WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
1
2
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
3
VOL. 9 • ISSUE 10
Kaylee Jean
page 24
Polk County Cattlemen’s Association P.O. Box 9005 • Drawer HS03 Bartow, FL. 33831-9005 President – Ray Clark (863) 640-0719 rclark@tampabay. rr.com
Cover Photo by Melissa Nichols
Contents JUNE 2016
Meet The Minks
Master Gardener
Page 34
Page 10
Weather With New Technology
Jack Payne
Page 12
Page 36
Fishing Hot Spots
Page 14
Recipes
Page 38
Agritourism
Page 16
Rocking Chair Chatter
Page 22
Literary Time Machine
Page 26
Endangered Species
Page 28
Florida Jaboticaba
Page 31
For The Love Of Fishing
Page 40 PCSO
Page 42 Activity
Page 44 A Closer Look
Page 45
The cover and cover photos from the May 2016 issue were incorrectly credited. The photographer was Pat Bonish, Bonish Photography WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
4
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
April 2016
earthlink.net Mike Facente (863) 697-9419
Vice President Carlton Taylor 863-781-1146 Carlton.Taylor@boehringer-ingelheim.com
Standing Committee Chairs:
Secretary/Treasurer Justin Bunch (863) 425-1121 jbunch@agriumretail. com
Events & Director Kevin Fussell (863) 412-5876
State Director – David McCullers (863) 635-2821crookedlakeranch@verizon. net
Rodeo- Fred Waters (863) 559-7808
Director – J. B. Wynn (863) 581-3255 jbwynn29@gmail.com Charles Clark (863) 528-8537 cclarkc4@yahoo.com L.B. Flanders, DVM (863) 644-5974 Mike Fussell (863) 698-8314 fussell.flafarm@verizon. net Moby Persing 863-528-4567 Dave Tomkow (863) 665-5088 cattlemenslivestock@
Membership- J.B. Wynn
Trade Show-
Website – Adam Norman 863-944-9293 Adam.norman@gmfind. com Cattlewomen – Vice President, Laura Slocumb (863) 660-7000 laura@higgenbotham. com Extension – Bridget Carlisle PO Box 9005, Drawer HS03 Bartow, FL 33831 (863) 519-1048 bccarlis@ufl.edu Sheriff’s Dept. – Sgt. Tommy Dixon (863) 534-7205 tdixon@polksheriff.org
1
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
WWW. WWW. IN INTTHE HE FFIELD IELD M MAGAZINE.COM AGAZINE.COM
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
5
Letter from the Editor
STAFF Publisher/Photography Karen Berry Senior Managing Editor/ Associate Publisher Sarah Holt Editor-In-Chief Al Berry Editor Patsy Berry
Summer is here! Okay, I realize we live in a state blessed with “cookout” type weather almost every day, but with June 20 as the first day of summer, I felt some tips for food safety were in order. Food related illnesses can be easily avoided by following a few tips found on the Florida Department of Agriculture’s web site. • When cooking, use a meat thermometer or follow these tips: • Poultry: Cook it until the meat is white. Don’t eat it if you see blood or pink meat. • Hamburger: Cook it until there are no traces of pink in the center or blood in the juices. • Steaks: can be safely cooked medium. That’s because harmful bacteria in beef are found on the surface of the steak, not in the interior like in ground meats. • Fish: Cook until it flakes easily and is no longer translucent in the center. • Eggs: Cook eggs and egg dishes thoroughly. Don’t even sample anything containing raw eggs such as uncooked dough and cake batter. • Keep foods cold, below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, or hot, above 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Foods left out between those temperatures for more than two hours should be discarded. • Keep cooked foods separate from raw foods. Cross-contamination of foods could occur if bacteria-harboring raw food comes in contact with cooked foods. Wash hands, utensils, cutting boards and countertops after preparing or handling raw meats • Avoid interrupted cooking. If you are partially cooking foods indoors to finish cooking on the grill, make sure the food goes directly from the oven to the hot grill. Don’t let the food stand partially cooked for any period of time. And of course, remember to buy food that is Fresh From Florida for your cookout and every day! Until Next Month
Sales Manager Danny Crampton Sales Al Berry Tina Richmond Danny Crampton Melissa Nichols Creative Director/Illustrator Juan Alvarez Photography Karen Berry Al Berry Stephanie Humphrey Melissa Nichols Staff Writers Al Berry Sandy Kaster James Frankowiak Sean Green Ginny Mink Libby Hopkins Melissa Nichols Leslie Buchanon Contributing Writers Woody Gore
Sarah The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. - Numbers 6:25
Hey Readers!
Hidden somewhere in the magazine is a No Farmers, No Food logo. Hunt for the logo and once you find the hidden logo you will be eligible for a drawing to win a FREE No Farmers No Food Sticker and a FREE In The Field T-Shirt. Send us your business card or an index card with your name and telephone number, the number of the page which you found the logo and where on the page you located the logo to the address below
InTheField® Magazine P.O. Box 5377 • Plant City, Fl. 33566-0042 *Winners will be notified by phone. You Too Can Be A Winner! 6
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
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
Reclaiming the land for future generations is
As a reclamation field coordinator, I oversee the reclamation of Mosaic’s mined lands in Hardee County. Before phosphate operations begin, I work with a dedicated team of 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. We help the world grow the food it needs.
®
mosaicco.com/florida Russell Pierce, Reclamation Field Coordinator South Pasture Mine, Hardee County
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
© 2016 The Mosaic Company
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
7
It is Summer time on the ranch with 90 degree days already and the humidity makes it about as muggy as it can be. I hope all of you out there are doing well and getting ready for your summer vacations and breaks in your everyday routine. Our kids and grandkids are all out of school and ready to spend the day with us whether on the ranch or on vacation. As I always said, get them out of the house and out in the pastures or cow pens on a horse or a tractor. By the time you are reading this, we will be at the State Cattlemen’s Association Annual Convention and Allied Trade Show, at the Omni at Champions Gate. I hope many of you get a chance to make it to the Convention or Trade Show and enjoy yourself. Looks like next year we will be going back to Marco, from what I’m hearing. Be sure to remember to keep pulling for Polk County Sweetheart Moriah McCullers in the State Cattlemen’s Sweetheart contestant. Hope to see many of you there, although our State FFA Convention is going on at the same time just a few miles down the road and also our Florida Citrus Industry Annual Conference at Bonita Springs will be going on at the same time. Many of us will be spread pretty thin for several days that week. Moving on, let’s not forget, while your reading this that the Polk County Youth Fair commercial steer selection will have taken place on June the 11th at the Lightsey Cattle Ranch. I will have attended the selection and report back to you on how it went in the July edition of In The Field. May all the exhibitors get the selection they want and have a great year feeding their steers out for show at the Youth Fair in 2017. Bridget Carlisle Stice, also talked with me about the 65th Florida Beef Cattle Short Course held at the University Of Florida
88
IINNTTHE HEFFIELD IELD M MAGAZINE AGAZINE
JUNE June 2016 2016
in May, about what a success it was this year with many management and production issues being covered by many well qualified speakers from around the nation. Let me remind you, this annual conference is open to anyone who would like to attend, usually in May and information can be received from Bridget at her office in Bartow about future conferences. Well, I’m about to run out of space, they only give me half a page. I could tell you about my grandsons graduation from Kathleen Sr. High and many more happy seniors across the county that will have graduated, but I better close by letting you know that our Annual Summer meeting and dinner will be, July 14th, be sure and mark your calendar. This will be the last reminder because the July edition of In The Field, won’t be out till after our dinner. Try to be there. We have great fun and fellowship, plus the Cattlewomen will have their cake auction and I believe we will be giving away another brangus heifer to a Junior member. Hope to see all of you there. Be Safe Working those cows: Hope our trails cross soon:
Ray Clark Ray Clark Polk County Cattlemen’s Association President
WWW. WWW.IIN NTTHE HEFFIELD IELDM MAGAZINE.COM AGAZINE.COM
• More than 21 million American workers (15 percent of the total U.S. workforce) produce, process and sell the nation’s food and fiber. • Today’s farmers produce 262 percent more food with 2 percent fewer inputs (labor, seeds, feed, fertilizer, etc.), compared with 1950. • Americans enjoy a food supply that is abundant, affordable overall and among the world’s safest, thanks in large part to the efficiency and productivity of America’s farm and ranch families. • Farmers have enrolled a total of 31 million acres in the Conservation Reserve Program to protect the environment and provide habitat for wildlife. Since its inception in 1985, the program has helped reduce soil erosion by 622 million tons and restored more than 2 million acres of wetlands. • Farmers and ranchers receive only 16 cents out of every dollar spent on food at home and away from home. The rest goes for costs beyond the farm gate: wages and materials for production, processing, marketing, transportation and distribution. In 1980, farmers and ranchers received 31 cents. • In 2010, $115 billion worth of American agricultural products were exported around the world. The United States sells more food and fiber to world markets than we import, creating a positive agricultural trade balance. (http://www.fb.org/newsroom/fastfacts/)
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
9
Made for the Shade
Florida Master Gardener By Debra Howell Florida Master Gardener UF/IFAS Extension Polk County Landscaping in the shade presents us with challenges, while also affording the opportunity to experiment with plants outside your comfort zone. By using low-maintenance plants in shade dappled areas, such as beneath your oaks or other landscape trees, you may turn that difficult spot into a lush garden niche.
Another group of plants grown primarily for their foliage are the bromeliads. Most bromeliads like diffused light, not direct sun. A notable exception is giant bromeliad Alcanterea, which is not only very large in size, but tolerant of full sun.
Many of these shade-lovers provide year round color with their attractive foliage. Besides achieving a lush setting, shade plants are viable alternatives to turf grass, which doesn’t take to a shady environment.
The notable foliage and long-lasting flower spikes of bromeliads can often be seen around the base of trees as understory plants. Indeed, they love to use the rough bark texture to creep en masse up the side of your oak tree.
According to the University of Florida, publication ENH1196, “Landscaping in Florida Shade,” shade tolerant plants enjoy these conditions: four or fewer hours of full sun, preferably morning or evening, dappled shade all day and high, shifting shade, such as found beneath pines.
Bromeliad root systems are used mostly to anchor the plant to the ground or a surface. When planted into the landscape, use welldrained potting mix. You may try one part sand, one part peat and one part bark. Bromeliads take their sustenance from debris in their cups and from the atmosphere. You should rinse these cup like structures to prevent build-up of salts and proliferation of mosquitoes. While they make excellent houseplants, they will not grow while inside, but do persist for quite a while indoors.
