Hillsborough August Edition

Aug. 15 - Sept. 15, 2010

Hillsborough’s AGRICULTURE Magazine

®

Doug Holmberg Ag Educator and Successful Nurseryman Covering What’s Growing INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

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AUGUST 2010

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August

From the Editor

VOL. 6 • ISSUE 10

Sarah Holt

Hillborough’s AGRICULTURE Magazine

Cover Story

Publisher

Aug. 15 - Sept. 15, 2010

Hillsborough’s AGRICULTURE Magazine

August is here, the eighth month of 2010. Already? Time sure flies when you are having fun! Be extra attentive around bus stops as it is time for a new school year!

Are you a member of Farm Bureau? If not, its time to join one of the largest county federations in the state of Florida! The benefits are outstanding! Check out the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau web site at www.hcfarmbureau.org. Membership has its privileges!

As I have said before, change is inevitable, and agriculture is no exception. Agriculture technology continues to rapidly evolve, so that more can be produced on a smaller amount of acreage.

The resources available to the farmer and rancher to increase yields is nothing short of amazing! GPS devices, sensors, microchips, online marketing, irrigation systems, I could go on and on.

Of course the computer allows the farmer and rancher to process information and also makes the latest research available at the click of a mouse. Some things may sound like luxury items, but if you want to be competitive in today’s market, you have to stay up with the technological advances. Of course every farmer and rancher won’t need every gadget but it pays to be informed.

Another area where we should be diligent about staying informed, is voting. In this issue you will find information on Amendment 4. Please take the time to read the information and make an informed decision.

Until Next Month

®

Editor-In-Chief Al Berry

Senior Managing Editor and Writer

Doug Holmberg Ag Educator and Successful Nurseryman

Sarah Holt

Covering What’s Growing INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

1

Doug Holmberg 76 7 Did You Know?

13 Herbal Delight Garden 16 Fishing Hot Spots 23 Rocking Chair Chatter 24 Wings of Wonder

42 The Mango Festival 46 Gentle Gardening 49 Business UpFront LineX 52 Crystal Springs Preserve 83 Recipes 84 Florida Lime

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 other local venues.

It is also distributed by U.S. mail to a target market, which includes members of Hillsborough County Farm Bureau and Strawberry Growers 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.

4

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 their 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.

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

Editor

Patsy Berry

30 Wild & Wooley Book Review

Sarah

Karen Berry

Office Manager Bob Hughens

Sales Manager Johnny Cone

Sales

Karen Berry Al Berry Tina Richmond Danny Crampton

Art Director Lourdes Sáenz

Designer

Juan Carlos Alvarez

Staff Writers

Al Berry Carol Weathersbee Sandy Kaster James Frankowiak Kayla Lewis Nick Chapman Lynn Kessel Tracy Cox Sean Green Lourdes Sáenz Craig Chandler Mark Cook

Contributing Writers Woody Gore Brent Davis

Photography Karen Berry Al Berry

®

Fish Hawk Sporting Clays

By- Mark J. Cook

The fastest growing sport in the country would surprise most people. Most would assume football, basketball, or maybe even soccer. But sport clay shooting has been shown to be number one and is growing by leaps and bounds. And another surprising fact was, until recently, there wasn’t a facility in all of Hillsborough County for enthusiasts to pursue this passion. Wayne Evans and his business partners decided to change that recently. On January 9 of this year FishHawk Sporting Clays on Hobson Simmons Road opened it’s doors and interest has been strong.

“I don’t really come from a sporting clay background but I had done it and enjoyed it,’’ facility manager Wayne Evans said. “And after looking into it we realized our area needed a facility. It’s a work in progress but from the response it has been well received.’’

Set on 77 acres nestled among grand live oaks, saw palmetto, and several decade old varieties of trees, the facility looks almost like a nature preserve. In fact if not for the sign welcoming you into the entrance you might think you are arriving at a new county park.

“A lot of the oaks and other trees were already here but in the process of designing it we have added over 2,500 other trees,’’ Evans said. “We really wanted it to have that old Florida rustic natural feel.”

Since the opening in January over 2,800 people have walked through the doors, with many being first time shooters and, surprisingly, many women included.

“We have a monthly women and children’s free clinic and it has been well attended,’’ Evans said. “It’s a great place for the novice shooter to come and see what we offer. It covers pretty much everything you need to know from safety to technique.’’

Since it’s opening the facility has hosted several tournaments and many well know faces in the county have come to shoot at Fish Hawk, including Hillsborough County Sheriff David Gee. Evans and his staff regularly have groups come from all parts of Florida to use the range, many being retiree community groups who missed the sport after moving to Florida.

Sporting clay, as mentioned earlier, is growing at an amazing pace and Evans explained why. “We are living in a more urban area and places for hunting, particularily bird hunting, are becoming more and more obsolete,” Evans said. “Take dove or quail hunting for example. The loss of habitat is an ongoing problem, plus places where you can go and legally shoot a gun are shrinking. So our place puts the two together. With a scoring system and open land, it’s the best of both worlds. You no longer have to pay outrageous amounts of money for managed wildlife hunts or know someone with lots of property to just go and enjoy shooting.”

Continued on page 8

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AUGUST 2010

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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FARM BUREAU, LAA 100 South Mulrennan Road • Valrico, FL 33594 Phone (813) 685-9121

Membership Benefits Membership with the Florida Farm Bureau has many benefits, which include Discounts and Buyers Clubs, Publications, Travel, Medical, Child safety discounts and a full line of insurance products.

The most valuable benefit to Farm Bureau Membership is your local Insurance Agent. The Farm Bureau has a highly trained agency force working with our members providing protection for most needs. Your Farm Bureau agent will review your current policies and make recommendations that are in the best interest of the member.

The Farm Bureau agents have a full range of products to meet most of our members’ needs including: Property and Casualty Business Life Insurance Disability Long Term Estate Planning Property and Casualty coverage is available for both homeowner and automobile coverage, through the Farm Bureau agents.

They will identify the best solution based on property location and insurance requirements. The areas covered are: Home Auto Boats Trailer and Motor home Farm Umbrella Business coverage is available for farm and ranch properties. Business owners have various risks to insure and the Farm Bureau agents have both the Farm Bureau and outside brokerage companies available to best serve the member.

Life Insurance with the Southern Farm Bureau is one of the best kept secrets in the industry. While only operating in nine states, the Southern Farm Bureau surpassed $100 billion of life insurance in force this year. That’s quite an impressive number, don’t you agree? The Southern Farm Bureau is a Mutual company, not a stock company. For this reason our policy holders, not stock holders, have generous dividends awarded, but not guaranteed, with their permanent coverage. Meet with your agent soon to review your current coverage and needs. This member benefit is available for the member and their entire family….including grandchildren.

Disability insurance is available for our members and is designed to replace your income in the event of disability. Disability coverage is easily overlooked, but very important to an individual and their family. Your Farm Bureau agent can meet with you and design a program to meet your income needs.

Long Term Care is something no one wants to think about, for obvious reasons. But with these costs skyrocketing, many families are forced to sell off assets to pay for nursing home care or become dependent on the government for assistance. Your Farm Bureau agent represents John Hancock Long Term Care and they can design a program to maintain your control and dignity.

Estate Planning is available for all Farm Bureau members….at no charge. Everyone has an estate and there comes a time when proper planning is important. The Farm Bureau has professionally trained Estate Planners who will meet with you at no charge.

They will combine their expertise with your specific desires and design a plan tailored to the individual estate. Schedule your no obligation meeting with the estate planner today.

Membership with the Farm Bureau has many benefits, but the most important is the insurance offered through the Farm Bureau. All members should meet with their agent at least once a year to make sure you are protected from the uncertainties of life.

New members, and not so new members, are impressed with the high level of service they obtain with their Farm Bureau agent. If you haven’t met with your local agent recently, call your county office today to book your appointment.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Danny Aprile, Vice-President; Jemy Hinton, Treasurer; George Coleman, Secretary; Glenn Harrell, Member-at-large; Bill Burnette, Jake Raburn, Patrick Thomas, Amanda Collins, Roy Davis, David Drawdy, Jim Dyer, Alvin Futch, Stefan Katzaras, Greg Lehman, Carl Little, Lance Ham, Michelle Williamson and John Stickles. Judi Whitson, Executive Director

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AUGUST 2010

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FARM BUREAU 100 S. Mulrennan Rd. Valrico, FL 33594

• • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• • •

• • • • • • • • •

The bean is the fastest growing vegetable.

A cat’s jaw cannot move sideways.

Al Capone’s business card said he was a used furniture dealer.

Genghis Khan started out life as a goat herder.

The second longest word in the English language is “antidisestablishmentarianism”.

The San Francisco cable cars are the only mobile National Monuments.

The youngest Pope was 11 years old.

The cost of raising a medium-size dog to the age of eleven is $6,400.00.

Reindeer like to eat bananas.

The amount of tropical rain forest cut down each year is an area the size of Tennessee.

If you feed a seagull Alka-Seltzer, its stomach will explode.

The Amazon rainforest produces half the world’s oxygen supply.

Armadillos can walk under water and can be house broken.

A family of six died in Oregon during WWII as a result of a Japanese balloon bomb.

Impotence is legal grounds for divorce in 24 American states Marijuana is Spanish for Mary Jane.

Your left lung is smaller than your right lung to make room for your heart.

An elephant can be pregnant for up to two years.

The growth rate of some bamboo plants can reach three feet in one day.

A flamingo can eat only when its head is upside down.

Crickets hear through their knees.

A donkey will sink in quicksand but a mule won’t.

The way you get more mules is to mate a male donkey with a female horse.

The “ZIP” in zip code stands for “Zone Improvement Plan.”

Horses and rabbits cannot vomit.

Michigan was the first state to have roadside picnic tables.

YOU TOO CAN BE A WINNER HEY READERS, hidden somewhere in the magazine is a No Food 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 InTheField® T-Shirt.

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

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..........................................Vice President Jemy Hinton.................................................... Treasurer George Coleman............................................ Secretary Glenn Harrell....................................Member at Large

DIRECTORS FOR 2009-2010

Bill Burnette, Amanda Collins, Roy Davis, David Drawdy, Jim Dyer, Alvin Futch, Lance Ham, Stefan Katzaras, Greg Lehman, Carl Little, Jake Raburn, Patrick Thomas, John Stickles, Michelle Williamson

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, Agency Mgr. Julie Carlson, John McGuire

Plant City Office: 813.752.5577 1302 S. Collins St., Plant City, FL 33563 Jeff Sumner, Bill Williams

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Tampa Office: 813.933.5440 1046 W. Busch Blvd., Ste. 100 Tampa, FL 33612 Greg Harrell, Mike Miller Brad Allsgood

AGENCY MANAGER: Tommy Hale

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

7

Continued from page 5 “People may not realize it but the sport has also grown in the money end of things as far as tournaments go. It’s not up there with prize money you see in professional golf but it is gaining. There are several national organizations that offer national point scoring, rankings and lots of prize money. In fact the U.S. Open was recently held at Harrah’s Casino property in Tunica, Mississippi. Some of the top shooters easily bring in six figure incomes from sponsorships alone.”

FishHawk Sporting Clays also offers corporate and charity events. The facility has a large outdoor covered pavilion for lunch and get togethers after the events are finished. Marcus Lawrence, member of the Tampa Bay Rough Riders, loved their last event and looks forward to next years.

“Everything was top notch, they really worked hard to help us have a successful fundraising event,” Lawrence said. “We had shooters from all skill levels and everyone was raving about the facility and the work they put into it. We had a very positive experience and already have next year’s event planned.”

On the day I visited, Mark Johnson of Valrico, accompanied by his son and his son’s father-in-law, was at the facility. After getting outfitted with the safety equipment and a 20-gauge shotgun the threesome set out on the course and a day of bonding.

“This was our second time visiting and we really enjoyed it,” Johnson said. “The property is beautiful and the staff is friendly and knowledgeable. It beats being stuck in the office all day and is a nice stress reliever. We will be back.”

Evans hears those comments frequently and loves his business is

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AUGUST 2010

providing a family environment.

“We want people to know that we encourage families to come check us out,” Evans said. “We have had many groups of dads, children and even moms who visit us regularly and most of the first timers end up becoming regulars and even members.”

FishHawk Sport Clays is open daily from 9 am to 7 pm. They can be reached at 813-689-0490 visit their website at fishhawkclays. com.

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“Banking at Sunshine State is a family tradition.

After 50 years, I don’t see any reason to change.”

“My father started this business in 1936 as a service station. When I was just a baby he opened a savings account for me at Sunshine State. I’ve had accounts with them ever since. Most of our business is in Hillsborough and Polk counties but we go where we’re needed – Jacksonville to Miami. The folks at Sunshine State understand our business. They provide business checking, loans for equipment, and internet banking too. My sons are in the business now – it’s a family tradition. And so is our banking at Sunshine State.”

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

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2010 Florida Farm Bureau Policies EDUCATION 73. 4-H and FFA Youth Programs We support 4-H Extension and FFA youth programs. These programs should encourage an agricultural-based education system that utilizes traditional agricultural experiences.

74. Ag-In-The-Classroom (AITC) We strongly support the AITC program, and encourage our members to purchase the agricultural specialty license plate (Ag tag).

75. Agricultural Fairs and Expositions We strongly support agricultural fairs and expositions and the public exhibition of livestock. These programs encourage and support 4-H and FFA youth programs and agricultural education.

We urge municipalities and governmental entities to actively support fairs and expositions to help them grow and flourish.

76. Agriculture Education We support the agricultural education and FFA programs in Florida’s schools. State funds generated by Full Time Equivalent (FTE) from career programs must be utilized by those programs. Each local agriculture education program shall have a functioning advisory committee.

We urge the Florida Legislature and the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) to keep weighted FTE funding for agriculture education programs.

We urge FDOE to provide for agriculture education at the middle school level.

We recommend that more emphasis by FDOE be given to hiring certified, professional teachers for all secondary school agriculture education teacher positions.

We urge FDOE’s continued support of the FFA activities and agriculture education competitive events.

77. Aquaculture Education We encourage funding and participation in aquacultural education programs at all levels for the youth of the State of Florida through programs such as AITC, FFA and 4-H. 78. Educational Materials That Discourage Use of Animal Products We strongly oppose the use of educational material in our public schools that discourages the use of animal products.

We strongly urge the use of accurate and up-to-date information on the value of animal products in a healthy diet as part of the nutrition curriculum for our public schools.

79. Food Animal Practitioners We support efforts by the Legislature, UF/IFAS and 10 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE AUGUST 2010

College of Veterinary Medicine to address the critical shortage of food animal practitioners in Florida. We recommend the development of six to eight scholarships per class for students who will commit to practice Food Animal Medicine for a specified number of years in Florida.

80. Two-Year Ag Degree Programs We favor the development of more two-year agricultural degree programs in cooperation with our current community colleges utilizing the professional expertise of the UF/IFAS Agricultural Extension Service.

81. University of Florida/IFAS Agriculture provides positive impact on the economy and environment of Florida to the benefit of all citizens.

We urge the Board of Trustees and the Florida Legislature to give high priority to agricultural research and transfer of technology needed to keep agriculture viable in this state.

We strongly support the continuation of UF/IFAS as an integrated research, teaching and extension program and a separate budgetary unit for conducting the food agricultural programs at the University of Florida.

We encourage UF/IFAS and agricultural leadership to continue to strengthen joint planning of the research and education programs for the State of Florida.

We urge the Legislature to recognize that UF/IFAS budget is a unique budget item of the state that provides for economic development and consumer benefits. As government is restructured, this budget area should be strengthened in relation to other university budget areas.

We urge the Florida Legislature and Congress to provide funding of UF/IFAS to meet the challenges of commercial agriculture in this state.

We support the School of Natural Resources and the Environment using cross-disciplinary resources administered by the Office of the Vice President of UF/IFAS. We encourage UF/IFAS to continue research on new and emerging crops (e.g. perennial peanut, alternative energy crops) and disseminate additional information to producers.

We support the appropriate interstate regionalization of agricultural research, extension and education at our land grant institutions.

82. School Nutrition Program We support transferring oversight of the school nutrition program from the Florida Department of Education to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

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Delight Gardens

By Kayla Lewis

Willow La Monte, owner of Herbal Delight Gardens, is in business doing what she loves most, gardening and teaching others how to cultivate nature’s bounty. And not only does Willow tend her garden, sell plants from her nursery, and give lectures on her craft, but she does it in the only way that she prefers, nature’s way.

“Everything I grow is grown naturally or organically,” Willow said. “I started learning organic gardening in my lateteens when I moved to Massachusetts.” One of Willow’s main objectives in natural gardening is to “try to create a rich, living soil environment for the plants.” Instead of using pesticides and other synthetic chemicals, Willow focuses on providing the right nutritional balance for the soil that houses the plant’s roots. As Willow said, “The emphasis is on feeding the soil, not the plant.” She explained that natural gardening produces healthier plants with stronger immune systems. Also, that organic gardening nourishes microorganisms in the soil, and in turn, benefits the plant. Willow went on to say that once a good nutritional balance has been established in the soil, then it actually makes growing the plant simpler. Synthetic chemicals in the soil strips it of the living compounds needed to support a plant, and as a result the gardener must continue to add more synthetic chemicals to support the plant Willow added that the healthier her soil is the less work she has to do with her plants.

