FAWN

History

The Florida Automated Weather Network (FAWN) was created in 1997 with a legislative appropriation for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). These funds were used to establish a network of 11 stations that were integrated into existing UF/IFAS Extension network of 5 stations in Lake and Orange counties. FAWN was created to assist growers in making decisions related primarily to irrigation scheduling and cold protection. As of 2019, FAWN consists of 42 stations located from Jay to Homestead, and assists decision makers with crop and landscape irrigation, freeze protection, and chemical application.

Mission

FAWN's mission is to leverage timely, reliable, and accurate weather data in support of effective agricultural decision making and stewardship of natural, human, and fiscal resources.

Vision

FAWN's vision is to support decision making and resource management that will maximize societal benefit and minimize natural resource impact.

Objectives

Ensure uninterrupted access to high quality, real-time weather-related information from FAWN stations.
Invest in weather data-driven agricultural and natural resource management and problem solving solutions.
Increase collaboration with UF/IFAS faculty and non-UF partners to provide data, data access, and data collection and management that will support multi-disciplinary research efforts and weather data applications.
Improve service to stakeholders via feedback from surveys, and input from UF/IFAS administration and others.
Maintain funding base that will allow FAWN to accomplish its Mission, realize its Vision, and meet its Objectives.