One perk of planting beneath a tree is that these areas are inclined to remain warmer and possibly free from frost. Some of the plants that are tolerant to shade are: Anthuriums, bromeliads, Caladiums, Impatiens, Stromanthe and Philodendron ‘Xanadu’. The anthurium belongs to the Arum family, which contains over 700 species. If you have trouble with the name, you may call it flamingo flower or tail flower. Anthuriums perform well in low light environments, including inside your house. Indeed, they are popular houseplants which may be found in the specialty plant section of big box stores and even in the flower area of some supermarkets. These plants have heart-shaped dark green, shiny leaves which makes them an outstanding foliage plant. As for their floral display, the flowers occur in pink, red, rose and white. The spadix is a yellowish flower resembling a tail. These unique flowers can last up to six weeks while on the plant and slightly less duration when used as a cut flower. Plants can bear four or more flowers each year. Anthuriums may be used in containers, borders, as edging and ground cover and as houseplants. They appreciate soils which are rich in organic material and kept moist. They also like high humidity, so what better place to cultivate flamingo flowers than the Sunshine State. 10
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
Clemson University says you can force these plants to flower by placing them in a clear, airtight plastic bag with a ripe apple for two-three days. The bloom should begin in six to fourteen weeks, depending on the type you have. Other members of this plant family are pineapple, ball moss and Spanish moss. These mosses are not parasites and will not harm the tree to which they attach. Another member of the Arum family is the Caladium. They are also known as angel wings and heart of Jesus. Although there are sun tolerant cultivars of Caladiums, for the most part they are shade lovers. These plants are tuberous tropical perennials, with much acreage in Highlands County devoted to their cultivation. Most leaves of this plant come in either lance, heart or arrow-shaped forms. The beautiful, flashy foliage is the star of the show and varies in spots and streaks of pink, green, gray, red and white. The flower resembles a Jack-in-the-pulpit spadix and spathe. When the leaves achieve their apex size, they will be about two feet wide and two feet long. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Caladiums should be planted in well-drained, humus rich soil. Do not add lime. In cold climates, the tubers must be “lifted” and stored through the winter. We do not need to do that here. You will want to water them a couple of times a week, but do not allow to stand in water. Caladiums may be propagated by tuber division. In fact, the squirrels might do this for you. I have had them moved about in my yard by squirrels who apparently like to eat them. Use them in borders, shady beds and beneath trees. They may also be container grown. Another shade loving plant is the Impatiens. This probably accounts for its vast popularity nationwide and especially in Florida. They are widely used as a bedding plant, hanging basket, along borders, in a container or window box. Belonging to a family of 500, the plant was originally called sultana after the Sultan of Zanzibar, but later renamed after a British missionary named Horace Waller. The New Guinea Impatiens has larger leaves and flowers, and can tolerate more sun than Impatiens walleriana. They have gained in popularity in recent years. Impatiens come in a wide range of colors: salmon, rose, pink, orange, red, violet, lavender and white. They can be single, semi-double and full double, as well as bi-color patterns. As a child, I recall referring to them as touch-me-nots. This moniker was given to Impatiens because a slight touch causes ripe seeds to become “impatient,” burst open and cast its seeds. Impatiens love shade and composted beds with slow release fertilizer. They like moisture, but hate wet feet. You may grow them from seed, but with the ready availability of these popular plants, it’s just way faster to visit the landscape nursery. Either way, the effort is worth the enjoyment you will get from them. Triostar Stromanthe may be grown indoors, but if you plan to use it as a landscape plant, you will want to select a shady location. Shade or dappled shade is important if you want to avoid sunburn on the beautiful leaves of this plant. They can also become frayed at the tips on a very windy day. Stromanthe was named the 2008 Florida plant of the year by the WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association. It was selected primarily for its lance-like leaves in green, white and magenta colors. The Triostar is a member of the same family to which Calathea belongs. They may be propagated vegetatively through its rhizomes. It is a native of the Brazilian rainforest, and as a result, craves humidity. It will perform well in a border or mass planting which will receive watering regularly. In the winter and spring, this plant produces eye-catching white flowers with red bracts. These unusual flowers are borne atop very straight, perfectly round stems of approximately three feet in height. Triostar has both heliotropic (sun) and nyctinastic (night) movements of its leaves, which respond from an area near the base of the leaf. Last, but not least, is one of my new favorite foliage plants the Philodendron ‘Xanadu’. Unlike its larger, more imposing cousin, Monstera, Xanadu remains smaller and therefore, easier to maintain. It imparts a totally tropical look, and makes a tough and durable understory plant for your oaks. It will also form a nice groundcover which will help keep weeds at bay. This plant was discovered in Australia in 1983 as a seedling from imported seed. By 1988, it was name plant of the year by the House Plants of Australia Organization. Xanadu may be used to surround trees or palms, to line a walkway, along edges of patios, decks or porches, as an accent plant, specimen plant or in containers. This is an excellent snowbird plant if planted in the shade and well established prior to departing Florida. By using plants such as those described here, and being diligent to read the tag’s light suggestions when you purchase your plants at the nursery, you may add a tropical effect to troublesome shade spots in your yard. As a result you can achieve a lush, colorful garden which will be the envy of any passerby. If you have questions regarding your landscape, you may call your local Extension Service office for help finding the answer. The Plant Clinic at UF/IFAS Extension Polk County is open Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. For more information contact us at 863-519-1041. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
11
Seeing the Choice
By Jack Payne
I recently bought a $30,000 pair of glasses for one of my scientists. They help him read minds. Actually, what they do is track eye movements. Hayk Khachatryan downloads data from the glasses, and it tells him where the wearer looked, for how long, whether she returned to a spot repeatedly, and what she was looking at when she expressed a thought. The data even tell him where she was looking when she said she’d buy. The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has long addressed the human dimensions aspect of science. Khachatryan is an agricultural economist, so he studies how people make choices. There was a time when producers drove the agriculture business. I scarcely need to tell you how consumers have grabbed the wheel. Access to information has put them there. Lamentably, so has access to misinformation. So economists like Khachatryan have abandoned the classical economic assumptions that our decisions are rational and consistent. Perception and emotions rule, informed or not. The glasses are a way to get a better handle on linking cognitive building blocks to economic behaviors. Tracking eye movements helps us get past what consumers say they want and closer to what they actually do. In his experimental economics lab at the Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka, Khachatryan teases out what information on a label is most compelling to the beholder, for example.
And with a wall of eight 75” screens, he can put a subject with the expensive glasses at the curb in front of a virtual yard. Then, by changing the composition of the landscaping – playing with the traditional turfgrass lawn vs. native plants mix -- he can detect at what point a consumer decides a landscape looks like too much work, a critical consideration in homeowners’ decisions. Khachatryan is one of the few scientists in Florida with these kinds of tools and the know-how to use them. His cuttingedge investigation exemplifies how IFAS can sometimes best help producers by focusing on consumers. He’s scarcely got his screens and glasses out of the box, but he’s already talking about big ideas for the future. He has aspirations to work with UF’s brain institute to measure brain activity and link it with eye movement to study shopping behavior. He even talks about the prospect of exploring neuroeconomics as a way to better understand why and when people’s decisions are driven by something more than logic. By figuring out which areas of the brain are active as people make certain choices, economists can begin to account for the role that things like emotion and social factors play. That’s the kind of aspiration our faculty bring to their work. I’m not paying for his use of a functional MRI, though, until I’ve seen more of what the glasses can show us!
In the nursery business, Khachatryan can tie visual attention measures to whether consumers will pay more for certain designations on a label, such as locally grown, certified organic, or pollinator-friendly. Jack Payne is the senior vice president of agriculture and natural resources at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. jackpayne@ufl.edu • @JackPayneIFAS 12
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTRODUCING THE BEST-IN-CLASS
6-YEAR
POWERTRAIN WARRANTY ON COMPACT UTILITY TRACTORS
Introducing the Best-In-Class Standard 6-Year Warranty*, available on all Compact Utility Tractors*. You expect the highest quality when you buy a Deere, now expect it longer... We take pride in working with those who work with the land. With superior customer support through leasing, rentals, in-field service support, technology, the best parts availability, and loyalty programs just to name a few, we’re ready to be your equipment partner for the long haul. And with the Best-In-Class Standard 6-Year Warranty*, your partner for the long-er haul… Give us a call or visit us online today EvergladesFarmEquipment.com
ShopEFE com
John Deere Parts/New/Used Equip.
Plant City
2805 SR. 60 West Plant City, FL 33567
Leesburg
1800 US HWY. 441 Leesburg, FL 34748
813-737-1660
352-315-1016
Odessa
2240 Success Drive Odessa, FL 33556
Okeechobee
727-842-8618
820 US Hwy. 98, North Okeechobee, FL 34972
Clearwater
863-763-1921
5090 Ulmerton Road Clearwater, FL 33760
727-828-8200
Fort Pierce
6150 Orange Ave. Ft. Pierce, FL 34947
Palmetto
772-461-5568
906 US HWY 301 North Palmetto, FL 34221
941-722-3281
Loxahatchee
13295 Southern Blvd. Loxahatchee, FL 33470
Fort Myers
561-784-4000
9501 State Road 82 Fort Myers, FL 33905
239-332-5045
Belle Glade
Corporate Headquarters
Immokalee
775 E. Main St. Immokalee , FL 34142
239-657-4413
2017 N. W. 16TH Belle Glade, FL 33430
561-996-6531
Naples
1945 Pine Ridge Road Naples , FL 34109
239-260-8800
Beginning 1/1/2016 all Sub-Compact and Compact Utility Tractors purchased new from Everglades Farm Equipment come standard with a 6 year/2000 hour (whichever comes first) www.EvergladesFarmEquipment.com Powertrain Warranty. See the Manufacturer’s Warranty Statement for New John Deere Turf & Utility Equipment at Everglades Farm Equipment for complete details. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE June 2016 13
Karen Fishing Report Tampa Bay June 2016
Capt. Woody Gore (www.captainwoodygore.com)
It is already June and it’s hot. If you’re fishing low water flats before an incoming tide and your live bait starts dying, keep in mind the low water may be depleted of oxygen as it comes out of the shallow backcountry areas. Wherever low tides last through late afternoon and night, especially as water temperatures have climbed through the mid and afternoon heat, the shallow water back country tends to lose its ability to hold oxygen. Therefore, some backcountry flats and pools containing oxygen-depleted water are carried out to your favorite fishing areas during outgoing tides. As usual, June remains hot without any degree of relief at least for another couple of months. In spite of the heat, anglers willing to endure high temperatures and humidity can look forward to catching plenty of fish. Everything will be cooperating, from tarpon to snapper they will be eating just about anything tossed in their direction.
Snook have remained strong and seem to be everywhere, especially around the flats and mangrove shorelines and are willing to take greenbacks and cut baits tossed in their direction. Speaking of greenbacks, they’re everywhere and we should start to see the young fry starting to appear. Trout As the smaller greenies show up, so do the trout. Check the deeper grass flats by free-lining live bait or bouncing an artificial jig along the bottom. Many anglers like using a popping cork with a small split shot to keep the bait down in the current while fishing the grass flats on a moving tide.
Redfish action throughout the bay seems consistent, with plenty of slot fish waiting to tug on your line. Trout, snook and redfish usually haunt the same areas often cruising open flats and sandy patches early then moving into the mangrove shade during the day. However, the trout will usually stay on the open grass flats hanging around sandy potholes.
