INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
1
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
813-752-2379
Mon. - Sat.: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
PAGE
3014 S. Jim Redman Pkwy. (Hwy. 39 S) Plant City, FL • southsidewesternwear.com
2
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
3
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
DECEMBER 2019 VOL. 15 • ISSUE 2
CONTENTS
Hillsborough County Farm Bureau 305 S. Wheeler St. Plant City, FL. Office Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Insurance Services: 813-685-5673 Member Services: 813-685-9121
OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE PAGE 12 AG Expo
PAGE 38 Barterhouse
PAGE 16 Extension Staff
PAGE 44 FSGA JAM
PAGE 59 FFBF Advisary Committies
PAGE 60 Activity
PAGE 17 Retail Insight
PAGE 46 Organic
PAGE 18 Fishing Hot Spots
Strawberries PAGE 48 John Dicks
PAGE 22 Rocking Chair Chatter PAGE 24 Hillsborough 100
PAGE 50 Endangered Species
PAGE 26 Trail Bale Farm
PAGE 52 Marvin brown
PAGE 32 Save Water
PAGE 54 Recipes PAGE 56 Literary Time Machine
PAGE35 Bread Fruit
PAGE 61 A Closer Look
PAGE 62 Specialty Crop Grant
PAGE 63 Kelly Nobles Scholarship
PAGE 64 AG Venture
PAGE 65 Farm Bureau
PAGE 66
News Briefs
PAGE 36 Jack Payne
Hey Readers!
InTheField® Magazine P.O. Box 5377 • Plant City, Fl. 33566-0042 *Winners will be notified by phone. You Too Can Be A Winner! PAGE
DIRECTORS FOR 2018 - 2019 Christina Andrlik, Carl Bauman, Jake Cremer, Tiffany Dale, Carson Futch, Jim Frankowiak, Chip Hinton, John Joyner, Lawrence McClure, Sambahv, Vincent Tort, Will Womack, Gayle Yanes
Judi Whitson, Executive Director 813-685-9121 Farm Bureau Insurance Special Agents
Valrico Office 813-685-5673
100 S. Mulrennan Rd., Valrico, FL. 33594 Tommy Hale, CLU, ChFC, CASL, CPCU Agency Mgr. Julie Carlson, Amy Engle
Plant City Office 813.752.5577
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. 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
4
Dennis Carlton, Jr.....................President Jake Raburn................Vice President Tony Lopez..............Treasurer Buddy Coleman..................Secretary
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
305 S. Wheeler St., Plant City, FL 33563 Jeff Summer Artis Griffin
Tampa Office 813.933.5440
6535 Gunn Highway, Tampa, FL.33625 Greg Harrell, Jared Bean
AGENCY MANAGER Thomas O. Hale WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
5
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
STAFF
Letter from the Editor
Publisher/Photography Karen Berry Senior Managing Editor/ Associate Publisher Sarah Holt Patsy Berry Editor
Merry Christmas! It’s the most joyous time of the year. Or is it? Of course we have all the eating, drinking, gift giving, family and friend time that the holiday’s bring, but along with the fun, comes stress. Everyone strives to create the concept of a “perfect Christmas.” The expectations from Christmas movies are a bit unrealistic, but that sets the bar for many people. Toss social media in the mix, with everyone searching for ‘Likes’ and to outdo each other, it’s a perfect storm for anxiety.
Sales Melissa Nichols Karen Berry Sarah Holt George Domedion
Christmas is a time for family, but often there is travel involved to get families together, adding yet another level of stress. We all know how much fun travel can be during the holiday season.
Creative Director/Illustrator Juan Alvarez
There are also those who have had tragic events occur during the Christmas season. A time of laughter, fun and family to some, becomes a time of sorrow and remembrance for others.
Distribution Bob Hughens
How do we avoid this holiday stress? It’s probably not feasible to think we can avoid it all together. But there are a few things you can do to help keep things in check so to speak.
Photography Karen Berry
Set a budget. Stick to it. Don’t give in to temptation! Be realistic about your expectations. We don’t live in a Hallmark Christmas movie. Take some time out for yourself. This could be the most difficult one of all, but a step back will help put the Christmas spirit back in your heart. Most of all, have fun and remember the reason we celebrate Christmas. Luke 2:11-14 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Staff Writers Al Berry Sandy Kaster James Frankowiak Sean Green Ginny Mink Contributing Writers Woody Gore John Dicks
Have a safe and Happy New Year! In The Field Magazine is published monthly and is available through local Hillsborough 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 Hillsborough County Farm Bureau and Strawberry Grower’s Association.
Sarah Holt The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. - Numbers 6:25
Letters, comments and questions can be sent to P.O. Box 5377, Plant City, Florida 33563-0042 or you are welcome to email them to: info@inthefieldmagazine.com or call 813-759-6909 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.
PAGE
Published by Berry Publications, Inc.
6
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
7
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
A Very Special Time of the Year HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
-Dennis Carlton Jr. - President
Greetings, My personal best wishes to each of you, your families, and your friends during this special time of the year. I hope that the Christmas Season brings joy and happiness to you all. I would like to recognize some very special gifts we receive throughout the year from the men and women of Hillsborough County Farm Bureau. It is the time they give and the talent they share as they all work tirelessly to help have the voice of agriculture heard in our county, state, and nation. Hillsborough County Farm Bureau once again garnered top honors for operations in all five categories evaluated this year. Those categories included policy implementation, public relations, organizational management, education, and leadership. Our Award of Excellence reflects a healthy, effective, and well-rounded organization. It would be impossible for us to continue in this manner without the volunteerism that is so characteristic of our members, and I thank each of them for their efforts. Specifically to that point, this edition of IN THE FIELD includes a news item about seven Farm Bureau members here in our county that have been selected to serve on Florida Farm Bureau State Advisory Committees, all of which play a critical role in the policy development process and implementation efforts. Speaking of gifts, your membership in the Florida Farm Bureau Federation means that you are part of a growing community of families who support agriculture in Florida, but there’s a good deal more that membership offers you and your family. I urge you to visit https://www.floridafarmbureau.org/benefits/save to find out the many ways your Farm Bureau membership can benefit your family from travel discounts and entertainment to insurance for your auto,
home, business, and much more. Your membership is a gift that keeps on giving throughout the year. Lastly, I would like to focus on the real meaning of Christmas, the birth of Christ. It can be so easy to get caught up in the fast pace of the Christmas season, that we lose sight of the real meaning for this special time of the year. It is because of what Jesus did for us, which gives us our eternal hope if we trust in Him. Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Dennis Carlton Jr. Dennis Carlton Jr. - President
305 SOUTH WHEELER STREET • PLANT CITY, FL 33566 • 813-685-9121 Board of Directors
PAGE
Dennis Carlton, Jr. , President; Jake Raburn, Vice-President; Tony Lopez Treasurer; Buddy Coleman, Secretary; Christina Andrlik, Carl Bauman, Jake Cremer, Tiffany Dale, Carson Futch, Jim Frankowiak, Chip Hinton, John Joyner, Lawrence McClure, Sambahv,Jay Marty Tanner, Vincent Tort, Will Womack, Gayle Yanes Judi Whitson, Executive Director
8
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Why go to an emergency center that’s connected to a hospital? What if you need the rest of the hospital? When it comes to your health, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Which is why during an emergency such as a stroke or heart attack, every second counts. We don’t want to risk our patients’ lives by transferring them to a different hospital for emergency surgery. Here, if you need to be rushed to surgery, it’s down the hall, not down the road. We also have access to cuttingedge equipment and some of the best doctors, nurses and specialists in the region are only a few feet away. If you need a pint of blood, no problem, we’re connected to a blood bank. Not to mention that our rehabilitation, orthopedic, oncology and maternity departments are only a wheelchair ride away. The best place to go during your emergency is a facility designed to handle any emergency. And that’s right here at BayCare’s South Florida Baptist Hospital. Learn where to get the right care: BayCareRightCareRightPlace.org
OUR NETWORK:
BayCare Behavioral Health • BayCare HomeCare • BayCare Laboratories • BayCare Medical Group BayCare Outpatient Imaging • BayCare Surgery Centers • BayCare Urgent Care OUR HOSPITALS:
Bartow Regional Medical Center • BayCare Alliant Hospital • Mease Countryside Hospital • Mease Dunedin Hospital • Morton Plant Hospital Morton Plant North Bay Hospital • St. Anthony’s Hospital • St. Joseph’s Hospital • St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital • St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital St. Joseph’s Hospital-North • St. Joseph’s Hospital-South • South Florida Baptist Hospital • Winter Haven Hospital • Winter Haven Women’s Hospital BAYCARE.ORG
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
9
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM 18-425223-0618
Specializing in Foreign and Domestic Trucks and Cars
4X4 and NPR’s
BILL’S TRANSMISSIONS Tel: 813.707.9865 13350 Hwy. 92E WE NOW OFFER TOWING Dover, FL 33527 Come See Porky!
Bill Somerlott, Owner
SERVICES ALSO OFFERED:
PAGE
A/C Repair • Brakes • Timing Belts • Alternators • Starters •Suspension Drivetrain Repair • Tune Up • Differential Repair Specialist • Fleet Maintenance Specialist R.V. & Heavy Truck Repair • Trailer Repair • 7.3, 6.0 & 6.4 • Diesel Specialist • Same Day Service in Most Cases • 30,000 & 40,000 Pound Lifts and much more!
10
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
11
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
FLORIDA AG-EXPO GETS BETTER WITH AGE
By Jim Frankowiak Like a fine wine, Florida Ag Expo (FAE) keeps getting better, year after year. The 14th annual Ag Expo took place just before Thanksgiving at the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC), the venue that’s been its home since it began. The one-day event, which combines educational outreach with a trade show, attracted nearly 1,000 attendees this year - record attendance for this annual event. GCREC Director Dr. Jack Rechcigl also noted the number of growers at Florida Ag Expo this year exceeded 300, tripling the number of a year ago. The year 2019 was also the first FAE was managed by AgNet Media, partnering with the GCREC, Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA), Florida Fertilizer & Agrichemical Association (FFAA), Florida Strawberry Growers Association (FSGA) and Florida Tomatoes.
PAGE
Following welcome remarks by Rechcigl and UF/IFAS Senior Vice President Dr. Jack Payne, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried was featured in a video presentation that highlighted the importance and impact of agriculture on Florida. Her remarks were a precursor to a panel discussion on a potential alternative crop, industrial hemp. Panelists included Holly Bell, director of cannabis for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Doris Hamilton, hemp program manager for the Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Paul Adams, industrial hemp program manager for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, and Dr. Zach Brym, a UF/IFAS agronomist and the lead researcher on a 20-member team of UF scientists.
12
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
Kentucky has been growing hemp for the past six years, while North Carolina has done the same for three years. Hemp is a highly versatile plant which can be used in its entirety for industrial purposes such as paper, textiles, cosmetics and body care, as well as a host of others. Bell noted that hemp became legal in Florida this past July, but awaits finalization of rulemaking and alignment with U. S. Department of Agriculture rules governing the production of hemp. She anticipates Florida production of hemp to begin in early 2020. While the potential of industrial hemp as the state’s next specialty crop is ranked high by many supporters, prospective growers were advised to proceed with caution for a variety of reasons detailed by Hamilton and Adams from their respective states along with the range of issues being addressed by the UF/IFAS Industrial Hemp Pilot Project. The pilot project will identify hemp varieties suitable for planting in Florida’s various environments; develop management practices and cropping systems economically viable for Florida growers and assess hemp invasion risks in the state’s natural and built environments. Additionally, work is to be done to identify specific seeds or cultivars that will be successful in Florida, leading to certified varieties. It was noted that hemp plantings can surpass legal limits due to genetics or stress factors such as heat, moisture, nutrition or pests. Testing for non-exceedance of legal levels of THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis, will be mandated for all hemp crops before harvest. Interested growers were urged “to proceed with caution” and to regularly review research updates available at programs.ifas.ufl.edu/hemp. General information is also available at www.fdacs.gov/cannabis. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Following lunch, Ag Expo attendees were able to participate in presentations led by UF/IFAS researchers during a soil fumigation workshop and a series of presentations regarding pest management in vegetables with updates on management of vegetable pathogens, vegetable pests, nematicides for vegetables and vegetable viriods/viruses. FFAA President Mary Hartney discussed the “changing perceptions of pesticides” and the glyphosate controversy was addressed by Jay Ferrell, UF/IFAS associate professor of horticulture. Afternoon sessions offered growers the opportunity to earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs). The day’s activities concluded with field tours of alternative crops and pest management in vegetables projects. Alternative crops included artichokes, hemp, hop varieties and a new V-trellis hop yard, and postharvest cooling and other technologies for quality fruits and vegetables.
