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FLORIDA AG IN THE CLASSROOM TO CELEBRATE THREE DECADES OF AG LITERACY IN STATE SCHOOLS By Jim Frankowiak
What began in the 1980’s at the behest of then U.S. Agriculture Secretary John Block is about to celebrate its 30th “birthday.” The “what” here is Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc. (FAITC) and the celebration will be held November 3 at Sunny Acres Lodge in Polk City. “Boots, Barns and Books” will feature Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Chef Justin, a special FAITC historic video, a clay shoot and buggy ride amid the scenic home for Sunny Acres Lodge in Polk County. “We’re very proud of how the organization has grown over the years,” said Tamara Wood, chairman of FAITC and representative of Florida Citrus Mutual on the non-profit organization’s board of directors. “We are reaching more K-12 teachers and students with our popular elementary school reading program Florida Agriculture Literacy Day, school garden curricula, Gardening for Grades and Gardening for Nutrition and school mini-grants and school garden teacher workshops and farm tours.” FAITC officials estimate its initiatives reach an average of 6,000 Florida teachers and 160,000 Florida students in kindergarten through the 12th grade every year. FAITC began in the 80’s with other state Agriculture in the Classroom programs in response to Secretary Block’s request. He recognized the importance of educating teachers and students in K-12 general education classrooms about agriculture by infusing agricultural concepts into reading, writing, science and social studies instruction. Because Americans were becoming so removed from the farm, he asked states to create Agriculture in the Classroom programs to help address the issue. His challenge was readily accepted by Florida agriculture industry leaders and Florida Agriculture in the Classroom was incorporated August 12, 1986 with three board members: Kelvin Robinson of FDACS, Elin Oak of the Florida Phosphate Council and Polly Golden of the Florida Beef Council. The program operated under the FDACS’ umbrella during its early years and began developing educational materials and holding teacher workshops around the state. FDACS’ Doty Wenzel served as the organization’s executive director at the time. “I am just so appreciative of the entire industry that got behind Florida Agriculture in the Classroom and kept it going, and I look forward to more good things to come from it in the future,” said Kevin Morgan, assistant to the president of Florida Farm Bureau and one of FAITC’s first board members. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
FAITC got a boost in the mid-1990’s when the Florida agriculture industry worked together with the help of Florida Fruit & Vegetable Associations Butch Calhoun to create the Ag Tag specialty license plate, one of the first specialty license plates offered to Floridians. It provided the steady source of funding the organization needed, and allowed FAITC to hire its first full-time executive director, Deena Stokes, in 1998. After that, FAITC developed its signature Keeping Florida Green curriculum with lessons about Florida’s citrus, beef, dairy and horticulture industries, among other commodities. “Getting the Ag Tag license plate was a huge effort on the part of so many in the industry,” said Joan Kyle, long-time treasurer of FAITC and a representative of the Florida Fertilizer & Agrichemical Association on its board of directors. “The level of support I received from the agricultural community for the Ag Tag was amazing.” Coincidentally, the Ag Tag celebrates its 20th anniversary this, year, as well. With every purchase of an Ag Tag, $20 goes to FAITC to supports its programs. Since then, FAITC continued to grow under its next executive director hired in 2003, Lisa Gaskalla. FAITC began its elementary reading program Florida Agriculture Literacy Day in 2004, and began writing its own children’s books with the help of the FDACS’ Division of Marketing in 2007. Two years later, it launched its school garden program with the development of school garden curriculum Gardening for Grades in 2011 and Gardening for Nutrition in 2014. Additionally, $500 school garden mini-grants are offered each school year as a result of funding FAITC receives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and FDACS through the Specialty Crop Block Grant program. STEMming Up Gardening for Grades, a secondary school garden curriculum, is set to debut next year. FAITC continues to offer professional development workshops to teachers around the state throughout the year, and ties lesson instruction in the morning to crops teachers see in the afternoon on farm tours. This effort was enhanced in 2013 when former classroom teacher Becky Whitmer Sponholtz was hired and has improved the organization’s curriculum and teacher workshop offerings. Next school year, FAITC will partner with international agribusiness company Agrium to host two ‘See Survivor’ mobile learning trailers that will visit elementary schools around Florida to educate students about seed germination and plant growth. In addition, it will introduce Agrium’s new ‘Journey 2050’ educational platform that uses a farming game to educate students in 7th through 12th grade about the meaning of sustainable farming. For more information about FAITC’s 30th anniversary dinner, visit: http://faitc.org/30th/. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
August 2016
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VOL. 9 • ISSUE 12
Jeff Albritton
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 Karen Berry
Contents AUGUST 2016
Equine Vaccinations
Master Gardener
Page 34
Page 10
New Laws
Jack Payne
Page 12
Page 36
Fishing Hot Spots
Recipes
Page 14
Page 38
Florida Southern
Health Benefits of Mushrooms
Page 18
Rocking Chair Chatter
Page 22
More Sorghum
Literary Time Machine
Page 26
Endangered Species
Page 28
Florida Mushroom
Page 31 4
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Polk County Sheriff
Page 42 Activity
Page 44
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
A Closer Look
Page 45 August 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
It’s mid August and the kids are already back in school. Take care on the roads as the future of our country makes their way to bus stops and schools. Your phone can wait until you are at your destination so pay attention to where you are going. I was raised in a very rural area in northeastern Kentucky. My father was a city boy who married a country girl, and after a few years of living in town, they moved to the farm. I couldn’t be more thankful. It was a long drive to get anywhere, even to the grocery store, especially for a young girl prone to motion sickness. This was something I never outgrew, but growing up on a farm made that a very small sacrifice. We did not have a large farm, a few cattle roamed the hillsides you find so abundant in that neck of the woods, pigs were acquired each year to go along with the beef we put in the freezer, a garden supplied most of our vegetables for the year and our cash crop was tobacco. When not in school I could be found roaming the hillsides searching for adventure. I would stop by my house, or my grandparent’s house for a snack or lunch and right back out the door I would go. It wasn’t all play, but looking back now it seems that way. I often spent time with my grandmother, stringing beans, shelling peas and canning. Although I’m sure I was in the way more than I actually helped. I was so tired at the end of the day that bedtime was never a fight for my mom. I didn’t sleep late, there was too much fun to be had outside. I enjoyed hearing my grandparents talk about their experiences growing up, both good and bad. Family stories should be cherished. I learned an appreciation for the land. I miss those carefree days on the farm and will cherish those memories for the rest of my life.
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 I hope all of you are having a wonderful summer on vacation or spending time with your families. By the time you read this Polk County schools will be back in session and our young cowboys and cowgirls will be back in the classroom working on their career goals. Be sure to support them and keep them with the right crowd. Also be safe on the roads, there will be many buses and new drivers going back and forth to our local schools. We had a great summer dinner with record numbers of members and families attending. Our directors did a great job with the steaks and all the trimmings. The cattlewomen had a great cake auction again this year with a lot of active bidding. The Brangus heifer was won by Jesse Bennett, who will feed and prepare her for the Polk County Youth Fair in January. Again we want to thank, Bill Atkins for donating the heifer. David McCullers also put a slide show together showing the Black Hereford Bulls at Crooked Lake Ranch. The ranch is donating one of your choice to be auctioned off at our Fall dinner in November. You may call David at the ranch if you would like to look at them. They will be two years old and semen tested and ready to use. Thanks again to all the directors and Cattlewomen for making the dinner a success. Decorations were beautiful. The Polk County Cattlemen’s Association would like to thank Farm Credit for sponsoring our summer dinner and Reggie Holt and Ron O’Connor and the Farm Credit staff for helping out. Our State Quarterly meeting will be coming up in September on the 8th and 9th. All members are invited. Our own Ned Waters will be in charge. He is our new State President. The
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meetings will be held at Warner University and we will be having a steak dinner cookout at Bud Greenwoods on the evening of the 8th. Our county directors and Cattlewomen will be preparing the meal. Hope to see some of you there. Also be sure to mark your calendar for the Florida Cattlemen’s annual heifer sale to be held September 16 at the Arcadia Stockyards. Come down early and check them out and enjoy a good lunch at the market restaurant. In closing, be careful working those cows and calves. The weather has been really hot with the heat index over 105 nearly every day, reaching 115 some days. The old bear will catch you before you know it, plus the cows can get too hot very quick and get down. Market report has butcher cows holding about the same, calves hard to measure, up a few cents one week down a few cents the next, back up a few cents the week after. Maybe it has about bottomed out and we will see an increase in the weeks to come. Good Luck to all our young people going back to school. And to all, be safe, stay cool, drink plenty of water and get a good nights rest. May Our Trails Cross Soon,
Ray Clark
Ray Clark Polk County Cattlemen’s Association President
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• Citrus has been farmed commercially in Florida since the mid1800s. • The hide from one cow can make 144 baseballs, 20 footballs or 12 basketballs. • Florida growers produce several types of citrus, including oranges, grapefruit and specialty fruit including Temple oranges, tangerines and tangelos. • Between 40 and 45 percent of all beef sold today is in ground form. This includes fast food hamburgers, ground beef from the grocery store and processed meats such as sausage, hot dogs and lunch meat. • In most seasons, more than 90 percent of America’s orange juice is made from Florida-grown oranges. • Cows have almost panoramic, 360-degree vision, allowing them to watch for predators or humans from all angles.
Giving back to our communities is
As an operator in Mosaic’s supply chain team, I help ensure our phosphate crop nutrients get to farmers in America and all over the world. At Mosaic, we share our passion for agriculture and environmental stewardship with the next generation of local farmers and ranchers. In fact, I’m one of hundreds of Mosaic employees who volunteer annually with youth agriculture organizations and at county fairs. For me, giving back is more than a job. It’s about nourishing the communities where we all live, work and play. We help the world grow the food it needs.
®
mosaicco.com/florida Mike Bennett, Supply Chain Operator, Florida phosphate operations
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© 2016 The Mosaic Company
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August 2016
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Make Your Beds!