14 14
IINNTTHE HEFFIELD IELD M MAGAZINE AGAZINE
JJune une 2016 2016
Anglers favoring artificial lures should try topwater action with lures like the MirrOLure Series III S7MR or the Top Dog 74MR, Top Dog Jr. 84MR. Later in the day, soft plastic jerkbaits baits rigged using a 1/16 or 1/8 oz. jig head.
Cobia Check markers and grass flats especially those holding bait. They also cruise the miles of open grass flats following rays and manatees on the lookout for a quick snack. When fishing open water flats, it’s always a good idea to have a rod and reel rigged for something larger, because you never know when one might slide by. Tarpon fishing should continue this month with many moving into the bay. Threadfins, crabs, and larger greenbacks are all over Tampa Bay and work very well for tarpon. The Skyway Bridge, Anna Maria, St. Pete Beach, and Egmont Key should be holding plenty of fish this month. Snapper The snapper bite in Tampa Bay can be great during the summer. Especially when the small greenies show up. Just find a rock pile or bridge and knocker rig a few down on a slower current then get ready. You’ve got to be quick, these fish are quicker than sheepshead and if you feel the bite it’s usually too late. So, keep your line tight and be ready to set the hook for a great dinner. Mackerel…Tampa Bay is loaded with threadfins and June mackerel fishing should be no exception. Just find schools of threadfins or greenbacks, net a few, put out a chum bag, and hold onto your rod and reel. Mackerel fishing means some real excitement on spinning tackle using 50 to 60 pound Seaguar leader and 2/0 long shank hooks.
WWW. ININ THE FIELD MM AGAZINE.COM WWW. THE FIELD AGAZINE.COM
Trout
Chris
Smoked Mackerel
Karen and Chris both finished the day with several good snook when they fished upper Tampa Bay with Captain Woody Gore www. captainwoodygore.com in mid-May. We got on some nice Spanish mackerel first, then a few trout and finished on some decent snook. Maureen, Karen’s sister, caught her first snook and finished strong with several others before the trip ended. Great bunch of ladies and good anglers.
“Give Me a Call & Let’s Go Fishing” 813-477-3814
Captain Woody Gore is the area’s top outdoor fishing guide. Guiding and fishing the west central Florida areas for over fifty years; he offers world class fishing adventures and a lifetime of memories. Multi-boat Group Charters With years of organizational experience and access to the areas most experienced captains, Captain Woody can arrange and coordinate any outing or tournament. Just tell him what you need and it’s done.
Visit his website at: WWW.CAPTAINWOODYGORE.COM send an email to wgore@ix.netcom.com or give me a call at 813-477-3814 WWW. WWW.IIN NTTHE HEFFIELD IELDM MAGAZINE.COM AGAZINE.COM
IINNTTHE HEFFIELD IELD M MAGAZINE AGAZINE
June June 2016 2016
15 15
Agritourism in Florida
By Leslie Buchanon Photos courtesy of Ron O’Connor – Farm Credit
Agriculture is a flourishing and critical component of Florida’s economy, which is topped only by Florida’s tourism industry. Agritourism is essentially a “marriage” of these two major contributors to our state’s economy which allows the strengths of each industry to benefit both land owners and the public. Being the fastest growing tourism sector in the state, agritourism destinations are agriculturally based operations that bring visitors to a farm, ranch, or other agricultural entity with the purpose of educating and actively involving the public in ecological activities, while allowing land owners the opportunity to show off some of Florida’s unique landscapes. According to the University of Florida, there are two types of ventures that fall under the agritourism umbrella, ecotourism and heritage tourism. Ecotourism allows visitors to experience natural areas while conserving the environment, such as bird watching, natural trails and hiking, while heritage tourism features historical or cultural sites, such as Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales. With a large majority of farms depending on outside income to stay afloat, agritourism was born out of necessity by providing agricultural operations the ability to make meaningful farm-to-fork connections with con16
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
sumers while supplementing the farm’s income. More than ever before, today’s consumers desire to know where the food they eat is produced. This desire to ‘know the farmer,’ know where their food comes from, and even harvest their own food, has led to a ‘back-to-the-basics’ movement which has led to a dramatic increase in the agritourism industry in Florida. Before the passing of SB 1106 by the Florida Legislature in 2013, agritourism operators faced many challenges that prevented them from inviting the public to their land to learn about and experience their agricultural production operations. Increasing regulation at the local level, zoning laws, loss of privacy, and a heavy burden of liability kept some farmers from opening their doors to the public. SB 1106, also known as the agritourism bill, provides protection for agritourism operators as they open their properties up to a society that seems to look for negligence around every corner. Of most importance to agritourism operators, SB 1106 established a legal limitation of liability from the inherent risks associated with agritourism operators opening up their venues to the public. Additionally, intent of SB 1106 was to alleviate some of the “red tape” and local WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
regulations operators would endure, while also changing the legal definition of agritourism to create a direct correlation between agritourism and production agriculture. Florida Statute 570.86, defines an agritourism activity as “any agricultural related activity consistent with a bona fide farm or ranch or in a working forest which allows members of the general public to view or enjoy activities related to farming, ranching, historical, cultural or harvest-your-own attractions for recreational, entertainment or educational purposes.” At the same time, an agritourism operator is defined as, “a person who is engaged in the business of providing one or more agritourism activities, whether for compensation or not for compensation.” These legal definitions further clarify the requirements for an agricultural operation to be considered an agritourism activity and to be classified as an ‘agritourism venue’. To take advantage of the legislature’s blanket of protection, the activity must be directly associated with a farm, ranch, or forest that is involved in the production of an agricultural commodity. Polk County is no stranger to the agritourism industry with farmers opening up their property to the public for crop mazes, u-pick operations, weddings, school tours, eco-tours, and hayrides. While SB 1106 passed the Florida Legislature and was signed into law by Governor Scott in 2013, a ceremonial signing of the bill was held at C & W Farms of Central Florida in Lakeland on May 23, 2016. Ted and Donna Smith of Lakeland, who attended the ceremonial signing, operate one of the first agritourism operations in Polk County, CornFusion Crop Maze & Fall Festival. Donna explains, “The major benefits of the agritourism bill to us were the common sense changes to the regulations at the local level, and the legal liability protection provided to land owners.” As an agritourism venue, CornFusion Crop maze emWWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
17
braces the education aspect of the agritourism definition by hosting many charitable children’s organizations, and organizations for children and students with disabilities, free of charge on weekdays during their season of operation. Donna credits Polk County natives Adam Putnam, Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture, and Florida House of Representatives member Neil Combee, with seeing the need for agritourism legislation in Florida, and supporting the passing of the bill. The future of agritourism in Florida is bright. Agritourism is breathing new life into Florida’s economy while also sustaining “green acres” to protect Florida’s natural resources and agricultural commodities. By providing the public with tangible experiences with agricultural commodities in a hospitable environment, agritourism operators are creating a generation of consumers that are changing the viewpoint of agriculture in the world. As anti-agriculture activists are leading the public to believe the industry is made up of uncaring, insensitive factory farms, agritourism venues are altering the face of Florida agriculture and the public’s perceptions of production agriculture in a positive, educational, and authentic manner.
18
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
All Of Ser ving orida Fl Central
• • • •
New Installations Septic Pumping Drain Field Repairs Lift Stations
863-668-7264 WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Septic
Lic#SR0890218
FREE ESTIMATES
Re s i d e n tia Commer l & cial
• • • •
Grease Traps Fill Dirt Culvert Pipes Septic Inspections
“Your Septic Specialists”
www.southeasternseptic.com
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
19
20
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
21
My mother never made it to college, but she sure was smart. She had what a lot of people lack today, common sense. She was a great teacher, too. Bless her heart she taught me logic. I would ask why, and she would say, “Because I said so, that’s why.” She taught me stamina. “You’ll sit there ‘til you finish eating everything on your plate.” She taught me to pray. “You had better pray that will come out of the carpet.” She knew a lot about the weather. I remember one time she stuck her head in the door of my room and said, “Son, it looks like a tornado swept through here.” I never heard her say anything negative about anybody. All of my sisters and father agreed many years ago that she was the best cook in the world. She could take leftovers and create and a new meal that we all would savor. Yes, mom was a real southern lady. Speaking of the south, I read an article the other day by the Southern Tourism Bureau addressing northerners visiting the south. It stressed the “do’s and don’ts” when south of the Mason Dixon line. Don’t order toast at Cracker Barrel! Everyone will instantly know that you’re from Michigan. Eat your biscuits like God intended, and never put sugar on your grits. Never fake a southern accent. This could incite a riot. Never order filet mignon or pasta primavera at Waffle House. It is just dinner. They serve breakfast 24 hours a day. Just order off the menu, and let them cook something they know. If you confuse them, the may kick you out. Yes, we know how to speak proper English. We talk this way because we don’t want to sound like a Yankee. We don’t care if you don’t understand what we are saying. All Southerners understand what we are saying, and that’s all that matters. Never ridicule our Southern manners. We say “sir” and “ma’am,” hold doors open for others, and offer our seats to old folks because such things are expected out of civilized people. Behave yourself around your sweet little grey-haired grandmother or she’ll kick some manners in your rear like ours did. Notherner’s have their way of saying things too. Like, “For Cripes Sakes” and “Holy Moly!” Now who is “Holy Moly?” And last but not least, do not come down here and try to tell us how to cook barbeque. If you do, they’ll tell my neighbor, Mark Poppell, and he’ll give you a whuppin! Mark is an interesting person, and the best cook in our neigh22 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE June 2016
borhood. He is full of wisdom. He said to me the other day, “Al, I am sure glad I am a man.” I asked why he would make a statement like that. “Well now, there are many reasons,” he said. “We have one wallet and one pair of shoes, the same color all year long. You can buy a three pack of underwear for about ten bucks. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. A wedding dress is $2000, and a Tux rental is $150.00. You can do your nails with a pocketknife. And Christmas shopping can be accomplished for 25 relatives, on December 24th, in one hour.” Let’s close out remembering words we seldom hear anymore. “Percolator.” A fun word to say, but replaced with “Coffee Maker.” Remember “Picture Show?” Now it’s a “Movie.” When was the last time you head the phrase “in a family way?” It’s hard to imagine that the word “pregnant” was once considered a little to graphic. Then we had all that talk about the stork visiting, or “being in a family way,” or simply “expecting.” Did you ever wait at the street for you daddy to come home, so you could ride on the “running board” up to the house? When did we quit calling them “emergency brakes?” Some where along the way we started using the term “parking brake!” Frankly, the name “emergency brake” sounds more exciting. Remember, “store bought” or, a “store-bought bag of candy?” I think, just maybe at one time was there a telethon that wiped out lumbago? I never hear anyone complaining of that anymore. Maybe that’s what castor oil cured, because I never hear mothers threatening kids with castor oil anymore. I leave you with my exhaustive review of information on the final word on nutrition and health. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than us. Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than we do. Mexicans eat a lot of fat and also suffer fewer heart attacks than us. Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. Germans drink beer and eat tons of sausage and fats and suffer a much lower heart attack than us. MY CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you. But don’t worry the Government is trying to correct this problem. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
23
Kaylee Jean Norris
By Melissa Nichols
