Farmers across the state still are assessing damage from last week's string of freezes, but early reports show green beans, potatoes and squash were hit by the frigid weather. ...more

January 27, 2009

Farmers across the state are still assessing damage from last week's string of freezes, but early reports show green beans, potatoes and squash were hit by the frigid temperatures. ...more

January 26, 2009

Local farmers will give low-income families a helping hand Dec. 12 at the annual Farm Share Holiday Food Giveaway in New Port Richey. ...more

December 1, 2008

SEBRING — As the country moves toward energy independence, central Florida will be a key region, U.S. Rep. Tim Mahoney told county school board officials and administrators. "This is going to transform Highlands County," he said Thursday. "We believe that we are going to generate over 10,000 high-paying jobs in this region in the next 10 years." ...more

February 22, 2008

Plant City is the nation's winter strawberry capital, and local farmers depend on immigrant workers to bring in the crop, a growers group official said. ...more

January 12, 2008

Sure Florida had a tough 2007. The housing market hit the skids. Insurance premiums rose out of sight. And the run-up in property taxes continued to sock new homebuyers. ...more

January 3, 2008

TALLAHASSEE – Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson is urging the state's farmers and ranchers to watch their mail in early January for the arrival of the 2007 Census of Agriculture form. "I urge all of Florida's agricultural producers to participate in the Census by completing and returning the form," Bronson said. "The input received by the Census helps shape the future of agriculture for years to come, and we want to make sure that the voices of Florida's farmers and ranchers are heard." ...more

December 30, 2007

Illegals Bring Home The Bacon, Keep Prices Low Illegals working Florida's citrus and truck farms picking fruits and vegetables send their money home to allow the second-highest contribution to Mexico's gross national product into the millions and millions, helping its economy and families attempting to build their lives toward reaching some parity with industrial nations for independence in home ownership and modest buying power in their country. ...more

December 22, 2007

SEBRING — Here's the upshot from Friday morning's citrus crop estimate: USDA experts don't expect a repeat of the 230 million box bumper crop of the 2001-02 season. But unless there's a disaster, 2007-08 will be way better than the 129 million boxes Florida farmers eked out last season. "We're excited to see the estimate of 168 million boxes this season," said Michael W. Sparks, executive vice president of Florida Citrus Mutual, a grower's association. Raymond Royce, executive director of the Highlands County Citrus Growers Association, thinks the agriculture department's prediction of 30 percent larger than last year is neither too positive or too negative. "It's right about where I believe, and many of our growers probably thought we would be," Royce said. ...more

October 13, 2007