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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
January 2017
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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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Jr Cash Heart of the Youth Fair
VOL. 10 • ISSUE 4
page 24
Polk County Cattlemen’s Association P.O. Box 9005 • Drawer HS03 Bartow, FL. 33831-9005
Contents JANUARY 2017 Master Gardener
Holiday Plants
Fishing Hot Spots
Allyson Polston
Baiely Tilley
John Dicks
Meet the Minks
Recipes
Rocking Chair Chatter
Bartow Sr. FFA
Page 34
Page 10
Page 35
Page 14
Page 36
Page 16 Page 20
Page 38
Page 22
Literary Time Machine
Page 40
Page 26
Youth Fair
Endangered Species
Polk County Sheriff
Page 28
Jack Payne
Page 30
Florida Buttercup Squash
Page 31
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Page 41 Page 42 Activity
Page 44 A Closer Look
Page 45 January 2017
President – Ray Clark 4484 Swindell Road Lakeland, FL 33810 (863) 640-0719 rclark@tampabay.rr.com
J. B. Wynn PO Box 197 Alturas, FL 33820 (863) 581-3255 jbwynn29@gmail.com
Vice President – Carlton Taylor 9875 Hancock Road Lakeland, FL 33810 (863) 858-1771 L2brangus@aol.com
Alternate – Scott Shoupe 6130 Allen Lane Lakeland, FL 33811 (863) 581-7593 Scott_shoupe@hotmail. com
Secretary/Treasurer - Justin Standing Committee Bunch Chairs: PO Box 849 Highland City, FL 33846 Membership- J.B. Wynn (863) 425-1121 Events- Kevin Fussell jbunch@agriumretail.com Trade Show- Bridget Stice State Director – David McCullers 1000 Hwy 630 W Frostproof, FL 33843 (863) 635-3821 crookedlakeranch@verizon. net
Rodeo- Fred Waters PO Box 463 Alturas, FL 33820 (863) 559-7808
Website – Adam Norman 2115 West Pipkin Rd Donald Conroy Lakeland, FL 33811 3882 Lake Buffum Rd East (863) 944-9293 Fort Meade, FL 33841 Adamnorman1977@gmail. (863) 412-0790 com risingc@verizon.net Cattlewomen – President, Mike Facente Megan Atkinson 4465 Poyner Oaks Rd N. 3970 Gerber Dairy Rd Polk City, FL 33868 Winter Haven, FL 33880 (863) 697-9419 (863) 559-1228 Megamess007@yahoo. L.B. Flanders, DVM com 944 Wedgewood Lane Lakeland, FL 33813 Extension – Bridget Stice (863) 644-5974 PO Box 9005, Drawer HS03 Kevin Fussell Bartow, FL 33831 4523 Fussell Rd (863) 519-1048 Polk City, FL 33868 bccarlis@ufl.edu (863) 412-5876 Sheriff’s Dept. – Sgt. Paul Mike Fussell Wright 4520 Barush Rd 1891 Jim Keen Blvd. Bartow, FL 33830 Winter Haven, FL 33880 (863) 698-8314 (863) 557-1741 fussell.flafarm@gmail.com pw5281@polksheriff.org Moby Persing 3380 Sam Keen Rd Lake Wales, FL 33853 (863) 528-4567 Dave Tomkow 3305 US Highway 92 E Lakeland, FL 33801 (863) 665-5088 cattlemenslivestock@ earthlink.net
Warner University – Dalton Bush 17 Skidmore Rd. Winter Haven, FL 33880 (863) 585-9530 Dalton.bush@warner.edu
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January 2017
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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 is fair time! Up first is the Polk County Youth Fair, January 21 – 27 in Bartow. The competitions held during the week include a variety of livestock shows, ornamental plants, table decorating and the list goes on and on! There is something for everyone. Shortly following the conclusion of the Polk County You Fair is the Florida State Fair, held February 9 – 20 in Tampa. The 12-day event highlights agriculture from across the state, bringing together the best of the best to vie for a variety of awards. The first fairs gave visitors the opportunity to see other livestock, new equipment, crops and other things they may not have easy access to on a daily basis. These fairs quickly became a tradition that grew and expanded to include a multitude of things. But one thing has remained true with most fairs – agriculture. Fairs allow those far removed from the farm to reconnect with their agricultural surroundings. Take in a showmanship competition and tell the students you see that you are proud of the job they are doing and the hard work they are putting in to their project. I love that fairs showcase the hardworking folks who raise livestock and grow crops to help feed our nation. While at the Florida State Fair, visit the In The Field magazine booth in the Agriculture Hall of Fame building. We would love to meet you. Until Next Month
Sarah
Sales Manager Danny Crampton Sales Al Berry Tina Richmond Danny Crampton Melissa Nichols Lisa Donini 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
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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Ready or not, here we are in 2017. I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Years holiday break. I know my grandkids had a wonderful time from school and college. It has been really busy since our last article. We had the FCA quarterly meetings at the Stuart Center and a wonderful steak dinner at our FCA President, Ned Waters’ ranch. We also had a wonderful time grilling steaks for our Farm Bureau friends for their Legislative luncheon at the Stuart Center. Changing gears, we also have a new leader of our great Nation. I hope that during his four years, that he remembers, agriculture and our farmers and ranchers that help feed the world. I hope to see some trade issues worked out with other countries that will put the American farmer and rancher back in command of regulated prices for our products. Although we may not all agree with our new President, we have to support him and let our agriculture voice be heard. Moving on we have many important dates coming up and you need to mark your calendars. Starting January 21, we have the Polk County Youth Fair starting, going through January 27. We have many of our younger cattlewomen and cattlemen, who will be exhibiting their projects, with some of these being sold at auctions. Please, get out there and buy or add on to their project sales. They are our future. Support the 4-H and FFA members during this Youth Fair. After the Youth Fair we have our annual Ranch Rodeo and Trade Show coming up
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on Saturday, February 11. Be sure to come out and enjoy a great day watching these cowboys and cowgirls working the livestock. Also let me mention, we have new bleachers around the arena, better seating and much more room. Also our Trade Show is getting larger and better every year with more venders supporting our farmers and ranchers. And don’t forget the great food that our Cattlewomen have for sale, home cooked and fresh from the farm. Another date you need to remember is the 34th Annual Florida Cattlemen’s Institute & Trade Show, January 19, at the Turner Center in Arcadia. I hope to see you at these events. In closing I want to wish all of you a great year. It looks to be an exciting year with new leadership in Washington and as always the Blessings of God and all his Angels he puts around us every day as we wake up and get on our tractors or saddle up our horse or any other things we do each day on our jobs or working on our ranches. Always be safe. They claim there are more deaths and injuries in farming than any other career. May our Trails cross soon, God Bless You,
Ray Clark
Ray Clark Polk County Cattlemen’s Association President
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In Tokyo, a bicycle is faster than a car for most trips of less than 50 minutes. There are 18 different animal shapes in the Animal Crackers cookie zoo. Your body is creating and killing 15 million red blood cells per second. The king of hearts is the only king without a moustache on a standard playing card. There are no clocks in Las Vegas gambling casinos. There is one slot machine in Las Vegas for every eight inhabitants. The names of Popeye’s four nephews are Pipeye, Peepeye, Pupeye, and Poopeye
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Wetland Treasure
Florida Master Gardener By Debra Howell, Florida Master Gardener UF/IFAS Extension Polk County As set forth by the United States Department of Agriculture, “Wetlands are Florida’s treasures. Southern swamps, freshwater marshes and riparian wetlands provide habitat for a vast array of rare plants and animals found nowhere else in the world.” The recently completed Peace River Trail in Fort Meade winds through the wetland ecosystem known as the upper Peace River corridor for 2.6 miles on the east side of Peace River. Although construction of this trail commenced in the early summer of 2015, it was delayed by torrential rains that caused Peace River to overflow its banks, hampering construction of the two bridges which connect sections of the trail. According to the Florida Department of Transportation Project Manager, Joel Hobbs, the trail itself is composed of “crushed shell and concrete,” which needed refinishing following the rains. Even with the heavy rains, there was always an area that remained dry, and through perseverance the project was completed. In a recent issue of The Ledger, columnist Tom Palmer proclaimed that, “Peace River Trail worth the wait.” In the past month, Polk County Master Gardener, Pat Farris, and I have walked this wetland trail. The first hike was on a day that started out at a temperature of 39 degrees. We hiked all 2.6 miles in about an hour and a half. Along the way we took in the river flood plain with trees such as water and myrtle oaks, sweet gums and majestic cypress. In spite of the cold weather, we still saw butterflies like the Gulf fritillary and white peacock. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension (UF/IFAS Extension) website, Florida Wetlands, https:// soils.ifas.ufl.edu/wetlandextension/about.htm, lists reasons that the wetland ecosystem is favored by many species of animals. It states that vegetative cover provides shelter for the animals from predators, nesting for waterfowl, a rest stop for migratory bird species, nursery 10
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habitat for fish and shellfish and contains a food chain that supports numerous species. Species which require a wetland habitat to complete at least part of their life cycle are called obligate species. In the wetland environment, the hydro period, which is seasonal fluctuation of the water, is caused by seasons, weather and water drainage from tributaries such as lakes and streams. Tributaries along this stretch of the Peace River include Spring Branch, Rocky Branch and Bowlegs Creek. The river, as well as Bowlegs Creek, are meaningful to me, for as an amateur archaeologist with six of the nine protected sites along this 2.6 mile stretch, I am designated as a “shareholder.” On our trips down this trail, Pat and I saw wild hog tracks and many coyote droppings, as well as numerous bird species. The following constitutes a short list of plants which were evident in this ecosystem along the trail: sand cordgrass (Spartina bakeri), Tillandsia, climbing Aster and St. Andrews cross. St. Andrews cross is a Hypericum and a relative of St. John’s wort. The term “wort” means “weed.” The plant we encountered was directly beside the bridge footer and was adorned with four-petalled yellow flowers in the shape of a cross. They have small, narrow leaves and attractive mahogany colored stems, and may be found from the Carolinas to Florida in Zones 8-10. They grow in damp areas, sandy woodlands and coastal dunes. Tillandsia, or air plant, belongs to the family Bromeliaceae, which also includes pineapples and Spanish moss. The genus contains about 650 species of perennial flowering plants. The type we saw is the fasciculate, also called “wild pine” because of its pineapple kinship. These bromeliads are found not only in the Southern United States, but also in the hammocks, deserts, forests and mountains of the West Indies and South and Central America. They are Florida’s WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
most common bromeliads. Sand cordgrass is a very handsome native grass found in its natural state in woods and wetlands. It has thin, long blades that grow in an arching fashion and forms a thick clump. In recent years, this plant has become popular in the home landscape, as well as in commercial applications such as golf courses. It may be used as a mass planting, accent or for erosion control in wetland applications. Climbing Aster, or blanket Aster, is a native beauty that produces year-round lavender-pink blooms. It is vine-like with a sprawling nature and a tendency to climb other shrubs, fences, etc. It likes a moist environment and may be cultivated along the banks of streams and rivers. On the riverine floodplain forest floor were beautiful examples of bald cypress trees with their “buttressed” trunks. UF/IFAS Extension explains that high water levels are harsh for many plants and need the help of specialized adaptations such as the buttressed tree trunks of the bald cypress. This terminology indicates that the tree trunks swell out at the base to provide additional support in the water. In many WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
wetland areas, these trees are under threat from logging for their use in construction and for landscape mulch. Florida’s wetland areas serve a very important purpose for us. They clean pollutants from our water, and then store the water and control flooding. Because of their importance, we need to be more respectful of our “wetland treasures.” According to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, we have lost almost half of 20 million wetland acres since settlers began draining and diking wetlands in the 19th Century. Since the 1970’s, the most extensive losses have been in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, South and North Carolina, and Florida. The take-away here is that we need to cultivate a deeper appreciation for our rare and precious wetland areas, and we need to strive to protect the Florida waterfront and our riparian wetland treasures. If you have questions regarding your landscape, you may call your local Extension Service office for help find the answer. You can reach the UF/IFAS Extension Polk County Plant Clinic at 863-519-1041 or online at http://polkextension.com. The Plant Clinic is open Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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Tampa Bay Fishing Report January 2017 Capt. Woody Gore (www.captainwoodygore.com)
Well, it’s finally January 2017 and in Florida we’re probably going to get some of our coldest temperatures this month and next. So, as the water temperatures drop believe me when I say fishing’s most likely gotten or is about to get tough. What to do? Well, part of the reason fewer fish are caught is because the fishermen are too cold to fish effectively, or the winds make it more difficult. Sort of the same reasons cold fronts seem to slow things down; it’s more a matter of the how tough is the angler rather than can they get the fish to bite.
