In The Field magazine Polk edition

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

May 2016

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

May 2016

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Farm Credit of Central Florida declares $4 million cash patronage distribution for 2016 Farm Credit of Central Florida’s Board of Directors recently declared $4 million in patronage dividends to qualified Borrowers of the Lakeland based agricultural lending cooperative. “The board understands the critical role Farm Credit plays in sustaining our rural communities and agriculture,” Farm Credit of Central Florida Chairman of the Board, Robbie Roberson, said. “Patronage helps reward members for their loyalty to the association and returns money directly into the communities we serve.” Every year, the Farm Credit of Central Florida Board of Directors review the cooperative’s financial position and determine the amount of patronage that can be distributed to its members. Since 1988, Farm Credit of Central Florida’s board of directors has declared patronage refunds exceeding $152 million. To illustrate how much $152 million is; it would buy enough drip irrigation tape to circle the globe almost five times. It would feed the average family of four for ten years, purchase over 250 thousand iPhone 6’s, or 2,200 John Deere model 6140 tractors, or a dozen Lear Jets!

The $4 million declared patronage can lower a Member’s rate by as much as 0.75%. Eligible Member-Borrowers should receive their checks by early April. “Cash patronage not only benefits our Members’ wallets, it reduces their overall cost of borrowing and helps them understand the link between their investment in the association and the benefits derived from membership in a cooperative,” Farm Credit of Central Florida President and CEO Reginald Holt, said. “Patronage is a benefit of doing business with a cooperative and we are proud to demonstrate that.” Farm Credit of Central Florida is a member-owned agricultural lending cooperative serving 13 Central Florida counties, including, Polk, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, Sumter, Lake, Seminole, Orange, Osceola, Volusia and Brevard. Part of the nationwide Farm Credit System established in 1916, Farm Credit of Central Florida provides loans, leases and crop insurance to over 1,000 farmers, ranchers, growers and rural homeowners.

For more information regarding the Farm Credit, please visit www.farmcreditCFL.com or 866.245.3637 WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

May 2016

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Rare Beef Well Done

VOL. 9 • ISSUE 9

page 24

Polk County Cattlemen’s Association P.O. Box 9005 • Drawer HS03 Bartow, FL. 33831-9005 President – Ray Clark (863) 640-0719 rclark@tampabay. rr.com

Cover Photo by Melissa Nichols

Contents MAY 2016 Farm Credit Express

Endangered Species

Page 3

Page 28

Master Gardener

Page 10

Florida Garlic

Page 31

Maegan’s Journey

Page 12

Earth Day

Page 34

Fishing Hot Spots

Page 14

Smart Phone Apps

Page 36

Adam Putnam

Page 16

Recipes

Page 38

A Closer Look

Page 18

Jaylene Carey

Rocking Chair Chatter

Page 22

PCSO

Literary Time Machine

Page 26 4

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earthlink.net Mike Facente (863) 697-9419

Vice President Carlton Taylor 863-781-1146 Carlton.Taylor@boehringer-ingelheim.com

Standing Committee Chairs:

Secretary/Treasurer Justin Bunch (863) 425-1121 jbunch@agriumretail. com

Events & Director Kevin Fussell (863) 412-5876

State Director – David McCullers (863) 635-2821crookedlakeranch@verizon. net

Rodeo- Fred Waters (863) 559-7808

Director – J. B. Wynn (863) 581-3255 jbwynn29@gmail.com Charles Clark (863) 528-8537 cclarkc4@yahoo.com L.B. Flanders, DVM (863) 644-5974 Mike Fussell (863) 698-8314 fussell.flafarm@verizon. net Moby Persing 863-528-4567 Dave Tomkow (863) 665-5088 cattlemenslivestock@

Membership- J.B. Wynn

Trade Show-

Website – Adam Norman 863-944-9293 Adam.norman@gmfind. com Cattlewomen – Vice President, Laura Slocumb (863) 660-7000 laura@higgenbotham. com Extension – Bridget Carlisle PO Box 9005, Drawer HS03 Bartow, FL 33831 (863) 519-1048 bccarlis@ufl.edu Sheriff’s Dept. – Sgt. Tommy Dixon (863) 534-7205 tdixon@polksheriff.org

Meet The Minks

Page 44

May 2016

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Reclaiming the land for future generations is

Ashlee Harrison, Reclamation Ecologist South Pasture Mine, Hardee County

As an ecologist, I am part of a dedicated team that oversees the reclamation of Mosaic’s mined lands. Before phosphate operations begin, I work with scientists, engineers and environmental specialists to carefully plan for reclaimed land uses. Last year, those plans included planting more than 2 million trees — and reclaiming land for wildlife habitats, parks, agriculture and other productive uses. There’s a reason Mosaic’s 4,000 Florida employees are so passionate about reclamation: we know our kids and grandkids will enjoy these lands for generations to come. We help the world grow the food it needs.

®

mosaicco.com/florida

© 2016 The Mosaic Company

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

May 2016

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Letter from the Editor

STAFF Publisher/Photography Karen Berry Senior Managing Editor/ Associate Publisher Sarah Holt Editor-In-Chief Al Berry Editor Patsy Berry

We’ve all heard that old saying, “Children absorb information like a sponge.” So let’s start now by supporting our youth to become the next generation of food system leaders, farmers, agricultural entrepreneurs, agronomists, extension agents, educators, scientists, policy makers, and the list goes on and on. Cultivating the education of our youth ensures we will have a sustainable food system in our future. We need our young people to be prepared to take over the business of growing our nations food. When you see local FFA and 4-H students working on projects in the community, take time to let them know how much you appreciate them and their hard work. These organizations, and many others, have partnered for years to develop and plan educational programs to increase the agricultural knowledge of our youth. Increasing the interest our youth have on knowing how food is produced and where it comes from should be of the greatest importance. They need to know that they can have a viable and sustainable career in agriculture. Help us spread the word about agriculture by visiting our advertisers. They allow us to continue to cover what is growing.

Sales Manager Danny Crampton Sales Al Berry Tina Richmond Danny Crampton Melissa Nichols Creative Director/Illustrator Juan Alvarez Photography Karen Berry Al Berry Stephanie Humphrey Melissa Nichols Staff Writers Al Berry Sandy Kaster James Frankowiak Sean Green Ginny Mink Libby Hopkins Melissa Nichols Leslie Buchanon Contributing Writers Woody Gore

Until Next Month

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

Hey Readers!

Hidden somewhere in the magazine is a No Farmers, No Food logo. Hunt for the logo and once you find the hidden logo you will be eligible for a drawing to win a FREE No Farmers No Food Sticker and a FREE In The Field T-Shirt. Send us your business card or an index card with your name and telephone number, the number of the page which you found the logo and where on the page you located the logo to the address below

InTheField® Magazine P.O. Box 5377 • Plant City, Fl. 33566-0042 *Winners will be notified by phone. You Too Can Be A Winner! 6

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In The Field Magazine is published monthly and is available through local Polk County businesses, restaurants, and many local venues. It is also distributed by U.S. mail to a target market, which includes all of the Greenbelt Property owners, members of the Polk County Cattlemen’s Association. Letters, comments and questions can be sent to P.O. Box 5377, Plant City, Florida 335630042 or you are welcome to email them to: info@inthefieldmagazine.com or call 813759-6909 Advertisers warrant & represent the descriptions of their products advertised are true in all respects. In The Field Magazine assumes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers. All views expressed in all articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Berry Publications, Inc. Any use or duplication of material used in In the Field magazine is prohibited without written consent from Berry Publications, Inc. Published by Berry Publications, Inc. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM

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Well folks here we are in the middle of May, grass is growing and just getting enough rain in most areas to keep it growing. Cattle prices are changing from week to week, butcher cows are still off since the closing of Central. There is still hope someone or some group will reopen it. Moving along, April and the first part of May have been very busy. I attended the Farm Bureau legislative wrap up luncheon at the Stuart Center. Our local representatives explained the issues and changes coming out of Tallahassee. Attendance was not only cattlemen, but also citrus, nurserymen other fruit and vegetable growers and many others with agriculture issues. It was a wonderful program with many issues and questions answered. Another program I was able to attend was the new Florida Cattle Ranchers, LLC, program held at the Lightsey Cattle Ranch. This is a new Fresh from Florida beef program that will provide beef to the consumer that starts at conception to the consumers plate. Thirteen ranchers from across the state are involved with the company as of right now. They will raise the calves, feed the calves out right here in Florida, then have the animals slaughtered and processed and the labeling will say Fresh From Florida. The product can be traced right back to the calf owner. I can say it was a great presentation with samples of some of the product at the Lightsey Ranch, steak, sausage, brisket and ground beef. It had great taste and very tender. I was honored to have Karen Berry and Sarah Holt with me to taste the products, plus about 200 other cattle people there at the ranch. We were also treated to a mini cattle drive, with about 150 head of cattle and about 25 cowboys and cowgirls. Thank You, Lightsey Ranch for the program.

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In closing, let me remind all you cowhands that it looks like the old Tropical Soda Apple has made a real comeback with this warm winter and our rainy weather. Just ride down the country roads and some pastures look like they were seeded with TSA seed. We need to stay on top of this weed. It can get out of hand in just a few weeks. There are two products that work well, Milestone and Remedy and remember if you pull them up you have to get all the roots or they will sprout back out. On a good note, we will have many senior high students graduating just a few days after you read this. I want to wish them well with their college or working careers. And always remember,”NO FARMERS, NO FOOD.” Mark your calendar now for our Summer Dinner Meeting July 14th, at the Stuart Center. Be Safe Working Those Cows, Hope to see you soon!

Ray Clark Ray Clark Polk County Cattlemen’s Association President

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• The salivary glands of cattle, located beneath the tongue, produce 15-20 gallons of saliva per day. • More than 100 medicines, including insulin and estrogen, come from cattle. • Beef is the number one source of zinc in the human diet in the United States. • More beef is consumed on Memorial Day than any other day of the year. The Fourth of July and Labor Day typically tie for the second most popular beef-eating days. • Beef fat, called tallow, is an ingredient in soaps, cosmetics, candles, shortenings, and chewing gum. • Beef is a naturally nutrient-rich food, helping you get more nutrition from the calories you take in. • Beef has 8 times more vitamin B12, 6 times more zinc and 2.5 times more iron than a skinless chicken breast.

