INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
1
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Mon. - Sat.: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
813-752-2379
PAGE
Western & Outdoor Wear, Farm, Ranch & Pet Supplies
I T F M Redman Pkwy. I T S. F Jim M February 2018 (Hwy. 39 S) Plant City, FL • SouthsideWesternWear.com 23014 N HE IELD
AGAZINE
WWW. N HE IELD
AGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
3
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
CONTENTS
FEBRUARY 2018 | VOL. 13 • ISSUE 4 ANOTHER SIDE OF THE ANNUAL FLORIDA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL
64 PAGE 12 AG Royalty
PAGE 46 John Dicks
PAGE 14 Fl. Jr. Swine Circuit
PAGE 48 Endangered Species
PAGE 18 Fishing Hot Spots
PAGE 50 Landscape
PAGE 22 Rocking Chair Chatter
PAGE 52 Recipes
PAGE 28
PAGE 54 Literary Time Machine
James “JP” Prescott PAGE32 Tomlin Middle School
PAGE 60 Turkey Creek Middle School PAGE 61 Farm Service Agency
PAGE 36 FYI PAGE35 Pineapple
PAGE 66 Buy What Survived
PAGE 68 Military AG Tour
PAGE 70 Activity
PAGE 71 A Closer look
PAGE 74 News Briefs PAGE 78 Speech Contest
PAGE 82 YF&R
PAGE 90 A Fruit-Filled Life
PAGE 62 Strawberry Varieties
Hey Readers!
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
PAGE
InTheField® Magazine P.O. Box 5377 • Plant City, Fl. 33566-0042 *Winners will be notified by phone. You Too Can Be A Winner!
4
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
Hillsborough County Farm Bureau 305 S. Wheeler St. Plant City, FL. 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
Dennis Carlton Jr................Vice President
Michelle Williamson..............Treasurer Buddy Coleman..................Secretary DIRECTORS FOR 2017 - 2018
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, Will Womack , Melissa Grimes.
Judi Whitson, Executive Director 813-685-9121 Farm Bureau Insurance Special Agents
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
ININTTHE FFIELD HE IELDM MAGAZINE AGAZINE
February February2018 2018
5
PAGE PAGE
WWW. WWW.IIN NT THE HEF FIELD IELDM MAGAZINE.COM AGAZINE.COM
STAFF Publisher/Photography Karen Berry Senior Managing Editor/ Associate Publisher Sarah Holt Editor-In-Chief Al Berry Editor Patsy Berry
Letter from the Editor It’s time for the Florida Strawberry Festival. While the history of fairs isn’t completely clear, one thing is certain, they stem from village market days and livestock exhibitions. Today fairs continue the agriculture tradition and are a chance for youth in 4-H and FFA to display their hard work. Events that include 4-H and FFA competitions help educate fairgoers about agriculture and also help build competitor’s skills, self confidence and leadership abilities. They are our next generation of farmers and ranchers. The lessons learned with these projects are many, like problem solving, time management, record keeping, networking, prioritizing and the list goes on. So when visiting the Florida Strawberry Festival, held March 1 – 11, stop by the agriculture exhibits and let the students know how much you appreciate their hard
Sales Al Berry Tina Richmond 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
work. Congratulations to the winners of the Russell’s Western Wear competition. Check out the ad in this issue. You may be eligible to win a pair of Justin boots and be pictured in our March issue. See you at the Festival!
Sarah Holt
The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. - Numbers 6:25
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.
PAGE
Published by Berry Publications, Inc.
6
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
7
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
WATCHING TALLAHASSEE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
- Kenneth Parker - President
As you know, our Florida Legislature is in session. Farm Bureau members from our county and others from across Florida visited Tallahassee a few weeks ago as part of Florida Farm Bureau’s legislative days initiative. They advocated an “Ag Strong” legislative agenda during this session. My thanks to all who participated as that personal contact between our members and state lawmakers is very important. Priorities on the Farm Bureau legislative agenda this session include funding for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), funding for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) programs and hurricane relief and recovery legislation. The UF/IFAS Funding advocacy focuses on workload funding and vetoed projects funding. The former is needed given increased demands on researchers and Extension agents, while the latter hopes to restore funds vetoed last session for a range of important projects.
to Rural and Family Lands Protection Programs from $35 million to $10 million, an action that overlooked the fact that agriculture is the conservation arm of Florida land. Our industry was also severely impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Nate. Florida agriculture is looking for relief from the legislature through tax exemptions or reductions, as well as short-term loan programs. We also want the legislature to increase funding for the State Agricultural Response Team (SART) so we can better prepare for future storms. If you want to help keep our legislators informed, we have many ways that you and your family can assist. 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.
Kenneth Parker Kenneth Parker - President
FDACS took it on the chin last session as the Fresh from Florida program saw its budget cut by $7 million, hurting a program of extreme importance to Florida growers. There was also a deep cut last year
305 SOUTH WHEELER STREET • PLANT CITY, FL 33566 • 813-685-9121 Board of Directors
PAGE
Kenneth Parker, President; Dennis Carlton, Jr. , Vice-President; Michelle WIlliamson Treasurer; Buddy Coleman, Secretary; Will Womack 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
8
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
is proud to congratulate
Kolby Carr!
Kolby Carr, a seventh grader at Marshall Middle School, always goes above and beyond the call of duty. Carr will frequently volunteer to clean up the classroom, rearrange furniture and prepare the room for each day’s learning activity. He is no stranger to hard work and though he has not yet sought out an officer position with FFA he consistently is the embodiment of a true leader. Carr joined FFA in sixth grade and has grown into an inquisitive and dedicated student. He plans on trying his hand at a few Career Development Events. He's on the Tools team and is currently preparing for Livestock judging and Vegetable Judging.
One of Marshall’s many assets is a half acre of strawberries that students planted, maintain and harvest. Carr often helps with irrigation and preparation for a day in the field. Most mornings Carr will spend his time studying for an upcoming CDE or helping his teachers. His dedication to the program shows no limits and his teachers are excited to see what the next few years hold for such a promising young member. Students awarded a free pair of Justin boots from Russell’s due to their exemplary performance
Hillsborough’s Agriculture Magazine INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
9
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE
10
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
11
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Ag Royalty
Selena Berrios A member of the Strawberry Queen’s Court, is showing a steer at the festival for the last time. By Breanne Williams
Each year the Florida Strawberry Festival’s Queen and Court is comprised of a group of young women who represent the best things about Plant City. The court members have always brought something unique to the team and this year is no exception. Selena Berrios, a member of the 2018 court, is more than just a Plant City native. When she thinks of the Strawberry Festival she thinks of the countless hours spent in the agriculture halls with her many pigs and steers. Some of her new berry sisters have grown up in the farming industry, while others have grown up watching family members play on stage to hundreds of onlookers. Berrios said she is excited to be able to show her fellow royals the agriculture competitions that have shaped her character. She has been active in FFA since sixth grade where she was first drawn to show a pig. Her brother was showing a steer and she was soon “hooked” on the competition. For her, the agriculture shows are the lifeblood of the festival and offer so much more than simply a chance to earn money. “FFA taught me to be a servant, to have a servant’s heart, which is so important for both FFA and the Strawberry Queen’s Court,” Berrios said. “It was easy to transition. All the speaking skills I learned in FFA and the lessons I learned at the shows helped me be able to jump right in to being a court member and representing our great festival and our amazing town.” As she walked her large steer Dobbie around his pen he followed her every command with no hesitation. She said the hours spent each day training him and caring for him helped build a strong bond between the two. Berrios said she doesn’t waver from her priorities and has learned through juggling school, FFA and other extracurriculars how to manage a busy schedule. She said she loves FFA and hopes that every child has the opportunity to join the organization that has taught her so many life lessons. Her fellow court members are ecstatic to see her compete. “They’ve all either come out here or seen photos of Dobbie,” Berrios said. “They’re going to come watch me show him. Dallas (Baker) is most looking forward to coming. She said she’s scared of cows but loves them so she’s really excited to come.”
anyone fail or suffer at all. We want everyone to do well. You make lifelong friends here. Everyone should try it out. It will change your life.” This is her final year as a competitor and she said the nerves still hit her every time. Through it all, her family’s unwavering support helps carry her through the long-awaited day. “My dad sits back there with me and my steer,” Berrios said. “He tells me this is what you’ve been working toward and just calms me down. I couldn’t do this without the support of my family.” Traditionally, exhibitors will send letters to potential buyers asking them to consider bidding on their steer or pig on the big day. Berrios said she always goes one step further and brings the letter in person. She said not only is it more personal, it allows her to explain everything they could want to know about the animal before deciding to make such a large purchase. Each year, she is met with smiles and support. It’s part of what makes Plant City such a special place to live, she said. Everyone here is “exited for you and supports you,” regardless of if they know you or not. During the festival, she loves having strangers stop by her stall to ask her questions about her steer. “I love educating the way I’ve been educated,” Berrios said. “I love to talk to people and agriculture and these type of events really benefit everyone. We’re so lucky live in a town that still offers this experience. So come talk to me, I’ll be there.” Berrios said being an exhibitor has changed her life and hopes everyone gives it a try. Whether they show a steer, a pig or even a plant, she said the experience is worth every second.
After years of showing, Berrios is now a pro. She easily ran through the typical day of a contestant at the festival and said all the experienced competitors make sure to lend a helping hand and offer advice to those who are there for the first time.
As the night of her final show draws near, Berrios is making preparations to enter the ring for the last time. She knows it will be hard and is sure leading Dobbie past the judges that evening will take her breathe away. She’s determined, however, to not shed any tears until after it’s all over.
Even though it technically is a competition, she said there is nothing but support and encouragement coming from the contestants. Because she has the added duties of the Strawberry Queen’s Court her fellow exhibitors have all offered to help her out with anything she may need.
“I’ll always be involved,” Berrios said. “Whether I go see future shows or volunteer I can always help out and offer the advice that I have been given over the years. This is goodbye for right now, but not forever. I’ll never be able to walk away for good. It’s in my blood. This is a lifelong commitment.”
PAGE
“We’re all there to help,” Berrios said. “We don’t want to see
12
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
13
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Florida Jr. Swine Circuit
The milk in your glass, the clothes on your back, those sunny side up eggs, that yummy country fried steak are all made possible through agriculture. There are hundreds of agricultural products we use on a daily basis that make our lives more convenient, safer, a little less hungry, and a lot less naked. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Census of Agriculture, which is published every five years, “During the last 30 years the average age of U.S. farmers has grown by nearly eight years, from 50.5 years to 58.3 years.” That said, it brings to mind the question, where are the future agriculture producers? Fortunately for our future agriculture producers there are adults who commit themselves to serving as mentors, coaches, friends, and cheerleaders to ensure they learn and develop many of the important life skills necessary to continue this way of life. This month we introduce you to a group of individuals, who with a little bit of vision and a lot of hard work, are creating opportunities for swine exhibitors throughout the state of Florida. The Florida Junior Swine Circuit, formed on May 20, 2017, is a newly formed organization in the state of Florida with the purpose of giving swine exhibitors increased opportunities to exhibit their swine projects and network with industry leaders, all while earning prizes. Breanna Lawyer, President of the Florida Junior Swine Circuit, is an Indiana native who moved to Florida approximately a year and a half ago. During this time, she met many agriculture teachers and swine breeders throughout the state. There was a common desire among the group, to create a circuit for swine exhibitors similar to the cattle circuit already in existence. With swine circuits exhibiting a strong presence in Indiana, Breanna networked with the agriculture teachers and swine breeders to turn their idea into a reality by creating the Florida Junior Swine Circuit. According to the Florida Junior Swine Circuit website, “The FJSC was established to give youth the opportunity to show state wide at an organized set of sanctioned shows. We are committed to providing youth the opportunity to develop both in and out of the ring, building on showmanship skills, sportsmanship, and leadership. At the conclusion of the show season, exhibitors will be recognized and awarded for their accomplishments on the circuit.”
PAGE
The first show season consisted of five sanctioned shows throughout the state of Florida from mid-November 2017 to January 1, 2018. Exhibitors earned points based on showmanship placement, class placement, division placement, and
14
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
By Leslie Buchanon
top five overall placement. Exhibitors also earned additional points for exhibiting and placing with Florida bred swine. To reward exhibitors for their efforts and accomplishments, an end of the year banquet for the first show season was held on February 9 where belt buckles and jackets were awarded to deserving young people. Annual awards presented to students are based on funding each year, with funding coming from member dues and sponsorships. The current officer team and Board of Directors hope to create a Junior Board of Directors in the future as membership in the circuit increases. The members of the Board of Directors are agriculture teachers, industry breeders, and industry supporters. Members include President: Breanna Lawyer, Secretary: Ashley Wheeler, Treasurer: Alyssa Fowler and Jessica Nelson, Brett Wheeler, Brett Bradner, Melissa Sampson, Steve Harber, Meagan Winsor, James and Missy Ritenburg, Chy LeClair, Mike McKenzie, Kevin Graham, and Kyle Mendes. Board Member Brett Wheeler explains, “The first year of the FJSC has exceeded all of our expectations. We had over 120 members and averaged right at 180 hogs entered per show. Over the next few years we are looking to add more shows and add more divisions such as breeding gilts and showing hogs by breeds.” By participating in livestock shows our young agriculture leaders develop many life skills, such as responsibility, sportsmanship, character, confidence, social relationships, and knowledge and care of livestock. Today’s young people depend on leaders within the agriculture commodity markets, agriculture educators, industry leaders, and even parents, to empower and support their efforts to nurture and retain their involvement in agriculture. This is the intention of the Florida Junior Swine Circuit. “Our goal is to give kids the opportunity to show on another level outside of their county fair. We find it’s a great opportunity for kids to learn more and meet new people,” said President Breanna Lawyer. Membership in the Florida Junior Swine Circuit is open to young people up to age 21, with no minimum age requirement. Annual membership dues are $30 and payment is required in order to accumulate points. For information about membership or sponsorship opportunities, visit the Florida Junior Swine Circuit website at www.fljsc.org or find them on Facebook. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
“ Environmental stewardship is important to our livelihoods and is why we have implemented Best Management Practices (BMPs) since 1990.
“
Through THIS FARM CARES, the Florida Farm Bureau Federation is proud to honor generations of farm familes who work together to protect our state’s natural resources. To learn more about BMP resources, visit www.thisfarmcares.org. SPONSORED BY @THISFARMCARES
OUR PROFITS ARE YOUR PAYDAY When you do business with Farm Credit, you are a member of a cooperative. When we do well, you do well. And we’ve been doing well for over 100 years. LOANS FOR: • • • •
Operating expenses Farm land Lots and homes Recreational property
• • • •
Refinancing Buildings Fences Equipment
Loans for land, homes & living. 866 . 245 . 3637 farmcreditcfl.com
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
15
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE
16
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
17
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
TAMPA BAY FISHING REPORT FEBRUARY 2018 by Capt. Woody Gore
What a great winter to be in Florida. The rest of the country has been freezing, when here in sunny Florida, with the exception of a few weeks, we’re in shorts, flip flops and T-Shirts and catching fish. Fishing around Tampa Bay has been decent for the winter months with plenty of nice catches, including Redfish, Snook and Trout, and some of the biggest ladyfish and yellow tail Jacks. Fishing reports include many fish exceeding 10 pounds. If you’ve never targeted big Jack Crevalles, you’re missing some great light tackle fun. The power of these huge fighters is amazing and guaranteed to make you say uncle. Fishing the area this winter has been fairly pleasant except for a few windy days. Bait was on the flats until a few weeks ago and should be showing up again in the near future. February is always a good time to try your hand at artificial lures. Anglers who never experience the thrill of targeting Snook, Redfish and Trout through artificial lures don’t know what their missing. It’s fun, exciting and helps you develop a skill that is never lost. Die-hard artificial anglers will tell you anyone can catch fish with live bait, but let’s see how good you are with plastic. Once you’re hooked (pardon the pun) you’ll love it. It’s fishing at its best, pitching a lure into that perfect spot, working and watching with heightened anticipation, just knowing something is getting ready to strike. If you’re not sure about artificial’s it gives you something different to attempt. And, like I’ve said many times, always “Leave the live bait at the bait shop.” If you bring a crutch you’ll use it.
Snook
If live bait is your choice, shrimp fished on a free-line or under a popper cork usually entices them to bite. Artificials also work when fished correctly. But remember in the winter and early spring don’t work them too fast. Snook can’t seem to resist a MirrOlure walk-the-dog lure on a calm morning broken bottom grass flat. Sub-surface sinking or suspending lures work exceptionally well in deeper water and of course soft plastics using at least a 1/8 oz. jighead always seem to produce good action during the early spring.
Redfish continue eating live and cut bait tossed in their direction, especially the smaller reds. Grass flats with broken bottoms, submerged oyster bars and mangrove shorelines are good starting points. Again, like snook, artificial’s work for redfish. Cut baits, small pinfish and deadsticking stinky baits usually attract the attention of most passing redfish. Try suspending stinky baits, cut chunks of pinfish or mullet or piece of crab under a popper letting it sit still in the water. You’ll be surprised at the results. Spotted Sea Trout are found around deeper water broken bottom grass flats, especially on strong tides. They eat shrimp, greenbacks, and pinfish. A popper cork proves deadly in catching nice trout when rigged with shrimp, either live or artificial. Another option is bouncing a soft plastic jig off the bottom. But remember, the bite usually comes as the bait falls so don’t be surprised to have a fish on just as the lure starts to sink after it hits the water.
PAGE PAGE
Capt. Woody Gore (www.captainwoodygore.com)
18 18
IINNTTHE HEF FIELD IELD M MAGAZINE AGAZINE
February February 2018 2018
Cobia There is a good chance to see one on the back of large Rays and Manatees, or just cruising around markers and cans. Large shrimp, pinWWW. INITNHE FIELD MM AGAZINE.COM WWW. THE FIELD AGAZINE.COM
fish, or greenback, normally does the trick. But a large artificial eel rigged on a jighead also works.
Sheepsheads are everywhere right through March. Tough, toothy, boney mouths mean aggressive hook sets. Try fishing for these great fighters around markers, bridge fenders, docks, seawalls, rock piles, oyster bars or practically any type structure. Shrimp and fiddler crabs always produce, but green mussels and oysters also work. I like shrimp and fiddlers the best, when I can get them, and so do Sheepshead.
“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 ININ TT HE FF IELD AGAZINE HE IELDMM AGAZINE
February February2018 2018
19 19
PAGE PAGE
WWW. WWW.IINNT THE HEF FIELD IELDM MAGAZINE.COM AGAZINE.COM
PAGE
20
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Congratulations Ally!
• What we call “Cotton Candy” was originally called “Fairy Floss” and was invented in 1897 by candy makers William Morris and John C. Wharton of Nashville, Tennessee. It was introduced at the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904. It has also been called “Spun Sugar” and in the United Kingdom it is called “Candy Floss.” • The first state fair was held in Syracuse, NY in September of 1841. • The sequel to Andrew Lloyd Webber, Phantom of the Opera, is called Love Never Dies and is set in a carnival on Coney Island. • The games you play at a fair or carnival also go by the slang name joints • The High Roller in Las Vegas is the World’s tallest Ferris Wheels with 550 feet high
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
21
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Sponsored by:
HOPEWELL FUNERAL HOME • MEMORIAL GARDENS
www.HopewellFuneraI.com FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1971
While having lunch at Fred’s Market Restaurant in Plant City, I over heard two ladies talking about men. One said, “Men are just happier people.” The other replied, “What do you expect from such simple creatures?” A few days later I started thing about their conversation, and you know they were right.
PAGE
Men are happier and seldom depressed. Our last name stays put. The garage is all ours. Wedding plans take care of themselves without us. Chocolate is just another snack. Car mechanics tell you the truth. The world is your urinal. You never have to drive to another gas station restroom because the one you are in is too dirty. Wrinkles add character. Wedding dress is $5,000.00, Tux rental is $100.00. New shoes don’t cut, blister, or mangle your feet. Men are normally in the same mood most of the time. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. You know stuff about tanks and guns. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness. Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. Three pair of shoes
22
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
is more than enough. You almost never have strap problems in public. You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes. The same hairstyle lasts for years. Men only have to shave their neck and face. One wallet and one pair of shoes, and one color for all seasons. You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look. A man can do his nails with a pocketknife. He can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes. Men can be very forgetful. As an example, there’s the story of Bill, Jim and Scott. They were sharing a large suite on the top of a 50-story skyscraper during a convention. After a long day of meetings they were shocked to hear that the elevators in their hotel were broken and they would have to climb stairs to get to their room. Bill said to Jim and Scott, “Let’s break the monotony of this unpleasant task by concentrating on something interesting. I’ll tell jokes for 25 flights, and Jim can sing songs for 25 flights, and Scott can tell sad stories the rest of the way. At the 26th floor Bill stopped telling jokes and Jim began to sing. At the 51st floor Jim stopped singing and Scott began WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
to tell sad stories. “I will tell my saddest story first,” he said. “I left the room key in the car!” In my senior class there was one boy that got 0% on his exam, which actually showed he was light years ahead of the vast majority of humanity. Below shows how he answered the questions on the exam. I would have given him 100
Q1. In which battle did Napoleon die? -“His last battle!” Q2. Where was the declaration of Independence signed - “At the bottom of the page!” Q3. The Ohio River flows in which state? - “Liquid!” Q4. What is the main reason for divorce? - “Marriage!” Q5. What is the main reason for failure? - “Exams!” Q6. What can you never eat for breakfast? - “Lunch & Dinner!” Q7. What looks like half an apple? - “The other half!” Q8. If you throw a stone into the blue sea what will it become? “It will simply become wet!” Q9. How can a man go eight days without sleeping? - “No problem, he sleeps at night!” Q10. How can you lift an elephant with one hand? - “You will never find an elephant that has only one hand!” Q11. If you had three apples and four oranges in one hand, what would you have? - “Very large hands!” Q12. If it took eight men to build a wall, how long would it take four men to build it? - “No time at all, the wall is already built!”
DEPRESSED
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
23
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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.
PAGE
Plant City strawberries are the best in the world. 24
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February2018 2018 January
WWW. ININTTHE FFIELD MMAGAZINE.COM WWW. HE IELD AGAZINE.COM
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. IN INTTHE HEFFIELD IELDM MAGAZINE AGAZINE
February 2018 January 2018
25
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE
26
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
27
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
James JP Prescott
Strawberry Crest FFA Students Wins District FFA Contest By Ashlynn Flack, Agricultural Communication Student On Friday, January 19, 2018, James “JP” Prescott, a junior at Strawberry Crest High School, competed in the FFA Extemporaneous Public Speaking district contest. JP decided that he wanted to try something new so he took on and started working with the concept of this contest. Extemporaneous Public Speaking is unique in the fact that the students are only given 30 minutes to research and prepare a speech on one of the assigned agricultural topics. This contest helps the students to learn to think quickly and prepare a persuasive and effective speech. Learning these skills can be extremely beneficial to the students and prepare them for their future. JP started preparing for this contest by making a combination of five binders, consisting of internet resources and articles. He was allowed to have five resources with 100 pages each. He was given five areas topics to randomly pick from, which included agriculture advocacy, technology, food and fiber systems, agricultural marketing and international agriculture. He was only allowed to pick three from the 15 topics. Then only had a few seconds to select the speech of his choice. “I really enjoy the process of writing and giving a speech, I like deciding what I’m going to discuss with people and deciding how I’m going to attempt to teach them more about agriculture,” said Prescott.
PAGE
When he arrived at the contest, he chose his three topics at random and decided to prepare a speech on How can agriscience technology help us feed the projected 10 billion peo-
28
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
ple in 2050. He had 30 minutes to prepare the speech and then present it to the panel of judges. At the end of the six to eight minute speech, JP was asked questions for about five minutes. Prescott will be competing at the 90th Florida FFA State Convention in June 2018 in the state finals of the Extemporaneous Public Speaking Leadership Development Contest. Susan Mayo, one of Strawberry Crest’s FFA advisors, is extremely proud of all the hard work James has put into the contest and is glad a student with such an immense passion for agriculture will be representing Strawberry Crest at a state level after excelling in both sub-districts and districts. “I am excited to see JP compete on a state level so I can see him share his passion and knowledge of agriculture across the state of Florida,” she said. This is not Prescott’s first win. Last year in FFA he was a member of state winning Parliamentary Procedure, Agricultural Issue and Veterinary Assisting teams, all which compete at the national level. He decided to represent the state of Florida for the National FFA Agricultural Issue Competition. The Florida FFA Association offers and advertises for a number of contests throughout the school year. A majority of these contests are considered to be public speaking contests, which require the students to better prepare themselves to use their voice to get a point across to an audience. Whether that is something as small as a panel of judges or as large as a public presentation. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
We’ve Got You Covered. ®
Fungicide/Bactericide
®
Protecting your strawberries is our priority. Gowan USA has the right tools to make it happen.
Aza-Direct®, and M-Pede® are registered trademarks of Gowan Company, L.L.C. EPA Reg No. 71908-1-10163, and 10163-324, respectively. Badge® SC, Badge® X2, and Mettle® are registered trademarks of Isagro USA. EPA Reg. No. 80289-3-10163, 80289-12-10163, and 80289-8-10163, respectively. Lorsban® is a registered trademark of Dow AgroSciences, L.L.C. EPA Reg No. 62719-301-10163. Savey® 50 DF and Torino® are a registered trademark of Nippon Soda Company, Ltd. EPA Reg. No 10163-250 and 8033-103-10163, respectively. Nexter® is a registered trademark of Nissan Chemical Industries Ltd. EPA Reg. No. 81880-4-10163. Gowan® is a registered trademark of Gowan Company, L.L.C. EPA Reg. No. 10163-21. Always read and follow label directions. AD18_02_ITF_multi
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
29
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
gowanco.com 800.883.1844
Why go to an emergency center that’s connected to a hospital? What if you need the rest of the hospital? When it comes to your health, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Which is why during an emergency such as a stroke or heart attack, every second counts. We don’t want to risk our patients’ lives by transferring them to a different hospital for emergency surgery. Here, if you need to be rushed to surgery, it’s down the hall, not down the road. We also have access to cutting-edge equipment and some of the best doctors, nurses and specialists in the region are only a few feet away. If you need a pint of blood, no problem, we’re connected to a blood bank. Not to mention that our rehabilitation, orthopedic, oncology and maternity departments are only a wheelchair ride away. The best place to go during your emergency is a facility designed to handle any emergency. And that’s right here at BayCare’s South Florida Baptist Hospital.