Florida Master Gardener By Debra Howell Florida Master Gardener UF/IFAS Extension Polk County In a technical sense, the term “bedding plant� refers to plants that are grown and sold for use in the garden, landscape or in large containers. But, for our purposes, we will employ the concept that bedding plants are for use within flower beds. Bedding plants may be annuals or perennials, with annuals being removed and replaced seasonally. If you lack exemplary gardening skills, it might actually help your feelings to know that these plants shouldn’t be expected to live past one season. When using annuals, be aware that to have success they have to be planted in a timely manner. However, plants in the nursery are sometimes sold out of season, causing them to be short-lived in your planting bed. Annuals are popular as bedding plants due to their showy displays of blooms and foliage. Biennials will allow you an additional year over your annuals, as they are usually good for two years. The perennials can also provide colorful foliage and flowers, but may grow indefinitely. One of the best ways to display perennials is in masses as bedding plants. You will want to take plant texture into consideration when planning your beds. Think about interesting foliage that will persist even after the blooms decline. Consistent use of a specific theme may be employed when planning beds in your landscape. Repetition of a theme serves to draw the eyes through your yard as you arrange the beds according to color or hue. Use color to direct the eye and choose combinations that fit your home and neighborhood. A very important aspect of planning a planting bed is to ascertain the amount of sunlight that the potential site will receive. Something you need to consider is that in the winter the sun is in the southern sky. At that time of year, the sun may be blocked by your house or the trees. However, in the summer the Florida sun is directly overhead. 10
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When you visit your garden center, you will want to carefully peruse the plastic tag on the plant. This tag will give you an idea of how much sun, shade and water the plant needs, as well as whether it attracts birds and butterflies, or is deer resistant or predisposed to pests or diseases. Bedding plants are sold in sizes from cell packs to one gallon pots. Master Gardeners recommend purchasing the largest and best quality plants that your budget can afford. Most people want instant gratification when it comes to installing a flower bed. One gallon pots would be a perfect size for this application. When preparing the beds add two to three inches of organic matter such as compost or potting soil to the soil surface. Next, you may sprinkle a slow-release fertilizer according to package directions and work thoroughly into the top six inches of the soil. The composted organic matter assists in moisture retention. Water the bedding plants before and after installing, then daily hand-water until the root systems are established. This is extremely important in the Central Florida heat. Now here is a fine idea: try the pot-in-pot method. What this means is that empty pots are placed in appropriate sized holes in the soil, then potted bedding plants of the same size are sunk into the empty pots. This process may be expedited by employing a post-hole digger to dig the holes. This makes achieving year-round color a little easier. (UF/ IFAS Publication #CIR1134, Gardening with Annuals in Florida) If you use the pot-in-pot method, the plants may need more frequent watering. However, you will probably want to use mulch, two to three inches deep to abate weeds and retain moisture. If you use oak leaves for mulch, you will only need a depth of two inches. Make sure your mulch does not come in contact with the stems of your plants. You may also choose to line your planting beds with a weed barrier cloth. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
This practice will help to suppress the proliferation of weeds. In addition to weed control, you will want to keep your plants healthy and hardy when you feed and water them as necessary. Pinching and deadheading your bedding plants will not only help control the shape and size of your plants, but will help funnel plant energy into the production of more blossoms, as well. The University of Florida publication “Gardening with Annuals in Florida,” provides a list of cultural practices which may assist in the control of pest problems. This list is not only valid for annual plants, but for bedding plants in general, many of which are annuals. These cultural practices are listed below. 1. Plant at the appropriate time of year. In other words, cool season plants in fall, winter and early spring, and warm season plants in spring and summer. 2. Employ the strategy of right plant/right place, which amounts to matching the growing requirements to the planting site. 3. Keep plants growing vigorously by providing water and fertilizer as needed. 4. Do not allow plants to wilt frequently because this may promote infestation by spider mites and thrips. 5. Keep plant foliage as dry as possible thereby reducing the chance of fungal diseases. Use drip irrigation in flower beds, and allow ample spacing between plants for good air flow. 6. Keep beds weeded as weeds frequently host insects or disease organisms.
free to combine your bedding plants with bulbs, ornamental grasses or shrubs. You might even try a small tree such as crapemyrtle, with the bedding plants forming an apron around the base. Your planting beds can be as elaborate as your imagination will allow. Choose designs and layouts based on how much time you have for maintenance. Your bedding plants will reward you with colorful and showy seasonal vistas. Many growers in the bedding plant industry now breed plants with uniform-sized blooms with a compact growth habit. You may also grow bedding plants from seed, if your time allows for the germination process. Once you have cleared an area and prepared it for your future beds, you may use a stick cane or the handle of a hoe to draw the outline of you potential beds in the shape you desire. You can also use sand, in a narrow line to outline them. This is a good option during the rainy season, as the sand will not wash away as readily as the lines drawn on the ground. The following bedding plants will work well for you in your Central Florida landscape scheme: blanket flower, celosia, coleus, crossandra, impatiens, kalanchoe, Madagascar periwinkle, marigold, melampodium, pentas, salvias, verbena, vinca and zinnia. If you have questions regarding your landscape, you may call your local Extension Service office for help finding the answer. The Plant Clinic at UF/IFAS Extension Polk County is open Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. For more information contact us at 863-5191041.
If you would like more diversity in your planting beds, you may feel WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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August 2016
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Game Changer By Jack Payne
Nian Wang’s office is so small that to get behind his desk, he has to move a visitor’s chair blocking the narrow path. Across the hall in what was supposed to be his office, he has six post-docs and Ph.Ds. crammed into a 12-foot-by-12-foot room with cinder block walls. Welcome to the Wang lab in Lake Alfred, the hub of one of the most promising areas of research on citrus greening. Wang is an international leader in applying to citrus a new gene editing technique known as CRISPR. By tricking a fruit into sending itself instructions to snip out the gene sequences that program it to welcome HLB bacteria into its cells, Wang believes he’s getting close to finding an off switch for the disease. It would rapidly produce a tree that theoretically could eventually be created through conventional breeding, but with none of the elements of genetic engineering that consumers find most objectionable. Wang has no complaints about his facilities. In fact, he repeatedly extols the support he gets from the Citrus Research & Development Foundation and the Legislature, which have funded his cutting-edge work. It’s up to Wang’s employer, the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, to make sure the funding also keeps the lights on in his lab. Research is an expensive proposition before you ever get to the salary and benefits of the researchers. Wang’s work is possible – and he can concentrate on science, not administration – because IFAS provides air conditioning, payroll, and expensive gizmos such as the microinjector needed for CRISPR work. If we sometimes have to cut corners on space, our researchers know that it’s because we’re trying to put as much of the money into the science as we can. We lured Wang here from Berkeley nine years ago because, fortunately, he was more interested in con-
fronting a daunting scientific challenge than enjoying a well-appointed office. He has also benefited from the collaborations afforded an ambitious scientist surrounded by other high performers. UF is one of the nation’s largest public university research operations. And there is not a single challenge that commands more attention from its agricultural arm than the fight against HLB. CRISPR has been a game-changer in Wang’s research. He was inspired by the potential of the technology to propel his work forward through the learning and examples he encountered in his professional community. Conversations with colleagues, seminars and workshops at conferences (again, an overhead expense that makes the best science possible) convinced him that he could go into a citrus gene and edit out susceptibility to HLB. He has had tremendous success in hitting the off switch for canker. He now believes he’s done it for HLB. There are still greenhouse and field tests to be done to validate the lab work. Wang has, of course, overcome many obstacles that we’ll never know about in the long, steady march toward a solution. But you see him and his team cheerfully overcome the physical obstacles. His scientists giggle about standing up from their desks to make room for a visitor. Wang offers no complaints, just a sheepish apology, as he clambers past a visitor’s chair to get to his own desk. Florida agriculture depends on the discovery and innovation of minds like Wang’s. For his part, Wang depends on the equipment, services, and administrative support that comes from UF/IFAS. It’s not a Cadillac setting. After all the goal isn’t to get there in style. It’s just to get there – the place where HLB is no longer a threat.
Jack Payne is the senior vice president of agriculture and natural resources at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. jackpayne@ufl.edu • @JackPayneIFAS 12
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Michelle - Trout
August Fishing Report 2016 Tampa Bay Area
Capt. Woody Gore (www.captainwoodygore.com)
Snook action has been fair. You’ll find plenty of large
fish around bridges and docks especially at night with free-lined baits like pinfish, greenbacks and jumbo shrimp. Fish the broken bottom grass flats and mangroves for some exciting action using live bait or artificial lures.
Mangrove Snapper: If you’re looking for some late summer fun particularly for the youngsters, take them snapper fishing. Not only are these fish fun to catch, but they are great eating. Small free-lined greenbacks or pieces of fresh shrimp around markers, bridges or rock piles will usually result in a limit of fish. If the tides are strong, add enough weight (1/4 – 3/8 oz); (knocker rig) to keep the bait down. You might also have to go lighter on the leader 12-15 lb. and smaller on the hook #1. For some reason the get really hook shy after you catch a few. Here’s a tip: Put them on ice immediately, this make them much easier to clean, because it gels the fat in their stomach keeping it from sticking to your knife. Mackerel and Blue Fish: Tampa Bay is still loaded with plenty of threadfins, so if you’re looking for some amazing, light tackle action Mac’s and Blues are excellent targets; then toss in a nice blacktip shark and could it get any better? Threadfins are everywhere, but look around marker cans, range markers or shallow reefs. Anchor up current, toss out a few baits or cut a few into pieces for chum and throw to the striking fish; then make sure you’re hanging onto your rod and reel. 14
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Power Pole: if you don’t have a “Power Pole”
from JL Marine it’s something you should certainly consider purchasing... it will change your fishing life.