Defensive Tactics for Winter Angling:
Dress to be as comfortable and safe as possible. Try to stay out of the winds by fishing sheltered locations, because it makes boat control and lure presentation much easier. Here are a few points about winter fishing and patterning where you’re going to fish. Remember fish tend to school together as water temperatures drop, it also tends to pull them out of the shallow water and send them looking for deeper water, usually in creeks and canals with muddy bottoms and docks. Their metabolism slows so they eat less food and are willing to take smaller lures and baits. And finally, because of their sluggish and slow metabolism, fish slow down; so make your presentation unhurried and accurate. I’ve found with smaller greenbacks (sardines) a very slow deliberate reel seems to trigger more strikes. There are plenty of fish to catch during the winter months, all you have to do is go fishing. This time of the year we get the big jack crevalle, blue fish, mackerel, sheepshead, snapper, orange mouth grunts and the list goes on. Just put on your jacket, get your rod and reel and head out for a fun day on Tampa Bay.
What’s Biting? Let’s Go Fishing Snook: Fishing is one of those on then off again things in
the cooler months, which also depends on the sardine situation if you’re using live bait. The average size being caught seems to be around 22 to 27 inches, but once in a while one of the bigger ones will slip up and chase down a fleeing greenback or gobble up cut bait off the bottom. However, if you can get live baits you’re ahead of the game. Greenbacks off the flats usually run smaller during the cooler months, so down-
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size your hooks and leader. And keep in mind, as the temperatures drop, look for deep water canals, rivers, and creeks with deep muddy-bottoms.
Spotted Sea Trout: Incoming or outgoing tides and a
top water lure produce awesome strikes on a calm early morning flat. And of course the old standby, a live shrimp under a popping cork always results in fish. The trout population is strong and we have been landing some large trout. The 20 plus inch fish seem to be more plentiful than in the past few years. So, if you’re looking for some nice trout action don’t forget to check out grass and rock bottoms with some artificial jerk baits. Many times you’d be surprised at the results.
Redfish: As cooler weather approaches the algae dies and
the waters begin clearing. This triggers some fairly decent site fishing for Florida’s much sought after redfish. Low tides and clear water make site fishing reds a shallow water anglers dream. And as usual we’re catching reds in mullet schools using cut, live bait and also artificial lures. So, you can also expect some exciting strikes when pitching soft plastics or top water’s around the mangroves on high in coming tides. Winter patterns also include pitching shrimp and artificial lures around deep water residential docks.
Grouper and Snapper: Even with the tighter regulations, grouper and snapper fishing are very good. Going out and getting a lot of bottom fish action never seems to be a problem, and even the nearshore bite is doing well. However, keeping up with all the rules and regulations is unbelievable. It does not seem reasonable to spend the money on gas to run too far offshore for grouper and snapper fishing with all the new limits and closures. Recreational Gag Grouper season is closed from January 1 through May 31. Red Grouper season is closed from February 1 through May 31. Other Shallowwater Groupers include black grouper, yellow-mouth grouper, scamp, and yellowfin grouper are closed from February 1 to May 31. And Red Snapper are closed from Jan 1 - May 31. When Quota is Met Through December 31 (whatever that means to the average recreational angler). Cobia: The cooler temps should push fish into warm water
runoffs of local power plants. Be certain to adhere to the reWWW. ININ THE FIELD MM AGAZINE.COM WWW. THE FIELD AGAZINE.COM
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stricted areas. Don’t forget to check the shallow water beach edges adjacent to the runoffs, because cobias like migrating to and from the warm water along the shore lines.
Sheepshead:
If you’re looking for Sheepshead check around bridges, oyster bars and deep water docks. Try using mussels, fiddlers (if you can find them), small black rock crabs, shrimp or oysters and scrape the pilings to get them going.
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Visit his website at: WWW.CAPTAINWOODYGORE.COM send an email to wgore@ix.netcom.com or give me a call at 813-477-3814
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Bailey Tilley 2000 - 2016
By Melissa Nichols Living big and dreaming bigger, those were the plans for Bailey Tilley of Lake Wales. Bailey was full of life, the life of any young country boy. He was “huntin’ fishin’ and lovin’ every day.” The 16 year old was an active member of Winter Haven High School FFA. Bailey served as the Sentinel of his schools Future Farmers of America Chapter this year. He often said getting involved in FFA gave him so much to look forward to and a reason to want to go to school. Bailey attended forestry camp this summer with his school and other high school students from around Polk County and came home talking about his future. He had big plans that varied from something in the forestry industry, an industry he was quickly becoming very fond of, or starting his own blueberry farm. Bailey told his mom Terica that he planning on applying to Warner University and being part of the growing agriculture program at the college. Bailey fished every single chance he had and has been a member of Lakeland Jr Hawg Hunters for the past five years, a group of youth fisherman who competition fish. These young men (and women) take fishing to a whole new level competing in fishing tournaments all around the state of Florida. Last year, upon joining FFA, Bailey helped to start a fishing tournament with the FFA Alumni at Winter Haven High School. They hosted the Big Bass Blast fishing tournament on Lake Shipp in Winter Haven. Bailey was a young man who didn’t know how to do anything but smile, work hard, hunt and fish. He was happy and always had a smile on his face. He also never backed down from a challenge and loved to try new things. Last year Bailey competed in the tractor driving, forestry and livestock judging contests, all of which were new to him, but he had no problem excelling and learning new things. Bailey was so loved he truly had friends from around the county and the state of Florida, as he never met a stranger.
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He was just a country boy at heart, his mom says. Tragically on December 29 Bailey died as the result of injuries from a car accident. He leaves a huge hole in the hearts of all those who loved him or ever crossed his path. Bailey had hoped and dreamed for a long time of being able to show a market hog in the Polk County Youth Fair. Last year his hog was too big and went over the weight restrictions, this year his hog was the perfect weight. Bailey spent a lot of time and hard earned money to raise the hog. Terica has requested that his hog be shown at this year’s youth fair by a friend of Bailey’s because she wants to see her son’s goal become a reality despite the tragedy. The family is also putting together a memorial fund for Bailey to do things to help other youth throughout the county. If the pig is able to be shown and sold, funds from that sale on Jan 24 will go to this memorial fund. Winter Haven High School FFA Alumni members Ricci Golden Woods and Lisa Cribbs are also organizing the 2nd Annual Big Bass Blast without the assistance of Bailey this year, but in his honor. The tournament will take place on February 18 on Lake Shipp. They are looking for both sponsors and participants. If you are interested in helping please contact Lisa or Ricci. There will also be onshore activities for those who do not have a boat. Businesses or individuals interested in helping with the Bailey Tilley Memorial fund can do so by supporting the 2nd Annual Big Bass Blast or come out to the PCYF and support his market hog project. Please come out and help keep Bailey’s dream alive in the future! Bailey leaves behind a loving family and thousands of friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this time. For more information contact: RICCI WOODS, President - 863-307-9101 LISA CRIBBS, Vice President - 863-224-2081
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By Ginny Mink One thing you might not know about the Minks, is that we have been gifted by God with access to some absolutely amazing friends. One such friend, Denise, offered to take us to North Carolina the week after Christmas. She has a cabin in the mountains there and was excited to take the kids and me for their first out of state jaunt. Actually, J and I have had other adventures but this was Hazel and Zeke’s first big vacation.
In North Carolina
o’clock. But in truth, he stayed awake the ENTIRE trip and was even hard to get to bed once we got there. He was by far the most enthusiastic about this grand adventure.
She picked us up at our home in Lakeland and we were off. From Lakeland to Ocala it was kind of rough. The kids are not used to being in a car that long and they were a little antsy. Denise, and I were both concerned that this trip was going to be regrettable. However, after a good time at a Chick-fil-A playground, things seemed to settle down. And, by the time we waved bye to the Florida state line, the kids got into the groove of traveling. We praised God (inwardly).
