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CONTENTS
DECEMBER 2017 | VOL. 13 • ISSUE 2 BARRINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL FFA CHAPTER NAMED NATIONAL PREMIER CHAPTER; WINS NATIONAL RECOGNITION AT FFA CONVENTION & EXPO
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PAGE 12 Master Gardener
PAGE 43 AG Venture
PAGE 62 NAFTA
PAGE 46 John Dicks
PAGE 68 Meet the Minks
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PAGE 48 Endangered Species
Rocking Chair Chatter
PAGE 50 Plant Auction
A Closer look
PAGE 14 Swine Exhibitors PAGE 18 Fishing Hot Spots
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PAGE 52 Recipes
Hook-A-Hero PAGE 32 AG Expo
PAGE 54 Literary Time Machine
PAGE 35 Ugli Fruit
PAGE 60 Speedling
PAGE 42 Jack Payne
Activity
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PAGE 74 News Briefs
PAGE 77 AG Tour
Hey Readers!
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InTheField® Magazine P.O. Box 5377 • Plant City, Fl. 33566-0042 *Winners will be notified by phone. You Too Can Be A Winner! INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2017
Office Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Insurance Services: 813-685-5673 Member Services: 813-685-9121
OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Kenneth Parker....................President Will Womack................Vice President Michelle Williamson..............Treasurer Buddy Coleman..................Secretary DIRECTORS FOR 2016 - 2017 Jake Cremer, Tiffany Dale, Carson Futch, Jim Frankowiak, Chip Hinton, John Joyner, Tony Lopez, Rep. Jake Raburn, Emeritus, Sambahv, Marty Tanner, Vincent Tort, Carl Bauman, Dennis Carlton Jr, Melissa Grimes.
Judi Whitson, Executive Director 813-685-9121 Farm Bureau Insurance Special Agents
PAGE 77 Pesticide Collection
Hidden somewhere in the magazine is a No Farmers, No Food logo. Hunt for the logo and once you find the hidden logo you will be eligible for a drawing to win a FREE No Farmers No Food Sticker and a FREE In The Field T-Shirt. Send us your business card or an index card with your name and telephone number, the number of the page which you found the logo and where on the page you located the logo to the address below
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Hillsborough County Farm Bureau 305 S. Wheeler St. Plant City, FL.
Valrico Office 813-685-5673
100 S. Mulrennan Rd., Valrico, FL. 33594 Tommy Hale, CLU, ChFC, CASL, CPCU Agency Mgr. Juile Carlson, John McGuire
Plant City Office 813.752.5577
305 S. Wheeler St., Plant City, FL 33563 Jeff Summer Bill Williams
Tampa Office 813.933.5440
13103 W. Linebaugh Ave. Tampa, FL.33626 Greg Harrell, Sonia Valladares
AGENCY MANAGER Tommy Hale WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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STAFF Publisher/Photography Karen Berry Senior Managing Editor/ Associate Publisher Sarah Holt Editor-In-Chief Al Berry Editor Patsy Berry Sales Manager Danny Crampton
Letter from the Editor
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! The hustle and bustle of the season is in full swing. Trees have been trimmed, lights are blinking and stockings are waiting for a bounty of treats and gifts. Doesn’t it seem that decorations go up earlier and earlier every year? Trying to get anywhere near a shopping mall is a major challenge and waiting in lines in crowded stores can test even the most patient of people. I can remember counting the “wake ups” with my Dad for days prior to Christmas and asking, I’m sure multiple times a day, ‘can I open just one?’ I’m sure it was annoying but he would laugh, sing funny Christmas songs and pretend I hadn’t asked. The Christmas season seems to fill many people with tension. With a list of people to buy for and asking, ‘Am I buying the perfect gift?’ We should take time to slow down and remember the real reason for the Christmas season. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger. Luke 2-8 When shopping for your Christmas meal, and every meal, remember to check for Fresh From Florida labels. And don’t forget that fresh Florida fruit makes a great Christmas gift! As you bow your head to give thanks, remember the farmer and rancher, they allow us to have the safest most abundant food supply in the world.
Sarah Holt
The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. - Numbers 6:25
Sales Al Berry Tina Richmond Danny Crampton Melissa Nichols Taeler Dupre Chandler Workman
Creative Director/Illustrator Juan Alvarez Photography Karen Berry Al Berry Staff Writers Al Berry Sandy Kaster James Frankowiak Sean Green Ginny Mink Breanne Williams
Contributing Writers Woody Gore John Dicks
In The Field Magazine is published monthly and is available through local Hillsborough County businesses, restaurants, and many local venues. It is also distributed by U.S. mail to a target market, which includes all of the Greenbelt Property owners, members of the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau and Strawberry Grower’s Association. Letters, comments and questions can be sent to P.O. Box 5377, Plant City, Florida 33563-0042 or you are welcome to email them to: info@inthefieldmagazine.com or call 813-759-6909 Advertisers warrant & represent the descriptions of their products advertised are true in all respects. In The Field Magazine assumes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers. All views expressed in all articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Berry Publications, Inc. Any use or duplication of material used in In the Field magazine is prohibited without written consent from Berry Publications, Inc.
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Published by Berry Publications, Inc.
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A WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
- Kenneth Parker - President
Dear Readers: My very best wishes to all of you and your families during this special time of year for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. As we all celebrate with families and friends at holiday gatherings, please remember the importance of our farmers and ranchers as you enjoy the efforts of their hard work. Please take the time to read about the achievements of the Barrington Middle School FFA Chapter in this edition of IN THE FIELD. Their accomplishments at the national FFA gathering earlier this year should make us all proud. A special thanks to the individuals and groups that have supported their efforts. I would also encourage you to read about Dr. Zhengfei Guan, a member of the faculty at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. After being at the Center for just a short time, he expanded his research focus to include labor and trade policy, as well as production economics. His work in those new areas proved critical to the efforts put forth on behalf of Florida growers with regard to the NAFTA negotiations now underway. There is no easy or simple solution for fixing NAFTA, but those representing the U.S. – thanks to the work of Dr. Guan and his team - now have a clear understanding of how that trade agreement and subsidization activities of the Mexican gov-
ernment have negatively impacted Florida growers. That is critical as trade discussions among Canada, Mexico and the U.S. continue. Also, please join me in thanking Jessica Pyritz for her volunteer efforts in support of Hillsborough County Farm Bureau and its social media presence. Take a few minutes and “like” us on Facebook and you will see how Jessica’s work has benefitted Farm Bureau on the web and will continue to do so going forward. Farm Bureau’s list of activities is diverse and substantial. Our organization’s ability to effectively address all of those needs simply cannot be achieved by staff members. We must have the ongoing support of volunteers, and that is not limited to only those actively involved in agriculture. If you understand what “No Farmers, No Food” means and I am sure you do, we have ways that you and your family can help. If you’re not a Farm Bureau member, please consider joining. That’s a great first step. For more information, visit: hcfarmbureau.org, call us at 813-685-9121 or send us an email at: info@hcfarmbureau.org. Thank you and Happy Holidays!
Kenneth Parker Kenneth Parker - President
100 SOUTH MULRENNAN ROAD • VALRICO, FL 33594 • 813-685-9121 Board of Directors
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Kenneth Parker, President; Will Womack, Vice-President; Michelle WIlliamson Treasurer; Buddy Coleman, Secretary; Dennis Carlton, Jr. Member-at-large, Carl Bauman, Jake Cremer, Tiffany Dale, Carson Futch, Melissa Grimes, Jim Frankowiak, Chip Hinton, John Joyner, Tony Lopez, Lawrence McClure, Jake Raburn, Member Emeritus, Sambahv, Marty Tanner, Vincent Tort Judi Whitson, Executive Director
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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY MASTER GARDENERS WIN STATEWIDE AWARDS OF EXCELLENCE By Jim Frankowiak
The Master Gardener Program of the University of Florida/ Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension Hillsborough County received two Awards of Excellence from the Florida Master Gardener Program at its recent statewide conference. More than 100 Hillsborough County residents volunteer as Master Gardeners (MGs), providing gardening advice to fellow residents at the Extension office and through community workshops. A team of MGs won the Educational Materials Development award for their presentation “Safety in the Garden: Snakes, Bugs and Garden Gloves.” This 45-minute educational program presents an overview of animals and plants that might harm gardeners and ways gardeners can stay safe while working outdoors. Offered at local garden clubs and libraries, this presentation teaches residents about potentially harmful plants, animals, or situations that might be found in Central Florida. Topics covered include stinging and biting insects, noxious saps, protective clothing and dangerous wildlife. The Florida Friendly Landscaping™ (FFL) Award went to a second MG team for work on the pollinator demonstration garden located at the Extension office. The team partnered with Girl Scouts on this sustainable take-action project. Pollinators are important because an estimated one-third of the food we eat comes from animal-pollinated plants. Fruits and vegetables such as watermelon, cantaloupe, squash, zucchini, citrus and blueberries depend on insect pollinators. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates bee-pollinated commodities account for $20 billion in U.S. agricultural production annually. This award-winning take-action project teaches youth and their families the importance of pollinators and promotes Florida Friendly Landscaping™ principles. These principles include: attract wildlife such as native bees, flies, wasps and hummingbirds; reduce stormwater runoff; conserve water; and, limit pesticide use and pollinator risk. During a garden visit, children and their parents can check out pollinator backpacks from Extension. These kid-friendly backpacks contain insect and flower sketch plates, field identification cards, magnifying lenses and books.
