The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences (UF/IFAS) released hurricane resources and information.

 

Hurricane Irma has passed, and Florida in general and those in agriculture in particular are assessing the damage caused by the monster storm. Hurricane Irma traveled up Florida, having a great impact on many different areas of the state’s numerous sectors of agriculture. UF/IFAS offered hurricane resources and releases in the form of expert contacts for those looking for answers to questions about what to do now that the storm has passed. See their releases below.

Hurricane Resources and Releases

 

Experts you may contact after Hurricane Irma regarding the storm’s agricultural impacts. If you want to reach any of these experts by phone, please contact:

Contacts have been shortened; see the full list of resources related to the storm here.

CITRUS: Michael Rogers, entomology professor, and center director, UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred; he can provide a perspective on how Irma may impact citrus and on how UF/IFAS will help the citrus industry recover. mrgrs@ufl.edu.

EVERGLADES CROPS: Gregg Nuessly, entomology professor, and center director, Everglades Research and Education Center, in Belle Glade. Nuessly can help with a look at the impacts of, and recovery from, the storm for sugarcane and others. gnuessly@ufl.edu.

REPAIRING LAWNS/TREE CARE – Mike Orfanedes, commercial horticulture agent at the UF/IFAS Extension Broward County office. Orfanedes can tell you ways to tend to your lawn and trees after the storm. morfanedes@broward.org

EXTENSION – Nick Place, Dean of UF/IFAS Extension and director of the Florida Cooperative Extension Service. Place can answer questions about how Extension faculty around Florida can and will help Floridians after the storm. nplace@ufl.edu

FACILITIES – Jeanna Mastrodicasa, associate vice president of UF/IFAS. Mastrodicasa can help with overall information about UF/IFAS facilities statewide. jmastro@ufl.edu

IMPACTS TO SOUTH FLORIDA – Robin Giblin-Davis, professor of entomology and nematology, and acting center director for the UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center. giblin@ufl.edu; Edward “Gilly” Evans, a professor of food and resource economics, and interim director of the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and Education Center in Homestead. eaevans@ufl.edu. Giblin-Davis and Evans can explain Irma’s impacts on South Florida agriculture.

IMPACTS TO SOUTHWEST FLORIDA – Calvin Arnold, center director at the UF/IFAS Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee. Arnold can explain storm impacts in Southwest Florida – including damage to citrus and tomatoes, among other major crops there — and how UF/IFAS can help growers recover. cearnold@ufl.edu.

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