/2011
If Florida legislators pass immigration laws like Alabama, Arizona or Georgia, farmers could have a problem. [Read More]

Kahn's love of citrus built over the decades – 10/19/2011
Eighty-nine years ago, Marvin Kahn's father, Mike, set foot in Sebring and decided to stay. [Read More]

Department of Citrus Gets $1.9 Million More for Marketing – 10/19/2011
A larger-than-expected 2011-12 citrus crop and other changes gave the Florida Department of Citrus another $1.9 million for marketing programs. [Read More]

2011-12 Florida Citrus Crop Expected to Increase – 10/12/2011
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)released its initial citrus crop forecast for the 2011-2012 season Wednesday, estimating Florida will produce 147 million boxes of oranges, a five percent increase from last season. [Read More]

Florida Orange Crop May Rise 4.8% as Yields Gain, USDA Says – 10/12/2011
Florida’s orange crop will be 4.8 percent larger than last season, exceeding analysts’ estimates, as favorable weather aided the development of the crop, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said. [Read More]

Produce outlook good, bad – 10/12/2011
In 1859, Charles Dickens began his "A Tale of Two Cities" with the conundrum, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times," leaving generations of readers to ponder, "How can it be both?" To understand that paradox, one need only look as close as Florida's agriculture industry, and in particular its produce segment. [Read More]

Number of new farms growing in Florida helping economy – 10/11/2011
During these tough economic times, a number of people are turning to farming. [Read More]

Search committee extends hunt for new citrus director – 10/11/2011
A Florida Citrus Commission search committee on Monday kicked the can down the road for another week, agreeing to review all 114 applications for a new Citrus Department executive director during the next seven days. [Read More]

Mandating E-Verify would be a mistake – 10/11/2011
Here we go again. Every year for the last five, immigration hawks in Congress have sought to require all businesses to use an error-plagued federal system known as E-Verify to ensure that all new hires are U.S. citizens or legal immigrants. [Read More]

Ala. loses workers as immigration law takes effect – 10/6/2011
Alabama's strict new immigration law may be backfiring. Intended to force illegal workers out of jobs, it is also driving away many construction workers, roofers and field hands in the country legally who do backbreaking jobs that Americans generally won't. [Read More]

Farmers don't exploit workersLetter to the EditorBy TBO.COM – 10/6/2011
Harry Chamberlain should do his homework before writing a letter ("Exploiting migrants," Your Views, Oct. 2). Farmers (like most companies) need good workers. You cannot have a successful business without good workers, and if you exploit your workers they will move on. [Read More]

Ag Commissioner: Ga. Farmers Need Migrant Labor – 10/5/2011
A farm labor shortage that left crops rotting in the fields after Georgia passed a law cracking down on illegal immigration shows the need for a retooled or expanded guest worker program for migrant laborers, Georgia's agriculture commissioner told a panel of Washington lawmakers Tuesday. [Read More]

Fight against greening advances – 10/5/2011
Researchers haven't found a solution for citrus greening, but they have discovered ways to manage the bacterial disease that attacks crops. [Read More]

Rick Scott May Dip into Claude Kirk’s Orange Ink – 10/4/2011
After attending former Gov. Claude Kirk’s funeral in Palm Beach on Monday, Gov. Rick Scott said he may want to pick up one of the late Sunshine State promoter’s staples. [Read More]

The Insider: Jason Alexander Signs With Florida Department of Citrus for Ads – 10/4/2011
Orange juice is getting younger! That's the new image the Florida Department of Citrus wants to give the classic breakfast drink by signing Jason Alexander of "Seinfeld" fame to become OJ's new online spokesman. [Read More]

Alabama Wins in Ruling on Its Immigration Law – 9/29/2011
A federal judge on Wednesday upheld most of the sections of Alabama’s far-reaching immigration law that had been challenged by the Obama administration, including portions that had been blocked in other states. [Read More]

Legalize farm workers; they harvest our food – 9/29/2011
Do you like to eat? Who do you think is harvesting the food you eat either at home or in your favorite restaurant? It is harvested by the migrant laborer who is here just to earn a living. If you think a farmer could find alternative workers, that is simply not realistic. There really is no other work force. So as you have your salad and dinner with all the vegetables, think about who is harvesting it for you. [Read More]

Collins won't resign from SFWMD – 9/29/2011
The South Florida Water Management District is sticking to its $21 million decision to store 34,000 acre-feet of water on Lykes Brothers land in Glades County, despite a controversy about the board's chairman being a Lykes employee. [Read More]

Bradenton company to manage new migrant housing – 9/28/2011
The Diocese of Venice, through Catholic Charities, will be building 53 single-family homes on a 29-acre plot of land in Desoto Country for the benefit of low-income farm-workers in Arcadia. [Read More]

Despite rulings, canker payments in limbo – 9/26/2011
Like thousands of other Floridians, Tim Farley was dismayed when the state chopped down his backyard orange, lemon and grapefruit trees in a failed effort to stop a citrus disease from spreading to commercial groves. But at least he figured he’d get paid after judges ordered Florida years ago to compensate him and others. [Read More]

Florida citrus: More fruit from fewer acres – 9/25/2011
Florida’s just-completed citrus harvest was 4 percent larger than the previous year’s, and generated 2 percent more revenue for growers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual citrus inventory. [Read More]

St. Lucie agricultural agent wins national, state honors – 9/24/2011
St. Lucie County agricultural agent Edward Skvarch has been awarded state and national honors for his expertise in teaching commercial nurserymen, landscapers and small farmers the best way to do anything from pruning a tree to diagnosing a disease on a tomato plant. [Read More]

E-Verify system not ready for prime time – 9/23/2011
In May, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a controversial Arizona law that requires employers to check the immigration status of new hires on an Internet database and revokes their business licenses if they violate federal immigration law. Emboldened, supporters are trying to take the program national: This week, a congressional committee approved a bill introduced by Rep. Lamar Smith that would mandate that all U.S. employers use an online database to confirm workers are authorized to work in the United States. [Read More]

Citrus Land In Florida Down 2.3 Percent This Year – 9/22/2011
Commercial citrus growing in Florida continues to shrink in size, if not profitability. [Read More]

Citrus Commission Panel Urges Reversal of 2 Reforms of Citrus Code – 9/21/2011
[Read More]

Don't let polluters write clean-water rules – 9/21/2011
At the end of August, a large, disgusting algae outbreak slimed Old Tampa Bay. Two months earlier, an algae outbreak in the Caloosahatchee River near Fort Myers turned the river bright green, smelled like raw sewage and made thousands of fish go belly up. [Read More]

Seald Sweet aiming to expand on West Coast – 9/20/2011
Vero Beach, Fla.-based Seald Sweet International looks to expand its West Coast business through a partnership with Dinuba, Calif.-based Fresh Select. [Read More]

Indian discovers drug for Alzheimer's disease – 9/20/2011
A new drug derived from citrus fruits can help people suffering from Alzheimer's disease to improve their quality of life, claims a researcher of the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). Dr Mahaveer Golechha, senior research fellow, department of pharmacology, AIIMS, who discovered the anti-Alzheimer's potential of citrus fruits has been awarded the prestigious Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation's, USA Young Investigator Scholarship Award. [Read More]

Citrus Sickness Showing In South – 9/20/2011
Just as BAHA is trying to mitigate the damaging effects of Fowl Typhoid in the Poultry industry, it is now having to deal with the presence of Citrus Leprosis, a viral disease that if left unchecked could spell major problems for the Citrus Industry. [Read More]

E-Verify anxiety: Local growers fear U.S. immigration bill Enlarge Photo – 9/20/2011
Florida's fruit and vegetable growers say their biggest challenge is ensuring they have enough workers to pick their crops and get them onto grocery shelves. [Read More]

Florida's Natural Growers Receives George Harris Jr. Award From CFDC – 9/19/2011
A familiar name in Polk County's citrus industry received the Central Florida Development Council's highest award Monday night. [Read More]

Turn orange peel into plastic? It's not as crazy as it sounds – 9/15/2011
British scientists are pioneering a novel way of recycling that turns orange peel into plastic. [Read More]

Invasive guava fruit fly found in Central Florida poses new threat to agriculture, citrus industry – 9/13/2011
Farmers might have a new pest on their hands after inspectors with the Department of Agriculture recently discovered an invasive fruit fly near Orlando. [Read More]

Farmers File Suit Against Alexander Over Firings – 9/9/2011
In the waning days of the 2011 legislative session, Sen. JD Alexander, one of the state's most powerful lawmakers, delivered an impassioned floor speech against a measure that would have required employers to check the immigration status of new hires. [Read More]

Assembly passes bill sympathetic to farmworkers – 9/8/2011
Farmworker unions in California would be certified automatically if an employer is found to be guilty of election misconduct under a bill that passed the state Assembly Thursday. [Read More]

Guava Fruit Fly Found in Windemere – 9/8/2011
The Florida Department of Agriculture has stepped up its detection program after finding a guava fruit fly in Orange County. [Read More]

Lawmaker Offers Plan to Lure Migrant Farm Workers – 9/8/2011
The lawmaker, Representative Lamar Smith of Texas, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, introduced his farm guest worker bill late on Wednesday and held a hearing on it in the House on Thursday. He is proposing a thorough overhaul of the existing guest worker program for agriculture, known as H-2A, which is shunned by most growers as too bureaucratic and costly for their fast-changing labor needs in fields and orchards. [Read More]

Expert Predict Slow Citrus Season for Texas – 9/7/2011
Experts predict this year's citrus crop could already be doomed and the season just started. [Read More]

Citrus Commission Advertises Director Job – 9/7/2011
The Florida Citrus Commission's search for an executive director for the Department of Citrus moves forward with a job posting. [Read More]

Nominations sought for Florida Citrus Hall of Fame – 9/7/2011
The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame is seeking nominations. [Read More]

NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR THE FLORIDA CITRUS HALL OF FAME – 9/7/2011
Nominations will open on September 1, 2011 for potential inductees to The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame, with induction ceremonies scheduled to take place on Friday, March 2, 2012 at Florida Southern College in Lakeland. The luncheon is co-sponsored by Florida Citrus Mutual and the Florida Department of Citrus. [Read More]

Citrus Industry: Competition In Beverage Market Is Growing – 9/6/2011
While Florida citrus growers finished a second consecutive profitable season in 2010-11, the industry must deal with two troubling long-term economic trends — too much competition in the beverage market and not enough competition among supermarket chains. [Read More]

Another developer goes the agricultural route – 9/6/2011
For the second time in three months, a landowner has decided to forego developing a large parcel of land in Hernando County and instead turn it over to cattle grazing and other agricultural uses. [Read More]

Grower Known for Hard Work, Famous Barn – 9/4/2011
Leland Young has worked hard all his life, and now, less than a month before his 80th birthday, he still puts in a full day at his citrus grove and restores his antique cars and antique machinery. [Read More]

Citrus panel works to define its leader – 9/2/2011
The new executive director at the Florida Department of Citrus will come primarily from a marketing background. [Read More]

Bill Would Jeopardize Many Farms – 8/30/2011
Farmers and their crops are one of the main drivers of Florida's economy. They rely heavily on their workers, and Florida consumers depend on the locally grown, farm-fresh products that farmers supply. [Read More]

Sand skinks hinder developers – 8/30/2011
Orange County's west side has a big problem as it tries to recover from a slumping economy: sand skinks. The 4-inch creatures that are akin to lizards, but look more like snakes, have been classified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as endangered. As a result, new hurdles are in the way of anyone who wants to develop, or even change the use of land, where these creatures live. [Read More]

Mail-order potted citrus plant ripens into pickle of a problem – 8/30/2011
Pointing to the potted lemon tree sitting there so innocently in her driveway, Bridget Donovan summoned her best sarcasm: "This is the little lawbreaker." [Read More]

Why '100% Orange Juice' Is Still Artificial – 8/29/2011
File this one under "things we always sort of knew, but wish we didn't." All that "100% orange juice, not from concentrate" stuff you've been drinking? Technically, it's "not from concentrate," but it's not really 100% orange juice either, a report at Civil Eats details. [Read More]

Changing Economy Helping Florida Citrus Growers Catch Up to Brazilians – 8/25/2011
The changing global economy is making Florida citrus more competitive with its longtime rival, said Tom Spreen, an agricultural economist at the University of Florida in Gainesville and an authority on the global citrus industry. [Read More]

BRAZIL/UK: CitrusBR launches orange juice campaign – 8/24/2011
The Brazilian Association of Citrus Exporters (CitrusBR) has launched a US$1.5m campaign to promote orange juice in the UK, amid falling consumption across Europe and the US. [Read More]

Orange Juice Falls as Crop May Dodge Hurricane; Cotton Declines – 8/23/2011
Orange-juice futures fell on signs that groves in Florida, the world's second-biggest citrus grower, may escape damage from Hurricane Irene as the storm's track shifts east. Cotton also declined. [Read More]

Economist: With Sales Sinking, Now is The Time to Boldly Advertise OJ – 8/23/2011
Buy some orange juice — make that a lot of orange juice — and win a new car or a five-day, expenses-paid trip to Orlando for a family of four. [Read More]

Collector Fred Houk loved Florida, family, faith – 8/23/2011
Frederick "Fred" Houk Sr. collected experiences as much as he collected matchbook covers and pictures of historical markers. [Read More]

2010-11 Citrus: Good Season in Grove and Pocketbook – 8/9/2011
Florida citrus growers enjoyed an unusually good 2010-11 citrus season in both the grove and the pocketbook. [Read More]

