In The Field magazine Hillsborough edition

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Wildlife

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Fishing

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Rocking

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State Fair

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Scallions

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Ernie

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PAGE 46 Activity

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PAGE 50 Greening

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Mosquitoes

PAGE 56 From The Science

Dennis

Madison

Cover Photo courtesy of SRB Photography an images by blair

Letter from the Editor

As I’m writing this the 2024 Florida Strawberry Festival is heading into its last weekend. It has been a successful run so far and I’m sure it will continue to be so through the final few days. I hope you had a chance to attend and see all the Festival has to offer.

Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, Wilton Simpson, applauded the Florida Legislature for the passing of SB 1084, which supports Florida agriculture and Florida’s farmers, ranchers, and growers.

“Food security is national security, and we all have a responsibility to ensure Floridians have access to a safe, affordable, and abundant food supply. This legislation is a reflection of our continued commitment to supporting and protecting Florida’s farmers, ranchers, and growers and enhancing consumer protection and transparency,” Commissioner Wilton Simpson said. “Thanks to the leadership of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, House Speaker Paul Renner, Senator Jay Collins, and Representative Danny Alvarez, Florida is supporting our future farmers’ 4-H and FFA activities, prohibiting the sale of labgrown meat, and expanding safeguards for agricultural producers and consumers – ultimately creating a stronger, safer, and more prosperous Florida.” The legislation introduces several proposals including but not limited to:

• Protecting Florida’s food and fiber production by providing criminal penalties for trespassing on commercial agricultural property with the intent to commit a crime.

• Requiring Florida school districts to recognize 4-H and FFA-related activities as excused absences.

• Protecting Florida consumers by prohibiting the manufacture for sale of labgrown meat in Florida.

Please remember when shopping for yourself or your family, purchase Fresh From Florida products. Your food will be the freshest available and you will be supporting your local farmer and rancher.

Until Next Month

Sarah Holt

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

Greetings,

A Great Time to Tell the Story of Agriculture

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

-Dennis Carlton Jr. - President

I’m writing to you in the midst of the Florida Strawberry Festival. This is a busy time of the year for our industry, with strawberry season at its peak and the Florida State Fair just coming to a close. This time of the year includes a lot of celebrations, from 4-H and FFA members completing their market projects, to a new class of Florida Ag Hall of Fame inductees and a new Woman of the Year in Agriculture. Myself, along with our Board of Directors, wish to extend a congratulations to all.

Please take a few moments to read the article in this edition of IN THE FIELD Magazine about this year’s Florida State Fair. Hillsborough County Farm Bureau is always honored to host Ag-Venture, a hands-on learning exhibit where nearly 60,000 attendees visit during the 12 days of the fair. This exhibit is special, as it highlights our industry and reaches consumers in a way that not only teaches them about where their food comes from but leaves an impression on why agriculture is so important. This year also included two new outreach activities – the “Thank a Florida Farmer” exhibit and a Hologram production about the History of Florida Agriculture. There’s more about both in the article.

Last month also included “Food Check-Out Week,” a time to celebrate the abundance of fresh and nutritious food available to consumers nationwide at affordable prices. Most American households spend an

average of 11.3 percent of their disposable income on food. This is the LOWEST of any country in the world and would not be possible without the ongoing commitment of our farmers and ranchers.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average family of four will earn enough money to pay for their entire annual food supply after working seven weeks. By comparison, it takes 100 days of work to earn enough income to pay your taxes. Farm Bureau members statewide used this week to highlight Florida agriculture and the healthy and nutritious food that farmers and ranchers provide throughout the year. That’s an important story that needs to be told continuously.

In that regard, if you are not a Farm Bureau member, please consider joining so that you can help us advocate and educate. If you are a member, please volunteer at whatever level is practical for you. Please visit www.hcfarmbureau.org for more information about our organization, member benefits and opportunities for engagement.

Thank you for your continued support of our industry.

Dennis Carlton, Jr.

Dennis Carlton Jr.

Dennis Carlton Jr. - President

Board of Directors

Dennis Carlton Jr, Casey Runkles, Madison A. Salter, Clay Joyner, Carl Bauman, Brittany Coleman, Travis Council, Jake Cremer, Tiffany Dale, Drew Futch, Brian Shoop and Michelle Williamson

GULF MOCCASINSHELL

The Gulf Moccasinshell, or Medionidus penicillatus as it’s known by its scientific name, is a small mussel that reaches a length of about 2.2 inches, is elongate-elliptical or rhomboidal and fairly inflated, and has relatively thin valves.

The ventral margin is nearly straight or slightly rounded. The posterior ridge is rounded to slightly angled and intersects the end of the shell at the base line. Females tend to have the posterior point above the ventral margin and are somewhat more inflated. Sculpturing consists of a series of thin, radially oriented folds along the length of the posterior slope. The remainder of the surface is smooth and yellowish to greenish brown with fine, typically interrupted green rays. The left valve has two stubby pseudo cardinal and two actuate lateral teeth. The right valve has one pseudo cardinal and one lateral tooth. Nacre color is smoky purple or greenish and slightly iridescent at the posterior end. The Gulf Moccasinshell utilizes the brown darter and black-banded darter as host fishes.

Modern taxonomy recognizes the nineteenth-century names Unio penicillatus and Unio kingi as synonyms of Medionidus penicillatus. The recent taxonomic history of Medionidus species in the Apalachicola Region is complex. Two species of Medionidus, the M. kingi and M. penicillatus were recorded in the Chipola River system in 1940.

In 1956, two scientists synonymized M. kingi and two other nominal species, the Ochlockonee moccasinshell and Suwannee moccasinshell under the Gulf moccasinshell, an arrangement also followed by another scientist in 1975.

It was inaccurately reported in 1970 that the Gulf moccasinshell and Suwannee moccasinshell from the ApalachicolaChattahoochee-Flint River system and the Suwannee moccasinshell from the Ochlockonee and Suwannee Rivers fit as well. It was not until 1977 that the Gulf Moccasinshell, Ochlockonee Moccasinshell, and Suwannee Moccasinshell from Apalachicola Region streams were recognized as valid and

By Libby Hopkins

distinct based on their shell characteristics. The validity of the three allopathically distributed Apalachicola Region Medionidus species is now generally accepted.

Adult Gulf Moccasinshell mussels are sedentary as adults. They siphon stream water and filter phytoplankton and organic detritus as food. The female mussels siphon water containing sperm from the water to fertilize their eggs. The eggs hatch into larvae that are parasitic on fish. The larvae later meta-morphs into sedentary adults.

The Gulf Moccasinshell mussel inhabits relatively stable reaches of sandy and gravelly substrates in medium-sized streams to large rivers, often in areas swept free of silt by the current.

Impoundments have altered about 29 percent of main-stem riverine habitat on the Flint River. Preimpoundment records from Seminole and Blackshear Reservoirs exist for two sites for the Gulf Moccasinshell.

Populations of the Gulf Moccasinshell have been isolated due to major impoundments on the Apalachicola, Flint, and Ochlockonee Rivers. Future impoundments to satisfy expanding urban and suburban demand, particularly in the metropolitan Atlanta area, could damage stream habitats where small populations of the Gulf Moccasinshell exist. Although muskrats are not common within the range of these species, Piedmont populations of the Gulf Moccasinshell in the upper Flint River system may be subject to some degree of muskrat predation. The Gulf Moccasinshell only survives in a few critical habitats, and its reproductive success appears to be quite limited. Its surviving areas of critical habitat must be protected from impoundment and other damages, such as pollution. Its known populations should be monitored and additional ones searched for. Research should be undertaken into its ecological needs, with a view to developing management practices to maintain and improve its habitat.

WHERE THE WILD CALL HOME

By Libby Hopkins

Tigers, bears, lemurs, parrots, wolves, and other animals live in peace and happiness at Elmira Wildlife Sanctuary in Wimauma, Fla. “We are a sanctuary for exotic and wild animals,” Elmira’s Wildlife Sanctuary’s CEO, Robin Greenwood said. “We rescue these animals and give them a safe like to live out their days.”

Elmira’s Wildlife Sanctuary is a non-profit corporation supported solely by members and private contributions. There are no paid employees, it is staffed entirely by volunteers.

Their mission is to provide loving care, life management, and enrichment to exotic and wild animals in need of a home. “We also provide educational opportunities which increase community awareness of these animal’s needs,” Greenwood said. Elmira Wildlife Sanctuary began in 1998. Ted Greenwood, Robin’s husband, and David Kitchen started acquiring large exotic animals and housed them on Kitchen’s property in Wimauma. As awareness of the plight of these animals grew, and as laws changed, it was decided to become an official wildlife sanctuary.

Incorporated in 2005, Elmira Wildlife Sanctuary officially began operation as a non-profit wildlife sanctuary in March 2006. Unfortunately, by this time, Mr. Greenwood had passed away. His wife, Robin, stepped in to fill the role of Board President and Chief Executive Officer.

In 2007, Mr. Kitchen also passed away and the sanctuary was asked to relocate by the Kitchen family. In March of 2008, the sanctuary moved to its current location in Wimauma.

In November of 2008, Elmira Wildlife Rescue rescued an additional eight tigers, four bears, and a cougar. Since then, the

sanctuary has purchased the adjacent property and is expanding the space for the animals currently at the sanctuary. “We are currently looking for a local fence company to donate their time and supplies to help us build more fences for enclosures for more animals,” Greenwood said.

Since Elmira Wildlife Sanctuary is a “true sanctuary,” they uphold some great standards for their animals. No commercial trade in animals or animal parts. No animals are removed from enclosures for exhibition or other non-medical reasons. No direct contact between the public and animals, with some allowable exceptions, such as for some horses, and under carefully supervised circumstances.

Measures are in place to prevent breeding, either through segregation of sex or through a program of humane contraception, unless the animals are part of a bona fide release program.

The sanctuary is open to the public only by way of a structured visitor program in which tours are guided and where there is a bona fide educational component to the visiting program.

They also have very strong core values. “We practice compassion, patience, and honesty in all our dealings with wildlife, the animals permanently at our sanctuary and the public,” Greenwood said. “We provide a safe haven for our sanctuary residents. To place the needs, housing, food, medical care, and emotional wellness of each animal before anything else we may do. We also meet our goal of offering a unique interactive environment to all our animals and our guests. In addition to all of this, we strive to educate the public to the best of our ability.”

Elmira Wildlife Sanctuary has many volunteer opportunities. “We need you,” Greenwood said. “Choose a time commitment you’re comfortable with and that your life allows. We need volunteers as often as once a week, but we can work with your schedule if you can only volunteer once a month. This is an incredibly enriching, unique volunteer opportunity. Some of the help needed includes working with the animals, guiding tours, keeping up the grounds, and helping with fundraisers. We need your talent, expertise, ambition, and a few hours of your time.” Volunteer applications are available on their website.

