Central Florida Ag News January 2022

www.FloridaAgNews.com

The Voice of Agriculture for Our Region

vol 12 | issue 7 | january 2022

Horticulture, Floriculture Nurseries edition

FAMILY TREES

KANAPAHA GARDENS DREAM BLOSSOMS IN DAUGHTER’S HANDS

FOOD FOR THE MASSES

BRICK STREET FARMS CREATES URBAN FARMING HUBS

POLK COUNTY YOUTH FAIR

FAMILIAR FAVORITES, NEW EVENT PLANNED FOR FAIR’S 75TH YEAR

AN EYE TOWARD THE FUTURE

WOMAN OF THE YEAR IN AG TENBROECK ON SUSTAINABILITY

BUSINESS BLOOMING

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vol 12 |

issue 7

| janua ry 2022

The Voice

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On the Cover

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Alexis Caffrey, now in ion FOOD FOR THE MASSES her 11th year as director FAMILY TREES POLK C of Kanapaha Botanical YOUTH OUNTY FAIR Gardens in Gainesville, AN EYE THE FU TOWARD TURE had a front-row seat to the BUSIN creation, development, ESS BLO OMING and growth of the location into one of the premier show gardens in the Southeast. Her journey started in 1977 when her father, the naturalist Donald Goodman — along with members of the North Florida Botanical Society — founded the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens.

CONTENTS | j a n u a r y 2 0 2 2

KANAPA BLOSSO HA GARDEN S DR MS IN DAUGHT EAM ER’S HA NDS

HUBS

FAMILIA PL ANNE R FAVORITES , NEW D FOR EV FAIR’S 75TH YE ENT AR

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Read more, page 14.

Departments 5 Publisher’s Letter 7 President’s Letter 9 Signs of the Season 16 Angle’s Letter 22 AgriShopper 23 Ag-Rec

24 Calendar 26 Recipe Spotlight 28 In The Heartland 31 Classifieds 36 Agri-News 38 Editor’s Last Word

10 FOOD FOR THE MASSES

Brick Street Farms is a leading innovator when it comes to feeding Floridians, and Shannon O’Malley is committed to doing this in a viable and ecologically friendly manner. O’Malley is the CEO and cofounder of St. Petersburg’s Brick Street Farms, a company that created a climate-controlled agriculture and hydroponic farming system that transforms shipping containers into urban farms.

12 RECOGNIZING CITRUS GIANTS

The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame honors prominent leaders in the Florida citrus industry who have made significant contributions to its resilience and sustainability. The Selection Committee recently announced three individuals —one living, two deceased — to be inducted later this year.

18 POLK GEARS UP FOR YOUTH FAIR

The Polk County Youth Fair is quickly approaching, and it’s sure to be bigger and better than ever this year. The 2022 event is set to run from January 22-28 at its home at the Agriculture Complex in Bartow.

This year’s fair features a new event and some events brought back from cuts last year. This year marks the 75th year the fair has been celebrated, and it’s sure to be full of special memories.

20 AN EYE TOWARD THE FUTURE

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Angela TenBroeck’s agricultural roots stem back to the 18th century when her ancestors began working as sharecroppers in Georgia. Farm life has sustained her family for generations since, and now TenBroeck’s varied accomplishments and contributions to agriculture have earned her the designation of Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ 2021 Woman of the Year in Agriculture.

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PUBLISHER LETTER

There’s No Place Like the Fair AS EVENTS COME BACK ONLINE after a two-year hiatus, it’s getting pretty exciting here in Central Florida! If you’re familiar with my column, you already know that I am a sucker for fair season — especially the Polk County Youth Fair, State Fair, and Strawberry Festival.

I can talk all day long about the importance of ag education, but when it comes down to it: The fair is where it’s at. The fair is where our youth get to jump in and get their feet wet. It’s where the shared experiences of lessons, trials, hardships, and victories play out “IRL,” as the kids say … in real life. It’s where the kids realize the importance of what they are learning and how much the community supports their endeavors. It’s where the tenets of FFA and 4-H are exemplified and honored.

But if you think that fairs are just for the kids, you’d be mistaken!

The ag community is proud to be a part of this pivotal step in these youngsters’ lives. It acts as a bridge between generations, creating

a common ground where our own stories of successes and failures become more relevant and relatable to a generation growing up in a vastly different world.

Memories of the fair stay with you. I still remember the chickens I raised for the Polk County Youth Fair when I was in eighth grade.

I was just a teen, but to this day I’m still proud of my Rhode Island Reds.

On page 18 in this edition, you’ll find a preview of the Polk County Youth Fair, so be sure to check out what’s on tap.

As always, thank you for reading Central Florida Ag News and God bless. We’ll see you at the fairs!

DATES TO REMEMBER • Polk County Youth Fair: January 22-28, Bartow • Highlands County Fair: February 4-12, Sebring • Florida State Fair: February 10-21, Tampa

NELSON KIRKLAN D, Publish nelson@c er entralflori damediag roup.com

• Florida Strawberry Festival: March 3-13, Plant City ag

Sign up

for a FREE On-Farm Readiness Review The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR) inspections have begun. Sign up now to request a free On-Farm Readiness Review (OFRR), offered in partnership by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and University of Florida IFAS. The OFRR is an educational opportunity to help individual farms align practices with the PSR regulatory requirements in preparation for inspections.

For more information on FSMA and to sign up for an OFRR, visit FDACS.gov/FSMA or call (863) 578-1900.

To take full advantage of the OFRR and for PSR compliance, one farm representative should first attend a Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training. Upcoming trainings can be found at: crec.ifas. ufl.edu/extension/events

This publication is supported by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award U2FFD007446 totaling $1,179,719 with 100 percent funded by FDA/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by FDA/HHS, or the U.S. Government.

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Columns

11 YOUR BEEF IS ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR SOIL

The quality of grass-fed beef depends upon the quality of the grass the beef is feeding on. And the quality of the grass depends upon the quality of the soil. There are five recognized primary functions of healthy soil: regulating water, sustaining plant and animal life, filtering potential pollutants, cycling nutrients, and supporting structures.

Baxter Troutman offers advice about the best way to keep your soil healthy.

16 THE POWER OF ADAPTATION

As we enter into the New Year, some of us probably feel like we’re in a holding pattern. Nothing much has seemingly changed and it could be easy to think that nothing ever will. This is when we need to remember that adaptation could be the way to help us through. Adams Cold Storage knows the importance of adapting and how it can help to steady operations.

18 IDENTIFYING EQUINE MOBILITY PROBLEMS

Having a regular veterinarian is vital for responsible horse owners. Creating a relationship with your vet for routine health care is essential because when something is wrong or you have an emergency, they will be there to help guide you. If

you notice that your horse is having trouble moving around, there could be a serious problem. Dr. Katie Hennessy explains.

25 THE ESTATE EXPERIENCE FROM START TO FINISH

When you lose a spouse or a parent, that in itself is a traumatic experience that many people have a hard time with. Add to that the responsibility of handling the home, farm, business, whatever it may be, plus the legal ramifications of dealing with the government issues and it can be overwhelming for many people. Marty Higgenbotham talks about how his estate services simplify the process.

34 THE IMPORTANCE OF DORMANT SEASON SPRAYS

Asian citrus psyllid management should be part of any Florida citrus grower’s pest management strategy; it’s an integral part of managing the impacts of ACPs, which are the vector that spreads the bacteria that cause citrus greening from tree to tree in Florida citrus. Winter is the time for the all-important dormant season sprays.

Griffin Fertilizer’s Mike Roberts talks about the benefits of dormant season sprays.

Purchase your tickets now to win a

NEW JOHN DEERE 560E GATOR!

Proceeds from this fundraiser will benefit PCFB Ag Education and Youth activities. Tickets are $20.00 each, or 6 tickets for $100.00. The drawing will be held May 13, 2022 and you will not need to be present to win. To purchase tickets, visit the Polk County Farm Bureau website or Facebook page, or scan the QR code at right with your smartphone to go directly to the ticket purchase site. You may also call the Bartow office at 863-533-0561.

863-533-0561 • www.PCFB.org • Facebook.com/PolkCountyFarm Bureau 6 | CFAN

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Polk Polk County County Farm Farm Bureau Bureau Protecting & Promoting Protecting & Promoting Polk Agriculture since 1942 Polk Agriculture since 1942 www.pcfb.org www.pcfb.org

Phone: Phone: 863.533.0561 863.533.0561

Member Member Services Services

p r e s i d e n t ’s c o l u m n

Carole McKenzie Carole McKenzie Executive Director Executive Director

Lori Kuehl Lori Kuehl Program Coordinator Program Coordinator

2021-2022 2021-2022 Board Board of of Directors Directors

Leigh Ann Wynn Larry Black Leigh Ann Wynn Larry Black President Charles Counter President Charles Counter DeVane Michael Matteson Kenny DeVane Michael Matteson Kenny Leslie W. Dunson, III Vice-President Leslie W. Dunson, III Vice-President Dean T. Evans Dean Evans Dean T. Evans Dean Evans Ellis Hunt, Jr. Past President Ellis Hunt, Jr. Past President Scarlett Jackson Scarlett Jackson Corby Myers Jack James, Jr. Corby Myers Jack James, Jr. Treasurer Nelson Kirkland Treasurer Nelson Kirkland Lanier Christian P. Spinosa Daniel Christian P. Spinosa Daniel Lanier Ed Lassiter Secretary Ed Lassiter Secretary David Lawson, Jr. Brett Costine David Lawson, Jr. Brett Costine Kyle R. Story YF&R Chair Kyle R. Story YF&R Chair Matt Story Matt Story Scarlett Jackson John W. Strang Scarlett Jackson John W. Strang Women’s Kevin M. Updike Women’s Kevin M. Updike Committee Chair Committee Chair Keith Walter Keith Walter

Location Location 1715 U.S. Hwy 17 South 1715 U.S. Hwy 17 South Bartow, FL 33830 Bartow, FL 33830

Offi Office ce Hours Hours

Monday-Friday Monday-Friday 9 9 a.m. a.m. to to 5 5 p.m. p.m.