J took Zeke and Hazel for their first mountain climbing trek. They came back pretty quickly because, as Hazel revealed, “They wanted me to walk through sticks and stuff!” She said they were mean, and they said she had to stay home. So, the boys left again and Hazel stayed inside watching Paw Patrol. When the boys returned, they spoke of the rocks they found and what J referred to as a “homeless camp” on the side of the mountain. Zeke was all red cheeked and sparkly eyed. You could tell he felt like he’d truly been on an adventure. I love when he gets really excited about something. Three year olds are still so full of wonder and thrill that it makes you envious of their innocence.
I pointed out the cotton fields in Georgia. Hazel was slightly interested. I shared with her that my Pappaw had run away from home and had ended up working in the fields picking cotton. I told her that he only made $0.25 a day and her eyes grew wide. When I explained to her that those white tufts were put into machines and eventually made her clothes, she squealed, with absolute wonder, “AMAZING!” Denise added, “What’s more amazing is that someone figured out how to do that.” We discussed how incredible it was that a plant was responsible for the thread that makes our attire. I think we all had a moment of silence in sheer awe.
On Friday of our trip, we went into Bryson City. There’s a place in town that used to be a Tampa based restaurant, Jimmy Mac’s. Denise wanted me to try the buffalo burger. J and I both ordered one. He got his with three different kinds of cheese and I got mine with bleu cheese and bacon. The kids were too chicken to branch out and settled for grilled cheese instead. I can tell you, with complete and utter honesty, I have never had a more scrumptious burger in all my life! I ate nearly the entire thing. J polished off what I couldn’t. If you ever happen into this neck of the woods, I would recommend that eating establishment.
It wasn’t until we were about half an hour from the North Carolina line that we started being inundated with the, “Are we there yet?” questions. Zeke was the worst offender. He had been adamant that he was not going to bed when we got to North Carolina and Denise told him, “Good. I need you to stay up all night with me and help me drive.” I figured he would lose that sleep battle somewhere around 9
Friday evening, Denise looked at me with some sorrow and announced that Saturday and Sunday were going to be sunny and warm. I didn’t let that hinder my faith. The kids and I have been praying fervently for the last month that it would snow enough for us to play in it. Today, at about 1 pm the flurries started. I was ecstatic. My kids can now say they have seen REAL snow! They have caught it
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on their hands and felt its icy kiss on their cheeks and noses. We are still praying for more. J just announced, “It’s snowing again, you have to look really close, but it is.” I’m so glad he’s excited about it too! What a gift this trip has turned out to be. I’ve gotten to share a bit with them about an agricultural product that we don’t grow in Flori-
da. They’ve had the opportunity to see snow, and run up mountains. We cannot thank Denise enough for her generosity. Hazel is telling me, “My hands are so cold they’re hurting,” but she says it with a wide smile. An amazing end to a rather heinous year, and a wonderful beginning for a better one to come! We look forward to the excitement that 2017 is sure to bring.
January Newsletter: Evie Bodiford My name is Evie Bodiford, and I am a junior at Lake Gibson Sr. I am the reporter for the Polk County Federation and I am president of the Lake Gibson Sr. FFA chapter. In FFA I compete in extemporaneous Public speaking, Livestock judging, opening and closing ceremonies, and job shadowing. I also have shown pigs for the last four years, but this year I will be showing a steer, and I cultivate plants for the plant auction at the Polk County Youth Fair. My favorite thing about FFA is the leadership and friendships you make. This organization has changed me in so many ways. I’ve learned how to be a leader and help others. I’ve always been able to speak in front of a crowd of people, so I have really enjoyed competing in all the speaking competitions. Finally, FFA has given me such a feeling of family and community that I could not have found anywhere else. The Polk County Youth Fair is right around the corner. The Youth Fair will begin on Tuesday, January 17, and conclude on Monday, January 30. Some of the notable activities at this year’s Youth Fair include the annual marWWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
ket hog show in the Hayman Arena on Sunday, January 22. This event will start at 10:00 am and end at approximately 2:30 pm. For the true showmen, the market hog showmanship competition will be held at 10:00 am on Monday, January 23 with the whip popping contest later that day at 6:00 pm. Get your bids ready for the Market Hog Sale in the Hayman arena on Tuesday, January 24. The sale will start promptly at 9:00 am and end at 4:00 pm with the cake auction being held during intermission. For all of you cattle enthusiasts, the market steer show and showmanship competition (open and commercial) will be held on Thursday, January 26 in the Hayman arena with the market steer sale to follow on Friday, January 27 at 6:30 pm. For all of you fans of fertile foliage, the horticulture awards presentation for exhibitors will be held in the Hayman arena on Friday, January 27, from 12:30 pm until 1 pm which will be immediately followed by the blueberry, citrus, peach, and ornamental plant sale. As you can see, the Polk County Youth Fair has something for everyone. I look forward to seeing you there.
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January 2017
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Grandma Said As I child I often wondered why Grandma smiled all the time. Now in my later years of life I know why she smiled, because I have the same problem. She couldn’t hear a word people were saying. Grandma and Grandpa went to church. Halfway through the service, Grandpa leaned over to Grandma and said, “I just let out a silent fart. What do you think I should do?” Grandma leans over and replies, “Put a new battery in your hearing aid.” My Grandmother had a lot of wise sayings. One day I was in the kitchen with her, she said, “I’ll just give this a lick and a promise,” as she quickly mopped up a spill on the floor without moving the kitchen table and chairs. “What is that supposed to mean?” I asked, as in my young mind I envisioned someone licking the floor with her tongue. “It means that I’m in a hurry and I’m busy canning tomatoes so I am going to just give it a lick with the mop and promise to come back and do the job right later.” “A lick and a promise” was just one of the many old phrases that I remember my mother, grandmother and others using that they most likely heard from generations before them. Many old phrases have become obsolete or even totally forgotten. Below is a list that I have put together over the years: 1 – I have a bone to pick with you! 2 – Bee in your bonnet. (To have an idea that won’t let go) 3 – Cattywampus (Something that sits crooked such as a of piece furniture sitting at an angle. 4 - Been through the mill (had a rough time of it) 5 – Dicker (To barter or trade) 6 – Hold your horses (Be patient) 7 – Madder than an old wet hen (Really angry) 8 - No spring chicken (Not young anymore) 9 – Persnickety (Overly particular or snobbish) 10 – Straight from the horse’s mouth (privileged information from the one concerned) As Grandma said, “Hold your horses I reckon I’ll get this whole kit and caboodle done. Please don’t be too persnickety and get a bee in your bonnet because I am tuckered out. You know I ain’t no spring chicken!” And as for me as I write this column, I promise to give it more than just a lick and a promise. One late afternoon a police car pulled up in front of Grandma’s house, and Grandpa got out. The polite policeman explained that this elderly gentleman said that he was lost in the neighborhood park and could not find his way home. “Pop,” Grandma said, “You’ve been to that park for over thirty years! How could you get lost?” Leaning close to his wife’s ear so that the policeman could not hear, Grandpa whispered, “I wasn’t lost, I was just to tired to walk home.” 22
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Grandma had a missed to a few Sunday sermons so the preacher stopped by her house to visit. As he sat on the couch he noticed a large bowl of peanuts on the coffee table. “Mind if I have few”” he asked. “No, not at all.” Grandma said. They talked for a while and as the preacher stood to leave, he realized that instead of eating just a few peanuts, he almost emptied the bowl. “I’m terribly sorry for eating all of your peanuts. I really just meant to eat a few.” The preacher said. “Oh that’s alright,” Grandma said. “Ever since I lost my teeth, all I can do is suck the chocolate off them.” A concerned grandpa went to a doctor to talk about his wife. He said to the doctor, “I think my wife is almost deaf because she never hears me the first time and always asks me to repeat things.” “Well,” the doctor replied, “go home and tonight stand about 15 feet from her and say something. If she doesn’t reply, move about five feet closer and say it again. Keep doing this so that we’ll get an idea of her hearing loss.” Sure enough, the husband went home and did exactly as instructed. He started off about 15 feet from his wife in the kitchen as she was chopping some vegetables and said, “Honey, what’s for dinner?” He heard no response. He moved about five feet closer and asked again. No reply. He moved five feet closer, and still no reply. He got fed up and moved right behind her, and spoke into her ear, and asked again, “Honey, what’s for dinner?” She replied, “For the fourth time, vegetable stew!” I’ll leave you with Grandma’s nine important facts as you get older. 1 – Death is the number one killer in the world. 2 – Life is sexually transmitted. 3 – Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die. 4 – Men have two motivations; hunger and hanky-panky, and they can’t tell them apart. If you see a gleam in his eyes, make him a sandwich. 5 – Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day. Teach a person to use the Internet and they won’t bother you for weeks, months, maybe years. 6 – Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in the hospital, dying of nothing. 7 – All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism. 8 – In the 60s people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world is weird, and people take Prozac to make it normal. 9 – Life is like a jar of jalapeno peppers. What you do today may be a burning issue tomorrow. And Grandma’s favorite saying: “As you go through life one learns that if you don’t paddle your own canoe, you don’t go anywhere. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Reclaiming the land for future generations is
Ashlee Harrison, Reclamation Ecologist South Pasture Mine, Hardee County
As an ecologist, I am part of a dedicated team that oversees the reclamation of Mosaic’s mined lands. Before phosphate operations begin, I work with scientists, engineers and environmental specialists to carefully plan for reclaimed land uses. Last year, those plans included planting more than 2 million trees — and reclaiming land for wildlife habitats, parks, agriculture and other productive uses. There’s a reason Mosaic is so passionate about reclamation: we know our kids and grandkids will enjoy these lands for generations to come.
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We help the world grow the food it needs.