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“These gardens are living educational tools," said MG Beth Alence, a docent who leads tours of the Bette S. Walker
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Discovery Garden at Extension, which includes a perennial garden and pollinator garden. “Their ambiance and beauty provide examples of Florida Friendly Landscaping™ ideas for plant materials, maintenance techniques, mulch and pervious pavers." “Groundcovers are showcased as potential alternatives for turfgrass. The importance of pollinator-attracting plants is explained with signage, and plant cuttings are provided to garden visitors. We have taught vision impaired youth who could identify changes in landscape materials, listened to the buzzing of bees and enjoyed smelling basil and salvia. The pollinator and other garden areas promote dialogue with the public on Florida Friendly Landscaping™, why its nine principles are important and how they can easily be implemented in landscapes at home.” MGs are at the Extension help desk daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. They provide soil pH testing and conduct tests every Friday. Testing for soil pH is $3 per sample. MGs also provide library programs each month at 14 branches through the county from September through May, except for December holidays. MGs address the following subject areas: Vegetable gardening, Florida Friendly Landscaping™, plant identification, insect identification, lawn care, irrigation recommendations, disease identification, help with fruit trees, fertilizer recommendations and diagnosing deficiencies, wildlife information and butterfly gardening, native plants and free publications. MGs also participate in events such as the University of South Florida spring and fall plant festivals and AgVenture for Hillsborough County third-graders at the Florida State Fairgrounds. Docent led tours of the Bette S. Walker Discovery Garden at Extension may be arranged by calling 813/744-5519. Extension also has a Speaker’s Bureau available for those interested in learning about gardening. They may call the same phone number. There is also a website event calendar: http:// hillsborough.ifas.ufl.edu/calendar.shtml and the main website is: http://hillsborough.ifas.ufl.edu/index.shtml. The Extension office, open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., is located at 5339 County Road 579, Seffner, FL 33584. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
A buzzing industry Bee-Haven Honey Company is making waves as a business that produces raw, 100 percent pure Florida honey. By Breanne Williams
Beekeeping is in the Sadler’s blood. For three generations, the Sadler family has grown a beloved hobby into a honey empire. Clay Sadler, a honey packer for Bee-Haven Honey Company, has been managing hives since he was a little boy. His grandfather grew one hive into two hundred as a hobby, passing a passion for the craft onto his son, who eventually quit his full time job to start commercial beekeeping. “Me and my brother grew up doing this,” Clay Sadler said. “My brother has his own hives, like my dad, and I moved into the packaging of the honey so I don’t even really work with the bees anymore but I grew up doing it my whole life. It’s just been in the family for a long time.” His grandfather’s pastime is now a 2,000-hive operation in Central Florida. Bee-Haven Honey Company can be found in 50 stores throughout the state and is passing on the adoration of the craft to its customers. Backyard beekeeping is on the rise and Tammy Sadler, Clay’s mother, said a large part of that is due to the rise of the organic food movement throughout the country. She said people are starting to want to know where their food comes from and are interested in exactly what is in everything they consume. Bee-Haven acts as a refuge for more than just its buzzing insects. When customers come in they are not simply handed a bottle of honey and shown the door, as is the custom in so many retail shops. Instead, they are given as much information as they desire. Clay Sadler said a large portion of their customers come to them because they desire knowledge along with their products, especially those considering taking up beekeeping for themselves. “They want to talk to somebody first and that’s mainly why they come to us,” he said. “You can look online and be overwhelmed and not know what to buy. Usually when someone’s interested you've got to talk to them for an hour before you can sell them anything really. There’s just so much to learn and we’re here to teach as much as we can.” The nationwide decline of the bee population played a key role in sparking community interest in the industry. As society began to realize the impact bees have on agriculture as a whole, more and more backyard beehives began to pop up. According to Clay Sadler, the only way to successfully have your own hive is to put in immense amounts of research prior to assembling and purchasing a colony. Mites are detrimental to bees and though there are ways to keep bees healthy, it requires a lot of work. “It’s not the cheapest hobby out there but one hive can make more honey than you can eat in a year,” he said. “It can make 80 to 100 pounds of honey in one year, just one hive. So you’ll have to give it away as a Christmas present because it’ll be more than you can eat.” Though the job comes with high demands, Tammy Sadler
The Sadlers main concern lies not in bee production or the limited amount of research for the industry, but rather in the misconceptions held by the public. Honey is the only natural food that never spoils. The demand is far higher than the domestic supply is able to keep up with. Only approximately 30 percent of the honey consumed by Americans was produced in the U.S. The other 70 percent was imported. For the Sadlers, the high demand combined with lack of knowledge from the average consumer has led to a delusion about the industry. They said so much of the honey purchased at supermarkets is adulterated to the point that it could scarcely be called honey. Many companies will blend high quality honeys with cheaper honeys to cut costs, superheat honey to the point of near pasteurization and over filter it, removing the pollens that are so beneficial for consumption. Raw honey will eventually crystalize, which many consumers wrongly believe is an indication of spoilage. Clay Sadler said all honey can be re-liquefied and crystallization simply indicates it hasn’t been pasteurized. His mother said it is crucial to read the fine print and realize that just because the label says ‘pure honey’ it doesn’t mean the product is healthy. Bee-Haven Honey prides itself on being essentially straight from the hive to the bottle with minimal handling. “I just think our country is in such a health crisis and I think people are starting to realize they need to take control of what they consume,” she said. “A big misconception in the market of honey is that all honey is created equal and it’s so not true.” Bee-Haven Honey Company offers more than simply fresh, raw honey. The company sells bee keeping starter packs, equipment and tools, honey candles, honey based drinks and candy, honey based skincare products and bee themed home goods. For the holidays, they have created several gift packages for a range of budgets and will create custom gifts for anyone who asks. The allergy blend honey, which combines all of the honey their bees have made throughout the year to cover all seasons and local pollens in one convenient bottle, is the best seller for the business. It is purchased twice as much as any other product. Bee-Haven Honey Company can be found in stores throughout the state and online at www.beehavenfl.com. “We are farm to table, we truly are,” Tammy Sadler said. “The saying goes ‘If you want to know your honey is pure, know your beekeeper’ and we live by that. Come get to know us. You’ll love our products and be able to taste the difference between raw honey and the adulterated stuff you find on the shelves.” INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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said her family could never imagine doing anything else. To her, beekeeping isn’t a job. It’s a way of life. She said the underlying passion that spurred her family to play on a professional level makes it worth waking up everyday.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2018 SWINE EXHIBITORS OF THE FLORIDA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL
Swine Exhibitors
DATES OF THE FESTIVAL MARCH 1ST - MARCH 11TH 2018
2018 Florida Strawberry Festival
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Maloria Adkins, Alonso FFA Ariel Aldous, Durant Sr FFA Tanner Ashley, Durant Sr FFA Katana Ariel Lee Bailey, Antioch Critters 4H Ethan Baird, Jf St. Martin FFA Haley Bell, Tomlin FFA Caleb Benitez, Antioch Critters 4H Drew Blanton , Tomlin FFA Gweneth Bodder, Mann Middle FFA Meagan Borg, Riverview FFA Kylie Boyette, Barrington FFA Chase Braglin, Farm Fresh Clovers 4H Brooklynn Brewer, Antioch Critters 4H Wyatt Brown, Beth Sheilds Middle FFA Russell Butler , Strawberry Crest FFA Michaela Carmichael, Mulrennan Middle FFA Chance Christie, Turkey Creek Middle FFA Ryan Cobb, Randall Middle FFA Ella Connell, Antioch Critters 4H Rhet Conyers, Tomlin FFA Haley Courtney, Strawberry Crest/ Elton Hinton FFA Destiny Cox, Strawbwerry Crest FFA Bristol Cunningham, Turkey Creek 4H Scot Davis II, Barrington FFA Tyler Doyen, Barrington FFA Wyatt Drawdy, Farm Fresh Clovers 4H Dallas Edwards, Randall Middle FFA Cassidy Eramo, Brandon FFA Jon Farnsworth, Newsome FFA Krissie Erin-Leigh Faris, Turkey Creek middle FFA Ava Rose Futch, Antioch Critters 4H Tytan Gill, Alafia Kids 4H Gavin Goodyear, Barrington FFA Mathew Greenaker, Lennard FFA Addison Griffin, Antioch Critters 4H Elise Griffin, Turkey Creek middle
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FFA Ava Hastings, Antioch Critters 4H Tyler Hewett, Durant Sr FFA Joleigh Hinton, Antioch Critters 4H Kaylee Hudson, Antioch Critters 4H Michael Jones Jr., Turkey Creek Middle FFA Emily Jordan, Plant City JG Smith FFA Alana Kicklighter, Turkey Creek 4H Casey Lane, Turkey Creek middle FFA Fallon Lanteigne, Mulrennan Middle FFA William Letner, Durant JF St Martin FFA Kendall Long, Turkey Creek middle FFA Jackie Marvin, Mulrennan Middle FFA Jayden Mathena, Mulrennan Middle FFA Gabby Maxwell, On Target 4H Breanne McCubbin, Durant JF St Martin FFA Jordan McKenzie, Barrington FFA Ty Merkle, Mulrennan Middle FFA Alexander Munkelt, Barrington FFA Daniel Paul, Plant City Senior FFA Michael Previtera, Durant Sr FFA Addison Raburn, Tomlin FFA Nicholas Retter, Chautaugua 4H Cody Rice, Turkey Creek 4H Hannah Rice, Turkey Creek 4H Coley Riley, Strawberry Crest FFA Macy Riley, Antioch Critters 4H Lindsey Robins, Alonso FFA
Ragen Roger, Freedom High FFA Weston Sanchez, Mulrennan Middle FFA Logan Scott, Tomlin FFA Callie Smith, Tomlin FFA Cooper Sollars, Durant JF St Martin FFA Jonah Spivey, Strawberry Crest FFA Zachary Stenovitch, Randall Middle FFA Abigail Steward, Antioch Critters 4H Taryn Storter, Plant City Sr FFA Avery Surrency, Durant JF St Martin FFA Alexis Swantek, Barrington FFA Jessica Tamboe, Alonso FFA Krysten Thomas, Strawberry Crest FFA Walton (Trace) Thompson, Turkey Creek 4H Raegan Tucker, Plant City JG Smith FFA Tyler Tylisz, Durant Sr FFA Caleb Waters, Turkey Creek 4H Charles Watson, Tomlin FFA Jacob Ogden, Antioch Critters 4H Austin White, Mulrennan Middle FFA Meghan White, Durant Sr FFA Tiffany Wilson, Durant Sr FFA Chelsea Woodard, Strawberry Crest FFA Justin (Wyatt) Zinke, Showin & Growin 4H
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TAMPA BAY FISHING DECEMBER 2017 by Capt. Woody Gore
DON’T GET CONFUSED WITH TOO MANY KNOTS Look at any magazine or internet fishing site and you’ll find enough information about those special knots you should be using. In fact, there is so much information it can boggle the mind of the most serious angling individual. With the thousands of knots available, anglers put too much emphasis on knowing how to tie them all. Regardless of the type of fishing you’re doing, at best you probably only need a couple of knots to make it happen. Learn to tie a few simple knots that directly relate to your style of fishing and you’re set. For example, with all my fishing I basically use only three knots on all my charters; these are a Yucatan (for leader to braid), Loop Knot (for hooks and lures), and the DoubleUni Knot (for braid to braid). Once in a great while I might use a Bimini Twist (for a double line application). But 90 percent of the time I use a Yucatan and a Loop. Since a large percentage of fish loss can be blamed on poorly tied knots, it’s essential to your fishing success they are tied correctly. By using these basic fundamentals your knots should be secure and retain their maximum breaking strength. 1. When learning a new knot, the three most important words I can tell you are “Practice, Practice, Practice.” Take a length of leader, some fishing line, an old lure with hooks removed, and practice until you can correctly tie each knot 25 times. 2. When learning knots, the “tag end,” sometimes called the working end, is the end of the line used to tie the knot. The “standing end” is that part of the line coming from your fishing reel. 3. When pulling your knots tight, always lubricate them. Most anglers use saliva, which prevents damage to the line. 4. Trim knots close, a properly tied knot, pulled tight, will not come loose. 5. Pull up all ends when tightening the knot, cinching them as tight as possible. If it slips in your hand, it will slip when you’re hooked up to a fish. 6. Once you find a knot that’s working for your particular type of fishing, use it.
Loop Knot: With many excellent knots in use today. One stands out as the perfect choice to me. It provides artificial lures and natural baits the most realistic approach and appeal. It’s called a Loop Knot. Actually, loop knots have been use for decades, but now with swim baits, top waters, diving and suspending lures, along with a variety of soft plastics, this knot has emerged as the go-to method of attaching hooks, and especially lures, to your fishing line. 1. Start by tying a loose overhand knot in your leader. 2. Run the tag end through the eye of the hook or lure and down through the overhand loop. 3. Wrap the tag end around the main line two times. 4. Here’s the important part: take the tag end back through the overhand loop up from the bottom. Make certain the tag end goes through the middle of the overhand loop, as shown, to prevent the knot from slipping. If it only goes through one side “it will slip.”
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Capt. Woody Gore (www.captainwoodygore.com)
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Yucatan Knot This knot was developed by fishermen off the coast of Mexico with some confusion as to the correct way to tie it. Often confused with the Albright Special, when tied correctly the Yucatan is stronger than the Albright and probably the strongest monofilament leader to braided line knot. WWW. INITNHE FIELD MM AGAZINE.COM WWW. THE FIELD AGAZINE.COM
Many anglers using braided line prefer a double main line and use a Bimini Twist. However, I use braided line and prefer a single main line attached to the leader. To accomplish this, start with a doubled braided line and it wrap around a Seaguar Fluorocarbon leader. 1 Lay leader and doubled main line parallel to each other. However, you can simply double your braid line and wrap it around the mono leader. 2. If using Monofilament to Fluorocarbon, wrap the doubled line around the leader 4 to 6 times, 10 to 12 times when using braid to fluorocarbon. 3. Now feed end of leader through loop at end of doubled line. 4. It’s critical that when setting the knot you have a firm grasp on both ends of the braided line and both ends of leader. Start pulling slowly until the knot begins to twist. Now wet it with saliva, drop the tag end of the leader, keeping a firm grip on the main leader. In your other hand get an extra firm grip on the doubled braid (making certain you have both ends in your hand) and with one quick pull the tag end of the leader and the braid will twist together into a tight compact knot. Note that although the wraps were made with the doubled line, when the knot is pulled tight the leader will wrap onto the doubled line.
TAMPA BAY FISHING REPORT DECEMBER 2017 by Capt. Woody Gore
Snook (Closed) – You can still catch snook, however, if the
water temperatures are lower than normal you might want to fish areas like creeks, canals, and rivers, especially those with muddy bottoms and deep water docks. On cool or cold days snook also like hanging out around sunny sandy bottoms along a shallow shoreline because the sun tends to quickly warm the water.
folks don’t like to keep Sheepshead because they don’t like to clean them. Actually, I can’t think of anyone who really does, however, if you’ve got yourself a mess of larger fish, go ahead and bite the bullet and clean them, because the fish dinner is well worth the effort.
“Give Me a Call & Let’s Go Fishing”
813-477-3814
Captain Woody Gore is the area’s top outdoor fishing guide. Guiding and fishing the west central Florida areas for over fifty years; he offers world class fishing adventures and a lifetime of memories. Multi-boat Group Charters With years of organizational experience and access to the areas most experienced captains, Captain Woody can arrange and coordinate any outing or tournament. Just tell him what you need and it’s done.
Visit his website at: WWW.CAPTAINWOODYGORE.COM send an email to wgore@ix.netcom.com or give me a call at 813-477-3814
Redfish – You can usually find redfish during the winter and sometimes cut bait, shrimp and artificial lures are your best bet. Many times they’re not going to be the larger fish, but many reds can make a good fishing trip, especially for the kids. Don’t forget canals, creeks, deeper oyster bars and docks. Spotted Sea Trout – Tampa Bay seems to be full of nice sea trout, especially around broken bottom grass flats with sandy pot holes. Plenty of trout should show up through the winter months. Most grass flats with moving water seem to produce the best bite using shrimp free-lined or under a popping cork and artificial lures. However, some deeper rivers, channels, canals, and creeks will hold nice fish and often plenty of silver trout. Mackerel, Cobia, Sharks – When trout fishing the flats it’s not unusual to get a decent mackerel bite going. They like hanging around chasing schools of glass minnows. Also, many times we’ve landed some really nice pompano off the same trout flats. So, when running the flats looking for your favorite spot, watch the wake behind your boat for pompano skipping the wake. As temperatures drop and waters cool the power plants are the place to look for cobia and sharks. But be alert, as other species frequent the warm water discharges during the winter.
Sheepshead – Sheepshead should start moving in for the
spawn. We should begin to see some nice sized fish on the rock piles throughout the bay. Also, look for quality fish around bridges, pilings, docks, oyster bars and artificial reefs. Lot’s of ININ TT HE FF IELD AGAZINE HE IELDMM AGAZINE
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The first appearance of a modern Santa Claus, complete with what we consider to be the Santa suit, was in drawings by Thomas Nast. A copywriter named Robert L. May first invented Rudolph in 1939 as a marketing gimmick for Montgomery Ward’s holiday coloring books. (May considered naming the beloved misfit Reginald and Rollo.) His nose wasn’t originally going to be red: A red nose was viewed as a sign of sign of chronic alcoholism, and Montgomery Ward didn’t want him to seem like a drunkard. James Lord Pierpont, an organist from Savannah, GA, first performed a song he wrote, “The One Horse Open Sleigh,” at his church’s Thanksgiving concert. The song was re-published in 1857 and given the title of today. Bonus fact: It’s also the first song broadcast from space. On December 16, 1965, the Gemini 6 crew serenaded Mission Control after they reported seeing a “red-suited” astronaut. Every year, letters to Santa Claus flood post offices across the world. Some Canadian Post Office workers even started answering them — but as more letters arrived, they set up a special zip code for Santa as part of a “Santa Letter-Writing Program” literacy initiative. The zip code? H0H 0H0.
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HOPEWELL
Sponsored by:
FUNERAL HOME • MEMORIAL GARDENS
www.HopewellFuneraI.com FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1971
Old Sayings Every now and then I get a notion to do something cantankerous. The other day I filled up an empty plastic gallon with the “Roundup” label on it full of water. Roundup is about the best weed killer on the market today. I took the gallon of water in the Roundup container down to Home Depot and left it in a shopping basket in the parking lot. Since I was parked across from the basket I decided to wait and see what would happen. In no time a shopper eyes the basket with the container, picks it up, shakes it, looks around, and marches off to his car with container in hand. I have often wondered what he thought when he applied it to his lawn, and nothing happened.
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Another trick that went around a few years back (I never did this one), kids would take super glue to the fast food restaurant and put it on the bottom of a saltshaker. I must admit I did the same thing to a nickel in the parking lot at WalMart.
pecially the first graders. One said, “I had a student rush in all excited to tell me that her ancestors came over on the cauliflower.” My neighbor tells the story that at her grandmother’s funeral, when the priest asked for a moment of silence to remember her grandmother, her 5 year old brother, amidst all the silence and hushed crying, saw the priest lighting candles and started singing at the top of his lungs, “Happy Birthday To You, Happy Birthday To You!” Sometimes dads aren’t helpful. This guy writes, “The neighbor kid and I built a catapult-type contraption and promptly launched something right into my forehead and split it open. My parents rushed me to the ER. I was pretty freaked out because they tended to be calm people but this was intense for me. As I lay on the examination table surrounded by a curtain, my dad walks in, takes a long look at me and then shakes his head and said ‘Looks pretty bad, they said they’re going to have to amputate.’”
I had a friend as child named John. He was always up to something. John got a real good spanking for tying a string on a cats tail with Mason jar lids attached to the end. That cat almost drove itself crazy trying to get it off.
Children’s Science Exam Answers These are real answers given by children.
School teachers can tell you some good ones about their students, es-
Q: Explain one of the processes by which water can be made safe to
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Q: Name the four seasons. A: Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar.
drink. A: Flirtation makes water safe to drink because it removes large pollutants like grit, sand, dead sheep and canoeists. Q: How is dew formed? A: The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire. Q: How can you delay milk turning sour A: Keep it in the cow. Q: What causes the tides in the oceans? A: The tides are a fight between the Earth and the Moon. All water tends to flow towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature hates a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins in this fight. Q: What are steroids? A: Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs. Q: What happens to your body as you age? A: When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental. Q: What happens to a boy when he reaches puberty? A: He says goodbye to his boyhood and looks forward to his adultery. Q: Name a major disease associated with cigarettes. A: Premature death. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Q: How are the main parts of the body categorized? (e.g., abdomen.) A: The body is consisted into three parts - the brainium, the borax and the abdominal cavity. The brainium contains the brain; the borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abdominal cavity contains the five bowels, A, E, I, O, and U. Q: What is the fibula A: A small lie. Q: What does “varicose” mean? A: Nearby. Q: Give the meaning of the term “Caesarean Section” A: The Caesarean Section is a district in Rome. Q: What does the word “benign” mean?’ A: Benign is what you will be after you be eight. A second-grader wrote: During the Renaissance America began. Christopher Columbus was a great navigator who discovered America while cursing about the Atlantic. His ships were called the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Fe. Later the Pilgrims crossed the Ocean, and this was called the Pilgrim’s Progress. When they landed at Plymouth Rock, and were greeted by Indians, who came down the hill rolling their war hoops before them. The Indian squabs carried porposies on their back. Many of the Indian heroes were killed, along with their cabooses, which proved very fatal to them. The winter of 1620 was a hard one for the settlers. Many people died and many babies were born. Captain John Smith was responsible for all this. Lastly, Abraham Lincoln became America’s greatest Precedent. Lincoln’s mother died in infancy, and he was born in a log cabin, which he built with his own hands. When Lincoln was President, he wore only a tall silk hat. He said, ‘In onion there is strength.’ Abraham Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg address while traveling from Washington to Gettysburg on the back of an envelope. I guess kids will be kids no matter how old they are.
Free Roundup/Water?
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Ladies Night Out
Meet the Doctors As part of our Ladies Night Out series, attendees will have an exclusive opportunity to interact with physician experts and have their health questions answered in a roundtable setting.
Monday, November 6 | 6pm
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17-210155-1017
South Florida Baptist Hospital Administrative Conference Room 301 N. Alexander St., Plant City
Space is limited. Register today: (855) 314-8352 or BayCareEvents.org
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Helping Heroes
A new local nonprofit is working to provide escape for local law enforcement By Breanne Williams
Hook a Hero is a nonprofit focused on offering outdoor excursions to bring back “passion and joy” to first responders. The group aims to show that responders’ services have not been forgotten.
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Two friends, TJ Romano and Brandon Snyder, came up with the idea after witnessing the need in the community and realizing they both had skills they could offer to help those working such high intensity jobs.
The organization has been up and running for a little over a year and they have already sponsored 10 trips, two short of its yearly goal. Once chosen, the first responder simply tells Hook a Hero what their favorite hobby is or what trip they’d most enjoy. Romano said fishing, hunting, white water rafting, rock climbing and other activities are all on the table.
“I’m in law enforcement and I see what the guys do and the struggle they go through on a day to day basis, the sacrifices they give to their careers for 30 plus years and to their community,” Romano said. “I thought that there should be something for law enforcement, for first responders, to give back to them.”
“One of the trips we did, we took a guy out who is with Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and his friend from out of town who was in the Army with him,” Snyder said. “They hadn’t seen each other in a while and neither had access to a boat so we took them salt water fishing. After we went out they both kept saying how blown away they were that we would go out with them and not expect anything in return.”
Romano is also a local charter captain and uses his skills on the water to provide unique fishing trips for any in need. Snyder is a white water rafter and their hobbies have connected them with others who volunteer to assist in the planning of trips for responders.
According to Romano, the point of the group is not simply to offer a fun experience, but to provide support for everyone they work with. The trip offers responders the chance to forget, even if only for a moment, the stress of work.
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“We don’t just take them out there, we catch up with them, we want to get as much conversation in as we can,” Romano said. “Anyone who suffers from PTSD or anyone who went to a bad call or who are even just having a bad day, these guys see the worst every day, so we want to be able to help them have a moment to relax and leave that heavy baggage behind.” Romano said he thinks the organization will only continue to grow after watching the amount of positive feedback the group has started to receive. Both Romano and Snyder are from Plant City and so far Hook a Hero has predominately worked with local responders.
they are needed. “We try to feel them out and see if there’s anything else we can do to help them,” Romano said. “We don’t want to be like ‘Hey we’ll bring you out here and forget about you after.’ Once we bring you on our trip you’re part of our family, we’re going to stay connected with you and make sure everything is going well and just give them another outlet.”
If the group continues to gain traction, Romano said they will hopefully begin branching out across the country. At the moment, the organization is thriving mainly off of word of mouth. People hear about what they do and tell them about friends or family members who they believe could benefit from an outdoor excursion. Unlike some other programs that provide similar benefits, Hook a Hero is a non-profit 501(c)(3). All of the money raised either through the selling of merchandise online, donations or fundraisers goes directly to the group and providing trips and services for other first responders. Outfitters have donated some of the hunts as well, and the rest of the funds are provided by the organization. Snyder said one of the best things to come from its creation is to see the community partner together and volunteer their time, skills and resources to offer one of a kind excursions for those in need. He said there have been multiple times over the past year that different experts he’s stumbled across have offered free aid for the group once they found out what they were doing for first responders. The group has also provided aid for responders in need. After the disastrous 2017 hurricane season the Immokalee Fire Department suffered a major loss. Romano said they were unable to get supplies into their actual fire department and many of the firefighters lost their homes and everything they had. Hook a Hero held a large fundraiser for the department and collected emergency supplies. They then drove the supplies to them and partnered with another group who sent two huge semi trucks full of supplies to south Florida. Romano said they are here to help in anyway INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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Warmest wishes
from our family to yours.
DURING THE HOLIDAYS , we know that memories and time spent with
family and friends are what make the season special. Wishing you hope and joy as you celebrate traditions and remember your loved ones. Happy holidays from your local Dignity MemorialÂŽ professionals.
WELLS
Memorial & Event Center PLANT CITY
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813-752-1111 WellsMemorial.com
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By Jim Frankowiak
FLORIDA AG EXPO – NOVEMBER 2 – AT GCREC Serving Small Fruit and Vegetable Growers
2017 marked the 12th consecutive year for Florida Ag Expo, an important mix of educational sessions, field tours and a trade show all dedicated to small fruit and vegetable growers. Presented by FLORIDA GROWER Magazine in cooperation with the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), the one-day event brought together more than 600 attendees at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) at Balm. Dr. Jack Payne, Senior Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources, UF/IFAS, kicked off the gathering with recognition of the extraordinary efforts of UF/IFAS staffers during and after Hurricane Irma in support of growers and producers and the elevation of UF into the coveted top 10 ranking of public universities by U.S. NEWS & WORLD REPORT among a long list of recent achievements. He also recognized the work of GCREC faculty member Dr. Zhengfei Guan, Assistant Professor, Agricultural Economics, who together with his team created and provided a range of substantial information used by representatives of Florida growers to background the state’s Congressional delegation, the U.S. Trade Representative and Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross in conjunction with North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) meetings that are taking place. Appropriately, Dr. Payne’s comments were followed by a State of the Industry Panel which included the three representatives of Florida growers who presented Dr. Guan’s data to officials in Washington. The group consisted of Reggie Brown with the Florida Tomato Committee, the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association’s Mike Stuart and Kenneth Parker, Executive Director of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association. Blueberry grower Mike Hill was the fourth member of the panel who stood in for Florida Blueberry Growers Association President Dudley Calfee who was unable to attend. The panel detailed a number of different ways in which Mexican growers of fresh fruit and produce have become a growing problem for Florida growers. “It’s a scary problem that keeps getting worse,” said Hill, who noted farmworkers in Mexico average a daily pay rate of $2.38 compared to $200 a day in the U.S.
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Stuart noted the U.S. trade deficit “is now at $5.5 billion, but our current administration is concerned and is looking for way to help,” he said. “Current trade laws are fundamentally unfair to seasonal crops such as those grown in Florida.” That coupled with “dumping” and increasing Mexican government subsidization of varied grower needs in that country make “the storm clouds get darker and bigger,” said Brown. None of this is an easy fix since there are other commodities in the U.S. that have benefitted heavily since NAFTA was enacted such as corn and soybean growers and beef and pork producers, and they are pushing back against revisions to NAFTA or even U.S. withdrawal from participation in the agreement with Mexico and Canada.
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Brown also noted a dumping case that State of Florida brought against Mexico that continues in suspension after more than 20 years. “If we don’t realize a fair environment for fruit and vegetable growers, we will lose the ability to feed this country,” said Brown. “Only Americans should feed Americans, and if we lose that ability, we will never be able to get it back.” Currently, the Administration’s focus is on the tax issue with panelists unsure when NAFTA will return to the fore. Regardless, Parker urged growers to continue to have their voices heard by their elected officials in Congress. “The impact of growers telling their story is unbelievably powerful,” he said. “When you are called to action, please respond by email, phone or in person – it matters.” Panel members agreed that the matter of labor and immigration reform also requires action. “We need a functional guest worker program,” said Brown. “The labor challenge is spreading across fruits and vegetables across North America.” They also said immigration reform has to accommodate agriculture’s existing work force and not include E-Verify. “We will have to work through this process,” said Stuart. While much of the panel discussion focused on NAFTA, labor and immigration, reducing costs was also addressed, including machine harvesting of crops and new varieties of fruits and vegetables suitable for mechanical harvesting. Hill noted cost-savings of machine harvesting is significant. “We can harvest one pound of blueberries mechanically for five cents, compared to $1.30 by an H2-A worker,” he said, noting there would be a need for a blend of machine and hand harvesting. “Machine harvesting can be a real game changer for the strawberry industry,” said Parker, who expressed his admiration for the foresight of Gary Wishnatzki, a strawberry grower and head of Harvest CROO, the developer of a robotic harvesting machine for strawberries and an Ag Expo presenter. Brown said the “genetic explosion in plant breeding world-wide has made me very optimistic and we should do everything in our power to advance mechanical harvesting.” “I don’t think we have a choice and have to move in this direction and invest in technology,” said Stuart, encouraging growers to contact their members of Congress to support legislation and funding in support of specialty crops. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
First Pick of The Season!
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Picked October 24th, 2017
Y U THE DIFFERENCE IS...
What are BMPs? BMPs are practical, cost-effective actions designed by UF/ IFAS to benefit water quality and water conservation while maintaining or even enhancing agricultural production throughout different types of operations.
Call FDACS today to enroll: (850) 617-1727 • THISFARMCARES.org SPONSORED BY
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Celebrating a most fruitful relationship between Florida Strawberry Growers and International Paper.
1979
Together we’re sure to enjoy many more years of sweet success.
711 E. Lancaster Rd Orlando, FL 32809 (407) 855-2121
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2402 Police Center Dr Plant City, FL 33566 (813) 717-9100 6706 N. 53rd St Tampa, FL 33610 (813) 744-2220 Sales: Ray Reteneller (813) 230-4216 or Dean Fultz (901) 355-5197
2001
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©2017 International Paper Company. All rights reserved.
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Florida
Ugli Fruit By Sandy Kaster, M.S. Clinical Medicines, B.S. Nutrition Science Ugli fruit, also called Uniq fruit, originated in Jamaica by an accidental seedling. Today Ugli fruit is grown in Florida, Jamaica, and Australia. A combination of grapefruit, orange, and a tangerine, this citrus fruit is super juicy and refreshing. It tastes like a sweet orange, peels easily, and is delicious eaten outof-hand. It can also be halved and spooned out or chopped and added to any fruit or vegetable salad. Ugli fruit often has skin with mottled, uneven yellow, green, and orange coloring, while the inside flesh is yellow-orange with only a few seeds. This unique fruit is perfect for any occasion---a nutritious snack, a refreshing dessert, or a healthy holiday gift. Florida’s fresh Ugli fruit season runs from November through April, with its peak in the winter months. Now is the perfect time to buy Ugli fruit, during its peak flavor and season.
NUTRITIONAL PROFILE An excellent source of Vitamin C, one half of a medium-sized Ugli fruit contains most of your daily requirement for this vitamin. Additionally, Ugli fruit contain a wealth of other diseasefighting compounds, such as phytonutrients and antioxidants. These potent chemicals fight cancer, lower cholesterol, and control blood sugar levels. According to the Ugli fruit website, one half of an average fruit (122 g) contains 45 calories, 1 g protein, 0 g fat, 11 g carbohydrate, and 2 g of dietary fiber. It also provides 70% of the Daily Recommended Value (%DV) for Vitamin C, 2% for calcium, as well vitamin A, folate, and iron.
VITAMIN C Just half of a Florida Ugli fruit has 70 of your daily vitamin C needs. This vitamin is important for a healthy immune system, cancer prevention, healthy blood circulation and wound healing. This vitamin acts as a potent antioxidant in the body, neutralizing harmful free radicals and preventing its damaging effects in cells. By fighting cell and tissue damage, vitamin C protects against cancer and other diseases, such as the common cold. This vitamin also helps the body absorb more iron, and aids in the development of strong bones and teeth. Current research findings support that vitamin C’s benefits come from consumption of whole fruits and vegetables. A high intake of produce is associated with a reduced risk of death from all causes, including heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Taking supplements does not seem to provide the same protective benefits as eating the Ugli fruit itself.
Fiber Ugli fruit and other citrus fruits contain a significant amount
How to Select and Store Choose fruit that is heavy for its size. When squeezed, the fruit should yield slightly, but still feel firm. Avoid fruits with soft spots or wrinkly skin. Ugli fruit can be stored at room temperature for up to five days. For longer storage, refrigerate for up to two weeks.
How to Enjoy Since Ugli fruit come in their own natural packaging, they are a portable, convenient snack. You can simply peel and separate the wedges, or slice in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. The fruit can also be juiced with a juicer or squeezed by hand. Other ways to enjoy Ugli fruit include: • Toss peeled fruit segments into any salad. • Squeeze the juice into a pan, allow it to thicken over heat, and use it as a sauce for fish or chicken. • Add Ugli fruit juice to baked goods for a bright refreshing twist. • Slip a few slices of Ugli fruit into a pitcher of water for a refreshing low-calorie beverage. • Use both the juice and the vitamin-rich peel to make marmalade. • Sprinkle sugar and butter over fruit halves and broil. • Juice the fruit and freeze into a sorbet. Enjoy fresh Florida Ugli fruit today. With its sweet juicy flavor, grapefruits are delicious as well as healthy!
SELECTED REFERENCES http://www.ugli.com http://en.wikipedia.org/ http://www.fruitsinfo.com INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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of dietary fiber, which can assist with digestion and prevent constipation. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, a diet high in fiber may decrease the risk of several types of cancer including colon, rectum, breast, and pancreas. Furthermore, foods like citrus fruits that are high in fiber and low in calories are a valuable component of a weight-loss diet. Half of an Ugli fruit provides almost 7% of the daily value for fiber, an important nutrient that lowers high cholesterol levels, which helps to prevent atherosclerosis. Fiber can also help maintain steady blood sugar levels, as can fructose, the naturally occurring type of fruit sugar found in oranges. Ugli fruit also contains pectin, a water-soluble fiber that helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and aids in satiety.
PARTS & EQUIPMENT IN STOCK AT KENNCO YEAR ROUND!!!! You know what works... and we’ve listened to you.
Kennco’s new line of Strawberry Equipment is compatible with your current equipment and proven to form rounded beds on 48” row centers, lay tight plastic and drip, resulting in the
best berries.
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Plant City strawberries are the best in the world. 36
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Call for details!
KENNCO MANUFACTURING, INC. P.O. Box 1158 | Ruskin, FL 33575 | 800-645-2591 | Fax 813-645-7801 Sales@KenncoMfg.com | www.KenncoMfg.com
Hear about specials and deliveries in your area. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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Strawberries
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Help Us Teach Them About Agriculture Through your purchase of the Florida Agriculture License Plate, Florida Agriculture in the Classroom is able to provide: Funds for school gardens PreK-12 agriculture curriculum Agriculture field trips Volunteer and teacher grants Teacher workshops Florida Agriculture Literacy Day And much more.
Buy The Ag Tag $20 of your purchase helps educate our kids!
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Visit www.AgTag.org to learn more.
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By Jack Payne It used to be that the building on North Park Road in Plant City was where you bought your peppers, strawberries and tomatoes. Now it’s where your future food producers learn how to take the technology that maps your route to the market and to apply it to guiding a tractor. It’s where they learn to remove obstacles in the journey from field to checkout line. And it’s where they learn to tell the story behind what you eat. The former supermarket has been transformed into a center of the science of how all that food got there. It’s the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Plant City campus. Now its customers are the people who produce food so you can consume it. Those customers asked for instruction in how you make choices in the grocery store. Starting in January, we’ll provide it with the first classes in the science of how you spend your money. The UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department is launching a degree program in Plant City. The program is getting started with donations of $75,000 each from the Florida Strawberry Growers Association and the Florida Strawberry Festival. It also relies on Hillsborough Community College sharing space on its campus. And on Farm Credit of Central Florida and Sunshine Bank providing scholarships to students. And…. you get the picture. We don’t do this on our own. Visiting the campus in November reminded me of why it’s so important that UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences has satellite campuses. Many of our Plant City students already have families and careers. That makes it challenging to get to Gainesville. But they can derive such huge benefit if we can bring Gainesville to them. Take geomatics, a discipline that involves translating huge amounts of data into pictures – maps. Amr AbdElraham started with no students a decade ago and now has 20 in Plant City.
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More than 50 percent of UF/IFAS geomatics graduates own their own companies, and 65 percent manage or supervise a department in surveying and mapping, either in the private or public sector.
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This is particularly important in Hillsborough County, one of the leading locations in Florida where the city bumps up against the farm. Agriculture and natural resources accounts for 180,000 jobs and an annual economic impact of more than $12 billion in Hillsborough County. To keep that economic engine running, we need people trained in, well, economics. We need others trained in geomatics, leadership, and communications. A Plant City campus allows you to benefit from home-grown leaders just as our research center in Wimauma helps keep Florida-grown strawberries on your local grocery store shelves. If that teaching and research isn’t there for agriculture, then Hillsborough County land will more and more often sprout with what we call “the last crop” – more houses. There’s a dynamic young staff at the center. I met Luis PeñaLevano, the new economics lecturer, who invited me to travel with him to his native Peru. I teased Debra Barry, who trains future teachers of agriculture that there needs to be more UF/IFAS signs to go with the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) branding at the campus. The college’s dean, Elaine Turner, was there, too, though, and took Debra’s side. I left Plant City with confidence in farming’s future in Hillsborough County. I’m also proud of how CALS has taken back a small piece of retail real estate for agricultural science. With apologies to any shoppers who once got their groceries where our campus is now, there are plenty of places to buy food. There aren’t enough places dedicated to producing future food producers. With the help of those future economists, teachers, surveyors, and ag association leaders who come out of Plant City programs, Hillsborough County’s farmers can continue to grow fruits and vegetables and turn less often to the last crop.
Jack Payne is the senior vice president of agriculture and natural resources at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. jackpayne@ufl.edu • @JackPayneIFAS WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
AG-VENTURE CELEBRATES AGRICULTURE WITH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY THIRD-GRADERS By Jim Frankowiak
It’s billed as “a chance to touch, taste and see Florida agriculture in a fun-filled atmosphere.” The “it” is Ag-Venture an agriculture education field trip for Hillsborough County’s third grade students. More than 4,000 third-graders recently participated in Ag-Venture on the grounds of the Florida State Fair. Ag-Venture “is a hands-on learning experience designed to teach participants about the importance of agriculture and to help them develop an understanding of and appreciation for where their food comes from and the impact agriculture has on their lives every day,” Judi Whitson, Executive Director of Hillsborough County Farm Bureau and a founder of the event, which is held twice annually. Ag-Venture started in 1994 from a partnership of local agriculture commodity groups, Hillsborough County Farm Bureau, the Florida State Fair and Hillsborough County Extension Service. “We formed a 501© 3 corporation operating under the name Hillsborough County Ag-Venture, Inc.,” said Whitson. “Our first tour in 1994 started with five stations and 150 students. This year we welcomed more than 6,000 thirdgraders during two, week long sessions.” As the students arrive, they are divided into groups and given a bright colored “cowboy” hat. The hats identify the different groups to properly set the stage for an “Ag” day. Participants toured five of fifteen different stations representing different aspects of agriculture and participated in a variety of handson activities. Stations included forestry, aquaculture, strawberries, dairy, beef, pizza garden, bees, environmental horticulture and soil and water. Fall Ag-Venture marked a special occasion as one of the event’s original volunteers, Jeff Satin, then an FFA Club member at Gaither High School, brought his daughter Maddy to Ag-Venture for the first time. She is a student at Anderson Elementary School in south Tampa. Jeff went on to become a state FFA officer and is now a graduation coach with Pasco County’s E-School.
