In The Field magazine Hillsborough edition

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

February 2021

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813-752-2379

Mon. - Sat.: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.

3012 S. Jim Redman Pkwy. (Hwy. 39 S) Plant City, FL • southsidestores.com

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March 2013

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FEBRUARY 2021 VOL. 16 • ISSUE 4

CONTENTS MEET THE 2021 FSGA AMBASSADORS

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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

Cover Photo by Karen Berry PAGE 10 AG Tour

PAGE 28 Spring Gardening

PAGE 12 Speech Contest

PAGE 30 News Briefs PAGE 32 Cost Share Project

PAGE 14 Loan and Grant Opportunities PAGE 18 Fishing Hot Spots

PAGE 35 Kuri Squash PAGE 36 Durant FFA

PAGE 22 Rocking Chair Chatter

PAGE 44

John Dicks

PAGE 24 State Officer Column

PAGE 46 Endangered Species

PAGE 26 Local Bites

PAGE 48 Festival Livestock Shows

OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE PAGE 50 Literary Time Machine PAGE 52 A Closer Look PAGE 53 Activity

PAGE 56 Scott Angle PAGE 58 Brewing to Biscuits PAGE 62 Teaching Plants PAGE 64 Gerbera Daisy PAGE 68 Providence Cattle Co.

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. Send us your business card or an index card with your name and telephone number, the number of the page which you found the logo and where on the page you located the logo to the address below

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InTheField® Magazine P.O. Box 5377 • Plant City, Fl. 33566-0042 *Winners will be notified by phone. You Too Can Be A Winner!

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Dennis Carlton, Jr.....................President Jake Raburn................Vice President Tony Lopez..............Treasurer Buddy Coleman..................Secretary DIRECTORS FOR 2018 - 2019 Christina Andrlik, Carl Bauman, Jake Cremer, Tiffany Dale, Carson Futch, Jim Frankowiak, Chip Hinton, John Joyner, Lawrence McClure, Sambahv, Vincent Tort, Will Womack, Gayle Yanes

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. Julie Carlson, Amy Engle

Plant City Office 813.752.5577

305 S. Wheeler St., Plant City, FL 33563 Jeff Summer Artis Griffin

Tampa Office 813.933.5440

6535 Gunn Highway, Tampa, FL.33625 Greg Harrell, Jared Bean

AGENCY MANAGER Thomas O. Hale WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM

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STAFF

Letter from the Editor The Polk County Youth Fair wrapped up in January and the Florida Strawberry Festival is just around the corner. While the Florida State Fair is a bit different this year, one thing is certain, these fairs have shown that agriculture and our youth are important. Although the COVID-19 pandemic changed things, each of these organizations made the determination that the show must go on. And that’s what is happening. You will find information on the Florida Strawberry Festival in this issue, including the schedule of events and the procedures put in place to help keep visitors safe.

It is so exciting to see the youth get to showcase the hard work put into their projects in this difficult year. As I’ve said before, these competitions aren’t just for fun. They help educate and help build skills, self-confidence and leadership abilities in the students. There are numerous lessons learned through these projects, including problem solving, time management, record keeping, networking, prioritizing and more.

If you are a consumer reading this publication, please remember the blood, sweat and tears that went in to getting your food to the shelves in the grocery story, the farmer’s market, and, eventually, to your table. You can visit any of our fairs, go to the barns to visit and ask one of the youth about their project. They will be happy to share with you and help educate you as to where you food comes from.

A big thank you to our advertisers. You allow us to continue to cover what is growing and we wouldn’t be here without your support.

Publisher/Photography Karen Berry Senior Managing Editor/ Associate Publisher Sarah Holt Editor Patsy Berry Sales Karen Berry Sarah Holt Melissa Nichols George Domedion Creative Director/Illustrator Juan Alvarez Photography Karen Berry Staff Writers Al Berry Sandy Kaster James Frankowiak Sean Green Ginny Mink Breanne Williams Anita Todd Contributing Writers Woody Gore John Dicks Social Media Victoria Saunders

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.

Until Next Month

Sarah Holt The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. - Numbers 6:25

Letters, comments and questions can be sent to P.O. Box 5377, Plant City, Florida 33563-0042 or you are welcome to email them to: info@inthefieldmagazine.com or call 813-759-6909 Advertisers warrant & represent the descriptions of their products advertised are true in all respects. In The Field Magazine assumes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers. All views expressed in all articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Berry Publications, Inc. Any use or duplication of material used in In the Field magazine is prohibited without written consent from Berry Publications, Inc.

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Published by Berry Publications, Inc.

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2021 FLORIDA FARM BUREAU LEGISLATIVE ISSUES HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

-Dennis Carlton Jr. - President

Dear Readers – As many of you know, the 2021 Florida legislative session will begin March 2. This is a very important time for agriculture in Florida as many aspects of our industry can be impacted by lawmakers. Florida Farm Bureau has identified a number of issues that it will be closely following during the session, pending final approval by the state Farm Bureau Board.

shops have the right to repair their own farm equipment.

Florida Farm Bureau supports this right and has been working with equipment manufacturers to determine what diagnostic and repair tools are already available. It is important that we work with Sen. Bradley and the equipment manufacturers to ensure that farmers have the tools necessary to maintain and repair their equipment.

The Right to Farm is one of these issues. Established in 1979, this law protects farms from nuisance lawsuits in urbanizing areas and has been a priority for Florida Farm Bureau since its inception. Essentially, if a farm has been in business for more than a year and conforms to generally accepted agricultural practices, it cannot be sued for nuisance by surrounding neighbors. This helps ensure that farms can remain in business without worrying about lawsuits arising from the sights, sounds, smells and other elements that are commonplace in production agriculture.

Florida Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Darryl Rouson is sponsoring a bill (SB 629) that seeks to promote agricultural production in urban areas. For the past several years, municipalities have claimed that Florida’s Right to Farm Law could prevent them from being able to enforce local regulations on agricultural production in urban areas. Florida Farm Bureau is working with Sen. Rouson to help local government pass common sense regulations on urban agriculture and to properly define urban agriculture so these regulations do not invade on established more traditional agricultural production.

Recent judicial rulings in other states have indicated that there are several areas in Florida’s Right to Farm Law that could be strengthened. These actions are critical as agricultural practices continue to change and as Florida continues to urbanize.

Protecting private property rights is another issue area of importance to Florida Farm Bureau. In 1995, the Florida legislature passed the Bert J. Harris, Jr., Private Property Rights Protection Act that provides a specific process for landowners to follow when seeking relief when their property is unfairly affected by government action. This Private Property Rights Act has been vital to landowners and proves to be more important every day as we face what seem to be more and more regulations that impact our lands. Farm Bureau will be supporting legislation this year that will help streamline the process for property owners and will allow a prevailing property owner to recover attorney fees.

Florida Farm Bureau plans to work with a broad coalition of business interests to ensure that businesses receive protection from lawsuits that may arise from COVID-19 infections.

State Senator Jennifer Bradley has introduced a bill (SB 374) designed to ensure that farmers and independent repair

Florida Farm Bureau continues to support funding for the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). IFAS is such a crucial partner to agriculture producers by being able to provide information that benefits production agriculture business.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has several programs that are important to Florida Farm Bureau. Those include continued funding support for the Fresh From Florida marketing program, the Rural and Family Lands conservation program and Best Management Practices in the Office of Ag Water Policy. These programs are vital to Florida Agriculture.

I urge you to keep abreast of these issues and take action to reflect your support of Florida Farm Bureau’s position on each of them by contacting your elected officials.

Thank you.

Dennis Carlton, Jr.

Dennis Carlton Jr. Dennis Carlton Jr. - President

305 SOUTH WHEELER STREET • PLANT CITY, FL 33566 • 813-685-9121 Board of Directors

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Dennis Carlton, Jr. , President; Jake Raburn, Vice-President; Tony Lopez Treasurer; Buddy Coleman, Secretary; Christina Andrlik, Carl Bauman, Jake Cremer, Tiffany Dale, Carson Futch, Jim Frankowiak, Chip Hinton, John Joyner, Lawrence McClure, Sambahv,Jay Marty Tanner, Vincent Tort, Will Womack, Gayle Yanes Judi Whitson, Executive Director

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FARM BUREAU HOSTS AG TOUR FOR LEGISLATORS

By Jim Frankowiak

Hillsborough County’s legislative delegation was recently given the opportunity to participate in an agriculture tour to update them on the diversity and impact of the industry, as well as issues of importance to Florida Farm Bureau and its members during the upcoming legislative session.

State Representatives Mike Beltran and Lawrence McClure attended the day-long tour along with their aides and the aides of State Representative Andrew Learned and State Senator Danny Burgess, as well as Congressman Scott Franklin. Other members of the delegation had conflicts and were not able to attend.

“A number of legislators who were not able to attend, have inquired about an additional tour,” said Hillsborough County Farm Bureau Executive Director Judi Whitson. “We will schedule another tour in the near term given the opportunity such an event provides for us to have face-to-face discussions with these lawmakers.”

The tour began with a visit to a Driscoll’s strawberry farm in Dover followed by a stop at the Oak Ridge Fish Farm and ended at the Audubon Ranch, both north of Plant City. “This tour, which is held annually, enables us to tell lawmakers about this important segment of Hillsborough County’s economy and the challenges agriculture faces,” said Hillsborough County Farm Bureau President Dennis Carleton, Jr. “This is a chance for producers to share the facts on the challenges they face and how they hope to proceed.”

Though sponsored by Hillsborough County Farm Bureau, the tour included a number of Florida Farm Bureau Federation representatives that included Adam Basford, director of State Legislative Affairs; Brianne Bird, District 5 field representative; Landon Hoffman, assistant director of State Legislative Affairs; and Curt Williams, assistant director of Government and Community Affairs.

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In addition to Carleton and Whitson, Hillsborough County Farm Bureau board members Michelle Williamson and

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Sambhav also participated in the tour, as well as past president Kenneth Parker, executive director of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association and Simon Bollin, Hillsborough County’s manager of Agribusiness Development. Also in attendance were Juan Hernandez, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist, NRCS Area Conservationist Walter Albarran and Leslie Diaz-Alvarez, NRCS District Conservationist.

Part of the information sharing that took place during the tour included key 2021 Florida Farm Bureau Legislative Issues.

They include Private Property Rights, which is a fundamental priority for Florida Farm Bureau. The focus this session is the support of legislation that will help streamline the process for property owners to seek relief when their property is unfairly affected by government action and will allow a prevailing property owner to recoup attorney fees.

“Florida Farm Bureau continues to support funding for the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS),” noted Basford. “This year, UF/IFAS is requesting and additional $3.6 million in workload funding. Much of this funding will be used to perform critical research focused on optimizing nutrient recommendations that impact Florida’s Agricultural Best Management Practice Program.”

Basford also noted Florida Farm Bureau will continue to support funding for the Fresh From Florida marketing program, the Rural and Family Lands conservation program and funding that supports Best Management Practices in the Office of Agricultural Water Policy.

“I appreciated the opportunity to meet with our Ag community and learn firsthand about the challenges they face to keep us all fed,” said Beltran. “I particularly enjoyed learning about some of the innovative techniques the industry is using. I appreciate the economic impact this industry has on my district and the state, and I will continue to make sure Ag in Florida has the support needed to keep doing their vital work.”

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McClure echoed those comments. “I was happy to take part in the Ag tour,” he said. “Agriculture is a vital part of my district and I am proud to represent the hard working, innovative efforts of the Ag community,” he said. “The tour provided hands-on education and information to the representatives of Hillsborough County and our staff members. Judi (Whitson) and her team of presenters provided a comprehensive and detailed educational tour that was a benefit to all of us who attended.

“I look forward to our continued relationship and support of Florida Farm Bureau,” McClure concluded.

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The Riverview Garden Club College Scholarship Program is now accepting applications from 2021 graduating high school seniors. Seniors at East Bay, Lennard, Riverview and Durant High Schools in Hillsborough County, contact your College and Career Counselor for RGC criteria and application. If you are interested, eligible and do not attend the high schools listed and live in Brandon, Riverview or Apollo Beach area, contact Jeanette Doyle, RGC Scholarship Chair at apollobeach5@gmail.com .

Eligibility: The applicant must be enrolled at a college or university of their choice in studies of environmental horticulture, natural resources conservation, environmental sustainability, marine aquaculture or agricultural education. Please check RGC Scholarship application for criteria details.

The application period runs from Jan 15 through March 12, 2021. The awards will be for college year of 2021-2022. The RGC is offering $2,500 scholarship per award.

FARM BUREAU ANNOUNCES TOPIC FOR 2021 YOUTH SPEECH CONTEST

By Jim Frankowiak

The Florida Farm Bureau Federation’s Women’s Leadership Program annually sponsors a statewide Youth Speech Contest with three levels of competition: county, district and state.

The winner of the county contest moves on to the district competition with the seven district winners competing at the state level. This year’s state competition will be virtual and held prior to the Florida Farm Bureau Annual Meeting.

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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.

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The 2021 topic is “Agriculture impacts everyone’s daily life.

What are three effective ways to educate young people about agriculture?”

The competition is open to any student who is at least 14 years of age and not over 18 years of age as of September 10, 2021. Students must be a resident in the county of the sponsoring County Farm Bureau. Additional information about the competition rules, format and scoring rubric, as well as the application can be accessed at https://www.floridafarmbureau.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/youth-speech-contest-packet-2021.pdf.

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USDA Seeks Applications for Loan and Grant Opportunities in Florida

By Jim Frankowiak

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development has some funding opportunities for which it is seeking applications:

Rural Energy for America Program Applications are being accepted for loan guarantees and grants for renewable energy systems, to make energy efficiency improvements, conduct energy audits, and provide development assistance.

The funding is being provided through USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). USDA seeks applications for Fiscal Year 2021 funding. The deadlines to apply for grants are Feb. 1, 2021, and March 31, 2021. Applications for loan guarantees are accepted year round.

REAP helps agricultural producers and rural small businesses reduce energy costs and consumption by purchasing and installing renewable energy systems and making energy efficiency improvements in their operations. Eligible systems may derive energy from wind, solar, hydroelectric, ocean, hydrogen, geothermal or renewable biomass (including anaerobic digesters).

Intermediary Relending Program USDA is seeking applications for funding to establish revolving loan programs to support rural businesses and community development projects. Subject to the availability of funds, the loans will be established through USDA’s Intermediary Relending Program. Eligible recipients include non-profits and cooperatives, federally recognized tribes, and public agencies.

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The revolving loan funds may be loaned to ultimate recipient borrowers to acquire, construct or enlarge a business; purchase or develop land; purchase equipment, machinery or supplies; or for start-up costs and working capital.

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Paper and electronic applications must be submitted to the USDA Rural Development State Office where the project is located and will be processed quarterly.

Value Added Producer Grant USDA seeks applications for grants to help agricultural producers and small rural businesses develop and market new products.

Approximately $33 million in grants is available under the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program. The Agency may also utilize any funding that becomes available through enactment of fiscal year (FY) 2021 appropriations.

The grants may be used to develop new products from raw agricultural products or to promote new markets for established products. Veterans, socially-disadvantaged groups, beginning farmers and ranchers, operators of small- and medium-sized family farms and ranches, and farmer and rancher cooperatives are given special priority. Electronic applications must be submitted by March 16, 2021 to Grants.gov. Paper applications must be submitted by March 22, 2021 to a USDA Rural Development State Office.

Rural Business Development Grant This program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for rural small businesses. Applications may be accepted from rural public entities including, but not limited to, towns, communities, state agencies, authorities, non-profit corporations, institutions of higher education, federally recognized tribes, and rural cooperatives organized as a private non-profit corporation.

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Grant funds must be used for projects that benefit rural areas or towns outside the urbanized periphery of any city with a population of 50,000 or more.

There is no maximum grant amount; however, smaller requests are given higher priority. There is no cost sharing requirement. Opportunity grants are limited to up to 10 percent of the total Rural Business Development Grant annual funding.

Enterprise grants must be used on projects to benefit small and emerging businesses in rural areas as specified in the grant application. Uses may include: • Training and technical assistance, such as project planning, business counseling and training, market research, feasibility studies, professional or/technical reports or producer service improvements.

• Acquisition or development of land, easements, or rights of way; construction, conversion, renovation of buildings; plants, machinery, equipment, access for streets and roads; parking areas and utilities.

• Pollution control and abatement.

• The capitalization of revolving loan funds, including funds that will make loans for start-ups and working capital.

• Distance adult learning for job training and advancement.

• Rural transportation improvement.

• Community economic development.

• Technology-based economic development.

• Feasibility studies and business plans.

• Leadership and entrepreneur training.

• Rural business incubators.

• Long-term business strategic planning.

Opportunity grants can be used for: • Community economic development.

• Technology-based economic development.

• Feasibility studies and business plans.

• Leadership and entrepreneur training.

• Rural business incubators.

• Long-term business strategic planning.

Applications are accepted through USDA Rural Development’s local or state offices. Applicants are advised to view program information specific to your local or state office to learn about local application timelines, concept paper requirements, etc.

USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov.

All of the listed programs are available in Hillsborough County, the property or business has to be in an eligible area. To determine if the property is in an eligible area, visit: https://eligibility.sc.egov.usda.gov/eligibiloity/welcomeAction.do. Additional information may be obtained by calling Loan Specialist Angela Smith at 863/438-3740 or via email at angela.smith2@usda.gov.

By Jim Frankowiak

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service wants to remind farmers and ranchers it is available to help address natural resource concerns through Farm Bill program cost-share and technical assistance. NRCS’s primary programs are the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program.

Common EQIP cost-share practices include legume overseeding in pastures, interior cross-fencing, brush management, cropland cover crops, seasonal high tunnels, and forestry management activities. Another common practice is herbaceous weed treatment which treats weedy plants such as cogongrass and smutgrass.

If you would like to apply for a program or just want to learn more about what the USDA NRCS can do, please email District Conservationist Leslie DiazAlvarez at leslie.diazalvarez@usda.gov or call her at 813-752-1474 ext. 3. or 813-399-1431.

Ms. Diaz-Alvarez is based at the USDA NRC Plant City Service Center, 201 S. Collins Street, Suite 202 Plant City, FL 33563-5531.

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A REMINDER FROM THE USDA/NRCS FOR AG PRODUCERS

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Tampa Bay Fishing Report

What happened to the cold weather last month? For the most part, it seemed like spring all month long. The fish can’t decide whether to run for the rivers and creeks or stay on the flats. Well, maybe this month we’ll get some colder temps.

Now don’t get me wrong, I like these warmer winters. Like most crackers born in Florida, I start digging out the winter duds when the temps drop below 70 degrees.

Overall, the fishing has been good in the Tampa Bay area, with plenty of snook, reds, trout, and sheepshead. The Tampa Bay grouper trolling bite has been reasonably okay. With most success trolling various rock piles and bottom structures in and around the 20 to 25-foot range.

So many folks think the only place to catch inshore gags is the shipping channels. Well, guess again, there is plenty of structure around if you’ll take time to look for it on your bottom machine. Try this, when you catch a gag, mark the location and go back to see what kind of bottom you just came over. Often a pinfish, grunt, fresh whitebait dropped down on a knocker rig at the same location will produce other nice fish. Finding new locations is time-consuming, and you can believe no one is giving you a free ride with their numbers.

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Capt. Woody Gore (www.captainwoodygore.com)

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Snook (Catch & Release Only) You can catch them, but you’ve got to put them back. Tampa Bay Snook fishing is one of those on again and off again things in the cooler months. If you can get whitebaits, the snook bite is not too bad. Greenbacks reported at the skyway but use your ¼ inch eight to 12 foot net because of the small threadfins. As usual, if the temps

February 2021

Capt. Woody Gore

begin dropping, look for canals, rivers, creeks with deep muddy-bottoms.

We’ve had some action on warmer overcast days using artificial lures like the DOA and Gulp Shrimps. Also, you can try your favorite jerk bait on a light jighead.

Redfish (Catch & Release Only) With

March comes some of the best sight fishing because the algae start dying and the water clears up. The low tides and clear water make catching redfish a dream. As always, we’re catching reds in with mullet schools using both live bait and artificial lures. Larger redfish schools should begin showing up, but there are plenty of singles around for now. Again, large schools of mullet are often the key to finding reds. They like staying with those mullets, so keep your eyes open.

You’ll also find redfish around the flats near Weedon, Double Branch, Simmons Park, Ft. DeSoto, and Joe’s Island. Soft plastics are always fun and expect some good excitement when pitching around the mangroves on high incoming tides on low tidal flats.

Spotted Sea Trout (Catch & Release

Only) You will continue finding some sound bites on incoming or outgoing WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM

tides. However, topwater lures on a calm early morning tidal flat can be tremendous heart-stopping action. Also, you can try live shrimp, artificial like a DOA or Gulp shrimp. An artificial shrimp works well under a popping cork on most broken-bottom grass flats.

The trout bite is doing okay around the Pinellas Point and Ft. DeSoto flats. In the Northwest and center bay areas, don’t forget to check the flats around Weedon Island, 4th Street. Good fishing on the flats located Southwest of the Howard Frankland Bridge, Culbreath Bayou, and Cypress Street. Moving down the bay, check the Simons Park, Joes Island, and Tarpon Key because they produce some excellent trout action in the south.

Cobia If the cooler temps stay as expected, the cobia bites should continue around the power plants. The cobia bite has been slower without the colder water temps needed to send them looking for warm water. But plenty of small black tips and occasionally a pompano are caught around the Big Bend Power Plant and readily take shrimp offered on a jig. These guys are loads of fun and pretty good table fare provided you bleed, eviscerate, and quickly put them on ice until you can finish cleaning them.

“Give Me a Call & Let’s Go Fishing”

813-477-3814

Capt. Woody Gore operates Tampa Bay’s #1 Outdoor Fishing Guide Services. Guiding and fishing Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater areas for over fifty years, he offers first-class customer service, family-oriented charters, and a lifetime of memories.

Visit his website at www.captainwoodygore.com or send an email to fishing@captainwoodygore. com or give him a call at 813-477-3814.

Member: ​FOWA-Florida Outdoor Writers Assoc., MemberSEOPA Southeastern Outdoor Press Assoc. CEO/Pres.

Sport-Fishing Unlimited & Outdoor Communications, Outdoor Writer & Speaker

Sheepshead: Sheepshead should continue around bridges, oys-

ter bars, and deep water rocks. Try using small rock crabs, fiddler crabs, shrimp, or oysters. When fishing around the bridges, try scratching the pilings to get them going.

Gag Grouper The Tampa Bay grouper trolling bite been reasonably okay. With most success trolling various rock piles and bottom structures in and around the 20 to 25-foot range.

With every generation,

we get better at protecting our environment.

Reclamation ecologists like Ashlee work to return mined lands to productive use as wildlife habitats, public parks and more—so future generations can enjoy these lands for years to come.

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®

Save $2.00 on Adult & $1.00 on Youth General Admission Tickets at Participating Publix Super Markets

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MIDFLORIDA CU Free Kids Day Mar. 6 Kids thru High School Free Admission

Circle K Super Saturday Wristband Days Mar. 6 & 13 Ride All Day $30

Coca-Cola Family Sundays Mar. 7 & 14 $5 Off Wristband with any empty Coke brand can or plastic bottle Ride All Day $20

Ace Hardware Grand Parade Day Mar. 8 Parade Starts 1pm Florida

$5 Off Midway Wristband Peanut Federation Present any TWOSDAY non-perishable food Mar. 9 item and get a coupon Single Rides $2 each for a Special Offer at Kids up to 17 FREE participating McDonalds with Paid Ride All Day for $25.00 Adult Admission

Grow Financial FCU AMERICAN HEROES DAY Mar. 10 ALL Military & Veterans, Law Enforcement & First Responders admitted Free with valid ID

Go online to check out MORE Free Entertainment, INFO on Special Days Tampa Bay Times & Discounts, plus the Day on the Midway full Schedule of Events.

Mar. 12

Noon - 10pm, $5 Off Fun Pack Ride Coupon Book with printed Times coupon

Moonlight Magic Mar. 12

Get FREE with each Midway wristband purchase!

10pm - 2am $25

Farm Worker Appreciation Day Mar. 13

The Florida Strawberry Festival will be adhering to ALL guidelines and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Sponsored by Astin Farms Control, (CDC) as well as, local, county, and state mandates for the 2021 event.

Per current restrictions, masks are required inside all Sun. Mar. 14, 6pm structures and anywhere social distancing proves difficult.

Wish Farms Variety Stage

Visit FLstrawberryfestival.com

Entertainment subject to change.

General admission required.

or call 813-754-1996 and get your tickets! #berryfest21

Mar. 10 1:00pm Mar. 11 2:00pm Mar. 12 3:00pm

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• T-Mobile • ZYN • Smithfield • Alessi Bakeries • AMSCOT • Astin Farms • Candyland Warehouse • Global Frequency Living • Circle K • Local Ford Dealers • O’Reilly Auto Parts • Grove Equipment Service • Stingray Chevrolet • Uncommon USA • Netterfield’s Concessions • Verizon Wireless • Badcock Home Furniture &More • Good Health Saunas • GT Grandstands • Dakin Dairy Farms • Krazy Kup • Russell’s Western Wear • TrueStim • AT&T • Images Everywhere! • Master Spas • Truist • Choo Choo Lawn Equipment • Entenmann’s

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• According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans eat an average of 3.4 pounds of fresh strawberries every year.

• Ancient Romans believed strawberries had medicinal powers.

• There is a museum in Belgium dedicated to strawberries.

• Native Americans ate strawberries long before European settlers arrived.

• Strawberries are believed to help reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

• Strawberries contain high levels of nitrate.

• The strawberry belongs to the genus Fragraria in the rose family, along with apples and plums.

• June 14th is National Strawberry Shortcake Day

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Sponsored by:

FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1971

HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM YOUR AROUND TOWN SPONSOR Editor’s Note: This Rocking Chair Chatter was originally printed in the February 2017 issue

We all love to watch contests, everything from football to the strawberry shortcake-eating contest at the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City. There are hundreds of weird and unusual contests going on all over the world every day.

Every year, young men in a Sudanese tribe take part in a fourmonth long eating contest. The goal is to eat as much as possible staying as still as possible (since moving burns calories).

At the end of the four-month period, they’re carted out in front of their fellow villagers and judged on their roundness. I know a couple of people who could win this one hands down.

Just park them in front of a TV with a barrel of nacho cheese and they could make history.

One of the oddest competitions known to man is the World Worm Charming Championship that has been held in a small village in England since 1980. Contestants stake off a small plot of land and, for 30 minutes, coax as many earthworms out of the dirt as possible without digging for them or using drugs. They use vibrations, by inserting a stick in the ground, and rubing it with another stick. Some say they make “earthworm music,” and the worms come to the top. Whoever collects the most worms, wins. Grand prize is a fishing pole!

Men are asked to test their strength in Finland every July by running through a 772-foot obstacle course while carrying their wife on their back. The winner wins his wife’s weight in beer. The rules are: You must be married to the woman you are carrying, and she must be over 17 years of age, and weigh at least 108 pounds. Each time you drop her during the contest a 15-second fine is incurred. The sport originated as a joke in Finland, and is supposedly reminiscent of the past when men courted women by running into their village, picking them up, and carrying them off.

According to the records, the first “World Toe Wrestling” competition started in 1976 in a pub in the UK. The locals kicked off this competition by having contestants lock their big toes together, and attempt to force their opponent’s foot to the ground. The organizers were so excited about this game they applied in 1997 to have it included in the Olympic games.

Unfortunately the supporters of this competitive sport were turned down.

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Toe Wrestling doesn’t sound like much, but past participants will testify to the contrary, as they have broken toes and sprained ankles to prove it.

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289704-1

Unusual Contest

About 85 years ago there were numerous endurance tests in the United States. Some of the marathon competitions included people walking, talking, running, dancing drinking, eating and even kissing. One of the most famous competitive events of all time was the “Bunion Derby.” It was the first, and last, transcontinental running race between Los Angeles and New York City. No wonder they called it the “Bunion Derby!”

It started on March 4, 1928. By the end of the first day, 77 runners had dropped out. Only 80 left Oklahoma! By the time they got to Chicago only 65 remained in the race. Finally, on May 26,1928, 55 runners made it to the finish line in New York.

The winner, had a 15-hour lead, and was Any Payne, a 20-year-old Cherokee farm boy from Oklahoma. His time was 573 hours, 4 minutes, and 34 seconds over 83 consecutive days. He won $25,000 and paid off the family farm debt.

If you’re over 65 listed below are a few games you can play!

1 - Sag. You’re it.

2 - Pin the Toupee on the bald guy.

3 - 20 questions shouted into your good ear.

4 - Kick the bucket.

5 - Red Rover, Red Rover, the nurse says bend over.

6 - Hide and go pee.

7 - Spin the bottle of Mylanta.

8 - Musical recliners.

Speaking of competitive senior citizens, have you seen the movie, Age of Champions? The movie is about five competitors who sprint, leap, and swim for gold at the Senior Olympics. In the movie there’s a 100 year-old tennis champion, 86 year-old pole-vaulter, and a rough and tumble basketball team, known as the “Tigerettes,” made up of grandmothers who discover the power of the human spirit and triumph over the limitations of age.

Adolph Hoffman, 88, wins the track and field events, and 90 year-old swimmers Bradford and John Tatum win the swimming competition.

It’s a fact that brains of the elderly are slow because they know so much. The elderly have so much information in their brain that it takes longer for them to access it. The seniors’ brain is somewhat like a computer. A computer struggles when the hard drive gets full. Likewise, senior citizens brains take longer to access information because it has so much information stored over the years. Some doctor’s say the brain of the elderly does not get weak, it is slower because of all the information taken in over time, and they simply know more.

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December State Officer Column

Congratulations to the Durant Sr. FFA Chapter on their recent win at the state Environmental Science CDE. Team members included (from left to right): Carter Howell, Will Haxton, Kayla Swantek, and David Ferrell. They’re pictured here with State FFA Secretary, Emma Poole

By Emma Poole and Christian Bentrovato Since starting the new year Florida FFA has already begun planning to have many more in person events than we had last year! When we finalized our first ever virtual leadership conference (Leadership on the Download) last year, part of the top tier that a chapter could purchase involved a zoom meeting with the entire state officer team. With the State Fair being moved to April, we have had to move around a few things on our schedule. However, this schedule shift has allotted us a perfect time to be able to meet with all of these chapters! We are looking forward to meeting with all of these great chapters as a team.

One of the most exciting parts of this new year for us has been the beginning of in-person events. On January 21, for the first time in 10 months, Florida FFA hosted its first in-person competition – the Environmental Science CDE. In this competition, the students identified species, took a written test, completed practicums on water analysis and waste management, completed a GPS course, and had a team presentation. We would like to extend our congratulations to the teams from Hillsborough County who rocked the competition. Durant placed first in the state, and Strawberry Crest placed third in the state.

This is an amazing accomplishment!

We have been missing the chance to interact with students at these in-person events, and they were just as excited as the state officers to be back at a competition. Hopefully, there will only continue to be more in-person competitions and events as the year progresses. If that’s the case, there will be more pictures in our column for sure!

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At a recent board meeting it was brought to our attention that the Florida State Legislature has passed a new law that any specialty license plate that falls below 3,000 registrations is at risk of being discontinued. Sadly, Florida FFA’s specialty license plate does not currently meet that 3,000-registration threshold. We would like to say as a friendly reminder that if you or anyone you know is about to get a new registration for

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their vehicle that they please consider helping support Florida FFA through registering with a Florida FFA tag!

This month, we would like to try something new and give anyone who is reading this column the opportunity to ask us questions. These can be about our time in FFA, our year as State Officers, the agricultural industry in our community, or anything else you want to ask. Feel free to email us at christian.bentrovato@flaffa.org and emma.poole@flaffa.org We hope you will submit any appropriate questions for us to answer in the next issue!

Until next month, Emma Poole and Christian Bentrovato

“As we move through the second half of our year of service, I think it’s important to look back at what we were able to achieve during a time when we were unable to operate like any normal year. We were able to keep our organization strong in a time when we did not know what was going to happen from one week to the next. As we move back into what a more normal year looks like it’s important that we keep these newfound skills at hand in case another tragic time falls upon our world again.” -Christian Bentrovato

“This is the part that I’ve been waiting for – being able to watch my former teammates and fellow FFA members shine in competitions. Sitting in a little room in Haines City watching teams of high schoolers take tests might not seem like the most fun way to spend your time, but for me, proctoring the Environmental Science competition was an answer to prayers. Being able to sit there with them in-person reassured me that there’s only a brighter tomorrow ahead. Dolly Parton has a song that says, ‘We’ll make it through this long dark night, Darkness fades when faced with light, But everything’s gonna be alright, When life is good again.’ I can just feel it getting better as we speak!” – Emma Poole WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM

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NORMA’S TAKES OFFERINGS TO THE NEXT LEVEL by: Sue Harrell and Tiffany C. Dale and services to the next level. Norma’s always has new and exciting items on the menu.

As women who work in the food industry, we are always excited to see what’s on a menu, and if there are strawberries included, it is a must for us! Norma’s Festival Salad features strawberries, pecans, cheese, and other wonderful and fresh options. As a Plant City business, strawberries during the Florida strawberry season were such a nice surprise! The Festival Salad was just the first of many surprises we found on the menu.

Planning a party, meeting, meal prep options, or in the mood to try something new? Norma’s is the place for you! Norma’s, a town favorite for years, focuses on the needs of the local community. While they are often known for their Cuban sandwiches and garbanzo bean soup, that is just a sample of the variety of options and services they now offer. Innovative meal solutions, a variety of delicious options influenced by flavors from across the globe, and catering, are some of the many exciting things you’ll find when you visit Norma’s in Plant City.

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In 2017, Norma’s opened its doors under the ownership of Leo Mesquita. Mesquita’s leadership and direction is a fresh new take on “More than just a sandwich shop.”

With the support of his Father-inLaw, Mesquita has been able to make Norma’s his own. Mesquita brought on Chef Andy Nassar in 2017 to take Norma’s offerings

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Tuesday’s are an especially exciting day at Norma’s, as they have “Taco Tuesday.” Patrons and social media followers will be the first to know the “Taco Tuesday” special when it is released around 11:00 a.m. every Tuesday. Locals follow closely as Norma’s will post the special on social media, so they are the first to know what is on the menu and the featured taco or item for the week. Some of the greatest assets to “Taco Tuesday” are the homemade flour tortillas and Norma’s Green Sauce which is often served on the tacos. The Green Sauce has become such a popular item, they now sell it by the jar!

Strawberry Sue and Tiffany, too definitely approve!

Mexican, Asian, and Cuban influence are just a few surprises you may find in the weekly specials! While long time, Cubaninfluenced food lovers are often skeptic of the variety of offerings you find when you visit Norma’s, Chef Nassar is the first to reassure you that you should try something new, he likes to make food people will enjoy. He takes pride in the flavors he chooses and items he features. Chef Nassar enjoys offering fresh and exciting options, beyond their famous Cuban sandwich. In addition to the exciting weekly featured WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM

menu options, Norma’s has adapted well to the needs of the community, even during a pandemic.

Health is an important factor to Mesquita, as well as providing solutions for customers. Norma’s offers ‘meal prep’ prepared meals that are available to customers to order online. Customers can place orders on Norma’s website https://www.normascuban.com for prepared meals that will last them all week. Options are constantly changing so that customers always have a variety to choose from. Orders can be placed Monday-Thursday for the follow week.

Those pre-ordered meals are then ready for pick up the following Monday. A quick reheat in the microwave, and there you have it, a fresh meal in minutes!

In addition to prepared individual meals, Norma’s also has had great success with catering. Whether it is for a wedding, meeting, party, or a family dinner, Norma’s offers a great catering service. They are willing to work with clients to create an easy and enjoyable dining experience, no matter the size.

Mesquita, a local native, a community member, and a passionate restauranteur who strives to continue to serve Plant City and local community, and plans to stay rooted in the community. As Norma’s is located at 120 N. Collins St. in Plant City, it is just steps away from local businesses. Many regulars walk over to enjoy lunch, while others are busy customers stopping in to pick up dinner. Even local collegiate athletes and teams depend on Norman’s for a nutritious meal.

If parallel parking is not your expertise, not to worry, there is plenty of parking located around downtown Plant City. In just a few steps, you will find yourself at Norma’s front door! Norma’s truly is a one-stop-shop for the local community and so much more than just a Cuban sandwich shop! Strawberry Sue and Tiffany too enjoyed the history, ordering options, flavor-flare, and good-ole Cuban bread and sandwich they found while making their rounds of Local Bites around town!

Norma’s is located at 120 N Collins, St, Plant City, FL 33563.

Order online for breakfast, lunch or meal prep!

Or give us a call at: Tel: (813) 704-6015 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

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SPRING GARDENING IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

By Lynn Barber, Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Agent

March is ready, set…garden month in Hillsborough County. We’re past the last chance of frost, and we can put plans and plants into place as we recycle and redesign our landscape beds.

It’s a good time to shape and reduce the size of landscape plants. Don’t prune Gardenias and Azaleas until after they have bloomed. For ornamental grasses, cut the stems to 4-12 inches above the ground, depending on the size of the clump.

Recycle your landscape clippings in your compost bin. If you’re raking oak leaves, compost or use them as mulch in a landscape bed. To learn about the do’s and don’ts of composting, sign-up for a composting workshop offered once a month, currently viz ZOOM, with us, the UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, from February through November. Check our calendar of events at: https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/ hillsborough/upcoming-events/.

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It’s a great time to apply 2-3 inches of organic mulch to your landscape beds. Move mulch away from the stems of your plants. It’s a great landscape addition because it adds nutrients to the soil when it decomposes, retains soil moisture, regulates soil temperature and suppresses weed growth.

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Check the Central Florida Gardening Calendar, https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep450, for what to plant and activities to do month by month. View the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ vh021, for veggie planting info, soil preparation, fertilization, irrigation, pest management approaches and more.

We will be planting beans, southern peas, peppers and tomatoes in March. If you like to grow your own herbs and spices, consider basil, lemon balm, mint, oregano and rosemary. Bulbs provide color, form and texture. Some beauties are Amazon lily, crinum, and agapanthus.

Let’s get outside and get our hands dirty. Be sure to take time for a nice glass of iced tea and a good book (gardening, of course) on your front porch, lanai or in your garden. Enjoy! Life’s too short not to garden.

For assistance with horticultural questions, call: 813744-5519. More gardening information is available at: https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/hillsborough/. Remember to reduce, reuse, recycle and repeat. Hope to see you at a workshop soon!

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NEWS BRIEFS

Compiled by Jim Frankowiak PHOTO BY TIM FRITZ

AG HALL OF FAME BANQUET RESCHEDULED The Florida Ag Hall of Fame Banquet has been postponed until April due to postponement of the Florida State Fair, also until April. Added details and rescheduled dates for both the Fair and Banquet will be available in the weeks ahead.

COVID-19 Resource on FloridaFarmBureau.org Florida Farm Bureau has developed a COVID-19 resources website page that includes a variety of agricultural and state and federal links related to the pandemic. The site is continually updated and can be accessed at: floridafarmbureau.org/ covid-19-resources/.

Farm Bureau Members Can Purchase Child Safety Seats at Reduced Cost Florida Farm Bureau members have the exclusive opportunity to purchase approved Cosco child safety car seats and child booster seats for one-third the retail price. Safety seats are $25 each and booster seats are $15. The limit is three seats per member. Order forms are available through county Farm Bureau offices.

USDA Rural Development State Director Bids Farewell The Florida Director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development (RD), Philip L. Leary, has left program now under Acting State Director Jason Brower. During his time as state director, Leary worked with communities of rural Florida and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

search and Education Center and his team. Both include references for identifying hundreds of common trees in Florida and contain detailed photographs that show leaves, bark, flowers and full trees, as well as clear descriptions and tools like a diagnostic key and glossary. The books are $24.95 each with quantity discounts. Orders may be placed and additional information is available via ifasbookstore.ifas.ufl.edu, or phone: 800-226-1764.

New UF/IFAS Vegetable Production Handbook Available The latest edition of the Vegetable Production Handbook of Florida is now available at University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) research and education centers and county Extension offices. The free handbook is designed to provide Florida growers with the latest information on crop cultivars, cultural practices and pest management.

RD is a mission area within the USDA which runs programs intended to improve the economy and quality of life in rural America.

USDA Issues Final Rule for Domestic Hemp Production The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced the final rule regulating the production of hemp in the United States. Key provisions of the rule include licensing requirements; record keeping requirements for maintaining information about the land where hemp is produced; procedures for testing the THC concentration levels for hemp; procedures for disposing of non-compliant plants, compliance provisions; and procedures for handling violations.

More information on the final rule is available at https://www. ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/hemp.

UF/IFAS Extension Bookstore Featuring Pair of Tree Guides

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The University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Bookstore is offering a pair of tree guides – Trees: North and Central Florida and Trees: South Florida and the Keys – authored by Dr. Andrew Koeser, Associate Professor of Environmental Horticulture at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Re-

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KEEL FARMS COMPLETES TWO COST-SHARE PROJECTS WITH WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT; SAVINGS OF 5,500 GALLONS OF WATER DAILY ANTICIPATED AND MORE

By Jim Frankowiak

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) recently completed a Mini FARMS project with Keel Farms, home of the Keel & Curley Winery near Plant City. The District cost-shared a solar powered automatic surface water pump to irrigate several acres of organic blueberries used to make certain Keel & Curley wines.

The District also collaborated with the Keel Farms in 2019 when it cost-shared a weather station and soil moisture probes, enabling the grower to utilize the best data available for prescribed daily irrigation and frost-freeze protection for blueberries and row crops. That data includes rainfall, wind, temperature, humidity and soil moisture content.

The Keel & Curley Winery and Restaurant was started in the spring of 2003 in the kitchen of founder and owner, Joe Keel, a central Florida blueberry farmer who wanted to find something to do with his end of crop blueberries. He decided blueberry wine would be interesting and dabbled with his creation in the family farm house kitchen. Keel started with 10 gallons of blueberry wine with each batch improving until it turned into the unique and charming flavors that Keel & Curley Winery is known for today.

Now collectively known as Keel Farms, the winery has grown to include a restaurant, winery, brewery and events venue, all while keeping true to the Keel family’s home grown roots.

Clay Keel is now owner of Keel Farms.

The recently-completed alternative water supply project was installed to improve irrigation efficiency, conserve groundwater and to utilize an existing half-acre pond, which collects rainfall and runoff from adjacent fields to improve water quality and reduce withdrawals from the Upper Floridan aquifer.

District officials anticipate that these two projects will offset 5,500 gallons of water daily from the Upper Floridan aquifer and help capture runoff improving water quality in the surrounding watershed.

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“I grew up on the farm and the pond has been here my whole life,” said Keel. “It is great to now be able to use it effectively for our farming needs. The blueberries love the PH and the nutrient content of the surface water and since it is installed

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with precise drip irrigation, controlling watering amounts to the plant is easy.”

The two programs began in 2019 when Keel contacted the District seeking information on cost share programs covering the weather station and soil moisture probes. Following the installation of the weather station and moisture probes, Keel reached back out to the District in 2020 seeking to cost share installation of a solar powered surface water pump to irrigate 2,000 blueberry bushes with micro irrigation.

“At Keel Farms, one of our core values is sustainability and the Mini FARMS grants has helped us make great steps toward that effort,” said Keel. “Being able to get real time weather data from our weather station allows us to avoid watering when we don’t need to and that saves energy, water and our equipment.”

In addition to blueberries, Keel Farms has several seasonal row crops, including watermelons and vegetables for its restaurant and a corn maze – all benefitting from the alternative water supply project. The weather station assists in making on farm decisions as to when to begin crop protection during a freeze event. This can save fruit, water, nutrition and diesel fuel. The surface water pump is solar powered and only operates when the sun is out. This minimizes the need to run diesel or electric well.

Keel Farms shares weather data with its neighbors, an added benefit of that aspect of the multi-part project. The public link to current weather data is: https://www.hobolink.com/p/ e2e73736c7c0b5d41961925a62edd65b. Total project cost was $14,402 and the District share was $10,800 with Keel Farms funding the balance.

“The Southwest Florida Water Management District has been a great partner of ours,” noted Keel. “Like all farmers, we work closely with them to ensure we are following all local and state regulations concerning wetlands and water use. However, I don’t know if a lot of people know the incentive programs like the Mini FARMS grant. It is a great program for anyone in the agriculture space.”

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Mini FARMS is a cost share reimbursement program available to agricultural operations less than 100 acres who are enrolled in the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) Best Management Practices Program. It is designed to incentivize growers to implement water conservation best management practices such as: weather stations, soil moisture probes, telemetry, pump station automation, field valve automation, surface water pumping stations and irrigation conversions from high to low volume systems. The reimbursement rate is 75% of the total project cost to a maximum of $8,000. Growers can participate in two projects per year, five lifetime total per water use permit. To initiate a project, email or call Matt Vinzant, the Mini FARMS Coordinator; matt.vinszant@watermatters.org or 863-534-1448, Extension 6531.

The grower has until the end of the District’s fiscal year (October 1st – September 30th) in which the project was approved to install the equipment. A time extension may be granted, if needed. Once installed and operational, a District representative will conduct a site visit to ensure the hardware is installed and paid for before a District reimbursement is issued. The grower is also expected to maintain and utilize the cost shared equipment for a three year maintenance period.

The District has the FARMS program for larger projects that typically involve reservoirs and other alternative water supplies for irrigation. More information can be found at https:// w w w. s w f w m d . s t a t e . f l . u s / business/agriculture/facilitating-agricultural-resourcemanagement-systems-farms.

FARMS Program Manager Carole Estes can be reached by email at carole.estes@watermatters.org.

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NEW YEAR NEW

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I T F M I Tyour F Mlocal Everglades February 2021location today or visit us online at www.EFE1963.com!

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FLorida

KURI SQUASH

By Sandy Sun, M.S. Clinical Medicines, B.S. Nutrition Science

Kuri squash is a beautiful, cheerfully colored orange-red winter squash in the species Cucurbita maxima. It looks like a small, smooth pumpkin without the vertical ridges. Other names for this root vegetable include red kuri squash, Japanese squash, baby Hubbard squash, or onion squash. The bright orange skin is thin and surrounds a delicate, firm flesh.

The taste is sweet, nutty, and mild, and described as similar to chestnuts. The texture is prized for being rich and smooth.

Most weigh between three to seven pounds and have a teardrop shape, much like a pear.

Kuri squash is grown in Japan, New Zealand, Chile, South Africa, and the United States. Within the US, this squash is produced in California, Florida, and Colorado. Kuri squash is delicious when cooked and eaten plain, and can also be made into soups, stews, casseroles, bread, muffins, and desserts.

Nutrition Information Kuri squash is a great source of beta-carotene, vitamin C, dietary fiber, potassium, and the B vitamins. This squash is also delicious and low in calories. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, one cup of fresh boiled, cubed kuri squash (140 g) contains 60 calories, 1.3 g of protein, 0.14 g of fat, 15 g of carbohydrate, and 2.5 g of fiber. It provides an 51% of the recommended daily requirement for vitamin A, 26% for vitamin C, 10% for potassium, and 5% for iron and calcium. Kuri squash is also a good source of magnesium, folate, phosphorus, and dietary fiber.

B vitamins: Good for the Heart Fresh Florida kuri squash is a good source of vitamin B6 and folic acid, two B vitamins that are linked to cardiovascular health. They work to reduce high levels of homocysteine, a compound that has been shown to cause damage to blood vessels and increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Kuri squash is also a good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber can help lower high cholesterol levels, another risk factor for heart attack and stroke. Insoluble fiber helps promote satiety and weight control, as well as bowel regularity and healthy gastrointestinal tract functioning.

Kuri squash is an excellent sources of vitamins A and C, which function as very powerful antioxidants in the body that neutralize free radicals. Free radicals cause damage to cells and are involved in cholesterol accumulation in the arteries, which leads to atherosclerosis and heart disease. These harmful compounds also play a role in nerve and blood vessel damage in those with diabetes. In addition to their protective effects against free radical damage, vitamin A is also required for good eye function and vitamin C plays a role in strong immunity.

How to Select and Store Choose squash that is brightly and deeply colored and free of soft spots or blemishes. The vegetable should feel heavy for its size. It can be stored for three to six months in a cool and dry place.

How to Enjoy Florida kuri squash are flavorful and sweet and can be enjoyed in countless ways. This winter squash is excellent when baked, steamed, boiled, or made into pie. Try roasting it with spices like cinnamon or nutmeg, or boiling cubes in a soup.

Other serving ideas include: • Boil, combine with butternut squash, rutabaga, turnips, or potatoes, and mash for a quick side dish • Blend cooked squash puree with apple cider for a delicious autumn drink • Stir cooked puree into yogurt or a smoothie • Mix chunks or puree into oatmeal, soups, stews • Use as a substitute for canned pumpkin in pancakes, breads, cookies • Cut out the top, scoop out the seeds, and roast the entire squash. Then use it as a serving bowl for soup, stew, or chili Enjoy fresh Florida kuri squash today during its peak harvest.

With its sweet, delicious flavor, long storage life, and stellar nutrition status, kuri squash is a winter treat.

Selected References http://www.edibleplantproject.org http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

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Vitamins A and C: Fight Free Radicals

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CongratulatIons, Madison Davis!

MIss congeniality

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The Florida Strawberry Growers Association has selected its newest group of scholarship recipients and named its roster of Ambassadors.

The FSGA has presented more than $500,000 in scholarships over the last 38 years. $1,000 scholarship recipients and their current school of enrollment are: Brynne Murphy, Durant High School Williams Haxton, Durant High School Riley Buttorff, Plant City High School Kenneth Hattaway, Hillsborough Community College Kayla Swantek, Durant High School Mackenzie Council, Florida Southern Mary-Catherine Stephens, USF Avery Surrency, Durant High School Taryn Storter, Liberty University Brooke Varn, St. Leo University In addition, Coley Riley received a $1,000 O.M Griffin Memorial Scholarship and Zachary Spivey received $1,000 Marvin Brown Scholarship.

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Introduced in 2001, the Strawberry Ambassador Program is a year-long initiative available to senior high school students able to commit time and leadership towards the program.

“During their term as ambassadors, these individuals will have the opportunity to learn from growers about the industry, travel to events as Florida strawberry industry representatives and gain a greater understanding of the role we play in the community and beyond,” said Mike Lott, FSGA Scholarship Committee Chairman. FSGA Ambassadors are required to attend 75 percent of FSGA functions with the community throughout the strawberry season. Serve at the Florida State Fair and Strawberry Festival booths, participate in Ag Venture and Florida Farm Bureau Legislative Appreciation reception in Tallahassee are examples of these important functions. Each ambassador receives a $1,500 award, plaque and pad folio.

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Jack Brosky Jack Brosky is a senior at Plant City High School. Over his high school career, he has participated in many clubs and activities from FFA to Varsity Baseball. He was chosen as the 2019 HOBY Mid-Florida Leadership Delegate from PCHS. He was also one of two delegates chosen for Rotary Seminar for Tomorrow’s Leaders in 2020.