INFORMATION REGARDING INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATIONS IS AVAILABLE ONLINE BY VISITING: GCREC.IFAS.UFL.EDU. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
13
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
PARTS & EQUIPMENT IN STOCK AT KENNCO YEAR ROUND!!!! You know what works... and we’ve listened to you.
Kennco’s new line of Strawberry Equipment is compatible with your current equipment and proven to form rounded beds on 48” row centers, lay tight plastic and drip, resulting in the
best berries.
PAGE
Plant City strawberries are the best in the world. 14
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Call for details!
KENNCO MANUFACTURING, INC. P.O. Box 1158 | Ruskin, FL 33575 | 800-645-2591 | Fax 813-645-7801 Sales@KenncoMfg.com | www.KenncoMfg.com
Hear about specials and deliveries in your area. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
15
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
EXTENSION EXPANDS STAFF WITH FOOD SYSTEM PROGRAM COORDINATOR
LINKING REGIONAL PRODUCERS AND CONSUMERS By Jim Frankowiak
“In addition to the programming aspect of this position, the coordinator will also be tasked with uncovering a strategic food system plan,” noted Gran. “The coordinator will create a collaborative environment by engaging stakeholders to participate in a Food Policy Council. By identifying community assets, motivations and goals, this unified body can help direct the development of the regional food system in a unified way. “All over the nation, communities are working to strengthen rural livelihoods, monitor environmental impacts, develop cultural identities and provide adequate healthful alternatives,” said Gran. “Each of these initiatives has a direct relationship to the food system. The Program Coordinator will learn from other communities to successfully implement best practices locally in Hillsborough County.” A native of Gainesville, Florida, Petrella is an alumnus of the University of Florida with an undergraduate degree in Food and Resource Economics, “the same major as my father,” she said. While an undergrad at UF, Petrella attended a small farms conference under the aegis of UF/IFAS that proved to be highly impactive on her future career plans. Monica Petrella recently joined the staff of Hillsborough County Extension as the inaugural Food Systems Program Coordinator responsible for promoting and bolstering small and mid-scale regional agricultural production by engaging in cross-community partnerships and programming.
“That conference was an ‘Ahah’ moment for me and my plans for the future,” said Petrella. After receiving her undergraduate degree from UF, she pursued a Master’s degree in Community Development and Applied Economics at the University of Vermont, which she was awarded in 2018.
“The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) in collaboration with Hillsborough County government already provides critical programming to the agricultural community that allows the county to compete in national and international markets,” said Extension Director Stephen Gran. “A unified programming initiative to increase direct marketing instances between regional producers and consumers had not been previously identified. Extension Agents often work one-on-one with producers and residents to improve the efficacy of their operations; the Food System Program Coordinator will work with community organizations that are interested in ‘going local’ to support regional production as well as support ‘local solutions to local problems’ such as food insecurity.
“I consider this to be my dream job,” said Petrella. “I am very lucky to have a position that is so in line with my interests. It intersects the common good with food and agriculture, especially those with limited or no access to nutritional food choices, while helping mid to small size regional producers market their products.
PAGE
“Organizations such as large institutional buyers (schools, hospitals, etc.), after-school programs, neighborhood associations, the Corporation to Develop Communities, social services, technical schools, universities and more are encouraged to work with the Program Coordinator to determine how to engage to support food and agriculture initiatives in Hillsborough County,” said Gran. “Outcomes of the collaborations can range from community farm-to-table events, increased volunteer opportunities in community gardens, expanded nutrition education, more frequent opportunities to participate in community supported agriculture (CSA) or u-pick sales and more opportunities to ‘know your farmer’. These programs could result in more economic sustainability and resiliency for regional producers, as well as a healthy community.
16
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
“My to do list also includes the formation of a Hillsborough County Chapter of the Florida Food Policy Council, which will work to identify and meet the needs of our local community through policy-making decisions effectively impacting urban agricultural initiatives,” she said. In her limited spare time, Petrella visits various Florida historical locations noting how impactful “agriculture has been on the economy of our state, a legacy that hopefully will continue,” she said.
For more information about collaborative opportunities, Petrella can be reached via email: petrellaml@hillsboroughcounty.org telephone: 813/744-5519, Ext. 54111.
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
RETAIL INSIGHTS Retail Insights is a subscription based product designed to enable the produce marketer the ability to see what the retail markets are selling their commodities for to the consumer. By seeing the retail sale to the consumer and marrying historical retail sales with historic volumes RETAIL INSIGHTS helps the marketer develop strategies as they plan out the promotion timing for the current crop. Once the estimated volume and timing of the crop is determined the Marketer then is able to match up historically similar crops with retail promotions required to efficiently market the crop minimizing over supply and under supply with the end result being a more efficient system of farm to consumer. The data used to develop Retail Insights is all open source. Highland creates data analytics dashboards that help marketers digest and make decisions on how to promote based on real information instead of guessing which often times hurts the entire growing, distribution, retail and consumer.
Come see what’s NEW at Fancy Farms Market
Strawberry Santa has the Perfect Gift for You This Season
Delicious Strawberry Desserts Using Family Recipe Full Selection of Produce and our Flavorful Strawberries And Much More
Produce Stand: 5204 Drane Field Rd. | 813.478.3486 or 813.754.4852 | FancyFarms.com INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
17
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Tampa Bay Fishing Report December 2019 Capt. Woody Gore
Weedon Island, Double Branch, Port Manatee, Old Ferry Dock Flats, and Joe’s Island. Often larger fish over 30 inches work the outer edges and channels on low water. Serious redfish anglers discovered that redfish love hanging with mullet because as mullet feed on tiny sea plants and sea lettuce, they stir up food for the redfish. You need to learn to distinguish the difference between the wake of schooling mullet and redfish. Watch for any change in water movement, this is a sure sign. Redfish wakes are Snook - Snook can be found in ca- usually higher than mullet. You can nals, rivers, and creeks, especially expect and enjoy some excitement those with structure receiving heat by pitching soft plastics around the from the sun. On bright sunny days, mangrove tree lines. You never know check broken-bottom grass flats when a large snook might strike. If with large sandy potholes because you like wading, the low winter tides they are the ticket for snook. As the associated with winter offer excellent water cools, snook tend to migrate fishing for tailing redfish and others. to these areas for protection from As you amble along slowly, be sure colder waters. You often find them to shuffle your feet because we get sunning themselves in shallow san- plenty of stingrays this time of year. dy areas. Do not forget the bridges, pilings, and the deepwater docks Spotted Sea Trout - Drifting the along the Hillsborough, Alafia, Little Tampa Bay grass flats and tossing Manatee, and Manatee River. They soft plastic curly tail artificial lures are decent places to start if you are also produces plenty of fun. Look looking for some larger linesiders. Try to potholes to hold the larger spotfinger mullet, small ladyfish, pins, and ted sea trout. Check the grass flats jumbo shrimp; do not forget topwater around Weedon Island, Culbreath lures early in the morning or jigs and Bayou, Pinellas Point, Joe Island, Tarsoft plastics as the sun gets up. pon Key, and Fort Desoto for decent trout action. Redfish - January is excellent fishing for redfish. You often find schools of Cobia – Cobia should start showing reds cruising around the flats near up with the cooler water temperaJanuary means low tides, low humidity, pleasant days, and decent fishing. Greenbacks begin getting scarce, but shrimp always catches fish. However, winter is still an excellent time to experiment with artificial lures. So, as winter moves in try your hand tossing a few artificial lures around a Tampa Bay broken bottom grass flat and learn how you will always have something in the tackle box to catch fish with even when live bait is not available.
PAGE
Capt. Woody Gore (www.captainwoodygore.com)
18
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
tures, so watch the hot water runoffs at local power plants. Jumbo shrimp, small crabs, or pinfish work. If you are interested in artificial lures, try a large worm bait about 8 to 10 inches rigged on a Jighead. Cobia cannot resist anything resembling an eel.
Sheepshead/Snappers – You can find sheepshead and man-
grove snapper around the many fish attractors and rock piles located throughout Tampa Bay. Also, check out the bridges and deep water docks of residential canals. Try using shrimp, fiddler or small rock crabs, green mussels, or oysters. Scrape the pilings to get them going.
“Give Me a Call & Let’s Go Fishing”
813-477-3814
Captain Woody Gore’s Guide Service: The area’s top-notch outdoor fishing guide service. He’s guided and fished the Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs, Bradenton, and Sarasota areas for over fifty years and offers first-class customer service, outstanding fishing adventures and a lifetime of memories. Single Boat, Multi-Boat and Group Charters: With years of organizational experience and access to the areas most experienced captains, Captain Woody can arrange and coordinate any size group, outing, or tournament.
Website www.captainwoodygore.com Email fishing@captainwoodygore.com
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
19
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE
20
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Washington Irving is credited with creating Santa’s flying sleigh in 1819 and cartoonist Thomas Nast began illustrating our current image of Santa in Harper’s Weekly in 1863.
“Jingle Bells” was written for Thanksgiving, not Christmas. The song was written in 1857 by James Lord Pierpont and published under the title “One Horse Open Sleigh.” It was supposed to be played in the composer’s Sunday school class during Thanksgiving as a way to commemorate the famed Medford sleigh races. In the Netherlands, Sinterklaas (the Dutch version of Santa Claus) arrives from Spain, not from the North Pole. Hallmark introduced their first Christmas cards in 1915. Ever wonder about the string on a box of animal crackers? Introduced around Christmas in 1902, the string was intended to be used to hang the cracker boxes on your Christmas tree.
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
21
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Sponsored by:
FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1971
HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM YOUR AROUND TOWN SPONSOR
Figures of Speech
At a recent Plant City Chamber of Commerce Contact Breakfast I sat at a table with three local funeral home managers, Edwena Haney, Verna McKelvin and David Wolf. Edwena used a phrase I had not heard for years. She ended a sentence with “As a figure of speech.” “Figure of Speech,” now just what does that mean? I went to Google on my computer and looked it up, and this is what I found:
Figures of speech
An expression that uses language in a nonliteral way, such as a metaphor or synecdoche, or in a structured or unusual way, such as anaphora or chiasmus, or that employs sounds, such as alliteration or assonance, to achieve a rhetorical effect. Huh? No kidding. I do declare. I asked around to see if I could get an answer. Nobody seemed to know. I’ll bet if my English teacher, Mrs. Smith, Mac Smith’s mother, was alive she would have an answer I could understand. As a last resort I went back to Google for the answer. I did not get an answer I could understand, but I found some examples of “Figure of Speech.” You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice. The evening news is where they begin with “Good Evening,” and then proceed to tell you why it isn’t. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it’s still on my list. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine. Where there’s a will, there are relatives. And lastly the one most everyone can understand. Well, his goose is cooked! There you have it. Now you know a figure of speech when you hear it or read it. As a kid I remember we would have fun seeing who could come up with the most tongue twisters. The most familiar most people remember is: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers how many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick? See if you can read this one without making a mistake. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck would chuck wood? A woodchuck would chuck all the wood he could chuck if a woodchuck would chuck wood. Try these two: But the thought I thought wasn’t the thought I thought I thought. If the thought I thought I thought had been the thought I thought, I wouldn’t have thought so much.
PAGE
A skunk sat on a stump. The stump thought the skunk stunk. The skunk thought the stump stunk. What stunk the skunk or the stump?
