Soil can store carbon, reducing greenhouse gas concentrations from the atmosphere, and managing grazing lands in the best ways can increase their ability to provide these important ecosystems services. But insufficient research into how to better sequester carbon can lead to misinformation for ranchers, new University of Florida research shows. Maria Silveira takes soil samples. By Cat Wofford, UF/IFAS photography. In her review of existing research of grazing-land management in the southeastern United States, Maria Silveira, a UF/IFAS professor of soil, water, and ecosystem sciences, identifi ..read more

If you have been near Shealy Drive in Gainesville, you may be familiar with the UF/IFAS sheep unit. The 30-acre facility is home to 100 sheep that are bred and raised to improve recommendations on sheep nutrition, reproduction and physiology for sheep producers. When passing by the unit, you might also notice some long-eared friends in the pasture, two donkeys named Wilma and Pebbles.    Wilma and Pebbles live at the UF/IFAS sheep unit and serve as livestock guardians for the sheep. Four years ago, the UF/IFAS animal sciences department inherited the donkeys from a long-time emp ..read more

This is a small greenhouse farm business located in Davie. The Harpke Family Farm offers a variety of microgreens, fruit and more. Florida farming is big business. To make it in today’s competitive market, those new to the industry need a solid business plan and the right marketing tactics to build a business from the ground up. “Agricultural operations, regardless of the size, need a roadmap to provide a sense of direction toward profitability,” said Jonael Bosques-Mendez, a UF/IFAS Extension agricultural agent and UF/IFAS Extension director for Hardee County. “Without a business plan, it is ..read more

The term ‘sustainable agriculture’ involves boosting food production while conserving habitats and natural resources and reducing reliance on pesticides and fertilizers. While experts agree there is still much to learn to support its potential, they say sustainable agriculture models could promote food security, regulate climate change, promote biodiversity, improve water quality and more. University of Florida scientists partnered with researchers from multiple institutions to understand long-term impacts of increasing agriculture production on grasslands and wetlands in hopes of developing ..read more

For Floridians looking to cut down on beef and pork, lamb and goat meat have proven to be a welcome addition to their plates. But figuring out who wants to buy these meats and how much people are willing to pay for them can be tricky. University of Florida researchers found that Florida consumers most willing to buy lamb and goat meat were adventurous, younger (Millennials and Gen Z), had tasted these meats before and liked them or held a belief of cultural significance for these meats. This means companies marketing lamb and goat meat would be best off advertising to those demographics, said ..read more

Creado por Lourdes Mederos, gerente de relaciones públicas en español para el Departamento de Comunicaciones de UF/IFAS.  Desde el 2016, un número creciente de profesionales de University of Florida han unido esfuerzos para mejorar el acceso y la eficiencia de la información y de los programas para las comunidades de habla hispana de Florida. Ellos crearon la Coalición de Educadores de Extensión de Florida para la Comunidad Latina, también conocida como CAFÉ Latino, una organización base que ofrece servicios y que forma parte de University of Florida – Institute of Food and Agricultural S ..read more

Creado por Kirsten Romaguera, especialista en relaciones públicas de UF/IFAS. El Programa de Análisis del Impacto Económico de UF/IFAS evalúa los impactos en la agricultura de Florida luego de eventos climáticos extremos. El informe preliminar sobre el huracán Idalia se publicó recientemente en inglés. La traducción al español está en proceso. El informe estima un rango de pérdidas entre los $78,8 millones a $370,9 millones. Este rango se reducirá cuando se publique el informe final en los próximos meses. La estimación no valora los daños en infraestructuras, los cuales representan ..read more

Highlights ·         The UF/IFAS Economic Impact Analysis Program assesses impacts to Florida agriculture following extreme weather events. The preliminary report for Hurricane Idalia is newly released. ·         The report estimates a credible range of losses from $78.8 million to $370.9 million. This range will be narrowed in a final report in the coming months. ·         The estimate does not place a value on infrastructure damage, which represents a large portion of th ..read more

Creado por Kirsten Romaguera, especialista en relaciones públicas de UF/IFAS. GAINESVILLE, Fla. – El Huracán Idalia tocó tierra la mañana del pasado 30 de agosto cerca de Keaton Beach, Florida, pero la ruta noreste de la tormenta de categoría 3 trajo lluvias y fuertes vientos a los condados costeros a lo largo de la península occidental, e inclusive en el interior de la península. El Programa de Análisis del Impacto Económico de UF/IFAS (EIAP, por sus siglas en inglés) aplica encuestas después de que ocurren desastres naturales, para recopilar información sobre las pérdidas de producción ..read more

The University of Florida Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Livestock Systems within the Global Food Systems Institute will lead a five-year, $4 million project to improve the productivity and resilience of Haiti’s livestock sector, with new funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID/Haiti) through Feed the Future. The project “Innovation System in Animal Production” is led by Geoffrey Dahl, Director of the Livestock Systems Innovation Lab. SIPA will work closely with three Haitian universities: Université d‘Etat d’Haïti- Campus Henry Christophe de Limonade, Universit ..read more