farmers

Many farmers have traditionally handled their own problems, whether it’s a busted tractor or debilitating anxiety. “With the older generation, it’s still, ‘Suck it up,’ " says one mental health advocate and farmer.

The law would help at least three Black farmers who sought licenses to grow the plants but were deemed ineligible to apply by state officials.

The state issued licenses to Suwannee County's Terry Donnell Gwinn and Bascom-based Shedrick McGriff. They come nearly a decade after lawmakers laid out a blueprint for the industry and years of legal delays.

It's been over a decade since whole milk through the National School Lunch Program was effectively banned. Dairy farmers, some health experts and members of Congress say it’s time to bring it back.

Distrust of public health authorities, who say drinking raw milk is dangerous, fuels demand for unpasteurized milk products, leaders on both sides of the issue say.

Beekeepers lost nearly half of their honeybee colonies last year. Without bees, farmers can't grow the fruits and plants that feed us. So farmers are working harder to get their crops pollinated.

The health department issues a “written notice of intent” for Terry Donnell Gwinn of Suwannee County, setting the stage for what could be protracted litigation over the sought-after opportunity to join the medical pot industry.

The state Department of Health will accept applications for the single Black farmer license March 21-25, the first opportunity for prospective medical marijuana operators to vie for a license since 2015.

The state will kick off the rulemaking process for Black farmer applicants within “weeks to months” and set the stage for another set of licenses that would nearly double the number of operators.

For a moment it looked like a major shift was underway in Florida agriculture, as more local produce was consumed locally. It didn't completely pan out, but hopes remain high.