As Florida’s citrus greening continues to get beaten down, is something better on the horizon? Vanilla is the second most expensive spice in the world and Florida is looking to cash in on the crop.

Southwest Florida is a great place to produce food and other ag products — but only if growers are able to remain profitable. In order to assess what local growers and producers think about the future of Southwest Florida’s agriculture industry, Florida Gulf Coast University’s Center for Agribusiness recently wrapped up a large study titled “Agribusiness in Southwest Florida: The Next 25 years.” A team of researchers conducted in-depth interviews with representatives from 30 local farm operations and compiled what they found in the new report. We talk with the study’s three co-authors to get an overview of what came out of those conversations.

Lipman Family Farms wanted to mitigate flood risk associated with heavy rain on their 2,000-acre farm in Naples.As general manager, Lucas Conran helps oversee seven farming operations for Lipman in Florida and other states along the East Coast. So, he asked for help from his longtime friend, Sanjay Shukla, a University of Florida hydrologist, who had just developed his “compact-bed geometry,” with state and federal funding, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

When searching for a great Valentine's Day gift, you might consider the enchanting orchid.University of Florida experts say the flowers last longer than many other plants, some emit a beautiful aroma, they come in a wide variety of colors, many are affordable, and the plant can be added to a landscape tree once the blooms fade.

Citrus growers called on lawmakers Tuesday to continue providing research and advertising money to help an industry that has seen production drop more than 90 percent in less than three decades.Otherwise, they cautioned that more of the roughly 1,500 remaining citrus growers in the state could exit the industry.

An Alico news release Monday described the changes as a “strategic transformation to become a diversified land company.” It said the company owns 53,371 acres of land in eight Florida counties and about 48,700 acres of oil, gas and mineral rights.

Damage from Hurricane Milton is driving down citrus production from what was already expected to be a historic low in the current growing season, according to a federal report released Tuesday.

Use of technology and growing more on less land are major keys to survival for the Florida agriculture industry.

A Southwest Florida rancher is getting a high honor: he's going into the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame. "When I got the call, it was extremely humbling," Jim Strickland said.