The 115th Annual "Boots on the Bay" Cattle Industry Convention & NCBA Trade Show will be held February 6-9, 2013 in Tampa, Florida. The Cattle Industry Convention is the oldest and largest convention for the cattle business. The Convention provides a fun environment for cattle industry members to network, discover new technologies, and discuss policies and regulations that affect the industry. For more information on the Convention, please visit our source site: http://www.beefusa.org/abouttheconvention.aspx

The annual Sweet Sorghum Ethanol Association will hold it's Annual Conference January 24-25, 2013 in Orlando, FL.

Southeast Ag Net

On November 14, 2012, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that 5 counties in Florida are being designated as primary natural disaster areas due to the damages and losses caused by Tropical Storm Isaac, which hit Florida from August 25th to the 28th, 2012. The counties included in this designation are Highlands, Martin, Okeechobee, Palm Beach, and St. Lucie.

The Census of Agriculture is conducted once every five years and is the leading source of facts and figures about American Agriculture. This years Census will gather information about agricultural operations, including types of practices, geographic location, demographics of owners/employees, expenses, market value of goods produced, and other important information. This information will help shape programs and policies and influence loans and funding.

The last census was completed in 2007 and participation is required by law. The 2012 Census of Agriculture forms were mailed in late December and farmers and ranchers are asked to respond by mail or online by February 4, 2013. To get more information on the Census of Agriculture or to respond online, please visit our source site: http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/index.php

The Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative

The 5th National Conference on Grazing Lands will be held December 9 - 12, 2012 at the Caribe Royal Hotel in Orlando, FL. The goal of this conference is to benefit society and the environment by exploring methods of natural resource management. This conference brings together ranchers, farmers, land managers, policy makers, grazing specialists, and conservationists to share and discuss education, technology advancements, and grazing land sustainability.

For more information or to register for the Conference, please visit our source site at: http://www.glci.org/5NCGL.html

The Environmental & Water Resources Institute will host a luncheon discussion on the FDEP's effort to create one, statewide ERP rule as opposed to the current system in which each of the 5 Water Management Districts have their own ERP rules and regulations.