Redfish action will be steady with fish moving around the area. If they’re grouped up always approach carefully; you don’t want to split the school. When approaching fish pole or slow troll within casting distance, PowerPole; down and get off the bow, so as to present a low profile. Make your cast to fish on the outer edges of the school and remember to never cast into the middle of a school unless you want to spook the fish. Reds eat shrimp, greenbacks, pinfish and crabs. If they’re not looking for live, remember cut bait always works. Spotted Trout is productive around Tampa Bay grass flats. But keep in mind it takes moving water to get them eating, be sure to fish the open sand holes throughout the grassy areas. Popping corks with artificial DOA or Gulp Shrimp or live shrimp all rigged by hooking through the carapace. Don’t forget greenbacks if you’re able to net your own bait. Deeper water rocky bottoms and some markers are producing some really nice catches of larger silver trout. Cobias are still hanging around some flats and we’re seeing a few while mackerel fishing especially if we’re cutting baits or using chum bags. They are also on the markers and can be caught throughout the bay if you’re interested in using a lot of fuel. WWW. ININ THE FIELD MM AGAZINE.COM WWW. THE FIELD AGAZINE.COM
Lorin - Snook
“Give Me a Call & Let’s Go Fishing” 813-477-3814
Captain Woody Gore is the area’s top outdoor fishing guide. Guiding and fishing the west central Florida areas for over fifty years; he offers world class fishing adventures and a lifetime of memories. Multi-boat Group Charters With years of organizational experience and access to the areas most experienced captains, Captain 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 me a call at 813-477-3814 WWW. WWW.IN NTHE HEFIELD IELDMAGAZINE.COM AGAZINE.COM
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FLORIDA SOUTHERN COLLEGE HOSTS HERITAGE ROSE BREEDER AND NAMESAKE FOR SPECIAL GARDEN PHOTOGRAPHY EVENT By Jim Frankowiak There are photo “shoots” and there are photo “SHOOTS.” The session recently held at the Jane Elizabeth Jenkins Rose Garden on the campus of Florida Southern College (FSC) is an example of the latter. It was a session that brought together a noteworthy rose breeder from India and a former U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland under President Ronald Reagan. They met for a photography session to recognize an awardwinning heritage rose, named in honor of the former ambassador, Faith Whittlesey. Photos from the session are to appear in an upcoming edition of AMERICAN ROSE, the official publication of the American Rose Society. The Faith Whittlesey™ Rose, a hybrid gigantea- tea rose, was bred by Viru Viraraghavan, who traveled to FSC with his wife, Girija. He has developed thousands of rose seedlings and registered more than 90 new rose varieties with the U.S.-based International Rose Registry. Viraraghavan has been growing roses since the age of 18 and began to breed them in 1965. The Viraraghavans were named Great Rosarians of the World in 2006. His ultimate aim is to extend rose growing to the warmer parts of the subtropics and even the tropical parts of the world, areas which are rapidly developing, but without roses. Viraraghavan places special emphasis on producing roses with evergreen foliage so that the rose becomes a plant beautiful even when not in bloom and thus able to compete effectively with the spectacular foliage of tropical plants. There are two formal gardens on the Florida Southern campus: Ruth’s Rose Garden, which houses approximately 300-roses, and the Jane Elizabeth Jenkins Rose Garden, housing approx18
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imately 75 plants, including the Faith Whittlesey Rose. The college greenhouses also have many more varieties in containers, and there are some smaller rose beds across the campus. “We try to grow roses from as many classes and with as much genetic diversity as possible, within the limitations of the Central Florida climate,” said Professor Malcolm Manners of the FSC Horticultural Sciences Department, who also manages the on campus rose gardens. “So the collection is strong on Teas, Chinas, and Noisettes, but is quite diverse. Special collections include the true musk roses, Florida-bred and Florida-found roses, Bermuda’s Mystery roses and Viraraghavan’s Indian R. gigantea hybrids. “FSC also has one of the two rose mosaic virus heat therapy programs in the U.S., and as such, the vast majority of our roses are tested free of that disease,” Manners said. “We serve as a source of mosaic-free propagating material to nurseries throughout the U.S. and internationally.” Dr. Manners was named a “Great Rosarian of the World” in 2013, and he is a trustee of the Heritage Rose Foundation, an international, not-for-profit organization that works to preserve the genetics of old roses. The Faith Whittlesey Rose was bred in India and introduced into the U.S. in 2005 by Roses Unlimited. It is creamy white with a pink center with a mild fragrance. The rose has an average diameter of 3.5-inches and is double (17-25 petals), most often with one flower per inflorescence. It blooms in flushes throughout the season. It is short and bushy with medium, semi-glossy, medium green foliage and grows to a height of up to 30-ionches. “It is an ideal variety for our climate in the WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
southeast and southwestern U.S,” said Dr. Manners. As to the name of the rose, “We had sent our very first Tea seedling to Roses Unlimited nursery, and Gene Waering, our good friend, who often visited the nursery, was struck by this seedling, which was disease resistant, had blooms with good petal texture, evergreen foliage and altogether made a good compact plant,” said Viraraghavan. “He asked us if it would be all right with us to name this rose for Mrs. Faith Whittlesey, ambassador of the USA to Switzerland in the l980’s and presently Emeritus Chairperson of the American Swiss Foundation, based in New York, where Gene used to be vice president before he retired. Gene has the highest regard and respect for Mrs. Whittlesey, and as he was very taken with this rose, so he requested us, and we, of course, agreed straightaway. Ambassador Whittlesey is fond of roses, and she will be a good diplomat to further the cause of heritage and modern heritage roses like our varieties.” She served as Chairman and President of the American Swiss Foundation for more than two decades, working “to protect and strengthen the friendship between the United States and Switzerland.” Former Ambassador Whittlesey currently resides in Boynton Beach, Florida. She previously lived in eastern Polk County. She is a former Republican politician and White House Senior Staff member notable for her effort to communicate President Ronald Reagan’s policy agenda to U.S. opinion leaders. Whittlesey also organized the White House Central American Outreach Group at the direction of Chief of Staff James Baker to provide information about President Reagan’s anti-communist policies in the region. She served twice for a total of nearly five years as U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland and also served for two years on the White House Senior Staff of President Reagan as Assistant to the President for Public Liaison. Florida Southern’s gardens are open to the public every day, and visitors are welcome. Dr. Manners can be contacted for more information at mmanners@flsouthern.edu or by calling 863-6804337. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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Growing Old I have finally accepted the fact that I am getting old. I take the stairs one step at a time. I get the same sensation from a rocking chair on the front of Fred’s market in Plant City that I once got from the roller coaster at Disney World. It’s also apparent that I’m aging when I fall down I wonder what else I can do while I am down. Now I choose my cereal for the fiber, and not the toy. And as for eating health food, forget it, I need all the preservatives I can get.
oil is made from vegetables, then what is baby oil made from? Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible black crisp, which no one will eat? Why is it that when someone tells you that there are over a billion stars in the universe, you believe them, but if they tell you there is wet paint on the chair you have to touch it to make sure? I have often wondered why Goofy stands erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They are both dogs!
As a child I would help my mother hang the freshly washed clothes on the clothesline. I am sure many of you reading this that have never heard of a clothesline. This was before the washer and dryer was invented. It was simply a heavy wire strung between two poles about 30 feet apart.
My next-door neighbor, Mark Poppell, who loves to bar-b-que, said he can not understand why it is that one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box of matches and a bottle of lighter fluid to start a grill!
Wash day was always on Monday. My mother had certain ways of hanging her clothes up to dry. First, she would wash the clothesline before hanging any clothes. She did this by walking the entire length of the line with a damp cloth around the lines. She would hang the clothes in a certain order, and always hang “whites” with “whites,” and hang them first. The socks were always hung by the toes…not the top. All pants were hung by the bottom cuffs, not the waistbands. She would always hang the sheets and towels on the outside line so she could hide our “unmentionables” in the middle. One Tuesday morning I woke up to find my mother crying and really beside herself. During the night someone had stolen all of her sheets and towels off the clothesline. She said it was her fault for not taking the clothes down before dark. Dad took it in stride, and said, “Don’t worry about it Nita, get dressed and we’ll go to Rogers and Middlebrooks and buy some new ones.”
They tell me if you yelled for 8 years 6 months and 4 days you would produce enough energy to heat one cup of coffee. But, if you farted consistently for 7 years and 8 months, you would produce enough gas to create the energy of an atomic bomb. I know a couple of people in Plant City that are getting close to that level. Now might be a good time to move to the mountains. I have some questions for you to ponder! Most packages say “Open Here.” What happens if you open it somewhere else? Why is it that when you transport something by car, it’s called a shipment, but when you transport something by ship, its called cargo? If it’s called a TV set why do you get only one? Why is it called a “building” when it is already built? Why do they call them interstate highways in Hawaii? Why did kamikaze pilots wear helmets?
It wasn’t long ago the only hazardous material we knew about was a patch of sandspurs in right field on the baseball field. During those early years people generally lived in the same hometown with their relatives. So “child care” meant grandparents or aunts and uncles! It was the time when your grandma grew blackeyed peas in the back yard, and had a chicken yard behind the garage.
Did you ever think that maybe Presidential Candidate Donald Trump is on to something? A typical American starts the day early having set his alarm clock (made in Japan) for 6 A.M. While his coffeepot (made in China) was perking, he shaved with his electric razor (made in Hong Kong). He put on his dress shirt (made in Sri Lanka), designer jeans (made in Singapore) and tennis shoes (made in Korea). After cooking his breakfast in his new electric skillet (made in India) he sat down with his calculator (made in Mexico) to see how much he could spend today. After setting his watch (made in Taiwan) to the radio (made in Japan) he got in his car (made in Germany) and continued his search for a good paying American job. At the end of yet another discouraging and fruitless day, he decided to relax for while. He put on his sandals (made in Brazil) poured himself a glass of wine (made in France) and turned on his TV (made in Indonesia) and then wondered why he can’t find a good paying job in America.
Some things I still wonder about. For instances if you drive your car into a 50mph wind at 50mph, and stick your head out the window will you feel the wind? If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable
Speaking of Presidents, did you know that President Thomas Jefferson invented the coat hanger, the hideaway bed, the calendar clock and the dumbwaiter. I guess Jefferson had more to do than play golf!
I have been trying to remember what life was like before dishwashers, TV and airplanes. Can you remember when all the makeup women had had to wear was powder?
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Jeff Albritton: Preserving the Legacy By Leslie Buchanon
Family farming is a time-honored tradition that is often passed down from generation to generation. To allow for variances in each of the agricultural commodity markets, many families decide to diversify their agricultural operations. This is especially true for Jeff Albritton’s family of Alturas. Jeff’s family’s involvement in the agricultural industry dates back to his great-great-grandfather and continues still today. Jeff’s family has diversified their farming operations over the years to include cattle, citrus, hay, and sod production. As an integral part of 24
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the family business, Jeff oversees the grove caretaking, sod fields, and pasture maintenance programs that have allowed the Albritton family to pass down this agricultural legacy throughout the last four generations. Deep in the heart of southern Polk County, just south of Mulberry, down Bethlehem Road, sat a small community known as Chicora. This small ghost town, established in 1885, consisted of a school, post office, general store, blacksmith shop, and a church. This is where Jefferson WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Albritton established his homestead in the late 1800’s and began running wild cattle on the open range. Being cut from the same cloth as his great-great-grandfather Jefferson Albritton, Jeff Albritton proudly carries on the family name and tradition as both a farmer and a rancher. Tri-Britton, Inc., the family business established by Jeff’s grandfather Isaac Albritton, father Dale Albritton, and Uncle Nick Albritton, in the 1970’s, served as a grove caretaking operation at its inception. Over the years, the business has diversified to include cattle, pasture maintenance, and sod/seed production with properties throughout the state of Florida. The decision to diversify into other areas of production agriculture has allowed Tri-Britton to remain a strong and thriving enterprise through the development of various partnerships among family members. Citrus grove care-taking and production are the cornerstone of Tri-Britton, Inc. However, greening and canker have taken a toll on the groves and have had a negative impact on citrus production. Jeff explains, “We’ve gone from 3,000 acres of producing groves years ago, and at the end of this year we will be down to about 1,600 acres of groves.” During this reduction in grove acreage, Jeff has also diversified the type of citrus produced. Suffering the effects of greening and canker, Jeff is eliminating fresh fruit producing trees at the end of this year and future production will solely focus on juice fruit trees. According to Florida Citrus Mutual, “During the 2011-12 season, Florida harvested 170.9 million boxes of citrus, representing about 65 percent of total U.S. citrus production. Of the citrus harvested, 90 percent was processed into juice and the remainder was sold as fresh fruit. In WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
addition to providing juice, processed citrus was used to produce other by-products, such as oils, fragrances, flavorings, and animal feed.” To combat the citrus tree loss to canker and greening Jeff employs some maintenance programs to slow disease spread and extend tree life. Citrus canker, a highly contagious bacterial disorder, is characterized by blemishes on the tree leaf, fruit, and stem. Most canker bacteria is spread by wind and rain over short distances to neighboring trees, but can occur over longer distances due to heavy winds produced by tropical storms, hurricanes, or tornadoes. While there is no cure for canker, disease management is the only option for citrus producers to prevent an outbreak. Through the application of liquid copper fungicides to healthy trees canker outbreaks can be reduced, which is Jeff’s preferred method of treatment. However, Jeff is researching adding another weapon in his arsenal to fight canker. In addition to copper sprays, Jeff may begin the application of Firewall ™ 50 WP. Firewall ™ is a bactericide that kills the bacteria responsible for citrus canker. In September 2012 Firewall ™ received the EPA Section 18 (Specific Emergency Exemption) approval for use in the treatment of canker in commercially grown grapefruit. AgroSource ™ explains, “Independent research field trials in Florida over seven years have shown FireWall delivers two major benefits to grapefruit growers: 1) equivalent reduction in citrus canker compared to copper treatments alone and, 2) residual bactericidal activity under tropical weather conditions. In addition, because a FireWall/copper program uses reduced copper rates, potential phytotoxicity to the fruit from copper is reduced thus improving potential packouts and grades.” Continues on Pg. 32 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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Ornamental Gardening in Florida By Ginny Mink If you have never had the pleasure of holding a book in your hands that is older than your grandmother, you have been deprived of the value of antiquity. There is nothing like yellowed pages that hold the secrets of yesteryear. That is the basis of this series: The Literary Time Machine. We’ve been studying Ornamental Gardening in Florida¹ by Charles Torrey Simpson.
This month we are traversing the halls of his chapter: Native Herbaceous Plants. Of course the word, herbaceous, seems like a Jeopardy topic so we thought it would be prudent to determine what it means. We found a most amusing explanation via the UK. We read, “A herbaceous border is one of the most familiar terms in gardening. But defining what ‘herbaceous’ actually means is a perennial problem.”² The author of this piece, Ken Johnson, later explains his shortened Oxford definition as, “Herbaceous: Not forming a woody stem but dying down to the root each year.”² This left much to be desired as an answer, so we returned to Mr. Simpson’s book where he states, “Under this heading will come a large number of species, in fact most of our wild plants that should be worth cultivating that do not form regular woody trunks or stems. It is impossible to draw any strict lines between the two in all cases.”¹ Obviously we aren’t the only people confused by the use of the term: herbaceous. Therefore, we’ll just move right along! Agave tops Mr. Simpson’s list in this category. He writes that they are, “A large genus of American succulents, four species of which are credited to Florida.”¹ He then lists them: A. sisalina (sisal hemp), A. neglecta, A. decipiens, and A. Americana. Aloe Vera gets a nod at this stage in the list as well. Then he mentions something we’ve never heard of, Commelina. He elaborates, “Several species of this genus have fine flowers but C. hamipila of the Dade County pinelands has blossoms of marvelous, heavenly blue with the texture of satin and should be cultivated.”¹ With a description like that we had to do some research. Although we didn’t find much, we can tell you that its common name is: Whitemouth Dayflower and it really does have some heavenly blue petals (see the picture).³ 26
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A few other herbaceous plants appear on the list but the liatris, or blazing star, grabbed our attention. Mr. Simpson elaborates, “Plants with erect habit bearing long spikes of handsome, purple flowers. We have over a dozen species in our state most of which are worthy of cultivation.”¹ There’s just something about purple flowers that draws us. On the website, Gardening Know How, we discovered, “There’s probably nothing more versatile and easy to grow in the garden than liatris blazing star plants…These 1 to 5 feet tall plants emerge from mounds of narrow, grass-like leaves. Liatris flowers form along the tall spikes, and these fuzzy, thistle-like blossoms, which are usually purple, flower from the top to the bottom…” They are cool looking flowers that remind us of feather dusters and that’s probably where they get their other name: gayfeather. Evening primrose is included but it’s not until we reach Physostegia virginiana that we see Mr. Simpson get excited again. He writes that it, “…is a beautiful plant found growing in moist places over a wide range of the eastern United States. It has narrow, glossy, serrate leaves and long spikes of tubular, irregular, purplish pink flowers. It was one of my favorites when a boy in Illinois and I am pleased to know that it also grows in Florida.”¹ We are a little shocked (and disappointed) that he’s not a Florida native! Ruellia is next. It caught our attention due to his description of its flowers. He says they are, “…salvar-shaped…”¹ What does that mean? Webster’s dictionary (circa 1913) says it means, “Tubular, with a spreading border.” Further investigation reveals that this is a common description among botanist. It is indicative of a salver which is a tray used for serving drinks in formal situations. And we all said, “Ahhh, very interesting,” as we stroked our chins in contemplation. As he closed up this section of the chapter he described Salvia coccinea, “…one of the sages and an old-fashioned garden favorite up north…”¹ He also mentions pink root (Spigelia marylandica), “A handsome plant distributed pretty well over the eastern United States…It has one-sided spikes of very pretty red flowers…”¹ and the violets. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
However, his conclusion focused on Yucca aloifolia, Spanish dagger or Spanish bayonet. We saw yucca and thought of Spanish cuisine. Wondering if the two were connected, we looked it up. As some of you may know, we’ve come to really appreciate Green Deane of Eat the Weeds (.com). Here’s what he has to say in his piece entitled: Yucca’s not Yucky. He writes, “For you survivalists, the yucca provides more than food…The roots and leaves can be rubbed in water to get a natural soap (that’s what makes the yucca bitter)…Also the leaves can be made into extremely strong cordage…” There’s a recipe on the site for sautéed yucca flowers with chipotle (in case you’re interested). While we doubt Mr. Simpson figured on eating any of these herbaceous plants, it is good to know that some of them serve more than one purpose in our gardens. We’ll look forward to learning about bulbous native plants next month. Until then, keep seeking knowledge! 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. 112-114). ²Johnson, K. (2014). What exactly does ‘herbaceous’ mean? The Telegraph. UK. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardeningadvice/11150968/What-exactly-does-herbaceous-mean.html ³Whitemouth Dayflower. The Institute for Regional Conservation. http://regionalconservation.org/ircs/database/plants/PlantPage. asp?TXCODE=Commerec ⁴Phipps, N. (2015). Liastris Planting Information: How to Grow Liastris Blazing Star. http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/ flowers/liatris/liatris-blazing-star.htm ⁵Deane, G. (2011). Yucca’s not Yucky. Eat the Weeds. http://www.eattheweeds.com/yucca-yuca-which-is-edible-2/ WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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The Ring’s the Thing: Key Ringneck By Ginny Mink
