Food Safety for Your Farm

Food Safety for Your Farm

The release of the new Food Safety Modernization Act proposed guidelines in January 2013 has many producers wondering, “How do I make my farm food safety compliant?”  While specific handling protocols are still coming from researchers at various...

Managing Fireweed In Pastures

By Mindy Hittle-McNair, Walton County Extension Agent There is a problematic winter annual found on bare-ground, along tree lines, and under fences.  Urtica chamaedryoides commonly called fireweed, heartleaf nettle, weak nettle, or ortiguilla is a native Florida...

Contact the New FDACS BMP Field Man for Northwest Florida!

For about the last year there has been a staff vacancy for the BMP field representative in the North Florida area. Rance Ellis has been hired by FDACS to fill this position. Rance comes from Central Florida where he worked as the field representative for FDACS through...

Armyworms on the March in Hay Fields

Army worms are actively feeding in large numbers on bermudagrass hay fields in Washington and neighboring counties.  If left unnoticed these foliage feeders will take a forage stand near harvest down to a few small stems in just a matter of days. Therefore producers...

Groundpearls in Tifton 9 Bahiagrass Pasture

I recently visited  a farm that was experiencing significant stand loss in an 80 acre field of Tifton 9 Bahiagrass.  Upon closer examination the culprit was determined to be ground pearls, as seen in the photo at left.  This was the first time that this Extension...