UF IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department

From presenting our economics research and sharing about the online Master of Agribusiness program to hearing the latest in Horticultural Sciences, our faculty and staff had a great time at the Florida State Horticultural Society annual meeting earlier this week!

Calling all Santa Fe College Students!

Are you interested in exploring topics like marketing, business, economics, food, and agriculture?

Whether you’ve already decided on transferring into the FRE program and want to make sure you’re on the right track, or you want to explore your options and learn more about the careers paths available in our field, come visit the UF at Santa Fe Center TOMORROW, June 10th, from 12:30 - 2 P.M.

Our undergraduate advisor Michelle Baldwin will be on hand to answer any questions you may have!

For UF Food and Resource Economics (FRE) undergraduate advisor Dr. Misti Sharp, mentorship is all about listening to her student's individual stories.

You can learn more about Dr. Sharp's own story, and her approach to undergraduate advising and mentorship for which she was recently recognized by the University of Florida College of Agricultural and Life Sciences in our latest blog post: https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/fredept/2026/06/08/dr-misti-sharp-receives-cals-outstanding-undergraduate-advising-mentor-award/

We hope you'll join us in celebrating this well-deserved recognition of all she does to help FRE's students shine inside and outside the classroom!

Food safety shapes our everyday lives in ways we might not often think consciously about. That is, until something goes wrong. For her honors undergraduate thesis project, UF Food and Resource Economics (FRE) alumni Morgan Smith combined her interests in policy, market research and food safety to figure out the impact that recall events can have on a Food Business, from shifts in consumer perception reflected in Google Trends data to measurable financial impacts.

Join us in the latest episode of the FRE Lunch podcast for a conversation with Morgan and her advisor, FRE Professor Dr. Suzanne Thornsbury, about the projects findings, as well as both the challenges and rewards of participating in research as an undergraduate student.

Listen now on our podcast website or your favorite podcast platforms: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2375738/episodes/19202339

“You will be my student for a short time and my colleague forever.”

These wise words from her MS Thesis advisor at Cornell University have stuck with FRE Professor Jaclyn Kropp throughout her entire academic journey. Today, they shape her own approach with the students she teaches and oversees in their research.

Recently, Dr. Kropp was recognized by the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences with the 2025-2026 Outstanding Graduate Advising/Mentor of the Year Award.

We hope you’ll join us in congratulating her on this well-deserved recognition of all she does for our students!

For more info, check out our spotlight blog below:

https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/fredept/2026/05/28/fre-graduate-faculty-member-jaclyn-krop-receives-advising-mentoring-award/

Congratulations to all of the FRE faculty and students who were recognized for their hard work, leadership and accomplishments at this year’s CALS Awards!

Keep an eye on our pages for select highlights of some of our individual award winners over the next few weeks!

From sharing the latest applied economics research to highlighting legislative and industry perspectives, our annual Florida Agricultural Policy Outlook Conference covered a wide range of hot topics impacting Florida agriculture.

Thanks to the UF IFAS Mid-Florida Research & Education Center for hosting us, all of our presenters for sharing their expertise, and everyone who attended to participate in the conversation about how policy can be used to move Florida agriculture forward! 🌾