I grew up in South Florida, Fort Lauderdale to be exact. Imagine my surprise to discover that one of my favorite reptiles (as a child) is possibly on the threatened list! I had no idea that these wee creatures were in any danger at all. It seemed to me that there was such a plethora of them at my home there. I recall going outside in search of them, lifting up the landscape timbers that outlined the gravel area around our pool, and catching them with ease. In fact, just last week I was cleaning up debris (left by the previous owner) at my house and was thrilled to find a tiny fella hiding there under a rotting board. I caught him, took him inside and scared my children with him (Hazel and Jaidyn were the biggest chickens). Then I allowed Zeke to hold him until he tired of the little guy’s presence. Zeke let him go in the yard and away he went. Had I known what I know now, I might have been a good deal more protective of this little snake (they only average 10 inches in length). Or, I would have at least paid more attention to the definitive markings. Actually, there are two subspecies of ringneck snakes in Florida. I’m feeling pretty sure that the snakes I played with as a kid, and even captured recently, fall into the Southern Ringneck variety, but who knows? I didn’t understand the difference prior to the writing of this article. Apparently, “The Key ringneck snake was listed as a Threatened species in Florida in 1975. This listing provided legal protection from direct take without a permit.”¹ Research on these really-a-lot-of-fun snakes shows that the difference between the two sub-species is in the appearance (and of course, location). The Southern ringneck has a prominent ring (usually broken) around its neck.² The one I captured on my property definitely had a standout yellow ring around its neck. According to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Key ringneck has a very faint (sometimes non-existent) ring. They also have half-moon spots on their red/yellow/orange underbelly². The Key ringneck snakes have been found in Little & Middle Torch, Big Pine, No Name, and the Lower Keys. There is the possibility that, based on habitat, they could also survive on Cudjoe, Summerland, Sugarloaf and Ramrod Keys. They like rockland habitats and appear to need to be near sources of freshwater. The moist habitats are necessary for monitoring and maintaining their body temperatures. These snakes eat insects, worms, lizards, small amphibians, slugs, and other snakes. They probably lay about 4 eggs as that’s the average for the Southern ringneck. And, it is possible that they do this more than once a year. The species itself has been known to lay up to 10 eggs. Since there’s not documentation with certainty, this could actually apply to the Key ringneck. Researchers assume that there is a decline in the presence of Key ringnecks due to the degradation of their habitats. However, further study and investigation is necessary to determine if that is truth and at what rate the decline is occurring. People have cleared numerous pine rocklands and tropical hardwood hammocks over the last 40+ years. This implies that these little reptiles have also been removed. The roads we are so eager to build cre28
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ate separation between potential breeding pairs and this generates limited genetic diversity, which has been shown to lead to extinction. Storms can also drastically affect the lives of these minute creatures. When hurricanes and seawater surges add salinity to their much needed freshwater sources they are seriously impacted. The flooding and extra salt kills some of their prey, which is to their detriment as well. “Although the species has survived many hurricanes, severe saltwater overwash from very large storms has the potential to increase the salt content of freshwater ponds and brackish ponds to an extent that would eliminate them as suitable habitat.”¹ Fire ants are a problem too. In case you didn’t know, the red fire ants that have well-invaded Florida (and my yard) are imports! It is possible that these unwanted transplants are preying on the Key ringneck. In fact, non-native species are most definitely a problem. The Cuban tree frog, cane toad, and various introduced lizards are quite capable of focusing their diets on small reptiles. Feral and “outside” cats, as well as opossums, are also known to kill snakes. With that many predators, these little guys are in serious danger. Given the fact that the Key ringneck is only known to occupy a 9.7 square mile space, it makes perfect sense that we seek to protect its limited presence. The existing, suitable habitats need to be maintained and the altered, or decimated habitats should be rectified in order to provide these creatures with some semblance of security for continued existence. More importantly, perhaps, is the desperate need for the removal of non-native, invasive species. “Currently, there are several non-native animals in the Keys targeted for rapid response removal such as black spiny-tail iguanas (Ctenosaura similis), tegus (Tupinambis spp.), monitor lizards (Varanus spp.), and large-bodied snakes. In addition, numerous non-native invasive plant species are being actively removed from public and private lands in the Keys. These efforts should be continued and expanded to include untargeted species identified as a threat to the Key ringneck snake and its habitat.”¹ Educating ourselves is the first step in the recovery of the Key ringneck and its habitat. Then, it is important that we support those who are seeking to rescue endangered and threatened animals statewide. Finally, we should never release unwanted exotic pets into the environment. We are seeing the drastic repercussions of these choices in the Everglades and the Keys. Let’s save the Key ringneck, but more importantly, let’s protect God’s earth and the animals He put here, where He put them. Resources: ¹Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. (2013). A Species Action Plan for the Key Ringneck Snake. http://www.myfwc. com/media/2718849/Key-Ringneck-Snake-Species-Action-Plan-Final-Draft.pdf ²Florida Museum of Natural History. Snake Identification: Ringneck Snake. http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herpetology/fl-snakes/identification/snake-id-q34-ringneck Photo Credits: Florida Fish and Wildlife: https://flic.kr/p/ejdpVm (belly up) Cayobo: https://flic.kr/p/6XJC8h (snake on deck) WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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Florida
Mushrooms
By Sandy Kaster, M.S. Clinical Medicines, B.S. Nutrition Science
Florida summers are hot, but the rainy season and humidity also nurtures fresh mushrooms. One of the most delicious and nutritious mushrooms that grows in Florida is the shiitake mushroom, which is often seen in Asian dishes and gourmet markets. Shiitake mushrooms are very flavorful, savory, and pungent with a meaty, chewy texture. Grown on oak and other natural hardwood logs, the words shiitake comes from the Japanese words for “tree” and “mushroom.” They are considered symbols of longevity in Asian countries because of their many health benefits. Shiitake mushrooms are very high in protein and contain all of the essential amino acids, making it an ideal, balanced substitute for meat. They can be used the same way as white button mushrooms— stir-fried, sautéed, fried, grilled, baked, or boiled. Shiitake mushrooms are the third most widely produced mushroom in the world and the most popular specialty mushroom grown in America. Larger than the white button mushroom, shiitakes are dark brown to black in color, large, and umbrella-shaped. They have antiviral, antifungal, and anti-tumor effects. Consuming shiitake mushrooms has been associated with lower cholesterol blood pressure.
NUTRITIONAL PROFILE
Shiitakes are low in calories and high in a variety of nutrients. Particularly rich in B vitamins, shiitakes are an excellent source of pantothenic acid, a very good source of vitamin B2, and a good source of vitamin B6, niacin, choline, and folate. Additionally, they are an excellent source of selenium and copper, a very good source of zinc, and a good source of manganese, vitamin D and dietary fiber while also providing a wide variety of unique phytonutrients. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, a one half cup serving of cooked shiitake mushrooms (72 g) contains 41 calories, 1.1 g protein, 0.2 g fat, 10.4 g carbohydrate, and 1.5 g of dietary fiber. A single serving also provides 52% of the Daily Recommended Value (%DV) for pantothenic acid, 33% for selenium, 9% for vitamin B2 and zinc, 8% for manganese, as well as significant amounts of vitamins B3 and B6, choline, fiber, vitamin D, and folate.
HEART HEALTH
Shiitake mushrooms are traditionally used in herbal and Oriental medicine, largely because of their known cardiovascular benefits. Leninacin, also called d-eritadenine, is a naturally occurring compound in shiitakes that lowers blood cholesterol. Lowering cholesterol helps ensure clear arteries by decreasing the likelihood that fats and plaques will form clots through atherosclerosis. Additionally, compounds in these mushrooms can help protect blood vessels by making fat less likely to adhere to the vessel walls. Interestingly, shiitake mushrooms are full of a variety of antioxidants that also protect heart health. Shiitake mushrooms are very high in WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
manganese, selenium, and zinc, which are minerals that act as antioxidants in the body. Antioxidants combat the damage to blood vessels and arteries by chronic oxidative stress.
IMMUNE SUPPORT
Shiitake mushrooms, as well some other types of mushrooms, are well known for their role in supporting the immune system in fighting off diseases. However, shiitakes are unique in that they not only boost immune activity when needed but also prevent an excessive immune response. These mushrooms appear to help macrophages, a type of immune cell, more effectively clear away potentially cancerous cells from the body, giving them the reputation of being an anticancer food. Other immune supporting compounds in shiitakes are polysaccharides, a type of carbohydrate that lessens the effects of stress on the body’s immune system.
HOW TO SELECT AND STORE
Choose mushrooms that are firm, plump, and clean. Avoid any that are wrinkled or have wet spots. Store fresh shiitake mushrooms in a loosely closed paper bag in the refrigerator for up to one week. Dried mushrooms should be tightly sealed and stored in either the refrigerator or freezer for up to one year. To use dried mushrooms, rehydrate them in hot water for 15 minutes before using.
HOW TO ENJOY
Shiitake mushrooms are often seen in miso soup, hot-and-sour soup, and other Asian soups. They are also stir-fried in a variety of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Other ways to enjoy shiitake mushrooms are: • Saute mushrooms with onions and garlic to serve as a topping for chicken or beef • Add dried shiitake mushrooms to any soup to make it more flavorful • Slice and stir-fry with other vegetables • Saute shiitakes with soy sauce, snap peas and tofu, and serve over buckwheat soba noodles • Cut off stem and stuff mushroom caps with sausage and bake for Asian style stuffed mushrooms • Chop and stir-fry into fried rice or risotto • Slice thinly and add to any frittata or egg dish • Dice and add to ground turkey or beef for a healthier burger Enjoy delicious Florida shiitake mushrooms today and every day. Eating shiitake mushrooms is a great way to add delicious flavor while giving your health a big boost.
SELECTED REFERENCES
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ http://www.whfoods.com
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Continued from Pg. 25
Also negatively impacting Jeff Albritton’s citrus production is citrus greening. Citrus greening, also known as huanglongbing (HLB), is a bacterial disease that affects the tree’s vascular system and greatly reduces tree production, unlike citrus canker, which affects the trees stem, fruit and leaves. Greening is spread by the Asian citrus psyllid, which is not native to Florida. Citrus greening has taken a severe toll on Florida’s citrus industry and has reduced citrus production by 50 percent over the last decade. According to Florida Citrus Mutual, “Once infected, there is no cure for a tree with citrus greening disease. In areas of the world where citrus greening is endemic, citrus trees decline and die within a few years. The disease specifically attacks citrus plants and presents no threat to humans or animals.” Citrus greening has been confirmed in 32 Florida counties and has also reduced citrus production in Florida, Asia, Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and Brazil. To combat citrus greening Jeff currently employs nutritional sprays, approximately 9-10 sprays per year, and he injects liquid fertilizer into the irrigation system every 45 days to help reduce the effects of citrus greening on his groves. Jeff credits Jonathan Brown of Bethel Farms in Arcadia for helping him to optimize his citrus green-
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ing treatment plan with the implementation of a Nano technology nutritional program. Unfortunately, as citrus production decreases due to citrus canker and greening, groves are left with only barren, non-producing trees. Jeff explains, “We are no longer planting resets or solid sets in our groves. We are pushing up the groves and the land is being converted to sod fields and pasture land for cattle.” Through this conversion Tri-Britton, Inc. has grown their commercial cattle and sod production operations to offset the reduction in citrus production and to keep the family business operational. The family’s cattle operations make up a vital portion of the business. Through the business’ commercial cattle operation Jeff raises Brangus cross cattle. The Brangus cross cows are sired by Charolais and Brangus bulls. Heifers sired from the Brangus bulls are kept as replacement stock to continue growing the cattle operation portion of the family business. Steers and cull heifers are contracted to stockers and backgrounders out west. With current cattle trading prices down from just a few months ago, but still higher than years past, prices are
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expected to trend lower overall as beef production increases, relative to consumer beef demand. To remain competitive and profitable in this market Jeff continues to take advantage of opportunities to turn properties not suitable for citrus into viable improved and native pastureland to grow his cattle operation. Sod and seed production are another aspect of the family business Jeff has grown in recent years. Newly converted properties are cleared, leveled and planted with Bahia, St. Augustine, or Azolla grasses. Bahia fields are also used for cattle grazing and harvesting seeds to sell to local seed companies. After the drop of the housing market years ago, many sod businesses were forced to close their doors. Now that the housing market is beginning to rally, there is a shortage of sod available for residential and commercial properties and sod farming is increasing as a result. After the sod is cut, the land is rotovated, aerated, seeded, rolled, and fertilized to allow the land to reach the harvesting stage quickly so that sod can be cut every 8-9 months, ideally. Hay and silage are also produced on these properties to ensure the cattle operation can sustain the cattle during the winter. To say Jeff wears many hats would be an understatement. In addition to grandson, son, nephew, farmer, and rancher, Jeff’s favorite hat is Dad. His children Allie Grace, 16, Isaac, 15, and Reagan 12, are continuing the family’s agricultural legacy through their participation in FFA and 4-H and have exhibited market hogs at the Polk County Youth Fair. When Jeff isn’t working he enjoys hunting and fishing and spending time with his children. Although his interests are varied and his knowledge is vast, Jeff’s commitment to protecting the legacy and traditions that were established by his great-great grandfather many years ago is as unwavering as ever.
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HORSE OWNERS URGED TO ADDRESS DISEASE PREVENTION
Incidents of EEE and WNV Reported Animal health officials are encouraging horse owners to consider vaccinating their horses against Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile Virus (WNV), both transmitted by mosquitoes. There has been an increase of reported cases in Polk County and other parts of Florida. Recent reports included the first in the state for WNV and an additional EEE case in Polk County. The Equine Disease Communication Center (EDCC) reported “the six-year-old Arabian had no vaccine history for EEE and no recent travel history. Clinical signs began June 19 and the horse was euthanized for humane reasons the same day.� The EDCC said this is the third EEE case in Polk County and the seventh confirmed case in Florida for 2016. EEE is a viral disease that affects the central nervous system and is transmitted to horses by infected mosquitoes. Clinical signs of EEE include moderate to high fever, depression, lack of appetite, cranial nerve deficits such as facial paralysis, tongue weakness and difficulty swallowing. There may also be behavioral changes such as aggression, self-mutilation or drowsiness. Other signs include gait abnormalities or severe central nervous system actions such as head pressing, circling, blindness and seizures. When a horse has been bitten by an infected mosquito, the course of EEE can be swift, with death occurring two to three days after onset of clinical signs despite intensive care. Fatality rates among horses 34
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By Jim Frankowiak reach 75 to 80 percent. Horses that survive EEE might have longlasting impairments and neurologic problems, officials said. The clinical signs of both EEE and WNV can be consistent with other important neurologic diseases such as rabies and Equine Herpesvirus-1. Therefore, it is important for horse owners to work with their veterinarians to get an accurate diagnosis through laboratory testing. Officials also encourage horse owners to consult their veterinarian to determine an appropriate disease prevention plan for their horses. Vaccines have proven to be a very effective prevention tool. Horses that have been vaccinated in past years will need an annual booster shot. However, if an owner did not vaccinate their animal in previous years, the horse will need the two-shot vaccination series within a three to six week period. A horse cannot transmit EEE to a person, but the presence of infected mosquitoes in an area poses a risk to people as well as horses. Officials recommend the wearing of protective clothing, use of mosquito repellant and removal of standing water breeding sites to reduce mosquito populations. The most effective EEE prevention is vaccination. The vaccine is usually combined with vaccines for WNV and western equine encephalitis (WEE). Most owners usually vaccinate in the spring, but immunity to EEE is the shortest and wanes within about three to four months. Owners are encouraged to vaccinate every three-to-four months to protect against EEE. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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It’s Time To Vote! by John Dicks
It’s a funny thing about elections in Florida. Other than voting for the President, we hold our primary election just barely two months before the general election. Not that I’m complaining, mind you; but it is tough on candidates to sweat it out over the summer, focusing only on voters of their same party only to have the winner switch attention over Labor Day to the general election fast approaching. It’s especially strange to voters who are registered as independent or non-affiliated with any party since they are essentially ignored during the primary election (because they can’t vote for party candidates) but as the general election draws near they become the most sought after voters to candidates who have just clinched their own party’s primary election. To add confusion to things, while in primary elections Democrats can cast ballots only for Democrats and likewise Republicans only vote for Republicans, anyone of any party as well as independents and non-affiliated voters can all vote for their favorite candidates in non-partisan races regardless of any party affiliation. This ends up rather surprising for many and leads to some confusion on voting day. Even “voting day” is today a bit of a misnomer. This year, for example, the primary election is officially August 30th, but chances are that you and many of your friends have by the time you’ve read this already voted or soon will do so. That’s because our Florida Legislature has been very aggressive in promoting early voting and Vote-By-Mail. Early voting begins August 15th. In Hillsborough County, there’s a handful of polling places you can vote early and you can actually vote in any of the designated sites. That’s unlike the actual “voting day” of the election when you are required to vote only in your specific polling place near your neighborhood. What’s really become popular in Florida is voting by mail. While previously you could get an absentee ballot, but to do so required that you swear that there was a good reason you could not show up on election day. Now you can get a Vote-ByMail ballot just by asking, without giving any specific reason, and its free to return your marked ballot because the postage is paid for by us taxpayers. Vote-By-Mail and early voting has now become so popular in Florida that it is estimated nearly 50% of all votes cast will be
done before the election voting day itself! Incidentally, Florida is certainly not alone in this process. In fact the whole system of voting when it is convenient has become so popular in Oregon that all elections are now done by mail. That may be a surprise to some, but it’s been done that way in Oregon for the last 16 years! It appears that in Florida the popularity of Vote-By-Mail is growing, with each election seeing more and more people opting to do so. People like it because it’s convenient, takes little time to do so, and the whole process is free. To get a ballot, all that is required is a call to request one from the Supervisor of Elections office (in Hillsborough it’s 813-612-4180 and Polk County it’s 863-534-5888). When you return the ballot by mail (with no postage required), you must sign the outside of the envelope where marked, which is verified with your signature on file. It’s actually all rather interesting, considering that you’ve likely heard of great discussion and debate about whether to require voters to produce a photo ID when showing up to vote. Presently when you physically vote at the polling place itself (whether for Early Voting or on elections day) you are required in Florida to provide a current and valid picture identification with a signature. The ID must specifically be one of the following: • Florida Driver License • Florida ID Card issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles • U.S. Passport • Debit or Credit Card • Military ID • Student ID • Retirement Center ID • Neighborhood Association ID • Public Assistance ID • Veteran Health ID (issued by VA) • Concealed Weapon License (issued pursuant to s. 790.06) • Government Employee ID Regardless of how we decide to vote, or for whom, I am sure we all agree that we are thankful for living in America where we have the opportunity to do so!
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. 36
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Recipes Courtesy of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Chef Justin Timineri
Veggie StuffedIngredients Mushrooms 1 cup zucchini, finely diced 1/2 cup radish, finely chopped 1/2 cup onion, finely diced 1/2 cup bread crumbs 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1 egg 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 24 medium-sized mushroom caps, rinsed and stems removed
DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine all ingredients except mushrooms; mix well. Stuff mixture into mushroom caps and place stuffed mushrooms on a large baking pan. Bake until mushrooms soften and mixture begins to brown, approximately 15 minutes.
Florida Mushrooms Stuffed with Feta and Spinach INGREDIENTS 2 ¾ pounds Florida button mushrooms stemmed (about 48, each about 1 ½ inches in diameter) 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup) 1 (10-ounce) package chopped frozen
spinach, thawed, squeezed dry 8 ounces bacon slices 1 cup chopped onion 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook bacon in heavy, large skillet until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Coarsely crumble bacon. Discard all but 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons bacon fat (adding olive oil if necessary to equal that amount). Heat 2 teaspoons reserved bacon fat in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to medium bowl and cool; mix in bacon, spinach, feta, cream cheese and crushed red pepper. Season filling to taste with salt and pepper. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with foil. Toss mushrooms and reserved 1/4 cup bacon fat in large bowl to coat. Sprinkle 38
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mushrooms with salt and pepper. Place mushrooms, rounded side down, in single layer on prepared baking sheets. Bake mushrooms until centers fill with liquid, about 25 minutes. Turn mushrooms over. Bake mushrooms until brown and liquid evaporates, about 20 minutes longer. Turn mushrooms over again. Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon filling into each mushroom cavity (filled mushrooms can be prepared 1 day ahead). Cover and refrigerate. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake mushrooms until heated through, about 10 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to platter and serve warm. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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UF/IFAS study: Few people know mushrooms’ health benefits
By Brad Buck
Relatively few people are aware of the health benefits of mushrooms, according to a new national survey by University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researchers. Only 18.5 percent of survey respondents said they knew the health benefits of mushrooms, according to the online survey of 674 consumers. “Potentially, increasing knowledge about health benefits would be useful to the mushroom industry,” said Lisa House, a UF/IFAS professor of food and resource economics and an investigator for the study. Sue Percival, a UF/IFAS professor and chair of the department of food science and human nutrition and principal investigator for the study, published a study last year that documented how shiitake mushrooms can boost immunity. They’re also low in calories, fat-free, cholesterol-free, low in sodium, and they’re the leading source of the antioxidant selenium in the produce aisle, according to the National Mushroom Council. The study, to be presented at a national conference next week, revealed many other clues about consumers’ mushroom-buying habits. For instance, consumers prefer fresh mushrooms over processed ones, but their choice to buy and eat mushrooms may also be a matter of taste, texture, price and nutritive values, said Yuan Jiang, a food and resource economics doctoral student who conducted the survey.
of respondents said they had never bought fresh mushrooms, while 32 percent had never purchased processed mushrooms. Among the non-consumers of mushrooms, 62.7 percent cited taste as one of the most important reasons, while 55.8 percent said they didn’t buy mushrooms because of its texture, and 40 percent said price deterred them. “They thought the mushrooms were tough and chewy,” said Jiang, who will present the paper at the 2016 Agricultural & Applied Economics Association Annual Meeting in Boston. For fresh mushroom consumers, the differencemakers were taste, convenience and health benefits. Those buying processed mushrooms eat them mostly because they’re less expensive and they taste good. The study also showed that income level is related to fresh mushroom consumption. With 16 percent of world output, the United States is second only to China in global mushroom production, according to the study. In 2014-2015, the United States produced 862 million pounds of fresh mushrooms and 90 million pounds of processed mushrooms. The U.S. exported 105 million pounds of fresh mushrooms and 263 pounds of processed mushrooms that year. In fact, mushroom consumption has quadrupled in the U.S. since 1965, while consumption of processed – or canned – mushrooms, has steadily declined, the study says.
Jiang and her colleagues found about 20 percent 40
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UF/IFAS research could lead to more and healthier sorghum
By Brad Buck
A University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences researcher has identified two areas of the sorghum genome that could boost the plant’s resistance to the anthracnose disease. This finding could be a key to expanding sorghum production in the Southeast, said Wilfred Vermerris, an associate professor of microbiology and cell science with UF/IFAS. Most sorghum does not grow well in the Southeast because the hot and humid weather provides ideal conditions for the growth of the fungus that causes anthracnose, with leaf blight and stem rot as its symptoms.
Disease-resistant sorghums will enable expansion of this crop in the Southeast and benefit yield as well as quality of grain, sugars and biomass. “This will in turn make sorghum production more sustainable and less expensive with no costly and harmful fungicides needed and help keep down the cost of sorghum-derived products such as renewable fuels and chemicals,” Vermerris said. The new study is published online in the journal G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics, http://bit. ly/29UDTrm.
Sorghum is a source for table syrup and cattle feed that also shows great potential as a source for biofuel. It a huge grain: By acreage, it’s the fifth largest cereal crop in the world and the third largest in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 2014, the U.S. was the largest producer of sorghum in the world. For the latest study, Vermerris and other UF scientists used ‘Bk7,’ an anthracnose-resistant grain sorghum developed by Dan Gorbet, a professor emeritus of agronomy at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center. “We describe the identification of two previously unknown spots in the sorghum genome that provide resistance to anthracnose,” Vermerris said. Knowing the location of these resistant genes will make it much easier to track anthracnose resistance in breeding sorghums, he said. “That way, developing new sorghum cultivars and hybrids for the Southeast will be more efficient,” said Vermerris, who’s also affiliated with UF’s Genetics Institute.
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By Grady Judd, Polk County Sheriff
Enjoying our Agriculture Community
Taking care of Polk County’s lakes and agriculture property is a priority for the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Agriculture and Marine Units.
nuisance animals, animal fighting or search and rescue activities, our community partners help keep Polk County the best place to live work and play.
With over 500 lakes, and with approximately 45% of land designated as farmland area, Polk County is rich in resources and demands the careful attention of property owners and law enforcement. And we are working every day to ensure our property owners enjoy what they have. And because we work together, we can all enjoy what our county has to offer.
And while we work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week protecting our county, some days, we just have to step back and enjoy where we live.
The agriculture community provides deputies with firsthand information about suspicious activity in our lakes and on farm property - and we depend on that relationship every day. Agriculture deputies conducted 398 agriculture cases in 2015. And these cases are one of the reasons our crime rate is lower than it has been in 45 years in unincorporated Polk County and our contract cities. And PCSO Agriculture deputies work other law enforcement agencies when necessary, such as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Whether it’s 42
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On Wednesday, June 15, 2016, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, in partnership with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Polk Sheriff’s Charities, hosted a morning of fishing fun for area youth. The children were selected by deputies working in communities across the county to participate in the second annual “Fishin’ With Sheriff Judd.” Some parents and other family members also attended. The 64 participating Polk County youth were from area communities where Community Oriented Policing (COP) deputies patrol and interact with residents to prevent, suppress, and fight crime. These areas tend to WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
be comprised of lower socioeconomic neighborhoods where quality of life challenges exist, including relatively higher crime rates. COPs deputies interact with children, families, residents, and businesses in their assigned communities, building a good rapport and working with them to lower crime and improve quality of life. I have had the opportunity to enjoy Polk County’s natural beauty since I was a boy. But there are children in some of our economically distressed communities who have not. I believe every child deserves the chance to learn about conservation and responsible outdoor sports activities. Thanks to our community partners, children who might never have the chance to fish will get that
chance here. Deputies and FWC officers acted as “guides” and provided supervised “bait and tackle - catch and release” activities at the lake situated just to the south of the Sheriff’s Operation Center. And the youthful anglers enjoyed a lunch provided by Polk Sheriff’s Charities, Inc., after fishing. Professional and dedicated Agriculture deputies, solid partnerships with property owners and other agencies, along with planting positive seeds of good behavior in our most valuable resource, our children, is the way we keep Polk County great.
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Naturally A Closer Look Amazing Activities
by Sean Green
Mosquito Smudge If you like camping, hiking, fishing and generally being outdoors in Florida’s humid summers, you know the potential toll you pay is literally blood, sweat and tears. Mosquitoes in Florida would make much of the state uninhabitable if it were not for modern mosquito control programs. Florida’s Indigenous populations withstood the assault of mosquitoes and other biting flies for more than 12,000 years without modern insect repellant. Some of the native plants used by the Indigenous populations to endure mosquitoes are still known today and although not mainstream, those suggested for this activity have been scientifically verified to be as effective as modern commercial repellents though often for a shorter duration. Although smudging is intended as a spiritual activity, this month’s activity will include using smudge (smoldering plants) to create an insect repelling smoke screen and introduce some plants that can be used either directly on the skin or in the smudge pot.
Materials: • Smudge Pot or Smudge Stick • Plant Material (see below) • Ignition Source (lighter, matches, etc..) • Cotton Thread or TwineFan (4 to 6 inch) Using the Smudge Pot Use any container that can withstand a small bed of coals. Possibilities include old pails, tin cans or old pots. • Start a fire in the smudge pot and let it burn to form coals on the bottom ¼ of the pot • Pile loose plant material (green is best) onto coals to smolder into a thick smoke • Place one or more smudge pots strategically to create a smoke screen around you or your camp. Creating and Using a Smudge Stick Using any plant material that will smolder rather than flame and is not toxic when burned will work. The list provided is only a fraction of the plants and herbs that are commonly used. • Roll green plant material and or herbs together like a bouquet of flowers • Bind the roll of plants with cotton thread, starting from the bottom make a slipknot and wind the thread to the top, tie to secure • Hang the roll upside down to dry for a week or two. Light the end of the smudge stick to get a slow smolder, it can then be placed into a decorative tray, sea shell, for stationary smudge. It can also be attached to a stick, placed inside a leather sachet, or attached to a hat for a portable smoke screen. American beautyberry plant (Callicarpa americana) Many sources agree that this plant is the best natural mosquito repellent to be found in central Florida and it is abundant throughout Florida’s pine forests. Leaves can be crushed and spread on the skin to repel mosquitoes and other biting flies. Branches of crushed leaves placed between the harness and the horse repel deerflies, horseflies and mosquitoes according to personal accounts of Charles T. Bryson, an ARS botanist in Stoneville, Miss. The USDA-ARS at the UM natural products research center began investigating the beautyberry plant and identified three repellent chemicals during the 12-month study: callicarpenal, intermedeol and spathulenol.s Sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata) This plant is sacred to the Indigenous Peoples of North America. It is braided, dried and burned. When burned, the leaves of sweetgrass smolder creating a smoke that is smudged (fanned) on to people with a feather. The Indigenous Peoples value sweetgrass for its use in prayer and purifying ceremonies to attract positive energies and 44
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• Water • Salt • Ice good spirits, it’s tendency to repel mosquitoes and other biting flies is regarded as a gift from Mother Earth. The scientific community is increasingly confirming the ancient ways are as effective now as they have been for thousands of years. Dr. Charles Cantrell, a research chemist who works for the US Department of Agriculture identified the two chemicals in sweetgrass that repel mosquitos: phytol and coumarin. Coumarin is used commercially in many natural antimosquito products and is said to work as well as DEET. Phytol has promise but so far it’s mosquito repellent potential has only been published in scientific literature. Wax Myrtle (Morella cerifera, formerly Myrica cerifera) Indigenous Peoples in this part of the country utilized leaves of wax myrtle. Leaves can be crushed and spread on the skin, but requires frequent applications (10-15 minutes). This plants volatile aromatic compounds include ethyl acetate, commonly used in killing jars by entomologists. Extracts were shown to repel the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) in laboratory tests. Additionally, the compounds found in this plant stem and leaves are highly flammable and actually considered a fire hazard. It can be smoldered in a smudge pot to create an effective smoke screen that repels insects. Cedar Cedar has a history of being one of the best insect repellents known, consequently, a popular choice for clothing chests, landscape mulch, pet bedding, livestock stable mixes. Many natural insect repellents contain cedarwood oil as an ingredient. What is termed “Cedarwood Oil” is a natural derivative of volatile compounds found in one of three families of trees: Juniperus, Thuja and Cedrus. Among these families, the oils vary considerably in the kind and amount of chemical components. Cedar has a wonderful aroma and can be used in a smudge pot to create an aromatic smoke screen. Thyme (Thymus) Thyme can be planted and used topically or in a smudge pot as an aromatic mosquito repellent. Researchers from the University of Guelph in Ontario found crushed lemon thyme leaves reduced the biting activity of yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) by 62 percent, compared to being unprotected volunteers. A study published in the Journal of Medical Entomology found a mixture of 50/50 mix of thyme and clove oil was an extremely effective topical mosquito repellent and provided protection lasting from 1 ½ hr to 3 ½ hrs depending on the oil concentration but may be limited by the users sensitivity to the oils as these oils in high concentration can cause skin irritation or damage. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
A Closer Look
by Sean Green
A Fowl Smell Repels Mosquitoes fessor at the Swedish University of Agricultural Science heads up a study that was originally intended to determine how mosquitoes interact with other animals. Ignell sought to discover if certain animals attracted or repelled mosquitoes and conducted his studies in three Western Ethiopian villages in which humans and farm animals routinely share the same living space. The Mosquito studied, Anopheles arabiensis, feeds on both animals and human beings and is a significant malaria vector in Ethiopia. Collection and analysis of blood meals from over 1000 mosquitoes revealed that for the most part, Anopheles arabiensis strongly preferred human blood when seeking a host indoors and when outdoors, the mosquito feed randomly on other animals such as cattle, goat, and sheep and only one mosquito in the entire sample had a blood meal from a chicken. Furthermore the mosquitoes in the study not only appeared to avoid taking a blood meal from the chicken but consistently appeared to avoid the chicken entirely. With this new discovery the team of researchers collected fur, wool and feathers from common village animals to isolate and extracted the chemical components that characterize the animals scent. Once isolated, researchers could reproduce a pure essence of the scent of cattle, goat, sheep, and chicken. The essence that was produced was the focus of the second experiment in which thousands of villagers volunteered to serve as mosquito bait as researchers planted scent emitting devices in the sleeping quarters of the volunteer villagers, each villager was provided a device that emitted one of the four animal scents. Researchers found that in the rooms that included chicken scent devices there was a 90% to 95% reduction in mosquito counts when the mosquito traps were analyzed. Similarly, researchers conducted a test with over 6000 volunteers and live animals; sleeping quarters that featured a live caged chicken near the bed resulted in an 80% reduction of trapped mosquitoes.
Mosquitoes are problematic everywhere. It’s no secret they are the most dangerous animal in the world, responsible for more human deaths per year than human being themselves. In some countries such as Ethiopia, human death tolls from malaria reach tens of thousands each year. Modern research has expanded our understanding of the mosquito and thus armed our western civilization with tools to protect us from the onslaught of this tiny but potentially deadly insect. Contemporary solutions have their pitfalls, for example, toxins are effective, however, present biologic dangers to both pest and host; few natural predators feed on mosquitoes exclusively and therefore, become hard to sustain; bacterial and viral weapons can be species specific, but also prohibitively expensive. A recent study in Ethiopia has revealed interesting patterns in the feeding behavior of the malaria mosquito (Anopheles) thinning the veil of uncertainty and uncovering the potential for new methods of mosquito control. Scientists have discovered that the mosquito in the study seems to have an aversion to the scent of live chickens. A closer look at this study and the behavioral instincts of various mosquito species will be necessary to determine the extent to which new knowledge can be utilized in potential future solutions to combat mosquito borne illness. The new study published in the Malaria Journal last month reports new knowledge from old world Ethiopia, a country that suffers on average 70,000 deaths per year due to malaria. Rickard Ignell, a proWWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Every animal, including insects, evolves to avoid predators. Mice, for example, instinctively avoid the scent of natural predators such as cats and rats. Similarly, mosquitoes in the Culex genus have been observed avoiding bodies of water that include predators such as backswimmers (Notonecta), and mosquito fish (Gambusia). In this study, the mosquitoes responded to the scent of a chicken. Although the chicken is not a primary predator, its scent resulted in a distinct behavioral change nonetheless. While it is commonly known that mosquitoes use exhaled carbon dioxide, body odors and temperature to locate a blood meal, less is known about how the mosquito detects and avoids natural predators. A decade ago when the mosquito genome was first sequenced, scientists assumed the odorant receptors (ORs) on the mosquitoes antenna worked like the sensors in a mammals nose. It is now known that the mosquitoes ORs, are sensitive to specific predator-released kairomones (PRKs). The kairomones (pheremone like chemicals) that are released by a predator such as the backswimmers (Notonecta) are pheremone like compounds that trigger an instinctive response such as avoiding laying eggs in a body of water that has an abundance of predators, or seeking a blood meal from an animal that may feed on the mosquito such as the chicken. Researchers have discovered at least 75 different ORs, some of which are components of popular insect repellents containing DEET. The ORs do not mask the attractants in mammal breath and sweat, but rather, trigger an instinctual evolutionary behavior of avoidance. This study certainly does not provide a silver bullet for mosquito control, but it is a terrific beginning. Chemical identification of PRKs will facilitate the study of predator– prey interactions; taking a closer look can potentially enhance efforts to protect ourselves from the most dangerous animal in the world.
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Tel: 813.759.6909 Info@inthefieldmagazine.com 2015 MAHINDRA EMAX TRACTOR
ANIMALS & NEEDS ANIMAL & BIRDCAGES
Equipment serving the fur bearing animal & exotic bird industry! Cages built to order. Wire by roll or foot. (813) 752-2230. Call Don Ammerman. www.ammermans.com July 17, 2016, Nov. 27, 2016
4wd with 60” mid mount mower. 39 hours, warranty. $9,950 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
HUSTLER RAPTOR
42” cut, 21 hp Kohler engine. 3 year warranty. $2,799 Call Alvie (813) 759-8722
FOR RENT
CHICKEN MANURE FOR SALE
Millcreek Pine Bark Row Mullcher. For blueberry farms, six yard, PTO drive need at least a 30hp tractor. Call 863-604-2526 for rental details.
Dry and available IMMEDIATELY! Call Tim Ford (863) 439-3232
BUILDING SUPPLIES METAL ROOFING
Zero Turn Mower 52” cut, 23hp. Kohler engine, 3 year warranty. $2,799 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
BRAND NEW BUSH HOG ES2052 zero turn mower. Price reduced from $5,425 to $5,000 Call Alvie 813-750-8722
BRAND NEW HUSTLER X1
60” cut price was $10,356 buy now for $8,800. Call Alvie 813-759-8722
PRODUCE
Thousands of 8ft. & 10ft. sheets. In Stock. Prices from $6 and up. Custom lengths available. 813-752-7088 ask for Ferris.
FRESH PRODUCE
Forbes Road Produce. Open everyday from 7:30am - 8pm. Forbes Rd. & I-4 @ exit 17. Come out and see us!
ALUMINUM
We have all your aluminum needs! Screen Room, carports & awnings. Call Blake (813) 752-3378
LAWN EQUIPMENT/ SUPPLIES BRAND NEW HUSTLER RAPTOR
REAL ESTATE
1976 INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER 674
WINDOW SCREENS
We make window screens of all sizes available in different frame colors. Call Ted(813) 752-3378
CABINETS
All wood kitchen cabinets. All wood vanities. Granite counter tops. Custom made to your size. Call Blake 813-752-3378
2wd, very good condition. $8,500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
HESSTON 3710 TEDDER
Priced to sale. Call Alvie 813-759-8722
FORD 6700 TRACTOR
$3,500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
FOR SALE
17 acre blueberry farm, turn-key operation. Located near hwy 98 & 54. Polk & Pasco line. Over 24,000 plants, 12” well. equipment, everything you need. $285,000 Call 863-604-2526 or 863-689-5458
T-111
ROSSI CADDY 8 HAY RAKE Call Alvie 813-759-8722
MOBILE HOME TUBS
KITCHEN CABINETS & VANITIES
CALL FOR A WINDOW QUOTE. We
METAL WAREHOUSE DOORS & WINDOWS SPECIAL ORDER 3200 sq. ft. Metal warehouse for lease.
4X8 sheets 4” on center. $26.95 Call Blake 813-752-3378
FOR SALE
Metal brand new in bo 54” Mobile Home Tubs Call Ted (813) 752-3378 $199.00 are a Simonton/MI Windows dealer. Our windows are energy star, lifetime warranty. Call Broke & Poor 813-752-3378
FARM EQUIPMENT
No upcharge. House & Mobile Home. Many standard sizes in stock. Ask for Blake. (813) 752-3378
GROVE EQUIPMENT SERVICE
Air Blast Sprayer. Good condition. $3,750.00 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
7X15 LAWN TRAILER
Used Lawn Trailer with aluminum plate tool box. 5ft tongue & heavy duty gate. $1,650 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
HAVE SOMETHING TO SELL?
10 - 30 acres of property available Get quality all wood cabinets for less than the for farming in Pasco County. Call Nick 813-967-3858 BIG Box STORES! Call Today! Ask for Blake. (813) 752-3378
JOBS
FMC 352
Call us today! 813-759-6909 or email us: info@inthefieldmagazine.com Let us help you get rid of it!
PROPERTY AVAILABLE
is looking for agriculture/tractor mechanics at both the Bartow & Plant City locations. Having own tools is a plus. Pay based on skill and experience. Call Bartow at 863-537-1345 or Plant City at 813-759-8722
Now Hiring Experienced Barn Builders”. 813-754-1766
Located in E. Bartow off of highway 60. For more information call 863-221-0986
SERVICES CALLER ON HOLD
A low cost service that enables you to communicate important information about your business to customers while they are on hold. No monthly payments or annual payments. Call today and ask for Al (813) 763-2220
MISC. FREE
Wooden Shipping Pallets All sizes! Call Alvie 813-759-8722
HORSE PANELS
Brand NEW portable cattle/horse panels. 1 5/8”, 18 gauge, 66” tall & 10 foot long. Painted dark green. Total of 66 panels. $70.00 per panel. Call 863-581-0171
RUBBER MULCH
All Colors, buy 10 bags, get 1 FREE! $8.99 a bag. Call Ted (813) 752-3378
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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
August 2016
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
August 2016
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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
August 2016
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM