FloridAgriculture July 2020

The Voice of Agriculture in Florida

FloridAgriculture VOLUME 80, NO. 5 • JULY 2020

FARM HOUSE STYLE A NEW UF/IFAS LEADER AQUACULTURE GOLD TREES AND TISSUE PAPER

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 Non-member subscriptions are not available.

CONTENTS 8

SET FOR LEADERSHIP

10

MORE THAN A FISH STORY

12

CHANGING HANDS AT UF/IFAS

15

WASHINGTON REPORT

16

COUNTRY DESIGN

20

A RENEWABLE NECESSITY

29

CLASSIFIED ADS

30

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

10

20

CALENDAR OF EVENTS July 31 Deadline for American Farm Bureau Federation Ag Innovation Challenge Applications. For more information and to apply, visit fb.org/challenge.

Aug. 6-8 FFB Virtual FUSION Conference (Women, Young Farmers and Ranchers).

For more information, visit https://www.floridafarmbureau.org/fusion/.

Aug. 28 Deadline for Florida Farm Bureau Volunteer Communicator of the Year Nominations. To nominate a candidate, visit https://bit.ly/3dPFahw.

Sept. 1 Deadline for Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame Nominations.

For more information and to nominate a candidate, visit http://floridaaghalloffame.org/nominate/.

Cover photo: Many Floridians celebrated Independence Day at home this year.

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

3

FROM THE PRESIDENT

ADJUSTING TO THE NEW REALITY S I X M O N T H S AG O ,

who could have predicted that we would be living and working like we are now?

The world around us has changed. Social distancing has forced us to adjust routine methods of commerce.

Electronic platforms have become the tools of choice for most communication and training in business.

Florida Farm Bureau has also made adjustments by conducting business with electronic connections. But there has been no change in our commitment to serving our members. We are as busy as ever in every dimension of operation to express the Voice of Florida Agriculture.

Our communication with members and the general public continues without interruption. The #StillFarming social media campaign we launched in March has attracted an audience of more than 400,000. The campaign has effectively promoted awareness that our farm families continue to feed us, despite the COVID-19 emergency. Our farmers and ranchers have once again proven that they are true heroes.

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FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

Florida Farm Bureau is maintaining a regular schedule of conferences and meetings.

Our State Board of Directors continues to meet by using an electronic conference platform.

Our staff holds multiple planning and organizational sessions by the same means each week.

Public policy is a constant matter of attention. We remain in contact with public officials so that we can monitor policies and programs that affect our members.

A good example is our work on federal relief measures designed to assist farm families that have suffered substantial losses because of the business closures during the COVID-19 crisis. We also continue to work on federal trade policy issues involving Mexican imports.

On the state level, we are engaged in the process of meeting with candidates for legislative office, establishing relationships with them and assessing their support for agricultural producers.

We are also utilizing the tools at hand to deliver programs and services. For example, we are planning a “FUSION” Conference in August so that we can

John L. Hoblick, Florida Farm Bureau President

offer a combined Women’s Conference and a Young Farmers and Ranchers Conference in virtual form.

In June we launched a series of webinars on various aspects of beef cattle production and marketing.

Throughout the process of contending with novel conditions we have been mindful that we must continue to adapt. We also recognize that some of the changes we have made are temporary.

Many in our Farm Bureau family – members and staff alike – want to return to meeting in person as soon as possible. We will move toward this objective as conditions permit.

Your health and safety are our first priorities. We must move forward with this responsibility one day at a time.

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FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

5

A NOTE OF CHANGE AND APPRECIATION

By G.B. Crawford, Director of Public Relations T H E R E N E V E R S E E M S TO B E E N O U G H S PAC E for

any of the articles and columns that appear in FloridAgriculture magazine. In this instance the problem is especially acute.

After much discussion with my wife, Joyce, and other family members, I have reached the decision that I should retire from my position at Florida Farm Bureau. At this moment of change, the stream of fond memories and appreciation is difficult to summarize.

It has reinforced both a sense of anticipation about a new era of life and a reminder of the unique experience my job has provided to me.

I have had the privilege of visiting farms, ranches, nurseries, timber lands and other agricultural operations across Florida for 26 years. In doing so I have been introduced to the families that make a living from these places of endless productivity and wonder.

But a chronicle of visits to the properties scarcely describes the nature of the encounters.

I have been welcomed by these families. They have opened their homes, their thoughts and their dreams in long conversations with me. They have related to me as a close friend – even as a family relative.

On many occasions I was the recipient of much confidential information about business matters and people important to my hosts. I suspect that in

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FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

A stop at Sand Beach while hiking with my wife, Joyce, through Acadia National Park.

these private conversations I learned more about a particular household or subject than some other family members knew.

I have long realized that the trust associated with these candid remarks is a rare gift.

Such visits have also reaffirmed the truth that there are so many good farm people throughout our state doing very good things. Their positive character is reflected in their roles as parents, citizens and leaders just as well as in their work as food producers and natural resource managers.

I am profoundly grateful for having the opportunity to meet them and know them.

My job at Farm Bureau has also opened the door to friendships with colleagues here and across the nation.

They have enriched my career

in more ways than I can explain. I especially thank the staff in Public Relations for their dedication to their duties, their adaptability and their wonderful qualities as people.

Shannon Paulin, our masterful design contractor, and Rette Collins, along with his fine staff at Panaprint, provide us with the best customer service we could ever wish for in this business.

I also thank our leadership and the Florida Farm Bureau Presidents I have served under – Carl Loop and John L. Hoblick – for their support and for keeping me employed.

I am confident that the good hands involved in the transition with this magazine and the PR Division will make it a smooth one for you, our members.

I wish you all Godspeed.

A Helping Hand FLORIDA TEEN SOLVES NEED FOR FARMERS AND CONSUMERS By ByAmanda AmandaOverstreet, Overstreet,Communications CommunicationsCoordinator Coordinator

Fresh grapes are ready to be pressed.

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FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY APRIL/MAY 2020 2020

LAST SPRING COVID-19 reared its ugly head on Florida’s farmers and ranchers and our food supply chain. With hotels, schools and restaurants being forced to close their doors, farmers were left with fields of ready-to-harvest crops that they couldn’t sell.

Seventeen-year-old Hunter Williams came up with a plan to help. Williams’ family grew watermelon, soybeans and vegetables in the Florida Panhandle and his love for agriculture began at an early age.

“Mom and I would can and put up enough vegetables to last us a whole year,” he said. “We would use vegetables from my grandparent’s farm and also buy from local farmers.”

With guidance from his mother, Kristi, and Levy County farmer and former FFA state officer Scott O’Steen, Williams’ plan to save Florida farmers from disposing of perfectly good produce became a reality.

The plan was to visit farmers throughout North Florida and collect vegetables for boxes to be sold to people in need of fresh food.

“Mr. O’Steen took me under his wing and taught me a lot about the business and assembling the boxes, product availability, and what was in season,” Williams said.

Hunter Williams, right, is pictured with FFB President John L. Hoblick at the state office in Gainesville.

“The farmers were happy to see me,” he explained. “They were grateful to see someone stepping up to help them stay afloat during this tough time.”

Boxes are filled with fresh, Florida-grown products like squash, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes and other vegetables.

Also located in each box is a bumper sticker with a message that reads, “Save Our Farmers.

Ask For and Buy American.”

“This message helped get the word out to the public that local farmers were struggling among the pandemic,” Williams said.

Each week Williams and his team of friends and family assemble the boxes. “Mom helps me with the book work and Mr. Scott and I work together on the contents of the bundles and he places the orders for our produce,” he said.

“Hunter is probably the hardest working kid you could ask for,” O’Steen said. “In today’s society and in today’s world, most kids are trying to win video games and Hunter is trying to win at life. He’s a self-motivator and a self-starter, just a great kid!”

The boxes are pre-sold online through O’Steen’s Farm https:// osteenfarms.com/ and pick-up locations are in Lake Butler, Starke, Baldwin and Middleburg. Williams assembles boxes and takes the bundles to the drop off locations. He picks up produce on Wednesdays and delivers on Thursday afternoons.

Produce boxes are packed for people in need.

“We use a drive-thru service method to comply with social distancing guidelines,” he said. In the beginning, Williams explained that he was packaging up to 250 boxes per week. Now, production is at roughly 75 boxes per week.

“Production has slowed down quite a bit recently and it’s honestly not necessarily a bad thing, it just means that farmers and other business are able to operate under more normal circumstances which is good for everyone,” he said.

Williams’ stepfather, Travis McCallister, is a Florida Farm Bureau Insurance Agent in Lake Butler. Williams is heavily involved in 4H. He serves as president of the Community Service Club and is a member of the county and district councils.

He is the incoming President of 4H District 5 Council and the current 4H State Sargent-at-Arms.

This month he is running for the office of 4H State Treasurer.

“I have always been drawn to agriculture,” Williams said. “I have a passion for raising livestock, especially cattle.” The young farmer grows vegetables of his own at home and often shares his bounty with others through his produce boxes.

“I think my love for farming goes back to my grandparents’ farm and their garden,” he said.

“They instilled in me life-long lessons and knowledge.”

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

9

FOOD FROM UNIQUE

Aquaculture

By Kathleen Rasche, Correspondent

WHAT DO COWS AND FISH HAVE IN COMMON? The Evans family in Pierson has the answer.

As diversity becomes standard practice for family-owned farms, Evans Fish Farm employs family members to work both the cattleend of their operation and the aquaculture venture they started more than 25 years ago.

The farm is definitely unique.

Their Anastasia Gold caviar business is the only aquaculture operation in the U.S. with three different species of sturgeon – Ossetra, Siberian and Sevruga – housed in 45 tanks. The farm also has six ponds filled with bass and tilapia.

Their caviar production is not excessive and is sold mainly to a niche market of U.S. restaurants and chefs who enjoy the quality 10

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

and like knowing its local origins.

The sturgeon meat is sold frozen, mostly to Russian clientele here in Florida, the family says.

The farm’s tilapia and bass are sold to local live-food markets in Orlando. Some is also sold frozen.

Gene Evans, a self-made businessman who passed away in 2014, added the sturgeon to his family farm. It’s not a business many are eager to try, his family says. “Sturgeon is kind of a long-term investment. It takes anywhere from five to ten years before they become mature, before you can have caviar,” said Gene’s daughter, Jane Evans Davis.

A caviar farm in Florida is definitely a curiosity. Evans Fish

Farm has garnered much media attention over the years. It was even featured on the Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern.

“We definitely didn’t start it for the publicity,” said Geno Evans, with a laugh. “We get a lot of different questions, especially about the sturgeon part of it.

Dad did it more for the bettering of the fish, the species itself.”

Part of their “bettering” program is helping other farmers start aquaculture operations of their own. The family is happy to share husbandry methods, water chemistry and health/disease management.

“Dad always used to say we kind of have an open door policy and while we’re not open for tours for education (because of the

Geno Evans examines a sturgeon at the family farm.

pandemic), we’re always hoping that people will be interested in getting into aquaculture because the more that people see it the better it is for all of us,” said Davis.

They also offer an internship program. “Because we’re so diversified, especially in aquaculture, the students can do three different species on this farm and get involved in some studies. We spawn our fish here on the farm, also and it’s a big opportunity for them,” said Evans.

When the fish are ready to spawn, typically in July, the entire Evans family gets involved.

“We use the standard protocol for spawning which is what we call strip spawning, where we take the eggs and the milk from the male and we actually hand mix it.

It’s an all night family affair. We usually have to call in everybody and we’ll have 20 people here doing the spawning because you have to hand everybody eggs and sperm and they have to stir the eggs for at least 30 minutes or so and then they’ll go into hatching jars,” said Davis.

“Depending on which species, they’ll hatch within a few weeks.

They’ll go into these little troughs where we’ll feed them some fry food. As they grow, they’ll go into different sized tanks. Once they are about four months to six months old then they’ll be ready to go outside in the sunlight.

“This is the first time they go in the sun and we’ll put them in tenfoot tanks first so we can still see them. Once they are two-feet long they go into the 30-foot tanks.

From there we feed them every day for the next five years. We’ll be

Geno Evans, Jane Evans Davis, and their mother, Marilyn Evans, check out the farm’s signature sign.

The aquaculture business adds commodities to the family’s beef cattle operation.

grading them and checking them during those five years, but we try to not handle them too much. Let them grow and eat,” said Davis.

The caviar taste differs between the species. Davis says Ossetra produces eggs with gold-colored fat and a buttery flavor. Siberian is plainer and Sevruga has a stronger taste. It can be eaten the traditional way on blini, a Russian pancake or crepe made from wheat or buckwheat flour, or Davis’ favorite way on scrambled eggs.

The Evans family farm is looking at a bright future with their cows and aquaculture

ventures, and new plans to add red snapper and arapaima. But emerging consumer awareness of where food comes from is another factor.

“It’s important, especially during this pandemic,” said Evans.

“It makes us well-aware that we need to be more localized or regionalized with our food. I think everybody’s going to learn that across the nation.

“Instead of having one big producer or one big processor feeding a whole area. We’re going to learn a lot from this pandemic, I think, in agriculture.”

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

11

(Editor’s Note: This month Dr. J. Scott Angle takes office as the Vice President of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Formerly a faculty member at the University of Maryland, he was most recently the Director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. He is a soil scientist who has focused his studies on nutrient losses from agricultural systems. His answers to a series of FloridAgriculture interview questions are included in an edited form below. The complete questions and answers will be included in the August issue of FloridAgriculture e-News.)

Q What most attracted

your interest in the position at UF/IFAS?

COMMITTED TO A FARM BUREAU

Partnership

A I was interested in leading an

already-great organization and UF/IFAS, by various lists, ranks 1st to 5th among landgrant universities and agricultural colleges. But more importantly, I wanted to join an organization that was responsive to the citizens of the state. This is the essence of the land-grant mission and the reason President Abraham Lincoln created the system of universities to support all citizens.

J. Scott Angle

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FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

(PHOTOS COURTESY OF TYLER JONES, UF/IFAS)

A NEW UF/IFAS LEADER TAKES OFFICE

Q Given the continuous

urban population growth in Florida, do you see unique challenges ahead for your leadership of UF/IFAS? A I have an unusual background for an agricultural leader, as much of my

life I have lived in downtown urban environments. I have owned a farm in Maryland for many years. So, I feel I understand the perspectives inherent in those who live in sparsely populated areas where most food is produced and the densely populated places where most of it is eaten.

Sustainable intensification to grow more food with fewer inputs, such as fertilizer, water and pesticides, is a driving force that all segments of society can support. A cleaner environment, producing food that improves health and assuring that our farmers remain profitable are issues that are commonly supported.

These are areas that UF/IFAS is ideally suited to address.

Q What overall plans

do you have for the research and Extension dimensions of UF/IFAS?

A I believe that no land

grant institution is better than UF at developing new cutting-edge technologies and finding ways to move these ideas into the user community.

It’s the three-way intersection among basic research, applied research and dissemination where UF/IFAS shines. I also believe in the fundamental mission of Extension to help all citizens of the state, whether it’s at the county level through agents and programs, or information provided online.

The personal touch will not change.

Q Do you plan to

continue the important UF/IFAS research on the impact of Mexican imports upon Florida agriculture?

A Yes, in fact, one of our

food resource economists, Dr. Zhengfei Guan, is still working on these research questions. His team is planning to study the effects of potential policy tools meant to counter Mexican trade practices and subsidies.

Most consumers prefer U.S.-produced food, but they also want low cost. I believe we need to continue to find ways to lower the cost of food, maintain quality and safety and assure that farmers are fairly compensated for their work. The primary way to assure economic prosperity for our farmers is to lower input costs. Technology can lead the way, whether through automation and reduced labor, less expensive and more efficient inputs or better supply chain management.

There must remain some form of a “safety net” for growers in

years where losses are beyond the control of the farmer. Economists are debating what the safety net should look like, but I firmly believe we must never lose our ability to protect our industry.

Q Do you expect that the partnership between Florida Farm Bureau and UF/ IFAS will continue to flourish?

A I understand the role

the Florida Farm Bureau plays in the state and the need for a continued close relationship with UF/IFAS. I look forward to building a solid relationship by working closely with leadership of the Farm Bureau. This relationship must be hand-andglove, built on trust, constant communication and respect.

I will work hard to continue the strong bond that already exists and even improve it where possible. Farm Bureau and UF/ IFAS need each other. Farm Bureau can be the primary advocate for UF/IFAS at the legislative level. But this will only happen if you see UF/IFAS being responsive to the farming communities’ needs.

Florida farmers depend upon UF/IFAS researchers to help meet challenges of contemporary agriculture.

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

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Q How will your research

background influence your leadership at UF/IFAS?

A The balance of profitable

farming and enhanced environmental quality remains an important rallying point today and into the future of farming.

Farmers want a healthy, clean environment and sustainable natural resources more than anyone else because it’s their future. UF/IFAS can provide the technologies for helping to achieve this vision.

Q Does the diversity

of Florida’s agricultural commodities present special service challenges for UF/IFAS research and Extension?

A Absolutely. Florida is

second only to California in the diversity of our commodities. And farming in a tropical/sub-tropical zone makes it even more difficult than in California, where agriculture is typically found in valleys that

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FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

rarely change. Multiply the number of soil types, climate zones and commodities grown in Florida, and the level of management needed to be successful is almost overwhelming.

Yet most Florida farmers are successful, which I find so impressive. The answer to this complex set of challenges is simply hard work. UF/IFAS is large, but it must remain a responsive organization to address the many challenges faced by the farming community.

Q Under your direction,

how will UF/IFAS help enhance communication of the benefits of contemporary agriculture for our larger society?

A I have been involved in

the national dialogue and more recently at the global level to promote a better understanding of agriculture with all citizens.

Despite efforts of so many, we need to acknowledge that this work will never be finished, and we must continually communicate

this message to anyone willing to listen, but especially those who are far disconnected from the food industry. I look forward to being part of this discussion in Florida.

Q What are your

plans for outreach and communication with the range of UF/IFAS stakeholders?

A My outreach style is very

personal. I need to get to know the entire industry so that you feel comfortable calling me, even on difficult issues. Early in my tenure, I will be visiting with as many leaders as time will allow.

Let me be clear – I work for you.

Taxpayers, whether individuals or businesses, pay our salaries, and we are accountable to you. If UF/IFAS fails to provide value, I need to know. The Florida Farm Bureau Federation has many priorities. I want to make sure UF/IFAS remains on the top of your list, and I know that only will happen if you find value in the teaching, research and Extension that we deliver.

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

Worker Safety In The Age Of COVID-19

By JohnWalt Boatright, Director of National Affairs

T

he American workplace is perhaps the most changed environment in today’s COVID-19 reality.

As a result of newly implemented social distancing guidance, many work sites and offices were deserted due to stay-at-home orders around the country. In addition to the dramatic change caused by working from home, many workers were furloughed or lost their jobs altogether.

Classes of workers and sectors were labeled as “essential” throughout this period, including those responsible for ensuring our domestic food supply. This does not just include the farmer, but it also includes the thousands of farmworkers and employees who provide the hands to pick the food and run the equipment.

Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have been relentless in the distribution and revision of official guidance as public understanding of the disease has evolved. In turn, Florida Farm Bureau has been equally diligent in sharing updated information to our producers and members.

So, when the state of Florida announced COVID-19 spikes among farmworker communities, we redoubled our communications with member growers to offer our assistance and reiterate highly recommended measures.

These practices adopted

by Florida farmers and farmworkers have included, but are not limited to: 3 Establishing hand sanitizing stations; 3 Providing daily temperature checks; 3 Supplying and requiring personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks; 3 Maintaining a 6-foot distance at all times; and 3 Isolating workers who exhibit or experience COVID-19 symptoms.

As an organization, Florida Farm Bureau’s strategy to help producers weather the effects of COVID-19 has been twofold.

First, staff has worked to keep members and county Farm Bureau leaders apprised of the best possible information as it is announced by public health professionals and the federal government. That includes the information summarized above, as well as specific protocols if official guidance

does not explicitly cover certain commodity sectors or farmers with small numbers of employees.

Second, Farm Bureau works hard daily to live up to its reputation as the voice of the nation’s agriculture sector by maintaining open conversations about the farm workplace.

Our efforts have centered on preventing significant disruptions in the workforce while protecting farmworker health and safety.

The topic of a fourth relief package is already under consideration. American Farm Bureau has clearly encouraged Congressional leaders to direct federal resources toward more PPE for agricultural workers and make sure that agriculture receives priority access.

Agriculture has proven to be an important partner with local and state governments in guarding against COVID-19 outbreaks among the prized employees that sustain food production in Florida.

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

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The wrap-around porch Rory Martin and his grandfather re-decked with tongue-and-groove pine. He and his son refurbished it last summer.

UNDER THE

ROOF

A STORY OF TWO FARM HOMES

By Rachael Smith, Communications Manager

Nestled among 60 acres of farmland in the small agricultural community of Hastings is a twostory farmhouse. The traditional wood framed home has sheltered six generations of farm families.

In 1923, Frank Johns and his wife, Ada Mae, moved from Illinois to forge a new way of farming in Hastings, Florida’s potato capital. Johns, a pioneer of modern farm practices, was recognized as the first farmer to operate exclusively with power machinery.

Today, his great-greatgrandson, Jeb Smith, and his wife, Wendy, are proud to live in the house that Johns built and carry on his love of farming. The couple remodeled and moved into the home in 2015 with their four children, Jared, Jeremy, Caytlyn and Cayla.

“Our kids make the sixthgeneration to live in the home,” said Jeb. “We each have our own 16

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

memories in the home from when granddad and grandma lived here.”

Jeremy and Caytlyn fondly remember practicing piano in the afternoons and looking forward to great-grandma’s freshly picked grapefruit served dripping with brown sugar. “It was our reward for playing the piano and helping out with chores,” said Caytlyn.

Cayla was only four when her great-grandma, “Juju,” passed, but she remembers doing arts and crafts in the large sunroom that overlooks Hastings Blvd.

Photos chronicle the footprint of the love and labor the Smiths poured into the historic farm home. From the thoughtfully restored vintage fixtures to the carefully selected paint swatches to the demolition that unmasked a historic date: June 25, 1965.

“As I began pulling some of the glued vinyl walls in the upstairs bedrooms, I started

noticing that on the backside there were drawings,” said Jeb. “Before my granddaddy put up the walls, he had the kids draw pictures and date them on the wall. The date was 50 years to the day that we began the remodel.”

A smaller ranch-style home, where Jeb and Wendy lived before the remodel, is adjacent to the home. A hand-made timber barn restored by Jeb and his sons serves as shelter for the (still working) Farmall tractor that Frank Johns used to plant potatoes.

The kitchen is modern yet functional. A butcher-style table, handcrafted by Frank, centers the kitchen. “The table has bounced around through the years,” said Wendy. “It used to be the main kitchen table and then it was a craft table. I always wanted a butcherblock table, and this worked perfectly.”

The original handcrafted kitchen cabinets were refinished. Jeb had the home rewired, installed additional lights and outlets and made sure that each nook was used as storage.

“Homes back then were scarce on

Smith Home

lighting and storage, so I wanted to make sure we added as much as we could, while maintaining the character of the home.”

About three-and-a-half hours south of Hastings is another sixthgeneration home. The Campbell homestead was built in 1904

by Alexander, the great-great grandfather of Rory Martin of Sarasota County.

Today, Rory and his wife, Melissa, live in the home with their four children, Shelby, Sara, Scott and Shana.

“Family lore told by my grandfather (Sheldon),” said Martin, “was that my great-great grandfather, Daniel, and his brother would share a bicycle between them to go to the property on weekends to clear the land. One would ride the bicycle ahead, leave it to start walking, and then the other would get to the bicycle, leapfrog ahead, leave the bicycle and walk.

“The land was cleared with a grubbing hoe. My great-grandfather was known as a good man with a grubbing hoe and would clear land

Top to Bottom: Frank and Ada Johns; Jeb and Wendy Smith stand in front of their historic farm home with their children Caytlyn, Cayla and Jeremy; Restored butcher block table anchors the kitchen. Image to the right was drawn 50 years ago to the day of the last remodel. Jeb Smith uncovered them during the demolition. The Smith children continue the tradition with their own mark.

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

17

The Campbell homestead today.

for $1 a day, clearing about one acre a month.”

The traditional old-style wood home is built on pillars off the ground. A second story and a wrap-around porch was added in 1926. The construction includes hand-hewn timbers underneath, and tongue-and-groove pine board siding.

Lots of windows and screened doors allowed for air circulation before the days of air conditioning.

Martin’s grandparents added AC in the early 1990s and windows were replaced with pulleys, ropes and weights to a modern style and beige vinyl siding was installed to help with insulation.

Martin and his family moved into the home in 2010. He says he has made little changes to the home since moving in. “We added AC in the upstairs, did some insulation, but most of my changes were not visible to the eye.”

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FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

Campbell Home The home is decorated with a blend of farmhouse décor and antique furniture from Martin’s grandparents. Vintage oil lamps, irons, butter churns, coffee grinders and a food safe adorn the home. Marble-topped tables and a careful display of greatgrandfather’s fiddles make the home part museum, part home.

Pictures on the wall reveal the personalities and record the previous generations living in the home, including a baby picture of Martin’s grandfather, framed in a peach. A hand hewn, leather bottomed chair made by his greatgreat grandfather from the 1880’s is also among the treasured pieces on display.

Fixtures from the family’s citrus production and juicing business still exist on the property, including an open air, tinroofed fruit stand, fruit washer and juicing room. A hand dug

TOP TO BOTTOM: Rory Martin’s great-grandfather, Daniel Campbell; Campbell homestead in 1909. The smokestack is part of the original kitchen.; Antique furniture decors the home.

well where water was drawn for drinking, bathing and laundry is still on the grounds.

Martin remembers spending Christmas at the home as a young boy. “Our family tradition was to wake up and wait for our parents to allow us to come downstairs to see what Santa left us. My grandmother would make waffles and sausage for breakfast, served on blue-willow dishes. After breakfast, we would then wait in the living room until my grandfather came in and then we would share the gifts under the tree.

We still carry on that tradition today.”

Farmers in the area surrounding Lake Okeechobee have substantially improved water quality on their properties as they continue to produce food.

AGRICULTURE’S

Essential Water Use

By Charles Shinn, Director of Government and Community Affairs

T

he COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the essential nature of our food supply. Many Americans did not view Florida as a major producer of the food we consume before the pandemic hit.

Now, consumers throughout the nation know that Florida is an essential provider of our nation’s food supply. To ensure that everyone is fed the nutritious food that is grown here, a sufficient supply of water is also essential.

There is often an argument raised that water being used for agriculture (growing food) is taking water away from the environment. Nothing can be further from the truth when the water is managed and used wisely.

For farmers to use water in Florida, they must apply for a permit with one of five water management districts in the state that allow water use as guided by Florida law (Chapter 373, Florida Statutes).

Any proposed use of water is reviewed using a three-pronged test.

With the first prong, the farmer must demonstrate that the water use will be “reasonable and beneficial.” This ensures that the water will be used wisely with increasingly precise conservation measures so that it is not wasted.

Farmers have a long history of implementing Best Management Practices to save every drop that they can.

The second prong requires the farmer to ensure that the water use is consistent with the public interest. Growing food and fiber products is certainly in the public interest, as we all need to eat several times a day to remain healthy. Florida is even more critical as a food-producing area because in many other parts of the country food cannot be grown year-round.

The third prong requires the farmer to utilize water so that it will not impact any other permitted use of water. Simply

stated, we all must play fair in the same sandbox!

Often there are erroneous claims made in the general news media and social media, unfairly and mistakenly pitting farmers against Florida’s environment.

This hype is often self-serving by special interest groups. Yet, Florida’s farmers and ranchers were the first environmentalists and remain keenly focused on the environmental health surrounding their farms.

As they continue to be the essential suppliers of the local food and fiber products that we all need and enjoy, they do so in a sustainable manner that will allow their farms and the surrounding environment to thrive for many generations to come.

The pandemic has taught us that a safe and local food supply is essential and likewise, agriculture’s use of water is essential to grow the fresh food products that will keep America fed and healthy.

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

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NECESSARIES FROM A

Renewable Resource

By G.B. Crawford, Director of Public Relations

WHAT BEGAN AS A RUMOR on social media in February quickly sparked a panic buying spree. Consumers rushed to grab toilet paper from store shelves as the COVID-19 health crisis spread worldwide under a fear that the product would not be available.

Timber provides the renewable raw material used to make bathroom tissue and paper towels.

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FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

Government stay-at-home orders added grist to the belief.

In Florida and across the nation retailers began limiting purchases, escalating the quest to stockpile rolls.

But the shortages that occurred were store inventory problems, not production issues.

U.S. manufacturing plants – the facilities that make most of the toilet paper purchased in this country – actually increased their output in a collective attempt to meet the demand.

According to the American Forest and Paper Association, domestic manufacturers shipped out more than 22,000 tons of bathroom tissue and paper towels per day in February and March – a record total.

The Georgia-Pacific mill near Palatka helped to create that record. A unit of one of the largest three tissue paper manufacturers in the nation, it raised production to meet a surging demand.

Eric Abercrombie, spokesman for Georgia-Pacific, said the Florida plant along with other company facilities have increased overall volume by 1.5 million rolls per day.

Products from the Palatka mill are well known consumer items. Angel Soft and Quilted Northern bathroom tissue and Brawny and Sparkle paper towels made at the plant can be found in many retail establishments.

Bathroom tissue and other finished papers are manufactured by using wood pulp made from trees that are mostly grown in the surrounding region. These renewable resources have supported jobs as well as the production of bathroom tissue for generations.

(PHOTO COURTESY OF GEORGIA-PACIFIC)

Dillon Stratton, a forester and logger, is one of the primary suppliers for the Palatka plant.

He cuts logs for the mill in timber stands that are generally within 50 miles of the mill. His family’s business has been growing trees and supplying wood for various purposes since 1958.

On average, Stratton’s firm hauls 30 truckloads per day to the mill. With the emergence of COVID-19 and the increased demand for tissue paper, the daily volume peaked at more than 40 truckloads.

“Georgia-Pacific has spent a lot of money to improve their mill,” Stratton said. “We are greatly appreciative that we have a mill there and we can produce the wood for them.”

The plant is a mainstay for the local economy. A team of nearly 1,000 employees is needed to keep the mill in operation 24 hours a day. It supports more than 1,700 other jobs in the surrounding community and generates a total annual economic impact of almost $330 million.

According to a study by the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, forestry operations in the sixcounty Northeast Florida area span more than 145,000 acres and provide work for more than 33,000 residents.

Brian Bergen, vice president of economic development at the Putnam County Chamber of Commerce, agreed that the mill company’s investments have been a special boon to local forestry operations. “Having both the pulp and paper operation in the county significantly adds to the value of the raw material our farmers produce, keeping those dollars in

U.S. manufacturing facilities like the Georgia-Pacific plant in Palatka set a daily production record in February and March.

Forestry operations in Northeast Florida support more than 33,000 jobs.

Putnam County and the regional economy,” Bergen said.

The mill’s development has also served as a continuous stimulus for jobs outside the facility in Palatka and elsewhere in the county. “The Georgia-Pacific plant is an invaluable asset to the community,” he added.

Improvements at the plant have introduced innovative methods of resource management and sustainability, giving Palatka residents other reasons to favor its presence there.

“We use a range of wood pulp based on the available supply and the desired properties in the finished product – softness,

strength, absorbency, etcetera,” said Abercrombie. “We use almost every part of the tree, whether it is wood chips that are left over from lumber operations or using the waste from wood pulping to generate steam energy.”

Biomass from wood provides nearly 50% of the mill’s energy needs, substantially reducing the demand on the electric power grid.

Ninety percent of the water used in the paper manufacturing process at the plant is treated and returned to the surrounding natural watershed.

The ability to make a product consumers use every day in much larger quantities, with the same quality, has been a source of pride for the mill’s workers during the COVD-19 crisis, Abercrombie said. This shared sentiment may become a legacy.

“It’s really been a team effort and that collaboration and pulling together will be a significant outcome of these past few months,” he predicted.

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

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With acreage in four Florida counties, Thomas Produce Co. is a vital source of vegetables.

SUSTAINING A

Vegetable Powerhouse

By Susan Salisbury, Correspondent

THOMAS PRODUCE CO., headquartered west of Boca Raton, has been a vegetableproducing powerhouse in Florida since 1959.

Acreage peaked at 17,000 acres around 2008, and today the familyowned and operated company grows bell peppers, specialty peppers such as jalapenos, squash, cucumbers and green beans on 7,500 acres in Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Hendry counties.

It packs and ships three million boxes a year and employs 500 during the peak winter vegetable season.

“At one time Thomas had 2,000 acres of tomatoes,” said Thomas “Tommy” LaSalle Jr., chief operating officer and grandson of founder John J. Thomas. In 2008 tomatoes were completely dropped from the lineup due to competition from ramped-up Mexican imports under the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Other acreage has contracted gradually since 2008.

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John Thomas died in 2018, but his legacy lives on. He came to Palm Beach County from North Collins, New York, outside Buffalo, and began growing green beans on 800 acres.

“My great-grandparents came here from Italy in the 1900s and started farming outside Buffalo.

We visited the farm there every summer. We had strawberries and corn,” LaSalle recalls.

“Getting on a tractor there, that is where I got my love for farming.

When you are a kid, work seems like fun.”

LaSalle joined the company after graduating from the University of Florida with a degree in Food and Resource Economics in 2005.

Thomas Produce is owned by his uncles John Thomas Jr., Norman Thomas, Stephen Thomas and Jeffrey Thomas. His cousins, John Thomas II, Brandon Thomas and Tiffany Thomas, also work there.

“We are known for our green beans. We grow beans in Hendry County south of Lake Okeechobee, beans and sweet corn are grown in western Palm Beach

Tommy LaSalle Jr., chief operating officer, has worked in the family business since he graduated from the University of Florida in 2005.

County and peppers in the east.

We have both,” LaSalle said.

“That makes us a little unique.”

In normal times about half of Thomas’ produce is sold directly to major grocery store retailers and the other half to food service including restaurants and cruise ships. The COVID-19 pandemic changed that as sales to restaurants and cruise ships stopped.

“During the pandemic, that is the part of the business that really got hurt. Those relationships with the Krogers, the Publixes and the Walmarts really helped because they were looking for produce.

We had to change how we pick things, make some adjustments and walk away from some crops,” LaSalle said.

Vegetable bins are loaded during the peak harvest season.

About 140 acres of green beans and 60 acres of cucumbers and squash were left in the fields.

In normal years the cruise ships take the produce that is not pretty enough to please picky supermarket shoppers. The foods they buy is chopped up in salads for passengers. Although that market was lost due to COVID-19, most retailers were flexible in their choices because they wanted to make sure they had ample supplies.

“We did have a glut of product that would have gone to food service,” LaSalle explained. “We donated some of it through Feeding Florida. Over the past 10 years we have donated 25 million pounds of produce. Even the food banks got to the point where they were overwhelmed.

It’s a perishable product.”

By the season’s end in May, pricing once again became profitable. “We ended up making the best we could out of the situation,” he said.

Norman Thomas, the company’s CEO, had wanted

to start direct-to-consumer box sales for years, and during the shutdown, the timing was perfect. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the family members started up their retail Mobile Green Markets – a big hit with consumers, selling an estimated 40,000 boxes of vegetables at $10 and $20 each. The company plans to start the box sales again by Nov. 1.

Thomas Produce may one day expand its acreage again if there is a trade agreement to protect Florida’s producers from cheap imports.

“It is too much capital risk to be putting it out there, to have all that money tied up in the crop and not knowing if you are going to get it back. Mexico could start dumping produce on our markets at way below our production costs, and even below their production costs.

“You have spent four generations building something.

You don’t want to lose that in a few years with some bad markets. We are trying to be smart. We have good chain store business, good

retail business and good partners,” LaSalle said.

The Thomases will continue to farm sustainably. “We use cover crops such as sorghum, on all of our acreage to build up the organic material and break up the soil,” LaSalle said. “A lot of the fertilizer we have moved to is a slow release fertilizer.

During a big rain, it will not leach phosphorus. We are also moving forward with drip irrigation on all our family-owned property.”

The biggest marketing change for the business in the last five years has been more direct sales to retailers without first transporting the crop to distributors.

“The stores get fresher stuff. They get to deal with the farmer directly, who has the real investment in the crop. They like that.

They like coming out and seeing the dirt and seeing the crop grow,” LaSalle said.

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

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TOWARD CONTROLLING A

Threat To Honeybees

By Scott Elliott, USDA/ARS

A

The Asian giant hornet has been found in Washington State and British Columbia.

This insect is a major threat to honeybees.

(PHOTO COURTESY OF WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE)

n Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist in the Pacific Northwest has joined the hunt for the infamous Asian giant hornet (AGH).

The hornet is a threat to honeybees in its native territory and could also endanger honeybees in the United States if it becomes established here. AGH is also a health concern for people with bee or wasp allergies.

Jacqueline Serrano, an insect chemical ecologist with ARS’s Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research Unit in Wapato, Wash., is investigating the AGH, dubbed the “Murder 24

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

Hornet.” A few AGH specimens were discovered last year in Washington State and Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

Despite its ominous nickname, AGH is more dangerous to insects than anything else.

At roughly two inches in length, this invasive species from Southeast Asia is the world’s largest hornet. It has distinctive markings: a large orange or yellow head and black-and-orange stripes across its body. While the hornet’s sting delivers a potent venom that can cause severe reactions – and in some cases, death – in some people who are allergic to bee stings, attacks against humans are rare.

AGH earned its bad reputation from the way it hunts down honeybees and other insects, primarily during the late summer months when it seeks protein to feed its young.

AGH sightings in the United States have been limited to two verified reports near Blaine, Wash., in December 2019, and a single AGH specimen found and verified in May 2020 near Custer, Wash.

The USDA scientist is developing traps used in Japan on a

species like AGH by leading efforts to develop attractants for use as bait in AGH traps in Washington.

“There are many different aspects of AGH chemical ecology, including feeding attractants and pheromones, that can be used to develop attractive lures,” Serrano said.

Should her traps collect more specimens, ARS scientists will use those specimens to conduct genomic sequencing as part of the ARS Ag100Pest initiative. This initiative focuses on deciphering the genomes of 100 insect species that are most destructive to crops and livestock.

According to Kevin Hackett, ARS national program leader for crop production and protection, assembling the genome could help scientists fight the hornet in many ways.

“It would help us find pheromones to better attract the hornet and also help us look for targets within the genome that we could attack with RNA to ‘turn off ’ genes.”

RNA, ribonucleic acid, carries instructions from DNA to control the synthesis of proteins.

COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Members of the Marion County Farm Bureau recently donated $15,374 to the First Step Food Bank. The charitable organization supports 38 emergency food pantries in Marion County.

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

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BERRY DELICIOUS Florida Blueberry Breakfast Casserole • • • • • • • • • • • •

2 cups fresh Florida blueberries, rinsed and dried 1 lemon, zested 1 loaf bread or 6-8 small rolls (or your favorite, about 5-6 cups) 4 ounces low-fat cream cheese 6-8 large eggs, beaten 1 1/2 cups milk (whole, 2%, or plant-based) 1/4-1/2 cup maple syrup (depending on how sweet you want) ½ stick butter, melted 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 teaspoon cinnamon Pinch of sea salt Nonstick cooking spray

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the bread into one-inch cubes. Cut the cream cheese into small cubes.

2. Lightly spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Place half of the bread cubes in the dish. Evenly place the cream cheese cubes and one cup of the blueberries over the bread. Add the remaining bread cubes and blueberries to the top of the casserole.

3. In a medium bowl combine the eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt and butter.

Slowly pour this mixture over the bread. Loosely cover it with foil and bake for approximately 45-60 minutes.

4. Uncover and finish baking until cooked throughout (center should be set) approximately 10 more minutes or until top appears golden brown. Let the dish cool slightly and serve warm with extra maple syrup on the side.

FRESH TIP: change the menu with strawberries or another seasonal Florida fruit and additional ingredients as desired (such as white chocolate chips, nuts and seeds).

(Courtesy of Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services)

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FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

Sensational Summer Meals

W

hipping up a fresh cooked meal is one of the true joys of summer, especially when grilled grub is paired with tantalizing sides and tempting desserts. Find more summer meals at Culinary.net.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Tartlets Take advantage of summer favorites like Florida strawberries and raspberries. Find more sweet recipes at wellpict.com/recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons lemon juice 3 tablespoons lemon zest 2 tablespoons gelatin 4 cups Well•Pict Strawberries, sliced, divided 1/3 cup honey 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese 1/2 cup sour cream 1 cup ice cubes 2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/2 cup melted butter 1 cup Well•Pict Strawberries, rinsed, for garnish 1 cup Well•Pict Raspberries, rinsed, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

•

Cook Up Kabobs As one of the most versatile main courses that can be grilled, kabobs offer nearly endless opportunities for customization. From protein to veggies, soaked wooden skewers can be loaded with just about any favorite flavors before hitting the grates. Consider these options for kicking your kabobs up a notch:

• •

INGREDIENTS:

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Steak, cut into chunks Chicken, cut into chunks Bratwurst or sausage, cut into slices Ground beef, shaped into balls Lamb Shrimp Salmon, cut into chunks Bacon, cut into small pieces Sliced onions Sliced bell peppers Sliced jalapenos Sliced mushrooms Sliced cucumbers Cherry tomatoes

•

In a blender, mix water, lemon juice, lemon zest and gelatin until frothy. Add two cups of strawberries and honey; blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl and chill the mix for 15 minutes.

In a blender, mix cream cheese, sour cream and ice cubes while incorporating strawberry mixture. Mix in the remaining strawberries.

In a blender or food processor, mix graham crackers and melted butter to crumb consistency. Lightly grease two medium muffin pans and pack the graham cracker mixture at the bottom of each opening. Pour the strawberry mixture over the graham cracker mixture and chill until set.

Gently pull the tartlets from muffin tins and place on a serving tray. Garnish with strawberries and raspberries.

(Courtesy of Family Features)

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

27

CREATING A BETTER

Home Garden

T

he U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Soil Biology Group has a number of suggestions to help homeowners improve their veggie gardens.

Compost can improve soil structure and its water holding capacity. Compost will also provide nutrients for your gardens soil microbes and plants and add to a garden each year.

Soil is alive and teeming with microbes. It is this biology that drives the breakdown of organic matter, release of plant-available nutrients and protection against plant pathogens.

Although biology is critical to plant health, it is also important to consider the soil pH, organic matter, nutrients and moisture.

A well-structured soil with lots of organic matter provides the essentials.

In the movie “Field of Dreams,” a voice tells Kevin Costner, “If you build it, he will come.” Soil biology is similar: If you build a good habitat, soil microbes will flourish.

Create a healthy soil habitat (pH, soil structure, organic matter) to promote beneficial soil microbes.

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FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

Building organic matter, maintaining optimal pH and managing deficiencies in critical nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous and sulfur are important for both your plants and soil microbes.

Micro-manures help gardens grow. All the tiny creatures that live in soil need to eat, and after eating they poop out nutrient-rich micro-manures that help build soil organic matter. The most famous micro-manure is worm castings.

Hungry plants crave nitrogen, which can often be in short supply.

Grab some nitrogen from the air by using legume cover crops in the fall or spring.

A cover crop such as beans or rye can protect and nurture your garden soil over winter.

Mulch and cover crops can also reduce weed pressure and chemical applications while preserving garden soil.

• For small areas, consider container gardening. Containers fit well on patios or decks, and tomatoes, greens and squash can grow in them.

• Tomatoes are a popular vegetable to grow in just about every backyard. When planting tomatoes, select transplants 6-10 inches tall and plant in the ground up to the 2nd or 3rd true leaves.

• If garden veggies aren’t growing well, a soil test may be necessary. Check with your local Extension office for assistance.

USDA/ARS APPS

• The LandPKS (Land-Potential Knowledge System) mobile app provides information about local soils and climate. Free download from: LandPotential. org, Google Playstore and the iTunes App Store (by searching “LandPKS.”) OTHER TIPS • The Plant Hardiness Zone Map • When watering your garden, it’s enables gardeners and growers best to use drip irrigation or a to determine which plants are soaker hose instead of a sprinkler. most likely to thrive at a location across the United States. Simply The leaves stay dry, minimizing input your zip code. diseases reducing evaporation.

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GOOD THINGS TO EAT

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Week Week of of 7/13/20 7/13/20 -- 7/19/20 7/19/20

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Copyright 2020 by The Puzzle Syndicate Copyright 2020 by The Puzzle Syndicate

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8 Swe. neighbor 8 Swe. neighbor 9 9 80's 80's flick flick "Say "Say _____" _____" 10 Race giveaways 10 Race giveaways 11 11 Well-apprised Well-apprised 12 Naples Naples staple staple 12 13 13 Kind Kind of of alcohol alcohol 18 18 Missile Missile housing housing 23 Farm layer 23 Farm layer 25 25 Revolting, Revolting, to to a a kid kid 27 Move Move convulconvul27 sively sively 28 28 Up Up to to snuff snuff 29 29 Connive Connive 30 Coup target 30 Coup target 34 Personals, Personals, e.g. e.g.

34 36 36 Sovereign Sovereign ruler ruler 37 37 Pot Pot builder builder

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45 Rigging support 45 Rigging support 48 48 First First name name on on Mount Mount Rushmore Rushmore 50 50 "I "I told told you you so!" so!"

52 52 Way Way off off 53 Follows orders 53 Follows orders 54 54 TV TV series series starter starter 55 55 Come Come next next 56 56 Lincoln Lincoln and and Ford Ford 60 60 Put Put in in the the mail mail 62 Place for a roast 62 Place for a roast 63 63 Take Take a a needle needle to to 66 66 Enemy Enemy 67 67 Asp Asp anagram anagram

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

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

50 Acres of beautiful Old Florida with shady oaks trees and flowing creek. $359,000. 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.

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33 33 Knitter's Knitter's need need 35 Petty argument 35 Petty argument 39 Arcing Arcing shot shot 39 40 40 Gridiron Gridiron gain gain 43 43 Start Start for for step step or or stop stop 44 Crafty site 44 Crafty site 46 Freshwater Freshwater fish fish 46 47 47 Coffee Coffee bar bar order order 49 49 Part Part of of AMA, AMA, briefly briefly 51 Washed-up 51 Washed-up star star 53 Gilbert Gilbert and and 53 Sullivan work work Sullivan 57 57 Terrarium Terrarium plant plant 58 58 Report Report holder holder 59 Beach Boys 59 Beach Boys hit, hit, "Surfin' "Surfin' ___" ___" 61 Cartoon Cartoon ant ant 61 64 64 Anna's Anna's sister sister in in "Frozen" "Frozen"

by

by Margie Margie E. E. Burke Burke

www.facebook.com/ FlaFarmBureau

PUBLIC NOTICE BY FLORIDA PORK IMPROVEMENT GROUP AND THE NATIONAL PORK BOARD

JUNE SOLUTION

Solution to Crossword: M A S H

I N T O

A T O P

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G O A T

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I C E C U B S E H R E I D N D K Y A G E

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

T R U E L O V E

H E I R L O O L M A S U S R I N E

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S T A R

The election of pork producer delegate candidates for the 2021 National Pork Producers (Pork Act) Delegate Body will take place at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday September 17, 2020 in conjunction with a Board of Director’s meeting of the Florida Pork Improvement Group at the Florida FFA Association Office, 5600 SW 34th Street, Gainesville, Florida. All Florida pork producers are invited to attend.

Any producer 18 or older, who is a resident of the state and has paid all assessments due may be considered as a delegate candidate and/or participate in the election. All eligible producers are encouraged to bring with them a sales receipt proving that hogs were sold in their name and the check off deducted. For more information, contact the Florida Pork Improvement Group at 352-384-2633.

Protecting the health and safety of farmers and farm workers on agricultural properties must be a priority at all times.

FLORIDAGRICULTURE | JULY 2020

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