Stephanie Byrne

From fresh produce to milk to fresh meat, Florida farmers have it all, but the supply chain is so disrupted that farmers are destroying crops and dumping milk because they can’t sell it. “They’re used to having buyers be the restaurants, and the cruise line industry, and Disney, and even schools,” said Commissioner Nikki Fried, […]

Grocery services are in high demand, and stores could be having trouble meeting community needs. It has led to problems for people who’ve had their delivery canceled at the last minute. We spoke to a woman in Lee County on Monday who said she didn’t receive her groceries after she had already paid for them. […]

The lack of rain could mean some people on well water could end up forking out thousands to drill a new well. Wells in some areas are already starting to run dry. Marc Berry of Cape Coral said he noticed his family’s well started drying up about three weeks ago. “Last year, I had a […]

Limiting where you travel and who you interact with is changing how every business operates and it’s turning some start-ups into booming businesses. “Necessity is the mother of invention,” says Dr. Tom Smythe, professor of finance at FGCU. Out of necessity, businesses have had to broaden their horizons. “You have to be able to adapt […]

It’s not officially time to monitor sea turtles on Sanibel yet, but with empty beaches, who will be keeping tabs? “The whole world is working its way through an unprecedented situation,” says David Godfrey, Executive Director for the Sea Turtle Conservancy. In another unprecedented situation—“This leatherback false crawl that we saw last week was the […]

When it comes to coronavirus, we all want to do our part. That includes our usual day-to-day tasks like recycling, which is especially hard right now. Why is that, and how can you do it safely? “Recycling right now is more important than ever,” says Dawn McCormick, communications director for Waste Management Inc. of Florida. […]

Florida’s economy is very fragile amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to Oxford Economics, but what does that mean for our Southwest Florida communities? If you look around, you see barren beaches, spacious sidewalks, and desolate dining rooms. “Florida is going to be impacted and maybe more impacted than others,” said Dr. Tom Smythe, Florida Gulf […]

The agricultural industry is being impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, so farmers need you to eat your greens now more than ever. Many farmers rely on restaurants and cruise ships to buy their crops, and across Southwest Florida, farmers, growers and those who work in the agriculture industry are feeling COVID-19’s punch. “We’ve been facing […]

Despite coronavirus challenges, teachers and scientists are determined to connect students and experts, even from hundreds of miles away. That’s what an FGCU associate professor did after getting involved in a program through UF. FGCU is working with UF through its “Scientist in Every Florida School” program, which is designed to connect scientists, teachers and […]

It’s tough to eat healthy when you’re stuck inside all day. And you might worry whether typically luscious produce is safe for your family. We spoke to an expert with a University of Florida program about the best way to handle your fruits and vegetables while grocery shopping during the coronavirus pandemic. “The basic rules […]