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© 2017 The Mosaic Company
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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
January 2017
23
Heart of the Youth Fair
Jr Cash By Melissa Nichols
A large part of what makes the Polk County Youth Fair the youth fair is not the venue, location, events or even the prizes. What makes the youth fair a beloved and cherished event each year are those at the heart of it, those from all different walks of life who come together with one thing in common, a love of youth and agriculture. At the heart of the Polk County Youth Fair there are many unsung heroes who spend countless hours preparing the building, assisting with everything from building pens to organizing, planning and coordinating the schedule of events. Many years ago, upon showing up to help tag pigs a wise man once asked me, “Would you like to be on the market hog committee?” My response was, “well sure.” He replied, “It takes a lot of work, and even more dedication to the kids involved here. It doesn’t pay anything more than the occasional thank you, but it is tremendously rewarding.” Those words were told to me by one of the most unsung heroes of the Polk County Youth Fair. Someone who is as humble as he can be, yet has dedicated his entire life to being involved and helping however he can. So humble we couldn’t even tell him he was on the cover of the magazine this month, because he said “There are way more important people than 24
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me, I just help out a little.” Jr Cash, or as many call him Mr. Cash, never speaks on the microphone, gets in pictures or hands out trophies, but he is busy behind the scenes making sure exhibitors hear their class called and are lined up in order, reminding them to do their best and helping however he can. He’s the man who holds the board and helps you walk your pig out or into the arena. He holds the flag and calls time for the goat tie event, and the one who comforts the first time exhibitor who is just a little nervous walking into the ring the first time. Jr is the one who sponsors anything and everything he can so that every winner has a trophy or ribbon regardless of the contest. His name might not be familiar, but if you have attended a youth fair, you have seen him. Jr has been involved in the fair as long as most people can remember. He has served on the market swine committee, the market steer committee, committee chair of the goat tying committee, sits on the board of directors and assists with the goat show. When asked just how long he has been involved Jr responded, “Well I have been involved since 1956 or 1957, but I did miss two years. I WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
was drafted into the Army at the age of 18 and I missed helping out those two years while I served our Nation.” This month In the Field Magazine is honored to be able to tell you the story of Jr Cash and the Polk County Youth Fair. To truly understand Jr Cash you have to know a little about him. He is a simple man born and raised in rural Lake Wales. His entire life his dad had a garden, raised cattle and had citrus trees. In fact every single picture of Jr growing up is either at the youth fair, or in his yard with a cow, a citrus tree or the garden. His daughter Allison usually tells people that her Daddy is a simple man who was just born 100 years too late. He would have been perfectly content being an “Old Florida Cracker.” If you have ever had a conversation with Jr it was most likely about cattle, politics or the youth fair, because honestly that is all he cares to talk about. His love for the youth fair goes back to his own childhood when he participated in contests as a 4H member and later a FFA member. Jr and his brother showed steers. After he graduated and got married Jr started a feedlot on his property in Lake Wales, Sandhill Feedlot, where he bought, fed out and sold steers. Jr had a moderate sized operation raising and selling steers ready for slaughter at Cattlemen’s Livestock Market. About 20 years ago Jr started to get into goats. In the beginning it was mostly commercial Billy goats, now he mostly buys and raises Boer goats or Boer cross goats. To this day Jr has a large goat operation and several purebred Angus and commercial cattle. Upon retiring from Duke Energy (formerly Florida Power and Progress Energy) with 41 years invested, Jr returned to purchasing and feeding out steers on a smaller scale. On just about any given Tuesday (except the Tuesday of the youth fair) Jr can be found pulling his trailer headed to Cattlemen’s Livestock Market where he has a designated seat and watches for the perfect steers to add to his feedlot. I asked Jr one week, “you buying or selling?” He said, “Both, I always have some for sale and I am always looking to buy more.” I asked him why at this point in his life, having retired does he fool around with cattle. Jr responded, this is Laney’s college fund. I am going to make sure my granddaughter has cattle to show if she wants to and has enough to sell to get through college. A simple man, with simple plans and a huge heart are terms to accurately describe Jr Cash. This good heart is what leads him to be so involved at the PCYF. Jr and his wife Melba have been actively involved with the fair for more than 40 years. Allison recalls growing up at the youth fair. She said, “We didn’t just go to the fair, work a week and go home, it was our life, all year long I would get off school and ride around Lake Wales with my Dad while he checked on friends and neighbors steers and beef breed cattle, hogs and whatever they had going on for 4H or FFA, with the anticipation building up for the week of the fair.” WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
We all have a time of the year we look forward to the most. For Jr Cash and his family that week is the last week in January of each and every year. From sun up until sundown Jr, Melba, Allison and her daughter Laney are the go getters, the worker bees who make stuff happen during the fair. Melba takes a week off work (Jr used to do the same but is now retired). Melba works the concession stand. She is a banker by trade so she handles all the financials for the concession stand, making sure everything adds up. The Cash’s involvement grew two years ago when Jr and Allison presented an idea to the board to start a new division of the fair, goat tying and a goat show. Being an avid rodeo fan, Jr saw a growing demand for a goat show as well as something exciting for the younger exhibitors to compete in with the goat tying. The goat show has grown in the last two years and may be the show with the most exhibitors involved in 2017. The numbers are amazing, from 30 participants the first year to 50+ last year to 87 signed up this year. Goat tying has also quickly gained momentum and is extremely popular in both attendance of a crowd and participants. For the goat tying event, Jr brings the goats from his herd for the exhibitors of all PCYF eligible ages to catch and tie, much like in the calf tying in a rodeo except with smaller animals (goats) and the participants do not need any animals of their own for this event. Just as in everything else they do, its truly a family affair. The last few years Laney has gotten involved. She has not been old enough to show before this year, but has been at the fair every year since she was a baby and has been the one giving out the awards, and even doing a little announcing. Laney is Jr and Melba’s pride and joy. This year is an extremely exciting year as she will have her very first time showing in the Polk County Youth Fair with a market hog and goats. When I refer to Jr Cash as the “Heart of the Youth Fair” what exactly do I mean? That means the entire year Jr plans, looks forward to and awaits the time of the fair, he shows up to help in any way possible with kind words of wisdom and advice and with a heart full of love for each exhibitor that he meets. If you were to ask Jr or even Laney what they envision heaven looking like, they would most likely tell you it would be an arena filled with livestock and exhibitors working with their animals, it would be the Polk County Youth Fair. The entire Cash family has spent countless hours doing many things that have gone unrecognized for many years, because they all feel that they do from their hearts and they don’t need recognition. They are what is right with Polk County. They are pillars of society for the youth to look up to and I am proud to call them all my friends. When Jr told me about being on the market hog committee all those years ago, he didn’t tell me that I would gain some of the most loyal, dedicated friends anyone could ever ask for, if so I might have signed up way before I did. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
January 2017
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Ornamental Gardening in Florida
By Ginny Mink When last we voyaged on our nearly 100 year old literary trek, we discussed aquatic plants. But, we scarcely got through Mr. Simpson’s first page on the subject. There was just so much amazingly interesting information it was hard to forge through the chapter without missing a great deal. So, we will set the Literary Time Machine to return to that chapter and see what other gems about ornamental gardening we can uncover.
He continues his list with the inclusion of the Iris, which he notes is also called the blue flag. He writes, “Several species of these fine plants grow in our swamps and contribute not a little to the beauty of the lowlands as they sometimes closely cover large areas with their showy bloom.” He adds that a few of their subspecies are all hardy and attractive. Since irises remind us of orchids, we can’t blame him for his opinion on the matter. He moves then to something he calls a floating heart. The scientific name is recorded for us as the limmanthemum. Try saying that three times fast. He says it’s, “A beautiful aquatic native of our ponds and lakes with nearly round, thick, mottled leaves that are dark purple below and pretty white flowers that are often accompanied by a cluster of bulblets.” This made us a little confused, after all, we expected red flowers to represent the heart part of the common name. Then we looked the plant up and discovered that the leafy part is what looks like a heart. You learn something new every day! See for yourself in the pictures included in the article. So, we continued on, seeking out that diamond in the rough, the “Wow!” of today’s travels. And, we thought, maybe we’ve found it here in the “Nuphar, Spatter dock, Bonnets.” Which were next on his list. He admits, “The generic name of our water lilies have been so juggled by the systematists that it is almost impossible to tell what they mean. I use those which have long been known and generally recognized.” We love it when he gets a little cranky about plant names. Of course, that word, systematists didn’t sit well with us, especially when the word processor underlined it in red. What did he mean? Could it have been an insult to people he felt were sticking too strongly to a system? After all, that’s what the word meant, a maker or follower of a system.² He always comes across as a by the book guy, but we suppose sometimes he gets tired of the system just like the rest of us! But we digress. 26
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Part 28
He continued on the aquatic plant vein, discussing the water lily and water hyacinth. But, when he mentioned water lettuce, he had our attention. He writes that it’s, “A tropical plant with a wide distribution and common in the waters of Florida and Texas. It has the habit of the water hyacinths of floating free and multiplying by sending out runners. The strongly veined leaves are light green and the whole plant is odd and attractive.” We like odd, so we chose to look this plant up. Perhaps you won’t be as surprised as we were. But, one quick glimpse at this plant and well, it looks like a head of iceberg lettuce. Yet, it’s floating on the water. It is also called water cabbage, shellflower, and Nile cabbage. Texas researchers refer to it as a “non-native with the possible exception of Florida.” They add that it’s an aggressive invader and can potentially kill fish. It is actually illegal to own or transport these plants in Texas!³ We bet Mr. Simpson didn’t know he’d be writing about such a controversial plant! Yet, on he goes without a blink. He adds, the pickerel weed, which he says has, “fine spikes of blue flowers.” And then he’s on to the Meadow Beauty. He admits that there are more than a dozen of this species, and that they, “generally have vividly colored, handsome flowers.” These plants sounded beautiful. Curiosity got the best of us, and we looked them up too. In truth, we were less than impressed, but you can take a look at the pictures we’ve included and decide for yourself. Here we had to smile because we had arrived at what Mr. Simpson described as, “A small genus of striking and exceedingly odd plants…” He was referring to Sarracenia, better known as the pitcher plant. He tells his readers that, “All grow in swamps or low, wet land and all have curious leaves which are hollow and usually trumpet shaped, having a wing down one side.” His continuance makes us chuckle, “The hollow part of the leaf answers to the petiole and a sort of hood above is the blade both of which are usually colored. The purpose of the whole is to allure and capture insects which are absorbed as food for the plant.” His proclivity towards giving human traits to the plants he appears to adore is always amusing. The leaf “answers” to another part of the plant quite well, apparently. He adds, still obviously mesmerized by these entities, “The very strange flower is large and generally very beautiful probably helping WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