While organic gardening is relatively simple once it has been established, there are still some technical aspects that must be learned. The key is knowing what ingredients to feed the soil that will create a rich balance for the plants. But the ingredients are actually relatively simple and easily obtained. Willow explained that oak chippings create a healthy compound and can be used for mulch if they are allowed to decompose for several months.

Rock dust and organic liquid fertilizer make good supplements, and Spanish moss and organic mulch, mounded around the

base of a plant, helps to protect it from freezing in winter.

Willow specializes in growing herbs and plants both for culinary and medicinal purposes. She sells hummingbird and butterfly plants, and some Florida native plants. Her edible plants include chile peppers, edible tropical plants, and hibiscus. Some of Willow’s herbs can also be turned into medicinal teas. “All of our culinary, or cooking herbs and spices come from the same healing, or medicinal herbs,” she said, but also explained that some herbs are not for culinary use and are only reserved for medicinal purposes. “Some herbs you shouldn’t eat everyday,” she added.

An example of one of the herbs that Willow grows is lemon grass. “It is incredibly useful,” Willow said, “because it is a close relative of Citronella.” She explained that drinking it as a tea can help keep away mosquitoes and in the Caribbean they call it fever grass because of it’s beneficial properties that help fight colds and fevers.

Another important part of natural gardening is how the plants are situated in the garden. Willow explained that companion planting is beneficial because the plants can use their separate strengths to help Continued on page 15

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

13

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

Continued from page 13 the other. For example, Willow explained that insects that could bring harm to plants do not like the strong smell of herbs such as rosemary. Willow advises not to plant in rows but to mix herbs, fruit trees, and edible plants in the same bed with butterfly flowers. She also recommends permaculture, saying that it was “Using nature’s patterns and principles to design things.”

Willow grew up in Florida before moving to Pittsfield, Massachusetts when she was about 18. She moved back to Florida full-time six years ago and started her nursery on national herb day, October 5, 2006. Willow loves gardening. “I feel most myself when I garden,” she said. “I really enjoy watering, it allows me to spend time with the plants.”

To learn more of Herbal Delight Gardens contact Willow La Monte at (813) 643-7285.

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

15

TAMPA BAY’S FISHING REPORT

By Captain Woody Gore

WHAT’S BITING AROUND THE BAY? Snook: (Closed one more month) Snook fishing continues being spotty this month with larger fish still on the beaches or bunching up near passes. While at times they seem to have lockjaw, patience pays off, particularly for larger fish.

Anglers report good fish caught using dead baits on the bottom. Keep in mind dead baits on the bottom are often tempting morsels for stingrays and catfish, so expect to catch a few.

Redfish: As usual August should bring good redfish action to the flats and back country areas of Tampa Bay. Remember, they’ll cruise the outer edges then push into the Mangroves and around oyster bars during incoming tides. As a rule, live baits produce good catches, however finicky reds often enjoy a tasty piece of mullet, ladyfish or pinfish left on the bottom. Early morning topwater lures offer excellent visual excitement.

Reds like the same areas as snook, so check the same haunts. Weedon Island, Kitchen, 4th Street, Pinellas Point, Simmons Park and Joes Island and Ft. Desoto flats notoriously produce good catches of reds and snook.

Tarpon: Tarpon should continue through the summer with the Skyway Bridge, Anna Maria, St. Pete Beaches, and Egmont Key holding plenty of fish with many beginning to move into the upper parts of Tampa Bay. Spotted Sea Trout: Trout fishing continues with some good catches on the deeper grass flats. Look for fair size trout on any lush grass flat with potholes, especially on strong moving tides. Live shrimp and greenbacks under a popping cork should fit the bill nicely. But freelined shrimp or pin fish in sandy potholes might produce a really large fish, not to mention the occasional flounder.

Pinellas Flats, Veterans Flats, and Joes Island offer good trout fishing.

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AUGUST 2010

Cobia: Markers and grass flats equal Cobia. These fish frequent markers, especially those holding bait. They also cruise the flats hanging with manatees, rays and sometimes even sharks. When marker fishing, keep a chum bag out, you never know Continued on the next page

what might show up.

Spanish Mackerel, Bluefish, Ladyfish, Jacks, & Sharks: The bay is loaded with light-tackle/ rod bending fighters and the fishing awesome. Put out a chum bag and hold onto your rod and reel. I suggest Daiichi long shank hooks and 60 lb.

Seaguar Fluorocarbon leaders.

“Give Me a Call & Let’s Go Fishing” Captain Woody Gore is the area’s top outdoor fishing guide. He is also an outdoor writer, photojournalist, and speaker. Woody has guided the Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs, Bradenton, and Sarasota areas for over 50 years, and offers memorable fishing adventures.

Single or multi-boat charters for larger parties are all the same. Tell me what you need and leave the rest to me. WWW. CAPTAINWOODYGORE.COM or give him a call at 813-477-3814.

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RECORD-SETTING WINTER WEATHER SETS STAGE FOR MAJOR OUTBREAK OF BACTERIAL SPECK

By Jim Frankowiak

Tomato Production in Collier & Hendry Counties Most Severely Affected; Advice for Consumer/Growers

To say this past winter was a challenge for growers from a weather standpoint is putting it mildly. Most everyone remembers how the weather impacted Plant City strawberry growers and the results of the heavy watering required to protect their crops from freezing, but few may be aware of how that cold and wet weather affected tomato growers.

“Tomato production in Collier and Hendry Counties was most severely affected with early planted fields exhibiting severe foliar blighting and large stem lesions,” said Dr. Gary Vallad, Assistant Professor of Plant Pathology, University of Florida Gulf Coast Education and Research Center (GCREC), Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).

“Fields planted in February and later appeared to fare better, that is they were not impacted by the large stem lesions. Bacterial speck severity on tomato varied in Hillsborough, Manatee and Hardee counties with moderate foliar symptoms in early planted materials and minor symptoms in later planted materials. None of the severe stem lesions were observed in Hillsborough, Manatee or Hardee counties.

“The unprecedented weather not only reduced transplant establishment, plant vigor and yields, but set the stage for one of he largest outbreaks of bacterial speck caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato seen in nearly two decades,” said Dr. Vallad.

“Whether P.s. tomato alone accounted for the unusual stem lesions or was either exacerbated by the unusual weather or an association with another pathogen remains unclear. Under such extreme weather conditions, it is not unusual to find opportunistic microorganisms that are not commonly associated with plant

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disease exploiting plant tissues compromised by injury or stress.”

The causal agent of bacterial speck is considered to be the “cool weather cousin” of the agent that causes bacterial spot. Bacterial speck is favored by high relative humidity and temperatures ranging from 64 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, though it can persist at temperatures as high as 85 degrees. “Bacterial spot is favored by temperatures above 75 degrees in addition to high relative humidity,” said Dr. Vallad. “Symptoms of both bacterial speck and spot affect the foliage, stems, petioles, inflorescent tissues and fruit of tomato, and can be tricky to differentiate in the field.

“Foliar symptoms of both consist of small circular lesions that can coalesce under ideal conditions leading to general blighting of foliage. Bacterial spot lesions are generally brown with a greasy appearance when the relative humidity is high.

Bacterial speck lesions are often dark brown to black, do not have a greasy appearance and often are surrounded by a discrete chlorotic (yellow) halo. “However, this halo is not always diagnostic and may develop slower depending on environmental conditions and cultivar susceptibility.

Also, leaves severely affected by bacterial spot often develop a general chlorosis that usually leads to blighting and can lead to some confusion. Do not be fooled by the disease name, as bacterial speck lesions can be as large or larger than bacterial spot lesions, however, they usually are not as symmetrical as spot lesions,” said Dr. Vallad. “Bacterial speck and spot are more clearly differentiated by fruit symptoms. Fruit lesions of bacterial speck are slightly raised, generally Continued on the next page

much smaller than those of bacterial spot, are quite superficial and do not crack or become scaly as those associated with bacterial spot.”

Disease management for both bacterial speck and spot is similar and requires an integrated approach for best results. Exclusion is the best tactic to manage either disease on tomato. For commercial growers field rotations, destroying infected plant debris, volunteers and weeds and using disease-free tomato transplants helps “to minimize the amount of inoculum in the field at the beginning of the season. Refraining from field activities when the plant canopy is wet and making timely application of bactericides reduces the movement of bacteria throughout the plant canopy and field. Bactericides are preventative by nature. Unfortunately, even the best control measures offer only limited protection when environmental conditions are favorable for rapid diseases development,” said Dr. Vallad.

For home gardeners, Dr. Vallad advises to avoid growing tomatoes during the hot and rainy summer months. If possible, grow tomatoes under an enclosure and heat seeds via a hot water wash of tap water at 122-degrees Fahrenheit for 25-minutes to help reduce the incidence of seed borne bacteria. “And lastly, avoid handling plants when they are wet since the bacteria spread easily.”

Dr. Jay Scott, a tomato breeder at the GCREC, is heavily involved in the development of tomato varieties more tolerant to diseases such as bacterial speck and spot, but none are available for release at this time.

For more information about the various research studies taking place at GCREC, visit: http://gcrec.ifas.ufl.edu.

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You

g n i e b e ar

WATCHED!!!

By: Johnny Cone

Photo by CMFoto

Our dogs become so much a part of our lives that we often take their presence for granted. The same cannot be said for our dogs. They are watching our every move. They know when we are about to go to bed, about to eat, about to go to work, and everything else we do. In most cases our dogs know much more about us and our lives than we know about them. They know our mood, how we are feeling, what we had for lunch, and what we are doing, everything.

Dogs are so perceptive of our lives that at times it appears they have some sort of sixth sense. And while that might be a possibility, dogs pick up most of their information about us through a combination of excellent hearing, sense of smell, learning by association, and memory. Our dogs watch, hear, and smell what we are doing. We most often have a lot going on in our lives that take up time and energy. Our dogs only have us. We are the center of their world. Their lives are uncluttered with jobs, social activities, civic obligations and the like. So they are free to focus completely on our every move. People are largely creatures of habit and ritual. We have the same daily routines. Most of us do the same thing and go through the same motions every morning when we are getting ready for work. It might be picking up a briefcase, a purse or the jingle of keys, but our dogs know we are leaving. When they hear the kitchen cabinets opening and closing they know we are likely going to have food. Dogs read our every move and store away when and why we make that move.

Some things our dogs pick up on are much more mysterious.

My dog Merlin regularly competes in various dog events. I don’t know how he knows but Merlin is well aware when we are on our way to a competition. I am pretty sure it is not my routine before we leave the house. I know it is not the fact that he is getting to go with me. Merlin often goes places with me. He accompanies me to the office, goes to visit friends and relatives, and virtually any place a dog is welcomed. On routine trips he simply gets into my vehicle and sits down. He is calm and relaxed. When we are on our way to compete he paces back and forth, makes noises, pants and generally acts excited. I have never been able to determine what he is picking up on but it is certainly something. I have a very competitive nature. So naturally my excitement and stress levels will be elevated. I cannot be sure but that is likely what he is pick-

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ing up on.

But how would a dog sense mood changes so easily? The answer is not nearly as mysterious as it may seem. The answer lies in a dog’s senses of smell and hearing. Dogs hearing and sense of smell is so much more sensitive than ours that it can be difficult for us to comprehend. Our bodies change depending on our mood.

There are chemical changes, our heart rate changes, our blood pressure changes, our rate of breathing changes, and our muscles tighten and relax. Dogs can hear our heart beat, they can hear the blood rushing through our veins, our breathing rate, and may even be able to hear our muscles tightening and relaxing. And they can certainly smell the chemical changes. The old saying that dogs can smell fear is actually very true. When we are angry or scared our bodies release adrenaline. It is the odor of adrenaline that lets dogs know someone is afraid or angry.

The ability to smell and hear change in someone’s body has some uses far more important than our dogs being able to know what kind of mood we are in. Dogs have been taught to smell for cancer and other diseases in humans. And although I have never heard of anyone actively working with dogs detecting heart issues, they can certainly hear blockages in the heart. There are documented cases of pet dogs acting strangely or attempting to alert their owner a short time prior to the owner having a heart attack. Many times dogs can detect changes in human bodies that are serious health risks before the onset of symptoms. There are service dogs trained and living with owners with medical concerns that sense all sorts of medical issues. Dogs can detect changes in blood sugar, a coming seizure, and other medical issues. In most cases dogs are capable of alerting their master of these changes or coming episodes far enough in advance of onset that the owner has the opportunity to take action to prepare or even prevent it from happening.

So the next time you notice your dog looking at you or feel his stare as you walk about the house, remember he is taking it all in.

Your dog knows your habits, moods and why you do everything you do. He knows how you are feeling and notices any changes in your health. Chances are, your dog knows more about you than you know about yourself.

Naturally Amazing Activities Create an Insect Collection

By Sean Green Insects are fascinating to watch and if you’re anything like me, you’ll enjoy the process of research while learning about the insects you find. Research need not be limited to live specimens; insect collecting is the art of preserving insects and the science of researching and documenting data to accompany the collection. This month we will create a simple butterfly or moth collection with an insect relaxing technique that can be used for any insect.

Finding a dead specimen is easier and safer than chasing live ones and often results in a better looking collection. The potential for wing damage is much higher with live specimens and the chemicals traditionally used in a Kill Box are highly toxic. Most of my Butterfly and Moth collections are created from dead specimens found in both rural environments or while hiking and canoeing. Gas stations attract large moths and a variety of other insects, look near lights, around propane tank racks, and near outside bagged ice freezers.

Screened in pools are a good place to find butterflies that have become trapped at the end of their lifespan, likewise the leaf trap in a pool will contain insects and is great for finding hard body insects such as beetles. When hiking, the best specimens will be in streams, along clumps of twigs that may have trapped butterflies that have fallen in the stream, (please remove any trash you find).

There are two main ways of displaying insects. Pinning is the least expensive and most traditional method. It involves sticking a pin through the insect. I do not pin my insects because I prefer an undamaged specimen. A Riker mount is an attractive and non damaging alternative to pinning. It is a shallow, glass topped box filled with just enough cotton filler to hold the insect in place by slightly compressing it against the glass top and the cotton filler. Riker mounts can be purchased in some retail art and science supply stores and can sometimes be found in frame shops.

When an insect dies it becomes brittle as it dehydrates making it impossible to pose without breaking it. The relaxing chamber rehydrates the insect so it will not break when you set it for mounting. Specimen Data is also important and makes your collection valuable. Data cards can be printed on blank tear out business cards to be inserted into the Riker mount with the specimen. At the very least the data card should include: Common Name, Scientific Name, Collectors Name, Collection Date, County, City, and State.

Supplies: Relaxing Chamber (air tight plastic container) Tweezers Water Bottle Paper Towel / Facial Tissue Mounting Paper (Tracing Paper) Setting Block (Styrofoam Block) Moth Ball Flakes (containing paradichlorobenzene) Riker Mount Relaxing Chambers can be made from a plastic airtight container. Line the bottom of the container with a paper towel or facial tissue, then mist the paper towel to dampen it but not soak it, the idea is to create a humid environment. Mold can form very easily in a humid environment and will ruin the

specimen. Some science supply stores sell relaxing fluid that contains fungicides, however Lysol or moth crystals can be added to the container to prevent mold.

Setting Blocks are used to manipulate winged insects without damage to the body or wings of the insect. Ideally, your specimen’s wings should be spread to showcase the shape and coloration of the wings. Blocks of wood with an adjustable center groove are sold in science supply stores but a simple setting block can be made from Styrofoam or balsa wood by cutting a center groove wide enough and deep enough for the body of your insect. Do not use the foam sold for artificial flowers. It tends to crumble easily and will leave foam dust all over your specimen. Alternatively, you can glue strips of corrugated cardboard together to create a grooved surface to work with.

The Riker Mount can be purchased or home made. To make your own, find a shallow box with a lid and a piece of glass cut to fit the inside of the box lid. Cut the middle surface area of the lid out, leaving about a half inch all the way around. Secure the glass to the inside of the lid with carpenters glue or a strong glue gun. Fill the bottom part of the box with cotton filler or matting (purchased in quilting supply stores).

For protection from mites, booklice, and dermestid beetles, slip flakes of moth balls under the matting.

Relax the specimen by placing a layer of dry paper on top of the damp paper towel to keep the specimen from direct contact with moisture, then place the specimen(s) on top of the dry paper and seal the relaxing chamber with its lid. Let the specimen(s) relax for at least 24 hours depending on the size of the specimen. Larger specimens may take as long as two or three days. During relaxing the specimen is absorbing moisture back into its cells, it will feel like a live insect when it has absorbed enough moisture to manipulate without damage.