22
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
289704-1
I have always thought the dictionary is filled with words that are seldom used. Open any page and you’re likely to find a word you have never heard, whether it’s gongoozle, which means to stare idly at a watercourse and do nothing, or zwodder, a feeling of drowsiness. We see it, and think to ourselves that we absolutely must use it in conversation. Sometimes people never understand what you’re saying. They hear what they want to hear. Point in case! About a week before this last Christmas I was at the checkout stand at a local grocery store. The lady in front of me wanted to buy some postage stamps to mail some Christmas cards. Here’s the way the conversation went. “Ma’am, I got these Christmas cards I need to mail today. I need 14 stamps, please.” The clerk said, “O.K., I have books of 6 first class or 12 second-class stamps.” “OK”, she said. “I’ll take 14 second-class stamps.” “I’m sorry,” the clerk said, “We only sell the stamps in books of 12.” “Yes. I need 14 stamps, please.” The clerk replied, “Okay. So two books will be $11.04.” The customer replies, “What! That seems like a lot of money for 14 stamps.” Clerk: “No, madam. That is for 24 stamps. We only sell them in books of 12.” Customer: “But I only want 14.” The clerk remained calm and said. “Lady, we are not a post-office, we only sell stamps in books of 12. In order to get 14 stamps you will have to buy two books. I am sure you can use the rest of the stamps later. Now, if it’s a real problem there’s a post office just around the corner past the fire station, which will be open in the morning.” Very loudly she says, “Don’t you understand I only need 14 stamps?” The clerk at the cash register politely said, “Sorry, I cannot help you.” With that the lady said, “ Well give me one book!” She turned and looked at me and said, “I’ll hand deliver the other two cards tomorrow.” People not only hear what they want to hear, but have trouble writing what they want to say. As an example, here are some notes a teacher friend of mine collected over the years. “My son is under a doctor’s care and should not take P.E. today. Please execute him.” “Please excuse Lisa for being absent. She was sick, and I had her shot.” “Please excuse Jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the Sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it Monday, we thought it was Sunday.” “Please excuse Jason for being absent yesterday. He had a cold and could not breed well.” And I leave you with this, which has nothing to do with anything written in this column. “If you can’t have a Editor’s Note: This Rocking Chair midnight snack why do Chatter was originally printed in the we have a light in the December 2015 issue fridge? WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
23
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
HSWCD CELEBRATES 2020 HILLSBOROUGH 100 KICKOFF LUNCHEON
One hundred and fifty agriculturists, business representatives, civic leaders and students gathered November 14 to recognize winners of the 2019 Hillsborough 100 and kickoff the 2020 Conservation Challenge. Now in its fourth year, the Challenge, sponsored by the Hillsborough Soil and Water Conservation District, seeks to create a greater awareness of conservation through a multitude of programs, projects and activities. “While the Challenge began in 2017 with a focus on the dates between Earth Day weekend and Soil Stewardship weekend, today it spans almost the entire year,” said HSWCD Board Chair Mark Proctor. “Participants in the Challenge represent groups of all kinds, from inner-city, urban, suburban and rural communities.”
PAGE
Honored at the Luncheon for their outstanding efforts were 2019 Outstanding Cooperating Partner – Mosaic; 2019 Outstanding Volunteer of the Year – Karen Crumley; 2019 Outstanding Project of the Year – T.R.E.E., Inc. & William Moriaty and Outstanding Supporter of the Year – M & B Products & Dale and Mary McClellan. Each of the recipients played a ma-
24
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
jor role in the successful completion of the 2019 Challenge. Director Betty Jo Tompkins updated luncheon guests on activities associated with the 2019 event, plans for 2020, and the currently underway Lipman Garden Challenge involving over 25 schools and groups. In addition, winners of the 2019 HSWCD Poster Contest, with the theme, “We Love Pollinators” were introduced. Winners included: grades K – 1 : 1st Place – Levi Holt, 2nd Place – Phoenix Fusco, 3rd Place – Brody Genrich; Grades 2 – 3 : 1st Place – Gabriel Holt, 2nd Place – Gabriella Genrich, 3rd Place – Lilly/Madison Chavez; Grades 4 – 6 : 1st Place – Avery Best, 2nd Place – Micah Evans , 3rd Place – Sabella Parwani; Grades 7 – 9 : 1st Place – Caroline Evans, 2nd Place – Eliana Holt, 3rd Place – Allie Vallejo; Grades 10 – 12 : 1st Place – Solomon Parris. Lunch featured “Hillsborough Harvested Fresh From Florida” foods, including tomato products from Lipman Family Farms, blueberry desserts from Blues Berry Farms, strawberry shortcakes from the Florida Strawberry Growers Association and Florida peanuts.
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
All Luncheon attendees received a decorated paper gift bag with over 25 items, including a garden hose spray nozzle, color landscape publications, recreational handbook, as well as honey bears, tomatoes and a 2020 UF/IFAS color calendar. According to Director Tompkins, “We’re planning even more new events for 2020 as we officially kickoff our 4th annual Challenge on Saturday, April 18. Any individual, family, business, civic club, church group, governmental entity, school or youth organization is encouraged to participate.” Further information is available by contacting Hillsborough Soil and Water Conservation District, 201 South Collins Street, Suite 202, Plant City, Florida 33563; calling 813.752.1474 or 813.477.8332; bjt6890@yahoo.com or soilandwater@HCFLGOV.net.
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
25
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Doing Food, the Right Way By Libby Hopkins
Travis Malloy isn’t your typical farmer. He doesn’t have a farming background. He’s actually an electrical engineer, but he got very interested in farming 12 years ago and now he owns and operates TrailBale Farm in Temple Terrace. “I became interested in farming about 12 years ago because I liked the idea of making food right out of the ground and I think local food is very important,” said Malloy. TrailBale Farm is definitely a family-owned and operated local, small farm. Malloy let his son create the name of their farm. “I wasn’t coming up with anything good to name our farm, but my 5-year-old son came up with a good name, which was TrailBale,” Malloy said. “We had trails going through our woods and they had bales of hay on them, so he put the two things together and came up with the name.”
PAGE
Since people nowadays are becoming more interested in how and where their food is being grown, Malloy wanted to offer the Temple Terrace community a resource for healthy, organic food. He wanted to give them the opportunity to meet their food’s producers, all while shopping local. He created the Temple Terrace Farmers’ Market. “Keeping things local is super important and I think we should be able to find what we
26
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
are looking for locally. I started the market because I wanted to give local producers an outlet to sell their items and for people to be able to shop locally.” With Trailbale Farm, Malloy wanted to have a place where he could do farming the right way. “We are trying very hard to do what I think is the right way to do farming,” Malloy said. “There really isn’t any redeeming qualities with the current food situation. Food is being produced in factories, which is terrible for the environment, for the people working in the factories and the animals. We are trying to do it the right way and make it good for all who are involved.” “The chickens, turkeys, sheep and pigs are put on grass and we move them around all the time, so they have fresh grass, plants and bugs,” Malloy said. “The health of the animal and the health of the soil are very important to me.” Processing is also very important to Malloy. “We have a small farm license so we can process the animals right on our farm.” Having healthy soil is one of the first steps agriculture. According to the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s website (www. farmers.gov/conserve/soil-health), “Healthy soil is the founWWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
dation of productive, sustainable agriculture. Managing for soil health allows producers to work with the land, not against, to reduce erosion, maximize water infiltration, improve nutrient cycling, save money on inputs, and ultimately improve the resiliency of their working land. There are four principles of soil health. They are, minimize disturbance, maximize soil cover, maximize soil biodiversity and maximize the presence of living roots.” Malloy hopes TrailBale Farm will continue to grow and prosper. “I want to see our farm and our programs keep growing,” Malloy said. “I would like for TrailBale Farm to be a destination for local quality meats. I would like to be well-known for all of this and stick to the direct to family model, where we are selling it to them and not to a middle man.” Speaking of growing, Malloy’s Temple Terrace Farmers’ Market has outgrown its current location in Temple Terrace and
If you are interested in learning more about TrailBale Farm or joining the CSA the farm offers, you can visit the farm’s website at www.trailbale.com or call Malloy at 786-842-7909. TrailBale Farm is located at 8913 Bowles Rd. in Temple Terrace, Fla. The Temple Terrace Farmers’ Market’s new location will be at 11780 Tom Folsom Road, just blocks from Fowler and Highway 301. The market is held Saturday from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. If you would like to learn more about The Temple Terrace Farmers’ Market, you can visit the market’s website at www.ttfarmersmarket.com.
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
27
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
it will be moving to Organic Passions Strawberry Farm on December 7 of this year. “We are taking it from the parking lot at Temple Terrace City Hall and right to a farm,” Malloy said. “We are really excited about the move because it’s going to be more of a festival atmosphere with lots of events for the kids and live music.”
PAGE
28
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
29
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE
30
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
31
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
The Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Guide to Plant Selection & Landscape Design …. Here in Time for the Holidays! Lynn Barber, Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Agent UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County
Florida is a beautiful place to garden. But especially if you come from someplace else, you may need a helping hand. The Florida-Friendly LandscapingTM Guide to Plant Selection & Landscape Design is one of my favorite resources. I use it at home, work and many times when on site visits. It is easy to use, understand and makes finding the right plant for the right place a simple process. The most important page in the Guide is page 31, which contains the key to symbols and abbreviations. The Guide is intended for homeowners who want to design their own Florida-Friendly Landscapes and make informed decisions about planting the right plant in the right place based on site conditions and more. The beauty and functionality of a Florida-Friendly Landscape depends on a mix of trees, plants and turfgrass chosen for their specific location and maintained according to the University of Florida/ IFAS recommendations. Florida-Friendly LandscapingTM principles encourage the use of both native and non-native species of plants. Invasive exotics should be removed, where possible, and never planted. This Guide is available for on-line viewing at: http://ffl.ifas. ufl.edu/pdf/FYN_Plant_Selection_Guide_2015.pdf. You can also order a free copy, which will be mailed to you, from the Southwest Florida Water Management District if you live in this District. Go to their website: https://www.swfwmd.state. fl.us/, click on Resources, then Free Publications, to view free publications under Florida-Friendly LandscapingTM and order your personal copy. If you live in another Water Management District, contact that office or your local Extension office. This must-have resource provides a number of landscape design scenarios, including front entry, along walls, sidewalks and fences, under windows and trees, etc. Information is included on how to convert your yard to a Florida-Friendly Landscape, ecological considerations, five common gardening mistakes and the Florida-Friendly LandscapingTM Plant List of trees, shrubs, vines, groundcovers, grasses, perennials, annuals and turfgrass. Plant information covers the Florida Region and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Cold Hardiness Zones, growth rate, height and spread, native status, soil pH range tolerated by the plant, soil texture, drought tolerance, light range and optimum light, salt tolerance and wildlife attracted.
This handbook thoroughly covers each of the nine FloridaFriendly Landscaping™ principles. These principles are: • Right Plant, Right Place – Select plants that are well-suited to your site and require minimal amounts of water, fertilizer and pesticides. • Water Efficiently – Irrigate only when your lawn and landscape need water and apply ½ to ¾ inch per irrigation/water (rain) event. • Fertilize Appropriately – Use time release fertilizer, and do not fertilize before a heavy rainfall. • Mulch – Maintain a 2-3 inch layer of mulch after it settles to retain soil moisture, prevent erosion, improve soil structure and aeration and suppress weeds. • Attract Wildlife – Plants that provide food, water and shelter are beneficial to Florida’s diverse wildlife. Many consume pest insects and pollinate your landscape. • Manage Yard Pests Responsibly – Minimize negative environmental impacts by using natural or low-toxicity controls. Unwise use of pesticides can harm people, pets, beneficial organisms and the environment. • Recycle – Convert kitchen scraps and yard waste into nutrient-rich organic matter as a soil amendment. • Manage Stormwater Runoff – Harvest rainwater, sweep or blow fertilizer, pesticides and grass clippings into your landscape and off your sidewalk and driveway to prevent nonpoint source pollution. • Protect the Waterfront – Eliminate sources of pollution and protect our natural treasure, Florida’s water bodies. If you live on a water body, leave a 10-foot maintenance-free zone between the water and your landscape. For assistance with horticultural questions, contact the UF/ IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, 813-744-5519, view our calendar of events at: http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/hillsborough/ upcoming-events/, and stop by to view our demonstration gardens at 5339 County Road 579, Seffner, FL 33584. We hope you will get outside and garden! Lynn Barber is the Florida-Friendly LandscapingTM Agent for UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, 5339 County Road 579, Seffner, FL 33584. Contact her at labarber@ufl.edu, or 813-744-5519 Ext. 54105. Contact UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County at hillsborough@ifas.ufl.edu, 813-744-5519.
PAGE
The Guide to Plant Selection and Landscape Design is a companion to The Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Handbook which is available for viewing at: http://ffl.ifas.ufl.edu/materials/FYN_Handbook_2015_web.pdf.
32
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
33
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE
34
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
FLorida
Breadfruit By Sandy Sun, M.S. Clinical Medicines, B.S. Nutrition Science
Breadfruit is a unique, delicious fruit that grows in Florida. Closely related to jackfruit and breadnut, the breadfruit tree originated in New Guinea and the Philippines. This fruit is grown in predominantly warm, tropical climates, such as Hawaii and Florida in the United States. The breadfruit tree can grow up to 85 feet in height. It’s also a very productive tree, with each tree producing up to 200 or more fruit per season. On average, the fruit is about eight inches in length and diameter. With a thin green, scaly skin on the outside, the fruit is white and smooth on the inside when ripe. The texture is similar to a ripe avocado. Unripe fruit is hard and starchy. The taste and texture is similar to that of a potato, and smells like fresh baked bread when cooked.
Nutritional Profile Breadfruit is high in complex carbohydrates and fiber, low in fat, and contains all of the essential amino acids. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, one 3.5 ounce serving (100 g) contains 103 calories, 1.1 g of protein, 0.2 g of fat, 27 g of carbohydrate, and 5 g of fiber. It also provides 35% of the Daily Recommended Value (% DV) for Vitamin C, 10% for thiamin and pantothenic acid, as well as plentiful amounts of the other B vitamins, vitamins E and K, zinc, iron, magnesium, and folate.
Disease-fighting antioxidants Breadfruit contains many antioxidants, including vitamins A, C, and E. Antioxidants help protect the body from free radical damage. Free radicals damage cell membranes and are associated with conditions such as some cancers, heart disease, and atherosclerosis. Getting plenty of vitamins A and C may help ward off these diseases. These nutrients also fight inflammation and may reduce the severity of inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and asthma. Some researchers have also linked a high vitamin A intake with lower levels of lung inflammation. Most of the benefits derived from vitamins A and C come from eating the vegetable itself, rather than taking a pill.
Heart-healthy nutrients Breadfruit is full of nutrients that work together to promote a healthy heart. This unique fruit is high in potassium, which is essential for proper heart and kidney function. Potassium also regulates blood pressure and fluid balance.
How to select and store Choose ripe breadfruit that is fragrant, yields to gentle pressure, and feels heavy for its size. Avoid any with soft spots, bruises, wrinkles, or feel light. Store breadfruit in a cool, dark place for up to a few days. To store longer, place in cold water.
How to enjoy Unripe breadfruit is starchy and can be prepared in similar ways to a plantain. As breadfruit ripens, some of the starch converts to sugar, making it sweeter. The seeds, young leaves and flowers are all edible. Breadfruit can be eaten raw when ripe, as well as boiled, steamed, baked, roasted or fried. It can be enjoyed in curries, soups, salads or made into chips. Breadfruit has also been made into breads, pizzas, custards, cakes and even incorporated into alcoholic drinks. Here are some serving suggestions: • Steam cubed breadfruit with broccoli for a simple side dish or a colorful addition to a salad. • Cut into sticks, toss with olive oil and salt, and bake for a healthier version of French fries. • Cube and toss with olive oil and roast in the oven. • Chop and toss into a soup or stew. • Bake whole breadfruit and season with cinnamon and sugar for an easy dessert • Boil and mash for a more nutritious version of classic mashed potatoes. • Make dessert! Breadfruit is great in flan, custards, pies, quick bread, muffins, or pudding. Enjoy Florida breadfruit today. Delicious and nutritious, the breadfruit is a unique treat to savor in all kinds of dishes and desserts.
Selected References https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ http://www.usda.gov https://cms.ctahr.hawaii.edu/
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
35
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Breadfruit also contains a significant amount of vitamin B6, which is needed to convert homocysteine into less harmful compounds. High levels of homocysteine have been associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Eating more foods high in vitamin B6, such as breadfruit and other fruits and vegetables, can help protect your heart.
By Jack Payne | UF/IFAS Photo by Tyler Jones Senator Kelli Stargel is up front about it. She says she can’t grow anything. The important thing, though, is she knows she depends on those who can grow things – and do. That’s part of what drives her to support agriculture in the legislature. Another part is her passion for 4-H as a way to raise future advocates for agriculture and people who recognize the importance of Florida-produced food. At the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, we celebrate legislators who represent farmers, 4-Hers, and agricultural scientists. We recognized Sen. Stargel’s support by presenting her with a UF/IFAS Legislative Leader Award in September. We also honored state Rep. Lawrence McClure. Stargel helped get 4-H funding into the last budget as well as an increase in funding for the UF/IFAS, which runs 4-H. As chair of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Education, she consistently champions funding for UF/IFAS. She’s been a consistent advocate for 4-H. In the past session she sought funding to expand STEM 4-H programs and to repair Camp Cherry Lake. After the 2017 session, she advocated for an override of a veto of 4-H funding, writing to the thenSenate president that the veto would “negatively impact the development of leadership skills for young Floridians interested in the agriculture industry.” Stargel gained an appreciation for 4-H because her children’s friends are 4-Hers. She has also welcomed visiting 4-H delegations to Tallahassee, where they advocate for funding. In those meetings in her office, she says both parties are learning – the senator is learning about what’s important to 4-Hers, and the children are learning to advocate for something they care about.
PAGE
Protesting on a street corner doesn’t accomplish much, Stargel said, except to raise awareness. Walking into a senator’s office and asking for action is an experience that will help kids grow into engaged adult citizens, Stargel said.
36
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
Her self-effacing remarks about having little know-how in a garden aside, Stargel is a sixth-generation Floridian. Anyone with that kind of lineage has ag in their family tree. Hers has citrus and cattle branches. So, she says, it’s in her DNA to defend the people who put food on our tables. Stargel says, for example, it’s important to keep citrus viable in Florida. It’s part of a bigger picture outlook she has about what’s good for Florida. Our growers face tremendous pressure from unfair trade, global competitors with low-cost labor, and crop pests and diseases. If we fail to support farm families, Stargel says, we may find ourselves dependent on other nations to decide what – and maybe even whether – we eat. It’s farming as a national security issue. Stargel is a Lakeland resident who represents many agricultural areas. She works well with UF/IFAS because she recognizes the science and outreach it does for anyone who grows anything, from thousands of acres of groves to a single backyard tree. Stargel says agriculture needs all the advocates it can get. While she will continue to try to educate her fellow legislators on agricultural issues, she sees 4-H a great program for promoting agricultural literacy in the long run. Though Stargel doesn’t yet know what kind of support she’ll lend UF/ IFAS and Florida farmers in the 2020 session, we know she’ll be there for us. Jack Payne is the University of Florida’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and leader of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
37
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Eat Good, Do Good
By Libby Hopkins
Oprah Winfrey once said, “Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” Kenneth Emery’s passion is what drove him to something bigger and have more of an impact on what comes across you plate in a restaurant. Emery is one of the great minds behind the new farm to table restaurant in Ybor City called Barterhouse. “The concept of Barterhouse came from 35 years of learning what makes restaurants important, and by important I mean doing something bigger than any one person in the supply chain, making some impact beyond great food on a plate,” Emery said. “I grew up near the Easter Market in Detroit, Michigan. An uncle worked there, and my grandparents made the market seem like the only way to source food. Everyone knew everyone at the Eastern Market, and I suspect that’s why I care to know whom is behind each ingredient. Every concept since I began creating them at the age of 23 has had some form of locality or thoughtful curation.” Emery’s local curation has not always been an easy process for him and the team at Barterhouse. “Some local farms are too small or do not have distribution,” Emery said. “In Charleston, we have much greater distribution for farms, while here in Tampa we physically have to drive to the farm or market so it is much harder to do what we want to do full scale. We care about ingredients, food, people, farms and the land. What we do here at Barterhouse matters.”
PAGE
Each dish served at the restaurant has been locally sourced as much as humanly possible. “We try to do the right thing, at least as much as we can,” Emery said. “Again, sometimes here doing the right thing is harder since fewer are committed to the same cause. I’ve had people say, ‘I’ve never gone to a restaurant caring where the shrimp or vegetable come from.’ I agree, most people don’t even think about it. I reply saying, ‘I hope you leave here caring where it comes from.’ It does matter, whether a head of lettuce was pulled last night and served today versus pulled three weeks ago and trucked in from California, that makes a huge difference in quality and
38
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
environmental stewardship. For chicken, fish or beef, we look for quality and care. That is why we believe knowing who is behind the ingredient is the most important. How they care for the resources needed to produce the food is more important than locality in some of the dishes.” If you ask Emery what’s his favorite dish at Barterhouse, he’ll tell you it started with an oyster. “Extraordinary beef is just not a Florida thing, while oysters have recently become an exceptional Florida resource,” Emery said. “I’d start with that oyster. Panacea Co-Op is committed to a ‘make it, not take it’ initiative, ensuring what’s left in the waters helps rebuild the shrimp and crab life in the gulf across the panhandle. They call it the happiest oyster in the world, and while that is important it is also of excellent quality. Grown in protected waters, spring fed, and kissed by salt tides moving in and out creates an amazing first bite at Barterhouse. Hog & Hominy is a really fun dish as well. Originally done with Pork, Chef Justin Sells twist is the fresh Gulf of Mexico Hogfish. Presented with a deconstructed posole sauce and hominy salsa. Finally, in the beef or pork dishes, we again look for the most caring ranchers in America. We chose Steve Whitmire of Brasstown Beef for any grass-fed options, and Snake River Farm has been a go to for several years on the most exceptional quality we have ever found.” Baterhouse’s sister restaurant in Charleston SC, Burwell’s Stone Fire Grill, has been leading the charge of community care in beef for many years. “Barterhouse follows suit helping these ranches move lesser known cuts or working muscles that would otherwise not sell,” Emery said. Emery and the team at Barterhouse have a saying and that is, ‘not all ingredients are created equally.’ “TV, and other forms of media have made diners more knowledgeable, but we still have a long way to go,” Emery said. “A chicken can be much less expensive if it’s from a pitch black factory, has growth injections for faster maturity and a life without freedom or even feathers, but is that where we want to continue going? For just a few dollars more, we can support birds that live in WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
the light of day, roam free, and develop feathers and growth without injections. We’d like to note, we cannot always do the right thing on everything, as resources are just limited. Land is limited. Waters are limited. So we fully understand there are two sides to this food challenge. We are just trying to do the best we can.” Emery hopes Barterhouse adds value to the Tampa Bay food and farming scene. “We are not flashy, we are not saying everyone should embrace what we believe, we just work extra hard to find the ingredients and dishes that the people that do care have an option,” Emery said. “Great farmers care for the land, soil, and resources just as much as they do the ingredients that come from caring for the foundation of it all. We just want to say ‘thanks’ to anyone in support of trying to be something bigger than a place that serves good food. Eat good, do good.” If you would like to learn more about Barterhouse, you can visit their website at www.barterhouseybor.com or call 813542-1710. Barterhouse is located at 1811 N 15th Street Suite A in Ybor City.
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
39
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE
40
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
CROP INSURANCE: IT PAYS TO MANAGE YOUR RISK When you purchase risk management coverage with Farm Credit of Central Florida, we return a portion of our commission as patronage dividends to eligible stockholders. Patronage dividends could help lower the cost of insurance premiums, saving you money as you manage your risk. Farm Credit of Central Florida is glad to discuss how we can save you money on your crop insurance with patronage dividends. Feel free to contact our crop insurance specialist, Regina Thomas, at 407.721.4687 or rthomas@farmcreditcfl.com. Patronage dividend distribution is subject to eligibility. Certain limitations, conditions, and exclusions apply for crop insurance. Please refer to the policy for more details.
