January/February FloridAgriculture 2020

The Voice of Agriculture in Florida

FloridAgriculture VOLUME 80, NO. 1 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

CALLING ON STATE LAWMAKERS

RANCH WATER MANAGEMENT PACKED FOR BUSINESS VEGGIES GALORE www.floridagriculture.org | www.FloridaFarmBureau.org

OFFICERS

President Vice President Secretary Treasurer

John L. Hoblick Brantley Schirard Jr. Steve Johnson Rod Land DIRECTORS

District 1 District 2 District 3 District 4 District 5 District 6 District 7 District 8 District 9 District 10 District 11 District 12 District 13 District 14 District 15 District 16 District 17 District 18 District 19

Jerry Davis Jeff Pittman Henry McCrone Michael Dooner Rod Land Jon Deas Thomas Ford Ed Shadd Adam Cook Jeb Smith Kelly Rice J. Daniel Peterson Mark Byrd Steve Johnson Dan West Ken Harrison Mark Sodders Jacob Larson Mark Wilson

STATE WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE

Chair Vice Chair

Danielle Daum Victoria Hunter

STATE YF&R LEADERSHIP GROUP

President Immed. Past Pres.

Ryan Armstrong Adam Cook STAFF

Editor Communications Mgr. Communications Coord.

Graphic Designer

G.B. Crawford Rachael Smith Amanda Overstreet Alex Compton

FLORIDAGRICULTURE (ISSN 0015-3869) is published Jan.-Feb., March, April-May, June, July, Aug.-Sept., Oct. and Nov.-Dec. for $3 per year in member dues by the Florida Farm Bureau Federation, 5700 S.W. 34th Street. Periodical postage paid at Gainesville, FL and additional mailing offices. It was established in 1943.

Copyright 2020 by the Florida Farm Bureau Federation.

Main telephone number: (352) 378-8100.

Printed by Panaprint - Macon, GA. POSTMASTER Send address changes to: FloridAgriculture, P.O. Box 147030 Gainesville, FL 32614-7030 For advertising questions, contact our Communications Coordinator by telephone at (352) 374-1535, by e-mail at amanda.overstreet@ffbf.org or by hard copy: FloridAgriculture Amanda Overstreet P.O. Box 147030 Gainesville, FL 32614-7030

CONTENTS 6 INNOVATION FOR THE FUTURE 8 PROVING SUSTAINABILITY 10 A FARMER’S ADVOCATE 16 AT THE STATE CAPITOL

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20 A SHIFT TO SUCCESS 28 CLASSIFIED ADS 29 CROSSWORD PUZZLE

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS Jan. 17-22 American Farm Bureau Annual Meeting, Austin, Texas.

For more information, send email to debra.jones@ffbf.org.

Feb. 17-21 Food Check-Out Week. Local county Farm Bureaus lead community events. County Farm Bureau contact information is posted at https://www.floridafarmbureau.org/county-farm-bureaus/.

March 19-21 Florida Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Conference, Melbourne.

For more information, send email to debra.jones@ffbf.org.

Cover: Farm Bureau members traveled to Tallahassee in December to visit with their state lawmakers. See Pages 16-18 for a selection of photos.

Non-member subscriptions are not available.

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

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FROM THE PRESIDENT

WORK ON USMCA WILL CONTINUE JUST BEFORE adjournment for the Christmas holiday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved the United StatesMexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).

This trilateral pact has been touted by its proponents as a treaty that will lead to free market exchange and more robust economic growth. But it was passed without a solution supported by Florida fruit and vegetable growers.

Florida Farm Bureau and other agricultural organizations recommended revisions that would have established safeguards to protect farmers in our state from unfair Mexican trade practices.

A University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences study released last summer warned that tomato, blueberry and strawberry growers could lose up to $400 million a year if USMCA is adopted by Congress.

According to the study, Florida farmers have lost $3 billion since 2000 due to Mexican imports.

Our members are extremely disappointed with the persistent inaction on this issue. Since 1994, Florida Farm Bureau and other agricultural organizations in our state have worked on

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reasonable remedies and our Congressional delegation is pushing for meaningful solutions.

We sincerely appreciate the work by supporters of Florida agriculture to secure protections for our farmers.

U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, for example, spoke up for our members more than a year ago, pointing out the importance of agriculture in our state’s economy and the vital need to fend off unfair foreign competition.

The Florida Congressional delegation has consistently supported our position, with Sen. Marco Rubio and Reps.

Vern Buchanan, Stephanie Murphy, Al Lawson and Ted Yoho leading the way.

Last spring, during our Field to the Hill trip, I joined Florida agricultural leaders before our delegation to underscore how vital this issue is to our producers’ survival.

For the entirety of this process, our members and staff have worked long hours to educate policymakers and staffers alike about the continued consequences of inaction, and that has paid dividends.

This issue involves more than just Florida. It has become a national problem that threatens the livelihoods of

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

John L. Hoblick, Florida Farm Bureau President

thousands of farm families as well as our food production. It has captured attention in many areas of the country.

In the past few years blueberry growers in Georgia and other areas of the Southeast and asparagus growers in Michigan have also experienced the effects of unfair trade practices. They too have lost income due to heavily subsidized Mexican produce.

Florida Farm Bureau will continue to work with the administration on trade reform. We will continue to hold discussions with the U.S. Trade Representative as well as the American Farm Bureau Federation and other farm and business associations to address our concerns.

In my opinion, the process of formulating improved national trade policy has not ended. We will stand up with our members to achieve this goal.

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Citrus Gift Fruit INNOVATION ENHANCES SUSTAINABILITY

By Rachael Smith, Communications Manager

TUCKED AWAY IN THE SMALL TOWN of Dundee is one of the largest and oldest fresh fruit cooperatives in the Sunshine State.

Dundee Citrus Growers Association, established in 1924, is just a few years away from celebrating its centennial.

The longstanding association has its own fruit label, Florida Classic, and has diversified its fruit line to include citrus, peaches and blueberries.

More than 200 members spanning 20 counties and 10,000 acres are part of the cooperative.

CEO Steven B. Callaham joined Dundee Citrus Growers in 1999 when they and his former employer, Lake Wales Citrus Growers Association, merged. He said that despite the media-reported doom and gloom surrounding Florida citrus, it has never been a more exciting time to be part of Dundee Citrus Growers Association.

“We have a different story,” said Callaham. “Everything we are doing and what we are building is going to give us the quality and sustainability for the future.”

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Dundee employees carefully pack gift fruit boxes for customers like FAMA.

In a time that many Florida citrus growers are struggling – more than 90 percent of Florida groves have been affected by citrus greening or HLB, a disease spread by the Asian citrus psyllid – Dundee Citrus Growers started planning for the future.

About five-and-a-half years ago, Dundee Citrus Growers began following the research of UF scientist Arnold Schumann, a professor of soil and water sciences at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences research center in Lake Alfred.

Schuman’s research revolved around Citrus Undercover Production System (CUPS) to

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

control the Asian citrus psyllid.

These protective screens provide a controlled environment to grow citrus and if kept psyllid-free, HLB cannot spread.

After one of the Dundee grower-members put up his own 20 acre C.U.P.S. structure, Dundee quickly realized how specialized C.U.P.S. was and decided that by providing a central, controlled area for growing, it would be much more beneficial and less fragmented for its grower members.

Dundee Growers’ first C.U.P.S. project began in 2017 with Phase 1. One hundred and ten acres under screen of planted grapefruit and

tangerines were seeded under ten controlled enclosures.

The cooperative is currently constructing 113 additional acres under screen in Phase 2 and has secured property for Phase 3 for an additional 75 acres under screen. The combined phases will give the association almost 300 acres under screen.

“This is a totally different style of operation than we are accustomed to,” said Callaham.

“We are producing more with less to grow a premium fruit. The C.U.P.S. system uses less water, pesticides and fertilizers and trees grow 2.5 times faster than outdoor groves.”

A subsidiary of Dundee Citrus Growers, Dundee Agricultural Services, is the full caretaker of the C.U.P.S. “Caring for the groves is extremely specialized,” added Callaham. “It requires custom spraying equipment, vineyard-type tractors and hightech irrigation systems.”

The first crop will be ready to be picked in the fall of 2020.

Dundee Citrus Growers plans to market the citrus as a premium fruit being produced using sustainable growing practices in an environmentally-friendly grove. It has already attracted interest from international markets.

Chad Roberts, Director of the Florida Agricultural Marketing Association in Leesburg, a Florida Farm Bureau affiliate, works with Dundee Citrus Growers on its own member gift fruit program. “Dundee handpackages our gift fruit boxes

during the holiday season,” said Roberts.

“We are excited to see the first fruit produced under the C.U.P.S. program. It definitely sets a new standard for Florida citrus.”

Todd Mudger is the Director of Fundraising and Gift Fruit Operation for Florida Classic Growers, a division of Dundee Citrus Growers. He said that the gift fruit industry has been around since the 1950s and it is always changing due to the dynamics of the industry.

“We do what we do to serve the growers in our state,” said Mudger.

When growers needed to diversify their crops to offset the citrus drop, Dundee Citrus Growers dedicated a packing line to peaches and two packing lines to blueberries. Citrus and other fruit are boxed in state-ofthe art facilities spanning more

Fruit is carefully inspected for quality before it is packed into boxes.

than 500,000 square-feet with a cooling capacity of nearly 100,000 square feet.

“To see our growth and be part of those changes is rewarding,” added Mudger. “And with C.U.P.S., we are at the forefront of the industry.”

An investment in new technology and being environmental stewards have always been important to Dundee Citrus Growers. As part of its fruit packing process, labels track cartons back to the grove or individual grower. Fruit is packed into 100-percent-recycled corrugated cartons and washed with recycled water.

“Everything we are doing is positive for our growers, customers and employees,” said Callaham. “It brings a better, positive attitude to everything our company touches and that’s exciting.”

Fruit is stored in one of Dundee’s cooling facilities before it is shipped via truck line.

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

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A Family Ranch RAISING FOOD, PROTECTING WATER

By G.B. Crawford, Director of Public Relations

MOST OF THEIR NEIGHBORS in Southwest Florida do not think about J Ryals and his family when they reach for a water faucet handle. But they should.

Water flowing through the family’s land in DeSoto and Charlotte counties eventually supplies the resource for the city of Punta Gorda as well as other communities. The Ryals help support the quality of life for thousands of people as they produce beef cattle.

They do so with hard work and a commitment to maintaining natural features of their ranch through four generations.

“We have left quite a bit of the property in hammock and gullies,” Ryals said. “They have been there since God put them here. So we have tried to keep the place as natural as possible.

We do not change it, but we try to make it better.”

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His father, Dan, ranch CEO, pointed out that by preserving the natural landscape, the ranch land filters water. “The water going off of us is cleaner than the water coming on to us,” he said.

Preservation of the land also benefits cattle production.

Woodlands on the ranch, for example, give newborn calves cover from buzzards and provide warmth for herds on cool winter days.

Their good land management also involves the use of controlled burns to prevent wildfires that can endanger nearby homes and businesses.

The technique generates new growth, giving support for wildlife and native plant species.

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

J Ryals, left, his brother, Houston, his grandmother, Ann, and his father, Dan, all work at the family’s ranch.

Trees, plants and grasses that flourish on the ranch also benefit the area and its people in another way by cleaning the surrounding air. “The greenspace we provide absorbs far more of the carbon dioxide than the cattle emit,” Dan said.

The Ryals are proud of their contributions to the area as well as their ability to operate a ranch that was established by J’s greatgrandfather, H.D. Ryals, in 1924.

His grandmother and managing partner, Ann, said raising cattle is an excellent use of the land. “We are productive and we are good stewards,” she added.

Much of the management of the cattle is conducted on horseback. J, his father and his brother, Houston, all mount up to move animals as they rotate the

use of pastures and perform other regular tasks. Their near-constant presence helps keep the cattle calm and healthy.

“We do a lot of rotational grazing,” Dan said. “We move them from pasture to pasture and they are so used to seeing us, many times the cows will just lay down because they are so comfortable around us.

It lessens the stress on them.”

Of course, there is much more to do besides riding a horse. Fences must be repaired, pasture grasses require care and dozens of other tasks demand routine physical effort. Along with two full-time employees, the men perform all cattle management and other manual labor duties themselves.

Like most other Florida ranchers, the Ryals have bred animals so that they possess some characteristics of the Brahman breed, particularly the ability to thrive in a semi-tropical environment.

In recent years, they have purchased another ranch in Sarasota County, increasing the volume of their two calving seasons each year.

“We want to make a profit,” J noted. “To do that, things have to be going well. The animals have to be happy because the animals are everything. We have to make sure that they are healthy and they are functioning well. We really do want happy cows.”

As Ann noted, “It’s not like you turn them out and then you sell them for a huge profit. That is not how it works. We spend a lot of money to keep them healthy so they will be a good product for consumers.”

The family members recognize that some Floridians do not understand the value of ranching or any other kind of production agriculture for our general society.

Good land management maintains the property as a natural filtration system.

The Ryals give close attention to the care of their cattle.

“It is hard to get the average person to comprehend what we do,” J said. “It is like one of us in a city. It’s a very different world.

“We’ve been here since 1924.

I think that is sustainability.

We are here trying to make this better for us, which makes it better for them,” he continued.

“There is definitely a need to engage with the public because our story is being told one way or another. I think it is best that we are the ones telling it because

we are the ones living it.”

Ann Ryals has taken part in many improvements in ranch management in her lifetime, giving her a long-term perspective on the success of her family. “You have to be willing to learn,” she said. “You have to be open to innovation. Farming is what made this country what it is. We make a living and we do it well.”

They also continue to make sure the good folks in Punta Gorda have drinking water.

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

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A Voice FOR ALL FARMERS

By Amanda Overstreet, Communications Coordinator

PASSION PERMEATES THE WORDS of Bryan Jones, a seventh generation Floridian and third generation farmer, as he speaks about his life’s calling in agriculture in St. Johns County.

Loading the potato planter at Riverdale Farm.

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FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

Coming from an area so rich in agricultural production, Jones stands up and raises his voice for all farmers in his community. “It is not just a business, but a lifestyle,” he said. “One that we all love and cherish.”

With his father, Richard, the Jones family is one of the largest suppliers of potatoes in northeast Florida. Located on the bank of the St. Johns River, Riverdale Farm produces potatoes and green beans on 1,000 acres.

Frito Lay, Cape Cod, Herz and Schneider’s are among the top purchasers of Jones potatoes, keeping the demand high. With 90-120 days from planting to harvest, Riverdale’s potato season keeps the family busy from January to June.

There is a small window in late summer before the family prepares for green beans in the fall. Jones explained that he began growing green beans eight years ago as a secondary crop out of necessity.

“Farmers around here are forced to diversify,” Jones stated. “The layout of agriculture is changing and farmers are having to think of new ways to bring income in and stay in business so we can feed the world.”

Riverdale Farm grows their green beans for resale through a partnership with C&E Farms, a family-owned operation located on the eastern shore of Virginia. “The partnership with C&E Farms is phenomenal,” Jones said.

“We take care of the growing and they package, transport and sell.”

“Bryan and Richard are excellent growers,” said Bob Colson, president of C&E Farms. “They have excellent weed, fungus and insect control and they put 110% in every crop.”

Jones and his wife, Burton, have two young children, Carter (8) and Cameron (6). He serves as president of Putnam/St. Johns County Farm Bureau (PSJCFB), vice chair of Florida

The Jones Family, Riverdale Farm.

Farm Bureau’s Fruit and Vegetable Advisory Committee and serves as a member of the Oversight Advisory Committee as well.

Jones is connected at a local level with farmers in his community and giving back to those in need comes natural to him. With support from PSJCFB and other farmers across the country, 100,000 pounds of food is donated to families every year. “Lucky for us, farmers are in a position to give back,” he said.

Jones believes that one of the most important things farmers can do is share their stories of good will with the public. “Agriculture needs more advocates,” he said. “We need to get our voices out there and affect change in our communities.”

As a member of American Farm Bureau’s tenth Partners for Advocacy Leadership program, (PALS X), a two-year, nationwide training program that prepares participants to represent agriculture in the media, Jones has had the opportunity to share the positive stories of Florida farmers at a national level.

Jones and David Hafner, an Indian County grower, are the first Floridians ever selected for the program.

“The PALS program gives me an opportunity that I would not have had otherwise to share our stories as farmers,” he said. “Not just me, but all farmers in my community and all of the things we are doing to protect our environment and care for our land.”

First Coast News of Jacksonville will be following Jones throughout the course of one year and will air monthly segments sharing the good will of Jones and other farmers in northeast Florida.

Jones works closely with University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension Director Tim Wilson on Best Management Practices, specifically fertilizer usage and application.

“Bryan along with other St. Johns County commercial growers, are doing their best to comply,” Wilson stated. “They are stewards of the land, not the problem but part of the solution.”

Jones explained that through a cost-share program with the St. Johns River Water Management District, Department of Environmental Protection, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, he was able

to purchase top-of-the-line fertilizer usage saving equipment.

Fertilizer is no longer spread, but rather dropped a foot above the row placing it directly where the plant can and will use it. “It is a tremendous advancement for all growers,” Jones said. “We save thousands of pounds of fertilizer with each application.”

With a population of over 21 million and growing, it’s going to take all kinds of farms to feed the people in our state. Thanks to Best Management Practices, small farms, commercial farms and community gardens are growing far more food while using less resources.

Jones explained that one of the biggest issues farmers face is cost.

“Everything is consumer driven,” he said. “U.S. consumers demand the highest quality at the cheapest price, meaning that prices stay low at the cost of the farmer.”

“We need to encourage farmers to continue to fight,” he said. We need to push our young farmers and ranchers to get into the business and help it remain stable.”

Because of farmers like Jones, the future of Florida agriculture is bright. “There is opportunity out there,” he said. “If you are willing to put in the work and stick with it, farming is one of the most valuable professions you could ever have, and can pass down for generations to come.”

Jones, second from the right, pictured with other members of AFBF’s PALS X during a trip to Washington, D.C.

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

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ENGAGING COMMUNITIES DURING FARM-CITY WEEK

WESTERN PALM BEACH COUNTY Farm Bureau President Keith Wedgworth and WPBCFB Director Ann Holt, left, welcomed Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried at the Palm Beach County Farm-City Week Luncheon on Nov. 20.

DUVAL COUNTY Florida Farm Bureau President John L. Hoblick, left, shared a laugh with former Florida Farm Bureau President Carl Loop at the Duval County Farm-City Week Luncheon.

HAMILTON COUNTY Hamilton County Farm Bureau President Damon Deas posed with the top winners of the HCFB’s Farm-City Week Essay Contest for elementary school students.

ALACHUA COUNTY Dr. Nick Place, Dean and Director, UF/IFAS Extension and Amy Vu, Extension coordinator for the Honey Bee Research and Extension Lab, attend a Kiwanis Farm-City Week luncheon sponsored

by Alachua County Farm Bureau, Alachua County Cattlemen and Straughn Farms.

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COLUMBIA COUNTY Jolene Bullard served as the Columbia County Farm-City Week Luncheon’s keynote speaker. Columbia County Farm Bureau President Steven Dicks joined with other members and community leaders for the occasion.

OKEECHOBEE COUNTY UF/IFAS Professor Kevin Folta, right, delivered a wellreceived address before the Okeechobee Farm-City Week audience on Nov. 21.

Okeechobee County Farm Bureau Vice President Ben Butler introduced him to the audience of 400 guests.

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

MARION COUNTY Marion County Farm Bureau and UF/IFAS Extension hosted a farm tour in honor of Farm-City Week.

A tour stop included Crones’ Cradle Conserve Foundation in Marion County.

WA S H I N G TO N R E P O RT

2020 Vision In The New Year

By JohnWalt Boatright, Director of National Affairs

A

n unusual quiet surrounded our nation’s Capitol during the week before Christmas.

That truth did not match the hype conveyed through television news, however.

While the House of Representatives advanced three major issues – the United StatesMexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the fiscal year 2020 budget and the impeachment of President Donald J. Trump – the city as a whole was oddly lethargic, likely because the Congressional calendar originally deemed it a week for members to be in their home districts.

But just southwest of the Capitol along Maryland Avenue, the offices of the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) were abuzz with activity. Florida Farm Bureau state staff, including President John L. Hoblick, joined others to kick off a formal Farm Bureau resolutions review process.

First, state presidents formed subcommittees to study specific sections of the AFBF policy book and serve as the first layer of review. In the photo on this page President Hoblick is shown reviewing proposals in the Farm Policy and International Trade subcommittee this year.

After the initial review, surviving proposals received

Florida Farm Bureau President John L. Hoblick, upper left, studied policy issues with other state Farm Bureau leaders at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s office in Washington, D.C. in December.

additional scrutiny the following day before the entire body of state presidents. These layers maintain integrity in the process by ensuring proposals are purposeful and not duplicative.

When this issue of FloridAgriculture hits your mailbox, the final stage in the process will be underway at the AFBF Annual Meeting in Austin, Texas. Florida’s eight delegates will have prepared by reviewing the resolutions workbook in detail, comparing any proposed changes to the Florida Farm Bureau policy book, and consulting with Farm Bureau staff for any useful background information.

Throughout the meeting convention, staff works diligently in collaboration with other states to ensure an understanding of proposals to be considered during the Tuesday business session. Florida has two proposals of its own that it will

be encouraging AFBF delegates to adopt.

One policy urges the U.S. Department of Agriculture to re-evaluate milk pricing under Southeastern federal marketing orders. The other discourages any type of human rights afforded to our natural resources for purposes of a lawsuit.

These, like any other placed before the delegate body, will be heavily weighed for consideration in the 2020 AFBF policy book.

As an organization representative of the state’s farming interests, the strength and focus of our advocacy lies in a thoughtful and deliberative policy process – one that has served us well for over a century.

Furthermore, as we lead into an eventful new year, it always provides a clear and sober direction from the grassroots members who fuel and sustain our worthy cause.

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

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ILLEGAL DRUG IMPORTS TAINT

Mexican Trade (PHOTOS COURTESY OF U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION)

By William A. Messina, UF/IFAS

The view from the Customs and Border Protection Inspection Station at San Ysidro, Calif.

IN THE FIVE-WEEK PERIOD between August 19 and September 23, 2019, the online newsletter The Packer documented that U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) seized $5.8 million worth of illegal drugs that were hidden in four separate shipments of fresh produce from Mexico.

The shipments included nearly 8,400 pounds of heroin, cocaine and marijuana.

A search of previous issues of The Packer for 2019 revealed that in February $14.4 million worth of methamphetamine and marijuana were seized in two shipments of produce from Mexico and in a five-week period in April and May of 2019, another two shipments of produce from Mexico were discovered to contain $24.6 million worth of meth.

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Then, in October 2019, another $3.4 million worth of cocaine and meth were intercepted in two separate produce shipments from Mexico. These ten shipments intercepted at two border crossings over sixteen selected weeks in 2019 contained a total of over $48 million worth of illegal drugs.

Nine were intercepted at the Pharr/ Reynosa border crossing in Texas.

Data are not yet available on the total number of loads of fresh produce that have entered the

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

Pharr/Reynosa border crossing from Mexico thus far in 2019.

However, in the nine-month period from January through September of 2017, the Pharr/Reynosa border crossing logged 119,000 trucks transporting Mexican produce into the United States.

That equates to an average of 440 truckloads of produce entering the United States from Mexico every day just through this single border crossing location, and the volume of shipments has certainly increased since these 2017 statistics were compiled.

Furthermore, a study by Texas A&M University projects that by 2025 more than 688,000 truckloads of fresh produce will be arriving per year from Mexico through all Texas border crossings (an average of 1,884 per day).

Note that this estimate is just for shipments moving across the Texas border, and does not include shipments moving through border crossings in Arizona, California or New Mexico. (Nogales, Arizona is a major border crossing for fresh produce shipments from Mexico, with about 1,000 trucks of produce per day crossing the border from Mexico during the high season from October to May).

The drug seizures referenced here were found in shipments of

Vegetable inspection at a New Mexico border station.

a wide variety of fresh produce items including avocados, bell peppers, broccoli, cactus, carrots, coconuts, coriander, cucumbers, green beans, honeydew melons, jalapeno peppers, lettuce, limes, mangoes, pineapples, plantains, squash, strawberries, tomatoes and watermelons.

Given the huge volume of shipments of fresh produce moving across the U.S. border from Mexico into the United States, it could be argued that finding only ten loads with illegal drugs during the period being examined is relatively insignificant.

However, the $48 million value of these drug seizures means that the volumes are far from trivial in the ongoing battle against illegal drugs in the United States.

Only approximately 2% of fresh produce shipments from Mexico are reportedly inspected, so these seizures may be but a small proportion of the total value of illegal drugs being shipped into the United States in loads of produce from Mexico.

Fresh produce shipments are not the only method being used

These illegal drugs were seized by Customs and Border Protection officers.

to ship illegal drugs from Mexico into the U.S. market. A 2017 U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) report states that “Mexican TCOs [Transnational Criminal Organizations or its drug cartels] transport the majority of illicit drugs into the United States across the SWB [southwestern border] using a wide arrange of smuggling techniques.

The most common method employed by the TCOs involves transporting illicit drugs through U.S. ports of entry (POEs) in passenger vehicles with concealed compartments or commingled with legitimate goods on tractor trailers.”

Furthermore, a 2016 DEA report states that Mexican TCOs

pose the largest drug threat to the United States. What is even more troubling is that there are reports of Mexico’s drug cartels becoming more heavily involved in the Mexican food production, sales and distribution as a way to launder money and facilitate the transportation of their illegal drugs into the United States.

As an indication of the scale of the problem of smuggling illegal drugs across the border from Mexico into the United States, consider that aside from seizures in commercial shipments of produce and other goods, in the four-day period of November 15-18 this year, CBP reported intercepting five loads of drugs from individuals traveling in passenger vehicles at the Nogales, Arizona border crossing, and two interceptions at the Laredo, Texas border crossing – also in passenger vehicles.

The total value of the drugs in these two seizures was over $4 million.

And that same weekend, in a remote area outside of San Diego, a 16-year-old male was arrested trying to smuggle 56 pounds of methamphetamines across the border using a remote control car.

The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol has a very dedicated staff, carefully inspecting traffic at border crossings and patrolling in areas away from these crossings.

But given the huge volume of commercial and non-commercial traffic moving across the U.S.Mexico border each day, the task CBP faces in catching drug smugglers is immense.

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

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I

n an impressive show of grassroots activism, Farm Bureau members gathered at the Florida Capitol in December to hold discussions with state legislators and executive office officials.

Their goal was to discuss issues that affect farm families

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and speak out as the Voice of Florida Agriculture, supporting Farm Bureau policies.

The occasion was Farm Bureau Day, a Dec. 10 event organized to facilitate informal discussions with lawmakers during the final committee meeting week before the start of

the legislative session in January.

One day earlier county Farm Bureau presidents gathered in Tallahassee for a Council of Presidents meeting. In the late afternoon they reconvened at a reception in the Governor’s Club, hosting a number of legislators.

At the Taste of Florida Agriculture Reception that concluded Farm Bureau Day, Florida Farm Bureau President John L. Hoblick and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried both addressed the large crowd. They saluted farmers and ranchers for their willingness to participate in the lawmaking process.

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1 FFB President John L. Hoblick, left, welcomed Sen. Wilton Simpson at the Dec. 9 reception held at the Governor’s Club. 2 Farm Bureau members from Hardee and Highlands counties posed at the Old Capitol steps. 3 Rep. Chuck Clemons, center, paused for a moment in the House Chamber with FFB State Treasurer Rod Land, right, and FFB Assistant Director of Legislative Affairs Landon Hoffman. 4 FFB Women’s Committee members served up delicious strawberry shortcake for guests at the Taste of Florida Agriculture Reception.

An album of Farm Bureau Day photos is posted at http://bit.ly/34w7XlU.

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FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

FARM BUREAU MEMBERS IN ACTION

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5 Rep. Paul Renner addressed Farm Bureau members at the Dec. 10 briefing breakfast, warning of the influence of special interests attempting to shape the state constitution. 6 Orange County Farm Bureau members visited with Rep. Jennifer Sullivan in her office. 7 A group of Clay County members stopped in for a chat with Rep. Travis Cummings. 8 Sen. Kelli Stargel welcomed Polk County Farm Bureau members. 9 Senate President Bill Galvano urged the audience at the briefing breakfast to continue their candid conversations with lawmakers. “Tell us when we are not getting it right,� he said. 10 FFB Young Farmers and Ranchers handed out free orange juice to guests at the Taste of Florida Agriculture Reception. 11 FFB President John L. Hoblick and Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried delivered remarks to an enthusiastic audience of more than 800 guests at the Dec. 10 Taste of Florida Agriculture Reception.

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

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12 Baker County Farm Bureau President Robert Norman, left, Duval County Farm Bureau President Greg Tison and Gilchrist County Farm Bureau President Gray Smith participated in a panel discussion of successful county Farm Bureau activities at the Council of Presidents. 13 Farm Bureau members enjoyed a rare opportunity to sit in the Florida House Chamber and meet with lawmakers. 14 Rep. Cary Pigman, center, and his wife, Libby, chatted with FFB Field District Representative Andy Neuhofer at the Governor’s Club. 15 Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein discussed the agency’s support for agricultural Best Management Practices at the Council of Presidents meeting. 16 Farm Bureau Day brought more than 200 members to Tallahassee.

17 A group of Farm Bureau members from North Florida met with Sen. Rob Bradley.

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FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

TA L L A H A S S E E R E P O R T

Celebrating Florida Agriculture At The Capitol

By Adam Basford, Director of State Legislative Affairs

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undreds of Farm Bureau members from nearly every county in the state descended upon Tallahassee for a full day of advocacy at the state Capitol on Dec. 10.

They supported and promoted Farm Bureau’s legislative agenda that covered a variety of issues currently affecting our family farms, including everything from maintaining and enhancing Best Management Practices, fire assessments, water policy and other natural resource issues, rights of nature proposals and funding for research and development.

Member Participation

More than 200 Farm Bureau members attended Tuesday morning’s Legislative Briefing Breakfast at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center, where they heard from Senate President Bill Galvano, as well as Rep. Paul Renner, Rep. Toby Overdorf, Rep. Bobby Payne and Rep. Rick Roth.

Later that morning, more than 100 members attended a meeting in the House Chamber where they heard from Sen. Ben Albritton, Rep. Chuck Clemons and Rep. Josie Tomkow.

These lawmakers all spoke about important agriculturerelated issues, legislation they are supporting for the upcoming session and the important role Farm Bureau members and agricultural producers play when they meet with their lawmakers in Tallahassee.

Popular Reception

Finally, the day concluded with a successful Taste of Florida Agriculture Reception in the Capitol Courtyard where Farm Bureau members had the opportunity to interact with more than 40 lawmakers and many legislative aides and staff from the Capitol while they enjoyed sampling a wide variety of Floridagrown foods.

We appreciate the support we received from our

Farm Bureau enjoyed a successful day of lobbying in support of our members’ legislative agenda and our state’s agricultural community. members from every corner of the state. Farm Bureau enjoyed a successful day of lobbying in support of our members’ legislative agenda and our state’s agricultural community.

Widespread Support

Thank you to all the farmers and ranchers, vendors and sponsors who traveled to Tallahassee to advocate in support of agriculture. To view more photos from Florida Farm Bureau Legislative Days, visit http://bit.ly/34w7XlU.

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

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Buying Local BENEFITS VEGETABLE FARM

By Susan Salisbury, Correspondent

WHEN JIM ALDERMAN SR. attended the University of Florida in the late 1960s, his agricultural economics professor told him, “Always zig when the mob zags.”

That’s one of the reasons Alderman Farms, which Alderman started in eastern Palm Beach County in 1979, made the transition to growing primarily organic vegetables a decade ago.

“We farm about 900 to 1,000 acres, and probably 80 percent of it is organic,” Alderman, said recently from the company’s 43,000-square-foot packinghouse on 77 acres off U.S. 441 west of Boynton Beach.

“We have seen a lot of farmers come and go. We are still farming,” said Alderman, a

Delray Beach resident Alderman, the company’s president, and his son Jim “Jimmy” Alderman Jr., vice president, run the operation with about 200 employees and workers.

The season at their farms in Palm Beach County’s Agricultural Reserve and Indiantown in Martin County starts with planting about Sept.

1. Harvesting begins in midOctober and ends in May. They also farm in Central Florida and South Carolina and plan to start up in Tennessee at some point.

Alderman Farms produces vegetables and herbs for consumers along the nation’s East Coast.

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“Our goal is to have tomatoes year-round. To do that, we go from here to Hillsborough County and South Carolina, then Tennessee and then we come back,” Jim said.

The list of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-certified organic vegetables they produce includes round tomatoes, grape tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, zucchini squash, yellow squash, bell peppers, mini-sweet peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, corn, beans, kale, collards and Swiss chard. They also conventionally grow cilantro, basil, parsley, dill, mint and grape tomatoes.

The farm’s vine-ripe organic tomato launched in 2018 has met with a lot of success.

“I guarantee you our tomato is better than any tomato you can buy anywhere,” Jim said.

Competition from cheap Mexican produce has been a major challenge for years and it still is today. “We used to get a pretty good premium, but now the organic market is being saturated as well,” Jimmy said.

“You have a foreign influence that is coming into the organic section also.”

The Aldermans say that while the USDA allows thirdparty auditors from the U.S. to certify farms in Mexico as

Jim Alderman and his son, Jimmy, operate farms in Palm Beach and Martin counties, Central Florida and South Carolina.

The Aldermans have developed their own label for their foods.

Customers can purchase an array of vegetables from the family farm.

organic, there’s a big flaw in how it works. If a farm in the U.S. violates organic rules, it’s a federal offense. But if a farm in Mexico commits an offense, there is no way to prosecute because the U.S. lacks jurisdiction. All that can be done is to pull the organic certification.

“The growing tactics we use now in organics are what my grandfather used back in his

day. They didn’t have the harsh chemicals and systemic products,” Jimmy said.

“We do use fungicide and insecticides. They are not man-made. We use oils, soaps, copper and all our fertilizers are from animals. We use a lot of chicken litter for fertilizer,” Jimmy said.

Jimmy is a fifth-generation Floridian. The Aldermans came to Hillsborough County in the 1820s.

Jim Alderman Sr.’s father grew watermelons in the 1960s.

Jim was raised in Waimauma and Winter Haven before going to UF where he majored in citrus production.

A job with a fertilizer company brought him to Palm Beach County. He then worked for bean farmer Dale Bruschi for about five years west of Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and Boca Raton.

After that Jim started a U-pick in Riviera Beach, growing tomatoes, strawberries, peppers and other vegetables.

Then he closed the U-pick and grew herbs, eventually adding vegetables also.

This season they’re farming on two parcels west of Boca Raton.

“We just got two beautiful pieces in Boca Raton. It’s the warmest ground in Florida and in the nation, pretty much, for winter production,” Jim said.

“We are one of the few farmers still hanging on in the Ag Reserve.”

The farm is one of about 10 operations still growing

herbs and/or vegetables in the Ag Reserve. It’s a densely populated area filled with housing developments and shopping centers.

In 2018 the Aldermans built a new packinghouse and moved from their previous location on Boynton Beach Boulevard. The new facility has three packing lines, coolers with four temperature zones and automated equipment for wrapping and packaging.

Alderman Farms has gone through many changes over the years. Instead of selling bulk produce to wholesalers and packers, the company now does its packing and packaging in convenient consumerfriendly packages and sells directly to retailers in Florida and the Eastern Seaboard.

Food safety technology advances mean that every box can be traced from the field to the retail store.

“From the fields through the packing facility, even to the logistics – the trucking – we live and breathe the highest standards of food safety possible,” Jimmy said.

Jimmy gives some credit for the farm’s success to the buy local movement.

“One of the reasons we are still around is because people do go out and look for our local labels and their local farmers. If it wasn’t for that being very popular, we wouldn’t have our local farmers. We would be buying everything from Mexico,” Jimmy said.

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

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FARM BUREAU SUPPORTING

Ag Education

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lorida Farm Bureau encourages classroom teachers to include agricultural education as part of their regular instruction.

In collaboration with Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, Farm Bureau offers multiple instructional resources, including a minigrant program administered by the Women’s Leadership

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Committee. Annual grants of up to $250 each are available to teacher applicants.

PLAN TO APPLY

Applications for the 2020-2021 academic year will be accepted beginning in late summer. Look for details at https://www. floridafarmbureau.org/ education-outreach/.

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

1 Susan Hahn, right, a Pine Jog Elementary School teacher, accepted a mini-grant check in support of two gardens she uses as part of her science curriculum.

School Principal Tarachaell Thomas joined her for the presentation by FFB’s Eva Webb. 2 Leslie Downs, left, CFO of The Benjamin School with teacher Hope Myers who will use the mini-grant to enrich her instruction.

The private school operates multiple facilities in Palm Beach County. 3 Santa Rosa County Farm Bureau Board member Ryan Jenkins, right, presented Central High School teacher Audrey Dawson in Milton and Principal Sean Twitty a grant check and a stack of FloridAgriculture magazines for an agricultural program in her classroom. 4 Juliette Franklin, a teacher at Crossroads Academy in Belle Glade, poses at the garden her grant check will support. 5 Jeff Pittman, Jackson County Farm Bureau President and FFB State Director, recently delivered a grant check to Lori Anderson and her class at Dayspring Christian Academy for support of an agricultural program in her classroom.

Looking for Agricultural News?

SUBSCRIBE TO FLORIDA FARM BUREAU’S MONTHLY ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER

• Research News • Legislative and Policy Updates • Farmer Profiles • Latest Ag Apps

Sign up for a FREE SUBSCRIPTION at http://www.floridafarmbureau.org/ floridagriculture_enewsletter/

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

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(PHOTO COURTESY OF STEPHEN AUSMUS, USDA/ARS)

Human beings digest high-fat meals with unique inflammatory reactions.

HIGH-FAT MEALS AFFECT PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT WAYS

By Kim Kaplan, USDA/ARS

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eople have very individualized inflammatory responses to eating a high-fat meal.

These were the somewhat unexpected results of a study recently published in the Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry by researchers at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and their University of CaliforniaDavis colleagues.

"We looked at the inflammatory reactions of 20 volunteers at zero, three and six hours after eating a standardized meal containing 38% fat and their responses were completely unique. No two were exactly the same," explained molecular biologist Danielle G. Lemay at the ARS Western Human Nutrition Research Center in Davis, California.

Inflammation—defined as a group of responses by the body telling white blood cells how much to react—is a normal reaction to eating a meal, especially one with high amounts of fat. Inflammatory responses are not the same as the blood sugar reactions that also follow eating.

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Inflammation is a defense mechanism in the body as the body's attempt at self-protection. It also is part of the body's immune response.

Each volunteer in the study had both a unique amount of inflammatory response and a unique amount of time for when the responses peaked, up to six hours after eating (eight or more hours is considered fasting by nutritionists).

The researchers used a very sensitive test to look at whether any genes in the human genome were turned off or on in order to define a volunteer's reactions. Responses

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

by more than 13,000 genes differed between subjects.

The test meal was equivalent to someone having a small hamburger, small fries, and a small ice cream shake with fruit, according to the scientists.

"Eating a meal with this amount of fat is OK one or two days a week even considering the effect on inflammation. But in a lifetime of meal choices, eating like this every day could do some damage to a person's body," said Lemay.

Inflammation is associated with a whole host of conditions such as asthma, diabetes, peptic ulcers, rheumatoid arthritis, and many others.

One reason these results are so fascinating is the growing interest in personalized nutrition.

"We need to understand what the variability is between people before we can consider starting to set different requirements in diets," Lemay said.

FEEDING FAMILIES WITH THE PEANUT BUTTER CHALLENGE

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his year’s UF/IFAS Extension Peanut Butter Challenge concluded in November with 14,042 pounds collected at county Extension offices.

The jars were distributed to food pantries from Pensacola to Monticello, feeding hungry Panhandle families with the protein-packed spread. Peanut butter is a highly sought product at food pantries.

This year UF/IFAS Extension Indian River County joined the challenge, contributing 207 pounds through its collection.

The Florida Peanut Federation and the Florida Peanut Producers Association donated more than 11,300 jars to bring the grand collection total to nearly 21,000 jars of peanut butter that will make their way to hungry Florida families.

Connect With FFB’s Newsline Florida Farm Bureau’s Newsline podcasts offer news and opinion on a variety of topics.

Posted at www.floridafarmbureau.org/ newsline/, the podcasts are audio segments that feature interviews with farm leaders, university researchers and other notable sources.

In recent months our interviewees have discussed water quality issues in Florida, the Farm Bill, the North American Free Trade Agreement and major Farm Bureau events, among other matters.

Newsline, produced by Florida Farm Bureau, presents information you will want to hear.

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

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HEALTHY NEW YEAR! Florida Vegetable Frittata INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Florida tomatoes, diced • 1 Florida squash, diced • 1 Florida zucchini, diced • 2 cups Florida spinach • 1 cup diced Florida bell peppers • ½ onion, diced • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil • 1 tablespoon butter • 2 tablespoons oil

• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese plus 2 tablespoons reserved • 6 eggs, whisked • 3 tablespoons heavy cream • Several dashes hot sauce (optional) • 1 tablespoon all-purpose seasoning (your favorite) • Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the diced tomatoes, basil, two tablespoons Parmesan and one tablespoon oil, then set aside for last step.

• Stir heavy cream into the eggs and whisk until smooth, then set aside. Heat a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat and add butter and one tablespoon oil. Sauté the squash, zucchini, bell peppers, and onions for two minutes, then season with salt and pepper.

• Next, add the spinach and a half cup of Parmesan cheese and mix to combine. Add the egg mixture, season with all-purpose seasoning and bake for 20 minutes or until eggs are set.

• Remove from oven and add the tomato-basil topping. Serve warm or at room temperature.

(Courtesy of Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services)

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FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

A CHICKEN DISH MAKES COMFORT FOOD

Cheesy Baked Mushroom Chicken Filling:

• Nonstick cooking spray • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts • 1/2 cup flour • 4 tablespoons butter • 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced • 1/2 cup chicken broth • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 1/4 teaspoon pepper • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated • 1/4 cup green onions, sliced DIRECTIONS:

• Heat the oven to 375 F. Prepare a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

• Cut each chicken breast in half. Place the flour in a resealable bag. Place the chicken in a resealable bag with the flour; toss to coat.

• In a large skillet, melt the butter. Add the chicken to the skillet; brown all sides. Transfer the chicken from the skillet to an 11-by-7-inch baking dish.

• In a skillet, sauté the sliced mushrooms in the remaining butter until softened. Add chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and then cook for five minutes. Spoon the broth over the chicken.

• Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheeses and green onions. Bake five minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

(Courtesy of Family Features)

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

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CLASSIFIEDS BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES BAMBOO FARMERS WANTED Farmers, growers, investors One time crop purchase One time planting 80-100 years life span 6 month plant guarantee 10 year crop buy back contract $15k-$25k per acre annual profits Contact us today Onlymoso USA corp 954.530.3385 info@onlymososales.com If you grow plants or livestock it will pay you to check on mymineralsite.com scroll to ag. Area.

COLLECTIBLES Coins, currency, sterling silver flatware, gold/silver jewelry, and more. We are #1 on Angie's List, NATIONWIDE! Visit us at www.CoinAppraisal.org or contact us directly at 727.488.7899

EQUIPMENT FEEDER WAGON, 3-ton and 6-ton, creep feeder available on 3-ton.

Call 813-626-4554.

WANTED FARM TRACTORS PLUS FARM EQUIPMENT. RUNNING OR NOT. MORE CASH PAID. CALL 813-626-4554.

P.T.O GENERATORS - GENERATORS 10kw thru 100kw New & Used Generators for Home Standby Industrial & Commercial Generators (BOLD)20kw thru 2000kw Diesel E-mail: craig@gentelpower.com www.gentelpower.com 407-466-4427 or 407-498-0866 $$$ WANTED $$$ Tractors, Mowers, Farm Equipment and Related Parts Any Condition.

Call 813-626-2609.

5 V-crimp GalvaLume Roofing & Accessories For Farms & Ranches.

Cypress Feed Trough & Mineral Boxes Call: 772-473-1714 tripsonmt@aol.com Ask for Mark.

FISHERIES SHONGALOO FISHERIES Channel catfish, certified Florida bass, bluegill, grass carp, shellcrackers, warmouth, koi, and gambusia for stocking. See complete list at www.shongaloofisheriesinc.com.

Hampton, FL. 352-468-1251.

PONDSTOCKER Bass, Bream, Catfish, Tilapia, Koi, Grass Carp, Shinners and Gambusea Minnows.

Pond Supplies. Licensed and experienced.

Call today! Cal Trotter.

1-321-952-9176. Palm Bay, FL. SERVING SOUTH FLORIDA Native Fish Stocking - Grass Carp - Tilapia Fountain & Aeration Systems Complete Lake Management ALLSTATE FISH & WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT 1-800-270-6558 www.allstatemanagement.com FLORIDA FISH FARMS Bass, Bluegill, Catfish, Grass Carp (Permit Req.) & Koi (Ornamental Carp) Contact: Florida Fish Farms, 9684 CR 705, Center Hill, FL 33514. 352-793-4224.

Visit our website: www.floridafishfarms.com.

GOOD THINGS TO EAT FARM BUREAU BUYER'S CLUB Don’t forget to check out the Florida Farm Bureau Buyer’s Club Winter Sale!

We’re offering Florida citrus, Coloma fruits and vegetables as well as Mississippi catfish!

Contact your local county Farm Bureau for more information!

LEGAL SERVICES Michael Martin Martin Law Office Agricultural & Environmental litigation Defective products and seeds Crop insurance All litigation issues state or federal 863-686-6700 Lakeland, FL Representing four generations of farm and ranch families.

Email: Mike@martinpa.com Website: www.martinpa.com

FEED & HAY PREMIUM HAY & SPRIGGING SERVICE: Jiggs, Tifton85, Perennial Peanut, Coastal.

Horse-quality square bales (limited rolls), fertilized & irrigated fields. Feed stores welcome. Clean digging stock.

Call Haystack Farms at 386-963-3505 or 855-326-8873. www.haystackfarms.com.

PANGOLA HORSE HAY Under cover and up off the ground 4 x 5 rolls, $50, fertilized, herbicided, Polk County, John Day,407-448-5608 Call or text COASTAL BERMUDA HAY Barn stored-$50, Field kept-$40 Irrigated and fertilized.

Frank Quincey Levy County 352-538-7077 or 352-463-2953

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LABOR HOUSING ATTENTION GROWERS Labor Housing for H2A and/or Domestic Workers available…

EXCELLENT LOCATION (Western Palm Beach County) Approx. 1 hr. drive to Boynton/Delray, Vero/Ft. Pierce and Devils Garden Full Kitchen and Mess Hall Permitted and ready for immediate occupancy Capacity: Up to 1,000 persons Contact: Chuck Royal (561) 996-6581 Ext. 113 Also additional location in Moore Haven Glades County. Call for details.

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

LEGAL SERVICES

REAL ESTATE

Charles F. Woodhouse, Esq. MBA, JD, MS Food Safety Graduate Certificates in Food Law and Packaging Attorney Specializing in Agriculture and Food Law Food Safety Modernization Act Compliance PACA and Florida Broker/Dealer Complaints Crop Insurance and Risk Management Programs Representation before County Committees, State Committee, and National Appeals Division Matters

Motivated Seller _ 120 ACRES High and Dry, Paved Road Frontage, Near Gulf of Mexico and Steinhatchee, survey work has been done. Permitting is nearly complete for subdivision. RV campground is possible. Possible owner financing.

CALL DALE_352-356-1099, Keller Williams Broker.

Taylor County _ $360,00

Woodhouse Shanahan PA Agribusiness Industry Regulatory Compliance Washington, DC & Cedar Key, FL E-mail: cfw@regulatory-food-science.com Website: www.seafood-and-produce-law.com Blog: www.food-label-compliance.com Tel Cedar Key, FL 352-278-1110 Tel Washington, DC 202-293-0033 FAX 202378-0851

LIVESTOCK REGISTERED BLACK ANGUS Bull-3 years, proven, excellent temperament $3000 Bull calf-1 year, $1500 penroseoaks@cfl.rr.com 352-873-6849 leave message Registered Angus Cattle For Sale Ohana Farms Bull Calfs, Cows, Heifers, Pairs 386-212-1006 REGISTERED BLACK ANGUS BULLS for sale bull calf 9 + months $1,000.00 Solid Performance Bloodlines 813-713-6345

MISCELLANEOUS John Halvorsen, Jowett & Wood, Inc. 904.707.3644 Provide technical assistance to eligible producers and landowners who implement practices to protect soil, water, air quality, or wildlife habitats. Eligible participants are able to receive financial assistance to implement conservation practices on their owned land through EQIP(Environmental Quality Incentive Program).

A Technical Service Provider works for producers on behalf of USDA, NRCS and will maintain the confidentiality of any producers they help through NRCS EQIP.

PLANTS & SEEDS Alternative Fruit Crops All of the latest and greatest varieties of avocado, dragon fruit, guava, longan, lychee, macadamia nut, mango, peach, pomegranate, and more.

Call Pine Island Nursery (305)233-5501. www.PineIslandNursery.com

50 Acres of beautiful Old Florida with shady oaks trees and flowing creek. $400,000. Tons of wildlife and great for hunting deer, hog and turkey. 3 bed, 2 bath home with well and septic. On Hwy 31, south of Arcadia, DeSoto County.

Welcome to your peaceful, quiet country paradise with lots of opportunity for hunting and fishing. Zoned A-5. This beautiful property is priced to sell at only $7,000 per acre! Melissa Bajsa, CMTG Real Estate Group, 863-430-3977.

OKLAWAHA RIVER 30 acres surrounded

by Ocala National Forest. Fantastic views from this 3/3 3958 sq. ft. home With vaulted wood ceilings, 50x34 greatroom, 2 stone fireplaces, 3 car garage, formal dining, dock on the river and wildlife galore. $750,000 .

Century 21 Beckham Realty Tedra (386)546.5269 FOR SALE BY OWNER, 28 ACRES LOCATED ON GA HIGHWAY 221 BETWEEN KITE AND WADLEY., 6054 US Highway 221 North, Bartow Ga, 30413.

GREAT HUNTING,FOOD PLOTS, SEPTIC,WELL, ELECTRIC, 5TH WHEEL TRAILER UNDER A POLE BARN. BEAUTIFUL HARDWOOD CREEK BOTTOM, FRONTAGE ON 2 ROADS. $ 110,00.00 CALL OR EMAIL JIM HUCK 772 201 1759 EMAIL HUCKS18505@AOL.COM. Five acres in Interlachen.

One block off S.R.20.

Beautiful, high and dry. Must see. $25,000.

Contact Danny at 386-867-3478.

Southern Pine Plantations North and Northwest Florida 377 Acres, Jackson Co, 148 acres Cultivated farm land, Irrigated, 15,400 sq. ft. packing shed, 2,400 Sq. ft. Cooler. $2,950/acre 484 Acres, Lafayette Co, The area is well known for its fantastic hunting and fishing, Pave Road, Pines and Hardwoods. $1,350/acre.

7,611 acres managed commercial timberland, Planted Pine, Hardwood Bottoms, Excellent Hunting. $1,200/acre.

Call Pat Duane at 352-867-8018 Southern Pine Plantations of Fla. Owns the property it sells.

LONGLEAF LAND COMPANY Land for sale in Northwest Florida and South Alabama Contact Jody Jones 334.493.0123 longleaf@longleafland.com www.longleafland.com

January 2020

REAL ESTATE Suwannee County 35 acres off 192nd St. Beautiful, diverse parcel with granddaddy oaks, some in pasture, some in natural hard woods. Paved road frontage. $147,000 David Mincey 386-590-0157 MLS#103994

JANUARY/FEBRUARY CROSSWORD Crossword

42 ACRES on the Suwannee River with 400ft of river frontage. Complete with custom built 5/3, 2 story home. Windows galore, multiple porches and decks. Adjoining mother in-law suite with its own full kitchen.

Additional well and septic already in place. $435,000 Mindy Wilkison 386-209-7658 MLS#105019 160 ACRES property has some merchantable timber. Property also has gentle roll with good elevations. Build your home overlooking Crawford Lake and enjoy the views of the water and the surrounding farmland. Deer and turkey are plentiful. $3,062.50 per acre.

Ronnie Poole, 386-208-3175 MLS#96691 152 Acres in Northern Suwannee Co. Mostly pasture, fenced. $3,100/Acre.

Call Kellie Shirah, Poole Realty 386-208-3847 MLS#104390 Working farm,91 tillable acres, has been being leased out for crop land past several years, Easy to pasture out or plant pine. Old school building on property and lots of storage, pole barn. $586,900 David Mincey 386-590-0157 MLS#105903 164 ACRES in Madison - 2800' paved road frontage. Rolling hills. Pasture with several water features. Built in 1991 w/1,700+ sq.ft.

3/2 and a guest home with 1 bedroom, 1 bath. $749,000 Mindy Wilkison 386-209-7658 MLS#103738 98-acre horse farm just off CR49. 3-bedroom 2 bath home 4/3 car garage. 13 stall horse barn w/double stallion stall. Beautiful land with creek, pasture, ancient oaks, pines and hardwoods. Deer, turkey and fishing all in 1 location. Priced to sell at $899,000 Nelda Hatcher 386-688-8067 MLS#90072 POOLE REALTY, INC 127 HOWARD STREET LIVE OAK, FL 32064 Office: 800-557-7478

by Margie E. Burke

1 2 3 4 5 ACROSS 1 Targeted, with 14 "in on" 17 6 Tub toy 10 Gold medalist 20 Lipinski 23 14 Immature egg 15 Heavy drinker 25 26 27 16 Desktop feature 17 Merchandise 33 movers 36 37 19 Reunion attendee 40 41 20 Mournful 44 21 Actresses Ralston and 47 Rolle 50 51 52 23 Guggenheim display 57 24 Not moving 60 25 Like Steve Austin of WCW 63 29 Lookout point 33 Sword handle 34 Hole-making tool 35 Mall attraction 61 Deck feature 36 Well-worn 62 Skin disease 37 Kristen or Patrick 63 Aardvark fare 39 Something to 64 Spot check 65 Intense feeling 40 Loathsome 42 Indignation DOWN 43 Massive 1 Firefighting aid 44 H.S. students 2 D.C. office 45 Harvard or 3 Eastwood Columbia, for played one in Obama 2018 47 Move like a top 4 Polished and 49 Cookie container posh 50 Salad ingredient 5 Covet 53 Street surface 6 Coalition 57 Wrapped up 7 1956 film, "___ 58 Emphasize Miss Brooks" 60 Gardener's 8 Move up the spring purchase ladder

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9 This one and this one 10 Use a torque wrench 11 One to grow on?

12 Engine sound 13 "No ifs, ___ ‌" 18 Tycoons, slangily 22 Blue eyes or baldness, e.g.

24 Bitter feeling 25 Photo session 26 Diacritical mark 27 Any Platters platter 28 "I ___ you one" 30 Contradict 31 Likeness 32 Raring to go

35 Brahma, in Hinduism 37 Raw fish dish 38 Hand holder?

41 Moving ahead 43 Trackman's transit 45 Combat zones 46 Bad atmosphere 48 Condition 50 Civil Rights figure Parks 51 Chef's need 52 Get together 53 Trust, with "on" 54 007 55 Hence 56 Bucks and does 59 Party bowlful

Solution available online at FloridAgriculture.org or in next issue.

NOV/DEC Solution toSOLUTION Crossword: F I A T A B E T S P L A T

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REAL ESTATE SPRINGWATER RANCH PRICE REDUCED! Lake County 1,241± Acres - This property offers the comforts of the country with proximity to major cities. Springwater Ranch is located roughly an hour northwest of Downtown Orlando and is just a short twenty minute drive north of Mount Dora. The ranch is mostly improved pasture and boasts gorgeous elevation changes throughout the property. This property is a working cattle ranch but would double nicely as a sod operation.

THIS WON'T LAST! NOW: $5,584,500 or $4,500/acre WAS: $6,205,000 or $5,000/acre 141.48 ACRES Holmes County. Over 1900ft frontage on Ten Mile Creek. Great hunt camp or homestead for the peace and quiet. Includes 3/2 1388sf block home. Abundance of wildlife. Mostly in mixed hardwood virgin timber. Located in the Florida Panhandle North of Panama City Beach.

MLS 689885 $455,000. Call, Text Debbie Roney Smith 850-209-8039 debson1999@gmail.com American Gold Realty 4420 Lafayette St Marianna, 32446. For property searches http://realtordrs.com/

For Office Use p/m

Information is required by (7 CFR 1260.201). Failure to report can result in a fine.

Information is held in confidential (7 CFR 1260.203).

$

The Beef Checkoff is a program set up under federal law designed to increase demand for beef products through industry sponsored activities of beef advertising, promotion, research, education, consumer and industry information on the state and national levels. $1.00 is required to be deducted from the seller on each head of cattle each time they change ownership. Both the seller and the buyer are responsible for ensuring that the $1 per head assessment is collected and remitted to the qualified state beef council.

Report for the Month(s) of

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control numbers for this information collection is 0681-00293. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 2 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

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Total Number of Cattle Sold

x $1.00/Head = $

Person remitting the checkoff is (check one):

Buyer

Seller

Cattle’s State of Origin if not from Florida

Other Date

Name (please print) Farm Name Address City

State

Signature (X)

Phone No.

Zipcode

Send copy of report and your remittance made payable to the: FLORIDA BEEF COUNCIL, P.O. BOX 421929, KISSIMMEE, FL 34742-1929

REAL ESTATE

REAL ESTATE

Maury L. Carter & Associates, Inc. Licensed Real Estate Broker CONTACT Daryl Carter or John Evans 407-422-3144 - www.maurycarter.com

AUNT ZELMAS BLUEBERRY FARM Alachua County 26± Acres - Active commercial and U-Pick Florida blueberry farm for sale!

22 net growing acres. Varieties include Farthing, Scentilla, Star, Prima Donna, Sweet Crisp, and Windsor. All bushes planted in 2011. This property boasts both commercial harvesting and U-Pick. However, the U-Pick operation is robust and brings customers from all over the state. The property has a small store on site to accommodate customers that come for U-Pick season. For more details on the farm, please visit: www.auntzelmasblueberries.com.

ASKING PRICE: $650,000.

HOG BAY FARM FARM & SOLAR OPPORTUNITY! UNDER CONTRACT DeSoto County 1,387± Acres - This property is 1,387± gross acres and 1,300± net acres of tillable land. Although formerly used for an organic citrus operation, this property has been used for the farming of alternative crops. This property can offer potential income streams from various uses: tomatoes, watermelons, citrus, cattle, hay, sod and many other varieties of row crops. Solar companies take notice! There is a high tension transmission line that runs the northern boundary of the property. Given the amount of usable acreage, the subject site would work nicely as a solar farm. ASKING PRICE: $7,351,100 or $5,300/acre.

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CENTER HILL BLUEBERRY FARM Sumter County 20± Acres - ORGANIC CERTIFIED BLUEBERRY FARM AVAILABLE FOR SALE! A turn-key ready blueberry farm to add to your portfolio. Farm equipment available for sale too! See production information. This highly productive blueberry farm is located in Sumter County, FL, just east of I-75.

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FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its program and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

REAL ESTATE Good inter-connectivity for sending fruit to packing house as well as easy access to farm.

ASKING PRICE: $450,000 HAW CREEK RANCH & TIMBERLAND, PRICE REDUCED - Flagler County-1200± Acres - Located in Flagler County, Florida, Middle Haw Creek Ranch and Timberland offers a variety of uses. Whether you are an avid outdoor enthusiast, a hunter, a cattle rancher, or a timber investor, this property offers it all. The property is located near large metropolitan areas and Florida's east coast, making it easily accessible. The land can be described as "Old Florida" Pine Flatwoods with scattered cypress heads, oak hammocks and palmetto stands. This property is teeming with wildlife. Deer, turkey, hogs, and other Florida wildlife species call this property home.

Hunting, fishing, camping, and other outdoor activities are readily available and ideal for this site. BRING OFFERS!!! NOW $4200/acre or $5,040,000 - WAS $5,880,000 or $4,900/acre Continued on next line ...

Central Florida Properties For Sale 20 acres - $299,000 • Abuts the Villages • Zoned A10C • Wooded acreage 30 acres - $299,000 • Located north of the City of Bushnell, FL • 3 parcels being sold together • Pasture lands, wooded areas, and abundant wildlife 20 acres - $330,000 • Improved pasture located in Sumter County, FL • Includes electric service and well • 130 adjoining acres also available for sale 40 acres - $330,000 • Large Parcel with Native FL Landscapes • Oak Hammock w/Mature Grandfather Live Oak Trees • Easy Access to I-75 and FL Turnpike 120 acres - $478,800 • Priced at $3,990 Per Acre • Grandfather Oaks & Cypress Heads • Deer & Turkey 71 +/- acres - $921,060 • Improved pasture land • Fenced, stocked fish pond, and road frontage • Located in Sumter County, FL 110 acres - $1,056,000 • Beautiful Improved Ranchland w/road frontage • Perimeter Fence, Cross Fencing, Pond & Corral • Currently Used As Cattle Ranch 150 acres - $1,199,000 • City limits of Bushnell, FL • Neighborhood mixed use @ 4 units per acre • Hardwoods, natural ponds w/drainage, and improved pasture 277 acres - $4,432,000 • Primarily improved pasture • Native landscapes including mature live oaks • Abuts operating limerock mine Kelly Rice, Broker (352) 793-6911 Century 21, Prime Property Resources Inc 1034 W. C-48 Bushnell, FL 33513

PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIED HERE CONTACT: 352.374.1535

According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, urban utilities are now the largest consumers of water in the state. Conservation by farmers and ranchers has substantially reduced their water use over the past 20 years. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services officials have reported that farms conserve more than 11 billion gallons of water statewide each year.

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