Setting the specimen (in this case a butterfly) is the process of manipulating the insect to showcase its features. Carefully pick up the butterfly by its thorax (middle part at the base of the wings). Gently squeezing the thorax will open the wings.

While holding the butterfly by the thorax gently and slowly work the individual wings with tweezers from the base of the wing, moving the wing both up and down and front to back as if it were flying to loosen them up for final setting. Touching the wings with your fingers can make the butterflies scales fall off. You can do the same for the head and antenna, if your specimen is properly rehydrated and you take your time, you will not twist its head off or break the antenna.

Final Setting is done when the butterfly is limber enough to move easily without breaking. Set the butterflies body in the groove of the setting block so the bottoms of the wings are touching the top of the setting block. With a pin or tweezers, one side at a time, carefully move the hind wings backward and the front wings forward until they are in a position that best displays the color pattern and wings shape. I like to keep the wings slightly overlapping. When one side of wings is in position, lay tracing paper over the wing with the edge of the tracing paper lining up with the groove and the rest covering the wing. Secure the tracing paper with pins close to the wings but not through it. Repeat the process for the other side of wings. Let the butterfly dry on the setting block a day or two before placing it in the Riker mount.

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Every now and then I have one of those so-called “Bad Days.” You know the kind, where everything seems to go wrong. The car won’t crank. You spill gravy on your new tie. You misplace your cell phone and can’t find it when you call on another phone because it’s on vibrate.

I was having one of those days last week, or at least I thought it was a bad day until I received e-mail from Mac Smith. He wrote about the average cost of rehabilitating a seal after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska being $80,000. He said he read, at a special ceremony, two of the most expensively saved animals were being released back into the wild amid cheers and applause from onlookers. No sooner had the seals been released, in full view, a killer whale ate both of them.

And if that wasn’t enough, there was the story of a woman who came home to find her husband in the kitchen shaking frantically, almost in a dancing frenzy, with some kind of a wire running from his waist over the electric kettle and into his ear. Intending to jolt him away from the deadly current, she whacked him with a plank of wood, breaking his arm in two places. Up to that moment her husband had been happily listening to his iPod. Some time back the New York Times had a story that would tend to make anyone unappreciated. The owners of a publishing company are trying to figure out why no one noticed that one of their employees had been sitting dead at his desk for five days before anyone asked if he was feeling bad. The 51 year-old man was a proofreader at the New York publishing company for 30 years, when obviously he had had a heart attack in the open-area office he shared with more than 20 associates.

He passed away on Monday, but no one noticed until Saturday morning when an office cleaner asked why he was working during the weekend.

His boss said, “George was always the first guy in each morning and the last to leave at night, so no one found it unusual that he was in the same position all that time and didn’t say anything, He was always absorbed in his work and kept pretty much to himself.”

A post mortem examination revealed that he had been dead for five days after suffering a coronary. George was proofreading manuscripts of medical textbooks when he died.

Did you hear about a doctor that was addressing a senior citizen audience in Lakeland? He said the material we put into our stomachs is enough to have killed most of us sitting here years ago. Red meat is awful! Chinese food is loaded with MSG. High fat diets can be disastrous, and none of us realizes the long-term harm caused by the germs in our drinking water. However, there is one thing that is the most dangerous of all, and we all have eaten, or will eat it. Can anyone here in the audience tell me what food it is that causes the most grief and suffering for years after eating it? After a few seconds an elderly gentleman on the front row raised his hand, and said, WEDDING CAKE. I don’t know about you, but as for me I can’t figure out why all the fuss over showing your ID! After all, if you are pulled over by the police you show your ID. Also, I must show my ID when I show up for a doctor’s appointment, when renewing my driver’s license, applying for insurance, donating blood, collecting my boarding pass at the airport, making a debit purchase, especially when out of state. I have even had to show my ID to a new teller at my bank.

My point is, we citizens are required to prove who we are nearly every day. Why should we exempt anyone? Just a thought…

Do you remember, “Kids Say the Darnest Things?”

For those who do not, it was a comedy series hosted by Bill Cosby that aired on CBS from January 1998 to June 2000. The show was based on a popular feature of Art Linkletter’s television series, Art Linkletter’s House Party, which aired five days a week on CBS for more than 20 years. If that show were still running today my cousin Susan Waitley’s granddaughter would be a perfect candidate for the show. One afternoon as Miranda drifted off to sleep to take a nap, she said, “I miss Aunt Net…when will she come to visit us? I love it when we have customers!”

Have you heard the story of Gertrude, the church gossip and selfappointed monitor of the church’s morals, who always kept sticking her nose into other people’s business? Several members of the church did not approve of her extra curricular activities, but feared her enough to maintain their silence.

Gertrude made a big mistake when she accused Fred, a new member of the choir, of being an alcoholic after she saw his old pickup parked in front of the towns only bar one afternoon. She quickly told Fred and several others that every one seeing it there would know what he was doing.

Fred a man of very few words, stared at her for a moment, turned and walked away. Later that evening, Fred quietly parked his pickup in front of Gertrude’s house, walked home, and left it there all night.

I’ll close with a short quiz. Go to page 27 for the answers.

1 - From which animals do we get catgut?

2 - What is a camel’s hair brush made of?

3 - The Canary Islands in the Atlantic are named after what animal?

4 - What color is a purple finch?

5 - What country do Chinese gooseberries come from?

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By Kayla Lewis “I’ve always loved butterflies, but I started the business in 2009,” said Brenda Hatfield. She opened Wings of Wonder, a butterfly garden, September 9 of last year. “If you go into it for the money, don’t do it,” her husband, Jim Hatfield advised, “but if you love it go ahead.” Wings of Wonder is the combination of a butterfly garden and farm. The Hatfields do not offer tours, but they sell their butterflies and pupae. Their garden is full of brightly colored flowers and plants that attract butterflies, and they have a small building that houses containers of pupae and host plants.

Brenda and Jim have developed an efficient but rigorous system for raising butterflies. They start by collecting the tiny eggs, laid by butterflies, from the leaves of the plants in their garden. “Some look like leaves and bird droppings,” said Jim. “You have to know what you are looking for.” Once the caterpillar hatches from the egg, it eats down the host plant that Jim and Brenda provide. “Every time they eat it down, the plant comes back healthier,” Brenda said. The Hatfields explained that after the caterpillar has finished eating it goes into a process called jaying. This is the final stage the caterpillar goes through before it is wrapped up into a pupae. Brenda and Jim then place the caterpillars into small plastic containers and they attach themselves to the top with silk, which has been secured with some help from Brenda using hot glue. The glue does not hurt the pupae, and keeps it in tact while being transported. In about a week the

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caterpillar will emerge from the pupae into a butterfly. “It’s fascinating to watch the pupae emerge,” Jim said. “If you don’t know about it, then you’d think they were going to die.” The butterfly will then fly into the garden where it will spend the remaining three weeks of it’s life fluttering about the plants, and laying more eggs, completing the cycle of life in one of it’s most amazing images. “I never realized how much work was in it before we started doing it,” Brenda said. But the final experience of getting to see a butterfly emerge from it’s pupae and fly away, and getting to witness the reactions of people who have never seen it before is worth it. The sight of a butterfly taking it’s first flight can be deeply moving for people. For example, the Hatfields said that a group of butterfly farmers did a presentation at a nursing home and by the end, some of the residents were crying.

The Hatfields raise nine different breeds of butterfly, Monarchs, Gulf Fertilleraries, Zebra Longwings, Giant Swallow Tails, Spice Bushes, Sulphers, Julius, Buckeyes, Great Southern Whites, and Queens have all passed through their garden. While most butterflies live for about 21 days, when the Monarch migrates to Mexico they can live for as long as nine months. “They know right where to go,” Jim said of the Monarch migration. But most of the butterflies that Jim and Brenda raise spend their entire lives either in a home garden, or where they were released at weddings and funerals provided Continued on next page

that there are the right kind of flowers. “Just having a lot of flowers will bring them around,” Jim said.

Brenda was born in Florida, while Jim moved here from Georgia 30 years ago. They enjoy raising the butterflies, particularly because it is something they can do together. “It’s something that we enjoy together, and we enjoy being together,” Jim said. And it was actually a marriage that first got Brenda interested in raising butterflies. “I’ve always loved butterflies and I’ve always had plants that attract them,” she said. “A friend got married, and I went to get butterflies to release at her wedding. I went to a butterfly farm and I told Jim that’s what I wanted to do.”

For more information on Wings of Wonder they can be reached by phone at (813) 763-6346 or (863) 608-2014.

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New online tools introduced for non-native invasive animals program.

By Jim Frankowiak There has been a good deal of media exposure about several species of large carnivorous lizards and snakes native to other parts of the world that have been introduced and are now established in central and southern Florida. Some of these are considered invasive if they cause or have the potential to cause negative environmental, economic or human quality of life impact.

To help educate people about these introduced species, the problems they may or have caused and what potential solutions are available for people and the environment, University of Florida wildlife scientists recently introduced two online tools. The first is The Invader Updater, a quarterly online publication containing “invasive species news for busy Extension professionals.” It is produced and distributed by Dr. Steve A. Johnson, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Wildlife Ecology & Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) and Monica E. McGarrity, a GCREC Biological Scientist.

“The Invader Updater provides information on invasive vertebrate animals in Florida and the southeastern U.S.,” said Dr. Johnson. Each issue highlights a species of special interest to Extension clientele and provides information on management efforts, relevant legislation and other related topics, as well as where to go for additional resources on the issue’s focus.

The newsletter is accessible at http://ufwildlife.ifas.ufl.edu/ InvasiveUpdater.shtml and offers links on each covered subject to more information by simply clicking on “Learn More” at the end of each story. “We encourage feedback and welcome the opportunity to add readers to our quarterly distribution via email,” said Dr. Johnson. Those interested in being added to The Invader Updater distribution list should email Monica McGarrity at monicaem@ufl.edu.

Focal species for the first three issues were Burmese Python, African Rock Python and Lionfish.

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Dr. Steve Johnson

The second new online tool is the Introduced Reptile Early Detection and Documentation program dubbed the REDDy training. It is provided by the Everglades Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (ECISMA), created by the Johnson-McGarrity team in collaboration with the National Park Service and The Nature Conservancy and was funded by grants from the South Florida National Parks Trust, the Ferrris Greeney Family Foundation and the USDA-RREA. “We know that introduced species, such as the Nile Monitor Lizards and Burmese Pythons, are causing harm to our native ecosystem,” said Dr. Johnson. “Other species, such as Anacondas, have been found in Florida but are not yet believed to be established. Early detection and rapid response networks are key to preventing new introductions and preventing established invaders from spreading to new areas.” The REDDy training course Continued on next page

has been designed to help adult observers learn and become effective members of the early warning team.

“REDDy is a free, online training program for adults that includes an educational module, quiz and survey,” said Dr. Johnson. “Those who successfully complete REDDy receive a certificate of completion. There is also a survey we ask each participant to complete for vital feedback.”

The REDDy educational module teaches course participants how to clearly identify reptiles of concern, precautions to take in the presence of the reptiles and what action to take if a reptile has been located and identified.

“It is important to note that this online course is designed to train observers to clearly identify species of concern, the location of the species and then to provide that information to the appropriate parties,” said Dr. Johnson. “This is a critical step as we work to prevent the establishment of new species and control the spread of those already established.”

Those interested in taking the free REDDy training course should visit http://eces.ifas.ufl.edu to register. Once registered, they should view courses under the “Wildlife Ecology and Conservation” topic and select REDDy training where they will be taken through the educational module, quiz and feedback survey. The final step is printing of the certificate of completion and then on to begin observing.

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By Johnny Cone No one ever said that growing up ranching in West Central Florida was an easy thing to do. There were hard times and challenges. But it was definitely an adventure. A lifetime resident of west central Florida, a bit north of Plant City, Alvin C. Futch grew up ranching, fishing and hunting all over west central Florida.

Wild and Wooley is his story. Starting with Alvin’s birth in 1931 and traveling through the adventures of Alvin, his family and friends through the 1960’s, you will be taken on a journey back to a Florida that is but a memory of many of us and some will never know.

The book is a compilation of true stories about Alvin C. Futch and his experiences while ranching, hunting, fishing, and, his life and times, in his own words, as told to his cousin Charles E. Futch. It takes the reader on a journey through the flat woods, swamps and pastures from Plant City to Okeechobee. The thing I like best about this book is that it feels like home to me. Having grown up in west central Florida and having been exposed to many of the same experiences, know many of the same people and have traveled much of the same ground. Page after page I felt like I was there and part of the story. This is not just a story of one man’s adventures. It is a story of Florida. Once you pick up this book, you will not be able to put it down. The tales will spark memories for some and be a history lesson for others.

Wild and Wooley reads like an old friend telling tales on a front porch. The best part is that the stories,

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which are all true, are not only interesting but hilarious as well.

You will find humor and laughs on nearly every page. I laughed so hard it hurt while reading the stories, stories about everything from coaxing a bull to jump into the Myakka River to Alvin and his brother’s personal war with a cantankerous Billy goat. I was not convinced Alvin was going to make it through the “goat war” but he survived and has told the tale. That ole billy goat met his match when he came across five year old Alvin. With the turn of every page I was never sure who was going to show up. Many prominent local folks shared in Alvin’s adventures. Reading about these people, many of whom I know personally, I found myself thinking, yea I can see him do this or that. The book also contains many old photos to give readers a vision of how it really was. Also found scattered throughout the book are many old sayings common among Florida folk of years past. Most will bring a smile to your face and a few might leave you scratching your head.

I think Alvin said it best when he said “Some names have been changed to protect the guilty. The innocent are on their own.”

Wild and Wooley is a GREAT book, about Alvin, Florida, and a bunch of experiences that will make you laugh so hard you cry.

When it comes to Wild and Wooley the truth really is better than fiction. Some things you just can’t make up.

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33

“If you like the recession, you’ll love Amendment 4.”

- Mark Wilson, President Florida Chamber of Commerce

“A

three-year experiment in St. Pete Beach shows land planning via referendum is a messy, unpredictable business that leads to higher costs....“ [The St. Petersburg Times, 06.26.09] government costs

“ Ballots

statewide would be full of jargon-laden, irrelevant junk....Because St. Pete Beach suffered for three years, Florida can avoid having to suffer for much longer.“ [The Palm Beach Post, 11.22.09]

“ The

cost to local governments...would soar into the millions.“ [The Orlando Sentinel, 10.04.09]

“[Amendment

4] is like using a machine gun to kill a flea...don’t don’t make the solution worse than the problem.“ [The Florida Times-Union, 03.19.10]

“ St.

Pete Beach has become a living laboratory to study the statewide consequences of a proposed constitutional amendment called [Amendment 4].... That’s no way to run a little city, and it’s certainly no way to run a state.“

[The Tampa Tribune, 05.28.08] CITIZENS FOR LOWER TAXES AND A STRONGER ECONOMY P.O. Box 532018 Orlando, FL 32853

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

On Nov. 2nd ...

VOTE NO on Amendment 4

Governing Board moves to declare water use caution area in Eastern Hillsborough The Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing Board voted to begin the rulemaking process to create a new water use caution area and set a minimum aquifer level in the Dover/Plant City area.

The District will develop regulatory strategies in the new water use caution area that will limit groundwater pumpage.

A water use caution area is designated where water resources are or will become critical in the next 20 years. During the 11day January 2010 freeze event, the combined pumping of Dover area farmers dropped the aquifer level 60 feet in some locations and caused 140 sinkholes and impacts to more than 750 wells. The District has developed a management strategy that includes incentives to reduce groundwater use over time, well construction standards and regulatory limitations on water use in the area.

Regulatory components of the management strategy will include limitations on new groundwater requests, development of a recovery strategy in support of the establishment of a minimum aquifer level for freeze protection, a new process for allocating dry well complaints, requirements for alternative freeze protection methods and additional data collection requirements.

The District has held a public workshop and several technical work sessions since January to receive feedback from key stakeholders. The District is planning a public workshop and outreach meetings in August and September to solicit input from other public stakeholders. The rulemaking process will include additional public input and education.

In May the District began the process of expanding the Dover Special Well Construction Area to reduce the likelihood that homeowners in the area will experience failures during prolonged freeze events. Well construction standards in this area require wells to be dug deeper than typical residential wells. The new special well construction area and criteria are expected to take effect in mid-August.

The District has two other water use caution areas. In 1989, the Governing Board created the Northern Tampa Bay Water Use Caution Area to address groundwater withdrawals that resulted in lowered lake levels, destruction or deterioration of wetlands, reduced streamflow and saltwater intrusion. The Southern Water Use Caution Area was established in 1992 due to declining aquifer levels, declining lake levels along the Highlands Ridge and advancing coastal saltwater intrusion in the Floridan Aquifer.

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

35

BRONSON URGES PROTECTIONS AGAINST MOSQUITO-BORNE DISEASES

Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson says two cases of West Nile Virus (WNV) have now been detected in horses in the state and the number of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) cases continues to rise.