This month we are featuring a young lady who set her sights many years ago on what she wanted to accomplish. She has broken records, and made quite a name for herself over the last few years, and she has made this county proud to call her their own. Our stories are often about people who have been involved in agriculture their whole lives. Kaylee is not one of those individuals. However she grew up in Frostproof, Florida surrounded by cattle and citrus, two of our staples of agriculture in this county. Kaylee quickly developed a fond 24
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
admiration of agriculture as a whole which grew even more having a best friend who lived on a cattle ranch. At a very young age Kaylee Jean Norris set her sights on finding her niche in the industry and after seven years of being in FFA and three years in the Warner University Ag Studies program, Kaylee has done just that. Kaylee’s success in FFA came just a year after joining Frostproof Middle/Sr.’s program and it was in the Prepared Public SpeakWWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
ing CDE. Her advisor took a shy young girl who was afraid to speak in a crowd and turned her into a successful, fifth place in the state FFA contest participant. Kaylee says looking back “that was the turning point for me.” She had a small taste of success and that little taste was the drive it took to make her succeed more and more. Kaylee quickly became no stranger to FFA contests, as her drive to succeed exploded in high school. She participated in every single event she could fit into her schedule, including Prepared Public Speaking, Forestry, Parliamentary Procedure, Vegetable Identification, Citrus Identification, OH demos, Livestock Judging and Land Judging. Kaylee said “these contests allowed me to gain knowledge in all aspects of the agriculture industry, yet there were still some areas I hadn’t covered.” Those areas came in the Supervised Agriculture Experience category as Kaylee actively started showing purebred beef cattle and market steers. She was able to do this all through high school. Kaylee said “Raising cattle taught me so many valuable life lessons and important money management and responsibility skills. I couldn’t have made it to where I am had I not decided to take that path.” Along with Career Development Events and Supervised Agriculture Experience projects Kaylee jumped into FFA feet first and never slowed down. While showing cattle and CDE’s kept her busy, her passion for FFA continued to grow and she wanted to assume leadership roles in her FFA chapter. Kaylee said, “My 7th grade year I served as Sentinel and then as president my 8th grade year. As soon as I moved into high school, I ran for office as well. I served as reporter my freshman year, President my sophomore year, Vice President when I was a junior and then President my senior year. Along with chapter responsibilities, I served on the Polk County FFA Federation Officer Team for three years. This allowed me to meet other members from across our county and state and help unify our FFA chapters and raise awareness of agriculture in our area.” Kaylee said that showing cattle and participating in projects were always fun to her, but advocating for the agriculture industry as an officer was hands down her favorite part of FFA. Kaylee served as a great role model for all the FFA members who served with her and under her leadership. She showed them that hard work, dedication and believing in something pays off. Kaylee reminisces about FFA. She remembers attending her first leadership conference and says it was an amazing experience. Kaylee said WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
she, “Walked in knowing the few people from my chapter and walked out with hundreds of new friends who shared the same passion and excitement for agriculture and agriculture education that I did, that is a moment I will never forget.” As her FFA career continued she attended every leadership conference and camp that she could. From the Florida FFA State Convention, The National FFA Convention, Washington Leadership Conference, Florida Leadership and Outdoor Adventures, Forestry Camp, COLT conference, Chapter President Conference to State Leadership Summit. While attending these conferences and conventions, she met other FFA members from her home state and other states across the US as well and it made her passion for FFA burn brighter each time. As graduation was approaching the big question came, what’s next for Kaylee Jean Norris? There was no doubt she wanted to pursue a career in agriculture, but she didn’t know where. Of course the obvious choices were the University of Florida and Abraham Baldwin Agriculture College (ABAC in Georgia). Kaylee, unsure of her decision, said she spent a lot of nights praying about the next chapter of her life. Just days before Kaylee’s graduation from Frostproof Senior, she received a phone call explaining that Warner University, a school about 10 miles from her hometown, was starting a Diversified Agriculture Studies program in the upcoming fall. As she began to look into the program she immediately knew Warner is where she belonged. Not only was Warner close to home, but it had everything she wanted and needed to pursue her degree. This degree would allow Kaylee to learn about all parts of the agriculture industry from animal production to vegetable production and from policy/law to education while being able to work with industry members in our area. Kaylee went into Warner full of energy and spunk. Adjunct Professor of Agriculture David Byrd said, “Kaylee Norris is a dynamic, energetic young lady. She has set goals for herself and strives to excel in everything she starts. It has been my pleasure to see her grow and succeed during middle school, high school, and college. Kaylee is a great leader and representative of the agricultural industry. I have worked with hundreds of students throughout my career in education. Kaylee is at the top of the list!” Like many FFA members Kaylee recalls the heartbreaking feeling she experienced when she took the blue jacket off for the last time. She said, “I remember looking back on all myContinues on Pg. 32 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
25
Ornamental Gardening in Florida
By Ginny Mink
So, you like shrubs, but you want to make sure you are planting the kind that are meant to be here and not designed to take over your whole lawn? Well, we’ve got some great answers for you here in this edition of the Literary Time Machine with Mr. Charles Torrey Simpson and his 90 year old advice (from his book published in 1926). If you’ve the luxury of a North Florida home you might want to check out the Calycanthus floridus a “Sweet scented shrub…with brownish red, very fragrant flowers…”¹ However, if you’re reading this you probably live in Central Florida and therefore the Calycanthus might not be the best option for you. Which moves us on to the Cassia group. According to Mr. Simpson, they are, “A large, mostly tropical genus of four hundred species, containing trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants with about a half dozen that are native to Florida.”¹ All we know about Cassia is that its essential oil smells a lot like cinnamon and we like cinnamon. But maybe cinnamon scented herbaceous plants aren’t your cup of tea. That’s not a problem because there’s always: Cestrum diurnum. Mr. Simpson explains, “Day jessamine is a straggling shrub with white very fragrant flowers which is much cultivated and has run wild in Lower Florida.”¹ We wondered if jessamine was the same as jasmine. According to Marjan Kluepfel and Bob Polomski of Clemson University, “Jasmine should not be confused with jessamine.”² Guess that answers our question! Continuing on our shrub search, we skipped through some less than interesting descriptions until we arrived at: Hamamelis virginiana. Imagine our shock when we read its common name: Witch Hazel. Our experience with witch hazel has been limited, but it’s always been in bottle form. So, seeing Mr. Simpson’s description was enlightening. He wrote, “Witch hazel is an attractive large shrub found here and there throughout most of the eastern United States and ranging south into Florida.”¹ Unfortunately, he didn’t tell 26
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
Part 21
us what it looked like so we had to do a little digging. All we can say is wow because the flowers are so unique they’d be difficult to describe here (no wonder Mr. Simpson didn’t attempt it). Another shocker hit us with the Hamelia patens. This is, “A beautiful large shrub, a member of the coffee family, growing in South Florida and bearing clusters of long, tubular, orange scarlet flowers throughout the year. Although it grows in hammock land in a wild state it does well in pineland cultivation.”¹ As big coffee fans, we thought it might be interesting to see if this shrub was an option for our own yards. That’s when we discovered that this “coffee relative” is commonly known as the firebush, or hummingbird bush.³ What?! Wait, there’s more! So, the firebush, which a lot of us have already planted in our yards to draw the attention of butterflies and hummingbirds, actually has edible fruit! From what we read, it’s sweet at first but then leaves a bitter taste in the back of your mouth. So it’s advised that you try one first just to make sure you like it, rather than eating a handful.⁴ On top of that, this plant has a history of medicinal uses! It’s said to have antifungal and antibacterial properties and has even been used in the treatment of menstrual cramps, dysentery, rheumatism, fever and headaches.³ It can be used topically or as a tea.⁴ Really, there’s way more information on the sites included at the end of this article and we advise that you read them if you’re truly interested in putting this bush to use. We wonder if Mr. Simpson had any idea of the value of this particular shrub. Some further reading in Ornamental Gardening reveals that Hydrangea arborescens and Lantana are good options. The hydrangea is valued for its attractive flowers while the lantana finds its worth in its strongly scented “deep yellow flowers.”¹ Herein we arrived at the Pinckneya pubens or FeWWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
ver tree. Fever tree? Does that mean it causes fever, or it helps with fever? Or was that just the last name of the person who discovered it? We had to know. Interestingly enough, our first search revealed that Fever-Tree is a company that makes mixers for alcoholic drinks. Is there a connection? Hmmm…. A University of Florida site revealed that the fever tree got its name from the fact that, “In earlier days, malaria and other fevers were treated at home with a medicine made from the inner bark of this deciduous, 30-foot-tall, North American native tree.”⁵ And yes, there is a connection to the UK based company. According to their About Us page, “Fever-Tree Indian Tonic Water launched in the UK in early 2005, the brand name chosen due to fever tree being the colloquial name for the cinchona tree in which quinine, a key ingredient for tonic, is found.”⁶ Learning is fun! We hope you will walk away from this article with some new shrub planting ideas. But, more importantly, we hope that you’ll put this down and smile because you learned something new today. We are firm believers in the concept that if you don’t learn something new every day why are you still here? Make it a goal to discover, question, and seek. There’s lots you still don’t know! 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. 106-107). ²Kluepfel, M. & Polomski, B. (1999). Jasmine. Clemson University. http://www.clemson.edu/extension/hgic/plants/landscape/groundcovers/hgic1106.html ³ Christman, S. (1999). Hamelia Patens. Floridata. http://floridata. com/Plants/Rubiaceae/Hamelia%20patens/174 ⁴ Greene Deane (2013) Firebush, Scarletbush. Eat the Weeds. http:// www.eattheweeds.com/hamelia-patens-edible-pharmaceutical-2/ ⁵ Gillman, E.F. & Watson, D.G. (1994). Pinckneya Pubens. Forest Service Department of Agriculture. Environmental Horticulture. University of Florida. http://hort.ufl.edu/database/documents/pdf/ tree_fact_sheets/pinpuba.pdf ⁶Fever-Tree. About Us. http://www.fever-tree.com/about-us WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
27
“They Find Their Way Back to the Big Ol’ Blue”
By Ginny Mink With the upcoming release of Finding Dory (part 2 of the Finding Nemo franchise) it seemed like a good idea to talk about sea turtles. If you are familiar with the Finding Nemo movie then perhaps you recall the sea turtles who rode the EAC (East Australian Current). Marlin wakes up on the back of one such turtle, Crush, who claims to still be young at 150 years old. So, what’s the truth about sea turtles and what can we do to help them? Let’s find out! Florida lists four sea turtles as federally endangered (there’s another one on the federally threatened list). For the sake of this article, we’ll focus on the four endangered species: green sea turtle, hawksbill sea turtle, Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, and the leatherback sea turtle. Sea turtles, when clumped in a group, are said to live up to 152 years. So, Crush may have been exaggerating his youth to accentuate his young at heart attitude. In case you were wondering. Obviously we don’t want to put all these turtles in one lump sum though, and therefore let’s make a point of being able to tell the difference. Green sea turtles (like Crush) get their name from the green tint of their skin. There are actually two types of green sea turtle and scientists are fighting about whether or not to separate the two. They can reach weights of 700 lbs.! As adults they are herbivores but have been known to eat crab, jellyfish, and sponges in their youth. They mate every two to four years laying a clutch of 100-200 eggs. Even though they are listed as endangered, people are still killing them for their meat and eggs.¹ Hawksbill sea turtles have a distinctive hawk shaped beak that gives them their names. They are considerably smaller than the green sea turtle, only weighing in at a maximum of 300 lbs (though most don’t pass 176 lbs.) and are considered a medium sized sea turtle. They like to live in rocky areas and are deeply devoted to the coral reef but don’t go too far out, they’re rarely seen in areas past 65 foot deep. Although they only breed every two to three years, they are capable of doing so four and a half times during the breeding season. Their clutches are generally 140 eggs or so and they feast, primarily, on sponges.² This brings us to the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle, which is the smallest of the sea turtles worldwide. The adults only tip the scale at 75-100 lbs. Richard Kemp, a Florida fisherman, discovered this species in 1880. They have an oval to heart shaped shell with a white bottom shell and creamy toned skin. They love crabs and usually live in lagoons and other shallow water locales. While they may lay up to 100 eggs, they are the smallest eggs of all sea turtles, about the size of a ping pong 28
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
ball. Interestingly enough, the temperature in the nest will determine the gender of the turtle babies, the colder it is, the more males there will be! By the way, these are the only sea turtles that nest during the day.³ We’ve saved the most well-known for last, the leatherback sea turtle. In case you were unaware, they get their names from the fact that they have leather like shells as opposed to the hard shells the other sea turtles are known for. Additionally, they are the largest of all sea turtles and the ones that travel the furthest. They really enjoy eating jellyfish and can indulge until they reach weights of 600-1500 lbs.! They nest year round, unlike other sea turtles, but egg collection in nesting grounds is a very serious threat. This is not to mention the threat caused by mistaken identity. That is to say that because they survive almost solely on jellyfish, it is easy for them to accidentally ingest plastic bags.⁴ To pull it all back together, the overdevelopment of beaches is one of the greatest threats to the survival of sea turtles worldwide. Mankind has encroached on their nesting grounds to the point of nearly driving these majestic ocean creatures to extinction. Unfortunately, efforts to rectify the usage of them in soups and other delicacies have not eliminated the proclivity of some to steal eggs and kill these turtles for their meat. Those seeking to help these beautiful entities should stand firm on protecting their habitats and volunteer to keep watch during nesting seasons. The more babies we protect, the better chance God’s great, silent, giants have of surviving. There are additional methods that you can use to assist in the protection of Florida’s sea turtles. The World Wildlife Fund offers an “adopt a turtle” option on their website (which you can find in our resources section). Or, you can join the Sea Turtle Conservancy based out of Gainesville. They’ve been saving sea turtles since 1959.⁵ There’s a link in the resources for that option as well. Whatever you do, remember that this earth is under your stewardship. Take care of it. Resources: ¹National Geographic- http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/green-turtle/ ²U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service- http://www.fws.gov/northflorida/seaturtles/turtle%20factsheets/hawksbill-sea-turtle.htm ³Sea Turtle Inc.- http://www.seaturtleinc.org/education/about-seaturtles/kemps-ridley/ ⁴World Wildlife Fund- http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/leatherback-turtle ⁵Sea Turtle Conservancy- http://www.conserveturtles.org/involved. php WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
29
30
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Florida
Jaboticaba
By Sandy Kaster, M.S. Clinical Medicines, B.S. Nutrition Science
Jaboticaba is an exotic fruit that resembles a grape and is eaten fresh out-of-hand or made into wine, jam, or jellies. Other names for this fruit are jabuticaba or Brazilian grapetree. Native to Brazil, this fruit is also grown in Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Peru, California, and South Florida. The tree is known for its uniquely beautiful multicolored bark. Flowering and fruiting occur throughout the year in with the largest harvest between April and June. The flowers and fruit grow directly on the bark of the trunk and branches. Covered with a thick, purple skin, the fruit under the skin is a whitish pulp with one to four seeds. It has a pleasant sweet flavor and its flavor and texture is like that of a grape.
ing total and LDL cholesterol levels, decrease inflammation, and decrease clumping of platelets (which may help prevent blood clots).
NUTRITIONAL PROFILE
HOW TO SELECT AND STORE
This sweet, juicy fruit is a great source of vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, iron, thiamin, and niacin. The outer peel is entirely edible and contains most of the fiber in the fruit. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, one serving of fresh jaboticaba (100 g) contains 46 calories, 0.1 g of protein, 0 g of fat, 12.6 g of carbohydrate, and 1 g of fiber.
Choose deeply colored, slightly softened fruit that feel heavy for their size. Look for richly colored skin that is free of blemishes. Store in a shallow container in the refrigerator for up to several days. Rinse under cool running water before eating or preparing.
FULL OF DISEASE-FIGHTING ANTIOXIDANTS Fresh Florida jaboticaba are bursting with antioxidants including vitamin C, manganese, carotenoids, and other phytonutrients. The highest concentration of these beneficial compounds are found in the skin and seeds. Antioxidants help protect the body’s cell membranes from harmful free radical damage and lower markers of oxidative stress. Very importantly, the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of jaboticaba offer protection against cancer. Antioxidants protect cell membranes from potential oxygen damage and inflammation. This decreases the risk for atherosclerosis and heart disease. Jaboticaba, as well as grape juice, and red wine have been shown to play a role in reducing high blood pressure, reducWWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
GOOD FOR YOUR BONES This grape-like fruit is also high in phosphorus and calcium, the two main minerals involved in maintaining healthy bones and teeth. Phosphorus plays an important role in how the body uses carbohydrates and fats for fuel. Phosphorus also helps the body store energy for future use and is needed for the body to make protein for the growth, maintenance, and repair of cells and tissues.
HOW TO ENJOY Jaboticaba are delicious and juicy eaten out of hand. They can be juiced or cooked into jelly or jam. Add to cereal, yogurt, or salad or use them to garnish and top cakes and desserts. Thanks to its sweet flavor, this fruit is commonly used in baking, such as in cheesecake, dessert sauce, pudding, ice cream, or cake. Enjoy Florida’s fresh jaboticaba today and enjoy a nutrition boost in every bite of sweetness.
SELECTED REFERENCES http://lee.ifas.ufl.edu/Hort/GardenPubsAZ/Jaboticaba.pdf https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/jaboticabas.html http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/oc/freepubs/pdf/F_N-20.pdf INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
31
Continued from Pg. 25 experiences in FFA and thinking I would never have the opportunity to feel that way again.” Once Kaylee started her studies at Warner, she had the opportunity, along with other students and their advisor Mrs. Lauren Lewis Cline, to help charter the Warner University Collegiate FFA Chapter. The Warner University campus did not know much about agriculture or FFA since the program was so new, so they made it a goal to host Ag awareness events to help educate the campus. This group, made up of all former FFA members who truly missed that old blue jacket, also hosted professional development events such as workshops and guest speakers to inspire the students at Warner to get involved with the Ag Studies program. While it was much different than high school FFA, it was very rewarding to be a part of Polk Counties’ first Collegiate FFA Chapter and first Ag Studies program. In just a few short years, the collegiate FFA chapter has grown tremendously and made a major impact on their school and community. During Kaylee’s time at Warner, she served as Collegiate FFA Sentinel, Vice President and President. Scarlett Jackson, Director of Agriculture Development and FFA Advisor at Warner University said, “Kaylee is a driven young woman that works hard to do her best in all situations. As a leader in Warner University’s Ag program, she encouraged others to strive for excellence. I know she will continue to do great things for herself and the future of Agriculture!” Kaylee also had the opportunity to interview and be selected as a National Collegiate Agriculture Ambassador through National FFA. The 2015 Ag Ambassador team consisted of 22 individuals from 15 states. “While we all came from different backgrounds and different parts of the industry, we all shared the common goal of educating the general public and our youth about the agriculture industry. During her time as an Ag ambassador she had the opportunity to travel to Raleigh, North Carolina and Louisville, Kentucky (for National Convention.) As a National Collegiate Ag Ambassador her job was to advocate for agriculture. “I spoke with numerous groups from all age ranges including local rotary groups, high school summer camps and elementary classrooms. While we all had a different focus, my goal through National Ag Ambassadors was to reach the younger generation. I wanted to reach those who were disconnected from the farm and those who thought their food came from Publix. It was an awesome experience leaving a presentation knowing that each child in the audience had a new outlook on the agriculture industry” says Kaylee. In her year of service Kaylee said it was an amazing experience, one that she will cherish forever. Not only was Kaylee a huge part of making this local Collegiate FFA successful, she also served as our very first Ag Ambassador from Polk County. Assistant VP of Advancement at Warner University, Leigh Ann Wynn said, “Kaylee just has it. We’re proud of all of our students at Warner, but there 32
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
are certain ones who just step up to the plate and ask where they can help every time. These kind of traits pay off for the rest of your life.” During Kaylee’s three years at Warner earning her Bachelor’s Degree, she completed four internships. She completed her first internship in the agriculture education department at Kathleen High School, under Advisor Keitha Hall. Kaylee said she had a great time with the Kathleen students and learned so much about Ag education and FFA from the teacher’s perspective. Her second internship was completed with Crosby & Associates, a local Ag real estate company, where Kaylee learned a lot about marketing, real estate and agribusiness, a vital part of the agriculture industry. Kaylee completed her third internship at Rucks Citrus Nursery, where she learned about something near and dear to her heart, the citrus industry. Finally, Kaylee had the opportunity to complete her senior capstone at Highland Precision Agriculture, a brand new company located in Mulberry, Florida. Kaylee’s capstone experience was scheduled for her final semester and would last approximately 400 hours. Kaylee said, “When I finished my 400 required hours, they asked me to remain on staff and offered me a position within the company.” Highland Precision Agriculture is a company utilizing UAV’s (drones) and multispectral imaging to help growers make accurate and timely decisions about their crops and help their crop reach its full potential. Kaylee was thrilled when they asked her to remain on staff because as you can tell she loves being a part of things when they start from the ground floor! Straight out of college she is currently working in the Operations department and serving in a Customer Service role. It is her job to oversee the data from each flight when the operators return to the shop, she then uploads the flight data to a processor and communicates with the processing company as well as the grower to ensure all images are correct and answer any questions that may arise. Kaylee loves Highlands Precision Agriculture because it allows her to use the information she learned at Warner and apply it every day real life, while also helping solve our biggest problem: meeting the food demand of a growing population. This is 21st century farming. Utilizing technology to meet consumer demands. The opportunities are endless at Highlands Precision Agriculture and she is beyond excited to be a part of the Highland team. Kaylee is a huge inspiration to those young adults who recently graduated as well as those entering high school and preparing to graduate. Big things are happening right here in Polk County. You no longer have to go to another state or far from home to get a great education in the agriculture industry. Kaylee has become the “model student” of what can be done with hard work! Congratulations Kaylee Jean, I know this is not the last time we will be doing a story on you. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
“Farm Credit is easy to work and meets “Farmwith Credit is easyour toneeds.” work — Shad and Billy Simmons
with and meets our needs.” — Shad and Billy Simmons
“Farm Credit is easy to work with and meets our needs.” — Shad and Billy Simmons
Shad and Billy Simmons grow strawberries on land Billy’s grandfather bought in 1920 — both are past presidents of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association.