OUR NETWORK:
BayCare Behavioral Health • BayCare HomeCare • BayCare Laboratories • BayCare Medical Group BayCare Outpatient Imaging • BayCare Surgery Centers • BayCare Urgent Care OUR HOSPITALS:
Bartow Regional Medical Center • Mease Countryside Hospital • Mease Dunedin Hospital • Morton Plant Hospital • Morton Plant North Bay Hospital St. Anthony’s Hospital • St. Joseph’s Hospital • St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital • St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital • St. Joseph’s Hospital-North St. Joseph’s Hospital-South • South Florida Baptist Hospital • Winter Haven Hospital • Winter Haven Women’s Hospital
PAGE
BAYCARE.ORG 17-241760-1117 INTHEFIELD
30
MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
31
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
L to R: Sophia Pal, Landon Robert, Drew Blanton, Meghan Hiers, Brenna Sturgis, Bailey Blanton
Tomlin Middle School
1st place winners in Parliamentary Procedures at Sub-district competition.
1st place Parliamentary Procedure winners with all team members and team advisor, Mr. Steven Johnson
L to R: Drew Blanton, Bailey Blanton, Emma Futch, Brenna Sturgis, Kenley Connell, Carlie Braglin, Sophia Pal 1st place winner in Creed competition at Subdistrict competition. Brenna Sturgis with Advisor Mr. Steven Johnson
Tomlin Middle School FFA chapter:
2nd place winners in Opening and Closing Ceremonies event at sub-district competition
Tomlin FFA chapter:
PAGE
2nd place winners: Extemporaneous Public speaking: Carlie Braglin Prepared Public Speaking: Kenley Connell
32
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
33
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE
34
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Pineapple Florida
By Sandy Kaster, M.S. Clinical Medicines, B.S. Nutrition Science Fresh Florida pineapples are a special tropical springtime treat. They’re juicy, sweet, tart, and taste like the tropics. The pineapple is a traditional symbol of hospitality and a type of bromeliad. Also called ananas, piñas, or nanas, the pineapple gets its name from its resemblance to a pinecone. Florida was once the top producer of pineapple in the late 1800s, but now the country’s largest producer is Hawaii. Pineapples are unique to plant and grow. New fruit can grow from cutting off the crown of the fruit and placing it in soil. It will then flower in five to ten months and fruit in the following year. The two most popular varieties in the U.S. are the Cayenne, the tall, cylindrical type that grows in Hawaii, and the Red Spanish, the shorter, rounder type that grows in Florida. Pineapple ranges in size from two to five pounds. The outer peel changes from green to a golden color and the fruit becomes fragrant when it ripens. Inside, the pulp is yellow, sweet, and delicious. Peak season for fresh Florida pineapples are from late February to early June.
Nutrition This flavorful tropical fruit is also full of health benefits. It’s a great source of vitamins, minerals, fiber, and more. One cup of cut fresh pineapple (165g) contains 83 calories, 0.9 g protein, 0.2 g fat, 21.6 g carbohydrate, and 2.3 g of fiber. A single cup serving also contains 105% of your daily requirement for vitamin C, 77% for manganese, 20% for copper, 11% for vitamins B1 and B6, as well as fiber and folate.
Digestive help Fresh pineapples are well known for their benefits in digestion. They contain a compound called bromelain, which is an enzyme used in meat tenderizers, and helps digest the food we eat. Bromelain has other health benefits as well and may play a role in decreasing inflammation.
Immune Support Eating more fresh pineapple is a great way to boost your immune system, especially during the active cold and flu season. A single cup of pineapple contains more than your entire daily requirement of vitamin C, which also acts in the body as an antioxidant. Antioxidants protect the body against free radicals that attack and damage normal cells and help decrease inflammation in the body. By doing so, vitamin C and other
Other Benefits Pineapple is a fantastic source of the trace mineral manganese. This mineral is involved in a number of enzymatic reactions in the body related to energy production and antioxidant defenses. Fresh pineapple is also a good source of thiamin, a B vitamin that is also necessary for enzymatic reactions related to energy production.
How to select and store Choose fresh pineapple that feels heavy for its size, has a golden yellow peel and a fragrant aroma. It should have dark green leaves and be slightly soft to the touch. Avoid any with soft spots or yellow or brown leaves. Ripe fruit can be stored whole in the refrigerator for up to a week. One medium pineapple will yield about three cups of fruit when cut into chunks. Cut pineapple can be refrigerated for up to three to four days.
How to Enjoy Fresh Florida pineapple is delicious eaten fresh, cut up into slices, or as part of a fruit or vegetable salad. The fruit can also be grilled, sauteed, or broiled or used as a garnish. The juice is well known as the main ingredient in cocktails, such as pina coladas. • Combine diced pineapple with chopped chili peppers and onions for a tropical salsa to top off fish or chips. • Drizzle maple syrup on pineapple slices and broil until brown. • Use as a topping for pizza, burgers, or sandwiches. • Mix crushed pineapple into yogurt, desserts or ice cream. • Chop into chunks and add to your favorite stir-fry. Enjoy fresh Florida pineapple in its peak season today. Savor its natural sweetness and reap its many health benefits.
Selected References http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/fruits/ pineapples.html http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu http://www.whfoods.com INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
35
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
antioxidants can decrease the plaque build-up in arteries in atherosclerosis, decrease joint pain in arthritis, lessen the likelihood of asthmatic attacks and reduce the risk of some types of cancers.
ATTENTION: Future Ag Leaders Wanted! By Jim Frankowiak
The University of Florida’s (UF) Center for Pre-Collegiate Education and Training (CPET) and College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALA) is recruiting future Florida agriculture leaders through the Florida Youth Institute (FYI), a week-long program for rising 11th and 12th graders from across the state. FYI’s mission is “to engage youth with faculty, graduate students, undergraduates and professionals in current agricultural and natural resource issues and areas of interest that match industry needs,” said Charlotte Emerson, director of student development and recruitment at CALS and co-program coordinator for FYI. “Employment opportunities for college graduates in the areas of food, agriculture, renewable natural resources and the environment remain strong nationwide,” Emerson said. “Opportunities are growing in all sectors: science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), management and business; food and biomaterials productions and education, communication and government services. AgCareers.com reported a 15 percent increase in agriculture-related job postings in 2014 with a similar expectation for 2015. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) projects that for 2015-2020 there will be 57,900 average annual job openings for college graduates with expertise in the areas of food, agriculture, renewable natural resources or the environment. However, the number of anticipated annual openings is outpacing the number of available graduates by 30-to-40 percent. “There is a national need to increase enrollment in undergraduate degree programs in the agricultural and natural resource sciences,” Emerson said. “Agriscience programs in secondary schools expose students to areas of study and career opportunities in these areas, but these programs have limited reach due to the shortage of agriscience teachers.” Additional programming is needed to inform and inspire high school students to consider careers in the agricultural and natural resources.
career in feeding the world – and to consider CALS as a great place to prepare for that career.” “It’s going to take the best and brightest to keep America feeding a growing global population, even as so many American farms are turning into subdivisions,” he said. “We need scientists whose discoveries improve farming and policymakers with ideas to overcome obstacles on the path from farm to fork.” FYI participants engage in a variety of hands-on lessons and demonstrations; experience indoor and outdoor laboratories and campus facilities; and engage with faculty, staff and currents CALS students. They will also meet with CALS Dean Dr. Elaine Turner and Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Adam Putnam; examine issues in agriculture, life sciences and natural resources; and reflect on worldwide challenges such as food security while experiencing a week of on-campus life. “Applicants should be motivated, mature students who are dedicated to the future of agriculture and related sciences,” Emerson said. FYI is approaching its third year of operation. “We had 20 students participate last year and 22 students the previous year,” Emerson said. “Ten undergraduate and graduate students along with more than 75 volunteers support the program each year.” The program costs $350 per student to attend and scholarships are available. Interested students should apply through the UF/CPET. Applications for FYI 2018 will be due February 28. Accepted applicants will be asked to submit an essay on a global food security issue due March 15. The 2018 FYI participants will have two attendance date options from which to select: July 15-20 or July 22-27. Additional details about the FYI are available by visiting: https://www. cpet.ufl.edu/students/florida-youth-institute/.
CALS aims to provide this additional programming to high school students through FYI. In order to offer this program, CALS uses the funds allocated under the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ (IFAS) Florida Agriculture Initiative.
PAGE
Dr. Jack Payne, UF senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and the leader of IFAS, calls FYI a weeklong opportunity “to encourage high school students to consider a
36
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Save $2.00 on Adult & $1.00 on Youth General Admission Tickets at Publix
Building New Memories! Artists Appearing on the
Jimmy Sturr & His Orchestra Thu. Mar. 1, 10:30 FREE
Soundstage:
Fri. Mar. 2, 7:30 $35
Josh Turner
Mon. Mar. 5, 7:30 $25
The Lettermen
Thu. Mar. 8, 10:30 FREE
Gary Allan
Oak Ridge Boys
Thu. Mar. 1, 7:30 $30
Thu. Mar. 1, 3:30 $20
Justin Moore with Dylan Scott
March 1 –11, 2018 Plant City, FL
Cam
Jerry Lee Lewis Fri. Mar. 2, 3:30 $30
Big & Rich featuring Cowboy Troy
Sat. Mar. 3, 3:30 $20
Lee Greenwood
Sat. Mar. 3, 7:30 $30
Casting Crowns
Gaither Vocal Band
Tue. Mar. 6, 7:30 $30
Tue. Mar. 6, 3:30 $25
Drifters, Platters and Cornell Gunter’s Coasters Thu. Mar. 8, 3:30 $20
Featuring Vanilla Ice, Salt-N-Pepa and Tone Loc Thu. Mar. 8, 7:30 $35
REBA McENTIRE
Sun. Mar. 4, 3:30 $20
Sun. Mar. 4, 7:30 $50
Jimmy Fortune Mon. Mar. 5, 3:30 $20
Engelbert Humperdinck Trace Adkins Wed. Mar. 7, 3:30 $30
Charley Pride Fri. Mar. 9, 3:30 $20
Wed. Mar. 7, 7:30 $25
Earth, Wind & Fire Fri. Mar. 9, 7:30 $40
#berryfest18 Sawyer Brown
Sat. Mar. 10, 3:30 $20
Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds & Anthony Hamilton Sat. Mar. 10, 7:30 $35
Chase Bryant
Sun. Mar. 11, 3:30 $20
Brad Paisley
Sun. Mar. 11, 7:30 $50
Visit FLstrawberryfestival.com or call 813-754-1996 and get your tickets for the best seats available! While online, check out the Free Entertainment and Special Days for Discounts and full Schedule of Festival Events.
Concert dates and times are subject to change
• Florida Dairy Farmers • Netterfield’s Concessions • Verizon Wireless • Images Everywhere! • Circle-K • Candyland Warehouse • AMSCOT • DIRECTV • Stingray Chevrolet • Good Health Saunas • Uncommon USA • Wyndam Vacation Resorts • Local Ford Dealers • TECO • Astin Farms • MetroPCS• Global Frequency Technology • Alessi • O’Reilly Auto Parts • General RV Center • 1-800-411-PAIN • Timeshare Exit Team • Vision Auto Glass INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
37
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE
38
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
39
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE
40
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
41
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE
42
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Fresh from Florida Mineral for your Livestock Needs: FMS Super-Mol Blocks, Tubs and Minerals now fortified with
We Proudly Support the Plant City Strawberry Festival Youth Livestock Scholarship Program
Come out and see the students agriculture projects and the future leaders of Florida Agriculture at the Florida Strawberry Festival March 1 - 11, 2018 www.flstrawberryfestival.com
Florida Mineral Salt and Agricultural Products SUPER-MIN™ SUPER-MOL™ SUPER-PRO™ LIVESTOCK SUPPLEMENTS www. floridamineral.com
CALL TODAY TO ADVERTISE! NOW HIRING SALES PERSON! OFFICE PHONE
813-759-6909
www. intheeeldmagazine.com INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
43
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE
44
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
45
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Frozen Seed Vault Protects Against Disaster
by John Dicks
Frozen seeds. Think of them as our global emergency stash. If something goes really, really wrong, whether it’s war, or a climate calamity or even an alien invasion, if in an instant our food supplies were to disappear, what would we do? Fortunately (though we really hope this idea never has to be truly tested) a consortium of governments, scientists and engineers have been working to solve this nightmare. Way up north on our Globe, some 800 miles north of the arctic circle (but still south of the north pole) is what has been called the world’s most important freezer, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Opened ten years ago, it is the world’s largest secure seed storage. Developed with the purpose “to provide insurance against both incremental and catastrophic loss of crop diversity” its location was chosen below the permafrost line and built into rock about 400 feet from its entrance. The idea is that seeds preserved there would remain frozen and viable even in the event of a power failure or sudden increase in temperature above ground. The Seed Vault is owned and administered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food on behalf of the Kingdom of Norway. It spent $9 million to build the facility, which frankly, considering its location and unique engineering, sounds like a bargain. There are actually three vaults within the facility, each are essentially 30 feet square and 20 feet high. If completely filled, it could store 4.5 million varieties of crops, each containing on average 500 seeds, creating a storage capacity for 2.25 billion seeds! The facility maintains an online database so that anyone (good guy or bad) can see how many seeds have been stored, and by whom. I emphasize whom because the list records some 15 depositors as “unknown.” You can find the database at www.nordgen.org/sgsv Of the 234 “countries” listed on the database, India has stored three times as many seeds as any other country with a deposit of nearly 95 million. The United
States is number four with almost 21 million. Numbers six and eight are listed as “unknown,” the largest with about 17 million in the frozen storage. Interesting is that even Antarctica has gotten into the act by having 400 listed seeds on deposit. You’d think that a polar explorer could just keep some seeds at the South Pole research station; but there was that time, Christmas day, 2011, when the temperature at the South Pole hit a record of nearly 10 degrees! Still frozen, of course, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry. The temperature at the Seed Vault is kept right at zero degrees Fahrenheit. Seeds are sealed in specially designed 4-ply foil packages and further sealed in boxes stacked on shelves within the vault. The hope is that the frozen temperature, low humidity and total lack of light will keep the seeds viable for decades, centuries or in some cases even thousands of years. Of course, you wonder about security for such a facility. A humanitarian crisis or global famine would likely cause a mad rush to get to the seeds, but the policy, at least, is that only the depositors of the seeds will get access to them. Already, though, some have been withdrawn. I was curious about whether there are any limitations on what type of seeds can be stored. Fruits and vegetables can, but there are prohibitions on certain seeds such as cannabis (marijuana) and poppies. The same is true with genetically modified seeds, which is generally prohibited from import in Norway anyway. It should be noted that many, if not most, countries maintain their own storage of key plant varieties. It’s estimated that worldwide there are more than 1,700 gene banks which hold collections of food crops for safekeeping. However, many of these are deemed to be vulnerable to disasters or other external forces. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is meant to work as a backup to those back-ups. As such, it holds the most diverse collection of food crop seeds in the world.
PAGE
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.
46
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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
1996
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
2003
Present
©2017 International Paper Company. All rights reserved.
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
47
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Tree Cleaners: The Stock Island Tree Snail Little known fact: snail collecting is a thing. The only snail collecting I’ve ever been exposed to was after Hurricane Irma. My yard was inundated with those giant water snails (apple snails) and I was busy collecting them from my property to prevent the inevitable stench that would accompany them from too much time out in the sun once the swamp that was my acre dried out. Apparently, though, there are people that collect snails as a sort of hobby. And although the Stock Island Tree Snail isn’t nearly as vibrant, or as radiantly colored, as many others, it has suffered the consequences of this unusual trend. Of course, that’s not why it’s on the federally threatened list. And, it’s not why this snail is considered endangered in Florida,¹ But before we get to that, let’s learn a little about them. The Orthalicus reses, or Stock Island Tree Snail, is arboreal, which simply means it lives in trees. It’s known for living on Stock Island and in Key West. It’s a large snail that can reach up to 2.2 inches in length.² You will find that it has three bands that are poorly developed and there are horizontal stripes in a purple-brown hue. The shell is pretty translucent and rather lightweight. The lightness of its overall color scheme is what differentiates it from others in this genus.¹ These snails like to eat the things that grow on the surface of the trees they inhabit. The fancy word for stuff that grows on the surface of plants is: epiphytic. So, the snail eats epiphytic algae, lichens, and fungi, and, if this doesn’t weird you out, the snails are hermaphrodites. That means they have both genders’ reproductive organs. They will mate in late summer or the early fall and nest at that time as well. This time frame is right at the wettest part of our Florida rainy season.² Nests are made in the humus. Apparently, carbon is very important to them and it is this layer of soil that allows carbon to reach its highest stability. They will then lay 15 eggs in a clutch. The laying process can last anywhere from as short as 24 hours, to as long as 105! When the spring comes, and the rainy season has returned, the eggs hatch.² Once the eggs hatch, the wee baby snails start climbing up trees, since they are only on the ground for the purpose of traveling from one tree to another or nesting. These babies won’t nest until they are two or three years old and can live to be six years old.¹ Their rate of growth is wholly dependent upon how much food is accessible and how quickly it can be replenished. Light intensity and moisture directly affects vregrowth of the epiphytic lichens, algae and fungi. Hammock habitats appear to offer the snails the best food sources. And, their dinner grows on hardwood tree trunks, leaves, and branches. The snails may also eat small mites and mixobacteria, but researchers are not certain of this. They feed throughout the day, but the peak time is between late afternoon and midmorning. Of course, while it’s raining, or right after it finished, seems to be an optimum time as well.¹
PAGE PAGE
We mentioned that collectors have done some damage to the population of the Stock Island Tree Snail. However, the greatest threat lies in humanity’s desire to modify their natural habitats. Urban development in Southern Florida, particularly the Keys, has created a good deal of trouble. Their habitats are being degraded, fragmented, and destroyed. Additional threats come from pesticides and predation. It would appear that birds, black rats, fire ants, and even raccoons are quite fond of these snails. In fact, the fire ants seem to be one of the most significant contributors to population decline.²
48 48
IN INTTHE HEFFIELD IELDM MAGAZINE AGAZINE
February February 2018 2018
By: Ginny Mink
While there are scientists and researchers who want to create plans to better manage the remaining snail populations found in Florida, there are some problems. Unfortunately, nothing has been published about their life history, and no new information has been gleaned, since a 1987 study. The other issue is that collectors have been moving the snails to areas outside of their original habitats. Although moving them may have rescued them from extinction, it has also made it increasingly difficult to manage and protect them since they are outside their normal location range.¹ As much as we would like to give you some advice as to how to help these snails, we simply don’t know. Attempts to breed them in captivity have largely failed. The best thing we can suggest is that if you happen to hear about someone considering the hobby of snail collecting, advise against it. Let people k n o w that this behavior is endangering Florida’s snail populations. Since they essentially clean the trees they live on, this is a creature that serves a God given purpose and deserves to remain on this planet and specifically in Florida. Resources: ¹ Fish and Wildlife Service. https://www.fws. gov/verobeach/MSRPPDFs/StockIslandTreeSnail. pdf ²Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/imperiled/profiles/invertebrates/stock-island-tree-snail/ Photo Credits: Judy Gallagher. 2017. Tree Snail. Flickr (https://flic.kr/p/RLpEHq)- probably not a Stock Island Tree Snail. Kenneth Cole Schneider. 2017. Florida Tree Snail 2-20170329. Flickr (https://flic.kr/p/ ToB9Rn)- probably not a Stock Island Tree Snail. WWW. INITNHE FIELD MM AGAZINE.COM WWW. THE FIELD AGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
49
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Ten Ways to Save Potable Water in Your Landscape Lynn Barber, IF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County
Why should we care if we save potable water in the landscape? Potable water is drinking water. The University of Florida’s Water Initiatives state: “Florida’s Department of Environmental Protections (DEP) estimates that by 2020, Florida’s population is expected to increase 25 percent from 15.9 million residents today to about 21.8 million residents. Even though Florida averages 54 inches of rain per year, to meet this expected increased demand Florida will need 9.1 billion gallons of fresh water per day, a 26.4 percent increase from today. As the demand continues to increase, water supply needs are already exceeding capacity in some areas of the state.” Each of us needs to consider ways we can save potable water in our landscapes. Here are some examples of FloridaFriendly Landscaping™ principles and related practices that conserve water: Grow drought tolerant plants which require significantly less/ minimal-to-no water after establishment. All plants need water to become established, meaning root and shoot growth. How do you know if your plants are drought tolerant? Order a free copy of The Florida-Friendly Landscaping Guide to Landscape Design and Plant Selection from http:watermatters.org. Look under free publications. This Guide provides information on plant materials for central Florida, our area, and the key is useful to identify plants with high, medium, low or no drought tolerance.
PAGE
Hydrozone your plants. This means grouping your plants according to their watering needs. Again, the Plant Selection Guide will be beneficial because it shows the soil moisture needed by the plants in the Guide, from well drained to wet and four categories in between. An example would be planting an herb garden and cactus together. If you water the herbs to meet their needs, the cactus will be overwatered and die.
50
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
Plant groundcovers instead of turfgrass where turf is not purposeful because groundcovers require less water, fertilizer and pesticides. Turfgrass purposes can include play areas for your children, a pet area for dogs, putting green, etc. The Guide referred to provides several groundcovers that will work in our area of the state. Just note the site conditions (sun, shade, soil texture, soil pH, soil moisture) in your landscape and select accordingly. If you live in a deed restricted community, check your deed restrictions, meet with your landscape review or architectural control committees as required before making changes. Mulch landscape beds (2-3 inches deep after settling). Mulch is beneficial because it retains moisture in the soil, moderates soil temperature, reduces runoff and erosion, improves soil structure, suppresses weeds, enhances the beauty of the landscape, provides increased area for root growth and protects plants from lawnmowers and weed eaters. Organic mulches recommended include Eucalyptus, Melaleuca (Punk tree), Pine bark, Pine straw and Oak leaves. Microirrigation is great for landscape beds, providing gallons per hour versus per minute from an inground irrigation system. This irrigation method not only conserves water, but is less restricted by current water restrictions. If you have not attended a free microirrigation workshop for Hillsborough County residents, you may want to register for one at: http:// hillsborough.ifas.ufl.edu/calendar.shtml. We provide one free microirrigation kit per household, one time only. Apply ½ - ¾ inch of water per event (irrigation or rainfall), which is all plants need per watering event. How do you know how much water you received from rainfall? Use a rain gauge to determine whether this amount has been reached and empty the rain gauge after viewing it. You can also do a ‘catch WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
can test’ to determine the amount of water your inground irrigation system is providing by individual zone. For more information on the ‘catch can test,’ please see the University of Florida publication, Irrigation System Maintenance, and read the section on calibration at: http://www.gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/water/articles/ systems/maintenance.shtml. Florida Statute Florida Statute 373.62 (2009) requires a functioning rain shutoff device where inground irrigation has been installed. The life expectancy of some of these devices is 1-5 years. Is yours working? If your irrigation system is running during a rainfall event, chances are it is not functioning. Call Paula Staples, UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, 813-744-5519 x 54142, for more information on how to determine if your rain shutoff device is working correctly or if you need to look at alternatives. Please refer to the University of Florida publication, Residential Irrigation System Rainfall Shutoff Devices, or Rain Sensors, by Michael D. Dukes and Dorota Z. Haman, at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ae221. Harvest rainwater to water ornamental plants, not edibles, if captured from your roof. If you have not attended a free rainwater harvesting workshop for Hillsborough County residents, you may want to register for one at: http://hillsborough.ifas.ufl. edu/calendar.shtml. We provide one free drilled and spigoted rain barrel per household, one time only. If you are a high water user, 15,000 gallons per month or more, you can contact our office, talk with Paula Staples, see above contact information, to determine if you qualify for a free irrigation evaluation. Check your water bill which shows the number of gallons of water you are consuming. Bottom line: all of us have a stake in and impact the future. Conserving water in our landscapes is really an easy ‘fix’. For assistance with horticultural questions, call: 813-744-5519 or visit us at the UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, 5339 County Road 579, Seffner, FL 33584. More gardening and workshop information is available at: http://hillsborough.ifas.ufl.edu. Remember to reuse, reduce and recycle. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
51
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Recipes
Courtesy of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Chef Justin Timineri
Florida Strawberry Cupcakes
DIRECTIONS Preheat oven per box instructions. Line a cupcake pan with liners and set aside. Prepare cupcake batter per instructions. Next, fold in the diced strawberries. Evenly divide the batter in the liners, about 2/3 full (do not overfill). Bake per box instructions. Set aside to cool completely. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper. Melt the dark chocolate over a double boiler on low heat, stirring often. Dip each strawberry in the melted chocolate, 2/3 the way up, allow excess to drip off. Place berries on the baking sheet and refrigerate until chocolate is set.
INGREDIENTS 12 fresh Florida strawberries, whole 1 ½ cups Florida strawberries, rinsed, and diced fine (reserve ½ cup for sauce) 1 teaspoon natural Florida sugar 1 cup dark or milk chocolate chips ½ teaspoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 cake mix, store bought or homemade 12 ounces cream cheese frosting, store bought or homemade
q
In a small pot over medium-low heat combine the reserved ½ cup diced strawberries, cornstarch, lemon juice and sugar. Cook, while stirring, until a sauce has formed, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Once cool, use a blender to create a puree. In a medium-sized bowl add the frosting and the puree. Gently swirl together and do not over mix. Fill a pastry or sandwich bag with the frosting and frost the cupcakes. Top with a chocolate dipped strawberry.
Florida Strawberry Brie
q
Ingredients 1 cup Florida strawberries, chopped 1/2 cup Florida pecans, chopped 3 tablespoons strawberry jam or preserves 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 1 (6-inch) wheel brie cheese 1 ½ tablespoons fresh lime zest 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
DIRECTIONS
PAGE
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a small sauce pot, cook jam and vinegar over medium heat until bubbly. Place brie on an oven-safe serving platter or dish. Place chopped strawberries and pecans on top of brie wheel. Cover with jam mixture. Bake brie wheel until it is warm and soft, about 15 minutes. Garnish with chopped mint leaves. Serve immediately with crackers or crusty bread.
52
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
PARKESDALE’S Sweet LineUp.
1
Strawberry Shortcake
2
3
SStrawberry b Shortcake & Ice Cream
4
SSunday d B Boat
Berries & Cream
(Strawberries &VanillaIceCream)
5
Milkshakes VotedBest DrinkableDessert byFoodNetwork
PARKESDALE 3702 W. Baker Street • Plant City, FL.
Hwy 92 west of Plant City limits off I-4 between exits 17 & 19 OPEN 9-6PM OPEN 7 DAYS
w w w. p a r ke s d a l e. co m INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
53
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
75866-1
By Ginny Mink
Ornamental Gardening in Florida We must admit to you that this copy of Ornamental Gardening in Florida has seen better days. We’ve been using it now for almost four years and it’s beginning to really show its age. But, truth be told, a book deserves to be well loved and used. Mr. Torrey Simpson’s book has certainly taken us on some educational adventures upon the Literary Time Machine. We can only hope that it will outlast our voyage here. When last we spoke, Mr. Torrey Simpson was illuminating his views on patriotism via the love of ornamental plants, specifically due to the Royal Poinciana. Now he speaks of another tree with which he is fond. The silk cotton. “E. anfractuosum is a majestic tree reaching a height of a hundred feet with a clean, straight columnar trunk and digitate leaves. I have a fine specimen about fifteen years old that is fully seventy feet high and has a trunk nearly two feet in diameter above the sharp, straight buttresses…This tree has not bloomed but I have reason to believe that the flowers are whitish and in clusters.”¹ We can’t imagine waiting 15 years for a tree to bloom, but when you are as devoted to horticulture as he was, it must be normal. He mentions several other trees but doesn’t seem to get too worked up about any of them and therefore we forged ahead on this journey of discovery until he mentioned the Grevillea robusta. He writes, “A tree from Australia which reaches a large size in the middle of the state but does not do so well here, probably because the climate is too warm for it. At Avon Park I have seen a magnificent tree fifty feet high with a trunk eighteen inches in diameter and loaded with bloom. This is the Silk oak or Fern plant which is largely cultivated in the north for its attractive leaves and growth but it never reaches blooming size there. Here in spring it bears one-sided heads of dull orange flowers. G. hilliana, was offered by Reasoner Brothers and I have two trees of it in my grounds. One of them bears carmine flowers in a dense head from December to May, a very attractive tree, and those of the other are creamy white. Both do well in pineland and I have an idea they will stand some frost.”¹ We had never heard of a silk oak or fern plant and wondered if it was still a popular ornamental tool. You’d never believe where we found some answers. In the Los Angeles Times! Bettijane Levine wrote about the tree in the May 31, 2007 edition. Her article is entitled: Silk oak, a towering beauty that’s a bit of a wallflower. She describes it as having “showy orangegold blooms and fern-like leaves.”² Someone she interviewed revealed, “In China, the leaves are used for treating cuts and scratches. And it has those beautiful, spidery flowers. I love them, and so do orioles and hummingbirds.”² If hummingbirds like them, then perhaps this is a tree worth further investigation as we happen to be big fans of hummingbirds.
PAGE
A quick search for purchase options revealed that Lowe’s at least has it listed. And, their write up adds that the tree tolerates poor soils. Plus, they were charging less than $25 for
54
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
Part 41
a 3.25 gallon tree. Unfortunately, the Lowe’s in our area was not stocking them and it appears delivery isn’t an option either. The trees weren’t available at the Plant City Lowe’s either. We kept searching and found some for sale in Ocala via Eldon Tropicals. Unfortunately, their site reveals that these trees are not good in soggy soil. Living in the swamp puts a damper (pun intended) on many things. But, those of you in Plant City can get your small seedling from that site for $14. In case you’re looking for a way to coax those hummingbirds into your garden. We will close with another interesting sounding tree, the Jacaranda mimosaefolia. Torrey Simpson elaborates, “A splendid large, flowering tree from Brazil which is considerably planted in the southern third of Florida. Its great leaves are decompound, as delicately beautiful as those of any fern and throughout most of the rainy season it bears great panicles of rich blue, trumpet shaped flowers. The botanist Jussieu with fine taste gave the beautiful native name Jacaranda to this genus.”¹ Who’s Jussieu we wondered. We discovered the answer in the Encyclopedia Britannica. He was a French botanist that lived between 1748 and 1836. Supposedly he, “…developed the principles that served as the foundation of a natural system of plant classification.”³ We then wondered why Torrey Simpson was so impressed with the name, Jacaranda. So, we looked it up. Merriam-Webster revealed the definition to be, “any of a genus (Jacaranda) of tropical American trees of the bignonia family with bipinnate leaves and panicles of showy usually blue flowers.”⁴ This word was apparently first used in 1753. Since Jussieu would have only been six at the time, we cannot credit him for its invention. Regardless, Mr. Torrey Simpson was very impressed with the man’s work and probably equally impressed with the tree he named. We’re just sorry that Reasoner Brothers isn’t around anymore to provide us with Silk Oaks. Not that it would matter, they don’t like soggy soil. Ah well. Maybe the next voyage will produce information on another hummingbird attracting option. Until then, happy planting! 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. 151-154). ²Levine, B. (2007). Silk oak, a towering beauty that’s a bit of a wallflower. Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/home/la-hm-silkoak31may31-story.html ³Encyclopedia Britannica. Antoine-Laurent de Jussieu. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Antoine-Laurent-de-Jussieu ⁴Merriam-Webster. Jacaranda. https://www.merriam-webster.com/ dictionary/jacaranda Photo Credits: Jim Mullhaupt. 2009. Silk Oak Tree Blooms. Grevillea robusta. Flickr (https://flic.kr/p/6cz2o6) Mauroguanandi. 2010. Jacaranda. Flickr (https://flic.kr/p/8TzsjH) WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
813-628-0600 FLAORGANIC.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
55
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE PAGE
56 56
HEFFIELD IELDM MAGAZINE AGAZINE ININTTHE
February 2018 2018 February
WWW. INHE THE FIELD AGAZINE.COM WWW. INT FIELD MM AGAZINE.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
February 2018
57
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE
58
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
59
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
IT’S STRAWBERRY TIME AT TURKEY CREEK MIDDLE SCHOOL AND MORE
By Jim Frankowiak The Turkey Creek Middle School FFA Strawberry Project has two upcoming activities to help celebrate and showcase National FFA Week. The first is a special opportunity Wednesday, February 21, for six kindergarten classes from Robinson Elementary School to visit and pick their own strawberries at Turkey Creek Middle School’s FFA Strawberry Project. The young U-Pickers from Robinson Elementary will also receive strawberry-themed promotional items during their visit to Turkey Creek Middle School thanks to “Strawberry Sue” Harrell and the Florida Strawberry Growers Association (FSGA). Saturday of that same week, the public is invited to pick strawberries as part of the Relay for Life U-Pick at Turkey Creek Middle School. The U-Pick will run from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. February 24th. The Turkey Creek FFA Strawberry Project is sponsored by Tres McQuaig, Astin Farms and McQuaig Farms. Farmers McQuaig and Mike Connell ensure the Turkey Creek field is well maintained and guide FFA student members through a hands-on approach. Farmer Connell is in charge of the Turkey Creek strawberry field, helping students maintain and fertilize, while protecting plants from dangerously cold temperatures. FFA was established in 1928 and the Turkey Creek FFA Chapter has been making history since 1936. It was actually a “Strawberry School” until 1956. That designation meant the school was closed for the 3-month strawberry picking season every year. In those days, everyone had to pick berries, and while things have changed, the Strawberry Project continues that heartfelt tradition.
PAGE
Through the local support of Astin Farms and McQuaig Farms, Turkey Creek FFA students plant, pick and sell strawberries. That process begins in late October when students learn how
60
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
to prepare the land, forming the beds and laying drip irrigation and plastic mulch. The project utilizes the latest technology and a global positioning system (GPS) helps drivers set straight rows in perfect locations. The Strawberry Project has added educational aspects such as comparing drip and overhead irrigation systems, plant descriptions and correct procedures for planting. Season long discussions will include how varieties of strawberries, insects, diseases and marketing all impact the strawberry industry in this part of Florida. In addition to strawberries, Turkey Creek FFA members will also be selling onions to the public. Allison Sparkman and Buddy Coleman are FFA advisors and Ag teachers at Turkey Creek Middle Schools. Fredda Johnson is principal and Vicki Kummelman and David Okegbola are Assistant Principals. More News Coleman, who is also a member of the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau Board of Directors, was recently elected President of the Florida Association of Agricultural Educators (FAAE) and Turkey Creek was named the National Association of Ag Educators “Outstanding Middle School Program.” FAAE is an organization of professionals dedicated to providing visionary leadership, advocacy and service for agriscience educators teaching students about agriculture, food and natural resources. Through these subjects, agricultural educators teach students a wide variety of skills, including science, math, communications, leadership, management and technology. FAAE is part of a nationwide organization. Most recently, Austin Holcomb, a student at Turkey Creek Middle School, took home District Extemporaneous Public Speaking honors and is headed to the state convention competition in June. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
AGRICLTURE SECRETARY NAMES DOVER GROWER TO HEAD STATE COMMITTEE By Jim Frankowiak
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has named Michelle Williamson to chair the Florida U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Committee. The state committee is responsible for the oversight of farm programs and county committee operations, resolving appeals from the agriculture community and helping to keep producers informed about FSA programs. “I am honored to have been chosen to serve Florida agriculture, and I look forward to working with Florida farmers,” said Williamson. Joining her on the FSA State Committee are: Mike Adams of Jennings; Mack Glass of Marianna and Mark Sodders of North Palm Beach. As manager of G & F Farms in Dover, Williamson oversees the Food Safety and Regulatory Compliance programs and manages the Human Resources Department. She has served as a board member for the Florida Strawberry Growers Association (FSGA), Florida Farm Bureau State Board of Directors and Hillsborough County Citizen’s Environmental Advisory Council (CEAC). Williamson currently serves on the Governing Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD), the board of Hillsborough County Farm Bureau, Hillsborough County Agriculture Economic Development Council and International Council of Responsible Farming. Additionally, she has served as the State Chair and Vice Chair of the Florida Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee and the District 5 Chair of the Florida Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee. Williamson has also served on Vegetable Advisory and Labor Com-
Williamson received her Associate in Arts Degree from Hillsborough Community College and has completed coursework toward a Bachelor of Applied Science in Management at Polk State College. The FSA serves farmers, ranchers and agricultural partners through the delivery of effective, efficient agricultural programs. The agency offers farmers a safety net through the administration for farm commodity and disaster programs. FSA continues to conserve natural resources and provides credit to agricultural producers who are unable to receive private, commercial credit, including special emphasis on beginning, underserved and women farmers and ranchers. Secretary Perdue has committed the USDA to continually be fact-based and data-driven with a decisionmaking mindset that is customer-focused. He has four guiding principles: “to maximize the ability of American agriculture to create jobs, sell food and fiber, and feed and clothe the world; to prioritize customer service for the taxpayers; to ensure that our food supply is safe and secure; and to maintain good stewardship of the natural resources that provide us with our miraculous bounty.” Understanding that we live in a global economy where trade is of top importance, Secretary Perdue has pledge to be an “unapologetic advocate for American agriculture.” INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
61
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
mittees for Florida Farm Bureau. She also served on the American Farm Bureau Labor Advisory Committee and is a member of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA) Labor Advisory Committee.
TWO, NEW STRAWBERRY VARIETIES INTRODUCED By Jim Frankowiak
Florida Brilliance Florida strawberry growers have a new variety this season – Florida Beauty -- and another –Florida Brilliance -- is set for introduction next year.
450-acres of Florida Beauty have been planted this season in Florida with expansion anticipated in future seasons. Florida Beauty is a 2012 seedling selection.
The variety being enjoyed by consumers for the first time this season, Florida Beauty, “is second only to Sweet Sensation® ‘Florida 127’, in terms of flavor,” said Dr. Vance Whitaker, strawberry breeder at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC). “It features a great balance with a little more acid kick than Sweet Sensation®, but also plenty of sweetness. It’s probably the darkest red of the varieties and at times is less firm, but always juicy and never mushy – a really nice texture.”
For the 2017-18 strawberry season in Hillsborough County, approximately 10,500-acres have been planted with a $500 million farm gate value and a $1 billion total impact. The season’s primary variety is Radiance at 60 percent, followed by Sensation® at 25 percent.
One aspect of Florida Beauty that is of importance to growers is its characteristic as a day-neutral cultivar, “the first variety with that characteristic released from our program,” said Whitaker. All of the other varieties are short day cultivars. “The combination of day-neutrality with Florida genetics enables growers to plant earlier here in Florida even though days are longer and there is more heat than the climate in California where day-neutrals are typically grown.
PAGE
“This early day-neutral trait of Florida Beauty complements other Florida varieties and enables growers to smooth out production,” said Whitaker, who noted approximately
62
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
The variety set for commercial introduction in the 2018-2019 Florida strawberry season is Florida Brilliance, a short-day variety “similar in some ways to Radiance, but able to be planted earlier in the season,” noted Whitaker. “Its fruit is also larger and firmer than Radiance with a glossy shine and consistent heart shape that makes it very attractive. It has a bright, juicy flavor, but is also the most firm textured of all the varieties grown in this market. That firmness helps give it great shelf life, keeping it looking brilliant after several days in the refrigerator.” Florida Brilliance was a 2013 seedling selection. “Once a variety has been selected for commercialization, it takes three years before it can be commercially released,” said Whitaker. “We need this three year period to bulk up nursery stock as we transition from test tube to nursery stock, a dramatic growth in plant numbers from several hundred to multiple WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Florida Brilliance millions.” For example, Whitaker noted 600-acres of a single strawberry variety require 10 million plants. He also noted that the development of new strawberry varieties is a true “team effort” involving Whitaker and his UF breeding program colleagues, the Florida Strawberry Growers Association (FSGA), Ekland Marketing and the Florida Foundation Seed Producers (FFSP). “UF owns the varieties, patents them and they are licensed to the FSGA for sale in the U.S. and Canada with Ekland engaged in marketing of the varieties internationally,” he said.
Florida Beauty A large portion of revenues generated from the sale of patented strawberry plant varieties funds ongoing research at the GCREC. Current research programs being supported by the FSGA target improved production methodologies, flavor enhancement, increased plant disease resistance, increased water use efficiencies, in-house tissue culture and other areas that help support industry sustainability. For more information about the GCREC, visit: gcrec.ifas.ufl. edu. FSGA information is available at: floridastrawberry.org.
Florida Beauty
Dr. Vance Whitaker, strawberry breeder at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC). INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
63
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
ANOTHER SIDE OF THE ANNUAL FLORIDA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL By Jim Frankowiak Strawberries are most certainly the star of the annual Florida Strawberry Festival, but there’s another side of this annual event that’s pretty important, too. That is agriculture as it is reflected through the competitive events involving hundreds of youth, showing cattle, swine and the plants they have grown. Those events are important vehicles that foster community support through extensive volunteerism and financial rewards for the youth who compete. That’s a legacy that is broad and deep and probably best understood if you consider the group of individuals leading the agricultural engagement of youth at the Festival. Jim Jeffries, a Festival Board Member and head of the Agriculture Committee, has been involved with the Festival going on nearly 50 years. Jeffries, who grew up on a farm in Polk County with citrus, cattle and a garden, first became involved with the Festival in the early 70s as an Ag teacher at East Bay High School. Fellow teacher, George Ruis, asked him to assist. “We had a small petting zoo under the grandstand with lambs, sheep, chickens, rabbits and small goats and calves,” he said. Later it was held in a larger tent, but is no longer a Festival event due to safety concerns. Jeffries had been head of the Steer Committee and was named to his current post in 2006, two years before he retired from his position as Supervisor of Agriculture for Hillsborough County Schools. His committee includes chairs of all Festival youth agricultural committees. Given his involvement with the Festival, Jeffries has deep appreciation for its many facets. “I love agriculture and the kids,” he said. “These activities, as so many associated with the Festival, could not be what they are without the volunteers, and that’s not just for the run of the Festival since many of our committees work with youth throughout the year.” Local businesses play an important role in the support of these youth events. “Many local businesses purchase the cattle and swine in these events, often adding on to the winning bid,” Jeffries said. “We have upwards of 500 youth competing and it is so gratifying to see financial support on average of $750,000 each of the last five years.” While some of that money helps to defray costs associated with the individual entries, the majority of it is “profit” used by many competitors to help pay for college and related expenses. “The kids are heavily invested in their projects and our buyers realize that and respond accordingly.” The last few years these events have attracted 100-plus steers, 85 swine, 170 plants and 80 beef breed animals, 125 dairy cows and over 130 poultry and rabbits. Some of the 500 involved youth have multiple entries. Most are either 4-H or FFA members.
PAGE
“I am just so thankful for the support of our volunteers, our sponsors – particularly Astin Farms, the Grimes Family, the Swindle Family, Patterson Companies, Mosaic, Grove Equipment, Choo Choo Lawn Equipment, G Five Feed & Outdoor and Traeger Grills. Also, critical to our success are the community at large and the Festival staff,” said Jeffries. “Paul Davis and his staff are great.”
64
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
Dan Walden, vice chairman of the livestock committee, has been associated the Festival since 1978, serving on a variety of committees and two terms as association president. “My mother was a teacher and my father was a farmer,” noted Walden. “That motivated me to become involved with the Festival as it was a natural transition to work with our youth program in the Ag arena and help to orchestrate a successful event each year. A Plant City native, Walden has worked in education and the insurance industry, working with Poppell Insurance. He and his wife Pam, who is the Agriculture and Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) for Hillsborough County Schools, have two children, Tasha and Beau, who both participated in numerous 4-H and FFA activities at the Festival. “The various Festival directors and staff I have worked with over the years have taught me a great deal, and I am thankful for their guidance. I would also like to thank all of our volunteers, board and associate board members along with directors emeritus and staff for their untiring help.” “The good Lord has truly blessed me with a great family, who have been or are currently involved in the Festival,” Walden said. “Our Festival has been blessed with success and safety, and we always want to give thanks for this and particularly the efforts of our law enforcement officials.” Walden shares Jeffries appreciation for community support of the youth activities and Festival which they both believe “is unmatched anywhere else in Florida and beyond.” Jon Poppell, an additional member of the Ag Committee, is also a Plant City native. He participated in the Strawberry Festival as an FFA member at Turkey Creek Junior and Plant City High Schools. Jon and his wife Leslie, who attended the same schools and was also active in FFA, have two sons Daniel and Seth. Both exhibited many animals at the Festival. Jon is an Associate Board member. “I enjoy helping with kids and the difference it offers me from my work,” said Poppell. “These kids are smart and motivated. I had steers when I was their age and it’s just natural for me to keep involved. The support we receive for these programs sets us apart and I am glad to be involved.” Kenneth Parker, executive director of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association (FSGA) and superintendent of the Festival’s Steer Show and Sales, traces his involvement in the Festival to the third grade when he showed livestock. “A lot of people supported and invested me when I was a kid,” said Parker. “I also love Ag and my involvement with these activities at the Festival will hopefully help youngsters achieve their goals. It’s also very special for me to be able to work with my former Ag teachers, Jim Jeffries, John Davidson and Ray Clark, who continue their involvement in Festival youth programs.” In addition to his work with the FSGA, Parker is also president of Hillsborough County Farm Bureau and partner at South Prong WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Ranch, a commercial cow, calf and hay operation in Lithia. He is a six generation Floridian married to Dee. They have two children, Jerrod and Calli Jo, who were both involved in youth programs at the Festival. Jerrod is a crop advisor for Chemical Dynamics and Calli Jo is a teacher at Knights Elementary.
If you take the time to look at the backgrounds of the men and women who form the basis of public and private leadership for the greater Plant City community, you will see that many participated as youth in the competitive programs that are part of each year’s Florida Strawberry Festival.
“Sometimes people forget or just don’t know that participating in these Festival youth competitions requires a 2.5 GPA,” said Parker. “Many of these competitors are college bound and the funds they receive from the competition are scholarships, enabling them to go on in school. You add to that a beautiful and safe venue that enables us to invest in kids that will return as productive citizens. We’re paying it back and investing in our future.”
Yes, locally grown strawberries are the star of each Festival, but Agriculture is right up there, particularly, the Ag programs involving youth. The community appreciates what that involvement means today and going forward. That is why substantial volunteer hours and dollars are put forth each year to support the youth of today as they strive to become tomorrow’s leaders. That’s a Festival legacy that’s benefitted Plant City for a number of generations and an important motivating factor for Jim Jeffries and his Ag Committee colleagues – Dan Walden, Jon Poppell and Kenneth Parker.
Pictured Left - Rgiht; Dan Walden. Kenneth Parker, Jim Jeffies & Jon Poppell
March 1st - 11th, 2018
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
65
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
BUY WHAT SURVIVED…AND OTHER ALTERNATIVES Lynn Barber, UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County
How many of your favorite plants were damaged by frost or freeze this winter? What were those plants? Were they tropical plants established in the ground and not suited for our zone, which is 9b? They could have been plants suited for our zone but were not the right plant in the right place. Micro-climates exist in our landscapes, so one plant may survive in a certain place, and in another location the same type plant may not. I’ve witnessed and been told about the demise of several tropical plants in Hillsborough County that are suited for more temperate zones than ours. Some include Poinciana, Mussaenda, Christmas Palm and Jacaranda. What can you do to increase the number of surviving plants? Here are a few tips: 1. Buy and plant what survived. In my landscape and ours at the Extension office, some survivors include Bulbine, Liriope, Ground orchid, Coontie and St. Bernard’s lily. This, however, depends on the location. 2. Repeat your successes. 3. Do not repeat your failures…unless you have a lot of time and money and little to do with either!
PAGE
4. If you must have tropicals suited for warmer zones, plant them in a pot placed on a plant coaster with wheels, so you can move them inside easily. You can
66
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
also grow tropicals on your lanai or front porch in pots and move them closer to the house in colder weather. Planting tropicals under mature trees can protect them from frost damage. 5. Can’t live without orchids? Buy a hanging clothes rack or garden cart with wheels. Load the plants on the rack or into the cart, then wheel them inside your garage, which can easily be 10-15 degrees warmer than the outside temperature. 6. Divide and share surviving plants with your friends and ask them to share theirs with you. 7. Order your own personal and free copy of The Florida-Friendly LandscapingTM Guide to Plant Selection & Landscape Design from the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s website: http://www.swfwmd. state.fl.us/publications/subject/landscaping. This is a great resource you will use time and time again to select appropriate plants for our zone. In this Guide, we are in the Central region of the state. We hope you will stop by our teaching/demonstration gardens at the Extension office to view our plant selections. Check out our calendar of events at: http:// hillsborough.ifas.ufl.edu/calendar.shtml. For horticultural assistance, contact the UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, 813-744-5519, or visit us at 5339 County Road 579, Seffner, FL 33584. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
STOP BY AND PICK UP SOME DELICIOUS STRAWBERRIES BECAUSE THEY’LL MAKE ANY OCCASION BERRY SPECIAL!
Mark Your
Calendar
U -Pick Annual 17th h c r a M
Produce Stand: 5212 Drane Field Rd. | 813.478.3486 or 813.754.4852 | FancyFarms.com
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
67
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Like us
AG TOUR
MILITARY AG TOUR SHOWCASES CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN AGRICULTURE By Jim Frankowiak
Hillsborough County recently hosted a free bus tour of local agriculture businesses to provide military veterans, reservists, transitioning active-duty personnel and their spouses the opportunity to explore career options in the agriculture industry. “Agriculture today focuses on the use of technology and management systems for the production of food, medicine, consumer products and energy,” noted Simon Bollin, tour organizer and a member of Hillsborough County Agriculture Industry Development staff. “Those are skills tour participants have honed during their military careers.” During the tour, participants were introduced to career paths and job opportunities within modern production agriculture operations and supporting industries by visiting a variety of farming operations and the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) at Balm in south central Hillsborough County.
Air Force veteran Adam Webster brought a different perspective as a current participant in the Veteran Ag Selection (VAS) Program based at the GCREC. As an aerospace medical technologist, Webster enrolled at the University of Florida once separated from the Air Force. He became enthralled with earth sciences and followed a curriculum of environmental science and policy. Married with two children, his wife participated in a MAT a year ago and became aware of the VAS program. Webster applied and was accepted and is now learning of the varied disciplines in the lab and field pursued at the GCREC. This paid internship of six to nine months will be followed by another of three months at an Ag industry company. “This is a great program that’s very flexible and supportive,” said Webster.
Participants gathered at Hillsborough County Extension in Seffner and traveled via charter bus to Aquatica Tropicals in Ruskin, a high-tech ornamental aquaculture production facility using state-of-the-art technology at its three locations.
In addition to discussing GCREC’s mission to develop and share new, science-based information and technology that will help Florida’s agricultural industry compete in the global marketplace, Dr. Rechcigl also detailed the agricultural education opportunities at the UF Plant City campus.
The group then stopped at Dunn Diehl Farms in Wimauma to tour an equestrian event facility, equine training operation and vegetable farm. The next tour stop was JayMar Produce, also in Wimauma. It is the sales arm of a company that ties together three farming entities that grow strawberries, cantaloupes, watermelons and other fruit. It is one of the largest strawberry operations in Florida.
Tour participants Jeremy and Eleana Sinnemaki were particularly pleased with the tour since it blended two areas of interest for them, agriculture and special events. He is a 14-year Air Force veteran with experience in avionics and recruitment. Prior to Hurricane Irma, the Sinnemaki’s had a very successful bed and breakfast on Florida’s east coast. “Hurricane Irma put an end to that business,” said Jeremy.
MAT participants then gathered at the GCREC for lunch and comments from Center Director Dr. Jack Rechcigl and several veterans now involved in agriculture that shared their experiences and offered advice to attendees seeking opportunities in agriculture.
The couple and their two children have plans to begin a blueberry farming operation in the Groveland area of central Florida that will also include a bed and breakfast and event facility. They want to capitalize on the growing desire for consumers to purchase locally grown products, have a hands on agriculture experience and organize events in an agricultural setting. Now in its third year, the MAT is organized through a partnership among Hillsborough County Economic Development, Hillsborough County Farm Bureau, Hillsborough County Extension Service and community partners committed to assisting transitioning veterans by providing meaningful connections to quality civilian career opportunities and training.
Marine veteran Josh Young, who is now co-owner of Guardian Soil Solutions, told the group how his Marine training and experience helped him transition from military service into the world of agribusiness. His company is a multifaceted agribusiness that specializes in soil health. “We use a holistic approach to the overall business of the farm, but we recognize that it all starts with the soil,” said Young. “Healthy soil is PAGE
needed to grow healthier crops with much higher yields. This, in turn, results in a healthier bottom line for our growers.”
68
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
69
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
A Closer LookAmazing Activities Naturally
by Sean Green
Ottoman Shoe Storage How many times have you come home from work and kicked your shoes off into the middle of the living room, simply because it was easier than walking them to the closet? If you have, you’re not alone. The living room is more convenient, but if the whole family does it, navigating through the array of shoes becomes equally tiresome. There was nifty idea on the internet for a DIY round ottoman made of wood. The inside of the ottoman was fitted with sewn pockets in which shoes could be stored. What a great idea! The trouble is, not many of us have the time and resources to undertake such a project, but, perhaps repurposing and a little bit of adaptive design change might suffice. This month we are repurposing a rectangular storage bin that once stored computer parts to become shoe storage and double as an ottoman. Rather than sew pockets, in this activity, we used scrap pieces of wood and other garage resources to make a useful addition for the living room.
Materials:
• Storage Bin • Peg Board • Pegs (that fit in peg board) • Scrap Wood • Saw • Glue (optional)
DIRECTIONS: Cut 3 pegboards to fit the length and height of the storage bin and fit them to the inside of the storage bin, one on each side and one going down the middle.
Cut scrap wood to fit between the pegboards, these “cubby walls” will be adjustable (if no glue is used).
Cut pegs to support “cubby walls”, adjust for the intended shoe.
Storage cubby can be adjusted as needed by moving the pegs to a different hole in the peg board. If you will not need adjustability, gluing the pegs into the pegboard will give more support to the cubby walls.
PAGE
The shoe storage can double as an ottoman, video game bench, footstool, and probably a number of other things and no one will be the wiser.
70
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
A Closer Look A Closer Look
by Sean Green Photo Credit: April Green
Red and Black Mason Wasp (Pachodynerus erynnis)
Bees and wasps are natures pollinators. Most of us are familiar with the “Honey Bee” which is a generic term for many species in the bee genus (Apis). In the United States, “European” honey bees are the result of several interbreeding subspecies, none of which are indigenous to the Americas. The introduction of these subspecies date to early American settlers in 1622, and the two dozen or so surviving subspecies are now naturalized on all continents except Antarctica. Although the honey bee is the most familiar pollinator in the world, it is by no means the only effective pollinator. There are thousands of solitary bee species, both indigenous and introduced, that are effective pollinators worldwide. While we all want pollinators in our fields and gardens, not all of us necessarily want the aggression that is associated with a nest of honey bees, wasps, or hornets. The term “eusocial” is used in biology to describe the highest known social organization of the animal world. Characteristically this includes overlapping generations, cooperative care of brood, and the division of labor, which for eusocial insects includes protecting the nest. Unlike aggressive eusocial insects, solitary wasps and bees do not have a nest per se, and therefore, lack the nest protecting instinct most of us find objectionable. Solitary wasps are ideal pollinators to attract to your garden or fields because they provide the benefit of pollination without the danger associated with the hive protection instinct of the eusocial wasps. More significant is the solitary wasp’s contribution to a sound integrated management program. Solitary wasps are effective predators of other insects, including caterpillars, spiders, beetles, grubs, and even other wasps or bees. This month we are going to take a closer look at a small wasp, known as the red and black mason wasp (Pachodynerus erynnis). The wasp genus Pachodynerus are a group of wasps within the subfamily Eumeninae, (the potter and mason wasps), so named for the pot shape of their mud nests. Some authorities believe Native American pottery designs were inspired by the nests of these wasps (von Frisch, 1974). There are about 50 species within the Pachodynerus genus throughout the New World and the red and black mason wasp (Pachodynerus erynnis) is the only red-marked species of its genus in the US (Matthews & Gonzalez 2004). This wasp looks like Darth Maul,
The red and black mason wasps create a masonry of regurgitated water and sand, mud or chewed leaves. The masonry is used to seal off a single cell egg chamber selected by the female wasp. Ideal egg chambers are typically the hollow stems of bamboo or reed but can be any pre-existing hole such as those created by woodpeckers or rusted out screws and nails in human structures. It’s not unusual for the red and black mason wasps to reuse structures created by other species, for example, old mud dauber nests are often repurposed by these wasps. When adults find a suitable site for their egg chamber, they begin their hunt for caterpillar; they seem to prefer the larvae of owlet moths (Noctuidae) which includes more than 11,000 species. When a caterpillar is found, the wasps paralyses it with a single sting and flies it to the egg chamber and carefully places it inside, often spending a few minutes positioning it. Once positioned to her satisfaction, she lays a single egg on top of the caterpillar within the chamber and seals the chamber with masonry she creates from her saliva and sand or mud. The wasp larvae feed on the caterpillar for a few weeks before pupating and finally emerging from the egg chamber as adults. Once the adults emerge, some ant species may invade the empty chamber to clean up the remains of the caterpillar, then the cycle continues, often utilizing the same egg chamber over and over again with each generation. The red and black mason wasps are so focused on their own tasks, they rarely react to human presence and are certainly not aggressive unless forced to by someone trying to pick them up or squish them. These wasps are safe pollinators, effective hunters, a true delight to watch. Solitary wasps such as these are integrated pest management at its best. I will encourage our readers to take a closer look at solitary wasps such as the red and black mason wasp as a maintenance free addition to the crops and gardens you want to keep pesticide free. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
71
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
the infamous red and black Sith Lord in the Star Wars series. For a prey insect, this wasp is a real-life Darth Maul, equally as cunning and hunts tirelessly for prey to serve up as meals for it’s young. Fortunately, an association with the “dark side” is not required to keep this ally working for us.
PAGE
72
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Smokin’ WE’RE
WWW.johnsonbarbeque.COM winter haven • plant city
W W W. I N T H E F I E L D M A G A Z I N E .C O M INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
small ads 3.56x4.8.indd 1
February 2018
73
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
3/28/14 10:15 AM
NEWS BRIEFS Compiled by Jim Frankowiak
SAFETY NET COVERAGE ENROLLMENT OPEN
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that farmers and ranchers with base acres in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) safety net programs may enroll for the 2018 crop year. The enrollment period ends August 1. Producers who made their elections in previous years must enroll during the current enrollment period. Additional information is available for both programs by visiting: www.fsa.usda.gov/arc-plc.
2018 MILEAGE RATE HIKE
The mileage rate for business use of a car, van, pick-up truck or panel truck has increased to 54.5 cents per mile in 2018, up from 53.5 cents per mile last year.
PRODUCE SAFETY RULE IN EFFECT
The Produce Safety Rule is now in effect for the largest growers in the U.S., those with $500,000 or more in revenue. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated the first year will focus less on regulation and compliance and more on education and readiness. Growers of covered produce are expected to be in compliance with four of the five parts of the rule: biological soil amendments; domesticated and wild animals; worker training and health and hygiene; and equipment, tools and buildings. Large produce growers will have until January 2022 to comply with agricultural water and testing standards. The FDA advises small farms with sales between $250,000 and $500,000 come under compliance in early 2019 and farms with sales greater than $25,000, but less than $250,000 will be regulated in January of 2020.
USDA-APHIS LISTENING SESSION MARCH 8 IN TAMPA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is hosting a local public listening session in reference to third party inspection and certification programs under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) to decrease the number of APHIS conducted inspections on facilities that participate in recognized programs. That session will be held March 8 in Tampa. For additional information and registration, visit the USDA APHIS Listening Sessions Website: www.aphis. usda.gov.
USDOT DETAILS ELD WAIVER FOR AG HAULERS
PAGE
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) began a 90-day waiver December 19 from the requirement for agricultural and livestock haulers to obtain Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs). The waiver will provide DOT time to further examine an exemption request from American Farm Bureau Federation while developing additional guidance for agricultural haulers. Waiver details can be found at: www.fmcsa.dot.gov.
74
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
FLORIDA AG PRODUCERS ELIGIBLE FOR ENHANCED CONSERVATION PROGRAM
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is encouraging Florida agricultural producers interested in enhanced conservation efforts to apply for the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). Applications are due by March 2 to be considered for the current funding period. Through CSP, Ag producers and forest landowners earn payments for actively managing, maintaining and expanding conservation activities like cover crops, ecologically-based pest management, buffer strips and pollinator habitat – all while maintaining active agriculture production on their land. Producers interested in CSP should contact their local USDA service center or visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/GetStarted.
USDA ISSUES 2018 FARM BILL & LEGISLATIVE PRINCIPLES
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has developed set of principles to share with Congress for consideration as they craft the Farm Bill and other legislation related to the agricultural economy. These principles were based in part on input received through interactions with men and women on the front lines of U.S. agriculture. Access to these principles is available via: www.usda.gov.
CONSTITITIONAL REVISION “LISTENING SESSION” SLATED FOR ST. PETE MARCH 13
Florida’s Constitution Revision Commission (CRC) has set a “listening session” in St. Petersburg Tuesday, March 13, from 1 – 7 p.m. for the public to give input on proposals that are alive and eligible for a vote before the full Commission. If passed, these proposals would be added to the ballot in November. Proposal 29 would mandate the use of e-Verify by all employers in the state and is of particular interest to Agriculture in Florida. The March session will be held at the University of South Florida – St. Petersburg, University Student Center, 200 6th Avenue, South, St. Petersburg, FL.
BRING WIND ENERGY TO YOUR FARM
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Renewable Development Assistance (REDA) program is a way to bring wind energy to your farm. The program seeks to increase energy independence by increasing the private sector supply of renewable energy, such as distributed wind, while decreasing the demand for energy through efficiency. These investments – over time – can also help lower energy costs. For more information, contact your State Rural Development Energy Coordinator who is listed at www.rd.usda.gov. Applications for the REDA program are accepted throughout the year. An additional source for information about wind energy is the website: windexchange.energy.gov.
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
75
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE
76
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
BEE SURE TO
visit us in the North Exhibit Tent at the Strawberry Festival. Gourmet Honey • Chocolates & Sauces Sprecher’s Honey-Brewed Soda Gifts
(863) 825-5245 5212 US Hwy 98 N • Lakeland, FL 33809 beehavenfl.com /BeeHavenHoneyFarm
HONEY • BEEKEEPING SUPPLIES NATURAL SKIN CARE INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
77
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
FARM BUREAU SEEKING PARTICIPANTS IN YOUTH SPEECH CONTEST By Jim Frankowiak
2018 Florida Farm Bureau’s Youth Speech Contest
Florida Farm Bureau Federation’s Rules Women’s Leadership Proand Information gram annually sponsors a statewide Youth Speech Contest with three levels of competition: County, District and State. The county winner proceeds to the district competition and that winner vies for the state win, competing against the other seven district winners. The state contest will be held at the Federation’s annual meeting in October. The purpose of the contest is to promote a stronger interest and clearer understanding of the many aspects of agriculture; to provide opportunities for youth to gain knowledge, appreciation and understanding of agriculture and help to promote agriculture’s many values and virtues. The Contest’s 2018 topic is “How has the introduction of agricultural mobile apps impacted the agriculture industry?” The competition is open to any student who is at least 14 years of age and not over age 18 as of September 15 of this year. Competing students must be a resident in the county of the sponsoring county Farm Bureau. In this case, that is Hillsborough County Farm Bureau. Previous state winners are not eligible to compete again. Membership in the County Farm Bureau is not a requirement, however, it is encouraged. Contestants must display a positive attitude about agriculture and speech content must be in line with Farm Bureau policies, which can be accessed at http://www.floridafarmbureau.org/wp-content/ uploads/2017/12/2018-:Policy-Book-1.pdf. Hillsborough County Farm Bureau will hold its Youth Speech Contest the first Monday in May.
WE’RE SERVING PLANT CITY BETTER THAN EVER. Please join us to celebrate our newest Plant City location. February 20, 2018 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. FOOD
FUN
PRIZES
2607 Sammonds Rd Plant City, FL 33563 Call 407.773.2389 to RSVP
Competitors must prepare and present speeches personally. No form of video conferencing is permitted nor is the use of any visual aids such as a PowerPoint or poster. Speeches must be 5-minutes in length plus/minus 30-seconds. Points are deducted for speeches that are too short or too long. Competition judges at all levels reserve the right to question competitors for up to three minutes. County and District competition prizes are determined locally. All District winners will receive a plaque at Florida Farm Bureau Federation’s Annual Meeting. The State winner will receive $500 and the second place finisher will receive $250.
PAGE
A copy of the FFB Youth Speech Contest rules and regulations booklet may be downloaded from: http://www.floridafarmbureau.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Youth-Speech-Contest-Packet-2018.pdf.
78
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
LIQUID DRY CROP PROTECTION TURF WEDGWORTH.COM
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Taking care of each other is what
community
is all about.
our community with personal, compassionate care since 1896. As your Dignity Memorial professionals, WE ’RE P ROUD TO SERVE ®
we’re dedicated to helping families create a unique and meaningful memorial that truly celebrates the life it represents.
> 100% Service Guarantee > National Plan Transferability > Bereavement Travel Assistance > The Compassion Helpline®
R Proudly supporting the Plant City Strawberry Festival.
Wells MeMorial & event Center PlanT CiTy
813-752-1111 WellsMemorial.com INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
79
10/27/15 February 201810:42 AM
PAGE
WWW. INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM M2313_4832_Wells_PNT_Comm_7-25x9-75_C.indd 1
PAGE
80
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
DIAMOND P CATTLE
Winning Steers at Strawberry Festival, Central Florida Fair, Sarasota County, Lake County, Indian River County, St. Lucie County, and Polk County Youth Fair. We have produced divisions winners at the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, KY, champions all over the southeast, bred and raised 2004 All American Chianina Bull. Many champions produced from a lifetime of experience and planning to produce sound, quality cattle for show and herd improvement INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
81
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
YOUNG FARMERS AND RANCHERS PROGRAM SEEKS ADDITIONAL MEMBERS
By Jim Frankowiak If you are an agriculturist or a person who wishes to help sustain agriculture within the ages of 18-35, Hillsborough County Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF & R) group would like to hear from you. Melissa Grimes heads the YF & R group and looks forward to hearing from potential members who have a desire to network, share ideas, participate in community projects and hone their leadership skills. This program is part of a statewide and nationwide initiative, offering an array of opportunities for members of this group to become strong leaders for the future of agriculture. The program provides countless opportunities for members to be active at the local, state and national levels. Various events and award programs recognize the important of your farmers’ and ranchers’ contributions to agriculture. The YF & R Leadership Group selects members every two years for participation in a program designed to prepare the next generation of farmers and ranchers with the leadership skills and confidence to represent the industry at the local, state and national levels. The program focuses on personal growth, public speaking, media training, legislative awareness, issue advocacy and service leadership. Applications for the current year’s program will be available March 30. Harvest for All is another YF & R initiative that helps gather and distribute fresh produce and food to assist hungry Americans. Florida YF & R members have donated and provided more than 24 million pounds of produce and food as part of this program. Active YF & R members are annually given the opportunity to compete in several programs that recognize their accomplishments and test their skills. Here in Hillsborough County, YF & R members are now focused on the organization’s second annual Salt Water Fishing Tournament slated for this coming July. “We ran a very successful tournament last July, beating our goal and raising over $5,000 to go towards our FFA jacket scholarship fund,” said Grimes. “Through work on the tournament, YF & R members are able to raise funds and work together on the production of this annual event, gathering sponsorships and reaching out through the distribution of angler applications.”
PAGE
“Local FFA students have the opportunity to obtain needed volunteer hours by helping us with our annual fishing tour-
82
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
nament,” Grimes noted. Established in 2012, the FY & R FFA scholarship program funds the purchase of FFA jackets for students who are not able to financially afford their own. The packet presentation takes place every year at the annual Hillsborough County Farm Bureau annual meeting, typically held in October. “Through this program, our YF & R chapter has established a lasting relationship with recipients and many have gone on to become active county Farm Bureau members.” YF & R members have also been involved in the annual speech contest for youth between the ages of 14 through 18. “This is a statewide competition that helps to educate audiences about the importance of agriculture,” She said. The group also collaborated with Hillsborough County Farm Bureau members last year, helping to host a multi-day tour for the University of Florida’s Horticulture Club at several locations in the county. “The tour enabled our members to work closely with and build a bridge between the academic world and horticulture industry leaders here in the Tampa Bay area.” Grimes noted that YF & R members also volunteer twice a year as presenters at Ag-Venture “to promote and share an understanding of agriculture and is importance with thirdgrade students in Hillsborough County. “Through a strong social media presence, Hillsborough YF & R members have been able to generate interest in our county program by promoting events we are involved in, along with keeping our followers up-to-date on upcoming meetings, socials and educational opportunities,” Grimes said. In addition to its own activities and those of Hillsborough County Farm Bureau, the YF & R group also supports the initiatives of similar Ag-related groups in the area. “We are pleased to help promote the upcoming Hillsborough County Cattlemen’s Association Memorial Scholarship Fundraiser/ Clay Shoot.” Set for Saturday, May 5, at Fishhawk Sporting Clays, located at 13505 Hobson Simmons Road in Lithia, proceeds from the event go towards the HCCA’s scholarship fund, assisting county youth with agriculture projects at fairs and festivals across Florida. More information on that event is available by visiting the HCCA Facebook page @Hillsborough Co Cattlemen’s Assoc. Those interested in learning more about the Hillsborough YF & R chapter and its programs, are encouraged to call Grimes at 813-924-5887 or “like us on our Facebook page @Hillsborough County Young Farmers for upcoming meeting information.” WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
83
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
WE’RE PUTTING SCIENCE TO WORK TO PRESERVE NATURE
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.
PAGE
© 2018 The Mosaic Company
84
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
85
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE
86
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
87
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Leesburg
Odessa Plant City
Clearwater Palmetto
Ft. Pierce
Okeechobee
Sarasota Ft. Myers
PAGE
Naples
88
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
Belle Glade Loxahatchee Immokalee
Boynton Beach
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Charity Events Benefiting the Florida FFA Foundation
SATURDAY • MARCH 24 SECOND A NNUAL
FUTURE FARMER CLASSIC REGISTRATION - 8:00 AM SHOTGUN START - 8:30 AM
$125 PER INDIVIDUAL SHOOTER $450 PER TEAM OF FOUR SHOOTERS 50 Bird Tournament. Carts are $125 each. Limited Quantities Available.
and stick around for the 15TH ANNUAL
BEAST FEAST & AUCTION FOOD & SILENT AUCTION - 11:00 AM LIVE AUCTION - 1:30 PM
Wild Game Dinner to include Gator, Venison, Swamp Cabbage and more! Silent & Live Auctions include Hunting & Fishing Trips, Travel Packages and much more!
$75
ADULTS
$25
STUDENTS
Florida FFA Leadership Training Center • 5000 Firetower Road Haines City, Florida 33844
For more information, visit FloridaFFA.org • Sponsorship Opportunities are available. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
89
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
A fruit-filled life
Robert W. Allen Jr. has watched the citrus industry’s transformation first hand. Now retired, he looks back on Hillsborough’s beloved farms.
By Breanne Williams The citrus industry has undergone a vast transformation in the last few decades. Citrus greening and increasing competition from Mexico and California has caused citrus farmers to have to whittle down their crops and, in many cases, abandon them altogether.
His land now is leased out to strawberry growers, an industry he also worries for. But through it all, Allen said he knows he worked with high character and is proud of all he was able to accomplish throughout his career.
Robert W. Allen Jr. has been working in the grove business for the past few decades. A dedicated employee of CSX railroad, Allen originally began citrus farming as a hobby. However, it didn’t take long for him to fall in love with the crop.
“All my customers, all my clients, I don’t have to go to the other side of the sidewalk,” Allen said. “I always lived an honest life. You’ve got to be honest with people and treat people the way you want to be treated. My clients became my friends over the years and I’m proud of what we did together.”
Soon he found himself waking up before the sun to tend to his groves, running home to shower and change around lunch and then heading to the railroad, where he would remain until late at night. He’d return home and go straight to bed then wake up early the next morning to do it all again. It was exhausting, but he loved every second of it. Allen took care of approximately 1,000 acres in his glory days, 18 of which were his, and grew to develop deep relationships with his customers. He said over the years they blessed him far more than he felt he ever was able to bless them. His grove and tractor work service “did it all.” He would fertilize, spray, bush hog and tend groves across the county. All the while he remained loyal to CSX. In fact, when one of his son’s graduated high school he was offered a job with the company and two weeks after receiving his diploma he was on a tugboat. Allen said he had several friends who were in the industry and who offered him guidance when he first began. Their guidance, he said, launched him to a level of expertise he otherwise may not have achieved so seamlessly. On breaks at work Allen could always be found reading books on the industry and brushing up on the latest technology and citrus’s shifting nature. Though there was a time when citrus was flourishing in Florida, the struggles facing the industry caused Allen to eventually push up his personal groves. He watched as disease slowly sucked the life out of the groves. The rot worked its way from the top down, slowly killing everything in its path. He related it to a person with bad cholesterol, saying a bad heart spreads through the veins and leading to disease and sickness. He witnessed the destruction of freezes and hurricanes, but nothing has had the impact like disease. The attitude across the industry has changed, Allen said. That level of devastation isn’t easy brushed off.
PAGE
“Pushing those trees out was one of the hardest days of my life,” Allen said. “ I planted those trees with my boys and to push them up, that was rough.”
90
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
He said the population increase in Florida is also putting pressure on the industry, especially as aging farmers try to pass on their legacy to children who don’t want the responsibility. “There’s lots of homes where groves used to be,” Allen said. While he said there isn’t one simple solution to the problem he does think there are ways to combat the changing industry. The key may lie in education, Allen said. He applauded the programs on television educating the public on the farming industry and the details of what exactly it takes to bring produce from a farm to a kitchen table. In his mind, there should be more of it so everyone can understand what the process looks like. Increasing the programs dedicated toward agriculture in school may also help, he said. “These kids are going to go on to be leaders,” Allen said. “If they don’t take a stand, who will? They just need to know the facts of where we are and where we need to be. More programs in school may help.” Allen, who officially retired Dec. 31, 2017, said through it all he is glad he was able to make his mark on the industry. Now he plans to travel the country with his wife. Just talking about his planned trips to the mountains gave him chill bumps. Adorned in his red, white and blue suspenders he said he is thankful to God for his good health and all he’s been able to be a part of through his life. He is active in the Plant City Elks and the Rotary Daybreak Club, for which he had 13 years of perfect attendance. A difficult feat considering he was juggling his grow business and working at the railroad. One of the things he and his wife Betty fell in love with in Plant City was the town’s dedication to agriculture. He said he was honored to be a part of it. “One of my favorite moments was being out in the trees and watching the light hit our water irrigation. I’d look around and there’d be rainbows all through the trees. There’s nothing like it,” Allen said. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
91
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE
92
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
93
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Classifieds
Tel: 813.759.6909
ANIMALS & NEEDS
Info@inthefieldmagazine.com
2005 MAHINDRA 6500
4X4, 65 hp with loader. ANIMAL & BIRDCAGES 1,000 hours. $15,900 Equipment serving the fur bearing animal & Call Alvie 813-759-8722 exotic bird industry! Cages built to order. Wire MAHINDRA 4530 by roll or foot. (863)752-2230. Call Don Tractor with loader. 4X4, Ammerman. www.ammermans.com 44hp. $15,000 Call Alvie July 15, 2018, Nov. 25, 2018 813-759-8722
KITCHEN CABINETS & VANITIES
Get quality all wood cabinets for less than the BIG Box STORES! Call Today! Ask for Blake. (813) 752-3378
JOBS MECHANIC NEEDED
CHICKEN MANURE FOR SALE
USED MOWERS
Agricultural equipment. Pay with benefits based on experience. Call David 863-537-1345
ROUND BALES
2015 MASSEY FERGUSON
Now Hiring Experienced Barn Builders 813-754-1766 HIRING
Dry and available IMMEDIATELY! SPREADER TRUCK RUNNING AGAIN! Call Tim Ford (863) 439-3232 4X5 round bales of herbicided and fertilized Pangola Hay. Call Dale 863-229-9876 or John 407-448-5608
Zero turn mowers. Good Condition. Price starts at $1,000. Call Alvie 813-759-8722 1739ELL Tractor w/ loader. 243 hours, 4x4, 39hp, hst. Warranty!! $16,500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
BUILDING SUPPLIES
FMC 352
Agriculture / Grove Equipment tractor parts sales person. Experience a plus, Computer skills a must! Call 863-537-1345
METAL ROOFING
Air Blast Sprayer. Good condition. $3,500.00 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
ALUMINUM
Used Lawn Trailer with aluminum plate tool Zero Turn Mower 52” cut, 23hp. Kohler box. 5ft tongue & heavy duty gate. $1,650 Call engine, 3 year warranty. $2,999 Call Alvie 813-759-8722 Alvie 813-759-8722
WINDOW SCREENS
Millcreek Pine Bark Row Mulcher. For blueberry farms, six yard, PTO drive need at least a 30hp tractor. Call 863-604-2526 for rental details.
Thousands of 8ft. & 10ft. sheets. In Stock. Prices from $6 and up. Custom lengths available. 813-752-7088 ask for Ferris. We have all your aluminum needs! Screen Room, carports & awnings. Call Blake (813) 752-3378 We make window screens of all sizes available in different frame colors. Call Ted(813) 752-3378
7X15 LAWN TRAILER
FOR SALE
Everything you need under ONE roof! Call Blake 813-752-3378
CALL FOR A WINDOW QUOTE.
We are a Simonton/MI Windows dealer. Our windows are energy star, lifetime warranty. Call Broke & Poor 813-752-3378
FRESH PRODUCE
Forbes Road Produce. Open everyday from 7:30am - 8pm. Forbes Rd. & I-4 @ exit 17. Come out and see us!
NORTH GEORGIA MOUNTAINS ROSSI CADDY 8 HAY RAKE Call Alvie 813-759-8722
MOBILE HOME SUPPLIES
PRODUCE
REAL ESTATE
All wood kitchen cabinets. All wood vanities. Granite counter tops. Custom made to your size. Call Blake 813-752-3378 Many colors and styles to choose from. Ask for Ted. 813-752-3378
BRAND NEW HUSTLER RAPTOR
FOR RENT
CABINETS
VINYL SIDDING
LAWN EQUIPMENT/ SUPPLIES
Have you ever considered moving to beautiful Blairsville, Georgia or just need a getaway home? Blairsville is a desirable community & great location. Call Jane Baer Realty and ask for Jane. 706-745-2261 www.janebaerrealty.com
MISC.
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
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
MASSEY FERFUSON 40
PAGE
Late 60’s model industrial diesel grading tractor. $425.00 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
94
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
EFFECTIVE PEST CONTROL
STARTS WITH PAL ADIN® Start the strawberry season with Paladin ® soil fumigant for broad-spectrum control of weeds, nematodes, and soil-borne diseases. Since 2012, growers in Hillsborough County have relied on Paladin® fumigant to effectively control sting nematodes, purple and yellow nutsedge, and charcoal rot. And Paladin® has proven cost-effective while delivering high yields.
We are committed to providing our growers and distributors up-to-date information on proper product stewardship for successful use. To learn more, visit our website or contact your local distributor.
paladin-USA.com paladin.com
Paladin® soil fumigant is a restricted-use pesticide. Always refer to and follow the federal label requirements for crops, specific use rates and application directions.
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
95
PAGE
Paladin trademark of Arkema. WWW.isINaTregistered HEFIELD MAGAZINE.COM
PAGE
96
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
February 2018
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM