Panhandle Agricultural Connection

06/19/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out to the UF/IFAS Extension Holmes County meeting tonight!

Thank you to Creekside Farm and Outdoors for sponsoring this meeting!

06/12/2026

UF/IFAS Extension Holmes County Launches New Homesteading Club

Are you interested in growing your own food, raising livestock, preserving the harvest, or learning more about self-sufficient living? Join UF/IFAS Extension Holmes County for the launch of our new Homesteading Club!

Each month, participants will explore topics such as:

Gardening and food production
Food preservation and canning
Beekeeping and pollinator management
Small farm management
Livestock and poultry production
And much more!

📅 Club Kickoff Meeting: July 9, 2026
📍 Holmes County Ag Center
1169 E Hwy 90
Bonifay, FL 32425

For more information, call 850-547-1108.

Everyone is welcome—whether you're an experienced homesteader or just getting started! 🌱🐝🐓🚜

06/10/2026

We still have room for YOU in our Canning Class! Call or stop by to sign up.
June 16th at 5:30

06/09/2026

Beef Boot Camp -
August 6, 2026 - 9 AM EST
Topics will address challenges and opportunities for cattle opeperations who are producing and marketing beef.
Join online by registering.

www.go.ufl.edu/BeefBootCamp26

This will be recorded, but the live webinar will be interactive.

06/09/2026

Join the UF/IFAS Extension Holmes County team and regional experts for a discussion on current issues affecting ranchers and farmers.

Thank you to Creekside Farm and Outdoors of Vernon, FL, for providing the refreshments.

For More information, call Kalyn Waters, UF/IFAS Extension Holmes County, at 850-547-1108
June 18, 2026, at 6:30

Location
Holmes County Ag Center
1169 E Hwy 90, Bonifay, FL

06/08/2026

Trace Mineral Survey (Florida Forages) -
Dr. Arthington, with UF/IFAS Extension, is requesting assistance with a trace mineral survey in Florida forages (see attached).

The results will help inform supplementation decisions.

Please contact Kalyn Waters at 850-547-1108 if you would like to participate.

06/08/2026

Pasture Mealybug Identified in Florida – This is a significant pest that has caused major impacts in Texas, and has now been identified in Florida. It affects several grasses, including bahiagrass, bermudagrass, limpograss, St. Augustinegrass, sorghum, and others.
• FDACS has officially announced its presence, so information can now be shared publicly.
• FDACS pest alert:https://ccmedia.fdacs.gov/content/download/120429/file/updated-heliococcus-summervillei-pest-alert.pdf
• Texas resource (very helpful): https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/pasture-mealybug/

The pasture mealybug is a newly recorded insect in the US whose feeding and excretions destroy productive grazing land

05/21/2026

https://www.sba.gov/article/2026/05/11/sba-offers-disaster-relief-florida-small-businesses-private-nonprofits-affected-drought

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the availability of low-interest federal disaster loans to small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Florida who sustained economic losses caused by drought beginning on Dec. 1, 2025.

05/12/2026

The University of Florida is asking for 25 minutes of your time on something that could shape how the state and federal government respond if New World Screwworm reaches our cattle herds.

NWS hasn't been a routine threat in Florida for decades, but recent detections in Mexico and Central America have changed the picture. We're working to understand what an outbreak would actually cost Florida operations - in vet bills, lost sales, labor disruptions, and worker safety - so that policymakers, industry groups, and emergency response planners have real numbers to work with instead of guesses.
Your answers will help build that picture. We need responses from operations of every size and type, from family cow-calf outfits to large commercial ranches. There are no right or wrong answers, and your best estimates are exactly what we need.

What to know before you start:

Time: About 25 minutes
Confidentiality: All responses are confidential. Nothing about your operation will ever be shared individually — only aggregate results will be reported.
Voluntary: You can skip any question you'd prefer not to answer.

Take the survey here: https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eM2oashXOEhGvP0

If you have questions or run into trouble with the link, please reach out to Dr. Nargiza Ludgate directly at [email protected] or 352-294-0220 (University of Florida, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering).

Thank you for everything you do to keep Florida's cattle industry strong. Your voice in this study genuinely matters.