Jimmy Jimmy Williams Williams Agency Agency Manager Manager

Bartow Bartow Offi Office ce Agents Agents Phone: 863.533.0561 Phone: 863.533.0561 James James L. L. Moser, Moser, Jr. Jr. Jimmy Jimmy Williams Williams

Haines Haines City City Offi Office ce Agent Agent 203 203 S S Dixie Dixie Drive Drive Phone: Phone: 863.421.4545 863.421.4545 Rhonda Rhonda Ambrose Ambrose Winter Winter Haven Haven Offi Office ce Agents Agents 3039 Cypress Gardens 3039 Cypress Gardens Road Road Phone: Phone: 863.299.3892 863.299.3892 Barry Barry Walker Walker Jason Jason Yates Yates

Please mark your calendar for Food Check-Out Week.

Food Check-Out Week events highlight the abundance and nutritional quality of food available to U.S. consumers. The official dates for the 2022 events will be February 14 -18 but members are encouraged to help share this message yearround.

The Polk County Young Farmer and Rancher Committee is one of the strongest in the state and they are looking to grow even more. Their goals are to help grow young leaders with a desire to network, share ideas, participate in community events, and hone their leadership skills while creating opportunities for young agriculturalists to become strong leaders for the future of agriculture. I encourage anyone between the ages of 18 and 35 with like desires to join. For membership information, contact Brett.Costine@gmail.com.

The Florida Farm Bureau has announced the 2022 Youth Speech Contest topic, “In addition to food and fiber, what other positive impacts in your local community can be attributed to agriculture?” The Polk County Farm Bureau contest will take place on August 23, and all Polk high school students are encouraged to participate.

Do you have your John Deere Gator raffle tickets? See our ad on the facing page to purchase yours today!

Don’t forget to take advantage of your membership benefits this year! You can access information on Farm Bureau membership benefits any time by visiting floridafarmbureau.org/membership/.

Florida Farm Bureau members can receive up to two FREE tickets to UF and/or FSU basketball games this season and members can also enjoy savings on vehicles, health care, insurance, travel, and farm equipment Best wishes from Polk County Farm Bureau for a safe and prosperous new year.

Sincerely,

Calling Calling from from Lake Lake Wales Wales 863.676.3187 863.676.3187

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LEIGH ANN WYNN President, Polk County Farm Bureau CFAN | 7

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56 Fourth Street Northwest, Suite 100 Winter Haven, Florida PHONE (863) 248-7537 Copyright © 2022 Central Florida Media Group. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This issue of Florida AgNews is a trademark of Central Florida Media Group. Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents of this magazine without written permission is prohibited. Florida AgNews makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of content published. In the event of an error found herein, however, neither the publishers nor advertisers will be held responsible, nor do the publishers accept any liability for the accuracy of statements made by advertisers in advertising and promotional materials.

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of the SIGNS SEASON

Ornamental, Horticulture Industries Play Big Role in State’s Economy

by TERESA SCHIFFER Sponsored by Farm Credit of Central Florida

FLORIDA’S SUBTROPICAL CLIMATE means the state is well-suited for the mass cultivation of ornamental and tropical plants for the rest of the country.

In fact, the state is the second-largest producer of ornamental and horticultural products in the country. The environmental horticulture industry generated roughly $25.4 billion in sales in 2018, the most recent year for which data is available, and employed more than 242,000 people.

The ornamental industry encompasses a wide array of ag sectors and businesses, such as landscapers, lawn and garden suppliers, nurseries, and greenhouses, just to name a few.

FNGLA’s Role in the Industry

Florida is a major supplier of the nation’s indoor and ornamental plants.

Almost 80% of the tropical and indoor plants throughout the United States come from Florida. Nearly a third of Florida’s landscape plant sales are to builders and developers.

The Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association represents Florida’s environmental horticultural industry, also called the green industry.

The FNGLA divides the entire industry into seven categories: the Allied division represents landscapers, suppliers, insurance companies, media outlets, and other allied businesses; the Citrus Nursery division is made up of citrus nurseries and suppliers; Floriculture is the designation for nurseries, growers, and suppliers of landscaping plants; the Foliage division comprises nurseries, growers, and suppliers for indoor and outdoor potted plants; the Woody division focuses on growers who work with woody plant materials; and then the Garden Center division and Landscape division cover those last two types of businesses.

FNGLA operates 14 Chapters throughout Florida, and puts on two of the nation’s largest nursery and landscape industry trade shows. These are the Tropical Plant International Expo and The Landscape Show. Buyers come from all over the world to these trade shows, on the hunt for unique horticulture

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plants and products.

The most recent Tropical Plant International Expo took place in January of 2020, just before the coronavirus pandemic halted events around the world. The Expo was a big success, with more than 6,800 attendees from 47 states and 37 different countries converging on Fort Lauderdale.

The Expo is set to return this year on January 19 – 21 at the Tampa Convention Center.

The Impact of Ornamental Horticulture on Florida’s Economy

Ornamental horticulture is a thriving industry in Florida. When we break down the $25 billion-plus generated by sales of ornamental plants, FNGLA reports that $4.55 billion of that comes from nursery and greenhouse production, $10.11 billion is from landscaping processes (such as installation and maintenance), and $6.42 billion comes from garden centers and retail sales directly to consumers. Within the landscaping portion, about 31% of that is sales to builders and developers alone due to Florida’s continuing population growth and development.

A large share of the landscaping sector’s business is focused in South Florida, the Miami-Fort Lauderdale region specifically. That area alone produces roughly $7.5 billion in sales and supports almost 80,000 employees. With Miami-Dade County in the top spot, the counties that complete the list of top 10 in terms of jobs and sales in the nursery and landscape industry are Palm Beach, Orange, Broward, Hillsborough, Duval, Lee, Collier, Seminole, and Pinellas.

The industry continues to expand, as evidenced by the growing market of edible plants, which currently represent about 3.5 percent of the total sales in nurseries. The number of drought-tolerant and Florida-friendly plants being sold is also on the rise, making up 15.5 percent of nursery sales. More than half of all landscape firms in the state are offering Florida-friendly plants and landscaping services. ag

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FEATURE | i n n o v a t i o n

Food for the Masses

Brick Street Farms Takes Hydroponic Vertical Farming to Urban Communities

by TERESA SCHIFFER

W

WITH THE GLOBAL POPULATION now nearly 8 billion with no signs of slowing any time soon, each passing year it becomes more imperative that we develop the most efficient methods of providing nutritious food for people in a sustainable fashion. Brick Street Farms is a leading innovator when it comes to feeding Floridians, and Shannon O’Malley is committed to doing this in a viable and ecologically friendly manner.

O’Malley is the CEO and co-founder of Brick Street Farms, a St. Petersburg company that created a climate-controlled agriculture and hydroponic farming system that transforms shipping containers into urban farms.

She and her husband, Bradley Doyle, got the inspiration for their urban farms in late 2015 and officially started Brick Street Farms in 2016. Neither came from an agricultural background.

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Native Floridian Brad Doyle is a software developer, while O’Malley was an electrical engineer for Duke Energy hailing from Pennsylvania. In her home state, O’Malley was a Master Gardener, but upon moving to Florida, she discovered that her green thumb didn’t transplant so well into the radically different climate and environment.

O’Malley recalls the rocky beginnings of what

would ultimately become a very successful venture, “I started Brick Street Farms as a backyard hobby. I started in a raised garden bed, and I was just pretty awful at it.”

She then moved her horticultural efforts indoors, converting the couple’s garage to an automated hydroponic garden. As time went on, O’Malley and Doyle began looking to expand, eyeing warehouses as potential growing sites.

When the rent proved too steep for consideration, inspiration struck – shipping containers!

These provided a controllable environment, plus they could be relocated. THRIVE containers and Brick Street Farms were born from this realization.

“We bought a few shipping containers, and we FloridaAgNews.com

YOUR BEEF IS ONLY AS GOOD AS YOUR SOIL

bought a derelict junkyard in downtown St. Petersburg. We cleaned out the junkyard and ended up with a flat, gravel lot.

We cleaned the property, removed and recycled all of the junk and had a blank slate, dropped our shipping containers, and Brick Street Farms was born,” O’Malley recalls.

She applied the concepts of a reduced carbon footprint that she had seen in action while working on smart grid projects at Duke Energy to the design of the THRIVE containers. O’Malley explains her driving philosophy behind the agricultural endeavor: “It came out of the general concept that I felt that humans could do better. I just felt that we could revolutionize and have a significant impact on the agricultural industry.”

In order to do better, O’Malley and Doyle envisioned their new, portable, hydroponic growing environments as “urban hubs.” Rather than locating their mini-farms on the outskirts of town, as many urban farms tend to do, and then either trucking produce into urban centers or marketing through a traditional grocery store, they wanted Brick Street Farms to be accessible to consumers by situating the hubs right in the middle of all the action.

“The hubs are designed to be very compact so they can be on a standard lot of 5,000 square feet in a downtown area, and each hub will grow the equivalent of 24 acres of traditional farmland,” O’Malley explains.

“Each shipping container is between two to three acres of production volume.

We grow 365/24/7, with only one to 2 percent waste.”

That “waste” doesn’t even go to waste.

Instead, O’Malley and Doyle or their employees take it home for personal consumption. The urban hubs are able to keep the percentage of waste so low because they utilize a controlled environment that prevents damage from pests or extreme weather conditions, plus they don’t face the transportation challenges FloridaAgNews.com

of a traditional farm.

Brick Street Farms takes responsibility for their entire supply chain, and they deliver within 60 miles of each hub.

Their vertical farming strategy means that each THRIVE container has six levels of growing, housing anywhere from 4,000 to 12,000 individual plants. The shipping containers also can be stacked vertically upon each other, allowing for very dense production potential within highly populated urban areas, where land is at a premium value.

Response to their urban hubs has been overwhelmingly positive.

“The public has been absolutely wonderful. My husband and I started this just the two of us, and we were entirely self-funded to start,” O’Malley says.

“Saint Pete and the whole Tampa Bay area really embrace ‘local,’ and we saw a huge opportunity, especially with leafy greens because of how short the greens season is here. We’ve been fully embraced by the hospitality industry. We started there and worked with chefs to put our name on the menu. And really, their customers just started asking, and folks would Google us, and they would just come and knock on the farm door asking to buy lettuce.”

There is currently an urban hub open in downtown St. Petersburg. The hub has a retail market for selling directly to consumers, plus an e-commerce option that customers can use to order products online for pickup. Soon, O’Malley and Doyle will be offering delivery from this location.

Brick Street Farms will be opening an urban hub in Tampa this year, and they are currently raising funds to open five more hubs throughout Central Florida over the next two years. In the meantime, you can find their produce in a number of restaurants and specialty grocery stores throughout Central Florida, including Publix Greenwise in Lakeland. ag

THE QUALITY OF GRASS-FED BEEF depends upon the quality of the grass the beef is feeding on. And the quality of the grass depends upon the quality of the soil.

There are five recognized primary functions of healthy soil: Regulating Water Water enters a field via two main vectors, rainfall and irrigation. But regardless of how the water arrives, the soil determines where the water goes from there. Either the water will be absorbed into the soil, or the water will flow over the soil to be absorbed elsewhere. This varies based on the amount of organic matter in the soil. Soils with two percent organic matter will retain 21 percent of a 5.5-inch rainfall, but a soil with eight percent organic matter will retain 85 percent of that same rainfall.

Sustaining Plant and Animal Life The diversity and productivity of living things depend on soil. Various microorganisms call soil home, most of which serve a beneficial function to the soil - protozoa regular bacterial growth, nematodes help control diseases, and earthworms break down plant residue. These, in turn, promote healthier plant growth, and subsequently, support the livestock that feeds on these plants.

Filtering Potential Pollutants The minerals and microbes in soil are responsible for filtering, buffering, degrading, immobilizing, and detoxifying organic and inorganic materials, including industrial and municipal byproducts and atmospheric deposits. A healthy ecosystem of microbes contributes to the efficiency of this process.

Cycling Nutrients Surplus nutrients, such as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus are stored, transformed, and cycled in the soil. Each organism that interacts with the soil takes what it needs to support itself, and leaves behind what it doesn’t, only for the next organism to pick those nutrients up for its own use.

Supporting Structures Any structure that is built upon soil by human hands depends on that soil’s integrity to remain upright. Even with concrete foundations and steel construction, a building set upon weak soil is going to topple.

So how do you keep soil healthy?

• Rotate the plants grown. Each plant requires a unique combination of nutrients to thrive, and repeatedly growing one single plant without replenishment will deplete the soil.

• High-density grazing. Move the cattle through your fields fairly quickly, not allowing too many bites of a single plant. Then, give the plants time before grazing again.

• Keep it cool. As temperatures rise, more water is lost to evaporation. Consider

by BAXTER TROUTMAN planting trees for shade.

This column is sponsored by Labor Solutions, and the opinions expressed herein may not reflect those of CFAN or of its advertisers.

BIO: Baxter Troutman is founder and chief executive officer of Labor Solutions, a staffing company with offices in Bartow, Winter Haven, Lake Wales, Arcadia, and Plant City. You also can visit his Dark Hammock Legacy Ranch online at www.DH-LR.com. A cattle rancher and citrus grower who served in the Florida House of Representatives, Troutman understands the challenges and concerns of today’s farmer.

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FEATURE | c i t r u s

Recognizing Citrus Giants Three Chosen for 2022 Hall of Fame

by HEATHER MACHOVINA

T

THE FLORIDA CITRUS HALL OF FAME honors prominent leaders in the Florida citrus industry who have made significant contributions to its resilience and sustainability. The Selection Committee recently announced three individuals —one living, two deceased — to be inducted later this year.

George F. Hamner, Jr. Hamner will be the 200th inductee to the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. Hailing from Vero Beach, Hamner has been known as a major force in the fresh segment industry of Florida citrus for more than 40 years. He has been an active leader bridging the gaps between state and federal agencies, allowing governmental, regulatory, grower, and shipper communities to successfully come together to benefit the industry overall. Hamner has volunteered his time in many organizations and held positions including president of Florida Citrus Packers, president of Florida Citrus Mutual, president and board member of Indian River Citrus League, and chairman of Citrus Administrative Committee. His commitment to the citrus industry is steadfast. He has arranged meetings and hosted trade missions, international regulatory review teams, and emergency response investigators to be sure the industry maintains viability. After NAFTA went into effect in the ’90s, Hamner was president of Florida Citrus Mutual and assisted in changing the organization’s stated purpose toward becoming the lead lobbying team for Florida citrus in state and federal arenas. His knowledge of the rules and regulations surrounding the fresh segment of the citrus industry gave him an integral role in updating those regulations and modernizing the industry.

He was the energy pushing for the development of the PIQ program, which expanded sales, saved millions of dollars in inspection fees for growers, and still maintained high-quality standards.

12 | CFAN

A. Tillis Edwards, Jr.

Edwards spent his life as a Florida citrus man with deep roots in Lakeland. Working for his father’s citrus business, Edwards-Pritchett-Tillis, Inc., he began going door-to-door at the age of 18, buying backyard citrus varieties. This single business expanded over the years into a vertically integrated conglomerate allowing them to have direct ownership of various stages of the production process instead of relying on other companies. By the 1960s, Edwards was a wellknown name across the citrus industry for their work in harvesting, handling, packing, processing, and growing citrus. During his career, Edwards was known as the president of Edwards Packing Co., vice president of Florida Sip, Inc., a citrus processing plant in Plant City, and managed over 1,000 acres of citrus groves as the vice president of Edwards Groves, Inc. His dedication to the industry continued through his positions as either president or vice president in important industry organizations like Florida Orange Marketers, Quality Orange Marketers, H.P. Hood & Sons, and Intermediate Harvesters, and Handlers Association. His work as a member of the Florida Fresh Citrus Shippers Association and the Cotton Exchange Board led to the establishment of orange juice as a trade commodity on the exchange. Edwards was appointed to the Florida Citrus Commission (FCC) in 1967 and became a member of the FCC’s Disney World Committee in 1969, where he played a large part in securing the Disney promotional agreement. This was a huge event for the citrus industry, leading to the creation of The Orange Bird, who went on to be a prominent figure for the Walt Disney Company and FCC.

Edward A. Taylor Taylor was a huge builder of citrus marketing.

He was responsible for well-known marketing campaigns like the “breakfast without orange juice is like a day without sunshine” slogan and the Florida Sunshine Tree symbol, which was home to the Florida Orange Bird. He paired recording star Anita Bryant with the famous, orange-feathered mascot creating one of the mostwatched and entertaining advertising campaigns of the 1970s.

As the first executive director of the Florida Department of Citrus (FDOC) who had professional marketing experience, Taylor enacted programs based on market research and analysis that more than doubled citrus sales in 15 years; from 108 million boxes of citrus in 1963 to 235 million boxes in 1978. His knack for marketing led to FDOC sponsoring the Sunshine Pavilion at Disney World, costing $3 million, and the creation of the Orange Bird mascot, representing the newly formed Florida Citrus Commission.

Taylor also established large marketing programs that included serving Florida orange juice in schools and McDonald’s offering orange juice on their breakfast menu for the first time. He began marketing Florida grapefruit and frozen concentrated orange juice internationally through a third-party cooperation plan that still exists today. When Taylor left his FDOC position in 1978, Florida citrus had one of the highest recognition factors in the food industry making it a staple in diets around the world. ag FloridaAgNews.com

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CFAN | 13

FEATURE | e d i t i o n

Family Trees

Father’s Kanapaha Botanical Gardens Dream Blossoms Under Daughter’s Direction

by TIM CRAIG

I

IN A WAY, Alexis Caffrey was raised into her role.

Caffrey, in her 11th year as director of Kanapaha Botanical Gardens in Gainesville, has had a front-row seat to the creation, development, and growth of the location into one of the premier show gardens in the Southeast.

Her journey started in 1977 when her father, the naturalist Donald Goodman — along with members of the North Florida Botanical Society — founded the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens with the idea of starting a botanical garden in Gainesville like Sarasota’s Marie Selby Gardens or Miami’s Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens.

In 1978, the group obtained a lease from Alachua County for 33 acres to begin development.

Four years later, the group leased an additional

14 | CFAN

29 acres from the county to round out the gardens’ 62 acres.

plants,” says Caffrey. “So we try to keep the plants together, organized down to the family level.”

As the daughter of Goodman, Caffrey grew up watching her father develop the gardens and eventually worked with him.

Caffrey says they try to highlight the interactions plants have with their biotic and abiotic surroundings. “In our hummingbird garden, for instance, we grow a lot of red, pink, and orange colors that attract the hummingbirds,” she says.

“On our butterfly hill, we have a lot of colors that attract as well.”

“My parents would pick me up from school and they’d drop me at the gardens,” she says. “I’ve always been involved, and this place is like a second home to me.”

When the gardens opened to the public in 1986, visitors walked a mile-long loop on the eastern portion of the gardens, while in the western part, there was a half-mile loop highlighted by a manmade water feature. Today, the gardens have 24 major collections, all arranged taxonomically.

“A botanical garden is kind of like a zoo for

Kanapaha Gardens has the state’s largest public display of bamboos — including its signature premier stand of Chinese Royal bamboo — as well as the largest herb garden in the Southeast.

But throughout the lush 62 acres, there are unexpected sights and sounds.

“I think a lot of people find the gardens more expansive than they thought it would be,” says FloridaAgNews.com

Caffrey. “A lot of the time, when people first see the giant Victorian water lilies, they don’t expect it to be like that either.”

Part of the mission of Kanapaha Gardens is to grow unusual or endangered plants, as well as showcase plants that are new to the market.

In 2018, for example, Goodman — who, though retired, still helps tend the gardens — was able to grow a Franklinia alatamaha tree, better known as the Ben Franklin tree, to full bloom.

The tree was discovered in 1776 by famed English naturalist William Bartram as he walked through present-day Paynes Prairie. The tree has not been found in the wild since 1803.

“This is the first time that people get to see some of these plants,” says Caffrey.

Caffrey points to the bulbine plant as an example of plants that are new to the market. The bulbine is native to Southern Africa. It is a bulbedshaped plant that has proven to grow well in Florida. She’s currently attracted to the Gold Dust flower, a short, creeping annual flower that hugs the ground at under six inches and blooms profusely all summer long.

“I just fell in love with it,” she says. “We planted it throughout the gardens, and now we’re starting to see it spread.”

The advantage of a place like Kanapaha Gardens, according to Caffrey, is that it shows people the possibilities of what they can do in their own gardens.

FloridaAgNews.com

RYAN CAFFREY PHOTOGRAPHY

“It’s nice to show people what can be grown in this area,” says Caffrey. “We encourage people to walk around and look at the light conditions.

Most of the plants we grow are cold-hardy.”

Four years ago, the Kanapaha Gardens purchased six additional acres that it uses for special events parking. The gardens have become a premier wedding venue as well as host to other special events. In January and February is a bamboo sale. In March is North Central Florida’s premier horticultural event, the Spring Garden Festival.

In the Fall, there is another Plant Sale and Orchid

Show. It also hosts a Moonlight Walk, when the paths and meadows are illuminated by special laser lights and more than 1,500 luminaries. The gardens permit dogs on leashes, except during special events.

“I think this is a special place and I like to share it with everyone who comes for a visit,” says Caffrey. “The garden is at its most colorful in the summertime, in June, July, and August, but I personally like the fall when it cools off just a bit and there’s still a lot of blooming” ag

CFAN | 15

THE POWER OF ADAPTATION FREEZING TEMPERATURES can be tough on technology, so when freezing temperatures are such a big part of your business model, adapting your technology becomes a high priority.

I was reminded of this because we spent time recalibrating and servicing our RF “guns,” the handheld scanners we use every day to keep track of our inventory. These little scanners connect to our database and give us a snapshot of what happens at Adams Cold Storage on any given day. It tells us which products need to be moved, which products need to be readied for shipment and which products are doing just fine where they are.

But here’s the thing: Each one of these RF guns comes with a built-in heater. They need one or the cold temperatures would wreak havoc on their ability to function. Adding a heater to an RF gun is the adaptation that makes the technology work in our environment.

In the evolution of the cold storage industry, most facilities built before 1990 tended to be short — about 25-feet tall. When we built our new facility, it was 50-feet tall, which meant we can store nearly twice as many pallets while using the same footprint.

To overcome the height difference, we now use turret trucks that can take the operator directly to the inventory, and the order can be hand-picked.

This is a manpower- and time-saving advantage: Instead of removing full pallets, taking what is needed, and then putting the pallet back, the turret truck takes the operator to the pallet.

But even the turret truck needs adapting. OSHA regulations require us to recharge these machines outside of the refrigerated facility where the air circulates. So, after two to three hours inside the freezer facility, they’re brought into the warm Florida sun to recharge. It’s not unusual to see them turn white with ice, then thaw out with water and steam.

You can imagine what this hot and cold, expansion and contraction does to the rubber hoses, the tires, the motherboards and all the little mechanical tidbits. Needless to say, we’ve built the service guy his own little corner of the facility. He is our adapter.

As we enter into the New Year, some of us probably feel like we’re in a holding pattern. Nothing much has seemingly changed and it could be easy to think that nothing ever will. This is when we need to remember that adaptation could be the way to help us by BEN ADAMS, JR. through.

FROM THE DESK OF

Dr. Angle

Scott Angle is the University of Florida’s Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources and leader of the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).

J. Scott Angle jangle@ufl.edu @IFAS_VP

Florida’s Agricultural Innovations Ensure More Food Choices and an Economic Boost LAST SUMMER’S HISTORIC HEAT in the West scorched our food supply. It threatened workers’ health, shriveled crops, and stressed water resources.

More frequent extreme weather events like the heat wave mean we must change the future of farming if we want to be a nation that feeds itself.

Florida offers a window on that future.

Scientists working together with farmers have placed a big bet on plant breeding to innovate our way to agriculture that’s both more resilient against intensifying weather and that delivers more climate solutions, such as carbon sequestration.

For consumers, this will mean more food choices. University of Florida Institute of Food

and Agricultural Sciences, or UF/IFAS, plant breeders are working on new versions of old favorites. They’re also working on planting the seeds of potential new industries— with the jobs, businesses and tax revenue that come with that—by developing varieties of foods that Florida currently can’t produce commercially. That is, more made-in-the-USA choices in the

produce aisle.

We did it with blueberries. Through the development of varieties that thrive in Florida’s soil and weather, it grew an $80-million-a-year enterprise from scratch. We did it with clams, too, teaching out-of-work fishermen whose livelihood was outlawed by a gillnet fishing ban to become clam farmers. Visitors to the fishing village where this work was centered pass a sign CONTINUED ON PAGE 30

This column is sponsored by Adams Cold Storage, LLC, and the opinions expressed herein may not reflect those of CFAN or of its advertisers.

BIO: Ben Adams, Jr. is an owner and president of Adams Cold Storage, LLC, in Auburndale. He has been directly involved in citrus production, warehousing and distribution, as well as state and community support, since 1980. His facility incorporates some 250,000 square feet of multitemperature warehousing, and is AA rated by BRCGS.

16 | CFAN

Clam Harvest

FloridaAgNews.com

G r o d w l e n i F

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First in Season available October through June

Retailers around the world depend on Florida’s farmers to supply high-quality produce.

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FloridaAgNews.com

CFAN | 17

IDENTIFYING EQUINE MOBILITY PROBLEMS

FEATURE | e v e n t

HAVING A REGULAR VETERINARIAN is vital for responsible horse owners. Creating a relationship with your vet for routine healthcare is essential because when something is wrong or you have an emergency, they will be there to help guide you. If you notice that your horse is having trouble moving around, there could be a serious problem. Polk Equine routinely helps horses deal with the following issues.

Polk Gears Up for Youth Fair

Abscesses

The most common lameness problem we see is foot abscesses. A horse can step on a root or stone causing a bruise, which can then lead to the formation of an abscess. Bacteria infiltrate under the sole of the hoof and become sealed off, resulting in an infection pocket. If your horse is showing signs of sudden extreme lameness without a wound or swelling on the leg, this may be the cause. Your veterinarian can use hoof testers and perform nerve blocks to help guide a diagnosis.

Most abscesses can be drawn out with a poultice or a soak in warm water with Epsom salt. Bute can also help relieve pain so the horse can put pressure on the affected foot.

Routine hoof care will reduce the chance of abscess. Daily hoof checks to remove gravel and clean out the feet also will help.

By CATHERINE CERVONE photo by TOM HAGERTY (2020)

Punctures and Lacerations

Superficial scrapes and abrasions can generally be treated at home with a first aid kit. Call your veterinarian if the wound is through the skin, near a joint, or a puncture wound.

While you wait for the veterinarian, a simple laceration can be cleaned with warm water or saline solution and bandaged.

Use a clean bandage and apply pressure to stop the bleeding, and don’t risk pulling off the clot by checking under the bandage frequently. Do not apply anything topically before your vet takes a look.

Arthritis

A chronic issue that can cause lameness is arthritis. It can cause problems at any age, sometimes the result of an athletic career or an injury. It can manifest as lameness, resistance to training, or a change in behavior.

While painful, arthritis is not an emergency, there are many potential treatments, including joint injections, joint supplements, laser therapy, anti-inflammatory medication and acupuncture.

Arthritis can be managed to avoid having to retire a horse, but regular support and joint health can help prevent or reduce the effects of arthritis. Your vet can guide you in selecting an appropriate joint supplement or treatment during a routine checkup, so make sure that you maintain a regular schedule for visits with the vet to preserve your horse’s health and well-being.

by DR. KATIE HENNESSY This column is sponsored by Polk Equine, and the opinions expressed herein may not reflect those of CFAN or of its advertisers.

BIO: Dr. Katie Hennessy graduated from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in 2008 with a degree in large animal health and equine medicine. She completed an advanced internship at The Equine Medical Center of Ocala and is currently the owner and practicing veterinarian at Polk Equine. Her expertise ranges from small and exotic creatures to large animals, specializing in equine medicine.

18 | CFAN

This year’s event, set for January 22-28, will have familiar favorites and a new event.

THE POLK COUNTY YOUTH FAIR is quickly approaching, and it’s sure to be bigger and better than ever this year.

The 2022 event is set to run from January 22-28 at its home at the Agriculture Complex in Bartow. This year’s fair features a new event and some events brought back from cuts last year.

This year marks the 75th year the fair has been celebrated, and it’s sure to be full of special memories.

The fair continues to grow each year and holds a relatively rare title as one of the few remaining fairs to focus on youth without supplementing with entertainment or a midway and without charging an admissions fee. More than 1,100 entries in the livestock division will be competing for titles and auctions, in addition to entries in horticulture, family and consumer sciences, and special activities divisions.

Events range from the popular market hog auctions to showings of breeding goats, archery, vegetables, and the chili cook-off.

Due to health and safety restrictions, last year’s rabbit and poultry showings, as well as the dog show, were cut. This year, the rabbit and poultry showings are back in play, along with a newcomer to the field:

the market lamb show.

Paul Webb, president of the Youth Fair board, says they strive to adjust the fair to account for the needs of the youth. When an interest was presented for a market lamb show, something that hadn’t been in the fair in about 30 years, they were quick to oblige.

“We always try to bring in things that we feel are marketable and helpful for the kids,” Webb says. There are currently 19 entries in the market lamb show.

Webb says the board is thrilled to be doing the fair again this year, saying they encountered many hard decisions when cutting and modifying events for the 2021 fair. (The 2020 fair occurred before the pandemic).

“We’re all excited about bringing everything back,” he said, mentioning that he’s thrilled with the progress made to bring new and improved changes to the fair.

One of those ideas from last year that will be making a recurrence is the hybrid market hog auction. The auction will happen in person, providing well-deserved CONTINUED ON PAGE 30 FloridaAgNews.com

FEATURE | p e o p l e

An Eye Toward The Future Woman of the Year in Ag Angela TenBroeck Focusing on Sustainability

by PAUL CATALA

ANGELA TENBROECK

A

ANGELA TENBROECK’S agricultural roots stem back to the 18th century when her ancestors began working as sharecroppers in Georgia. Farm life has sustained her family for generations since, and now TenBroeck’s varied accomplishments and contributions to agriculture have earned her the designation of Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ 2021 Woman of the Year in Agriculture.

20 | CFAN

Past recipients have worked in all aspects of the ag industry, including cattle, produce, timber, citrus, equine, horticulture, sugarcane, dairy, and education.

TenBroeck, a fourth-generation farmer, says her family had “always farmed to survive,” so focusing on agricultural sustainability has been her main focus. The Jacksonville native partly credits her great-grandfather, farmer Clifford Miller, for her interest in fostering innovation in farming.

At her Palatka farm, Worldwide Aquaponics, TenBroeck, 47, specializes in agricultural growth, space-saving and sustainable food production.

The family began working in hydroponics, growing plants without soil, before moving into aquaponics, raising and growing fish and plants together within the same environment, considered

to be a “sustainable” process.

The farm’s noted work within aquaponics has been an ongoing growth and maturation process for TenBroeck.

“My great-grandfather Miller wanted to farm differently when he moved his farm from Lakeland to Jacksonville’s west side. He saw resources getting scarce and thought this was a better way of farming,” she says. “Today, we use his practices of farming in our greenhouses and then utilizing the waste of our farms on our fields to grow vegetables. He always did that.”

TenBroeck’s family has worked in hydroponics since the 1970s. Besides Worldwide Aquaponics, TenBroeck ran the aquaponics farm Trader Hills CONTINUED ON PAGE 34 FloridaAgNews.com

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Lear n More

AGRISHOPPER SHOPPER

7 Easy Ways to Spruce Up Your Landscape

by GRACE HIRDES

ARE YOU LOOKING for ways to improve the curb appeal of your home? According to real estate statistics, your home can sell for 8-10% less than others in your neighborhood if your landscaping is lacking and residences around you have a wellmaintained yard. It’s also been proven that a business with good landscaping can improve company morale and even attract more customers.

Sprucing up your landscape can seem like a long, tedious, and expensive process, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are seven easy ways to enhance the appearance of your landscaping.

1. USE PLANTS THAT BLOOM YEAR-ROUND. Plant an assortment of plants that bloom in the spring, summer, fall, and winter so that there is always a splash of color in

your landscape. Beautiful plants that bloom in the spring include dogwood, peony, bearded iris, daffodil, and azaleas.

Summer blooms include zinnia, crepe myrtle, impatiens, and hydrangea. While plants that will bloom in the fall are ginger lily, sasanqua camellia, mum, pansy, sugar maple, and beautyberry. Winter is a great time to enjoy blooms from the colorado blue spruce, lenten rose, winterberry, rosemary, crocus, and flowering quince. If you’re looking for something that will remain beautiful all year long try the aster plant, which blooms gorgeous purple-blue petals, or evergreens which are available in an assortment of variations including trees, shrubs, and vines to make a great addition to your landscape designs.

2. CREATE A VARIETY OF HEIGHTS WITH PLANTERS. Not only do you need your blooms to bloom at different times in the year, you also want them to bloom at different heights around the yard. One easy way to do this is by using planters. When all of your plants bloom at the same level, your gorgeous accents can go unnoticed. Try setting out planters on a raised platform or hanging them from a planter basket. Potted plants can come in all shapes and sizes and add an aesthetic touch to match your garden decor.

22 | CFAN

3. ADD ORNAMENTAL VINES. You can transform a plain fence, garden post, archway or pillar on your home by adding ornamental vines. Be sure to know what type of vine to plant based on your project. Twining vines wrap around the supporting base with their actual stem, while tendril vines grow vertically beside a structure using their outgrowing tendrils. The other option is a clinging vine, which attaches to any surface using sets of adhesive tendrils.

4. USE PHOTO APPS. To prevent lost time, money, and effort, use apps to see what would look good before actually adding anything to your landscape. This will also help you to see your landscaping with new eyes and perhaps notice something that you might not have seen before that needs improvement.

5. UTILIZE DIFFERENT TREES. Trees are a great way to add to the beauty of your landscape as well as to the value of your property. Try planting baby fruit trees to save money as full-grown trees can be very expensive.

By planting baby trees, you’ll also enjoy watching them grow.

6. DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE SIDE YARD. If you have unused space on your land, add some lighthearted decoration such as an edible garden with vegetables and herbs.

7. THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. Not everything needs to be formed in squares and rectangles with straight lines. Try adding some curved edges to your garden landscape designs. You can create your edges using bricks, flowers, stone, or mulch.

Once you’ve finished sprucing up your landscape, you may see an improvement in the value of your home. So get started by taking a look at your landscaping from a broad view, then narrow it down and choose which tactic you will use to spruce up your landscape. Remember to keep it simple, and take it one step at a time. ag

FloridaAgNews.com

ag-rec e t a d p

a d i r Flo myfwc.com/news/all-news/gc-redfish-1221

U

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Leading the Charge on Handling Bull Redfish EVERYONE LIKES catching big fish. They put up a great fight, come with serious bragging rights, look super cool in a profile pic and, if harvested, they can feed lots of friends and family. Bull redfish are just one example of a popular saltwater species that have anglers chasing “the big one” for their next fish tale. While there is no doubt that monster reds have rightfully earned their place in the big leagues, any redfish angler worth their salt will tell you that an important part of any trip catching bull reds is the release.

Florida regulations require that redfish over 27 inches be released. The intent of this regulation is to protect larger fish (redfish don’t usually spawn until they get larger than 27 inches). Larger fish also produce higher quality and larger numbers of eggs and sperm.

This is why doing everything you can to help larger fish survive after release is so important. It’s also important to remember that just because a fish swims away doesn’t always mean it will survive.

Taking steps to ensure that the fish is in good condition upon release means it has a better chance of surviving long-term to the next spawn. Use these tips to help your next bull red, or any other fish you release, survive to fight another day: • Keep large fish in the water to reduce stress or injury to the fish.

SPIRIT OF

THE BUFFALO

POW WOW

2 BIG WEEKENDS! Jan 28-30 & Feb 4-6, 2022

• Use tackle that is large enough to bring the species you are targeting in quickly, reducing the chance of exhaustion.

• Always revive fish showing signs of exhaustion by allowing a consistent flow of water through the mouth and over the gills. Use a “figureeight motion” if you are fishing from a stationary location.

• Do not gaff a fish unless you intend to harvest it.

•K eep fingers out of the eyes and gills.

• Use a descending device or venting tool on fish with signs of barotrauma (bloated belly, stomach projecting from the mouth, protruding intestines, bulging eyes).

If you must remove fish from the water: • Get them back in the water as soon as possible.

• Always hold them horizontally and support their weight with two hands.

• Use wet hands when handling, never a towel or other cloth that can remove their protective slime.

• Do not drag them over rocks, the gunnel of a boat, the side of a dock or pier, or any other rough surface.

Fishing from bridges or piers: • Only bring fish onto the pier or bridge if you

intend to harvest.

• Only target large fish from bridges or piers if you have specialized gear (pier nets or slings) to support their full body, bringing up large fish without proper gear or allowing them to freefall large distances can cause injury and increase mortality.

• If you cannot properly lift the fish, cut the line as close to the fish as possible before releasing it back into the water. (This may mean walking this fish to the shore if fishing from a pier.)

Other tips: • Correctly using a dehooking tool can help you quickly and easily remove hooks.

• Use single circle hooks that are non-stainless steel, non-offset and barbless.

• Do not fish when large predatory fish or sharks are in the area. If they show up, move to another fishing location.

• Encourage other anglers to adopt these practices too. Learn more at MyFWC.com/ FishHandling.

So next time you’re out on the water and catch a bull red or any other big fish for your next great fish tale, remember that landing is only half the battle and a successful release ensures more monsters for generations to come. ag

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CFAN | 23

J A N U A RY — F E B R U A RY 2022 CORRECTION - The calendar of events in the December edition provided an incorrect location for the Spirit of the Buffalo Pow Wow. The correct location is International Market World, 1052 US Hwy 92 in Auburndale.

For more information, see the listing on this page.

OCTOBER 21, 2021 – MAY 5, 2022 POLK COUNTY VISITOR CENTER FLEA AND FARMERS MARKET

Every Thursday, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., the Central Florida Visitor Information Center (CFVIC) in Davenport hosts a Flea and Farmers Market. Lots of vendors will be on hand offering fresh, local produce, beautiful arts and crafts, unique jewelry, home goods, and more. This is a great way for visitors to get a taste of genuine Florida fare while picking up discounted attraction tickets and souvenirs. CFVIC is located at 101 Adventure Court in Davenport. If you need more information or would like to become a vendor, please contact Dennis Budde at (863) 4202586 or email Dennis@visitcentralflorida.org.

JANUARY 22-28 POLK COUNTY YOUTH FAIR

The 2022 Polk County Youth Fair will be held January 22-28 at the Agriculture Complex in Bartow. More than 1,100 entries in the livestock division will be competing for titles and auctions, in addition to entries in horticulture, family and consumer sciences, and special activities divisions. Events range from the popular market hog auctions to showings of breeding goats, archery, vegetables, and the chili cook-off.

For more information, visit pcyf.net

JANUARY 28 – 29 LAKELAND PIG FEST

Over 150 barbecue teams gather at the SUN n’ FUN Campus at 4175 Medulla Rd in Lakeland for a mouthwatering competition that benefits Lakelandarea charities. Admission is only $5, kids 12 and under are free. Parking is free. Pick up your Pig Bucks at a booth near the entrance to partake in the fingerlickin’ good offerings while enjoying live music. Hours are 5 – 10 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on Saturday. Learn more at www.lakelandpigfest.org.

JANUARY 29 PLANT CITY CHILIFEST COOKOFF 2022

Judges will select the best chili recipe in a number of categories. The festivities will take place from 11 a.m.

– 1 p.m. at Robert Willaford Train Museum, located at 102 N Palmer St in Plant City. For more information, please email Marsha Passmore at mappmore@msn. com.

JAN. 8 & 22, FEB. 12 & 26 DOWNTOWN FARMER’S MARKET IN LAKE WALES

The Lake Wales Downtown Farmer’s Market is sponsored by Lake Wales Main Street and takes place every second and fourth Saturday from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. at 20 N Market St in Lake Wales. This producer-only market specializes in locally grown, pesticide-free produce and plants, baked goods, local honey, Florida grove pepper sauces, cheeses, award-winning BBQ sauces and rubs, homemade jams and jellies, natural pet treats, plus a ton of crafts, clothing, and jewelry. For more information, you can contact Lynn Greenfield at (863) 676-8782 or visit www.lwmainstreet.com/farmers-market.

FEBRUARY 4 – 5 SMOKE ON THE WATER BBQ COMPETITION

JANUARY 15 DOWNTOWN LAKELAND FARMERS CURB MARKET

JAN. 28 – 30 & FEB. 4 – 6 SPIRIT OF THE BUFFALO POW WOW This vibrant, eclectic market brings the community together every Saturday in Downtown Lakeland with fresh, local produce, live plants, and a variety of hot foods and handcrafted wares. It is located on the 200 block of N Kentucky Ave in Lakeland from 8 a.m. – 2 p.m. every Saturday (except in August) and is a production of the Lakeland Downtown Development Authority (LDDA). Learn more at www. downtownfarmerscurbmarket.org.

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The 26th annual showcase of Native American culture takes place in the Big Top circus tent at International Market World, 1052 US Hwy 92 in Auburndale, from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Enjoy intertribal dance competitions, historic village displays, workshops, and over 60 exhibitors and vendors. For more details, please visit www. spiritofthebuffalopowwow.com.

Every year this local Florida BBQ Association State Championship competition takes place to raise funds for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Polk County. Sample the savory sensations of more than 80 competing BBQ teams from throughout the U.S. while enjoying live music and an aerial flyover. Awards are announced at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. The festivities will take place from 5 – 10 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Saturday at 5400 Havendale Blvd in Winter Haven. Admission is $10 for Friday night, $2 for Saturday, and free for kids 10 years and younger.

You can find more details at www.bgcpolk.org/ SOTW2022.

FloridaAgNews.com

C A L E N DA R FEBRUARY 4 • 2022 WINTER HAVEN HOSPITAL FOUNDATION “SHOOTER SHOWDOWN” SPORTING CLAYS OPEN

Whether you are a beginner or a skilled sharpshooter, come out from 12 – 5 p.m. and support the Winter Haven Hospital Foundation’s new Polk County Mobile Medical Clinic program, which provides healthcare, mental health services, and food staples to underserved populations in our community. The fundraiser is taking place at 5000 Firetower Rd in Haines City. For more information or to register please visit www.secure.qgiv.com/for/202shoshowdow/ or call the Foundation office at (863) 292-4138, or email whhfoundation@baycare.org.

FEBRUARY 5 • SATURDAY NIGHT RODEO

THE ESTATE EXPERIENCE FROM START TO FINISH

FEBRUARY 22 – 24 UF FLAVOR SUMMIT – VIRTUAL EVENT

After last year’s postponement due to COVID-19, the University of Florida is excited to be hosting the 2022 Flavor Summit – Industry Perspectives online! Industry professionals are invited to learn about the science behind flavor with this virtual event. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education Center and the UF Center for Smell and Taste are co-hosting the event.

For more information on registration and the special evening social kickoff to the conference, please visit www.crec.ifas.ufl.edu/flavorsummit/.

This fun, family-friendly rodeo takes place every Saturday from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. at Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo, located at 3200 River Ranch Blvd in River Ranch. Enjoy the antics of cowpokes and bronco busters as they show off their skills trick riding, bull riding, calf roping, barrel racing, and more. Kids are invited into the rodeo arena toward the end of the night to participate in a real “calf scramble.” Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for children ages 5 – 12, and children ages 4 and under are free. For more information, please visit www.westgateresorts.com.

FEBRUARY 10 PUPS & PINTS

Every second Thursday of the month you can take your favorite canine with you to enjoy a large selection of beer and enter a raffle to win a gift basket.

Sponsored by Orchid Springs Animal Hospital and held at Union Taproom, located at 245 W Central Ave #102 in Winter Haven, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Call (863) 268-4921 for more information.

FloridaAgNews.com

FEBRUARY 25 – 27 JEEPIN’ WITH JUDD

Join the fun with Sheriff Grady Judd and 2,200 Jeeps at Clear Springs Ranch in Bartow! Participant entry tickets are all sold out, but you can still take part as a spectator for FREE and purchase General Raffle tickets on site for all kinds of jeep-related accessories and memorabilia. Proceeds from the event will benefit Polk Sheriff’s Charities, Inc. For more information, please visit www.jeepinwithjudd. com.

DEALING WITH ESTATES is a large portion of our business. This includes real estate, furniture, collections, equipment, autos, coins, jewelry … the list goes on.

When you lose a spouse or a parent, that in itself is a traumatic experience that many people have a hard time with. Add to that the responsibility of handling the home, farm, business, whatever it may be, plus the legal ramifications of dealing with the government issues and it can be overwhelming for many people.

This is where we can be of service. We handle the entire estate from start to finish! It begins right up front with an evaluation of the holdings. The attorney will then process the paperwork for tax purposes.

We provide an auctioneer’s estimation of value for the complete estate, tell you what to expect in value and the time it will take to accomplish a sale and submit the funds. This does a number of things immediately. In the case of absentee ownership, we secure and maintain the property until sale day. This includes maintenance of grounds, buildings, home equipment, etc. This is very important because in our experience, as soon as there is a death, that is an invitation for neighbors, friends, and relatives to come and take anything that has not been nailed down.

We have successfully handled estates all over America. We just sold properties in California, Florida, and Missouri. We sell by auction method, and our experience has been that we receive 10% to 50% more than you can get any other way. We can save you emotional turmoil, time, and a huge amount of money over what you would pay if you were to get these services independently. We are licensed and insured and have 62 years of experience. We are happy to do a free consultation, and we’re just a phone call away!

See you at the auction!

by MARTY HIGGENBOTHThis column is sponsored by Higgenbotham Auctioneers International, Ltd., and the opinions expressed herein may not reflect those of CFAN or of its advertisers.

BIO: Marty Higgenbotham, founder and president of Higgenbotham Auctioneers International, Ltd., has conducted approximately 12,000 auctions, selling everything from cemetery lots to shopping centers and everything in between. He graduated from Reisch Auction College in 1959. Since then, he has sold in 49 states and five foreign countries. Clients include Wal-Mart, Albertson, Sinclair, AutoZone, HUD, and the states of Kansas, Missouri, Texas and Florida, to name a few. He lives with his wife in Lakeland.

CFAN | 25

Recipe Spotlight

You Can’t Get Better Than Backyard Fresh

by CAROL CORLEY

W

WHEN LOOKING for fresh produce, what could be fresher than picking from your backyard garden? I still remember the delicious treat of juice made from oranges fresh off my own trees and consumed minutes after being picked. It was so much better than anything I could buy in the store.

The same would be true for all the fruits and vegetables you could grow in your Florida yard during our 12-month growing season.

If you thought about planting earlier, maybe you would have been able to walk out to your backyard today and pick some lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, celery, squash, tomatoes, strawberries, oranges, and grapefruits.

Among the easiest vegetables to grow in a home garden in Central Florida are carrots, radishes, kale, tomatoes, lettuce, turnips, collards, squash, sweet corn, zucchini, and beets.

You can even grow tea in Florida, and the University of Florida Extension can tell you how.

Many years ago, I tried gardening. After some tense discussions with the neighborhood rabbits and bugs, I eventually handed the garden over to them. Now, I am intrigued by a new way to grow my own produce that will eliminate the bunny threat — hydroponics. I can even do that on my lanai.

Hydroponics involves growing plants in a nutrient-rich water solution instead of soil. Produce that does well in hydroponics includes lettuce, strawberries, cucumbers, spinach, beans, bell peppers, blueberries, and tomatoes.

Startup costs can be a bit high, but it could be a fun alternative to planting and maintaining a backyard garden.

So, where would we start planning meals in a yard-totable household? ag

26 | CFAN

FLORIDA VEGETABLE GARDEN WRAPS

(Adapted from Fresh from Florida)

Ingredients Florida tomato, 1 large and firm, cored, thinly sliced Spinach sandwich wraps, or choice, 4 large Florida cucumber, 1 cup thinly sliced Lemon, juice of 1 Florida sweet peppers, 6 small seeded, thinly sliced Seasoning of choice, 1 teaspoon Florida arugula, 5 cups Olive oil, 1 teaspoon Cream cheese spread or hummus, 1 cup Directions Take wraps, lay out on a flat surface and spread half of each with 1/4 cup of cream cheese or hummus, evenly distribute vegetables and arugula on the dry half of the wrap, drizzle lightly with olive oil, seasoning, and a squeeze of lemon. Roll wraps tightly towards the side with cream cheese or hummus, lay wraps crease-side down and cut into halves or thirds. Serve with crisp vegetables also from your garden.

GARDEN VEGETABLE STEW

(Adapted from tasteofhome.com)

Ingredients Yellow squash, 1 pound cubed Pattypan squash, 1 pound cubed Tomatoes, 2 firm, peeled and chopped Fresh green beans, 3/4 pound cut into 1-inch pieces Fresh sweet corn, 1 cup Onion, 1 large sliced Garlic, 2 cloves minced Olive oil, 1 tablespoon Salt and pepper to taste Directions Sauté onion and garlic in oil in a Dutch oven until tender, add squash, tomatoes, beans and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes. Add corn, salt and pepper and cook for an additional 3 minutes until the corn is tender.

FloridaAgNews.com

FLORIDA ARUGULA AND BERRY SALAD

(Adapted from Florida’s Natural)

Salad Ingredients Florida strawberries, 1 dozen rinsed, hulled, thinly sliced Florida blueberries, 1 cup Florida oranges, 2 peeled and segmented Arugula, 16 oz rinsed and drained Goat cheese, 8 oz crumbled Lemon, juice of 1 Olive oil, 1 tablespoon Salt and pepper to taste Candied Pecans Ingredients Florida pecans, 2 cups Florida sugar, 3/4 cup Water, 2 tablespoons Sea salt to taste Directions First, prepare the candied pecans by spreading onto a baking sheet and toasting 6-8 minutes in an oven preheated to 400F. Meanwhile, in a skillet mix sugar and salt in 2 tablespoons of water, simmer at medium heat for 12-15 minutes, swirling occasionally but not stirring. Then stir in nuts, spread the mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spreading the nuts so they don’t clump.

Allow to cool.

For the salad, slightly toss arugula with lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt and pepper to taste. Place decoratively on chilled plates and top with strawberries, blueberries and orange segments. Sprinkle with goat cheese and garnish with a few of the candied pecans. Serve chilled.

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CFAN | 27

In The Heartland Heart-

Highlands County

Sebring Mainstay Robbins Nursery Thriving Despite Pandemic, Inflation Woes

A

by PAUL CATALA

AS OF MAY 2021, the wholesale value of floriculture crops across the United States was up 9 percent, and a bit of Highlands County land has been partly responsible for that increase.

The United States Department of Agriculture reported California and Florida accounted for 44 percent of the $4.8 billion-dollar flower and woody ornamental cultivation industry nationwide, and Sebring’s Robbins Nursery more than added in its two cents’ worth.

Robbins Nursery focuses more on grown landscaping materials and woody ornamentals — foundation plants for new construction, houses, and commercial sites. Florida is one of the top suppliers in the nation for those types of plants.

From his nursery office, Robbins Nursery President Bob Heffner says business is blooming in floriculture, particularly when it comes to woody ornamental and other flowering plants.

Robbins Nursery’s south site is a 35-acres retail-wholesale operation, while its north store is primarily a landscaper supply operation with a twoacre nursery. Along with his wife, Amy, Heffner took over the nursery operations from founder Jess Robbins in 1982. Robbins began in the nursery in 1974, and Heffner began working there at age 14 in 1976. He was 21 when he bought the business, originally located in downtown Sebring where the current fairgrounds are located.

Heffner says the current nursery operations,

28 | CFAN

which opened in 1997, focus on sales of homegrown plant and tree material to supply landscapers with plants, trees, mulch, rocks, soils, and sod. The nursery offers wholesale and retail plants and the company is the largest retail-wholesale nursery in the tri-county area.

During the past 20 years, the north store has provided landscapers with gravel and rock sales, while the south store has about 30 to 35 acres under plant production.

Heffner, a 59-year-old Miami native who moved to Sebring in 1971, says customers consist of half landscaper contractors and the other half retail. He also has two landscape crews.

“We’re looking at three businesses essentially – wholesale, retail garden center and landscape design and installation, which is like a separate business, in a sense,” he adds.

Heffner says sales are solid, with profit up 20 percent in 2020 and 30 percent in 2021, primarily due to population growth, particularly from South Florida up to Highlands County and North Florida down.

“We’re getting hit from both sides, so our little

BOB HEFFNER

county in the center of the state is getting a little crazy with the growth and that helps us,” he says.

Nursery staff, including Heffner’s daughter, Sadie Scott, focus on and encourage xeriscapefriendly and native plants to their customers. Some of the plants available include crotons, ixoras, and popular flowering such as Indian hawthorn and azaleas. He says he also supplies hundreds of other varieties, including Muhly grass, silver palmettos, and coontie plants. Meanwhile, on the retail side, he says anything with a colorful flower will sell.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 38

FloridaAgNews.com

A benefit for the Foundation’s new Polk County Mobile Medical Clinic Program

al u n n A 11th

Presented by: Anonymous

Friday, February 4 | 12pm Polk Sporting Clays 5000 Firetower Road | Haines City

Sponsorship Levels Auction and Raffle Sponsor $3,500

Award Sponsor $2,000

Check-in Sponsor $3,000

Equipment/Vehicle Sponsor $2,000

Reception Sponsor $2,750

Team Sponsor $1,200

Course Sponsor $2,500

Station Sponsor $250

To reserve a team or for sponsorship information: (863) 292-4138 | whhfoundation@baycare.org | WHHFoundation.org

21-1853246-1121

Youth Fair

Agricultural Innovations continued from page 16

continued from page 18

funds to the youth who have spent time raising the hogs, but will also happen online through a seller platform, allowing people from all over to participate and support. Webb recollects that they had a purchaser of a few hogs from several states away last year.

The local television station PGTV will be live broadcasting the fair throughout the week again this year, too. This is a great option for those at greater health and safety risk, those looking to take extra precautions, community members who don’t want to add to the crowds at the complex, or supporting family and friends from far away. Once the schedule is finalized with the station, livestream links will be available on the Polk County Youth Fair website as well as on their Facebook page. Webb encourages viewers to watch online to help lessen the crowds.

Extra cleaning routines were implemented last year and will be continuing this year. For example, the hog show was divided into divisions, which will still be the case this year, and

the ring was cleaned and cleared between divisions. While the extra cleaning precautions will be welcomed, the groups also enjoyed the extra time to set up between divisions, as it helped clear the crowd and provide a short break for the organizers.

One change from last year that will not be sticking around is the location change for the whip-popping event. The competition was moved outside last year to promote social distancing, but since whip-popping doesn’t sound the same without good acoustics, it is being moved back inside the complex this year.

Attendees this year can expect to see kids excited to be back, Webb says.

“Raising a project, no matter what it is, they have to devote the time and energy to it,” he says, adding that the experience makes them more responsible.

“It gives them a sense of accomplishment.”

For more information, visit pcyf.net or the Polk County Youth Fair page on Facebook. ag

SPIRIT OF THE BUFFALO

POW WOW 2 BIG WEEKENDS! JAN 28-30 & FEB 4-6, 2022 HWY 92W AUBURNDALE

www.InternationalMarketworld.com 30 | CFAN

boasting that it’s the No.1 producer of U.S. farm-raised clams.

We’re trying to write another “Clamelot” story with many land-based crops, such as artichokes and pomegranates. We even have high hopes for Florida-grown hops to support a burgeoning craft beer industry.

If our plant breeders can perfect a papaya variety that grows in Florida, it could convert the continental U.S. from being the world’s leading importer of papayas to a major producer of them. Florida-produced vanilla could also be a game changer, as 80% of the world crop comes from a single country—Madagascar—and we are its biggest customer.

Why is Florida the future? Because in a state with 300 commodities, we have long been a leader in plant breeding to produce food that tastes better, needs less water, resists pests and disease so that we can use fewer chemicals, and can be harvested before global competitors flood the market with food produced with labor paid a fraction of what we pay.

UF’s universitywide $80 million artificial intelligence initiative is giving our breeders a powerful new tool for sorting through tens of thousands of candidates in search of the high-yield, planet-friendly, delicious foods you crave.

We are investing in faculty and have launched a new Ph.D. program, the first of its kind in the state and one of just a few in the nation.

The nation’s land-grant universities like UF are essential to creating a viable future for agriculture. Their public funding gives them a public focus. The close relationships that the land-grant university in every state has with local farmers ensures that faculty members focus on addressing farmers’ needs, not academic esoterica. These relationships also give our plant breeders access to commercial farm acreage to grow new varieties under real-world conditions once they identify promising candidates in the lab.

Federal agriculture policy includes recognition of America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners as important players in combating the climate crisis and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Florida’s farmers, in partnership with UF/IFAS and the non-profit Solutions from the Land, are leading a statewide conversation on how to incentivize more climate-smart production of food, fiber, feed, and fuel.

In short, Florida is staking a big bet on farming’s future.

The beauty of plant breeding is that it can be trained on virtually any threat to the food supply. Triple-digit temperatures certainly represent a major one.

We don’t believe this summer is a one-off. So we’re working on what will be on your fork a decade from now, no matter how challenging the conditions on the farm that produces it. ag FloridaAgNews.com

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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES ______________________________________________________________ My Payroll Solutions LLC has over 20 years of experience in matching small businesses, Agriculture Companies and harvesters to staffing services and employee leasing companies, which provide payroll services with workers comp coverage and assistance with H2A applications for our clients. For more information contact Jeff H Futch at 863-835-1130.

HIRING!

Ag News magazine is looking for a creative, outgoing, and organized person to represent our brand and our suite of advertising products. If you love the rural lifestyle and the ag community and are a charming and/or persuasive salesperson who could sell sawdust to a lumber mill, we want to meet you. We’re looking for someone with integrity who truly cares about their customers.

If that’s you, please send an introductory letter and your resume to Nelson@CentralFloridaMediaGroup.com

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Larry White, BS Horticulture Member ACS & ICS PO Box 447, Waverly, FL 33877

larryscamellias@gmail.com

CFAN | 31

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FIELDSEQUIP.COM CFAN | 33

THE IMPORTANCE OF DORMANT SEASON SPRAYS

ASIAN CITRUS PSYLLID (ACP) management should be part of any Florida citrus grower’s pest management strategy; it’s an integral part of managing the impacts of ACPs, which are the vector that spreads the bacteria that cause citrus greening from tree to tree in Florida citrus.

According to a recent UF/IFAS Tip of the Week, winter is the time for the all-important dormant season sprays.

Dormant season sprays should be part of your ACP management strategy for a number of reasons.

Benefits of Dormant Season Sprays

The UF/IFAS Tip of the Week maintains that dormant season sprays target a different part of the ACP life cycle and thus “having a greater impact on pest populations.” Since there are limited or no flush cycles occurring in the winter, offspring ACP production halts.

While sprays at the beginning of a major flush cycle—and/or throughout flush cycles—target adult and nymph ACPs, dormant season sprays target adult populations only. Targeting adult ACP populations in winter will reduce mating populations of ACPs ahead of the spring flush. Consequently, this will mean that there will be fewer nymphs during the spring flush and that ACP populations will not be able to increase rapidly when food sources from the flush are widely available.

As an added advantage, past research by two UF entomologists, Jawwad Qureshi and Phil Stansly, showed that dormant season sprays both lowered adult ACP populations and had little to no impact on beneficial insects that prey on ACPs—like Asian psyllid wasps Tamarixia radiata—and other insects that are pests to Florida citrus. The same cannot be said for spring flush sprays where beneficial insects are present and killed by insecticide sprays alongside ACPs. T. radiata control ACP populations in two ways: female wasps eat ACP nymphs and they lay their eggs on ACP nymphs and the hatched larval wasp feeds on and kills the ACP nymph.

The article maintains that UF research shows the dormant season sprays and flush sprays—like the budbreak phenology model— are more effective at reducing ACP populations than monthly spray models. Florida citrus growers should be undertaking dormant season sprays now.

An Eye Toward the Future continued from page 20

Farm in Hilliard from 2012 to its closing in 2017 and Jacksonville’s Foodery Farms, which found farming use in brownfield sites for communities with food insecurities. It operated from 2018 until last November.

In awarding her the honor, FDACS also cited TenBroeck’s extensive nonprofit outreach.

In 2013, she founded the Center for Sustainable Agricultural Excellence and Conservation.

The center aims to change the lives of local farmers by offering a model for modern and sustainable agriculture. In 2017, she began running Aqua Hortus Farms, a company that develops and operates controlled-environment facilities, growing produce year-round.

TenBroeck’s success has come through her ability to think outside the box, and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried says that skill has helped her contribute to agriculture advancement in the state.

“Angela has made a tremendous contribution to our state with her commitment to sustainability, decreasing food insecurity and improving communities across Florida,” Fried says. “She is a true inspiration to women in the agricultural industry.”

In March 2020, she began focusing her

nonprofit entity on buying from small- and medium-size farms and making sure “bags are complete for our families.” That effort — supported by the Florida Blue Foundation, Humana, Walmart Foundation, Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Fund, and North Florida Community Fund — serves families in Putnam, St. Johns, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, and Clay counties.

TenBroeck explains that she wants to expand her current farm, which now sits on 30 acres, with 26,000 square feet of covered greenhouse and a 5,000-square-foot fish house with 31 fish tanks on five acres.

“We hope to expand on our farm and regionally throughout the southeast,” she says.

“We believe the future of agriculture is going to be decentralized farming. We’re not going to be able to monocrop going forward.

In order for sustainability to work, we’re going to have to change the way we farm,” she adds.

“My great-granddaddy’s way of farming won’t work; it’s depleted our resources so we have to figure out new ways. The future requires us to lock arms and get invested in it so we can farm into the future and have food security for our fellow Americans.” ag

by MIKE ROBERTS This column is sponsored by Griffin Fertilizer Co., and the opinions expressed herein may not reflect those of CFAN or of its advertisers.

BIO: Mike Roberts is the Vice President of the Frostproof, Florida-based Griffin Fertilizer Co. Roberts joined the company in November 2011. He has spent the majority of his career in the fertilizer/agchem industry. Roberts earned a Bachelor of Science degree in citrus production from Florida Southern College in Lakeland. For more information, visit griffinfertilizer.com.

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AgriNEWS

by BRAD BUCK, UF/IFAS correspondent

Research Shows Florida Branding Helps OJ Sell Better

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CONSUMERS ARE MORE likely to buy orange juice if they think the fruit comes from Florida, new University of Florida research shows. In fact, the top reasons consumers purchase orange juice include taste, health benefits, and the origin of the fruit.

Grocery shoppers say they want orange juice from Florida. Sometimes, those purchases boil down to branding.

According to the Florida Department of Citrus, while 80% of OJ consumers who responded to a 2021 survey think oranges in their juice came from Florida, only 45% of orange juice in the market was from Florida that year. This ECONOMICAL SOURCE OF PROTEIN & ENERGY CONCENTRATED SOURCE OF LINOLEIC FATTY ACID INCREASE IN WEIGHT GAIN FEED FREE CHOICE OR IN GRAIN RATION EASY TO PURCHASE & EASY TO FEED TANKS AND DELIVERY AVAILABLE

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presents a challenge to the industry because consumers perceive Florida orange juice as a premium product at a time when supplies are low, said Yan Heng, a UF/IFAS assistant research scientist in food and resource economics.

As it turns out, nearly half of the respondents in a new survey led

by Heng say they’re more willing to pay for orange juice if it comes from Florida. The new UF/IFAS research focuses on consumers’ willingness to pay for orange juice. For example, what attributes do they want, and what are they willing to pay for those traits?

To reach the findings, Heng coordinated a national online poll of 1,495 primary household grocery shoppers in July 2020.

Heng and two colleagues published their data in a new UF/IFAS Extension document.

Economists found that any image of Florida — or verbiage that included the word “Florida” — makes oranges from the Sunshine State the most preferred juice among buyers. Mostly, they perceive juice from Florida to have better taste and quality. Consumers also want to support domestic farmers.

Consumers prefer orange juice from Florida because the state has a long history of citrus production.

But many people do not know that some of the orange juice on the market is not 100% from Florida citrus, Heng said.

The leading sources for orange juice that is not from concentrate — which is where most of Florida’s processed orange crop is utilized — are Florida, Brazil, Mexico, and other domestic sources, said Marisa Zansler, director of economic and

market research for the Florida Department of Citrus.

Heng thinks it’s important that consumers know whether they’re buying orange juice made from 100% Florida oranges or elsewhere.

Stores and marketers may benefit more by maintaining the “Florida image” that consumers often associate with orange juice.

“We already have some additional information, like labels, on juice containers to tell consumers the origin of the product,” Heng said. “I think we just need to emphasize that when we communicate with consumers.”

The new data on Florida orange juice comes as good news for Florida citrus growers, who are looking for rays of hope amid the devastation of citrus greening.

The disease has reduced citrus production by millions of boxes annually since it was discovered in Florida in 2005.

Even in the face of citrus greening disease, Florida leads the nation in orange juice production.

But the amount of juice consumed is going down.

While waiting for the citrus industry to recover from greening and produce more juice, the Florida Department of Citrus and major companies are trying to maintain or increase demand for orange juice, Heng said. Even though there’s less Florida-grown orange juice, as the UF/IFAS survey shows, consumers still appreciate Florida orange juice.

“For citrus growers, consumers have a strong preference for Florida orange juice, and it definitely brings additional value to Florida orange juice,” she said. ag

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Sebring Mainstay Robbins Nursery continued from page 28

Interest in the nurseries has been strong despite the pandemic and inflation.

Heffner says he is somewhat nervous regarding inflation and projects he’s bidding on for 2022, but the pandemic has helped with sales.

“People were staying home, wanting to get outside and get into gardening more.

Our fruit tree sales have been off the charts. With Covid, families have been looking for things to do outside,” he says.

Heffner says he has plenty of room to grow as demand through new homes, residents, and businesses continues to increase. After he retires, he hopes two of his current employees, brothers Charles and Scott Hamilton — who “run the show” now — will stay with the nursery and continue its success.

Heffner says he wants to invest more in plant propagation rather than buying starter plants, which will help keep costs down what he says is 10 to 25 percent less than chain-store prices.

“It’s been a great career from outside and inside the store, it’s nice to able to do both,” says Heffner. “It’s nice to work with people who want to be at your store. We have a great clientele, and it’s nice to be able to educate people about Florida plants.” ag

Editor’s Last Word

AI and Agriculture: Hope for the Future JESSICA McDONALD, Editor jessica@centralfloridamediagroup.com

IN LIGHT OF INCREASING COSTS, labor shortages, and supply chain interruptions, Florida growers could certainly use a break. Often, automation and artificial intelligence can offer that. One UF/IFAS associated professor at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center is exploring that possibility in an effort to use AI to develop a low-cost, smart tree-crop sprayer that can not only automatically detect citrus trees but also calculate their height, leaf density, and total fruit. That information in turn determines how much pesticide or fertilizer would be needed.

Yiannis Ampatzidis says the technology will allow farmers to target their spray more efficiently and even reduce chemical use by an estimated 30 percent.

At a time when embattled citrus growers are fighting an exhausting battle against citrus greening, this type of innovation could end up saving millions of dollars per year. Plus, Ampatzidis says this same technology can also help farmers predict their crop yields.

In his letter on page16, Dr. Scott Angle talks about the various ways agricultural innovations and AI are changing the landscape of agriculture.

This is just one more way researchers are working to fight rising costs and disease, one innovation at a time. ag

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