Rep. Stearns holds hearing on EPA water rules – 8/9/2011
Opponents of federal standards limiting polluting nutrients in Florida's waters urged Washington lawmakers on Tuesday to intervene and force the Environmental Protection Agency to ease its rules that go into effect next year. [Read More]

Report: 40 states passed immigration legislation in 2011 – 8/9/2011
Nearly 250 new immigration laws and resolutions were enacted in 40 states during the first half of 2011 indicating a growing frustration with the federal government's handling of the issue, according to a new report. [Read More]

New high-tech methods to spot citrus greening – 8/8/2011
The devastating disease called citrus greening, which kills citrus trees and for which there is no cure, can now be identified faster and cheaper with a method developed by scientists with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. [Read More]

Economy squeezes OJ sales – 8/8/2011
Southwest Florida's commercial growers have a lot of things to think about as they head to the Citrus Expo Aug. 17 and 18 in North Fort Myers. [Read More]

Nothing fake in OJ, say growers – 8/8/2011
Southwest Florida citrus growers who read a July 29 blog on a food page of the Huffington Post website were puzzled and dismayed. [Read More]

Immigration law already affecting growers – 8/8/2011
Horticultural farm owner Bill Cook said he's already having trouble finding the workers he needs before most of the state's new law against illegal immigration takes effect. [Read More]

Guest workers having trouble getting to state – 8/6/2011
Louisiana Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says the federal government has run into a holdup in processing applications to allow foreign agricultural workers to be employed in the United States. [Read More]

US proposes tightening visa rules to give citizen applicants better chance against foreign guest... – 8/6/2011
The U.S. Labor Department is raising the wages employers must pay foreign guest workers and is proposing other major changes that could diminish the number of foreign citizens imported to work in the hospitality industry in Palm Beach County. [Read More]

Florida citrus industry struggles after disease, declining sales – 8/6/2011
Florida's $9 billion citrus industry is hoping for a change in fortune. It's facing tough times with plant disease and declining sales. [Read More]

Citrus canker payout increases for Palm Beach County homeowners – 8/4/2011
The payout may rise for Palm Beach County homeowners whose trees were destroyed in the fight against citrus canker. [Read More]

Orange Juice a Luxury Item? REAL OJ Already Is – 8/4/2011
It turns out that the reports were right – orange juice has become a luxury. [Read More]

Citrus Board Accepts Keck's Resignation – 8/3/2011
The Florida Citrus Commission on Wednesday accepted the resignation of Ken Keck as the top executive at the Florida Department of Citrus effective at the end of the day. [Read More]

Florida Department Of Citrus Sends List Of Facts About Orange Juice – 8/2/2011
The Florida Department of Citrus sent over a few paragraphs of information in response to my post, "The Flavor Of Your OJ Is A Chemically-Induced Mirage" from last week. [Read More]

Adair named to Fertilizer Technical Council – 8/2/2011
Robert C. Adair, Jr. was recently appointed to serve on the Fertilizer Technical Council by state Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam. [Read More]

Drought-Parched S. Florida Farmers To Get Help From Feds – 8/1/2011
South Florida farmers whose crops were withered by drought and fried by the heat may soon get some help, after Broward and Palm Beach counties were included in a disaster declaration by the US Department of Agriculture covering 27 Florida counties. [Read More]

Obama administration sues to block Alabama immigration law – 8/1/2011
The Obama administration on Monday sued to block enforcement of Alabama's new immigration law, widely considered to be the toughest measure in the United States to try to crack down on illegal immigrants. [Read More]

Scott rekindles discussion of immigration reform – 8/1/2011
When lawmakers begin preparing for next year's legislative session in September, one of their priorities should be taking another look at laws dealing with immigrants, Gov. Rick Scott said Monday. [Read More]

Growers donate $250K to fight citrus disease – 7/29/2011
The Florida's Natural Growers Board of Directors voted to donate $250,000 to fight citrus greening, a disease plaguing the Florida Citrus industry. [Read More]

Citrus Department Director Ken Keck Will Resign – 7/28/2011
Ken Keck will resign next week as executive director of the Florida Department of Citrus after five years — the victim of, in no particular order, declining orange juice sales, citrus greening, higher taxes and state Sen. J.D. Alexander. [Read More]

Agriculturist, Ag hall of fame noms now open – 7/28/2011
Nominations for Manatee County Outstanding Agriculturalist and Agriculture Hall of Fame are now being accepted. These recognitions honor those who have contributed to the success and growth of agriculture in the county. [Read More]

Growers give to research – 7/28/2011
Florida's Natural Growers, which operates an orange juice processing plant in Lake Wales and a packaging plant in Umatilla, plans to donate $250,000 to fight a disease plaguing the state's citrus industry. [Read More]

Business united against EPA water rules, says cost is too high – 7/28/2011
Business and industry groups say Florida residents will have to pay more if the new federal water pollution standards go into effect. The state is the only one in the nation to get the federally-imposed rules. The industry groups made their case before an independent panel of scientists Tuesday in Orlando, as Lynn Hatter reports. [Read More]

His beat is agricultural crimes – 7/25/2011
Agricultural Deputy Fred Tagtmeier of the Highlands County Sheriff's Office has a position that is vital to a rural community like Highlands County. He is responsible for the investigation of a wide variety of agricultural and citrus crimes including trespassing, improper use of four-wheelers, destruction of property, theft, dumping, animal cruelty, hunting and poaching violations. [Read More]

Free Trade pacts are good for Florida and the rest of America – 7/25/2011
Florida lives on trade. As a transportation hub and the gateway to Latin America, Florida is the United States' fifth-largest exporting state. More than 110,000 Floridians have jobs directly supported by exports. With two international airports and the Port of Miami, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale metropolitan area accounts for 65 percent of all of Florida's exports. As trade volume increases, South Florida gains. [Read More]

Don't gut farm bill – 7/24/2011
Jackson County farmer Jeff Pittman is one of many who are worried about upcoming changes to the federal farm bill. [Read More]

EPA triggers fierce backlash over attempt to force Florida to clean up waterways – 7/24/2011
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's attempt to force Florida to clean up its ailing streams, lakes and coastal estuaries has triggered fierce backlash, and the biggest controversy is over how much it would cost to implement new pollution limits. [Read More]

Mini 'crop copter' could be godsend for citrus growers, farmers, says UF professor – 7/24/2011
The small black-and-white device with rotating blades at the end of six arms looks like an alien spaceship from a science-fiction movie. [Read More]

The secret to longevity? Citrus, says 101-year-old Davie grove mascot – 7/23/2011
Al Roth, the grove owner, the real estate developer, the craps player, is demonstrating his likeable charm and quick wit. Entertaining flocks of visitors to his family’s grove in Davie, the 101-year-old tells stories of gambling at the Brook Club and dancing the night away at the National Hotel in Miami Beach during the 1950s. [Read More]

Proposed county budget would gut funding for agriculture – 7/23/2011
There’s a long way between County Hall and the avocado groves of Redland, the rows of tomatoes in Homestead and the plant nurseries of deep South Miami-Dade. [Read More]