Bronson is reminding horse owners to get their animals vaccinated. He is also urging the public to follow Florida Department of Health (DOH) guidelines to help prevent mosquito-borne illnesses in people. DOH has reported that two people in Florida died after contracting EEE this summer.

Mosquitoes carry the viruses and can transmit it to horses and humans, however, horses do not transmit the viruses to people.

The WNV cases affected horses in Jefferson and Osceola counties. There are also now 60 reported cases of EEE in horses in several dozen counties in Florida this year, including southern counties such as Miami-Dade, Okeechobee and Collier where EEE cases are much less prevalent.

EEE and WNV are viral diseases that affect the central nervous system and are transmitted to horses by infected mosquitoes.

Signs of the viruses include fever, listlessness, stumbling, circling, coma and usually death. EEE is fatal in horses in 90 percent of the cases. WNV virus has a mortality rate in horses of about 30 percent. Studies show that in horses that do recover, anywhere from 20 to 40 percent show residual effects even after six months.

Bronson says there are vaccinations for both diseases but horse owners need to be diligent in not only getting their animals vaccinated, but also ensuring the vaccinations are kept up to date each year and booster shots are given.

“In the vast majority of cases we have seen this year, the horses either had no vaccinations at all or they were not current,” Bronson said. “We are seeing increases in mosquito populations and, since mosquitoes are the carriers of both these diseases, it’s likely the situation is going to get worse before it gets better.

I can’t stress enough the need for people to get these readily available vaccinations for their horses.”

While the incidence of EEE and WNV is down in horses

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

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from what the state experienced earlier this decade, the cases continue to rise in 2010.

Bronson is also reminding everyone that DOH has issued advisories urging people to take precautionary measures to prevent illnesses transmitted by mosquitoes. DOH officials say the public should follow the “5 Ds” which include:

• Dusk and Dawn. Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are biting.

• Dress. Wear clothing that covers most of your skin.

• DEET. Use repellents containing DEET. Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, IR3535 and permethrin are other repellent options.

• Drainage. Check around your home to rid the area of standing water, which is where mosquitoes can lay their eggs.

For more information about EEE and WNV in animals, visit the department’s Division of Animal Industry website at http:// www.flanimalindustry.com and click on the “Animal Diseases” link in the left-hand column.

For human health concerns, visit the Florida Department of Health website at http://www.doh.state.fl.us/Environment/ medicine/arboviral/index.html.

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EDIS Offers Three New Articles to Aid Homeowners Control Weeds in Their Landscape

By Jim Frankowiak Whether you have a green thumb or not, this summer’s rains have been a boon to home landscapes. While much of that growth is appreciated, there are some elements – specifically weeds – that many homeowners want to vanish. Determining which approach is best for your home landscape just got easier thanks to three new articles available via the Electronic Data Information Source (EDIS) at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

The EDIS Web site is a comprehensive, single-source repository of all current University of Florida (UF) /Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) numbered peer-reviewed publications. The new articles: Nonchemical Weed Control for Home Landscapes and Gardens (HS1170), Homeowner Considerations Prior to Selecting a Weed Control Product (HS1177) and Considerations for Use of Roundup® and Similar Products in the Home Landscape, were co-authored by Dr. Andrew MacRae, assistant professor, UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center and Dr. Marina D’Abreau, residential horticulture agent, UF/IFAS Hillsborough County Extension Service. Each can be accessed and downloaded at the EDIS Web site by referencing the article title or number as noted above.

The Nonchemical Weed Control article notes the benefits to this approach include a lower risk of damage to nontarget plants, decreased cost and the opportunity to more frequently scout the landscape for potential problems. “It is important,” the article notes “to maintain weed populations at the lowest level possible to prevent re-infestation.”

It notes that some annual broadleaf weeds “are capable of producing tens of thousands of seeds per plant.”

One of the most common options for nonchemical weed control includes hand pulling that should be done when the weeds are small and on a regular basis. This method also offers the opportunity to multi-task, blending weed control with exercise. Another option is cultivation or tillage using a tool or implement to physically remove or destroy the weeds. “Cultivation or tillage is often more effective at removing weed species that are difficult to remove by hand, such as perennials with an extensive root system,” the article notes.

Other options for weed control include the use of mulch, landscape fabric and flaming, which involves the use of a propane burner to directly heat undesirable plants.

Photos are of Dr. Andrew MacRae The article detailing “Considerations Prior to Selecting a Weed Control Product” suggests the first step is to properly identify the weed by genus, species or kind. Among them are grass weeds, broadleaf weeds, sedges, annual and perennials. The next step in the process, per the article, is to determine the habitat where the weed exists. In home gardens, it is best to mechanically cultivate the soil or remove weeds by hand, thus protecting the garden’s fruits and vegetables. Planting beds should be prepared in advance and the article suggests the “stale seedbed” technique which involves creating favorable conditions for weed seeds to germinate and then remove them as they emerge with mechanical cultivation or chemical spays.

Shrubs and tree beds can be rendered weed free by regular hand pulling or through the use of herbicides. “Read the label prior

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

to use to make sure the shrubs to be treated are not sensitive to the herbicide,” the article states. It also advises to be cautious not to have the spray come in contact with the foliage or roots and to avoid application when a heavy rainfall event is predicted. Overhead irrigation should be suspended for at least a week after the application, the article advises.

The article concludes by suggesting persistence. “A steady effort will reduce the levels of weeds in the landscape, making future weeding easier.”

The article about Roundup® and similar products notes that there are many products for sale under the Roundup moniker, “but each has a specific use and purpose.” Weed control products sold under a trade name are all designed to kill weeds, but while some are designed to work near desirable plants, others are only be used in places where no plants are desired. “Always read the label carefully to determine where to use the product.”

All of the Roundup products have one thing in common and that is the main active ingredient, the herbicide glyphosate.

Glyphosate is a systemic herbicide, meaning it moves through the plant via the vascular system. This makes it very effective on perennial weeds. Glyphosate is no longer protected by patent, and as a result, several other trade names for homeowner weed control products list glyphosate as their active ingredient. There are five basic types of products: • A super concentrated form of glyphosate that takes several weeks before weeds die but it can be used in most situations.

• A concentrate with glyphosate and diquat, which speeds up the foliar injury. This product can be used in most situations • A ready-to-use mixture of glyphosate and pelargonic acid, typically in a container with a spray pump for easy application, but it is more costly and most appropriate for small areas • Another ready-to-use product with glyphosate, pelargonic acid and imazapic. The addition of imazapic helps to prevent weeds for longer periods such as four months, but read the label regarding application instructions and necessary steps to protect certain, desired vegetation. Do not apply this type of product to annual beds or gardens, the article states.

• A glyphosate – triclopyr mix designed to kill poison ivy.

This product is effective, but sometimes requires several applications to kill poison ivy. The authors advise careful reading of

the label for application instructions and sites. This product will cause injury to all desirable plants.

Readers are reminded not to apply herbicides if the wind is above seven miles per hour, since winddrifted rates of a glyphosate product can cause severe damage to neighboring plants.

Also, “Only apply enough product to cover the foliage of the plant you are trying to kill.”

Dr. D’Abreau There are other precautions to be taken when applying glyphosate to organic and inorganic mulch and hardscapes since rainfall or irrigation may cause movement of the glyphosate mixed with water into desirable plants, thereby injuring them.

And if a desirable perennial plant is spreading in the landscape, the root system must be severed prior to application of a glyphosate product or it will move back to the mother plant, causing damage or even death.

“As with all chemical pest control products, use them sparingly and only as part of a greater pest management system. If you have just a few weeds, chances are it would be safe and easier to hand pull or cultivate them. Always read the labels and pay attention to the reentry interval (i.e., the time you must wait until returning to the area). Keep pets away from areas where glyphosate has been applied because some products can cause skin irritation on the pads of their paws.

“Weeds are troublesome, but being vigilant with weed control can significantly reduce weed populations in the future.”

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

39

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By Kayla Lewis On July 24 and 25 and July 31 to August 1, Colorfield Farms hosted their annual Mango Festival when they open their doors to the public and celebrate the tropical and tasty fruit, the mango.

“Last year was such a success, we decided to do it again. We try to educate the people on the roughly 2,500 varieties of Mangoes,” said Anne Pidgeon, owner of Colorfield Farms. Colorfield Farms is a nursery located in Wimaumau, and operates as both a commercial and wholesale business.

At the festival displays were set up to showcase the nursery’s beautiful mango fruit and trees. A booth was set up for Mango tasting and several vendors were there including Wings of Wonder, a butterfly farm, and the Tampa Bay and Manatee chapters of the Rare Fruit Council International. Their Vice President and Programs Coordinator, James Lee, was there to give a talk before a crowd of enthusiastic spectators on the proper way to grow mangoes and other tropical fruits in Florida. His advice ranged from how to grow young trees to what methods can be used to protect them during cold weather. “The mango you buy in the store can never be like the one you grow,” he said. James explained

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

that tropical fruit trees do best when they have had time to grow large and he also said that, “Tropical fruit needs rich soil.” In addition, as the tree matures, each year fruit should be plucked off the tree to allow it more room to grow. As the tree grows, more fruit should be left on it until after three years the tree should be big enough to support as much fruit as it produces. The Rare Fruit Council was also selling their homemade jams. “We make the jams from all fruits that we grow. It’s all homegrown fruit,” said James’ wife, Sally Lee. “As long time members we grow everything.”

Brenda and Jim Hatfield, owners of Wings of Wonder, were also selling their pupae and butterfly plants. The Hatfield’s butterflies fluttered around the plants in their display tent.

At the Mango Festival people milled around listening to the various speakers and tasting the Mangoes and smoothies that were being sold. The sun shone down from a brilliantly blue sky and the breeze sifted through the mango trees. In short, it was the perfect day to celebrate tropical fruit.

Hillsborough County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting

Thursday, October 7, 2010, 6:00 PM John R. Trinkle Building on the HCC Campus, Plant City (I-4 exit 22 south, 1st light turn left, third building on left) The membership meeting will begin at 7:30 PM and will feature The Youth Speech Contest Winner, Presentation of the 2nd Tampa Bay C.A.R.E.S. Awards, Election of the 2010-2011 Board Members, Door Prizes and lots of fellowship!

Each member family is entitled to two (2) free dinners. Additional dinners may be purchased for $5. Children under 12 receive a free hot dog dinner. Please RSVP to 813-685-9121 or hcfb@tampabay.rr.com by September 24. Leave your name, number of dinners (children and adult) and telephone number.

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AUGUST 21

SEPTEMBER 11 & 17

RALPH ALLOCCO & SECOND WIND

JOHNNY ALSTON’S

MOTOWN ROCK & ROLL REVUE

Performing in the Red Rose Dining Room

A dynamite crowd pleaser! P.J. Leary & The Las Vegas Sounds perform before and after the show.

AUGUST 21

THE CONTOURS

FEATURING SYLVESTER POTTS

SEPTEMBER 18 & 24

The Red Rose Ballroom will rock-out on this night when The Contours take the stage! Their #1 Hit “Do You Love Me” was featured in the hit film “Dirty Dancing” with Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. P.J. Leary & The Las Vegas Sounds will perform before and after The Contours.

It’s a ‘don’t miss event’ for all Motown music lovers! Reserve your space early, this show will sell quickly!

AUGUST 28

RALPH ALLOCCO & SECOND WIND

Performing in the Red Rose Dining Room

SEPTEMBER 3

RALPH ALLOCCO & SECOND WIND

Performing in the Red Rose Dining Room

SEPTEMBER 4

P.J. LEARY & THE LAS VEGAS SOUNDS, WITH COVER TO COVER AND KEN BRADY

P. J. Leary & the Las Vegas Sounds, also featuring special guests, Cover to Cover and Ken Brady (Lead Singer of The Casinos), featuring the 1967 hit “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye” before and after the show in the Red Rose Dining Room.

SEPTEMBER 10

RALPH ALLOCCO & SECOND WIND

Performing in the Red Rose Dining Room

RALPH ALLOCCO & SECOND WIND

Performing in the Red Rose Dining Room

SEPTEMBER 25

GEORGE GALFO’S MYSTICS

Original founding member, George Galfo brings his Mystics to the Red Rose Dining Room singing their hit song “Hushabye” and many more memorable Doo Wop favorites! DESTINY performs before and after the show.

OCTOBER 1

JOHNNY ALSTON’S MOTOWN ROCK & ROLL REVUE

A dynamite crowd pleaser! DESTINY performs before and after the show.

OCTOBER 2 & 8

RALPH ALLOCCO & SECOND WIND

OCTOBER 23

LOLA & THE SAINTS

Doo Wop At Its Best! Relive the 50s & 60s as though it was yesterday – “Forever in Love,” Just Over the Brooklyn Bridge.” PLUS P.J. LEARY & THE LAS VEGAS SOUNDS with special guest KEN BRADY (Lead Singer of The Casinos), featuring the 1967 hit “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye” before and after the show in the Red Rose Dining Room.

OCTOBER 23

SOUL MUSIC NIGHT

WITH THE DELFONICS AND ARTHUR “SUGAR BEAR” AIKEN

Two Grammy Nominated & Award Winning Groups in one great night! The legendary DELFONICS singing their hit –“La La Means I Love You,” plus much more, and lead singer of The Blue Notes, Arthur “Sugar Bear” Aiken.

Hear songs like “If You Don't Know Me By Now,” “The Love I Lost” & many more. Johnny Alston’s Motown Rock & Roll Revue will perform before and after the show in the Red Rose Ballroom.

OCTOBER 29

COVER TO COVER

The band performs in the Red Rose Dining Room, plus PJ Leary & The Las Vegas Sounds before and after the show

COMING SOON

Performing in the Red Rose Dining Room

OCTOBER 9

JOHNNY ALSTON’S MOTOWN ROCK & ROLL REVUE

A dynamite crowd pleaser! P.J. Leary & The Las Vegas Sounds also performs before and after the show.

OCTOBER 15

RICHIE MERRITT

Richie Merritt of the Marcels will be performing in the Red Rose Dining Room with P.J. Leary and The Las Vegas Sounds.

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RALPH ALLOCCO & SECOND WIND

Performing in the Red Rose Dining Room

SHOW RESERVATIONS Please call for ticket prices. Shows in the Red Rose Ballroom are in a supper club atmosphere with a four course meal (seats also available for the show only – for a lower price!)

NO COVER CHARGE for shows in the 5-Star Red Rose Dining Room with the purchase of dinner.

Show Guests - inquire about our special room rates when staying overnight after a show!

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

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TEL: 813.752.3141

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Mrs. Evelyn Madonia Owner/General Manager

AUGUST 2010

45

Gentle

Take a Stroll GARDENING in the Tip of the Month:

By Craig Chandler

University of Florida

Plant City Teaching Garden A couple of months ago, I finally took the time to walk through the UF teaching garden on the campus of Hillsborough Community College – Plant City (1206 N. Park Road). What a treat for a plant lover like me! And what a great resource for our community.

The 1.5 acre garden (which is actually a collection of gardens) was created primarily as an educational tool for students in the Environmental Horticultural degree program at UF’s academic unit on the HCC campus, but it is open to the public, free of charge, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., seven days a week.

As stated in the garden’s brochure, “…a visit to the garden provides ideas and inspiration for anyone interested in gardening or landscaping.” Seeing a plant in a photo or in a small pot at

46

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

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The garden is composed of plants that are well adapted to the central Florida environment.

The trees and most, if not all, of the shrubs and herbaceous perennials in the garden are “Floridafriendly plants,” which means that they have relatively low maintenance requirements and often provide food and shelter to birds, butterflies, and other wildlife.

If you’d like to take a virtual tour of the garden (before you take a real tour) go to the garden’s website, http://gcrec.ifas.ufl.edu/pcc/teachinggarden.htm. A newly added feature of the website is a list of all the plants in the garden, alphabetical by common and scientific name. Also, a sheet containing photos and helpful info pops up when you click on the plant name.

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Congratulations Marcos Rios upon your Graduation from Driscoll’s Leadership Institute on July 27, 2010.

DLI (Driscoll’s Leadership Institute) is designed for high performing, high potential leaders from various levels and departments in Driscoll’s, partner companies and our growers from around the world. Participants learned about their own leadership abilities, new leadership and management tools and what it means to be a leader in business by participating in a year long program that is broken down into 4 Immersion sessions during the year. They also participate in an In-Store program and select independent development activities to hone their leadership abilities. The foundational competencies for DLI focus on the following for Growing Great People:

Building EffEctivE tEams • managing vision & PurPosE managErial couragE • BusinEss acumEn • ProcEss managEmEnt

12880 Hwy. 92 E., Dover, FL 33527 • 813.659.4120 • 813.659.1584 Fax 48

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

By Mark Cook Many businesses can boast of somewhat famous clients.

Some may even have a photo of that customer hanging on a lobby wall. Not many however can claim the United States Military as a satisfied client. But Line-X of Brandon can, and while the average customer may not need bomb blast protection for a Black Hawk helicopter, some of the same technology will create a lifetime spray on bedliner for your truck or be used to protect your farm equipment.

Kevin and Molly Koehnke have been in the Line-X business for over 15 years and began with a store in Virginia. In 2004 an opportunity to expand to Florida came along and the couple jumped at the chance and have been at their current Brandon location for six years. Along the way the couple have earned numerous service awards including the National Line-X Millennium Award for outstanding customer service and workmanship. Kevin Koehnke was also one of only two owners chosen to actually spray the U.S. Pentagon with a bomb blast protectant.

“I was very honored and proud to be chosen for the Pentagon Project,’’ Koehnke said. “Because I am such a strong believer in our product, it felt good doing what we were doing (shooting it on the interior of the e-ring) and knowing it was going to save lives in the future if something like 9/11 happened again.”

Line-X is well known for its development of the spray on truck bedliners. The Line-X advantages over a standard drop in bed liner are numerous with one of the biggest ones being the national lifetime guarantee Line-X offers. Other benefits to a Line-X spray on liner is the resistence to common chemicals. Gas, chlorine, fertilizers and paints all will not damage a Line-X liner.

One of the newer products offered by Line-X is the Line-X XTRA, which is able to be color matched to your vehicle and also includes additional protection as it also fortified with DuPont KEVLAR, which increase the resistance for punctures and additional U/V protection. Data also suggests the trade in value for a spray on liner is double that of common drop in bedliners. Another huge advantage Line-X has over drop in liners is the texture, which increases traction dramatically. One of the number one complaints of plastic liners is the cargo slides easy but with Line-X most things stay in place while being transported.

For farmers or those in the heavy machinery business, one of the biggest factors in maintaining their equipment is corrosion.

Salt chlorides and metal mixing equals corrosion. Line-X provides coatings that will prevent the corrosion and in the process equipment that has the Line-X coating applied will also become immune to abrasion and impact damage. And while snow isn’t a problem in Florida, Line-X coatings will prevent ice from sticking to your equipment if it’s ever used in freezing conditions.

“Not many people know this but the product was first developed to be used in the agricultural industry,” Molly Koehnke said. “Then one day someone had an idea about creating bedliners and things really took off. But we want people to know that we offer numerous applications for all types of agricultural or heavy equipment that will extend the life of their equipment.”

Line-X coatings have also been used and are becoming popular with those in the commercial mowing business. Ask anyone with a lawn care or bush hog service and they will tell you one of the fastest parts of a machine to start to deterioate is the mowing deck due to constant stress from harsh conditions. Line-X offers a coating specifically for mowing decks of all shapes and sizes that studies show will remain intact even after four years of the toughest conditions. A new deck for a standard box store homeowner

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lawnmower can run as high as $700 dollars, so the benefit and cost of a deck coating will pay for itself quickly. In fact the average homeowner’s lawn mower will go through several engines before any deck repairs are ever needed.

The Koehnkes Line-X business works with numerous new car dealership including Plant City’s JarrettScott Ford and Stingray Chevrolet.

Lionel Crooks, sales/business manager at Jarrett/Scott, speaks highly of Line-X of Brandon and their product.

“They are an under promiser and over deliverer,” Crooks said. “They always do a lot more than they say and that’s rare in today’s business world. They are dependable, number one and when they say they will do something not only do they do it, but usually even more. I can’t say enough good things about them and their product. We’ve been dealing with them for years and have yet to have a customer complaint or a problem with their product.”

Business has been overall successful and the Koehnkes have been fortunate to be able to share by giving to numerous charities but first and foremost to their church.

“Some people might find it a little strange but it is very important to Kevin and I to give to our church and let them use the money to help others,” Molly Koehnke said. “We love the Hillsborough County area and feel blessed to be a part of the community.”

Line-X of Brandon can be reached at 813-627-9603 and you can learn more about Line-X by visiting www.line-X.com.

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

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51

CRYSTAL SPRINGS PRESERVE: Tending Florida’s Most Precious Crop

By Jim Frankowiak There’s a very special place in southeast Pasco County that showcases the freshwater ecology of Florida’s spring systems and the rich biodiversity of the upper Hillsborough River. It’s Crystal Springs Preserve and encompasses 525-acres of pristine wilderness designed as a living laboratory offering students of all ages the opportunity to engage in amazing hands-on nature based science programs.

Owned by the Thomas family, Crystal Springs Preserve is upstream and adjacent to their families Two Rivers Ranch.

Combined the properties encompass a lengthy corridor of the upper Hillsborough River in which both banks of the river are under their private stewardship. “Our family firmly believes that we have a duty to preserve the land and protect the spring and share it with people in a meaningful way,” said Thomas. “Our challenge has been to find a way to share the spring without jeopardizing the natural systems it supports.” Crystal Springs adds approximately 40 million gallons of natural spring water to the downstream flow of the Hillsborough River daily. While it was once a favorite “swimming hole” its current role as an educational facility is ensuring that this pristine slice of Florida is preserved and protected for generations to come.

In 2004, the non-profit organization known as Crystal Springs Foundation, Inc. began teaching student programs within Crystal Springs Preserve. Since then the site has gained local, state, national and international recognition as a state of the art facility dedicated to empowering visitors with the knowledge and passion to preserve, protect and conserve native Florida flora and

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fauna. The Foundation is dedicated to providing high quality free educational programs which enable the students to make environmentally conscious decisions. Managing the habitat goes hand in hand with the educational mission of the site. “Our focus is on providing a high quality science learning experiences for every group. By learning about the ecosystems, aquifers, rivers, forests, springs within our Preserve, students become passionate ambassadors for what makes Florida’s wilderness so special,” said Karen Pate, Director of Crystal Springs Preserve.

Educational programs are tailored to meet the needs and interests of diverse groups from elementary age school children to college students, as well as home school students, organizations, teachers, seniors, and those interested in becoming certified as Florida Master Naturalists. Pate and her team carefully manage all aspects of the preserve. There are limits on the size of groups and number of groups that can visit Crystal Springs Preserve.

“Our focus is on providing quality directed learning experiences that improve science literacy. By experiencing the ecosystems within Crystal Spring Preserve students of all ages become knowledgeable ambassadors of natural Florida,” said Pate.

“Thanks to philanthropic support, registration fees are kept to a minimum,” said Pate. “We greatly appreciate financial donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, organizations and groups.” Due to popularity groups must reserve program sessions at least one year in advance.

Those groups and teachers interested in learning about an educational session at Crystal

Continued on next page

CRYSTAL SPRINGS PRESERVE: Tending Florida’s Most Precious Crop Springs Preserve can do so by visiting www.crystalspringspreserve. com. “That site provides information about our science programs, registration information, available dates, size of groups, what to wear, what to expect and directions,” said Pate. The only charge is a $25 registration fee for each group.

Elementary students have a range of program options from “Getting Buggy,” a bug safari with a chance to collect as many different insects as you can, to “Survival,” what it takes to survive if you ever get lost in the wilderness, plus “Awesome Aquifers,” “Hanging Out in the Habitat” and “River Rats Water Adventure. “ Program length varies from one to three hours and accommodates groups up to 100.

Middle school groups ranging in size from 60 – 100 people and two to three hours can participate in What’s In Your Water, “River Critter Roundup,” “Survival,” “Tech Trek” and “Rockin’” Out with CSP. High School groups have the chance for more advanced programs, including those designed specifically for AP Biology and AP Environmental Science. Home school students can enroll in individual programs, as well as an annual workshop series. Similar program offerings are available for youth and adult education groups.

“We also have educational classes for undergraduate and graduate college students and offer college internships,” said Pate.

Crystal Springs Preserve also offers science themed birthday party programming for youngsters and groups up to 30 persons with start times at 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. Party groups select an educational program and enjoy decorations, party goods, ice cream, beverages and the services of a party host. There is a $200 charge for party groups up to 30 persons.

“The love and respect we foster for Crystal Springs Preserve began many years ago with Mr. Wayne Thomas and continues with the current generation of the Thomas family. That is a legacy we work hard to grow,” said Pate “It is a privilege to work with students in such an amazing natural setting. We are actively engaging them in the real world and inspiring them to work hard and make a difference. I know this exposure will result in career path choices and that’s a good thing, a residual benefit. It is very important that our future generations reconnect with nature.

Florida’s children are our most precious crop and programs at Crystal Springs Preserve enrich their lives, grow their minds and uplift their spirits while reminding them that good stewardship by all is what will make Florida thrive.”

For more information about Crystal Springs Preserve, visit www.crystalspringspreserve.com.

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Hurricane Charley and the

By Mark Cook As we enter into the peak of hurricane season this month I decided to submit a short story I wrote sitting on my porch a few days after Hurricane Charley came through our area in 2004 It started with a passing comment from my wife.

“A limb or branch just fell and scraped the bedroom window,” she said.

Hurricane Charley was passing through Central Florida and we were in its path. As I looked out of the bedroom window I saw oak leaves resting on the glass, blocking any light from coming in.

That’s a good-sized oak limb, I thought to myself as I tried to see where it came from.

I went to the front door and looked through the glass pane.

Rain was falling sideways as 80 mph winds whipped debris throughout the yard. I decided against opening the door but glanced to the east. A knot welled up in my stomach as I blinked trying to awaken myself from what must be a bad dream. There on its side lay 100 years of life barely hanging on, trying to survive.

The massive live oak never made a sound as it stumbled on its side.

In an instant the landscape of our yard was forever changed.

“Stay away from that side of the house,” I told my wife and

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son, not knowing if the tree might roll further into the house.

As the winds increased the snapping of tree limbs became increasingly more common. Like firecrackers on the Fourth of July the popping of breaking trees continued and you waited for the dull thud of wood meeting wet soil. Strangely, healthy pine trees broke like matchsticks yet trees robbed of life years before stood still barely swaying. There was no rhyme or reason I thought to myself.

But every time I looked outside I saw the oak. I started thinking about the sadness of its fate. How did the tree get there?

Perhaps a squirrel or a bird dropped an acorn on fertile soil.

Somehow against all odds the tree’s life began, never knowing what it’s future held. I began thinking about my grandparents who homesteaded their 20 acres in the 1940’s. Did my grandfather lay out the design of the house with the tree in mind? Had he considered cutting it down? Did my father and his brothers and sisters climb the oak as small children? All of these questions crept in my mind. I then started thinking back to the numerous family reunions where tables of food were spread out under its canopy of shade. What would happen to the azaleas planted years before I was born that depended on filtered sunlight provided by the oak?

A million thoughts kept swirling through my head as I watched

the tree lying there. A funny memory came back, thinking about a time when I was around four or five years old and my Granny was raking under the tree taking care of her flowers. A persistent armadillo had been burrowing around the tree near her azaleas. I watched as Granny went and filled a bucket full of fallen grapefruits. We stuffed the hole and thought we had the problem solved.

The next day I couldn’t wait to go check it. To both of our surprise the grapefruit were scattered with apparent ease. I remember her laughing, unable to be mad. As far as I know my Granny and Mr. Armadillo tolerated each other after that.

I also remembered all the times I told my wife we need to get a swing to sit in the evening hours to relax in its shade. Or a tire swing for my son. As the case in most of my life I procrastinated. Darn my lazy streak.

All these thoughts filled my head, yet a touch of guilt crept in. Sure we had lost a tree but the family was safe and our house was still standing. We would soon come to learn thousands were not so fortunate.

After a day of reflection I realized how truly powerless we are in the hands of Mother Nature.

I told the wife the earth’s landscape has been evolving and changing for millions of years and no man’s wishes or abilities can change that fact.

A hundred years from now when I’m dust in a box the property I call home will look completely different.

She said, “Ok Grandpa Walton,” referring to the TV show the Waltons. We both laughed.

We needed to.

As the sawing started a few days later, I said goodbye to a part of my childhood and our family’s history and heritage. A proud oak tree had fallen, it’s insides ripped out, a victim of Mother Nature’s decisions. But we were safe, the old home spared and life would go on. A little less shady, but go on nonetheless.

Mark Cook Tribune outdoor writer and Y’all Magazine Florida editor writes a monthly column for In the Filed and welcome suggestions and ideas for future stories. He can be reached at mark@inthefieldmagazine.com

®

Contributing writers wanted Please contact: 813.759.6909 info@inthefieldmagazine.com INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

57

A Closer Look: Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis)

A Closer Look: Imperial Moth

By Sean Green

Moths and butterflies have represented our notion of beauty and wonder for thousands of years. “Psyche,” the Greek Goddess, is depicted in ancient art with butterfly or moth wings. The wings of a butterfly often designate the soul in Western art, and are commonly painted as fairy wings. Children are naturally fascinated with the colorful fluttering of this ancient insect that often serves not only our esthetic interests, but our intellectual and spiritual as well.

The lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) are suspected to date back to the Cretaceous period (ending 65 million years ago).

The Saturniidae, are among the largest and most spectacular lepidoptera, their ancient subfamilies occur only in the Americas, while other “modern” Saturniidae are widely distributed. Evidence suggests that the Saturniidae first evolved in the American tropics probably in the late tertiary period. The Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) is a modern species of Saturniidae common in Florida.

This magnificent moth is among the least harmful to crops and its stingless larval stage (caterpillar) make it a safe species to observe.

The colorfully fuzzy caterpillar is between three and four inches long and adorned with impressive but harmless horns. If you are lucky enough to have found a caterpillar, consider the dangers it has overcome to survive to this stage.

Two broods per year can occur in Florida, typically in August and September. Adults emerge before sunrise. After midnight the next day the slightly larger female wafts a medley of pheromones on the wind to seduce males to her stationary location. Once paired, the two moths are vulnerable to predators; foraging raccoons are especially fond of these moths and often consume the adults before eggs can even be laid. Females lay the fertilized eggs at dusk, singly or in groups of two to five, on both surfaces of host plant leaving the eggs twice as visible and vulnerable than other Lepidoptera species that only lay eggs on the underside of leaves. Females do not protect the eggs once they are laid, making them a buffet for birds, beetles, and other insects. Some parasitic wasp species can completely eliminate the chance of any eggs hatching to reach the larval stage (caterpillars).

If the eggs survive long enough to become translucent white in color, they are ready to hatch. After hatching, the caterpillars crawl away from the egg before settling down to feed in solitude and must survive new enemies such as hornets and yellow jackets, both of which hunt young caterpillars to feed their young.

The caterpillar will have five instars (stages) to complete before reaching adulthood. At the end of each instar, the caterpillar attaches itself to the major vein of a leaf and begins to molt. Enzymes are secreted to digest the inner layers of the existing cuticle (skin), detaching the animal from the outer cuticle. The caterpillar emerges from its old cuticle and begins the next instar.

E. imperialis will eat its own molt for protein if a host plant is not available. Caterpillars feast on a variety of

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host conifers, deciduous trees and shrubs including Pine (Pinus), Oak (Quercus), Box Elder (Acer negundo), Maple (Acer), Sweet Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua), and Sassafras (Sassafras albidum).

Contrary to popular belief, adult moths do not eat clothing, in fact, they do not feed at all. They do not have the mouthparts to do so.

Adult moths emerge for the sole purpose of mating and typically do not live beyond a few days, surviving solely on the stored fat they have accumulated in their larval stage.

When the caterpillars are ready to pupate, they will abandon the tree in search of a soft soil patch in which to burrow underground to pupate. The mature caterpillar will have one of two basic color forms, a black/orange form or a green/yellow form.

Variation within these two forms will color the head, spines, body, and feet. When pupation is complete, the adults emerge from the ground and the cycle begins again. Adult females are typically more yellow in color and nearly always larger than males, especially when carrying eggs. Males have more purple on the wings and have fuzzier antennae that are designed to detect the aroma of the female Imperial Moth.

Moths and butterflies continue to inspire authors such as Gene Stratton Porter, an amateur naturalist. Two of her books feature E. Imperialis. In “A Girl of the Limberlost (1909)” the moth is featured as an important character in the plot of the story.

“Moths of the Limberlost (1912)” is a nature book illustrating both the science and wonder of the moths of the Limberlost Swamp. I encourage you to likewise welcome inspiration by observing this species with the childhood sense of wonder that so many of us suppress as we age.

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

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By Nick Chapman

“I showed Appaloosas and Palominos in upstate New York,” said Donna Zimmerman. As a teenager, she worked with a family that had three boys, and on weekends they would show at Pony of the Americas (POAs) events, and Donna would baby sit and groom. And she thought, “These are great ponies and when I have kids, I’m getting them POAs.” That was the start of a love affair that has led Donna and her family to be recognized as top breeders, trainers and showmen all over this nation.

Donna’s love for horses themselves started from the beginning.

“I was born and raised on a dairy farm in upstate New York. We always had horses since I was born. My older sister showed, my middle sister showed, I showed. You know, it’s in your blood.”

After growing up, she went to college to study physical therapy and met and married Eric Zimmerman, and they eventually moved to Virginia. She said she made it about six months without a horse.

“So I called my father and said, ‘Daddy, could you bring me a horse?’ and he brought one down from Rochester, New York and left the horse trailer. That was the beginning of the end.”

They eventually moved to Florida with two horses, and ended up settling in Lithia. “We’ve been showing horses and raising horses ever since then.” The couple had two children, Rick and Erin, and the family was all involved in showing, not only horses, but about every type of farm animal available to them. From show cattle to sheep, dog obedience to pigs and chickens, and of course, horses.

Donna ran the Hoof Printers 4-H club for many years, helping other children learn the joy of owning and showing animals. “I used to give 23 kids riding lesson each week, plus work full time.

So my kids were always on ponies because their friends were here riding.”

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Donna kept her promise to buy a POA when Rick was three years old. She bought a three year old gelding that was unbroken and malnourished for $125, but Donna had done her homework and knew he came from good bloodlines. After nursing him back to health and having him trained out, Rick was ready for the show ring. “My son rode him in the 8 and Under classes, and he was sixth in the nation on that $125 pony.” She said that POAs are known for their versatility, and their great disposition. “These are ponies raised for kids in the size range that’s appropriate for kids.”

The breed association limits their size between 46” to 56” at the withers.

The family has been actively showing and breeding POAs for the past 22 years, and has even been affiliated with the Florida POA chapter. Brittany Zimmerman, Donna’s daughter-in-law, is the current president, and Donna served in that office the previous two years. They have shown well in Florida and in the regional and international shows, taking champions in several different classes.

Her grown children are still involved with horses. Erin now lives in Spokane, Washington and is building a showing and training reputation herself. Rick and Brittney now have six horses of their own, and help Donna show her stock at the big shows.

Her love for horses, showing and sewing has gradually morphed into a nice side business for Donna. “I’ve sewn all my life.

I’ve always made my own show costumes, and then I made my kid’s show clothes. Then I made all my riding lesson students’ clothes. I did it for free for years, but finally for the last three or four years I’m actually charging for it. I started making slinky hoods and selling them at the horse shows. Then I got into clothing repair at the shows, and started bringing my sewing machine.” Demand for her

services grew, and before she knew it she was bringing supplies and material and making custom show clothing.

“It’s just progressed from there.”

Donna makes anything under the hat to the top of the boots, show pants, chaps (leather and ultra suede), blouses, show jackets, the works. She adds as much “bling” as is desired, and she has a keen eye for colors, patterns and shapes. Her reputation has grown just from word of mouth, and now she even gets orders from as far away as Oregon and Washington. She recently made a complete outfit for a young lady showing in Georgia, who qualified to compete in the national show.

Donna Zimmerman has worked tirelessly for the love of children and horses for many years. She relayed a story about a very special young lady named Erin (who she named her daughter after). She was from a divorced family and spent many hours at the Zimmerman home. Donna surprised her one Christmas with the gift of one of her lesson horses. They hid it in the garage and decorated it. “She went out and saw the horse, and she cried, and we all cried.”

She went on to get a scholarship at the University of Tampa and

graduated in three years, and then she joined the Air Force.

She contacted Donna and told her she had decided to go to veterinarian school because of her influence and the time spent on her farm. Donna got a letter from Erin’s mom telling her she and her daughter were reflecting on past Christmases, and Erin still said the best one was getting the gift horse from Donna those many years ago.

She has worked full time the past 31 years as a physical therapist, and is currently employed at Sullivan Rehab Services in Brandon. She loves her therapy work, and has the same passion and dedication for her patients as she does for her students and horses.

Whether through 4-H or riding lessons, sheep shows or POAs, Donna Zimmerman continues to impact the youth in Hillsborough County in a positive way through her love, enthusiasm and commitment to children and animals. If you’re interested in show clothing for your child, contact Donna at (813) 363-1535.

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Lithia Woodworks — From Cows to Dowels

By Nick Chapman The high pitch whirl of a table saw and the smell of fresh cut wood greet you upon entering Vernon Blackadar’s workshop in Lithia. The 1,800 square foot building is home to Vernon’s business, Lithia Woodworks, which is located directly behind the house he and Sandy Blackadar have shared together for over 50 years. “I used to do all my work right here in the kid’s old playroom, and in the garage and in the drive way,” Vernon said during a morning interview in their home.

“I’ve always messed around with wood, doing one thing or another when needed, but not seriously until 1986,”said Vernon. His interest in woodworking was spurred on by his wife Sandy, who encouraged him to enter a piece of his work into the Florida State Fair woodworking contest in 1986. “I had just made three dry sinks for the kids, and she said I should make another. She persisted, so I made another dry sink.” He entered and placed fifth that first year.

“It keyed something in me, sort of flicked a switch. I thought, ‘Gee whiz, these other 62

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Continued on page 66

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65

guys are no better than I am.’”

But at that time, his Maiden Hill Dairy was still in full operation.

“I was still milking cows, and you don’t have a lot of extra time when you have a herd of cows, and the equipment, and the help and everything else.” He did manage to create at least one woodworking piece to enter in the fair, and he has entered a piece every year since 1986.

After he and Sandy closed the dairy they operated in 1992, Vernon took some time to evaluate where to put his focus. It wasn’t an immediate switch to woodworking. But he continued making things, and gradually an idea was born. “People would ask me if I would make something for them. I didn’t advertise so it wasn’t a matter of putting something out here and people seeing it.” So by word of mouth, interest grew in his work and he decided to open Lithia Woodworks.

As the business grew, so did his need for more sophisticated equipment and room to work. He said that somewhere between running out of room, Sandy wanting her house back and the right financial timing all combined in 2002 to give him his current workshop.

“I mainly went with this structure because of the wind resistance,” Vernon explained, because he and Sandy rode out Hurricane Donna in 1960, and had seen the destruction that could cause.

Vernon has a tremendous amount of accumulated knowledge, and he rattles off woodworking terminology and facts with the comfort and ease as if it were his native language. His collection of wood ranges from the domestic to the exotic, and is educated in the characteristics and features of each, and what best brings out their beauty. He often shares that knowledge with others through demonstrations and workshops. He is also an active member of the Woodcrafters Club of Tampa that meets every third Thursday of the month at the Broad Street Baptist Church. “The club has a booth at the State Fair, and I just love to be in there. I’ll spend all three days just talking to other folks, and listening to what they do. And I try to urge them to become more involved.” In fact he admits, “I could probably work seven days a week just giving lessons.”

Although he started out with shadow boxes made from pallet wood, Vernon’s creations now span from cabinets and furniture to all types of boxes from the simple to the complex, some even with secret compartments. “I do sign and number all of my work, and I keep a log for my records.” He has made bulk quantities of certain items for corporations to use as gifts as well. He commented one of his toughest projects was the last one he completed, which was a custom book and magazine rack for the James B. Keel Regional Library on Bearrs Avenue in Tampa. With the help of fellow woodworker Gil Samreny, they built the piece that included 6’ tambour rollup doors hand crafted from scratch.

His approach to any project is straightforward, even the elaborate secretary desk he would like to build for someone.

“First you have to build it in your mind. When you look at a piece of furniture most of it is basic cuts. Then you get to where one step follows the other automatically. It’s just remembering to do the right thing at the right time.” He even says of the many Continued from page 62

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boxes he creates, “It appears complicated, but the more you do it, the less complicated it is.” He admits it has taken time to get to this point, sighting that when he started out he drew out diagrams of what different terminology meant and posted it on the wall as a quick reference.

Through the years, Vernon’s woodworking projects have won several awards and the respect of his colleagues.

This should come as no surprise, because of his drive to do things right. As a high school and college competitor, he won several awards for showing Ayrshire dairy cows and bulls. As a dairyman in Lithia, his farm was recognized for excellence.

He continues this tradition of excellence in his woodworking projects, and the knowledge he shares.

Vernon’s future plans include setting up classes in his workshop for those interested in learning the skills he has mastered. With the help of his wife Sandy, he has assembled a book of anecdotes and stories from his years growing up on a farm in Massachusetts, and hopes to have it published in the near future. Perhaps an award winning author is the next step for this man of many talents.

If you are interested in learning more about Lithia Woodworks and Vernon Blackadar’s creations, contact him at (813) 689-2989 or by email at versblackadar@msm.com.

If you are already a woodworker and want to get involved on the club level, visit the Woodcrafters Club of Tampa at www. tampawoodcrafters.org.

Todd Balog

Stingray Chevrolet would like to welcome to their Collision Repair Facility. Todd Balog is relocating the Collision Center at Lott-Mather Buick-Pont-GMC to our dealership. Todd has been with the Buick-Pont-GMC franchise and involved in the automotive business for 21 years. He has been very involved with our community and is well known for his open and honest business practices. We invite all his family and friends to stop in and say hello and welcome him to his new home.

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WOMAN OF THE YEAR IN AGRICULTURE AWARD NOMINATION DEADLINE IS NOVEMBER 1 Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson announced that nominations are being accepted for the 2010 “Woman of the Year in Agriculture” award. The award, now in its 26th year, recognizes women who have made outstanding contributions to Florida agriculture.

“This award spotlights the vital role of women in Florida agriculture and serves to encourage other women to get involved in the business,” Bronson said. “Many women have made significant contributions over the years in developing and sustaining this important industry, which has an overall economic impact estimated at more than $100 billion annually.”

Those nominated for the award will be judged by a panel familiar with Florida agriculture. The award will be presented on February 10, 2011, during the opening-day luncheon of the Florida State Fair in Tampa.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which sponsors the event, has sent nomination forms to agricultural organizations around the state. The deadline for submitting nominations to the Department is November 1, 2010.

Nominations remain active for two years, after that time they must be resubmitted in order to be considered.

For more information about the “Woman of the Year in Agriculture” award including screening criteria and biographies of previous winners, or to obtain nomination forms, call Richard Gunnels at (850) 488-3022 or visit http://www.floridaagriculture.com/agwoman/index.htm.

Previous winners of the “Woman of the Year in Agriculture” award are: - 2009 Marcia Lightsey, of Lake Wales - 2008 Patsy Nathe, of Dade City - 2007 Colleen Boggs, of Homestead - 2006 Iris Wall, of Indiantown - 2005 Marlene Strickland, of Sarasota - 2004 Martina “Teena” Borek, of Homestead - 2003 Jennie Lee Zipperer, of Fort Myers - 2002 Annette Barnett Land, of Branford - 2001 Barbara Carlton, of Sidell - 2000 Helen Houck, of Perry - 1999 Vina Jean Banks, of Balm - 1998 Nancy Gurnett Hardy, of Winter Haven - 1997 Gertrude “Trudy” Carey, of Hillsborough County - 1996 Norma Stokes, of Highlands County - 1995 Louve “Vee” Frierson Platt, of Clewiston, and Patricia Robbins, of Miami - 1994 Anne Wardlaw Dickinson, of Frostproof - 1993 Sarah W. Bailey, of St. Johns County - 1992 Carol C. Murphy, of Volusia County - 1991 Ruth M. Tucker, of Brevard County - 1990 Jeanette Barthle, of Pasco County - 1989 Belle Jeffords, of Alachua County - 1988 Carolyn Reed Kempfer, of Osceola-Brevard counties - 1987 Dorothy Conner Shipes, of Lake County - 1986 Ruth Wedgworth, of Belle Glade - 1985 Jo Ann Smith, of Marion County

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Eat Better. Love Life. Live Longer.

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www.fredssouthernkitchen.com 70

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GARDENING

101

By Carol C. Weathersbee There’s something about a having backyard garden plentiful with fresh crops. About a year and a half ago, Todd and Carla Hood decide to plant their own family garden. Todd says, “My wife and I had just returned home from a long mission trip in Jamaica.

We saw a lot of impoverished areas and came home with a new appreciation for the fresh food and land that’s available to us.”

This experience prompted Todd and Carla to start talking about planting a garden. “I didn’t just want to talk about it, I actually wanted to do it,” Todd said. Neither Todd or Carla had any experience with gardening, nor did either know how to get started. Todd says, “We live on family property, and about this time, my uncle came into town. He used to live here on the family property too, but retired and moved to North Georgia.” He continued, “When I was growing up, we didn’t have a garden, but my uncle did.”

Todd said, “My uncle had a lot of great advice and so my wife and I decided to get started.” He suggested, “First consider what types of vegetables you like to eat and then consider the amount of land you have to work with.” As natives of Plant City, the Hoods enjoy many delicious vegetables, and Todd said, “We planted just about everything we like to eat: squash, zucchini, cucumbers, Silver Queen corn, Kentucky green beans, three variety of tomatoes, okra, and even a little patch of cantaloupe.” He added, “Carla really wanted some conk peas, but we couldn’t find seeds for that so we planted black‐eyed peas instead.”

Most farmers know that the timing with planting the seeds is important. Todd explained, “We had to leave for a short missions trip, so we got our seed in the ground a few weeks late, but when we returned home and sowed the seeds, it wasn’t long before our garden started to grow.” The Hoods enjoyed a bounty of fresh crops for several months, and Todd exclaimed, “The cucumbers were coming out of our ears! We only had about a 25‐foot row and almost every day I was able to fill a bucket full of cucumbers.” The Hoods share a chuckle as they recall how some cucumbers must’ve crossed with the squash because one end of the cucumber would be curled.

The Hoods have really enjoyed a great time planting their first garden. Todd said, “It was a lot of hard work, but a lot of fun as well. For me, some of the most special moments were on Saturday morning when I would go out early to work in the garden. It was a nice quiet time to spend praying with the Lord because there I was in the midst of his handiwork and he used me and Carla to help

bring it about.”

The Hoods explain that there was a lot of trial and error planting their first garden, but are resolved to continue gardening.

Todd suggested, “Having the proper tools would make things a lot easier. We didn’t have all the right tools, so a lot of our work was done by hand and we had to borrow our neighbor’s tiller.”

With this wonderful bounty of crops, Todd and Carla had to also learn about canning and preserving. “God blessed us with so much food even after we shared our crops with family and friends that we had to learn from our parents how to can and preserve so we would be prepared for the winter,” which Todd said was another great learning experience for the family.

The Hoods recommend gardening as a great family project as well as a great lesson for winning others to Jesus Christ. Todd shared, “The Word of God uses illustrations of sowing and reaping the harvest. The Bible tells us that seed is the Word of God and it has to be planted and sewn, just like gardening.” He continued, “In gardening, we have to prepare the ground before it can receive the seed, and so it is with people. We introduce Christ to folks, thus opening their hearts and minds to receive Him.” Todd said, “It was not only a great lesson in life to learn, but as a missionary, it was a great learning tool. It brought to life just how precious God’s Word is. Just like preparing the soil to receive the seed, so we too, share the Word of God so that it can be received and take root in a person’s heart.” One of Todd’s favorite scriptures is Psalm 126:5‐6, which in part reads, “They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy….”

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More For Your Animals.

More For You.

The Hay Exchange offers only the flat-out best quality hay for your animals every day, every season.

Join us September 17 - 18 for a TRUCKLOAD SALE and on September 18 for a Tack Swap. All animal feed will be on sale. Look for In Store Discounts. There will be a Green Egg cooking demonstration.

www.thehayexchange.net • 813-754-5405 • 4950 US Hwy. 92 West • Plant City, FL 33563 72

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

Plant City Garden Club Hosts

The Plant City Garden Club is kicking off the fall gardening season with its second GardenFest. Looking for ideas on what to plant this fall? Need to purchase plants for your flower beds? You will not want to miss the second annual GardenFest for Plant City.

The date is September 25, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Train Depot, 102 N. Palmer Street, Plant City. There will be a host of vendors offering a variety of plants, garden art and accessories for your gardens and outdoor living areas.

This free to the public event will feature Local vendors and speakers. Vendors such as All A Bloom, Tropical Gardens Sunshine Nursery, and many more.

The Speakers for this year’s event will be: 10:00 AM - Willow LaMonte from Willow Herbal Delight Gardens, a Folk Herbalist and Organic Grower, she will speak on growing herbs organically for health and flavor.

11:30 AM - Lynn Barber from the Hillsborough County Extension Service. She will be speaking on Florida Friendly Landscaping.

The Plant City Daybreak Rotary Club will have hamburgers and hot dogs for sale.

“We want to promote our local vendors as well as offering an opportunity to provide information on gardening,” stated Mikie Snyder, Plant City Garden Club President. “This event was very popular last year, we are pleased to have added new and more vendors so you will not want to miss it.”

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A Visit with

By Jim Frankowiak

Ag Educator and Successful Nurseryman 76

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

Douglas Holmberg planted his very first plants as a five-yearold growing up in southwestern Minnesota on his father’s dairy farm. His journey and stops along the way to Hillsborough County and a successful career as an educator and nurseryman have been “long and interesting” with some challenging twists and turns.

“I grew up on a dairy farm and helped with chores in the morning and after school in the afternoons,” said Holmberg. “Electricity came to our place in 1949 and the winters were challenging, but I learned a lot and gained an appreciation for what my family did and how we all helped one another.”