to attract insects. There are often natural hybrids that are very interesting. They grow in black, sandy humus and there are many places in Florida where the conditions should be perfect for their cultivation.” Perhaps you would like to add some pitcher plants to your landscaping endeavors? He ends this chapter discussing Thalia, “handsome swamp plants,” and cattails. He adds that with cattails, “…very fine effects can be had by planting them in masses at the edge of ponds or lakes.” What he failed to inform readers here, Greene Dean will gladly reveal. He writes that, “no green plant produces more edible starch per acre than the Cat O’ Nine Tails; not potatoes, rice, taros or yams. Plans were underway to feed American soldiers with that starch when WWII stopped…One acre of cattails can produce 6,475 pounds of flour per year on average.”⁴ Eat up! Ornamental plants can be a survival dinner. If Mr. Simpson only knew! We’ll find out what else he knows next month when we learn all about native ferns. Until then, we’ll look forward to our future excursions on the Literary Time Machine. Hope you have a marvelous start to the New Year! 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. 123-125). ²Merriam-Webster: www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/systematist ³Texas A&M Agrilife Extension: www.aquaplant.tamu.edu/plantidentification/alphabetical-index/water-lettuce/ ⁴Eat the Weeds: www.eattheweeds.com/cattails-a-survival-dinner/ Photo Credits: Floating Heart- Quinn Dombrowski- https://flic.kr/p/6LpdK4 Meadow Beauty- Peganum- https://flic.kr/p/fy3Dy6 Water Lettuce- Scot Nelson- https://flic.kr/p/qHDw3f Cattails- Sharon Mollerus- https://flic.kr/p/2dRwbM WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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They’re in Trouble: Eastern Indigo Snakes When we were kids, it is no doubt that there appeared to be a plethora of “black racers.” At least, that’s what we always called them. They’d be hiding in the bushes near your front door, or up under your house steps. Maybe you encountered them behind the barn or shed. But, they appeared to be everywhere, at least from a kids point of view. Yet, these incredible snakes have been on the threatened list since January 31, 1978!¹ That, we hope, is a shocking eye opener to you. These shimmery, black-blue snakes are protected entities in Florida. So, if you have been tempted to take one out simply because it got the best of you one day, please, think again. While it’s true that these bad boys can exceed eight feet in length², that doesn’t make them target practice, either The truth is that, in the sunlight, they are actually quite beautiful. Their scales take on an iridescence, unlike most other snake species. When they are fully matured, they are fairly thick in circumference. But, rest assured, these snakes are considered harmless. They are nonvenomous and, though their sheer size and speed might make you a little anxious they are here for a reason, too. You will find them throughout central and south Florida, though they do appreciate the sandhill habitats in north Florida and southern Georgia. Obviously, you won’t be surprised to note that these are the longest snakes in the United States. If you have trouble identifying one, then pay attention to the 17 scale rows located at midbody.¹ If you intend to get that close, that is. Georgia and Florida are the only states supporting the endemic population of this species, of which there are a total of eight subspecies. But only two of them are found in the US. Research shows that the population in the Panhandle was on a downward spiral even in 1982. And, though it would seem they are still pretty regularly occurring in some of our yards, the scientists say that they are “not commonly seen.”¹ Unless, of course, you live in south Florida where the population “is thought to be widely distributed.”¹ These snakes are actually cool with several different habitat types. They like flatwoods (both scrubby and pine), dry prairies, hardwood hammocks, the edges of freshwater marshes, agricultural fields, high pine, coastal dunes, and even those areas where humans have drastically altered the terrain. Believe it or not, these snakes are closely tied to the gopher tortoise, because they utilize their burrows in the winter.¹ These are diurnal snakes, which may seem a little odd. But, day time is when they are the most active. They will stick around the edges of wetlands to have access to their prey. But, in the winter time, they move to drier areas to breed. Another oddity here is that these snakes are more active in winter than most other snakes.³ If you do run up on one, don’t be surprised if it hisses at you. It might even flatten its head and vibrate its tail. They have mastered the rattle imitation and, though this will certainly prove to be an intimidating experience, these snakes rarely ever bite anyone.³ But, they will eat 28
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By Ginny Mink
real rattlesnakes and cottonmouths. That’s a good thing for those of us who live in the boonies and regularly find young rattlers squished on the road in front of our homes and there’s always the concern of facing those aggressively evil cottonmouths. Perhaps you can join with us in the joy that these nonvenomous snakes like to have those that can kill us for dinner. If that’s not good enough, Eastern Indigos also eat mammals (like rats), birds, frogs and, sometimes young gopher tortoises.³ Don’t feel too bad for the gophers, though as our Pappaws liked to say, “Everything’s got to eat!” Another source we found suggested that these snakes can eat small alligators!⁴ That one blows us away. What about you? You might be surprised to discover that the catalyst for their decline revolved around the pet industry. They were being over-collected for the domestic and international pet trades. On top of that, people who liked to collect rattlesnakes started gassing the gopher tortoise burrows.¹ The Eastern Indigos became part of the collateral damage for those individuals. Of course, once that was recognized, rules were put into place to rectify the problem. Unfortunately, that didn’t stop people from choosing to destroy their natural habitats for residential and commercial developments, and, in some cases, agricultural expansion. These have now become the most significant threats to the Eastern Indigos’ existence.¹ We understand that snakes are probably not on the top of your, “Save the Planet,” lists, but these guys need your protection just like any of God’s creations. We also understand that, Biblically, the snake is to have his head crushed beneath our heels. But, they must have still been let onto the Ark. So, there’s a reason that they are here. And, in truth, these guys rarely bite. Don’t cause them harm if you can help it. Resources:
¹U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. Eastern Indigo Snake Drymarchon corais couperi. https://www.fws.gov/verobeach/MSRPPDFs/EasternIndigoSnake. pdf ²Florida Museum of Natural History. Eastern Indigo Snake, Indigo Snake, Racer. https://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herpetology/fl-snakes/list/drymarchoncouperi/ ³Savannah River Ecology Laboratory Herpetology Program. Eastern Indigo Snake (Drymarchon couperi). http://srelherp.uga.edu/snakes/drycou.htm ⁴National Park Service. Eastern Indigo Snake Species Profile. https://www. nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/easternindigosnake.htm Photo Credits: Full Facial View Snake Looking at You- Courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife – Female Eastern Indigo Snake- https://flic.kr/p/dQJJgw Coiled Snake Against Tree- Courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife- Eastern Indigo Snake- https://flic.kr/p/dyxdkJ Lindsay Nester (an FWC biologist) Holding Snake Prior to Release- Courtesy of Florida Fish and Wildlife- Preparing for Release- https://flic.kr/p/ dQJJsY WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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January 2017 Ag Policy Conference By Jack Payne
There’s science that guides your choices – when to water, how to fight pests, and what to give your soil. Then there’s the science of consumers’ choices. The study of those pocketbook choices is economics. You can see it in action at a social science field day on Feb. 9 at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Wimauma. Attendees will be a who’s who of policy makers, but it’s for anyone who can benefit from knowing more about how your customers make decisions. The second annual Florida Agricultural Policy Outlook Conference sponsored by the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences comes to Hillsborough County this year. The UF/ IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department was held last year in Apopka, so it’s a bit of a road show coming to your area. Many of us in agriculture are familiar with the benefits of a farmto-school program – fresher, more nutritious food for kids, public spending staying local, and fewer food miles burning fuel and putting wear and tear on our infrastructure. None of that is on a kid’s mind, though, when he’s choosing between pizza and the salad bar in his school cafeteria.
Dr. Brandon McFadden, also of the Food and Resource Economics Department, focuses on adults. We know that people get spooked by the letters “GMO,” even though there’s scientific consensus that such foods are as safe to eat as conventionally produced food. McFadden won’t relitigate that at the conference. He’s more interested in using science to bridge the disconnect. McFadden has drilled deeper and found different levels of acceptance of agricultural biotechnology depending on how it’s presented. Telling folks that genetic engineering creates plants that tolerate weed killer gets you a whole other response from what you get when you lead with a message that genetic engineering can help keep food production in the United States. To see McFadden present his conclusions, you can register for the conference here: http://fred.ifas.ufl.edu/flagpolicyoutlookconference. The Florida Agricultural Policy Outlook Conference is an example of UF/IFAS as your go-to source for solutions, no matter what the scientific challenge. Mostly you know UF/IFAS for solutions to growers’ production problems. There are, of course, consumer challenges, too. And those challenges have their own sciences focused on solutions. That’s why UF/ IFAS deploys such a variety of expertise in biological, physical, and social sciences.
Dr. Jaclyn Kropp of our Food and Resource Economics Department is trying to figure out through economics what every parent tries to figure out through kitchen table negotiations: How to get kids to eat veggies. She’s been researching whether kids will make different lunch choices if they pre-order their meals, for example. Or if seeing on a computer screen that their meal misses a wedge on the ChooseMyPlate.gov diagram prompts them to remedy that. She has also looked at the influence of peers’ lunch choices. Kropp will share at the conference what she’s seen when she peers inside kids’ brains.
We know you’ve got a lot of other choices to make on Feb. 9. So we’ve put together a dynamic lineup of cutting-edge science. It’s not just for wonks. What we hope to do is give you a day of science that nourishes you like broccoli but tastes like pizza.
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 30
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Florida
Buttercup Squash
By Sandy Kaster, M.S. Clinical Medicines, B.S. Nutrition Science
Colorful and delicious, buttercup squash is a member of the gourd family, along with other types of winter squash. Buttercup squash is named for its flat, squat shape which some describe as an upsidedown acorn. It has a dark green rind with silvery gray lines. The flesh is dark yellow-orange in color with seeds in the middle. Very creamy in consistency, this type of squash has a sweet, nutty flavor. On average, butternut squash weight approximately three pounds and are about seven inches in diameter.
Florida is the second largest producer of squash in the United States. Many types of squash are grown in the state including summer squash (zucchini, crookneck, straightneck squash), winter squash (acorn, butternut, spaghetti, buttercup), and tropical squash (Calabaza, pumpkin, banana squash). Peak season for winter squash in Florida is November through January. Winter squash is characterized by its hard thick shell, which allows it to have a long storage life of up to several months in a cold, dark area. Turban squash is a large variety of buttercup squash with a distinctive turban-like shape on its blossom end and bright orange-red rind.
NUTRITION
In general, winter squash is higher in calories than summer squash but is also higher in vitamins A, C and niacin. According to the USDA database, one cup of baked buttercup squash (205g) contains 76 calories, 1.8 grams of protein, 0.7 grams of fat, 18 grams of carbohydrate, and 5.7 grams of dietary fiber. Additionally, one cup contains 59% of your daily requirements for vitamin A, 26% for vitamin C, 23% for fiber, 19% for manganese, copper, and vitamin B6, 14% for potassium, and plentiful amounts of folate, vitamin K, omega 3 fatty acids, magnesium, and the B vitamins.
VITAMIN A
Vitamin A acts as both a fat-soluble vitamin and an antioxidant in the body. It is necessary for normal cell reproduction, healthy bone and teeth formation, and for good vision. This vitamin may be best known for its role in prescription skin care creams and medicines, where it is present as retinoids a synthetic form of vitamin A. It is used to treat acne, psoriasis, and other skin disorders. Research has shown that people who eat more foods high in vitamin A are less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and had a lower risk of developing cataracts.
OMEGA 3 FATTY ACIDS
Buttercup squash is a surprisingly good source of this healthy fat. Omega 3 fatty acids are usually associated with nuts like walnuts or fatty fish like salmon, but winter squash offers another source of this WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
anti-inflammatory nutrient. This type of fat is considered essential, in that the body doesn’t make them, so we have to get them from our diet. Omega 3 fatty acids are best known for their role in heart health but they play an essential role in brain function, memory, and cognitive development and in reducing inflammation. For cardiovascular health, these fatty acids can help lower blood pressure and triglycerides, while raising HDL, the “good” form of cholesterol that protects the heart. By reducing inflammation, omega 3 fatty acids may help lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis.
HOW TO SELECT AND STORE
Choose squash that are heavy for their size and have a hard, deeply green and dull-colored rind. Avoid squash with cuts, punctures, or soft spots on the rind. Buttercup squash can be stored for up to three months in a cold, dark area. It can also be frozen for up to six months, either raw (cubed) or cooked.
HOW TO ENJOY
Peeling winter squash is no easy task. An easier way to prepare buttercup and other winter squash is to rinse the peel with water, pierce it a few times with a knife or slice in half, and then bake. Baking or microwaving the whole squash will soften the flesh and make easy to simply scoop the flesh from the hard shell. In addition to baking, buttercup squash can also be steamed, simmered, or mashed. The seeds are edible, nutritious, and delicious, much like pumpkin seeds. Remove the seeds from the gourd, rinse, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper before baking in the oven until crunchy and fragrant. Other ways to enjoy buttercup squash are: • Mix pureed squash with broth to make an easy soup • Cut into chunks, mix with olive oil and spices and roast in the oven • Top puréed cooked winter squash with cinnamon and maple syrup. • Steam cubes of winter squash and then dress with olive oil, ginger, soy sauce, and pumpkin seeds. • Add cubes to your favorite vegetable soup recipe. • Cut off the top quarter of the squash, remove the seeds, then bake and stuff with rice, cheese and other vegetables • Cook, mash, and combine with other mashed root vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, or rutabaga
REFERENCES
http://www.whfoods.com http://www.ifas.ufl.edu http://www.harvesttotable.com INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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How to Care for Your Holiday Plants LYNN BARBER, FLORIDA-FRIENDLY LANDSCAPINGTM AGENT
The holidays are over. Now what do you need to do to take care of your living presents - holiday plants? The care required differs based on the plant. The classic holiday plant selection is the Poinsettia. This is a beautiful landscape, container or houseplant that was introduced in the United States in 1825 by Joel Poinsett, the ambassador to Mexico. The traditional Poinsettia is bright red, which is more easily established for outdoor use than other colors. After much breeding, several other colors are available, which include pink, peach, white, burgundy, yellow and marbled variations. What some think of as the flower is really the leaves, bracts. The actual flowers are the tiny clusters in the middle of the bracts. This is a “short day” plant, meaning it blooms when days are short and nights are long. Blooming requires an extended period of darkness. If planted near artificial light, such as a street light or exterior house lighting, after October 1, there will be a delay in flowering. This tropical plant likes temperatures in the area of 75-80 degrees during the day and 65 degrees at night. Indoors, don’t fertilize or overwater. Give it a drink only when the soil is dry. You can plant Poinsettia outside after the last chance of frost has passed. In central Florida, that usually means after mid-February. Outdoors, it should be located in the sun and away from artificial light. Prune to 4-6 inches of stem on each branch and then fertilize monthly with a balanced fertilizer from March to October. This plant has received a bad reputation as being poisonous, but it’s not. There is white, milky sap in the stem. However, if you are allergic to latex, you are probably better off not handling this plant. Amaryllis, another holiday favorite gift to give and/or receive, is a bulb that produces large, trumpet-shaped flowers, which add a pop of color when planted in groups. It is also a good container plant and can reach a height and spread of 1-3 feet. This bulb needs welldrained soil and soil pH that is slightly acid to slightly alkaline, 6.0-7.2. Any soil texture works well, from clay loam to sandy loam, from sand to sandy clay. Amaryllis has medium drought and low to no salt tolerance. It makes a great impact when planted in terraces, at gate entrances or as a border plant in groups of 10 or more. Plant this bulb between September and January. Amaryllis performs best in partial shade and well in sun. Propagation is from seeds, cuttings and smaller bulbs that are attached to the “mother” bulbs. You can leave bulbs in the ground for years or dig them up and replant them during September and October. If you dig up the bulbs instead of leaving them in the ground, remove the foliage and store them in an area that is dry and shaded for a period of 6-8 weeks before replanting. I prefer to leave them where I have planted them, but I am a lazy gardener! Gardenia produces fragrant white flowers and sports glossy dark 34 34
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green leaves. This plant can reach a height and spread of 4–8 feet. Full sun to partial shade provides the best flowering. Well-drained soil that has been amended with organic matter is preferred. Soil pH for Gardenias needs to be acid to slightly acid, 4.5-6.5. Any soil texture will work. This large shrub has medium drought and low to no salt tolerance. It should be fertilized 2-3 times each year. After flowering has been completed, it can be pruned, which is generally mid-summer. However, if you prune after October 1, that activity will decrease the blooming the following year. Bud drop, caused by insects, root injury and weather conditions, can be an issue. Propagation is by grafting or cuttings. Many cultivars are available with varying flower size and flowering times. Gardenia can be used as a hedge, groundcover, in mass plantings or as a specimen plant. Mine is near the front porch so I can smell the blooms while sitting on the swing and enjoying nature. Christmas (and Easter and Thanksgiving) cactus are each distinct with variations in their leaves and flowers. Christmas cactus, like Poinsettia, is a short-day plant. For this plant to bloom during the holidays, move it to a dark area from 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. daily for six weeks. After blooming has ended, place your Christmas cactus in bright light where it will thrive. If indoors, place the plant within six feet of a window. Light exposure in a north window is not effective, so use south, east and west windows. It prefers well drained soil. Propagation is from cuttings. Flowers vary in color from white to pink to red and more! This plant is great in containers on a front porch, lanai or as a houseplant. For more information about these holiday gems, please see the University of Florida publications, “Poinsettias at a Glance” by Sydney Park Brown, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep349, “Amaryllis” by Sydney Park Brown and Robert J. Black, http:// edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/EP/EP06000.pdf, “Gardenias at a Glance” by Sydney Park Brown and Joan Bradshaw, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ pdffiles/EP/EP33800.pdf, and “Colorful Christmas Cactus Care” by Dan Culbert at: http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu/News%20columns/ Christmas%20Cactus.htm from which information contained in this article was adapted. For more information about the nine principles of the FloridaFriendly LandscapingTM Program or for assistance with gardening-related questions, contact the UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County at 813-744-5519, visit our website at: http://hillsborough. ifas.ufl.edu and visit the University of Florida website: http:// solutionsforyourlife.com or http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu. Upcoming workshops are posted in our website. Our office is located at 5339 County Road 579, Seffner 33584. You can walk through our four demonstration gardens, ask a question at our Master Gardener help desk and pick up brochures on water and environmental conservation and much more. We hope to see you soon. WWW. THE FIELD AGAZINE.COM WWW. INITNHE FIELD MM AGAZINE.COM
New Year, New Season By Allyson Polston
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! It is January and we know what that means… Everyone is getting ready for show season. Putting those last minute pounds on those market animals, making sure buyer letters are done, and getting ready to show off what you have worked so hard on. I know from personal experience how exciting, stressful, nerve-racking and scary it can be to have a market animal. Oh how I miss those days so much! I always love walking through the steer barn and plant room at the fair, reminiscing about when I was showing. One day I hope to be able to work for a business that helps and supports county fair projects and help kids that have put blood, sweat and tears into their projects. It is sad to say my family will be showing for the last time at the Polk County Youth Fair this year, as my little sister will be walking into the arena for the last time. For me it brings back memories from being in her shoes just three years ago. This will be our thirteenth year showing and competing at the Polk County Youth Fair and wishing we had more years to go! I remember as if it was yesterday when I bought my first market steer project, Goober, for the Polk County Youth Fair. I bought my first steer back in July of 2008 from Mr. Dale Locke. I was clueless and at the time I really had no interest in showing or even to be a part of the industry. When I think about that animal I remember being scared, not knowing what I was doing and wondering what the point of it was. As I continued with my project I began to understand financial responsibility, how to correctly feed and hay an animal, bathe/pamper my steer, how to grow his hair to make him fluffy for the show and how to write steer letters to keep future buyers updated on my project. For six months I wrote a steer letter along with an updated picture every month to keep potential supporters and buyers up to date on his WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
progress. At the end of my project Goober weighed in at 1,140 pounds and he placed third in his class. I was able to sell him for $1.50 a pound. With that money I bought another steer for the next year. I continued this until I graduated from high school. I showed market steers at the Polk County Youth Fair for six years. I also did market plants, showed my registered Brangus, along with cooking, baking, crafts and photography at the fair. The county fair made such an impact on my life and paved the roads for my future. I love getting to watch other kids get the same opportunity. I know from experience how important the support is for the kids that show at our local county fairs. As I sit and think about the six years I had the opportunity to show steers, I remember how hard and stressful it is not knowing if you’re going to have a buyer to buy your steer or if he is going to make weight. Raising market steers that will be competitive in the show in the state of Florida is a very hard thing to do. I may have never walked out of the arena with the Grand or Reserve steer, but I did walk out of the ring knowing I did the best I could raising and working with my project. Having that knowledge I know it is not about winning but for how much you learn and the people to meet. The amount of people you meet, the friends you make will be there for a lifetime, along with all the great memories that have been made. Take everything in and enjoy it! If you are interested in supporting a FFA member or 4-H member showing market animals at the Polk County Youth Fair be sure to check into doing an add-on with the fair or even bidding on their project. You can make an influence with your support that could help them purchase their next project! I want to wish everyone GOOD LUCK at the fair and I can’t wait to see everyone there! INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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Medical Marijuana Passed … Now What? by John Dicks
Winning with a margin of victory even greater than the one by Donald Trump was the constitutional amendment to expand the use of medical marijuana in Florida. More than 70% of our state’s voters approved of the change. It was the second time in two years that Florida voters considered the issue. A majority approved of it in 2014, but unlike then, last fall’s election had more than the necessary 60% approval needed to change our state’s constitution. The total tally counted more than 6.5 million Floridians saying yes (versus 2.6 million voting No) to allowing patients with listed conditions like cancer use marijuana. By comparison, it was nearly two million more than the votes received by Donald Trump in his statewide win. With the passage of medical marijuana, the question is, now what? First and foremost is to recognize that this change in our state’s constitution does not allow for recreational or other non-medical uses of marijuana. The language of the law specifically permits its use only by individuals with debilitating medical conditions as determined by a licensed Florida physician.
The agency has six months to complete the rule making task, which pushes things to June of this year. This is, though, the same bureaucracy that took more than two years to establish a separate limited medical cannabis program passed by the Florida Legislature in 2014. As you might imagine, there’s already much interest being expressed by growers and suppliers who want to participate in the new expanded program. Lobbyists are being hired by those wanting to be involved with the business as well as those seeking sound regulations for the public’s safety. It is expected that the new rules from the Florida Department of Health will be similar to its current ones for the limited program enacted in 2014. For example, it is presumed that patients will not be allowed to simply grow their own medical marijuana. Instead, it appears that the rules will develop a process such that to receive medical marijuana patients will need a physician certification from a doctor licensed in Florida. It can only be provided after a physical exam and a full assessment of the patient’s medical history. Patients would then visit a Medical Marijuana Treatment Center.
To be certain, this has been further defined to allow for treatment of the following: Cancer Epilepsy Glaucoma HIV AIDS PTSD ALS Crohn’s disease Parkinson’s disease Multiple Sclerosis
It all sounds similar to a normal doctor / patient process except for picking up the prescription which will entail more than just stopping by the pharmacy at CVS or WalMart.
The amendment also includes some catch-all language permitting the use of medical marijuana for individuals suffering “other debilitating medical conditions of the same kind or class as or comparable to those enumerated, and for which a physician believes that the medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh the potential health risks for a patient.”
Trulieve in Gadsden County
According to the News-Press, one state estimate suggests about 450,000 Floridians would qualify to use medical marijuana under these rules. Worth noting is that unlike the proposed amendment in 2014, this new law now clarifies requirements for parental consent for the use of medical marijuana by minors.
Currently there are six dispensing organizations authorized by the Florida Department of Health to cultivate, process, and dispense low THC and medical cannabis. They include the following: CHT Medical in Alachua County The Green Solution in Alachua County
Surterra Therapeutics in Hillsborough County Modern Health Concepts in Miami-Dade County Knox Medical in Orange County Florida, of course, is not the only state testing the waters of medical marijuana. Our state joined 27 others, including three (Arkansas, Montana and North Dakota) which passed similar measures this past fall.
The effective date for the permitted use of the drug was technically January 3, 2017. However, the Florida Department of Health, which is charged with overseeing the implementation of medical marijuana, has apparently only begun writing rules and regulations. 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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s e p i c e R Courtesy of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Chef Justin Timineri
F l o r i d a S t r aw b e r r y C h e e s e c a ke D i p
DIRECTIONS Set aside 1 tablespoon each of the strawberries and pecans for garnish. In a small bowl, lightly mix the strawberries, honey and orange juice. In a separate bowl, blend the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add the strawberry mixture and fold together.
INGREDIENTS
Fold in the pecans.
1/2 cup fresh Florida strawberries, rinsed, dried and chopped fine 1/4 cup Florida pecans, toasted and chopped fine 1/4 cup Florida honey 1/3 cup freshly squeezed Florida orange juice 1 cup low-fat cream cheese, softened 1 cup low-fat sour cream Assorted cookies, graham crackers and fresh Florida fruit for dipping and spreading
Strawberry Brie
Cover and chill. Garnish the top of the dip with the reserved strawberries and pecans. Serve with cookies and fruit for dipping.
Ingredients 1 (6-inch) wheel brie cheese 3 tablespoons strawberry jam or preserves 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar 1 cup strawberries, chopped 1/2 cup pecans, chopped 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a small sauce pot, cook jam and vinegar over medium heat until bubbly. Place brie on an oven-safe serving platter or dish. Place chopped strawberries and pecans on top of brie wheel. Cover with jam mixture. Bake brie wheel until it is warm and soft, about 15 minutes. Garnish with chopped mint leaves. Serve immediately with crackers or crusty bread.
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Bartow Sr. FFA Members: Living to Serve By Leslie Buchanon
Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve. These 12 short words make up the FFA motto and have set the tone for many FFA chapters across the country to plan and implement community based learning and service projects. When tragedy struck a local community the members of the Bartow Sr. FFA chapter approached one of their advisors with an opportunity to put these powerful words into action. On October 29, 2016 the life of Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy Adam Pennell took a sudden turn when he was seriously injured on the job while assisting a young woman who was involved in a one-car accident. While standing in the median of Highway 60 near Lake Wales, a hit-and-run driver struck Deputy Sheriff Pennell and the young woman. The young woman did not survive the accident and Deputy Sheriff Pennell suffered many broken bones, including a broken pelvis. These injuries would require a lengthy hospital stay and months of rehabilitation. Deputy Pennell’s prognosis was good, but it would be six to twelve months before he would be physically prepared to return to work. As fate would have it, Deputy Sheriff Pennell is unit partners with Deputy Sheriff Ryan White. Deputy Sheriff Ryan White’s wife, Ashley White, is one of two FFA advisors at Bartow High School. However, the connection goes even deeper. Deputy Sheriff White’s younger sister is a student at Bartow High School and is also a member of the Bartow Sr. FFA chapter. For Bartow Sr. FFA members, the realization of the connection between their advisor, fellow FFA member, and the injured deputy prompted the Bartow Sr. FFA officers jump into action. The chapter officers approached Mrs. White with the desire to hold a fundraiser to assist the injured officer and his family with the many medical bills that would soon arrive, while also allowing them to pay household bills. Mrs. White gave the officers a clipboard and paper and told them to write down their plans. At the end of that class period the FFA officers presented her with a complete plan of hosting a spaghetti dinner fundraiser on November 29, 2016. The FFA members set a goal to raise $10,000 and secure all of the necessary items through donations to help raise as much money as possible. With very little assistance from their advisors, the FFA members brought their plans to life by securing donations from local businesses and individuals, selling tickets, and advertising the event. FFA members not only received donations of items to assist with the fundraiser, many local community members donated their time and talents to assure its success, including many PCSO deputies. From set-up to clean-up, and cooking to packaging meals, FFA members, 40
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advisors, deputies, and volunteers worked side-by-side for a common cause with a common goal…..to help someone in need. At the end of the fundraiser, all leftover meals were donated to a local church to feed to the homeless community and allow the blessings to flow from one person in need to another. After selling 1,000 tickets, securing donations for all items needed, and counting all of the funds raised, FFA members were elated to learn they had surpassed their goal and raised $11,400 for Deputy Sheriff Pennell and his family. In the days following the fundraiser the FFA members that were instrumental in the success of the fundraiser were allowed the opportunity to visit Deputy Pennell at the hospital and personally present him with the check. Not only was the fundraiser a success financially, it was also a successful experience for the Bartow Sr. FFA members who had a vision, created a plan, worked to bring their vision to life, and reaped the rewards of their labor. FFA members that played an integral role in the fundraiser for Deputy Pennell include Leslie White, Kiersten Robbins, Trace Foreman, Parrish Westmoreland, Reed Fussell, Amy Powell, Adrian Greek, Cheyann Walker, Madison Roberts, Ambryn Bailey, Joseph Garcia, Johnny Aycock, Austin Williams, and Savannah Jackson. Mrs. White explains, “I was extremely impressed and proud of the way the kids came together to make a plan and execute it. They did everything from selling tickets, securing donations and running the fundraiser. They made a lot of community contacts and really represented the workings of the FFA organization. They are great kids who worked very hard for a great cause!” The Bartow Sr. FFA members and advisors believe this fundraiser would not have been as successful without the donations and partnership from the following businesses: Floridino’s in Winter Haven donated the sauce, Arabellas in Winter Haven and Scarpa’s Italian Restaurant in Lakeland donated noodles, Walmart donated rolls, Sonny’s BBQ and Mike’s Restaurant donated food containers, Walmart, Perkins, Lenny’s Grill & Subs, and Firehouse Subs donated cookies, Hungry Howies and Floridino’s donated parmesan cheese, and Olive Garden in North Lakeland donated noodles. Adam Pennell was released from the hospital at the beginning of December and is home recovering from his injuries. A GoFundMe account has been established to supplement the Bartow Sr. FFA donation to help Deputy Pennell and his family. To donate visit https:// www.gofundme.com/help-pcso-deputy-adam-pennell. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
2017 Polk County Youth Fair By Melissa Nichols The 2017 Polk County Youth Fair begins on Saturday Jan 21 with the horse show and will run the entire week with events for everyone. The Stuart center events include the table setting, storytelling and sampling the baking that has been done by exhibitors from around the county, as well as photography, handmade items and quilts displayed. The Stuart center is always fun and exciting for the family and consumer science side of the fair.
The horse show will include an array of events for both English and western riders and it will take place on Saturday January 21 beginning at 8:30 a.m. and go on until the midafternoon. The indoor events in the Hayman arena begin Sunday January 22 beginning at 10 am, with an intermission from 1:00 to 2:00 pm, and the second half of the show will begin at 2:30. During the intermission the Hayman arena will be closed to all visitors and reopened to allow the second half of the show to make their way in to the arena. The show will start with the light weight market hogs and end with the heavy weight hogs. Monday will be showmanship for those who get a call back for market hogs. The market hog show is the event that has the largest number of exhibitors, with around 300 youth. Tuesday is sale day for the market hogs starting at 9am, with companies such as Nettles Sausage and O’Steens Meat Processing there to take your custom meat orders when you purchase a market hog. If you are interested in purchasing a market hog please come out early Tuesday and get a bidder number. There are excellent opportunities for the public to support some amazing youth at the youth fair. Monday is a busy day with goat tying, rabbit showmanship, the archery contest and whip popping that evening. If you have never been to a whip popping contest you will be amazed at the skills of the youth competing in this contest. Tuesday, immediately following the market hogs, is the commercial heifer show. This is where the exhibitors commercial (not purebred) cattle are judged on their quality and characteristics they display. This show is broken down into two divisions, European influenced, and Brahma influenced. Following the show is beef breed showmanship. Wednesday is the Top ranch hand contest, poultry showmanship, dog showmanship and breeding goat show. Thursday is the dog show,
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purebred beef cattle show and the steer show. The Polk county youth fair has two divisions of the steer show, the “County Bred” steer show where cattle are selected by a number drawing system from county bred producers only. The open show has no limitations on where the steers come from on the minimum weight of 1000 lbs or more. The open steers are from whatever producer the exhibitor wants to buy from, as well as those who have steers come from their own herds but are not county producers. Friday is livestock judging, plant sale and parade of champions before the final event the commercial heifer and steer sale. Any blue ribbon winning heifer can be sold live and in person before the start of the steer sale. The steers must be sold to the highest bidder. This is another great opportunity for community members and businesses to come out and support the youth either by buying or bidding on their plants, cakes, hogs or steers, all of which are sold to the highest bidder. There are many tax deductible opportunities to support these youth, either by purchasing a market animal or plant or giving them an add on to help offset their project costs. More information is available on the website By Melissa Nichols. There is a concessions stand open as well as baked good available for purchase in the Stuart Center. The week of the youth fair you truly have the chance to see just about anything agriculture you can imagine in a family friendly environment. Come out and support the youth, cheer them on, help with monetary donations towards their projects and let them know your proud of them. The youth fair is the largest fair of its kind in the state of Florida. If you’ve never been you won’t regret it! The fair runs Jan 21 to Jan 27 and is located at the Polk County Agricultural Complex, 1702 US 17 S, Bartow, FL.
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By Grady Judd, Polk County Sheriff
State Agriculture Rescue Team Saves Horse
Shortly after 3:00 pm, on Saturday, December 3, 2016, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a horse trapped in a pond near Sleepy Hill Road in Lakeland. When deputies arrived they found the 20-year-old Quarter Horse mare stuck in approximately six feet of water. The surrounding area of the pond had decomposing wood mulch and muck, making it difficult for the horse to find solid ground. Members of the Agriculture Unit were requested and arrived with the Florida Department of Agriculture’s SART (State Agriculture Rescue Team) Equipment Trailer and began an emergency rescue. (Information about the SART team and trailer are below--the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Agriculture Unit is the designated SART team coordinator for this area.) Only the head and small a portion of the horse’s back were visible; the rest of the horse’s body was submerged. The A-Frame rescue system was assembled and deployed. Polk County Fire Rescue Squad 591 and Fire Engine 111 responded to the scene assisting with the rope and pulley system used to extract the horse from the pond. Volunteer members of the PCSO Mounted Search and Rescue Team, or MSART, and a veterinarian also responded to assist. The horse was lifted out of the water using the A-Frame rescue system and placed on the dry ground beside the hole. The horse was dried with towels and with assistance, was able to stand after being in the water for almost 2.5 hours. The horse was then covered with a horse blanket and placed in a covered barn with hay for the evening. The horse was evaluated by a veterinarian and was in stable condition after the rescue effort. *The PCSO’s Agriculture Crimes deputies have received large animal rescue training provided by the State Agriculture Response Team, or SART, through Florida’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in conjunction with the University of Florida Institute of 42
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
January 2017
Food and Agriculture Sciences, UF College of Veterinary Medicine, and the United State Department of Agriculture. In addition to training, the PCSO Support Services Section is home to the Florida State Agricultural Response Team (SART) Region 4 Large Animal Technical Rescue trailer. This trailer covers Region 4, specifically Polk, Sumter, Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas Counties, and is deployment ready 24/7. The SART Rescue trailer contains an array of rescue equipment to include the rope and A-Frame lifting systems, as well as personnel safety equipment, assorted ropes, webbing, carabineers, and pulleys for improvised rope systems. Deputies have access to rescue glides for livestock, rescue slings/harnesses for livestock and small animals, and both a Nikopoulos loop and mud lances for mud rescues. Facebook Private Message from owners: December 4, 2016: I wanted to say a huge “Thank You” to 3 members of the Agriculture Crimes Unit - Jay Scarborough, Chris Hartsfield & Austin Hall. Along with several other deputies from the Sheriff’s Office, 3 members of the Fire department at Sleepy Hill, Wayne & Danni Elkins & Dr. Hennessy at Polk Equine. Late yesterday afternoon, our horse got stuck in the pond and was unable to get out. These men set up an A-Frame and pulley system and rescued our horse. She is alive thanks to their efforts. Thank you all so much for giving us a good ending to a frightening situation! We pray that God will bless you all. Gary & Brenda Rinier WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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January 2017
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Naturally A Closer Look Amazing Activities
Etched Tankard
by Sean Green
Small hip tankards are a common accessory for those who go to events such as the Gasparilla and Renaissance festivals in garb. If you don’t have a tankard or stainless steel drinking vessel for the upcoming festivities you’ll need one for this project. Small tankards are usually $10 to $15 at common retail stores. This project is an amazingly simple way to etch an image onto stainless steel. You may need to buy a few things, but most of the materials for this project may already be laying around the house somewhere.
Materials:
White Distilled Vinegar Salt Container 9 volt battery low voltage wires (speaker wires) Electrical Tape
Cotton Swabs Peel and Stick Stencils (or cut your own using electrical tape) Stainless Steel Drinking Vessel (Tankard or Tumbler)
Prepare the Tankard:
Adhere the stencil to your tankard.
Prepare the etching solution:
Stir 1 Tablespoon of salt into ½ cup of white distilled vinegar
Prepare your tools:
Strip about 1” of each end off two low voltage wires. Coil one end of the negative wire around a cotton swab, tape the other end to the negative terminal of a 9 volt battery Tape one end of the positive wire to the tankard, tape the other end to the positive terminal of the 9 volt battery. To begin etching, soak the cotton swab in the vinegar solution Dab the solution into the stencil cavities,...... the longer the cotton swab remains, the deeper the etch will be. The cotton swab will eventually turn brown from the oxidation, simply use a new swab and continue. Blot the stencil dry and remove the stencil from the tankard. Wash and dry your finished tankard.
Caution:
This project involves an acid (Vinegar) and Electricity. Although this method of etching is much safer than etching creams, there remains the small potential for harm and should not be done by young children without the guidance and supervision of a responsible adult.
813-767-4703 301 South Collins Street, Suite 101, Plant City, Florida 33563
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P ortrait P h o tograp h er Spe c ializ ing in H igh Sc hool Se niors
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A Closer Look
by Sean Green Photos Courtesy, Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System
Pirate Spiders (Mimetidae)
January is often associated with pirate invasions in Tampa, Florida. For the past 63 years, elite krewe members clambered the ratlines of the infamous Jose Gasparilla pirate ship barge. Mock assaults are executed with swords, mini-cannons, stale Cuban bread and water hoses in an attempt to persuade the mayor to surrender the key to the city. The theatrical pirate events of the Tampa Bay area are seasonal but a certain genus of spiders engage in real acts of piracy all year long. Pirate Spiders are notorious for ambushing and plundering the nests of other spiders, a closer look at these stealthy marauders will reveal the attributes and tactics that make this pirate truly renowned. Mimetidae are a family of spiders known as “Pirate” spiders, and for good reason. These spiders are cunning and have perfected their raiding techniques over millions of years. Pirate spiders(Mimetidae) raid the webs of other spiders by sneaking onto their web and tricking the spider into leaving the safety of the center of its web and venturing towards its outer parameter. Pirate spiders(Mimetidae) will sneak up to a web building spider to slowly and methodically stalk it. When the pirate spider reaches its prey’s web, it will tap, pull and sometimes break specific sections of the web to mimic an insect that has become tangled in it or a potential mate. This cunning behavior gives rise to the spiders scientific name, Mimetidae, which is rooted in the ancient words for imitator or mimic; Latin: mimus and Greek: mimos. The prey spider responds to the pirate spiders trickery by approaching the source of vibration and is then ambushed by the lurking pirate spider. The pirate spider lunges at its swindled prey striking it with a single bite to the leg, injecting paralyzing venom and quickly retreats to wait for the venom to take effect. Once the prey spider is completely immobilized, the pirate spider invades the web to collect its bounty, a nutritious meal. One of the distinguishing characteristics of Mimetidae is their fang structure. These spiders have fangs that slope towards each other like orb weavers, jumping spiders, and wolf spiders rather than fangs that are parallel and vertical such as tarantulas, trapdoor spiders and WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
funnel-web spiders. The advantage of having fangs that are opposing and sloped towards each other is that these spiders can bite from nearly any angle whereas spiders such as tarantulas must bite from the top down. Another characteristic of this spider is that it has two rows of spines along the middle of its front leg that are connected to nerves that enable the spider to detect the slightest movement in the web. Mimetidae are Obligate araneophages (spider eaters) and typically prey on Araneidae (orb-weavers) and Theridiidae (cobweb weavers). Many web building spiders do not have very good vision and rely on vibrations to find prey and mates, however, some species do recognize the pirate spider as a danger and will abandon its web if the pirate spider gets too close. Identification of the Mimetidae family is not always easy. Mimetidae look a lot like other small orb weavers and cob web spiders, but there are a few characteristics that can help distinguish Mimetidae from other families of spiders in the field. The two front legs are longer than the other legs and have the distinction of two rows of spines along the front legs that are unique to the Mimetidae family. Egg sacks are often used to identify spider families and even species. Members of the Mimetidae family do not remain with the egg sack to protect it from predators and consequently, have evolved to create an egg sack that is not only protective, but easily distinguished from other spiders. The egg sac is suspended from a long thin silken stalk and depending on the species may also have a fluffy coating of silk around it. Short of these two characteristics, these spiders are not easily identified in the field. Experts consider eye structure, legs, spinneret’s, palps, color patterns, and location when identifying the specific species of a spider family. Of course, now that you know a little more about the Mimetidae family of spiders, the behavior of the spider itself would be a great way to identify a pirate spider. If you are fortunate enough to find one feeding in the wild, grab your camera and take a closer look. Even the smallest of skirmishes with a pirate can be an exciting misfortune to witness, and one that will not soon be forgotten. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
January 2017
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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, 2017, Nov. 26, 2017
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January 2017
Wooden Shipping Pallets All sizes! Call Alvie 813-759-8722 All Colors, buy 10 bags, get 1 FREE! $8.99 a bag. Call Ted (813) 752-3378
Plant City U-Pick Citrus
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