Christian Peterson reporter@riverbendnews.org Lafayette County is well known as an agricultural community. Many people think of common areas of agriculture, dairy, corn, wheat, barely or wool. However, an often – overlooked product is timber. Luckily for local timber farmers, the Lafayette County UF/IFAS Extension Office has…
Category: Farm & Outdoors
Suwannee 4-H Livestock Judging Team earns high honors during Georgia contest
Jason Futch reporter2@riverbendnews.org The Suwannee County 4-H Livestock Judging Team participated in the Southeastern 3 Livestock Judging Contest at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry, Ga., from Thursday, Dec. 11, to Friday,…
Florida Arbor Day
Hailey Waldo editor@riverbendnews.org In places like Suwannee, Hamilton and Lafayette Counties, trees are more than a part of the scenery, they help us in our daily life. From the towering pines that…
Century Pioneer Family Farms Program honors Florida’s multi-generational farms
Florida Department of Agriculture Contributor The Century Pioneer Family Farm Program, initiated in 1985 by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, honors families who have maintained continuous family farm ownership…
Cottage Food Law for Beginners course to be held
Jason Futch reporter2@riverbendnews.org The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is hosting a Cottage Food Law for Beginners course on Tuesday, March 18, 2026, from 9 a.m. to…
Lafayette FFA competes at the 98th National FFA Convention
Chad Lyons Contributor The Lafayette Future Farmers of America (FFA) Forestry Evaluation and Meats Evaluation Career Development Event teams represented Florida at the 98th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis, Ind.,…
Florida black bear hunt is set to begin in three days
Hailey Heseltine editor@riverbendnews.org The first sanctioned hunting season for Florida black bears in a decade starts on Saturday, Dec. 6. During the season, which is planned to last until Saturday, Dec. 28,…
Suwannee Farm Bureau celebrates Farm-City Week at Branford Farm Stand
Danny Federico editor@riverbendnews.org Recognized annually, Farm-City Week honors Florida’s farmers and ranchers who help feed individuals all over the world by producing a wide range of nutritious foods. During the celebration, attendees…
Lafayette Farm Bureau spotlights Farm-City Week with luncheon
Danny Federico editor@riverbendnews.org Agriculture’s critical role in America’s economy was front and center during the Lafayette County Farm Bureau’s annual Farm-City Week Luncheon on Wednesday, Nov. 19. During the special event, Lafayette…
Hamilton County Farm Bureau hosts Farm-City Week Awards Dinner
Jason Futch reporter2@riverbendnews.org The Hamilton County Farm Bureau hosted its annual Farm-City Week Awards Dinner at the Veterans of Foreign War Hall in Jasper on Tuesday, Nov. 18. The event was held…
Put safety on your holiday menu
Katherine Allen Contributor Last Saturday, I made a toaster waffle for breakfast. Since I didn’t want to dirty a dish, I grabbed a paper towel to grab the pastry. Well, I must…
Florida Farm Bureau Federation holds 84th Annual Meeting
Florida Farm Bureau Contributor More than 450 grassroots members gathered in Daytona Beach, Fla., from Monday, Oct. 27, through Wednesday, Oct. 29, at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort for Florida Farm…
Is mistletoe friend or foe?
Carolyn Saft Contributor With the holidays approaching, I thought about the tradition of hanging mistletoe. As a horticulturist, I am perplexed about the glamour surrounding mistletoe when it can kill a favorite…
Orange tree tops in the forest are a sign of stress
John McGuire, Tall Timbers Private Lands Prescribed Fire Initiative director and forester Kier Klepzig, director of the Jones Center at Ichauway and forest entomologist Contributors There has been a recent increase in…
Tractor & machine safety
The most common causes of fatal farm injuries in Canada are machine-related, according to Canadian Agricultures Injury Reporting (CAIR). Transportation incidents, with most related to the use of machinery such as tractors,…
The Lafayette Farm Judging Contest is just around the corner
Christian Peterson reporter.riverbendnews@gmail.com The Lafayette County UF/IFAS Extension Office is popular throughout the county. It makes sense, as Lafayette County is very agriculturally sound. One of the office’s most popular annual events…
Area Farm Bureaus hold Annual Meetings
Danny Federico reporter3.riverbendnews@gmail.com Every year, local county Farm Bureau offices organize special meetings to provide updates on their finances, elect new directors, announce the local Farm Families of the Year, and enjoy…