Important Sales Closing Dates Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) . . . . . . .Feb. 28 Citrus Fruit & Citrus Trees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .April 15 Nursery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . May 1 Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF) . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov. 15
86 6 . 245 . 3637 farmcreditcfl.com
Apiary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov. 15 Blueberries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nov. 20
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
41
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
CARLTON AND MCCLURE FAMILIES WELCOME NEW ADDITIONS The Carlton and McClure families had two, special reasons to be especially thankful within the recent past. Dennis and Sara Beth Carlton celebrated the birth of Charles Dennis III, brother of three-year-old Anna Kate, while Lawrence and Courtney McClure “are very blessed” with the birth of their first child, Savannah. The births took place within a three week period. “We are beyond thankful that the Lord has blessed us with two, healthy children,” said Dennis Carlton, Jr. Carlton, current president of Hillsborough County Farm Bureau, and Florida State Representative Lawrence McClure, also a member of the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau Board, are lifelong friends, while their spouses, Sara Beth and Courtney, are cousins and members of the Newsome family.
CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES
PAGE
TO BOTH FAMILIES!
42
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
With every generation, we get better at protecting our environment. Reclamation ecologists like Ashlee work to return mined lands to productive use as wildlife habitats, public parks and more—so future generations can enjoy these lands for years to come.
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
43
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
FLORIDA STRAWBERRY GROWERS ASSOCIATION 2019 JAM PLAQUES - DECEMBER 7, 2019 FSGA JAM AWARDS - PLAQUES SPONSOR
PAGE
John Sizemore (Workhorse Award) RCS COMPANY Elmer Rogers (Classic Award) Mayo Fertilizer Representative Lawrence McClure (Public Service Award) Chemical Dynamics Jay Sizemore (Hall of Fame Award) PATTERSON COMPANIES G&G Farms (First Flat Award on October 22, 2019) Lareault Mark Harrell (Past President Award 2016-2019) FSGA Lee Gillman (OUTGOING BOARD MEMBER 2016-2019) FSGA Russell Griffin (OUTGOING BOARD MEMBER 2016-2019) FSGA Casey Simmons Runkles (OUTGOING BOARD MEMBER 2016-2019) FSGA Winn-Dixie (Retail Partner of the Year 2019) FSGA Johnson's Barbeque (Food Service/Restaurant Partner of the Year 2019) FSGA
44
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
45
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
GCREC MOVES AHEAD WITH CERTIFIED ORGANIC STRAWBERRY PROJECT By Jim Frankowiak
Researchers at the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) have embarked on a project to support organic strawberry production in Florida. The project is one of many annually funded by the Florida Strawberry Growers Association from royalties collected internationally for the sale of strawberry plant varieties under the aegis of the Florida Foundation Seed Producers, Inc. Associate Center Director and Associate Professor of Horticulture Dr. Nathan Boyd and Assistant Professor of Entomology and Nematology Dr. Johan Desaeger are leading the project. “Our experiments, which have just been established, should provide us with results by the end of this strawberry season,” said Desaeger. “Our experiments include evaluating organic nematicides, different cultivars and transplant heat treatments. Dr. Boyd is looking at weed management options.” “Although the initial focus of our organic farm at the GCREC is to assist organic strawberry growers in the region, our longterm goal is to help all organic vegetable growers in Florida,” noted Boyd.
PAGE
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program (NOP) defines organic as “food produced by farmers who emphasize the use of renewable resources and the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for future generations.
46
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
“Organic food is produced without using most conventional pesticides; fertilizers made with synthetic ingredients or sewage sludge; bioengineering; or ionizing radiation. Before a product can be labeled ‘organic,’ a government-approved certifier inspects the farm where the food is grown to make sure the farmer is following all of the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards. Companies that handle or process organic food before it reaches local supermarkets or restaurants, must be certified, too,” according to the USDA’s NOP. The term “organic” is governed by the standards in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) only when used on food and fiber products. To become certified organic, a conventional farmer must first undergo a three-year transition period, during which time no prohibited inputs can be used. Organic certifiers can provide support for the transition process, helping the farmer understand and follow the organic standards. Once the three-year period is complete, the farmer can start to produce organic food. The farmer completes an “Organic System Plan” that explains how the food will be produced, including a list of all inputs that will be used. Additionally, the the farm undergoes an annual certifier inspection.
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Why join
Fresh From Florida?
9 10 out of
of consumers are more likely to buy a product labeled “Fresh From Florida”
74%
of consumers are willing to pay more for a product labeled “Fresh From Florida” Contact us today to learn more about the benefits of membership including: logo usage, trade shows, POP materials, and in-store advertisements!
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
47
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
FollowFreshFromFlorida.com/join (850) 617-7399
SPECIAL HOLIDAY TRADITIONS
by John Dicks Is there any place better than Florida to celebrate the Holidays?
hearty, frozen people cheering for the dropping ball in New York’s Time Square.
Nope, there’s not really any place better than right here. Most of you probably, you agree, too.
Are there other New Year’s Eve customs to consider? Here’s just a few to ponder.
For perspective, I remember once several years ago, doing some business in Hawaii just a few days before Santa was to arrive. I listened one evening with fascination to a children’s concert with kids earnestly singing about “dreaming of a white Christmas.”
CANADA – Sure, Canadians enjoy New Year’s with fireworks and live music, but those who are particularly filled with the celebration spirit enjoy the polar bear plunge. Basically, it’s a tradition involving a jump into freezing waters, generally to raise money for charities, or maybe bragging rights throughout the new year.
It was just simply amazing to hear Hawaiians singing about snow, and reindeer, and chestnuts roasting on an open fire. At least here in Florida, unlike Hawaii, we get some cool, if not cold, weather to enjoy some holiday cider. We get sweet smelling Frazier Fir Christmas trees, too. In Hawaii, at least where I was, there were no evergreens. Though I must admit that I was charmed by the sight everywhere of elaborate Christmas tree replicas made entirely of poinsettias, which were much in abundance. Soon thereafter, I discovered that holiday celebrations south of the equator get really tossed upside down. I learned that folks in Australia and New Zealand share with glee the same tunes we all do even though it’s in the dead of their summer. No doubt Frosty the Snowman suffers mightily from the heat! Nonetheless, and however the custom, Christmas is celebrated the world over, though surprisingly, not always on December 25th. Ethiopia, for example, divides its calendar into 13 months instead of 12. There are 12 months of 30 days each and a 13th month of either five or six days, depending on whether it’s a leap year. It gets rather complicated, but Christmas in Ethiopia will be January 7. Nice to know, I guess, that Santa gets a two week vacation between delivering presents to kids in Florida before descending to homes in Addis Ababa. Just a week in between, we’ll be celebrating our new year, singing Auld Lang Syne while watching on TV the
CHILE – Families in certain parts of Chile use the occasion to honor deceased loved ones by sleeping at the cemetery. DENMARK: In Denmark, people celebrate by climbing on top of their chairs, and then jumping off of them in unison at midnight. Supposedly, this symbolizes jumping forward into the new year and leaving bad things behind. ECUADOR – For more than a century, people in Ecuador celebrate New Year’s Eve by burning scarecrows. They’re made resemble public figures, who the maker feels has wronged the world and thus are burned in effigy. ESTONIA: The folks in Estonia celebrate by eating a specific number of meals. Apparently, you get to choose the number, all lucky ones, of either seven, nine, or twelve. Probably it makes for a very long day! PUERTO RICO – Pails of water are thrown out a window by Puerto Ricans to drive away evil spirits. To encourage a lucky future, families also sprinkle sugar outside of their house. THAILAND – The Thais are said to have a tradition of smearing each other with gray talc. The talc represents the sins of the previous year, to be washed away with the water. TURKEY: Similar to wearing green on St. Patrick’s day, many people in Turkey wear red underwear at midnight on New Year’s Eve in order to bring good luck in the coming year. Maybe it works, because it’s said that folks do the same thing in Italy, Spain, and Mexico. No matter how it’s done elsewhere, I wish you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a great New Year!
PAGE
John Dicks is both a lawyer and businessman, including an interest in farming. He and his family have owned 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. John serves as Of Counsel to Trinkle Redman, a law firm in Plant City where he also served nine years as City Commissioner, including three terms as Mayor.
48
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
We have toys for ALL ages this Holiday season! INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
49
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
E n d a n g e r e d S p e c i es
Home to Many: Elkhorn Coral
We talk a lot about endangered plants and animals, but we often ignore the threatened species on, or near, our shores. One such entity worthy of consideration is the Elkhorn coral. Though it is not endangered, it is threatened, and the loss of these corals can have significant ramifications. So, let’s learn how to prevent that potential inevitability. As one of the most important corals in the Caribbean, it helped build those coral reefs which are more than 5000 years old. Elkhorn coral forms dense groups that are home to a variety of reef animals, including fish. These groups are called “thickets” and are capable of existing in very shallow water.¹ Elkhorn coral’s scientific name is Acropora palmata. This species of coral is relatively quick growing. In fact, they can add two to four inches to their size annually. Unfortunately, they are susceptible to a host of dangers. And, most of the reefs they created have become little more than rubble fields and are creating a loss of habitat for many other species.² They are notable for their elk-like antler shapes and are generally a yellow-brown in color. This is due to the presence of symbiotic zooanthellae. These wee creatures live within the cells of the coral. While it may not seem that way, coral is an animal. And these specific corals create massive structures.² They can spread out, branch wise, up to six feet tall and 12 feet wide.¹ And most researchers recognize them as keystones for the structure of coral reefs.³ This is specifically true in the more shallow waters where they are most commonly seen, usually at 20 feet deep or less.² Their complex structures create habitats for a myriad of invertebrates and reef fish.³ Sadly, in the early 80s, the population of Elkhorn coral declined by 97 percent due to a serious disease known as white band disease. This particular disease attacks the coral tissue. The populations of these corals are still decreasing in the Florida Keys. But those located in the US Virgin Islands are at least stable and may even be abundant. Because successful reproduction is rare, it is hard to see these corals increase in number.¹ No doubt you are wondering how these corals eat, or at the very least, what they eat. They get their food from the algae (previously mentioned) that live within their cells. But they also feed on plankton which they catch with tentacles from their polyps. When the algae dies off, the coral starts to turn white, this is called coral bleaching and will ultimately lead to death through starvation.¹
PAGE
If you have decided that these are interesting, you can find them in coral reefs throughout the Caribbean, Florida, and the Bahamas. Of course, if you are hoping to locate them in our great state you will need to visit Broward County and those locales that are further south. Especially since they are relatively rare here.¹
50
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
By Ginny Mink
There is a combination of factors that have contributed to the demise of the Elkhorn coral. Obviously, the disease we previously mentioned is significant, but there are other diseases that have emerged since that time that are also wreaking havoc on the coral reefs. Poor water quality can stress the coral out and make them more susceptible to these diseases as well. There are predators too: damselfish, predacious snails, and algae overgrowth.³ If we are hoping for these corals to come back, it is beneficial for us to know how they grow and reproduce. Apparently, they are simultaneous hermaphrodites. Each colony is able to produce both sperm and eggs, but they don’t typically selffertilize. They reproduce once a year in late summer after a full moon. But this isn’t the only way for them to grow. Broken pieces, or fragments, can reattach to hard surfaces and begin to grow again. This is beneficial since storms and waves often break these corals.¹ As far as conserving the Elkhorn coral, designation of critical habitats and the protection of those is essential. We can also support those who breed Elkhorn corals in nurseries and then plant them in the wild. And, after major storms we can support rescue endeavors specifically designed to target and help injured coral. Scientists will continue to track population trends, observe spawning processes, and experiment to find methods that will help propagation and strengthen the existent coral.¹ While it might not seem like there is much for you to do personally, the reality is, God made us stewards of this great planet. It is our responsibility to ensure that its wildlife, whether flora or fauna, is preserved to the best of our abilities. If you desire to help, there are numerous activist groups that would welcome your volunteerism. Resources: ¹NOAA Fisheries. Elkhorn Coral. https://www.fisheries.noaa. gov/species/elkhorn-coral ²Florida Atlantic University. Endangered Staghorn and Elkhorn Corals. http://www.fau.edu/ehs/info/elkhorn-staghorn-corals/ ³Van Wagner, K. (2011). A Critical Reef Component. Living Oceans Foundation. https://www.livingoceansfoundation. org/a-critical-reef-component/ Photo Credits: Finney, Doug. (2013). Elkhorn Coral. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/fPvpeK Kieffer, Matt. (2004). Green Elkhorn Coral. Flickr. https://flic. kr/p/4zNji6 Hoelscher, Matthew. (2006). Elkhorn Coral Close-up. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/fZbBK
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Tickets On Sale Now! • FLstrawberryfestival.com
Feb. 27 - Mar. 8, 2020 • Plant City, FL Soundstage:
Artists Appearing on the
Rascal Flatts
The Oak Ridge Boys
Thu. Feb. 27, 7:30 $51
Thu. Feb. 27, 3:30 $25
Michael Ray
Fri. Feb. 28, 7:30 $35
Out rVision! Perfec
Roots & Boots - Aaron Tippin, Sammy Kershaw & Collin Raye
REBA McENTIRE Sun. Mar. 1, 7:30 $55
Sat. Feb. 29, 3:30 $30
NEAL McCOY
Mon. Mar. 2, 3:30 $25
PATTI LaBELLE Mon. Mar. 2, 7:30 $35
Tommy James & The Shondells
Fri. Feb. 28, 3:30 $25
Bobby Bones & the Raging Idiots
An Evening with 98° Sat. Feb. 29, 7:30 $35
Sara Evans
Tue. Mar. 3, 3:30 $30
Dick Fox’s Golden Boys - Starring Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Bobby Rydell
Skillet
Tue. Mar. 3, 7:30 $30
MercyMe
Chubby Checker & the Wildcats Wed. Mar. 4, 3:30 $25
$35
Josh Turner
Wed. Mar. 4, 7:30 $35
Jimmy Fortune and Dailey & Vincent
Thu. Mar. 5, 7:30 $40
Thu. Mar. 5, 3:30 $30
Sun. Mar. 1, 3:30
Fri. Mar. 6, 3:30 $20
#berryfest20 Home of OUR
Darci Lynne & Friends LIVE
Fri. Mar. 6, 7:30 $25
Charlie Wilson Sat. Mar. 7, 7:30 $45
Eli Young Band Sun. Mar. 8, 3:30 $35
Lynyrd Skynyrd Sun. Mar. 8, 7:30 $56
Concert dates and times are subject to change
Visit FLstrawberryfestival.com or call 813-754-1996 and get your tickets for the best seats available!
• Images Everywhere! • Verizon Wireless • Global Frequency Living • AT&T • Circle K • Wyndham Vacation Resorts • Vision Auto Glass • AMSCOT • Uncommon USA • Stingray Chevrolet • Candyland Warehouse • Local Ford Dealers • Master Spas • Dakin Dairy Farms • Good Health Saunas • Metro by T-Mobile • Grove Equipment Service • Astin Farms • Netterfield’s Concessions • Alessi Bakery • O’Reilly Auto Parts • Badcock Home Furniture &more • EVOLVE Pet Food • General RV Center • Florida Blue • T-Mobile INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
51
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
FSGA MOURNS THE PASSING OF INDUSTRY LEADER
MARVIN BROWN
FARM BUREAU BANK OFFERS MEMBERS REWARDS MASTERCARD By Jim Frankowiak
“It is with deep sorrow we information you of the passing of an industry leader, Marvin Brown,” the Florida Strawberry Growers’ Association said in an early December message to members and friends. “George Marvin Brown, age 74, passed away at his home in Ruskin this (December 2) week. He fought the good fight. He has finished the course. He has kept the faith. “Marvin is survived by his bride of 55 years, Linda; one daughter, Lisa Brown Fox (Raymond), one grandson Matthew Brown Fox; two loving sisters, Frances Williamson and Jeanette pinks, along with many nephews and nieces; and friends all over the world. “Marvin had a burning desire to farm, a passion to succeed, a willingness to take risks, and the vision to pursue innovative solutions to conserve and protect the farming industry. He grew, branded, and shipped Florida strawberries throughout the eastern U.S. and parts of Canada. Traveling the world doing his own research, Marvin was a pioneer in using drip irrigation, developed a hydroponic system to grow strawberry plants, and was instrumental in developing and patenting specialized equipment to form strawberry rows, which is still in use today. He also built comfortable, affordable housing for his workers. He was constantly in search of new methods to benefit all strawberry growers.
Farm Bureau members have the opportunity to enjoy a range of benefits offered through Farm Bureau Bank and its Member Rewards MasterCard. BENEFITS INCLUDE: • Triple points on gas, groceries and dining • Double points on Farm Bureau insurance premiums and purchases from eligible member benefit partners, like Grainger • Single points for each dollar spent on eligible purchases and balance transfers up to $2,500 • A $100 statement credit after $500 spend in the first 120 days • Farm Bureau Bank will pay our Farm Bureau membership renewal dues when you spend $10,000 in the 12 months prior to your membership billing date. Visit http://www.farmbureaubank.com/CreditCards for full details and to apply.
“Marvin worked with the University of Florida, North Carolina State University, and the University of California, along with many California growers and shippers. He was a strong supporter of the Florida Strawberry Growers’ Association, Florida Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, North American Strawberry Growers’ Association, Florida Fruit and Vegetable Associations, and Florida Farm Bureau.” A memorial service was held at Plant City Church of Christ followed by a tribute luncheon. The Brown family has asked that donations made in Marvin’s name be given to Florida College in Temple Terrace or to the Florida Strawberry Growers’ Association.z
PAGE
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the Brown family during this time,” the message concluded.
52
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Sign up
for a FREE On-Farm Readiness Review The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR) inspections have begun. Sign up now to request a free On-Farm Readiness Review (OFRR), offered in partnership by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and University of Florida IFAS. The OFRR is an educational opportunity to help individual farms align practices with the PSR regulatory requirements in preparation for inspections.
For more information on FSMA and to sign up for an OFRR, visit FDACS.gov/FSMA or call (863) 578-1900. To take full advantage of the OFRR and for PSR compliance, one farm representative should first attend a Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training. Upcoming trainings can be found at: crec.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/events
Funding for this statement was made possible, in part, by the Food and Drug Administration through grant PAR-16-137. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services.
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
53
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Recipes Courtesy of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Chef Justin Timineri
Coconut Snapper with Spinach Endive Sauté
DIRECTIONS 1. Season fillets with salt and pepper. 2. In large sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. 3. Cook fillets 3 to 4 minutes per side until cooked through. 4. Remove fish from skillet and keep warm. 5. For coconut sauce, return pan to heat and cook garlic, ginger and 1/4 cup onion until tender. 6. Add coconut milk, lime juice, soy sauce, hot sauce and bring to a boil. 7. Lower heat and add cilantro; simmer for 5 minutes.
INGREDIENTS 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided 4 (6-ounce) snapper filets 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated 1/2 cup diced onion, divided 1 cup canned coconut milk
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 1 head Belgian endive, thin sliced 1 (10-ounce) bag spinach, washed
8. In a separate, large skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat. 9. Sauté remaining 1/4 cup onion, endive and spinach until greens are just wilted. 10. Serve fillets with sauce over sautéed vegetables.
Strawberry Pops Ingredients • 12 Florida strawberries • 12 (4-inch) lollipop sticks or popsicle sticks or 6-inch bamboo skewers • 1 cup lightly crushed whole grain cereal • ½ cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
DIRECTIONS
PAGE
1. Rinse strawberries and remove leaves. 2. Dip berry in yogurt, then in the cereal. 3. Insert sticks into the narrow end of the strawberry. 4. Serve immediately.
54
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Celebrating a most fruitful relationship
between Florida Strawberry Growers and International Paper.
1979
Together we’re sure to enjoy many more years of sweet success.
711 E. Lancaster Rd Orlando, FL 32809 (407) 855-2121
1996
2402 Police Center Dr Plant City, FL 33566 (813) 717-9100 6706 N. 53rd St Tampa, FL 33610 (813) 744-2220 Sales: Dean Fultz (901) 355-5197 or Jim Johnson (813) 205-0355
2001
2003
Present
©2018 International Paper Company. All rights reserved.
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
55
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
By Ginny Mink
Ornamental Gardening in Florida Part 63 Jumping back aboard the Literary Time Machine we continue our travels with Mr. Simpson attempting to identify the good and bad advice of nearly 100 years ago as it relates to ornamental gardening. We can admit that there are some wonderful snippets of direction that are worthy of consideration. And, we are thankful for your continued presence as we travel through historic gardening resources. To move onto the next plant for consideration, we arrive at the Furcraea. Mr. Simpson writes about it saying, “Succulent plants related to the Agaves and all from the American tropics. They form rosettes of large, long leaves and at maturity send up a great flower stem and after bearing an enormous number of white flowers the old plant dies…I have a specimen of this in very poor soil which has never had care or fertilizer that is nearly ten feet high and twelve across with leaves ten inches in width.”¹ Given the nature of Florida’s climate, succulents are a great ornamental idea for sure. We next find a plant that he seems to be torn about. He writes about the Gynura aurantiaca, “(it) has purplish foliage but a rather weedy habit, hardly worth cultivating and just a little too good to throw away. The rather small flowers are yellow or orange and may, perhaps, be looked on as a sort of argument in favor of cultivating it.”¹ Given his reticence to take sides on this particular plant it seems worthy of further investigation. The people at Epic Gardening seem fairly sold on the idea of cultivation. In fact, they write, “The purple velvet plant…is one of the most unique houseplants you can grow…add the weirdsmelling orange flowers to the equation and you have quite an interesting houseplant!”² Apparently the leaves are covered with purple hairs and the flowers actually have an unpleasant odor. It is not toxic, but that doesn’t mean you should eat it, nor should your pets.² They also require a good deal of care to ensure they are in optimum health, so using these as ornamentals in your garden may be more trouble than they are worth. However, they are pretty neat looking! So, we travel on to the Heliotropium or the Heliotrope. Simpson writes, “Everyone loves Heliotropes which are raised extensively in our plant houses and rooms in the north and which grow and bloom so magnificently in summer when bedded out. Here, however, I have had poor success with them and most of the few I have seen tried in the state were not doing well.”¹ Since we aren’t sure what Heliotropes are, we figured we’d check them out, too.
PAGE
We relied on Gardener’s Path for useful information. According to their site, the Heliotrope smells great, like cherryalmond-vanilla, and has little purple blooms. As fans of the color purple, these sound like an interesting option for us, but since Mr. Simpson suggested they don’t grow well here we had to keep reading. The advice we found is that, “They do
56
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
well in flower beds, and look particularly attractive placed in proximity to contrasting orange day lilies.”³ The main bit of info, though, is that they grow best in USDA zones 10-11. Plant City is zone 9B; that’s a serious bummer. But, if you are reading this and live further south, you might have some success. We’ll draw to a close with a unique plant that should catch your attention. Mr. Simpson describes the Pedilanthus tithymaloides, or Shoe Plant, “A curious, rather fleshy plant with zigzag branches and small leaves bearing queer, one-sided red flowers which are shaped something like a human foot.”¹ A foot shaped flower has all the requirements of intrigue as far as we are concerned. We have to admit that what we discovered on Florida Gardener was not at all what we were expecting. Apparently, these flowers look more like slippers than human feet and the common names for the plant are: Devil’s Backbone, Jacob’s Ladder, and Slipper Flower. And, according to that site, one can extract a substance comparable to gasoline from these plants.⁴ So, their unique appearance isn’t all that is attention grabbing about these plants. They grow in South Florida better than they do here, but having taken a look at the pictures, these are not unfamiliar to us, so some people must be having success with them in town as well. Armed with some new plants for your ornamental hopes, you can hop off the Literary Time Machine and get busy planting. We will look forward to our next voyage with you! Let us know how these plants are doing for you. 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. 193-196). ²Epic Gardening. (2017). Purple Velvet Plant (Gynura Aurantiaca) Care Guide. Epic Gardening. https://www.epicgardening. com/purple-velvet-plant/ ³Schiller, N. (2017). Growing Heliotropes: Fragrant Vintage Charmers. Gardener’s Path. https://gardenerspath.com/ plants/flowers/growing-heliotropes/ ⁴Florida Gardener. (2008). Plant of the Month Pedilanthus tithymaloides, variegated. Florida Gardener. http://www.floridagardener.com/pom/Pedilanthustv.htm Photo Credits: Zona, Scott. (2009). Furcraea longaeva. (The Furcraea flower). Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/6DD5U7 HQ. (2005). Gynura aurantiaca Kadoorie Farm, Hong Kong. (Flower). Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/f5TDjH Swallowtail Garden Seeds. (2016). Heliotrope. Flickr. https:// flic.kr/p/MbkzdL HQ. (2004). Pedilanthus tithymaliodes Kadoorie Farm, Hong Kong. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/f2pfUr WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
FRESH FROM FLORIDA MINERAL Make sure you’re prepared for Winter: Supplement your cattle with Sulfate-Free FMS Super-Min, Super-Mol, and Super-Pro Products enhanced with
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:11 Cigar City Cattle Company Family owned and operated by Floridians just like you.
SUPER-MIN
Visit us
|
SUPER-MOL
|
SUPER-PRO
www.floridamineral.com
Give us a Call and Let us EARN your business! Greg Clark 813-765-4557 or Gary Peeples 863-559-3315 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
57
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE
58
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
SEVEN HILLSBOROUOGH COUNTY FARM BUREAU MEMBERS SELECTED FOR FFBF STATE ADVISORY COMMITTEES By Jim Frankowiak
Florida Farm Bureau Federation (FFBF) President John L. Hoblick has announced the appointment of seven Hillsborough County Farm Bureau members to individual FFBF State Advisory Committees. Those committees, according to Hoblick are “a crucial part of our policy development process and implementation efforts.” Newly appointed State Advisory Committee members and the committees on which they will serve are: • Carl Bauman – Tax • Dennis Carlton, Jr. - Oversight • Kenneth Parker - Trade • Jacob “Jake” Raburn - Labor • Marty Tanner – Aquaculture • Vincent Tort – Environmental Horticulture • Michelle Williamson – Fruit/Vegetable Each of the members, who will serve one-year terms, is or has been a Director of Hillsborough County Farm Bureau. “We are blessed to have seven people from our county represented on State Boards,” said Hillsborough County Farm Bureau Executive Director Judi Whitson. “I know we will be well represented!”
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
59
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
DISTRICT DETAILS SIX WAYS TO SAVE WATER AND MONEY DURING THE HOLIDAYS
By Jim Frankowiak
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has identified six ways to enjoy the holidays without increasing your water bill. Water plays a role in everything from holiday food preparation to cleanup. Here are several ways to conserve water while preparing food and cleaning up during the holidays: • Defrost frozen foods in the refrigerator or the microwave instead of running hot water over them. • Rinse fruits and vegetables in a sink or pan filled with water instead of running water. This water can then be used to water houseplants, keeping in mind an open
faucet can use up to 4-gallons of water per minute. • When washing dishes by hand, fill one sink or basin with soapy water and fill the rinsing sink one-third to one-half full, avoiding continuing running water in the rinsing sink. • Use the proper size pans for cooking as larger pans require more cooking water than may be needed. • Scrape food scraps into the garbage can or composting bin, rather than rinsing them into the sink’s garbage disposal, which uses up to 4.5 gallons of water per minute. • Operate your dishwasher only when you have a full load. Dishwashers use between 7 and 12 gallons per load.
PAGE
For more conservation tips, visit the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/Conservation.
60
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
A Closer Look
by Sean Green
Thread Waisted Wasps (Ammophila)
Cooler months in Florida often mean I don’t see as many insects on my hikes as I would like. However, there are still some insects that are quite busy even in the cooler months. Pollinators are typically busy all year long in Florida. This month we’re featuring a pollinator that’s surprisingly docile despite its striking appearance. We came across this interesting wasp during a recent hike and were thrilled that she didn’t spook while we took pictures. Our wasp is a solitary wasp commonly known as the thread waisted wasp. This term, though descriptive, could refer to any number of wasps as most have a narrow waist. Ammophila is the more accurate taxonomic term that describes a specific genus of hunting wasps. These docile wasps are typically not bothered by human curiosity and go about their business as if we were not even there as long as they are not attacked. Should you see one, it would be worth your time to take a closer look at these spectacular hunters. You may be surprised to discover how entertaining watching insects can be. The genus Ammophila is found throughout the warmer regions of the world. In North America we have 60 species; most of which are so similar in appearance they are difficult to distinguish. These are a medium size wasp; typically, black with an alarming patch of red or orange on the stinging end of the abdomen. The thorax and abdomen are connected by a thread like waist justifying the common name “thread waisted” wasp. Ammophila are solitary wasps that nest and hunt alone. I have encouraged the attraction of solitary bees and wasps to your homes and gardens in previous articles and will emphasize again that solitary wasps do not have a “hive protection” instinct because they have no hive to protect. These wasps, like other solitary wasps, are not aggressive and will not attack you as you are working around your home or garden. For this reason, solitary wasps are an ideal tenant to attract to your home or garden. Ammophila are not common in gardens because they tend to hunt caterpillars that feed on deciduous trees. They seem to especially prefer the larvae of oak pests such as the variable oak leaf caterpillar (Lochmaeus manteo), and rough prominent moth caterpillar (Nadata gibbosa), however, they also prey on the False Unicorn moth (Schizura ipomoeae) which is a common pest of morning glory and roses, both of which are more common in the garden and around the home. Attracting this species to your home will benefit not only your large trees, but also a variety of common ornamental shrubs and even vegetables. Ammophila will nest in bare sandy soil or leaf litter that is surrounded by flowering plants which provide nectar for feeding adults. Females dig cylindrical burrows into the soil by rapidly shoveling with their legs and remove pebbles with their mandibles. When the burrow is complete, she provisions it with a single large caterpillar or occasionally several small caterpillars on which she will lay a single egg. After the egg is de-
Female Ammophila build several burrows simultaneously, and this insect has maternal superpowers when it comes to keeping track of her brood. Each of her burrows may be at different stages of completion and she is able to remember the location and progress of each burrow perhaps by using visual markers such as rocks, twigs, or plants, or maybe a chemical trail, it is uncertain how she does it but impressive nonetheless. It is probably a combination of both because despite her excellent craftsmanship in disguising the burrow, parasitism is a common nesting behavior of this and similar species. Other female wasps routinely find such burrows and replace the hosts egg with an egg of their own, discarding the hosts egg and leaving their egg in its place so their brood can feed off the caterpillar that was provisioned by the host wasp. Some wasp species will steal the caterpillar entirely and take it to their own borrow leaving the host with an empty burrow and vulnerable if not destroyed brood. If you have good ears you may be able to hear chirping sounds from the female as you are watching them. I cannot verify this personally because years of loud rock concerts in my youth have taken a toll on my hearing. My wife however can hear the flapping of a butterfly’s wing and could also hear this wasp make, in her words, “cute little noises like a cricket”. Researchers do not fully understand the function of these chirps, but most suspect it is a function of attracting mates. Though these wasps are tremendous hunters, they are not without predators, in fact they have more than I can list but include various birds, assassin bugs, and hover flies to name a few. The stark red coloring of this wasp is a method of warning such predators that a sting should be an expected response to an attack. Don’t let that part stop you from enjoying these insects though; so long as you are not mistaken for an attacking predator, this is a safe insect to observe. I hope you get a chance to take a closer look at these fine wasps and perhaps consider encouraging residency in your garden for toxin free pest management. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
61
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
posited in the burrow, she collects small pebbles by clamping them with her mouth and carefully packs them into the burrow filling the spaces in between the pebbles with sand. When the burrow entrance is fully packed, she searches for a suitable pebble to use as a hammer. She grasps the pebble in her mandibles and packs the soil by thrusting the pebble against the loose soil like a bettering ram. Her masterpiece is not complete without camouflage and she is the master of “leave no trace”. She carefully disassembles the pile of small pebbles that she dug up in the process of making her burrow and arranges them to blend into the undisturbed pebbles hiding any evidence of excavation. To finish her masterpiece, she searches for bits of debris to scatter around the area that was previously cleared for the burrow, then she blends it all together by peppering the area with sand she kicks up make any evidence of the sealed burrow nearly impossible to find if you did not watch her create it.
GCREC SELECTED FOR THIRD FDACS SPECIALTY CROP BLOCK GRANT; By Jim Frankowiak
Researchers at the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center were awarded their third Specialty Crop Block Grant from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) related to hop production in the state.
ability analyses to assess the economic feasibility of hop production in Florida,” said Agehara. That aspect of the study will be undertaken by Dr. Zhengfei Guan, Associate Professor of Agricultural Economics. Among Guan’s key considerations in addition to yield are the cost of hop yard construction and ongoing management
The overall goal of this project is to establish a viable hop production system in Florida. “This will be accomplished by selecting suitable cultivars, modifying trellising, developing pest management recommendations and assessing the crop’s overall economic feasibility,” said Dr. Shinske Agehara, Assistant Professor of Horticulture. “This project is based on the findings of the previous Specialty Crop Block Grants and lessons learned. They demonstrated that supplemental lighting can significantly improve hop bine growth and yields, and that hop plants grown in Florida can produce two crops a year.” Florida is the only current location in the world producing two annual hop crops.
The top-producing commercial hop cultivar thus far has been Cascade. Two-year-old Cascade plants had an average spring yield of 1,786-pounds per acre and 1,289-pounds per acre in the fall on a fresh weight basis. Three-year-old Cascade plants produced an average of 2,100-pounds per acre in the spring and 1,677-pounds of fresh hops in the fall. “Comet, Nugget and Zeus are next, producing 1,200 to 2,000-pounds of fresh hops in a year,” said Deng, who is also conducting studies on experimental hop cultivars “with the potential for producing higher yields.”
PAGE
“We will perform field trials at the GCREC to evaluate critical production practices for successful hop production in Florida,” noted Dr. Zhanao Deng, Professor of Environmental Horticulture. Professors Agehara and Deng have been involved in research associated with the FDACS grants. Among those practices are modification of trellis design and height, selection of suitable cultivars via long-term evaluation of commercial cultivars and experimental cultivars and development of management recommendations for arthropod, pathogen and nematode pests,” said Deng. Pest management recommendations will be developed with the assistance of GCREC researchers, Drs. Johan Desaeger, Hugh Smith and Gary Vallad. “Over the next two years, we will also perform cost and profit-
62
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
To take into account Florida’s climatic conditions and to maximize hop productivity, Agehara and Deng will conduct a new experiment to evaluate 12-, 15- and 18-feet high V-shaped design trellises, aiming to design the optimum hop trellis in Florida. The expected outcomes of the current study will include: recommended hop trellis designs for Florida growers; recommended cultivars; knowledge of pest problems and management options; number of Florida growers who will start growing hops and the number of local breweries who will brew craft beers using Florida-produced hops. Study findings are expected late in 2021.
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
CATTLEWOMEN NAME MASON KNOWLTON 2019 KELLY NOBLES SCHOLARSHIP WINNER By Jim Frankowiak passionate about the FFA program and has been his chapter’s President the last two years,” said Vina Jean Banks, a member of the Association. “Another important part of his life is scouting. He is very proud to say that he not only earned the rank of Eagle Scout, but did so by reaching his goal of completing the needed requirements before starting high school.” Additionally, scholarship applicants must provide the scholarship committee with a minimum of three recommendation letters from any community, organizational leaders or employers; high school transcript; an essay of not more than 500 words and no less than 250 words that details college ambitions, tentative career plans and why the applicant feels that he or she is the best candidate to receive the scholarship award. The applicants must also provide a listing of high school and extracurricular clubs and activities, including the names and phone numbers of advisors, principals or others for verification purposes. They must also submit a listing of scholarship awards and achievements, agriculture activities (FFA, 4-H), part-time and/or summer employment, including responsibilities and any other special awards or activities during high school. “Over the past 10 years, we have given out over $6,000 in scholarships to youth exhibitors at the Hillsborough County Fair,” said Banks.
Mason Knowlton has been named recipient of the 2019 Hillsborough County Cattlewomen’s Association Kelly Nobles Memorial Scholarship. Kelly, a very active member of the Association, was tragically killed in a traffic accident on her way home from the Florida Strawberry Festival in 2010. “We decided to honor Kelly by naming our scholarship after her,” said Tami Newsome with the Cattlewomen’s Association. “Kelly loved showing, and the fairs, so it seemed only appropriate to honor her by helping a graduating senior that had participated in the fair and was planning a future in Agriculture.” Knowlton plans to attend the University of Florida and major in Ag Education. He received the $250 scholarship at the annual Hillsborough County Fair Beef Show Awards Program. Among scholarship application requirements are residency in Hillsborough County; status as a current high school senior; active membership in either 4-H or FFA, as well as exhibiting at the 2019 Hillsborough County Fair. The son of Mary and Mark Knowlton, Mason attends Armwood High School. He showed two beef cows and a dairy cow at the recent Hillsborough County Fair. “He says he is very INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
63
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
MORE THAN 4,300 HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY THIRD GRADERS PARTICIPATE IN AG-VENTURE By Jim Frankowiak
Agriculture was front and center for more than 4,300 Hillsborough County third graders who participated in the fall series of Ag-Venture tours at the Florida State Fairgrounds. A “hands-on,” half-day learning experience, Ag-Venture has as its mission to teach third graders about the importance of agriculture and to help them develop an understanding and appreciation of where their food comes from and the impact of Agriculture on their everyday lives. Students are divided into groups upon arrival at the Fairgrounds. Each group, marked by brightly colored cowboy hats, visits five stations representing different aspects of agriculture. Students can participate in a variety of hands-on activities, including aquaculture, beef or dairy animal stations, a strawberry crop station and pizza garden. Tours have a balance of plant and animal science.
day,” said Whitson. “Hillsborough County offers a large variety of agricultural learning opportunities, from bees to aquaculture to fiber, there is always something to touch, taste or see.” Ag-Venture began in 1994 from a partnership of local agricultural commodity groups, Hillsborough County Farm Bureau, the Florida State Fair and Hillsborough County Extension. The partners formed a 501(c) 3 corporation operating under the name Ag-Venture, Inc. The first tour took place in 1994 at the Fairgrounds with five stations and 600 students. Today, there are over 20 stations and annual third-grade student participation exceeds 6,000.
The Ag-Venture program is sponsored by Hillsborough County Farm Bureau, the Florida State Fair Authority, 4-H/Hillsborough County Extension and Florida’s Agriculture Commodity Organizations. Sessions take place at the Fairgrounds each fall and spring. “Attendees this fall included 4,050 third graders from various Hillsborough County elementary schools and 280 homeschoolers,” said Hillsborough County Farm Bureau Executive Director Judi Whitson. “Volunteers are vital for Ag-Venture,” she noted. “They included presenters from Hillsborough County Extension, Sun City Tree Farm, Nutrients for Life, the Hillsborough Soil and Water Conservation District, Farm-2School, Hillsborough County Farm Bureau and the Florida Strawberry Growers Association.
PAGE
“We average 65 volunteers each day of Ag-Venture and 2030 of them are FFA students from different schools every
64
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
FARM BUREAU ADDRESSES COUNTY COMMISSIONERS; RECEIVES RECOGNITION By Jim Frankowiak
Hillsborough County Farm Bureau recently met with the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners to recognize farms and ranches that have been CARES Award recipients and to remind these elected officials of agriculture’s significant local impact. “Florida Farm Bureau introduced the County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship (CARES) in 2001 to publicly recognize Florida Ag businesses that demonstrate efforts to protect our natural resources and environment,” County Farm Bureau President Dennis Carlton, Jr., told the commissioners. “It is important to note that one-third of our state landmass and green space is in the working hands of our farmers and ranchers, so it is our duty to recognize the work and role they play on both county and state levels. “In Hillsborough County alone we have recognized 35 different operations through the Farm Bureau CARES Program. I believe we all agree on the importance of environmental stewardship to our community and county.” In addition to recognizing environmental stewardship, Carlton emphasized that “Farm Bureau advocates on behalf of the farm families at all levels: local, state and national by supporting programs and policies that will help the farmers and ranchers prosper. Our goal is to be the voice for agriculture and to provide strong representation to all stages of government,” he said. Carlton also noted that various Farm Bureau outreach activities take place throughout the year, including Farm City Week, the recent period during which his presentation to the Board of County Commissioners took place.
• Hillsborough County ranks as the third largest producer of agriculture products in the state, and among the top three percent of agricultural counties in the U.S. • Hillsborough County has an estimated 239,358 acres in agricultural production, representing approximately 37 percent of the county’s land area • Finally, Hillsborough County annually sells more than $865 million in Agriculture products Carlton, who is active in a diverse agriculture family agribusiness, ranging from cow/calf operations to leasing farm land for strawberry production, introduced his father, Dennis Carlton, Sr., a CARES Award recipient, to provide the commissioners with additional information regarding Agriculture’s importance to Hillsborough County, ranging from economic impact, tax revenues, jobs and much of what county residents consume at breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. County Commissioner Stacey White then presented the Farm Bureau group with a proclamation from the full board, recognizing Farm City Week and expressing appreciation to county farmers and ranchers for their environmental stewardship and diverse benefits provided to Hillsborough County. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
65
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Carlton also reminded commissioners of agriculture’s significant economic impact on Hillsborough County, citing key findings of an economic impact study of agriculture in the county and related businesses compiled in 2017 by the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences: • Hillsborough County has 2,265 farms, the third largest number of any county in the State of Florida and 49th in the U.S.
NEWS BRIEFS
Compiled by Jim Frankowiak
USDA Seeking Comments on Conservation Program The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is seeking public comments on its interim final rule for the Conservation Stewardship Program, which is designed to help farmers have more robust conservation activities. Comments are invited through January 13 electronically via regulations.gov (Docket ID NRCS-2019-0020). New Cattle ID Requirements Effective January 1, 2023, any beef, dairy or bison that are required to have an official identification will need to have an Electronic ID (referred to as EID, RFID or Electronic tag) versus metal tags. As of December 31, USDA will discontinue providing free metal tags. Approved vendor tags will be available for purchases on a state-by-state basis as authorized by each state animal health official through December 31, 2020. January 1, 2021 USDA will no longer approve production of metal ear tags and metal ear tags can no longer be applied to an animal for official identification. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags must be used as official identification for any newly tagged animals. January 1, 2023 this rule will apply to all cattle. More information is available at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/ traceability/downloads/plan-to-achieve-eid-factsheet.pdf - EID Factsheet or https://www.fdacs.gov/agriculture-industry/livestock/cattle-bovine/florida-livestock-identification. District Awards Grants to 19 County Schools for Water Resource Education Projects The Southwest Florida Water Management District has awarded $119,000 in grants to 65 schools within the District as part of the Splash! School grant program that provides up to $3,000 per school to enhance student knowledge of freshwater resources in grades K-12.
UF/IFAS says the virus is more severe for young plants and can result in yield loss of up to 70 per cent. There are no known health risks to humans from the virus. NRCS Programs Undergoing Streamlining The USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is working to streamline its programs to make it easier for farmers, ranchers and forest landowners to keep their lands working, along with improving the quality of our air, water, soil and habitat. NRCS provides producers and forest managers with free technical assistance or advice for their land. Those interested are encouraged to contact the local NRCS office, 201 South Collins Street, Suite 202, Plant City, FL 33563. Telephone: 813/752-1474, Ext. 3. USDA Organic Survey Underway The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA/NASS) has mailed letters with survey codes to more than 22,000 organic producers involved in certified or transitioning to certified organic farming. Producers who self-reported organic farming in the 2017 Census of Agriculture receive a unique survey code to respond online and to be represented in this once-every-fiveyear data. The current survey has been expanded to include production, marketing practices, income, expenses and additional areas. Recipients of the 2019 Organic Survey are required to respond by federal law, which also stipulates that NASS keep all individual information confidential. Survey results are to be available in October 2020. Additional information about the survey is available at: www. nass.usda.gov.
Splash! Grants, which were awarded to 19 schools in Hillsborough County, encourage hands-on student learning through STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities and involvement of the school community through awareness campaigns. Tomatoes from Select Foreign Countries Subject to New Rules
PAGE
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced that tomatoes and pepper fruit from Mexico, Israel and the Netherlands must now be inspected for tomato brown rugose fruit virus, known as ToBRFV, upon arrival at U.S. ports. The rule also requires tomato and pepper seeds and plants from countries where the virus is known to occur to be tested and certified.
66
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
67
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE
68
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
69
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Classifieds 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 14, 2019, Nov. 24, 2019
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 We have all your aluminum needs! Screen Room, carports & awnings. Call Blake (813) 752-3378
Info@inthefieldmagazine.com
Tel: 813.759.6909
JOHN DEERE Looking for your new tractor? Come see us at Everglades Farm Equipment. evergladesfarmequipment.com 2805 SR 60 West, Plant City 813-737-1660 2018 Massey Ferguson 1526 Hydrostat transmission , 4x4 tractor with loader and 60” mid mount mower. 75 actual hours. Warranty. $16,500.00. Call Alvie 813-759-8722
FARM EQUIPMENT 2015 MAHINDRA 100S 100hp, 4x4, Cab tractor for $25,000.00 Call Alvie 813-759-8722 I4 POWER EQUIPMENT Trade-Ins Welcomed, Service Department Available. Exit 22 • S. Frontage Rd. Plant City 813-752-4459
PAGE
FREE Wooden Shipping Pallets All sizes! Call Alvie 813-759-8722 24 HOUR SERVICE Coggins Plumbing licensed • bonded • Insured. www.cogginsplumbing.com 813-643-7173 Brangus Yearling Bull Born Oct 2018. South Lakeland, $900. Contact David 863-559-1799
RAZOR ELECTRIC MOTORBIKE MX650. New batteries, 36 volt, good tires. $225 call 863-660-4551
FARM BUREAU INSURANCE We have you covered! Call us today. 813-752-5577
FOR RENT Millcreek Pine Bark Row Mulcher. For blueberry farms, six yard, PTO drive need at least a 30hp tractor. Call 863-604-2526 for rental details.
LOOKING TO BUY OR SALE? Call Rhonda Wetherington, P.A. Realtor, GRI. 813-933-1761 ALAN’S AIR CONDITIONING Residential, Commercial Sales SVS & Repair. Legendary service for over 20 years! 813-752-0821 BETOMIX 320 3 pointy lift, pto driven cement mixer. Very good condition. $850 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
HUSQVARNA LAWN TRACTOR 20hp, 46", good condition. $300 call 863-660-4551
DOORS & WINDOWS SPECIAL ORDER No upcharge. House & Mobile Home. Many standard sizes in stock. Ask for Blake. (813) 752-3378
70
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
FRESH PRODUCE Forbes Road Produce. Open everyday from 7:30am - 8pm. Forbes Rd. & I-4 @ exit 17. Come out and see us!
MISC.
OLD ANTIQUE BLUE STOVE Bread warmer, chrome trim. You have got to see it to believe it! Call Ted for more details. 813-752-3378
2018 MMAHINDRA 4540 2wd tractor. 88 hours with warranty. $8,750 Ask for Alvie 813-759-8722
LAWN EQUIPMENT/ SUPPLIES
PRODUCE
FOR SALE
TAYLOR WAY TILLER DISC Plow - good condition. $1750.00 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
HESSON 4550 Inline square baler. $7,500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
MECHANIC NEEDED Agricultural equipment. Pay with benefits based on experience. Call David 863-537-1345
BRAND NEW HUSTLER RAPTOR Zero Turn Mower 52” cut, 23hp. Kohler We also have a Brown BHD 750 heavy engine, 3 year warranty. $2,999 duty 7.5’ disc harrow used less than 30 hours. Call Alvie 813-759-8722 The price is $2750.00 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
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 VINYL SIDING Many colors and styles to choose from. Ask for Ted. 813-752-3378 MOBILE HOME SUPPLIES Everything you need under ONE roof! Call Blake 813-752-3378 CALL FOR A WINDOW QUOTE. We are a MI Windows dealer. Our windows are energy star, lifetime warranty. Call Broke & Poor 813-752-3378
JOBS
KITCHEN CABINETS & VANITIES Get quality all wood cabinets for less than the BIG Box STORES! Call Today! Ask for Blake. (813) 752-3378 CROSSBOW Barnett Squad 300 w/Rhino 4x32mm Crossbow Scope, Case And Arrows. Great Condition! Call 813-376-9320
TRADE • BUY • SELL? Since 2004 In The Field has been Hillsborough and Polk Countys #1 Agriculture Magazine. Call Us at 813-759-6909 to place your Ad Today!
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
71
PAGE
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
PAGE
72
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
December 2019
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM