In The Field Magazine Hillsborough

Dec. 15, 2010 - Jan. 15, 2011

Hillsborough’s AGRICULTURE Magazine

®

Paul C. Davis General Manager

Covering What’s Growing

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2010

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www.Bartow Chevrolet.com INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2010

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From the Editor

December

Sarah Holt

Heartland’s AGRICULTURE Magazine

VOL. 7 • ISSUE 2

Cover Story

Publisher/Owner

Dec. 15, 2010 - Jan. 15, 2011

Merry Christmas! It is a joyous time of the year. This is the time of year that we celebrate by putting up a Christmas tree, buying gifts for loved ones, decorating our homes and serving heaping portions of food. In the midst of the decorating, shopping, eating and gift opening, be sure to pause and remember the real reason for the season, the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

As I write this, it is early December and we are expecting our first freeze of the winter. ALREADY! I just consulted the Farmers Almanac and the prediction is for a winter, “slightly colder than normal on average.” What does that mean? Do I need to hibernate? What will our farmers and ranchers have to deal with this year? If the past few days are any indication, we are in for a seriously cold winter.

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum, Commissioner of Agriculture Charles Bronson, along with Attorney General-elect Pam Bondi and Commissioner of Agriculture-elect Adam Putnam, banded together to announce that the state of Florida has “filed a lawsuit against the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the agency’s intrusion into Florida’s previously approved clean water program.”

“While we all would have preferred to avoid this litigation, this is but one strategy we will pursue to see that sound science prevails. I am hopeful the end result of today’s action will be the continued protection and improvement of Florida waters in a way that makes both scientific and economic sense. As Florida’s next Commissioner of Agriculture, I will make achieving that goal a top priority of my Administration,” said Putnam.

Sarah

Hillsborough’s AGRICULTURE Magazine

®

Karen Berry

Editor-In-Chief Al Berry

Senior Managing Editor/Associate Publisher

Paul C. Davis General Manager

Covering What’s Growing

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DECEMBER 2010

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The 2011 Strawberry Festival 48

Sarah Holt

Editor

Patsy Berry 7 Did You Know?

Office Manager

10 Business Upfront Handy Can

Sales Manager

14 Recipes 16 Grub Station Esposito’s 20 Fishing Hot Spots 24 Debra Jo Kinsella 32 Florida Ag Expo 58 Rocking Chair Chatter 66 EPA Release New Standards for Florida Water 74 Activity 80 Greatest Gift

The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

Numbers 6:25

®

88 Gentle Gardening

Bob Hughens Johnny Cone

Sales

Karen Berry Al Berry Tina Richmond Danny Crampton Eric Singletary W. Russell Hancock Chass Bronson

Art Director Amey Celoria

Designer

Juan Carlos Alvarez

Staff Writers

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

Contributing Writers Woody Gore

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.

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.

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Photography

Karen Berry Al Berry Christa Patterson INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2010

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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FARM BUREAU

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

100 S. Mulrennan Rd. Valrico, FL 33594

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

Christmas Poem For Friends My Christmas wish for you, my friend Is not a simple one For I wish you hope and joy and peace Days filled with warmth and sun I wish you love and friendship too Throughout the coming year Lots of laughter and happiness To fill your world with cheer May you count your blessings, one by one And when totaled by the lot May you find all you’ve been given To be more than what you sought May your journeys be short, your burdens light May your spirit never grow old May all your clouds have silver linings And your rainbows pots of gold I wish this all and so much more May all your dreams come true May you have a Merry Christmas friend And a happy New Year, too .

Author Unknown Merry Christmas & Happy New Year From Hillsborough County Farm Bureau 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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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2010

Insurance Services 813.685.5673

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Ants stretch when they wake up in the morning.

It’s against the law to have a pet dog in Iceland.

Thomas Edison, light bulb inventor, was afraid of the dark.

During your lifetime, you’ll eat about 60,000 pounds of food. That’s the weight of about 6 elephants.

Some ribbon worms will eat themselves if they can’t find any food.

The world’s oldest piece of chewing gum is 9000 years old.

About 3000 years ago, most Egyptians died by the time they were 30.

More people use blue toothbrushes than red ones.

A sneeze travels out of your mouth at over 100 m.p.h.

In the White House, there are 13,092 knives, forks and spoons.

Slugs have 4 noses.

Recycling one glass jar saves enough energy to watch TV for three hours.

Lightning strikes about 6,000 times per minute on this planet.

Owls are the only birds who can see the color blue.

The average American drinks about 600 sodas a year.

It’s against the law to slam your car door in Switzerland.

There wasn’t a single pony in the Pony Express, just horses.

Honeybees have hair on their eyes.

A jellyfish is 95 percent water.

In Bangladesh, kids as young as 15 can be jailed for cheating on their finals.

A company in Taiwan makes dinnerware out of wheat, so you can eat your plate.

The elephant is the only mammal that can’t jump.

The penguin is the only bird who can swim, but not fly.

America once issued a 5-cent bill.

You’ll eat about 35,000 cookies in your lifetime.

Babe Ruth wore a cabbage leaf under his cap to keep him cool. He changed it every two innings.

Fortune cookies were actually invented in America, in 1918, by Charles Jung.

A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue.

Chewing gum while peeling onions will keep you from crying.

The pitches that Babe Ruth hit for his last-ever homerun and that Joe DiMaggio hit for his first-ever homerun where thrown by the same man.

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

Tampa Office 813.933.5440

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

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AGENCY MANAGER Tommy Hale DECEMBER 2010

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Timberlane Pet Hospital & Resort

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InTheField速 Magazine P.O. Box 5377, Plant City, FL 33563-0042 All Entries must be received by January 3, 2011.

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

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DECEMBER 2010

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Business UpFront

Handy Can

Portable Restrooms

No Farmers No Food

Eat Better. Love Life. Live Longer.

By Mark J. Cook Some folks snicker a little when they find out what type of business Steve Michalec and Alan Garbrecht of Handy Can are in. While portable toilets are not glamorous, Michalec and Garbrecht are the ones who get the last laugh when looking at their business books and see the growth. And while the portable toilet business may get a smile from most people, the two business owners are deadly serious about the service they provide to the agricultural community.

“People can say what they want but this business is an essential element to the local farmer and one minor violation can be the difference in a grower having a good season or bad one,” Michalec said. “We take extreme pride in making farmers compliant and taking one less thing they need to worry about away.”

Michalec is in his third year of owning Handy Can and Garbrecht joined this past spring. The business was purchased from Plant City native William Kelley and has grown by over 300 percent the last two years. Handy Can is expecting similar growth this season.

“William came up with the concept and really had a great relationship with the local farming community, which made 10

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things easier when we bought him out,” Michalec said. “He is still with the company as a managing partner and does a great job in keeping those relationships strong.”

“Steve and Alan are great guys and I gave them my word after I sold it to them to stay on board and help them,” Kelley said. “I still work every day and treat it like I still own it. It’s my baby and I’m really happy to see them be able to put the financial backing up to see this thing grow.”

Currently Handy Can has 1,000 units in the field and is looking to expand. While expansion is a priority, the development and service of existing units is still one of the most important aspects of their business.

“It starts and ends with service, period. The reason we have been able to grow in a recession is because we genuinely care about our customers. Business in general, but especially this business, relationships and how we treat our customers is what determines our success or failure.”

A technological addition that Handy Can has recently put in place is a GPS tracking system. Handy Can’s drivers deliver the portable units, then after placing and setting up the driver scans a barcode that is placed on each unit. This gives

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DECEMBER 2010

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the company and the farmer specific details of the unit and makes for much easier paperwork follow-up when preparing for an audit.

Trace McQuaig from Astin Farms loves the new technology. “The fact is they are innovators in this business and it seems the service gets better every year,” McQuaig said. “We saw them in a field next to us one day and we weren’t happy with the company we had. So I gave them a call and have been with them ever since. They’ve been a big help to us and lot of other guys I know.”

Another feature helping to set their business apart from the competition is catch trays under the unit. “That actually came from talking to some inspectors and farmers,” Michalec said. “In discussing ways and ideas to improve our business a question was brought up about what to do in the event of a leak or failure. We thought about it and came up with the idea of welding a catch pan under each compliance trailer to prevent any farm contamination in the event of a problem. A lot of the ideas and practices we use come directly from our customers.”

State regulations for food safety on farms have come a long way in the last 20 years. What once was an afterthought is now one of the top priorities in agriculture. One slip up in the sanitation end can not only cost a farmer thousands of dollars in fines but also lose tens of thousands in sales from buyers who want to see safety audits before making deals to buy the produce.

Another new aspect of their business is roll off dumpsters. “That was kind of a natural progression from the portable toilet business,” Garbrecht said. “We had a few farmers and farm operations mention the need and it kind of came about from that. The end of season cleanup is a big challenge and having on site dumpsters makes things a little easier for everyone.”

Michalec and Garbrecht both credit their employees with much of their success. “Bottom line is we are only as good as our employees who are out in the field servicing the customer on a daily basis,” Garbrecht said. “There’s not a lot of glamour in this line of work and it can get mundane at times. Our dedicated staff shows up day after day and gives 110 percent.

We are blessed to have the crew we have.”

While growth is important to the Handy-Can owners, service will always be the top priority. “Something we decided a long time ago, and have stuck to it, is personal service,” Michalec said. “A customer is never going to call and get put on hold by some automated answering service. I want everyone to speak to a person and know how important their business is to us.”

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R E C I P E S

d& e n w O y “Famield Since 1961” Operat

Feed and Garden Supply, Inc.

Papaya and Custard on Gingercakes Gingercakes

1 tablespoon powdered ginger 1/4 cup sugar 2 1/4 cups biscuit mix 2/3 cup milk or cream

Custard

1 cup milk or half-and-half 4 egg yolks 1/4 - ½ cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla

DEALER

Fruit

1 mango, chopped 1 papaya, seeded and chopped juice of 2 passion fruit ½ cup sugar

Preparation Gingercakes: Add ginger and sugar to biscuit mix; add milk and mix as directed. Bake at 400 degrees F as directed on box.

Custard: In saucepan, bring milk or half-and-half to a boil. In medium bowl, mix well egg yolks and sugar. Add 1/3 cup of hot milk to yolk mixture, stir well. Add yolk mixture to saucepan with milk, cooking over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture coats back of spoon. Remove mixture from heat and pour into bowl and add vanilla. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally.

Fruit: Add chopped fruit to medium bowl. Mix in passion fruit juice and sugar. Refrigerate.

Serve Split baked gingercakes, placing bottom half on plate. Spoon fruit mixture on bottom half; spread 1 tablespoon of sauce over fruit mixture and place top half of gingercake on sauce. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

Herb Roasted Florida Tomatoes Ingredients

4 cloves garlic, chopped 1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves 1/2 cup olive oil kosher salt freshly ground black pepper 4 pints grape tomatoes (red and yellow)

for s r e g ordlants” n i k ta np “Noweet onio sw

• Diamond Pet Food Distributor Wholesale dealer and breeder pricing available • Vegetable plants & bulk garden seeds • Organic vegetable seeds • Earthboxes • Blueberry Fertilizer • Mills Magic Rose Mix • Rhizogen 2-4-2 Base * poultry manure fertilizer • Full line of garden supplies • Baby chicks

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, oregano, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Add the tomatoes and toss. Pour into a baking dish. Roast uncovered for 40 minutes.

Recipes courtesy of FL Department of Agriculture

9513 Nebraska Ave. Tampa, FL 33612

813.932.9775 — 813.932.4333

www.shellsfeed.com

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Esposito’s Not Your Usual Pizza Place

Specializing in Foreign and Domestic Trucks and Cars

4X4 and NPR’s

BILL’S TRANSMISSIONS

by Cheryl Kuck

The sign above the door at the strip mall location at 2803 James Redman Parkway next door to the Lowe’s Home Improvement Store in Plant City, shows the shape of the “boot” of Italy in the red, green and white colors of the Italian flag. “Espo.

Pizza” is a shortened version of a revered name in the restaurant industry. Since 1889, from Naples, Italy, to the United States, the Esposito family has been creating its specialty gourmet pizza and fine Italian cuisine.

It all began with the first known pizza delivery to King Umberto the First and Queen Margherita of Italy by Raffaele Esposito (great-great relative of the present-day Plant City Esposito’s), with Mike Sr., and other adventurous family members crossing the ocean in the late ‘60’s and early 1970’s to establish restaurants in New Jersey, New York, Vermont and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. All of the original restaurants either remain family-owned or have been sold to friends that used to live in their original small community in Italy, Monte di Procida.

Although born in Pennsylvania, from age one to six-yearsold, Mike Jr. was raised in the family’s traditional Italian hometown. “There, everybody knows everybody else. The feeling of close roots is a lot like living in Plant City. I remember that if you ever did anything wrong, by the time you got home everyone in the family already knew about it,” joked Mike.

Most of the restaurants around the country founded by the Esposito family, bear names like Pizza City and Pizza Town. In Lakeland, Bartow, and Highland City, the restaurants are called Palace Pizza and Palace Italian Restaurants. The only other “Esposito’s” is owned by an uncle in Reading, Pennsylvania. After the initial start-up, the restaurants were sold to family members who migrated from the old country. The Lakeland-area restaurants were started in the mid-90s and are now owned solely by Esposito seniors’ sister.

“My father thought a Plant City location would be the perfect place to finally open another restaurant under our family name…one that he could pass on to me. So he is teaching me everything he knows about the business including his secret recipes. For all his 42 years in the business, the recipes for pizza dough, mozzarella sauce, his famous lasagna and Tiramisu dessert have never changed and are made fresh daily. They are his creation…his other babies,” says Mike Jr. The cheerful and comfortably sized restaurant is definitely not your usual pizza place. Featuring a hand-painted mural with fresh fruits and vegetables painted by local artist Jesse Demoli, with the owners prominently displayed promise, “We make it easy for you to eat well. We use the freshest ingredients and slow-cook our meats to tender and tasty perfection. You can count on delicious and wholesome Italian food just the way you like it.” Esposito’s delivers quality.

From the display of 12-styles of imaginative gourmet pizzas you can order as a whole or by the slice and incredible melt-in-your-mouth garlic pizza knots (these doughy knots just lay around in garlic butter until they get happy) to the menu of Stromboli’s, Calzones and submarine sandwiches. I use the term sandwich loosely since each one could serve a couple of lumberjacks.

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Tel: 813.707.9865 13350 Hwy. 92E WE NOW OFFER TOWING Dover, FL 33527 Come See Porky!

Bill Somerlott, Owner

SERVICES ALSO OFFERED: A/C Repair • Brakes • Timing Belts • Alternators • Starters •Suspension Drivetrain Repair • Tune Up • Differential Repair Specialist • Fleet Maintenance Specialist R.V. & Heavy Truck Repair • Trailer Repair • 7.3, 6.0 & 6.4 • Diesel Specialist • Same Day Service in Most Cases • Cummings Insight • 30,000 & 40,000 Pound Lifts and much more!

Esposito senior held-sway in the kitchen, making his special brand of Italian-magic. While we waited for the main courses, he served my husband and me some garlic butter knots. We thought we would just try one and take some photos for you all. Well they disappeared in such short order, you’ll just have to go and try them yourself because there was nothing left on our plates for photos.

Next, we were served Bruschetta Napolitana, a toasted Italian bread topped with basil, garlic and chopped tomatoes.

In addition to the Bruschetta was a lovely serving of Caprese Napolitana, mozzarella slices with fresh tomatoes and basil leaves.

Mike Sr. served his “baby,” signature lasagna. He was right to not change his original recipe. At only $5.95 for lunch or $9.75 for dinner, a taste of this marriage of meat, ricotta cheese, fresh Italian spices with Mike’s special sauce, makes anyone (even in this economy) feel you are living “le dolce vita,” the sweet life.

The Spaghetti Al Vongele was a special of the day featuring littleneck clams with white spaghetti in a light sauce. It’s pasta for seafood-lovers that is so light, it can actually make you believe there’s room for dessert.

Speaking of desserts, do not even think about leaving Esposito’s without trying Mike Sr.’s specialty, Tiramisu. I know it’s all wonderful…the cakes, the cannoli’s…everything. But nothing is like inhaling Mike’s cloud of cocoa-dusted espresso, chocolate, mascarpone cheese, and whipped cream and lady fingers. You might even convince yourself there are no calories in this concoction, it goes down so easily and $3.95 is little enough to pay for a slice of heaven.

Honestly, my eyes wanted to try everything on the menu.

My stomach said, “don’t be greedy, just come back often.”

Not one of Esposito’s recipes is written. “My father invents by feel, taste and smell. He’s an artist. For us, father and son, we wanted a place where people talk to one another. This is our family. This town is now our town. This is what we love and we love it when people enjoy what we do. We live by our motto, ‘Mangiare bene per vivere bene’…eat well live well,” said Mike.

Location: 2803 James Redman Parkway in Plant City, next to Lowe’s Phone: (813) 704-5971 Hours: Lunch – Mon to Sat 11am-3pm / Fri and Sat open from 10am-10pm / Mon to Sat Dinner served from 3-9pm / Sun only regular menu all day with dinner from 11am-9pm

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Christmas sales items - December 15-31

Can Cookers Strawb

Carhartt Camo Jackets

Holiday hours: 15th - 23rd 8 am to 8 pm.

Justin Flip Flops

25% OFF

side th u o S t a y rl a e in erries are Monogrammed Lunch Boxes and Mugs

All Cruel Girl and Cinch Jeans - 25% OFF Selected Jeans - 50% OFF Selected Men’s Shirts and Pants - 50% OFF Selected Ladies’ Shirts - 50% OFF Wildfire Belts Selected Felt Hats- 50% Off Selected Caps- 50% Off Boots over $100- 20% Off Clearance Boots- 40% Off Selected Boots Reduced to $169 Clearance- 75% Off 50 to 75% Christmas Décor- 50% Off Home Décor- 25% Off Free Gift with Costa Del Mar purchase Free Gift with Justin Boots purchase of $100 or more Free Gift with Tony Lama Boots purchase of $100 or more Free Gift with $30 Baby Wrangler Purchase Free Wrangler Bag with $40 Wrangler Purchase Free CD with $50 Wrangler Purchase

OFF

ALL Shirts Buy One get One 1/2 OFF

Grills

Acrylic Bracelets Small and Medium $6.99, Large $9.99

Rocking Chairs

Purses & Wallets

25%

Montana Silversmiths

OFF

Camouflage & Browning Vehicle Accessories

JT International Horse Blankets

Western Fashion

SOUTHSIDE Farm & Pet Supply

(813) 752-2379

20 % OFF

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

Western Fashion

SOUTHSIDE Farm & Pet Supply

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

(813) 752-2379

Perfectly Fresh. Perfectly Priced.

TAMPA BAY’S FISHING REPORT

By Captain Woody Gore

VEGETABLE SALE

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

Wintertime Snook Fishing

Snook can show up almost anywhere with fairly decent water. Extremely adaptable, this inshore game fish thrives in saltwater and is right at home in most brackish water canals, creeks, rivers and sometimes lakes. Accomplished ambush feeders, they are usually found staging around natural or manmade objects.

Preferring ambush points supplying plenty of food, especially during tidal movements, any small creek emptying into larger one or river is worthy of a few casts. Also, on cold, windy, winter days, oyster bars, fallen trees, river or creek bends are likely ambush points.

Not a cold-hardy fish, snook look for wintertime areas providing a degree of protection from the cold. As evidence by last year’s extreme low temperatures that wreaked havoc on our snook populations, killing hundreds of thousands. Over many years in Florida, I’ve seen tremendous fish kills associated with cold water temperatures. When water temperatures drop into the low 50’s or below and stay there for several days or weeks, snook and many other tropical species simply cannot survive.

Our best winter scenario is a slow transition into low water temperatures. By early December and provided we’ve already had some cooler weather, you’ll find them moving to more protected areas. As the sun’s rays penetrate the water it warms the soft muddy bottoms of creeks, rivers, and residential canals. It also warms structures like docks, bridges, and boats. These structures absorb the sun’s heat radiating that warmth through the water like natural heaters.

Also, many dead-end canals have deeper holes somewhere toward the end. This is usually a warm spot, which attracts fish.

When fishing canals, rivers or creeks, remember, the rising sun will heat the west side first, so fish there early in the morning and work into the deeper water and across to the east side as the day progresses. Also, look for bends in the waterway where tidal flows have cut deep troughs.

Finally, anywhere a creek or canal empties into a main waterway it creates a natural feeding station, and if the flow is significant, that moving water will generate heat, making that area a little warmer than surrounding water.

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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

Wherever you fish, don’t rush an area, especially in cold weather. Give the spot a chance to produce. The fish might be there, but it could take a little longer for them to respond because of the cold water. Instead of a couple of casts, work a dock or a deep hole for 30 minutes before moving on.

What’s Biting in Tampa Bay – December 2010 Snook: If you’re determined to target snook this month be prepared to fish several locations. They’ll be around, but usually not bunched up like early spring. The water temperatures start falling as we move into our colder months and when this happens, snook normally migrate toward warmer waters. Unless they get caught in an early winter chill or prolonged cold period, they should be okay. Many will move into rivers, channels, deep creeks and deeper estuaries. Like other fish with low tolerances for cold water, they move to areas with deep muddy bottoms. Muddy bottoms hold heat, and it’s for this reason that it attracts baitfish and fish that eat them.

Redfish: December usually means good redfish days. We’ll be targeting them around oyster beds, mangroves and shallow water pools on those low tide days. Wading is a great way to fish winter redfish. Like other species, redfish will drop into the tidal pools left when the winter tides expose everything else. The most certain thing to remember about winter tides is, at least you

M

e r ry

C h ri s t m as

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

WALK-INS WELCOME

Give us a call to be placed on our mailing list for monthly notification.

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2010

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More For Your Animals. know where you’re not fishing. Redfish will be eating all types of live and cut bait as we approach the winter months. They’re also fairly easy to catch using artificial lures. If you’ve never used artificial lures, do yourself a favor and give it a try. If you’re in to the excitement of catching and releasing, artificial lures offer you a chance to pit wits with one of the toughest competitors in the bay.

Spotted Sea Trout: Winter usually signals the beginning of trout season. Hundreds of anglers take to the water to catch this beautiful fish. Typically a schooling fish, where you catch one you’ll usually catch several. One point to remember is when you’re catching 12 to 15 inch fish that’s normally what’s in that particular location. Larger trout are not as fast on the trigger as the smaller ones, so they elect not to compete, but rather hang out alone, watching a pothole for a quick meal. If you’re using live shrimp just hop and pop it over a broken bottom grass flat and shortly you’ll have a limit for dinner. Trout are loads of fun on artificial lures and I’ve caught some really nice fish tossing jerk baits to sandy potholes. With artificials you have the opportunity to cover more area thus exposing your lure to more fish.

Spanish Mackerel, Kingfish, Bluefish, & Mangrove Snapper: Travel across the bay and you’ll pass no less than 10 to 15 schools of feeding fish. Usually the first thing you’ll see is birds eating the leftovers of the feeding frenzy. These schools of feeding fish usually consist of ladyfish, mackerel, bluefish and jacks. Many anglers turn their noses up at these species thinking they’re junk

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fish. Granted ladyfish and jacks are not decent table fare, grilled or smoked mackerel and fried bluefish are excellent. For some great rod bending action these species make an excellent quarry, especially for beginning anglers and anglerette’s. When introducing children to fishing it’s important to take them catching… they’re not the least bit interested in fishing. If you don’t get them on a bite quickly they lose interest and probably won’t want to go the next time.

There’re are still a few kingfish showing up on the beach around hard bottoms holding bait. Snapper are on the markers and fish attractors and also around bridges and older established docks. Small pilchards and shrimp seem to do the trick.

Give Me a Call & Let’s Go Fishing Captain Woody Gore is the area’s top outdoor fishing guide. Guiding and fishing the Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs, Bradenton, and Sarasota areas for over 50 years; he offers world class fishing adventures and a lifetime of memories.

Single or Multi-boat Group Charters are all the same. With years of organizational experience and access to the areas most experienced captains, Woody can arrange and coordinate any outing or tournament.

Just tell him what you need and it’s done. Visit his website at: WWW.CAPTAINWOODYGORE.COM, send an email to wgore@ix.netcom.com or give him a call at 813-477-3814.

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DEBRA JO KINSELLA

Named New Extension Director

By Jim Frankowiak Though originally from rural eastern Pennsylvania and a resident of Illinois for the last several decades, Debra Jo Kinsella’s appointment as Hillsborough County Extension Director marks a homecoming of sorts. “I have relatives in Pinellas County whom I visited often, received my associates degree from St. Petersburg Junior College (now St. Petersburg College) and attended the University of South Florida through my junior year.

So this is like a second homecoming,” said Kinsella.

Home for Debbie, until heading south to St. Petersburg Junior College, was Montgomeryville, Pennsylvania, about an hour from Philadelphia. Her family lived adjacent to and operated an aggregate pit mining operation.

That area over the years has experienced urbanization as the greater Philadelphia area grew and expanded. She has a sister, Susan, and a brother, Scott.

After high school, Kinsella enrolled at St. Petersburg Junior College where she received an associate’s degree in business.

“I was attracted to the area for many reasons,” she said. “I have several relatives in Pinellas County and enjoyed visiting them and the climate is certainly an attraction.” She then enrolled at the University of South Florida, pursuing an undergraduate degree in business, but transferred to Northern Illinois University where she completed her undergraduate studies and later her MBA. “I met Ken Kinsella, who was from Illinois, and decided to complete my education closer to him.”

Marriage followed and the Kinsella’s have two children, Randi who is an assistant principal at a private school in Champaign, Illinois, and Jeff, a senior at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Ken has construction and oil company businesses and the family owns farmland in Grundy and LaSalle Counties, southwest of Chicago. Plans call for Ken to relocate to Florida in the near future.

After completing her education and starting a family, Debbie held several positions in the corporate world, but was attracted to Extension with an ardent “desire to teach,” she said. At that time Extension in Illinois was seeking management staff with business and legal backgrounds and Debbie was well-suited. Her career with Extension in Illinois has been marked by a series of ad hoc positions as well as her most recent post in Grundy County where she served since 1994.

As Grundy County Director, Kinsella provided leadership to the county through guidance, support and direction to the Extension Advisory Council, fiscal and educational program management and staff development. She has worked with the Unit

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Council and committees to complete local needs assessments and to develop, implement and evaluate educational programs in the areas of youth development, family and consumer sciences, community and economic development, agriculture and natural resources and nutrition and wellness. She worked with staff, Extension educators, University specialists, Extension administration and local program partners to deliver quality educational programming and ensure that needs of the local people are addressed. Kinsella’s core duties also included resource development, fund raising, marketing/public relations and networking and creating partnerships with local professionals for the betterment of children, families, schools, the agricultural sector and communities in Grundy County.

In her new post, Debbie Jo will have similar duties and responsibilities in Hillsborough County. Her position is funded by both the county and University of Florida.

“Broadly stated, my focus is to help improve the quality of life in our community by bringing the resources of the university to bear on the needs of the people we serve,” she said. She does realize that community members often have a tendency to “pigeon hole” their understanding of what Extension is and has to offer with much of this limited to the agricultural community.

“While we do serve the agricultural community, that is only one community segment we address,” she said, noting the mission of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Science and Extension “…is a federal, state and county partnership dedicated to developing knowledge in agriculture, human and natural resources and the life sciences and to making that knowledge accessible to sustain and enhance the quality of life.”

To that end Extension service areas include agriculture, horticulture, public policy, 4-H youth program, family and consumer sciences and the Florida Yards & Neighborhoods program.

“I sometimes feel that Extension and what we have to offer to the community is a well kept secret,” she said. “While meeting the many individuals and groups we serve in Hillsborough County, I hope to correct that and to continue the excellent work our staff does as we move forward meeting the ever-changing needs of the community.”

For more information about Extension and its range of services, visit: http://solutionforyourlife.ufl.edu or visit the Extension office at 5339 South County Road 579, Seffner, FL 33584.

Welcome back to your second home Debbie Jo.

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Standing on the boat ramps at Medard Reservoir staring east you would almost swear you are looking across a cow pasture with a few watering holes. Dog fennels stand over six feet tall while grasses and weeds of several varieties make it hard to believe this was once one of the top boating and fishing destinations is west central Florida. An urgent need to repair the walls surrounding the reservoir brought about the draining of the reclaimed phosphate property. From the naked eye things look bleak but plans to return it to its prior glory are right on schedule and state fishery biologists plan on making it even better than before.

“Medard is such a unique resource and there is no reason why we can’t make it even a better fishery than it was prior to the wall repairs,” FWCC biologist Paul Thomas said. “Now it will take some time but we really want to gather information as to what the local fishermen want it to be in the future.

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From their ideas and suggestions the FWCC will work hard to restock it and manage it to get maximum benefit for all who use it.”

I recently met Thomas and Jeff Willitzer of the FWCC along with local fishermen John Bruner and my father Larry Cook, who shot the photos at Medard for an update on the project. As we waited near the ramps Thomas and Willitzer pulled up with a boat. Looking at a dry boat ramp I was surprised but they soon informed me that while fairly dry at the ramps there was enough water that we could launch a boat on the west end of the reservoir. As we made our way towards Turkey Creek Road the water appeared as did the huge concrete embankment that made up the new western wall. While from parts of the park it looks completely dried up, out on the water you could see the vast amount of water, which has refilled.

Jeff Hagberg who is the project manager for the South Florida Water Management District, said things are progressing nicely.

“Now it’s Mother Nature’s turn,” Hagberg said. “We really were hoping for some tropical moisture this summer but it didn’t work out for us. But water levels are pretty good with just the summer rains. We are now around 54(water elevation) and the ramps were shut down when the water dropped below 56 by Hillsborough County Parks. Hillsborough County Parks will determine when boat ramps will reopen.

At what capacity fishermen will be able to take advantage of them is still in question.

“There hasn’t been any final decisions made just yet on how we will approach things,” Thomas said. “We will soon have a public meeting and get the input of the local anglers on how they would like to see the fishery replaced.”

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Regardless of the types of fish released back in the water, the fishery as a whole should be better than before.

“When we tore the old boat docks down and we removed the old concrete and structure we placed the material in the water and created numerous underwater reefs which will be a big fish attractant,” Hagberg said. “We placed rock on the old dragline rows, and we placed them in narrow small piles in long lines instead of large round piles and worked with FWCC on the locations.”

“The vegetation that has grown up on the dry lands will deteriorate in most cases and the food chain will begin again,” Thomas said. “The zooplankton will grow on the submerged vegetation which will bring in the small bait to feed on it that will then bring in the larger fish to feed on them.”

Another advantage to the draw down and drainage was the agency’s ability to get rid of a number of exotic species and non-native fish that created balance issues in the reservoir’s waters.”

“The armored catfish and sucker type fish were hopefully removed and while we know they will eventually return, anytime without them is a plus for the native species.”

On the day I visited the FWCC brought their electric shocking boat out and we spent over an hour sampling the 28

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fish that are still in the reservoir’s waters. Things started slowly as mainly shad and shiners bubbled up but soon a large crappie came to the surface. Soon after catfish, bream, and a number of large fat bass found the agency’s dip nets. Only temporarily stunned, the shocking allows the biologist to measure, weigh, and record details of the day’s catch.

Thomas was impressed and pleased at what we found.“The tilapia population was a little more than we had hoped for but it was really great to see the amount of crappie and largemouth bass we found,” Thomas said. “And while we will put forth an extensive restocking plan into place it was good to see the amount and what appeared to be good health of the fish population which survived the draining.

While the draining of the reservoir has been a major inconvenience to local anglers the project was a necessary evil.

“We would have like to have tried to do it in sections but that didn’t work out,” Hagberg said. “When the money was finally available we decided to do only one drawdown instead of numerous drawdowns. But the walls were in need or dire repair and was the only thing holding back nearly one billion gallons of water.

“We appreciate the public’s patience and really want to bring this fishery back even better than before,” Thomas said.

“We hope we get large turnouts when we hold our public meetings so we can do it the way the anglers would prefer it to be done.”

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Dear In the Field Readers, With Thanksgiving behind us and Christmas and New Year’s just ahead of us, it’s hard to believe this holiday season is already in full swing. December is one of my favorite times of year as it brings bonfires, hot chocolate, family get-togethers, and the true “reason for the season,” the celebration of the birth of the Savior. But the upcoming months don’t only mean days bundled up in sweaters and family fellowship around Hillsborough County. The winter months mean long days and cold nights for local farmers as we prepare for the long awaited winter harvests. As I am anxious for the arrival of my own tomatoes and strawberries, I can’t imagine the preparations underway as large scale farmers get ready for their harvests. To the farmers and agriculturists reading this, thank you for all the hard work you do, not just at this time of year, but all year round to keep Hillsborough’s agriculture industry strong.

The State Officer Team is currently getting ready to present the next step in the Florida FFA leadership continuum, the Middle School Conference, held in mid-December. At this “M. A.D. Science” themed conference, middle school FFA members will come together for a weekend to discover how to make a difference using their strengths and abilities. The 360 Degree Conference, presented by the National FFA Organization, will also be held simultaneously for high school FFA members.

One of the opportunities I have as a Florida FFA State Officer is the choice to participate in the International Leadership Summit for State Officers (ILSSO), organized by the National FFA Global Programs. I have decided to take advantage of this once in a life time opportunity and am currently in the process of raising funds for the trip, which will be in January to Argentina, where I will learn about agriculture on a global scale, and become more culturally aware of the diversity in worldwide agriculture. While in Argentina we will visit grain ports on the Parana River, overlook the auctions of 8-12 thousand head of cattle at a Buenos Aires livestock market, and view the complexes of the highest soybean crushing concentration in the world. We will tour a farm dedicated to the production of corn, soybean and wheat in no till agriculture, and also a full cycle cattle operation, while learning the farming practices, crop rotation, fertilization and herbicide management, and commercial and financial aspects of the operation. Florida’s agriculture industry is competitive with South American agriculture industries and by attending ILSSO I will be expanding my knowledge of Argentinean agriculture. I aspire to one day be involved in the agriculture industry on a political and governmental level, so I am very excited about bringing my experiences back to Florida to enhance and improve our market.

As I am in the process of raising funds for this trip, I am seeking sponsors. In order to participate, I must raise $4200 before the trip in January. If you would like to make a contribution or know of a local business that could be a potential sponsor, please contact me at Nicole.liles@flaffa.org or (813) 601-4190. Contributing to this endeavor will benefit our community, as I know I will be eager to share my experience and new knowledge when I return. I will be more than willing to speak about or give a presentation on my experiences in Argentina.

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and God Bless!

Nicole Liles

On November 19, 2010 the first three flats for the 2010-2011 Strawberry Season were brought in by Gabriel Garcia, Jaime Garcia and Alejandro Jimenez from Florida Pacific Farms, LLC. A great amount of teamwork was displayed with the first flats received because they all coordinated with bringing the berries in together. When Jaime was asked whose farm the berries were from, he replied; “it was the three of us as a team that bought the fruit in, it’s all about teamwork and we all took part in bringing them in.”

Congratulations to the Florida Pacific team for starting the beginning of what is hoped to be a very busy berry season and for the “Team Spirit that they display.”

Pictured above from left to right: Gabriel Garcia, Jaime Garcia and Alejandro Jimenez

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Growers' Panel Offers Candid Commentary at 5th Annual

By Jim Frankowiak It was another resounding success for Florida Ag Expo, the fifth annual educational show dedicated to Florida’s fruit and vegetable growers. More than 1,000 attended the November 10 gathering at the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Science (IFAS), Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) at Wimauma. Attendees were once again able to participate in a range of programs to learn about the latest agricultural developments.

Florida Ag Expo is a partnership between UF/IFAS, Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA), the Florida Tomato Committee, the Florida Strawberry Growers Association and FLORIDA GROWER Magazine.

Of particular interest was a “standing room only” Growers Roundtable moderated by Gene McAvoy, Regional Vegetable/ Horticulture Extension Agent IV with the Hendry County Extension. The growers participating in the discussion about “Current Issues Facing the Vegetable Industry” included: • Tony DiMare, DiMare Fresh • Jamie Williams, Six L’s • Britt Keene, Sun Ripe Produce & Pacific Tomato Growers • David Pensebene, Gargiulo • Chuck Obern. C&B Farms • D.C. McClure, West Coast Tomato The session began with comments on the current state of the industry, which DiMare characterized as “the most challenging of times impacted by the state of the economy, the escalation of all costs, labor issues, regulatory matters and competition from Mexico with year round production,” he said. “What this means is the need for all the help we can get from IFAS to keep us competitive.”

Pensebene said the primary goal for growers today is “to be profitable to enable us to stay in business. We also need the general public and buyers to realize what we do on a daily basis from a social responsibility standpoint. Our compliance with food safety has made us much more transparent to our customers. We feel good about the quality and safety of our products, but we must remain profitable to continue,” he said.

“We are in trouble” is the way Keene characterized the industry today. “Rising costs and the ever-increasing competition

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means we must have a level playing field with respect to growers in Mexico.”

“Rising costs for healthcare plus the impact of the Mexican issue” are the industry challenges noted by Obern. The “Mexican” issue ranges from government subsidies for green house production, the potential end for border tariffs on vegetables coming to the U.S. to artificial low prices of certain products Obern asserted are subsidized by drug dealers south of the border who he said take advantage of the required transportation process to move illegal drugs into the U.S. Williams would like to see the industry reach out more to the community and use the growing interest in “locally grown” as a marketing opportunity through which consumers “would be able to meet the people that grow and harvest the food they eat.” He broadly defined “locally grown” to include all crops grown in America. There was general agreement that major retailers like Publix and Wal-Mart are picking up on the locally grown theme and that’s beginning to be felt as they change their purchasing processes for fruits and vegetables.

The panel had mixed reaction to the opportunity in Florida for organically grown products. “It’s a great concept, but not so great here in Florida given the amount of spraying we have to do,” said McClure. “There’s also strong competition from Mexico,” said Obern “and organic buyers don’t really care where organically grown products come from.” He did, however, see an opportunity domestically for organically grown herbs.

Just before the panel discussion occurred, new UF/IFAS Vice President, Dr. Jack Payne, spoke of his initial activities since joining the university, including his personal statewide outreach and his gratitude for the significant private giving that has enabled IFAS to surpass its fund-raising campaign goal. He was also buoyed by the significant success that has been achieved in attracting major grants during these difficult economic times.

“We must continue to keep our legislators aware of the tremendous impact agriculture has on the state’s economy,” said Dr. Payne. “In these difficult economic times, we continue to bring significant value to Florida and that must not be overlooked.”

Dr. Payne concluded his remarks by reminding attendees that there are four pending appointments to the UF Board of Trustees and he encouraged those present to offer their suggestions for those seats to the administration and he urged all to “continue to expect great things from IFAS.” Florida Ag Expo included a series of educational sessions and field tours, as well as three sessions on invasive pests impacting Florida. The show also featured indoor and outdoor exhibit areas for previews of the latest products, equipment and services available to growers in the Sunshine state.

The educational programs of Florida Ag Expo are accessible on the web at http://gcrec.ifas.ufl.edu.

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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Hillsborough County Celebrates Farm City Week Hillsborough County Farm Bureau joined a host of other local agriculturists at the Down Town Tampa Market on Friday, November 19 to help promote Florida agriculture.

In an effort to increase understanding and help build relationships between rural and urban residents, Farm-City Week was created. The event begins on the Friday before Thanksgiving and ends on Thanksgiving Day and encourages everyone to think about where their food comes from and to thank those who make it possible for you and your family to enjoy the safest most abundant food supply in the world.

The agriculture industry provides us with a variety of things that are necessary including food, clothing and fuel.

According to the 2009 data from the Hillsborough County Agriculture Development Program, sales of Hillsborough County agriculture products is almost $778 million with 243,388 acres devoted to agriculture. Hillsborough County covers more than 1,000 square miles and 38 percent of that is used for agriculture production. The county ranks as the fourth largest producer of agricultural products in the state.

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Open Saturdays During Berry Season

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Two UF/IFAS Faculty Win USDA/NIFA Teaching Awards in Dallas

by Mickie Anderson Two faculty members with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences received accolades for teaching excellence at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities’ annual meeting November 14 in Dallas.

Ricky Telg, a professor with UF’s department of agricultural education and communication, received one of two National Teaching Awards, from the USDA/NIFA National Awards Program for Excellence in College and University Teaching in the Food and Agricultural Sciences. The award carries with it a $5,000 stipend to be used for strengthening instructional programs in the food and agricultural sciences.

Telg, a faculty member at UF since 1995, is well known for his work in distance education instructional design and as an adviser to many students in the department’s communication and leadership development program.

He advises as many as 60 undergraduates in that program each year, as well as several master’s and doctoral students. He also oversees his department’s two undergraduate minors in extension education and agricultural communication, as well as the interdisciplinary minor in leadership.

Telg founded UF’s Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow organization in 1995 and its student members have consistently been part of the ACT’s national leadership.

Among his many other awards, Telg was IFAS’ nominee for UF’s Academy of Distinguished Teaching Scholars in 2009 and in 2008 he received the Southern Regional Outstanding Teacher Award from the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture.

In addition, IFAS’ Grady Roberts received one of the two

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USDA/NIFA New Teacher Awards, given to faculty with no more than seven years of teaching experience in higher education. The award carries with it a $2,000 stipend.

Roberts, an associate professor with the agricultural education and communication department since 2008, is director of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences’ Teaching Resource Center.

The resource center serves CALS instructors and faculty through workshops, seminars and individual consultations to improve teaching skills. It also acts as a reservoir for state-of-theart information about teaching and learning.

Roberts was a faculty member in agricultural education at Texas A&M University for four years before joining the UF faculty in 2008. His research interests include experiential learning and teaching and learning in university settings, and he is the author or co-author of 40 peer-reviewed journal articles. Roberts was recognized as a Teacher Fellow by the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture in 2009.

UF leads all institutions in the number of faculty recognized by the Excellence in College and University Teaching Awards with 12. The following current and former UF/IFAS faculty have received awards since the program began in 1992: National Teaching Award—Rick Rudd (2006), Elaine Turner (2004), Michael Olexa (2001), Gail Kauwell (2000), Donald Hall (1997); New Teacher Award— Brian Myers (2008); Regional Teaching Award—Michael Kane (2009), Tracy Hoover (1999), Direlle Baird (1995), John Strayer (1994).

The APLU is an association of 218 public research universities, land-grant institutions and public university systems.

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By Nick Chapman Stephanie Conrad saw a need and stepped up to tackle the problem. Although the young people involved with cattle in Hillsborough County were members of the Florida Junior Cattlemen’s Association, they didn’t have a local chapter of their own and she wanted to change that. “We had our kick-off meeting in May and started to get organized, then in June we got some teens to compete at the annual convention down at Marco Island. We had a Quiz Bowl team and a Marketing Team, and they did really well,” commented Stephanie. She said following that was the big Florida Junior Cattlemen’s show and several members represented Hillsborough County there. Then in September, they were already up to 45 members. “But right now we are at 70-75 members, which is huge, considering there are only 300 members in the state.”

The members range from 8 – 21 years old. “You don’t have to own a cow. You don’t have to know anything about a cow. You don’t have to have show experience, nor do you have to show. You just have to have an interest in the cattle industry or you want to learn more about it. Anyone is welcome to join.”

Their basic purpose is to promote the cattle industry and beef as a commodity in the state of Florida. “It is such a huge industry. The largest cattle ranch in the nation is here in Florida. We want to help educate the kids so they can help educate the public.” The Conrads run a commercial and purebred cattle operation, so Stephanie can provide very practical lessons and guidance to the agricultural youth in her charge.

Stephanie has seen more juniors joining that don’t have parents that are involved in cattle. “They are just members because they have a love of the industry. That’s really a positive aspect, because that will help us in the future with the Cattlewomen and Cattlemen.” The kids get exposure to many professions with a lot of experience and connections, which will provide them with future contacts that will help them establish themselves. “We like to have a lot of fun, too.”

They elected their first officers in September. They had ten interested in serving, and they found positions for all of them. “I’m very pleased with my officer team, I couldn’t have hand-picked them better.” They participated with a float in the Plant City Christmas parade earlier this month. They are adopting a family for the holiday. In January, a Purina representative will speak to the group about nutrition. Additional plans include a grooming and showmanship clinic in the near future. Trips to a working cattle ranch in Hillsborough County will help give the members a hands-on look at daily cattle operations. They’ll be joining forces

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with the Hillsborough County Cattlewomen for an annual “Spring Fling,” which will be an old fashioned hoe down, including apple bobbing, popcorn and bounce houses at In The Home Place. Then their individuals and teams will attend and compete at Marco Island in June.

The group started with no money, but a sponsor donated their chapter t-shirts and then they sold them for a fundraiser.

They also sold sweet tea and goodies at the County Fair, supplied the beef exhibitors with a beef brisket meal, and sold tickets to the families to join them for the meal.

“I’m on the Beef committee. We used to do pizza, and we wanted to switch to some kind of beef product,” said Stephanie.

They will use the money raised to help defray competition expenses and finance their charitable activities.

Kaitlyn Gill is the newly elected president of the Junior chapter. She is a senior at Durant High School, and plans to attend Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia when she graduates.

Serving as Vice President is Chrissy Grimmer, a senior at Plant City High School.

Both of these young ladies are also members of the Hillsborough County Cattlewomen’s Organization, and have successfully competed in various events with the Junior Cattlemen, as well as holding local and federation FFA offices. Kaitlyn is serving as the Hillsborough County Cattlemen’s Sweetheart and Chrissy was just awarded the position of the Florida Beef Consumer Representative. She will educate the youth and public about the beef industry and the benefits of cattle. Layne Harrell, also a junior member in Hillsborough County, is serving as the Junior Beef Consumer Representative.

Stephanie hopes the membership will continue to grow and be involved. “I wish I could get every kid that had a little interest in cattle to be a member, because the education part is so important.

I was an elementary school teacher, and the foundation for education is so integral to these kids being successful in their future.”

Her young chapter has already made great strides in placing their organization among one of the top in the state.

To learn more, visit them on Facebook under “Hillsborough County Junior Cattlemen’s Organization or you can email Stephanie at amsshorthorns@yahoo.com. Due to the holidays, they won’t have a December meeting, but join them January 25 at 6:30pm at The Home Place, located at 3740 McIntosh Road in Dover. If you come, be prepared for fun, excitement, and a great opportunity to learn about Hillsborough County and Florida’s great cattle industry.

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Hillsborough County Cattlewomen’s Organization

By Nick Chapman Hillsborough County Cattlewomen’s Organization (HCCO) has had a long history of service here in Central Florida. But for several years, the organization almost became dormant as the dynamics of the membership changed and their numbers waned. That all changed three years ago when Tami Newsome and Debbie Gill decided to reinvigorate the group.

“We had been talking since our kids are involved in the Junior Cattlemens’ Association, we decided to try and get the Hillsborough Cattlewomen active again. The last three years we have done several things,” said Tami Newsome, president of HCCO. “Our goal is to spread information and promote the Beef Industry in Hillsborough County,” said Tami. They have set up an informational booth at various events and passed out beef food samples and educational literature at such venues as the Florida Strawberry Festival, the Southern Women’s Show and Farm City Week. They also send volunteers for the Ag-Venture program at the Florida State Fairgrounds. “There is so much negative information out there about beef being bad for you. We need all the women we can get to help promote the benefits of beef, that it’s safe to eat, you get a lot of iron and Vitamin B, and you gain a lot of products from the industry. We need new members to get out there and get the word out. And it tastes good.”

“The most important thing we do as a group is going out and encouraging people who aren’t aware of the cattle industry or the benefits of beef about what we have to offer. We provide quick and easy recipes, so instead of them going out and getting fast food, they can stay at home and get a delicious meal that’s good for them,” said Debbie Gill, current vice president of HCCO. “We saw in the county there were a lot of active cattlewomen, and some good “go to” gals have helped out.”

Membership now stands at about 20 women. Vina Jean Banks, who has been affiliated with the group since the 1970’s is thrilled.

“Tami and Debbie came in, and we have a lot of young ladies, and we’re real excited about that. They have done a lot of good stuff.” The group has been successful in their fundraising efforts and has done remarkable things over the last few years.

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This last year alone they have sponsored five children from the Hope Children’s’ Home at Christmas and awarded two $500 scholarships at the County Fair. And they receive requests for support from agriculture students all the time. “I’ve got two letters tonight to present to the committee from kids asking for support.” They help sponsor members of the Junior Cattlemen’s to go to their annual convention at Marco Island. “We just try to help out all that we can.” In the future they would like to provide more support for the youth and expand their educational efforts for the beef industry.

The Florida Cattlewomen’s Organization sponsored a contest for a consumer beef representative, and Chrissy Grimmer from the Hillsborough chapter won. Her work will take her across the state educating the public about beef. “I’ll be teaching the youth and the general public about beef and beef products. We have an educational program called from pasture to plate,” said Chrissy.

Speaking of the Hillsborough County Junior Cattlemen’s group Tami said, “We didn’t have a format until Stephanie (Conrad) started it, so that has been good for us because the mothers with children in the Juniors can come on the same night, and we can each have our meetings at the same time.” Both organizations meet the last Tuesday of the month at the same location.

Membership in the Hillsborough County chapter also gives you membership into the Florida Cattlewomen’s Organization. Tami said, “We encourage anyone to join if they have any interest in the beef industry at all. You hear “cattlewomen” and you might think you have to have a big ranch or your husband has to be in cattle. But it’s really for anyone, even the mom whose kid just has one animal.” Ladies are eligible to join after they turn 18, and a few of the Juniors are active with both groups.

If you are interested in helping this organization continue to grow and develop a strong base of membership for the cattle industry, contact Tami Newsome at Tamnews1@hotmail.com or call her at (813) 376-4966.

Or you can visit one of their meetings, on the last Tuesday of the month. They have a permanent meeting place at The Home Barn Place in Dover off McIntosh Road. Due to the holidays, their next meeting will be on January 25 at 6:30pm.

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43

The Mosaic Express:

17,000 Visitors and Counting

More than 17,000 local visitors have toured The Mosaic Express, The Mosaic Company’s interactive phosphate industry experience on wheels, since it hit the road less than a year ago in January 2010. This custom, 42-foot motor coach provides children and adults with an educational journey through the history, operations and benefits of Florida phosphate and its importance to global farming and food production.

Visitors are invited to check out a display of prehistoric fossils, view a diorama of Florida wildlife, make water flow and corn grow before their very eyes, all while experiencing how Florida phosphate is mined and becomes an essential crop nutrient required by farmers everywhere.

“Florida’s phosphate reserves play a vital role in feeding America,” said David Townsend, Mosaic’s Assistant Vice President of Public Affairs. “The Mosaic Express was developed to help Floridians of all ages better understand Florida’s phosphate industry and its important role in the state’s economy and nation’s food supply.”

The Mosaic Express was developed in partnership with Creative Arts Unlimited, Inc., of Pinellas Park, Florida. Creative Arts’ Designer/Project Manager Josh Pearson and Graphic Designer Lenna Dahlquist led Mosaic through the design and creation of a museum-quality experience. “We worked with Mosaic to encapsulate key aspects of the phosphate story into iconic images and interactive experiences,” said Dahlquist. “We’ve taken a state-of-the-art exhibit to a whole new level – a mobile level, and this is something highly unique and groundbreaking for our industry,” Pearson said.

“Our story is about agriculture, geology, biology, ecology and engineering; all of these disciplines play a role in our phosphate crop nutrient business – and are incorporated into The Mosaic Express,” Townsend said.

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While The Mosaic Express is designed at a 6th grade reading level, it can also be educational and fun for a younger child accompanied by an adult. It is highly interactive — visitors push buttons, spin wheels and slide panels to reveal narrative and moving images – creating a dynamic and memorable experience for all ages.

If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit The Mosaic Express, be sure to check out www.MosaicFla.com for upcoming scheduled appearances. The mobile exhibit travels throughout Central and Southwest Florida to large public educational and agricultural events, conferences, festivals and fairs. If you know of an event that would be a good fit for The Mosaic Express, review the event criteria and submit a request online. Mosaic’s volunteers are looking forward to welcoming you aboard The Mosaic Express at an upcoming event!

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2010

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DECEMBER 31

NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATIONS IN THE RED ROSE BALLROOM –

TRIBUTES TO ROD STEWART AND NEIL DIAMOND

The theme of the evening in the Red Rose Ballroom is “Tonight’s the Night” - and what a show it will be! Back by popular demand and to help bring in another year is the fantastic Rick Larrimore as “The Ultimate Rod Stewart” and the amazing Jack Berrios as “Diamond,” a tribute to Neil Diamond.

P.J. Leary & The Las Vegas Sounds with Ken Brady of the Casinos “Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye” will also perform.

IN THE RED ROSE DINING ROOM –

GEORGE GALFO’S MYSTICS AND RON MCPHATTER

In the Red Rose Dining Room the theme of the evening is “Mystical Memories” - Vegas Style!

George Galfo’s Mystics will perform their hits, including the number one “Hushabye.” Ron McPhatter will showcase with his act of “The Legacy of Clyde McPhatter.” Ralph Allocco & Second Wind will also perform.

Tickets to both events include a full course buffet, party favors, a midnight toast - complete with balloon drop, and a 1a.m. hot breakfast buffet.

For a truly memorable evening, book now and celebrate your New Year with us!

JANUARY 8 & 28

JOHNNY ALSTON’S MOTOWN ROCK & ROLL REVUE

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

JANUARY 14 – 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.

JANUARY 15 – JIM STAFFORD

Singer-songwriter and comedian, Jim Stafford will grace the stage in the Red Rose Ballroom on this evening for his special birthday celebration.

His hits include: Swamp Witch, Spiders and Snakes, and My Girl Bill. Jim’s music has been covered by George Jones and Jerry Reed and he has contributed to several movie soundtracks. Also performing - PJ Leary & The Las Vegas Sounds before and after the show. Space is limited, so please RSVP for this great dinner show soon!

JANUARY 22 – BOB ANDERSON

“A Night in Vegas” Las Vegas Hall of Fame Entertainer! Rich, smooth voice- and great impressionist! PJ Leary & The Las Vegas Sounds will also perform.

JANUARY 29

THE FABULOUS HUBCAPS

JANUARY 1, 7, 15, 21 & 29

“One of the Nation’s Most Sought After Oldies Show Bands.” Tributes to Bobby Darin, Ray Charles, Sinatra, Sonny & Cher... and much more! Plus, PJ Leary & The Las Vegas Sounds.

Performing in the Red Rose Dining Room

FEBRUARY 4, 12, 19 & 26

RALPH ALLOCCO & SECOND WIND JANUARY 7, 2011

THE FOUR ACES & PAT CAPUZZI

Internationally acclaimed since the 1950s, the group performs the songs that have touch hearts for generations in the Red Rose Ballroom.

Comedian Pat Capuzzi with also grace the stage with his crazy antics to put a smile on your face.

P.J. Leary & The Las Vegas Sounds perform before and after the show. Dinner served in a Supper Club atmosphere.

RALPH ALLOCCO & SECOND WIND

VALENTINE SHOWS Red Rose Dining Room

“UNFORGETTABLE” WITH RALPH ALLOCO & SECOND WIND

Red Rose Ballroom “ENCHANTED” WITH THE WORLD FAMOUS PLATTERS

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MERRITT

Richie Merritt of the Marcels will be performing in the Red Rose Dining Room.

FEBRUARY 19

THE VAN DELLS

50s & 60s Rock and Roll – The Van Dells are a unique blend of comedy, choreography and tight harmonies... the group is nonstop action from start to finish! Plus, PJ Leary & The Las Vegas Sounds will also perform before and after the show in the Red Rose Ballroom.

FEBRUARY 26 THE LEGACY OF

THE

TEMPTATIONS

Back by popular demand. This group will thrill you with the hits that we have loved for so long... including: “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg and “Papa Was A Rolling Stone!” Plus, Richie Merrit and PJ Leary & The Las Vegas Sounds.

MARCH 5 – 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, PJ Leary & The Las Vegas Sounds.

MARCH 11 & 12

Performing in the Red Rose Dining Room

FEBRUARY 12

contemporary music including show tunes and those special romantic songs for just the right Valentine’s atmosphere!

DOOWOP WEEKEND - VOL. 5 The annual is event is underway for another spectacular extravaganza!

MARCH 26

BUDDY HOLLY & BEATLES TRIBUTE SHOW In the Red Rose Ballroom

It’s a three hour Las Vegas style show, featuring adult

TEL: 813.752.3141

I-4 Exit 21• 2011 N. Wheeler St. Plant City, FL 33563

WWW.REDROSEINNANDSUITES.COM 46

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

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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!

Mrs. Evelyn Madonia Owner/General Manager

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2010

47

Get your advance tickets today! www.flstrawberryfestival.com

MAR. 3 - MAR. 13, 2011 - PLANT CITY, FLORIDA

FLORIDA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL: Getting Better With Age Family Value & Fun; Celebrating the Strawberry Harvest

THE JUDDS (Final Tour)

KENNY ROGERS TRACE ADKINS

By Jim Frankowiak “If it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it,” is an anonymous, but popular phrase that applies nicely to the Florida Strawberry Festival. Celebrating its 76th annual occurrence March 3 – 13, 2011, the festival’s theme this year is “Taste the Flavor of Fun!” The festival once again boasts headline entertainment, competitive contests, youth events, free on grounds entertainment, thrilling rides and delicious strawberries. “For the price of a movie, a family can have a full day of fun,” said Festival General Manager Paul Davis, who also noted the festival’s board, recognizing the challenges of the current economy, has not raised the price of admission or the cost of a strawberry shortcake.

Adult advance ticket sales are $8 for those age 13 and up.

Youth tickets purchased in advance are $4 for youngsters age 6 – 12. Children under age 6 are admitted free when accompanied by a ticketed adult or older youngster. “We also have special days throughout the festival when members of select groups are admitted at no charge or with a discount such as Kids’ Day, Senior Citizens’ Day and American Heroes Day,” said Davis who encouraged people to visit the festival’s web site, www.flstrawberryfestival.com for additional information.

“We also offer other specials such as Mountain Dew Day and Moonlight Magic Nights when attendees can enjoy midway rides all day for a flat fee,” he noted.

Advance general admission and show tickets can be purchased on the festival’s web site, calling the ticket office at 813754-1006 or by visiting the ticket office at 2209 Oak Avenue in Plant City. Group sales are available by calling 813-719-6680.

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“This year we are again teaming with Sweetbay Supermarkets in central Florida where advance gate admission tickets can be purchased from February 10 through March 13,” said Davis.

Headline entertainment appearing on the Festival Soundstage this March include: March 3 – Opening Day and Senior Citizens’ Day • Jimmy Sturr & Orchestra – free • Bobby Vinton ($10 & $15) • Kenny Rogers ($15 & $20) March 4 – Moonlight Magic Night • John Conlee ($10 & $15) • .38 Special ($20 & $25)

Artists Appearing on the Wish Farms Soundstage:

.38 SPECIAL

Thu. Mar. 3 10:30 am Jimmy Sturr & Orchestra FREE Thu. Mar. 3 3:30 pm Bobby Vinton $10 & $15 Thu. Mar. 3 7:30 pm Kenny Rogers $15 & $20

Fri. Mar. 4 3:30 pm John Conlee $10 & $15 Fri. Mar. 4 7:30 pm .38 Special $20 & $25

Sat. Mar. 5 1:00 pm Suite Caroline FREE Sat. Mar. 5 3:30 pm Jeremy Camp $20 & $25 Sat. Mar. 5 7:30 pm Gaither Vocal Band $20 & $25

Sun. Mar. 6 3:30 pm Trace Adkins $25 & $30 Sun. Mar. 6 7:30 pm The Judds (Final Tour) $45

Mon. Mar. 7 3:30 pm Charley Pride $15 & $20 Mon. Mar. 7 7:30 pm Clint Black $20 & $25

Tues. Mar. 8 3:30 pm Chubby Checker $15 & $20 Tues. Mar. 8 7:30 pm Chris Young $20 & $25

Wed. Mar. 9 3:30 pm Tanya Tucker $15 & $20 Wed. Mar. 9 7:30 pm Rick Springfield $20 & $25

Thu. Mar. 10 10:30 am The Guy Lombardo Band FREE Thu. Mar. 10 3:30 pm George Jones $15 & $20 Thu. Mar. 10 7:30 pm The Doobie Brothers $25 & $30

Fri. Mar. 11 3:30 pm Ray Price $10 & $15 Fri. Mar. 11 7:30 pm Jamey Johnson $15 & $20

Sat. Mar. 12 3:30 pm Allstar Weekend

& Jennette McCurdy $10 & $15 Sat. Mar. 12 7:30 pm Billy Ray Cyrus $20 & $25

Sun. Mar. 13 3:30 pm Easton Corbin $15 & $20 Sun. Mar. 13 7:30 pm Lady Antebellum $45

CLINT BLACK

CHRIS YOUNG

TANYA TUCKER

RICK SPRINGFIELD GEORGE JONES

Concert dates and times are subject to change

Free Grandstand seating, 3:30 & 7:30 pm are on a first come, first seated basis.

Order: www.flstrawberryfestival.com or 813-754-1996

CHARLEY PRIDE

THE DOOBIE BROTHERS

LADY ANTEBELLUM JAMEY JOHNSON

BILLY RAY CYRUS

March 5 – Kid’s Day • Suite Caroline – free • Jeremy Camp ($20 & $25) • Gaither Vocal Band ($20 & $25) March 6 – Mountain Dew Family Day • Trace Adkins ($25 & $30) • The Judds ($45) – Final Tour

Cool Whip • Stingray Chevrolet • TECO • Premium Leisure • Southern Ford Dealers • CF Industries • Patterson Companies • Mahaffey Tent Rentals • Verizon Wireless • Candyland Warehouse

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2010

49

March 7 – Grand Parade Day • Charley Pride ($15 & $20) • Clint Black ($20 & $25) March 8 – Red Hat Day, Ride-A-Thon Day • Chubby Checker ($15 & $20) • Chris Young ($20 & $25) March 9 – American Heroes Day & Ride-A-Thon Day • Tanya Tucker ($15 & $20) • Rick Springfield ($20 & $25) March 10 – Senior Citizens’ Day & Ride-A-Thon Day • The Guy Lombardo Band – free • George Jones ($15 & $20) • The Doobie Brothers ($25 & $30) March 11 – The Tampa Tribune Day on the Midway * Moonlight Magic Night • Ray Price ($10 & $15) • Jamey Johnson ($15 & $29) March 12 – Farm Workers Appreciation Day • Allstar Weekend & Jennette McCurdy ($10 & $15) • Billy Ray Cyrus ($20 & $25) March 13 – Mountain Dew Family Day • Easton Corbin ($15 & $20) • Lady Antebellum ($45) In addition to the 24 headline acts, the 76th Strawberry Festival will also offer daily free, family-oriented acts, Belle City Amusement’s Midway with 80 thrilling rides, nearly 400 vendors, exhibitors and food concessions.

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

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“Among our new free acts this year are the Pirates of the Columbian Caribbean, a high energy, high wire act,” said Davis.

“Belle City’s Midway will feature several new thrill rides, among them the Avalanche Roller Coaster, the largest coaster ever at the festival.” Swing Tower will debut, while Remix will make its only visit to the Sunshine State. “Additionally, our Midway will offer Magnum and there’s only one in this country,” said Belle City’s Charles Panacek. There will be several new kiddie rides and the spinning Wild Mouse Roller Coaster is making a return visit.

Though the Festival gains a high level of attention for its top-notch entertainment offerings and fun-filled midway rides “we must never forget that the festival is a celebration of the strawberry harvest,” said Davis. “It’s a time for our community to celebrate and recognize the importance of our strawberry industry and agriculture.”

“Our various youth competitions enable us to recognize our cattlemen and women of tomorrow as well as our growers of the future and to help them prepare themselves to carry forward this important agricultural tradition,” said Davis. “During just the last two years I am proud to say we have had some 6,800 students participate in the various youth events associated with the Strawberry Festival and they have won more than $1.3 million in competitive events. That is money or scholarships that will help them defray the cost of their college educations as they work to become members of tomorrow’s agricultural community.”

The festival provides young people with a productive and positive experience to showcase their hard work in various competitions, many under the auspices of 4-H and FFA. “Seeing a youngster sleeping next to his or her entry at the Steer Tent is a true slice of Americana that says precisely what the Strawcontinued on page 54

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DECEMBER 2010

51

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In the Field // 3.56x9.75

Battle Disease Resistance while Boosting Yields

continued from page 50 berry Festival is all about, and I hope that’s something that never changes.”

But the annual Florida Strawberry Festival is much more.

“This is a time when our community spirit really shines,” said Davis. “Our volunteers are critical and precious ingredients that make our festival one of the best in the country. I’m not talking just about service, but their individual commitment to make attendance at the festival an enjoyable one for every attendee and visitor “You can’t pay for their heart, desire and commitment. The Strawberry Festival is the Plant City community and the Plant City community is the Strawberry Festival,” he said.

“The Festival and experience of visitors has put Plant City on the map in a special way and I express my heartfelt thanks to each of those 2,700 who give unselfishly of their time and talent during the festival.”

The event began in 1930 when members of the then newly organized Plant City Lions Club came up with the idea for an event to celebrate the bountiful harvest of strawberries. After a six year hiatus during and immediately after World War II, American Legion Post #26 helped reactivate the festival. The Lions Club and other civic organizations have participated in the Festival ever since.

The Florida Strawberry Festival today ranks among the top 50 fairs in North America. The festival is a community-oriented organization governed by a board of directors from the community that annually devotes many hours to establishing policies and direction for the event. Though an annual, outstanding showcase for the area, the Florida Strawberry Festival has never been the recipient of taxpayer subsidies. And in recognition of its commitment to family, the festival does not allow the sale of alcoholic beverages on its premises.

Activities during the festival also include parades, a range of contests, an art show, a horticulture show, pageants and much more.

“Our Neighborhood Village is a special place to see a wide range of arts and crafts and food items, many displayed and for sale by the individuals who created them,” said Davis. “The village, which is overseen by one of our most active committees, brings women and youth together to showcase these diverse and special items.”

As a celebration of the strawberry harvest, it is important to recognize that more than 8,000 acres of strawberries are planted annually in the greater Plant City area of Hillsborough County

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

where some 2,800 farms produce fruit and vegetable crops with an estimated value of $400 million. One of the largest agricultural counties in the nation, Hillsborough’s crops – in addition to strawberries – includes citrus, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, squash, okra, peppers, beans, dairy products, eggs, ornamental horticulture, tropical fish, beef cattle, swine and other related products.

“You have no doubt seen bumper stickers and signs that say, No Farmers – No Food,” said Davis. “We believe in that and don’t want anyone to forget.”

The Florida Strawberry Festival also has its own post office.

It is operated each day of the festival by the U.S. Postal Service and the hand stamp on letters and cards mailed for the post office read “Florida Strawberry Festival Station, Plant City, Florida 33563.”

Though the list of entertainers may change from year to year and the midway will offer new ways for thrill seekers to enjoy themselves, the Florida Strawberry Festival will continue to celebrate family, the harvest and the ever important role of agriculture. For more information about the Florida Strawberry Festival, visit www.flstrawberryfestival.com and don’t forget to mark your calendar and plan a visit during March 3 – 13, 2011.

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Disease pressure and highly variable moisture levels present growers with a revolving door of new challenges. Strawberry growers can protect their investment and overcome many of these challenges by adding a costeffective fungicide program that delivers more nutrients to your crop—and more yields at harvest.

One of the best ways to boost your bottom line is to use a unique product that offers powerful control of diseases like Botrytis (also known as gray mold) while it provides a micronutrient boost that increases yields.

Studies show Thiram’s unique composition provides strawberries with more nutrients, which ultimately leads to higher yields.

Thiram Granuflo®, a product from Chemtura AgroSolutions, is an affordable, consistent fungicide that protects berries from diseases like Botrytis. With multisites of action, Thiram has low resistance risk and is safe for the plant as well as the pollinators.

“The main advantage of using Thiram is that it does the same job for control of Botrytis as some of the more expensive systemic fungicides,” said Dr. Natalia Peres, assistant professor of plant pathology at the University of Florida. “It’s also an effective resistance management tool because it works on different sites of the disease organism.”

“Thiram Granuflo gives growers a broad-spectrum fungicide that often is used in

place of seed protectants as an inexpensive, broad-spectrum alternative,” noted Glenn Brown, salesman for Crop Production Services in central Florida.

But disease control is only part of Thiram Granuflo’s success story. Studies show the fungicide also provides your berries more nutrients, which ultimately leads to higher yields.

“Our studies have shown that because Thiram has sulfur in its composition, it is also an effective nutrient boost that delivers increased yields in areas where soils are deficient of this nutrient,” said Dr. Peres.

Thiram Granuflo is a contact fungicide with preventative activity, so it should be applied at bloom before Botrytis becomes established. For the best results, use multiple applications of Thiram during the season, from very early bloom through fruiting.

Another product of Chemtura AgroSolutions that delivers successful disease protection is Procure® 480SC. Procure is a unique, locally systemic fungicide proven to have superior powdery mildew activity—providing an excellent rotational or tank-mix partner.

“We’ve also seen positive results with Procure. It’s one of the best products for powdery mildew control,” said Dr. Peres.

“The best way to control powdery mildew would be to use Procure in a rotational program.

In fact, one benefit of using Thiram and Procure would be an effective combination of disease control and increased yields.”

Chemtura AgroSolutions offers a full line of products to keep your berry crop at its best throughout the growing season. For more information about Thiram Granuflo, Procure, Acramite®, Firestorm® and Rimon®, contact me at jay.hallaron@chemtura.com or talk to your local dealer.

Firestorm is a restricted use pesticide.

Always read and follow label directions. ©2010 Chemtura Corporation. All rights reserved. Chemtura AgroSolutions, the logo and all brands are the property of Chemtura Corporation. Granuflo is a registered trademark of Taminco, S.A. Rimon is a registered trademark of Makhteshim Chemical Works Ltd. CASMPS12105362

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Some things I just don’t understand! For instances, why don’t we, as a family, play monopoly, rummy or Chinese checkers anymore. Now we eat a frozen dinner in front of the TV, get up and go to the computer to check our e-mail and see who has sent us something on Facebook. Seems like those things we once did as a family are a thing of the past.

As we get older there are new games to play. Games like: 20 questions shouted into your good ear; hide-and-go-pee; Red Rover, Red Rover, the nurse says bend over; pin the toupee on the bald guy; and musical recliners.

And as you age you know you’re in menopause when you sell your home heating system at a yard sale and change your underwear after a sneeze.

Speaking of menopause, there’s the story of a lady that sent a letter to the maker of Tide detergent. “Dear Tide,” she wrote, “I am writing to say what an excellent product you have. I’ve used it all my married life, as my mom always told me it was the best.

Now that I am in my fifties, I find it even better! In fact, about a month ago I spilled some red wine on my new white blouse. My inconsiderate and uncaring husband started to belittle me about how clumsy I was and generally started becoming a pain in the neck. One thing led to another and somehow I ended up with his blood on my new white blouse.

I grabbed my bottle of Tide with bleach alternative, and to my surprise and satisfaction, all of the stains came out! In fact, the stains came out so well the detectives who came by yesterday told me that the DNA tests on my blouse were negative. Then my attorney called and said that I was no longer considered a suspect 58 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2010

in the disappearance of my husband.

What a relief! Going through menopause is bad enough without being a murder suspect! I thank you once again for having such a great product.

Well, I have to go now and write to the Glad Bag people.”

I’ve noticed over the years as people grow older their values change.

Nowadays you can watch people spend their hard earned dollars on lottery tickets with the hope of hitting it big, knowing full well they have a better chance of being hit by lightening than winning the jackpot.

It reminds me of a grown

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59

soon inherit a fortune when his father expired. With that in mind he decided to find a wife with whom to share his fortune. One evening at an investment meeting, he noticed the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. To him she was knockdown gorgeous.

“I may look just like an ordinary guy,” he said to her, “but in just a few months my father will die and I will inherit a fortune.”

Impressed, the woman asked for his business card and four days later… she became his stepmother. Guess this proves that women are better at financial planning than men.

One day we’ll be like the three sisters, ages 92, 94 and 95, that lived in a house together. Late one night the 95-year-old draws a bath. She puts one foot in and pauses. She yells to the other sisters, “Was I getting in or out of the bath?” The 94-yearold yells back, “I don’t know. I’ll come up and see.” She starts up the stairs and pauses, “Was I going up the stairs or down?” The 92-year-old is sitting at the kitchen table having a cup of coffee listening to her sisters, she shakes her head and says, “I sure hope I never get that forgetful, knock on wood.”

She then yells, “I’ll come up and help both of you as soon as I see who’s at the door.”

My father-in-law, now 90 years old, moved down to Plant City a few years back after the passing of his wife of over 61 years. Moving to a mobile home park was quite a transition. He was telling me the other day about his neighbor. They exchange stories every now and then about

their mobile home park living experiences. Joe said to Bert, “My wife and I attended a party last year in a park where we lived before moving to Plant City. The last Saturday of every month they have an evening potluck supper. We play bingo, reminisce, drink a little wine and talk about the good ole days.

We heard Thelma Johnson’s grandson was staying with her for a few weeks. The rumor was going around that he got in a scrap with the law in Miami over some marijuana and came to Plant City to avoid the heat. Thelma was well known around the park for her delicious brownies and she always baked a quadruple batch for each get-together. She even made extra this time for people to take some home with them at the end of the party. For some reason they were extra good for this week’s party and every last one of them were eaten. Not one left over! We later found that Thelma’s grandson, Martin, laced the brownies with some of his marijuana.

Knowing this, I guess it offers a logical reason for everyone feeling good that night. By the time Joe put on the bunny hop record, everyone was in a real good mood and it was the first time the whole place got up and danced. That is, until the cops came to check all the noise complaints. And that’s another story…”

Okay, life begins at fifty. But, it’s at that age when everything else starts to wear out, fall out, leak or spread out.

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2011 STRAWBERRY DISTANCE CHALLENGE

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Race # ________________________________ (official use only) Mail-in deadline is Monday, Feb 1, 2011. One form per participant (photo copies are accepted).

_____Check here if you are a wheelchair entry or will need any special assistance.

Name:______________________ Sex:___________Age on race day:______ Phone: (______)____________________________T-shirt size:______

Feb 5th 7:30 AM Start Check in by 7:00 AM

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Participant Waiver, please sign and read below.

I know that running in and volunteering to work at The Strawberry Distance Challenge is potentially hazardous activities.

I should not enter and run, walk and/or volunteer unless I am medically able and properly trained. I agree to abide by any decision of a race official relative to my ability to safely complete the run, walk and/or volunteer. I also agree that I may be examined and treated if necessary during the course of a race by qualified race personnel in the event medical problems of any cause arise. The race officials or the qualified personnel have the right to disqualify me and remove me from the race, if in their opinion, I may be suffering from a life threatening condition. I assume all risks associated with running in and volunteering for races including, but not limited to, falls, contact with other participants, the effects of the weather, including high heat and/or humidity, the conditions of the road and traffic on the course, all such risks being known and appreciated by me. Having read this waver and knowing these facts, and in consideration of your acceptance of my application for participation in races and/or my volunteering, I, for myself and anyone entitled to act on my behalf, waive and release the Strawberry Distance Challenge, and all above mentioned officers and agents, all sponsors, their representatives and successors, from all claims or liabilities of any kind arising out of my participation in events even though that liability may arise out of negligence or carelessness on the part of the persons named in this waiver. I also approve the use of my and/or dependent’s picture taken before, during or after the races for promotional use without further compensation.

Walden Lake Polo Fields Cost pre-register $20; day of $25 www.strawberrydistancechallenge.com -orRegister by mail: Strawberry Distance Challenge P.O.Box 4768 Plant City, FL. 33566 To register by mail, you must complete form and send a self-addressed, stamped, no. 10 legal size (9 1/2 x 4 inch) envelope with your check or money order payable to: Strawberry Distance Challenge, P.O.Box 4768 Plant City, FL. 33566 Race numbers will be mailed after Feb 1st, 2008.

Signature:_______________________________Date:_______________

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Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson announced that a peach fruit fly, Bactrocera zonata, has been found in a trap in a guava tree in MiamiDade County. The fly was found by a U.S. Department of Agriculture inspector during routine surveillance activities earlier this month. This is the first Florida find for this species of fruit fly.

“This is a disturbing find because of the extreme risks associated with exotic fruit fly infestations,” Bronson said. “However, it is a clear indication that our fruit fly detection and monitoring program is working well, and fortunately, we have developed effective emergency response plans that in most cases allow us to quickly eradicate these dangerous pests. The state, along with our federal partner, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is pouring all available resources into this find in Miami-Dade County.”

The peach fruit fly is considered one of the most serious of the world’s fruit fly pests due to its potential economic harm.

It attacks many different fruits, vegetables and nuts, including mango, guava, citrus, eggplant, tomato, apple, peach, melon, loquat, almond and fig. The fruit flies lay their eggs in the fruits and vegetables. In a few days, the eggs hatch and maggots render the fruits or vegetables inedible.

The department, along with its federal counterpart, has launched an intensified trapping program in an 81-square-mile area surrounding the fruit fly find. If any more flies are found, trapping will continue, and an insecticide may be applied to telephone poles along with a substance that attracts the flies.

The public will be notified 24 hours prior to the application of any insecticides or other treatment activities. Should this be

necessary, additional outreach activities will be conducted to provide all relevant information.

Agricultural officials are attempting to determine the source of the fruit that carried this fly into Florida. Report any information on the possible origin of this fly to the USDA’s anti-smuggling hotline at 1-800-877-3835.

