Florida Republicans pick egg farmer to lead state Senate

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Republicans have selected a 53-year-old egg farmer to be next in line to lead them in the state Senate.

Sen. Wilton Simpson will assume leadership of the legislative body after its current president, Sen. Bill Galvano, steps down next year. Simpson was officially designated after the Senate’s Republican Caucus chose him Tuesday by unanimous vote.

Maine group gets funding for refugee farmer project

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The federal government’s investing more than $600,000 in a Portland group that works with immigrants and refugees to teach sustainable farming practices.

Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree said the awards will go to Cultivating Community, which manages and supports urban food growing. One of the grants is a $100,000 award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for a project to build refugee agriculture in Maine.

New Mexico forecast to lead US in pecan production in 2019

LAS CRUCES, N.M. (AP) — New Mexico is expected to lead the U.S. in pecan production this year as growers prepare for the upcoming harvest.

The U.S. Agriculture Department’s statistics service says production in the Southwest state is forecast at a record high 97 million pounds. That would mark a 6% increase over 2018.

West Virginia farmers quadrupled their hemp crop this year

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Farmers more than quadrupled West Virginia’s industrial hemp crop this year.

Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt’s office said about 130 farmers grew 641 acres of industrial hemp in 2019, up from 155 acres in 2018.