Record Retail Price Sends U.S. OJ Sales Plummeting – 7/20/2011
In the Florida Department of Citrus' continuing mission to boost domestic orange juice sales, it will change the way it reaches out to the nation's supermarket chains. [Read More]

Citrus Department Closes $1.19 Mil. Deal With TLC Family Church – 7/20/2011
The Florida Department of Citrus cleared $1.19 million after closing costs on the sale of its former Lakeland headquarters at 1115 E. Memorial Blvd., Executive Director Ken Keck told the Florida Citrus Commission on Wednesday. [Read More]

Citrus Commission Chair McKenna On Chapter 601 & FDOC Chief – 7/20/2011
The new Florida Citrus Commission Wednesday elected grower Marty McKenna as chairman. The commission instructed its new Strategic Structures Planning Committee – originally called the Kitchen Sink committee – to address changes to Chapter 601 of Florida Statutes, which governs the Citrus Commission, before tackling other industry issues. McKenna addresses the work on Chapter 601 in the first report. [Read More]

Roundtable Citrus Grower: Labor’s an 8; HLB’s a 6 Among Concerns – 7/19/2011
Six Florida citrus growers, including Gardinier Florida Citrus General Manager Lee Jones, recently shared thoughts about numerous grower issues at a recent Citrus Industry magazine/Southeast AgNet grower roundtable. [Read More]

Weather causes US$8.6M orange damage in Mexican state – 7/19/2011
Droughts and heat waves have cut orange production in half in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas, with total losses valued around MXN100 million (US$8.6 million), website Hoytamaulipas.net reported. [Read More]

Ag. interests: EPA water rules not the ‘proper solution’ to pollution, algal blooms – 7/18/2011
In a July 14 letter sent to the Florida congressional delegation, a large group of industry and agricultural representatives say that a set of water pollution standards are not the solution for algal blooms and fish kills plaguing many parts of Florida. [Read More]

State refuses to pay citrus canker awards – 7/16/2011
Five years after the chain saws went silent, the state is refusing to pay thousands of South Florida homeowners for fruit trees destroyed in the fight against citrus canker. [Read More]

Farmers worry about budget negotiations, cuts – 7/16/2011
Farm groups are rushing to save government subsidies they've long received. [Read More]

Central Florida governments, Deseret Ranch fight over reservoir's water – 7/15/2011
Deseret Ranches, one of the nation's biggest producers of beef cattle, is expanding into the farming of potatoes, corn, black beans and cucumbers in a big way. [Read More]

Cerabino: Crops rot as Georgia feels effects of immigration law – 7/13/2011
In Georgia, crops are rotting in the fields because migrant workers aren't there to pick them. [Read More]

Tropicana’s new bottling facility almost complete – 7/13/2011
Tropicana’s new $4 million bottling facility is nearing completion and consumers are already seeing the result: new clear plastic bottles in the grocery store. [Read More]

USDA seeks ways to boost farm-to-school programs – 7/13/2011
The popularity of farm-to-school programs that put locally grown food on cafeteria trays has exploded in recent years - so much so that the federal agency in charge of school lunches is giving them a new stamp of approval. [Read More]

Federal Funds Allocated for Citrus Greening Research – 7/12/2011
Amid a tough budget battle in Washington, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson announced he's secured $11 million in U.S. Department of Agriculture money during the next four years for scientific research to control citrus greening, a deadly bacterial disease threatening the viability of commercial citrus growing in Florida. [Read More]

Florida's latest orange crop 4% larger than last season's – 7/12/2011
Florida's latest orange harvest came in 4 percent larger than last year's crop, according to the final forecast of the 2010-11 season by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. [Read More]

Feds give money to project vetoed by the governor – 7/12/2011
Monday, The U-S Department of Agriculture gave Florida citrus growers 11-million dollars for citrus disease research over the next four years. As Sascha Cordner reports, this came after Governor Rick Scott vetoed two-million dollars for that same type of research. [Read More]

Florida business leaders oppose E-Verify immigration bill – 7/6/2011
If Congress passes a law mandating that private businesses verify the immigration status of employees, the requirement could disrupt or wreck certain businesses including Florida’s farms and hospitality industry, which thrives on international tourism, according to business leaders from several states, including Florida. [Read More]

Jamaica bans sale of citrus plants to control invasive pest carrying devastating disease – 7/5/2011
Jamaica has shuttered all citrus nurseries across the tropical country to try and check an invasive pest that carries a fast-spreading bacteria capable of devastating its $43 million commercial industry, officials said Tuesday. [Read More]

Labor Exceeds HLB As Concern To Many Florida Citrus Growers – 7/5/2011
A recent Citrus Industry magazine/Southeast AgNet Grower Roundtable showed that the availability of labor – especially that required for fruit harvesting – is now a bigger concern to many Florida citrus growers than the devastating disease HLB. [Read More]

Mutual’s Board Elects Officers for 2011-12 Season – 6/30/2011
Florida Citrus Mutual’s board of directors recently elected officers for the 2011-12 season. Vic Story, president of Story Citrus Services, Babson Park, was re-elected president of the organization. [Read More]

Agriculturalists try to save research center – 6/30/2011
WESLACO — The message was urgent as local farmers, scientists and others gathered Wednesday at the Kika de la Garza Subtropical Agricultural Research Center (SARC) in Weslaco to discuss the center’s future. [Read More]

Putnam Says He's Not Interested in Running for Governor in 2014 – 6/29/2011
Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, who is from Bartow, says he's happy in his new job and not thinking about a 2014 Republican primary challenge to Gov. Rick Scott. [Read More]

Adam Putnam's mission to help Florida school kids eat healthier gets a boost – 6/29/2011
Mom always said eat your veggies. Now dear Mom is getting some support on that mission from Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. [Read More]

Agriculture colleges, extension get budget squeeze – 6/27/2011
As university budgets take a beating across the country, agricultural schools and extension programs are feeling the impact. [Read More]

Judge Blocks Key Parts Of Georgia Immigration Law – 6/27/2011
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction Monday temporarily blocking key provisions of a new Georgia law that aims to crack down on illegal immigration, while allowing other parts of the law to move forward. [Read More]

Haridopolos names Senate budget director as new chief of staff – 6/24/2011
Senate President Mike Haridopolos named Senate Budget Director Craig Meyer as his new chief of staff, replacing Steve MacNamara who is headed to the governor’s office. [Read More]

Swiftmud enacts rules to avoid sinkholes, dry wells in Dover, Plant City – 6/24/2011
With temperatures rising and the winter harvest long over, water officials are making plans to avoid the kind of water use that caused sinkholes and dry wells during heavy winter freezes on eastern Hillsborough farms. [Read More]

Scott OKs limited product suits, Ag oversight of school meals – 6/23/2011
Bills limiting lawsuits against automakers and giving the state's agriculture commissioner authority over school food programs became law today with Gov. Rick Scott's signature. [Read More]

Suntree man films documentary at dad's orange grove – 6/22/2011
During his working career, Andrew Graham was a no-nonsense trial lawyer, a respected Melbourne attorney who argued some big cases at the Florida Supreme Court. [Read More]

Ga. puts probationers to work harvesting crops – 6/22/2011
It's 3:25 p.m. in a dusty cucumber field in south Georgia. A knot of criminal offenders who spent seven hours in the sun harvesting buckets of vegetables by hand have decided they're calling it quits -- exactly as crew leader Benito Mendez predicted in the morning. [Read More]

McKeel: Gov. needs to repair media relations – 6/22/2011
State Rep. Seth McKeel had a little advice for his fellow Republican, Gov. Rick Scott, at Tiger Bay Repair your relations with the news media. [Read More]

Last chance for growers to take advantage of the $50 per gallon Headline® Advantage offer in 2011 – 6/13/2011
Growers have until Aug. 15, 2011 to receive $50 per gallon on purchases of Headline® fungicide from authorized BASF retailers. [Read More]

Agricultural Land Owners Hope For A Reversal of Fortunes – 6/9/2011
After charting two straight years of declining agriculture land values,University of Florida economist Rodney Clouser expected his latest survey to show, if not rising prices, at least a sign values were rebounding from the bottom of the market. [Read More]

Little change in Florida citrus forecast – 6/9/2011
The June forecast for Florida's orange harvest, released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is unchanged from the previous month's forecast of 140 million boxes. [Read More]

My Plate Aims to Simplify – 6/3/2011
The Agriculture Department says its new healthy eating symbol - called "My Plate" - will show Americans that nutrition doesn't have to be complicated. [Read More]

To Fight Unemployment, Ga. Pushes Farm Work – 6/2/2011
Are you out of work? Are you looking for a job? Do you live in Georgia? If the answer to those questions is "yes," Gov. Nathan Deal has an idea for you: Become a farm worker. [Read More]

Many ways food can get tainted from farm to fork – 6/2/2011
On the path from farm-to-fork, there are many ways that foods can pick up nasty germs like the E. coli bug sickening more than 1,600 people across Europe. But there are steps consumers can take to avoid getting infected. [Read More]

Study: No Adverse Effects Between Lipitor, Grapefruit Juice – 6/1/2011
Florida Department of Citrus sponsored a 2003 clinical study headed by cardiologist Patrick Reddy of Watson Clinic on whether drinking grapefruit juice with Lipitor, the world's top-selling cholesterol-lowering drug, increases the drug's effectiveness with no harmful side effects. [Read More]

Loxahatchee Groves and Callery-Judge officials inch toward possible agreement on growth – 6/1/2011
The town and Callery-Judge Grove appear to be in the last leg of hammering out an agreement that will keep the two out of court over Loxahatchee Groves' proposed growth plan. [Read More]

Winner and loser of the week in Fla politics – 5/29/2011
Winner of the week: J.D. Alexander. It appears that Rick Scott wants to avoid crossing the powerful Lake Wales senator and budget chief more even than tea party Republicans. [Read More]

Scott Vetoes Citrus Research Funds – 5/26/2011
Florida citrus lost two major battles in the 2011-12 state budget today when Gov. Rick Scott vetoed a $2 million appropriation for citrus greening research but declined to veto a measure that made major changes to the Florida Citrus Commission and Florida Department of Citrus. [Read More]

Florida’s Citrus Research Foundation Taps Browning As COO – 5/25/2011
The Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) Tuesday selected Harold Browning to be the foundation’s new chief operating officer. [Read More]

Judge: Alico Lawsuit Can Continue – 5/25/2011
A circuit judge has ruled the lawsuit pitting two grandsons of the late Ben Hill Griffin Jr. will go forward. [Read More]

Eight Local Water Basin Boards to Be Eliminated – 5/25/2011
The eight local basin boards under the Southwest Florida Water Management District will disappear, the agency's Governing Board decided Tuesday. [Read More]

Florida growers ganging up on citrus greening – 5/25/2011
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services urges citrus growers to participate in the Citrus Health Management Areas (CHMA) initiative, a program led by the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences (UF/IFAS), in partnership with the citrus industry and the Department, to slow the spread of citrus greening disease (Huanglongbing or HLB). [Read More]

Drones Tested for Agriculture Use – 5/24/2011
Look up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s a Multi-Rotor Remote Sensing System! [Read More]

Tiger Bay Meeting: Rep. Albritton Concerned About House, Senate Rift – 5/23/2011
Coming off his first stint in Tallahassee, freshman Rep. Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, on Monday spoke at a Tiger Bay lunch meeting about beginner naivete and frustration in the state capitol. [Read More]

Market Watch: Hemet's wealth of summer grapefruit – 5/20/2011
At the farthest fringe of the Inland Empire, southeast of the hardscrabble town of Hemet, lies the world center of summer grapefruit, one of the least known and most fascinating of California's agricultural niches. [Read More]

Growers Want Veto of Proposed Citrus Code Changes – 5/11/2011
Many of Florida’s top citrus organizations agreed to press Gov. Rick Scott to veto major changes in the state Citrus Code state Sen. J.D. Alexander pushed through in the final days of the Legislature last week. [Read More]

Citrus prices help Alico profit – 5/11/2011
Alico Inc. (symbol: ALCO) earned $2.7 million in profits in the first three months of 2011, up nearly 100% from its $1.4 million total over the same timeframe last year. CEO JD Alexander said strong market prices for agricultural products boosted the La Belle-based firm’s financial performance. [Read More]

Fla. lawmakers say businesses played key role in killing immigration control – 5/11/2011
Immigration was one of the hot-button issues of the Florida campaign trail last year, contributing in large part to former Attorney General Bill McCollum's loss to Rick Scott in the GOP primary for governor. [Read More]

UF: Insecticide resistance developing in psyllid that carries citrus disease – 5/9/2011
In Florida’s war against citrus greening, producers face a new threat — the insects they’re fighting are becoming less sensitive to insecticides, according to a new University of Florida study. [Read More]

Alexander struggles with immigration bill – 5/7/2011
In the end, JD Alexander voted according to his conscience, not his political affiliation card. [Read More]

Then and now: Florida budget bosses Denise Grimsley and J.D. Alexander – 5/7/2011
Back in the fall of 1965, we watched Bewitched and Bonanza, the Beatles were on their second U.S. tour, and the antiwar movement was spreading across the country. [Read More]

Revised Agritourism Ordinance Sent to County Commission – 5/6/2011
Polk County Planning Commission voted 6-1 Wednesday to send a revised agritourism ordinance to the County Commission. [Read More]

Frozen fruit co. partners with Sweetbay – 5/1/2011
CitraPac Inc. announced a new partnership with Sweetbay Supermarket to distribute Fruit Pearls frozen snacks in 104 Florida stores. [Read More]

25% water-district tax cut – 5/1/2011
House and Senate budget negotiators agreed Sunday night to give Gov. Rick Scott one of his tax-cutting proposals - a roughly 25 percent statewide reduction in water management district property taxes. [Read More]

School and labor activists protest on behalf of Illegal immigrants – 5/1/2011
Florida farm-workers are mobilizing from Miami to Apopka to Tallahassee to protest against Senate Bill 2040. [Read More]

USDA Plan Fights Discrimination – 4/30/2011
U.S. Department of Agriculture officials are in Florida publicizing a new program to address discrimination claims by women and Hispanic farmers. [Read More]

Faux, English clash over agricultural land – 4/30/2011
Martha M. Faux acquitted herself at the Tuesday, April 27, Polk County Commission meeting. [Read More]

Immigration bill heads to Senate – 4/30/2011
Florida Senate President Mike Haridopolos wants the state’s employers forced to use the federal government’s electronic system for confirming new hires’ immigration status, but a bill that may get voted on Monday may not include that provision. [Read More]

Fla. Senate Passes School Nutrition Bill – 4/29/2011
The Florida Senate has approved a proposal from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to take over school food and nutrition programs from the State Board of Education. [Read More]

Highlands County FFA, 4-H members take part in Ag Literacy Day – 4/29/2011
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam kicked off Florida Agriculture Literacy Day April 25 by reading to 70 second, third, fourth and fifth graders at Shady Hill Elementary in Ocala and 120 fifth graders at Columbia City Elementary in Lake City. [Read More]

Brazil orange juice firms to win EU merger OK – 4/29/2011
Brazil's Citrosuco and Citrovita are set to gain unconditional EU regulatory approval next week to form the world's largest orange juice company, a person with knowledge of the matter said on Friday. [Read More]

Bill Would Restrict Citrus Commission's Authority to Hire Director – 4/29/2011
After winning a battle earlier this week restricting the Florida Citrus Commission's taxing authority, state Sen. J.D. Alexander will propose 11th-hour legislation restricting the commission's authority to hire an executive director. [Read More]

Thumb up: Additional scientists to bring more expertise to USDA horticulture lab in St. Lucie County – 4/29/2011
A budget cutback in the U.S. Department of Agriculture may prove good news for farmers in St. Lucie County. [Read More]

Harvesting Aid CMNP’s Experimental Use Permit Delayed – 4/21/2011
The EPA, which is reviewing a request for an Experimental Use Permit for the abscission chemical CMNP, will not be able to grant the request by July, as the Florida citrus industry had hoped. [Read More]

Top Citrus Officials Debate Marketing – 4/20/2011
A special Florida Citrus Commission on Wednesday ended with suggestions of a few tweaks in its marketing programs but no major change in direction. [Read More]

Lake science-fair winner cites citrus heritage as motivation – 4/20/2011
A mandatory class assignment for the Lake County regional science fair led Michaela McLean, an eighth-grader at Windy Hill Middle School, to recently win first place in the fair's environmental science division. [Read More]

Customers bemoan closing of Citrus Country Groves in Pinellas County – 4/18/2011
The shelves are empty, the racks are bare; and soon, a slice of old Florida will be lost forever. Two Citrus Country Groves locations in Pinellas County will be closing for good early next week. [Read More]

Company Uses Oranges to Distill Vodka – 4/15/2011
Even in an era when tourism has become a major employer and health care is one of the rising industries in Central Florida, citrus remains among the region's top fields, particularly in Polk County. [Read More]

Remembering E.T. York – 4/15/2011
A visionary and leader passed away this morning. Dr. E.T. York, the founder of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences-- died after a long illness at the age of 88. [Read More]

If you think things are more expensive, you’re right – 4/15/2011
Four-dollar gasoline is just a part of it. As most any shopper knows, prices are climbing for everything from coffee and chocolate to tires and toilet paper. [Read More]

Immigration is a minefield for Florida politicians – 4/15/2011
For evidence of the political minefield that is immigration reform, look no further than the Florida Senate. [Read More]

House Economic Affairs Committee Favors Immigration Bill – 4/14/2011
Neither tears, prayer nor opposition from influential business groups could sway a House committee that voted largely along party lines Thursday for a Republican-sponsored bill that would follow Arizona's lead and make illegal immigration a state crime in Florida. [Read More]

Well, How About Them Apple-Juice Futures? – 4/14/2011
Apple-juice futures could be the next main squeeze for commodities traders. [Read More]

Business groups oppose Florida immigration bills – 4/14/2011
Business groups say state legislation designed to curtail illegal immigration would hurt Florida's tourism and agriculture industries while reducing tax revenues. [Read More]

Immigrant supporters decry bill – 4/13/2011
A praying mass of immigrants and their supporters brought a Florida Senate budget committee to a halt Wednesday to oppose a contentious bill they liken to an Arizona-style illegal immigration crackdown. [Read More]

New UF Citrus Research and Education Center director named – 4/13/2011
Jacqueline Burns has been named director of the University of Florida's Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. [Read More]

Ex-congressman is glad to be home as agriculture chief – 4/13/2011
One of the aspects Florida's young agriculture commissioner, Adam Putnam, said he most enjoys about his new job is what he's not doing. [Read More]

Citrus Country Groves stores in Clearwater, Seminole closing soon – 4/13/2011
Anyone wanting a taste of the orange-vanilla ice cream from Citrus Country Groves better hop to it. Before Easter, the two stores in Clearwater and Seminole will be closed. [Read More]

Florida farms feed the nation – 4/12/2011
Re Kirk Fordham’s April 7 Other Views article, Why we need Everglades restoration: In these austere times, policymakers are correct to focus on the economy and the creation of jobs even if it means cuts to popular programs such as Florida Forever. No one wants to cut funding for education, healthcare for the poor or other important social services. [Read More]

New Research Finds Drinking 100 Percent Orange Juice is Linked to Better Overall Diets – 4/11/2011
Orange juice may do more for your diet and overall health than you may think, according to seven new studies presented this week at Experimental Biology (EB) 2011. [Read More]

The Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce will be co-hosting the First Annual Grapefruit Legacy Festival – 4/11/2011
The City of Safety Harbor and The Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce will be co-hosting the First Annual Grapefruit Legacy Festival on April 15th and 16th. [Read More]

Farm subsidies face $30B hit in GOP budget – 4/11/2011
The Republican head of the House Budget Committee has proposed cutting agriculture subsidies by $30 billion over the next 10 years as part of a broad effort to slash federal spending, but it remains to be seen whether his ideas will be incorporated in legislation that sets funding for agriculture programs. [Read More]

Collier scales back proposed law regulating use of fertilizer – 4/10/2011
Collier County has scaled back a proposed law aimed at preventing water pollution by restricting fertilizer use. [Read More]

Orange crop forecast status quo – 4/9/2011
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released its April orange crop forecast for the 2010-2011 season Friday showing no change to the 142 million box crop prediction. [Read More]

Proposed regulations may mean more costs for farms and consumers – 4/9/2011
The price you pay for food could be growing faster than crops in the field if something isn't done, according to local farmers. [Read More]

2010-2011 Florida Orange Estimate Remains Unchanged – 4/8/2011
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its April orange crop forecast for the 2010-2011 season, showing no change to the 142 million box crop. [Read More]

New Genetic Weapons Aim to Tame Citrus Greening – 4/8/2011
Researchers believe they've developed a couple of new weapons in the war against citrus greening; now they need to find the right ammunition. [Read More]

EPA agrees to cost study on Fla. Water rules – 4/8/2011
The Environmental Protection Agency has agreed to an independent cost study of water pollution rules it plans to implement in Florida next year. [Read More]

Leaders work on a strategic plan to encourage more Miami-Dade business with booming Brazil – 4/4/2011
Brazil is a continent-sized country with a $2.2 trillion economy and is South Florida’s largest trading partner as well as the source of hundreds of thousands of free-spending visitors who are snapping up everything from ocean-view condos to U.S. companies. [Read More]

Ag commissioner says farming must be protected – 4/4/2011
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam had a full house of enthusiastic listeners as guest speaker at the Dining in Denim banquet Thursday night in Marianna. [Read More]

Millions of sterile Medflies dropped on Pompano Beach – 4/2/2011
About 45 million sex-crazed but sterile male Mediterranean fruit flies were scattered over northern Broward County last week in the fight against one of world's most destructive crop pests. [Read More]

Callery-Judge Hopes To Settle Foreclosure Suit – 4/1/2011
Callery-Judge Grove faces a $37 million foreclosure lawsuit, but General Manager Nat Roberts said resolving it will be a matter of refinancing, as thousands of others have in the face of the currently distressed real estate market. [Read More]

Oranges, grapefruit but peaches in Highlands? – 3/29/2011
Peaches and cream, peach cobbler and maybe even peach pie. [Read More]

National Farm Worker Awareness Week – 3/28/2011
In the United States, between 2 and 3 million men, women and children are farm workers. And they are facing serious issues in the fields. [Read More]

Things looking up for farmers – 3/27/2011
Farmers are breathing a sigh of relief as the long, freeze-plagued winter fades, and some of them are even rehiring laid-off workers. [Read More]

Thumb down: Farmers ought to be proud of what they do rather than trying to hide – 3/26/2011
The Florida Legislature got a lot of attention recently when Sen. Jim Norman, R-Tampa, introduced a bill that would make it a first-degree felony to take pictures at or of a farm without written permission from the farm owner. [Read More]

FSC to name building for Becker – 3/26/2011
Citrus Hall of Famer and owner of Peace River Citrus Products Bill Becker has given $5 million to Florida Southern College for a state-of-the-art building for a new School of Business and Economics, school President Anne Kerr said. [Read More]

Historic Callery-Judge Grove in foreclosure – 3/24/2011
Callery-Judge Grove, founded in western Palm Beach County in 1964, is being sued for more than $37 million in a foreclosure filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court. [Read More]

Judge: Water district can focus on Everglades land buy; needn't stick to prior reservoir plan – 3/24/2011
In a landmark ruling issued Tuesday, Chief U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno reversed his prior decision to force the South Florida Water Management District to build a $700 million, city-size reservoir and instead encouraged water managers to pursue other, "viable alternatives" to clean the Everglades. [Read More]

After much debate, House advances fertilizer bill – 3/23/2011
A controversial proposal to prohibit local governments from establishing stricter fertilizer ordinances than the state allows passed the House Community and Military Affairs Subcommittee in an 8-7 vote on Wednesday after over an hour of debate, reports the News Service of Florida. [Read More]

Mixons spotlight Manatee tourism – 3/22/2011
Janet and Dean Mixon are taking part in their first Florida Tourism Day in Tallahassee where they expect to meet with Gov. Rick Scott, several Cabinet officers, and members of the Florida Legislature. [Read More]

Questions Stall Effort to Boost Agritourism Attraction – 3/21/2011
Many people don't think of farms and ranches as tourist destinations. [Read More]

Texas lawmakers hope bills yield patch for farm-labor shortage – 3/21/2011
Most of the farm workers who harvest and process citrus for South Tex Organics are familiar faces who return each growing season to provide a reliable labor force. [Read More]

Reaction mixed to Florida school nutrition bill – 3/15/2011
Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam's proposed legislation for his department to take over responsibility for school nutrition got a mixed review from the State Board of Education. [Read More]

Better than Arizona's immigration law – 3/15/2011
After Arizona passed its controversial law last year to crack down on illegal immigration, Rick Scott and many other political candidates in Florida rushed to jump on the bandwagon. [Read More]

Senators complain about fertilizer bill, but pass it – 3/15/2011
State lawmakers are fighting federal officials on water quality standards, claiming Florida is best-suited to manage its waters. And yet, those same lawmakers are backing legislation that cities and counties say would take away their right to regulate fertzilier use to protect their local waterways. [Read More]

Pay for trees, or appeal $12 million award? – 3/14/2011
More than a decade ago, Florida was afraid the spread of citrus canker would destroy the multi-billion dollar industry. So the state, acting on what it said was the best scientific advice, decreed that every citrus tree within 1,900 feet of an infected citrus tree had to be cut down. [Read More]

Callery-Judge, town to renew settlement talks – 3/14/2011
After resigning itself to a court hearing to settle objections Callery-Judge Grove has with the town's growth plan, Loxahatchee Groves appears willing to take another stab at working out an agreement with its neighbor. [Read More]

Florida lawmakers pressure EPA about water quality standards – 3/13/2011
Florida congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle have waded deeper into the high-stakes and murky debate over water quality standards that federal environmental regulators are imposing on the state. [Read More]

Lack of Consensus Hampers Stricter Immigration Laws – 3/13/2011
Under newly fortified Republican control, many state governments started the year pledging forceful action to crack down on illegal immigration, saying they would fill a void left by the stalemate in Washington over the issue. [Read More]

Tropicana names SMR top grower – 3/9/2011
Tropicana Products Inc. of Bradenton recently named SMR Farms as one of the company's 2009-2010 Growers of the Year. This is the second time SMR Farms has received that designation in as many years. [Read More]

Tropicana raising prices on orange juice – 3/9/2011
Tropicana says it will raise prices on some of its juices by 4 percent to 8 percent to cope with higher costs it is facing due to cold weather's impact on citrus crops in Florida. [Read More]

Citrus Research and Development COO Leaving for Sun Orchard – 3/8/2011
Dan Gunter is resigning as chief operating officer for the Citrus Research and Development Foundation in Lake Alfred effective April 8. [Read More]

Canker jury: $210 per tree – 3/8/2011
Palm Beach County homeowners whose healthy fruit trees were destroyed during the state's failed effort to stop citrus canker should be paid an average of $210 per tree, a jury concluded Tuesday. [Read More]

Jury resumes debating verdict in trial over 40K PBC homeowners' compensation for citrus canker – 3/8/2011
A 12-member jury went home Monday without a verdict after its first day of deliberations in the damage phase of the citrus canker eradication case. Deliberations continue today. [Read More]

Committee postpones vote on statewide fertilizer bill – 3/8/2011
The Senate Agriculture Committee on Monday postponed action on a bill by a Northwest Florida lawmaker that would prohibit local governments from restricting the use of lawn fertilizers. [Read More]

Putnam: Push to Merge Citrus Department 'Not a Top Priority' – 3/7/2011
As the Florida Legislature begins its annual session today, a proposal has yet to surface on merging the Florida Department of Citrus with another state agency. [Read More]

Sheriff updating contact list of agriculture property owners – 3/7/2011
Lake County cattle owners, citrus growers and farmers take notice: The Sheriff's Office wants to hear from you. [Read More]

Legislation Would Provide $30 Million for Citrus Research Over 5 Years – 2/23/2011
Sen. Bill Nelson said he will reintroduce legislation that would provide up to $30 million a year over the next five years for citrus research, particularly targeted at battling the deadly citrus greening disease. [Read More]

Statewide fertilizer bill passes first House committee – 2/23/2011
A House Bill intending to provide consistent, statewide fertilizer regulations in Florida made its first committee stop today in the House Agriculture & Natural Resources Subcommittee. Members of the subcommittee heard from bill sponsors, Rep. Clay Ingram (R-Pensacola) and Rep. Bryan Nelson (R-Apopka) concerning the benefits of the bill, HB 457. [Read More]

Florida Agriculture commissioner wants to take over school cafeterias – 2/22/2011
State Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam wants his office to take charge of all school nutrition programs instead of having the state Department of Education continue to oversee school lunches. He says the change will provide better nutrition in schools, but critics question his ties to the agriculture industry. [Read More]

Shoppers pay the same for less – 2/20/2011
Shoppers might not be handing over more money at the supermarket checkout, but their bags of groceries probably feel lighter as national brand makers put less product in identical-looking packaging. [Read More]

U.S. House budget vote threatens Florida clean-water rule – 2/19/2011
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget bill early Saturday that would stop the federal government from enforcing new clean-water rules affecting the St. Johns River and other Florida rivers and lakes. [Read More]

Loxahatchee Groves Council Rejects Settlement – 2/18/2011
The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council scrapped a proposed settlement agreement with Callery-Judge Grove on Tuesday. [Read More]

Disease-carrying Asian citrus psyllids find refuge in abandoned groves, UF study shows – 2/17/2011
For years, citrus growers have feared that abandoned groves provided refuge for the Asian citrus psyllid, an invasive insect that transmits citrus greening—now, University of Florida researchers say they were right. [Read More]

Hobe Sound grove owner wants to develop new city, employment center – 2/15/2011
The owner of a 2,832-acre citrus grove at Bridge Road and Florida's Turnpike wants to develop the land into a new city with 4,300 houses, a 650,000-square-foot town center and 3.9 million square feet of research, office and educational space. [Read More]

Paramount Citrus building new mandarin orange packing plant – 2/14/2011
Paramount Citrus next year will open a 600,000-square-foot packing house for small mandarin oranges. The plant will create 500 jobs in Delano. [Read More]

Disease threatens Florida citrus groves – 2/14/2011
An insect-borne disease has spread through Florida's citrus groves and threatens to wreak havoc on the $9-billion-a-year industry, officials said. [Read More]

Australia must act now against deadly citrus pest – 2/14/2011
Riverina Citrus has told a Senate inquiry in Canberra today that the Australian citrus industry will be wiped out unless investment is made to stop a plant disease, known as Citrus Greening, entering the country. “In Florida the China-borne pest, Huanglongbing (HLB), is costing the citrus industry $300 million annually and in Brazil more than 4 million trees have been removed,” Riverina Citrus Chairman Frank Battistel said. [Read More]

Immigration reform hits snags in Tallahassee – 2/14/2011
THE ISSUE: Immigration reform goes through the legislative process. [Read More]

Abandoned groves spread scourge of 'citrus greening' – 2/14/2011
Abandoned groves and foreclosed properties across Central Florida that were purchased by land speculators during the housing boom have become breeding grounds for a disease wreaking havoc on Florida's $9 billion-a-year citrus industry. [Read More]

Immigration laws: Legislation could be catastrophic to agriculture businesses – 2/14/2011
Editor's note: This is part of a series examining the upcoming legislative session, several proposed immigration bills, and how they will affect business, law enforcement and the people who could face scrutiny. [Read More]

Bills call for uniform fertilizer regulations – 2/12/2011
Does one size fit all Florida for fertilizer regulations? [Read More]

Medflies Found in Residential Area – 2/11/2011
Two Mediterranean fruit flies have been found during routine monitoring in South Florida. [Read More]

Spraying encouraged – 2/7/2011
Volusia County citrus growers, both commercial and even a homeowner with a lone tree, are encouraged to spray their trees before mid-February to help reduce the number of Asian Citrus Psyllids, the insect causing citrus greening. [Read More]

Hispanics going from field hand to farm owner – 2/7/2011
Benito Baca and Tony Ramos worked in Pierson's ferneries since they were 5. Children of Mexican immigrants, the boys worked after school, cutting foliage used in flower bouquets. [Read More]

Money available for businesses affected by the Florida Freeze – 2/7/2011
Small businesses, small agriculture cooperatives and some non-profits which lost money because of Frosts and Freezes last year can quality for Economic Injury Disaster Loans. [Read More]

Citrus in Valley is probably OK – 2/7/2011
The Rio Grande Valley's bountiful citrus groves should survive last week's deep freeze without any immediate serious damage although next year's crop could feel some icy impacts, officials said Monday. [Read More]

Florida's Spending Plan Draws Fire From Polk Officials – 2/7/2011
Gov. Rick Scott's proposed budget brought cries of outrage from local School District officials and murmurs of concern from city employees. [Read More]

Farm fresh: Shoppers can now order straight from growers – 2/7/2011
Whole Foods offers help to Community Supported Agriculture programs. Consumers can now pick up their pre-ordered produce from local farms at stores. [Read More]

Citrus Has Been Polk's Hallmark – 2/6/2011
Citrus, particularly oranges and orange juice, is Florida's signature product around the world, and Polk County has long led the state in citrus and orange production. [Read More]

Farm insurance fraud is cheating taxpayers out of millions – 2/6/2011
The federal investigator took the witness stand and described the crime scene: a sprawling field clogged with boulders, native grasses and knee-high sagebrush. [Read More]

My Word: Imported pests wreak havoc – 2/6/2011
Many people were surprised to learn that an Orlando man had brought a nonindigenous species of cockroach into our community to feed a reptile ("Cops: Online roach purchase was illegal," Orlando Sentinel, Jan. 29). This is a bad idea for a number of reasons, but it's nothing new. [Read More]