Holmberg attended South Dakota State University and received his undergraduate degree in Agriculture and Education in 1960.

He joined Northern Biochemical Corporation, a feed additive marketing company, as a salesman shortly after graduation. “I spent my first four months in that position setting up tests involving laying hens and swine. My employer wanted me to prove to myself that our product worked. It did and I went on to a series of sales positions going from salesman to district sales manager and then on to state sales manager.

“That was a wonderful product that is still marketed today.”

However, Northern Biochemical no longer exists and Holmberg’s sales management position, a growing compensation package and nest egg all came to an end in April of 1961 thanks to Bernice Geiger, who embezzled more than $2 million while working for her father’s bank in Sheldon, Iowa. Some of the money Geiger had embezzled was used to buy stock in Northern Biochemical and when the Federal Deposit Insurance Company took over the bank’s operations, the company was forced to close. That left Holmberg without a job and several expense accounts due him went unpaid.

“Part of my job involved inviting prospective customers to dinner meetings where I would introduce them to our products and explain how they could help with their individual operations,” noted Holmberg. “Some restaurants billed the company, while I paid for others. Since I signed for all of the dinners, any that the company could not pay as a result of the FDIC takeover became my responsibility.”

His company car was gone and his personal auto was sold to pay off those outstanding dinner bills. That left Holmberg with about $90 and a suitcase full of clothes. Thankfully, four principals of Northern Biochemical setup a franchise operation in four states: Florida, Hawaii, Maryland and Washington. “With my Ag degree I was hired to become the technical advisor to the sales corporation.

I picked Hawaii to begin my association with the new group.”

However, the Florida franchisee wanted to move quickly and Holmberg’s plans to move to Hawaii were changed and he headed to Tampa, arriving May 1. “I left Sioux Falls where the temperature was 30 degrees and when I arrived in Tampa I saw a thermometer coming out of the airport and it said 78 degrees. I wondered at that moment whether I would ever go back.”

He was subsequently hired by the Florida franchisee and “accomplished more in four months than I had with my old company in a year and a half.” His compensation was good, too good since the Florida franchisee told him he had to cut his percentage of profits package and that left Holmberg in quandary. After being told about this compensation package reduction, he stopped in Brandon on his way to prospective customer locations in north Tampa.

“I sat down at the lunch counter at what was then Harris’ Restaurant on Kingsway and Brandon Boulevard and told the waitress I’d have what the man next to me was eating.” That was a Cuban sandwich and the man eating it was Don Yoho, principal of Horace Mann Middle School. They got to talking and while Holmberg was upset about his compensation issue, Yoho was in dire need of an Ag teacher and it was August 20, with school opening in just a few days. After lunch, the two visited Horace Mann and though much had to be done, Holmberg joined the faculty and began what became a 30 year run as head of the Ag Department at Horace Mann. Though holder of a degree in agriculture, Holmberg knew little of Florida flora and fauna, but he received a good deal of assistance in plant ID in those first days and weeks at Horace Mann from the school’s bookstore operator, Kiki Strowger.

“I loved that job and my students. It was never work for me,” said Holmberg. “How could it be work when I was teaching a subject I thoroughly enjoyed to a group that was willing to learn?

I enjoyed working with these young men, later it would include young men and women, who could part of the time be such willing learners and other times so entertaining.” Ag studies are such that his involvement went beyond the classroom to FFA and 4-H activities and he continues his involvement to this day, participating in FFA activities.

The following February, he made his initial Florida land purchase, a two and a quarter acre parcel that was the beginning of Holmberg Farms, though it was called Holmberg Citrus Nursery at that time. He cleared the land by hand and a friend loaned him a tractor and disc to work the ground. From there on he planted the 3,000 citrus liners in April and worked them with a hoe, rake, shovel and a wheelbarrow. He irrigated with a home 1HP pump. Then

Continued on page 79

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came the freeze of 1962, which killed part of the budded trees, but enough survived to support replanting and expanding.

Holmberg married Sherrill Lewis, the daughter of a preacher and registrar at Florida College in Temple Terrace, and she worked the first three years of their marriage before they began a family. “That was very significant since that added income enabled us to build up the nursery quicker, giving us a very sound base for the future,” he said. His holdings grew gradually with purchases every several years.

The Holmberg’s have three children, Greg, Liese and Kristin.

Greg is active in the family business, vice president and manager of citrus and rose production, but all three children worked in the nursery while growing up. In addition to family members, Holmberg hired some of his students to work part-time at his ever-expanding nursery. Today his operation in the Lithia area has 120 employees and encompasses more than 500 acres.

The next major step for Holmberg and his nursery activities was a partnership with Ronnie Lowe in 1975 and the decision to expand into woody ornamentals. Lowe has since gone on to other opportunities, but Holmberg marks that partnership as one of the major advances for his growing business. The farm has evolved over the years, specializing in growing hundreds of varieties of ornamentals, tropicals, roses and small trees from liners up to 45 gallon. Holmberg Farms began growing roses in 2002, specializing in Jackson and Perkins varieties. Today, a full selection of citrus, liners, palms, tropical color and woody ornamental are offered to the landscape and nursery industry. Visit www.holmbergfarms.com for more information.

The nursery was the first in the county to put a salesperson on the road with product and a vehicle. Today, there are four inside sales staff members and five outside sales staff. Personal visits and telemarketing take place and Holmberg Farms markets to all of Florida, the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi. The wholesale nursery belongs to the Alabama Nursery and Landscape Association, Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association and the Southern Nursery Association.

There were challenges in the 48 year history of the nursery, including a fraud through which a Letter of Credit for $125,000 was cashed. “We were successful in filing a RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) suit,’” said Holmberg, who was able to gain return of the funds and incurred expenses. The year 1985 brought a bacterial spot like canker that took six years to settle. Next was the impact of Benlate fungicide on his nursery and a settlement for 22 cents on the dollar. And then freezes of ‘62, ‘67, ‘77, ‘83 and ‘89. “I’ve been broke, but never bankrupt,” said Holmberg, “but the effect of the current administration is worse than any of those events.

We have plenty to look forward to though. It’s called November.”

Holmberg attributes his ability to weather these trials and tribulations to the support from family, church, a lot of friends and a wonderful supportive community. “When I came to Brandon the supervisor, Don Storms, arranged for me to stay the first few days with Oscar and Mildred Lastinger. After finding an apartment the previous Ag teacher, Rod Osborne and his wife Peg, brought me up to speed on what was doing in the Ag department. Brandon State Bank President Charlie Westfall offered to finance the purchase of an auto (to a new guy in town with very few resources) since I had to turn in the company car. This pattern has continued for 49 years.

The folks I bank with are friends. My insurance agents are friends, many former students are friends, etc., etc., etc. Like most in the community it would take many pages to list all of the friendships formed over the years. Living in the greater Brandon, Valrico, Dover and Plant City communities is a wonderful place to be. To me our area truly exemplifies what southern hospitality is all about, people helping people, and an important part of that is reciprocity.”

Holmberg has and continues to give back to the community. He is an elder at the Church of Christ in Brandon and director of Valrico State Bank, as well as continuing to judge FFA events and cook for the

Continued from page 77

horticulture and land judging participants.

“I am thankful for having been able to do what I like to do for a very long time, with people I liked doing it with,” said Holmberg.

“That’s why I’ve said I didn’t really have to go to work for 30 years.”

Despite what he said on arriving in Tampa in 1962, Holmberg does return to Minnesota regularly to visit family and his 93-year-old mother, as well his 320-acres of crop and timberland near Vesta and Lincoln.

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Florida Department of Agricluture and Consumer Services Division of Licensing Firearms Safety These simple steps may prevent needless and tragic injury or death so often associated with the careless storage and handling of firearms. Responsible and informed firearm owners use these storage and handling methods, without exception, to ensure the safety of those in the home.

Never store or handle a loaded firearm in the home.

Tragedy can occur in only one instance of negligence.

Keep a trigger locking device on the firearm, in addition to keeping it locked away, as an additional safety factor. There is no such thing as overemphasizing firearm safety.

Lock firearms and ammunition in separate locations.

This is a good backup precaution.

Never point a firearm at anyone, loaded or unloaded.

Too often the unintentional discharge of guns, even those believed to be unloaded, have killed or wounded innocent persons.

Educate everyone in the home about firearms safety - especially children. Firearms are not toys! Emphasize the danger in, and outside, the home. Give reinforcement training frequently.

Firearm owners must always remember that a firearm may protect life, but it can also be a potential deadly threat to innocent persons. The proper storing and handling of a firearm must always be foremost in the mind of the owner who is responsible for the safety of those in the home.

Section 790.174, Florida Statutes, requires a loaded firearm in the home to be stored in a locked box container or secured with a trigger lock if the owner reasonably knows that a child under the age 16 can gain access to the firearm. A violation of this law is a misdemeanor.

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AUGUST 2010

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AGRICULTURE EQUIPMENT YELLOW IRON MOTORCYCLES

LAWN EQUIPMENT

HEAVY TRUCKS AND MORE!

Featuring These Great Sellers

Machinery

TECO - SALVATION ARMY TAMPA BAY FCU - CITY OF LAKELAND GOVERNMENT SEIZED VEHICLES

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www.Manheim-Imperial.com

NEXT SALE AUGUST 27th - 9AM For CONSIGNMENT information, contact Jerry North 813-967-0112 or Edna Williams 815-593-0961

For personal assistance, call

800-494-7253

3300 County Line Road - Lakeland, FL 33811

82

1-877-704-INFO (4636)

INTHEFIELD www.ManheimHeavyTruckAuctions.com MAGAZINE AUGUST 2010

R E C I P E S

Lime Cheesecake Filling Ingredients

3 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened 5 eggs 1 1/2 cups sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 6 tablespoonslime juice 2 lime rinds, grated 2 ready-made graham cracker crusts

Topping Ingredients

2 cups light sour cream, 16 ounces 2 tablespoons lime juice 1/2 cup sugar

Preparation

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add sugar very slowly, then add lime juice, grated lime rind and vanilla; mix well. Pour filling into two crusts. Bake at 300 degrees F for 1 hour. While cakes are baking, combine sour cream, lime juice and sugar; mix well. After cakes have cooked for 1 hour, remove and carefully spread topping on both cakes while still hot. Return cakes to hot oven for 10 minutes with no interruptions; do not open oven door. After 10 minutes, turn oven off and leave cakes in oven for an additional hour. This prevents the topping from cracking. Let cakes cool and then chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Yield: 16 servings, 8 per cake

Red Wine Citrus Mojo Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 medium red onion, sliced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 cup red wine 1/2 cup orange juice juice from 2 limes 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped 1 teaspoon each, salt and pepper

Preparation Marinate beef, pork, poultry, or seafood in the Mojo up to two hours before cooking.

Recipes courtesy of the Florida Department of Agriculture

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AUGUST 2010

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Florida Story by Sandy Kaster, M.S. Clinical Medicine, B.S. Nutrition Science Florida’s state pie, the key lime pie, is a delicious yellow-green, sweet, tangy, creamy concoction that celebrates the state’s citrus fruit.

The two major types of limes produced in Florida are Mexican (or Key limes) and Persian (or Tahiti limes). Key limes are smaller with a thinner rind and are more acidic and aromatic than Persian limes.

Their rind is green when immature and turns more yellow in color when mature. Tahiti limes are larger than Key limes and oval shaped.

Unlike key limes, Tahiti limes are dark green when mature, gradually becoming yellow when over mature. The flesh is less acidic and has less seeds than key limes. While limes are available year-round, their peak season is now, when they have the best taste and are most abundant.

NUTRITIONAL PROFILE Limes brighten the flavor of any dish, and they are much more than just a garnish. With only 20 calories per fruit, the lime is high in vitamin C, dietary fiber, calcium, folate, iron, and copper. Limes are naturally free of sodium, fat, and cholesterol and contain high levels of disease-fighting antioxidants.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, one medium-sized lime (67 g) contains 20 calories, 0.47 g protein, 0.13 g fat, 7.06 g carbohydrate, and 1.9 g of dietary fiber. It also provides 37% of the Daily Recommended Value (%DV) for Vitamin C and 7.6% for dietary fiber.

Phytonutrients Limes contain a significant amount of phytonutrients, a class of antioxidants that protects against allergies, cancer, heart disease, and the effects of aging. Some research studies have found that people with high intakes of flavonoids have a lower risk of dying from heart disease. This may be due to its ability to lower high blood pressure and cholesterol. The flavonoids found in limes and lime juice also have antibiotic properties. Additionally, limes and other citrus fruits contain limonoids, special compounds that have been shown to fight cancers of the mouth, skin, lung, breast, stomach and colon.

Vitamin C Citrus fruits, including lemons and limes, were discovered to prevent scurvy, a disease caused by a deficiency of vitamin C. Signs of scurvy include fatigue, muscle weakness, joint and muscle aches, and bleeding gums. In the past, scurvy was common among sailors, pirates, and other people without access to fresh produce for prolonged periods.

Vitamin C is important for a healthy immune system, cancer prevention, healthy blood circulation and wound healing. This vitamin acts as a potent antioxidant in the body, neutralizing harmful free radicals and preventing its damaging effects in cells. By fighting cell and tissue damage, vitamin C protects against cancer and other diseases, such as the common cold. This vitamin also helps the body absorb more iron, and aids in the development of strong bones and teeth.

Current research findings support that Vitamin C’s benefits come from consumption of whole fruits and vegetables. A high intake of produce is associated with a reduced risk of death from all causes,

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including heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Taking supplements does not seem to provide the same protective benefits as consuming fresh limes.

Fiber Limes and other citrus fruits contain a significant amount of dietary fiber, which can help lower cholesterol, assist with digestion, and prevent constipation. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, a diet high in fiber may decrease the risk of several types of cancer including colon, rectum, breast, and pancreas.

Fiber has been shown to reduce high cholesterol levels, which helps to prevent atherosclerosis, and may also help maintain steady blood sugar levels. Dietary fiber, common in fruits and vegetables, can promote a feeling of satiety, which is important in weight control.

How to Select and Store Look for limes that have deep green, glossy skin and are free of brown spots or shriveled skin. Choose limes that are firm and heavy for their size. Limes can be stored at room temperature for up to one week or in the refrigerator for up to six weeks.

Lime juice can easily be frozen for later use. To get the most juice from limes, squeeze limes that are at room temperature rather than refrigerated. Applying gentle downward pressure, roll a lime between the palm of your hand and the kitchen counter. Then cut the lime into halves or wedges and squeeze. Place freshly squeezed lime juice in ice cube trays until frozen, then remove from tray and place in a resealable storage bag in the freezer. Dried lime zest can be frozen for up to two to three weeks.

How to Enjoy • Limes can be sliced and used as a garnish for any drink, entrée, or dessert. Limes may substitute for lemons in recipes. Here are some more ways to use limes: • Make limeade, a refreshing drink made of lime juice, water, and sugar • Use lime juice to brighten the flavors of marinades, desserts, and drinks • Sprinkle lime juice over sliced fruits and veggies to prevent browning • Substitute lime juice for vinegar in dressings and sauces • Squeeze a little lime juice into your homemade salsa • Add lime juice to cookies, cakes, and breads for a refreshing twist.

• Slip a few slices of lime into a pitcher of water for a refreshing low-calorie beverage.

• Boil limes slices with your teabag or add slices to boiled tea.

Enjoy Florida limes today in their peak season. With a unique tangy flavor, the lime is as delicious as it is nutritious!

Selected References http://www.aicr.org http://www.hort.purdue.edu http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/he621 http://www.whfoods.com

Welcoming New Team Member Timberlane Pet Hospital & Resort welcomes our new team member Billi Floyd.

Billi brings a lifetime of experience working with animals to our resort facility where she cares for the pets boarding with us as well as the doggy daycare “kids”.

Bring your pets to come “stay and play” with Billi.

Check out our new updated website!

1704 Walden Village Ct. Plant City (813) 754-PETS (7387) We offer: Dentistry • Emergency Care • Grooming • Preventive Medicine • On-site Laboratory • X-ray Service and Upscale Boarding

113 W. Prosser Dr. Plant City, FL 33563

752-8946

Mon-Fri: 6am - 2:00pm Sat-Sun: 6:30am - 2:00pm

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

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Hopewell Funeral Home

& Memorial Gardens

Standing: Dan Druen - Funeral Director, Glenda Thomas - Creative Development, Marsha Passmore - Director of Marketing, Michael Dagrosa - Funeral Director

Local Obituary

Seated: Margie Willis - Managing Partner, Edwena Haney President, not pictured Glenda Haney - Managing Partner

Ocar “Tom” Toole-June 25, 2010, Juanita “Tiny” Williams-June 26, 2010, James “Don” Cartmill-June 27, 2010 Garnet J. Schuett-June 30, 2010, John J. Hunt-July 4, 2010, Tew H. Myrtice-July 5, 2010, Louise D. Summer-July 6, 2010 Virginia M. Watson-July 8, 2010, Wanda D. Rollen-July 8, 2010, Charles Kaiser-July 9, 2010 Harvey “Gene” Horne-July 9, 2010, Richard “Rick” Douglas-July 13, 2010, Christopher A. Battcher-July 12, 2010 Lavon Gilley-July 16, 2010, Charles “Buck” Driggers-July 16, 2010, Donald H. Moore-July 19, 2010, Hazel Jenkins-July 19, 2010, Herman E. Griffin-July 19, 2010, Kirby Powell-July 20, 2010, Annie Mae Robinson-July 22, 2010 Jon-Anthony Ray Murrow-July 23, 2010, Jack E. Knight-July 23, 2010, Bessie Lee Everidge-July 26, 2010

www.hopewellfuneral.com • 813.737.3128 Family Owned & Operated for Over 35 Years 6005 State Rd. 39 South (1/2 mile south of State Rd. 60) Plant City, FL 33567

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Just what the doctor ordered.