Loans made for farmers by farmers, since 1916. Farm Credit is the nation’s leading provider of Shad andcredit Billyto Simmons grow strawberries on land agriculture andgrow Shad and Billy Simmons strawberries land Billy’s grandfather bought in 1920 — both areon past rural America. Billy’s grandfather bought in 1920 —813.719.7341 both are past presidents of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association. FarmCreditCFL.com presidents of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association.
Loans made forland, farmers by farmers, since Loans made forhomes farmers by farmers, since1916. 1916. Loans for & country living FarmisCredit is the nation’s leading provider Farm Credit the nation’s leading provider of of to agriculture credit tocredit agriculture and and rural America. 813.719.7341 813.719.7341 rural America. FarmCreditCFL.com
FarmCreditCFL.com
Loans for land, homes & country living
Loans for land, homes & country living WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
33
Third Annual Blueberry Pickin’ Birthday Bash
By Ginny Mink
“Is this party more for me or Zeke?” Hazel was fresh out of the gate with her five year old selfish attitude. Zeke didn’t miss a lick though, “It’s my birthday party because you already had your birthday!” Which, was indeed true. Hazel turned five on April 26th and Zeke was set to turn three the day after the party, Mother’s Day. “It’s for both of you.” I told them, knowing full well that the majority of the people who would be there would be there for Hazel. Three year olds who stay home with Mommy all the time rarely have large amounts of friends. Amazingly, of the 15 or so kids in Hazel’s class, only three of them showed up for her party: River, Jayden and Gabe. You’d think more people would be thrilled about picking blueberries. Too bad for them though because it was a beautiful day. We set up shop, as we have the last few times we’ve been blessed to celebrate on the gorgeous property known as Shady Oak Farms which is run by the unforgettable, Retta Baucom. I’m not gonna lie, I look forward to time spent in Retta’s presence every year. There’s just such a sweetness about her that makes you want to smile. If you’ve never been out there, you should definitely give it a try. I wouldn’t steer you wrong! Anyway, we got the kids gathered around Retta’s table and she taught them how to plant blueberries (which they got to keep) and cucumbers (which they also got to keep). Then she told the mom’s to step away from the children and she talked to them for a little while and when we heard them all cheer we knew it was time to return to the rambunctious group. Everyone got their blueberry pickin’ buckets and off we went. The kids spread out like a kicked over ant pile. They were running around everywhere. “Is this a good one?” Hazel asked me as I attempted to take pictures of everyone. She was holding a nickel sized blueberry. “Yeah, that looks like a great one!” I said, “Put it in your bucket.” She smiled slyly and said, “Nope!” and shoved it in her mouth, a grin a mile wide. 34
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
I went off to find Zeke. He was bouncing along grabbing the darkest ones he could see. When he saw me trying to take his picture he held up his bucket, “Look how many I got!” He squealed. He was a pickin’ fiend. So I reminded him that he needed to keep it under the line drawn on the inside. I didn’t need to spend $10 on his blueberry bucket (after all, I had three kids picking blueberries in the field, that’s a lot of berries). Jaidyn was off with his friend Caleb. They were the only kids you could see from a distance since they’re both really tall. I was surprised that they weren’t eating more than they were picking. Jaidyn revealed, later, that he’s not a big fan of blueberries. Though I guess he’s ok with picking them because his bucket was definitely well filled, and with big berries too. When I called everyone back in, Retta revealed a secret Mother’s Day gift for us all. I won’t tell you what she did, but suffice it to say, it was above and beyond the call of duty and touched the hearts of every mom present that day. Of course, the dads were more moved by the delivery of Retta’s super yummy homemade blueberry muffins. You should have seen their faces! Some of the parents, who are regulars at these birthday bashes, refrained from eating my cake because they remembered how scrumptious Retta’s muffins were. I wasn’t offended though; I know they’re phenomenal, too. Before we ate cake and opened presents though, Retta made the event all the more special by releasing the ducks into the pond. She’d been raising them in a pen and they were now ready for release. She saved that moment for Hazel and Zeke’s birthday party. The kids loved watching the white ducks reluctantly make their way into the ponds. Later they enjoyed feeding them blueberries they’d dropped along the way. The ducks liked it, too! Of course the highlight of the party, in the minds of my lovely wee-ones, was the opening of presents. My friend, Natali’s son, Zane, made a point of reading his card to Zeke and it was both cute and unbelievably sweet. He’d made the card WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
himself and read it with enthusiasm. I’ve a special place in my heart for that young one (and his wee brother, Henry) but that moment solidified it all the more. We handed out our party favors and watched the kids run around blowing bubbles, wearing fake nose and glasses combinations while looking through kaliedoscopes and throwing bouncy balls around. It seemed a great time was had by all. Newly invited parents thanked me for the opportunity to come blueberry picking while those who regularly appear chatted it up with Retta and each other. It was great! I pray that this farm will remain in business for many years to come. At least long enough to reach the point in which Hazel and Zeke don’t want to share their birthday parties. Jaidyn had a good time with his friend. The only negative was a little bit of misbehavior with some of the boys choosing to use blueberries as bullets. I had to tell ‘em to stop throwing the blueberries. Of course, all the bunnies that come out at night out there probably loved that. The bottom line is Retta and Shady Oak Farms, make me smile and my kids love it. Yours will, too!
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
35
Weather The Weather With New Technology! by John Dicks
The month of June marks the beginning of hurricane season. Most of us will keep a wary eye on the weather through the season, which ends in November. Officially, NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) is predicting a “near-normal” hurricane season with a 70% likelihood of 10 to 16 named storms. Of course if one comes our way, there’s a 100% chance that it won’t be fun. The two weather patterns we’ve been hearing about for the last several years still predominate the concerns of hurricane watchers. First there is El Niño, which seems to have dominated recent headlines. An El Niño tends to deter the development of hurricanes through a powerful wind shear over the tropical Atlantic. Unfortunately, its reverse twin, the La Niña works in opposite fashion and is apt to make some more favorable conditions for storms. While we have been sailing most recently with El Niño, experts are suggesting that the period is rapidly weakening with La Niña quickly arriving. Let’s hope they are wrong! The good news is that NOAA announced it is on target to reach its goal of improving its intensity forecasts by 20% and reduce the average errors of its hurricane tracking. This should inspire a bit more confidence in those TV weather reports that we stay glued to as a storm approaches. Frankly, I’ve always found it more than frustrating to watch the graphic “Cone of Probability” that NOAA releases to the public. It seems like last year the weather reporters were taking to calling it the “Cone of Uncertainty!” It wobbles, it moves, it slides, it widens, it shrinks and it never seems to head where it’s supposed to go. So this year, things are supposed to better. The improvements include both supercomputers and sophisticated satellites. NOAA officially uses what it calls the U.S. Global Forecast System. It creates forecasting models used by the National Hurricane Center in Miami after compiling data from a variety of sources including satellites, weather balloons and buoys. A major upgrade was installed the first of this year when NOAA activated two new supercomputers. Much faster and more powerful than the ones they replaced, this new addition should provide a more precise prediction of the storms intensity, formation and potential tracks. Later this year new geostationary satellites will be launched to provide a better view of the western hemisphere, resulting in more accurate forecasts.
and get a close-up view of conditions. The military’s version is operated by the Air Force Reserve 53d Weather Reconnaissance Squadron. It is based at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. They are proud to call themselves the “Hurricane Hunters,” which is a moniker adopted for its missions in 1946. They cover an area midway through the Atlantic Ocean all the way to the Hawaiian Islands. The Hurricane Hunters operate by flying directly into the storm and typically penetrate its eye several times each flight at altitudes ranging between 500 (yes, 500!) to 10,000 feet. Closer to home we have NOAA’s Hurricane Hunters. While they are civilians rather than military, still they operate out of MacDill AFB in Tampa. They, too, fly into the eye of the storm and now are actually transmitting Doppler weather data in real time to help forecasters more accurately analyze conditions leading to quicker and more precise weather updates. Certainly to no one’s surprise is that we also now have some rather sophisticated tools resting in our pocket through the disguise of smartphone apps. One that gets rave reviews (and is free) comes from the American Red Cross. Simply named “Hurricane,” it monitors conditions, including a storm tracker, and even provides a system to let others know you are OK through customizable “I’m Safe” alerts for Facebook, Twitter, email and texts. Not to be outdone, the government has also gotten into the act with its own app published by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency). It’s described as a “one-stop-shop with tools and tips to keep you safe before, during, and after disasters.” In addition to alerts, which you would expect, it is a good source and guide for preparing emergency kits and finding shelter locations. Here’s to hoping that none of these technological advances will actually be needed. Have a happy and safe summer!
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.
Despite all that NOAA is doing with improving its forecasting models we still have our fortified planes that fly into storms to gather data 36
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Cattle • Truck Farming • Citrus • Game Hunting
1401 Sam Keen Road Lake, Wales, FL 33853 863.692.1013 We Support Agriculture.
See Our Reviews on
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
37
Recipes
Courtesy of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Chef Justin Timineri
Florida Sweet Corn and Ingredients 2 ears fresh Florida sweet corn, kernels cut cob Jack Cheese Quesadilla off1 cupthecooked black beans, drained and
rinsed 1 cup Florida bell peppers (assorted colors), diced small
DIRECTIONS
Preheat a medium-sized sautĂŠ pan over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to the preheated pan. Add the corn kernels and diced peppers to the pan, and lightly season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook the corn mixture until the peppers and corn start to get slightly golden brown. Add the black beans and cumin to the corn mixture, stir ingredients to combine, and remove from heat. Place the corn mixture into a bowl. Let cool to room temperature or in a refrigerator until next step. To assemble quesadilla, lay out 4 tortillas on a flat, clean surface. Evenly distribute 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese on each tortilla. Next, evenly distribute the corn mixture on top of the
8 soft corn tortillas (6 inch) 2 cups jack cheese, shredded 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 1 teaspoon cumin sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste vegetable oil for cooking cheese, and add even amounts of the fresh cilantro. Add the last 1/4 cup of cheese on top of the cilantro, and top each one with a tortilla. Lightly press each stuffed tortilla to make it flat. Preheat a medium-sized sautĂŠ pan over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil to the preheated pan. Cook each quesadilla for 2 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and the cheese has melted. Remove the cooked quesadilla from the pan and repeat cooking process. Hold cooked quesadillas in a 300-degree oven until all are cooked. Slice the quesadillas like a pie and serve warm with fresh Florida salsa and guacamole.
Tomato and Parmesan Florida Sweet Corn INGREDIENTS 4 ears fresh Florida corn 2 Florida tomatoes, diced Parmesan Basil
DIRECTIONS Place shucked corn directly on a hot grill. Rotate and cook corn until charred and cooked, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool for 5 minutes and add diced tomatoes, Parmesan and basil. Portions of toppings based on preference.
38
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
39
For the Love of Fishing By Melissa Nichols
Growing up in Polk County, Captain Jason Thompson has been no stranger to the agriculture industry. He spent his entire childhood showing and raising both dairy cattle and beef cattle. With a dairy in his back yard he quickly learned the agriculture ways of life from a young boy and took to working on the equipment at the dairy at a very young age. This love of fixing things led Jason to a great career working at Publix in the Maintenance department for the past 20 plus years. However, over these years Jason ran for the water on his days off and did “a little fishing” as he says. It didn’t matter if it was the freshwater lakes of Polk County or his favorite place, the salty water of Tampa Bay. This love of fishing has grown and about 10 years ago he started to plan out a way to turn this hobby into his lifelong dream of being a charter fisherman. This plan started with earning a captain’s license, which he was able to receive in 2007, and the plan began to evolve. Jason then began completely tearing down and building from the ground up two Aquasport 222 boats that he owned. Jason spent countless hours redoing and upgrading every aspect of the boat including every bell and whistle and latest gadget you can think of to make a fishing experience one of a kind. From custom built T-top and observation tower so he can spot locations to fish visually, to the very best GPS enabled fish finders, a power pole to make flats fishing easy, a Mercury Verado 200hp outboard engine, multiple Yeti coolers, live well and fish boxes, Jason’s Aquasport was built with serious fishing in mind. When you book a trip with him plan on meeting him at the Little Harbor Marina in Ruskin where he will pick you up and take you out on a 4, 6 or 8 hour guided fishing trip. Captain Jason Thompson, also known as Captain JT, prides himself 40 40
NT THE HEF FIELD IELD M MAGAZINE AGAZINE IIN
une 2016 2016 JJune
on making your fishing trip memorable. He not only has a vast knowledge of fishing and tips that any level fisherman could learn from, he also has a deep admiration of the water. This love of the water is obvious when he is out on it. Jason always respects the waters and the aquatic lives so that future generations will be able to enjoy it as much as he has. Jason has spent many years on the water mastering flats fishing. He knows where to go to get the fresh bait, and where to put you on the fish. He is experienced with Redfish, Snook, Trout, Flounder, Mangrove Snapper and other common inshore fish, as well as the deeper water Tarpon, King Fish, Gag Grouper and many other varieties. You are just about guaranteed to catch something amazing with Captain Jason as your guide. Jason has spent years working up to this dream, from building his dream machine to soon hopefully purchasing one even bigger and better, to be able to be more diverse and have more room to offer larger charters than he does now. With his current boat he can take out four people comfortably. Over the last 10 years, with a daily commitment to this dream, it has evolved from a possibility to a reality. The time has come that Captain Jason Thompson will now be offering guided fishing trips, FULL TIME. He has recently relocated to be on the waters of the Tampa Bay and turned in his retirement papers to his full time job, all for the love of fishing. Why choose On The Bay Fishing Charters? Not only will you play a part in making Captain Jason’s dream remain a reality, you will also have a day on the water with a skilled fisherman, who is patient, generous with his knowledge and takes the time to teach those who aren’t skilled fisherman, yet has someWWW.IIN NT THE HEF FIELD IELDM MAGAZINE.COM AGAZINE.COM WWW.
thing to bring to the table for those who are more skilled. Jason utilizes his knowledge many fishing tournaments over the years, such as the flats master series redfish tournaments, and multiple charity tournaments to help do his part in helping the local community, to make the day enjoyable and successful. Jason also is able to charter a boat full of fisherman who would like to participate in a tournament. No fishing license or fishing equipment is needed for a trip out with “On the Bay Fishing Charters.” A good fisherman never stops learning. Jason said, “I still learns new tricks of the trade, new spots that are “on fire with fish” and continue to respect the waterways and the aquatic life more and more each day.” For myself and my husband, who by the way didn’t grow up fishing like I did yet caught a 25 inch redfish and much more, the most amazing part was that Jason not only provided everything we needed, but his price was very reasonable and affordable. It didn’t cost us much more than if we had taken our boat out ourselves, yet I left not having baited one hook, throw a cast new or having cleaned one fish, and I brought a pile of fish home that provided us multiple meals and for that we will be back. It was one of the most relaxed yet intense fishing experiences of my life, and that says a lot since we’ve owned boats and fished my entire life. To catch a day to remember with our very own Polk County born and raised, book a trip today with Captain Jason, you won’t regret it. Check out www.onthebayfishingcharters.com or call Captain Jason at 863-559-9982. WWW.IIN NT THE HEF FIELD IELDM MAGAZINE.COM AGAZINE.COM WWW.
NT THE HEF FIELD IELD M MAGAZINE AGAZINE IIN
une 2016 2016 JJune
41 41
By Grady Judd, Polk County Sheriff
PCSO Partners with Blueberry Farm to Provide Berries to Local Charities On Saturday and Sunday, May 28-29, 2016, 306 Polk County Jail Weekend Work Inmates worked picking blueberries at Polkdale Farm in Auburndale for charities and non-profits. The results? An amazing 6,732 pounds of free blueberries went to help feed those in need right here in Polk County. What was not picked up by non-profits was used at the county jail to help feed inmates saving tax dollars. Florida blueberry farmers faced a challenging year with warmer temperatures during fall and winter and cloudy cooler weather during the “fruit set development phase” causing their crops to be delayed for market. Then with out of state competition with cheaper crops flooding the market, much of our local crops were left to ruin. A number of local farmers turned to u-picks hoping to salvage as much of their hard work as possible. Bill Braswell, Owner of Polkdale Farms, LLC, wanted to ensure his berries didn’t go to waste and decided to give the fruit away to local charities. His challenge was how to get the berries picked. That’s where the PCSO Jail Weekend Work Program came in. By partnering with the PCSO’s Jail Weekend Work program, berries were picked, free of charge, by inmates, and provided, free of charge, to charitable organizations. Berries were provided to many who might otherwise never enjoy the highly 42
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
nutritious and especially tasty power food. Our weekend work inmates did a great job picking thousands of pounds of blueberries to make sure our local non-profits and social service agencies had fresh fruit to provide their programs and clients. Plus, we benefited at the Polk County Jail-inmates were fed blueberries over multiple days to supplement their diet, at a huge savings to the taxpayer. I can’t thank Polkdale Farm owner Bill Braswell enough for his generosity. “I’m thrilled this went so well and I’m so excited that we could put these berries to good use that would have otherwise fallen to the ground. A lot of good got done.” -Bill Braswell, Owner, Polkdale Farms, LLC (Past President of the Florida Blueberry Growers Association) The Social Service agencies which took advantage of the free berries included: Neighborhood Service Center (Winter Haven); Lighthouse Ministries; Salvation Army; Meals on Wheels; Viste; Women’s Resource Center (Winter Haven); Parker Street Ministries, Florida Sheriff’s Youth Villa (Bartow); Peace River Center, Hawthorne Inn of Lakeland; The Rohr Home (Bartow), Camp Gilead (Polk City), and the Florida Baptist Children’s Home. The Polk County Jail Inmate Work Program is an alternative sentencing program that allows judges to sentence inmates WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
to work instead of sentencing them to jail. The inmates pick up trash along roadways, clean up parks, schools, and public facilities, and work for the county and cities on a variety of projects. The program allows inmates who have been found to have committed relatively minor crimes to pay their debt to society while controlling the numbers of inmates in jail that taxpayers have to pay for. Inmates can work during the week or on the weekend. A benefit to the program is that it allows those who have violated the law who have jobs to keep them, thereby continuing to support their families and pay restitution. According to the Blueberry Farmer’s Association: “Florida’s history of blueberries began with wild berries in the late 1800s. The industry declined in the 1920s and it wasn’t until the 1960s that things began to change. Around 60 years ago, Professor Ralph Sharpe began a low-chill blueberry breeding program at the University of Florida.” And different varieties of the powerfully nutritious fruit have been grown in central Florida since.
813-767-4703 301 South Collins Street, Suite 101, Plant City, Florida 33563
•
P ortrait P h o tograp h er Spe c ializ ing in H igh Sc hool Se niors
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
•
June 2016
43
Naturally A Closer Look Amazing Activities
by Sean Green
Vertical Garden Having a personal garden with which to grow your own healthy, wholesome, native and all natural food is a blessing many Americans cherish. There are some Americans, however, that either by choice or circumstance, do not have the resources for a garden space. The soil may be polluted with commercial (or residential) inputs. There may be regulations in the works (or existing) that prohibit backyard gardening, or it may be that there simply is not enough land space for a traditional garden. In this month’s project we will repurpose some household items you may already have laying around to create a simple modular vertical garden that can be established either indoors or outdoors. Materials: Potting soil Plant sprouts or seeds 2 Liter Soda Bottles (at least 4) Sponge Material (used is fine) Drill and drill bit
1
Saw Scraps of wood (used wooden pallets work great) Permanent Waterproof Glue (superglue, gorilla glue, etc..)
2
Cut a hole on both sides of a 2 liter bottle, this will be the exit the plant will grow out of and should be large enough that you can get your hands in there for harvesting or pruning.
5
When the project is finished the vertical garden system can be hung on a sunny wall or fastened into the window sill. Water is added to the top Filling Bottle and trickles down through the Plant Bottles and into the bottom Reservoir Bottle, the water of which can be recycled to water again.
3
Cut a hole on the bottom of ONLY the bottles that will hold plants (Plant Bottles), in our example, we have TWO Plant Bottles. This hole will allow bottles with plants in them to stack upside down with the mouth of the subsequent bottles fitting inside this watering hole.
Cut sponge material to fit inside the mouth of the Plant Bottle. The sponge will help keep the soil in the bottle and help keep the flow of water to the Plant Bottle below it to a slow trickle that will not wash away soil.
7
6
4
Drill holes in the cap of the Plant Bottle large enough for water to trickle through both the sponge and the cap itself. This may take some experimenting, start with small holes 1/16” and test the flow work your way up to larger holes when the flow becomes a nice steady drip. all of the plant bottles above it. Do not cut a water hole on the bottom of the Reservoir Bottle. Drill a single large hole in the cap of the Reservoir Bottle and glue the cap top to top to the cap of the lowest Plant Bottle.
The bottles will then stack within each other to whatever height is desired. Four bottles fit nicely in a standard size window
The top bottle is a Filling Bottle and includes a sponge in the mouth, but the top is cut completely off for easy filling. The filling bottle will fit into the watering hole of the first Plant Bottle
Construct shelving in a manner that will support the bottles like a wine rack supports wine glasses. Each shelf is 5 ½” square and made by drilling a large hole in the center for the bottle neck to fit into. 2 Liter Bottle sizes vary a little but the hole should be 1 “ - 1 diameter. to allow the bottle neck to fit into the hole. With a saw, cut a channel into the shelf hole so the bottle can easily slide in and out for maintenance. It’s important to
8
44
The bottom bottle is a Reservoir Bottle that will collect water that has filtered through
When the Reservoir Bottle needs to be emptied or cleaned, you will need enough room to unscrew the Reservoir Bottle from the lowest Plant Bottle.
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
A Closer Look
by Sean Green
Vertical Gardening
Growing your own fresh vegetables or ornamentals is a pleasure many of us are familiar with, but fewer Americans have the yard space to do so. A trend that has been gaining popularity is vertical gardening and is characterized by growing vegetables or other plants vertically rather than horizontally. Also known as green walls, vertical gardening is an ideal solution for people that want to enjoy gardening but have limited or no yard space in which to do it. In addition to the obvious benefit of growing your own food, there has been a resurgence in the acknowledgement of the emotional and physical health benefits of augmenting your living environment with plants. Furthermore plants have a cooling effect on the environment in which they exist and that includes your home, which could reduce energy costs during our hot Florida summers. A closer look at vertical gardening will reveal that the new interest in green walls is not a new concept, in fact; it was a necessary innovation that predates electricity and other modern approaches to subsistence. The earliest surviving documentation that describes the concept of vertical gardening is found in the ancient writings of Josephus (ca. 37-100AD), quoting Berossus (ca. 290 BC) in the descriptions of the mythical Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Though no archeological evidence of trellises or vertical garden structures survive, it is well known that the ancient Egyptians and Phoenicians cultivated grapes for wine and may have discovered along the way that crop yields were more abundant when the vines had a structure to climb. First century Roman writers such as Columella describe training vines to climb chestnut stakes and Pliny the Younger describes lattice structures called pergolas that vines could climb, doubling as shaded walkways and sitting areas. In the late 19th century, urban planner, Sir Ebenezer Howard of the United Kingdom founded the garden city movement, an initiative that sought to create self-contained, self sufficient communities comprised of residential and industrial regions surrounded by greenbelts of natural and agricultural sectors that featured walkways similar to the pergolas of ancient Rome and small parks to relax in. In 1937, the first modern vertical garden was invented by Stanley Hart White, a professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Illinois. White describes his vision of creating vertical gardens of “Botanical Bricks” that could be stacked to any height. Each botanical brick unit consisted of a steel cage filled with a substrate of cubed mineral wool and long grained sphagnum moss from which vegetation could grow to cover the vertical surfaces of an entire wall or artistic structure. White called his invention a “Vegetation–Bearing Architectonic Structure and System” and envisioned it’s use at world fairs, city yards and indoor gardens. Professor White’s visions were soon divided by preoccupation with the wartime efforts of World War II and the wars influence on architecture and design. Although his inventions never fully materialized, they did establish the historical foundation of the innovative vertical garden topology we now call “Green Walls.” WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
There are two structural methods of vertical gardening. Green Façades, are plants that are rooted in the ground and trained to climb up the side of a building, a lattice, wall, trellis, or other structure. Examples are grape vines, espaliers, gazeboes, and vine covered buildings. Green Walls or Living Walls are plants that are rooted in modular containers filled with soil or a rooting substrate that is fed by an irrigation system. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, and the contemporary Bosco Verticale, residential skyscrapers in Milan Italy are two examples of Living Walls used in architecture to create living space. The significance of vertical gardens goes far beyond a movement in architecture aesthetics. In 1987 German researcher Dr. Manfred Köhler of the Technical University of Berlin published “Ecological effects of living wall systems”, a thesis on the thermal properties of vertical gardens to demonstrate how the insulative properties of a living wall system cool buildings in the summer and retain heat in the winter. By the 1990s, research funded by NASA tested hydroponic living wall systems that could double as air filters. Because living walls are characterized by modular containers they are easily adapted for small spaces such as an indoor kitchen garden, a peaceful hallway passage, or a fragrant bathroom decor. The growing popularity of Vertical gardening has resulted in numerous projects in the DIY community that repurpose materials such as plastic soda bottles, shipping pallets, and rain gutters for small scale vertical gardens. Substrate is an important consideration for anyone that plans to build a vertical gardening system. Loose medium walls have soil packed into a container or shelf and then secured to the wall, repairs to such systems involve removing the container to replace the soil, which should be done once per year for outdoor systems and every two years for indoor systems. Loose medium walls are however ideal for the vegetables or plants that will be replanted from season to season anyway. Mat wall systems consist of thin substrate made of felt or coconut fiber. This substrate does not typically support a vigorous root system as well as soil and are notoriously inefficient in water retention. For these reasons, a water re-circulation and filtering system are recommended for optimal results and the choice of plants will be limited. Structural medium blocks are a hybrid system with the best qualities of both loose medium and mat medium systems. The modular blocks can be manufactured to custom specifications that include specifying the water holding capacity, the pH and the electrical conductivity of the substrate and can be as easy to remove and service as pulling out a shelf. The down side to the modular systems are that they tend to be prohibitively expensive for a small kitchen garden, however, are ideal for large corporate spaces, outside walls, convention centers and other large public spaces. Structural medium blocks done properly will last for 10 to 15 years. The next time you look for an interesting home project, consider taking a closer look at a vertical gardening system. With the right lighting and a bit of creativity, even a simple system will drastically change the living space in your home. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
45
Classifieds
Tel: 813.759.6909 Info@inthefieldmagazine.com 7X15 LAWN TRAILER
ANIMALS & NEEDS ANIMAL & BIRDCAGES
Equipment serving the fur bearing animal & exotic bird industry! Cages built to order. Wire by roll or foot. (813) 752-2230. Call Don Ammerman. www.ammermans.com July 17, 2016, Nov. 27, 2016
CHICKEN MANURE FOR SALE Dry and available IMMEDIATELY! Call Tim Ford (863) 439-3232
BUILDING SUPPLIES METAL ROOFING
Thousands of 8ft. & 10ft. sheets. In Stock. Prices from $6 and up. Custom lengths available. 813-752-7088 ask for Ferris.
ALUMINUM
Used Lawn Trailer with aluminum plate tool LAWN EQUIPMENT/ SUPPLIES box. 5ft tongue & heavy duty gate. $1,650 Call BRAND NEW HUSTLER RAPTOR Zero Turn Mower 52” cut, 23hp. Kohler Alvie 813-759-8722 engine, 3 year warranty. $2,799 2015 MAHINDRA EMAX TRACTOR Call Alvie 813-759-8722 4wd with 60” mid mount mower. 39 hours, warranty. $9,950 Call Alvie 813-759-8722 DIXIE CHOPPER With NEW 27hp motor. HUSTLER RAPTOR 50” cut & 5X10 NEW trailer. 42” cut, 21 hp Kohler engine. $3000 obo 813-754-4446 3 year warranty. $2,799 RUBBER MULCH Call Alvie (813) 759-8722 All Colors, buy 10 bags, get 1 FREE! FOR RENT $8.99 a bag. Call Ted (813) 752-3378 Millcreek Pine Bark Row Mullcher. For blueberry farms, six yard, BRAND NEW BUSH HOG PTO drive need at least a 30hp ES2052 zero turn mower. Price tractor. Call 863-604-2526 for rental details. reduced from $5,425 to $5,000 Call Alvie 813-750-8722
BRAND NEW HUSTLER X1
We have all your aluminum needs! Screen Room, carports & awnings. Call Blake (813) 752-3378
60” cut price was $10,356 buy now for $8,800. Call Alvie 813-759-8722
PRODUCE
WINDOW SCREENS
We make window screens of all sizes available in different frame colors. Call Ted(813) 752-3378
CABINETS
All wood kitchen cabinets. All wood vanities. Granite counter tops. Custom made to your size. Call Blake 813-752-3378
SIDING
1976 INTERNATIONAL HARVESTER 674
2wd, very good condition. $8,500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
HESSTON 3710 TEDDER
Priced to sale. Call Alvie 813-759-8722
FORD 6700 TRACTOR
Ext. Siding 4’X7’ sheets stucco texture & 12” on center. $14.95 Call Blake 813-752-3378
$3,500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
MOBILE HOME TUBS
Metal brand new in bo 54” Mobile Home Tubs Call Ted (813) 752-3378 $199.00
CALL FOR A WINDOW QUOTE. We are a Simonton/MI Windows dealer. Our windows are energy star, lifetime warranty. Call Broke & Poor 813-752-3378
FARM EQUIPMENT 2012 MAHINDRA 4025L
2wd tractor, 41hp with loader. 170 hours, warranty. $11,500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
MAHINDRA 2012
4025-2L 41hp Tractor with loader. Warranty. $11,500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
ROSSI CADDY 8 HAY RAKE Call Alvie 813-759-8722
FOR SALE KITCHEN CABINETS & VANITIES
FRESH PRODUCE
Forbes Road Produce. Open everyday from 7:30am - 8pm. Forbes Rd. & I-4 @ exit 17. Come out and see us!
REAL ESTATE CENTRAL FLORIDA FRUIT FARM 400 Avocado Trees, Lychee, Peaches, Pomegranate, Orange, Keylime & Grapefruit. 2 wells, full irrigated. Call 954-444-6547
METAL WAREHOUSE
2400 sq. ft. Metal Warehouse for lease. Located in east Bartow. For more details call 863-221-0986
Get quality all wood cabinets for less than the PROPERTY AVAILABLE BIG Box STORES! Call Today! 10 - 30 acres of property available Ask for Blake. (813) 752-3378 for farming in Pasco County. DOORS & WINDOWS SPECIAL ORDER Call Nick 813-967-3858 No upcharge. House & Mobile Home. Many standard sizes in stock. SERVICES Ask for Blake. (813) 752-3378 CALLER ON HOLD A low cost service that enables you to JOBS communicate important information about your business to customers while they are GROVE EQUIPMENT SERVICE is looking for agriculture/tractor mechanics on hold. No monthly payments or annual at both the Bartow & Plant City locations. Hav- payments. Call today and ask for ing own tools is a plus. Pay based on skill and ex- Al (813) 763-2220 perience. Call Bartow at 863-537-1345 or MISC. Plant City at 813-759-8722
FREE
HAVE SOMETHING TO SELL?
Call us today! 813-759-6909 or email us: info@inthefieldmagazine.com Let us help you get rid of it!
46
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
Wooden Shipping Pallets All sizes! Call Alvie 813-759-8722
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
47
5905 Hwy. 60 East • Bartow
48
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
June 2016
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM