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For the week beginning Aug. 11, 2025

TIMELY NEWS

As the summer winds down, many families feel the pressure of the back-to-school shopping list. For some, it’s an exciting time of new beginnings, but for others, it can be a stressful financial burden. The state’s new month-long sales tax holiday is a timely initiative that can help ease that burden, offering much-needed relief for parents preparing for the upcoming school year. UF/IFAS Extension experts are here to offer advice on shopping smart for back-to-school season.

Need an expert? Contact us.

Recent research, programs, events and more.

We can help you cover and localize news to your area; just use the contact links below or reply to this email.

Celebrating National Honey Bee Day: Florida beekeepers thriving, thanks to business accelerator

As National Honey Bee Day approaches this Saturday, beekeepers are celebrating the buzzing pollinators that support our food supply, as well as the success of a University of Florida accelerator that elevated bee-based small businesses.

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Lecture explores confluence of art and science through Florida’s springs

Florida’s extensive network of freshwater springs will serve as a conduit between art and science as the University of Florida’s York Distinguished Lecturer Series returns Sept. 3 to the Harn Museum of Art.

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Meet the local expert helping St. Lucie residents stretch budgets, launch businesses and reach their big goals

A Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) agent at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), Josey Pearce Keener offers practical education from the UF/IFAS Extension St. Lucie County office that empowers residents to take control of their finances, improve food safety and build a better future, one skill at a time.

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New citrus Extension agent aims to assist growers with climate challenges while addressing greening strategies as a priority

Edwin Gutierrez grew up in rural Colombia, immersed in agricultural communities, where farming is a fundamental part of life. Gutierrez, who started his new job in July, believes in the future of Florida citrus.

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Who’s that critter? UF/IFAS wildlife series spotlights Florida’s native gopher tortoises

Q. What are gopher tortoises up to this time of year?
A. Gopher tortoises tend to be solitary animals, but during the summer, they socialize because it’s mating season.

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Leading scientists from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and Extension faculty are offering a popular, award-winning Sustainable Urban Food Production Short Course to communities in-person and online for the fifth year, beginning Oct. 6.

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Longtime wildlife professor to become interim WEC chair

Steve Johnson will step up as the interim chair of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation (WEC), effective Friday.

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Acerola cherry could be a new, nutritious crop for Florida

Consumers value Acerola, also called the Barbados cherry, for its health benefits, and it thrives in the Caribbean, Mexico, Brazil and other parts of Central and South America.

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UF agronomy chair takes on dual leadership role as interim for animal sciences

Jay Ferrell, chair of the University of Florida’s department of agronomy, will assume an additional leadership role Aug. 18 when he steps in as interim chair of the department of animal sciences. Both departments are within UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).

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Nuevo contenido en español para esta semana.

Tenemos una variedad de publicaciones de UF/IFAS que ahora se traducen al español para darle un mejor servicio a nuestras comunidades de habla hispana. A continuación encontrarás nuestras publicaciones e infográficos más recientes.

La acerola podría ser un cultivo nuevo y nutritivo para Florida

Los consumidores valoran la acerola, fruto de la planta Malpighia emarginata, también conocida como cereza de Barbados, semeruco, manzanita o cerecita, por sus destacados beneficios para la salud. Esta fruta tropical se cultiva con éxito en el Caribe, México, Brasil y diversas regiones de América Central y del Sur.

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Nuevo agente de Extensión llega para apoyar a productores ante los retos del clima y el enverdecimiento de los cítricos

Edwin Gutiérrez creció en la zona rural de Colombia, en medio de comunidades agrícolas donde la agricultura es parte esencial de la vida. Gutiérrez, quien asumió su nuevo puesto en julio, confía en el futuro de la industria de los cítricos de Florida.

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Celebrando el Día Nacional de la Abeja: apicultores de Florida prosperan gracias a un acelerador de negocios

Con la llegada del Día Nacional de la Abeja, este sábado 16 de agosto, los apicultores celebran a estos polinizadores que resguardan nuestro suministro de alimentos, así como el éxito de un programa de University of Florida que ha impulsado pequeñas empresas centradas en las abejas.

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From Around IFAS

News from across the UF/IFAS network.

Florida LAKEWATCH connects volunteers with water conservation

Florida LAKEWATCH is a citizen volunteer lake monitoring program that facilitates hands-on citizen participation in the management of Florida lakes, estuaries, rivers, and springs through monthly monitoring activities. The data volunteers collect is used by scientists and environmental managers to track changes in water quality and can inform local management decisions.

Healthy kids, happy school year: Tips for parents

A new school year has begun and with it comes new friends, new routines, and unfortunately, new opportunities for germs to spread. As parents, there are simple steps you can take to help keep your children healthy, energized, and ready to learn.

County line camp: A culinary journey through Florida’s heritage

From Spanish explorers to cowboy cookouts, County Line Camp guided 4-Hers through centuries of Florida’s rich heritage—one bite at a time. This thoughtfully designed multi-county camp emphasized both food safety and cultural history, bringing together youth and agents from Highlands, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie Counties.

Best of the rest.

Alternative story formats created or supported by UF/IFAS Communications.

Our blogs share knowledge: Controlled-release fertilizer enhances nutrient-use efficiency in Suwannee Valley snapbeans

Snapbean is a key vegetable crop in the Suwannee Valley, with an estimated 3,000 acres grown in the spring season, and another 2,000 acres grown in the fall each year. This is a short-season legume and is one of many vegetable crops grown in the region and offers growers a reliable option for both production and market opportunity.

Video stories: Celebrating National Honey Bee Day

In honor of National Honey Bee Day on August 16, we’re highlighting the success of a University of Florida accelerator that helped grow bee-based small businesses.