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

May 2016

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Common Weeds of Central Florida Yards

Florida Master Gardener By Debra Howell Florida Master Gardener UF/IFAS Extension Polk County This is an introduction to plants or “weeds” which may occur in your Central Florida landscape. When you see them, you will say, “So that’s what those are! Now I know their names, and that they are considered to be a weed.” Asiatic Hawksbeard: As its name attests, Asiatic hawksbeard is a native of Southeast Asia. It is an annual that is capable of surviving our Florida winters. The flowers, which are yellow or orange-yellow, occur atop a stalk that is branched in the crown of the plant. Bidens alba (Common Beggarticks): Bidens is one of the most common yard weeds you will encounter. It is found in most all disturbed areas from Florida to California, and in other places globally. The stalk has opposite leaves of three to nine in number. The white raylike flowers have yellow centers, and are quite attractive to butterflies. Black Medic: Adorned with tight, compressed cluster of bright yellow flowers, this weed has clover-like leaves on square stems. Black medic has a deep taproot and grows in a spreading, prostrate growth habit. Following the flower comes a tightly coiled black seed pod. This plant has a wide range, occurring throughout the continental United States and even in Hawaii. Broadleaf Plantain: This weed is a favorite of mine, and I have a plant in my wildflower garden that I protect from snails with a metal colander. This is a distinctive plant with broad, egg-shaped leaves taht have several prominent veins. It bears dense flowers spikes on thin, leafless erect stalks. It is related to the Buckhorn plantain and Paleseed plantain. It grows in all of North America except the northeastern United States. Carolina Geranium (Stork’s-bill, Crane’s-bill): This wild geranium is a diffusely-branched semi-erect winter annual which has hairy leaves divided into segments. The small flowers are purple to pink and have five petals. It gets the name stork’s bill from the five-part fruit which is a capsule resembling a stork or crane’s bill. It is found throughout the continental United States and Hawaii. Common Ragweed: Common ragweed is a taprooted summer annual with branched stems. The leaves of ragweed are referred to as “twice dissected” and hairy. It has small green flowers and reproduces by seed. This plant is prominent along roadsides, waste places, pastures and fields. It is found in the southeastern and northwestern United States. 10

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Creeping Beggarweed: Everyone will recognize creeping beggarweed as the “hitchhiker plant” which deposits multilobed seedpods all over your clothes, athletic shoes and the dog. My old dog, Buster, would fanatically remove these flat seeds from your shoes and pant legs. Creeping beggarweed are considered a perennial and have a large taproot with many, long, extensively branched runners. These runners will root at the nodes of the branches. The leaves have three leaflets that are pointed at the tip and are on hairy, erect ascending stems. The tiny pea-flower type blooms are pink to dark pink. It produces fruit with six to eight rounded segments that are straight on the back and hooked together. These segments break apart very easily when they are ripe and attach to everything that touches them. They occur in turf, open woods and disturbed areas in Florida and in southern Texas. Cudweed: Cudweed comes in many different species from wandering, narrow leaf, shiny to purple types, which are similar in growth habits. Pictured is wandering cudweed that is readily recognizable in your yard. They generally grow upright from a base of rosette leaves, and the leaves and seed heads are covered in distinct fine, white wooly fibers. The flowers are tannish white and produce a white fiber. The plant may be found on roadsides, woods, pinelands, disturbed areas and yes, in your yard. Cupid’s-Shaving-Brush (Tassel-flower): This is a branched, erect-stem annual that bears crimson flowers on elongated stalks. The stems are smooth at the top and hairy at the base. The little red flower looks a lot like a tiny tassel. It prefers open, weedy areas, lawns and other disturbed areas in Florida that are moist. Dandelion: Dandelion is a stemless perennial with a deep taproot and deeply cut leaves. The long, smooth, hollow stalks host single yellow flowers about as big as a quarter. Following the flower, a brown seed forms with a “parachute” of hairs in a halo around the seed. The hairs are easily disbursed by the wind or a human’s breathe. Both leaves and stalks exude a milky sap when broken. They are found throughout the United States, Alaska and Hawaii. Florida Betony (Rattlesnake Weed): Florida betony takes its common name of “rattlesnake weed” from its segmented tuber-like root that is deemed to look like a rattlesnake’s rattle. The Florida betony’s tuber is white. It has opposite, lance-shaped leaves and square stems. The flowers range in color from pink to white with purple spots. Florida Pusley: This is a branched and spreading summer annual. It has hairy stems and small, white star-shaped tubular flowers that are clustered at the WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM

end of the branches. I have watched gopher tortoises grazing upon this plant. The leaves are opposite, oval and somewhat chubby and about one-half inch long. It can be distinguished from Brazil pusley by the presence of fruit with small bump-like projections and the lack of thickened rootstock. It is found in the southeast, northeast and Midwest United States. Globe Sedge: Globe sedge has flat, smooth, bright green leaflike leaves. The leaves are referred to as densely tufted. The seed heads are borne in globular clusters at the top of the stem. It occurs in turf and other moist to dry, sandy areas. It can be found from Virginia south into Florida and west to Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri. Green Briar Vine (Smilax): Green Briar is a woody vine that occur in several forms. They vary according to whether or not they have thorns. This tough and tenacious vine has bright, glossy green, lyre-shaped leaves and small greenish, white flowers, followed by bluish, black berries. It grows in landscapes, roadsides, clearings and woods. It can be found from as far north as Ontario to as far south as Florida. Lantana: This multi-stemmed shrub is covered with stiff bristles on the angles of their square stems. The leaves are opposite or whorled deciduous, ovate to lanceolate. The leaves have toothed margins and are aromatic when crushed. It produces long-stalked clusters of flowers in white, pink, yellow, orange and purple. The fruit are greenish-bluish or black. To cattlemen it is the notorious “cow killer” of pasture fame, known for toxicity to grazing animals. Children have also been poisoned by eating the berries. It can be found on roadsides, waste places, yards and gardens in sandy coastal plain soils from Florida to Texas. Largeflower Pusley: Largeflower pusley is a creeping perennial that roots at the nodes and has hairy, branching stems. The leaves are opposite, hairy, narrow elliptical that taper sharply to points at both ends with a petiole. It produces flowers in white, pink, blue or violet that are clustered at the tips of the branches. It is related to Florida pusley and can be found in disturbed sandy areas and turf. It grows in the central and southern peninsula of Florida.

Another favorite, this erect annual or biennial produces fringe-like white flowers with yellow centers in sparsely arranged heads. It is found along roadsides, in old fields, pastures and other open disturbed areas throughout the United States except for Arizona. Southern Green Eyes: This prostrate cluster has lobed leaves and yellow flowers atop short stems. After the petals drop off, what remains is a green “eye” about the size of a nickel. It has a sizeable taproot system that helps it survive growing in the dry soil of pinelands, sandhills and other disturbed areas of Florida. Southern Sida: Southern sida is an erect annual that may survive winter. This plant belongs to the Malvaceae family of hibiscus relatives. It produces small, solitary yellow flowers from the leaf bases that greatly resemble a miniature hibiscus. It has alternate leaves which are toothed and lanced and can be found in pinelands, hammocks and disturbed areas from South Carolina south throughout Florida and west into Mississippi. Spiderwort: This drought-tolerant shrub or ground cover makes a nice border. It is related to dayflower and bears lovely three-petaled flowers that are usually blue to purple, but may also be white or pink. The flower only remains open for one day, but will bloom for four to six weeks in the summer. The plant has arching green grass-like leaves and grows in clumps. They grow best in moist, well-drained soil throughout most of Florida. Spiny Sowthistle: This winter annual has spiny, deeply lobed leaves. The stems are smooth on the lower portion, but have stalked, glandular hairs on the upper portion. The stems and leaves exude a milky juice when broken. It bears yellow flowers in clusters at the top of the plant, followed by cottony seeds. It can be found throughout the United States, north into Alaska and the Yukon and in Hawaii. Sprawling Horseweed: Found in many lawns and sandy open, disturbed areas, this spreading annual bears tiny yellow flowers and toothed oval leaves. It is considered to be a spreading hairy annual that roots at the nodes as it spreads. It grows in Florida and west into Texas.

Native Wild Petunia: This native petunia is a perennial that can vary in size, and bloom showy tubular lavender flowers in groups at the leaf axis. Although they resemble the common garden petunia in shape, they are not related. They have square stems, and the stems and leaves are both quite hairy. They are considered a common wildflower in Florida and can be found growing in just about any type soil statewide.

Whitehead Broom: This perennial has much-branched stems and roots at the nodes. It is a low grower with opposite, smooth, very narrow veiny leaves, elliptic in shape. The small white flowers occur in clusters at the upper nodes. It is found in open or disturbed sandy areas, turf and pinelands in the southern peninsula of Florida.

Oldfield Toadflax: This pleasant flowering winter annual or biennial has thin erect stems topped with tiny purple flowers with finger-like projection. It can be found growing in pastures, old fields and along roadsides throughout the United States.

It is best to treat yard weeds on a plant by plant basis. But, there are those who prefer to enlist the help of a spray company. If you opt to apply the herbicides yourself, you may call your local Extension Service office to determine the best method of treatment. The Plant Clinic at

Oxalis (Yellow Woodsorrel): Leaves of oxalis are three-lobed and heart shaped like clover on upright, hairy stems. The flowers are small, bright yellow with five petals on stalks bent below the fruit and attached to a common point. The fruit is a narrow “okra-like” capsule. It can be found in most of the eastern and central United States.

UF/IFAS Extension Polk County is open Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. For more information contact us at 863-519-1041.

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WEEDS INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

May 2016

11

Maegan’s Journey

By Melissa Nichols

The journey to be a State FFA Officer started many years ago for Maegan Mae Meredith of Auburndale. Maegan remembers the moment like it was yesterday when she attended her first FFA Convention as a 7th grader and a member of Berkley Accelerated Middle School FFA. She was listening to the retiring address of Valerie McKee and she immediately was touched, she recalls Valerie looking up at the roof of the Caribe Royale convention hall as if she were looking into the sky, and if she was saying “Thank you God.” This moment touched Maegan deeply, in a way unlike anything she had previously experienced. Maegan said she, “Knew at that moment, she was going to give it her all and let being a State Officer be her ultimate goal.” It wasn’t until the 212 and 360 degree leadership conferences that Maegan really felt like she was going to have the strength to run for this position, a shy girl, not much fond of big crowds, could she do it? She was sure going to try. That journey to becoming a State FFA Officer led Maegan to Teneroc High School. As a freshman, Maegan had Jenna Barefoot as an Advisor. Jenna took a special interest in Maegan and got her involved in showing cattle, something that was a game changer for Maegan. She became heavily involved in raising, showing and breeding Maine Anjou and commercial cattle. Maegan has a unique situation, she doesn’t live on acreage, however, Maegan, along with her devoted parents David and Cynthia Meredith, made it work, raising an amazing Maine heifer in their back yard. Getting to know Maegan, I always found her devotion to her Supervised Agricultural Experience project as fascinating. Instead of television, at night the family would watch the cameras they had on the cattle. Maegan spent hours each day working with refining and perfecting her showmanship skills. This practice payed off time and time again as Maegan won Champion showman many times over. I quickly found that Maegan Mae Meredith was unstoppable. In her last three years of high school Maegan was reunited with her middle school advisor Amy Glenn. Under the leadership of Amy and the mentorship of Jenna, Maegan excelled at everything she did, never losing sight of the ultimate goal, which at times she said was quite scary and overwhelming. Maegan was selected as the 2015-2016 Area 4 State Vice President at the 2015 State FFA Convention after running her tireless campaign “Reach New Heights.” Maegan used this term to inspire herself along with those around her to reach for their dreams, whatever they may be. Looking back at the past 11 months, Maegan is amazed at the friendships she has built with FFA members from around the state. She feels that being as State FFA Officer has been the biggest blessing she has ever had. Maegan tries to make an effort to let every single member she comes in contact with know that they matter to her. Maegan looks back at the journey as the Area 4 State Vice President, and sees that she and her fellow officer team have a relationship much like siblings, there are no secrets, and even when they may face what seems to be an impossible task, they join together and get the job done. Maegan said, “This is a unity of fellow FFA members all with one passion, to support our members’ state wide.” Maegan looks back at 12

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last year and remembers Jacobi, a retired State FFA Vice President, telling her, “If you want something, you have to let go of fear and try for it.” Today she is so glad she climbed that ladder and reached new heights. Maegan will cherish the lessons and experiences she had during this year, such as traveling from Tallahassee to Miami to promote agriculture, going to Iowa and learning about the three commodities that Iowa produces on a large scale vs the over 300 commodities we produce here in Florida. Iowa was an eye opening experience for Maegan. She saw farms that went on for miles and miles and took up tens of thousands of acres. She recalls Mr. Brennerman, who owned the hog farm they visited, he was an inspiration, because like Maegan he didn’t grow up in agriculture, yet he believed he could, so he did. Mr. Brennerman owns one of the largest pork producing companies in the United States, Brenneman Pork. Maegan has learned life lessons. She has had to learn overall adaptability. She has always been a planner. When speaking in public she would plan out and memorize a speech for weeks before speaking. As a State FFA Vice President, sometimes she only knows hours before she needs to speak and sometimes there is no speech to plan, she has had to learn to adapt. But her greatest lesson is the joy that comes from selfless giving, whether it be her time setting up for an event, mentoring an FFA member or seeing the happiness that a leadership conference brings chapter members. This selfless giving has been life changing for Maegan. With tears in her eyes she explained to me it is the greatest feeling to be told by a young member that she helped them, it is the greatest feeling to see the joy in a members eyes when she remembers their name and speak to them. When asked about the relationships, Maegan said she is very close to Matt Staples Area 3 State Vice President. They have a lot in common including cattle. Maegan said that she has also developed a best friend in Taylor Pierce. Maegan says, “Taylor is the peanut butter to my jelly, we are inseparable.” Looking into the future and after the her retiring address at this year’s State FFA Convention, Maegan is looking forward to attending the Ag program at Warner University. After she finishes her Bachelor’s degree she plans on going to graduate school at the University of Florida. Although her exact tract is undecided Maegan’s passion is animal nutrition. Maegan looks forward to helping Hope Equine Rescue and Meals on Wheels this summer. And Maegan also wanted to thank Polk County for always welcoming her and being her amazing HOME and her parents David and Cynthia Meredith for their never ending support in her journey!! “Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” - Anthony J. D’Angelo WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM

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Is It Natural Instinct or Can They Remember?

Capt. Woody Gore (www.captainwoodygore.com)

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

tor, food if previously eaten and predator if wounded or hooked. They may also get used to seeing it, which decreases its effectiveness. Psychologists refer to this as habituation (requiring memory) or getting used to something.

Scientist worldwide are conducting fish behavior studies in aquaculture and finding them capable of pursuing Machiavellian strategies of manipulation, punishment, and understanding while exhibiting stable communal traditions. There are many species that cooperate in recognizing predators and catching food.

Understandably, we know fish repeatedly eat and are hooked on the same lures and baits. However, this does not indicate a loss of memory. It can however, indicate a stronger urge to protect its territory or the basic instinct associating hunger with food. Territoriality cases in point would be that of a bedding largemouth bass. Tournament bass anglers often spend hours trying to hook a female bass guarding its bed. Time after time, she removes the lure before finally eating it, probably more through frustration rather than hunger. How about the monster snook, hooked many times previously, heads for the mangroves or dock pilings remembering this survival technique means freedom.

For fish to learn requires retaining an experience, object, event or information. To retain something necessitates the use of “short-term and long term memory.” Without getting into scientific rhetoric, short-term memory stores limited information for limited periods, roughly 15-30 seconds. This contrasted to long-term memory, where an unlimited amount of information is stored indefinitely and recalled from 30 seconds to decades later. Memory also involves and improves with practice, indicating the presence of: 1. Procedural (skill based) or how to do things, forage and catch food 2. Episodic (episodes) or objects, events and good or near fatal experiences. For example, fish quickly retain experiences with predators. 3. Spatial (navigate) learn to map and recognize bottom contours as they move about using the same routes from deep to shallow water and back. 4. Habituation (getting used to) repeatedly hooked on a certain lure or bait adequately reinforces this process. I can’t help but think had the scientist consulted with many aged or seasoned anglers they might have shortened the study considerably. Most longtime anglers would gladly explain that fish must have memories, how else could they differentiate between sounds, colors, navigate territorial waters; know what food to eat, and what is predator. Guess it takes someone with a PhD/Doctorate or other scientific title to explain it, before it is accepted as fact. Most seasoned anglers understand psychological reasoning leads to understanding. In other words, the behavioral characteristics of fish, how they behave to certain colors, noise, flash, and water depth, involves a learning process. To further what old-timers have known for years, studies done in aquaculture offer substantiated proof that fish do react to colors, noise and stimuli indicating the presence of memory. Which brings us to artificial lures and baits. Those who fish with regularity appreciate that this question is not easy to answer. Various reasons indicate fish interpret baits and lures as either food or preda14 14

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Consistently, successful anglers and hunters understand that members of our animal world use their senses starting from birth to gather information in relation to their world. However, without a memory all would be useless. The fact they have memories relates to the principal goals of species survival and becomes and important tool in the evolutionary process. Usually taken for granted, when given some thought, we soon realize these, marvelous creatures are actually fairly intelligent, often beyond our comprehension. So, treat them with the respect they deserve and remember that lifetime trophy you just landed did not become a trophy being stupid it simply made an error in judgment.

Tampa Bay Fishing Report June 2016 Let’s Go Fishing

Tampa Bay offers excellent angling with over 200 species of fish. Starting at the extreme north end it travels south for approximately 50 miles down to the Skyway Bridge. Pick a good day with a respectable incoming or outgoing tide and catch fish. The bay offers many places for anglers to fish from shore and those who like to wade-fish there are plenty of lush grass flats available.

Spotted Sea Trout

The bay area is seeing a return of really large spotted sea trout, many over 20 inches. Also the southeast shore and the south end of Tampa Bay are reporting good catches on incoming or outgoing tides. As always live free-lined greenbacks or shrimp are the best baits for Trout and I’ve had good success catching them on cut bait when red fishing. Or try a popping cork with a medium split-shot about 8”, about a WWW. ININ THE FIELD MM AGAZINE.COM WWW. THE FIELD AGAZINE.COM

“Give Me a Call & Let’s Go Fishing” 813-477-3814 Captain Woody Gore has been guiding and fishing the Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs, Bradenton, and Sarasota areas for over fifty years; his level of customer service, experience and attention to detail allows him to offer world class fishing adventures and a lifetime of memories. 2/0 circle hook then find any good grass flat and you should catch all the trout you want. Using topwater popping plugs or soft jerk baits when fishing broken bottom grass flats especially around potholes can offer artificial anglers some exciting action. Who knows you just might catch a few flounder.

Redfish

Redfish are popping up all over the bay and pushing in as the tide climbs. There is no shortage of large mullet and Redfish aren’t far behind. Green backs, small pinfish, shrimp, cut bait and for those that like pitching soft plastics and topwater’s around the mangroves you can expect some great action on high in coming tides. If you’re lucky to find a school moving around a shoreline, setup and wait they will move back and forth when feeding.

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

Mackerel & Big Jacks

The big mackerel have moved into the bay and it sure makes for an exciting “fun-fishing” trip for the kids. Mackerel are showing up all over the bay. Find a school of Threadfins, start chumming and hold on. I’ve been catching them up to 3 and 4 lbs. using long shank 2/0 hooks and fifty pound Seaguar Fluorocarbon 60# leader. Try a popping cork and split shot like you would for Trout. It works well when the Threadfins are really thick. There are some giant yellowtail jacks running around the bay. These are great fun to catch if you’re looking for a fight.

Snook

The Tampa Bay snook bite has been excellent on the grass flats. Greenbacks, shrimp, cut pinfish and cut ladyfish; or you can try your hand at something new and catch them on artificial lures, especially topwater’s early in the mornings. Sometimes the bites a little slow, so you might have to try different types or tactics. One thing I try is slowly reeling a nose hooked greenback thru the water; often this triggers a bite.

Cobia We’re seeing a few around the bay most are cruising mark-

ers or following large rays or manatees around the flats. If you are mackerel fishing and you have a chum bag over the side; be sure to keep your eyes open for one or two to show up around your motor in your chum slick.

Tarpon are at the Skyway. Grab a few Threadfins or large Green-

backs, a slow in or out tide anchor and chum by cutting some bait into pieces. Drift a couple of cut chunks of bait back in your slick and get ready.

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Submission by Commissioner Adam H. Putnam

Summer BreakSpot

As Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture, directing more locally grown products to Florida’s school cafeterias and encouraging healthy eating habits is one of my top priorities.

BreakSpot program helps to give children the environment and resources they need to succeed.

The vast majority of Florida’s agricultural bounty is in season during Florida’s school year, which allows our state to connect our world-class growers with our school children who need nutritious fuel to succeed. And with the help of Florida’s farmers, ranchers and fishermen, our department helps to provide nutritious meals to nearly three million kids a day during the school year.

The success of this program is dependent on our ability to reach students where they live and play during the summer months. Our department has worked diligently to address this challenge. Since taking over the program, the number of meals served through Summer BreakSpot sites has increased by 41 percent, and we are continuing on this upward trend. Last summer, the program provided more than 15.5 million meals to more than 300,000 children in need throughout Florida.

But while school is out for the summer, some children struggle to access wholesome meals that Florida agriculture provides. In order to bridge this gap for Florida’s children, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services runs the Summer BreakSpot program.

Children deserve the best start they can get in life, and research shows there is a direct connection between nutrition and academic success. By providing healthy meals year-round, we can enhance their academic performance and the early successes that lead to a lifetime of achievement.

The Summer BreakSpot program connects children with nutritious food by partnering with local entities, such as community centers, churches, the Boys & Girls Club and the YMCA. In addition to providing access to meals, many of our partners provide recreational and educational opportunities. By providing essential fuel and a safe environment for constructive activities, the Summer

Thank you for working day in and day out to provide the fuel necessary for academic success during the school year and summer months. Visit FreshFromFlorida.com to learn more about this program and our efforts to direct more of our world-class agricultural products to school cafeterias.

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A Closer Look

by Sean Green Photo by April Green

Crane Fly (Tipulidae) over 1,500 recorded species in the United States alone. Identification of an individual species is difficult at casual glance because many species look similar and biologic mimicry is common. Tipulidae or Crane Flies being of the order Diptera are “true flies,” characterized by having only one pair of wings and a set of halteres where the hind wings would be in other insects. Halters are the evolutionary remnants of hind wings in flies (Diptera) and have been modified into a new gyroscope like organ that helps the fly balance while in flight and is probably responsible for one of its most characteristic defense strategies. When we speak of animal mimicry, it can involve not only visual mimicry but kinetic (motion) mimicry as well; for the crane fly, it’s both. The crane fly is often mistaken for the daddy longlegs spider (Pholcidae) based on appearance alone. Tipulidae not only have very long legs, but, like the daddy long legs spider, it perches in spider webs. When disturbed, Tipulidae takes flight with a back and forth motion remaining close enough to the spider web to mimic the web shaking behavior of the daddy longlegs spider (Pholcidae), thus perfecting the illusion. The shaking behavior for both the crane fly (Tipulidae) and the daddy longlegs spider (Pholcidae) is the first line of defense and makes them a blurry target for any predator with a short focal range.

While hiking a stretch of Pinellas County’s coastal mangroves last month, my wife and I were captivated by an unexpected sight; a pair of crane flies resting peacefully on a spider’s web. It’s not unusual to see crane flies throughout Florida’s swamps, and although resting on a spider’s web is characteristic behavior for the crane fly, it’s not something I get to see often. When I reached out to poke at the pair of crane flies they began lurching back and forth as if tangled in a strand of the spider’s web. Minutes later, the couple returned to a resting position upon the web. Springtime is a great time of year to witness the fascinations of nature and if you’re not afraid of getting a closer look at a spider’s web, you may discover more in the company of a spider than you would imagine. Crane flies (Tipulidae) are the critters most often called a Mosquito Hawk and look like giant killer mosquitoes but are entirely harmless. Despite common belief, adult Crane flies do not feed on mosquitoes, or any other animal for that matter. Most adult species in the Tipulidae family lack working mouth parts. The few species that have working mouth parts as adults feed only on nectar. Crane flies have successfully adapted to environmental diversity since the Jurassic Period and can be found in nearly every biological community in the world. There are an estimated 14,000 species worldwide and 18

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Crane flies (Tipulidae) often roost in spider webs. Spiders form several types of silk, not all of which are dangerous for insects. The foundation silk for example is thicker and rarely sticky,... perfect for a fly hang out. Roosting on a spider web has its advantages; some would be insect predators such as dragonflies, wasps, and other spiders would have to risk getting tangled themselves to attempt a crane fly meal. There are dangers of course, even for the crane fly. If by chance, the crane fly misdirects its footing to a sticky strand in the web, it would suffer the same fate of any insect caught in a spider web. Fortunately for the crane fly, all six legs are Deciduous, meaning they easily shed, like the leaves of a Deciduous tree, this characteristic makes escape from the clutches of a spider web or predator as easy as shedding hair. The larvae of crane flies are interesting as well; while most are aquatic some develop in the soil. Commonly called “leatherjacket,” they can grow to nearly two inches long and are a popular fishing bait for trout and bluegill. In the wild, the larvae feed on dead leaves, decaying plants, roots and fungi. Though generally considered ecologically beneficial as important detritivores, the larvae of Tipulidae can become a pest in turf or commercial crops that are over saturated and could wipe out large sections of lawn within a short period of time. Fortunately, here in Florida, we have a large variety of grub loving birds that would make it difficult for these grubs to reach pest status, so long as the yard and the grubs within it are not poisoning the birds that would keep them at bay. The larvae grow through four stages before pupating towards a complete metamorphosis emerging as an adult between April and September. I will encourage our readers to hit the trails and take a closer look at this fascinating fly species and perhaps even try some of the grubs for fishing.

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Pirates One afternoon I stopped by to chat with John Shuppard at Crescent Jewelers in Plant City. I have known John for many years, and we always enjoy talking about old times. When I walked in John said, “Hey Al, have you heard any good jokes lately?” “No,” I replied, “Have you?” “Yea, did you hear the one about the seaman who met a pirate in a bar?” “No, tell it to me,” I replied. “Well,” John said, “A seaman met a pirate in a bar, and their talk turns to their adventures on the sea. The seaman notes that the pirate has a peg leg, a hook, and an eye patch. The seaman asks, “So, how did you end up with the peg leg?” The pirate replies, “We were in a storm at sea, and I was swept overboard into a school of sharks. Just as my men were pulling me out, a shark bit my leg off.” “Wow!” said the seaman. “What about your hook?” “Well”, replied the pirate, “We were boarding an enemy ship and were battling the other sailors with swords. One of the enemy cut my hand off.” “Incredible!” remarked the seaman. “How did you get the eye patch?” “A seagull dropping fell into my eye,” replied the pirate. “You lost your eye to a seagull dropping?” the sailor asked. “Well,” said the pirate, “it was my first day with my hook.” I’ve heard other pirate stories, but the one I enjoyed most is the one about the pirate with a parrot. This parrot could swear like a sailor, I mean he’s a pistol. He can swear for five minutes straight without repeating himself. Trouble is, the pirate who owns him is a quiet, conservative type, and this bird’s foul mouth is driving him crazy. One day it gets to be too much, so the guy grabs the bird by the throat, shakes him really hard, and yells, “STOP IT!” But this just makes the bird mad and he swears more than ever. Then the pirate gets mad and says, “OK that’s it. I am going to lock you in a cabinet.” This really aggravates the bird and he claws and scratches, and when the guy finally lets him out, the bird cuts loose with a stream of bad words that would make a veteran pirate blush. At that point, he is so mad that he throws it into the freezer. For the first few seconds there is a terrible noise. The bird kicks and claws and thrashes. Then it suddenly gets very quiet. At first the guy just waits, but then he starts to think that the bird may be hurt. After a couple of minutes of silence, he’s so worried that he opens up the freezer door. The bird calmly climbs onto the man’s out-stretched arm and says, “Awfully sorry about the trouble I gave you. I’ll do my best to improve my vocabulary from now on. By the way, what did the chicken do?”

We had a lot of sayings. We’d would straighten up and fly right. Hubba-Hubba, we’d cut a rug in some juke joint and then go spooning and cooing and pitching woo in hot rods and jalopies down lovers’ lane. Heavens to Betsy! Gee whillikers! Jumpin’ Jehoshaphat! Holy moly! We were in like Flynn and living the life of Riley, and even a regular guy couldn’t accuse us of being a knucklehead, a nincompoop or a pill. Not for all the tea in China. Where have all those phrases gone? Long time passing: The milkman did it. Bigger than a bread box. Banned in Boston. The very idea! It’s your nickel. He’s pulling your chain. Knee high to a grasshopper. Fiddlesticks. You look the wreck of the Hesperus. Cooties. Going like crazy. Don’t take any wooden nickels. Oh my stars! There are more lost words and expressions than Carter has liver pills. But just as one never steps into the same river water twice, you cannot step into the same language twice. As my mother once said “Shoot a monkey, and Jan-a-men’s Buddie!” Remember the days of knickers, fedoras, peddle pushers, poodle skirts and saddle oxfords like Pat Boone wore. I suppose us older folks are blessed to have lived in a time where words that are no longer around are still a part of our memory. My wife, Patsy, was having problems remembering if she was taking her medicine as prescribed. She made a chart to show when she should take prednisone and other prescribed medicine. She would write the amount down each day and would cross them off as she took them. She thought how clever, then if she forgot to take them she could look to see if she crossed off, till one day, she could not remember if she had taken it or not. She checked the chart, and found it was not marked off, but could not remember if maybe she just forgot to cross it off! To solve the problem she went to Walgreen’s and bought a weekly medicine holder. She says the holder works fine as long as she can remember what day it is! In closing there’s the story of two elderly gentlemen playing cards on Saturday evening as they have done for the past 35 years. Joe, the older, had been having problems remembering what cards were what and usually needed help from his wife. At the end of the card game Ed said to Joe, “You did very good tonight. You didn’t need any help at all. Why is that?”

After leaving John’s Jewelry Store I went around the corner to Frank Cumming’s Walden Lake Car Wash. Frank was in his office going over some papers and asked me to come in and sit down. He said he had just read an email from an old friend. He used some old expressions that evidently got Franks attention as he continued to laugh as I sat down. Frank said, “Do you remember when we used language like, You sound like a broken record, For crying out loud, and mercy me?”

“Why ever since my wife sent me to that memory school, I haven’t had any problems at all, Joe said.”

Later that evening I started to think about some of the old sayings we used, but are now obsolete. Remember the phrases “Don’t touch that dial,” “Carbon Copy,” and “Hung out to dry?”

“Yeah...that’s it!” Joe turned to his wife and mumbled, “Hey, Rose! What’s the name of that memory school you sent me to?”

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“Memory school? What memory school?” Joe thought for a moment, “Oh, what’s that flower that’s red with thorns? A really pretty flower...?” “A rose,” Replied Ed.

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By Leslie Buchanon

Rare Beef – Well Done Imagine walking into your local grocery store, choosing a steak from the meat counter, scanning the Q-code on the label with your phone and instantaneously knowing where the animal was raised. While this may sound like a dream to some, this will soon become a reality for beef consumers in Florida. Due to the combined efforts of 12 cattle ranchers throughout the state of Florida, local consumers will soon be able to purchase high quality beef products that will carry the coveted Fresh from Florida seal while supporting Florida ranchers and the Florida economy. According to The Washington Post, millennials, Americans born between 1980 through the mid-2000’s, are the largest, most diverse, and most educated generation of consumers in the United States. Despite being the largest group of consumers, millennials have grown up with almost no understanding of how their food is grown. A large majority of millennials are three to four generations removed from the farm, however they have a great desire to know more about the food they consume. The desire to ‘know the farmer’, know where their food comes from, and even harvest their own food, has led to a ‘backto-the-basics’ movement among this generation which has also led to a dramatic increase in the agritourism industry in Florida in recent years. The Florida Agricultural Promotional Campaign (FAPC) was created in the early 1990s by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to assist Florida farmers in promoting their locally grown and harvested commodities. Through this program the Fresh from Florida trademark logo was conceived for producers to proudly display on their packaging. A recent study by the UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education revealed while most consumers had a moderate level of recognition of the logo and held a favorable attitude towards the logo, most consumers preferred Florida products and felt a sense of pride and ownership in purchasing products 24

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carrying this prestigious seal. This seal has played an integral part in assisting millennials with choosing locally grown and harvested Florida commodities. In 2015 the Florida Cattle Ranchers, LLC (FCR) was established to provide beef consumers with locally raised products at the grocery store. FCR is made up of 12 ranchers throughout the state of Florida who share a desire to bring Florida born and raised beef to consumers for the first time in decades. The diversity among the founding members of FCR is as varied as it is interesting. From multi-generational ranchers to first generation ranchers, from veterinarians to a member whose ancestry dates back to the days when the Seminoles grazed cattle in Florida, FCR is bringing homegrown beef to the state of Florida that will be marketed under the Fresh from Florida brand. Cary Lightsey, one of the twelve founding members of the FCR, owns and operates Lightsey Cattle Company in Lake Wales with his brother Layne and each of their respective families. Cary explains, “For the past several years we have been receiving requests from local consumers wanting to buy our beef cattle for their freezer. We explained that we do not market our cattle right off the pasture, and that they go to feedlots and are finished on grain before being processed and delivered to grocery stores and meat markets. They want to buy local from someone they know that raises their cattle in a humane and healthy manner. So by WWW. HE IELD MAGAZINE.COM AGAZINE.COM WWW. ININTTHE FFIELD M

the procedure of the FCR, we can follow our beef through the same process, only within our own state, and know it is our beef when it is available at the meat counter or on a restaurant’s menu. We are proud of our beef and we can’t wait to showcase the new logo and packaging to the consumers; a perfect product for their protein diet.” In addition to Cary Lightsey, additional founding members include Doyle Carlton III of the Roman III Ranches in Wauchula, Ken Griner of Usher Land & Timber in Chiefland, Roger Clift of Clift Cattle Company in Homosassa Springs, Brad Etheridge of Etheridge Cattle Company in Williston, Dr. Robert Gukich, DVM of the G7 Ranch, Inc. in Lake Wales, Bo Hobby of the Rockin’ H Ranch in Williston, Woody Larson of Dixie Ranch, a division of Family Tree Enterprises, LLP in Okeechobee, Don Quincey of Quincey Cattle Company in Chiefland, Dan Ryals of Ryals Cattle Company, LLC in Arcadia, Alex Johns of the First American Ranch and National Resource Director for the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Inc. of Brighton, and finally, Gene Lollis who works as Ranch Manager for Buck Island Ranch of Lake Placid (Buck Island Ranch and MacArthur Agro-Ecology Research Center are not affiliated with FCR). Returning Florida beef to Floridians hasn’t been an easy process for FCR as it has taken years and countless hours of work to achieve. Cattle ranching is the oldest industry in Florida dating back to 1521 when Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon arrived on the sandy shores of Florida with seven head of Andalusian cattle in tow. According to Fox News by the mid-17th century there were more than 20,000 head of cattle owned by the Spanish, as noted in a tax collector’s census. The free-ranging, heat tolerant cattle were known as “Cracker Cattle.” The Florida Beef Council estimates there are curWWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM

rently over a million beef cows and 15,000 cow-calf producers calling the Sunshine State home. Florida cattle ranchers are also proud to note that our state is home to 9 of America’s 25 largest cattle operations, with Deseret Ranch in St. Cloud being the largest. Of utmost importance to FCR members is the health and quality of their herds. Members of FCR are certified under the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program. This nationwide voluntary program was established by The Beef Checkoff and provides beef producers with the training and tools necessary to provide beef consumers with a safe, healthy, wholesome, high quality product, all while implementing humane handling practices on the ranch. Dr. Temple Grandin, whose research on livestock welfare is internationally acclaimed, believes the effects of the humane treatment of cattle on the ranch and at the feedlot produce benefits that can be seen at the time of processing, such as more efficient weight gain and a more tender product. One of the ways cattle producers improve the quality of their herd is through crossbreeding techniques which will, in turn, improve the carcass characteristics of their cattle. Crossbreeding works as a result of hybrid vigor, also known as heterosis. The University of Florida IFAS Extension defines hybrid vigor as, “the amount by which crossbred animals exceed (or differ) from the average of the purebred parents used in the cross.” By crossbreeding, cattlemen can complement the desirable traits of different breeds. Crossbred Brahman cattle have long been the choice of commercial producers in Florida due to their increased fertility, longevity, heat and insect tolerance, and their overall efficiency in forage conversion. Continues on Pg. 32 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

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Ornamental Gardening in Florida By Ginny Mink

On our Literary Time Machine voyage last month we discussed native ornamental trees that could enhance the looks of our homesteads. Now we will move into a focus on native ornamental shrubs. Mr. Simpson’s list appears to be alphabetical in this section. So we’ll do our best to adhere to that design. He first mentions the Amelanchior botryapium which he says is also called the Juneberry. This is a northern Florida native, “…whose foliage is white and woolly when young…”¹ Having no concept of what a “white and woolly” shrub might look like, we decided to look it up. In an article entitled, Juneberries – They go where blueberries can’t, by Jim Ochterski, we discovered that they actually do look “white and woolly” because they bloom with a vast number of seemingly clumping white flowers. We also discovered that they are actually edible and can be just as delicious as blueberries.² These might be worthy of further investigation especially since we are hugely supportive of plants with dual functionality (décor and dessert). Next Mr. Simpson mentions the Aronia, or chokeberry, which is also a north Florida native. However its appearance differs in color from the Juneberry. He explains that it is a shrub, “… with attractive pink or purplish flowers which is often grown in gardens.” The concept of something being called a chokeberry piqued our interests though and so, once again, we did a little investigating. This led us to an article on a site called, Eat the Weeds. The piece was written by Green Deane and entitled, Chokeberry: Bushy Health Food. He says the aronia was given the “unfortunate name of chokeberry.” And he continues, “But the main point is their bitter edible berries are one of the richest sources of the stuff we – at the moment – think are good for us: Anthocyanins. They are water-soluble pigments that protect our 26 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE May 2016

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cells from free radicals.” Apparently anthocyanins are what make blueberries blue.³ While that’s some pretty cool information, the sheer name of this berry would probably make us steer clear. What about you? Oh and then there’s the fact that one commenter on this piece stated that the seeds of the chokeberry were toxic. Therefore we advise that you do your research before you eat anything found in nature. When we saw the next shrub on the list, admittedly, there was a thrill within because this is a shrub that we have a personal affinity for even though it doesn’t serve multiple functions. It is the azalea. Yet, Mr. Simpson revealed something that shocked us. He wrote, “According to Small there are four species of these fine plants growing wild in Florida, A. canescens, the Mountain Azalea; A. nudiflora, Wild honeysuckle; A. viscosa, Swamp honeysuckle, and A. serrulata, the latter being confined to Lake County so far as is known.”¹ Honeysuckle is an azalea? What? Now that’s a flowering plant with an additional benefit. Have you ever tasted the nectar of a honeysuckle? You totally should. There’s a great instructable located at: http://www.instructables. com/id/Honeysuckle%3a-Harvesting-the-Sweet-Nectar-ofLife/?ALLSTEPS that will show you how to carefully pinch the calyx and remove the style so that you can taste the honeysuckle’s sweetness. We recommend checking it out. Thus far Mr. Simpson has really kept us rapt with educational and gardening possibilities. His next suggestion, Bejaria, racemosa, is a little less interesting, at least from our perspective. He explains, “It is an evergreen shrub which bears rather large white or pinkish, attractive flowers. It has hard wood that is difficult to transplant but may be grown from seeds.”¹ If evergreen shrubbery is your thing then the racemosa might be a viable option. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM

We were glad to see more berries in his next two suggestions: Byrsonima lucida, Locustberry, and Callicarpa Americana, French mulberry. However, locusts are certainly not desirable so it was pertinent to discover whether or not they were fond of this locustberry. The University of Florida IFAS’ website offered some interesting information, “The beautiful colors of the flowers attract different species of butterflies…Fruits of the locustberry ripen in the summer and are appealing to mockingbirds and other forms of wildlife. This plant can also take on an oriental or bonsai appearance with the proper pruning.”⁴ Butterflies and mockingbirds are infinitely more desirable than locusts for sure! As far as the French Mulberry, well, there is apparently much debate about its edibility. Some report that it could make good jelly as it is sweet and aromatic. Others say that they got nauseous after eating jelly made from this same berry and that the raw fruit has an unpleasant flavor. So, for the sake of safety and gut comfort, we’ll say, “Don’t eat ‘em.” However, Mr. Simpson adds that these shrubs, “… form much of the food of birds returning from their migration north from the tropics.”¹ Obviously they do serve a purpose and they are pretty interesting to look at if you’re so inclined to investigate. Amazingly, we only made it through the first page of this section because there was so much we didn’t know anything about. We hope that you have been enlightened and have discovered some interesting shrubs to add to your gardens. Look for us next month when we discuss even more native ornamental shrubs! Resources:

¹ Simpson, Charles T. (1926). Ornamental Gardening in Florida. Published by the Author; Little River, FL. Printed by J.J. Little and Ives Company, New York. (p. 105). ²Ochterski, Jim. (2011). Juneberries – They go where blueberries can’t. http://smallfarms.cornell.edu/2011/10/03/juneberries%E2%80%93-they-go-where-blueberries-can%E2%80%99t/ ³Dean, Green. (2014). Chokeberry: Bushy Health Food. http:// www.eattheweeds.com/chokeberry-bushy-health-food/ ⁴Gilman, Edward F. (1999 & 2014). Byrsonima lucida Locustberry. http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fp081 WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM

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The Intrigue of the Scale: Rim Rock Crowned Snake

By Ginny Mink

Photo Courtesy of Dustin Smith - flickr.com/dsmiami really just compilations of what is believed to be true. Herpetologists Last month I took the kids to Repticon. Therefore, when I discovered (people who study reptiles and amphibians) think that larvae, spia snake on the endangered/threatened species list I decided I’d rehash ders, insects, worms, centipedes and maybe even small scorpions are that intrigue of the scale. I’ve always found snakes a bit interesting, on the rim rock crowned snake’s menu.³ probably because so many people feel quite the opposite. I am slightly rebellious in case you hadn’t guessed. This means that their potential meal ticket includes creepy crawlies you probably don’t want hanging around. Centipedes stink (pick one But, maybe reptiles aren’t your cup of tea. Maybe you get a little up and you’ll find out that’s true). Spiders can really give you a fright scared by the concept of one slithering by your foot, or hanging out (though they certainly have their own value) and scorpions are hugely in your carport. My Mammaw’s always concerned that one will get dangerous. While you may not have actually seen one, I can testify in her house if you hold the screen door open too long. If that’s your that they exist in Florida. I saw one on a fence post in Lakeland and position, I hope the plight of this snake, the rim rock crowned snake, was flabbergasted. Seems we have a tendency to think of them as deswill open your eyes to their redeeming value to the planet (and your ert dwellers. This is reason enough to keep these wee snakes around. yard). So what can we do about it? Well, the biggest hindrance to their continued existence is the fact that we are destroying their habitats. There is some debate about the rim rock crowned snake, Tantilla ooImagine that! Truth be told, people are the greatest destructive force litica. Some think that it is not morphologically different from the to all of God’s great creation. We don’t care enough about the land Tantilla coronata.¹ However, most research treats is as a separate spewe’ve been given as stewards. We’re far too concerned with bigger cies and so for the sake of this piece, I will too. Who am I to argue better houses and larger shopping centers. Such is the problem for the about accuracy of scientific names? rim rock crowned snake. For this wee snake, habitat loss, fragmentation, modification, and development are intensely injurious.¹ Rim rock crowned snakes are particularly interesting because they are only found in Monroe County (the Keys) and Miami-Dade County Though research shows that these snakes are capable of adapting to (in the mainland areas). This snake is not found outside of Florida.² some minor environmental modifications and human invasions, efTo me, that makes it a true Florida native (unlike a vast majority of forts must be made to provide them with protection. There are some the population here)! protected sites located at Port Bougainville, Key Largo Hammocks, Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and John Pennekamp CorSpecifically, these small snakes, which don’t generally exceed 11 inchal Reef State Park. Unfortunately, it is not certain where there might es (and are usually 6-9 inches long)³ are found, “…on a low elevation be specimens in existence and therefore finding exact locations is key pine ridge called the Miami Rim Rock formation. It has also been to preservation. found from Key Largo to Key West.”² They apparently prefer to live in pine rocklands and tropical hardwood hammocks. Sandy, shallow If we can locate these snake populations, figure out how to prevent soil that overlays limestone is of particular preference to the rim rock water table alteration and soil compaction, and give them enough crowned snake.³ open space with intact native vegetation, it is believed that they will be able to coexist to some extent with humans and their developmenIf you’re going to keep your eye out for ‘em (while you’re in Miami tal desires. It’s up to us to look out for those things the Good Lord or the Keys), this is a solid colored snake whose scales are a pinkish gave us. If that means walking away from the selfish desire for more, brown. However, its head is distinctly darker brown, or black, with then let it be so! a tan or pink snout. Their bellies are uniformly white and some of them exhibit a sort of a ring separating the darker head from the I read somewhere that if trees gave out free Wi-Fi we’d be planting lighter body. At midbody the snakes display 15 dorsal scale rows with them left and right, but since they only give off oxygen, we tear them smooth scales. And, in case you were wondering, they have round down. Where’s the sense in that? Stewardship is a privilege and a duty. eyes.² When we shirk that responsibility we endanger more than the creatures we’ve been trusted to care for. We hurt ourselves and our chilAs stated previously, these are small snakes with smooth scales and dren. Take a stand for preservation. they are very rarely seen. In reality, they are pretty secretive, spending a lot of their time beneath the surface in stump holes and limestone Resources: crevices. They also like other forms of groundcover like debris and ³Florida’s Snakes: Rim Rock Crowned Snake (Tantilla oolitica) http:// fallen palmetto leaves, rocks, or rotting logs.³ ufwildlife.ifas.ufl.edu/snakes/rimrockcrownedsnake.shtml ²Rim Rock Crowned Snake - http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herpetology/ Given the fact that they like to hide, it seems reasonable that their fl-snakes/list/tantilla-oolitica food of choice would be other entities with similar predilections. ¹Tantilla oolitica - http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/63954/0 And, since there are only 26 known specimens² (though it is presumed that there are potentially thousands alive)¹ all diet lists are 28

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Florida Garlic

By Sandy Kaster, M.S. Clinical Medicines, B.S. Nutrition Science Known for its pungent flavor, garlic is a culinary and nutrition superstar. A member of the allium family, along with onions and shallots, garlic is high in vitamins, minerals, and a host of nutrition-boosting 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. While onions produce a single large bulb, garlic produces a compound bulb consisting of multiple cloves. Garlic is sometimes classified as either hard neck or soft neck. Hard neck types grow in colder northern climates and have a stiff seed stalk. Soft neck varieties grow in the Southeast, including Florida and Georgia. Instead of forming a seed stalk when mature, the necks stay soft and are easy to cut. California is the largest producer of garlic in the United States. In Florida, garlic is planted from September through February and harvested in the spring and summer months. Elephant garlic, also called great-headed or Oriental garlic, looks like an enormous bulb of garlic. A single clove can be as large as an entire bulb of regular garlic. Interestingly, elephant garlic is actually more closely related to leeks than to garlic.

NUTRITIONAL PROFILE

Fresh garlic is low in calories and has little to no fat, sodium or cholesterol. It contains a large number of active compounds that may help ward off cancer, heart disease, high blood glucose, and strokes. Garlic may also help lower blood pressure and cholesterol and support the immune system. Like onions and other alliums, garlic has antibacterial and antifungal properties. Garlic is an excellent source of manganese and vitamin B6, a very good source of vitamin C, and a good source of selenium. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, six cloves of fresh garlic (18 g) contains 27 calories, 1 g protein, 0.1 g fat, 6 g carbohydrate, and 0.4 g of dietary fiber. It also provides 15% of the Daily Recommended Value (%DV) for manganese, 6% for copper, 5% for selenium, 4% for phosphorus, and significant amounts of calcium, iron, zinc and potassium.

PROMOTE A HEALTHY HEART

Garlic is very flavorful, thanks to its sulfur-containing compounds. These include allicin and sulfoxides, which also give garlic most of its health-boosting properties. Hydrogen sulfide gas also keep blood vessels dilated and relaxed and in turn, keeps blood pressure lower. Garlic promotes cardiovascular health in other ways as well. This allium can lower blood triglycerides and total cholesterol. It also lowers inflammation from oxidative stress by neutralizing highly reactive oxygen molecules and preventing them from damaging blood vessel linings. This helps decrease the risk of heart attack and atherosclerosis. Additionally, garlic reduces the risk of clots in blood vessels by preventing clumping of platelet cells.

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FIGHT OFF DISEASE

Garlic has many compounds that help fight off disease. It has both antibacterial and antiviral properties. This allium may also help combat infection from other microbes including yeasts/fungi and worms.

OTHER HEALTH BENEFITS

In addition to all of the sulfur-related compounds listed above, garlic may also help improve iron metabolism and regulate the number of fat cells formed in the body. Garlic is also a good source of selenium, a trace mineral that must be obtained from the diet. Selenium plays an important role in making antioxidant enzymes and preventing certain cancers and heart disease.

HOW TO SELECT AND STORE

Although garlic is available in numerous forms—powder, flakes, minced, or paste, fresh garlic is the best choice for maximum flavor and nutrition. Choose fresh garlic that is plump, firm, and has intact skin. Avoid any that is soft, shriveled, or sprouting. Store fresh garlic uncovered in a cool, dark place away from heat and sunlight. Whole heads of garlic can be stored for up to a month in room temperature. When ready to use, take the head of garlic and separate into the individual cloves by applying firm pressure with your hand or a knife. Remove the skin from the individual cloves by smashing or tapping with a knife until the skin loosens. You can reap the most health benefits from garlic by letting it rest after chopping or crushing it. More of the healthy compounds in garlic are preserved in fresh garlic, not processed extracts.

ENJOY GARLIC

There are countless ways to enjoy fresh Florida garlic. It can be used raw, sautéed, fried, or even pickled. Although commonly used in pasta sauces and meat dishes, garlic can be used in a variety of entrees in many different cuisines. More ways to enjoy garlic: • Cut off the top ¼ inch of a whole head of garlic, drizzle with olive oil, and roast in the oven for a creamy, mellow flavor • Infuse your favorite oil with garlic cloves to drizzle over any dish • Saute minced garlic to add flavor to any pasta sauce, meat, or vegetable dish • Cut a clove in half and rub onto sliced bread for garlic bread • Mince and mix with herbs to create a crust for roasted meats • Mince and add to marinades, salad dressings, dips, or cream cheese • Slice or dice and use in any stir fry Enjoy the pungent aroma and flavor of Florida garlic today while boosting your heart health.

SELECTED REFERENCES

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ http://sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu/ http://www.whfoods.comz

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Continued from Pg. 25 Due to Florida’s unique sub-tropical climate, Florida’s ranches are predominately commercial cow-calf operations. Through the marketing of their calves, ranchers are able to produce an income which sustains the many integral working parts of the ranch. Traditionally, Florida ranchers breed their cattle through a natural breeding process, raise the calves that are produced, and sell them to feedlots in the Midwest when they reach weaning age where they are fed until they achieve harvesting weight. The rising price of corn, along with the rising freight costs to transport corn and grain to Florida, left Florida ranchers no choice but to ship their calves out west in order for their cattle operations to be profitable. Don Quincey and other members of FCR have been able to work together to establish an alternative option for their cattle operations. These producers have generated feedlots and facilities for calves to be weaned, preconditioned and finished without ever leaving the state. Along with an agreement with local peanut producers, rotational crop planting, and the implementation of state of the art technology, Florida is now able to produce over 200 bushels of corn per acre in an economically and environmentally friendly manner which greatly decreases the costs of locally feeding cattle to a harvesting weight. At the same time, FCR is helping to sustain and strengthen Florida’s economy. Because the cattle are fed in Florida, FCR members are purchasing goods from local farmers, suppliers, businesses, and veterinarians which boosts Florida’s overall economy. Through the production of homegrown Florida beef, FCR is also reducing Florida’s carbon footprint by eliminating the need for semi-trucks to travel cross-country delivering calves to feedlots, essentially increasing the safety of all drivers, in addition to reducing the costs of repairing the wear and tear on our roads and interstates. Shipping calves to west32

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ern feedlots also has a negative effect on the health of calves. Calves can spend as much as 22-24 hours standing non-stop on trucks which can cause calves to lose at least 9 ½ % of their body weight. The financial benefits that result from producing homegrown Florida beef pale in comparison to the environments benefits that result from the conservation efforts of FCR. Cattlemen own and maintain a large portion of the undeveloped land in Florida which provides natural habitats for many species of wildlife, both native and endangered species. The land owned by FCR members also contributes to the Florida Wildlife Corridor that allows the wildlife of Florida to move freely throughout the state, eliminating the need for them to cross major highways or stumble into communities or subdivisions. While the property owned by FCR members provides safe environments for wildlife, it also provides open green spaces which sustain clean water and a clean atmosphere. It is through the hard work and many years of planning the members of the FCR are prepared to bring a product to your grocer’s shelf that is truly “Rare Beef – Well Done”. This phrase is not only the tagline for FCR, it’s also their way of life. FCR believe homegrown beef that is born and raised in Florida is rare, while also creating a product that is completed in a manner that is certainly “well done” through the implementation of safe and humane handling practices. Fresh from Florida Beef will soon be available at a grocery store near you. When you purchase Fresh from Florida beef you are supporting Florida’s economy, protecting the environment and wildlife habitats, while reducing Florida’s carbon footprint. Most importantly, you are protecting one of Florida’s oldest heritages while building a sustainable Florida for generations to come. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM

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Earth Day 2016

When Johnny Georges of tree T-PEE was approached by Give a DARN to help out the Haines City High FFA with their peach orchard there was no hesitation what so ever. Johnny was in 100% because if there is anything that Johnny is passionate about, other than water conservation, is educating kids about water conservation! Mr. Paul Reed, a 30 year FFA teacher at Haines City High and Jennifer Mizell the FFA chapter President, were thrilled to hear that Give a DARN had arranged for Johnny Georges to come and speak to the Ag classes and demonstrate how the tree T-PEE’s work. Haines City Senior FFA and Give a DARN planned a clean up day where they gathered volunteers and called it “Operation Peach Orchard.” It was a day full of picking weeds, making sure all the maxi jets were working for the peach trees and picking up fallen sticks and making sure that each peach tree was prepped and ready to have a tree T-PEE around it. On Earth day, Johnny came out to Haines City High School where he spent two and a half hours with the kids. It started out with a session of Q & A’s in the classroom where he talked to the kids about his experience on Shark Tank and educated them on how he started and where the tree T-PEE idea came from. He has an inspirational way of capturing the kid’s attention when he starts talking to them not only about Shark Tank but also about life in general. He encouraged the kids to follow their dreams no matter how many people tell them it’s not possible. Be dedicated, be strong and keep pushing. “It’s your dream and only you know how to make it happen”, said Johnny. He

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Haines City High School and tree T-PEE by:Dawn Neale

talked to the kids about work ethic and to work hard for everything they want and to never look for handouts. After he was done speaking to the kids everyone gathered up and headed out to the peach orchard where Johnny and tree T-PEE donated over $1600 worth of T-PEEs for their peach orchard. He taught the kids about how to install the T-PEEs on each tree and the benefits of the product. He demonstrated how much water a farmer can save by turning on the sprinklers and showing the difference between a tree with out a T-PEE and a tree with a T-PEE. You could see clearly that the one without the T-PEE had water spraying two feet in all directions from the tree. The one with the T-PEE was contained to only that one tree. Then it was time to finish the orchard and Johnny had all the kids jump in and start making things happen by placing the T-PEEs on the trees. By the end of the class, each peach tree had a T-PEE on it and the kids were involved. The ones that didn’t look so engaged in the beginning were mesmerized by the end of the session. When you get Johnny talking about his mission and product, the passion kicks in and you can’t help but hang on his every word. So as you drive by Haines City High look for their peach orchard and all the tree T-PEEs. It’s a symbol of community coming together to show they Give a DARN about farming and agriculture and educating the youth.

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By Shelby Carlton

On Friday, April 1st, 2016 ten teams

from all over the state met at the University of Florida Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory to compete in the State Aquaculture contest. In March, teams wishing to compete had to complete a written test to qualify. The top 10 qualifying teams moved onto the state contest. One of these qualifying teams was from the Kathleen SR. FFA chapter. This team consisted of three seniors, and one sophomore. One senior was the high individual at the state contest in 2014, but his team finished second. Last year, two seniors, Lacee Richardson and Dylan Jackson competed again, finishing second so

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Revisiting Smartphone APPs For Farmers

About this time last year, I wrote an article titled The Top Ten Smartphone Apps for Farmers. With technology changing constantly and so quickly, it makes sense to revisit some of this year’s crop of best Apps available. The first App that I described last year, called Theodolite, is still high on the list. It’s a multifunction App that combines a compass, rangefinder, GPS, mapping and navigation calculators along with a geo-tag camera.

The App can help you lay out rows and plantings, keeping things straight and level. When not used on the farm, it’s a veritable wonder and terrific tool that’s indispensable for hunting, hiking, boating and even golf. Too bad that it’s no longer free, but it’s still a bargain at $5.99. The task of managing livestock has birthed a number of Apps. Among the free ones are Farm Track Livestock Manager and one developed in Australia named iHerd. The first one is a sophisticated database letting you carry in your pocket detailed information on specific animals in your herd. You can track a calf’s age, weight gain, general health and other info including detailed notes along with its picture. The information can be logged manually or collected with a scan of a tag number.

by John Dicks

If you want a free and very high quality look at local radar, check out MyRadar. So popular is this App that it has been downloaded 20 million times! It gives you fast and easy access to animated radar displays showing you what’s going on around you so you can quickly see what weather is coming your way. The popular Farm Log remains a very useful App. This freebie helps you keep organized by letting you record your tasks and times while on the run and later refer back to them to see when you did what in a logical calendar format. Still popular and helpful app is TractorPal. It lets you keep an inventory and info on your vehicles and equipment such as serial numbers and maintenance logs. It’s a lot simpler than keeping hand written notes stashed away in file folders. And the important information is always right at hand, sitting in your pocket.

Similar information can be collected and stored with iHerd. The App is gaining popularity outside of its originating Australia, probably because it offers free synchronization of your data with multiple devices (such as iPhones and iPads) so that you can keep things updated without re-entering information.

Last year I spoke of being amazed at a free translation App named iTranslate. It requires a data connection (which, of course, most smartphones have) but with the App you can type an English word or phrase and have it display the words in Spanish or whatever number of languages it offers. This year the upgrade really is amazing, at least for wearers of an Apple Watch.

Like most things offered for free in the world of technology, this means that you’ll gain info from ads by sponsors, but it is still popular enough to be reportedly used by over 40,000 people in 120 countries.

Today, I can speak English into my Apple Watch and within seconds see the phrase or sentence translated into another language. Push a button on the screen and the tiny speaker speaks the words loud enough for someone to hear.

Sometimes what you consider to be great little Apps suddenly just disappear. Last year, for example, I suggested that if you used Julian dates to track things, you might consider putting on your phone the App J2D. It was simple and worked quite well. Unfortunately, this nifty tool just vanished when I got a new iPhone later last year. For some reason it didn’t migrate to the new phone and it disappeared form the iTunes store. Fortunately there are some others that work about as a well, including the free, extremely simple one known simply as Julian. The ever popular weather Apps have improved to be even better than what I thought was already great. Unfortunately, the one that I mentioned last year as having promise, produced by UF’s IFAS program, is not one of them. It’s called My Florida Farm Weather, and while it works, it simply doesn’t compare to the more powerful ones. One that I particularly continue to like is WunderMap. It has great animated graphics and, unlike most other weather apps, it gives you real time reads of many local personal weather stations. They refer to this as making it hyper-local since you can get a good handle on whether the weather next door is starting to freeze as opposed to what may be happening many miles away at the official station located near the airport.

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Even more powerful, though it has a few kinks since it is so new is Microsoft Translator. It was developed just a few months ago and the brilliant team at Microsoft has, not surprisingly, learned from its competitors and is refining this remarkable fast, powerful and free pocket translator. After you dictate, it will quickly speak the foreign language words for you loud enough for someone to understand and also display them in very large print, utilizing the entire screen on your phone. Two people using the same App can have a nearly instantaneous and fluent conversation in English and any of over 50 different languages including Spanish, German, Dutch, Arabic and Chinese. And the cost for this marvel? Free. Yes, FREE! It really is an amazing world we are living in! John Dicks is both a lawyer and a farmer. He and his family own a blueberry farm and have agricultural lands which they lease for cattle operations, as John says, “to someone who knows and handles cattle much better than I do!” John is both a Gator, having received his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida, and a Seminole, with his Law Degree from Florida State University. He and his wife, Sharon, live in Plant City, where he served nine years as City Commissioner, including three years as Mayor.

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Recipes

Courtesy of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Garlic Shrimp and Fried Green Tomatoes

Chef Justin Timineri

Ingredients Garlic Shrimp 4 to 6 sprigs rosemary 24 large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails intact 1/4 cup olive oil 4 medium cloves garlic, crushed and minced 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 teaspoons lemon zest 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped 3 tablespoons lemon juice

salt to taste Fried Green Tomatoes 4 green tomatoes 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup yellow cornmeal 1 egg 1/3 cup milk salt and pepper, to taste oil, for frying

DIRECTIONS Garlic Shrimp Strip leaves off the bottom two-thirds of the rosemary sprigs. Thread shrimp onto stem of each sprig. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat about 30 to 45 seconds. Add the garlic and shrimp; sautĂŠ over medium heat 4 to 5 minutes, turning skewers frequently until the shrimp just turn pink. Add the parsley, lemon juice and salt; stir well. Remove from the pan and serve immediately with fried green tomatoes. Fried Green Tomatoes

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Slice unpeeled tomatoes into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Mix flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper in a shallow plate. In a small bowl, beat egg and milk until combined. Pour oil to a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch in a large cast-iron skillet; heat to 375 degrees F. Dip sliced tomato into egg mixture; then dip into flour mixture, coating both sides. In the skillet, fry half of the coated tomato slices at a time, for 4 to 6 minutes on each side or until brown. Drain on paper towels or a rack. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm in preheated oven until ready to serve.

Savory Tomato-Basil Chicken INGREDIENTS 1 whole chicken, cut into 4 pieces 3 large ripe tomatoes 1 large onion 3 cloves fresh garlic 1/2 cup fresh basil 1 tablespoon salt kosher salt to taste fresh ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS Put everything except chicken into a food processor and pulse until fairly smooth. Place chicken pieces flat in a baking dish and spread liberally with mixture. Preheat the oven to 375. Bake on covered until chicken is mostly done through to the bone and then just uncover at the end for 10-15 minutes to get a little brown. 38

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May 2016

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Still Grasping It:

Jaylene Carey By Ginny Mink

I attend church with a lovely woman named, LeAnn Carey. She’s the mother of two really cute kids. Since we’re friends on Facebook (and in real life) I was privy to her daughter’s most recent accomplishments at the State 4H Dairy Show in Okeechobee. I was intrigued since Jaylene, her daughter, is pretty young and it seemed like quite a feat. So, I took the opportunity to interview Jaylene about her recent success. She started the conversation by telling me, “I won first place in showmanship. I won first place in my heifer class. And, I was very shocked when I won first place in my showmanship.” I asked, “Why?” She answered, “It was my first time winning first place with my Annie, ‘cause she’s usually not all that great.” Obviously this wasn’t their first attempt. Jaylene continued, “I have shown her before but that was the last show in 4H in the state. I showed at Strawberry Festival, at the Florida State Fair, at State 4H in Okeechobee. And that’s why. She didn’t get first place.” Talking to a kid on the phone is sometimes a challenge. There are lots of long pauses and then there is always the coaching going on in the background. It makes for an amusing experience to say the least. I am certain that I chuckled multiple times during the interview. Keep in mind that Jaylene is 9 years old. She continued, “This is my first year in 4H. It’s been great. I’ve been given the job as a recorder and it was kinda hard for me because you had to take pictures and all that. And sometimes it’s just a lot to take pictures and listen to a meeting at the same time! My club name is Farm Fresh Clovers.” I asked about the sponsor and in the background I could hear LeAnn trying to help Jaylene with her name. Later I found out that Heather Bingham is the leader of the Farm Fresh Clovers. But at that time, we just skipped the question and moved on. I wanted to know why she got involved in 4H. She told me, “I wanted to get involved ‘cause it was a really big club. My friend was in it. Her name is Sarah Rogers. And because I was inspired by the way they showed their cows and how they do a teamwork thing.” I asked for clarification. To me, the “teamwork thing” implied that 40

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they did some kind of group showing and I’d never seen anything like that before. Apparently I was mistaken, because Jaylene pretty well defined teamwork for me. I laughed. Here’s how that part of the conversation went: Me: “What does that mean?” Jaylene: “Oh that means how they work together. If you’re just an individual you don’t work together and stuff and it’s hard not to work together. When I joined with them I started being way better at the things I did.” Just so you know, I’m pretty certain it’s impossible to individually work together! I’m telling you, kids say the darndest things! So I switched gears and asked her where her interest in cows came from. Without hesitation she explained, “Well, I started showing cows when I was one year old. Like not actually holding them, but helping my parents. And my Papa owned a dairy farm. So I was like, ‘Oh, I can probably show a cow.’ And I liked the idea. In fact, I was so liking the idea that I chose cow showing over cheerleading!” That’s a big deal for her because she’s been cheering for a while. I asked her what made her switch. Her response was certainly interesting. She said, “Because it’s hard to let go of a friend like Annie. Annie’s a sweet cow and it’s hard to let go of her for cheerleading.” Of course then I thought she was going to have to get rid of her cow if she picked cheerleading. So I asked her if that were the case but she set me straight. She answered, “No, but I wouldn’t be able to see her.” I couldn’t help but go back the statement that letting go of Annie would be like losing a friend. I wanted clarification and thusly I asked if she considered Annie her friend. Very emphatically she responded, “More than that. She’s like a sister to me.” At this point I almost laughed out loud but I didn’t want to offend Jaylene. Later, LeAnn told me that Jaylene actually got teary at that point in the conversation. We were on the phone so I didn’t see her reaction. I’m really glad I didn’t laugh though! I switched gears then and asked about her future, specifically if she intended to join FFA. She said, “Yes I do plan on doing FFA and I hope that it will be a good club and that I would fit in. I want to put WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM

all my life into cow showing and make good grades so I can keep it up and hopefully it will pay for college.” Since she mentioned college I asked her what her education aspirations might be. She answered, “At least try to learn more and more and more about cows like out of the books ‘cause I know the books, they give details. I also want to get someone that would help me besides my mom and dad. Like a sponsor. A sponsor for cow showing.” Trying to wrap things up I asked her about agricultures benefits for her life. She told me, “It’s the thing I need to help. Ever since I’ve been little I’ve had a thing for animals and agriculture and I’ve never given that up. Right now I’m 9. So I’ve never given that up and I’m still grasping it at 9…years...old. For 9 years!” She was very serious about her lengthy investment in agriculture. It’s hard to end a conversation with a little girl who is staying up past bedtime to talk to you. She’d keep going as long as possible just to stay up (you would have too at her age!). So I indulged her with a few more questions and this is how that went: Me: “What do you wanna be when you grow up?” Jaylene: “I’m gonna actually try to be a judge at the cow showing thing. Either a judge or a veterinarian.” Me: “What do you like about cows?” Jaylene: “When you meet ‘em you become best friends. And that you get to show them and win trophies.” Me: “What do you think about all the work though?”

We had to wash her, trim her and feed her before the show. We also had to water her before the show. And then after the show we also watered her ‘cause it takes a lot of energy away for the show. And we also had to put her showing halter on…See, there’s two different halters, there’s a showing halter and there is a rope halter that you just use for walking her around.” Me: “Prior to the show, how much time do you think you put into working with Annie every day?” Jaylene: “’Bout 12 -15 hours.” Me: “Everyday?” Jaylene: “Maybe even more, I don’t know.” At that point in the conversation I couldn’t control my laughter. Obviously she had misunderstood my question. She was talking about the amount of time she spent on the day of the show. Sun up to sun down essentially. I can tell you, there’s never a dull moment when you’re talking to a 9 year old. I asked her, as we finally closed, if there was anything else she’d like to say. She responded, “I would like to say that having a cow is really fun. ‘Cause you get to put all your effort and you’re helping cows. That’s what helps the earth ‘cause they produce milk and the milk is a big part. And it teaches you responsibility.” Jaylene Carey is a good kid and if she keeps showing cows like she did at state this time around there’s no doubt you’ll see her name again. It was a pleasure interviewing her and hopefully just as amusing reading about it!

Jaylene: “I think that it is actually very hard working the dairy farm. And, all the work you put in, it is worth it.” Me: “What kind of work did you have to do to prepare for this show?” Jaylene: “We had to sign in. We had to sign these big, big papers, and take notes and stuff. We also had to buy straw and feed for the cow so it could eat.” Me: “What all did you have to do?” Jaylene: “Well are you talking about working at the dairy farm or at the actual cow showing place?” Me: “I’m talking about Annie specifically. What did you have to do for Annie to get her ready for ultimately being shown?” Jaylene: “Well, we had to prep her, brush her, get all the dust off. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM

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By Grady Judd, Polk County Sheriff

PCSO Agriculture Deputies Ready for Rescues The Polk County Sheriff’s Office Agriculture Unit deputies conduct a variety of investigations; grand theft, trespassing, criminal mischief, burglary, and animal abuse or neglect are all crime cases Ag deputies work. The focus of PCSO Ag deputies is to ensure Polk County’s agriculture properties are safe for local farmers and ranchers to work and build their businesses. Agriculture deputies receive the same type of training patrol deputies receive. However, there is one type of training that is quite a bit different; large animal rescue. The PCSO’s Agriculture Crimes deputies have received large animal rescue training provided by the State Agriculture Response Team, or SART, through Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in conjunction with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture Sciences, UF College of Veterinary Medicine, and the United State Department of Agriculture. In addition to training, the PCSO Support Services Section is home to the Florida State Agricultural Response Team (SART) Region 4 Large Animal Technical Rescue trailer. This trailer covers Region 4, specifically Polk, Sumter, Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas Counties, and is deployment ready 24/7. In March 2016, both Polk County Fire-Rescue and the Lakeland Fire Department had personnel who attended the UF Large Animal Technical Rescue class in Lakeland with PCSO deputies. All successfully completed the class and are now able to assist with calls for service relating to large animal 42

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technical rescue. The class participants focused on proficiency skills utilizing equipment from the SART Rescue trailer and trained on incident command, knot tying, mechanical advantages rope systems, A-Frame systems, various animal and human rescue techniques and safe animal handling. The SART Rescue trailer contains an array of rescue equipment to include the rope and A-Frame lifting systems, as well as personnel safety equipment, assorted ropes, webbing, carabineers, and pulleys for improvised rope systems. Deputies have access to rescue glides for livestock, rescue slings/harnesses for livestock and small animals, and both a Nikopoulos loop and mud lances for mud rescues. Class participant WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM

had simulated rescues which provided hands-on practice and teamwork exercises. So why would PCSO Ag deputies go to all this effort to rescue a farm animal? Because the animals are vital to the success of the owner. And while Polk County agriculture residents haven’t had to call upon the SART Rescue team, Region 3 did conduct a rescue as recently as April 13, 2016. A three-day-old calf had had fallen fifteen feet into a sink hole which had opened up in the yard of a Newberry residence. According to the Region 3 report, “the calf was believed to have been in there about a day. The top of the hole was barely two feet in diameter, and opened up into a cavern inside; far too dangerous to put a rescuer inside.” The team members utilized the same training PCSO deputies received and the calf was rescued. Having the equipment readily available helps deputies aiding injured or sick livestock involved in neglect or abuse cases. And, the training works, and it can save an owner from losing livestock as a result of the animal falling into a deep ditch, or even stuck in the mud. And with hurricane season just around the corner, it’s satisfying to know, we have the resources to respond to a large animal rescue if needed. For more information about Florida SART teams, please visit http://www.flsart.org/SART/index.jsp.

813-767-4703 301 South Collins Street, Suite 101, Plant City, Florida 33563

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P ortrait P h o tograp h er Spe c ializ ing in H igh Sc hool Se niors

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May 2016

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At Nature’s Classroom By Ginny Mink Jaidyn, the 12 year old, is in 6th grade this year (his birthday is 11 days past the cut off so he had to wait an extra year to start school, just to clarify). Having been a middle school teacher, I am aware of the fact that students visit Nature’s Classroom during their 6th grade year. Thankfully I didn’t teach 6th grade, but that also meant I never made it over to Nature’s Classroom. When a friend at church mentioned that they were having an open house there, I determined that the kids needed to take a trip for Meet the Minks. The open house was on a Saturday and cost us $10 to attend, but it was well worth it. As I drove down the not-dusty (because I went the speed limit) dirt road, the kids were full of questions. Mostly of the, “Where are we going?” and “Are we there yet?” varieties.

We then entered the indoor displays where they housed small mammals, reptiles and amphibians. Herein happened perhaps the greatest comment of the day. Zeke squealed with excitement as he pointed at a terrarium, “Look! An iquanee!” Yes, that’s a long e sound rather than the necessary soft a. He was certain of his declaration too. Hazel chuckled, “He said iquanee!” Yes, indeed, he did. There was a small alligator in one of the aquariums and Zeke was certain that it wasn’t real. The volunteer confirmed that it was and Zeke responded, “What? You have a real alligator in there?” He was indignant. Whether he was concerned with the size of the aquarium, or the sheer issue of captivity, I’m not certain, but it was apparent he didn’t like the idea of an alligator being in a tank. This is probably because he, too, is a monster who likes to run free.

At the entrance we were greeted by two women. One peeked in and asked Zeke, “Have you been here before?” He told her, “No.” To which she responded, “Are you sure? I think I saw you driving a red sports car.” Without further consideration, he corrected her, “No, it was blue.” Laughter ensued, I can assure you.

We headed toward the plant garden having decided to forego the nature walk as sprinkles were beginning to dot our hair. Zeke didn’t want to color anything else but he was happy to plant some flower seeds. Hazel, on the other hand, was thrilled at the opportunity to color a paper butterfly ring and then plant some flowers. By this time they were getting tired and a wee bit cranky.

The sky was pretty gray so I was a wee bit concerned that we might get rained on. Therefore I instructed the kids to head toward the animal exhibits first. Hazel wasn’t too enthusiastic because she had spotted a pavilion where kids were using sidewalk chalk to color all over the ground. She’s quite the budding artist and if there’s coloring or painting involved she’s all about it.

Our last foray was at the art display where Hazel was inspired by all the pieces created by kids. Zeke, however, was attempting to be a one man wrecking crew. He just had to touch every piece he could reach no matter how many times he was instructed to keep his hands to himself. In reality, he was more interested in returning outside to go up and down the rather steeply inclined stairs, than looking at art.

I guaranteed her that we would return and that seemed to quell the uprising. There were coloring books for the kids to take around to each enclosure where volunteers waited to educate and offer animal shaped stamps to their visitors. Stamps always go over well and both Zeke and Hazel were enthusiastic.

I almost forgot, Hazel did not let me leave without allowing her to go color with the sidewalk chalk. At that point nearly every square foot of the pavilion’s concrete slab was colored. There were chalk pieces everywhere. Recall that I mentioned Zeke is a wrecking crew and a monster? He thought stomping on the chalk pieces was hysterical. Needless to say, he managed to get in trouble before we left and I was able to save some pieces from utter annihilation.

We visited the bird section first where we saw several owls (my personal favorite) and then we moved on to the raccoons, who were sleeping. When we arrived at the opossum space we were informed that it had passed on. The same was true with the largest alligator at the facility. I made a joke about all their animals dying and the dirty looks I got were quite intense. The bears were of special interest to the kids but ultimately they spent more time staring at the panther. She wasn’t enclosed with the bears, don’t worry. Although that might have made for an intriguing spectacle. In truth, I think we were all a bit amazed at the size of the panther’s tail. Its length and diameter was far greater than anticipated. It seemed like one good whack with that tail might knock you down. Having finished up in the animal exhibiting area we went to the pavilions where the kids were able to make stamped leather key chains, tissue paper flowers, paper plate turtles, and do a lot of coloring. PBS was there and they were handing out temperature sensitive cups. Hazel and Zeke are still amazed when I pour sweet tea in their yellow cups because the coldness of the tea turns the cup green wherever it touches. J says it makes the tea look unappetizing since it appears mold colored through the transparency of the cups. I’d have to agree. 44

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All in all though we had a good time. The two not-so-wee-ones got to make stuff and J got to joke about making stuff out of the animals. He thinks his hunting humor is hysterical and while perhaps it is, Nature’s Classroom (or any other zoo-like facility) is probably not the best locale for trying it out. Somehow I’m going to have to teach that boy tact! When asked about their experience, several weeks later, the Mink kids provided the following: Zeke’s summation: “I like the animals at there. And I like the alligators and the turtle.” Yep, he was still concerned about the alligator. I knew it! J’s conclusion: “Everything there could have been put to better use. Like raccoon fur hats…” This is according to his wannabe comedic insight. Told you he needs tact. Hazel responded: “I liked the nature. I like making butterfly stuff,” she paused as if considering what all went on and then with great enthusiasm concluded, “Chalk!” You can take ‘em to see, and do, mad cool stuff but sometimes all Hazel is going to remember is what she got to color with. Point taken. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM

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