The citrus greening crisis in Florida and across the U.S. is receiving $20.1 million dollars to bring growers closer to a solution. The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) awarded the grants to university researchers and extension projects working to fight Huanglongbing (HLB) or greening disease. “Citrus greening has affected more than 75 percent of Florida citrus crops …
UF Helps Launch Olive Groves in Florida
Buying extra virgin olive oil from olives grown in Florida may soon become a reality. Richard Williams is one of 50 growers managing 300 acres of olive groves in the state where his in-laws have been growing citrus for six generations. “Planting olives is not for the faint of heart by any stretch of the imagination. This is so new …
#SHPSummit16 Hears From Indiana Farmers
Carrie Volmer-Sanders farms with her husband and parents in Northeast Indiana/Northwest Ohio, and they have implemented cover crops on their farm for about 5 years now. Sanders works for The Nature Conservancy which is where she first heard about the project. “There are a couple of goals being a part of this. Some include sharing the information with local farmers …
Plant Breeder Scholarships at #ASTACSS
Three graduate students received scholarships during the ASTA CSS 2015 and Seed Expo this week from the National Council of Commercial Plant Breeders (NCCPB). The organization presents the scholarships annually to outstanding graduate students in the field of basic, applied, or developmental research in genetics and plant breeding. The students recieve $2,500 for their education, plus a travel allowance to …
CFI Study on Consumer Trust in Food
New research from the Center for Food Integrity (CFI) shows that improved transparency increases consumer trust in food. CFI CEO Charlie Arnot says they surveyed 2,000 people to discover which attributes are most important to consumers when it comes to trust-building transparency – policies, practices, performance or verification. “What consumers really want to know more about is practices,” said Arnot. …
Hungry for Food-Based Information
According to a new report from the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, although Americans do find GMOs, antibiotics, sustainability and transparency important, they are most concerned with affordability, nutrition and food safety. This survey found that Americans care a great deal about how their food is produced: a full 78 percent of Americans say they are “very” or “somewhat” interested …
More Growers Needed to Meet Specialty Food Demand
According to a new report, “Beyond Organic: The Revolution in Consumer Food Expectations,” specialty foods are here to stay. The report looked at consumer preferences and purchase habits of specialty foods including gluten free and ethically produced (non-GMO, antibiotic, hormone free, etc.). According to co-author Peter Walter, consumers are particularly committed to certain types of specialty, or organic foods. For …
USDA Gives $3 Mil in Critical Ag Production Research Grants
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is giving $3 million in grants to address critical issues affecting agriculturally-important plants and animals. This news release from the agency’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) says the science developed from these grants will provide timely assistance and have an immediate impact for the agriculture community. The awards were made under the …
Corn Patent Improves Process for Bio Based Plastics
The Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) has just been issued a new patent relating to the imporved process used in making bio plastics. The patent specifically pertains to the compound isosorbide, which allows the use of more bio material in plastics and improves other properties, such as a plastic’s melting temperature. The patent, titled “Dianhydrosugar Production Process,” eliminates the need for an …
AGree Report Looks at Local Foods
The demand for local foods continues. In an attempt to support the farmers, ranchers, retailers, hospitals and schools who are working to meet those demands, AGree has examined local food systems and released six recommendations. The Local Food: Revitalizing Community-based Food Systems report shares the views of stakeholders, provides information about common myths and gives an overall viewpoint of nationwide …