Division of Marketing and Development
Nelson L. Mongiovi, Director
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Charles H. Bronson, Commissioner
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson has announced that his department has developed a planning guide to assist small businesses prepare for and respond to a pandemic influenza outbreak. The 28-page guide walks business owners through various steps in planning and responding to such an outbreak.
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Cogongrass, also known as speargrass, has become a major problem in Florida. Says Ed Barnard, a forest pathologist with the Florida Division of Forestry: "This is one nasty weed ... even more problematic than kudzu.” Cogongrass isn’t something people plant on purpose anymore. It’s federally listed as a noxious weed. But people are still helping it spread, even though they don’t mean to.
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Florida wines performed impressively during the International Wine and Grape Juice Competition at the 104th Florida State Fair in Tampa in February. Thirteen Florida wineries, competing against entries from 34 states and 10 foreign countries, received 64 medals.
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The number of Florida agriculture industry representatives reading for Florida Agriculture Literacy Day grew 9 percent to 1,637 this year, according to estimates by Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc. Altogether, these agriculture industry volunteers read to more than 86,000 elementary school students around the state.
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