Dr. Richard N. Raid developed a program to aid growers in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) on management of their vegetable crops. Currently working to extend this vegetable program to the growers in the EAA, as well as state and regional contacts, through presentations, displays and demonstrations. Work closely with area and regional extension specialists to present field trials, field days, and one‐on‐one contact with growers. In addition to vegetable diseases, work is conducted on rice, and sugarcane, investigating the integration of management strategies for control of plant diseases.

Continued work with the UF Barn Owl Program which utilizes barn owls for sustainable rodent control in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) with the use of owl nesting boxes. These birds provide low‐cost, sustainable rodent control. The pests, particularly cotton rats and marsh rabbits, cause up to $30 million in damage each year to the area’s 700,000 acres of sugar cane, rice and vegetable crops. The EAA now has hundreds of nesting boxes and some of the highest barn‐owl concentrations in the country. Using the program as an outreach and education program, hundreds of student volunteers assist in the building and installation of owl nesting boxes in the Glades.