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Hillsborough County Farm Bureau

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Contents

VOL. 9 • ISSUE 8

Feature Aprile Brothers Celebrate Pa ge Cover photo by Stephanie Humphrey

54 Chinese Ag Resources

Page 10

Page 58

Master Gardener

Horse Dumping

Page 14

Page 70

Tampa Bay Fishing Report

Naturally Amazing Activities

Page 18

Page 72

Rocking Chair Chatter

Planting the Seeds

Page 75

Page 22 “Mr. Fred” Retires

Page 78

Page 24

Hump-Backed Cows John Joyner

Page 83

Page 44 Solar Cooking

Hurricanes - Preparing Your Landscape

Page 49

Page 89

Recipes

The Driving Force in the Community Stingray

Page 50 New Trends

Page 91

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

JUNE 2013

Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Insurance Services: 813.685.5673 Member Services: 813.685.9121

OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Danny Aprile ..............................President

Bill Burnett .........................Vice President Jemy Hinton ..............................Treasurer

Business Up Front

Ag Abilities

100 S. Mulrennan Rd. Valrico, FL 33594

DIRECTORS FOR 2012-2013

Amanda Collins, Roy Davis, David Drawdy, Jim Dyer, James Frankowiak, Stefan Katzaras, Greg Lehman, Kenneth Parker, Jake Raburn, Alex Ritzheimer, Marty Tanner, James Tew, Patrick Thomas, Ron Wetherington, Michelle Williamson, Will Womack, Ray Wood

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, John McGuire

Plant City Office 813.752.5577

1302 S. Collins St., Plant City, FL 33563 Jeff Sumner Bill Williams

Tampa Office 813.933.5440

1046 W. Busch Blvd., Ste. 100 Tampa, FL 33612 Greg Harrell, Jeff Harper, Ralph Russo

AGENCY MANAGER Tommy Hale

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From the Editor

ITFM Staff PUBLISHER/PHOTOGRAPHY Karen Berry EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Al Berry

While we are blessed with “cookout” type weather almost every day, with June 21 bringing the first official day of summer, I felt some tips for food safety were in order.

Nothing ruins a family gathering like spoiled food that causes illness. And with our temps, food borne bacteria replicates faster than you can blink.

EDITOR Patsy Berry OFFICE MANAGER Bob Hughens

These food related illnesses can be easily avoided by following a few tips found on the Florida Department of Agriculture’s web site.

SALES MANAGER Danny Crampton

Meat, poultry, fish, and eggs should never be eaten raw. These foods should be maintained in a refrigerator at a temperature below 40 degrees Fahrenheit and cooked thoroughly before eating. A cooking temperature of 160 degrees is advised.

SALES Al Berry Tina Richmond Danny Crampton Melissa Nichols

When cooking, use a meat thermometer or follow these tips: • Poultry: Cook it until the meat is white, and don’t eat it if you see blood or pink meat.

• Hamburger: Cook it until there are no traces of pink in the center, or blood in the juices.

• Steaks: Can be safely cooked medium; that’s because harmful bacteria in beef are found on the surface of the steak, not in the interior like in ground meats.

• Fish: Cook until it flakes easily and is no longer translucent in the center.

• Eggs: Cook eggs and egg dishes thoroughly. Don’t even sample anything containing raw eggs such as uncooked dough and cake batter.

• Keep foods cold, below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or hot, above 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Foods left out between those temper atures for more than two hours should be discarded.

• Keep cooked foods separate from raw foods. Cross-contami nation of foods could occur if bacteria-harboring raw food comes in contact with cooked foods. Wash hands, utensils, cutting boards and countertops after preparing or handling raw meats.

• Avoid interrupted cooking. If you are partially cooking foods indoors to finish cooking on the grill, make sure the food goes directly from the oven to the hot grill. Don’t let the food stand partially cooked for any period of time.

And of course, remember to buy food that is Fresh From Florida for your cookout and every day.

Until Next Month,

Sarah

The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

–Numbers 6:25

In The Field Magazine is published monthly and is available through local Hillsborough County businesses, restaurants, and many local venues. It is also distributed by U.S. mail to a target market, which includes all of the Greenbelt Property owners, members of the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau and Strawberry Grower’s Association.

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

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SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR/ ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Sarah Holt

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE JUNE 2013

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Mona Jackson PHOTOGRAPHY Karen Berry Al Berry Stephanie Humphrey STAFF WRITERS Al Berry Sandy Kaster James Frankowiak Sean Green Ginny Mink Libby Hopkins CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Woody Gore Les McDowell

Index of Advertisers ABC Pizza................................................................80 Ag Technologies......................................................46 Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers .............................32 Alto Recycling, LLC...............................................82 Antioch Feed and Farm Supply............................95 Aquarius Water Refining.......................................82 Astin Strawberry Exchange...................................41 Badcock....................................................................23 Bankers South .........................................................84 Bill’s Transmissions .................................................32 Bingham...................................................................60 Brandon Auto Services, Inc. ..................................90 Brandon Regional Hospital...................................66 Brewington’s............................................................25 Broke & Poor..........................................................87 Caller-On-Hold.......................................................85 Cameron Financial .................................................23 Cecil Breeding Farm...............................................38 CF Industries..........................................................45 Chancy’s Catfish Shack.........................................15 Chuck’s Tire & Automotive ................................36 Crescent Jewelers.................................................. 41

Index of Advertisers Dad’s Towing....................................................................74 Discount Metals...............................................................21 Dr. Barry Gaffney O.D. PA.............................................11 Driscoll’s............................................................................40 Eshenbaugh Land Company..........................................41 Everglades Farm Equipment ........................................104 Farm Bureau Insurance...................................................76 Farm Bureau Insurance/Jeff Sumner..............................86 Farm Credit ......................................................................68 Felton’s ..............................................................................51 Fishhawk Sporting Clays ................................................92 Florida Dept. of Agriculture............................................37 Florida Mineral, Salt & Agricultural Products.............85 Florida Strawberry Growers Assoc................................81 Forbes Road Produce ........................................................7 Fred’s Market.................................................................. 86 Gator Ford........................................................................26 Gladstone..........................................................................12 Grimes Hardware Center ...............................................57 Grove Equipment Service ..............................61, 79 & 98 Halfacre Construction Company...................................40 Harold’s Feed & Pet Supply ................................3 & 101 Harrell’s Nursery, Inc.......................................................90 Haught Funeral Home....................................................67 Helena Chemical-Tampa ................................................87 Hillsboro State Bank........................................................77 Hillsborough County Farm Bureau..................80 & 101 Hinton Farms Produce, Inc.............................................21 Home Pro Pest Control...................................................28 Huff Muffler.....................................................................44 I-4 Power Equipment ......................................................34 Jane Baer Realty.............................................................102 Jarrett-Scott Ford................................................................2 Johnson’s Barbeque............................................................9 Jon & Rosie’s Tree Farm.................................................44 Ken’s Well Drilling & Pump Services, Inc.....................71 Key Plex ............................................................................20 Loetscher Auto Parts .......................................................26 Malissa Crawford............................................................57 Mark Smith Excavating..................................................86 Meryman Environmental, Inc........................................93 Mike Milliron...................................................................80 Mosaic...............................................................................25 Myers Cleaners.................................................................36 O’Connor Enterprises, Inc..............................................48 Parkesdale Market...........................................................12 Pathway BioLogic............................................................42 Plant City Homestyle Buffet..............................................5 Plant City Tire & Auto Service, Inc...............................86 Platinum Bank..................................................................62 QLF Specialty Products...................................................13 Railroad Credit Union.....................................................93 Savich & Lee / Stalnaker.................................................16 Seedway ............................................................................71 Shrimp & Co Express.....................................................26 Southside Farm & Pet Supply.......................30, 71 & 97 South Florida Baptist Hospital .......................................88 Southwestern Produce Company...................................27 Squeal Deal.......................................................................90 Stephanine Humphrey.....................................................90 Stingray Chevrolet .........................................................103 Super Service Tire & Auto..............................................69 The Hay Depot................................................................15 Timberlane Pet Hospital & Resort ..................................9 Trinkle, Redman, Swanson, Coton, Davis & Smith .................................................................69 Turkey Creek Animal Hospital ........................................7 Vertigro .............................................................................74 Walden Lake Car Wash ..................................................24 Waller’s Lawn Equipment...............................................63 Wells Memorial................................................................75 Willie’s ...............................................................................19 Woodside Dental..............................................................80 Zaxby’s..............................................................................29 W W W. 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You Too, Can Be A Winner

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 that page you located the logo to:

InTheField速 Magazine P.O. Box 5377 Plant City, FL 33566-0042

Winners will be notified by phone.

You Too Can Be A Winner!

Search for the logo below and enter now!

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JUNE 2013

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100 South Mulrennan Road • Valrico, FL 33594 • 813-685-9121

A MESSAGE OF APPRECIATION FOR THE RESULTS OF OUR LEGISLATIVE SESSION; AND CONTINUED SUPPORT AND INVOLVEMENT IN AG-ABILITIES Dear Readers: “Thank You” is a must way for me to begin this message to you. That is, my thanks to our Florida Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott for their efforts in passing legislation that had been the focus of Florida Farm Bureau and to the governor for his signature making this legislation state law. I hope you will read the article in this edition of IN THE FIELD that provides information on the legislative action and new laws that help our farmers and ranchers, as well as the economy of Florida.

I must also express my sincere gratitude to Farm Bureau members from across the state that traveled to Tallahassee to meet with their respective state legislators during Legislative Day or took the time to contact their elected officials at the local level. Those visits and meetings help personify the efforts of Farm Bureau, educate our officials and support the hard work of our state Farm Bureau staff.

Last month was also the time for our annual Ag-Abilities Program at the Florida State Fair. This program combines agricultural education and competition for special needs students in a half-day program that originated locally thanks to the efforts of Jon Goff. As with many of our initiatives, the support of

agriculture and volunteers are critical aspects of this annual event. To those organizations and fine volunteers, I extend my thanks.

Legislative outreach and the excellent results achieved, plus continuation and growth of Ag-Abilities are two more reasons why you should belong to Farm Bureau. Both are different, but each is important.

Once again, I wish to remind you that you don’t have to be a farmer or rancher to become a Farm Bureau member. Visit: www.hcfb.org or call 813-685-9121 for information about membership and the many benefits available to you and your family.

Thank you,

Danny Danny Aprile President

Board of Directors

Danny Aprile, President; Bill Burnett, Vice-President; Jemy Hinton Member-at-large; Amanda Collins, Roy Davis, David Drawdy, Jim Dyer, Jim Frankowiak, Stefan Katzaras, Greg Lehman, Kenneth Parker,Jake Raburn, Alex Ritzheimer, Marty Tanner, James Tew, Patrick Thomas, Ron Wetherington, Michelle Williamson, Will Womack and Ray Wood, Judi Whitson, Executive Director 8

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE JUNE 2013

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• A cow can give milk only after it has a calf.

• A cow that eats only grass can give about 50 glasses of milk a day.

• A cow that eats grass, corn, hay and mixed feeds can produce about 100 glasses of milk a day.

• Cows eat about 90 pounds of nutritious food a day; 90 pounds of food equals about 210 baked potatoes.

• If you milked cows by hand, one person could milk about eight cows an hour. A dairy could milk about 60 cows an hour with one man and 14 machines.

• One cow will produce about 200,000 glasses of milk in her lifetime.

• The cows need to drink lots of water so they can make milk. Cows drink 25 to 50 gallons of water a day. That is nearly a bathtub full!

• Milk that the cow gives has two parts to it, nonfat milk and cream.

• The most popular dairy breed in America is the Holstein.

• It takes about 350 squirts to get a gallon of milk from a cow, and most cows are milked twice a day.

• It takes 3 gallons of milk to make one gallon of ice cream, and 30 cups of milk to make one pound of butter.

• The average dairy cow weighs 1,400 pounds.

• Each dairy cow is fed 50 to 90 pounds of grain and hay each day.

• The plastic milk jug was introduced in the U.S. in 1967.

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Business Up Front

Dr. Nash

Dr. DeHaven

Dr. Marks

FOR YOUR FURRY FAMILY MEMBERS By Ginny Mink TURKEY CREEK ANIMAL HOSPITAL AND ANIMAL WELLNESS CENTER

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lant City residents pride themselves in the legacies of venerable businesses located therein. Surely if you’ve been in town any length of time you know all about Snellgrove’s and Whistle Stop Café. These are longstanding entities.

In addition to those delectable dining establishments, there are other businesses that have called Plant City home longer than I’ve been alive. Two such institutions are Turkey Creek Animal Hospital and Animal Wellness Center, both having been founded in the 1950s. These companies were recently acquired by Jim and Jenn Nash.

We spoke with Jim and he shared, “My wife, Jenn, and I (she is the veterinarian) purchased Turkey Creek in June of 2011, so it’s coming up on two years that we have owned that practice. Honestly, I have no agricultural background. I grew up in a suburb of New Haven, Connecticut and other than going to the Farmer’s Market, we had a garden in the back yard, but that was the extent of my agricultural experience. It was the North so 4H wasn’t quite as prolific as it is in the South. Jenn certainly was much more involved and rode horses for most of her life and was a jumper and competed all through middle school, high school. That’s always been a passion. So for her, animals have always

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been part of her enthusiasm and excitement about life and certainly about her profession.”

Jim continued, “We both graduated from the University of Florida. Jenn finished her undergraduate in ‘99 and is a 2003 DVM grad. I graduated in 2000 with my Bachelor’s and then in 2003 with my Master’s in healthcare administration.

I worked in the human industry for a number of years and then transitioned to veterinary medicine when we moved to Colorado in 2004. The primary catalyst for my transition was, obviously, my wife is a veterinarian and our long term dream was practice ownership. So we worked for a number of years for a practice up there in the North Denver area and then we decided that we wanted to come back to all our friends and family that are here in Florida.

It was sort of a homecoming for us to get back to the Sunshine State.”

Upon their return, they found themselves in the position to achieve their goal. Jim explains, “We came back and purchased Turkey Creek from Dr. Michael Marks and Dr. Steven Lewis. They’d owned the practice for over thirty years. Dr. Marks actually purchased the practice from Dr. May who had started the practice in the ‘50s, a lot of local history with both

practices. We have a lot of pride in that legacy and the responsibility we feel towards that legacy to make sure that it continues. Dr. Marks stayed on with us after we purchased the practice and we hope that he stays on for a while.” One practice turned into two according to Jim. He says, “We were given the opportunity to purchase Animal Wellness Center in March of 2012. In spite of it being just a short time since we purchased Turkey Creek we felt like it was a fantastic opportunity and one that we couldn’t easily pass up. Both practices have tremendous local history and we have a tremendous amount of respect for that.”

This respect that Jenn and Jim have for local history drives them towards constant improvement. Jim expounds, “Part of our efforts is to continue that excellence that they started, to keep the local doctor, local feel. In spite of us having multiple practices, it’s very important to us that we maintain that local feel to the practices and certainly where people know their veterinarian. We recognize that this is part of the success of our practice and the wellness of our patients. We have made a lot of efforts since we purchased both the practices and we hope we are raising the standard of care, transitioning to longer term vaccinations and improving the care of our W W W. I N T H E F I E L D M A G A Z I N E . C O M

end up on the face of their reminder card.

We think it’s tremendously valuable when you open the mailbox and all the sudden there’s Fluffy’s picture on your stack of mail. From a values standpoint it makes you feel really good that there’s Fluffy and from a marketing standpoint, it’s something that our clients are going to look at and we think that their pet’s healthcare is tremendously important.”

patients. Customer service is the biggest differentiator for us so we make a lot of efforts to recognize our clients, to do sort of small things that make a big difference.”

This focus on what Jim compared to the Cheers mantra, where everyone knows your name, has led the Nash’s to establish some rather unique methodologies. Jim says, “We treat their pet’s visit with us more like an experience than a doctor visit.

We have a welcome board and every patient’s name is on there when they come in. It’s a neon sandwich board that lights up and we’ve gotten a really great response to that. People feel it’s a much more personal experience, that we’re expecting them. That’s the level of service we strive to provide. We are introducing new technology. We offer text messaging for reminders

In closing Jim adds, “We want our clients to know we appreciate them and we appreciate the opportunity to care for their pet.

In June of 2012, Turkey Creek Animal Hospital was awarded accreditation through the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA). The accreditation process is extremely rigorous to insure that there’s a minimum standard of care being met and there’s over 900 standards that have to be met and less that 17% of all veterinary practices in the country earn that level of accreditation. We are pretty proud that we were able to accomplish that in under a year of when we purchased the practice.” He also wanted to make sure readers got to meet the vets that will be serving them. So, here’s a list of those people who will treat your furry family members with much love: JENN NASH, DVM, CVA (CVA is a Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist)

2003 University of Florida Graduate Interests in: acupuncture, nutrition and holistic/alternative approaches in concert with Western therapies.

MICHAEL MARKS, DVM 1978 Cornell Graduate Serving patients in the Plant City community for more than 30 years.

Dr. Marks takes tremendous pride in making a difference in the lives of patients and clients.

JOANIE DEHAVEN, DVM 2010 University of Florida Graduate Interests in: dentistry and oral health.

She has helped develop improved dental protocols, including full mouth digital dental radiographs.

And next month in July we welcome –

for your appointments. We do online surveys to get feedback from our clients.

We offer emailing receipts for people who don’t want a paper receipt but they want to have a record for what their pet received for that day. We take pictures of all the patients that come in and those pictures W W W. I N T H E F I E L D M A G A Z I N E . C O M

RANIA GOLLAKNER, DVM 2010 University of Minnesota Graduate (UF undergrad) Interests in: internal medicine and wellness. She will be at the Animal Wellness Center location.

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Peer Recognition Honors Attest To Quality Of MASTER GARDENER Advice And Instruction

By Jim Frankowiak

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ecognition of the Hillsborough County Extension Service Master Gardener Program has reached new heights through awards for the quality of instruction new Master Gardeners receive and the outreach they initiate using a variety of techniques. “Our master gardeners have long been a source of helpful information on gardening topics to residents throughout the county,” said Extension Director Stephen Gran, “and these awards, which pitted elements of our program against others across the state, recognize multiple dimensions of that program.”

The objective of the Master Gardener Program is to teach citizen volunteers horticulture information and provide them with tools to effectively answer citizen questions. It is designed to facilitate a basic knowledge of Central Florida gardening, and to inspire confidence, critical thinking and application, using a variety of teaching methods. Urban Horticulture Agent/Master Gardener Coordinator Nicole Pinson created and was honored for a training book utilizing active learning strategies to complement and reinforce lectures from UF/IFAS specialists, county faculty and volunteers. The Florida Association of County Agricultural Agents (FACAA) honored Pinson for creating a document that helped lead to “well-trained volunteers who possess an ability to solve problems and determine appropriate recommendations that extend the education potential of the agent, provide cost-effective delivery of services, decrease environmental impacts and afford opportunities for connecting with the community.”

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Early in 2012, Master Gardeners began receiving Hillsborough County resident phone calls regarding the death of their impatiens and asking how they could prevent this from happening. Pinson asked Master Gardener Shari Rutherford to research the problem, compile a summary of the issue, determine symptoms and control and develop alternatives to using impatiens in the landscape. The result of Rutherford’s efforts included an article on downy mildew that was helpful to Master Gardeners who used her information with phone, email and walk-in Extension customers. It was also used at library plant clinics, garden club meetings and speakers’ bureau presentations. In addition, the article was used by faculty members of the Green Team to develop a UF/IFAS fact sheet for distribution to homeowners and commercial clientele.

Rutherford’s initiatives, coordinated with Pinson, received an Award of Excellence from the Florida Master Gardener Awards Program.

Florida Master Gardeners also received recognition for a special educational program coordinated by Extension and WTIS-1110 AM Radio. It is a weekly radio program, “Garden Talk,” which airs Saturday mornings. Each program is archived for future use on the Garden Talk website. The station initially approached Extension Agent Lynn Barber who enlisted staff and Master Gardeners’ assistance with the development of one hour segments on various gardening related topics. Working with Pinson and Barber, Master Gardeners Heather Diaz, Bob Dickey, Cynthia Glover, Harriet Gord-Noghani and Pat O’Shea worked on diverse show segments. To date the program has been broadcast to an estimated 480,000 listeners with more than 6,000 listening to archived programs which continue to be available for reference by Master Gardener classes and via the Extension website. “We are especially indebted to WTIS-1100AM for the station’s outreach to Extension and willingness to work with us through this educational program,” said Pinson. In addition to weekly air time, the station also provided help with program marketing and related tools.

The last award recognized a cooperative effort, involving Master Gardeners and the Friends of Plant Park, a group which plans events and fundraisers to support maintenance of the park and historic landmark on the campus of the University of Tampa. These two groups annually organize GreenFest, an educational event for residents of the county and surrounding areas. This two-day gardening festival features a Hillsborough County Master Gardener tent with an “Ask the Gardening Experts” booth and a Speakers’ tent. Both are staffed by Master Gardener volunteers responsible for coordinating speakers, W W W. I N T H E F I E L D M A G A Z I N E . C O M

developing the educational programming, marketing and publicity, volunteer organization and working with the Friends of Plant Park. Master Gardeners Heather Diaz and Toni Armstrong coordinated with Friends of Plant Park and are two of the more than 40 Master Gardeners who volunteer during the two-day event. This year’s GreenFest attracted nearly 3,500 attendees.

“While none of us involved in the Master Gardener Program does so for the opportunity to win awards like these, it is especially gratifying to be recognized by our peers throughout Florida,” noted Pinson. “These awards also showcase the type of activities our Master Gardeners are involved in.” Currently, there are 1450 active Master Gardener volunteers and they range in age from the mid 30s to late 70s.

“We have four active members who were in our first Master Gardener class in 1980,” said Pinson. “They are Bob Dickey, Eileen Hart, Mary Kay Ross and Jean Skoien. Al Hendry of the 1984 class also continues his involvement.” Pinson said many transfers from different areas and parts of the country are signing up “and they come from diverse backgrounds, some with no previous gardening experience. We look for their willingness to serve and to bring their talents to help extend Extension.” Among current volunteers are retired executives, school administrators, librarians and others, she said.

“We still have need for more volunteers, and I would encourage those with an interest to visit our website: (http:/ / www.hillsborough,ifas.ufl.edu) and learn more about the program,” said Pinson. The Master Gardener Class is a 10-week commitment, for approximately seven hours per day, one day each of the 10 weeks. The course fee is $175 and Master Gardener trainees are required to complete 75 hours of volunteer service in year one, and obtain 10 continuing education hours. After year one, the minimum requirement for volunteer service is 35 hours annually and 10 continuing education hours.

“We will have no more than 20 members in our upcoming class (late August, early September startup; December graduation) and the DEADLINE FOR SU B MIT T ING AN APPLICAT ION IS JU LY 12,” said Pinson.

Classes are held at the Extension office, 5339 County Road 579, Seffner, FL 33584.

Phone: 813-744-5519 •

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Market Watch THE NORTH TAMPA MARKET

By Libby Hopkins

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was very excited about the grand opening of the new North Tampa Market at the Carrollwood Cultural Center in Tampa (www.carrollwoodcenter.org). It made its debut to a packed crowd on May 11. The market is the brainchild of Tiffany Ferrecchia, Director of Operations for Tampa Bay Markets. Her company’s mission is to support a locally based food system that improves public health and well being by increasing dietary intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. They also want to improve access to fresh fruits and vegetables for all the residents of the Tampa Bay area, while enhancing the capacity for sustainable food production, processing and distributing by addressing the needs of the producers. The market is held the second Saturday of every month, rain or shine, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

It is replacing the market that was at the Westchase Town Center. “The market at Westchase Town Center did not allow us to grow as we would like to and we had some electrical issues being under the power lines that were there,” Ferrecchia said. “Our new location at the Carrollwood Cultural Center is very inviting and people love it.”

The center has a large shaded area behind it, which makes a great place for a market. They also have a lot of free parking in the front of the building. The cultural center offers a plethora of opportunities for residents, including classes in painting, music, art and dance. The center also provides an in-house theater company, a children’s theater, concerts and an art gallery. The center and the farmer’s market seem to be a match made W W W. I N T H E F I E L D M A G A Z I N E . C O M

The North Tampa Market is held year-round on the second Saturday of every month, rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The market is located at the Carrollwood Cultural Center in Tampa.

in heaven because they both have a lot of the same interests, such as supporting the local economy. “The Carrollwood Cultural Center gives the market a neighborhood feel to it and that’s something our customers love,” Ferrecchia said. The market features over 50 vendors with an emphasis on local goods.

When you come to the market, you will find gourmet take-home foods, ready-to-eat treats, plants, fresh cut flowers and locally grown fruits and vegetables. There is also an array of hand crafted gifts, artwork and live music. “We will always have live music and we are booked up for the next few months, which is great,” Ferrecchia said. The market is also pet friendly with lots of water bowls spread throughout the market to keep your pet hydrated.

Open-Air Fresh Markets like the North Tampa Market and other farmer’s markets are starting to pop up more and more in cities all over the country. According to the Untied States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service, urban famer’s markets are on the rise. “Farmers markets are an integral part of the urban/farm linkage and have continued to rise in popularity, mostly due to the growing consumer interest in obtaining fresh products directly from the farm. Farmer’s markets allow consumers to have access to locally grown, farm fresh produce, enables farmers the opportunity to develop a personal relationship with their customers, and cultivate consumer loyalty with the farmers who grows the produce. Direct marketing of farm products through farmer’s markets

continues to be an important sales outlet for agricultural producers nationwide.” The USDA website (www.ams.usda.gov) says, “As of National Farmer’s Market Week, (the first full week in August), there were 7,864 farmer’s markets listed in the USDA’s National Farmer’s Market Directory. This is a 9.6 percent increase from 2011.”

Farmer’s markets also give a big boost to the local economy and that is something that is very near and dear to Ferrecchia’s company.

Each of her markets provide a venue for local groups, businesses and non-profit organizations to interact with the community and thereby strengthen community spirit via the market place. She also loves giving the small business owner a storefront for a few hours while they are at her market. “Our company is really focused on providing an opportunity for small business to reach the public directly,” Ferrecchia said. “Direct sales and direct customer marketing is the real key to small business development and for us to be able to offer them that opportunity is awesome.”

If you would like more information on the different markets or events that Tampa Bay Markets hosts, you can visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ TampaB ayMarkets.

If you would like to become a vendor at one of their markets, you can visit them on the web at www.TampaB ayMarkets.com.

The Carrollwood Cultural Center is located at 4537 Lowell Rd. in Tampa.

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by Captain Woody Gore

T

he popular observation that fish are merely instinct driven has given way to new theories. Scientists now believe they possess compound mental and cognitive abilities with the capacity to remember. This ability to remember indicates the mental capacity for memory.

Worldwide, scientist doing studies in aquaculture concerning fish behavior are finding them capable of pursuing Machiavellian strategies of manipulation, punishment, and understanding, while exhibiting stable communal traditions.

The many species that cooperate in recognizing predators and catching food is a good example.

For fish to learn requires retaining an experience, object, event or information.

To retain something necessitates the use of “short-term and long term memory.”

Without getting into scientific rhetoric, short-term memory stores limited amounts of information for limited periods, roughly 15-30 seconds. This contrasted to longterm memory, where an unlimited amount of information is stored indefinitely and recalled from 30 seconds to decades later.

Memory also involves and improves with practice, indicating the presence of: 1. Procedural (skill based) or how to do things, forage and catch food.

2. Episodic (episodes) or objects, events and good or near fatal experiences.

For example, fish quickly retain experiences with predators.

3. Spatial (navigate) learn to map and recognize bottom contours as they move about using the same routes from deep to shallow water and back.

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4. Habituation (getting used to) repeatedly hooked on a certain lure or bait adequately reinforces this process.

Had the scientist consulted with any aged or seasoned angler they might have shortened the study considerably. Most longtime anglers would gladly explain that fish must have memories, how else could they differentiate between sounds, colors, navigate territorial waters, know what food is, and what’s a predator. Guess it takes someone with a PhD/Doctorate or other scientific title to explain it, before it can be accepted as fact.

Anglers, especially avid ones, understand psychological reasoning leads to understanding. In other words, the behavioral characteristics of fish, how they behave at certain times to certain colors, noise, flash, and water depth, involves a learning process. To further what many old-time fishermen have known for years, studies being done in aquaculture offer substantiated proof that fish do react to colors, noise and stimuli indicating the presence of memory.

Which brings us to the question, artificial lures or baits? Those who fish with regularity appreciate that this question is not easy to answer. Various reasons indicate fish interpret baits or lures as either food or predator, food if previously eaten and predator if hooked. They may also get used to seeing it, which decreases its effectiveness. Psychologists refer to this as habituation (requiring memory) or getting used to something.

Understandably, we know fish repeatedly eat and are hooked on the same lures and baits. However, this does not indicate a loss of memory. It can however, indicate a stronger urge to protect its territory or the basic instinct associating hunger with food. Territoriality cases in point would be that of a bedding largemouth bass.

Tournament bass anglers often spend hours trying to hook a female bass guarding its bed. Time after time, she removes the lure before finally eating it, probably more through frustration rather than hunger. How about that monster snook, hooked many times previously, heads for the mangroves or dock pilings remembering this survival technique means freedom.

Consistently, successful anglers and hunters understand that members of our animal world use their senses starting from birth to gather information in relation to their world. However, without a memory all would be useless. The fact that they do have memories relates to the principal goals of species survival and becomes and important tool in the evolutionary process.

Bridget with a huge Spanish mackerel caught while fishing Tampa Bay with Captain Woody Gore; the mackerel bite was off the wall that morning – seems like we caught a fish on every cast.

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Usually taken for granted, when given some thought, we soon realize these marvelous creatures are actually fairly intelligent, often beyond our comprehension. So, treat them with the respect they deserve and remember that lifetime trophy you just landed did not get that big by “Being Stupid” it just made an error in judgment.

“LET ’S GO FISHING” TAMPA B AY FISHING REPORT - JU NE 2013 Tampa Bay offers excellent angling for over 200 species of fish. Tampa Bay starts at the extreme north end and goes all the way down to the Skyway Bridge. Pick a good day with a respectable incoming or outgoing tide and catch fish. Many places are fishable from land for shore anglers or accessible to those who like to wade. For those with boats or Kayaks there are many public and private boat ramps located throughout the bay area.

The big mackerel have moved into the bay and it sure makes for an exciting “fun-fishing” trip for the kids.

Fishing with Captain Woody Gore, here is one of several nice redfish caught by Brian Anderson – fishing cut bait and live greenbacks on a shallow grass flat in middle Tampa Bay.

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SNOOK (ST ILL CLOSED SEASON) The Tampa Bay snook bite’s been excellent around the mangroves on high water and on the grass flats early in the morning.

Greenbacks, shrimp, cut pinfish and cut ladyfish, or you can try your hand at something new and catch some on artificial lures, especially topwater’s early in the AM. They are still out of season, so put them back.

MACKEREL Mackerel are showing up all over the Bay. Find a school of Threadfins, start chumming and hold on. I’ve been catching them up to 3 and 4 pounds using long shank 2/0 hooks and 50 pound Seaguar Fluorocarbon 60# leader. Try a popping cork and split shot like you would for Trout. It works well when the Threadfins are really thick.

REDFISH Redfish are popping up all over the Bay and pushing in as the tide climbs.

There is no shortage of large mullet schools and Redfish aren’t far behind.

Green backs, small pinfish, shrimp, cut bait and for those that like pitching soft plastics and topwater’s around the mangroves, you can expect some great action on high incoming tides. If you’re lucky to find a school moving around a shoreline, setup and wait. They will move back and forth when feeding. Chasing them only causes them to scatter.

COB IA I’ve been seeing a few Cobias around the Bay. Most are cruising markers or following large rays or manatees around the flats.

SPOTT ED SEA T ROU T: The Fort Desoto area is finally seeing a return of really large spotted sea trout, many over 20 inches.

Also the southeast shore and the south end of Tampa Bay are reporting good catches on incoming or outgoing tides. As always, live free-lined greenbacks or shrimp are the best baits for Trout and I’ve had good success catching them on cut bait when fishing for redfish. Or suspend either under Paradise Popper cork with a medium split-shot about 8” about a 2/0 circle hook then find any good grass flat and you should catch all the trout you want this month. Using topwater popping plugs or soft plastic jerk baits and fishing broken bottom grass flats, especially the grassy potholes, can offer artificial anglers some exciting action.

TARPON are at the Skyway. Grab a few Threadfins for large Greenbacks on a slow in or out tide, anchor and chum by cutting some bait into pieces.

“Give Me a Call & Let’s Go Fishing” – 813-477-3814 Captain Woody Gore is the area’s top outdoor fishing guide. Guiding and fishing the Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs, Bradenton, and Sarasota areas for over fifty years; he offers world class fishing adventures and a lifetime of memories.

Single or Multi-boat Group Charters are all the same. With years of organizational experience and access to the areas most experienced captains, Woody can arrange and coordinate any outing or tournament. Just tell him what you need and it’s done. Visit his website at: WWW.CAPTAINWOODYGORE.COM, send an email to wgore@ix.netcom.com or give him a call at 813-477-3814.

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This caught on big time. Students in England, the U.S., and Canada immediately went to work developing methods to squeeze more people in a phone booth.

Some of the biggest fads were the hula hoop, pea shooter, bell bottoms, platform shoes, parachute pants like MC Hammer wore, and wearing overalls with one strap hanging down.

Last year, Takeru Kobayashi polished off a record 337 chicken wings in 30 minutes to be crowned champion of Wing Bowl 20 in Philadelphia just prior to the Super Bowl.

Over the years this has been a fad that comes and goes. The 128-pound Kobayashi, a six-time hot dog eating champion, was competing in his first Wing Bowl. The 33-year-old attended the event in 2011 as a spectator, taking time to impress the crowd by eating a cheese steak sandwich in 24 seconds.

ave you ever thought about all the fads that you have gone through during your lifetime? A fad is any form of behavior that develops among a large population and is collectively followed with enthusiasm for some period, generally as a result of the behavior’s being perceived as novel in some way.

A fad is said to “catch on” when the number of people adopting it begins to increase rapidly. The behavior will normally fade quickly once the perception of novelty is gone. Now you know the definition of a fad, let’s take a look at a few of them.

Before our time, flagpole sitting was the rage. In 1924, a Hollywood stuntman, Alvin Kelly, sat on a flagpole for 13 hours.

Five years later he broke the world’s record, and sat on a flagpole for 49 days. The depression followed and put an end to flagpole sitting.

In 1939, Harvard freshman Lithrop Withington, Jr., swallowed a goldfish for a $10.00 bet. This set off a rash of goldfish swallowing. The current world record, 300 fish in one sitting, was set in 1974.

Even today the “Smiley Face” is still popular, although it was created in 1963 as part of an insurance company campaign to improve employee morale following a merger with another company. It means, “Have a nice day.”

When I was in my teens the Mexican jumping bean was the craze.

Joaquin Hernandez jumped on the craze and made millions. The beans are actually moth larvae trapped inside the seedpod, but they fascinated the masses. Hernandez has been known to sell as many as 20 million of them, employing as many as 50 people to collect, package and export the BEANS. Remember “Telephone-Booth” stuffing? In 1959, twenty-five South African students climbed into a telephone booth to set a new world record for what was, at this time, a non-existent event.

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A few years back there was a “no soap” fad, where people would shower and never use soap. The world’s record is held by “Stinky” from LA, (lower Alabama) who did not use soap of any kind for 18 months.

Some of you old timers might remember these fads - TV Dinners, Drive-In Theatres, Smiley Face Stickers, Pet Rocks, Fondue Pots and Peace Bandanas. Remember when you guys would fill up the trunk with your friends and pay the price of two and go to the Plant City Drive In Theatre on 39 south of Plant City?

I know some of the University of Florida male graduates reading this article participated in the “Panty Raid” fad of the 50s.

Some of my classmates with crew cuts at Plant City High School dropped many nickels in the jukebox at the Plant City Drive In while getting curb service in their ’56 Chevy all decked out with fins and a lot of chrome.

The CB radio fad of the 70s hung around a long time. A lot of new lingo came about from it like “Ten-Four Good Buddy” and “Breaker, Breaker”!

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The one less remembered fad was the hate of the metric system. In 1975 the U.S. federal government adopted it as the nation’s preferred measurement system. The moment of success was shortlived. Late in the 70s, metric hating became a national pastime.

Everybody was confused and rejected the system hands down.

Businessmen were concerned about the cost of replacing machinery and tools, while conspiracy theorists feared metric road signs would kick off a Russian invasion. It got so bad that President Ronald Reagan stopped the conversion program as part of his 1982 budget cutbacks. About the only thing still using the metric system are the 2-liter soft drink bottles. Do you know how many ounces are in a two-liter bottle? Of course not! Look at the label.

In the 70s everybody was on the lookout for UFO’s and Big Foot.

The only flying saucer I’ve ever seen was the one thrown at me when my sister, Betty, threw one at me for putting salt in her tea.

As far as Big Foot is concerned, I saw a lot of them when I worked on Saturday’s at Methvin’s Shoe Store across from McCrory’s in downtown Plant City.

The only person I ever remember wearing a “Zoot Suit” was Hilman Bowden at the Senior Prom. For those who do not know what a “Zoot Suit” looks like let me describe one as best I can remember. It didn’t look like anything you’d wear to work. It had broad shoulders, a taped waist, and baggy pats that ended in real cool, pegged cuffs. The depression poverty, World War II, and moms disapproving look put an end to the “Zoot Suit.”

Other fads you might remember are mood rings, lava lamps and the Cabbage Patch Kids.

Until next month, I hope you live to be 105, and the last person you speak to is me. •

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AG Groups Unite in Support of AG-Abilities

By Jim Frankowiak

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t began in 2001 as the result of a need identified by Jon Goff, a then senior at Tampa Bay Tech. He was troubled by the fact that Exceptional Student Education (ESE) students, though FFA members, were unable to participate in competitions due to their disabilities.

To meet that need, the Ag-Abilities program was developed and Goff later won the H. O. Sargent Award from the national FFA for his work on the development and implementation of the program. That honor recognizes programs that help FFA members achieve success and leadership in agriculture.

The program kicked off in 2001, took a two year hiatus due to location requirements and resumed in 2003. “It has been going strong ever since,” said Hillsborough County Farm Bureau Executive Director Judi Whitson. Farm Bureau has been a prime mover, supporting Ag-Abilities along with FFA, the Florida State Fair Authority, Hydro Harvest Farms, the Ambassadors of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association and the Young Sprouts 4-H Club.

In May, ESE students, some who are also FFA members, traveled to the Florida State Fair Grounds for the 2013 Ag-Abilities competition. They came from Riverview, Lavoy and Middleton High schools, Caminiti Exceptional Center, as well as

Turkey Creek Middle School. Transportation was provided by some of the supporting ag organizations. Some 117 students participated in the half-day of competition, which included lunch, fittingly featuring strawberry shortcake for dessert courtesy of John Lawson of Hydro Harvest Farms. The Florida State Fair provides the competition’s venue and the ribbons given to each participant.

The Ag-Abilities program is both educational and competitive. “Students are taught how to drive a tractor, plant identification, animal breeds, beef, dairy, poultry, sheep and swine,” said Whitson. “They also learn about fruits and vegetables and how and where they grow. Each segment of the program has a competitive component, as well.” Though students enthusiastically participate in all aspects of Ag-Abilities, the tractor driving session is the most popular by far, given the responses and “high fives” it draws from male and female drivers alike.

“It’s wonderful to see the enjoyment and excitement these students have for the program,” said Whitson. “By the same token, it is especially gratifying that so many agricultural organizations have stepped up to support this program. Farm Bureau board members served as tractor driving instructors and drivermentors, while the FSGA Ambassadors and Young Sprouts taught and tested the students. All of the volunteers helped to serve lunch and dessert to the students. In total, there were 24 volunteers “and we could not put on the program without their help,” said Whitson.

For the Ag-Abilities participants, the event is very special. “Our students start talking about this competition the very first day of school each year. They are so proud of the knowledge they have learned, that their self-esteem is greatly increased and shines through in these types of activities,” said Dede Cocchiola, an ESE teacher from Caminiti.

Faith Oden, a 10th grade student at Caminiti stated that she really enjoys being able to plant flowers that she can later take home and replant to watch grow.

“We have been participating for the past 10 years, some of our students have done it four or five times, and they are still excited and thrilled to do it all over again. They look forward to this day from the beginning of the school year,” said Juan “Mr. G” Guevara, agriculture teacher at Caminiti.

Thanks to the agriculture groups that support Ag-Abilities and to the many volunteers who help make this program possible. •

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Farm Credit of Central Florida Members Share in Patronage Refund Exceeding $2.4 Million Photo by Ron O’Connor – Farm Credit

Farm Credit of Central Florida Directors, John Langford, of Lakeland and Ron Wetherington (Right) of Dover display an oversized check depicting the $141,000,000 million in patronage refunds the board of directors has declared since 1988, significantly lowering its Membersʼ cost of funds.

*** All Items Are 8 lbs. Unless Otherwise Noted.***

VEGETABLES Foodhooks........................$22

Brussel Sprouts ................$14

arm Credit of Central Florida’s Board of Directors has declared a patronage refund exceeding $2.4 million, allowing its eligible Member-Borrowers to significantly lower their cost of funds.

“The patronage refund is a form of profit sharing distinguishing Farm Credit from other lenders,“ said Chairman of the Board, David J. Stanford, a Winter Garden citrus grower.

Baby Butter Beans ...........$15

Baby Carrots.....................$14

Green Beans......................$14

Broccoli .............................$14

Pole Beans ........................$14

Cauliflower........................$14

Speckled Butter Beans ...$14

Mixed Vegetables ............$14

Blackeye Peas...................$14

Soup Blend .......................$14

Farm Credit of Central Florida is a Customer-Owned lender providing funds to agricultural operations, and residential Customers for financing, new construction, or refinancing. The cooperative also offers crop insurance to area farmers and ranchers. Part of the nationwide Farm Credit System created in 1916, Farm Credit of Central Florida serves 13 central Florida counties including, Orange, Osceola, Lake, Sumter, Seminole, Volusia, Brevard, Polk, Hillsborough, Citrus, Hernando, Pasco and Pinellas.

Crowder Peas ...................$14

FRUITS

Pinkeye Peas.....................$14

Blueberries 5# ..................$15

Sugar Snap Peas ..............$15

Blackberries 5# ................$15

Zipper Peas.......................$14

Raspberries 5# .................$15

Green Peas ........................$14

Dark Sweet Cherries 5# ..$18

White Corn........................$14

Mango Chunks 5# ............$15

Yellow Corn.......................$14

Pineapple Chunks 5#.......$15

Cream White Corn 4# ......$6

Whole Strawberries 5# ...$15

Cream Yellow Corn 4#......$6

Peaches..............................$15

Collard Greens..................$13

Rhubarb #5 .......................$15

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As a cooperative, Farm Credit of Central Florida Member-Borrowers share in the association’s profits, lowering their effective rate of funds.

Since 1988, Farm Credit of Central Florida Members have benefitted from over $141,000,000 of patronage refunds, or profit sharing, declared by the Board of Directors.

Farm Credit of Central Florida services 2,100 loans and approximately $850 million in outstanding loan volume. Eligible Members will share in profits of more than $2.4 million with a return of 60% in cash of their earned interest from 2012. This is tangible evidence of the power of cooperative principles at work,” said, Reginald T. Holt, President and CEO of the association.

Butter Peas .......................$14

Mustard Greens ................$13 Turnip Greens ...................$13

GEORGIA PECANS

Spinach ..............................$13

(Frozen)

Cut Okra ............................$13

Halves and Pieces

Breaded Okra....................$13

1 lb bag................................$9

Whole Okra .......................$13

2.5 lb bag ....................$22.25

Sliced Yellow Squash.......$13

5 lb bag ............................$44

Sliced Zucchini .................$13

10 lb bag ...........................$87

“Agriculture is the second largest industry in the state, ranking behind only tourism. Ranchers, growers, and farmers provide green space, and water recharge areas to the state in the normal course of producing the world’s safest, most affordable, and abundant supply of food and fiber. Farm Credit of Central Florida is proud to provide a stable, reliable, source of credit to Florida agriculture,” said David J. Stanford. • W W W. I N T H E F I E L D M A G A Z I N E . C O M

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Dry Creek

My Little Town

By Les McDowell Photo Courtesy of Linda Constant

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here’s a pride inside each of us that says I need to mow the lawn, or the pride of building a fence straight. Meaning you might have had to dig around a big rock in the path of a fence post to keep your fence line straight.

Most of you have pride built into you for your hometown. Fueled by memories of things that shaped our lives. That favorite teacher that spent time with you until you understood. That coach who believed in you and wouldn’t give up. That friend who was so much a part of your life. When needed, they where always there. After years apart whenever you got back together, your friendship picked up where it left off.

It’s funny how when you go back to your hometown after you’ve grown up, everything seems smaller. How you have to go to your favorite place that has that sandwich or food that says, I’m home.

I’m from a small town but last year I visited New York City for the first time. I saw and felt the heart of that big City. I saw the pride and support they had for one another. How proud they where to help this small town country boy get around.

During the Boston Bombings I watched as the bad guy was caught.

How rows and rows of Bostonians cheered their first responders as they drove past them, after a job well done.

That’s the same pride and love for a town you see when a tornado or hurricane splinters it. It might take a building but leaves the heart.

That town comes together and rebuilds stronger than ever.

When it comes right down to it, it’s not the concrete or steel or wood that makes a town. It’s the people. That’s where the heart is. Be your hometown big or small it doesn’t matter.

Today as I set down to put some of my thoughts together for a new episode of Dry Creek about My Little Town, everything pointed to one thing. The heart of a place. Where’s the engine that is powering it? It’s the people. No ifs, ands or butts. I hope that My Little Town of Dry Creek can be a small model so folks can focus in on their own Hometowns big or small. Remind them of where they came from. Through Dry Creeks town-folks and neighbors see someone they recognize.

My Little Town of Dry Creek is easy to find because “It’s inside each and everyone of us.”

Watch Dry Creek on BlueHighwaysTV, Channel 246 on Verizon Sat nites at 7:30.

Go to DryCreekT V.Com for more information. Check us out at drycreektv.com

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UF/IFAS Storm-preparation Expert Tailors Planning Guide For Floridians

By Mickie Anderson

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hen it comes to natural disasters, Florida – with hurricanes, tropical storms, tornadoes, wildfires and flooding – certainly has more than its share.

And a University of Florida storm-preparation expert says that’s good reason for Floridians to spend a bit of time planning for such emergencies.

Mike Spranger, a UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences professor in family, youth and community sciences, worked with colleagues in Florida to adapt a Gulf of Mexico states-oriented handbook for Floridians. Called the “Florida Homeowners Handbook to Prepare for Natural Hazards,” it’s free and available online at http:/ / solutionsforourlife.ufl.edu/ disaster_prep/ .

At a minimum, Spranger says, Florida residents ought to have a storm supply of three days’ worth of nonperishable food and a five-day water supply (one gallon per person per day). An even better goal, he suggests: a five- to seven-day supply of nonperishable food and a seven-day water supply of three gallons per person per day, which allows enough water for hand-washing, cooking and other needs.

“The very most important things people want after storms are water and ice, and that’s the very first thing that’s going to be in short supply,” Spranger said.

Hurricane season begins June 1 and ends Nov. 30, but the 140-page handbook reminds readers that hurricanes and tropical storms can and do form before and after the confines of hurricane season.

The handbook has tons of tips and suggestions for Floridians, covering details such as keeping spare cash handy in case ATMs aren’t working, hanging on to at least one hardwire telephone in case cellular service goes out, keeping your gas tank full, and specific ways to shore up your windows, doors and garage doors (fun fact: about 80 percent of wind damage to homes starts with wind entering the garage).

Also included are reminders to have a plan for pets since most emergency shelters won’t accept them, keep prescriptions filled and copies of them in a waterproof box or folder, along with one’s other important documents such as birth records, insurance policies, and descriptions and photos of home valuables, as well as suggestions for storing sentimental items like family photos, digitally, in case a home computer or other electronic gadgets are destroyed.

There are also suggestions for optional storm-related products one might buy, including roof clips and other home improvements, as well as items such as a portable toilet, a weather radio and a generator.

“Even if you get this handbook and only implement a few of the ideas, you’ll be ahead of most people,” Spranger said. “These are all relatively easy things that don’t cost you anything, except time.” •

After 40 Years of Teaching – Carolyn Pease Retires For the past 40 years Carolyn Pease has been teaching at Robinson Elementary School in Turkey Creek.

She was recognized several times as the school’s “Teacher of the Year.”

A special retirement party was held the Strawberry Festival Expo Hall on Friday, June 7. The picture shown is Carolyn with many of the students she taught over the years.

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By Sandy Kaster, M.S. Clinical Medicine, B.S. Nutrition Science

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he rose apple is a tropical fruit grown exclusively in southern Florida and is harvested in June and July. Shaped like a bell or a pear, the rose apple is not an apple, but actually a berry. This fruit varies in color from red, pink, or white to purple or pale green. The flavor is descried as most similar to a snow pear or a cross between apple and watermelon. Because of its high water concentration, the wax apple is very juicy and its flavor is mildly sweet with a flowery fragrance and crisp texture.

This fruit is a member of the Myrtaceae family, which includes guava. Other names for this beautiful fruit include wax jambu, java apple, love apple, wax apple, cloud apple, water apple, bell fruit, plum rose, Malabar plum, makopa, and chomphu. The skin is edible, while the seeds in the hollow cavity are not.

NUTRITIONAL PROFILE According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, one medium wax jambu (100 g) contains 25 calories, 0.6 g of protein, 0.3 g of fat, 5.7 g of carbohydrate, and 0.5 g of fiber. It also provides 37% of the Daily Recommended Value (% DV) for Vitamin C, 7% for Vitamin A, 4% for potassium and niacin, 3% for calcium, and 2% for riboflavin. Rose apples also contain notable amounts of phosphorus, magnesium, thiamin, copper, and manganese.

ANTIOXIDANTS Florida rose apples are bursting with vitamins A and C, disease-fighting antioxidants, which neutralize destructive free radicals in the body.

When healthy cells are damaged they are more susceptible to disease and certain types of cancer, and antioxidants may help slow the progression of conditions like asthma, arthritis, and colon cancer. Diets that contain fruits high in antioxidants, including rose apples and other fruits and vegetables, are linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and multiple types of cancer.

VITAMIN C Rose apples are a good source of vitamin C, an antioxidant which has many important functions in the body. Eating foods high in vitamin C significantly raises the amount of iron your body absorbs, which is a good way to prevent anemia. Vitamin C also supports the body’s immune system in its ability to fight infections and viruses, and may possibly shorten the duration and intensity of a cold. Additionally, this vitamin is involved in keeping capillaries, gums, and skin healthy and supple.

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NIACIN Niacin, which is also called nicotinic acid or vitamin B3, is a water-soluble vitamin that plays a variety of important roles in the body. Niacin may be best known as a “natural” supplement to treat high cholesterol, and has been shown to decrease triglycerides and LDL cholesterol (the bad type). Along with the other B vitamins, niacin, helps the body convert carbohydrates, protein, and fats from food into usable energy for the body. The B vitamins are necessary to maintain the health of the nervous system, liver, and skin. Additionally, this vitamin is needed in the production of hormones. Research studies have shown that people with a high niacin intake from food may have a decreased risk of atherosclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and cataracts.

be stored in the refrigerator for up to several days. Rinse under cool running water before eating or preparing.

HOW TO ENJOY Rose apples are delicious eaten out of hand, or made into jellies, jam, preserves, or sauces. Other ways to enjoy this tropical fruit are: • Stew with sugar or poach in sugar water for a simple dessert • Slice and add to fruit salad or platter • Boil to make a sauce to flavor water or other beverages or to spoon over yogurt or ice cream • Chop and add to cereal or yogurt

HOW TO SELECT AND STORE Select rose apples that feel firm and are free of bruises or broken skin. Handle gently because they bruise easily. Since rose apples are delicate, they are best eaten as soon as they are harvested. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to several days. Rinse under cool running water before eating or preparing. Select rose apples that feel firm and are free of bruises or broken skin.

Handle gently because they bruise easily.

Since rose apples are delicate, they are best eaten as soon as they are harvested. They can

• Boil to make fig jam • Use in pies, crisps, or other desserts Enjoy this uniquely beautiful, juicy fruit during Florida’s peak season today.

Selected References http:/ / edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ http:/ / www.hort.purdue.edu/ newcrop/ m orton/ rose_ apple.html http:/ / www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/ roseapple-nutrition-selection-storage

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GULF COAST RESEARCH CENTER HOLDS WORKSHOP FOR

Vegetable Crop

PROTECTION PROFESSIONALS

By Jim Frankowiak

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ore than 80 vegetable growers, scouts, crop advisors, Extension faculty, Master Gardeners and other crop protection professionals recently gathered at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) for a daylong workshop keyed to vegetable crop health management.

“The purpose of the workshop was to provide training in the identification of key arthropod, disease and weed pests of Florida horticultural crops,” said Dr. Hugh Smith, vegetable entomologist and one of the workshop organizers. “The session also provided guidance in the diagnosis of nutritional and other horticultural disorders through a variety of techniques including hands-on training with live specimens in the field and laboratory.” Attendees were also given information on managing crop health problems and available resources through the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

In addition to Dr. Smith, the workshop faculty included Dr. Gary Vallad, plant pathologist, Dr. Bielinski Santos, horticulturist, Dr. Nathan Boyd, weed scientist, Manatee County Extension Agent Crystal Snodgrass and Mary Beth Henry with Pinellas County Extension. Bayer CropScience sponsored the meeting and luncheon for attendees.

Following a pre-workshop test for participants, which was repeated at the end of the workshop, Dr. Smith led a session designed to help attendees develop a pest management program for their crops. It was entitled Identification of Pest and Beneficial Arthropods. He noted the importance of determining life cycle, damage and host range, as well as scouting crops on a recommended twice weekly basis. Dr. Smith then reviewed a variety of common parasites and parasistoids, as well as tips on how to recognize characteristics of each.

Scouting and Recognizing Vegetable Diseases was presented by Dr. Vallad and he began by differentiating between diseases and disorders with diseases caused by pathogens and disorders that are the result of nutrients, temperature, genetics and other non-pathogens. He went on to describe the need to determine the symptoms and signs of W W W. I N T H E F I E L D M A G A Z I N E . C O M

vegetable diseases, noting a symptom is any abnormal feature whereas a sign is evidence of a pathogen. Samples of all were shown and they included some of the more common diseases in Florida such as bacterial spot of tomato and pepper, downy mildew of cucurbits, gummy stem blight of cucurbits, Fusarium wilt, southern blight and various viruses, especially those associated with whitefly vectors.

Dr. Santos detailed the Basics of Crop Nutrient and Water Management, noting the critical need to consider the basic principles of proper watering: soil type, volume of evapotranspiration (the maximum amount of water a crop needs to grow), timing and methods of application. He described the types of irrigation systems in use in Florida, monitoring equipment and the essentials of plant nutrients. Those essentials include the rate and timing of application, placement and sources. To build a program, he said, you must consider irrigation, cultural practices, regulations, soil and crop type, as well as economics. He advised attendees to avoid misdiagnosis of crop problems through periodic lab analysis and when in doubt to “consult a specialist.”

Dr. Boyd reviewed the key weeds of Florida vegetable crops, suggesting that identification of the family of weeds as being an easier approach than trying to determine the specific specie. Many of the weeds were available for viewing by workshop participants.

Following lunch, the group proceeded into the field to scout and diagnose crop health problems discussed during the morning sessions among various crops on site. The next part of the workshop was devoted to a review of on-line and print resources for pest, disease, weed and nutrient management. Dr. Vallad then led a discussion of “How to Get the Most from your Plant Diagnostic Clinics” that included critical diagnostic do’s and don’ts from how and when to gather samples to size and shipment. He reminded attendees that UF/IFAS operates four disease clinics across Florida and each offers analysis and diagnostic services related to specific crops.

Discussion and information was then shared on using a microscope and hand lens to diagnose crop health problems and all participants were given a hand lens. •

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Bankers South IS THE

T

hough Bankers South Lending & Financing may be new to the ag industry, they have a lot of experience in the lending world.

Bankers South, based in Lakeland, is the lending arm of parent company Land South, founded in 2002 by Brian Philpot and Rob Harper. Bankers South provides a variety of loan products, including conventional agricultural real estate loans through the AgAmerica Lending program.

Over the past year, AgAmerica Lending has been growing steadily.

AgAmerica loans cover all facets of farming, from smaller blueberry farmers, to vast cattle ranches. The folks at Bankers South know and understand the issues of needing capital to grow in the ag world.

With over 200 years of combined agricultural backgrounds and experience, they know what it takes to make it in the agricultural industry. Growing up in DeSoto County, Dale Johnson, Senior Vice President at Bankers South, is a sixth generation Floridian. He has been a certified public accountant for the last 21 years and his focus has been in the origination of agricultural loans and agribusiness consulting. Johnson also spent eight years as the Controller for a large 9,000+-acre row crop operation in Southwest Florida. With all of his experience in the agricultural industry, Dale has gained an insight into the financial needs of farmers and ranchers.

Mostly lending on land, since not many banks were willing to, Bankers South’s asset-based, “bridge” loan program has grown over the past few years.

By listening to their friends, the owners of Bankers South realized there was a need for low interest loans in the agricultural community. Long term customers of theirs were repeatedly coming to them having problems finding or continuing their agricultural funding.

After the financial crisis of 2008, traditional ag lenders and local banks were stuck with non-performing loans leading them to not renew current loans on their balance sheets, downgrade their portfolio size and have stricter lending regulations. This, in turn, forced higher interest rates and longer loan processes.

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NEW AG LENDER

IN

TOWN

Due to their agricultural and financing backgrounds, the folks at Bankers South understand that a typical ag borrower’s assets are not very liquid and their cash flow may not always be steady. Because of this they offer flexible payment options: annual, semi-annual or monthly. Another way Bankers South helps farmers and ranchers is by offering a Line of Credit that has no “resting period” for ten years.

A resting period is where a bank will require a borrower to pay back all funds for a short period, usually thirty days, once a year. No resting period allows the farmer to keep the money in the commodity, where it is needed, for the entire ten years with only one upfront approval. Unlike some banks, Bankers South has no prepayment penalty, that means you will not be charged a fee if you repay the loan early. Whether the loan for a small farm, a cattle ranch or a citrus grove, Bankers South is glad to help farmers and ranchers continue to grow their business by offering great terms and low interest rates.

"While we lend all over the U.S., we are especially excited to help our neighbors in Central Florida get the lending they need to grow their businesses,” said Philpot.

“We may be the new Ag lender in town, but our clients are already sharing about the ways we have saved them money on their investment projects,” said Leigh Ann Wynn, Director of Marketing and Business Development for Bankers South. “Cattlemen are shocked when they hear how low our rates are and that we can offer terms as long as 25 years.”

While the American dream may include a house with a picket fence for some, for others it has a wider vista, including acres of grass pastures, rows of crops or timber. • Contact Bankers South today to see if these loans are the right choice for your ag operation by calling 855-898-BANK (2265) or email: LeighAnn@BankersSouth.com.

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Everglades Scholarship Equipment Chief Operating Office and owner. “Our family still owns and operates our working farm, we know that education and passion go hand in hand and we are always ready to help the future grow strong” •

D

an Inglima, Everglades Farm Equipment Plant City Site Manager and John Deere Equipment specialist, and Haley Smith, Durant High School Senior. Haley recently won the $2000 FFA Scholarship sponsored by John Deere/ Everglades Farm Equipment. Haley plans to attend the University of FL to major in Ag Economics. Since 1963 Everglades has been looking ahead… We know that the future is in our children.

“The Agricultural business has been tremendously rewarding for our family,” said Mike Schlechter, Everglades Farm

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By Shannon P. Mitchell – THE REDHEADED GARDENER

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ell my fellow gardeners, spring fever is moving into summer’s sweltering embrace. We’re already hitting 90-plus degree days with higher temperatures in sight. You’ve planted all your summer annuals and launched your vegetable gardens which are steadfastly growing toward the pinnacle of edible bounty.

It’s time to think about a plant that can give you a multitude of rewards during these hot summer months. Basil or Ocimum basilicum is a true joy to grow in the summer. Aside from its numerous culinary uses, it soaks up the summer sun like a parched kid on the playground slurps up Gatorade©. Akin to the mint family, Lamiaceae, basil is an annual with slightly square stems, strong scents, a bushy growth habit and tiny dark seeds.

I implore you to grow it.

Native to Africa, India and Asia, history features Basil as a remedy for digestive tract issues, as a token sign of romantic interest when positioned on windowsills and as a sacred herb leading the dearly departed safely to paradise.

Modern-day growers should simply appreciate basil for its earthy but sweet scents, its depth of mild but peppery flavor and its beautifully stacked purple-tinged, pink or white blooms. I would suggest you grow it as a companion plant to tomatoes and peppers in your summer vegetable garden. Pollinators like bees, wasps and butterflies are also very attracted to the spikes of blooms and will aide your vegetable plants in producing more “fruit.”

Basil can be sown from seed at a depth of 1/8” after the last frost (which we are well beyond now) where soil temperatures are 75°-85°F or seedlings can be transplanted W W W. I N T H E F I E L D M A G A Z I N E . C O M

directly into the garden with about 1’ of space between plants. Basil likes welldrained, rich soil so make sure you have amended your garden soil with compost before planting for best results. As always in Florida, mulch your plants for maximum moisture retention during these hot months and water regularly to maintain plant health and establish good leaf production.

Basil is quick to bolt in our warm climate so if you want to maintain your plant for leaf harvesting or culinary use, snip the bloom spikes as they begin forming on a regular basis. If you want to enjoy basil for its scent and pollinator attraction in the garden, let it go to bloom.

Growth habits range from globular mound dwarf forms to upright columnar selections.

Basils offer a variety of foliage colors, leaf shapes, scents, sizes and textures pleasing to the eye and nose. They come in bright limegreen, mottled green and purple, variegated green and yellow, and deep purple. Textures abound too. Large smooth leaves, serratededged tiny leaves and crinkled-lettuce leaved varieties are available to the gardener who wants to try something different.

The most common variety you will find at your local box stores is Sweet or Italian Basil (O. basilicum). Sweet Basil is typically bright green, large-leaved and mild flavored.

‘Summerlong’ or ‘Sweet Green’ are a couple of the newer varieties you might want to sample.

There are small-leaved, compact varieties like Bush Basil/Spicy Globe Basil (O. basilicum ‘Minimum’) or Boxwood Basil (O. basilicum ‘Boxwood’) which are exceptional for use in pestos, sauces and for sprinkling over pastas or pizzas. Their compact forms are lovely in

clay pots judiciously placed around your patio. One of my favorite varieties to try includes Lemon Basil (Ocimum × citriodorum) which has a lovely lemon scent and is widely used in Thai, Indonesian, Arabic, Lao and Persian cuisines for such dishes as curries, stews, baked fish and stir-fries.

CINNAMON B ASIL (O. basilicum ‘Cinnamon’) is also known as Vietnamese Basil and contains the chemical cinnamate which also gives the spice cinnamon its strong scent. It has beautiful deep purple bloom spikes above dark green leaves and the clove-like taste makes it suitable for use in hot drinks and with fruits for dessert.

Another classic basil that you must have in your garden is D ARK OPAL B AS IL (O. basilicum x O. forskolei). This basil shines as an accent in the garden with dark purple color and beautiful white to pink florets. Other purple colored varieties include African Blue (O. basilicum 'Dark Opal' x O. kilimandscharicum) primarily used for scent or decorative purposes such as pot pourri and Red Rubin (O. basilicum purpurascens) bred to be more disease resistant. Use this basil in herbal vinegars to liven up your salad dressing choices.

A more recent choice I really like is PESTO PERPETU O B ASIL (O. x citriodorum). This basil captured my eye because it is a newly developed variety featuring tricolor variegation with creamy color along the marginal edges of the leaves. It is perfect for use in mixed plantings as an accent and it tastes great in pestos of course.

So now that you have a few choices.

Get growing!

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Farm Bureau Highlight

John Joyner COMES “HOME”

By Jim Frankowiak

F

or John Joyner, the opportunity to join the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau Board of Directors was akin to coming home. Born and raised just outside Plant City on the family farm, agriculture has always been a part of John’s life.

“I’m a third generation farmer,” said Joyner, who bought the family farm from his father in 1978. That land, plus rented acreage – some 100-acres in total, was where John and his brother Gary grew strawberries for the better part of 15 years. “We carried on the family tradition of growing and marketing berries and produce.”

Joyner left fulltime farming in 1991 to join CF Industries at its Port of Tampa

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Terminal and Warehouse. He became a shift supervisor in 1998 and was promoted to Superintendent of Operations in 2007.

CF Industries’ storage and shipping facility gives the company access to Gulf Coast, Corn Belt and export markets for its phosphate fertilizer products. The facility, which last year shipped more than 1.3 million tons of fertilizer, has the capacity to store approximately 100,000 tons of diammonium phosphate (DAP) and monoammonium phosphate (MAP). The ammonia terminal gives CF Industries access to world markets for anhydrous ammonia, a raw material used in the manufacture of ammoniated phosphate fertilizers. “I am primarily responsible for overseeing in and outbound shipments of fertilizer and ammonia from our facilities at the Port of Tampa,” he said.

Joyner has joined the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau board, succeeding former board member Stefan Katzaras, also a CF Industries employee, who recently assumed new duties at the Plant City Complex. “When the chance came to serve on the Farm Bureau board, I jumped at the opportunity,” said Joyner. “My family has long been involved with Farm Bureau and I have a firsthand understanding of the challenges facing growers and how Farm Bureau can help. This is a great way for me to stay tied to agriculture. In addition, my experience with CF Industries has taught me that our company and the growers face similar issues. Serving on the board will enable me to help both,” he said.

There’s a side to Joyner that some may not know. Throughout the 1970s, from the end of his high school years well into his

20s, Joyner made his living as a fulltime, professional motocross racer. “I competed primarily in Florida, but at other tracks throughout the eastern region of the country and some in the Midwest as well.” He enjoyed sponsorships from bike builders such as Suzuki and Yamaha, as well as retail dealerships, and a level of competitive success. “I met my wife, Lea Ann, in 1976 and we got married in 1978. Once married, I thought about things other than racing.” And that led to the purchase of his family’s farm and a partnership with his brother that grew to 100-acres over the next 15 years.

Family is very important to Joyner and his wife who also is a Plant City native. “We have two daughters and four grandchildren, two boys and two girls. And I am happy to note that they all live nearby. In fact, one of my daughters, her husband and children live just a short distance from us,” Joyner said. “My wife has been like a rock for me and our family. She has been there for me in good time and hard times. She has kept me grounded. My mom and dad were very influential throughout my life and growing up on a small farm with four siblings taught me the value of family.”

Joyner’s agricultural activities are now limited to approximately four-acres on which he grows peaches. He enjoys watching sports and an occasional golf outing. “I am not a very good golfer, but I do enjoy the opportunity to play with friends.”

Welcome home, John, and the best to you as you serve on the Board of Directors of the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau. •

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GULF COAST RESEARCH CENTER

HONORS EMPLOYEES TOMAS HASING & SHAWN ARANGO

BY JIM

E

ach year, the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) recognizes employees who have gone above and beyond their required duties to serve the mission of the Center. “Among those actions are excellence in customer service, time invested in Center committee activities, other service activities that benefit the Center, creation of innovative techniques or equipment for research,” said Center Director Dr. Jack Rechcigl. “Recognition originates with nominations from faculty and staff with submissions to the Honors and Awards Committee.”

Winners for 2013 are Tomas Hasing, a bio scientist in the Strawberry Breeding Program headed by Dr. Vance Whitaker, who nominated Hasing, and Shawn Arango, a staff member of the Horticulture Program of Dr. Bielinski Santos. Arango was nominated by Senior Agricultural Assistant David Moore. Both were honored at a mid-May luncheon at which their respective contributions were noted by the individuals who nominated them. Each received an Outstanding Award Recipient stadium jacket along with additional University of Florida items.

“Tomas has been an incredible asset to the strawberry breeding program because of his hard work and his unique skills,” said Whitaker. “Tomas makes all of our crosses, maintains breeding germplasm databases, oversees data collection in the field, manages picking volunteers and performs many data analyses for genetic studies. He also travels to Colorado for almost three weeks each year to dig runner plants on his hands and knees in very cold weather.

Countless weekends he has come in to check on the mist nozzles or make sure timers are working properly. Importantly, he does all of this with a quiet smile on his face and a can-do attitude.”

“Tomas is perhaps most impressive for his innovation and academic abilities, particularly in statistics,” said Whitaker. “He helped develop a field data collection system with rolling cards with scales and field computers. He came up with a method, using this data collection system and a novel statistical approach, to assess the stability of sugars in strawberry fruit across the season. He programmed an excel spreadsheet to display pedigrees for all breeding germplasm and he developed a database system that allows immediate access to crossing information, pollen stores and seeds generated. All of this has culminated in his co-authorship of three scientific journal articles and senior authority of two other articles, W W W. I N T H E F I E L D M A G A Z I N E . C O M

FRANKOWIAK

one published in Euphytica and the second recently accepted to the Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science, all in the past three years. This is truly amazing for a biological scientist who has many things to do other than writing.

“In addition to his service to the strawberry breeding program, Tomas is also an asset to the Center as a whole,” Whitaker said.

“I have often found him helping faculty, biological scientists or students with their statistical analysis. Those of us who struggle with statistics know just how important his help is!”

Moore’s nomination of Arango cited him as being “..an outgoing, outstanding and motivated member of the Horticulture Program at GCREC. Shawn comes from a very diverse background that makes him very well rounded. He has a very intuitive capacity to envision and deliver on building structures, which also translates into a high ability to be a problem solver! He is responsible for building multiple tunnels this year from ‘scratch’. This translates to minimizing costs to Bielinski Santos’ Program, while maximizing delivery of high quality, well assembled structures.”

“Shawn goes out of his way to make good on Dr. Santos’ dream of sharing the benefits of High Tunnel Cultivation across the State of Florida! This means that he has worked on out-of-town ventures putting up the tunnels. Shawn carries all of the materials, tools and supplies to the site, which means he is also very organized. These trips also translate into being away from his family and home, living out of a motel room. Shawn makes the workplace fun. He always seems to have a joke or story that can bring a laugh.”

“Shawn has a passion for his job. He desires to strive to do his best on any task he works on. Whether it is spraying peppers, picking strawberries or installing a complex manifold irrigation system – Shawn puts his heart into his work and workmanship. Finally, it needs to be mentioned that Shawn is doing all of this while going to college, as well as balancing a family of four children. Our Horticulture Program benefits from his efforts and commitment,” said Moore.

Hearty congratulations to Tomas Hasting and Shawn Arango.

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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY EXTENSION OFFERS

ASSURE WARM MEALS DURING POWER OUTAGES AND EMERGENCIES; REDUCE ENERGY COSTS

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ow that we are in hurricane season, Hillsborough County Extension, a cooperative service of the Board of County Commissioners and the University of Florida, is offering a series of solar cooking classes that will help prepare residents for cooking during power outages or other emergencies. “Our classes will also enable participants to use the sun to cook their food and reduce energy costs whether they have power or not.” said Dr. Mary Keith, an Extension Agent and presenter of the classes.

“With instruction, some supplies and a little cutting, by the end of this workshop participants will have a functioning solar cooker,” said Keith. “The sun will cook a meal while we are working on the construction of individual solar cookers, so attendees will be able to see and taste a solar-cooked meal before they leave.”

The four-hour class will also include basic recipes and cooking instructions, as well as the opportunity to see several commercial and homemade solar cookers in use during the session. “I provide registrants with a list of items needed for the class that will enable them to build their own solar cooker,” she added. In addition to instruction on the production of a solar cooker and how to use it, the class also covers the pasteurization of water by using homemade and commercial units. “This can be an important consideration during periods of power outages,” said Keith, who noted all of the units demonstrated during the classes are reusable. “Commercial cookers range in price from $40 to $400, while the commercial water pasteurization indicator displayed during the class is less than $20."

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Classes

By Jim Frankowiak

cooker,” said Keith. “However, because food cooks faster when it is in smaller pieces, we usually cut items to be cooked in a solar cooker into small pieces. In addition, it's helpful to move the cooker as the sun moves so our source of power is in line with our cooker.” Though solar cooking is best accomplished during sunny days, it is possible to use a solar cooker successfully when the weather is cloudy, she noted.

utilization of the greenhouse effect as glass transmit visible light, but blocks infrared thermal radiation from escaping, thereby amplifying the heat trapping effect.

Materials needed for the class include a metal pot with lid, foam cooler or boxes to hold the pot, duct tape or package tape, heavy duty aluminum foil and a knife or box cutter. “I recommend that participants purchase the pot first and be certain it has a lid,” said Keith. “Ideally the pot should be a dark in color and should be able to fit within the cooler they bring to the class. If they bring boxes, one box must hold the pot and the other must be two-inches deeper and wider all the way around than the small box.

Interested parties may register online at: Hillsborough.ifas.ufl.edu/ nutrition/ Solar_Co okers.shtml. A registration fee of $10 entitles a family of four to attend.

Each class begins at 10 a.m. and ends no later than 2 p.m. All are held at the Hillsborough County Extension Service, 5339 County Road 579, Seffner, FL 33584.

For more information, contact Keith via email: mkeith@ufl.edu or call: 813-744-5519, Extension 54136.

Upcoming classes are set for Friday, June 28, Saturday, June 29, Friday, July 26 and Saturday, July 27. “We limit classes to 20 participants and may expand the list of classes depending upon interest,” said Keith.

“Although the timing of these classes coincides with our annual hurricane season, solar cooking has become popular around the world for a variety of reasons,” said Keith. “Campers and backpackers are growing users of solar cookers as are people in areas where cooking fuel is either costly or limited in supply. There are also groups and individuals using and promoting solar cooking as a way to reduce air pollution and to slow down the deforestation and desertification caused by gathering firewood for cooking.” Solar cooking is also often used in situations where minimal fuel consumption is important, or the danger of accidental fires is high.

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RECIPES Recipes Courtesy of the Florida Department of Agriculture

Cantaloupe-withChicken Salad

Cantaloupe Crostini 1/2 large French baguette 2 tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup herbed goat cheese 1 medium cucumber, thinly sliced 3 cups cantaloupe, diced

PREPARATION Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut baguette into 1/2 inch-thick slices and brush each with olive oil.

Toast bread on a baking sheet until golden brown.

Spread cheese on toasted bread.

Top each with cucumber slices then diced cantaloupe. Serve immediately.

SALAD 2 cups chicken cooked, shredded 2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried 1 cup celery, sliced 1 cup green grapes seedless, halved 1/2 cup pecans, chopped 3 cantaloupes, halved and seeded

DRESSING 1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise 1/4 cup low-fat sour cream 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest grated 1 1/2 teaspoons natural sugar 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger root, ground kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

PREPARATION In a large bowl, combine chicken, blueberries, celery, grapes and pecans.

In a small bowl, mix dressing ingredients.

Pour over the chicken mixture and toss gently.

Spoon into cantaloupe halves, then serve.

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Meet Shirley Chancy 17 years - cashier at Felton’s

Specialty Meats Ducks, Capons, Fresh Ham, Rabbits, Quail, Fresh & Smoked Turkey Wings and Drumsticks, Beef and Pork Kidneys, Hog Heads, Hog Maws, Pork Skin, Tripe & Honeycomb Tripe, and Alligator Meat.

• We Accept TECO Payments • Western Union Money Orders 49¢ each

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T

here was a time not too many years ago when the news coming from or about the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections Office was not the best. However, that has all changed for the better thanks to the efforts of Supervisor of Elections Craig Latimer and his staff. Prior to taking office this past January, Latimer served as Chief of Staff to the Supervisor of Elections, a position he held from January of 2009 until January of this year. He was initially appointed by the late Phyllis Busansky and continued with Dr. Earl Lennard, who was appointed to serve the balance of Busansky’s term following her death. Latimer successfully ran for the office in 2012.

Born and raised in Hillsborough County, Latimer graduated from Tampa Catholic High School and he received an undergraduate degree from the University of South Florida. He retired from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office as a Major in 2008 after 35 years of service. Latimer and his wife Sharon reside in the Lutz area, have one son, who is a member of the New York Yankees media relations staff, and one grandson.

Latimer has led the turnaround in the elections office to restore integrity, efficiency and confidence in the election process. That is no mean feat when you consider some of the variables he and his staff face on a yearto-year basis. He has 38 fulltime staff on a continuing basis, but that changes dramatically during an election year when his fulltime staff grows to as many as 200 fulltime temporary staff. Then, 3,500 poll workers are added, as well, to meet the demands of the election itself. This staffing swing has an impact on his budget, which ranges from $8 to $12 million. The proposed budget for 2014 is set at $11.4 million.

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Even though there were significant delays in the most recent election at other counties across Florida, Florida Secretary of State Ken Detzner singled out Hillsborough County as meeting its election responsibilities “the way it is supposed to be done.”

You might think a multi-million dollar budget is a lot of money for just elections, but it is important to recognize both the duties and responsibilities of the Supervisor of Elections. The office administers all federal, state, county, municipal and special district elections in Hillsborough County in accordance with the Florida election code, the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA), the National Voting Rights Act (NVRA), the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and federal voting rights laws. In addition to general administrative and office functions, the duties of the elections office cover four broad categories: voter services; elections; activities on behalf of candidates, committees and parties; and voter education.

Voter Services include processing registration applications and issuing voter cards, as well as maintaining voter registration statistics. Voter lists must also be maintained to assure accuracy, and precinct street indexes must be maintained to ensure residential addresses are assigned to the correct precinct and districts. The office must also update street indexes to reflect any changes received from the U.S. Postal Service, planning board and city and county commissions. Those indexes must also be updated to reflect growth and the proper assignment of those new streets to precincts and districts.

safeguarding of county voting equipment, the testing of that equipment and related programs and ballot tabulation equipment prior to each election, along with the design, printing and proofing of ballots pursuant to Florida election law. The office must process requests for and mail Vote By Mail ballots and related elections materials to absentee voters, including military and overseas voters, plus receive and tally mailed ballots.

Vote By Mail ballot signatures must also be verified. That brings to mind a misconception that the majority of those ballots are typically not counted. “In the last election, less than one half of one per cent of Vote By Mail ballots were not counted,” said Latimer, who noted the number of Vote By Mail ballots requested totaled 198,699, while the number returned or voted was 171,206. “The Canvassing Board only rejected 596 of those ballots, most (374 ballots) because they had no signature,” he said.

New legislation expected to be signed by Governor Rick Scott will allow the Supervisor of Elections Office to contact voters so that they may correct their mistake if they forget to sign their ballot.

Additional duties for Latimer and his staff under the elections category involve working with the county and municipalities on reapportionment, redistricting and drawing of precinct boundaries, and identifying and contracting with convenient and accessible polling places. “We have 347 precincts in Hillsborough County that were served by 276 polling sites in 2012. It is possible for us to co-locate some of those precincts without inconveniencing voters,” Latimer said. In all cases, the office works with disability organizations to ensure all polling locations comply with ADA accessibility guidelines.

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Early voting was conducted at 15 sites across the county in 2012. “And the results of that initiative plus Vote By Mail reflects a change in voter activities,” noted Latimer. For that election there were 747,605 eligible voters in the county and the turnout equaled 545,134 ballots or 72.9 percent of eligible voters. “Just over 38 percent of those votes were cast on election day, while 169,654 ballots were cast by mail and 166,937 came via early voting. That is a growing change in balloting by our voters with dramatic shifts in by mail and early voting totaling nearly 62 percent of the votes cast,” he said. Early voting, first offered in the 2004 general election, saw 86,642 ballots cast with 63,863 ballots received by mail. “Voters are recognizing in growing numbers that election day is the last day to vote and are taking steps to cast their ballots early by mail or at designated early voting centers.”

The office is also charged with providing prospective candidates with general information; filing and qualifying candidates for nomination or election to county, district and special district offices; verifying and certifying petition signatures for candidates who qualify by the petition process; collecting candidate qualifying fees and remitting to the appropriate agency; providing support to municipalities, districts and special districts in conduct of their elections; receiving and reviewing for completion campaign finance reports and financial disclosure statements; monitoring campaign reports and assessing fines, when necessary; proofing filing forms and guidance to and receiving and reviewing for completion financial reports from political committees and parties and receiving annual Form 1 Financial Disclosures from certain officers and employees of location government and reporting to the State.

In addition, the office supervises Vote By Mail voting for assisted living facilities or nursing homes when that type of aid is requested. It also has responsibility for publishing required legal notices and documents, including sample ballots, in general circulation newspapers serving the county. Required notices must be posted in polling places on Election Day and that includes how to cast a ballot. Voting equipment must be delivered, set up and retrieved at each polling location. “That equipment has a value of more than $15 million and when not in use is stored in a county warehouse, occupying some 40,000 square feet of space.”

The last duty area for the office involves voter education, not just in advance of elections, but continuously. This includes education/registration programs annually in each public high school and on each college campus in the county; ongoing maintenance of a Web site (w www.VoteHillsborough.org) providing candidates, voters and the general public with important information and news, as well as preparation and distribution of hard copies and the provision of this information to media outlets for publication and via public service announcements. Groups can visit VoteHillsborough.org to request a presentation or voter registration drive for their meeting or event.

The Supervisor of Election is also responsible for approving poll watchers and providing lists of those individuals to polling places; counting, canvassing and certifying election returns; recruiting and training poll workers in election law and procedures prior to each election. “Our poll workers are very important and critical to the successful execution of our election responsibilities. That brings to mind our Adopt A Precinct and Adopt A Drop Site partnerships for non-profit community service organizations, agencies and other entities,” said Latimer. “Through these partnerships the participating organizations agree to provide complete or partial staffing for a precinct or drop site. In exchange, the earnings from that service go directly to the organization.” Groups run the gamut from Boy Scout Troops and sororities to public service organizations such as Wheels for Success, an organization that provides vehicles to those in need. Poll workers are paid from $140 to $225 per day depending upon their responsibilities. “Boy Scout Troop 5 in Plant City participated and used the funding earned to help pay for repairs to its troop bus,” he said. Troop 5 is chartered by the Norman McLeod American Legion Post 26.

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“It is possible for county residents to visit our Web site to update their voter registration or to contact us via email. And during elections, they can go to the web site to determine wait times at our various county locations,” noted Latimer. “We also have a growing presence on Facebook and Twitter.” The office may also be contacted by phone, 813-744-5900, to answer resident questions, provide information or other services. Residents may also visit the office in person. It is located on the 16th Floor of the Fred B. Karl County Center, 601 East Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33602 and at 2514 North Falkenburg Road, Tampa, FL 33619.

As chief of staff and now as Supervisor of Elections Latimer has brought leadership and accountability to the office; timely and accurate report of election results; impartiality and nonpartisanship; a renewed commitment to ethics and professionalism; excellent voter services; and responsible and conservative stewardship of taxpayers’ funds. When not working “to make sure that Hillsborough County is the best place in America to vote” as his web site message states, Latimer enjoys flats fishing. •

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Photos by Stephanie Humphrey

By Jim Frankowiak

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he Aprile brothers – Joe, Danny and Ronnie – are commemorating the 70th anniversary of their family dairy farm, Aprile Farms. The business began in 1943 with a handshake between the brothers’ father, Jimmy, and Harvey Ryals, a dairy cattle dealer and owner of the original land where the farm was located. “Mr. Ryals was able to combine the sale of 156-acres of land with a load of dairy cattle from Tennessee,” said Joe. That parcel, though reduced through sales over the past seven decades, is still part of the family dairy farm. It is located in the northeast quadrant of the intersection of Interstate 4 and U.S. Highway 301, adjacent to the Florida State Fair grounds.

“Our family had six acres nearby and was involved in truck farming where we raised vegetables and cattle, selling meat and

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produce from our grocery store and meat market in Ybor City” said Joe. The Aprile’s mother, Jennie, ran the fish and poultry market and their dad’s family had a meat market across the street. Shortly after the land purchase, the family constructed a 10-stall barn where cows were milked by hand twice each day. Automation came to the dairy industry in the early 1950s and the Aprile’s father purchased three surge “pot” milkers, enabling them to double the number of cows milked each day. “Our cows are milked two times each day, every day of the year,” noted Ronnie. “Pot milkers were an important breakthrough for the industry.” There have been added advancements since then, leading to pipelines that bring together many milking stations and leading to cooling facilities and refrigerated storage.

The Aprile dairy operation expanded to a 20-stall facility and eventually the family built a milking parlor in the early 60s, which allowed them to milk up to 300 head. In the late 80s, Joe, Danny and Ronnie expanded the operation to include two more dairy farms located in Riverview. “At one time we milked over 1,500 cows at our three locations,” said Joe. During those early days of the family business and up until a number of years ago, the Aprile’s sold their milk to Florida Dairy and Tropical Ice Cream located in Ybor City. Now, they belong to Southeast Milk, Inc., a dairy co-operative with over 200 farm members in Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina that markets their milk. Joe is a board member of the co-op, serves on the SMI executive committee and also is its corporate secretary.

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In 1937, National Milk Month was established as a way to promote drinking milk.

It was initially created to help stabilize the dairy demand when production was at a surplus.

The National Dairy Council changed the name to National Dairy Month and now each June celebrates the contributions the dairy industry has and continues to make to the world.

“Our industry has changed dramatically over the years,” said Danny, current president of Hillsborough County Farm Bureau. “When our dad began the family dairy, there were 70 dairies in Hillsborough County. Now, there are only three, but we plan to stay in this business

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just as long as we can.” The Aprile brothers cite the pressures of development as one of the key factors leading to the closing of dairies. “Many dairies in the county were located close to residential areas and the owners just couldn’t pass on the offers they were receiving for their land,” he said.

Dairy farming is a way of life that demands hard work every day, including weekends, since the cows at the Aprile’s must be milked twice daily. “We were raised in this business and we all love it,” said Ronnie.

“Though we each work every weekday, one of us is ‘on call’ from after work Friday until early Monday morning so we can respond to anything that requires our attention during the weekend.”

Another challenge facing dairies is the rising cost of feed due to the introduction of ethanol. “Corn is a basic ingredient of animal feed and it is also the mainstay of

ethanol,” said Ronnie, who is a board member of Florida Dairy Farmers. “While that’s great for corn farmers, it is not good for those of us that must feed our animals.” He noted that corn was selling for about $3.50 a bushel in 2003 and current pricing has it close to $7 a bushel. “In other words, our feed has more than doubled in price over the last decade,” he said. “Consumers often think dairy farmers are the beneficiaries of those high costs, but that is simply not the case.

If our sons want to continue this family business, we have to relocate and either lease or purchase more land at an affordable price. We simply can’t do that on our existing operation.” It appears that the ethanol dilemma may be subsiding somewhat as limits are being set on the total acreage corn farmers can devote to ethanol, but that has yet to be finalized. “We are optimistic,” said Danny, who noted, “farmers must be optimistic with all challenges from feed prices to the

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type of weather coming our way.” Droughts experienced in corn country, the upper Midwest, have hampered yields, another factor impacting the price of products produced with and from corn.

Pricing for the milk produced by the Aprile’s is pretty much out of their hands. “We are price takers, not makers,” said Joe. “Price is pretty much government controlled.” The family annually produces approximately 10 million pounds of milk. “Those milk tankers you see on the interstates and highways each carry 50,000 pounds of milk,” said Joe. Though the family’s primary focus was dairy farming, there always has been a beef cattle dimension and that has grown over the years to a point where their cow-calf business exceeds dairy farming. “We are raising beef cattle at four locations on land we own or lease in Hillsborough and Pasco counties,” said Danny.

“It is not possible for all of us to make a living on just our dairy operations,” and he cites that side of the family business as a viable option for the next generation of Aprile’s. “My son Jason and Ronnie’s son Little Ronnie currently work part-time in the beef cattle side of our business,” he said.

Each of the dairy farming Aprile brothers recognizes the need to become and stay involved in the organizations that serve and assist their family operation, as well as agriculture in general. They know how important it is for the voice of agriculture to be heard by lawmakers and regulators since that is critical not just to their family business but the economy of Hillsborough County, Florida and the U. S. “We have to co-exist with our urban neighbors and there must be mutual respect on both sides,” said Danny. “Laws and resulting regulations must be fair and recognize all of our needs.”

When not involved with their family operations or engaged with their industry associations, the Aprile brothers enjoy time spent with their families, fishing and hunting.

Congratulations on seven decades of family dairy farming! •

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Gulf Coast Research and Education Center’s Ties With

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recent, 10-day trip to China by three representatives of the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) to the Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences has strengthened an existing relationship with high promise for the future. T he trip, which was paid for by the Chinese educational facility located in the city of Guangzhou three hours northwest of Hong Kong, included GCREC Director Dr. Jack Rechcigl, Associate Director Dr. Craig Stanley and Environmental Horticulturist Dr. Zhanao Deng. “Our host was the Institute for Environmental Horticulture and the academy’s Vice President Dr. Ganjun Yi,” said Rechcigl, who noted the academy has a series of ongoing relationships with various U niversity of Florida entities and is interested in fostering additional collaborative projects. T he academy is comprised of 10 institutes and the beneficiary of strong governmental support, which is part of an ongoing commitment to funding science, technology and innovation in China.

T hrough a series of seminars, officials of both the GCREC and academy shared information regarding capabilities, program emphasis and potential working relationships going forward. “Helping to feed the world is a responsibility that is shared by many countries,” said Dr. Stanley. “China has more than 1.3 billion people compared to our population in the U .S. of 313 million. Working together on projects that will help enable us meet that need makes sense.”

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China has undergone significant growth in both development and population during the last two decades. T he GCREC team visit included a tour of the delta area of Dongguan, a city that did not exist 30 years ago, but has grown and is now addressing problems created by that growth, including pollution of its waterways. During the visit, Dr. Stanley gave a presentation entitled, “Availability, U tilization and Protection of Water Resources in Florida.” “We were asked for our reaction to programs underway to reverse pollution that has occurred and that is another aspect of this relationship that may be addressed through future collaborations,” said Stanley.

Graduate student participation in GCREC programs is another area of interest for both academic centers. “We have had some graduate students join our programs and that has been of mutual benefit and an aspect of this enhanced relationship that will help us both,” noted Rechcigl. “Graduate students are crucial to our programs, but there has been a continuing decline among the U .S. student population interested in advance degrees in agriculture. Grad students coming to us from China represent the best of the best and they are fully funded,” he noted. T he funding for graduate students working on GCREC programs is the responsibility of faculty heading up those endeavors.

“T hat is a challenge that is overcome with students coming to us from the academy.”

Dr. Deng, who presented “Advances in Ornamental Plant B reeding, Genetic Studies and B iotechnological Research” at the Academy, was honored and named a Guest Professor at South China Agricultural U niversity, an educational institution with 38,000 students also in the ...continued on page 61

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...continued from page 59 south China area. T he school is similar in scope to the U niversity of Florida College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. T he three year professorship for Dr. Deng was recommended by the university’s faculty and will involve annual visits with guidance and counsel on research, teaching and graduate publication.

Rechcigl noted the academy has collaborated with the U F facility at Lake Alfred. “T hat center is devoted to programs designed to assist the citrus industry. Dr. Fred Gmitter and Jackie B urns have been engaged in co-operative programs with the Chinese, as have D r. Wayne McK ay and D. Ji anj un Chen at the center in Apopka. T he memo of understanding we signed during our trip will enhance these existing relationships in the future and that will be of significant mutual benefit,” he said. “T hat is not limited to research activities. We see potential for product development for our growers and expanded markets for their products in countries outside the U .S. T his type of global outreach and partnering is not limited to China. Similar initiatives are taking place and expanding throughout the world,” he concluded. •

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By Sean Green

Photos: April McDonald

A Closer Look

Masked Chafer (Cyclocephala)

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ne of the more memorable signs of springtime in Florida is being bombarded by certain clumsy beetles. All but those in the most sterile of environments can attest to being the unintended target of a small but husky beetle resembling a flying roasted peanut, in fact some people call them peanut bug. These beetles are actually members of the scarab beetle family and have no relationship to a South American leafhopper species commonly known as the peanut bug (Fulgora laternaria).

One of the subfamilies of the scarab beetle family is Dynastinae (rhinoceros beetles). Within Dynastinae is the genus Cyclocephala, a Greek term meaning “rounded head”. This genus includes more than 300 known species including the masked chafers, so named for the black coloring on their head that resembles a mask. Evidence dating back to the early Cretaceous period suggests that beetles were among the first pollinators. The Southern Masked Chafer (Cyclocephala lurida) remains the primary pollinator of the equally ancient Magnolia, a flowering plant that predates the bees and evolved to produce thick rugged flowers that could withstand the destructive behavior of pollinating beetles. Popular tropical species such as Elephant Ear (Xanthosoma) and Philodendron are also primarily pollinated by the masked chafers.

The Cyclocephala beetles behavior and life cycle has established a stronger regard for this insect as a pest than for its benefit. Depending on the species, these beetles have spent anywhere from one to four years developing in the soil and while doing so, feed on the roots of field crops such as wheat, oat and corn. The larva destroy lawns by eating the grass roots throughout their development, leaving brown patches of dead grass that even a good rain won’t recover. Heavily infested yards will feel spongy and with extreme infestation, can be rolled up like a carpet because of extensive root damage.

Adult beetles seem to be emerging early this year and will likely remain active through June or July. Southern masked chafers begin their mating flight just before sunset and continue until about midnight. Males surface before females and begin scouting about a foot

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off the ground waiting for unmated females to emerge. Females will surface to climb up the grass and release a sex pheromone that attracts males in clusters. After mating, females dig back into the soil to deposit eggs. With sufficient moisture, the eggs will mature and hatch in about 18 days, the newly hatched larva collectively channel through the soil feeding on plant roots for as long as the soil remains warm. When the soil temperature begins to cool in September, the larvae begin migrating deeper into the soil to hibernate. Late instar larvae begin a journey to the surface to feed before pupating and later emerge as adults in the late spring and early summer. Cyclocephala are only one species of a handful that are often generically referred to as “May Beetles” or “June Beetles”.

The term “White Grubs” is commonly used to refer to the larvae of any of several species of beetles that are known to affect turfgrass.

Homeowners may notice a parade of Ibis (the white birds with curved beaks) marching through the yard in search of these grubs. I am always amazed with the ease in which these birds can locate and remove grubs that can be as deep as a few inches below the surface of the lawn. Birds are not the only natural predator of these grubs.

Mammals such as armadillos, skunks, and opossums can apparently hear the activity of the grubs and dig up the yard looking for them.

Perhaps their greatest predators are ants, particularly the native Thief Ant (Solenopsis molesta), which have been shown to reduce egg populations by over 80 percent in field experiments.

The list of predators is incomplete without the human population.

Some fishermen report white grubs are a great bait for catfish and perch and appreciate finding them. Native Americans roasted June Bugs (Phyllophaga) over coals and ate them like popcorn, not because they had nothing better to eat, or a lack of hunting skills, this species actually has a pretty impressive nutritional profile: Protein (13.40g), Fat (1.40g), Carbohydrates (2.90g), Calcium (22.6mg), Iron (6mg).

Entomophagy is the practice of human consumption of insects and is practiced in 80 percent of the world’s nations. An increasing acceptance of this practice has stemmed from recent assessments of the potential for large scale entomophagy to provide a more sustainable alternative to animal livestock. Cyclocephala and Phyllophaga are a significant species for newcomers to entomophagy.

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Photos: April McDonald

Yellow Fly (Diachlorus ferrugatus)

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f you have spent any time in the woods over the past month, you may just be included in the handful of outdoor enthusiasts that have enjoyed a reduction in mosquito woes at the expense of suffering the assault of biting flies of the Tabanidae family. There is an estimated 4300 species within this family of biting flies worldwide, 300 of which are specific to North America and 35 species in Florida, included in this family are: “Horse flies” (Tabanus), “Deer flies” (Chrysops) and Yellow flies (Diachlorus ferrugatus). In Florida, only one species is recognized as the Yellow Fly (Diachlorus ferrugatus).

With a reputation of merciless aggression and a painful bite, Yellow flies are reported to bring a quick end to outdoor events when the fly populations are at their greatest. A closer look at this common Florida species will at the very least help set expectations and at best help us endure its population intervals.

Members of the Tabanidae family feed on pollen, nectar, and sometimes insect feces, however, like mosquitoes, they require a blood meal for egg production; consequently, there is a mechanical potential for these flies to transfer disease organisms such as bacteria, and viruses on their mouthparts and are known vectors of some animal and human diseases. Unlike mosquitoes, the Yellow Fly has a short proboscis, as such, access to blood does not come as easily for the yellow fly as it does the mosquito. The yellow fly is nonetheless, very capable of attaining the blood meal she needs. Typically, the mouth parts for flies are adapted for sucking, for many species, mandibles lost their function in early fly evolution and were replaced with spongy or tubular mouth parts. Some species of bloodsucking flies evolved to develop long piercing mouth parts. The yellow fly has retained scissorlike mandibles with which the skin of mammals can be sliced and enough blood released to draw up through a shortened sponge like proboscis. The mechanics of feeding with a short proboscis appear awkward. The fly must lower its head and lift its abdomen to reach the blood at an efficient angle. To maintain blood flow, the yellow fly injects an anti-coagulant into the wound, which is thought to be the cause of allergic reactions to the bite when occasional reactions occur.

Yellow flies are most active in the first few hours of sunrise and a couple hours preceding sunset. May and June are especially active months throughout central and northern sections of Florida, however, this species has been collected as early as March in Monroe County and as late as November in Pinellas County. Female Yellow flies will be the most noticeable, they will be the ones biting, the males are harmless, but if you want a visual comparison of the two, the males have connected eyes and the females have clearly separate eyes. As ambush predators, adult Yellow Flies lie in wait on vegetation in shady forested areas; motion is thought to play the most significant role in triggering an attack. This species will rarely stray far from the shade of the forest so if you seek refuge from attack full sun is a good bet.

solution because they breed in marshes and wet meadows and draining such bodies of water would destroy valuable wildlife ecosystems.

Like other insects, Yellow flies have natural enemies such as birds, dragonflies and spiders, most notable however is the horse guard wasp (Stictia carolina), a type of sand wasp that preys almost exclusively on biting flies of the Tabanidae family. The female wasp of this species digs a small egg chamber in the sand for each of her eggs and stocks the chamber with as many as 60 flies to provision her larva with a two week supply of food to help it through its final development into adulthood. After stocking the cell, she covers the chamber with sand to protect it from predators and provide a safe environment for metamorphosis. Attempting to control Yellow flies with spray applications would eliminate these beneficial wasps and soon magnify the problem when the Yellow flies return with no natural enemies to reduce emerging populations. Farmers, particularly those that keep horses, welcome this wasp when it is recognized. As a species, the horse guard wasp is a faithful nester and will often return to the same nesting grounds year after year despite environmental changes and alternative nesting options. Traps are an option for temporarily controlling small public areas such as swimming pools and camp sites; we have provided instructions to build your own yellow fly trap on our activities page in this issue.

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Mary Ellen Butler Plant City - passed away March 26, 2013

Timothy “Tim” Patrick - 46 Plant City - passed away April 10, 2013

Virginia “Ginny” Ruth Diaz - 66 Plant City - passed away May 20, 2013

William “Blackie” Fred Blackmon, 80 Plant City - passed away March 31, 2013

Dolores D. Hanlon - 83 Plant City - passed away April 13, 2013

Barbara Jean Lashbrook - 86 Plant City - passed away May 22, 2013

Faye Booth Gorman - 75 Plant City - died March 29, 2013

James “JD” David Rorrer - 69 Plant City - passed away March 31, 2013

Rexal "Rex" Lee Tolbert - 66 Lithia/Plant City - passed away April 5, 2013 Thomas Donaldson Richey, Jr. - 77 Plant City - passed away April 8, 2013 Larry Long - 72 Plant City - passed away April 9, 2013

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Angel Lee Liscome Scott - 74 Auburndale - passed away April 13, 2013

Curtis E. Brown - 74 Plant City - passed away May 16, 2013 Roberto Lopez - 26 Plant City - passed away May 17, 2013 Edith Ramona Futch - 71 Plant City - passed away May 17, 2013

Donald Eugene Myers - 78 Lakeland - passed away May 21, 2013

James Oran Spear - 84 Tampa - passed away May 23, 2013

Harold Theodore Anklam - 77 Plant City - passed away May 28, 2013

Susan Corvette Salermo - 57 Thonotosassa - passed away May 17, 2013

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2013 Florida Legislative Session - A Success for Farm Bureau

By Jim Frankowiak

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he 2013 Florida Legislative Session was a successful one for Florida Farm Bureau as all five priority bills passed and proceeded on to Gov. Rick Scott for his signature. Later in the month, the governor signed into law the Florida Families First budget, making new investments in the state’s agricultural industry, including added funding for the Fresh from Florida program, Everglades restoration and citrus greening research.

“Florida Farm Bureau commends Governor Scott and the Florida Legislature for their investment into agriculture, an industry that generates more than $100 billion annual economic impact for the state of Florida,” said President John Hoblick of Florida Farm Bureau on Gov. Scott’s signing of the Florida Families First Budget. “The Fresh from Florida marketing program helps sustain sales of foods and other items grown on family farms located throughout Florida. Gov. Scott’s Families First Budget makes a strong commitment to family farms and agriculture producers in Florida by providing necessary funds to support the world wide marketing of Florida grown products. The Fresh from Florida program helps our farmers and ranchers continue to create benefits for all Floridians as they generate the second most important base of our economy,” said Hoblick.

“Gov. Scott and the Legislature’s $9.5 million investment in research aimed at stopping citrus greening is critical. Florida citrus is a vital part of agriculture and Florida’s economy. This commitment will go a long way to ensure that our citrus growers will overcome this devastating disease and continue to produce the products we all enjoy,” he said. “Florida Farm Bureau is pleased with Gov. Scott’s commitment to continued funding for key Everglades restoration projects such as the Central Everglades Planning Project (CEPP) and the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). Gov. Scott and the Legislature made a $70 million investment into a natural treasure that is essential in Florida and the rest of the country,” Hoblick concluded.

In addition to legislation dealing with restoration of the Everglades, other Farm Bureau priority bills included:

AGRIT OU RISM – This bill limits the liability of local governments to regulate agritourism and provides limited liability protection for agritourism operators. By removing these barriers, this legislation will provide opportunities for Florida’s family farmers to increase revenues and educate the public about food production and the agriculture industry.

GREENB ELT – This legislation removed antiquated language making it more difficult for the greenbelt classification to be removed from land with bona fide agriculture production.

AGRICU LTU RAL LANDS/ DU PLICAT ION OF REGU LAT ION – This legislation prohibits any governmental entity from charging fees or adopting regulations that limit activities on a farm if that activity is already regulated at the state or federal level.

WATER SU PPLY – As a result of this bill, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) now has “a seat at the table” during the water supply planning process. This measure also requires Water Management Districts to consider data from FDACS during the planning process.

A sincere thanks to all who supported passage of these bills and to those Farm Bureau members who took the time to participate in Farm Bureau Day during the legislative session at Tallahassee, as well as contacting their legislators on behalf of these critical issues. •

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Horse Dumping is a Second Degree Misdemeanor Proper Carcass Disposal

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he number of farms and agricultural venues in Hillsborough County far exceeds the time available to sit down and count them for the sake of this article. That said, what should come to the forefront of any farmer or rancher’s thought process is what to do with animals that expire.

Certainly there is enough acreage to bury your own livestock, right? Or, at least there’s a company that will come and dispose of the deceased for you, right? These are the questions that we started asking after being informed of a rather repulsive dismembered horse case that happened right here!

Recently the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office was called in on a rather unique and revolting assignment. According to Agricultural Crimes Unit Sergeant Ed Raburn, “Out in the area of Bruton Road and Dormany Road, (one of those back country Antioch roads) someone’s horse died and I suppose they didn’t have the means to dig a hole big enough, so they apparently cut the legs off so that it would fit into the bed of their pick-up truck, placed it in the bed of the truck, and in the middle of the night they drove out and threw it in a ditch on the side of the road. It laid there for a couple of days and eventually a resident of the area drove by and saw it. Apparently not sure what action to take or who to call, and being aware of some recent media on horse slaughter, the resident called a local Channel 10 reporter about the incident. Because of the strange situation with the dismemberment of the animal, there was even a suggestion that some ritualistic practices may have been involved. The reporter notified the HCSO Agricultural Unit on her way to the incident scene, and Detective Lowell Cain, a veteran Agricultural Crimes Detective also responded. After an in-depth investigation, it was determined that the horse died of apparent natural causes and the legs were removed as a matter of function.”

Sergeant Raburn explained part of the problem. “There are no more animal carcass removal services in Hillsborough County.

There used to be one, but it is no longer in business. The Hillsborough County Public Utilities Department will remove

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By Ginny Mink large animals from the county right-of-way on an as-needed basis, which is what occurred in this case at the conclusion of the Sheriff’s Office investigation.”

A quick read through the Florida Statutes reveals the consequences of improper carcass disposal, something that the horse dumper should have checked into. In fact, the 2011 Florida www.flsenate.gov/ Laws/ Statutes/ 2011/ 823.041) state: Statutes (w “Any owner, custodian or person in charge of domestic animals, upon the death of such animals due to disease, shall dispose of the carcasses of such animals by burning or burying at least two feet below the surface of the ground…it is unlawful to dispose of the carcass of any domestic animal by dumping such carcass on any public road or right-of-way, or in any place where such carcass can be devoured by beast or bird…any person violating any of the provisions of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree.” It also specifies that the use of the word domestic applies to any equine or bovine animal as well as other domesticated beasts and birds. So, if there is indeed no company to dispose of these larger animals, and according to the state statutes you are responsible for your own burning and burying, are there any other viable options? What other choices were available for the horse dumper? http:/ / edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ vm133) of the Shearer, Irsik and Jennings (h University of Florida answer this question in their paper, Methods of Large Animal Carcass Disposal in Florida. Jokingly they inform the reader that in Florida there are plenty of buzzards, coyotes and other scavengers willing to assist in the removal of the deceased animal. However, they do admit that proper methods are necessary to prevent the spread of disease, infection and predation. Thusly they share the top four methods of carcass disposal: burial, composting, incineration and rendering. When discussing burial they point out that, “there are often regulations as to the number of pounds of animal carcass per acre per year that may be buried.” The larger animals are usually buried in seven foot wide by nine foot deep trenches. That’s a considerable W W W. I N T H E F I E L D M A G A Z I N E . C O M

amount of space and definitely time consuming to dig, no doubt part of the reason the Bruton Road horse was treated so poorly.

The article then moves onto composting which they define as “the controlled decomposition of organic materials.” However, according to Shearer (et al), “the use of composting as a method for disposal of carcasses often requires a permit from the state’s Department of Agriculture.” They then specifically describe the process for composting including the fact that quartering the animal and opening up its thorax, abdomen and rumen will allow it to compost more quickly. We suspect that the complicated nature and permit requirements for this method are what have prevented a new animal removal business from popping up in Hillsborough County. This applies also to the concept of incineration, as Environmental Protection Agencies regulate incinerators used for burning up the carcasses. The final suggestion, rendering, is apparently a dying art as it involves cooking the carcass to yield usable end products and only about 50 percent of the states within the US accept this methodology. That directs us back to the concept of burying these animals. So, if you are a large animal owner, it is in your best interest to know the law, and probably to own some other heavy digging equipment because, as Shearer (et al) says, “Even when animals are well cared for they sometimes die, and when they do, we’re left with a carcass in need of disposal.” •

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Naturally Amazing Activities

Flour Tiles

By Sean Green

• Bring the water to a boil, add your choice of dye (see ingredients).

• Mix Flour, Salt and cream of Tartar in a large bowl

Tile making is an ancient art and one of the simplest of the ceramic arts. The earliest examples of handmade tiles are Egyptian samples that date back to 4,000 BC. Though traditionally, tiles were made from soil composed of sand, silt and clay (loam). Decorative tiles that resemble the traditional tiles can be made with simple ingredients that are probably already in the kitchen. This month we will create tiles out of a flour mixture that can be decorated with objects you find in nature or in your home.

Materials: Mixing Bowl Wooden Spoon Baking Sheet Rolling Pin Wax Paper Cutting implements (cookie cutters, small containers) Imprint objects (sea shells, leaves, pinecones, twigs, acorns, anything that will make an impression)

• Remove the water from the heat and add vegetable oil.

• Pour water mixture into bowl of flour mixture.

• Mix thoroughly and let sit until it is slightly warm (about 5 min).

• Lay clay mixture on wax paper and flatten to desired thickness with the rolling pin.

• Cut tile shapes with cookie cutters or small containers.

• Press objects into the clay mixture to make designs into the tile.

• Place tiles on the baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 2 hrs (or until dry and hard).

Ingredients: Water: (1 cups) Flour: (2 cups) Salt: (¼ cup) Cream of Tartar (½ tbsp) or Lemon Juice (¾ tbsp) (optional-improves elasticity) Vegetable Oil Dye: (food coloring, dark coffee, fruit juice, anything that stains) 72

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Sticky Yellow Fly Trap There are several do it yourself yellow fly trap designs available on the internet and there is some disagreement on the color of the trap and its usage. The common (and critical) factor for the effectiveness of the trap is the fact that the yellow flies attack trigger is movement, therefore, the trap has to move to mimic a live food source, a trap that remains still will not be an effective lure for the flies ambushing behavior. This month’s activity is the creation of an appropriate trap that is inexpensive to make and requires no pesticides to be effective.

Through careful experimentation, University of Florida IFAS has determined that a 6-inch plastic nursery pot painted a bright blue is the optimum size and color for Deer Flies, however, the trap does not catch Horse Flies or Yellow Flies very often. Other sources have reported good results using black traps for Yellow Flies. Packages of balloons come in different colors, experiment and use what works best.

Materials: Gloves Tangle-Trap Plastic Sandwich Bag Plastic Cups (Blue or Black) Balloons (Blue or Black) Twine Safety Pins Large balloon traps These can be used at poolside’s or camp sites to attract and trap flies before they reach you.

The balloons movement (from the wind) attracts

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the flies; they get stuck in the goo and don’t bother you! This method will be easier to clean up than using a beach ball, simply pop the balloon and toss it.

Inflate the balloon • Tie twine to one end of the balloon so it can be hung up.

• Hang the balloon on a tree or right angle pole in a manner that will allow the balloon to freely move in the wind.

• Coat the balloon with Tangle-Trap (or similar sticky substance).

The hat trick This sticky cup is placed on the top of a ball cap to trap some of the flies that may be buzzing your head on a hiking trip or campout. Remember, keep moving. This method makes for very easy cleanup, simply remove the sandwich bag, fold it into itself (like taking off a latex glove) and toss it in the trash.

• Place a sandwich bag over the plastic cup.

• Secure the plastic bag by stacking another plastic cup into the first.

• Attach the plastic cup to a ball cap with safety pins.

• Coat the cup with Tangle-Trap (or similar sticky substance).

Inspired by: III, Dr Russell F Mizel. The Trolling Deer Fly Trap. University of Florida IFAS. Quincy: University of Florida IFAS, 2004. Web Document. 30 May 2013. http://nfrec.ifas.ufl.edu/MizellRF/deerfly_trap.htm. Photo Credits: UmbrellaGirl http://deerflytrapumbrella.blogspot.com/

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By Libby Hopkins

Planting the Seeds of Empowerment

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here is an old saying that says, “In learning you will teach and in teaching you will learn.” That’s how Ryan Iacovacci is approaching the new class he will be teaching at the Ybor Campus of Hillsborough Community College (HCC) in Tampa. He will be teaching Introduction to Sustainable Food Systems, which is a non-credit certification course that is sponsored by HCC Sustainability Council and The Institute of Florida Studies at HCC. The class is made up of 12 one-hour class room instructions and two field tours, one to Morningstar Fisherman Aquaponics in Dade City, and the other to Sweetwater Organic Farm in Tampa. It will feature guest speakers from the local food industry, academia and the community. Iacovacci and the guest speakers will cover an array of topics from urban farming to local food marketing and distribution. “My goal with this class is to give the students a sample of everything from seeds to the agriculture legal department,” Iacovacci said. “I also want to learn more myself and see what some of the professional guest speakers have to say.” He also wants his students to learn about their local food system. Iacovacci feels that the local food system is where the next big job boom will take place. The local food system is also Iacovacci’s area of expertise.

Iacovacci has been around agriculture his whole life. His father owned a 26acre horse farm in Michigan where he grew up baling hay and picking apples.

His mother was a big supporter of organic foods for better health and was a gardener as well, so you could say his parents planted the seed in him that later became his passion…local food. He’s not alone in his passion, the local food movement is growing and people are becoming more interested in where their food is coming from and how it’s produced. They also like that buying local food improves their local economy and environment.

So what exactly is “local food?” Although perception of what makes up local food differs by region, due to varying climates, soil types and populations, most people feel that local food or “eating locally” means minimizing the distance between production and consumption. According to the 2008 Farm Act, “a product can be marketed as locally or regionally produced if its endpoint purchase is within in 400 miles from origin, or within state boundaries.”

Most retailers, however, consider local to be a smaller scale than the state level and the term is often defined as products produced and sold within county lines. There is also the social side of local food. Buying local food gives you insight into your food’s story through talking with the people who grew it or made it. It also connects you to nature as well. “People want to be more involved with nature and the food system is a part of nature,” Iacovacci said.

Originally, Iacovacci tried to get his class started at the University of South Florida because its his almamater, but he kept hitting a brick wall. It was at a luncheon where Iacovacci was catering when he had a chance meeting with Dr. Sudeep Vyapari, the Sustainability Coordinator of HCC. “We made lentils together and from there it was, let’s talk about this class and see if we can make something happen for HCC,” Iacovacci said. The mission of the HCC Sustainability Council is to transform HCC into a participating sustainable member of society. Through a partnership with students, faculty, staff, administrators and community members, they seek to establish and nurture an institutional culture of sustainability and promote excellence and leadership in education, innovation and stewardship. They want to achieve economic, social and environmental sustainability that will ensure the health and well being of present and future generations of people, both locally and globally.

“My hope for the class is that every student will walk away from the class with a clear direction concerning local food,” Iacovacci said. “ I want people to walk away from this class feeling empowered.”

For more information on the Introduction to Sustainable Food Systems class at HCC you can call 813-757-2186 or visit their website at www.hccfl/ ifs.

The HCC Ybor Campus is located at 2112 N. 15th Street in Tampa.

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Fred “Mr. Fred” Williams RETIRES

FROM

PURINA

“It’s Big and Gigi Time!”

By Jim Frankowiak

H

e’s been a beloved and respected part of agribusiness for 38 years, all as part of the sales team of Purina Animal Nutrition and its forerunner companies, but Area Sales Manager – Southern Coast Fred Williams has retired. Overseeing the Purina sales team in Florida, most of Alabama and parts of Georgia from his base in Mulberry since 1992, “Mr. Fred,” as he is known and referred to by many within and outside Purina, decided to focus on the healthcare needs of his wife Gale after a fourth recurrence with cancer in 2012 and the opportunity to spend more time with his grandchildren, golf and furthering his fondness for BBQ. “It’s Big and Gigi time,” said Williams referring to the nicknames he and his wife have. Retirement for Fred will mean continued involvement with the Florida FFA Foundation, where he is a board member, and the annual Purina Invitational Golf tourney (PIG), as well as Old Timers of Purina Service (OTOPS) and maybe a KCBS BBQ Contest or two along the way.

Fred’s run has been noteworthy for many reasons and many are well documented in the “Book of Letters” given to him at his retirement party. The “Book” is a Purina tradition whereby colleagues write letters to the retiree, detailing achievements and special memories. Fred’s book, which was assembled by his assistant Kathy Becker, is a very substantial document with letters noting his attributes from leadership and mentoring to southern gentleman and man of God. Throughout his career Fred has hired, trained and mentored countless members of the Purina team and some have gone on to positions within the company whereby they oversee Fred.

Quite a track record of achievement for a man from Como, Mississippi who initially aspired to a career in veterinary medicine.

But first a “Mr. Fred” description of his hometown which is 40 miles south of Memphis “with one red stop light which we put on a cop car at night.” To understand Fred is to know and appreciate a man with a unique sense of humor.

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The son of Fred senior, a lifelong cattle buyer, and Marjorie, Fred Jr. thought he wanted to be a vet and he pursued an animal science curriculum at Mississippi State University. That was also Gale’s major and they met in a sheep science class. After three attempts at vet school, Fred decided to accept one of three job offers he had as he approached graduation in 1975. “I think I am probably the only pre-vet class president at Mississippi State not to become a vet,” he noted. One of those job offers was from A. L. Occhipinti, a Ralston Purina (as the company was known then) executive Fred had met while involved in a summer internship before graduation. “Occh as Occhipinti was known to many, had a dramatic effect on me and my career and I am forever grateful to him for all that he did for me,” said Williams. His decision to join Purina led to 13 moves and 16 different titles, all involved with the sale of feed. “I was introduced to a white shirt and checkerboard tie, plus an annual salary of $9,600.”

Those who know and have worked with Mr. Fred respect and admire his skills at working with people, developing sales talent, serving customers and always doing the right thing, often amid some serious challenges. His company has gone through seven different owners, bankruptcy protection and all of the challenges such events surface. His “Book of Letters” attests to is ability to work through most any situation and to do so in a manner that was respectful and meaningful, often laced with his special brand of humor. And, if there was a way to blend in a game of golf and some barbecue, he would do it. Williams and his friend Mark Poppell were instrumental in helping to introduce and grow the popular Pig Jam competition and event to Plant City.

Williams is thankful for many things in his career and life. Gale, “like the hurricane” he says when asked for the correct spelling, is on the top of that list followed by daughters Candice and Krista, their spouses Paul and Daniel and two granddaughters, Allie and Taylor and a third grandchild on the way, the first for Krista and Daniel. “We have been blessed with wonderful daughters and their fine husbands,” he said. Fred and Gigi are long term members of Plant City First Baptist Church and both daughters were married by Reverend Tommy Warnock. •

A special IN THE FIELD note of congratulations to Fred Williams for your years of service to agriculture and our fondest best wishes for “Big and Gigi time!”

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Registration Registration deadline is July 25th, to be listed in event programs.

Company Address: Phone: Registrants Names: Sponsor Registration Clay Shoot Dinner Tues. or Wed. Break Tues. or Wed. Breakfast Tues. or Wed. Lunch

$500 $250 $500 $1,000

Registration Clay Shoot Registration $300 (50 Clays) *Team of 4 Shooters Membership Registration $35 Non-Membership Registration $50 Exhibitor Registration

Corporate membership required

The 31st annual Agritech is hosted by the Florida Strawberry Growers Association. As a vendor you will meet with growers and industry representatives, and enjoy great food. Fifty (50) booths are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. To exhibit, Associate membership is required. Gold Associate members get a free booth. This is one event of the year where we have almost 90 percent of the industry in one room!

This year’s theme is Hunting. Ribbons will be given out to the top three booths that participate in the theme by decorating their booth. New this year is a Clay Shoot and dinner on Monday night. After the exhibitors set up at Agritech, we head to the Fishhawk Sporting Clays in Lithia for a fun event! Agritech guest speakers and sessions are currently being lined up.

Topics will include food safety, immigration, fumigant alternatives, traceback, and labor issues – along with the latest information on research and technology.

Included in your Registration: Breakfast and lunch both days for two (2) people • 8 ft. x 8 ft. booth • 8 ft. high backdrop & 3 ft. high side drape • 2 side chairs • One 6 ft. table • Electricity: 5 AMP 120 volt Important Dates & Times: • Set-up: Monday, Aug. 12th - Noon to 4 p.m.

• Clay Shoot: 5 p.m.

• Show Times: Tuesday & Wednesday, Aug. 13th & 14th 7:30 a.m. 4 p.m.

• Tear down: Wednesday, Aug. 14th after and not before 1 p.m.

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Booth Associate Bronze Silver Gold

$500 (per booth) $250 $500 $1,000 $2,000 Total Due $

Please fill out form completely if you are paying by credit card. If paying by check, please make payable to FSGA.

Visa

MasterCard

Name on Card: Card Number: Exp. Date:

Billing Zip:

* All registrations include meals, breaks & educational materials.

Mail registration and/or checks to: 13138 Lewis Gallagher Rd. Dover, FL 33527

Agritech 2013 will be held in the John R. Trinkle Building and is located at the Plant City Campus of the Hillsborough Community College at 1206 N. Park Rd., Plant City, FL 33563 Hotel accommodations can be made at the Holiday Inn Express on Park Rd. For a special rate, mention the Florida Strawberry Growers Association.

For more information call FSGA at (813)719-3800.

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Story by Ginny Mink

W

hen my third grade son came home with a permission slip for a field trip to Ag-Venture at the Florida State Fairgrounds I thought, “Excellent, maybe we can do an article on a kid’s experience at Ag-Venture.”

I discussed the concept with him and he was thrilled at the idea of getting to be a reporter for the day. So, equipped with a camera and his instructions to pay attention to everything, off he went. When he came home with a bag full of freebies and recorded interviews with his peers, you could tell he’d enjoyed himself. So, without further ado, I share with you, a child’s perspective.

Jaidyn Stewart, age 9, described AgVenture this way, “Well, when I got there it seemed like it wouldn’t be anything at all and the building didn’t look like it was anything but the inside was impressive, over-decorated. The first thing we went to was a pollution thing that was like an example of the pollution in our area and the lady showed us how much pollution we put into the air and into the streams and all that. I didn’t think it would be that much pollution ‘cause the farms even give off pollution and I thought farms were all pure, organic and didn’t give off any pollution, that they were anti-pollution. They are giving off sludge pollution from their animals, and that’s getting into the streams and then their animals are getting into the streams and stamping all around and using the bathroom and all of that.”

I had to laugh at his disgust with regards to the animal’s waste but we continued the interview. He returned to his descriptions, W W W. I N T H E F I E L D M A G A Z I N E . C O M

Photos by Jaidyn Stewart “After we did the pollution table thingy, we went to the Soil Baby tables and created a Soil Baby which is pantyhose that you filled with seeds and dirt and decorated it to make a face. Then you tie a knot into the pantyhose so that all the dirt doesn’t fall out and then you water it and take care of it; that way the types of seeds that are inside can thrive and grow and supposedly it’s supposed to help with pollution.” If you have never seen a “Soil Baby” it’s kind of like a homemade chia pet, the seeds they planted must have been some kind of grass because it looks like it’s got hair!

It took him awhile to recall the next stop but finally he added, “Next we went to the Dairy Station. I took pictures of all the types of cows that they showed on their little video explaining what cows did and what kinds there are. At the same station, later, we learned how to make butter without the salt and the added ingredients, just heavy cream shaken up.

Then we went through this little tent hangy thing and out to a big hump-backed cow and a guy in his twenties explained what this cow was and that it was a male and then he took us into this other room behind the dairy station and he gave us all sheets for a game that he called beef-o and gave us marshmallows to mark our spaces ‘cause it’s like bingo and on the sheet it has all the things that are made by cow byproducts.”

No doubt the plethora of cow by-products listed on his beef-o sheet was impressive to him. He concluded, “It was overall pretty exciting and intriguing. I would want to visit that place again and I learned a lot.

Like I said earlier, I didn’t know that there was that much pollution and I didn’t know a lot of the stuff that I learned at the other stations. There’s one that talks about plants and there’s another station that’s about P, N and K, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium and how they help keep our plants healthy and good but there are more minerals and stuff that help but P, N and K lead the pack.” He had a coloring book to support this new knowledge and he used it to recall what the P, N and K stood for.

After he went to bed, I reviewed Jaidyn’s interview video tape. The first young man said that the coolest thing they did was make butter. He added, “The coolest thing for me was to fill a potato bag with seeds and…the sock person.” He was, of course, referring to the Soil Baby. Another said, “Probably the funnest thing I did was to make the butter. The weirdest thing I saw was that cow because it had so many bugs on it, it was crazy! Probably kids would want to go there, it was very fun.”

Jaidyn also interviewed two young ladies, the first one said, “I would say that the best part for me was when we made the butter,” in the background of the video you can hear Jaidyn’s exasperation as a third person gives him the same answer.

She continues, “Seeing the cow, the gray one with the big hump on its back was the weirdest. It was a fun experience.”

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The other young lady was apparently quite shy as she only answered “yes” to his questions.

He then interviewed his teacher, Mrs. Fernandez. She said, “The best thing about AgVenture was watching you guys make the Soil Babies, and the butter; it’s hard to say what was the best part. Finding out about all the beef by-products was the weirdest thing.” Of the five attendees that he interviewed, all of them agreed that it was an experience worth recommending to others. http:/ / agAccording to the Ag-Venture website (h venture.com), “Ag-Venture is a “hands-on” learning experience designed to teach 3rd grade students in Hillsborough County, FL about the importance of agriculture and to help them develop an understanding and appreciation of where their food comes from and the impact of Agriculture in their everyday lives.” Given the excitement and enthusiasm I saw in both my son and those he interviewed, I would have to say that this hands-on learning experience was quite a success. If you have a child approaching the third grade make sure to talk this field trip up because making butter can apparently be very memorable and hump-backed cows are definitely weird. •

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"CALLER-ON-HOLD"

Marco Rubio

Talks Agriculture

Photo: Ron OʼConnor _ Farm Credit

Farm Credit of Central Florida representatives had a chance to talk to Senator Marco Rubio in Lakeland regarding issues relevant to Florida agriculture and Farm Credit.

From L-R: Farm Credit of Central Florida President & CEO, Reggie Holt, & Senator Rubio.

Back Row: Farm Credit of Central Florida Directors, Keith Mixon, Lewis Stidham, John Langford, & Dennis Carlton.

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Hurricanes

PREPARING YOUR LANDSCAPE

By Susan Haddock, Commercial Horticult ure/Integrated Pest Management/Small Fa rms Agent, UF/IFAS Hillsborough County Extension

T

he hurricane season extends from June 1 to November 30. History has proven that hurricanes can cause severe damage not only to residential and business structures, but also to surrounding topography. Despite the damage they cause, hurricanes play an important role in the evolution of Florida’s coastal areas. Hurricanes help alter coastline shape and maintain plant and animal diversity.

Building codes have been established to protect residential, business, and some outdoor structures, however, in many cases the landscape is the last to receive attention. Once a hurricane warning has been posted it is too late to prepare the landscape for potential damage. Advance planning and action are important to safeguard this asset that can provide a buffer zone to reduce structural damage.

Landscape preparation for hurricanes should begin before hurricane season. This involves assessing the landscape trees, plants and structures for health and sturdiness, performing maintenance and pruning, and even replacing less wind resistant trees, plants and structures with more wind resistant varieties and structures.

Preparing a landscape for hurricanes involves three steps: pre-storm assessment, pre-storm maintenance, and landscape design or redesign.

Perform a pre-storm assessment to identify potential damage that could occur during a hurricane. Consider storm issues such as: • Flooding, erosion and property drainage issues that may contribute to standing water • Salt spray that may damage plants • Winds that may damage less sturdy trees, plants and outdoor structures Items that typically receive the most damage are less wind resistant trees, pavilions, arbors W W W. I N T H E F I E L D M A G A Z I N E . C O M

and fences. Items that receive the least damage are wind resistant trees, shrubs, walls and pavement.

well developed root structure, strong leaders, flexible limbs, and small fine textured deciduous leaves.

Pre-storm maintenance includes performing housekeeping tasks such as: • Checking plant material for vigor • Implementing a proper fertilization and irrigation program that keeps plant material healthy • Staking or anchoring recently planted trees • Removing dead, unhealthy or weakened trees and plant material • Removing limbs that overhang structures • Pruning trees properly and removing selective branches to allow wind to pass through the trees • Removing trees that may damage utilities • Replacing trees or plants with wind resistant varieties • Placing utilities underground • Removing dead leaves from large palms • Cleaning leaves and twigs from gutters • Anchoring or bracing outdoor structures • Adding or repositioning drainage lines • Constructing wind gap panels in solid fencing • Identifying or creating safe zones for storing moveable planters or hanging pots • Installing lightning protection systems on rare or historic trees • Adding or pruning specific plant material or hedges to direct wind flow • Checking insurance policies for landscape and outdoor structure coverage • Photographically documenting the site

Live oak, sand live oak, southern magnolia, sweet gum, holly, sycamore, blackgum, crepe myrtle, podocarpus and bald cypress are all more wind resistant trees. Sabal palm, Pindo palm and Chinese fan palm are more wind resistant. Laurel oak, water oak, sand pine, red cedars, and Leyland cypress are all less wind resistant trees. Queen palm and Washington fan palm are least wind resistant.

Wind resistant trees have characteristics that contribute to their ability to withstand high winds. Many of these trees are native species that are slow growing with hardwood, young to middle aged, and healthy, vigorous and well maintained. They also typically have a low center of gravity, open branch structure,

For additional information on hurricanes and trees view the following articles: Selecting Tropical and Subtropical Trees for Wind Resistance, website U RL: http:/ / hort.ifas.ufl.edu/ treesandhurricanes/ .

How to Minimize Wind Damage in the South Florida Landscape website U RL:http:/ / edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ ep042 or contact the UF/IFAS Hillsborough Extension service at (813)744-5519 or view the website at http:/ / hillsborough.ifas.ufl.edu.

Your landscape can utilize trees, plant material and structures to direct wind flow reducing the potential for damage. Landscapes can be designed or redesigned to take advantage of the natural wind deflection properties of plants. Sentinels or tall, flexible trees take the brunt of the wind, but also serve to break up the wind. Hedges and plant layering slow wind gusts and obstruct flying objects. Dense hedges can cut wind velocity up to 60 percent. Under-story plant material provides protection for wildlife while filtering the wind. Storm walls and berms can also be used to direct wind flow.

Despite pre-storm maintenance and preparations the landscape will suffer hurricane damage. Perform a post-storm damage assessment of trees, plant materials and structures. Documentation by photography is recommended. Insurance companies rarely provide substantial coverage for landscape loss so quick action is necessary. For information on post-storm landscape maintenance see the future article entitled Hurricanes: Your Landscape After the Storm.

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Bob Baker is the Director of Fleet Operations for Stingray Chevrolet. His department has been number one in fleet sales for the state of Florida since 2009.

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he motto at Stingray Chevrolet in Plant City is “Relax and enjoy the difference.” The difference they talk about in their motto isn’t just related to buying a car or truck, it’s also the difference they make in Plant City and the surrounding communities. The dealership is the largest in Southeastern Florida. They also have a location in Bartow. The Plant City location sits on 36 acres of land, with 26 of those acres being used to show the 900-1200 cars they have in stock. A tenth of the property is covered in white trucks for the fleet department at Stingray.

“That’s what we primarily sell here in the fleet department,” said the Director of Fleet Operations, Bob Baker. His department, just like the rest of the dealership, is dedicated to keeping its customers business moving because they understand that vehicle downtime leads to lost revenue. They want to keep the local economy thriving in Plant City. Baker has a staff of nine people dedicated to business sales. “It’s not a parttime business,” Baker said. “We have 12 drivers that deliver the vehicles right to the

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customer’s businesses.” The fleet department has been number one in sales for the state since 2009 and Baker believes his department has held that title for so long because of the strong ties the dealership has with the local community. “Our owner, Steve Hurley, grew up in Lakeland and him purchasing this store in 2008, was kind of meant to be,” Baker said. “It was a situation where he had to really turn around the reputation of the store and he did that by becoming very involved with the Plant City community.” Hurley is very active in the community. He is the president of the nonprofit Unity in the Community (www.unityinplantcity.org).

The mission of Unity in the Community is to provide for those in need in the Plant City area in as many ways as possible.

Since 1999, the organization has made over a half a million dollars for the community service organizations and served over 300 Thanksgiving dinners to families in need. It is completely staffed by volunteers and all the money raised by the

By Libby Hopkins organization stays in the Plant City area.

“It’s the primary charity Stingray supports and it is also the beneficiary of the annual Florida Strawberry Festival,” Baker said.

The dealership has been involved with charity raffles at the Festival for the past five years and has raised $385,000 for Unity in the Community. This year at the festival was the first year Stingray raffled a truck, after giving away Camaros the first three years they were involved. The majority of funds are raised from raffle ticket sales, with additional money coming from donations from corporate sponsors. “We raffled off a red 2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Extended Cab Z-71 4x4,” Baker said. “It is about a $45,000-$50,000 truck and we not only get local people entering to win, we get entries from all over the United States.” A gentleman from Palmetto, Florida won the truck. He already had four vehicles and decided he didn’t need another one. Although, originally there was a “no cash value option” for the raffle, Hurley made an exception for the gentleman. He presented INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

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him and his wife with a check for the value of the truck during a presentation held this past April. Also, in January of this year, Stingray Chevrolet and Enterprise Holdings presented The Spring of Tampa Bay (www.thespring.org) a check for $2,500. The organization has an office in Plant City and since last year they have helped over 2,400 individuals, including 108 from the area, who needed shelter or other assistance due to domestic violence.

Donating to local charities is just one way the dealership builds relationships. They also strive to use local businesses as

vendors for the dealership. “Plant City is our primary market because it’s our backyard,” Baker said. “We use local vendors for all our needs from vending machines to tree trimming and we try to keep everything local when possible.”

If you would like to learn more about Stingray Chevrolet and the different services they offer, you can visit them on the web at www.stringraychevrolet.com or call 813-359-5420. The Plant City dealership is located at 2002 N. Frontage Road. The Bartow dealership is located at 1475 West Highway 60. •

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Papaya for Parasite-plagued

Goats

By Andrew Kays

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ne of the world’s fastest growing agricultural industries, goat farming, is plagued by deadly intestinal parasites, particularly the barber’s pole worm – a pest that poses great danger to the goat-farming industry in the Southeastern U.S. and other parts of the world.

Improper use of commercial medicines has helped make the parasites resistant to many deworming drugs.

But recent research by the University of Florida’s Animal Sciences department may be closing in on a solution. Although researchers say it needs more study, they’ve recently found papaya seeds to be an inexpensive, alternative method for ridding goats of their parasitic passengers.

Led by Adegbola Adesogan, a professor of ruminant nutrition, the study examined the effect of natural food supplements on reducing intestinal worms in goats. Papaya seeds were found to be the most effective treatment, significantly reducing parasite egg and adult counts.

“The beauty of using papaya seeds is they’re out there and we aren’t really doing much with them,” Adesogan said. “To find just

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grinding the seeds and feeding a small quantity daily purges the parasites is, I think, very encouraging.”

The study, part of a master’s thesis by Miguel Zarate under Adesogan’s supervision, compared supplementary lespedeza hay, peanut hay, mucuna seed and papaya seeds in varied proportions for their deworming properties. Just 10 grams of ground papaya seed added to a base diet of bahiagrass removed 78 percent of adult parasites and 72 percent of their eggs. The next most effective treatment, a half-and-half mixture of lespedeza and bahiagrass, reduced the adult worm count by 52 percent.

The use of papaya seeds or their derivatives may also be useful someday for treating parasites in cattle and other species, but more experiments must be done to look at issues like residues, tissues and other possible side effects before it is recommended for widespread use, Adesogan said.

“I would say that this is very promising,” he said, “but we’re still in early days and we need to do more work to develop it and to answer these questions of side effects and withdrawal times and safety.”

Adesogan said high concentrations of certain enzymes, alkaloids and cyanates were the likely candidates for the papaya seeds’ success but the specific active ingredient is yet to be confirmed. The amount of protein supplied by the papaya seeds was low in relation to the other supplements and probably had limited effect.

While UF/IFAS scientists aren’t ready yet to endorse papaya seed-supplemented diets for goats, the study indicated that at least two weeks would be needed to effectively reduce parasite populations in infected individuals.

The papaya has a wide growth habitat in tropical countries and some subtropical areas like south Florida. In his native Nigeria, Adesogan said, as in many tropical developing nations, papaya trees are everywhere in the wild and in residential areas.

“You don’t have to rely on expensive equipment to process the seeds, because with just a small traditional grinding stone, farmers could grind the small quantity for their animals,” Adesogan said. “This would be a locally available, homegrown kind of remedy to solve this big problem.” •

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Auxins Could Help Crops Beat Heat and High Salinity

by Tom Nordlie

University of Florida horticultural sciences Professor Bala Rathinasabapathi, left, and doctoral student Aparna Krishnamurthy, check Arabidopsis thaliana plants in Rathinasabapathi’s laboratory on the UF campus in Gainesville – Friday, May 3, 2013.

The two are researching plant hormones called auxins that help plants cope with environmental stresses. Their findings may aid development of improved crop varieties that better withstand heat (UF/IFAS photo by Tyler L. Jones) and salinity.

auxins,” Rathinasabapathi said. It may be possible to administer auxins to crops at critical stages of growth, he said, or possibly engineer new varieties that respond to auxins more efficiently.

In the study, Rathinasabapathi and doctoral student Aparna Krishnamurthy compared wild-type Arabidopsis thaliana plants with mutant specimens that weren’t able to transport auxins through their tissues effectively.

When subjected to oxidative stress, salt and high temperatures, the wild-type plants fared better than the mutants.

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he plant hormones called auxins are well-known for stimulating development of roots and other structures, and now University of Florida scientists have shown that auxins help plants cope with environmental stresses.

The findings could lead to crop varieties that better tolerate heat and salinity, said author Bala Rathinasabapathi, a professor with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Next, the team will investigate whether auxins could improve stress tolerance in rice plants. Rice is one of the world’s most widely consumed staple crops and is subject to heat and drought damage.

“Our findings show there’s a possibility of manipulating plant stress tolerance with

The study was published online by the journal - Plant, Cell & Environment. •

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University of Florida Helping Develop Insecticide to Target MalariaCarrying Mosquitoes

By Tom Nordlie

Entomologist Jeff Bloomquist, a professor in the University of Floridaʼs Emerging Pathogens Institute and the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, in his laboratory on the

UF main campus in Gainesville – Wednesday, May 22, 2013. Bloomquist is part of a research team developing insecticides that kill mosquitoes but are harmless to other organisms.

Bloomquist said the compounds could help fight malaria, a serious problem in Africa.

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may not have adequate screens to keep flying insects out.

“Though they were less toxic to mosquitoes than commercial products, the experimental compounds were far more selective, indicating researchers are on the right track,” he said.

n malaria-ridden parts of Africa, mosquito netting protects people from being infected while they sleep, now, a University of Florida entomologist wants to improve the netting by coating it with insecticide toxic only to mosquitoes.

The insecticide would work by interfering with an enzyme found in the nervous systems of mosquitoes and many other organisms, called acetylcholinesterase. Existing insecticides target the enzyme but affect a broad range of species, said entomologist Jeff Bloomquist, a professor in UF’s Emerging Pathogens Institute and its Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Acetylcholinesterase helps regulate nervous system activity by stopping electrical signaling in nerve cells. If the enzyme can’t do its job, the mosquito begins convulsing and dies. The research team’s goal is to develop compounds perfectly matched to the acetylcholinesterase molecules in malaria-transmitting mosquitoes, he said.

“A simple analogy would be that we’re trying to make a key that fits perfectly into a lock,” Bloomquist said. “We want to shut down the enzyme, but only in target species.”

Malaria is spread by mosquitoes in the Anopheles genus, notably Anopheles gambiae, native to Africa. The disease is common in poor communities where homes W W W. I N T H E F I E L D M A G A Z I N E . C O M

Malaria is caused by microscopic organisms called protists, which are present in the saliva of infected female mosquitoes and transmitted when the mosquitoes bite.

Initial symptoms of the disease can include fever, chills, convulsions, headaches and nausea. In severe cases, malaria can cause kidney failure, coma and death. Worldwide, malaria infected about 219 million people in 2010 and killed about 660,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 90 percent of those infected lived in Africa.

Bloomquist and colleagues at Virginia Tech, where the project is based, are trying to perfect mosquito-specific compounds that can be manufactured on a large scale and applied to mosquito netting and surfaces where the pests might land.

It will take at least four to five years before the team has developed and tested a compound enough that it’s ready to be submitted for federal approval, Bloomquist said.

The team recently published a study in the journal Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology comparing eight experimental compounds with commercially available insecticides that target the enzyme.

UF/IFAS photo by Tyler L. Jones

“The compounds we’re using are not very toxic to honeybees, fish and mammals, but we need to refine them further, make them more toxic to mosquitoes and safer for nontarget organisms,” he said.

In the project, Bloomquist tests experimental compounds on Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes, held in a quarantine facility on the UF campus. He worked at Virginia Tech for 20 years and came to UF in 2009.

Bloomquist joined the project at the behest of lead investigator Paul Carlier, a professor of organic and medicinal chemistry in Virginia Tech’s College of Science.

Funding for the project came from a fiveyear, $3.6 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.

In Florida, malaria was a significant problem in the early 20th century, transmitted by native Anopheles mosquitoes. The disease has been greatly curtailed via mosquito- control practices but even today, cases are occasionally reported in the Sunshine State. •

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UF Researchers Find Wheat Production Models Disagree Under Climate Changes

By Robert H. Wells

Senthold Asseng, an associate professor in the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciencesʼ agricultural and biological engineering department, is lead

author on a study that examined uncertainty in wheat yield models under climate change.

Crop models are important tools to assess areas of the world where food security, or the

availability and access to food, is most critical so that efforts to improve food production and access can be directed there.

U

data similarly to how climate change will play out in the next 50 to 100 years, the models started to disagree more and more,” said Asseng, a faculty member in UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

“And they started to disagree, particularly with increasing temperatures and carbon dioxide.”

Ken Boote, another co-author of the study and emeritus professor in the UF/IFAS agronomy department, said researchers are now working together to improve their models using information such as new temperature data from different areas of the world.

niversity of Florida researchers have found, for the first time, that crop models predicting yields for one of the world’s most important crops begin to disagree under climate change scenarios.

By knowing where those models break down, researchers will be better able to improve them. The computerized models predict crop yields for wheat, one of the world’s most-consumed foods.

Scientists use crop models to foresee which parts of the world may face the greatest food shortages, so that efforts to improve food production can be directed to those places.

The researchers made the discovery by analyzing the effectiveness of 27 wheat models created by top scientists from around the world under both normal and climate change conditions. Their results are reported in a study published online this week by the journal Nature Climate Change.

“What we found was that, if you gave them enough information, there are a lot of models that can reproduce experimental data very well,” said Senthold Asseng, an associate professor in the UF agricultural and biological engineering department and the study’s lead author.

“But when it comes to climate change, when we start manipulating the climate

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Wheat, which accounts for 20 percent of calories consumed globally, is one of the world’s three most important crops, along with rice and maize.

In the past 100 years, global temperatures have risen by more than 1 degree Fahrenheit, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have increased by nearly 27 percent in the last 55 years to 400 parts per million, the highest level in about 2.5 million years, according to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Jim Jones, an emeritus distinguished professor in the UF/IFAS agricultural and biological engineering department and a co-author of the study, said crop models are essential for pulling information from many different sciences into one place.

“As agricultural scientists we need to have an understanding of how our food systems are going to respond to the future challenges associated with climate change,” Jones said.

UF/IFAS photo by Tyler L. Jones

The research is part of AgMIP, or the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project, an international effort to assess crop models and understand climate change’s impact on food production.

UF is one of three organizations, including the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York City and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, leading the AgMIP project.

Principal investigators for AgMIP are Cynthia Rosenzweig, based at the Goddard Institute, Jones with UF/IFAS and Jerry Hatfield with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service.

Asseng coordinated the wheat study with co-author Frank Ewert, a professor with the Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation at the University of Bonn in Germany, and worked with scientists from 15 countries to conduct the research. •

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