News

FDACS TEAM Card is now available

The Florida Farm TEAM Card is a convenient way for farmers to claim applicable agricultural sales tax exemptions. The plastic, wallet-sized card is a physical alternative to the paper exemption certificates. The TEAM card does not expand or create agricultural exemptions beyond those already provided in Florida Statute. A list of sales tax exemptions for aquaculture businesses can be found here: https://ccmedia.fdacs.gov/content/download/78423/file/FDACS-P-01781-SalesTaxExemptionsforAquacultureBusinesses.pdf. To obtain a TEAM Card, growers must complete an Application for a Florida Farm Tax Exempt Agricultural Materials (TEAM) Card (Form DR-1 TEAM) by applying  online or obtaining a copy of the form to apply by mail at

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Information Sessions on Funding Available for Clam Farmers

February 7th and 13th, 3 – 5 p.m. UF/IFAS Nature Coast Biological Station 552 1st Street, Cedar Key, FL Eligible clam farmers and businesses that were affected by Hurricane Idalia are able to receive funding to cover wages, clean up, recovery, and more. Attend one of two information sessions to learn how CareerSource of Citrus Levy Marion Counties can offset the expense of restoring your operation–at no cost to you. Here’s what you’ll learn about: 1) How disaster assistance programs can help you pay your workers, 2) How this funding can be used in clean up and recovery efforts. If

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2023 Census of Aquaculture Deadline extended to March 1st

Aquatic farmers who have not completed the 2023 Census of Aquaculture conducted by US Department of Agriculture have until March 1 to do so. The Census can be completed online at USDA – National Agricultural Statistics Service – Surveys – Census of Aquaculture. Last conducted for production year 2018, the Census of Aquaculture will yield current industry-specific data. This information is used by federal, state, and local governments, agribusinesses, trade associations, and producers to make decisions impacting the sustainability and growth of the US aquaculture. The data is also used to support and justify federal and state research, education, extension,

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Economic Impact

Survey on ReCLAMation of Cedar Key Aquaculture Leases

To all Cedar Key Clam Growers, Please take a few minutes to complete a brief survey at your earliest convenience. Information about this survey can be found below. We would like to have responses back by January 22nd. Click on this link to open the survey https://forms.gle/2xH7ov7XMXq3vrFEA.  If you have any questions or problems accessing the survey link, contact Leslie Sturmer at Lnst@ufl.edu or Rose Cantwell at cantwellrr@bellsouth.net.

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Oyster in a hand

Deadline for Oyster Crop Insurance Program extended to December 15

A new Shellfish Pilot Crop Insurance Program is now available through the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA). Oyster growers in Franklin and Wakulla Counties are eligible in this pilot program for protection against losses due to named storms, excessive heat during a low tide event, freeze during a low tide event, or low salinity due to excessive rainfall.  RMA has extended the Sales Closing Date for the shellfish (oyster) policy until December 15, 2023. To learn more about this new pilot program, visit these resources posted to RMA’s website https://www.rma.usda.gov/Topics/Shellfish.  Shellfish Pilot Crop Insurance Program Frequently Asked Questions Shellfish Pilot

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RMA

Shellfish Pilot Crop Insurance Program

A new Shellfish Pilot Crop Insurance Program is now available through the USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA). Oyster growers in Franklin and Wakulla Counties are eligible in this pilot program for protection against losses due to named storms, excessive heat during a low tide event, freeze during a low tide event, or low salinity due to excessive rainfall. The deadline to sign up for crop year 2024 is November 30. To learn more, join a meeting being hosted by Auburn University on Thursday, November 16 at 6 pm EST via Zoom. Nicole Gueck, formerly with AgriLogic Consulting, the firm that

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WEBINAR: Using Shellfish Aquaculture for Water Quality Improvements

This online workshop will summarize findings of a 2-year grant funded by the Nature Conservancy SOAR program to quantify the amount and monetary value of nitrogen removal services for shellfish aquaculture in Florida. The regulatory and incentive-based policies on using bivalve-based restoration to improve water quality will be reviewed. New research findings will be presented and there will be time for Q&As with online participants. The workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, October 24, from 2:00 to 3:30 pm EST. Register now by using this link: https://ufl.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMscuuoqDsrGNzR33bgefotlVL5JOLVPJW8#/registration

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oysters

New USDA Shellfish Crop Insurance Program

The USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) announced that oyster producers are now eligible for protection against losses due to named storms, excessive heat during a low tide event, freeze during a low tide event, or low salinity due to excessive rainfall. The new Shellfish Crop Insurance Pilot Program is an actual production history-price component (APH-PC) coverage policy for container-grown oysters commercially cultivated for the fresh half shell market. This new program will be available beginning with the 2024 crop year, and producers have until November 30 to purchase this policy. For the APH-PC coverage policy, the producer selects the percentage

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USDA FSA

Sign-up for NAP and ELAP by September 30

The Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) and Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) can provide shellfish growers with catastrophic coverage for losses due to natural disasters. The deadline to sign-up for these programs and provide an acreage report is September 30 for coverage of crop year 2024. Since this date falls on a weekend, the deadline is extended to October 2. Both programs are serviced by your local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) office. To find your county office, go to https://www.fsa.usda.gov/state-offices/Florida/index. See fact sheets for NAP and ELAP for more information.   For NAP, clam growers are required

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