If you’d like to learn more about Elmira Wildlife Sanctuary, you can visit their website at www.elmiraswildlife.org, or call 813634-4115. Elmira Wildlife Sanctuary is located at 13910 Seminole Trail in Wimauma.

Springtime is Slam Time!

Capt. Wade Osborne

If you’ve never achieved an “Inshore Slam” now is the time!

Every year when spring rolls around, the grass flats throughout Tampa Bay come alive. As baitfish start moving onto the flats, snook, redfish and seatrout follow. When this occurs, it’s the easiest time to achieve an inshore slam. If you don’t know what that is, it’s when you catch slot-size (or over) snook, redfish and seatrout on the same outing.

Now many of you may think that should be easy. Well, it’s easier said than done for some people. You’d be surprised how many people have been fishing with me that have never caught a slam. Occasionally, I meet a few anglers who have lived in the Tampa Bay area and fished all their life, but the slam eludes them.

To get the action going, toss out a few live scaled sardines and wait for the snook to respond by attacking the freebies. Once they start feeding, cast a hooked live sardine to the same spot for an instant hook up. If you get lucky, you’ll be able to catch numerous snook in the same spot and also land one over 28 inches. If you do catch a big one at your first spot, move down the shoreline a hundred yards or so and try again.

If you’re fishing during an incoming tide and it’s reaching its peak, move on to redfish.

Redfish like to feed on crustaceans around oyster beds and barnacle encrusted mangrove roots during a high tide. Find a spot with both and you’ve found a redfish goldmine. Redfish also like to travel with mullet. The reason: mullet flush baitfish and crustaceans out of the grass as they feed. Anytime I spot a school of mullet I get out in front of them and Power Pole down.

If an inshore slam is something you would like to pursue, you might assume that catching a slot-size seatrout would be the easiest and save that for last. Not necessarily, at times it can be the most difficult to land. That’s why many times, I’ll start out fishing around some sandy potholes on the grass flats trying to catch the seatrout first. If I have no success, I’ll move on snook and redfish and come back to seatrout to close the deal. While in pursuit, here’s where you should be looking for that snook and redfish.

With water temperatures back in the low 70s snook are moving out of the back bays, creeks, and rivers and seeking shelter along the mangrove shorelines and points. Snook feed best on a good tidal flow. Some days it may vary whether they prefer an incoming or outgoing. So, just make sure the current is moving.

In either scenario, always start by chumming with scaled sardines. After that, cast a bait out that’s suspended under a cork. Once the cork goes under, give the fish 2-3 seconds to eat the bait, then when you reel and get your line tight, lift your rod for a solid hook set.

Let’s say after a day on the water you caught all three inshore slam species, but they weren’t all big fish. You still achieved a slam, just not an official inshore slam. There’s always next time.

26-Year Veteran Fishing Guide, Captain Wade Osborne.

Tarpon and Spanish mackerel will be migrating to the Tampa Bay as we approach April.

Tarpon start showing up first around the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and the Port of Manatee. One of the best fishing technics to use around the bridge is Spot Lock or anchor your boat between the pilings and start a fresh cut bait slick. Once you have a slick established, start freelining hooked

live bait within the slick. If you’re fishing at the port, do more of a spot and stalk or just drift fish past the schools.

Spanish mackerel make their presence at the mouth of Tampa Bay and slowly end up all the way past the Countney Campbell Causeway. Early on you mainly catch them around the bridges, artificial reefs, and range markers. As time goes on, Spanish mackerel start moving onto the grass flats as they feed on baitfish. There have been times when I’ve caught them in as little as two feet of water.

Some people claim Spanish mackerel aren’t good table fare. Not true. The key to good fillets is to ice the fish down immediately and always cut the bloodline out when filleting.

Afishionado, “Always an Adventure.”

Tampa fishing guide Wade Osborne of “Afishionado Guide Services” has been plying the waters of Tampa Bay as a professional full-time captain, since 1997. Osborne has been featured on numerous TV and radio shows and writes for multiple publications. Osborne offers inshore fishing charters on light tackle spin, fly or plug. He also offers eco-tours with an emphasis on photography. For more info visit Afishionado.com or find Afishionado Guide Services on Facebook and Instagram. Email: wade@afishionado.com Call/Text 813-286-3474

Caimito has numerous common names including cainito, caimito, tar apple, star apple, purple star apple, golden leaf tree, abiaba, pomme de lait, estrella, milk fruit and aguay.

Slugs have four noses

In Cambodia, caimito is called “Plae Teuk Dos” which means milk fruit due to its milky juices inside.

Sea otters hold each other’s paws when they sleep so they don’t drift apart.

Beef fat, called tallow, is an ingredient in soaps, cosmetics, candles, shortenings, and chewing gum.

An acre of land is about the same size as a football field.

Raising beef cattle is the single largest segment of American agriculture.

The heaviest turkey ever raised weighed 86 pounds, about the size of an average third-grader.

One pound of wool can make 10 miles of yarn.

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“Mother Said”

Most all of us can remember how our mother would always have an answer for any question we would ask. As a child I often questioned her answers, but the older I got the more I realized how smart she really was.

I sometimes would miss school because of a cold, headache or some made up minor sickness. She could see through me like an open window. Usually I would start feeling better about the time school let out, and she would say, “If you’re too sick to go to school, you’re too sick to play outside.”

Here are some of my mother’s favorite sayings; I don’t care what “everyone” is doing. I care what YOU are doing! I’m doing this for your own good! I’m going to skin you alive! I’m not going to ask you again. If it were a snake, it would have bitten you. If you could stay out last night, you can get up this morning. Over my dead body! Pick that up before somebody trips on it and breaks their neck! Pick up your feet. Put that down! You don’t know where it’s been! Say that again and I’ll wash your mouth out with soap.

One of her funniest sayings was when she saw a person acting odd or wearing something outrageous was, “The sights you see when you haven’t got a gun.”

How may of these have you heard before?

A little soap & water never killed anybody. Always wear clean underwear in case you get in an accident.

Answer me when I ask you a question.

Are you going out dressed like that?

Are your hands broken? Pick it up yourself! I’m not your maid.

Bored! How can you be bored? I was never bored at your age.

Clean up after yourself.

Cupcakes are NOT a breakfast food.

Did you clean your room?

Did you flush the toilet?

Do you live to annoy me?

Do you think this is a hotel? You can’t just come here only to sleep.

Don’t ask me WHY. The answer is NO.

Don’t cross your eyes or they’ll freeze that way.

Don’t EVER let me catch you doing that again!

Don’t make me come in there.

Don’t run with a lollipop in your mouth.

Don’t stay up too late.

Don’t use that tone with me.

Don’t you have anything better to do?

Go ask your father.

Go to your room and think about what you did.

How can you have nothing to wear? Your closet is FULL of clothes.

Editor’s Note: This Rocking Chair Chatter was originally printed in the March 2019 issue

How many times do I have to tell you? I can always tell when you’re lying.

My mother said a lot a lot of things, but the one that I remember the most is; “Never look down on anyone, unless it is to offer your hand to help them up.”

My mother had a way to keep me under control. When I was about six years old I went through a phase of flicking the lights in our house on and off continuously. This was in the early 40s during World War II, so Mom convinced me to stop by telling me that doing so would send a signal to the Germans to bomb our house. That did the trick.

A friend of mine a few cabins down from me on Moon Ridge in Blairsville, GA is an interesting person. One afternoon we engaged in a conversation about our mothers.

He said when he was a child his mother always turned the cold water tap on first thing each morning, and let it run for a minute or so. She said she did that to clear the pipes of the stale water from the night before. He said there were no copper pipes in those days, all lead, but she didn’t know that.

She also cleaned her carpets by sprinkling tea leaves all over them, then brushing the carpet with a stiff brush. He said it was years before she ever got a vacuum cleaner.

If he said he was hungry between meals she would give him a slice of bread and butter and a glass of water.

He smiled and looked up at the sky and said, “One day she came over to visit me, and as she was leaving it started to rain. I gave her my umbrella to walk home with. About a week later I stopped in to see her. I was surprised to see my umbrella wide open in her living room by the window. She told me that she had been waiting for a rainy day to bring it back to me, as she couldn’t get the cockeyed thing closed!

A guy shopping in a supermarket noticed a little old lady following him around. If he stopped, she stopped. Furthermore she kept staring at him. She finally overtook him at the checkout, and she turned to him and said, “I hope I haven’t made you feel ill at ease; it’s just that you look so much like my late son.” He answered, “That’s okay.” “I know it’s silly, but if you’d call out ‘Goodbye, Mom’ as I leave the store, it would make me feel so happy.”

She then went through the checkout ... and as she was on her way out of the store, the man called out, “Goodbye, Mother.” The little old lady waved and smiled back at him. Pleased that he had brought a little sunshine into someone’s day, he went to pay for his groceries. “That comes to $121.85,” said the clerk.

“How come so much? I only bought five items.” The clerk replied, “Yeah, but your Mother said you’d pay for her things, too.”

We all love our mothers. My mother taught me about STAMINA. “You’ll sit there until all that spinach is gone.”

A VERY SUCCESSFUL STATE FAIR WITH NEW AG EXPERIENCES FOR ATTENDEES

Hillsborough County Farm Bureau once again hosted AgVenture at the 2024 State Fair. This year, more than 60,000 attendees and families were provided valuable education about the importance of agriculture to all our community members during their visit to the newly remodeled Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame building at the Florida State Fair. Ag-Venture is a hands-on learning experience for children and adults alike to learn about where their food comes from and how agriculture touches our lives every day.

This year’s Ag-Venture stations included:

• Citrus – At the Citrus station, fair attendees were able to pick their orange off the tree and then squeeze them to taste “Fresh from Florida” orange juice. A special Thank you to Mr. Larry Black of Peace River Packing Company for donating the oranges for this exhibit!

• Beef – Here, the fair attendees learned about beef by-products through “mystery” sensory boxes in which they placed their hands to feel and guess what the product was. By-products included marshmallows, crayons, pasta, and band-aids, all of which are created using by-products of cattle.

• Plant Germination – At this station, fairgoers plant radish seeds and learn about the life cycle and how the radishes go from a seed to a harvestable product in just 28 days.

• Plant Nutrients – At this station, fair attendees make bracelets with numerous color beads representing the essential nutrients plants need to grow such as water, air, soil, and fertilizer elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

• Strawberries – At this station, fair attendees made a necklace that highlighted the 5 stages of a Florida Strawberry. A display containing a real strawberry plant showed how strawberries are produced.

• Dairy – An Ag-Venture favorite is at the Dairy station, where attendees shake cream, making their own butter! This station highlights all the products we receive from dairy cows.

• Pollination – Here, fairgoers made bees out of pipe cleaners, then pollinated blooms, learning about how the Ag industry depends on pollinators for most fruits and vegetables to grow.

Critical Ag-Venture volunteers included students from the following FFA chapters along with 4-H members from across the

By Jim Frankowiak

state: Plant City FFA, Barrington Middle School, Teneroc (Polk County), Armwood FFA, Buchanan Middle School, Strawberry Crest FFA, Mulrennan Middle FFA, Freedom High School, Durant High School, Marshall Middle School, and Randall FFA.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) sponsored a new area in the Ag Hall of Fame this year called “Thank a Florida Farmer,” where fairgoers could meet and thank a local farmer for their important contributions. These farmers also answered questions in an interviewstyle setting, providing valuable information to the fair. Some participating farmers were Ryan Gill, Sue Harrell, Dale McClellan, and several former Woman of the Year in Agriculture recipients.

The area included a postcard station where fair attendees could sit and write a “Thank You” note to a Florida Farmer and then post it for others to read before being mailed to respective farmers at the end of the fair. Some of the most noteworthy cards were those written by children.

This year’s fair also marked the introduction of the hologram production “Time Travel through Florida Agriculture.” This multi-media show was created by the Ag Hall of Fame Foundation with DEC Productions. Holographic images appeared out of thin air to tell the story of agriculture in Florida from indigenous times through today’s high-tech framing. The show was presented by the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame, Florida Cattlemen’s Foundation, Florida State Fair Foundation, Florida Farm Bureau, and M & B Products with supporting sponsors: Florida Strawberry Growers Association, Florida Peanut Producers Association, and Florida Watermelon Association.

Our sincerest thanks to the many exhibitors, sponsors, and volunteers who helped tell the story of Florida Agriculture!

When you do business with Farm Credit, you are a member of a cooperative. When we do well, you do well. And we’ve been doing well for over 100 years. Refinancing

DISTRICT LIMITS LAWN WATERING

By Jim Frankowiak

The Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) has issued a Phase 1 Water Shortage Order due to prolonged drought conditions. Residents can only water their lawns one day a week. The irrigation restrictions are for all water users in Hillsborough County and extend to July 1 of this year.

Under the Order, each property owner or manager is to voluntarily reduce water usage and prepare for possible worsening conditions and more aggressive water shortage actions, if needed. All water users are obliged to keep informed about the water use restrictions and other required applicable actions.

Watering days in Hillsborough County are as follows:

• Addresses ending in 0 or 1 can only water on Monday

• Addresses ending with a 2 or 3 on Tuesday

• Addresses ending with a 4 or 5 on Wednesday

• Addresses ending with a 6 or 7 on Thursday

• Addresses ending with an 8 or 9 and common areas with or without addresses, locations with no addresses and locations with mixed addresses (such as office complexes and shopping centers) on Friday

Hillsborough County Code Enforcement can issue fines for non-compliance.

All watering must be done either before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. on allowable watering day. The use of reclaimed water for lawn and landscape use is exempt from this order. Property owners should reprogram their automatic irrigation times to adjust irrigation days to once a week. Free help with adjusting irrigation times is available by contacting Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ through Will Stone at 813/744-5519, Ext. 54133 or via email at: stonewi@hcfl.org.

The Tampa Bay Water Wise program is offering eligible applicants a rebate of up to $250 for the installation of a qualified weather-based irrigation controller, soil sensor or to receive a device and its installation free of charge.

More water conservation tips and information are available at: HCFL.gov/WaterConservation.

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Pricing: $650,000

FischbachLandCompany.com 813-540-1000

Reed Fischbach, Broker

Blaise Lelaulu, CCIM, Agent

Melissa

Ellie Dahl, Agent

NEWS BRIEFS

Compiled by Jim Frankowiak

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

Farm Bureau Membership Offers Agricultural Advocacy and Valuable Benefits

Membership in Florida Farm Bureau offers families the opportunity to support agriculture and wide-ranging benefits and resources such as travel discounts, health and wellness, family entertainment and home/auto insurance. For more information about membership and its benefits, visit MyFFBF.org.

“Field to the Hill” Registration Open

Florida Farm Bureau is inviting interested members to register for “Field to the Hill,” the annual opportunity for members to visit with Florida’s congressional delegation regarding the legislative priorities of agriculture in the Sunshine State. This year’s event will be held May 14-16 at the Hilton Washington DC National Mall, The Wharf. For added information, contact Olivia Vairo via email: Olivia.Vairo@FFBF.org or by phone: at 954-3836608.

Ninth Military Ag Tour April 5

The ninth annual Military Agriculture Tour (MAT IX) is Friday, April 5, from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. The tour is to introduce transitioning military personnel, veterans, and their spouses to the diversity of Hillsborough County agriculture and the variety of careers in a modern agricultural operation. The tour will begin and end at the Hillsborough County Extension office (5339 C.R. 579, Seffner) and include visits to a cattle ranch, tropical fish farm, strawberry farm, and market, University of Florida, Institute of Agricultural Sciences Gulf Coast Research and Education Center and a blueberry farm. Reservations may be made at: April5MilitaryAgricultureTour. Eventbrite.com. You may call Simon Bollin at 813/8531086 or email him at BollinS@HCFLGov.net with any questions.

Where medical expertise meets timeless compassion.

That’s the BayCare effect.

When medical excellence is combined with empathy, it produces powerful results. It means never having to compromise on compassionate care. At BayCare’s new South Florida Baptist Hospital, you can expect clinical expertise, combined with the use of advanced technologies, delivered by a team that treats you like family–it’s all right here.

The new South Florida Baptist Hospital is opening soon! Join us for a special hospital preview event. Take a tour of the new hospital and visit the BayCare Health Village to learn more about services that we’ll be providing to the Plant City community.

Hospital Preview Event

Sunday, April 21 | 11am–2:30pm

3202 N. Park Road | Plant City

To register or to learn more:

NewSouthFloridaBaptist.org

FLORIDA SCALLIONS

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

Florida scallions can grow year-round but are at their peak growing season now in the winter and spring months. A member of the allium family, along with garlic and shallots, green onions are high in vitamins, minerals, and a host of nutritionboosting compounds, such as flavonoids and polyphenols. Some of these compounds may help combat heart disease, strokes, and cancer, as well as lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Scallions are also known as green onions or bunching onions and are among the easiest types of onions to grow.

NUTRITIONAL PROFILE

Fresh Florida scallions are low in calories and have no fat, sodium, or cholesterol. They contain a myriad of active compounds that may help ward off cancer, heart disease, high blood glucose, and strokes. Green onions may also help lower blood pressure and cholesterol and support the immune system. Like garlic and other alliums, scallions have antibacterial and antifungal properties.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, one cup of raw, chopped green onion (100 g) contains 32 calories, 1.8 g protein, 0.2 g fat, 7 g carbohydrate, and 2.6 g of dietary fiber. It also provides 31% of the Daily Recommended Value (%DV) for vitamin C, 10% for dietary fiber, 7.2% for potassium, and plentiful amounts of other B vitamins, as well as magnesium, calcium, iron, and iodine.

Phytonutrients Fight Disease

Scallions contain high levels of different phytonutrients, which are organic compounds in plants that may boost health. Among the phytonutrients, flavonoids (especially quercetin), are plentiful in green onions and are mainly concentrated in the outer layers of the flesh. The quercetin in onions is better absorbed than that from other sources, such as apples. Studies have shown that quercetin protects against cataracts, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Scallions have very high levels of these disease-fighting compounds, putting them alongside other veggie superstars such as broccoli, parsley, and shallots. As with most other nutrients, eating whole vegetables yields more benefits than taking supplements.

Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant that acts to block the formation of cancer cells. Several servings per week of onions may lower the risk of colorectal, laryngeal, and ovarian cancer. Oral and esophageal cancer may also be decreased by high green onion consumption.

Healthy Heart

Scallions are very flavorful, thanks to their sulfur compounds. These compounds pack a big health punch as well. They may help prevent the clumping of platelet cells in the blood because they possess substances with fibrinolytic activity. Additionally, these sulfur compounds may play a role in lowering blood pressure cholesterol and triglyceride levels. All of these benefits translate into a healthier heart.

How to Select and Store

Choose fresh scallions that have clean, white bulbs and deep green shoots that are free of wet spots or wilting. Store in a cool dry place with good air circulation or in the refrigerator.

Set the bulbs in a glass of water that is high enough to cover the roots for up to several weeks in the refrigerator. Change the water every two to three days. You can even regrow scallions by cutting off the tops for use and leaving the bulbs in water or plant in soil.

How to Enjoy

There are countless ways to enjoy fresh Florida scallions. They may be eaten raw, sliced, sautéed, fried, or even pickled. Although commonly used in sandwiches and salads, green onions can be used in a variety of dishes in many different cuisines.

More ways to enjoy scallions:

• Mince and mix with herbs to create a crust for roasted meats

• Grill whole scallions for a smoky flavor

• Mince and add to salad dressings, dips, or cream cheese

• Slice in long strips and stir-fry with ginger and garlic

• Dice and add to egg omelets and stir-fries

• Slice thin and use to top soup

• Dice and add raw scallions to a chutney

Enjoy the bright, aromatic flavor of Florida scallions today.

SELECTED REFERENCES

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ http://sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu/

FLORIDA

Strawberries & Pineberries

COMFORTING COWS

By Libby Hopkins

Nikki and Ernie Davis are the owners Ernie Cattle Company in Lithia. Their farm was created out of a need to help Ernie Davis, whom the company is named after. “My husband suffered a brain injury while he was in the military in 2010m,” Nikki Davis said. “Over the last decade, I had this idea of finding a compound for him because he is incapacitated, so safety is always a concern for us. I still wanted him to get out and do things and be confined to one area.”

Davis found a 52-acre piece of property in Lithia and the property came with eight cows. “I originally wanted 22 acre but this property checked off all the boxes I was looking for and the cows were just extra,” Davis said. “I was like I know about horses but not cows, but the seller was a Veteran too, and he helped us with the property and the cows. So, that’s how Ernie Cattle Company got started.”

From the original herd, Davis only has two full-size cows remaining. They have added smaller cows to their herd and now they have 30 cows. “We will specialize in producing high-quality miniature cows through our special breeding program,” Davis said. “Our unique cows make excellent pets, companions, and livestock for your own breeding program.”

The cows have also helped with Ernie’s health. “We’ve had this company for three years and lived on the property for four years and we have seen an improvement in

my husband’s cognition,” Davis said. “Anytime we work the cows, he is out there with our crew de-worming, with assistance, working the chute and other things. Most people like my husband would have been put in a home, but it is awesome to see him out there like a cowboy working like a cowboy would be. His quality of life is so improved.”

There are many benefits of having animals to help rehabilitate a person with injuries of any kind. Animals play a crucial role in supporting brain injury patients during rehabilitation. Whether it’s your own beloved pet or specially trained therapy animals, they offer a range of benefits.

Survivors of brain injury often experience isolation. Having an animal companion provides comfort, company, and stimulation, helping to alleviate loneliness. Brain rehabilitation can be emotionally taxing. Pets offer acceptance, love, and motivation. Even simple actions like petting an animal can have a calming effect on mental health.

Animals can incentivize survivors to work on rebuilding their walking ability. Patients tend to walk further when accompanied by a dog, as the distraction helps them cover more distance.

Pets encourage individuals with aphasia to communicate. For instance, taking a dog for a walk can be a

conversation starter, providing more practice opportunities. Animals provide comfort, confidence, and motivation, helping survivors stay committed to their rehabilitation efforts.

Additionally, there are specially trained service and therapy animals that cater to specific needs. Service animals, such as dogs or miniature horses, assist with balance or walking during recovery from brain injury. These animals often live with their humans and have special rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. “Our cows all come up to my husband and they are very gentle with him and they stand around him as if they are projecting him,” Davis said. “He loves being with them as well.”

Keeping things local is very important to the couple. “We believe in keeping things local,” Davis said. “We want to have a good Florida cow that we can raise and sell to our customers. We use all local vendors for everything for our cows and our farm.”

If you’d like to learn more about Ernie Cattle Company, you can visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ErnieCattleCo or call (813) 838-3848.

2024 CHAMPIONS OF CHAMPIONS “THE BEST OF THE BEST”

1st Place THE CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS –Abbaigaelle Millard, Volusia Co.

2nd Place Champion of Champions

Mia Portillo, Volusia Co.

3rd Place Champion of Champions

Ashley Simmons, Orange Co.

4th Place Champion of Champions

Okeechobee Co. Champion Youth for Dairy Show

Emily Shvetzoff, Pasco Co.

YOUTH DOG

Junior Champion

Jacob Peters, Hillsborough Co.

Intermediate Champion

Anna Radajcsics, Pinellas Co.

4th place Senior Champion

Sophia Smith, Hillsborough Co.

3rd place Senior Champion

2024 Fair Results

Photos courtesy of SRB Photography an images by blair

YOUTH LLAMA

Junior Champion

Reece Robinson, Manatee Co.

Intermediate Champion

Hannah Neumann, Pasco Co.

4th place Senior Champion

Andjela Mrkela, Pinellas Co.

3rd place Senior Champion

Archer Konow, Pasco Co.

2nd place Senior Champion

Madison Gulley, Pasco Co.

Champion Youth for Rabbit Show

Abbaigaelle Millard, Volusia Co.

Emily Shvetzoff, Pasco Co.

5th Place Champion of Champions

Chloe Davis, Marion Co.

6th Place Champion of Champions

Lauren Higgins, Orange Co.

2024 CHAMPION YOUTH WINNER RESULTS

YOUTH BEEF

Junior Champion

Kenslee Thompson, Pasco Co.

Intermediate Champion

Aiden Lepianka, Alachua Co.

4th place Senior Champion

Adysen Burns, Gilchrist Co.

3rd place Senior Champion

Reagan Hancock, Morriston

2nd place Senior Champion

Hayley Luzner, Volusia Champion Youth for Beef Show – Mia Portillo, Volusia Co.

YOUTH DAIRY

Junior Champion

Lucas Spann, Levy Co.

Intermediate Champion

Mallory Hartwig, Pasco Co.

4th place Senior Champion

Mikah McCoy, Columbia Co.

3rd place Senior Champion

Kaleigh Hamric, Columbia Co.

2nd place Senior Champion

Kathryn Montes De Oca,

Amaryllis Hallaert, Sarasota Co.

2nd place Senior Champion

Isabelle Muir, Polk Co.

Champion Youth for Dog Show

Josie Stoddard, Manatee Co.

YOUTH GOAT

Junior Champion

Reagan Casler, Pasco Co.

Intermediate Champion

Hunter Roof, Volusia Co.

4th place Senior Champion

Tabitha Crist, Pasco Co.

3rd place Senior Champion

Andrew Jordan, Orange Co.

2nd place Senior Champion

Dylan Walden, Pasco Co.

Champion Youth for Goat Show

Abbaigaelle Millard, Volusia Co.

Rome Greeley, Suwannee Co.

Intermediate Champion

Ireland Greeley, Suwannee Co.

4th place Senior Champion

Michael Miller, Hillsborough Co.

3rd place Senior Champion

Riley Miller, Marion Co. 2nd place Senior Champion

Daniel Greeley, Suwannee Co.

Champion Youth for Llama Show

Raina Ishak, Hillsborough Co.

YOUTH POULTRY

Junior Champion

Delaney Haggard, Orange Co.

Intermediate Champion

Tristian Robinson, Manatee Co.

4th place Senior Champion

Karoline Kmetz, Hillsborough Co.

3rd place Senior Champion

Lauren Higgins, Orange Co.

2nd place Senior Champion

Jacqueline Degirmenci

Champion Youth for Poultry Show

Valerie Rodriquez, Orange Co.

YOUTH RABBIT

Junior Champion

YOUTH SHEEP

Junior Champion

Emma Arosenius, Orange Co.

Intermediate Champion

Hunter Roof, Volusia Co.

4th place Senior Champion

Madison Braun, Volusia Co.

3rd place Senior Champion

Grady Callahan, Volusia Co.

2nd place Senior Champion

Izabella Moss, Volusia Co.

Champion Youth for Sheep Show

Mia Portillo, Volusia Co.

YOUTH STEER

Intermediate Champion

Aiden Lepianka, Alachua Co.

4th place Senior Champion

Cayden Davis, Levy Co.

3rd place Senior Champion

Reagan Hancock, Levy Co.

2nd place Senior Champion

Chloe Davis, Marion Co.

Champion Youth for Steer

Show

Mason Lefler, Hillsborough Co.

YOUTH SWINE

Junior Champion

Carlee Johnson, Gilchrist Co.

Intermediate Champion

Kenly Mellan, Suwannee Co.

4th place Senior Champion

Walker Scott, Hernando Co.

3rd place Senior Champion

Archer Konow, Pasco Co.

2nd place Senior Champion

Emily Shvetzoff, Pasco Co.

2024 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

Mosaic - $1,500

Gabrielle Howell, Hillsborough Co.

Kaitlin Zelatis, Hillsborough Co.

Jan Dillard Memorial - $1,000

Anais Degnan, Hillsborough Co.

Florida State Fair Foundation - $1,000

Kayden Duncan, Volusia Co.

Lauren Higgins, Orange Co.

Jack Peterson, Lafayette Co.

$100

Jackson Sturgis, Hillsborough Co.

Susan Harrell, Swine SR.$100

Jaylyn Wood, Hillsborough Co.

Charlie Moore Memorial, Sheep - $300

Sarah Morris, Volusia Co.

Youth Shepherd, Sheep$300

Madison Braun, Volusia Co.

2024 YOUTH BEEF SHOW SHOWMANSHIP BEEF

JUNIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN

Claire Jerrels, Levy INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION SHOWMAN

Ansley Ward, Alachua

SENIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN

Addisyn Worrell, Union SHOWMANSHIP BEEF 2

JUNIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN

Brayden Cranor, Polk INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION SHOWMAN

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION HEIFER ANGUS

LNL Queen Beyonce 3780

Ryleigh Locke

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION COW/CALF PAIR ANGUS

C&C Penny 1056

Kate Chewning

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION BULL ANGUS

LA Dutton 223 of 822 Ocoee

FFA

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION BRANGUS

HCT Miss Khloe 789K Kinley

Ward

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION COW/CALF BRANGUS

TCR Belinda 302J8 Railee

Steele

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION BULL BRANGUS

HCT Mr Legend 789L

Kinley Ward

GRAND CHAMPION HEIFER RED BRANGUS

M&M Leighton 702L1 Carlee

Taylor

GRAND CHAMPION COW/ CALF

RED BRANGUS Marvel’s Sweet Jasmine 1621

Champion Youth for Swine

Show

Ashley Simmons, Orange Co.

2024 YOUTH LIVESTOCK

GRANT

SPONSORED BY THE NATIONAL INDEPENDENT CONCESSIONAIRES’ ASSOCIATION, INC.

Beef Grant - $400 Brooke

O’Connor, Pasco Co.

Dairy Goat Grant - $250 Brayden Jackson, Lake Co.

Poultry Grant - $50 Delaney Haggard, Orange Co.

Dairy Grant - $400 Boer Goat

Grant - $250 Rabbit Grant$50 Sheep Grant - $250

Malerie Scammey, Orange Co.

Logan Shoop, Hillsborough Co.

Covington Memorial$1,0000

Uma Limaye, Pasco Co.

Ronnie Reed Memorial, Poultry - $500

Abigail Liptrap, Hillsborough Co.

Alaura Brown, Gilchrist Co.

Rabbit Committee - $500

Alaura Brown, Gilchrist Co.

Kayden Duncan, Volusia Co.

Bill Carey Memorial, Dairy$100

Zachary Bolen, Okaloosa

Bill Carey Memorial, Steer$100

Kaylee Hudson, Hillsborough Co.

Charlie Moore Memorial, Steer - $400

Aubrey Ward, Levy Co.

Buddy McCullough Memorial, Steer - $100

Abree Perryman, Marion Co.

Cindy Revels Memorial, Steer - $250

Gabe Mitchell, Levy Co.

Charlie Moore Memorial, Swine - $300

Archer Konow, Pasco Co.

Susan Harrell, Swine JR.$100

Grant Gilmore, Hernando Co.

Susan Harrell, Swine INT. -

Ansley Bryant, Polk SENIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN

Raelan Sherouse, Polk SHOWMANSHIP BEEF 3

JUNIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN

Landrie Locke, Levy INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION SHOWMAN

Abigail Hutchins, Alachua SENIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN

Brandon Weber, Alachua

GRAND CHAMPION HEIFER ANGUS

Rina (RC-ECC Palmaerina 422L) Breely Yeomans

GRAND CHAMPION COW/ CALF PAIR ANGUS

RW Inauguration Sandy 108 Owen Austrino

GRAND CHAMPION BULL ANGUS

AA Muy Macho 4610 Owen Austrino

GRAND CHAMPION HEIFER BRANGUS

Bandi Ms Lace 07L Alexis Bandi

GRAND CHAMPION COW/ CALF BRANGUS Farris Ms Tank 07H2

Alexis Bandi

GRAND CHAMPION BULL BRANGUS

HCT Lamberts Asher Aubrey Beatty

Joyce Teague

GRAND CHAMPION BULL RED BRANGUS

Marvel’s Mr Cruz, Kinley Ward GRAND CHAMPION HEIFER ULTRABLACK

GRT Ms 6847 G-money 804L2, Carlee Taylor

GRAND CHAMPION COW/ CALF ULTRABLACK MNR

Ms Lizzo 535H

Madilyn Nichols

GRAND CHAMPION BULL ULTRABLACK

CT Deep Pockets 108K2

Carlee Taylor

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION HEIFER RED BRANGUS

M&M 237L

Madyson Carter

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION COW/CALF

RED BRANGUS

Marvel’s Goldie Girl 1319

Aaron Young

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION BULL RED BRANGUS

Marvel’s Kalel Pride 1922

Aaron Young

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION HEIFER ULTRABLACK

MNR Ms Shakira 617K2 Madilyn Nichols

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION COW/CALF ULTRABLACK

continued on pg. 42

CF Blackbird Atlanta

Jesse Pinkston

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION BULL ULTRABLACK

SB Titus 302L

Railee Steele

GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE GRAY BRAHMAN

Moreno Miss Lady Kardashian

Chasey McCrimmon

GRAND CHAMPION BULL GRAY BRAHMAN

RAC Titos And Tonic 01

Addisyn Worrell

GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE RED BRAHMAN

LML Rock’en Lady

Levi Larson

GRAND CHAMPION BULL RED BRAHMAN

LCW Red Baron

Lane Warren

GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE CHAROLAIS

Gulf Coast Polled Nancy 607K

Whitney Mobley

GRAND CHAMPION BULL CHAROLAIS

SP GCC Charleston’s Eye Candy 5K

GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE

SANTA GERTRUDIS

XL Miss Charlotte

Audrey Jones

GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE PUREBRED SIMMENTAL

TJSC Sixr So Sweet 332K

Brandon Weber

GRAND CHAMPION BULL PUREBRED SIMMENTAL

3 Aces/Mday Madison

Brandon Weber

GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE PERCENTAGE SIMMENTAL

OHL Klass Mate 2249K

Halle Bird

GRAND CHAMPION BULL

PERCENTAGE SIMMENTAL

Mr SFGS Squirly Dan12K

Brandon Weber

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION BULL LIMOUSIN

LLR Kool Dude 407K Hailey

Molander

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE SANTA GERTRUDIS

AJS Miss Delilah

Audrey Jones

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE PUREBRED SIMMENTAL

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE ALL OTHER BEEF

GCC WSCC Brighton 35K ET

Carlie Shenefield

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION MALE ALL OTHER BEEF

Dafter 2C 223-35

Layla Lyle

2024 YOUTH DAIRY SHOW

Junior Champion Showman

Grace Salter

Intermediate Champion Showman

Avery Best

Senior Champion Showman

Emily Shvetzoff

GRAND CHAMPION AYRSHIRE

SHC Dunkin’s Glazed Donut

Makayla Watson

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION

AYRSHIRE

JSB-Acres George Srirachia

Austin Boyd

GRAND CHAMPION

BROWN SWISS

CIE FTE Sherlock 19428

Josh Larson

JUNIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN

Evelyn Durham, Marion

INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION SHOWMAN

Brynleigh Durham, Marion

SENIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN

Tess D’Ariano, Okeechobee

GRAND CHAMPION PERCENTAGE DOE

EKB1 Jenny's Delight Livia

Carbino

GRAND CHAMPION PUREBRED DOE

RMBG Sweet Cake

Brynleigh Durham

GRAND CHAMPION BULL PUREBRED BUCK

BZL RL Fire & Brimstone

Amber Rogers

GRAND CHAMPION WETHER

Jeffery Cheyenne Bragg

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION PERCENTAGE DOE

SAFD 68 Blue Lady in Red

Jaylyn Rogers

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION PUREBRED DOE

WLC55 GSB Footprints in The Sand

Livia Carbino

Sayde Price

GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE LIMOUSIN

SHSK Scarlett Jo 314L ET

Abigail Hutchins

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE GRAY BRAHMAN

BCC Lady Prada 248/3

Addisyn Worrell

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION BULL GRAY BRAHMAN

Mr Ward 97 Polled Prince

Isabelle Oakes

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE RED BRAHMAN

LGL Ellie 1/3

Lily Larson

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION BULL RED BRAHMAN

Moreno Mr Roly Poly 265/1

Chasey McCrimmon

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE CHAROLAIS

Lauren 3719L

Bailey Bird

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION BULL CHAROLAIS

Gulf Coast Relentless 106K

Jasmine Rogers

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE LIMOUSIN

ELCX Cassie 17K Taylor Holloway

GRAND CHAMPION BULL LIMOUSIN

LLR Lane Frost 503L Holli Moore

Winslow’s Ranch Girl Dream 22K

Scarlett Earnest

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION BULL PUREBRED SIMMENTAL

Saint Arrow Beau

Lillie Myers

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE PERCENTAGE SIMMENTAL

FRKG Dutchess 389L

Emma Pridgen

GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE ZEBU

Dundee Ridge Blossom

Bella Silva

GRAND CHAMPION BULL

ZEBU

Garcia’s Ranch Oakley’s Outlaw

Evangelina Garcia

GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE

ALL OTHER BEEF

ASTN Paris

Raelan Sherouse

GRAND CHAMPION MALE

ALL OTHER BEEF

Bergs Juggernaut

Brayden Cranor

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE ZEBU

Dundee Ridge Lola

Dundee Ridge FFA

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION BULL ZEBU

Bonagurus Little Mr Mango

Shayanne LaRue

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION

BROWN SWISS

CIE FTE Tequila 17024

Josh Larson

GRAND CHAMPION

GUERNSEY

Brown Farm TN Lambeau

Tibby

Kenslee Heinke

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION

GUERNSEY

Sniders Brogdon Marley

Brianna Shephard GRAND CHAMPION

HOLSTEIN

Milk A Way Bailey

Kenslee Heinkee

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION

HOLSTEIN

JPL Revelation Farti

Josh Larson

GRAND CHAMPION COW JERSEY

C&S Respect Maui

Rebecca Holcomb

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION COW JERSEY

ADH Magnolias Casino Maple

Andrew Hammer

2024 YOUTH BOER GOAT SHOW RESULTS SHOWMANSHIP

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION WETHER

Guapo

Tess D’Ariano

2024 YOUTH DAIRY GOAT SHOW RESULTS SHOWMANSHIP

JUNIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN

Reagan Casler

INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION SHOWMAN

Aleigha Walden

SENIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN

Renata Blatt

BEST IN SHOW

Pleasant Grove NSMM Brigitta Shelby Lawrence

GRAND CHAMPION ALL OTHER PUREBREDS

Terra Calda Kist by Mist

Dylan Walden

GRAND CHAMPION ALPINE

In-Hock-Farms AC Kona Ice

Ava Gelyon

GRAND CHAMPION LAMANCHA

D6Farms Hottie Tottie Seth Danner

GRAND CHAMPION NIGERIAN DWARF

Tanya's Dream CB Maple Leaf

Sydney Byers

GRAND CHAMPION NUBIAN

Olympus Acres Dolly Par Don

ME

Parker Walsingham

GRAND CHAMPION RECORDED GRADE

The Sogno Grande’s Ruby

Renata Blatt

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION ALL OTHER PUREBREDS

DAW Farm Claire

Aleigha Walden

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION ALPINE

Wonderfully Made 'Ohana

Ava Gelyon

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION LAMANCHA

Pine Springs Nadine

Dylan Walden

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION NIGERIAN DWARF

Twin Ravens Farm Hazel

Khloe Deem

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION NUBIAN

Olympus Acres Nephele HF

Nicole Stanquist

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION RECORDED GRADE

DAW Farm Monkey

Dylan Walden

GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE

LLAMA

OTF Peanut Brandy

Abigail Brosius

GRAND CHAMPION MALE

LLAMA

PLL Silver Ace

Tampa Bay Tech FFA/ Kyla Lineberger

GRAND CHAMPION GELDING

LLAMA

Willo’s Jupiter

Riley Miller

GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE ALPACA

Grayvik’s Easter Joy

Leonard Greeley

GRAND CHAMPION MALE

ALPACA

Heaven Sent Ranch Jack’s

Final Whisper

Ireland Greeley

GRAND CHAMPION NONBREEDING ALPACA

BC’s Quinlan

Riley Sconyers

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE LLAMA

Pesada Tamella

Ella Barfield-Wiese

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION MALE LLAMA

ley

Llama Suri

Grand - Who’s Jupiter

Riley Miller

Reserve – Peanut Brandy

Abigail Brosius

2024 YOUTH RABBIT SHOW RESULTS SHOWMANSHIP

JUNIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN

Reece Robinson

INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION SHOWMAN

MacKenzie Crain

SENIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN

Madison Gulley

BEST IN SHOW

Dutch

Alaura Brown

1st RESERVE BEST IN SHOW

American Fuzzy Lop

Ashlynn Burgan

2nd RESERVE BEST IN SHOW

Netherland Dwarf

Melissa Espinosa-Salgado

BEST OF BREED BELGIAN HARE

Abbaigaelle Millard

BEST OF BREED HAVANA

Rachael Mendelsohn

BEST OPPOSITE BREED MINI SATIN

Lorelai Heath

BEST OPPOSITE BREED NETHERLAND DWARF

Hannah Neumann

BEST OF BREED POLISH

Abbaigaelle Millard

BEST OF BREED REX

Morgan Huston

BEST OPPOSITE BREED POLISH

MacKenzie Crain

BEST OPPOSITE BREED REX

Jordan Woznick

BEST OF BREED AMERICAN FUZZY LOP

Ashlynn Burgan

BEST OF BREED BRITANNIA PETITE

Morgan Huston

BEST OF BREED CALIFORNIAN

Lecanto FFA

BEST OF BREED DUTCH

Alaura Brown

BEST OF BREED ENGLISH LOP

Abby Morrison

BEST OF BREED ENGLISH SPOT

2024 YOUTH LLAMA & ALPACA SHOW RESULTS

SHOWMANSHIP

Junior

Rome Greeley, Levy

Intermediate

Ireland Greeley, Levy Co.

Senior

Raina Ishak, Hillsborough Co.

HERDSMAN

Junior

Wyatt Sconyers

Intermediate

Ireland Greeley

Senior

Abigail Brosius

PERFORMANCE CHAMPIONS

GRAND CHAMPION

Junior Wyatt Sconyers

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION

Junior Rome Greeley

GRAND CHAMPION

Intermediate

Logan Bennett

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION

Intermediate

Cole Valerius

GRAND CHAMPION

Senior

Riley Miller

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION

Senior

Jacqueline Degirmenci HALTER

PLL Apollo

Tampa Bay Tech FFA/Michael Miller

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION NON-BREEDING LLAMA

Kashyyyk

Wyatt Sconyers

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE ALPACA

Heaven Sent Ranch Auntie’s

Delight

Ireland Greeley

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION MALE ALPACA

Golden Ohyes More

Raina Ishak

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION NON-BREEDING ALPACA

El Valludo Tigre

Jacqueline Degirmenci

FLEECE CHAMPIONS

Alpaca Huacaya

Grand – Bozzie, Else Brosius

Reserve – Golden Oh Yes

More

Alpaca Suri

Grand - GoldStar HandiLock, Rome Greeley

Reserve – Harry, Evangelina

Garcia

Llama Double Coat

Grand – PPL Apollo, Tampa Bay Tech FFA

Reserve – PPL Silver Ace, Tampa Bay Tech FFA

Llama Single Coat

Grand – Grady, Daniel Gree-

Danica Keele

BEST OF BREED HIMALAYAN

Madelyn Brothers

BEST OF BREED HOLLAND LOP

Atticus Hank

BEST OF BREED JERSEY WOLLY

Brianna McDougall

BEST OF BREED MINI LOP

Alaura Brown

BEST OF BREED MINI REX

Elizabeth Buie

BEST OF BREED MINI SATIN

Karina Jara-Hanks

BEST OF BREED NETHERLAND DWARF

Riverview FFA

BEST OPPOSITE BREED BELGIAN HARE

Abbaigaelle Millard

BEST OPPOSITE BREED HAVANA

Brayden Jackson

BEST OPPOSITE BREED HIMALAYAN

Tabitha Crist

BEST OPPOSITE BREED HOLLAND LOP

Sarah Dominey

BEST OPPOSITE BREED JERSEY WOLLY

Wyatt McDougall

BEST OPPOSITE BREED MINI LOP

Sydney Kypros

BEST OPPOSITE BREED MINI REX

Emma Haudrich

BEST OF BREED FLEMISH GIANT

Abbaigaelle Millard

BEST OF BREED FLORIDA WHITE

Tabitha Crist

BEST OF BREED FRENCH LOP

Katlynn Eicholtz

BEST OF BREED HARLEQUIN

Shelby Lynch

BEST OF BREED LIONHEAD

Atticus Hank

BEST OF BREED NEW ZEALAND

Morgan Huston

BEST OF BREED SATIN

Jonathan Pipkins

2024 YOUTH SHEEP SHOW RESULTS SHOWMANSHIP

JUNIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN

Emma Arosenius

INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION SHOWMAN

Caylee Draper

SENIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN

Reagan Barlow

CHARLIE MOORE SCHOLARSHIP

Sarah Morris

YOUTH SHEPHERD SCHOLcontinued on pg. 48

A Manatee and Me

What are the things you do for sheer enjoyment? One of mine, perhaps to some surprise, is writing these monthly articles!

Well, that and the mental stimulation that a creative craft seems to provide. Besides, delving into all matters of life and living, and giving commentary to the occasion, has taken me many places and led to doing fascinating and fun things.

It’s interesting the comments I get from those who share with me a few minutes of their lives by reading my writings. Last year, for example, after recounting an adventure with nesting sea turtles on Florida’s Atlantic coast, someone asked me how I happened to become an “outdoor writer.”

That particular description of my scribbling had never even occurred to me. After all, I consider and respect the true outdoor writer as one who details opportunities in typical outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing.

Still, though, it seems that my most creative juices flow freely when I am, indeed, outside. While there, and with my iPhone seemingly attached to my hand, I can make many notes to be later elaborated upon.

So, with that being the case, I’ll accept the moniker of “outdoor writer” and wear it proudly, along with the taglines of other titles and licenses I have acquired along the way. Even now, for example, I am outside, on an especially clear, bright, and sunny day, enjoying an early Florida springtime onboard a boat not far from home.

There is a gentle lapping of light waves across the bow as we float; drift really, in whatever direction the tide and gentle breeze decide to nudge us. It’s an idyllic day; the kind that daydreams are made of.

In retrospect, and as great luck and fortune would have it while musing that day, suddenly, and quite to my surprise, she swam by.

Granted I am not certain, nor write with any precision, as to whether it was a she, or he, that politely rolled ever so closely. A snout, some whiskers, and an eyeball stared in our direction, clearly conveying the impression that she/he/it seemed just about as curious of us as we were in return.

John

by John Dicks

A mammal she was, and needing air to breathe, she exhaled so strong as if to expel a bit of breath that we could actually smell as well as feel its warmth. Sometimes referred to as a “siren of the sea,” no doubt you recognize it was a Florida manatee.

I suppose that by now, all of us living in Florida have at least seen, if not encountered, lots of manatees. This one, though, brought back memories of my first one. It was many years ago in Crystal River while snorkeling, not looking for manatees, but suddenly getting bumped in the back by one. The surprise was most disconcerting as I turned to face, nose to snout, with what looked like a 12ft. leathery torpedo!

Fortunately, it all turned out fine, which is why I’m still here to write about it all!

When I was a boy, though, growing up in Florida, several generations ago, I had never seen a manatee. It was not for having been a recluse, for even then I was always outside, and particularly in and around the water. There simply were no manatees to be found.

Christopher Columbus first noticed one and wrote about it back in 1492, but by the 1970s there were remaining only a few hundred Florida manatees scattered throughout our waters. It led to having them added to the U.S. endangered species list.

Their protection worked well, so much so that in 2017 when the manatee count was in the thousands, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service downgraded their classification from “endangered” to that of only “threatened.”

Fortunate we are to live in central Florida where with a short drive to the TECO Manatee Viewing Center on most any day of chilly weather, we can get up close and personal to sometimes hundreds of the sea cows all snuggling up in the warm water outflow of the Big Bend Power Station in Apollo Beach.

TECO’s “manatee season” runs from November through April 15. Miss it and you’ll have to hope for a chance encounter like the “outdoor writer” in me was fortunate to do.

A Closer Look

Naturally Amazing Activities

Leaf Skeleton

Since our featured insect this month looks like a leaf, we thought it would be cool to do a leaf project. Leaf skeletons can be used in several crafts. They can be added to the epoxy mold project we recently featured or framed against an illustration or alone. Leaf skeletons can be colored with food dye, varnished onto wood, or stone and even be added to a clear candle holder. The possibilities are vast. There are several ways to create a leaf skeleton, most of which take a good deal of time (weeks) before you have completed the leaf. I typically do not have weeks for projects so I did a little research and found a method that I really like and would like to share with you. It starts with finding a good leaf to use. Every source I have found suggests using thick waxy leaves such as Magnolia, Gardenia, and Hydrangea or the sturdy leaves of Oak and Maple.

Materials:

Leaves

Water

Large Pot

Washing Soda

Bleach (optional)

Food Dye (optional)

Tongs

Terry Towel

Production:

by Sean Green

• In pot, mix about 1 part washing soda to 4 parts water

• Bring the mixture to a gentle boil

• Lower the heat to simmer and add the leaves

• Simmer 2-3 hrs (leaf cells should be soft enough to rub off … just as a test, don’t rub them off yet.)

• Pour the murky water out and fill with just enough clean water to cover the leaves

• Add bleach (if desired) to speed the process up Note: bleach will weaken the leaf veins if used for too long

• Allow bleach to remove the leaf color (30 – 60 minutes)

• Gently remove the skin of the leaf by either brushing with a soft brush or carefully rinsing under running water.

• It helps to support the leaf in your hand to help prevent it from tearing while removing the skin

• Coloring (optional): Fill a shallow dish with water and food coloring.

• Let the leaf soak in the food dye mixture until the veins absorb the desired tone.

• Gently remove the leaf from the dye mixture with tongs

• Place the leaf on a terry cloth towel for complete drying (the leaf skeleton should be stiff.)

Once your leaf is dry, it can be used as a component for other crafts as mentioned above or a work of art itself.

A Closer Look by Sean Green Giant Katydid (Stilpnochlora couloniana)

The sounds of Spring are approaching. Soon our nights will be filled with a chorus of wildlife that is characteristic of the Deep South. Kicking it off is a large insect commonly known as the Giant Katydid. This insect is the largest katydid in the United States measuring over 2 ½ inches with wings at rest. The Giant Katydid (Stilpnochlora couloniana) is more closely related to crickets than grasshoppers and is a member of the genus phaneropterine (false katydids). This month we will take a closer look at the Giant Katydid, a somewhat rare treat found only in the Isle of Pines in Cuba and as far north as Gainesville in Florida (Entomological News, Mar 2017).

This species was first described by George Marcgraf from a Brazilian specimen in 1648. Most species are found in the tropical neotropics, which roughly begins just south of Bradenton and extends through south Florida and into the Caribbean islands of Cuba, Grenada, Trinidad, and Jamaica. The Giant Katydid is the one species that can be found in the Nearctic region of Florida as far north as Gainesville. Illustrations as early as 1725 (Sloane) and 1800 (Shaw) indicate that it was first known as the Bay Leaf Locust.

We know of over 250 species of katydid in North America, nearly half of which are in the Tettigoniinae (shieldbacks) family and among the shieldbacks, there are 15 species of Stilpnochlora, but none as large as the Giant Katydid (Stilpnochlora couloniana). This insect, though imposing, is harmless to human beings; in fact, it has become a popular pet and classroom addition. One of the fascinating characteristics of this insect is its ability to avoid becoming food for potential predators by fooling them. In evolutionary biology, some species evolve to resemble (mimic) another organism or object. The Giant Katydid mimics spiders in its earliest stages of life (instars) and when finally becoming an adult, the Giant Katydid looks like a large leaf.

Katydids are active at night; during the day they rest high up in the crowns of host trees such as oak, bramble, or hazel but can occasionally be found foraging in shrubs of hypericum, butterfly bush (Buddleja), apple, rose and hawthorn. Beginning at dusk and continuing to the morning, males create their

songs by stimulation (friction). Their wings have a scraper and file that when rubbed together create various tones for their song, like scraping a stick across a washboard. Their threesyllable song sounds like” kay-ti-did” and is responsible for their common name. Typically, all the males in the area will synchronize their song in ranges from 3 kHz to over 20 kHz. The collective songs of these insects can get loud enough to drown out most other sounds. You will hear these nocturnal insects long before you see them and can easily differentiate them from grasshoppers by their song alone. When you do see one however, the long antennae are a dead giveaway that they are not grasshoppers. Katydid have antennae that are as long or longer than their body, grasshoppers have short antennae.

The giant katydid is among the largest of all insects and are often kept as pets. There are some species of katydid that are carnivorous and vicious predators, those that are carnivores can be recognized the by the spikes on their legs which are used for capturing prey. The Giant Katydid, however, is a strict herbivore feeding only on a variety of trees and shrubs and is quite harmless to human beings. It’s no surprise that this insect has become a popular pet and is sometimes kept in the classroom for students to observe.

The average lifespan of the giant katydid is about one year from birth through adult. In our tropical Florida environment this species is capable of producing offspring twice a year. These insects are easy to rear and will breed readily so long as they are kept in a habitat of about 10 square inches per insect. The humidity will have to be kept high to mimic a tropical environment if they are kept indoors with air-conditioning. They will need fresh leaf cuttings every day for food and a rough substrate, preferably bark from one of its host trees on which the females can lay eggs. Keep in mind, these insects are excellent jumpers, you will need a lid on its habitat, especially if there are other animals, or potential predators that could become problematic if the katydid jumped out of the enclosure. These insects will become more abundant beginning this month. We hope you have a chance to take a closer look this month.

ARSHIP

Madison Braun

Supreme Champion Ewe

Emma Leiss – Hampshire

1st Reserve Supreme Champion Ewe

Caylee Draper – All Other Sheep Breeds

2nd Reserve Supreme Champion Ewe

Hayley Luznar - Dorset Supreme Champion Ram

Izabella Moss - Hampshire

1st Reserve Supreme Champion Ram

Reagan Barlow - All Other Sheep Breeds

2nd Reserve Supreme Champion Ram

Shelby Southerland - Southdown

GRAND CHAMPION MARKET LAMB

Grady Callahan

GRAND CHAMPION WETHER DAM

Caylee Draper

GRAND CHAMPION EWE DORPER

Hayley Luznar

GRAND CHAMPION EWE

Claire Lovenbury

GRAND CHAMPION EWE SOUTHDOWN

Grady Callahan

GRAND CHAMPION RAM SOUTHDOWN

Shelby Southerland

GRAND CHAMPION EWE SUFFOLK

Izabella Moss

GRAND CHAMPION EWE

ALL OTHER BREEDS

Caylee Draper

GRAND CHAMPION RAM ALL OTHER BREEDS

Reagan Barlow

GRAND CHAMPION EWE

SOUTHDOWN

Emma Leiss

GRAND CHAMPION EWE SUFFOLK

Lane Gedeist

GRAND CHAMPION EWE

RESERVE

ALL OTHER BREEDS

Caylee Draper

2024 YOUTH FUTURITY

STEER SHOW SHOWMANSHIP

Honey Farm

CLASS 3 WINNER

Ethin Szetela

Producer: DH Ranch

CLASS 5 WINNER

Cayden Davis

Producer: Barto Farms

CLASS 7 WINNER

Abby Cassels

Producer: Graham Farm

CLASS 2 WINNER

Holly Carroll

Producer: Shoop Cattle Co.

CLASS 4 WINNER

Ada Perryman

Producer: Richardson Brothers

CLASS 6 WINNER

Mikayla Meyers

Producer: Graham Farms

CLASS 8 WINNER

Dixie FFA

Producer: Graham Farms

CLASS WINNERS

CARCASS RESULTS

GRAND CHAMPION CARCASS

Aubrey Ward

Producer: Richardson Brothers

Zephyrhills Sr. FFA

Producer: AW & VJ Banks, LLC

7th PLACE

Aiden Lepianka

Producer: Roma III Ranch

8th PLACE

Karl Scholl

Producer: Richardson Brothers

9th PLACE

Mason Lefler

Producer: Phillips Ranch

10th PLACE

Ada Perryman

Producer: Richardson Brothers

GAIN IN WEIGHT RESULTS

1st Place

South Sumter Jr. FFA

Producer: Lykes Brothers

2nd Place

Aubrey Ward

Producer: Richardson Brothers

2024 YOUTH SWINE SHOW RESULTS SHOWMANSHIP

JUNIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN

Grant Gilmore

DORSET ADVANTAGE

Hayley Luznar

GRAND CHAMPION RAM DORSET ADVANTAGE

Cheyenne Bragg

GRAND CHAMPION EWE HAMPSHIRE

Emma Leiss

GRAND CHAMPION RAM HAMPSHIRE

Izabella Moss

GRAND CHAMPION EWE KATAHDIN

Sarah Morris

GRAND CHAMPION RAM KATAHDIN

Sarah Morris

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION MARKET LAMB

Hayley Luznar

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION WETHER DAM

Cheyenne Bragg

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION EWE DORPER

Sarah Morris

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION EWE DORSET ADVANTAGE

Emma Leiss

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION EWE HAMPSHIRE

Cheyenne Bragg

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION EWE KATAHDIN

Claire Lovenbury

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION RAM KATAHDIN

INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION SHOWMAN

Aiden Lepianka

SENIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN

Madalynn Worley

PREMIER STEER

Ada Perryman

Producer: Richardson Brothers

RESERVE PREMIER STEER

Aubrey Ward

Producer: Richardson Brothers

GRAND CHAMPION STEER

Dixie FFA

Producer: Graham Farms –John & Jamie Graham

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION STEER

Aubrey Ward

Producer: Richardson Brothers

CHARLIE MOORE SCHOLARSHIP

Aubrey Ward

BILL CAREY SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD

Kaylee Hudson

CINDY REVELS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Gabe Mitchell

A.L. “BUDDY” MCCULLOUGH AWARD

Abree Perryman

CLASS 1 WINNER

Joel Gatlin Buzbee

Producer: Natural Bridge

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION CARCASS

Ada Perryman

Producer: Richardson Brothers

3rd PLACE

Wyatt Davis

Producer: Phillips Ranch

4th PLACE

Mason Lefler

Producer: Phillips Ranch

5th PLACE

South Sumter Jr. FFA

Producer: Lykes Brothers

6th PLACE

Dixie FFA

Producer: Graham Farms

7th PLACE

Joel Gatlin Buzbee

Producer: Natural Bridge

Honey Farm

8th PLACE

Kaleb Scholl

Producer: Phillips Ranch

9th PLACE

Adysen Burns

Producer: Roman III Ranch

10th PLACE

Aiden Lepianka Producer: Roman III Ranch

3rd PLACE

Adysen Burns

Producer: Roman III Ranch

4th PLACE

Kaleb Scholl

Producer: Phillips Ranch

5th PLACE

South Sumter Sr. FFA

Producer: Jones Cattle Co.

6th PLACE

INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION SHOWMAN

Camdyn Herman

SENIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN

William Conquest

GRAND CHAMPION CROSSBRED

Clayton Peters Christy Hog Farms

RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION CROSSBRED

Emma Albert Gossett Genetics

DIVISION 1 CLASS WINNERS – CROSSBRED

CLASS 01 WINNER

Christopher Fennell

Producer: Farm on Jubilee

CLASS 02 WINNER

Haylie Stephens

Producer: Wehmer Show Pigs

CLASS 03 WINNER

Charley Palmer

Producer: Backwoods Genetics

DIVISION 1 CHAMPION

Haylie Stephens

Producer: Wehmer Show Pigs

DIVISION 1 RESERVE CHAMPION

Christopher Fennell

Producer: Farm on Jubilee

CLASS 04 WINNER

Dalaney Price

Producer: Tanner Winter

CLASS 05 WINNER

Maci Robinson

Producer: Rincker Livestock

CLASS 06 WINNER

Clayton Peters

Producer: Christy Hog Farm

DIVISION 2 CHAMPION

Clayton Peters

Producer: Chrisy Hog Farm

DIVISION 2 RESERVE CHAMPION

Amma Albert

Producer: Gossett Genetics

DIVISION 3 CLASS WINNERS – CROSSBRED

CLASS 03 WINNER

William Conquest

Producer: Robinson Show

Pigs

CLASS 04 WINNER

Jessa Crandell

Producer: Slayton Show Pigs

CLASS 05 WINNER

Dixie Land

Producer: Lyons Show Pigs

CLASS 06 WINNER

Abigail Davis

1st – Isabelle Muir, Polk Co.

2nd – Charlotte Watkins, Pinellas Co.

3rd – Chelsea Morris, Hillsborough Co.

4th – Anna Radojcsics, Manatee Co.

Top Ten

Analeigha Ybatzabal-Martinez

Sofia Srodek

Berea Noah Poock

Jadon Biagiotti

Emersyn Coddington

Luca Lovato

Hilliker Challenge

Large County Winner

Sarasota

Small County Winner

Hernando

Jerry Manning High in Rally

Gemma Eldridge

High Point

Junior

Lucas Lovato

Intermediate

Gemma Eldridge

Senior

Sofia Srodek

2024 QUILT-TOPIA BARN QUILT RESULTS

Academy at the Farm, Dade City

5TH PLACE

Caitlyn Cooke, Member of Southeast Manatee FFA

6th PLACE

Evan Yargus, Dade City Member of Academy at the Farm

7th PLACE

Blaze Picard

Members of Homegrown 4-H Club

8th PLACE

Sunshine 4-H Club

9TH PLACE

Chautauqua 4-H Club

10TH PLACE

Boots and Badgers Lee County 4-H Club

2024 HAY BALE RESULTS

1ST PLACE

Middleton FFA, Tampa 2ND PLACE

Rowdy Ropers 4-H, Winter Haven

3RD PLACE

Legacy Clovers 4-H, Winter Haven

4TH PLACE

CLASS 07 WINNER

Max Keen

Producer: Kilmer

CLASS 08 WINNER

Mayree Johnson

Producer: Lyons Show Pigs

CLASS 09 WINNER

Kyndal Sowell

Producer: Brandon Ogle

DIVISION 4 CHAMPION

Kyndal Sowell

Producer: Brandon Ogle

DIVISION 4 RESERVE CHAMPION

Mayree Johnson

Producer: Lyons Show

Pigs

GRAND CHAMPION PUREBRED

William Conquest

Robinson Show Pigs RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION CROSSBRED

Emersyn Nasworthy

Decker Show Pigs

CLASS WINNERSPUREBRED

CLASS 01 WINNER

Laylynn Wood

Producer: RNC Show Pigs

CLASS 02 WINNER

Haylie Stephens

Producer: Wehmer Show Pigs

Producer: Lyons Show Pigs

CLASS 07 WINNER

Lacy Box

Producer: McAlexander Livestock

2024 YOUTH DOG SHOW

Phyllis White Awards (BEST IN SHOW)

1ST PLACE

Armwood FFA, Tampa

2ND PLACE

Hudson FFA, Hudson

3RD PLACE

Mason Yargus, Dade City

Member of Academy at the Farm FFA

4TH PLACE

Fantastic 4-H, Dade City

5TH PLACE

Hudson FFA, Hudson

UF/IFAS Ph.D. candidate to study the impact of citrus greening with renowned tree ring researcher

By Robin Koestoyo

Lukas Hallman is about to embark on an internship to investigate the vascular system of trees when they are affected by the world’s most severe citrus disease.

Hallman begins his final year of a Ph.D. program in horticultural sciences under the guidance of Lorenzo Rossi, assistant professor of plant root biology at the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) in Fort Pierce.

“My goal is to measure tree ring width and detect shifts in wood anatomy within orange and grapefruit trees grown under the challenges of citrus greening,” said Hallman.

Citrus greening is present in most of Florida’s citrus groves and has reduced the state’s signature crop by 80% over the last 20 years, Rossi said.

“I will be working with trunk sections taken from 10-year-old trees. These observations will help us reconstruct how citrus trees coped with citrus greening from the day of planting to now."

Hallman will investigate both components of the tree’s vascular system, called xylem and phloem, for two months at the Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL in Zurich, Switzerland. During this time, Hallman will collaborate with Professor Paolo Cherubini, a senior scientist specializing in dendrosciences, the scientific study of tree rings. Cherubini is a renowned scientist and a recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his role as an invited expert reviewer contributing to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report.

“International collaboration is one way scientists can address tree stress physiology under different ecosystems,” said Rossi, who once worked alongside Cherubini to investigate wood anatomical adjustments of olive trees subjected to various water availability levels.

“Our proposal for Hallman’s study aims to unveil changes in wood structure as a part of the citrus tree’s response to citrus greening. Clogged citrus tree vascular systems prevent the trees from absorbing the necessary nutrients for the citrus trees to grow and produce high-quality fruit,” said Rossi.

The IRREC is central to the world’s famous grapefruit production region. Since shortly after the start of the 21st century,

the region has seen a steep decline in its prized grapefruit crop as citrus greening spread rapidly throughout the state. Hallman said the phloem is the specific sieve inside citrus trees that clogs with a callous material in response to infection by the bacterium that causes citrus greening disease. Hallman’s research plan is to investigate and understand phloem and xylem anatomy and tree ring formation to measure citrus physiological responses to stress. The scientists will conduct the work on grapefruit and sweet oranges grown in the Indian River Citrus District over the past ten years.

“We need more information about the influence of the bacterium on phloem structure and tree and root physiology,” Hallman said. “My work has been mostly with nutrient application methods to improve the root health of affected trees. I will access highly specialized equipment in Zurich at Cherubini’s laboratory and explore vascular systems in trunks and roots of citrus greening-affected grapefruit and sweet orange trees.”

Hallman said he and Cherubini will reconstruct the physiological history of the trees in response to citrus greening through dendrochronological and wood anatomical techniques. In addition, the researchers will measure how the trees use carbon and oxygen in response to citrus greening over the years, said Rossi.

“Understanding linkages between phloem alterations and their relationship to carbon and oxygen utilization will allow us to identify the best water and nutrient application methods and provide more insight about how citrus trees are affected by citrus greening to advance better management of the disease,” Hallman said.

ABOUT UF/IFAS

The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the U.F. College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.

Unlocking the heat in mosquito modeling: Exploring disease transmission under climate change

By Lourdes Mederos

Thermal adaptation is the ability for organisms to adjust their life history traits as the temperature changes. In the case of mosquitoes, these traits can determine their risk of transmitting mosquito-borne diseases and how this risk might change in the future as they respond to climate warming.

“Global drivers such as transport, trade and climate change, are altering the distribution of mosquitoes around the planet, and, with this, comes shifting patterns of disease risk,” Matthew Thomas, a UF/IFAS professor and UF/IFAS Invasive Science Research Institute (ISRI) director said.

In the study, “Phenotypic adaptation to temperature in the mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti,” published in the journal Global Change Biology, a team of scientists including some researchers at the Invasive Science Research Institute, examine a critical aspect often overlooked in models that examines the impact of climate change on mosquito-borne diseases. Many models don’t take into account the potential influence of thermal adaptation in mosquitoes.

“It is well accepted that temperature affects mosquito biology but the implications for disease transmission are still not well understood,” said Thomas.

The authors contend that if mosquitoes undergo thermal adaptation in their local environments, it could lead to variation in how different populations respond to temperature. Models that take a uniform approach, a “one-size-fits-all” method, might not accurately represent the diversity of responses among different mosquito populations. Additionally, these models may fail to predict how mosquitoes could adapt in the future as temperatures change.

“It is likely that if there is local adaptation in mosquito populations, there could be increased variation in the expected results of climate change on mosquito-borne disease transmission. In other words, there may be cases where we would expect a decrease in disease transmission, but we see the opposite,” Nina Dennington, a co-author and doctoral student in Thomas’ previous lab at Pennsylvania State University said. The authors focused on Aedes aegypti, commonly known as the yellow fever mosquito. This mosquito is one of the most important invasive species globally, responsible for infecting more than 400 million people worldwide each year with vi-

ruses such as dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika. Researchers aimed to assess how Aedes aegypti populations may adapt phenotypically — what scientists call observable characteristics — in response to temperature changes. By understanding these adaptive responses, researchers can improve the accuracy of models that predict the spread of mosquito-borne diseases under different climate scenarios. They started by examining five populations collected from different locations in Mexico, together with a longstanding lab colony. This part of the study revealed significant variations in thermal tolerance, or the ability to withstand high temperatures between the different populations. The researchers then conducted a novel experimental evolution study to explore whether these differences were likely a response to environmental temperature.

“We provided support that there are existing differences in thermal tolerance for populations of mosquitoes, due to local adaptation. We then show how differences in environmental temperature can affect mosquito fitness over time, and in this case only 10 generations,” Dennington said. “We aim to better understand whether a change in temperature that is similar to the increase expected with climate change may influence mosquito fitness responses and consequently vector-borne disease transmission.”

The results showed that temperature tolerance, together with other key biological traits such as survival and the ability to produce an abundance of offspring, could shift in response to temperature within just 10 generations.

“Our results provide support for local thermal adaptation in a primary mosquito vector. Not only do we find differences in thermal responses between populations in the field, but we also show that these responses are not static and have the potential to shift in response to changing environments,” said Dennington.

“This study challenges the assumption that you can take a temperature-based model derived from measures in one location and simply extrapolate it to all other locations or future climates,” said Thomas. “We now need further research to confirm what this means for disease risk and whether similar patterns might exist for other mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria.”

With every generation, we get

better at protecting our environment.

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

®

FROM THE SCIENTIFIC FIELD

Preparing 4-H youth members to become productive citizens through life skills

Florida 4-H prioritizes the development of communication, higher-order thinking, and appreciation of differences as essential workforce skills. Hillsborough 4-H provides a range of opportunities for young people to develop communication skills and gain confidence in expressing themselves. For instance, County Events Day is an excellent opportunity go members to learn how to articulate their ideas clearly and confidently. How you may ask?

To get started, you can brainstorm by jotting down things you lose track of time doing, which we refer to as your “spark” in 4-H.

Now circle three that excite you the most. Divide a piece of paper in three sections and place those circled topics at the top of each column. Write down all the things you could teach someone about each topic. Which one topic stands out?

From that list, pick the one thing to teach or discuss. Congratulations you now have a topic for your presentation. Break the topic into three main ideas and write a paragraph for each.

Now focus on the short hook. You can start with a story, a relevant quote, or an attention-getting fact to get the audience excited for what is to come. After that, you should introduce yourself and explain why you chose this topic. Finally, you can present the three main ideas of your demo/talk. The conclusion should leave an impression. Start by recapping what the main ideas were and then leave them with something that you did not use in the hook such as a relevant quote, attention-getter fact, or question.

You now have a speech ready to go! It is now time to decide what props, slides, and posters, or you may decide you will do a traditional speech and not use any of these aides. If your topic is about making something, collect all the supplies needed to make it happen. Remember to cover all manufacture logos.

If you plan to use traditional poster boards, you can use stencils or sticker lettering large enough to be visible to the audience.

By Amber Norris

If you will be using software to create a presentation, limit your words on each slide. Only include relevant graphics. Refrain from using distracting movement on the slides. Remember this is an aide to help you give the presentation, not the presentation itself.

Now it’s time to practice, practice, practice!! It is recommended that you practice in front of many different people. Start with you and a mirror, then a trusted adult or member. Consider recording yourself and evaluating yourself. Be sure to watch it without sound as well to see if there are any visual distractions.

If you are using notecards, reading from note cards can hinder eye contact and audience engagement. Instead, use them to help you remember key points.

Congratulations on conquering your fear of public speaking! It’s a great accomplishment that not everyone can achieve. You should be proud of yourself for taking the initiative to overcome your fear and improve your public speaking skills. Keep up the good work!

If you would like to join our 4-H youth members participating in educational programs and demonstrate the life skills of communication of knowledge gained in the program, call Amber Norris, Hillsborough County 4-H Extension Agent at 813-755-4419 x54116.

Florida Strawberry Nutella Pizza

Florida Strawberry Dream Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS

2 cups whole milk

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup white sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups mashed fresh strawberries

DIRECTIONS

In a large bowl, combine the milk, cream, sugar, salt and vanilla. Pour the mixture into the frozen freezer bowl and let mix for 20-30 minutes until it begins to thicken.

Add strawberries and process for 10-15 more minutes. The ice cream

Filling

Pizza dough for one pizza

1 jar of Nutella

8 oz bittersweet chocolate bar 4 cups of sliced Florida strawberries

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 450°F. If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven as it preheats. This will give you an extra crispy crust just like a traditional stone pizza oven!

Roll out the dough on a floured surface. Pressing from the center out in a circular motion, start forming your pizza. It’s important to keep the dough density consistent so flip the dough and re-flour from time to time.

Take your pizza stone out of the oven. Dust the top of the pizza stone with flour

will have a soft, creamy texture. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for 2 hours.

Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving. Add a sprig of mint or basil for an even more beautiful display.

Chef’s note: If your ice cream maker is as noisy as most, or if it tends to lose its cool a little early in the process, have I got a trick for you! Simply clear out some space in your refrigerator or freezer and let the magic happen in the cold, quiet darkness of your freezer or fridge. This also means you can make more than one batch a day since your freezer bowl won’t thaw out as quickly!

and carefully place the pizza dough on the stone. Place back into the oven and bake for around 10 minutes or until its edges are puffy and the crust begins to turn golden brown.

Once the pizza is ready, remove from the oven and the pizza stone. Now spread the Nutella and don’t be afraid to be as generous as you like! Grate the dark chocolate bar over the Nutella.

Evenly distribute the sliced strawberries, slice and enjoy!

On-Farm Readiness Review Sign up

The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR) inspections have begun. Sign up now to request a free On-Farm Readiness Review (OFRR), offered in partnership by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and University of Florida IFAS. The OFRR is an educational opportunity to help individual farms align practices with the PSR regulatory requirements in preparation for inspections. For more information on FSMA and to sign up for an OFRR, visit FDACS.gov/FSMA or call (863) 578-1900.

To take full advantage of the OFRR and for PSR compliance, one farm representative should first attend a Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training. Upcoming trainings can be found at: crec.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/events

This publication is supported by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award U2FFD007446 totaling $1,166,732 with 100 percent funded by FDA/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by FDA/ HHS, or the U.S. Government.

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