A new, dedicated orthopedic wing.

We take the stress out of orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation.

Thanks to our exciting, new renovations, patients can now recover faster and more comfortably in their own specialized, private room. Our 10 luxury rooms are designed large enough to accommodate physical therapy equipment, so therapists can come to the patients. Rooms include flat screen TVs and access to an internet and media café – with computers and ortho-ergonomic furniture.

Even fold-out sleeper sofas allow family members to stay over night. It’s the perfect healing environment in every way.

New Orthopedic Wing 301 N. Alexander St. Plant City, FL 33563 southfloridabaptist.com For a referral to one of our orthopedic surgeons, call 813-443-2024

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

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County’s Mosquito Control Unit Actively Monitoring and Fighting Mosquitoes Year-Around Mosquito Control can be one of those public services that you do not think much about during your daily routine, until there is a public safety concern. With the recent reports of two human deaths and five horse deaths in the county due to Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus, you might be wondering what the county’s Mosquito Control does to protect the public.

The Hillsborough County Mosquito Control Unit has 25 staff members and a diversified fleet of vehicles, including helicopters and a plane, airboats, trucks, and ATV’s to inspect for and fight mosquitoes. As part of its surveillance program, the Unit operates 15 sentinel chicken sites with 90 chickens, and 74 mosquito surveillance traps throughout the county.

During its routine operations, the Unit follows the practices of integrated pest management, which uses scientifically-based preventative methods first before turning to insecticides to spray.

These methods include biological controls, mosquito trapping for inspection purposes, the sentinel chickens to monitor for diseases, aquatic weed control and other methods to reduce places where mosquitoes breed, identification and destruction of mosquito larva, public education, and barrier spraying around smaller areas.

Since the beginning of this year, Hillsborough County Mosquito Control staff has captured more than 214,000 mosquitoes with its mosquito surveillance traps for inspection and classification. The 74 CDC light traps are placed throughout the County and checked weekly. Additional traps have been set out and increased inspections and public education in the affected areas have been conducted after every report of infected animals or humans this year.

Since January, the Mosquito Control Unit has responded to more than 1,400 requests for service by residents. It also has conducted more than 10,000 inspections by ground and 382 by air since the beginning of the year. As part of its inspections, staff looks for suitable mosquito breeding environments, standing water and adult mosquitoes. If mosquitoes or mosquito larvae are found to be present, staff can take additional actions, such as larviciding (or killing mosquito larvae in standing water) or spraying for adult mosquitoes.

Since the beginning of the year, Hillsborough County Mosquito Control has sprayed more than 32,000 acres with its trucks, more than 15,000 acres with its helicopters, and almost 70,000 with its fixed-wing air plane.

As a result of the second death in the Valrico area being reported (June 29), additional truck spraying and inspections are being conducted, and additional traps have been placed in the area for surveillance. The Unit sprayed with the fixed wing plane June 30 over the same area, with the boundaries of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to the north, South Parsons Avenue to the west, East Bloomingdale Avenue to the south, and South Forbes Road to the east.

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The Unit’s fixed wing plane is allowing the county to spray affected areas much more quickly and efficiently. The King Air C 90 plane is able to spray more than 23,000 acres on an average twohour mission, versus the Unit’s helicopter, which can spray more than 5,000 acres on an average two-hour mission. Not including the spraying that was done by the plane June 30, the plane has already sprayed one-tenth of the county with its missions.

For more information on the Hillsborough County Mosquito Control Unit and tips on preventing or reducing mosquitoes on your property, visit the Mosquito Control website by going to www.hillsboroughcounty.org and clicking on the “Mosquito Control” button under the Features section. On the Unit’s website you also can learn more about Integrated Pest Management, what equipment they use today, how to request services, and where the Unit is spraying.

Residents are encouraged to report dead birds via the web site http://myfwc.com/bird/ . For more information on mosquitoborne illnesses, visit DOH’s Environmental Health Website at http://www.doh.state.fl.us/environment/community/arboviral/ index.htm, or the CDC website at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/ dvbid/westnile/index.htm.

5905 Hwy. 60 East • Bartow, FL 33830 1-800-833-2460 Toll Free Tel: 863-537-1345 • Fax: 863-537-2645

908 E. Baker Street • Plant City, FL 1-800-717-8333 Toll Free Tel: 813-759-8722 • Fax: 813-752-9627

www.groveequipment.biz

GROVE EQUIPMENT SERVICE INC.

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AUGUST 2010

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SAVICH & LEE / STALNAKER Ph: (813)620-3006 • 6902 Causeway Blvd., Tampa -$135 All Panels 60”H x 12’L w/ pins, 19 gauge (1 3/4”) gav. steel Heavy Galvanized 1-9 PANELS: $69 EA. • 10-19 PANELS: $67 EA. • 20 OR MORE PANELS - $65 EA. 40’ Galvanized $739 - (10) 12’ Panels + (1) 6’ Bow Gate 50’ Galvanized $935 - (13) 12’ Panels + (1) 6’ Bow Gate 60’ Galvanized $1,059 - (15) 12’ Panels + (1) 6’ Bow Gate ALL PANELS WITH PINS NOT CHAIN HOOK UPS

WOOD FENCE POST

61/2’ tReated 2-21/2” ........ $1.99 21/2-3” ........ $2.79 3-31/2” ........ $3.75 4” ................ $4.45 5” ................ $5.25

Quantity PRices availaBle

DELIVERY AVAILABLE

-$189

WOOD FENCE Limited Lifetime Warranty 6’x8’ Stockade Fence $3100 18+ $3000 6’x8’ Board on Board $3700 10+ $3600

FARM GATE (with haRdwaRe)

PIPE MESH 4’................... $43 ..........$54 6’................... $49 ..........$60 8’................... $59 ..........$68 10’................. $67 ..........$78 12’................. $74 ......... $84 14’................. $83 ..........$95 16’................. $95 .........$101 18’................. $128 .......$146 20’................. $134 ....... $159

WIRE FENCE

5 ft. Cattle Bunk ...............$87.00 10 ft. Cattle Bunk ...........$109.00

1047 -330’ Field Fence ........... $109.00 Barb Wire 151/2 /CL3 Gauge..... $35.00 Barb Wire 121/2GA CL3 ............ $59.00 Barb Wire 151/2GA 3” spacing ... $41.00 100’x4’ cl1 no climb horse wire ..... $105.00 100’x5’ cl3 no climb horse wire ..... $145.00 200’x4’ cl3 no climb horse wire .........$229.00 100’x4’ cl1 4 X 4 goat wire .................$75.00

CHAIN LINK FENCE

121/2 GauGe 111/2 GauGe 4’...... $43 .................$48 5’...... $56 .................$63 6’...... $67 .................$74 Gate Roll Kits availaBle

1”X6”X16’ ROUGH CUT $6.95

www.Fencing-Farm-Ranch.com • www.ToolsAndSaddles.com 90

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

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Perfectly Fresh. Perfectly Priced.

VEGETABLE SALE

Fri. & Sat. Aug. 20th & 21st • 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Fri. & Sat. Sept. 17th & 18th • 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Call in your order today, or just drop by and see us!

Southwestern Produce Company 1510 Sydney Rd. • Plant City, FL

(813) 754-1500 or (813)757-0096

Fresh from the Farm to your Freezer!

Fresh Georgia Peaches 25 lbs box $20.00

Baby Butter Beans ............... $13.

Cranberry Beans ................. $15 Green Beans ....................... $13.

Pole Beans .......................... $13.

Speckled Butter Beans ......... $13.

Blackeye Peas ..................... $13.

Butter Peas .......................... $13.

Conk Peas ........................... $22 Crowder Peas...................... $13.

Green Peas ......................... $13.

Pinkeye Peas....................... $13.

Sugar Snap Peas ................. $15 White Acre Peas .................. $13.

Zipper Peas ......................... $13.

White Corn .......................... $12 Yellow Corn ........................ $12 Cream White Corn 4# ...........$ 6 Cream Yellow Corn 4# .........$ 6 Collard Greens.................... $12 Mustard Greens .................. $12 Turnip Greens ..................... $12

Spinach ............................... $12 Cut Okra ............................. $12 Breaded Okra ..................... $12 Whole Okra......................... $12 Sliced Yellow Squash .......... $12 Sliced Zucchini .................... $12 Brussel Sprouts ................... $12 Baby Carrots ....................... $12 Chopped Broccoli 5# ............$ 5 Broccoli ............................... $13.

Cauliflower ......................... $13.

Mixed Vegetables ............... $12 Soup Blend.......................... $12 Blueberries 5# .................... $15 Blackberries 5#................... $15 Raspberries 5# ................... $15 Cranberries 5# ................... $15 Mango Chunks 5# .............. $15 Pineapple Chunks 5# ......... $15 Dark Sweet Cherries 5#...... $14 Rhubarb 5# ........................ $10 Peaches ............................... $15 * All items 8lbs unless Noted

WALK-INS WELCOME

INTHEFlist IELDfor MAGAZINE UGUST 2010 Give us a call to be placed on our mailing monthly Anotification.

91

SOUTHSIDE Farm & Pet Supply

5% Registered Member

Rebate Gift Card No minimums to meet for rebate, gift cards must be used for regular priced items in the Western Wear department

All steer, swine and heifer exhibitors will receive a 5% rebate gift card for the show feed and show supplies they purchase for their animals between August 1, 2010 and March 15, 2011.

Register with us today to begin earning big bucks back and to experience the

“Southside difference!”

Registration Details:

• 5% rebate gift card from show feed and show supply purchases • Free use of store scales • Free admission to all training clinics • Access to hoof trimming events • Clipping services available • Blade sharpening available

Southside’s staff and customers have had more champions than any other feed store in

Hillsborough County!

Southside is the proud breeder of club calves from the Red Barn Ranch and offers two show pig sales each year to our customers.

Western Fashion

SOUTHSIDE Farm & Pet Supply

(813) 752-2379

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

3014 S. Jim Redman Parkway (Hwy. 39 South)

AUGUST 2010

Western Charms & Bracelet$s7 Only $5 -

NEW! StRAwberry & Gator Bracelets

Justin Flip Flops

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2010

93

C L A S S I F I E D S RUBBER MULCH All colors, buy 10 bags, get one FREE! $8.99 a bag. Call Ted 813-752-3378

SURPLUS WINDOWS DOUBLE INSULATED Starting at $55.00 • Call Ted 813-752-3378 MOBILE HOME SIZES

Ford Industrial tractor/Loader modEL 515 2WD, 54 hp, runs good, $4500.00 (U13367) Call Fred 813-623-3673

DECKING BRDS. & T1LL SIDING Call Ted 813-752-3378

WINDOW SCREENS We make window screens all sizes available in different frame colors.

Call Ted 813-752-3378

Deutz Tractor mod.1070 2WD, 70hp, runs good, $3975.00 (U13389) Call Fred 813-623-3673

T1LL 4X8 sheet B-grade $14.95. Call Ted 813-752-3378

Rear Blade 84” $175.00 (U13350) Call Fred 813-623-3673

1984 KUBOTA B6200 2 wd, w/4 ft. Finish Mower. $3,000 • 863-698-2967

Rear Scoop $125.00 (U13354) Call Fred 813-623-3673

1983 KUBOBTA B6100HSE 2wd tractor • $3,500. Call 863-967-0651 MASSEY FERGUSON 255 Grove Tractor with 6’ mower $7,500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722 2007 AQHA Filly Chestnut, Green Broke $2,500 o.b.o. 813-323-0222 KUBOTA L275 With shuttle shift • Ready to work! $3,500.

Call 813-759-8722 CALL THE “LANDLADY” Acreage, lakefront, ranches, “mini” farms.

Mary L. Adsit, Realtor 863-285-7118. www.maryadsit.com CORIAN COUNTER TOP $15.00 Square Foot • Call Ted 813-752-3378 • 2007 HARLEY DAVIDSON • Dyna Glide Streetbob, cobalt blue, only 368 miles, EXCELLENT condition.

Extras added!!!

Ready to ride. $12,000 Serious Inquiries Only!

(813)659-3402 DBL INSULATED Thermo Pane. Starting at $55.00 Call Ted 813-752-3378 2 JOHN DERRE 1460 Mower Conditioners. 1 for parts and 1 in good working order. Both for $2,500. Call Alvie 813-759-8722 Red Angus Bull Purebred 18 months old very gentle, outstanding pedigree. Plant City 813-752-8172 $1,000

KUBOTA KX 41 Mini Excavator low hours. Quick attach bucket. Call Scott 813-764-0603 BEAGLE PUPPIES - AKC Bred from show champions, small tri-colored.

Females $500 - Males $450.

Taking deposits now. 813-752-8172 Brand New Mahindra 4025 Tractor, 41hp, power steering. $9,495 4.99% interest @ 72 months, 5 year warranty. Call Alvie 813-759-8722 STUMP GRINDER Shaver S-25 PTO mount. Less than 3 years old. Perfect condition, hardly used. Cost new $5,778. For sale for $2,500.

Lake Wales 863-528-3213 John Deere Tractor 2355 2WD, 55 pto hp, 2100 hrs, canopy, clean $9600.00 (U13434) Call Fred 813-23-3673 1992 GMC Topkick Truck 24’ box clean, good running condition.

170k miles asking $8,500 OBO 941-809-3426 New Holland TN55 Tractor/loader, 2WD, 45 hp, $13,000.00 (UUT7084) Call Fred 813-623-3673 Ford 2000 Gas Tractor Restored, 2WD, 33 hp, PS, 3600 hrs, $4,950.00 (U13360) Call Fred 813-623-3673

FERRIS ZERO TURN MOWER Approx. 3 years old 52” cut 25 hp.

Kawasaki. $3,750.00 Call Alvie 813-759-8722

Used Post Hole Digger W/6” & 9” augers $500.00 (U13347) Call Fred 813-623-3673

MOUNTAIN COUNTRY KETTLE KORN (Blairsville, GA) Email: candaceharris@tds. net -We Ship!

Ford 1710 Tractor/Loader 2WD, 23 hp, $2950.00 (U13401) Call Fred 813-623-3673

CALVES FOR SALE Simmental outstanding pedigree, gentle.

813-967-4552 or 813-754-5370

Ford 3010S Tractor 2WD, handyman special $3000.00 (UT5634) Call Fred 813-623-3673

HUSQVARNA LZ 6127 Zero turn mower. 61” cut, 27 hp Kohler engine, 5 yr. warranty $7,499 (MSRP $9,699) C&J Equip., Lake Wales, 863-638-0671

Ford 2000 GasTractor 2WD, 33 hp, $2975.00 (U13378) Call Fred 813-623-3673

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

Delta Tine Drag 8 ft, w/3 pt carrier $475.00 (U13348) Ask for Fred 813-623-3673 Several Used 5 ft rotary mowers and finish mowers Call Fred 813-623-3673 Blueberry plants Mature four year old blueberry plants for sale. $27 a piece. Call Mark @ 813-928-6953.

Massey Ferguson 41 Sickle Bar Mower Massey Ferguson 25 Side Delivery Hay Rake $2,500 for both!

Call Alvie 813-759 8722 New Kubota RTV 500 Camo 4x4 with55 hours. List $9,899 sell price $7,900 financing 0 down 0% for 48 months. Only $135.00 per month. Call 813-409-0349 New Kubota RTV 900 Orange with 40 hrs. list $13,900 sell price $10,900. Financing 0 down 0% for 48 months.

Only $235.00 per month. Call 813-409-0349 2000 GMC Sonoma 4x4 4x4, auto, extended. $5,500 813-967-4552 or 813-754-5370

SUMMER SPECIAL $10 per CLASSIFIED + BUY 1 Classified Ad GET a Classified Ad

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In the September issue

H Now Hiring H Account Executive and Writers.

Please email us at:

info@inthefieldmagazine.com We look forward to hearing from you!

AUGUST 2010

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AUGUST 2010

95

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THEFIELD Griffin MAGAZINE AUGUSTCity, 2010 FL 33565 • 813.951.0118 cell • 813.752.0224 office 914 EINKnights Rd., Plant 813.719.1913 fax • teethfloat@aol.com • www.horse-dentist.biz