Florida Gulf Citrus Best Management
Practices (BMPs)
| Gulf Growers
Implement Citrus BMPs in Region |
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With
the ink barely dry on the Gulf
Citrus Best Management Practice
(BMP) Manual and through the
assistance of the Florida Department
of Agriculture's (FDACS) Office of
Water Policy and the University of
Florida's Institute of Food and
Agricultural Science (UF/IFAS)
growers are aggressively enhancing
their water quality initiatives in
the Caloosahatchee basins.
Immediately following the manual's
adoption into state statute, "Gulf"
growers were quick to put FDACS'
2006 cost/share funds to work.
Initially, five projects were funded
and completed as part of the
public/private partnership!
The first five projects were
implemented by Bryan Beer, LaBelle
Grove Management; Barry Daniels,
Pacific Tomato Growers; Tom
Kirschner, Ranch One Coop; Paul
Meador, Everglades Harvesting &
Hauling and Tom Kirschner,
Cooperative Three. Recently
the Gulf Citrus Growers Association
sent its grower members an updated
brochure entitled "Gulf Citrus
Cost/Share Procedures" which
outlines the details of program
participation. For the
2006/2007 budgeting cycle, FDACS'
Office of Water Policy has allocated
$227,700 in cost/share funding.
These funds are being distributed
through the Southwest Florida
Resource Conservation Development
Council here in the region. In
addition, to simplify implementation
of the citrus BMPs, UF/IFAS is
staffing up to assist growers.
Dr. Brian Boman, IFAS' BMP
coordinator, recently announced that
Geovanne (Gio) Stinghen and Chambal
Pandey will comprise the UF/IFAS BMP
Implementation Team in the region.
They will assist growers with grove
evaluations, the "BMP checklist",
cost/share funding and other aspects
of the program. Growers are
encouraged to contact Gio at (863)
993-4846 or E-mail:
stinghen@ufl.edu to participate. |
On February 1, 2006, Gulf Citrus held their
kick-off for Best Management Practices (BMPs)
for Southwest Florida citrus growers.
Download the Final version of the Gulf
Citrus BMP Manual - January 31, 2006
(Note this is a rather large file - 79MB in
.pdf)
View the Online version of the Gulf
Citrus BMP Manual
(Faster loading, but not in final format)
Gulf Citrus BMP Cost
Share Money Now Available
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