Jonael Bosques

The direct benefits are many. Rural communities such as Hardee County benefit from beef cattle production in many ways. These operations provide jobs, create safe spaces for wildlife, and serve as areas where opportunities are created with low inputs from their caretakers. Supporting a Florida beef cattle producer can have a significant ripple effect on the local economy. This trickle-down effect can benefit various industries and individuals within the community.

Are you enjoying the blistering heat followed by afternoon torrential rains? Your livestock aren’t either. Florida summers can be brutal to your animals. Heat and humidity lead to ideal breeding conditions for a host of external pests that can annoy, and cause disease outbreaks on our livestock operations. Ectoparasites is the official term that refers to pests that hang out on the skin of our cattle, poultry, and other farm animals.

The production of food and fiber is an extremely risky endeavor. Farmers and ranchers are at the mercy of the elements. Mark Twain said it best: “Farming is simply gambling with dirt”. Taking calculated risks and preventive measures can significantly impact what we do when feeding the world. Today we will be discussing an emerging issue that can affect livestock producers in Florida: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).