This marks the third exotic fruit fly find in Florida this year. In June, Mediterranean fruit flies were trapped in Palm Beach County, and a full-scale, threemonth eradication program was conducted, one of the shortest in U.S. history. In August, two Oriental fruit flies were found in a trap in Pinellas County, where trapping continues and no additional flies have been found. This year alone, about $7 million has been spent on the Palm Beach and Pinellas County programs.

“What these multiple incursions of exotic fruit flies into Florida are telling us is that even with our successful statewide fruit fly detection and monitoring efforts and preventive sterile fly release program, harmful pests and diseases are still being brought into the state by the traveling public,” Bronson said. “We must continue to raise public awareness about the risks associated with moving agricultural products without proper certification. We’re asking the public to refrain from bringing any plant material in from another country to reduce the incidence of invasive pests.”

State and federal agencies will work with local governments to keep the public involved and to provide updated information. More information can be found at the department’s website at www.fl-dpi.com/enpp/ento/exoticfruitflies.html, including maps of the detection area and detailed information on the peach fruit fly. Residents can also call the department’s toll-free help number at 1-888-397-1517.

COMMON NAME: Peach Fruit Fly SCIENTIFIC NAME: Bactrocera zonata (Saunders) ORDER AND FAMILY: Diptera, Tephritidae DESCRIPTION: The adult fly is approximately 6 mm long and reddish-brown with yellowish thoracic markings. The transparent wings have a small brown spot on each tip. The white eggs are 1.1 mm long and 0.2 mm wide. The larva of the peach fruit fly is a creamy-white, legless maggot which grows to a length of seven to 10 mm within the fruit. The larva doubles over and jumps about when disturbed. The pupa is encased in a dark-brown cylindrical puparium about 5.0 mm long.

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Peach Fruit Fly image by Natasha Wright, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Bugwood.org

Pest Alert: Exotic Fruit Fly Found in Miami-Dade County

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LOOK WHO’S READING 2010 Florida Strawberry Festival Queen, Natalie Burgin and Court Member, Dayla Dementry ® Your AGRICULTURE Magazine

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USDA AWARDS $2.9 MILLION GRANT FOR ENHANCED STUDY FORECASTING FUNGAL DISEASES THREATENING STRAWBERRY CROPS

GCREC Plant Pathologist Peres Leads Multi-University Team

By Jim Frankowiak The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded a four-year, $2.9 million grant to expand efforts designed to forecast outbreaks of two fungal diseases that pose a threat to strawberry crops in the U.S. Gulf Coast Research and Education Center plant pathologist Dr. Natalia Peres leads the multi-university team, which is to expand efforts to forecast outbreaks of anthracnose fruit rot and Botrytis fruit rot. The grant was awarded through the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Research Initiative. The team has developed a system, called “Strawberry Advisory System (SAS),” over the past four years to predict disease threats and warn Florida growers via a website, text messaging and e-mails.

“The team’s work is already helping Florida growers protect their crops, save money and help the environment by using fungicides more efficiently,” said Mark McLellan, Dean for Research with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “We are pleased that Dr. Peres and her collaborators were able to attract this funding for expansion of their system into other areas where strawberries are grown.”

“Strawberry is a high value crop and growers often spray fungicides on their plants weekly as a preventive measure,” said Dr. Peres. “Our system involves spraying only when there’s a high risk of infection, predicted by analyzing air temperature and plant leaf wetness. So far, experiments have shown that growers can potentially reduce fungicide use by half.”

Weather data is imported into the SAS from the Florida Automated Weather Network (FAWN), updating the system every quarter hour. Growers can access the most recent information online at http://agroclimate.org/tools/strawberry or they can sign up to receive email and/or text message advisories sent directly to their mobile or smartphone.

“As soon as conditions occur that are favorable for the diseases, our alerts are posted and distributed,” said Dr. Peres.

“These advisories are provided whenever conditions warrant, and this enables growers to plan their spraying accordingly.”

The practice of growers applying fungicides weekly or with even greater frequency to assure control of these diseases are often not necessary, said Dr. Peres. “Our forecasting tool specifies when sprays are needed, and it has enabled us to reduce the number of sprays by half without loss of control or yield in

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our research trials,” she said. The system’s primary advantage is the reduction in fungicide applications. “Sprays for these two diseases represent a major portion of the total operating costs.

So, the potential savings in fungicide and application costs are significant.”

Additionally, the SAS represents an educational tool that is easy to use and accessible at anytime. “By checking the system often, growers will come to learn and recognize the set of weather conditions conducive for disease development.”

The grant will enable Dr. Peres and her colleagues to enhance the current system for use by strawberry growers outside the state of Florida, the nation’s second largest strawberry producer. It will also add a new component to detect development of fungicide-resistant disease strains and advise growers of alternative fungicide options.

The team includes UF faculty members Peres, climate scientist Clyde Fraisse, agricultural economists Tatiana Borisova and John Vansickle and a number of Extension agents. Other institutions involved are Clemson University, Iowa State University, North Carolina State University and The Ohio State University.

The Specialty Crops Research Initiative was established by the 2008 federal farm bill and provides funding for research and extension on fruits and vegetables, tree nuts and horticultural and nursery crops. The USDA values specialty crops nationally at approximately $50 billion, while Florida’s annual strawberry crop is worth an estimated $300 million. The grants awarded totaled more than $46 million and were given to 22 universities and USDA facilities.

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EPA Releases New Protective Standards for Florida Waters

Effective Date for Inland Waters 15 Months Hence

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In the middle of November, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced finalization of new protective standards designed to help reduce water pollution that causes harmful algae blooms which can produce toxins harmful to humans, animals and ecosystems throughout Florida.

Nutrient pollution can also deplete oxygen needed for fish and shellfish survival, smother vegetation and discolor water. It can also result in the formation of byproducts in drinking water from disinfection chemicals, some of which have been linked with serious human illnesses.

The blooms are caused by phosphorous and nitrogen pollution from excess fertilizer, stormwater and wastewater that flows off land into waterways. Nitrogen also forms from the burning of fossil fuels, like gasoline. The final standards set specific numeric limits on the amount of nutrient pollution allowed in Florida’s lakes, rivers, streams and springs. The EPA believes these specific limits will provide much needed predictability and clarity to all involved in protecting water quality compared to the current general standards. At present, more than 1,900 rivers and streams, 375,000 acres of lakes and 500-square-miles of estuaries are known to be impaired by nutrients in Florida.

The new standards, which go into effect in February of 2012, represent the final step in the resolution of a lawsuit filed by the Florida Wildlife Federation in 2008. The result of that suit was a finding in January 2009 under the Clean Water Act that nutrient pollution standards are necessary in Florida. The resulting settlement, reflected in a consent decree entered in August 2009, requires EPA to adopt specific or “numeric” nutrient pollution standards by this past November. The final rule complies with this consent decree, under which EPA is also required to issue additional standards for Florida’s coastal waters

by August 2012.

The EPA said the later effective date will allow cities, towns, businesses, other stakeholders and the state of Florida a full opportunity to review the standards and develop strategies for implementation while Florida continues to recover from the current economic crisis.

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“Clean water is essential to Florida’s environmental and economic health,” said Peter Silva, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Water. “This rule will allow the people of Florida to take common sense, cost-effective steps to tackle harmful nutrient water pollution.”

EPA conducted 13 public hearing sessions in six Florida cities during a three month public comment period and noted each of these sessions “was well attended.” The agency received more than 22,000 public comments on its original proposal and worked with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, local experts and government officials to ensure that the best available science served as the basis for the standards and that implementation would be flexible and cost–effective.

During the period before the new numeric standards take effect, EPA, working closely with Florida officials, will determine the next steps to achieve the objectives of the standards. The new standards reflect conditions in five different watershed regions in the state with different total nitrogen and phosphorus (TN and TP) criteria for streams in each region and allow for individual adjustments based on local environmental factors while maintaining water quality.

Florida’s lakes are being classified into three groups (colored, clear and alkaline, clear and acidic) each group is being assigned different values for total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP) and chlorophyll a, a measure of algal growth.

The numeric nutrient criteria for springs in Florida, EPA is establishing a nitrate-nitrite criterion based on experimental laboratory data and field evaluations that document the response of nuisance algae to nitrate-nitrite concentrations.

It will be possible for governmental units or other stakeholders to seek special consideration where extensive assessments of water bodies have occurred and effective measures are in place to reduce nutrient pollution.

For additional information on the new standards for inland bodies of water in Florida, visit http:// water.epa.gov/lawsregs/ rulesregs/florida index. cfm.

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Brenda’s Beliefs FARM BUREAU PHILOSOPHY We believe in the founding principles of this nation.

The strength of our nation lies not in government but in its citizens. Government is the servant of its citizens, not their master. We recognize that to keep our nation strong, citizens must be involved in the political process: demonstrating and demanding high moral standards and values from public officials and private citizens. We oppose the public glorification of sex and violence in all forms.

By Brenda Valentine

Everyone has things they believe in. This is a short list of some of my personal beliefs. I don’t expect everyone to agree with or share my viewpoints but hopefully some will cause you to ponder your own principles.

1. I believe that if God had not intended for us to eat animals he wouldn’t have made them out of meat.

2. I believe it takes a few humbling missed shots to fully appreciate the hits.

3. I believe that common sense and woodsmanship are the deadliest weapons any hunter can possess.

4. I believe the satisfaction of the hunt cannot be measured by the score of an animal.

5. I believe that starting a young hunter with small game and allowing them to climb the hunting ladder slowly will keep them interested longer than if they start at the top.

6. I believe that killing one monster buck or long beard makes you a lucky hunter…not an expert.

7. I believe that I get a few animals I really don’t deserve and that I deserve some I don’t get and in the end it all averages out.

8. I believe that anyone who claims to make perfect heart shot every time is a liar.

9. I believe that every person, whether they choose to hunt or not, needs know where food really comes from.

10. I don’t believe everything I see on hunting shows!!

11. I believe the most limiting factor most women face in the outdoors is themselves.

12. I believe that not one buck, bull, or gobbler I’ve ever shot was concerned if I had internal or external plumbing.

13. I believe that everyone has a gift and those that use it and share it are the happiest.

14. I believe it is a shame to depend on the world wide web for all our information and answers while allowing the wealth of experience and wisdom of our elders go untapped.

15. I believe that laughter feeds the soul, loosens your hide …. And usually the bladder.

16. I believe most of us women have wasted way too much time and effort fixing our faces because that’s not what men look at anyway.

17. I believe it is only common sense that if your butt is twice as big as your feet you are supposed to sit twice as much as you stand.

18.I believe that any woman who has changed a dirty diaper before breakfast should not question her ability to field dress a deer.

19. I believe the two things I can never learn to tolerate are; rude people and anything with a crank rope.

20. I believe it is by Grand Design that eyesight blurs at about the same age for men and women.

21. I believe in being as nice to folks as they’ll let me ....whether they deserve it or not!

22. I believe the source of common sense must be dirt since folks raised on dirt generally have much more of it than those raised on concrete.

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We believe in the dignity of the individual. This God given quality is basic to our way of life. Dignity is achieved through safeguarding opportunity for individual initiative, not by illusions of security by government programs. There is dignity in work, and persons should be rewarded for their productive contributions to society.

I a

We believe in the American economic system based on the right to make a profit. The right to own, control and use private property is the very heart of our competitive economic system. While this right does not permit use of property in a harmful, illegal, or immoral way, we are alarmed by recent trends to infringe on legal use of private property. We believe that property owners should be compensated from public funds for curtailment of the use of property deemed “in the public interest.”

We believe that education is necessary for a wellinformed public and favor permitting the use of organized prayer in public school. We continue to support positive, creative youth programs such as 4-H and FFA which provide educational opportunities, leadership training and experience in the free enterprise system. We encourage activities, which would increase public awareness of the industry and contributions made by agriculture to the people of the State. We believe that discipline is necessary within that society. Both self-discipline and proper group behavior begin within the family. We do not condone abuse in any form, under the guise of discipline, whether it be a child, spouse or parent who is the target of said abuse.

We believe that all persons have the ability and responsibility to improve the society in which they live. Sharing one’s talents through voluntary efforts has been keystone to America. We are proud that the members of our Farm Bureau have accomplished much to improve our industry, communities and nation. We invite others to join in our service to agriculture and mankind.

Reprinted from the Florida Farm Bureau Federation Policy Book

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2010

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Dry Creek in a Nut Shell

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by Les McDowell photos by Linda Constant I am so excited to write about the new family driven TV Western called Dry Creek. Dry Creek airs Tuesdays at 9:30 pm. eastern on In Country Television, channel #230, Dish Network.

Join us at Cowboy’s Western World in Plant City on Tuesday nights from 7 – 11 pm for our Dry Creek Town Hall Meetings.

You can meet the cast and crew, while enjoying the show!

Dry Creek is reminiscent of small towns, family, friends, and values; it brings the viewer back to what is important in our lives. In today’s fast paced world the people of Dry Creek slow the globe down to see and appreciate the little things in life that make our hearts tick.

My guess is the reason you have an In the Field Magazine in your hand right now is because you enjoy a more relaxed pace of life. That is really the reason I created the Dry Creek series.

Dry Creek centers around the characters of this small 1880’s town as seen through the eyes and ears of Les, the owner of the Rock’n M Ranch, located on the outskirts of Dry Creek. Three ranch hands, Cowboy Tom, Power of Four Mountains, and Terry,

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who work at the Rock’n M, light the fuse to funny, entertaining situations. The School Marm marries the Railroad President.

The children learn their lessons at school and socialize together.

On set and off the people of Dry Creek relish stepping back in history together. At times you may shed a tear or laugh out loud.

Dry Creek is growing. New shops and businesses are opening as the Women and Men bring life to their characters. The children of Dry Creek work their magic on the set making it come alive with wonder and action. The community comes together as the plots unfold with love, challenges, anger, fear and resolve.

We make every effort to use period style costumes and props in each episode, like real Garcia spurs. Judy Aregano and Terry Smith craft costumes for themselves and many of the other cast members.

We have Bunky’s fully functional blacksmith shop where our Cowboys bring their horses for shoeing. We are so fortunate to have buggies, wagons and a stagecoach to add to the realism. It is exciting to see the teams of horses pulling their loads through the town. We want Dry Creek to be as authentic and entertaining as we can muster.

Dry Creek faces problems of today and looks at them with a common sense approach of a small town, from bullying to keeping your word. So Welcome to Dry Creek…. a relaxed, feel good place. Everybody knows where Dry Creek is…cause it’s inside each and every one of us.

Visit our website http://mcdowellcorporation.com, to find out more about Dry Creek, view an episode, and see our photo gallery. We have T-shirts, mugs, and many other items available in our store at http://cafepress.com/drycreek3. We would love to have you join us!

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www.farmcreditcfl.com INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2010

71

New Rain Garden Manual Available for Residents of Central Florida Stormwater runoff is increasing as Florida cities grow and natural green spaces are replaced with manicured lawns, concrete sidewalks and asphalt pavement. The Rain Garden Manual, developed by the University of Florida IFAS Hillsborough County Extension Office, helps to reduce stormwater runoff by providing homeowners with the knowledge to design, install and maintain a rain garden in a residential landscape.

This easy-to-read manual provides step-by-step directions on how to determine if a rain garden is the best option, where to put it, how to construct it, and what plants to use. The last few pages contain a suggested plant palette with color photos to help make the process a little easier.

Rain gardens are a big part of the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ concept. This type of landscaping makes use of native and non-native, Florida-friendly flowers, grasses and other vegetation that catch rain water from a roofline or gutter system and filter it back into the ground, where it can recharge groundwater resources.

The author, Marina D’Abreau, is the Urban Horticulture Extension Agent and Master Gardener Volunteer Coordinator for the Hillsborough County Extension Office. With contributions from University of Florida horticulture specialists and the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council and funding from the Florida Department of Transportation, this manual will be a great resource for residents looking to add something different to their landscape in an effort to address stormwater runoff issues.

For information on home gardening and landscaping, visit Hillsborough County Extension at http://hillsborough.extension.ufl.edu, then click on ‘Home Gardening’ or contact Marina D’Abreau at (813) 744-5519, ext.145.

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Naturally Amazing Activities PINE NEEDLE BASKETRY

By Sean Green The air is filled with good cheer and the aroma of a buffet of conifers to suit the taste of anyone celebrating the holidays with a natural tree. I am inspired by the warmth of the human spirit contrasting our cooler seasons, and the beauty of traditions that are threaded together the final months of the year. Crafts that celebrate ancient tradition tend to also reaffirm our human potential to coexist with nature. Making baskets from naturally renewable resources is common in every culture. This month we will feature a craft that symbolically celebrates not only the ties that bind humanity, but also honors an ageless dependence on our environment to provide our needs.

Pine needle basketry is at least a 9,000 year old tradition predating pottery technology. Although it is not known when pine needles were first used to create baskets, the Seminoles are thought to be the first pine needle basket makers. Historic evidence suggests shell needles were used to sew bundles of pine needles together with fern roots or the variety of swamp grasses available. In Florida, we have two native species of pine that are treasured by basket makers throughout the United States for their long pine needles.

The Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) is essential for the survival of many Florida wildlife species such as the gopher tortoise, Florida mice, and eastern diamondback rattle snakes. These pines take 100 to 150 years to become full size and can be found in flatwoods and upland ecosystems. Its

Foundation Coiling (the central ring) 1. Cut a four or five foot length of stitching and thread one end through a large eye darning needle.

2. Select two clusters of pine needles (4 to 6 individual needles) of nearly the same length.

3. Align two inches of the stitching with the cluster sheaths in the same direction the needle grows.

4. Beginning ¼ from the sheath, loop the stitching around the cluster, creating a ¾ inch coil (8-10 turns) 5. Gently bend the cluster to form a small loop, wrap the stitching around the loop to create the center loop of the basket.

6. Bend the cluster snuggly to the side of the loop you created and thread the stitching through the center hole of the loop; this will bind the cluster of pine needles to the center loop in a coiled pattern.

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needles can grow to lengths of between eight and eighteen inches long making it the favored species for basket makers.

Slash pine (Pinus elliottii) seeds are an excellent food source for gray and fox squirrels and wild turkey, it is found in wet flatwoods, and swampy areas. Prior to the 20th century, the U.S. Navy created an industry associated with this species harvesting the resins for the maintenance of wooden ships and production of turpentine. You may still find older trees with “cat face” scars left by gum tappers slashing triangular chunks out of the tree to harvest the resins. It was this practice that gave the tree its common name. The leaves of this species produce needles ranging in length from five to eleven inches long and are also a popular choice for basket makers.

Materials: • • • •

Dry Pine Needles Darning Needles Stitching (Raffia, Hemp, Sweetgrass, etc) Drinking straw cut to one inch (used as a bundle gauge)

Preparing the pine needles 1. Soak the pine needles 30 minutes, rehydrating them until they can be bent without breaking.

2. Place the pine needles on a towel, gently blot dry, and group the needles by size 3. (optional) Remove the pine needle fascicle (cap)

Support Coiling (the second ring) The second coil is a support coil that is attached to the central coil; the coil is stitched to the middle of the center bundle, NOT the center loop. This process consists of several coil stitches followed by a figure eight stitch through the bundle.

1. Slide the drinking straw gauge over the pine needles in the coil, add three or four individual needles every time you coil the cluster until the straw is full, and then add needles to maintain the diameter of the bundle as necessary.

2. Make several (5 or 6) coils around the cluster of pine needles, like you did in the beginning.

3. Make a figure eight stitch secured through the center coil bundle (not the hole in the center) 4. Continue coiling to complete the second ring.

DECEMBER 2010

Stitch Coiling (the pattern rings) All stitching is done in a spiral pattern. The pattern will radiate outward and the space between stitches will naturally grow with the diameter of the basket. There is a variety of stitches commonly used, some more complicated than others. The Chain Stitch is the simplest and is the suggested stitch for your first basket.

There will be a good side and a bad side for this stitch. The good side is the side that should be visible.

1. Coil the stitching around the pine needle bundle 2. Stitch in between the bundles to the right of the stitch on the previous coil, creating a swirling pattern

Thank you to our clients and the community for supporting us over the past four years.

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Register for Spring Term 2011 December 13-January 14

3 Things Every Puppy Should Know

Spring into the New Year!

HCC is the place for an affordable, quality education with smaller class size — and it’s closer to home.

Application deadline for Spring 2011 is December 14.

Register and apply online.

by Johnny Cone

Classes begin on January 10.

The key to a great dog is to get your puppy off to a great start. Some folks think that it is okay to let puppies be puppies and you can always train them later. I don’t hold that belief. Puppyhood is a time of great learning for canines. They are going to learn whether we teach them or not. So you can let your puppy do as it pleases and learn a bunch of bad habits and poor behaviors, or you can begin training immediately and teach your puppy the basics it needs to know in order to be a well behaved adult dog.

There are three basic rules or behaviors every puppy needs to know in order to be a social adult dog that is not a nuisance or potentially harmful.

These are a combination of social behaviors and command cues that govern the dog into having good manners in the home and around people.

These rules are as follows: No Jumping, no biting and leave It. Having a tiny puppy excitedly jump and dance around your feet in an effort to get your attention is both cute and entertaining. But when that tiny puppy is a 75-pound dog, it is annoying and potentially dangerous. An adult dog can easily knock someone down, potentially harming them. The best way to avoid having an unruly dog that knocks down everyone it meets is to teach the dog that this behavior is unacceptable while it is young and small.

This training is not difficult but it does take consistency and participation by everyone in the home. The way this is best accomplished is to never welcome a puppy that is jumping up on you trying to get your attention. When the puppy tries to jump up on you, say the command “OFF” and turn away from the dog. Don’t touch the dog, don’t get into long conversations with the dog, do not push the dog away. Keep your arms folded in front of you and do not look directly at the dog. Just say “OFF” one time and turn away from the dog. If the dog runs around you to face you, keep turning away. If the dog keeps it up begin walking away, continuing to ignore the dog. Sooner or later the dog will calm down

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and cease jumping. This is where timing is important. As soon as the dog is calm and not jumping reach down, pet and praise the dog in a calm warm voice. If when you reach down, the dog gets excited and starts jumping again, immediately stand up, repeat the “OFF” command and resume ignoring the dog. This may take a few times but the dog will get the idea. The dog wants your attention and you want a calm dog. The dog will learn that it only gets what it wants by being calm. With this method there are no harsh corrections that may cause the dog to be fearful of you, no complicated training progressions, and no drama. All you are doing is withholding something the dog wants until the dog gives you what you want. Adding the command “OFF” is adding a cue to remind the dog of what is expected.

Puppies use their mouths in play and to explore their world. Their mouths become their hands, touching, tasting and testing everything they come into contact with. When puppies interact with other canines there are some instinctive self restraints to keep biting from getting out of hand. But these restraints don’t always transfer to humans. So it is up to us to teach them restraint. Teaching this restraint works much the same way as with jumping. If the puppy starts mouthing or biting you, get away from it and ignore it. You can add a cue of “no bite” if you like. Anytime you are playing with or petting the dog and it begins to nip and bite, stand up, fold your arms, give the command “no bite” and then ignore the dog. Allow a short time to go by then pet or touch the dog again. If it responds properly, give warm verbal praise. If it attempts to nip again, repeat the process of ignoring the dog. The puppy will get the idea pretty quickly if you are consistent. Again, you are accomplishing what you want by controlling something the dog wants.

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2010

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Our hands are not the only things puppies get their teeth into. Given the opportunity they will destroy our shoes, clothes, couch, carpet, and anything else they can get their teeth in to.

This is where “Leave It” comes in. You can use leave it to cause your dog to let go of things and to turn its attention away from anything you don’t want it to bother. As an example of how this works; your puppy grabs your shoe and begins to walk away with it. You give the “leave it” command, the dog drops the shoe and ignores it. Teaching “leave it” is a bit more complicated than teaching a puppy not to jump or bite. But it is still not difficult.

It just requires a bit of effort. To begin teaching “leave it” you are going to need some high value treats, a leash and collar, and a few things that your dog will find value in but not as valuable as the treats. A few slices of white bread and a couple of dog toys usually work well. Place the value items scattered about in the area. Then place the puppy on the leash and with one of the high value treats in your right hand, approach one of the value items with the puppy. As soon as the puppy shows interest in the value item, give the command “leave it.” If the puppy looks away from the value item and looks at you, immediately give it the treat and move on to another value item. Repeat the process again at the new item. Sometimes puppies will not immediately

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look at you on the leave it command. If this happens with your puppy, put the treat in front of its nose and lure its head around to face you. When it is facing you say the “leave it” command and give it the treat. Then move on to next value item and repeat the process. The puppy should get the idea pretty quick. Once the puppy is consistently looking at you immediately upon the “leave it” command at a value item, it is time to put the command into practice. Begin using “leave it” anytime your puppy grabs or pays attention to something you don’t want it to. At first it is a good idea to keep some treats handy to reinforce the command when the puppy is successful. If you keep practicing with the value items as well as using it in real life situations your puppy will quickly become very reliable with the “leave it” command.

Raising a puppy into a well behaved reliable adult dog takes a little effort. This effort is well worth it and you will be repaid by having years of companionship with a well mannered dog.

Teaching these three rules will get you and your puppy off to a great start.

If you have a dog question you would like answered in the magazine, email it to Johnny Cone, Johnny@inthefieldmagazine. com.

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2010

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The Greatest Gift

by Mark Cook I was never sure I wanted kids. I guess growing up you always wonder what it would be like to be a parent but there never was a time. So when my wife mentioned taking adoption classes I tried to put her off. I was 33 at the time, working as an underwriter and fishing every weekend. I didn’t have time for kids I thought to myself. But she was persistent. We had been married 11 years and had talked from time to time about having children but due to her health and recent kidney pancreas transplant a few years prior, we assumed it just wasn’t in the cards for us. We had a few friends who had recently adopted through the state and after talking with them I finally gave in and agreed to go to the two-week class in Tampa. Guess it wont hurt to take the classes and make her happy I thought. And just because I do that doesn’t mean we have to jump at the first opportunity that comes along.

The classes were on Saturdays and during the evenings for two weeks, and as much as I wanted to come up with any excuse to not go, I went along to keep peace. After we completed the classes the agency asked what type of kid we were interested in. Any would be fine with us we said and I have to admit I started to get a little excited. We began preparing a room for the new member of our family, the same room I had slept in as a child and the same room my own father grew up in. A couple of weeks later a call came from the agency and they said they had a little boy who would soon be adoptable after some legal issues were handled. She asked if we wanted to meet him and we both agreed.

It was a weeknight and after working all day and, after cleaning up, we both sat nervously in anticipation. The television was on,

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but I don’t remember what was playing, as it was just a distraction while we waited.

A million thoughts ran through our minds waiting that evening. Were we ready? Can we afford this? But more importantly, can we love a child that isn’t our own blood? All the questions were answered the minute the forest green Nissan pulled up in our front yard and the back door opened and the little boy got out of the car seat. With long curly blond hair and all of 26 pounds, he nervously walked hand in hand with the woman from the agency up our stairs. That moment is etched in my mind and no matter what mental disease I suffer from 40 years from now in some nursing home, I’ll never forget that exact moment when our eyes met through the glass pane on our front door. That was my son, blood or no blood, it was love at first sight.

We spent the evening together playing, talking, or in our case trying to interpret what he was saying as he had some speech issues from his first three years bouncing around in foster care. The two hour get together ended way to soon and after eating what seemed like a hundred strawberries and cookies it was time for him to leave. The representative asked if we wanted to set up an overnight visit and we both gladly nodded in approval.

A few days later he arrived for an overnight stay and like the previous meeting we played, ate, and got to know each other. The next morning we had to take him back and we met at a fast food restaurant.

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DECEMBER 2010

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It’s been five years since the day we made it official. There are a lot of things I‘d like to do differently over those five years.

Unlike my own Dad, I’m not the most patient father in the world.

I can get frustrated easy, raise my voice and even yell a little. Ok a lot. I fail my son often and many nights I lie awake wishing I would have handled things better. I suppose most parents from time to time second-guess their parenting skills. But I think I do it more than most. I remember a few years ago someone praising my wife and I for adopting him and taking care of him and mentioning how lucky he was to have us. But it’s the other way around. We are the lucky ones. We are the one’s blessed to have him.

Waiting for the woman to arrive to pick him up we watched as he played on the in store playground. After saying goodbye we watched as she led him to the green Nissan and strapped him in.

Just like watching him drive away that morning, I’m writing this with my eyes blurred with tears thinking about how hard it was to let him go that day. But it was settled. We would foster him until he was eligible for adoption and a couple of days later he came to our house to stay. As he was unloaded from the car, all his possessions from his first three years of life fit in a large garbage bag.

While I know it’s not right to spoil a child don’t tell me I’ve given him too much. For what he went through in his early life there is no thing as too much. A simple black garbage bag was his whole life up until that point. It’s hard to say no to a kid’s wants after seeing that darn garbage bag.

The adoption process was a stressful somewhat frustrating experience, but on November 13, 2005 it became official. Douglas Davis Cook was our son and no one could change that. We had several friends and family members at the courthouse that day to help my wife and I celebrate our new life.

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In our years together I see a lot of him in my wife and I. He loves sports, fishing, and cries when we leave after visiting the beach. From my wife he has learned a love for animals, compassion to those less fortunate, and to say I love you every time we say goodnight or goodbye.

While I am certainly a believer I’m no preacher but I now know things happen like they are supposed to. Looking back on my life it’s easy to see the plan now. What if I had never met my wife in 1991? What if she weren’t sick for all those years? Then we would have had children on our own and never considered adoption. But God saw this little man. He saw him needing parents and he brought us together. So all the insulin shots my wife suffered through, the nights I spent in her hospital room praying she would get better, the anxiety of her transplant, all of these things we had to go through to get where we are today. And neither of us would change one second of it.

Today our son is ten going on twenty it seems some days, occasionally moody and loud, but mostly the sweetest most beautiful boy and son any parents could ask for. I don’t have any idea why I ended up with him but I’ll take it for whatever reason. So as I sit here this cool foggy overcast morning after getting him on the bus, I miss the sounds of his voice, the running of his small feet through the house, and laughter. I even miss his thousand and one questions he seems to always have. And while I sometimes need a little peace and quiet, 2:45 and the rumbling of the diesel school bus can’t come soon enough.

(Note: There are hundreds of children in Hillsborough County alone in need of a family. For more information on foster to adopt contact me at mark@inthefieldmagazine.com)

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The instructions contain important conditions of sale, including limitations of warranty and remedy. Agri-Mek and Gramoxone Inteon are Restricted Use Pesticides. Actara, Quilt Xcel and Voliam Flexi are not currently registered for use or sale in all states. Please check with your state or local extension service before buying or using these products. Actara, Agri-Mek and Voliam Flexi are highly toxic to bees exposed to direct treatment on blooming crops and weeds. Do not apply these products or allow them to drift onto blooming plants if bees are foraging adjacent to the treatment area. Abound,® Actara,® Agri-Mek,® Gramoxone Inteon,® Quilt Xcel,™ Ridomil Gold,® Switch,® Tilt,® Voliam Flexi™ and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. Syngenta Customer Center: 1-866-SYNGENT(A) (796-4368). www.FarmAssist.com MW 1LPH0043-S 9/10

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2010

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A Closer Look: Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridans)

A Closer Look: Green Lynx Spider

By Sean Green

The Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridans) is the largest North American member of the Oxyopidae family of spiders (lynx spider).

This nimble hunter does not build a web to trap its prey, but rather, stalks and pounces on it like a cat earning it the distinction of its common name Linx. Its eyesight is nearly as good as the Jumping Spider (Salticidae) and it shares the fascinating ability to spit venom like the spitting spider (Scytodidae). Despite its formidable characteristics, this spider has very little potential as a threat to humans, in fact, this species is often referred to as “Farmers Friend” because of its potential in agricultural pest management. In field studies the green lynx spider has been observed feeding on destructive moth larva such as Helicoverpa zea (corn earworm,tomato fruitworm), Alabama agrillacea (cotton leafworm) and Trichoplusia ni (cabbage looper). Although this species is a very active predator of destructive pests, it is an opportunistic feeder and just as eagerly feeds on beneficial insects such as honey bees (Apis mellifera) and social wasps (Vespidae). In nature, balance is achieved through the biodiversity of the microhabitat in which the spider exists, more investigation will be needed to support farmers that are moving towards biologic solutions in pest management.

Our native green lynx spider (Peucetia viridans) is the most commonly submitted for identification to the Division of Plant Industry entomologists and can be distinguished by its unique physical characteristics. The body is transparent green with red spots along the side, however, pregnant females are able to change the color of their abdomens to shades of green, purple, yellow, and white for camouflage. The legs are also transparent and tend towards pale shades of green and yellow with light brown knees. The long black spines at the ends of the legs are one of the identifying features of this species, the other (If you get close enough to observe), are that six of its eight eyes are framed in white and arranged in a hexagonal pattern, its other two eyes are situated just below the hexagon near the fangs.

Peucetia viridans do not populate as fast as other species, they only create one generation per year and have a long maturity period.

Females usually construct only one egg sac per year, typically in September and October. Each

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egg sac contains an average of 200 bright orange eggs, but can contain as much as 600. The female binds the upper leaves of shrubs to form a protective shelter for the eggs sac and clings to the bottom of the shelter, guarding it relentlessly. The spiderlings complete one molt as embryos within the egg and are ready to hatch in about two weeks. Mother spider helps the spiderlings hatch by tearing open the egg sac for them. Once free, the spiderlings will remain near the safety of the egg sack and the protective mother spider for about 10 days, finally dispersing by ballooning their way to independence and either overwinter or begin feeding on whatever tiny insects they can find. The green lynx will have to survive eight instars to reach maturity. Under laboratory conditions males mature in about 288 days and females average 301 days.

Peucetia viridans have excellent eyesight and can see their prey up to four inches away. Their speed and agility enable them to hunt their prey rather than wait for it to become tangled in a web. Furthermore, they can escape larger enemies with greater ease. Another fascinating arsenal at its disposal is its ability to squirt venom from its fangs like the spitting spider (Scytodidae). Used primarily as a defense mechanism, Peucetia viridans can squirt venom up to 20cm in a long narrow stream. This behavior is typically observed in mature females protecting the egg sac and spiderlings. Egg sac predators include ants, mantidflies, and jumping spiders that feed on emerging spiderlings. Larger enemies include other spiders, sphecid wasps, birds, lizards and snakes. It is unclear whether the spitting behavior is for the protection of the female or her spiderlings. Peucetia viridans is not as accurate in her spitting attack as Scytodidae, therefore it is assumed that the behavior serves as a preliminary defense mechanism directed towards larger targets. There are no recorded observations of juveniles or males spitting venom, it is possible that the spitting behavior is associated only with female spiders protecting her egg sack and spiderlings from large predators.

The Green Lynx Spider (Peucetia viridans) has earned its reputation as a formidable hunter and “Farmers Friend,” to what extend this distinctions applies depends on you. One thing that is certain is that this spider will bring no harm to the gardner or farmer and is one of the more interesting native species in Florida.

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1047 -330’ Field Fence ........... $109.00 Barb Wire 151/2 /CL3 Gauge..... $33.00 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 .................$78.00

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www.Fencing-Farm-Ranch.com INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2010

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The Florida Strawberry Growers Association’s Strawberry Jam banquet on December 4th had a new emphasis this year. The awards dinner has always focused on past, present, and future.

The ultimate award for past service is the Strawberry Hall of Fame, and this year’s deserving recipients were Mr. Rodney Hutto, Mr. Charles E. Lawton, and Mr. Hollis Maxwell. Awards for present service were presented to Mr. Gary Ford and Mr. Hugh Gramling – together with internal awards for many farm achievements.

the food we need. But our work doesn’t stop there. After mining the natural phosphate needed to make our products, we reclaim the land for recreational and environmental uses. We bring more to your table, all while feeding the world responsibly.

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FSGA sponsors fund raising events throughout the year to facilitate scholarship contributions. Families of six key FSGA members who have passed away have also established memorial scholarships. FSGA is proud to have awarded the youth in our community over $300,000 during the past 28 years. Our future is in good hands.

Enriching farmland is our labor and our love. We provide American farmers with nutrients to grow

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However our future is represented by the youth of the community, so FSGA decided this year’s scholarship winners deserved increased recognition. “We received so many impressive applications that the selection process was quite difficult” said Mike Lott, Committee Chairman. After the final selection of 18 exceptional students, FSGA decided to include photos and a brief bio of each student to enhance the check presentations. FSGA Executive Director, Ted Campbell, added “Such accomplishments at their age are remarkable, and we wanted everyone in attendance to understand how proud we are of the youth in this community.”

We preserve the best of nature, to produce the best from nature.

Right here in Florida are the growers that grow the oranges for our juices, and our own dairy farm where our cows are milked. We’ve created an explosion of healthy choices in exciting flavors to make a meal nutritionally balanced, with uncommonly fun flavors. Make the choices you offer “Fresh from Florida!”

Visit us online to see all of the healthy choices from M&BProducts:

1-800-899-7255• www.mbproducts.com

Actual carton designs may differ from illustrated images.

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DECEMBER 2010

t’s not just a slogan...

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Gentle

Trinkle, Redman, Swanson & Coton, Davis & Smith, P.A. Attorneys at Law

GARDENING

Our Practice

Plant Some Cool Season Vegetable Crops

Tip of the Month:

By Craig Chandler

In many parts of the country the last fresh vegetables were harvested from home gardens months ago. But in central Florida we are just finishing up with our warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers, corn, etc.) and starting to focus our attention on crops that grow best in cool weather. Here are some to consider: Lettuce Rodale’s Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening notes that lettuce greens are so easy to grow, so nutritious, and so delicious picked fresh from the garden, that everyone should grow them. If you grow them from seed, sow the seeds very shallow as they need light for germination. Thin to 8-12 inches between plants.

Cabbage Buy only healthy looking transplants, and plant before the end of January. Use Bt insecticide to control looper caterpillars.

Carrots Grow on a raised bed for best results. Carrot seeds are tiny so don’t sow them more than ½ inch deep. Thin plants to one inch apart in the row when the plants are two inches high, and then to three inches apart two weeks later.

Onions The recommended bulbing variety for Florida is Granex (a yellow onion). Space four to six inches apart in the row.

Broccoli Cool days and nights are important for success, so plant before the end of January. Space 12-18 inches apart in the row. Harvest small multiple side shoots that develop after the main central head is cut

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As with warm-season vegetable crops, cool-season crops perform best in sunny, well drained locations.

Be sure to consult the University of Florida’s web link http:// edis.ifas.ufl.edu/TOPIC_Vegetable_Gardening for detailed information on how to grow a successful vegetable garden in Florida.

LITIGATION & LAWSUITS • Commercial Litigation & Collections • Creditor Representation in Bankruptcy • Real Estate • Personal Injury • Property Damage • Probate

ESTATE PLANNING & PROBATE • Will & Trust Drafting • Probate & Administration of Estates • Guardianship Proceedings

*The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisments. Before you decide, ask the lawyer to send you free written informationabout their qualifications and experience.

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Peas, English The most productive English pea varieties are vines that need a trellis for support. Space plants two to three inches apart Collards Collards can be planted through the end of February. Space 12-18 inches apart in the row. Watch for leaf-eating caterpillars and if they are present spray plants with a Bt insecticide.

Start picking outer leaves when plants are one foot tall.

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Mr. Jason Langston Langston Used Auto Parts 8011 Hwy 301 North Tampa, Fl 33637 813-988-7341 jason@langstonauto.com www.langstonsauto.com

Hillsborough County Farm Bureau

100 South Mulrennon Road • Valrico, FL 33594 • Tel: (813) 685-9121 Fax: (813) 681-3779 • E-mail: info@hcfarmbureau.org

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Hey Kids! You are invited to the Red Caboose to see Santa...

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Come In And Get Yours Today!

Get a free picture and a treat Free Admission / No Donations Place: Date: Time:

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Information: Call R.W. Willaford (813) 759-3345 90

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2010

Sweet Seedless Navel Oranges $139/bag Sweet Seedless White Grapefruit $139/bag

When Whenyou youthink thinkfresh freshfruit... fruit... think thinkParkesdale Parkesdale

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91

FLORIDA PAPAYAS

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

Nutritional Profile According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, one medium-sized fresh papaya (304 g) contains 118 calories, 1.8 g of protein, 0.4 g of fat, 29.8 g of carbohydrate, and 5.5 g of fiber. It provides an astounding 313% of the Daily Reference Intake for vitamin C, 29% for folate, 22% for dietary fiber, 22% for potassium, and 17% for Vitamin A. Papaya is an excellent source of vitamin C and a very good source of folate and potassium. In addition, it is a good source of dietary fiber, vitamin E, vitamin A and vitamin K.

Protect Against Heart Disease Filled with beneficial antioxidants, papayas are brimming with vitamins A, C, and E. These nutrients help prevent atherosclerosis by preventing the oxidation of cholesterol and its accumulation on blood vessel walls. Additionally, papayas are a good source of dietary fiber, which can help lower high cholesterol levels, and folic acid, which can convert harmful homocysteine into benign substances.

Papayas contain the enzyme papain, which is commonly used as a meat tenderizer and is thought to act as a natural digestive aid in the body. Consuming papaya may also help prevent colon cancer.

The fruit is full of cancer-fighting compounds, including folate, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and vitamin E. These nutrients and antioxidants fight free radical damage in body cells.

Decrease Inflammation Papain has also been shown to help decrease inflammation.

When used topically, papain may improve healing from cuts, rashes, stings, and burns. In addition, the antioxidants in papaya (vitamin C, vitamin E, and beta-carotene) also have an antiinflammatory effect. Some research studies have shown that diseases with an inflammatory component, such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis may show an improvement in symptoms with adequate amounts of these nutrients.

Improve Lung Function Papayas, and other foods rich in vitamin A, may be beneficial to lung health. Researchers at Kansas State University discovered that carcinogens in cigarette smoke may deplete the body’s stores of vitamin A, and increase the likelihood of developing emphysema and lung cancer. They also discovered that a diet rich in vitamin A can reduce the risk of emphysema in smokers.

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

With very high levels of beta carotene, vitamin A and C, papaya is good food for your eyes. In a study of over 50,000 women, those who consumed the highest dietary amount of vitamin A had a 39 percent reduced risk of developing cataracts. In another study that looked at the incidence of cataract surgery and diet, researchers found that those people who ate diets that included cantaloupe had half the risk of cataract surgery.

Data from a large study of over 100,000 men and women indicated that eating three or more servings of fruit per day lowered the risk of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) by 36 percent, compared with people who ate less than 1.5 servings of fruit per day. ARMD is the primary cause of vision loss in older adults. Researchers concluded that the vitamins and carotenoids in fruit were responsible for the protective effect on the development of ARMD.

How to Select Papayas Choose papayas that are slightly soft with reddish-orange colored skin if you plan to eat them within a day. Those with patches of yellow color will ripen in a few more days. Green papayas are better cooked or used in specific types of cuisine, such as an Asian salad.

Papayas that are partly yellow will ripen in a few days when stored at room temperature. Ripening can be hastened by placing them in a paper bag with a banana. Ripe fruit should be stored in the refrigerator and consumed within a few days.

How to Enjoy

Promote Digestive Health

92

Enjoy Better Vision

DECEMBER 2010

For the most antioxidants and the most delicious flavor, eat fully ripened papayas. Ripe papayas are juicy and sweet and delicious eaten straight out of hand. Other ideas include tossing sliced or cubed papaya into fruit or veggie salads or chicken salad. More delicious suggestions with papaya include: •

Mix dried papaya with nuts for a portable trail mix

•

Freeze spears of papaya on a stick for a popsicle

•

Puree papaya and freeze in ice cube trays. To serve, toss 1-2 frozen papaya cubes into juice or iced tea

•

Cut papaya into large chunks, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and put under the broiler until top is browned

•

Cut papaya in half lengthwise and place on grill

•

Dice and mix with black beans in a salsa

•

Puree with strawberries and a banana for a smoothie or as a nutritious sauce for ice cream or yogurt.

With so many ways to enjoy this delicious fruit, eat more fresh Florida papayas today! These locally grown treats are sweet and juicy, low in calories, and contain no fat or cholesterol.

Selected References http://www.whfoods.com http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/

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FROM THE GROUND UP

Papayas are delicious, beautiful fruits brimming with vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and antioxidants. With a sweet, tropical flavor similar to cantaloupe, papaya is harvested in Florida yearround. Their flesh is a rich reddish-orange color and surrounds an inner cavity filled with edible black seeds. The seeds can be ground and have historically been used as a peppercorn substitute.

WE'RE READY TO HELP YOU GROW www.highcor.com | 888.395.5000 | www.highlandfresh.net INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

DECEMBER 2010

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

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2000 GMC Sonoma 4x4 4x4, auto, extended. $5,500 813-967-4552 or 813-754-5370 Kubota L2600 2wd, 2334 hours, 27hp. $2,750. Call Alvie 813-759-8722

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813-967-4552 or 813-754-5370 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 SURPLUS WINDOWS DOUBLE INSULATED Starting at $55.00 • Call Ted 813-752-3378 MOBILE HOME SIZES

T1LL 4X8 sheet B-grade $14.95. Call Ted 813-752-3378 1984 KUBOTA B6200 2 wd, w/4 ft. Finish Mower. $3,000 • 863-698-2967 KUBOTA KX 41 Mini Excavator low hours. Quick attach bucket. Call Scott 813-764-0603 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 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

94

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1998 DODGE 4X4 Automatic, AC, $3,500 or best offer. Good Condition (color black) Call Gary 813-752-3099 HAY FOR SALE 4X5 rolls. Tifton 44, Star Grass, Clean Bahia Grass. Delivery Available. Call Charlie 813-763-4967

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

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

Kubota 1750 4x4 Hydro Stat Trans. 20hp. $3,750. Call Alvie 813-759-8722

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Call 813-659-3402 NEW DOORS Closeout special!!!!! $75.00 to $295.00 Call Ted today.

813-752-3378 NORTH GEORGIA MOUNTAINS! Blairsville, Blue Ridge, Young Harris and Hiawassee as well as Murphy and Hayesville, NC, Planning for retirement, or just looking for a great weekend getaway cabin? We can help. Visit us at www.janebaerrealty.com or call 1-800-820-7829 and ask for Jane Baer.

NEW HOLLAND TC35 tractor / loader 35 pto hp 150hrs. $17,500 (UT9809) 813-623-3676

DECEMBER 2010

MOUNTAIN TOP #185445 Located in Blairsville Ga. Fantastic mountain views, like new, 2/2 with wood burning fireplace, loft, basement, porch, second home use only from original owners! $299,000 Call and ask For Jane Baer with Jane Baer Realty.

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Private Owner $37,500 813-685-4203 NEW HOLLAND TC29 tractor / loader 29 pto hp, 268hrs. $13,000 (UT6406) Ask for David 813-623-3673

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