He is currently the President of National Technical Honor Society, a member of the Senior Executive Council, September’s Senior of the Month, member of National Honor Society, and a Captain of the Varsity Raiders Baseball team all while maintaining a 6.17 GPA. He is honored and excited to represent FSGA as an Ambassador this year.

Michaela Carmichael Michaela Carmichael is a 16 year old student at Durant High School. She will be a three year early graduate in May of 2021. She plans to attend Hillsborough Community College for two years and then transfer to an out of state university to pursue a career in veterinary science.

Along with serving as an Ambassador for the FSGA, she is also the reigning 2020-2021 Harvest Queen and an active member in FFA as well as an WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM

employee at Happy Pets Inn. She’s shown swine and cattle for almost six year and continues to compete in Career Development Events through FFA, such as veterinary science, extemporaneous public speaking, OH demos and agriscience fair. “I am so blessed to have received this scholarship and opportunity to represent an industry that’s rooted in my hometown of Plant City,” Michaela said.

Alyssa Grimes Alyssa Grimes is a senior at Strawberry Crest High School. She will be continuing her academic and athletic softball career at Nova Southeastern University. She is captain of the SCHS Softball team and involved in FFA. She currently has a show pig for the Florida Strawberry Festival. Her Great Grandfather Grimes started farming strawberries in Plant City over 50 years ago. “As an Ambassador my plan is to learn as much as I can about the strawberry industry and upon college graduation come back and continue my family’s legacy and work in our family business,” Alyssa said.

Carter Howell Carter Howell is a Senior at Durant High School and is dual enrolled at Hillsborough Community College.

After graduation he plans to attend South Dakota State University in the fall majoring in Agricultural Economics and Political Science.

He has been active in the FFA since 2016, having served in multiple leadership positions throughout Middle School and High School. He currently serves as the District IX President, Hillsborough Federation President, and as the President of the Durant FFA Chapter. He competes in numerous career and leadership development events, such as Employment Skills and Parliamentary Procedure, garnering several State Championships. Furthermore, he has received a national title, reserve national championship in Food Science and Technology, and a third-place finish on the national level. Additionally, Carter is passionate about beef production serving as the President of the Hillsborough Junior Cattlemen’s Association and showing cattle actively. Since undertaking his first livestock project in 2017, he has earned the honors of Reserve Grand Champion Steer at the 2019 Florida Strawberry Festival and Grand Champion Steer at the 2020 Hillsborough County Fair. Carter and his sister have built a small herd of beef cattle allowing him to further grow his practical skills in beef production. In the future, Carter would like to further his involvement in the cattle industry and take on a role as an industry advocate or politician. Carter could not be more excited to grow his knowledge of the strawberry industry and serve as an FSGA Ambassador this year.

Roby Runkles Roby Runkles is a senior at Plant City High School and dual enrolled at Hillsborough Community College. A member of FFA, she will be showing her pig, “The Runk” at the Florida Strawberry Festival.

Roby is also involved with National Honor Society, Students for Life Action and is very active in the student ministry at First Baptist Church, serving on the LEAD team as well.

She works at Pelican Snoballs, where “We serve the best shaved ice in Plant City.” Roby is excited to be an Ambassador for the Florida Strawberry Growers Association and looks forward to representing the industry. “I cannot wait to make memories with everyone on the team,” Roby said.

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Bailee Lawrence Bailee Lawrence is a senior at Newsome High School. Following graduation in May, she will finish her last semester of her AA degree at Hillsborough Community College before transferring to the University of Florida to pursue a degree in Agriculture Education and Communications. She is the current President of the Newsome FFA Chapter and has shown swine, steers and heifers. She is employed as a sales consultant at Satin and Lace Bridal Boutique and on staff at Florida Rustic Barn Weddings. “I am excited to serve along with the other ambassadors and represent the strawberry industry,” Bailee said.

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Calendar Conundrums

by John Dicks

One of the many great things about living in Florida is that springtime arrives early, just like it should!

Certainly that revelation was made evident when recently I received an unsolicited email promoting an unnecessary product with a link to an article on “how to prevent and thaw frozen pipes.”

Seriously? Yep, frozen pipes are a worrisome concern for folks living up north, but you’ll be glad to know that there is a gizmo that you can buy to help solve the problem.

Granted, there are plenty of cold days still ahead of us.

That always happens; yet they are short lived and tantalizing, energizing us for stoking the last few flames in the fireplace or the outdoor stove before cleaning and setting them aside for next season.

Still, springtime this year, as it sneaks in upon us, will be a bit bizarre.

Just look at your calendar of upcoming events. Things seem a bit out of whack.

Basically, it’s an overpriced, super deluxe hair dryer with which its use can help you avoid the dreaded words of, if all else fails, “call a plumber!”

Consider, for example, the dates for our annual fairs and festivals. How can it be that this year’s Florida State Fair will follow after the Strawberry Festival? That seems so strange. It’s like messing with nature!

I find it remarkable, really, that somehow a giant and powerful computer lofting in the cloud somewhere, armed with an array of analytics and algorithms, had deciphered my profile as someone prime to be promoted to with this pitch to purchase a frozen pipe heater.

Of course, unlike dates on a calendar, not everything in nature can be so simply changed with the stroke of a pen. The steer and swine shows are a good example.

They are set to go on as planned, still to be held in February. Seems like you sort of have to do that.

I did experience the horror of a frozen pipe onetime; but it wasn’t my fault, I promise! Who knows why the gyration of that computer algorithm determined I’d be just the guy with frozen pipes?!

The Fair itself, though, will be in April, which begs to ask the question, “does that mean that the ‘Fresh from Florida’ OJ get squeezed then, too? There are, indeed, some things that nature won’t wait for.

The only real effect this email pitch had on me, other than amusement, was that of convincing me to click the delete button while day dreaming of the delights that spring will soon be bringing.

The new dates for the State Fair this year have it running April 22 - May 2. Worth noting is that the change, at least for 2021, forces the Fair to give up its mantle of being our nation’s first State Fair of the year.

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John Dicks is both a Lawyer and Businessman, including an interest in farming. He and his family have owned a Blueberry Farm and have Agricultural lands which they lease for cattle operations, as John says, “to someone who knows and handles cattle much better than I do!”. John is both a Gator, having received his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida, and a Seminole, with his Law Degree from Florida State University. John serves as Of Counsel to Trinkle Redman, a law firm in Plant City where he also served nine years as City Commissioner, including three terms as Mayor.

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E n d a n g e r e d S p e c i es

BEAUTIFUL BUGS: MIAMI TIGER BEETLE

By Ginny Mink

It has been quite some time since we focused our thoughts on an endangered insect. So, this month we are going to learn all about the plight of the Miami tiger beetle in hopes of being able to make some difference in its future on this planet.

Like many other tiger beetles, the Miami tiger beetle is an active daytime predator. These beetles have incredible eyesight and can detect the movement of their prey. And, thanks to their well developed jaws, they are able to quickly run to capture it.¹ First discovered in the 1930s, the Miami tiger beetle disappeared for six decades before being seen again in 2007. At that time, the Miami tiger beetles were found in the Richmond Heights area of Miami. And to this day, they are only found in the pine rockland habitats, in small sandy pockets, of MiamiDade County.² A 2016 article published in the Miami Herald, revealed that then lead biologist for the Fish and Wildlife Service, Emily Bauer, stated, “We have roughly two percent of pine rockland remaining and what remains is highly fragmented… We have just two populations and they’re thought to be really small and isolated from one another.”³ The article also records, then US Fish and Wildlife spokesman, Ken Warren, as saying, “That particular type of landscaping is vanishing and once it’s gone, you can’t get it back…What it comes down to is the people of Florida are going to have to make difficult choices about what’s important.”³ Known as one of the rarest tiger beetles in the US, the Miami tiger beetle has only been located in three sites. Visual counts by researchers suggest there may be four to 38 adult beetles at each of these sites. And, those seen were restricted to small patches of sand that were scattered amongst all the other dense vegetation at these sites.⁴ So, what do these rare beetles look like? Well, they are oval shaped with bulging eyes. They don’t even get as big as half an inch in length, so about the size of a fingernail. And, their abdomens are an orange or orange-brown color while their dorsal surfaces are a shiny, dark green.¹ Thanks to the work of those at the Center for Biological Diversity, this seemingly Lazarus bug, was added to the Federal Endangered Species List in the fall of 2016. That was a two year process, having started with a petition filed in 2014. It is truly unfortunate that this beetle wasn’t afforded significant protections when it seemed to be resurrected from more than 60 years of considered extinction!²

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In truth, when it was discovered for the first time in 1934 by an insect collector, Frank Young, entomologists just kind of presumed it wasn’t more than a cousin to other local beetles.

However, when they realized these beetles were different, they went back to the site where they had been discovered only to find it was too late! This led entomologists to conclude,

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by 2006, that the Miami tiger beetle had been totally wiped out by development.³ While you may be thinking, “It’s still just a bug,” the reality is, tiger beetles (in general) have been an important focal point in insect conservation efforts for decades. This is because they are only found in specific habitats and as such provide useful indicators of disturbances in their rare and distinct locales.

These insects help researchers assess biodiversity!⁴ Quartz sand is necessary for these beetles and is one of the unique features found in the pine rocklands. Generally, these areas are characterized by the presence of limestone substrate, a diverse palm and hardwood canopy, a very rich layer of herbaceous contents, and of course, a notable South Florida slash pine canopy. Unfortunately, these areas are best maintained by periodic fires, or prescribed burns. Which is an area of contention for many people.¹ These, “aggressive ant-eating insects,” deserve a fighting chance. And they are truly in a battle for their lives. Thankfully, federal wildlife managers are contemplating the designation of critical habitat for the benefit of the Miami tiger beetle. Such a designation would create boundaries and provide other measures to protect their pineland homes.³ We know that these insects are severely endangered due to development, but the reality is, they were prized parts of insect collector accumulations. So, they were basically hunted down for their pretty, green, iridescent dorsal area. Humanity needs to see that our purpose in this stewardship is to protect the earth and the creations put here. God had a reason for every inclusion! Even, the Miami tiger beetle.

Resources: ¹US Fish and Wildlife Services. Miami tiger beetle Cicindela floridana. https://www.fws.gov/southeast/wildlife/insects/ miami-tiger-beetle/#:~:text=The%20Miami%20tiger%20beetle%20is,in%20Big%20Cypress%20National%20Preserve. ²Center for Biological Diversity. Miami Tiger Beetle. https:// www.biologicaldiversity.org/species/invertebrates/Miami_tiger_beetle/index.html ³Staletovich, Jenny. (2016). What happens when a rare beetle comes back from the dead. Miami Herald. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article112658798.html ⁴Knisley, B. & Brzoska, D. (2018). Habitat, Distribution, Biology, and Conservation of the Miami Tiger Beetle, Cicindelidia floridana (Cartwright). The Coleopterists Bulletin 72(1):1-8. https:// www.researchgate.net/publication/323973420_Habitat_Distribution_Biology_and_Conservation_of_the_Miami_Tiger_ Beetle_Cicindelidia_floridana_Cartwright_Coleoptera_Carabidae_Cicindelinae Photo Credits: Mays, J. (2015). For the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Miami tiger beetle. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/BEwwVZ WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM

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Florida Strawberry Festival plans for livestock shows 6 hooves apart

By Lauren McNair

When the Florida Strawberry Festival began planning the 2021 event, one of the first decisions made was a rather easy one. Though much consideration needed to be given to the rides, food, entertainment, and exhibits for the 11-day event, the board of directors knew that its most treasured area absolutely must be preserved – the youth livestock shows.

“Our youth livestock exhibitors truly are the heart and soul of our festival, and from the minute we started planning, we knew we had to figure out a way for the exhibitors to show,” said Florida Strawberry Festival President Paul Davis. “Not giving them the opportunity was just never an option for us.”

The board of directors and the festival’s livestock committee have worked tirelessly to ensure that the procedures in place will make for an enjoyable, educational, and safe experience. Organizers are in frequent communication with the county and state departments of health and closely monitor the most up-to-date information from the Centers for Disease Control. All requirements and guidelines for every festival guest and participant will be those approved by the aforementioned and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

As of the publication of this article, the Florida Strawberry Festival will require the following for its livestock shows: All who enter the livestock facilities – including exhibitors, parents, supporters, and guests – will be required to wear a mask in both the indoor and open-air housing facilities. Social distancing of at least 6 ft. will be required whenever possible. Food and beverages will not be permitted inside the livestock facilities, a rule the festival has enforced for years. As for the swine and steer sales scheduled for Friday, March 5 and Sat., March 13 respectively, socially distanced seating will be provided for attendants and buyers alike.

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“We feel confident with the procedures we have in place. At this point, most people are used to wear-

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ing masks and sitting apart,” said Davis. “Otherwise, it should feel like the same shows we all know and love. It really is my favorite part of the festival, and I think seeing the kids show will be a boost for everyone.”

Almost every competition in the event’s livestock and agricultural programs will continue – beef cattle, steers, swine, dairy, lambs, poultry, and plants. The only competition not included in this year’s program, the rabbit show, had to be cancelled due to a nationwide disease outbreak among rabbits.

For parents, the shows will provide a reprieve from an otherwise challenging year.

“It has been a difficult year for Gracie, our 9-year-old daughter, and she absolutely can’t wait to show her sheep Belle and Jasmine at the festival,” said Brittany Lopez. “My husband and I really appreciate that the festival has a plan for allowing the livestock shows to responsibly go on because our kids are so limited right now as to what they can do. They really need these opportunities to learn about responsibility, confidence, and how to win and lose, and livestock shows are the best places to learn these skills.”

The 86th Annual Florida Strawberry Festival will take place March 4-14 with livestock shows scheduled for nearly every day. For the latest information on the festival, its livestock show schedule, and its Covid-19 guidelines, visit www.flstrawberryfestival.com.

“We are thankful that we get to have a festival this year,” said Davis. “Guests can be assured that we are committed to creating a safe environment for families, as has been our commitment from year one. Aside from our headline entertainment, every other exciting facet of the festival is scheduled to go on as usual. I can’t wait to see friends and families having a great time together.

We really need it.”

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By Ginny Mink

Ornamental Gardening in Florida Welcome back to the Literary Time Machine! Our last voyage took us through some interesting conversations about Loquats. But, as we near the end of Mr. Torrey Simpson’s book, the reality is, as with every journey here, we have no idea where this month’s travels will take us.

We’ll start this month off with the Mammea americana, Mammee apple, or St. Domingo apricot. He writes of it, “A magnificent tree from the Lower West Indies and northern South America with thick, glossy leaves and attractive white flowers.

It bears large, sometimes squarish fruits that are well flavored and in all is one of our finest trees. Very tender when young but we have had here at Miami great trees seventy feet high with intensely dark foliage that have bloomed and borne fruit each year.”¹ Are you wondering, as we are, “What in the world kind of tree is he talking about?” The concept of “squarish” fruits is an interesting one. We needed to see those!

The Growables website provided us with a wealth of pictures.

And, in truth, we’re not sure we would say these fruits are “squarish,” but they are definitely not well-rounded. And, according to their site, the Mammea americana “is one of the best kept tropical fruit secrets.”² They add, “The tree is a great asset in the home landscape that will provide a point of pride among your neighbors.”² The flowers are certainly unique looking enough to consider having in the yard.

This moves us on to Mangifera or Mango. “Everybody in Lower Florida knows the mango for its rich fruit but few stop to think what a glorious tree it is. It has a clean trunk, an immense, rounded head of handsome foliage, the leaves being long, thick and glossy and of a variety of rich, soft colors when young. It is especially ornamental when it is covered with its erect panicles of brownish flowers and again when loaded with fruits, each flushed green, yellow and red. For months in spring and summer it bears this wonderful crop which to those who live here is far better than peaches.”¹ It is apparent that Mr. Torrey Simpson had a definite affinity for mangoes. However, we feel compelled to admit that we disagree with his summatory statement. And, maybe you are on our side of this as well? We do not think mangoes are better than peaches!

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While we are on a roll with familiar tropical fruit, we will join Mr. Torrey Simpson at the Musa, or Banana. Of which he writes, “All the Musas are native of the Oriental tropics, some having valuable fiber, others good fruit, and generally they are orna-

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Part 77

mental…Plants grow to thirty feet high and form great masses.

It is believed that the plantain, which does not succeed well here, the red baracoa, the Martinique and a number of other forms are merely varieties…but it is probable that but little is really known of the origin of this plant which has been cultivated for long ages and all around the warmer parts of the world…”¹ He continues, “The horse banana is somewhat hardy and does well in South Florida- in fact it is grown all over the state…Anyhow it is one of our grandest ornamentals and is more emblematic of the tropics than almost any plant we grow…Recently the culture of hardy strains of this species has been attempted in the Peace River Valley and other places in South Florida and it is believed they will prove successful…

Elsewhere I have stated that I have not had much success with most of the ornamental bananas but it is to be hoped that they may do better in the hands of others for we need a great deal of just such glorious decoration as they can give.”¹ We hate to rain on his banana tree parade, but if there was a banana tree growing in the yard, we’d probably pay to have it removed. Yes, that seems extreme, but cockroaches and rats seem to be really drawn to banana trees and their multitude of deep hiding spots. Love the bananas, hate the pests!

Our ride on the Literary Time Machine will stop at Punica granatum, or Pomegranate. “A large shrub or small tree from North India and Persia with narrow leaves and splendid orange or scarlet flowers. These are followed by large, brightly colored, reddish fruits. The rind is leathery but the seeds are surrounded by a pleasant-tasting pulp. Usually hardy as far north as Washington and Baltimore and a splendid plant for the northern half of Florida, but in the more tropical part it generally does rather poorly.”¹ As we disembark, each to go our own ways until next month’s adventure, we wish you much joy and health and happy gardening! Until next time!

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. 218-220). ²Growables Grow Florida Edibles. Mammey Apple- Mammea americana. https://www.growables.org/information/TropicalFruit/tropicalapricot.htm Photo Credits: Belli, Arria. (2008). Mamey fruit cut open. https://flic.kr/ p/4Rts3X Coniferconifer. (2014). Pomegranate. https://flic.kr/p/pnh3nn WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM

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ANaturally Closer Look Amazing

by Sean Green

Coyote (Canis latrans) As you all know, I typically write about insects. This past month, I saw a lot of reports of coyote sightings and some of my neighbors expressed concern and asked for my intervention. Most homeowners asked about the potential to safely relocate the animal; however, others spoke of traps and shotguns. I do not like hearing from anyone that the first solution that comes to mind is to kill the wild animal.

I understand that the coyote can become problematic for not only small livestock, but also small family pets. A default policy of “kill on sight” is usually based in fear or misunderstanding. Those of us living and working in rural areas may not be alarmed by the site of a coyote, as wild animals are a common occurrence. In an urban environment however, the site of a wild animal can be unnerving. Wild animals are not as common, nor are they expected in an urban environment. The management of any animal, wild or domestic, requires an understanding of the animal, its behavioral tendencies, and the environmental factors that influence its behavior. This month we will take a closer look at the coyote (Canis latrans) to understand why we are seeing this wild animal in unexpected settings and what can be done when you do see coyote.

The coyote (Canis latrans) is one of North Americas native canine species. It is smaller than its closest relative, the wolf (Canis lupus). It was first formally described by Thomas Say, a self-taught naturalist, in 1819 while accompanying U.S. Army Colonel Henry Atkinson and Major Stephen H. Long in the Yellowstone expedition which sought to establish military forts to protect and maintain the northwestern frontier and its prosperous fur trade. This species was, however, referenced centuries earlier by the Spanish naturalist Francisco Hernández in Plantas y Animales de la Nueva España (1651).

From the long history of written descriptions of this animal, we can find specific characteristics that help us differentiate the coyote from other canine species and more importantly, understand and predict behavior patterns. Adult coyotes (Canis latrans) have maintained the same physical appearance that was described by Thomas Say more than 200 years ago. Say provides a very detailed description in his account of the expedition from Pittsburgh to the Rocky Mountains. If you are interested in the full text description, it can be found at: https://archive.org/stream/accountofexpedit01jame#page/168/ mode/2up According to a report published by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), coyotes have been documented in all 67 counties in Florida and are a result of natural expansion from the western states. They are a close relative of the domestic dog and often mistaken as such. Because coyotes can easily adapt to a variety of environments, there have been increasing encounters of coyotes in urban settings and it is important to know how to differentiate a coyote from someone’s stray pet.

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Some main physical characteristics that will differentiate the coyote from a domestic breed are as follows: • Coat: gray varied with black on top and dull cinnamon in the middle. Black dorsal stripe forms a cross on the shoulders.

• Ears: erect, large for head size, rounded at tip, cinnamon in back, gray inside.

• Eyelids: edged with black • Iris: yellow with black-blue pupil • Lips: white, edged with black, • Nose: Black, small (less than 1” diameter) • Head: between the ears intermixed with gray, and dull cinnamon, • Legs: cinnamon on the outer side, • Tail: Bushy, Wide in the middle, tapered at both ends (fusiform).

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courtesy wvxu.org

courtesy FWC Half the length of the body. Gray and cinnamon in color on top. immaculate white on the underside. Dark spot near the base (scent glands). Tip of the tail is black. Tail droops below the body when running.

• Paw prints: posterior (back) feet four toed, anterior (front) five toed • Size: Medium build, Avg 15-45 lbs. (Half the size of a standard German Sheppard) Coyotes (Canis latrans) superficially resemble the domestic German Sheppard (Canis lupus familiaris) but are much smaller. The German Sheppard is a domestic breed that is inferred as a subspecies of the wolf (Canis Lupus). One of the behavioral characteristics that distinguish a coyote from every other canine is their vocalization. Coyotes are the most vocal of any North American mammal and have a variety of calls. The scientific name for the coyote (Canis latrans) means “barking dog.” Many hunters leverage this behavioral to lure coyotes in for an easy kill.

Coyotes are carnivores, but not obligate carnivores, which means they are meat eaters, but not obligated to eat ONLY meat. Coyotes fill an important niche in the ecosystem, 90 percent of their diet consists of small rodents, rabbits, squirrels, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and even insects. They are capable of hunting larger prey such as deer, but only when attacking the deer as a pack. Coyotes have been known to eat produce on occasion, favorites being strawberry and apple and the leaves of some trees. Some coyotes have adapted to the urban life and lost their instinctual fear of human beings. These coyotes will scavenge through trash because they have learned to associate human beings with an easy source of food.

One of the most fascinating behaviors of the coyote is the hunting partnership they form with badgers (Mustelidae). Both hunt rodents but neither is 100 percent effective. The coyote is fast and can easily catch a rodent in the field, however, if the rodent escapes into an underground burrow, the coyote will lose its meal because coyote do not dig very well. The badger is not as fast as the coyote, but if the rodent is scared into an underground burrow, the badger can easily dig the rodent out for a meal. These two wild animals have co-evolved to hunt together. Though they do not share the catch, they sometimes WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM

hunt together taking dibs on the opportunity at which they are best.

When the rodent is out in the open, the coyote gets it, when it scampers into a burrow, the coyote will look for one of the rodents many exits and wait to ambush the rodent if the badgers digging scares it out, otherwise, the coyote will patiently watch the badger dig for the rodent, only taking over the hunt if the rodent escapes the grasp of the badger. Unfortunately, we do not have a native population of badgers in Florida and will not be able to witness such a natural fascination.

One of the reasons so many coyotes have been reported in the past 30 days is because this is the time of year male coyote become sexually mature and reproduction begins. The female will settle into a den for a two-month gestation period. When the pups are born, they are fed regurgitated food provided by both male and female adults and weaned to emerge from the den about a month later. The males will disperse between six and nine months while the females tend to remain to form a pack and help care for the next generation of pups. Hunting typically takes place near the den and can be done either singly or in a small family pack. It is important to remember that the coyotes’ range in the wild is vastly different than ranges established in urban environments. In the wild a pack coyote’s range is measured in thousands of acres. Urban pack coyotes have smaller ranges usually less than five square miles. I specify “pack” coyotes to characterize family packs. Solitary coyotes are young males that do not yet belong to a pack and tend to wander around in a much larger territory that includes the smaller territories of established family packs.

Coyotes are here to stay. Eradication is ineffective because nature has a keen way of filling voids in ecolo3gical niches. If coyotes are eradicated from a specific area, new coyotes move in when the habitat is not defended and replace the coyotes that were eradicated. Hunting the coyotes will eliminate individual pests but will certainly not rid the area of the rest of the pack. If you are looking for ways to reduce exposure to coyotes near your home or livestock, consider the solutions below: • Mark the territory. Both coyotes and wolves mark and defend their territory and are natural competitors. Wolves are a coyote’s natural predator and coyotes will avoid areas marked by wolves. Wolf urine will deter coyotes and scare them out of the area. I have not tested the hypothesis, but the Domestic German Sheppard (Canis lupus familiaris) is biologically a wolf and its urine may work as a deterrent.

I would like feedback from anyone that tries.

• Secure garbage cans to prevent scavenging of food.

• Remove fallen fruit from the ground. Coyotes eat fruit.

• Provide secure shelter for outside pets or livestock.

• Motion sensing lights or sprinklers may help deter coyotes. However, urban coyotes will get used to lights, water will always deter the coyote.

• Clear dense vegetation from the area. It provides not only a hiding place for the coyote, but a home for the rodents it hunts.

• Make noise. If the coyote is near you or is threatening, make a loud noise by yelling or shaking a can of rocks (coyote shaker). Make yourself look big by raising your arms or opening an umbrella towards the coyote.

Naturally Amazing Activities

By Sean Green

Coyote Shaker

Coyotes are usually timid animals that avoid encounters with human beings. There are times that we might run across a coyote, or any animal for that matter, that we want to scare away. This craft is great for general safety both at home and while camping. We are making a noise maker that we are calling a “Coyote Shaker.” It can be carried around in a backpack, or even a pocket in cargo pants depending on how big your shaker is. This will be a fun craft for creative children that want to decorate their “Coyote Shaker” and a practical craft to help keep parents at ease about wild animal encounters. Though there are many different components that can be used for this craft, we are presenting it with materials you would most likely have (or find) on a camping trip.

Supplies: • Metal container (soda can, soup can) • Hard objects (rocks, bottle caps, coins) • Tape *OPTIONAL (FOR DECORATING) *White Glue *Decoration (leaves, craft sticks, moss, yarn)

Gather rocks or seashells that are small enough to fit inside a soda can.

Carefully push the rocks through the opening of the soda can (adult supervision – cutting hazard) Tape the top of the can to seal the rocks inside.

Decorate the outside of the can with things you find around the camp. Leaves, shells, pebbles, etc.

Important note: Before relying on this in a real situation. Practice scaring your parents by shaking the finished can. If your parents get scared,.. you are good to go!

Understanding the animal is your best protection from any undesirable encounters with wildlife. We hope the information and suggestions we have provided will help our readers effectively identify and respond to an encounter with a coyote. Before choosing a violent or deadly response, please take a closer look, your neighbors’ pet may superficially resemble a coyote. courtesy City of Tampa INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

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FROM THE SCIENTIFIC FIELD By J. Scott Angle

Your farms and Hugh Smith’s laboratory are a bulwark against It’s not Smith’s first rodeo. Working out of the UF/IFAS Gulf a nationwide infestation. All too often, what happens in the U.S. Coast Research and Education Center, he has played a key role in control of the silverleaf whitefly and of the diamondhappens here first when it comes to invasive pests. back moth.

So it is with the Asian bean thrips. The whole country is looking to the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural His experience taught him to balance the urgent and the imSciences to respond to the thrips’ arrival, says Smith. We have, portant. It’s urgent to stop thrips now. Job one is to figure out how to kill them. and we will.

One measure of success of the efforts of those defending Florida against Asian bean thrips is the absence of panic-inducing headlines warning of catastrophe, Smith says. This is not a predator run amok. Smith aims to help you keep it that way so that regulators don’t have to step in to stop the spread of thrips to the rest of the state and nation.

In the long run, the important thing is to prevent thrips from reaching damaging levels in the first place. So simultaneously Smith studies thrips’ biology.

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Ironically, that involves the sometimes more difficult task of keeping them alive. By getting them to reproduce in the lab, Smith can accelerate his study of their vulnerabilities and have Scientists like Smith are in a race against the spread of pests, more specimens to increase the confidence in his findings. and industry has given him a head start against thrips—or at least prevented thrips from taking an insurmountable lead. He can then attack questions such as what point in thrips’ life Smith credits Glades Crop Care with first detecting Asian bean cycle are they most vulnerable to pesticides? Do they develop thrips in South Florida and immediately bringing them to the resistance? Do they have natural predators? At what numbers attention of the UF/IFAS entomology team. Asian bean thrips do they cause yield loss? are a serious threat to Florida’s multimillion-dollar snap bean industry. The only silver lining is that this new pest primarily Answers to these questions can result in recommendations for attacks legumes – beans, peas, and peanuts – while leaving how you manage them, which chemicals to use, which biocontrols show promise, and when to spray (or not to). Then there other crops alone. are the bigger questions of how far north Asian bean thrips will That gives Smith a fighting chance to figure out how to man- march. That’s the part that makes you and us the first respondage thrips with an ounce of scientific prevention so you don’t ers for a nation. face a pound of regulatory cure.

Smith and UF/IFAS Extension Hendry County Director Craig Smith succeeds in part because of support from two teams. Frey are traversing South Florida trapping and collecting thrips.

One is a network of growers, scouts, agrochemical representa- That, too, is science. Smith and Frey are comparing the use of tives and federal and state government officials that cooper- sticky cards vs. pan traps vs. manually inspecting plants to figure out ates to detect and fight off pests. what’s most efficient.

The other is the vast expertise of UF/IFAS in so many agricultural sciences and what is believed to be the largest university In the end, more than one way may entomology team in the nation. That enables Smith to special- work. The urgent and the important ize in the pests that feed on the vegetables that Hillsborough thing, Smith says, is that UF/IFAS science comes up with a simple and Polk growers specialize in. way to improve your confidence in Because Florida’s multitude of crops, weather conditions, the decisions you make now and plethora of ports and more than 100 million annual visitors, it’s years into the future. long been ground zero for invasive species, whether plants, pathogens or animals. As a result UF/IFAS expertise in invasive species has evolved to meet the many challenges involved in Scott Angle is the University of Florida’s Vice President for protecting against their spread.

Agriculture and Natural Resources and leader of the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).

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From Brewing to Biscuits

By Libby Hopkins

Marc and Meghan Betourney are New Englanders but now are happy to call Tampa home. Neither have a culinary background. Marc used to work in the financial sector but left to enjoy his passion in the craft beer industry. Meghan works in local county government. They live in South Seminole Heights with their dog, Sunny and cat, Mr. Bigglesworth. “In early 2018, we combined our passions for good brews, the environment and animal causes to create Craft Canine Treats,” Marc said.

Now, you may wonder if giving your dog treats made from beer making products is safe? Well, it is actually. With each brewery in the Tampa Bay area comes thousands of pounds of spent grain. Many local breweries provide this grain to farmers to feed their cattle, a very healthy source of nutrients at either very little or zero cost to the farmer. Spent grain is what is left after the process of germinating dried cereal grains, typically barley, for the production of beer. The remaining product is a concentrate of proteins and fiber that is nutritious and great for animal feeding and even humans.

Spent grain has had a long history in animal feeding, dating back to the monks and monasteries that would brew beer and then feed the brewers grain to their livestock, a very resourceful way to reuse materials they already had. Spent grain is a great source of protein and fiber, aiding in digestion and providing essential amino acids needed for healthy muscle growth, repair and energy levels. “Spent grain is the leftover grains from the beer brewing process after the mash has extracted most of the sugars,” Marc said. “Spent grain can constitute up to 85 percent of a brewery’s total by-product. Craft breweries all over the country have devised creative ways to prevent their spent grain from going to waste, however, many smaller breweries do not have an outlet for these grains and they are thrown out.”

The Betourney’s repurpose those spent grains to craft an all-natural, homemade dog treat without using any preservatives or additives. “We partner with Tampa-based breweries to source our grains,” Marc said. “As a result, we create a sustainable product that is environmentally friendly. Our treats are unique because they are a sustainable item. We bake with recycled spent grain, a by-product of the brewing process and upcycle with human grade ingredients to make our treats. Moreover, our bags are made with recycled material.”

Craft Canine Treats gives back to the community by donating a portion of all sales to local animal organizations. “When purchasing a bag of Craft Canine Treats, you can feel good knowing that you are feeding your dog a healthy homemade treat, supporting local business, promoting sustainability and giving back to those in need,” Marc said. “We are also unique because from day one, we have been donating 10 percent of all sales back to local rescue and animal organizations.”

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Keeping things local is extremely important to the Betourney’s. They work with local Tampa breweries, Brew Bus Brewing, 7venth Sun, Woven Water, Barriehause and Six Ten. They also use spent grain from local home brewers as well.

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The couple retails their treats at local businesses, too. These include Brew Bus Brewing, Florida Ave Brewing, Dunedin Pet Supply, Modern Paws, Perfect Pets, Starkey Market, Doggy Day Trips and Spa and Two Shepherds Taproom. “Keeping things local is what our business is based upon,” Marc said. “We bake and package at our house using ingredients from breweries right down the street.

We love working with the local rescues in the area because there are so many animals in need where every donation counts. Also it is energizing to be around other passionate people at the local rescues, the breweries and customers who love buying local.”

Craft Canine Treats can also be made in signature flavors for special events.

“We are a small local business which grants us flexibility and ability to customize for events,” Marc said. “For instance, we can create favors from your pet to your guests for your wedding.”

If you would like to learn more about Craft Canine Treats or if you’d like to order some for your fur babies, you can visit their website at www.craftcaninetreats.com or call 813- 997-0708.

CROP INSURANCE: IT PAYS TO MANAGE YOUR RISK When you purchase risk management coverage with Farm Credit of Central Florida, we return a portion of our commission as patronage dividends to eligible stockholders.

Patronage dividends could help lower the cost of insurance premiums, saving you money as you manage your risk.

Farm Credit of Central Florida is glad to discuss how we can save you money on your crop insurance with patronage dividends. Feel free to contact our crop insurance specialist, Regina Thomas, at 407.721.4687 or rthomas@farmcreditcfl.com.

Patronage dividend distribution is subject to eligibility. Certain limitations, conditions, and exclusions apply for crop insurance. Please refer to the policy for more details.

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when treating a heart attack or stroke, time is of the essence. even during these times.

Don’t hesitate when it comes to getting emergency treatment.

Even during a pandemic, you still need to be treated immediately if you have an emergency.

Debating whether or not to risk going to an emergency room during a heart attack, stroke or other health emergency—waiting even a few extra minutes—could be harmful. That’s why in

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all BayCare hospital emergency rooms, patients who have symptoms of COVID-19 are screened and treated in a separate area. This helps keep emergency room patients and our team members safe. So if it’s an emergency, don’t wait. For more information: BayCareEmergencyCare.org

Teaching Plants

By Libby Hopkins

Lauren Felker is new to the plant world, but she is quickly learning that everyone can learn how to have a green thumb.

“I only recently entered into the world of plants when my mom opened up a plant and home decor store back in February 2020,” Felker said. I quickly fell in love with houseplants and my knowledge of all things plants grew quickly from that point forward.”

Felker is the owner of We Teach Plants, which is a DIY plant event business. “The idea for We Teach Plants began when my passion for teaching and entertaining met my other passion of plants,” Felker said. “I do have experience as a preschool director which helps me with the coordinating and teaching aspects of the programs.”

We Teach Plants’ first class is scheduled for February of this year. “It will be a group of homeschooling children,” Felker said. “We will let the children choose a special plant from a curated selection of pixie plants and also choose their very own planter. We will talk about the various parts of the plants and gage their knowledge. From there we will take the plants out of their nursery pots, talk about the similarities and differences between the different types of plants, etc. Ultimately the children will go home with their freshly planted plant as well as a greater appreciation for plants and the knowledge to care for them.”

dents who studied with real, live plants in the classroom were more attentive and better able to concentrate than students in the other groups.

For people experiencing the symptoms of mental illness, indoor gardening can be helpful. Therapists have used horticultural therapy to increase feelings of well being among people with depression, anxiety, dementia and other conditions.

Felker’s DIY plant business is helping calm the nerves of children and their parents by offering private or in-home classes. Her program is giving children who are home schooled or E-learning the opportunity to learn about horticulture in a COVID-safe environment. “We plan to start off offering prescheduled classes for children one to two Saturday mornings a month,” Felker said. “We have also begun booking private parties and small events as well. For more information we will be posting event dates and information to register on our social media sites.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, with everyone staying home and staying safe, household plants have become all the rage with the help of social media platforms like Instagram.

We Teach Plants has a large social media following, which is helping Felker’s business as well as her clients.

While social media trends are notorious for rapid flourishand-fade lifecycles, indoor gardening may endure longer than most because of the many ways houseplants improve health and well-being.

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A study published in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology found that plants in your home or office could make you feel more comfortable, soothed and natural. They found that the indoor gardening task lowered the stress response in participants. Brain scans of the participants showed that the stu-

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If you would like to learn more about We Teach Plants, you can visit Felker’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/weteachplants or her Instagram page at www.instagram.com/ weteachplants. If you would like to book a private class or event with We Teach Plants, you can email Felker at weteachplants@gmail.com.

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UF/IFAS RESEARCHERS SEEKING RESISTANCE TO POWDERLY MILDEW ON GERBERA DAISIES

Mandatory E-Verify Law Updates

By Jim Frankowiak Gerbera daisy plants are popular worldwide for their array of brightly colored flowers. They make great garden plants and their blooms yield longlasting cut flowers, particularly popular for decorating wedding ceremonies.

Gerbera daisies are also increasingly used as garden, bedding, patio and indoor plants. Many greenhouse growers and nurseries grow gerberas as part of their business.

This growing popularity of gerbera daisy plants has led University of Florida scientists on a quest to determine how to breed gerbera daisies that can resist the plant’s most common and devastating disease: powdery mildew.

“When gerbera plants and flowers contract powdery mildew, growers usually rely on repeatedly spraying pesticides to suppress the disease,” said Zhanao Deng, an environmental horticulture professor and plant breeder at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) located at Balm, Florida. “But there are few options for gardeners and consumers seeing their beautiful gerbera flowers rapidly becoming unsightly.”

Deng and former UF/IFAS doctoral student Krishna Bhattarai led a study on the topic that has recently been published. The research team used RNA sequencing to find genes that scientists believe will help breed more resistance to powdery mildew in gerbera daisies. Scientists believe their findings ease their ability to develop new molecular tools such as DNA markers and genetic maps, enabling them to clone disease-resistance genes. Deng considers it as an important first step to thwart a disease that can devastate gerbera daisies.

The study, which was supported by a grant from the UF/IFAS Plant Breeding Graduate Initiative, is the first analysis of the gerbera leaf transcriptomes that gives scientists, growers and the ornamental plant industry insight into how the gerbera daisy plant might resist powdery mildew. “That is a crucial yet complex genetic trait in a globally important floral crop,” said Deng.

Powdery mildew strikes gerbera daisies in high humidity and moderate temperatures, ranging from 68 to 82 degrees. Shade can also foster this fungal disease. When the fungus ravages gerbera, patches of white mildew form on leaves and flowers and spread quickly. Affected plant parts lose their visual appeal, leaves and flowers and may die. Local UF/IFAS Extension offices can recommend pesticides and strategies for managing this problem as it occurs.

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In the meantime, the work begun by Deng and his research time will hopefully lead to a time when powdery mildew no longer damages gerbera daisy plants. “New molecular tools and disease-resistance genes from this study and future research of a similar nature will help breeders develop better gerbera varieties for growers, packers, shippers, florists and ultimately customers,” said Deng.

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By Jim Frankowiak

Florida’s new “Verification of Employ Eligibility” statute requires many employers to use the federal E-Verify system before hiri8ng any new employees. The new law compares information from I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification forms to other federal databases to confirm eligibility to work in the United States.

The new law requires private employers to use the E-Verify system or alternatively, use the I-9 Form and maintain copies every three years. Private employers who do not comply are at risk of losing the business licenses and possibly limit their ability to do business with the state of Florida.

The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) will no longer fund projects that do not comply with the new law. Failure to provide the proper eligibility information may result in an employer having to repay all money received by the DEO. No public contract can be entered into without an E-Verify certificate. For more information, visit: https://www.fisherphillips.com/ resources-alerts-floirdas-newmandatory-e-verify-law-will.

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2021 Florida Strawberry Festival Schedule of Ag Events

Date | Time | Event Thursday, March 4 at 7 p.m.

Mosaic Youth Swine Show

Friday, March 5 at 7 p.m.

Mosaic Youth Swine Sale

Saturday, March 6

Dairy Showmanship 11 a.m. Dairy Show - 1 p.m.

Sunday, March 7

Dairy Showmanship (Adults) - 11 a.m. | Dairy Showmanship (Pee Wee) -

11:30 a.m. | Dairy Costume Ball - 12:30 p.m. | Youth Plant Sale - 2 p.m.

Monday, March 8

Lamb Jumping Contest - 3 p.m. | Lamb Costume Contest - 7 p.m.

Tuesday, March 9

Lamb Showmanship - 3 p.m. | Lamb Show - 5 p.m.

Wednesday, March 10 at 6 p.m.

Mosaic Youth Steer Show

Thursday, March 11 at 7 p.m.

Mosaic Youth Steer Showmanship

Friday, March 12 at 6 p.m.

Beef Breed Showmanship

Saturday, March 13 at 7 p.m.

Mosaic Youth Steer Sale

Sunday, March 14 at 11 a.m.

Beef Breed Show

Mosaic Poultry Show - on Display Daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

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Never Ever Cattle

By Libby Hopkins

More than 10 years ago, the Planz Family started Providence Cattle Company, which is a cow/calf operation in Hillsborough County, to supply whole and half steers to families in the Tampa Bay area. When they started their ranch, Joe Planz said, “The beef we raise and process will have to be the best and healthiest available. That includes having all of the beef be never, ever.” The “never, ever” program means that all of the beef has never been subjected to any antibiotics or growth hormones ever. “In addition, the cows and steers would always be treated humanely, as God would expect of us,” Planz said.

Planz has background in cattle, as he grew up on a dairy farm in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. “Growing up there, you work on the dairy or you don’t work,” Planz said. “My closest neighbor was my grandmother, who lived a mile down the road. My graduation class was 25 people.”

Planz’s father made him go to college and he ended up working in the hospitality and restaurant industry for industry for 35 years, which brought him to Tampa. “In 2008, when the economy crisis happened, they let a bunch go and I was one of them,” Planz said. “My son was friends with a girl whose aunt owned a dairy farm in Hillsborough County. I had a lot of time on my hands, so I went to see her aunt and asked if she needed any help milking her cows because her brother had just passes away. As you know, dairy cows need to be milked twice a day, every day, so I wanted to help her with her cows.

She said she couldn’t pay me but being from a small town in Pennsylvania, it’s what we do, help our neighbors.”

Planz helped the woman milk her cows for two years. “At the end of the second year, she said she still couldn’t pay me but she told me she would give me every bull calf that was born that year,” Planz said. “We eventually sold all the bull calves and moved on to Angus cattle.” Providence Cattle Company was born. “My wife and I were trying to come up with a name for our company and what we were doing and since we really didn’t plan on doing this, and my wife said to me, ‘If you didn’t go and help that woman milk her cows, you wouldn’t have this business, now would you?’,” Planz said. “I told my wife, ‘No.’ so, we figured God had brought us in this direction, so what better name for our company than ‘Providence’.”

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When the Planz Family started Providence Cattle, there was an emphasis on traceability, along with the finest Angus genetics for marbling, which produced the exceptional beef offered by Providence Cattle.

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As the popularity of grass-fed/grass finished beef increased, Planz decided to drift away from the traditional grain finished steers that he was producing and venture into the new market that was in demand.

While studying the grass-fed/grass finishing process of raising steers, Planz realized the immense amount of land needed and the complexity of producing the exceptional beef that Providence was striving to produce. Planz reached out to Clifton Chapman at the Double C Bar Ranch in Kenansville, who was also thinking of developing a grass-fed/grass finished beef product. “Clifton, a fourth generation Florida cattleman, who studied agriculture and animal science at the University of Georgia, and his knowledge of grasses and animal genetics would be essential to bringing the finest quality of grassfed/grass finished beef our consumers,” Planz said.

More than 10 years later, the partnership that Planz and Chapman formed has led to Providence Cattle Company being recognized as the premier grass-fed/grass finished cattle producer in Florida. The beef that they produce is used in some of the finest steakhouses, specialty restaurants, hotels and butcher shops from in the state. “We’ve done very well over the years,” Planz said. “Last year we averaged hanging weights of 850 pounds and we processed more than 400 steers last year as well.”

Providence Cattle Company loves working with small local businesses like themselves. “Keeping things small and local is extremely importance to us,” Planz said. “We don’t do a lot of advertising or social media because we want to keep things local and work with local businesses and restaurants.”

If you would like to learn more about Providence Cattle Company, you can visit their website at www.providencecattle.com or call Planz at 813-610-0020.

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Agriculture and the Stimulus Aid Package

By Jim Frankowiak

The 900 billion COVID stimulus package, passed by Congress in late December of last year, includes up to $13 billion in funding for agriculture. That allocation to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) can be used at the Secretary’s discretion, similar to provisions passed earlier in 2020 under the CARES Act. In addition, growers excluded from previous aid packages will now qualify for assistance, including livestock and poultry producers impacted by processing plant disruptions.

Other agricultural highlights include: • 80% reimbursement for losses due to premature euthanization or canceled orders • More than $1 billion to the Dairy Donation Program and supplemental Dairy Margin Coverage payments for small and medium-sized producers • $20 per planted acre for non-specialty crops • $100 million in additional funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to offset pandemic-induced market losses • Crop insurance payments and disaster payments may be used to calculate 2019 sales • $7 billion is allocated for broadband, including $300 million for rural broadband and $250 million for telehealth • 15% increase in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits The Paycheck Protection Program (PPE) will be expanded to include certain nonprofits and adds $284 Billion to the program. Any forgiven PPP loans can be deducted for tax purposes without limit. The package also included a series of appropriations bills and the reauthorization of the Water Resources Development Act. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

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Tel: 813.759.6909

MAHINDRA MAX26XL 2017 Mahindra tractor - loader - backhoe.

26hp, 4x4, hydrostat transmission. 460 hours, warranty, financing available. $16,500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722 CITRUS PACKING HOUSE Citrus packing house equipment for sale. Mikey Fertilizer Spreader, Rears mini blast sprayer, FMC juice machine & two wind machines.

Call 863-324-2833 MASSSEY FERGUSON 1205 Massey Ferguson 1205 Diesel Tractor. 4X4 with 36" tiller. $2,750 Give Alvie a call 813-759-8722 2011 MASSEY FERGUSON 1529L Massey Ferguson Tractor 4X4 with loader.

200 hours. $11,000 Call Alvie 813-759-8722

FOR SALE BETOMIX 320 3 pointy lift, pto driven cement mixer. Very good condition. $850 Call Alvie 813-759-8722 OLD ANTIQUE BLUE STOVE Bread warmer, chrome trim.

You have got to see it to believe it!

Call Ted for more details. 813-752-3378

CALL FOR A WINDOW QUOTE. We are a MI Windows dealer. Our windows are DOORS & WINDOWS SPECIAL ORDER energy star, lifetime warranty.

No upcharge. House & Mobile Home.

Call Broke & Poor 813-752-3378 Many standard sizes in stock.

Ask for Blake. (813) 752-3378 FARM EQUIPMENT

LAWN EQUIPMENT/ SUPPLIES

YEAR END SALE! On select models of Bad Boy, Hustler, and Bush Hog zero turn mowers.

Call Alvie 813-759-8722

USED BAD BOY OUTLAW XP Zero turn mower. 61” cut, kawasaki engine. $4,500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722

PRODUCE FRESH PRODUCE Forbes Road Produce. Open everyday from 7:30am - 8pm. Forbes Rd. & I-4 @ exit 17.

Come out and see us!

MISC. FREE Wooden Shipping Pallets All sizes! Call Alvie 813-759-8722 24 HOUR SERVICE Coggins Plumbing licensed • bonded • Insured. www.cogginsplumbing.com 813-643-7173 FARM BUREAU INSURANCE We have you covered! Call us today.

813-752-5577 LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL? Call Rhonda Wetherington, P.A. Realtor, GRI. 813-933-1761

ALAN’S AIR CONDITIONING Residential, Commercial Sales SVS & Repair. Legendary service for over 20 years!

813-752-0821 FOR RENT KITCHEN CABINETS & VANITIES I4 POWER EQUIPMENT Millcreek Pine Bark Row Mulcher.

Get quality all wood cabinets for less than the Trade-Ins Welcomed, Service For blueberry farms, six yard, Department Available. Exit 22 • S. Frontage Rd. BIG Box STORES! Call Today!

PTO drive need at least a 30hp Ask for Blake. (813) 752-3378 Plant City 813-752-4459 tractor. Call 863-604-2526 for rental details.

HUNTER JUMPER SADDLE TAYLOR WAY TILLER DISC Marcel Toulouse Candice Double Plow - good condition. $1750.00 Leather hunter/jumper saddle. Size 17.

Call Alvie 813-759-8722 Very little use. $650 813-323-0222 JOHN DEERE Looking for your new tractor?

8,000 Ft. of 3” Aluminum Come see us at Everglades Farm Equipment. solid set irrigation pipe. evergladesfarmequipment.com All or part. $1.50 per foot.

2805 SR 60 West, Plant City Call Steve 863-559-9392 TRADE • BUY • SELL? 813-737-1660 MASSEY FERGUSON 3435 Vineyard Tractor. 80hp, 1523 hrs.

Cab with A/C. $23,500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722 OVERSTOCK SPECIAL Barn doors starting at $80.00 Call Ted 813-752-3378 ALLUMINUM SKINS Staring at $30.00 Call Ted 813-752-3378 2002 GMC (Isuzu) 16 ft flat bed, diesel, 142,174 miles. $5,500.

Call Tony at 813-205-6145

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FERTILIZER SPREADER 2019 Chandler 5-ton stainless steel fertilizer spreader never used. $15,000 Call Alvie 813-759-8722

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

February 2021

JOBS

MECHANIC NEEDED Agricultural equipment. Pay with benefits based on experience. Call David 863-537-1345 PARTS COUNTER HELP Wanted for parts look up and sales. Experience in the agriculture equipment service. Speak with Alvie.

813-759-8722 SALES POSITIONS Sales counter, Warehouse and Driver Positions.

Established wholesale distributor of Water System Products looking for Full Time Career minded individuals. Hourly pay with overtime, 401K, Insurance & more. Experience helpful, but will train. Apply in person. Rite-Flo Supply.

1011 Triangle Street Lakeland.

Since 2004 In The Field has been Hillsborough and Polk Countys #1 Agriculture Magazine.

Call Us at 813-759-6909 to place your Ad Today!

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February 2021

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