Volunteer participation and support “is critical to Ag-Venture and its success,” noted Whitson. “We need about 55 volunteers each day of Ag-Venture and many of those volunteers come from FFA Chapters.” Fall FFA chapter volunteers came from East Bay, Gaither, King, Riverview, Lennard and Plant City high schools along with Marshall, Mulrennan and Mann middle schools. Volunteers associated with Extension, 4-H and Master Gardeners also assisted. “We are also indebted to the assistance provided by the Florida Strawberry Growers Association, Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association, Hillsborough County Farm Bureau, Florida Division of Forestry, University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Aquaculture Laboratory and the Hillsborough Soil and Water Conservation District. “Special thanks to the Florida State Fair Authority and to Lynann Hudson who brought two cows to Ag-Venture,” said Whitson. “I’m pretty sure that was the first time for many of our third-graders to see a cow up close and personal.” Ag-Venture will take place again in late April and early May in 2018. For more information, visit: http://ag-venture. org. The cost is $4 per student/parent/chaperone, while teachers are admitted at no charge. Pre-registration is required. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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“It was fabulous to see the growth of Ag-Venture,” said Satin. “It’s great for kids to learn about agriculture.”
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WE’RE PUTTING SCIENCE TO WORK TO PRESERVE NATURE
© 2017 The Mosaic Company
Every day, Mosaic puts science to work right here in our community. Our team of engineers and other specialists work with regulatory agencies to identify areas of environmental sensitivity that should be preserved and protected. Through its land conservation and reclamation efforts, Mosaic has helped provide over 46,000 acres of natural lands that offer functioning habitats for plant and animal life. Shelley, a senior permitting engineer for Mosaic, works to ensure these preservation areas support a sustainable post-mining landscape that includes wildlife corridors and habitat diversity. To learn more about Mosaic’s preservation techniques, visit Science.MosaicCo.com.
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WWW.IN- T HEFIELD AGAZINE.COM Shelley_In the Field_8.75x11.25.indd 1 MOS-2699 Mosaic Print M Resize_Preservation
12:24 PM
Christmas
Reflections & New Year’s Resolutions! by John Dicks What a great time of year is brought by Christmas and the Holidays. Granted, there are situations with folks whose season could be brighter. Of course the sick and unfortunate sometimes suffer no matter the time of year. Certainly, too, our military heroes on deployment, away from family and friends, miss Christmas back home and their absence causes a special pang and longing for those of us who are anxiously awaiting calls until they safely return.
into the 90s! Whenever I travel to the southern reaches of our globe and engage in conversations with new found friends, I seem always to inquire about what it’s like to celebrate Christmas during the summer. Usually the response is one of dumbfounded surprise, as in “how else would you celebrate the Holiday?”
Simply put, though, Christmas captures the hearts of Christians throughout the world. It’s a special time for worship and causes reflections on life and resolutions for the new year.
I suppose their response is fittingly reflective of the notion that you get used to what you’ve grown up with. Still, it seems odd to me, yet perfectly normal to those with whom I’ve discussed this with in Australia and New Zealand and South Africa, to be singing “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas” all while slathering on suntan lotion and heading to the beach, expecting to enjoy a marvelous sunset around 9 p.m.!
Of course, too, here’s Santa Claus and the sheer delight and joy of Christmas seen through the eyes of children, both young and old. The scents and smells of cinnamon and sugar cookies thankfully lingers for several days.
Nonetheless, I suppose the Christmas season’s glad tidings are what gives way to the wistful determination of setting New Year’s Resolutions. It’s the confidence that we gain through our celebrations.
There’s also the polite nods, gleeful greetings and cheerful smiles exchanged, even among strangers that just are never experienced in other grand holidays of the year.
It’s either that or the guilt of eating way too many of those delightful treats tempting us while we decorate the tree, listening to happy, though sappy, songs and carols of our youth. After Christmas has passed and decorations are headed back to the attic, chances are that most of us will set about making some promises towards change in the next year. There is evidence that humans have, since medieval times, been starting the new year with making resolutions.
Christmas really is a special holiday (which frankly, I’ve always felt in this case should be spelled Holyday) With this time of year, it’s sometimes strange to our northern neighbors to recognize that we Floridians may still suffer some hot afternoons in December. Fortunately, though, since it’s winter (at least technically) the end of the year brings us days that are short along with nights that are long, giving us plenty of time to marvel at life’s wonders with Christmas. There’s more time, too, to enjoy the sparkle of holiday lights and the judging of winners from among our neighbors’ lawn ornaments! It all makes this time of reflection and sentimentality seem perfectly fitting. For that, we can truly be thankful for living north of the equator. Think of how different Christmas is for those living south of our planet’s magic waistband. Since there the seasons are reversed, December means summer, and it’s almost impossible to imagine “Frosty the Snowman” while the thermometer is daily pushing ever higher
Likely to no one’s surprise is that the most popular of all resolutions have to do with losing weight, getting in shape and eating better. As you gather the gumption to set some new, New Year’s Resolutions, bear in mind that one commonly cited statistic states that only 8 percent of those who do actually keep them. According to one study, the most common reason for letting them lapse is because the goals themselves are unrealistic. Another reason is that too many resolutions had been set to begin with. It appears that the key for success is to refrain from being overly ambitious. Set small, incremental lifestyle changes as the overall goal. My plan is simple; to lose a pound by my birthday in March! I look forward to success. In the interim, cheers to a very Merry Christmas and a safe, healthy and Happy New Year!
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John Dicks is both a Lawyer and Businessman, including an interest in farming. He and his family have owned a blueberry farm and have agricultural lands which they lease for cattle operations, as John says, “to someone who knows and handles cattle much better than I do!” John is both a Gator, having received his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida, and a Seminole, with his law degree from Florida State University. He and his wife, Sharon, live in Plant City, where he served nine years as City Commissioner, including three terms as Mayor.
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Crazy Traveler:Rufa Red Knot By: Ginny Mink
Research would show that this is the perfect time to take a look at the plight of the Rufa Red Knot. No doubt, this is probably a bird you have never heard of. At least it was new to us. Yet, this species of bird actually spends part of its winters on our Florida shores. Of course, that’s not the most amazing thing about this particular bird, but you’ll have to read on to learn more. Known as a small shorebird, the Rufa Red Knot is also considered one of the largest of the “peeps” found in North America. Plus, it’s one of the most colorful and has been documented to travel 9,300 miles twice a year. It leaves its Canadian Arctic nesting grounds for warmer areas every winter and can show up as south as the southern parts of South America.¹ On December 9, 2014 the Rufa Red Knot was added to the threatened list as it applies to the Endangered Species Act of 1973. They claimed that the loss of breeding and nonbreeding habitat and the potential disruption of the predation cycles for predators located therein, among other things, was the main cause of loss of population among these birds. Timing mismatches in their migratory cycles and reduced prey for them to live off were additional causes.² Some call these birds “perpetual summer species.” This is based on the fact that they travel that roughly 9000 miles in less than two weeks twice a year. This is their pursuit for warmer weather. Of course, they have to make several stops along the way and Florida just happens to be one of those resting and feeding locales. While here (and at their other stop-offs) they feed on horseshoe crab larvae, invertebrates, and clams. And, they time these migrations when the larvae are at their peak deposit explosion (meaning whenever there are lots of them).³ Of course, that’s what makes timing so essential. If there’s not enough larvae to refuel them for the rest of their journey, they suffer extreme losses in the numbers of their populations. In fact, over a period of six years researchers saw a 75 percent reduction in the counts conducted between Delaware Bay and Tierra Del Fuego. This was compared to the numbers gathered in the 1980s. So the time frame might be a little bit skewed.³
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Recall that we told you that there were other amazing things about these birds that you had to keep reading to discover. Well, one of those was the massive amount of travel the Rufa Red Knot does each year. Another is the fact that it actually digests the hard parts of its prey, which most other birds re-
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gurgitate. And on one day each year, in Delaware Bay, it is estimated that 90 percent of the whole population of these birds are there eating horseshoe crab larvae. Unfortunately, because people have taken to harvesting these crabs, this too, may be contributing to their demise.¹ If you think you might be inclined to look for these birds, take note of the fact that they are about 9 - 11 inches long. But you will best notice them, especially during breeding season, due to their red feathers. Of course, in Florida you won’t see them looking that way since they don’t breed here. But, you can be on the look out for a bird with dusty gray feathers on top and white feathers below. Take note of the scalloped looking, dark banded, feathers. Also, they’ve got short legs and their bills are about the same length as their heads.² Breeding season is probably the best time to be able to identify these birds. During this time of year the birds pair off and remain paired until a little while after the eggs hatch. The male and female take turns keeping the nest, usually containing four eggs, warm. Their babies leave the nest within one day after they have hatched. But what’s really shocking here, is that the female birds leave shortly after the baby birds have hatched. The males, however, hang around for about 25 days before they leave their children. All eventually fly south.² In 1997, it was determined that 1,452 red knots were in Florida across the 60 sites identified. Later, in 2007, they determined that the mean number of wintering red knots was merely 84. Of course, that was only based on nine sites in the central Florida panhandle. There are various number estimates and claims, but given the placement on the threatened list, it is easy to ascertain that the Rufa Red Knot is in danger. And, as we frequently remind you, these creatures were put here by God and it’s our job to be proper stewards over His creation.² Resources: ¹The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Red Knot. https://www.allaboutbirds. org/guide/Red_Knot/lifehistory ²U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. Status of the species- red knot (Calidris canutus rufa). https://www.fws.gov/verobeach/StatusoftheSpecies/20151104_SOS_RedKnot.pdf ³Nagid, S. (2014). Bittersweet Victory for the Rufa Red Knot. Audobon Florida. http://fl.audubon.org/news/bittersweet-victory-rufa-red-knot Photo Credits: USFWS Endangered Species. Red knot (Calidris canutus rufa) at Mispillion Harbor, Delaware. https://flic.kr/p/8FgAHZ USFWS Endangered Species. Red knot (Calidris canutus rufa) at Mispillion Harbor, Delaware. https://flic.kr/p/8FjM8L
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2017 By Jim Frankowiak
CONSERVATION DISTRICT PLANT AUCTION CONTINUES SUPPORT OF YOUTH PROGRAMS COUNTYWIDE
The 2nd annual Hillsborough Soil and Water Conservation District (HSWCD) Plant Auction, held at the recent Hillsborough County Fair, continued the momentum begun a year ago reflected by strong support and sales. “From starter flats to bottlebrush bushes, butterfly gardens to grated multi-fruit trees, hundreds of plants and plant nutrition products of all types were auctioned off at the event,” said Roy Davis, HSWCD Board Chair and Auction Chairman for the second year. “We’re really lucky to have the support of so many in the horticultural and agricultural community. They give generously since they know they’re supporting multiple youth activities throughout Hillsborough County,” This year’s auction raised more than $3,000 which will be used to sponsor the Hillsborough County Fair’s Youth Plant Show, the Fair’s “Back to Your Roots” urban Ag initiative, Hillsborough 4-H Foundation, as well as Newsome and Turkey Creek FFA Chapters. In addition, two agricultural scholarships and youth programs for the Hillsborough 100 Conservation Challenge, slated for April 21 – May 6, 2018, are also sponsored by Auction proceeds.
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Higginbotham Auctioneers donated their services to the Auc-
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tion. Also assisting were HSWCD Chair Mark Proctor, Supervisor Mike Hepburn, tabulators Patsy Brooks and Lynett Griffin, HSWCD Director Betty Jo Tompkins and staffer Kaila Kelly. The event also included a dinner catered by Sonny’s Barbecue, which was sponsored by the HSWCD and Global Rotary Club of Brandon South. Barbecue sponsors provided free dinners for children from A Kids’ Place in Brandon and 4-H and FFA exhibitors. Auction donors and sponsors included: Alafia Tropical Foliage, All American Lawn & Tree Specialist Inc., Blues Berry Farm – Susan Dumke, Brandon Auto Salvage, Butler Tree Farm, Dennis Carlton, Citrus Park Nursery, Cruz Nursery, Davis Nursery, Roy Davis, Diamond R Fertilizer Co. Inc., Duggal Farms, Emerald Hill Nursery, Kay Esposito with Keller Williams Realty, Everglades Farm Equipment – John Deere, Exotic Plumeria, Fernando’s Nursery, Florida Wholesale Growers, Forbes Road Produce, Jeremy H. Gaffney, OD, Grove Equipment, Hand Grow Nursery Inc., Harrell’s Liner Farm and Nursery, Harris Citrus Nursery, Holmberg Farms Inc., J & R Nursery, James Irrigation Supply, Keel & Curley Winery, Kerby’s Nursery, M & J Nursery, Meyer’s Nurseries Inc., Mid Florida Growers, Moreno Bakery, Morgan Animal Hospital, Odiorne Insurance, Mark Proctor – MPA Consulting, WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Progrowers LLC, Raulerson Castillo Westlake & Company, Ring Power, Robert’s Nursery Inc., Sonny’s Barbecue, Southern Ag Supply, Speedling Inc., Staggs Nursery, Stardust Farms Inc., Sun City Tree Farm, Suncoast Plant Nursery, TWC Irrigation Supply, Tampa Bay Nursery, Tampa Nursery & Garden Center, Three Seasons Growers, Betty Jo Tompkins, HSWCSD, Tree Mart Inc., Trey Curry Foundation, Winfield Nursery Supply and Woodard Nursery. The HSWCD is one of 58 districts in Florida. Each is organized by local constituents for the purpose of promoting and encouraging the wise use, management and general conservation of soil, water and related natural resources. An elected, Fivemember, non-partisan board of supervisors, who volunteer their services, manages each soil and water conservation district. Soil and Water Conservation Districts are non-taxing and are supported by maintain relationships and partnerships with other government agencies.
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Merry Christmas From Our Family to Yours, The Clarks
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For dealer information in your area contact us at 800-741-5450 or info@fmsap.com
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By Ginny Mink
Ornamental Gardening in Florida More than three years is an incredible feat for people taking a trip on a time traveling literary machine. You should congratulate yourselves for participating in this endeavor that brings us back almost 100 years to 1926. No doubt we’ve found some shocking suggestions that definitely wouldn’t fly well in today’s earth friendly, greenhouse effect, global warming focused society. We’ve also discovered that some plants Mr. Torrey Simpson has suggested are simply not good for Florida anymore. These revelations are what make the time travel interesting. So, without further ado, let’s see what else we can learn from Torrey Simpson’s seemingly antiquated experience. And there’s no better place to start than with what Mr. Torrey Simpson calls, “the most splendid flowering tree on earth.”¹ It’s the Amherstia nobilis, and is from India. He writes that this tree “seems to be an aristocrat and is apparently difficult to grow but has been raised in Jamaica and a few other places.”¹ He continues, “It has been introduced into Florida, but I do not know that it has ever been planted into the ground.”¹ Wildscreen Arkive says that this is also known as the Pride of Burma. They describe the flowers as extravagant and crimson red in color. Interestingly enough, the flowers’ petals are all different sizes. There are yellow spaces on these flowers as well.² But our description can’t do them justice. When you see the pictures of this flower you will probably agree with his sentiment. Sadly, it doesn’t appear to grow well here. But Torrey Simpson thought “the Amherstia should be thoroughly tried out here.”¹
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He then tells a story about the Barringtonia. He writes, “One of the species was introduced some time ago by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and trees were sent to me which I planted in the edge of my brackish marsh. They began to do well and promised to become beautiful plants but they were stolen!”¹ This is not his first mention of
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Part 39
having had plants stolen, which makes one wonder about crime in that time period. Though we didn’t find anything specific about theft, we did discover this interesting tidbit of information:
it refuses to die. It might make a shade tree for roads but I think we have much better ones.”¹ You know you wanted to laugh at his description of a “smutty scale.”¹
…crime became the focus of much popular attention with the help of the press. And the crime rate was much higher than other developed nations. As professor H. C. Brearley reported in Homicide in the United States, the first scholarly study of homicide ever published in 1932, in the 1920s, the U.S. homicide rate was 8.4, and even higher in certain regions… and states like Florida where it was 30.0, compared to only 0.05 in England and Wales and 0.18 in Switzerland.³
This tree has since been renamed the Bischofia javanica Blume according to theplantlist.org.⁵ And the Atlas of Florida Plants’ site shows that there are specimens in Hillsborough, Broward, Pinellas, Lee, Indian River, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, and Sarasota counties. The earliest recorded specimen is from 1969 and the latest is 2014. Looking at pictures reveals nothing exceptional about the tree and we fully understand why it lacked any attraction for Mr. Torrey Simpson.
So, since Florida was apparently considerably less safe than the rest of the world during the 1920s, we suppose it’s no surprise that Torrey Simpson was experiencing the theft of his plants.
And that concludes our travel on the Literary Time Machine for this month. But, rest assured, we’ll be back for more learning adventures next month. We’ll see you then!
Transitioning to a tree that has been successful, he speaks of the Bauhinia. He writes, “Such species that have been tried in southern Florida seem to be very well adapted and many of the specimens are blooming finely. B. purpurea is most cultivated here and it has gorgeously variegated blossoms of a variety of purple colors in late winter and early spring.”¹ Since we are fans of purple, this seemed like a good tree to check out. We discovered that it has many other common names: Butterfly Tree, Hawaiian Orchid Tree, and Purple Camel’s Foot, just to name a few. No doubt you’ll see why Torrey Simpson thought the blossoms were gorgeous.
Resources: ¹ Simpson, Charles T. (1926). Ornamental Gardening in Florida. Published by the Author; Little River, FL. Printed by J.J. Little and Ives Company, New York. (p. 145-146). ²Wildscreen Arkive. Pride of Burma (Amherstia nobilis). http://www.arkive.org/pride-ofburma/amherstia-nobilis/ ³Scott, G.G. (2007). American Murder. Praeger. (p. 35). https://books.google.com/bo oks?id=przN8e1MaYwC&pg=PA35&lpg=P A35&dq=crime+rate+in+Florida+in+1926& source=bl&ots=1GRTrAhmHw&sig=f TBqZ XVlMylc6ZYE3qiUrfEIOIY&hl=en&sa=X&v ed=0ahUKEwjEjP2CxOLXAhVK6iYKHRZxA_ I Q 6A E I S DAG # v = o n e p a g e & q = c r i m e % 2 0 rate%20in%20Florida%20in%201926&f=false ⁴ICUN Redlist of Threatened Species. (2017). Bauhinia Purpurea. http://www.iucnredlist. org/details/19891953/0 ⁵The Plant List. Bischofia trifoliata. http:// www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew22254 ⁶Atlas of Florida Plants. Bischofia javanica. http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant. aspx?id=1498
vTo close up our adventure, we thought we’d offer you an unusual perspective presented by Mr. Simpson. He is normally quite taken by the species he discusses, but the Bischofia trifoliata, doesn’t appear to be one of them. He states, “It is a rapid growing tree with large trifolate leaves and is said to come from Java. It seems to be an excellent host for a smutty scale and now I am trying to destroy it by grinding but
Photo Credits: Magalle L’Abbe. (2005). The Pride of Burma. https://flic.kr/p/8CuAk Kai Yan, Joseph Wong. (2010). Caesalpiniaceae Purple Camel’s Foot Bauhinia Purpurea. https://flic.kr/p/8W1UF8 WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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SPEEDLING HONORED FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY INNOVATIVE FARMING PRACTICES; RECEIVES COMMISSIONER’S AGRICULTURAL-ENVIRONMENTAL LEADERSHIP AWARD By Jim Frankowiak
Speedling Inc. was recently named a recipient of a Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Commissioner’s Agricultural Environmental Leadership Award for environmentally innovative farming practices the company has implemented at its facilities.
and another in Texas. “We encourage and support continued creativity among all of our employees to develop and implement practices that will improve our performance at each of these locations,” said Davis, who coincidentally will celebrate his 50th birthday in 2018 along with Speedling.
Incorporated as a young plant production company nearly 50 years ago in Sun City, the company has grown to eight nurseries in the U.S., producing vegetable transplants for commercial farmers across the country. The original Speedling farm has more than 800,000-square-feet of greenhouse space and an assortment of greenhouse types that permit production of a wide range of vegetable, ornamental, forestry, forage and specialty crops. Each greenhouse is equipped with water trolleys and utilizes the Floriculture Research Alliance (FRA)-developed “1 to 5 Moisture Scale.” This standard of moisture combined with precise delivery achieves prescribed moisture levels while reducing runoff and improving performance and consistency.
The original Speedling site is also home to its Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) Manufacturing Facility where the industry standard “Speedling Flat” is produced for use with the transplanting of fruit, vegetables, flowers and other crops worldwide. That design improved utilization of greenhouse space, reduced production costs and decreased usage of water, heat, fertilizers and agrichemicals. The Speedling EPS facility also produces highly regarded fish boxes for use by the aquaculture industry for the transport of fish from farm to retail locations.
“We encourage our staff to constantly evaluate and update standard operating procedures for enhanced efficiency and compliance with industry and water quality standards,” said Speedling President Greg Davis, who was presented the award by Commissioner Adam Putnam. “These standardized procedures provide time for our staff members to consider other actions that help improve sustainability and profitability.” Another example of Speedling innovation is present at its facility in Bushnell, Florida where over four-million-gallons of water circulate throughout 700,000 square feet of growing space. This sub –irrigation circulation system reuses water, reducing consumption by up to 80 percent, by permitting watering and feeding without wetting the foliage. This also helps reduce the incidence and spread of foliar disease. The Bushnell farm produces vegetables, tobacco and seed geraniums for many of the world’s largest growers and also the soilless media used by Speedling and sold through its Horticultural Division to other growers.
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Speedling also has four facilities in California, one in Georgia
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The company is enrolled in in FDACS’ Water-Quality Best Management Practices (BMPs) and uses its overhead irrigation and sub-irrigation systems to reduce water and nutrition losses. Water is recycled for reuse and tested daily to ensure quality. Additionally, soil is formulated and tested to reduce fertilizer requirements. All Speedling facilities have been designed to reduce waste, maximize throughput of consistent quality and take advantage of natural sunshine and airflow. Input areas are measured and studied continually to increase efficiencies at each production step. “This all makes good sense if you remember that Speedling was founded by farmers for farmers and that this is a partnership we work hard to strengthen and foster through the daily efforts of every one of our staff members. Innovations such as those recognized by this honor represent a win for our customers and our company.” The Commissioner’s Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award has been presented annually since 1994. The program recognizes the environmentally innovative farming practices of Florida’s growers and ranchers. Nominees originate from different segments of the state’s agricultural industry, but WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
“This all makes good sense if you remember that Speedling was founded by farmers for farmers and that this is a partnership we work hard to strengthen and foster through the daily efforts of every one of our staff members. Innovations such as those recognized by this honor represent a win for our customers and our company.” each shares a commitment to protecting and preserving Florida’s resources while continuing to provide agricultural products for society. Award nominations are evaluated by a committee comprised of representatives from FDACS, The Nature Conservancy, Florida Water Management Districts, Florida Farm Bureau, Florida Cattlemen’s Association, Florida Dairy Association,
For additional information about Speedling, visit: www.speedling.com
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Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and Florida Forestry Association.
HELPING FLORIDA GROWERS WITH NAFTA NEGOTIATIONS By Jim Frankowiak It’s not a secret that the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has been much more of a hindrance than help to Florida producers of bell peppers, strawberries and tomatoes. The impact of NAFTA on these seasonal, specialty crops has been most dramatic and harmful prompted in particular by a growing disparity of labor rates between the U.S. and Mexico, increasing subsidization of producers in Mexico by that country’s government and instances of the sale of Mexican produce at below market prices, a practice also known as “dumping.” While these inequities are not new, the administration of President Donald Trump has been especially sensitive to these impacts and has also exhibited a willingness to renegotiate NAFTA resulting in terms that protect and safeguard boarder segments of the agricultural industry in the U.S. To make a case for Florida growers and the need to renegotiate NAFTA, representatives of Florida producers needed factual and objective information that helped prove the inequitable and unfair practices that have hindered Florida growers. The origination of this information began in early 2012 when Dr. Zhengfei Guan joined the faculty of the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) at Balm. He is also a member of UF’s Food and Resource Economics (FRE) Department. “When I joined the faculty, my research focus was production economics,” said Guan, “but that changed after my initial visit to a strawberry farm shortly after joining the faculty at the research center.”
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“The strawberries were beautiful, but the adjacent land was dormant and I was troubled to learn why and that led me to expand my research focus to include labor and trade policy,” he said. Later that year with the help of Extension Agent Alicia Whidden, Guan conducted a comprehensive Florida strawberry industry survey that covered nearly 70 percent of the industry’s acreage at the time. That led to additional work and the formation of a team to help quantify the economic impact of practices that were taking place and continuing to expand. Guan and his team studied the Mexican strawberry industry and the impact of the growing imports on the domestic industry. Guan’s team also studied the Mexican government’s subsidization policy and practices and they found that Mexican agricultural subsidy programs are extensive and cover
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the entire supply chain of major fruit and vegetable crops. Those subsidies have expanded to include equipment, and infrastructure investment, postharvest management and marketing activities. Media attention on the impact of NAFTA often focuses only on those segments of U.S. agriculture that have benefited, such as export gains of more than 400 percent for segments such as corn, soybeans, pork and pork products, dairy products and beef and beef products. “They have failed to report on the 850 percent growth of agricultural imports from Mexico, the majority of which were fruits and vegetables, impacting growers such as those here in Florida,” said Guan. “Interestingly, media tend to ignore Mexican subsidization practices even when growers have voiced strong concerns. In an interview that appeared in the WASHINGTON POST, Tony DiMare, a major tomato grower in Florida, discussed the subsidy issue at length with the reporter, but as usual it was filtered out in the article that was published.” The shortage of farmworkers in the U.S. for planting and harvesting season of specialty crops continues to worsen and requires continued development of mechanized harvesting technologies, as well as a more affordable and workable guest worker program, new markets are developed for Florida produce and product research continues, resulting in costsavings for growers. The team leading the effort to gain recognition for Florida producers as the Trump administration proceeds with the renegotiation of NAFTA includes Reggie Brown of the Florida Tomato Committee, Mike Stuart with the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association and the Florida Strawberry Growers Association’s Executive Director Kenneth Parker. They have used the information developed by Guan and his research team as an important part of their overall effort. “Dr. Guan has given us the information we needed to apprise various officials of how NAFTA has unfairly impacted Florida growers,” said Parker. “He recognized the need for this information well before the industry did, truly epitomizing the mission of IFAS and its partnership with Extension. He has also helped to identify the areas where our industry must focus future efforts to help assure its viability.” WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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BARRINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL FFA CHAPTER NAMED NATIONAL PREMIER CHAPTER;
WINS NATIONAL RECOGNITION AT FFA CONVENTION & EXPO By Jim Frankowiak
The FFA Chapter at Glenn H. Barrington Middle School in the FishHawk Ranch community at Lithia in eastern Hillsborough County is quite an organization. Though established when the school opened just nine years ago, the 126-member chapter recently garnered national recognition at the 90th National FFA Convention and Expo in Indianapolis. And, this recognition was tri-fold. The Chapter earned National Champions honors in The Premier Chapter Event related to the National Chapter Application in the category of Strengthening Agriculture. It was ranked as a Three Star National Chapter, the highest ranking possible, and took 3rd place honors in the Nation in the first Conduct of Chapter Meetings Leadership Development Event. To help put these achievements in their proper perspective, there are 8,568 FFA chapters in the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with 653,359 student members, making this recognition very significant. Barrington was the only national winner from Florida this year. The National Chapter Award program recognizes outstanding FFA chapters that actively implement the mission and strategies of FFA. These chapters improve their operations using the National Quality FFA Chapter Standards and a Program of Activities that emphasize growing leaders, building communities and strengthening agriculture. Each of those categories includes three competitive categories at the local, state and national levels. Barrington Middle School has two agriculture teachers and FFA advisors, Greg Lehman, who has been on the faculty since the school opened in 2009, and Brittany Coleman, who interned at the school in January 2015 and joined the faculty in August of 2015.
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The first award recognized the chapter’s U-Pick, We Educate program in the Strengthening Agriculture, Agricultural Literacy, an initiative that appropriately featured growing and harvesting strawberries. Work on the National Chapter Application began in January of this year with Coleman and chap-
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ter officers. The completed application was submitted to FFA at the state level for judging in April, and was returned with feedback before it was submitted to Nationals in June. It was among 33 applications submitted from Florida to the national level. National judging took place in July and results were released in August. “We were named a three star chapter and a Top 10 finalist in the Premier Chapter area of Strengthening Agriculture,” noted Coleman, who with then Chapter President Will Haxton and Treasurer Carter Howell developed an eight-minute presentation describing the U-Pick, We Educate Program for presentation at the National level, followed by questions from the judges for an additional eight-minutes. “Students volunteer their Saturday mornings to help educate local community members about strawberry crop production,” said Coleman. “Students talk about what crops grow well in our area, when the correct time to plant and harvest crops is, and how water and fertilizer effects plant growth, allowing chapter members to educate local people about our program and agriculture.” Additionally, the U-Pick, We Educate program had three specific and measureable goals for the program that included program promotion, participation and support. The promotional goal had the chapter work to identify five local venues willing to permit the chapter to place U-Pick advertisements. The participation goal sought to have 20 community members participate in the U-Pick, We Educate event on Saturdays from January 5 through March 17, gaining knowledge about crops at Barrington Middle Schools’ Land Lab. The chapter was successful in engaging 38 members of the community. The chapter sought to raise $2,000 from strawberry sales purchased by local community members during the program period of January 5 through March 17. Over the course of the season, chapter members raised a total of $2,208 to help fund chapter activities. Chapters eligible to compete for the National Premier Chapter: Strengthening Agriculture Award must demonstrate WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
competency in doing innovative things to taking traditional concepts and applying a creative twist in the Program of Activities. Ten, three-star chapters competed in the presentation and interview process for the top honor at the national convention. Barrington Middle School’s FFA Chapter received a plaque for its achievement in the National Chapter Award Program sponsored by John Deere.
The chapter also counts ongoing assistance from several area businesses. “Hinton Farms has donated strawberry plants to our program since Barrington Middle School opened,” said Coleman. “Chemical Dynamics helps with fertilizer for our berry plants and Kennco Manufacturing gave a sizable donation and helped us to secure equipment to create our plant beds.”
The FFA Program of Activities serves to define chapter goals, outline steps needed to meet those goals and act as a written guide to provide a calendar of events the chapter will follow in the year ahead.
Haxton and Howell are continuing their participation and FFA leadership at Durant High School where Howell is 9th grade chapter president and Haxton is vice president. Howell plans to follow a collegiate path leading to a career in agribusiness, while Haxton hopes to blend engineering and agriculture. While the achievements of Barrington’s FFA Chapter are noteworthy, there are no plans to rest on its laurels. “Our kids continue to work very hard, and I’m highly competitive,” said Coleman.
In addition, Barrington FFA participated in the inaugural Conduct of Chapter Meeting Leadership Development Event at the national FFA convention. Team members included Haxton, Vice President Brynne Murphy, Secretary Erin McAneny, Howell, Reporter David Ferrell, Sentinel Logan Goodyear and Advisor Aidan Routh. “This student team had to memorize the Official Opening and Closing Ceremonies and perform a business meeting using correct parliamentary procedure,” said Coleman. “The team took top state honors in June and devoted many hours practicing before the national competition in October.” There are four opportunities for middle school students to attend and compete at the National level. Barrington competed in the 7th, 8th and 9th grade Conduct of Chapter Meetings and National Chapter Presentation. The other two competitive events are agriscience fair and creed speaking.
The National FFA Organization provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to student members who belong to local chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The organization is also supported by more than 344,000 alumni members in 2,051 chapters.
While student and advisors put forth much effort in the development and implementation of the Barrington FFA Chapter’s overall Program of Activities, “we have strong community and chapter alumni support,” said Coleman. “That was very instrumental in helping our students get to the National FFA Convention.”
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Stop by and pick up some delicious strawberries.We’re sure they’ll make any occasion Berry Special!
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Pseudo Camping
This month’s Meet the Minks is sans one child. My eldest basically bailed on us for the sake of going on a “guy’s only” camping trip with his “best friend.” I can tell you that this was the source of some serious irritation on both sides, but in the end, he won. After all, he rarely gets to spend time away from the little ones and he’s certainly thankful for his “one” friend. That all said, I chose to go ahead with what I had planned for our not so much of an excursion. The weekend prior, I had attempted to take everyone camping but we pretty well got rained out. The wee ones were inordinately disappointed and thusly I had promised that we would camp out in the backyard. Of course, at the time, I had no idea what the temperature would be like, nor was I aware of the fact that it would just be me and the two youngest ones. With some significant effort, the three of us managed to get the tent up and secured. Then we took some time to gather up some wood for the fire. Sadly, I did not plan well, and that wood ran out quite quickly, but that’s part of the later story. Anyway, they were super stoked to set up their sleeping bags and were very devoted to ensuring that they had their stuffed animals with them.
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The last time I camped out was with a group of friends and my soon to be ex-husband, when Zeke was still an infant. That time was quite enjoyable (sans the soon to be ex-husband part) and I anticipated that this would be a fun time as well. Though I knew that it wouldn’t be as exciting due to the lack of additional people to hang around the campfire with. I’ll admit I tried to coerce my neighbor to join me after the wee ones were snug in their sleeping bags, but failed.
By Ginny Mink
“Why isn’t the fire still going?” Hazel demanded of me. “I told you I’m not good at fires,” I informed her. Then Zeke and I trudged off to the wooded area on the side of the house to gather more sticks. I had no idea how much wood it took to keep a fire going. In fact, I spent the next two hours gathering wood after they went to sleep. We discussed the beauty of the stars and how amazing it is that God knows each one by name. I asked them if they thought they could do that and they emphatically proclaimed their inability to “even count them.” This, I told them, is one of the many reasons God is so amazing! They agreed. When bed time rolled around neither of them complained, which shocked me immensely. Apparently, they were both eager to sleep in their sleeping bags. There was only one, “I have to go to the bathroom,” out of Zeke, which he did, and then I heard them talking for a short while. But, once again, to my extreme surprise, they were out like lights pretty fast. I spent the next two hours walking back and forth between the woods and the tent to keep the fire going. When I got too tired to head back for more wood I decided it was time to literally “hit the sack.” Amazingly, I didn’t wake the kids when I unzipped the tent and sat down on the ground to take off my boots. I curled up in the sleeping bag but had a restless night’s sleep. I was freezing and couldn’t believe the kids weren’t awake and begging to go in. My 41-year-old body was definitely begging for a real bed. Sleeping on the ground in 50 -60 degree weather doesn’t do much for old fat ladies I can assure you.
Tent set up, sleeping bags in place, we started the fire. Lots of dead grass and a plethora of small sticks got the thing going and then we added some 1x4 scraps we had laying around. They were thrilled to see the flames and were eager to roast marshmallows. However, I informed them that they would have to try hotdogs first. Hazel was reluctant as she’s not a hotdog fan. But, when she finished getting hers all browned and crackly she took her first bite and smiled. “This is the best hot dog I ever had! I didn’t know they’d be this good!” She proceeded to eat three of them. Zeke also enjoyed his hotdogs, I think he ate three as well. Of course, that only left me with two, but I didn’t complain. Immediately following the hotdog roasting, they were eagerly asserting their desire to have marshmallows. Sometimes I wonder if these two are bottomless pits. I allowed them to roast two. Sadly, Zeke dropped one of his on the ground. I was sure he would throw a fit and demand another, but he was perfectly fine devouring the one he had left.
The kids woke up at about 7 am happy and unaffected by the way-too-cold-to-sleep-outside, in my opinion, weather. My back and knee hurt so bad it was a wonder I could even pull myself off the ground. “Can we do it again tonight?” they were begging in unison. I asked them if they had been freezing and they said no. Of course, that might have been because I’d gotten up at midnight to use the bathroom and had come back with blankets for us all. I’d covered them both in their sleep and neither of them had even stirred.
In the dark I couldn’t see the disaster that was his face. But, as I took pictures of them around the fire, it became apparent that he was superbly grungified (not a word) thanks to the char on his hotdogs and marshmallow. We sat out by the fire enjoying its warmth. Hazel complained that she was freezing so she got a sweatshirt and then we walked out to my car to get my sweatshirt. When we returned, the fire was next to nil.
I’m not sure when we will go camping again. I know we will, but I feel pretty confident that when that next time rolls around I will be bringing my air mattress and lots of blankets. Plus, I will be hypervigilant about having excessive amounts of firewood so that I can sit by the fire casually enjoying the stars. It doesn’t get much better than that.
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These kids are truly incredible. They barely weigh as much as my thighs and yet, they were perfectly cozy in their little sleeping bags with crocheted blankets on top. Whereas, with all my body fat, I should have been far toastier and yet, I shivered most of the night. Sadly, I had to tell them “no” when it came to “doing it” again the next night, it was supposed to rain anyway. Besides, I ended up needing some pain pills for the sake of the next two days.
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A Closer LookAmazing Activities Naturally
by Sean Green
Sock Gnome
Have you ever wondered what to do with your mismatched socks? I can tell you they drive me crazy and I hate keeping them long enough to find the matches. I found a fun way to repurpose those mismatched socks to share with our readers. A sock gnome makes a great gift for the holidays but is also great decoration for anyone that appreciates the high fantasy genre that includes gnomes, wizards, trolls, dragons and other mythical creatures. Your imagination will be the only factor limiting the possibilities and there is a good chance the mundane mismatches can become part of the holiday magic.
Materials:
• Mismatches (socks, mittens,) • Stuffing (rice, beans, cloth) • Scissors • Ribbon • Waxed twine • Craft Wire • Craft Fur • Rubber bands (small) • Heavy duty sewing needle (nail will work too) DIRECTIONS: Cut the front of the sock off to the heel (this will be the gnomes body) Enclose a generous amount of rice into a sheet of plastic wrap securing it with a small rubber band on top
Make the body Stuff the rice into the front of the sock that was cut earlier and tie the top with waxed twine
Attach the nose to the body Tie the nose to the body with the waxed twine
Create the beard Cut a rectangle of craft fur wide enough to go half way around the body and long enough to reach the bottom of the body. Run a length of waxed twine through each corner of the beard Tie the beard to the body just under the nose Create the hat Cut a few inches from the top of an old sock (I used a dress sock) Turn the sock inside out and sew the cut part together in the shape you want the hat, leave the original top of the sock open Turn the hat right side out again and tack it to the body with a few simple stiches on each side.
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Make the nose Stuff a smaller piece of cloth with rice and tie with a longwaxed twine, ** Note keep the twine long enough to tie around the body in the next step **
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A Closer Look A Closer Look
by Sean Green Photo Credit: April Green
Grizzled Mantis (Gonatista grisea)
Of all the insects that can be found and observed the mantis is arguably the coolest. It’s got raptor like arms and attacks with the speed of a ninja. The mantis is one of nature’s most effective insect predators. It can fly it can crawl or a can lie in wait, perfectly camouflaged from its intended victim. These insects are not as common as most but are a real treat when they can be found. On a recent night hike I lead at alderman’s Ford Conservation Park in Plant City, we found a grizzled mantis resting on an oak tree almost perfectly camouflaged against the bark of the tree. This species is difficult to find because they not only camouflage against tree bark, but also mimic the lichen that grow on bark. This month we will take a closer look at the grizzled mantis (Gonatista grisea) Many of our readers will be familiar with the insect commonly called the “praying mantis,” a large insect with a triangular head with large eyes that stands up on its hind legs and folds its enlarged front legs in a manner that resembles prayer. These general characteristics are responsible for the insect’s common name “praying mantis” but are by no means characteristic of all mantis species, in fact, it may come as a surprise, but the beloved mantids closest relatives include cockroaches which share some physical characteristics with the mantids. Nobody knows exactly how many species of mantis there are in the world. Some sources such as the “Tree of Life Project” estimate over 2,400 species in the insect order Mantodea, however, the projects website has not been updated since 2011 and can only offer a rough estimate of the current world’s population of mantis. What is known, however, is that mantids, as a group, tend to thrive in warm tropical environments such as Florida. Some mantids commonly found in the United States were originally introduced from other countries. The Chinese mantis (Tenodera sinensis) and the European Mantis (Mantis religiosa) for example were introduced to North America near the turn of the 20th century and soon became a popular means of biologic pest control. The mantis we are featuring this month is a Florida native and a bit smaller than those we know as “praying mantis,” but do not let its size fool you, our native grizzled mantis (Gonatista grisea) is a formidable predator. Like other mantids, the grizzled mantis has a triangular head that can rotate 180 degrees in either direction and have excellent eyesight, in fact, they
The mantids sense of hearing is a truly extraordinary adaptation that gives the mantid an advantage over other insects the bat may target for food. For most insects, any measure of hearing is limited to detecting basic vibrations. The mantis, however, is one of only a handful of insects that have evolved to have an ear like structure called a tympanal organ. In the mantis, this organ is sensitive to frequencies above 20 kHz (ultrasound). Bats emit sounds that range from 10 kHz to 120 kHz and the mantis has evolved to not only hear the bat following them but also know the precise moment the bat will attack. Dr. David Yager, a neuroscientist at the University of Maryland, in College Park, is credited with the discovery of the mantids extraordinary auditory capability through his study of the interactions of predator and prey. Yager explains that as a bat nears its prey, it increases the tempo of its ultrasonic pulses to peak in a “feeding buzz” just before striking. The tympanal organ in the mantis is sensitive to the ultrasonic pulses the bat uses for echolocation and when the “strike buzz” is detected, the mantis will abort its mating flight and spiral down to the safety of the ground where bats are less effective. The grizzled mantis (Gonatista grisea) is a fascinating insect and always a joy to find but not always easy to locate. If you are fortunate enough to find one, they make a terrific addition to the garden, but I must caution you, they are indiscriminate predators and will prey on a pollinator as readily as a pest insect. The next time you are out on a hike, take a closer look at the bark on oak trees and pine trees, and pay especially close attention to the lichen, you may find what you thought was lichen is actually a grizzled mantis. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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are one of the few insects that have “stereo-vision” meaning they can focus both eyes on a single object to judge distance with much more accuracy than other insects. Their antennae give them a sense of smell, but like many other insects it is mostly limited to the detection of pheromones emitted by the female for reproduction. Both male and female mantids grow wings in their last molt but only the males fly and when they do it is only to follow the female’s pheromones for reproduction. The mating flight of the mantis is dangerous because it is typically done during nightfall when predators such as bats are actively looking for food.
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Smokin’ WE’RE
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3/28/14 10:15 AM
NEWS BRIEFS Compiled by Jim Frankowiak
UF/IFAS COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL AND LIFE SCIENCES SETS RECORD ENROLLMENT; TOP RANKINGS Enrollment at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) College of Agricultural Sciences (CALS) continues its upward enrollment trend, reaching the college’s largest enrollment ever at 6,167 students. U.S. News and World Report ranked UF among the Top 10 public universities in the U.S., making it one of two landgrant universities in the Top 10 this year. The university is also ranked fourth in the nation and 11th in the world for agricultural science reputation and research, according to U.S. News and World Report. For more information about UF, visit: www.ufl.edu.
FLORIDA FARM SERVICE AGENCY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT DIRECTORS NAMED U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has announced Neil Combee as the Florida Farm Service (FSA) Director and Sydney Gruters, Director of Rural Development. Both serve as appointees of President Donald Trump and are to “help ensure the U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering the best customer service” to agriculture. FSA State Directors help implement U. S Department of Agriculture (USDA) policies in planning, organizing and administering FSA programs in their respective states. Rural Development state directors work to help improve the economy and quality of life in rural America. Combee currently serves in the Florida House of Representatives and previously served on the Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District and as a Polk County Commissioner. Gruters worked for U.S. Rep Vern Buchanan for more than 10 years and was the congressman’s liaison on all USDA issues affecting rural development.
FLORIDA COTTAGE FOOD LAW UPDATED Florida’s Cottage Food Law was recently amended, increasing the annual gross sales of cottage food products allowed under the law from $15,000 to $50,000. Also, it is now possible for the producer to sell, offer for sale and accept payment over the internet, if the product is delivered in person directly to the consumer or to a specific event venue.
FDA OFFERS NEW, FREE FOOD SAFETY PLAN BUILDER
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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a new software tool, The Food Safety Plan Builder (FSPB), to help businesses meet the requirements of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Final Rule for Preventive Controls for Human Food. This free tool is designed to help owners and operators of food facilities create a food safety plan specific to their operations. The tool can be downloaded from the FDA website: www.fda.gov.
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UF, FLORIDA A & M BENEFIT FROM USDA GRANTS
The University of Florida (UF) and Florida A&M University have both received grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to bring safer, more effective pest management approaches to farms and communities. The grant awards, which total $27.6 million, benefit the two Florida schools and a number of others throughout the U.S. UF and Florida A&M both received grant awards for Extension Implementation Program Areas within the Crop Protection and Pest Management Program. The UF grant was for $164,008 and A&M received $124,500. UF also received an Applied Research and Development Program award of $195,456 and a $2,320,413 grant in the Minor Crop Pest Management Program area. More information on these projects is available on the NIFA website: www.nifa.usda.gov.
VETERANS OFFERED USDA SUPPORT U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has announced new USDA resources to provide comprehensive and timely support to veterans interested in opportunities in agriculture, agribusiness and in rural America. he department supports veterans in employment, education and entrepreneurship areas, pulling together programs from each of its 17 agencies. Information is available by visiting: www.usda.gov/veterans.
ILLUSTRATED GUIDE TO FLORIDA’S INVASIVE PLANT PESTS AVAILABLE Florida has the most invasive species of any state in the U.S. To help identify these insects before they spread, UF/IFAS has produced a new Identification Guide to Florida’s Invasive Plant Pests that can be purchased for $12 online at https:// ifasbooks.ifas.ufl.edu.
USDA OFFERS ASSISTANCE TO PROTECT PRIVATELYOWNED WETLANDS, AG LANDS AND GRASSLANDS The USDA is encouraging people and groups seeking protection for critical wetlands, agricultural lands and grassland to consider enrolling their property into conservation easements. The Department’s Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) is focused on restoring and protecting, as well as conserving these lands. Landowners are compensated for enrolling their land in easements. Information is available by contacting the local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Office. In Hillsborough County that is NRCS District Conservationist Lisa Harper at 813/473-4882 or via email at: lisa.harper@fl.usda.gov. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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FREE AGRICULTURE PESTICIDE COLLECTION JANUARY 17 Limited to Ag Operations in Hillsborough County
By Jim Frankowiak Agriculture operations in Hillsborough County will once again have the opportunity to dispose of stored pesticides that are out-of-date, suspended or unusable during a free Agriculture Pesticide Collection and Education Day Tuesday, January 30, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at US Ecology, 7202 East 8th Avenue in Tampa. This annual event is part of an initiative to provide farmers a safe and efficient way to dispose of unusable pesticides, and to avoid the potential public health and environmental risks associated with long term storage of these pesticides. It also has an educational component through which pesticide users can learn about proper handling, storage and management practices. The Agriculture Pesticide Collection and Education Day is hosted through a partnership involving the Hillsborough County Economic Development Agriculture Industry Development Program, Hillsborough County Extension Service and the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County.
Five such events have been held since 2003, resulting in the safe disposal of 96,143-pounds of agricultural pesticides. The collection is underwritten by a grant from the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County Pollution Recover Fund. Funding is limited and the collection will end when funding has been exhausted. Pesticide manufacturers and distributors, homeowners, universities and government pesticide users at the state, county and local levels are not eligible to participate. More information is available by contacting Simon Bollin, Agriculture Industry Development Program Manager, Hillsborough County Economic Development Department, 813/276-273, or via email: BollinS@HCFLGov.net.
AG TOUR
MILITARY-AG TOUR JANUARY 19
Hillsborough County is hosting a free bus tour of local agriculture businesses to provide military veterans, reservists, transitioning active-duty personnel and their spouses an opportunity to explore varied career options in the local agriculture industry. The Military Agriculture Tour will begin at 8 a.m. on Friday, January 19, at the Hillsborough County Extension Service office located at 5339 County Road 579 in Seffner. Contemporary agriculture increasingly focuses on the use of technology and management systems for the production of food, medicine, consumer products and energy. During the tour, participants will be introduced to career paths and job opportunities within modern production agriculture operations and supporting industries in the county. Tour stops will include a variety of farming operations and the University of Florida Gulf Coast Research and Education Center at Balm in southern Hillsborough County.
More information on the Military Agriculture Tour, community partners and career resources for transitioning veterans is available at: HCFLGov.net/Vets2Ag. There is no charge for the tour, but pre-registration is required at the event page by January 16. Seating is limited. Lunch will be provided. Additional information is also available by contacting Hillsborough County Agribusiness Development Manager Simon Bollin at 813/276-2735 or via email: BollinS@HCFLGov.net. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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The tour is organized through a partnership among Hillsborough County Economic Development, Hillsborough County Farm Bureau, Extension and various community partners committed to assisting transitioning veterans by providing meaningful connections to quality civilian career opportunities and training with the field of agriculture.
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FARM EQUIPMENT TAYLOR WAY TILLER DISC Plow - good condition. $1750.00 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
NEW MAHINDRA 1538
Tractor cab with a/c. 4X4 with loader. $26,775 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
MISC. ROSSI CADDY 8 HAY RAKE Call Alvie 813-759-8722
FOR SALE DOORS & WINDOWS SPECIAL ORDER No upcharge. House & Mobile Home. Many standard sizes in stock. Ask for Blake. (813) 752-3378
FREE
Wooden Shipping Pallets All sizes! Call Alvie 813-759-8722
RUBBER MULCH
All Colors, $8.99 a bag. Call Ted (813) 752-3378
2005 JOHN DEERE 3520
PAGE
Tractor with implements & accessories. $20,000, 1500 hrs. GREAT CONDITION! Call Tim Watts (252)646-5636
78
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2017
From
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Specializing in Foreign and Domestic Trucks and Cars
4X4 and NPR’s
BILL’S TRANSMISSIONS Tel: 813.707.9865 13350 Hwy. 92E WE NOW OFFER TOWING Dover, FL 33527 Come See Porky!
Bill Somerlott, Owner
SERVICES ALSO OFFERED: A/C Repair • Brakes • Timing Belts • Alternators • Starters •Suspension Drivetrain Repair • Tune Up • Differential Repair Specialist • Fleet Maintenance Specialist R.V. & Heavy Truck Repair • Trailer Repair • 7.3, 6.0 & 6.4 • Diesel Specialist • Same Day Service in Most Cases • 30,000 & 40,000 Pound Lifts and much more! INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2017
79
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WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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80
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2017
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM