Importance of Farming “Without agriculture, we’d be hungry, naked, and sober,” said Gene McAvoy of UF/IFAS (University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences). Agriculture is a 140 billion dollar industry in Florida – second to tourism. Among the state’s population, 2% are farmers, and agricultural land spans 10 million acres. So, why don’t we think about these farmers more in our everyday lives? The Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association recently invited me to tour several farms in south…
Florida
We drank, we ate, we did our ancestors proud! Sorry, reference from the first Thor film. Sidenote: I saw Avengers: Endgame last night following Cocoa Beach Uncorked, so not only am I suffering from an amazing food coma, but my brain is also on information overload. Don’t worry, I’m not going to give away any spoilers. Except for that Cocoa Beach Uncorked is an event not to be missed. Imagine sinking your toes in the sand as the ocean waves crash…
Tis the U-Pick season in Florida! Driving down the backroads, the signs all point to fresh fruits ready for picking. I’m a newbie to the whole fruit picking scene, so I get overly excited by the concept. My overflowing fridge will prove that. This past weekend, we went to Southern Hill Farms for blueberries, peaches and flowers. This was my third time at Southern Hill Farms and as always such an enjoyable experience. Before we went to work picking our…
When you combine perfect weather, friends, entertainment and literally fried everything, how could you not have a good time? This was my experience at the Florida State Fair. Greeted by colorful attractions and the most amazing smells of sweet and salty, I knew it was going to be a memorable day. As a Florida State Fair newbie, here are some of my recommendations for getting the most out of your day at the fair. First of all, arrive early. I left…
This adventure was a little less strenuous than most of my weekend trips around Florida but no less fun. Oak Haven Farms provides a relaxing atmosphere and absolutely beautiful scenery. The perfect setting for strawberry picking. It was my first time picking strawberries and such a great weekend activity close to Orlando. The farm was not overly crowded which is something I tend to worry about whenever we do something in or around the Central Florida area. It’s the Disney…
It’s manatee season in Florida again. What does that mean exactly? Well, I’m glad you asked. When the temperatures drop, the river and ocean waters cool down causing manatees to seek the warmer waters of the Florida Springs. A few years ago, I went swimming with manatees in Crystal River. I would love to do it again someday, but this time I opted for the dryer adventure, at least it was supposed to be. Weekend Adventures We don’t tend to…
Give the gift of paradise this holiday season with a trip to Discovery Cove. If someone were to blindfold you and drop you in the middle of Discovery Cove, you would never believe you were in the heart of Orlando, Florida. It’s a peaceful, lush, relaxing paradise and the only all-inclusive style resort in Orlando. Now is the perfect time to book. During the Blue Friday Sale, you can save over 40% on both the Dolphin Swim package and Day Resort…
Now, this is serious! It’s that time of year again, Christmas at Gaylord Palms is back and just as cool as ever! Each year, artisans from Harbin, China hand-carve scenes from holiday classics out of two million pounds of ice for the main attraction ICE! at Gaylord Palms. This year’s featured classic is the hilarious family tale, ‘A Christmas Story.’ I’ll be honest; it’s been awhile since seeing ‘A Christmas Story,’ so I rewatched it this week and I’m so glad…