VOLUME 40 NUMBER 6 • PH. 813-737-NEWS (6397) • E -MAIL : FARMR ANCHNEWS@AOL.COM • W W W.FARMAND R A N C H N E W S .C O M
Agriculture’s Most Trusted Source For News, Views and Advertising Since 1974 Hillsborough County Fair Opens October 16 for 5-Day Run
2012 Harvest Queen Kallee Cook
Application deadline for Hillsborough County Fair’s Harvest Queen Contest If you are ready for the experience of a lifetime as the Greater Hillsborough County Fair’s Harvest Queen or Jr. Harvest Queen, get your application in now! The 2013 Harvest Queen and Jr. Harvest Queen’s application process has started and will close at 6 p.m. Monday, October 7th, 2013. The Sr. Harvest Queen will receive a $1,000 scholarship, sponsored by Linda and Marvin Brown, with an additional $1,000 matching scholarship from Florida College should the winner decide to enroll there. The competition and selection for the 2013 Harvest Queens will be held Saturday, October 12, at 6:00 pm
at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds, Hwy. 60 and Sydney Washer Road, east of Brandon. The Harvest Queen royalty act as official ambassadors for the Fair by promoting the heritage and values of the community, and making appearances around the county during their reign. The winning contestants must embody the Fair’s values of integrity, pride of place, southern hospitality and commitment to community. To view the application form visit: www.hillsboroughcountyfair.com or call the Fair Office at 813-737-FAIR (3247). Entry forms must be delivered to the Fair Office by 6 p.m.
The 20th annual Hillsborough County Fair opens Wednesday, October 16, and runs through Sunday, Oct.20 at the County Fairgrounds just east of Brandon on Highway 60. This year many events will be held under a new 20,000 square foot building with new restrooms completed in time for the 2013 event. Livestock shows are a staple at the Fair every year, featuring Dairy, Beef, Goats, Sheep, Swine, Rabbit, Horse and Poultry Shows. Home Arts - canning, sewing, baking, fine art, photography and needlework - is open to everyone, along with special “just for kids” competitions. The always interesting “Recycled Yard Art” competition returns. Friday, October 18 and Saturday, October 19 will again feature a Ranch Rodeo in the 1800-seat outdoor arena. Real ranch hands compete in wild cow milking, bronc riding, branding, trailer loading, and mutton busting for the children. Advance purchase of a Rodeo ticket, available at area merchants, will get the purchaser in the Fair free! For ticket locations visit the Fair’s website at www.hillsboroughcountyfair.com Free shows include Robinson’s Racing Pigs running and swimming to the finish line. The Firefighter Show provides a fun, entertaining and educational show for young and old alike, and Herriot’s Family Fun Circus with horses, dogs and people performing to the delight of the crowds. New this year will be the Historical Area which will feature a sawmill, cutting lumber on-site, that will immediately be used in building a blacksmith shop during the Fair. The art of charcoal making will be demonstrated. The area will be rounded out with old engines and machinery of yesteryear. Round Bale decorating, Bullwhip cracking, FFA/4-H Day, Youth Beef Cooking contest, a Youth Horticulture show and the 16th annual Teenage Battle of the Bands round out some of the youth competitions. The County fair Corn Hole Toss champion will again be awarded on Saturday, October 19th. Rotary’s annual Chili Cook-off returns on Sunday, October 20th. Come and compete or just enjoy the Chili! Arnold’s Amusement’s return with the spectacular familyoriented ride midway. Wristbands Ride specials are available each day of the Fair. The Bay Area Bandits Mounted Shooters will perform in the arena on Saturday morning October 19. Come see the mounted shooting excitement of the old west in action! A Fair visit isn’t complete without enjoying your favorite fair food. Sausage fries, elephant ears, roasted corn, deep fried Oreos to name a few. The Hillsborough County Fair is produced annually by hundreds of volunteers to preserve and promote the history, agriculture, education and culture of the county. Visit www.hillsboroughcountyfair.com for more information about specific events and activities held at the Fair.
New Life Church Hosts FamFest Oct. 5
New Life Church is excited to host its first community-wide event on October 5, 2013 at the John R. Trinkle Center on the HCC Campus off Park Road. “Plant City is our community; our family, and we love them. Fam Fest is a day to come together and have fun. There is something for everyone to enjoy. We can’t wait to make new friends,” said Michelle Dannison, Discovery Kidz Director “Plant City has never had an event that focuses on family and just having fun. We decided to concentrate our efforts to the very heart of Plant City – families. A day of games, shows, music and great food adds up to a festive time for everyone,” said Cliff Wiggs, Executive Pastor. From the Water Zone for kids, to the Adult Only Zone. bounce houses, a three-story slide, a 70’ obstacle course, a boxing ring with huge inflatable gloves, a baseball pitching booth, balloon animals, carnival style games including favorites like the ring toss and go fishing booth.
Entertainment includes a live magic show, live bands (Rescued Heart and ICA), and a live DJ. Featuring contests and games, Fair style food and tasty delights from food trucks, concession stands and other vendors. Door prizes include a grand prize cruise for two. A day sure to be memory-making. “We are so excited to be bringing FamFest’13 to Plant City. We want Plant City to know we love and care about them. I am looking forward to meeting many new faces at our first community-wide even,” said Fred Harrold, Pastor. Advance tickets are available online for $4 ages 4-12, and $8 ages 13-and up until October 2nd (must present print confirmation as proof of purchase at gate) or as follows at the gate: Free admission for children 3-and-under, $5 for children 4-12 and $10 for ages 13 through adult. New Life plans to continue hosting events throughout the coming year, including a multimedia
How Far Is Too Far?
sic, a DJ with lights and smoke and all. There are games, carnival style treats like cotton candy, snow cones and kettle corn and a candy walk through the church. Last year we had over 700 people mill through the church and we had a booth sharing the gospel with them and we had 13 salvations at the booth and over 30 kids accept Christ through the puppet show which took place at the end of the night. That’s 43 decisions to accept Christ…on Halloween! If you are a follower of Jesus Christ you are thinking that is awesome! From a biblical perspective it’s like taking back some turf from the enemy. “Accepting Christ, receiving salvation, being born again” these are all Bible lingo for choosing to follow Jesus with your life instead of your own will and accepting His death on the cross as the only thing sufficient to forgive you of all sin and restore your relationship with God so you can spend eternity with Him. So these 43 peoples live where changed not just here and now but eternally! Which brings me to my question, “How far is too far?” how far are we willing to go to reach people with a message that will not just change their whole life but will change their eternal destiny? We as churches sometimes spend more time talking about what we will allow at our church events than talking about what will
by Justin Parker- Associate Pastor, Young Adults & Missions, Church on the Rock, 301 E Alsobrook St. Plant City, Fl www.rockofpc.com
As October approaches large theme parks will begin to plan their Halloween spectacles complete with armies of actors portraying the undead and a variety of gruesome creatures. They will have ticket booths, high priced food and long lines for haunted houses to scare you. Theme parks are not the only ones preparing for this season; churches are also getting ready to set up their “fall festivals”. Yes, the fall festival is a time honored tradition of churches trying to combat the night of Halloween by providing an alternate place to take your children so they can dress in costume and get sugary treats with which to fill their bags and soon after, their bellies. Some churches allow costumes, some don’t allow them, some have trick or treating, some games, but mostly the focus is on providing a distraction from the Halloween season for church goers. Now let me be clear on this, I think fall festivals can be a good thing. Our church goes all out on October 31st, “Rocktoberfest” it is called and they have live mu
Seat 2 of the Hillsborough Soil & Water Conservation District is Open for Appointment The Hillsborough Soil and Water Conservation District Seat 2 is vacant. If you are interested in being elected to this seat or for more information, please call (813) 752-1474, X3 or visit our website at www.hillsboroughcounty.org/soilandwater . Deadline: Friday, October 25, 2013. There are currently 63 Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Florida. The governing body of a soil and water conservation district consists of five elected supervisors. The office of a soil and water conservation page2
district supervisor is nonpartisan and district wide. Candidates are elected in a general election to a 4-year term. Vacancies are filled by appointment by the remaining supervisors until the next regular election. Supervisors receive no monetary compensation for their services, but may be reimbursed for travel expenses. All Districts also have a District Conservationist appointed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and an agent of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Office of Agri-
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Christmas concert, featuring “Rescued Heart”. New Life Church is different from many churches in Plant City because we purposely do interactive worship in a way to allow people to become participants rather than merely spectators. We present the Gospel in a three screen multimedia presentation. We have a Cross and Communion station to allow personal worship as the live band ushers people into the presence of God. We find the use of videos, signing and interpretive movement brings our Worship Experience to life. For details visit www.newlifeplantcity.org reach the people in the community with this critical message. Do we want our church events to give church goers something to do or an outreach into the community around us and truly make a difference? So, on October 12th at 8pm the Church on the Rock in Plant City is hosting a “Zombie Apocalypse Survival Training” seminar put on by Light the Night, their young adult’s ministry. They are basing the biblical content of the theme on the scripture found in Zechariah 14:12-15 which if you read it is some spooky sounding stuff. But the real message is going to be found in the book of Romans which talks about dying to yourself and raising from the dead life of sin to a new life in Christ Jesus. My prayer is that people that are not ordinarily comfortable in a church will come to this event and hear a message that will change their lives. So how far is too far to me? Sin, short of direct disobedience to God’s holy word or disobedience to His direct revelation to my life I pray that I would always go to any length to reach His people with His message of redemption and healing. I have taken some fire already from other believers in my church, but I pray I stay the course. If you want to help, come out and support us at the event, even better bring a lost friend or two with you. May God bless richly and give you peace.
cultural Water Policy (FDACS-OAWP). Each District is a governmental subdivision of the State of Florida and receives funding from a variety of sources including county funding, grants, contracts for services, sales and donations. Districts thrive on developing partnerships with other government or conservation organizations. Each district develops partnerships with the area Water Management District and Resource Conservation and Development Council. These partnerships are beneficial to the community as the organizations work together for the common goal of protecting and preserving local resources.
Volume 40 • Number 6 • 2013 • Farm & Ranch News
How to Respond to the Trials in Life
The 5th Key in “5 KEYS TO VICTORIOUS LIVING” The first key was keeping AN ATTITUDE OF JOY even in the midst of trials. The second key to a victoPastor Dick Moore rious life is that we must have AN UNDER- STANDING MIND. We must realize that God is always in control The third key is to have A SUBMISSIVE WILL. Being willing to let-go-and-let God have His way. The fourth key is that of having A BELIEVING HEART. When we put our trust in Him He will give us peace in the midst of the storm. And this month I want to share the “Fifth Key to Living the Victorious Life” and that is simply A HUMBLE SPIRIT. Throughout the trials in life it is imperative that we maintain A HUMBLE SPIRIT. 1. James 1:9 – Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:
a. James 1:9 (AMP) – Let the brother in humble circumstances glory in his elevation [as a Christian, called to the true riches and to be an heir of God]. (1) James 1:9 (NIV) – The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position. (a) James 1:9 (TLB) – A Christian who doesn’t amount to much in this world should be glad, for he is great in the Lord’s sight. (1) James 1:9 (MSG) – When down-and-outers get a break, cheer!
God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time.
1. I Peter 5:6 – Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: a. 1 Peter 5:6 (AMP) – Therefore humble yourselves [demote, lower yourselves in your own estimation] under the mighty hand of God, that in due time He may exalt you. (1) 1 Peter 5:6 (MSG) – So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs.
KEY #5 – We must have a humble spirit.
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B.
RECAPPING THE 5 KEYS TO VICTORY:
KEY #1 – We must have an attitude of joy. KEY #2 – We must have an understanding mind. KEY #3 – We must have a submissive will KEY #4 – We must have a believing heart.
If we will live by these FIVE KEYS, we will live a life of victory – even in the midst of life’s terrible trials! Blessings to you, Rev. Dick Moore Pastor of Parkway Baptist Church James Redman Parkway, Plant City, Florida
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Are We Truly Free? The 4th of July has come and gone for yet another year. Each year, on this day, we celebrate the beginning of our free country. It is evident today that many of us lose sight of the fact that in 1776, many brave men placed their very lives on the line when they placed their signatures on the document we now call “The Declaration of Independence”. Three months have passed since we celebrated Independence Day this year, and we can clearly see that real WAR can be just around the corner. Again, that is. We must now ask the question “are we truly free?” How can we be free if our President will allow (and even encourage) the highest level administrators of our Internal Revenue Service to target conservative political organizations and remove them from our political process by denying them permits to operate. At the same time, a relative of President Obama was issued a similar permit only days after his application is submitted. Conservative organizations, such as local Tea Party groups, are required to turn over their donor lists to IRS and prominent donors are subjected to excess IRS audits. It is very possible that the results of our 2012 election were altered in favor of the Democrats as a result of these egregious acts. The Obama Administration has taken little or no action against any of these high ranking officials. Most likely, this can be attributed to the fact that the IRS was committing these acts with full knowledge and cooperation of Obama and his administration. Can we remain a free country if we do not gain control of our illegal alien problem? As these illegals continue to infiltrate our country, they tend to vote Democrat. There are times that these folks are able to cast a legal vote (as they become assimilated into our society in one manner or another), but often our system allows votes from people who are not legally entitled to vote. Poor Americans are not required to work in the world of today. Anyone who wishes not to work can simply “work the Federal, State and County assistance programs’. If assistance money runs out, our Supreme Court will require that the Government agencies simply find more money to augment these programs. Since Americans do not have to work at difficult labor jobs such as harvesting farm crops, it is necessary for our farmers to find others who are willing to do these chores. Our farmers must turn to foreign workers. It is our only source of labor. Any off- shore worker program that is designed by our government turns out to be quite expensive, seriously bound up with paperwork, and often fails to bring page4
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the davis report By Roy Davis- Associate Editor
in the necessary number of workers at the precise time the workers are needed. I hear our Congress talk of correcting these problems, but I do not see adequate results. Unless we fix this problem, the illegal workers problem will only worsen. Can we remain a free Country if we continue to allow environmental associations to increase our cost of living by continuous lawsuits that eat up tax money in defending? I speak of things like the Nutrient requirement lawsuits that the EPA is now reacting to. Agricultural entities have spent untold amounts of money in efforts to resolve these issues. Farmers cannot recover these costs by increasing prices of table food products at the farm. Can we remain a free Country if we continue to create government agencies such as our Hillsborough County EPC, and require them to duplicate the actions of State agencies such as the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD)? Farmers must undergo major financial undertakings if they wish to turn a cow pasture into a blueberry farm. In order to learn the regulations that must be adhered to, it is wise to work with the Federal Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) agency and the local Soil and Water Conservation District. If we follow the requirements placed upon us by government regulators, it will cost more money to do the necessary work to effect such a changeover. If the farmer makes the proper applications, he can receive grants to help dig a water conservation pond, help pay for irrigation pumps, or partially fund large drain pipes. That is your tax money at work. At some point we lose our freedoms when we are tied to multitudes of government programs. Farming is a very major part of life in East Hillsborough County. Life is different there. Do not misunderstand me. Living in Dover, Florida cannot be compared with life in South Georgia where granddaughter Kitty Simmons now teaches Vo-Ag in the High School. Miller County has a total population of 5000 souls. They have only one High school/middleSchool in the entire county, and one elementary school across the street. As Hillsborough County is much more densely populated, some regulation is necessary. We must find a reasonable level of such regulation so that farmers can survive the financial stress of farming in today’s world. What do you think about these ideas? Please direct your ideas to Farm and Ranch News at the addresses listed on our editorial page.
Volume 40 • Number 6 • 2013 • Farm & Ranch News
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“How Chestnuts Prove Butterflies Affect History” Y o u are about to find out how English chestnuts are affecting some of the most contentious events in world history and impact our lives today. But first, the butterfly effect. The “butterfly effect” is the theory that very tiny things affect very large matters. A butterfly, moving its wings in China causes a little wind in the Bay of Bengal which causes a stir in the Indian ocean which moves a small cloud across Africa, which forms a tropical depression in the Gulf of Guinea sending a swirl into the warmer south Atlantic where it becomes a tropical storm moving westward until it becomes a hurricane that strengthens into … you get the picture. It started with a butterfly! Maybe. This story doesn’t start with chestnuts. It starts July 28, 1914 with the beginning of “The Great War” also known as “the war to end all wars” or, World War I. That itself is a sad commentary on the state of things. During WWI, it was a major objective of Germany to destroy British shipping, strike a blow to British commerce, and cripple the British economy. It was crucial to victory. At that time, German U Boats, were a very effective means to that end. The U Boat’s Achille’s heel was that they had to surface to fire torpedoes giving up their stealth advantage and making them a target for British warships. But in the summer of 1916, the British navy was running short of a very little, but very important, ingredient for the propellant that fired theshells that sank German U Boats -- cordite. The reason for the shortage of cordite was the shortage of an ingredient of cordite – acetone – which had been purchased from Germany before the war! It was the custom of Charles P. Prestwich, editor of The Guardian paper, to have page6
lunch every Tuesday with someone whom he found interesting. In July, 1916 he had lunch with a professor of chemistry at the University of Manchester. This gentleman was a White Russian named Chaim Weizman. During lunch, Weizman was very excited to tell Mr. Prestwich that he had discovered a way to make a chemical that you will find in your wife’s nail polish remover - acetone. Prestwich was suitably bored. But a week later, editor Prestwich was down to London having lunch with David Lloyd George, later Prime Minister, who was then Minister of Munitions. Lloyd George couldn’t help but talk shop and was very wound up about the shortage of cordite which was due to the shortage of acetone. A light went off in Prestwich’s brain and he said, “I just had lunch with this fellow who claims he can make large quantities of acetone!” “Well, we must have him to London,” replies Lloyd George. In London, War Ministry scientists discovered Weizman was for real and immediately asked, “What do you need?” “Something with large vats to ferment and distill in.” “How about Nicholson’s gin factory that just went bankrupt?” “Perfect.” “What else?” “Well, something to distill, like corn.” “All the corn is getting sunk on its way over from Canada. That is what we are trying to solve.” They put their conkers (British for ‘heads’) together and remembered that very soon children all over Britain would be playing the fall game of ‘conkers.’ That was played by collecting horse chestnuts, tying them on a string,
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and swinging your conker (chestnut) to hit another person’s conker (head). But chestnuts make a great mash for fermentation. So, instead of playing conkers, children all over Britain were recruited to bag up their conkers and send them to London to make acetone which was then shipped down to Poole in Dorset where the Royal Navy munitions factory made cordite which then went onto British battleships in the Atlantic where the shells started firing and German submarines started sinking once again. When it became apparent that Britain was winning the battle of the Atlantic, someone said, “Who is responsible for this? Give that man a knighthood!” Since Weizman was a foreigner, the task of proposing this to him was given to the Foreign Secretary (the British are nothing if not logical), Arthur Balfour. Weizman indicated he was very honored by the suggestion but that, since he was secretary of the English Zionist League, what he would really like would be for Balfour to write a letter of support for the establishment of a Jewish state in Palestine. It took a lot of thought but the result was the Balfour Declaration which is cited as a major step toward the establishment of modern Israel. Which we can say led to the oil embargoes of the 1970’s, and several wars in the Middle East. Wow. But no fact is too good to check and there is another story. Above is what “the people” were told when the declaration was made public
The other story begins with one Theodor Herzl who is supposed to have begun focusing attention on the desirability of a Jewish state in 1881. That story is far beyond this little column to relate – and isn’t nearly as good! Whatever the truth, the battles continue and men seek the blood of their neighbors to avenge their brothers and children so that the more they fight, the more there is to avenge until complete destruction shall alone deliver them from their need. Matthew 6:12, 14-15 (ASV) And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. . . . For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Volume 40 • Number 6 • 2013 • Farm & Ranch News
Volume 40 • Number 6 • 2013 • Farm & Ranch News
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Volume 40 • Number 6 • 2013 • Farm & Ranch News
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Volume 40 • Number 6 • 2013 • Farm & Ranch News
2013 Agriscience Education Leadership Program Kicks Off
UF/IFAS Crafting New Vision for Southwest Florida Research & Education Center
13 Teachers Chosen for Innovative Program That Helps Provide Quality Agricultural Education for Students Across Florida
Thirteen teachers from across the state kicked off the beginning of a yearlong program that will help improve agriscience curriculum in schools and provide quality agricultural education for students. This week, the teachers toured a winery, a tree processing plant, a mushroom farm, a plant nursery, a creamery and cotton and peanut processing facilities across North Florida. “Many of our teachers haven’t had a chance to experience the full range of Florida agriculture,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam. “These educators will see firsthand some of the 300 commodities we produce that help feed, clothe and shelter the world and how this industry impacts their everyday lives. The lessons they learn will be passed on to the next generation of students in their schools.” The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Agriscience Education Leadership Program further develops the ability of agriscience teachers, science teachers and administrators to improve the agricultural education opportunities offered to students in Florida. Educators are challenged to refine their leadership skills and expand their knowledge of Florida agriculture. Additionally, this program allows participants to diversify their curriculum to include all components of agriculture, which will help lay a strong foundation for Florida’s
To better target services to stakeholders, officials at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences will transition the research and education center in Immokalee to a new programming focus. UF/IFAS officials said they hope to streamline duplicated services among several of the state’s research and education centers, including the center in Immokalee. That center will cease functioning as a research and education center on Sept. 1, 2014, allowing time for scientific experiments now underway to be completed. “I know that this type of change affects many people,” said Jack Payne, UF’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources. “But sometimes it is necessary, and we believe that to improve, we must get through this process of re-evaluating how we operate.” In the meantime, UF/IFAS officials are appointing an advisory committee this fall that will include agricultural and community stakeholders and will be co-chaired by Charles Vavrina, a UF/IFAS district Extension director, and Scott Taylor, director of operations at the UF/IFAS Hastings Partnership site. That committee will come up with recommendations about the future vision for the Immokalee center, which will be modeled after the successful “partnership” programs at Live Oak and Hastings. John Arthington, a UF/IFAS professor and director of the Range Cattle Research and Education Center in Ona, will supervise the center during the transition. Six faculty members at the center will be reassigned to other centers, as appropriate. And UF/IFAS human resources officials will work with non-faculty employees at the center to ensure the smoothest possible transition. The 320-acre Immokalee center has housed researchers who specialize in citrus and vegetable horticulture, among other topics, was established as a UF support facility in 1958 and became a UF/IFAS station in 1986.
young people. Each school district superintendent is asked to nominate one agriscience teacher, one science teacher and one administrator with three years of education experience. The nominees must submit completed applications, then the selection committee chooses 12 to 15 participants based on their application information and essay answers. The participants travel four times throughout the year to various areas of the state to focus on diverse aspects of agriculture including forestry, fruits and vegetables, row crops, nursery and landscape, livestock, aquaculture and more. This year’s crop of teachers is: Josh Balkom, Bay County Tiffany Nichols, Calhoun County Marsha Bechtel, Hendry County Rebekah Wills, Highlands County Randall Humphrey, Hillsborough County Wayne Lively, Lake County Kelly Rodgers, Pasco County Kelly Duguid, Polk County Erica Morse, Polk County Chris Burk, Sumter County Stacy Young, Suwannee County Will Smith, Volusia County Mentor Educator: Beth Harper, Volusia County
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A One-On-One Interview with Farm & Ranch News
Easton Corbin- A True Country Gentleman- Per By Stephanie Farmer-Associate Publisher
As I travel Florida covering various events and meeting hundreds of people a year, I have come to find the saying “You can tell a lot about a person by looking into their eye and shaking their hand” as quite true. Upon looking into the eye and shaking the hand of Easton Corbin, I instantly knew I was in the presence of a man not only well recognized in the music industry with accolades such as Billboard named him Top New Country Artist of 2010 as well as the Academy of Country Music Award Top New Solo Vocalist, but that I was also in the presence of someone of quality, humble despite his rise to “stardom,” true to himself and who has not forgotten his homegrown, country roots and values. Easton Corbin is a true Florida “Cracker.” As a 5th-6th generation Floridian he was born and raised in the
small town of Trenton to a family actively involved in agriculture from livestock to timber. As a youth, he was a member of 4-H showing cattle at the local Fair from the time he was eight years old. Then in 7th grade he became a member of FFA continuing to show cattle, but also involving himself in livestock judging and other competitions. Michelle Walker his Ag Advisor has known Easton almost his whole life, living only a few miles from his Mom. She said that as a youth and into his teens he was very shy. But, FFA (which Easton confirmed) “helped bring him out of his shyness” and into whom he is today. While in FFA, Michelle said he was great with livestock judging, while his real interest was in guitar lessons. She fondly remembers their FFA livestock judging team sitting down to study, but about 20 minutes
into the study she would hear the back door swing as he slipped out for guitar lessons about 12 miles away. As an Advisor this upset her as she was afraid he was “messing up” as far as studying for the competitions. Yet, she quickly learned he had a natural eye for livestock enabling the team to compete all the way to the State FFA contest as well as follow his passion for music. She said Easton worked at the local hardware store during high school, later graduating from UF with a degree in Food & Resource Economics, thanks to an ag scholarship. When asked what impressed her the most, she responded “Sunday mornings he would always go to church with his grandparents. All I could see was his brown head above the pew, but he was there. When he became older, and his grandparents aged, Easton would drive his grandparents to church!” Michelle then smiled and
Easton Corbin with his hometown family. Front are is his Dad, Dan Corbin, Stepmom Debbie Corbin, as well as his mom (standing in grey shirt) Delinda Bennet. FFA Advisor( (yellow shirt) Michelle Walker who was Easton’s Ag Advisor in Levy County is still and Ag Advisor in Levy County but also serves as a School board member in Gilchrist County. She brought current members of Easton’s “home” FFA Chapter in Levy County and members from Gilchrist County as well.
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said “He is real, the compassion he shows to his grandparents epitomizes who he is. He is not a fake”. I asked Easton about his grandparents. He grinned and said they were a big influence on him and his life. “They nurtured a love for tradition and traditional values in me, as well as a love for music.” Easton said, “Since I was a kid I always wanted to be an artist. After going back and forth to Nashville my Grandpa contacted one of my cousins in the music industry. Upon hearing Easton sing the cousin told me, “I love your stuff, not because we are related but because you deserve a shot.” Easton’s parents and his ag teacher told me that at first Nashville wasn’t interested in him as he was not into a modern type Country music, instead he enjoyed playing “old style” Country. Easton Corbin himself said, “I
Anna Conrad won receiving a hug and two free concert tickets.
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rforms for Florida FFA love the older type music with George Jones, Merle Haggard, Roy Acuff and others.” But, as fans know, when Easton released his first single “A Little More Country Than That”, this “old style” singer’s song filled a void in the industry, rocketing to a place on the Top 40 Hot Country Songs chart followed by more hits such as “Roll With It,” “I Can’t Love You Back,” “Lovin’ You Is Fun” and “All Over the Road”. The Ram Truck brand has partnered with Easton this fall as part of their year-long “Year of the Farmer” initiative aimed at bringing national attention to the significance of the American Farmer. A representative from Ram told me that they are always looking for partners who are authentic and who can also identify with the values and spirit of the “Year of the Farmer” campaign.
Easton was a perfect fit. He cares passionately about the FFA organization and its mission and will personally thank the hard-working and dedicated FFA members during this tour for all they do to further the notion that there’s a “farmer in all of us.” Easton told me that it was “natural” to sign up with Ram Trucks. No one has stepped up and tried so hard to embrace the emblem as Ram Trucks has.” In this tour Easton will be doing a series of visits and private concerts for FFA members in 12 cities along his fall/winter tour route, not only singing but also giving them some life skill tips as well. Recently, he performed for Florida FFA members at the Florida State Fair. Easton told the over 700 FFA members “If you set a goal and work hard you will achieve it. That is what FFA did for me!” Easton is a true example of those words he imparts.
Easton did a “quiz bowl” as to his life history with Daniel Cooper, Lauren Vandam and Anna Conrad.
The concert began with Newsome FFA member Kayla Mishle, above, giving the FFA Creed.
Stephanie Farmer, right, was honored with a personal one-on-one interview. Erin Freel, left, videoed the interview with her niece Reagan Rowe.
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Easton signing Jesse Cartwright’s cap from Strawberry Crest FFA.
Miranda Lane (Durant), Madi Conrad (Tomlin), Anna Conrad (Elton Hinton; Strawberry Crest), Easton, Megan Todd (Marshall), Christine Parella (Middleton), and Pam Walden (Supervisor Agriculture & JROTC)
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Pioneers Going to The County Fair… Pioneers of the East Hillsborough Historical Society will be “camping out” at the Hillsborough County Fair
October 16 – 20, 2013
By Shelby Jean Roberson Bender East Hillsborough Historical Society
We may not really camp out at the Hillsborough County Fair, but we are taking our show on the road to share our history and heritage. The East Hillsborough Historical Society is proud to be invited and participate at the Hillsborough County Fair Wednesday, October 16, 2013 through Sunday, October 20, 2013. Located at the corner of Highway 60 and Sydney Washer Road, just a little piece down the road from Turkey Creek and west of Brandon, the county fair site is a perfect setting for us to camp out for a few days. What a great place for us to showcase a few pieces from of our museum collection. See what one of the old fashioned
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school desks looked like, think about laying your head down on a mattress made of Spanish moss, corn shucks or feathers. Watch us make butter and put a few stitches in a homemade quilt. We will have heritage crafters who will share their trades with you. Sit on the porch with us and enjoy the great outdoors and the pioneer experience. Listen to a little banjo pickin’ and get your ears in tune for one of our music shows held at the historic 1914 Plant City High School Community Center, 605 North Collins Street, Plant City. The Florida Opry® 201314 season kicks off on Saturday, October 12th at 6 p.m. Come on out and enjoy some of the area’s finest bluegrass music by The Little Girl and the Dreadful Snakes. Get there early for a pasta dinner @ 4:45 p.m. Show tickets $12.00 dinner $8.00. Mark your calendars now for the 36th Annual Pioneer Heritage Day held at the 1914 PCHSCC featur-
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ing a day full of entertainment, museum tours, dancing, face painting, bouncy houses, food and more. Centenniel families are awarded recognition for having lived in the East Hillsborough County area 100 or more years. Learn more about how schools used to be by visiting with the folks from Art of Prevention, a local nonprofit dedicated to antibullying in the school. Stick around all day and enjoy the Florida Opry that night at 6 p.m. The list just keeps on growing! So, come see us at the Hillsborough County Fair and we will tell you all about what’s going on! For additional information on the East Hillsborough Historical Society, The Florida Opry or the 36th Annual Pioneer Heritage Day at the 1914 PCHSCC, please call 813757-9226, email qcenter@tampabay.rr.com. or visit our website at http://www.rootsweb.com/~flqgbac
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Farm Land for Lease 85 acres
South County on Gulf City Road Long Term Lease Possible
Contact Dennis Carlton at (813) 620-8312
: E L A S R FO Two 10' x 40' office trailers $2500 AND $3500 EACH
Call 813-737-FAIR (3247)
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Pesticide License Holders May Take CEU Courses Over the Internet Shawn Steed, University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Science-Hillsborough County, Environmental Horticulture Production Extension Agent is assisting growers and other license holders keep their pesticide licenses current. This work is not just conducted in Hillsborough and Polk Counties where his area of responsibilities are, but across the entire state to deliver pesticide trainings to whoever needs it. Thanks to the internet, today pesticide license holders can now get CEUs whenever they want if they have access to the internet. There is no waiting for a class, no hassles, no time limits, no driving, and no expenses to obtain CEUs to keep clients current and productive with their pesticide licenses. “It seemed like just after having a CEU class a client would call me saying their pesticide license was about to expire and needed a CEU credit fast. I might or might not have an upcoming class to be able to help them out. Sometimes I had to direct them to another county to find what they were looking
for. So here was the problem that I wanted to find a solution for.” “ I figured there ought to be an easier way for me and clients to connect for them to be able to receive the education that they needed to stay current. So I set about creating an online portal where we could house articles and incorporated a web based testing tool to make sure that knowledge was being transferred. “This took a while to create but it has been well received. I now get updates via email when someone takes a CEU credit and I get their test already graded. If they passed the exam then I send them a signed FDACS CEU certificate, usually within 24 hours. It couldn’t be much easier than that.” “This program has saved clients time and logistics driving to and from classes to get CEUs. Now we are of
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fering CEU classes 24/7/365 without any extra work. This program also frees up our classroom space at our office or other locations thereby helping Hillsborough County Government utilize building space efficiently as well. The internet program is also saving the environment tons of carbon dioxide emission from clients driving to classes and keeping buildings cool for class participants.” The CEU program has increased the reach of Extension education to anywhere there is an internet connection. So far Steed has had 6 articles or classes online and has issued 285 CEUs to date. The reach across Florida is extensive as well. To date residents of 42 counties have received CEUs, that is 64% of Florida counties that clients have participated from.
Allied industry has recognized the value of this program for clients and have sponsored the program since its inception. “We are grateful to our sponsors with their support and understanding how important the role of Extension education is in keeping people in business and keeping the public and the environment safe.” “We have received a lot of comments about how well the program is working for clients. We also have incorporated a survey question asking clients how much they thought it was worth to them to receive CEU credits. The average of all survey respondents was approximately $8,000. If you multiply that out across all the CEU recipients, then this is a $400,000 program. Now that is a great solution to a client problem.”
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Florida Agricultural Financial Management Conference (FAFMC) October 21 - 22, 2013 Omni Orlando Resort at Champions Gate For agenda and registration visit www.FAFMC.org WHY ATTEND? • Learn strategic financial business solutions • Network with your colleagues • Share ideas • CPE and CLE education • Meet with financial-related business partners • Understand how your daily decisions impact the company profitability • Discuss the current financial market and its impact on agribusiness The purpose of this program is to provide essential financial risk management seminars for Florida’s agricultural producers. As Florida’s economy depends on the $130 Billion agriculture industry, it is critical that producers have strong financial management skills to proactively manage risks to remain competitive and viable. This year we’re pleased to announce our partnership with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to bring this conference to the state. Extension Faculty-Production Horticulture Orange County - UF/IFAS Extension Education Center 6021 South Conway Road Orlando, FL 32812-3604 Office: (407) 254-9203 Fax: (407) 850-5125 Extension Web site http://solutionsforyourlife.com
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Deadly Disease Threatening Florida’s $9 Billion Citrus Industry Bayer CropScience and the Florida Specialty Crop Foundation Join Together to Fight Citrus Greening
Amelia Island, Fla. (Sept. 24, 2013) – The Florida citrus market has suffered a loss of more than $4.5 billion in crops and is down an estimated 8,300 jobs due to citrus greening disease1. In an effort to find a solution for the serious disease, Bayer CropScience announced a collaboration with the Florida Specialty Crop Foundation to create a three-year grant program for citrus greening research. The $200,000 grant was awarded to the Citrus Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) at a dinner during the 70th FFVA Annual Meeting. Citrus greening, also known as Huanglongbing (HLB), is a devastating disease impacting the nation’s orange and other citrus crops. Healthy citrus trees can produce fruit for multiple decades, however, once in-
fected with HLB, trees can yield discolored, inedible fruit and can die in as little as five years. More than 70 percent of U.S. households regularly consume orange juice and other citrus foods2, and approximately 80 percent of U.S. orange juice is made from Florida oranges. By reducing the productivity of citrus groves, citrus greening is significantly impacting the future of Florida citrus production and the American diet. “With this new initiative we continue our focus on finding innovative alternatives to improve the sustainability and economic value of crops from the field all the way to consumers,” said Rob Schrick, horticulture business lead, Bayer CropScience. “Florida Specialty Crop Foundation and CRDF are natural partners for us in this effort, as both organizations have the citrus expertise and outstanding research capabilities needed to combat this serious disease.” In its first year, the grant will support CRDF’s existing research on HLB and Asian citrus psyllid (ACP), the insect that serves as the vector for HLB. For the remaining years, the collaboration partners will convene to discuss the state of the industry and determine the necessary research. The collaborative grant project
is funded by Bayer CropScience and administered by Florida Specialty Crop Foundation. “Bayer CropScience is dedicated to providing innovative solutions for the food chain,” said Florida Specialty Crop Foundation Executive Director Sonia Tighe. “We are honored that Bayer continues to partner with our foundation to meet the needs of growers and the citrus industry.” For the past 150 years, Bayer has been committed to their mission of providing ”Science For A Better Life,” and this citrus greening research grant is another example of that commitment. In addition to the three-year grant, Bayer also donated $10,000 to Farmers Feeding Florida (FFF), a food recovery program instituted by the Florida Association of Food Banks (FAFB). FFF works to provide much-needed relief to growers and packers left with excess produce and Florida residents in need of healthy food. Bayer’s donation will help to further FFF’s mission and support the Florida food industry.
Cargill Commits $520,000 to Support National FFA Organization Programs, Initiatives Minnesota-based Cargill has pledged more than $520,000 to support several National FFA Organization programs and initiatives. A large portion of this corporate donation to the organization – $160,000 – will support “Blast Off,” an annual training conference for newly-elected state FFA officers that helps them identify their strengths, develop personal growth plans, master public speaking and improve management skills. The company has also pledged $150,000 to support the organization’s continued development of its Agriculture Career Network (AgCN), an online portal that FFA members use from middle school through college and beyond to track educational accomplishments, build career portfolios, apply for awards and scholarships, pursue internships and apply for jobs. Cargill has further committed an additional $300,000 to support AgCN over the next two years. Contributions from the company will also help fund the expansion of the organization’s “Feeding the World-Starting at Home initiative” to fight hunger; support the staging of the 2013 National FFA Agriscience Fair, a competition hosted at the annual National FFA Convention & Expo for FFA members interested in agriculture science and technology; and sponsor two national competitions for FFA members, one focused on food science and technology and another invoving
meat evaluation and technology. “Cargill is proud to be in its 53rd year as a major supporter for the National FFA Organization,” said Dirk Jones, vice president of Cargill’s ground beef and trim supply chain business and board member of National FFA Foundation Sponsors’ Board. “Developing young leaders is foundational to any organization’s long-term success. We believe Cargill’s support will strengthen members’ skills, engage them in the fight against hunger and provide many channels to build character, shape careers and give back to their communities.” Employees at Cargill support their local FFA chapters, state FFA associations and the National FFA Organization by volunteering, offering expertise and mentoring members interested in pursuing careers in agriculture. At the annual National FFA Convention & Expo, employees provide hands-on leadership training and career exploration to more than 500 FFA state officers from throughout the country. The National FFA Foundation is the fundraising arm of the National FFA Organization, which provides leadership, personal growth and career success training through agricultural education to 557,318 student members in grades seven through 12 who belong to one of 7,498 local FFA chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
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Volume 40 • Number 6 • 2013 • Farm & Ranch News