Hill_AUG_low res by Berry Publications, Inc

Aug. 15 - Sept. 15, 2009

Hillsborough’s AGRICULTURE Magazine CARL GROOMS

60 Years In The Field

Covering What’s Growing INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

OUR H 0 5 E E R F WITH E C I V R E S OF E S A H C R PU IES AN M SER R! TRACTO

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

Central Florida’s ONLY Full Service, Full Line Chevrolet Dealership

Chris Sparkman & Billy Herold

1475 W. Main St, Rt. 60, Bartow, FL 33830

863.533.0777 • 888.533.0777 www.bartowchevrolet.com

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

From the Editor

AUGUST VOL. 5 • ISSUE 10

August is here

and it is time for a brand new school year. Be extra careful around bus stops as the children embark on their future. If you aren’t a member of Farm Bureau, please consider joining the organization that works hard to be the Voice of Agriculture. You don’t have to be a farmer to join. The Farm Bureau works hard to protect your rights as a property owner and a member of the community. In addition, you will receive a number of benefits including low rates and substantial discounts on loans, personal, life and car insurance, merchandise, travel, theme park discounts and other services. Don’t forget that nominations for the Woman of the Year in Agriculture are being accepted until November 1. If you know someone who has made outstanding contributions to Florida agriculture, submit an application. The form can be found at www.florida-agriculture.com/agwoman/index.htm. We are always on the lookout for new story ideas. Please let us know if you have someone or someplace in mind. We also invite you to share your thoughts with us. Remember, this is your agriculture magazine. As always, we would like to say thank you to our advertisers. You make it possible for us to continue to “Cover What is Growing.”

Editor-In-Chief

July 15 - August 15, 2009

Hillsborough’s AGRICULTURE Magazine CARL GROOMS

60 Years In The Field

60 Years in the Field Page 80

I T

2009

Sarah

The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. Numbers 6:25

Senior Managing Editor and Writer Sarah Holt

Patsy Berry

6 Farm Bureau President’s Letter

Office Manager

10 Dr. Vance Whitaker

Sales Manager

16 Fishing Hot Spots 22 Rocking Chair Chatter 32 Soil Diagnostic Service 46 Cracker Horses 54 Plant City Junior Women’s Club

68 YOUR Florida Landscape

Until Next Month

Al Berry

Editor

Covering What’s Growing

54 Business Upfront

Have a great Labor Day.

Publisher

Karen Berry

74 Florida Lychee 76 The Learning Gate Community School 86 Tales and Trails

Bob Hughens

Brent Simmons

Sales

Karen Berry Al Berry Tina Richmond Rhonda Wetherington Melissa Corbett Christa Patterson

Art Director Julie Bedford

Staff Writers

Al Berry Carol Weathersbee Sandy Kaster James Frankowiak Julie Bedford Kayla Lewis Tracy Cox Nick Chapman Rhonda Walker Dawn Hudson

Contributing Writers Woody Gore Dave Galloway Geoffrey Denny Sean Green

Photography Karen Berry

In The Field® Magazine is published monthly and is available through local Hillsborough County businesses, restaurants and other local venues. It is also distributed by U.S. mail to a target market, which includes members of Hillsborough County Farm Bureau and Strawberry Growers Association. 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 their advertisers. All views expressed in all articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Berry Publications, Inc. Any use or duplication of material used in In The Field® magazine is prohibited without written consent from Berry Publications, Inc. Published by Berry Publications, Inc.

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

Get to your participating Ford Dealer and see if you can take advantage of the government’s new Cash for Clunkers program.* When you trade in your eligible vehile for a new, highly fuel-efficient Ford, you can a rebate of up to $4,500. Go to ford.com or call 1-800-367-FORD to find out if your vehicle is eligible. Then see your Ford Dealer, the Cash for Clunkers specialist.

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2000 East Baker St. Plant City

888-751-0934 Toll Free www.JarrettScottFord.com INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FARM BUREAU, LAA 100 South Mulrennan Road • Valrico, FL 33594 Phone (813) 685-9121

Hello Friends: I hope you are having a good month. We are all having our economic woes. Budget problems are everywhere. It is getting harder and harder for me to remain positive and upbeat with everything that is going on in our world economy. The dairy business is terrible. The price of milk is low with a high feed cost. Every ag person I speak to is having a rough go of it. It doesn’t matter if it is nurseries, fish farming, citrus, beef, or any other commodity, they all appear to be hurting. Our government is trying to help but I am wondering if it is part of the solution or part of the problem. We are supporting the auto manufacturing industry with the clunker rebates/incentives but some individuals have been waiting on the next great offer to trade for fear of a better deal coming along after they have committed. Unfortunately, the clunkers have to be destroyed. Many of them would have become starter vehicles for some young person or some recently unemployed person. The engines and running gear have to be disabled so, as a result, our used parts inventories will diminish and as a result push parts prices up. I am in favor of supporting local dealers but am not sure if we should be in the business of supporting all of the world auto manufacturers. I am not sure we should mortgage our grandchildren’s future by keeping retired people with better insurance and benefits than those of us still working. It is genuinely a mess. There is a lot of talk about healthcare reform. I sure don’t have a solution but I have to deal with the problem. Many family businesses that provide insurance to their employees have yearly increases of 20 to 25 percent and the quality of insurance is less and less each year. No one can afford this. Most employees don’t see it, but get upset that the quality of their coverage is eroding. Businesses large and small are having loss of benefits and compliance problems. How can we compete against foreign companies who don’t have these types of issues? How can we live by zoning laws, FDEP and EPC regulations, loss of employee benefits and still compete with foreign companies that don’t have these obstacles? All of our governmental agencies are under the ax because of budget issues, but so are our businesses. Many agencies need to be slashed but not to the point of no return. We need our governmental agencies to be leaner and meaner, but to work with us, rather than against us. We must not allow all of the negatives to take away the common sense approach to things that are vital. We do need to support our local IFAS Extension office though. They’re the good guys. Can you imagine life without the support of our Extension Service? We are at a point that we need them more than ever. Can you imagine what it would be like if you could walk into any county Economic Development office and offer up a proposal for a diverse business and guarantee it to be part of the top industry in the state and see what they would be willing to contribute to make the proposal a reality? The Extension Service provides this type of business development support to Agriculture to make it successful. With increased regulatory oversight and the challenges of starting and maintaining businesses we need our extension office. At the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau we work hard to help our county commissioners and most of them work hard to help us by staying informed and asking us our opinion, either through the HCFB, the AEDC or both. I feel good about the progress we have made with the commissioners and the AEDC but we all need to recognize the benefit of our extension service and be involved. Sincerely,

Dale 6

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Dale McClellan, President; Danny Aprile, Vice-President; Jemy Hinton, Treasurer; George Coleman, Secretary; Glenn Harrell, Member-at-large; Bill Burnette, Jake Raburn, Patrick Thomas, Amanda Collins, Roy Davis, David Drawdy, Jim Dyer, Alvin Futch, Stefan Katzaras, Greg Lehman, Carl Little, Danny Aprile, Caesar Rinaldi, Leslie Turgeau, Lance Ham and John Stickles. Judi Whitson, Executive Director

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

Equine Institute & Allied Trade Show Sept. 17, 2009, Ocala, Florida

The Central Florida Livestock Agents’ Group will hold the Florida Equine Institute And Allied Trade Show on September 17 from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm at the Southeastern Livestock Pavilion in Ocala, FL. Topics to be covered include: • •

• • • •

Weed ID/Control and Herbicide Selection – Jason Ferrell, PhD, UF/IFAS Extension Weed Specialist, Assistant Professor, Agronomy Department, University of Florida These Ain’t Your Fathers Parasites: Dewormer resistance and new strategies for parasite control – Ray M. Kaplan, DVM, PhD, DEVPC, Associate Professor, Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia Riding with Rhythm – Clint Depew, Phd, Extension Equine Specialist, Professor Emeritus, Department of Animal Sciences, Louisiana State University Recommendations for effective parasite control in horses – Ray M. Kaplan, DVM, PhD, DEVPC Defining Rhythm: Increasing Expectations, Imporving Responsiveness – Clint Depew, PhD The “Unwanted” Horse in the US: An Overview of the Issue – Amanda House, DVM, DACVIM, UF/IFAS Equine Extension Veterinarian, Assistant Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida

Each paid participant registration will be entered in a drawing to win a $400 gift certificate good at Tack Shack of Ocala, Inc. or Tack Shack Too. The drawing will be held at the conclusion of the program. You do not need to be present to win. Registration includes admission to all seminars, trade show, a printed copy of the speakers papers, refreshment breaks, a catered lunch and entry to the trade show. The Central Florida Livestock Agents’ Group is an organization made up of seven County Extension Agents, representing 10 counties in Central Florida. This annual event focuses on the equine production industry as it relates to sport (including racing and performance) and recreational horses. This University of Florida Cooperative Extension Service program is designed to provide Florida Horsemen and Horsewomen with current equine management information and a “working” Trade Show.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FARM BUREAU 100 S. Mulrennan Rd. Valrico, FL 33594

Office Hours: Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Insurance Services 813.685.5673 Member Services 813.685.9121

OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Dale McClellan................................................ President Danny Aprile..........................................Vice President Jemy Hinton.................................................... Treasurer George Coleman............................................ Secretary Glenn Harrell....................................Member at Large

DIRECTORS FOR 2009

Bill Burnette, Amanda Collins, Roy Davis, David Drawdy, Jim Dyer, Alvin Futch, Lance Ham, Stefan Katzaras, Greg Lehman, Carl Little, Jake Raburn, Caesar Rinaldi, Patrick Thomas, John Stickles, Leslie Laroque Turgeau

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, Agency Mgr. Julie Carlson, John McGuire

Plant City Office: 813.752.5577

YOU TOO CAN BE A WINNER

1302 S. Collins St., Plant City, FL 33563 Jeff Sumner, Bill Williams

No Farmers

HEY READERS, hidden somewhere in the magazine is a No Food 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 InTheField® T-Shirt. Send us your business card or an index card with your name and telephone number, the page on which you found the logo and where on that page you located the logo to: InTheField® Magazine P.O. Box 5377, Plant City, FL 33563-0042 All Entries must be received by Sept. 3, 2009. Winner will be notified by phone. You Too Can Be A Winner - Enter Now!

Tampa Office: 813.933.5440 1046 W. Busch Blvd., Ste. 100 Tampa, FL 33612 Greg Harrell, Mike Miller Brad Allsgood

AGENCY MANAGER: Tommy Hale

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

2009-10 Florida FFA State Officers Elected The 2009-2010 State Officer team

was elected during the 81st Annual Florida FFA State Convention held June 8-12, 2009 in Orlando, Florida. These seven individuals were elected by their peers serving as official delegates at the convention. The primary responsibility of a state officer is to serve the Florida FFA Association, Agricultural Education and Agriculture as an ambassador in local, state and national activities in a way that will inform, motivate and inspire FFA members, advisors and others to embrace and uphold the FFA mission. Following the convention, the team of State Officers will embark on a year long journey of service to FFA, Agriculture and Agriscience Education. Their year of service will begin with several weeks of intense training this summer. The 2009-2010 Florida FFA State Officers are: • President Caitlyn Prichard, Chipley FFA • Secretary Austin Courson, Tate FFA • Area I Vice President Trevor Williams, Blountstown FFA • Area II Vice President Austin Gibson, Baker County FFA • Area III Vice President Bryttany Willis, South Lake FFA

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

Perfectly Fresh. Perfectly Priced. VEGETABLE SALE

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Give us a call to be placed on our mailing list for monthly notification. 10

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

By Jim Frankowiak

Continuing the Legacy of Breeding Better Strawberries for Florida Growers “The chance to work with a great team of

researchers and building upon the foundation established by Dr. (Craig) Chandler,” are the two key reasons Dr. Vance Whitaker pursued the position of strawberry breeder for the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC). The opportunity had arisen with Dr. Chandler’s announced plan to retire in 2010. Dr. Whitaker recently joined GCREC as Assistant Professor of Horticulture. Dr. Whitaker grew upon his family’s rural property near Oak Ridge, North Carolina, the home of Oak Ridge Military Academy, a private, coed, college preparatory military boarding school established in 1852, making it the third oldest military school in the nation still in operation and the official military school of North Carolina. Until the late 1990s the Oak Ridge area was mostly agricultural with numerous tobacco and strawberry farms. Development has taken place and Oak Ridge is now considered an upscale suburb of nearby Greensboro. Its population is approaching 5,000 residents. One rural pastime, which is still popular in Oak Ridge, is the raising and breeding of horses. Each Easter weekend the town hosts the popular Oak Ridge Horse Show. “My dad Frank has worked as a lender and appraiser with Farm Credit for over 30 years,” said Dr. Whitaker, who grew up on a 20-acre farm. “I worked a lot in the garden and became interested in horticulture enough that by the time I was a teenager I became an active 4-H member and then a Master Gardener in my county through the Cooperative Extension Service. Those connections led me to NC State where I pursued undergraduate degrees in Agricultural Economics and Horticultural Science.” While he does try to keep up with NC State sports, Dr. Whitaker “definitely plans on rooting for the Gators and going to some football games at the Swamp.” Married to Terri, the Whitaker’s have two children, Isaac, who is 3 and a half, and Claire who is approaching her second birthday. The Whitaker family is relocating from the Twin Cities area where Dr. Whitaker was most recently a doctoral student at the University of Minnesota. “Minnesota winters were exciting. I recall during my first winter walking from a bus stop to my office with the temperature 15 below zero thinking, if I didn’t have a heavy coat on right now I would be dead in a matter of minutes! Thankfully, I was able to adapt and learn to enjoy winter. I even went cross country skiing and ice fishing,” he said. Dr. Whitaker received both his Masters and doctorate from the University of Minnesota. “At the Masters level I worked on characterizing the fungus that causes black spot disease of roses and identifying the presence of genetic resistance in some roses. For my doctoral work I characterized two genes for resistance in terms of their inheritance and also at the molecular level.” He has received several honors and awards while pursuing his doctorate. • University of Minnesota Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship

•

Selected for participation in the Excellence in Science Program, administered by the American Association for the Advancement of Science • University of Minnesota Graduate School grant recipient • William H. Alderman Memorial Graduate Award • Fellowship from the National Science Foundation Central European Summer Research Institute at the University of Leibniz, Germany • University of Minnesota Graduate Fellowship Away from the office, Dr. Whitaker enjoys “fishing and playing various sports to stay in shape. Despite my pretty even-keeled personality, I sometimes play basketball a little too aggressively and I’ve ended up with a few stitches over the years. As a 29-year-old, I’m working to correct that. I’m also hoping to do a little salt water fishing now that I’ll be close to the Gulf.” “There’s a great team of researchers at the GCREC working on strawberries along with Dr. Kevin Folta in Gainesville who works on strawberry genomics and biotechnology. This is a great group of people to work with. Also, Dr. Chandler has done a great job with the program, making big strides and laying a good foundation for the next person to come in and continue to make progress in breeding better strawberries for Florida growers.” With regard to his initial thoughts on his preliminary focus, Dr. Whitaker said, “In strawberries, dozens of impor tant traits have to be considered all at the same time. But a couple of important areas of emphasis would be earlier production through faster flowering and fruiting, improving flavor while maintaining shipping quality and improved disease resistance.” Welcome Dr. Whitaker and we wish you much success at GCREC!

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST DEALER 2009

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

TAMPA BAY’S FISHING REPORT

By Captain Woody Gore

CATCH, RELEASE, EAT... It’s Up to You!

Fishing is strong throughout the southeast with people going fishing and catching fish and that’s a good thing. Enjoying the outdoors, especially a little fishing, is fun anytime, especially now when most of us would like a distraction from things going on in our own little worlds. Being near the water, waiting for a fish to bite, is an outstanding distraction from things that concern you. It’s like a magic potion that makes you feel a little better and it usually takes your mind off your problems at least for a while. Besides being a great way to put some of life’s tribulations on hold, it’s also a good way to put a tasty meal on the table. Folks fish for different reasons, some for the fun of catching, a few others for dinner, and many for both. Over the past decade the concept of catch and release has become very prominent throughout the fishing world. It’s a great idea because you’re actually recycling fish by putting them back alive. This recycling concept of catch and release simply means

you catch a fish, release them, and give someone else a chance to catch that fish… what a novel idea. And besides being a good idea, it’s evident that catch and release has improved our fisheries. Progressive fish management regulations, mostly slot limits and closed seasons, have created outstanding fisheries throughout the country. Conversely, there are always those who take everything to the extreme. Certain groups and anglers alike feel that every fish caught should be released. However, it’s important to remember that catch and release is an option. If you want to put em’ back, that’s great, if you want to keep a few for dinner, that’s also okay. There’s nothing wrong with keeping a few fish for the table but there’s no advantage to loading the freezer. Fish always taste better when they are fresh, but once they become freezer burned they are ruined. Prolonged freezer storage means they loose that wonderful fresh fish taste and usually wind up in the garbage. The fish are biting, so, if you want to put your catch back, good for you. But if you want to keep a few, don’t hesitate to enjoy a fresh fish dinner.

REDFISH

August should see more redfish action around the Tampa Bay area. This past month we could find lots of fish but getting them to bite with any consistency was something else. I’ve set on schools of 50 to100 fish and tossed everything in the boat at them only to have them ignore our offerings. Occasionally we’d catch one or two on a cut pinfish, but not with the action we’re used to seeing. With tons of bait around it is likely the fish are not that hungry, but at least they’re out there. The bay area notoriously produces good catches of redfish, you just need to find the ones ready to eat. Redfish will push into the mangrove lined shores and oyster bars on incoming tides. Live bait normally produces good catches along with cut baits. Early morning top-water artificial lures on the grass flats will offer some good visual excitement as well. Work both incoming and outgoing tides.

SNOOK-ONE MORE MONTH!

Snook fishing will continue strong this month with larger fish still on the beaches. Expect to see them bunching up near passes and

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

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SPOTTED SEA TROUT

Trout fishing can always be fun especially when you find some larger fish willing to eat. I’ve been getting into some good action in deeper water and around the fish attractors using free-lined greenbacks. Also check out the deep grass flats (3-4 feet) using a popping cork with greenbacks, small pinfish (the flats are full of them) or shrimp.

COBIA

Markers and sandy flats equal Cobia. These fish frequent markers, especially those holding threadfins. They also cruise the flats following rays and manatees. When marker fishing, keep a chum bag out, you just never know what might show up.

Larry Bradshaw, Owner 25 Years Experience

813-707-1775 UISE!! FREE CR y Giveawa

TARPON

Tarpon fishing at the bridge has its good and bad days. Recently we’ve been seeing nice pods along the beach. Threadfins, crabs and larger sardines should do nicely. If you happen upon a daisy chaining pod, toss bait into the middle and hold on. There are also good reports along the upper bay bridges. Fish the light lines at night.

SNAPPER

Grey Snapper are everywhere. Pieces of Fishing Report- Continued on page 23

The first 200 people to allow us to give them a free estimate will be entered to win a FREE cruise. Great Odds!

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

WILD THINGS of Dade City By Kayla Lewis

The tour of the zoo, Wild

Things of Dade City, begins when an old-fashioned looking trolley comes to the main office to pick up guests. It carries visitors several miles out of Dade City where it pulls up to a picturesque, Victorian style home. The trolley stops in the front yard and passengers get out. The driver and guide, Randy Stearns, begins the tour by explaining the rules, which include not touching the animals and staying on the paths. These rules are actually harder to follow than they seem, because at Wild Things it is possible to come within four feet of some of the Earth’s most rare animals. “Its kind of unique,” said Kathy Stearns, owner and Director of the non-profit zoo that houses rescued exotic animals. She explained that they started the zoo nine years ago, but have only been open full-time to the public for two years. Under Florida law privately owned class one cats must be placed on display. Kathy said that previously they had given private tours of their facilities, but afterwards had decided to open a zoo. “My husband said, ‘you need to share it [the animals] with other people.”

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

Shortly afterwards, Kathy and her husband, Kenny, opened Wild Things. The zoo is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00am to 5:00pm. They offer two tours a day, the first, at 9:30 in the morning and the second at 2:00 in the afternoon. Kathy’s son, Randy, President of Wild Things of Dade City, explained that they give private tours, and will also host birthdays and weddings. It would be easy to see why people would want to hold special events at the zoo. Wild Things is built and designed around a giant, one hundred year old sinkhole. A walking tour of the facility starts at the top, and winds down to the bottom. The touring path has been paved for visitor convenience, and is built with dips and curves that display a variety of animals that include, lemurs, monkeys, Florida panthers, bears, leopards, tigers, and lions. “I got started by growing up with exotic animals,” Kathy said when describing why she began the rescue zoo. The zoo also acts in other capacities besides a rescue center. Randy explained that while some of the animals at the zoo were confiscated from their previous owners, there were also a number of animals that were donated by people who could no longer care for them. They even take in retired zoo animals. He also said that they partner with groups such as the Feline Conservation Federation, state agencies, and other zoos. “We don’t really actively look for animals,” he added. Caring for the zoo’s two hundred animals requires constant work. Randy said that the animals do not all have the same feeding schedule. Some of the animals only eat once a day and others twice a day. The exotic cats, for instance, eat once and that is late in the evening. The bears, on the other hand, will eat twice during the day. They try to feed the animals as close as possible to the time that they would eat if they were living in the wild. Some of the safety precautions the zoo takes is that they shift the animals in their cages when they need to be moved, they don’t go in with them, and they use side panels on the cages to feed them instead of placing the food inside by hand. “Our number one fight as a zoo keeper,” Kathy said, “is carelessness. We have to remind ourselves of how special it is.” Besides owning the zoo, Kenny and Kathy also own several other businesses. They are the owners of Stearns Peat Company, supplying potting soil for nurseries throughout the state, and they also own a garden center. One of the highlights of visiting the zoo comes at the end. Visitors sometimes have the opportunity of holding baby animals. Recently on a tour, guests were able to hold tiger cubs, but this is for a limited time only. Their soft fur and kittenlike expression belies the fact that at a few weeks old, they are already as large, if not larger, than a regular house cat. During the encounter Kathy supervised the visitors ensuring that no one was holding one of the cubs alone. The precautions are in place so that guests can have a safe and fun learning experience with the animals. “I want you to learn about my animals and how special they are.”

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

My mother never made it to college, but she sure was smart.

She had what a lot of people lack today, common sense. She was also a great teacher, too. Bless her heart she taught me logic. I would ask why, and she would say, “Because I said so, that’s why.” She taught me stamina. “You’ll sit there ‘til you finish eating everything on your plate.” She taught me to pray. “You had better pray that will come out of the carpet.” She knew a lot about the weather. I remember one time she stuck her head in the door of my room and said, “Son, it looks like a tornado swept through here.” I never heard her say anything negative about anybody. All of my sisters and father agreed many years ago that she was the best cook in the world. She could take leftovers and create a new meal that we all would savor. Yes, mom was a real southern lady. Speaking of the south, I read an article the other day by the Southern Tourism Bureau addressing northerners visiting the south. It stressed the “do’s and don’ts” when south of the Mason Dixon line. Don’t order toast at Cracker Barrel! Everyone will instantly know that you’re from Michigan. Eat your biscuits like God intended, and never put sugar on your grits. Never fake a southern accent. This could incite a riot. Never order filet mignon or pasta primavera at Waffle House. It is just dinner. They serve breakfast 24 hours a day. Just order off the menu, and let them cook something they know. If you confuse them, the may kick you out. Yes, we know how to speak proper English. We talk this way because we don’t want to sound like a Yankee. We don’t care if you don’t understand what we are saying. All Southerners understand what we are saying, and that’s all that matters. Never ridicule our Southern manners. We say “sir” and “ma’am,” hold doors open for others, and offer our seats to old folks because such things are expected out of civilized people. Behave yourself around your sweet little grey-haired grandmother or she’ll kick some manners in your rear like ours did. Notherner’s have their way of saying things, too. Like “Cripes.” “For

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

Cripes Sakes.” “Holy Moly!” Now who is “Holy Moly?” And last but not least, do not come down here and try to tell us how to cook barbeque. If you do, they’ll tell my neighbor, Mark Poppell, and he’ll give you a whuppin! Mark is an interesting person, and the best cook in our neighborhood. He is full of wisdom. He said to me the other day, “Al, I am sure glad I am a man.” I asked why he would make a statement like that. “Well now, there are many reasons,” he said. We have one wallet and one pair of shoes, the same color all year long. You can buy a three pack of underwear for about ten-bucks. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat. A wedding dress is $2000, and a Tux rental is $150. You can do your nails with a pocketknife and Christmas shopping can be accomplished for 25 relatives, on December 24, in one hour. Let’s close out remembering words we seldom hear anymore. “Percolator.” A fun word to say, but replaced with “Coffee Maker.” Remember “Picture Show?” Now it’s a “Movie.” When was the last time you head the phrase “in a family way?” It’s hard to imagine that the word “pregnant” was once considered a little to graphic. Then we had all that talk about the stork visiting, or “being in a family way,” or simply “expecting.” Did you ever wait at the street for you daddy to come home so you could ride on the “running board” up to the house? When did we quit calling them “emergency brakes?” Some where along the way we started using the term “parking brake!” Frankly, the name “emergency brake” sounds more exciting. Remember, “store bought” or, a “store-bought bag of candy?” I think maybe at one time there was a telethon that wiped out lumbago. I never hear anyone complaining of that anymore. Maybe that’s what castor oil cured, because I never hear mothers threatening kids with castor oil anymore. I leave you with my exhaustive review of information on the final word on nutrition and health. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than us. Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than we do. Mexicans eat a lot of fat and also suffer fewer heart attacks than us. Italians drink excessive amounts of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. Germans drink beer and eat tons of sausage and fats and suffer a much lower heart attack rate than us. MY CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you. But don’t worry the Government is trying to correct this problem.

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121 North Collins Street • P.O. Drawer TT Plant City, Florida 33564-9040 • 813-752-6133 Fishing Report-Continued from page 17 live shrimp or cut sardines on a ¼ oz. knocker rig works great. Just find a bridge, rock pile, dock or just about any structure and its fish-on.

MACKEREL & BLUEFISH

Tampa Bay is loaded with mackerel and bluefish and fishing this month should be great. Just look for schools of threadfins, put out a chum bag and hold onto your rod and reel. I’m seeing mackerel catches up to five and six pounds and some of the biggest blues ever. This is some real excitement on light tackle, but you need to use wire leaders like 30# Tyger Leader and inexpensive long shank hooks. For some exciting top water action try tail hooking your

bait and let it work against the current. This forces the bait to the top for some great top water strikes. If you’re interested in booking a trip, please call me at: 813-477-3814 or visit my website: CaptainWoodyGore.Com. Fishing Florida for over 50 years, I offer professionally guided fishing and teaching charters around Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Bradenton, Sarasota, and Tarpon Springs. If you want to catch fish, have a memorable adventure or perhaps learn some new fishing tips give me a call. I specialize in group and multi-boat charters. Tell me what you need and leave the rest to me.

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AUGUST 2009

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PUTNAM PRAISED FOR SAFETY LEGISLATION Food safety legislation (HR 2749) passed in the U.S.

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

No Farmers No Food

By Jim Frankowiak

SOIL DIAGNOSTIC TO FARMERS (and you!) The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences recently modified its Diagnostic Clinics throughout the state to make them more efficient, autonomous and equitable in the handling of plant disease diagnostics for growers. In a June memorandum from Extension Dean Millie Ferrer at IFAS, it was noted the actions were based upon the recommendations of a committee, headed by Dr. Wayne Mackay, after a thorough evaluation of clinic operations within the context of current budget challenges. Actions impacting growers in this area include institution of a $40 fee at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) for processing plant disease diagnostic samples and that includes shipping. This is consistent with what is taking place at Plant Diagnostic Labs at the RECs in Homestead and Quincy and the Extension Plant Disease Clinic on the main campus in Gainesville. Labs located in Apopka and Immokalee will make visual assessments only. Samples requiring more complete diagnostics must be sent to Gainesville accompanied by a check made out to the University of Florida. “Samples sent through the mail should be accompanied by a submission form and payment,” according to a June communication from Dr. Jim Mertely and Dr. Natalia Peres at GCREC. The submission form is available in the GCREC lab and on the Internet at http://strawberry.ifas.ufl.edu/ DiagnosticLab/diagnosticpage.htm. “We are asking regular clients to pay in advance for multiple samples. Checks for individual samples would then not be required,” said Drs. Mertely and Peres. “We encourage this procedure since it will be more efficient for both our client and GCREC.” Samples may be brought to the clinic Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Submitting samples on Friday is discouraged. The GCREC Diagnostic Lab processes approximately 500 samples annually for vegetable and strawberry growers as well as ornamental producers. Prior to the opening of the center, limited services were provided to strawberry growers at the Dover facility. “Our service was formalized in 2005 by Dr. Jack Rechcigl (GCREC Director), who saw the importance and value of this service to the grower community,” said Dr. Mertely. 32

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

The majority of samples processed at the GCREC clinic originate in Hillsborough County, followed by Manatee and Polk counties.

Services to the General Public

While diagnostic services offered at the GCREC are for commercial growers, members of the general public have access to similar assistance through the Hillsborough County Extension office in Seffner. “Our office offers soil pH testing to the general public for $2 per sample,” said Marina D’Abreau, the Urban Horticulture Agent II with Hillsborough County Extension. This testing provides the pH (acidity or alkalinity) of the soil and a recommendation for adjusting the pH, if necessary. It does not provide information about nutrients, diseases, insects or nematodes. Soil pH tests are conducted every Friday morning. Soil samples to be tested must be received no later than Thursday afternoon and each sample must be accompanied by a $2 check payable to Master Gardener Program. Dr. D’Abreau advises to take a soil sample for a pH test, use a trowel or shovel and take 10 “slices” of soil (4-6 inches deep) from the area you want to test. Combine the slices into one sample which should equal at least one cup of soil. Spread the soil on a piece of newspaper and allow it to dry completely before brining or mailing the sample to the Extension Service (5339 S. County Rd 579, Seffner, FL 33584-3334). Be sure to note what plants are growing or will be grown in the soil to be tested e.g., vegetables, citrus, St. Augustine grass, azaleas, etc. Tests results are typically mailed early the following week. Additional tests, such as nutrition levels and lime requirement, plant or pest identification, plant disease identification, etc., can be sent to the diagnostic lab in Gainesville. Costs for these tests range from $3 per sample to $40 per sample. All of the sample submission forms, costs, and directions for taking samples can be found by linking from the Hillsborough County Extension web site at http://hillsborough.extension.ufl.edu/HomeGardening/Diagnostics. html.

The Extension office offers soil pH testing to the general public for $2 per sample. This testing provides the pH (acidity or alkalinity) of the soil and a recommendation for adjusting the pH, if necessary. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

速

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

DIET

Coming up with a diet or nutrition plan doesn’t have to be painful. The Extension Service offers FREE assistance.

By Jim Frankowiak

Where would you go for diet guidance and

information if you were diagnosed with diabetes? What about how to cook for someone with a new food allergy, with celiac disease, or simply to lower your cholesterol? True, many hospitals offer educational programs, but the majority of those programs have substantial waiting lists. Licensed dietitians, who charge for their services in the area of $150 an hour, are an option, but a costly one. Here in Hillsborough County the Extension Office offers residents another option for this type of information and it is free. Yes, free. “We offer assistance with both information and classes to help educate people on diets and lifestyle to help avoid diabetes, or how to manage should you be diagnosed with diabetes, with healthy food preparation and economical food shopping, and numerous other nutrition-related topics,” said Mary Keith, an Extension Agent III who heads Food, Nutrition and Health initiatives for the agency. She also holds a doctorate from Pennsylvania State University in Food Science and is a Licensed Dietitian. Dr. Keith noted the number of requests for diabetesrelated diet information and programming has increased substantially over the last few years. “Canning information requests have also increased dramatically over the recent past. We attribute that to the downturn in the economy and families looking for ways to save money.”

Dr. Keith is both pro-active and re-active. “I write columns for a variety of media - daily, weekly and monthly. The topics are very diverse. We produce and distribute newsletters, meet with groups and organizations of all types throughout Hillsborough County and we respond to walk in visitors and telephone requests,” she said. “Our office has an extensive library of printed materials related to our programs and it is also possible to access much of this information online,” said Dr. Keith. The Web sites are hillsboroughnutrition.ifas.ufl.edu or solutionsforyourlife.ifas. ufl.edu and edis.ifas.ufl.edu to directly access the University of Florida publications. Programs available on Foods, Nutrition and Health topics are grouped under several categories: General Adult Nutrition, Senior and Caregiver Nutrition, Infant and Child Nutrition, Teaching Nutrition for Teachers and Food Safety, Sanitation and Hygiene. Each category has a host of topic areas from proper diets for those with special health needs, food-medication interactions to Dads in the Kitchen with the Kids, Home Canning of Vegetables and Holiday Food Safety, plus a lot more. Interested individuals can find more information on specific topics by visiting hillsboroughnutrition.ifas.ufl.edu or request to schedule programs by calling Dr. Keith at 813-744-5519. Several programs are keyed to the time of year, such as Holiday Food Safety, Your Hurricane Food Supply Checklist and Safe Food Handling After a Storm. Most can be presented in either English or Spanish. “Our subject matter list is tied to the needs of the people we serve,” said Dr. Keith. “Our 10-member advisory group comes together several times each year. They review programming to be certain it is meeting community needs.” Advisory Group members are volunteers who are selected and asked to serve on the basis of their work positions, their interest or simply because they have Diet-Continued on page 41

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

WESTERN WORLD

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AUGUST 2009

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Sweet

Bronson Announces Nation’s First Regulation Banning Additives In Honey

Standards

Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services

Commissioner Charles H. Bronson announced that his department has instituted the first regulation in the nation – and perhaps the world – prohibiting any additives, chemicals or adulterants in honey that is produced, processed or sold in Florida. The regulation, which took effect July 14, provides the first-ever “Standard of Identity” for honey. “We want to assure consumers that the product that they are buying is pure,” Bronson said. “Too often in the past, honey has been cut with water or sugar, and sometimes even contaminated with insecticides or antibiotics. In the future, when you’re paying for honey in this state, pure honey is what you will get.” State Rep. Alan Hays, of Umatilla, has been a major advocate of the new regulation, which is supported by Florida’s honey industry, and joined Bronson at a press conference to unveil the new rule. “I am pleased that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is leading the way for all America in establishing this standard by which all honey may now be measured,” Hays said. “Commissioner Bronson and the leaders of the honey industry – beekeepers and honey processors – are to be applauded for their leadership in protecting not only the health of Floridians but also in protecting this industry which is so vital to the production of food products for all mankind.” Under terms of the new regulation, honey containing anything other than the “natural food product resulting from the harvest of nectar by honeybees” is considered an adulterated or mislabeled product. Such products are subject to a “stop sale” order in which a manufacturer, processor or merchant would be served with an order prohibiting the product’s sale. Repeat offenders would face fines of up to $500 per violation. Florida is the fourth-leading honey producing state in the country with cash receipts to beekeepers of more than $15 million in 2008 and an industry that has an economic impact estimated at $40 million a year. It employs more than 500 Floridians. As a result of a flood of adulterated honey from overseas into Florida in 2006, a petition was submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) later that year, by five major honey producers and processors, asking the federal agency to establish a U.S. standard of identity for honey. Two years later, the FDA responded that due to other pressing matters, it would be unable to review the petition. At that point, the industry asked Bronson’s department if it would consider developing a standard of identity for the product, and this announcement is the culmination of that effort. Bronson noted that despite efforts in various quarters,

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

international governing bodies have, to date, been unable to establish an international definition of or standard of identity for honey, making it likely that Florida’s regulation governing honey may be the first of its kind anywhere.

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Diet-Continued from page 35 used Extension services in the past,” said Dr. Keith. “Most of our classes also include an evaluation and the opportunity for attendees to suggest additional programming. That information plus the recommendations of our Advisory Committee are included in our annual Report of Accomplishments and Plan of Work for the coming year that go to the University and County. Most classes are held by invitation, at the location of the inviting agency. Classes, whether held at the Extension Office or in the field, are typically one hour with the last 15 minutes devoted to questions and/or discussion. Classes are tailored to the interest and needs of participants to the extent possible. The minimum class size is 10 persons and most can be presented in either English or Spanish. Most classes are free to participants. Small fees are charged to cover the cost of materials for some classes. “There is a modest fee for some classes,” said Dr. Keith “It depends on how much material is needed for the program, whether a certificate is needed, which increases the record-keeping required, and whether the program is part of a national program or not.” “Our goal for our programs is to present reliable, researchbased information to the citizens of Hillsborough County,” she said. “We take scientific information and make it practical and useful for those we serve.” That is a mandate that has covered all aspects of Extension outreach since 1854 when Congress dedicated certain government lands for sale. The proceeds from those land sales were used to establish at least one land grant college in every state of the union at the time. The University of Florida and FAMU are land grant institutions in Florida.

“The Land Grant University System was established to educate the public on how to farm,” said Dr. Keith. “Extension’s role in that regard was to take information out to the farmers. Typically farm families came to those meetings and subject matter included agricultural information, programming for youth and 4-H and family and consumer sciences.” Dr. Keith’s activities fall under that third category. For more information on Food Safety, Nutrition and Health, call 813-744-5519, or visit hillsboroughnutrition.ifas.ufl.edu to check on class schedules.

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Local Obituary Evelyn Deal-July 12, 2009 • Richard Turner Jr.-July 10, 2009 • Gary Langford-July 10, 2009 Kie Oglesby-July 8, 2009 • Olon Barber-July 7, 2009 • Jeffery Moses- July 7, 2009 Frank Johns-July 1, 2009 • Michael Barbetta-June 30, 2009 Cecil Lewis-June 29, 2009 • Bonnie Williams-June 29, 2009 • Alvin Taylor-July 25, 2009 Hazel Pendergrass-Whitehead-July 26, 2009 • Betty Kirby-July 27, 2009

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The Der family, owners of Southside Farm Supply in Plant City, own a donkey named Leonard. Leonard’s curiosity got him into a bit of a bind when he maneuvered his way in to the center of rolls of hay and couldn’t figure out how to get out. Dennis called the family for help and told them to bring the camera. After posing for some photos, Leonard was safely extracted from the hay.

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UF TEAM FINDS BACTERIA MIGHT IMPROVE CELLULOSIC ETHANOL PRODUCTION By Stu Hutson

Most would identify the tree by its often troublesome,

spiky “gumballs,” but what many call the sweetgum tree also goes by another name, thanks to its distinctive, reptilian bark - the alligator tree. So it may be fitting that researchers from the University of Florida, home of the Gators, have found that bacteria growing in its wood may improve the process of making the fuel that might help solve the nation’s energy crisis. Cellulosic ethanol fuel is derived from plant material often thrown away as trash. Typically, the processes use genetically engineered bacteria or tricky chemical reactions to break down complex compounds in plant cell walls to produce simple sugar molecules that can be fermented into fuel-grade alcohol. A February report by the Sandia National Laboratories predicted that cellulosic ethanol could replace 30 percent of the nation’s gasoline by 2030 if the price can be brought down. A big part of reducing the price is making production more efficient. Much of the inefficiency in cellulosic ethanol production lies in the fact that it must be given a head start by cooking the plant material with heat and acids to break down some of the components in the plant cell walls. As the team from UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences reported in the July issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology, a strain of the wood-decaying Paenibacillus sp. bacteria named JDR-2 has a knack for breaking down and digesting one of these components, hemicelluloses. That knack could help modify preprocessing steps for costeffective production of ethanol. “The acids, the heating, all of these steps you have to take beforehand are expensive, require a lot of work and, let’s face it, no one wants to work with sulfuric acid on that scale if you don’t have to,” said James Preston, the team leader and a professor in UF’s microbiology and cell science department. “By engineering the bacteria already being used to produce ethanol to also process hemicelluloses the way this Paenibacillus does, you should be able to significantly simplify the process.” Preston came across the bacteria a few years ago, as he was using decaying sweetgum trees to grow shiitake mushrooms on his tree farm in Micanopy, FL. After studying the unusually uniform composition of the decaying wood, he and his colleagues went on to study the genetics of one of the bacteria digesting that wood. The team has now mapped JDR-2’s genome, and Preston expects that, within the year, they will transfer genes behind JDR2’s abilities to bacteria used to produce ethanol. This would be followed by the design of processes for the cost-effective production of ethanol from wood, agricultural residues and other potential energy crops.

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Cracker Horses Florida’s Heritage Horse

By Georgia Brown; Photos by Robin Hardee

In 2008 the state legislature made it official: the Cracker Horse is Florida’s “Heritage Horse.” Florida Cracker Horses are small saddle horses of Spanish ancestry that were the only available transportation for early settlers. Soon they became the foundation of America’s early cattle industry. Their smooth ride, strength, stamina and cow herding instincts made them the perfect mount for America’s first cowboys. Although not strictly a gaited horse, many display an ambling gait that is similar to a rack, as well as a ground-covering walk and trot. Considered a rare breed today—the association has about 1,000 registered horses in Florida—the story of the Cracker Horse is closely intertwined with the history of the state. Before Florida was settled by families from Georgia and other southern states, it was a wild, primitive region that offered almost overwhelming hardships. But homesteaders found horses and cattle running free, and with persistence, they carved out a living by farming and raising cattle.

Before Florida was settled by families from Georgia and other southern states, it was a wild, primitive region that offered almost overwhelming hardships. But homesteaders found horses and cattle running free, and with persistence, they carved out a living by farming and raising cattle.

Early History

The ancestors of today’s Cracker horse arrived with early Spanish explorers, including Ponce de Leon, Pánfilo de Narváez and Hernando De Soto in the 1500s. After the Spanish left, their cattle and horses adapted to the environment and survived in the wild. By the 1700s the Spanish horses had evolved into a resilient and sometimes gaited horse used by used the Indians and early homesteaders to herd cattle. Pioneer farmers used the horses to plow fields, pull wagons to town and take the family to church on Sundays. In the primitive scrub lands of Florida they became essential to the state’s early settlers. In the 1700s, cattle ranchers exported cattle to Cuba and other Caribbean islands. During the Civil War they supplied beef to soldiers on both sides. Their name came from America’s first cowboys, who were called “Crackers” for the way they cracked their whips in the air as they herded their cattle across unfenced grasslands to shipping ports at Manatee, Punta Rassa and Tampa on the West Coast. Spanish cattle roamed free on Florida’s open range, grazing along rivers, in palmetto scrub and dense stands of trees. The cowboys or “cow hunters” as they thought of themselves, spent long days in the saddle rounding up stragglers. As the cattle industry grew over the years, the cattlemen chose horses bred for endurance, strong herding instincts and comfortable, ground-covering gaits. Between 1868 and 1878, Florida shipped 1.6 million head of cattle from its ports. Many of the state’s oldest and largest businesses began as cattle ranching operations during this time—and all of them depended on the versatile Cracker horse. Continued on page 51

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Cracker Horses-Continued from page 46

Characteristics

The breed carries the characteristics of 16th century horses in Spain: North African Barb, Sorraia, Garraro pony, Spanish Jennet, Andalusian and other horses introduced to the Americas and the Caribbean. Their genetic base is generally the same as the Spanish Mustang, Paso Fino, Peruvian Paso and Criolla. “What distinguishes them is that they are light muscled and slightly narrower than most horses, which makes them able to go long distances with little effort,” said James Levy Jr., Executive Director of the Florida Cracker Horse Association. Cracker horses are gaining recognition as trail and pleasure horses. They are also used for reining, team roping, team penning, pulling wagons and as working cow horses. A Cracker Horse has also been in the news competing in the sport of polocrosse. (See article in the May issue of Marion County In The Field.)

Near Extinction

When Western breeds of cattle were introduced to Florida during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, a screwworm outbreak occurred. Treatments included roping and penning. As a result, cattlemen turned to the larger Quarter Horse and the tough little Cracker horses fell out of favor. But a handful of ranchers always kept a few Cracker horses for their own enjoyment. Strains became known by the names of these families: Ayers, Harvey, Bronson, Matchett, Partin and Whaley. In 1989 a few horsemen realized how scarce they were becoming and formed the Florida Cracker Horse Association to preserve the breed. They identified 130 “foundation horses” of known ancestry and by 2000 added 285 descendants.

Tampa Bay History Center

photographs, artifacts and films in a traveling exhibition called “Florida Cattle Ranching: Five Centuries of Tradition.” It will be at the Tampa Bay History Center from September 10 to December 19, 2009. In January it will travel to the Western Folklife Center in Elko, Nevada. The popular exhibit was put together by the Florida Folklife Program with national grants and funding from several other sources including the Florida Cattleman’s Association and the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Several of the original supporters of the Cracker Horse are in the films, including Iris Wall. “The reason I love them so much is that they are so versatile. You can work cattle, take them on the trail and nothing bothers them. They have a good walk and a gentle nature. You don’t have to doctor them much. They are perfect for the Florida climate.” Wall was 2006 Florida Agriculture Woman of the Year.

Proven Trail Horse

In 2008, Carlton Dudley, a retired firefighter whose family donated the land and homestead buildings for the Dudley Farm State Park, decided to show people the breed’s abilities as a trail horse. He and Billy Ray Hunter rode their Cracker horses along the De Soto Trail from Tampa Bay to Tallahassee. In 10 days, they rode 281 miles covering an average of 35 miles per day. “I think the ride gave people more knowledge of the Cracker horse. The Cracker horse is what made the Cracker cattle industry in Florida and we hope more people will want to ride them,” said Dudley. “Now that it’s the official “heritage horse,” we hope there will be more interest in owning Cracker horses and preserving them for the future,” said Levy.

The colorful history of cattle ranching is told in pioneer

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AUGUST 2009

PLANT CITY

JUNIOR WOMEN’S CLUB

By Tracy Cox

Whose heart would not swell

with compassion upon hearing a child exclaim, “I’ve never had a pair of new shoes before, just wait until I show my Dad?” Not many, and needy kids in Plant City are number one in the ‘berry’ caring hearts of the members of the Plant City Junior Woman’s Club, some of who are employed in Plant City’s agriculture industry where the strawberry is king. As the new school year begins, Kristen Parke Hitchcock, current club president and manager of Parkesdale Farms Packing & Cooling, Inc., will lead the Juniors in their annual School Shoe

Project for Plant City’s area elementary schools. Last year, they outfitted approximately 800 students in need with a new pair of shoes and socks. “I have always enjoyed doing things in my community,” said Kristen, a third generation member of the Roy Parke family. “A past president invited me to come to the club, I found out they do a lot of work and I stayed because I like to help out.” The club’s 36 members include professionals, educators, homemakers, and business owners. The others employed in agriculture include, Xiomara Meeks, Parkesdale Farm Market’s

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AUGUST 2009

manager, Jennifer Parke of Parkesdale Farms; Alison Grooms of Fancy Farms, Inc., Kellie Morrow of Lawson Farms, and, Racquel Sturgis, who is active with the FFA club at Durant High School, where her husband, Thomas, is an agriculture teacher. The Juniors are super busy each spring hosting their two largest fundraisers for the shoe project. Always a favorite annual event at the Florida Strawberry Festival, they present the baby parade contest for children ages one to four-years-old, dressed in costume, some riding on homemade themed floats. The 2009 parade, sponsored by Verizon, earned approximately $4,500. In April, another highly anticipated annual event held by the club is the Little Miss Plant City Pageant, which raised $6,700. For more than 40 years, they have sponsored the contest for girls, ages eight to 10, to compete for the coveted title. “We are excited to have James Hardie Building Products as a sponsor for this year’s school project,” said Kristen. ‘They contacted us and asked to participate.” Each school, including the Shiloh Elementary and Advantage Academy Charter Schools, is visited by a committee chairperson with her team to measure the children’s feet. The local Payless Shoe Source Store gives a special discount on the shoes and socks purchased. On delivery day, the kids are excited to have the members come and watch them try on their shoes to make sure they fit properly. “Our members come back and tell some very touching stories,” Kristen said. The mission of the club includes six designated areas of concentration: arts, conservation, education, home life, international affairs, and public affairs. Local schools, national and international organizations are chosen to support through various activities. Each year the Juniors adopt a school and Knights Elementary School has been selected for the 2009-2010 academic year. The arts committee, headed by Jennifer Parke, will hold an art contest for the kids and the winner will get to display his or her winning entry at the Bruton Memorial Library for a month. To foster an appreciation for the environment, the conservation committee, led by Bethani Skiffington, will plant trees and clean up any problem areas on the school’s grounds. To help turn the kids on to adventures through reading, Wendy Stoneman-Shelby and the education committee, will provide each child with a book purchased through a special Scholastic Books program. Sherri Dusse and the home life committee will concentrate on helping fill the school’s needs closet with clothing and school supplies. The club’s international affairs committee, led by Angie Rollyson, will hold its annual fundraiser for Heifer International at the Outback Restaurant in November. Last year’s luncheon was a

success raising $1,000 for the global organization whose mission is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty by donating food source animals to the poor. In exchange for receiving a cow or goat, the participants “pass it forward” by gifting one of their animal’s offspring to another person in need. On August 22, come and glam it up with the public affairs committee in McCall Park when they strap on their stilettos and volunteer for Jules Burt’s High Heel Hike, a 1K (20minutes) strut. A hometown girl, Jules, a nationally acclaimed artist, has teamed up with Jenny McCarthy and Generation Rescue to raise awareness for autism. For more information, visit www.highheelhike.com. Whether you see them glamming it up at the High Heel Hike in McCall Park or in their work clothes hard at it for their AdoptA-Road project on Prosser Drive, the Plant City Junior Woman’s Club would not have it any other way when it comes to making a difference in the place they call home.

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Business UpFront

Granite &

Marble Gallery

By Nick Chapman

The Granite & Marble gallery is just a new name for an old favorite. Pam Brester, former owner of Tile Barn & Carpet, has teamed up with Richard Clark and is moving the business from Lakeland back to Plant City. Pam is pleased with the move, in fact she said, “Richard and I are elated about moving back to Plant City. The people of Plant City are so warm and friendly. It truly is the very best place in Florida to live and work.” Pam has been servicing the Plant City and central Florida area since 1995. The Granite & Marble Gallery has a great selection of granite and marble to choose from, but there is so much more to this company than the name would imply. “We do marble, granite, cabinets, carpeting, laminate, hardwood, ceramic, porcelain, wallpaper, paint, bathroom remodeling, everything and anything, from top to bottom,” explained Sharon Maron, the office manager. They do commercial, as well as residential projects. “There’s nothing too big and nothing too small.” The showroom and warehouse encompass around 8,500 square feet and offers customers a wide range of colors, textures and styles to choose from. Their natural marble and granite is imported from all over the world giving clients an array of choices. “What sets us apart from our competitors is fast, total design service,” said Pam. Speaking of their marble and granite tops, she says, “We fabricate and install all of our own jobs in three to four days after templating. We can also provide customers with our own 60/40 under-mounted stainless steel sinks for their design preference.” Experience is also a key to Granite & Marble Gallery’s appeal. Pam and Richard have over 34 years of combined design experience, which is important in the current economy. “Today’s clients are very knowledgeable about what they want and need, but look for professional help to complete their own ideas,” replied Pam. And if they are not so savvy, the experienced staff at The Gallery can lend a hand. Sharon adds, “If customers don’t know how to pick out their own colors, Pam will be more than willing to help them, and she’s great at it.” Although the recession has dramatically slowed new home sales, there is still plenty to keep The Gallery busy. Pam notes, “The trend in today’s market is to remodel one’s own home and enjoy it, waiting for the market to come around. Clients are more interested in decorating for their own lifestyles instead of getting their home ready to put back on the market.” They offer multiple design concepts for all remodeling needs. “We specialize in kitchen and bathroom remodeling including a great line of affordable cabinets. We offer quick, efficient service with a turnaround time of approximately two to three weeks after you place your order, sometimes sooner. Our gallery staff usually can design, order and start in just a few days after your initial consultation in home.” The Granite and Marble Gallery offers free in-home estimates, including measurement and consultation, and usually provide a price on the spot. “We are experts in leaking showers and bathtubs as well. And we offer a huge selection of tile, listellos

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

and tumbled marble for your selection along with complementary design service.” The Gallery services Tampa, Lakeland, Orlando and St. Petersburg, as well as Plant City. A trip to the showroom will delight the senses with the variety and quality of every home decorating need. Pam says of today’s styles, “Colors are more vivid and bold, along with the monochromatic neutrals that are pleasant to enjoy for years to come.” And the friendly staff is ready to help any customer as soon as they open the door. They also offer a gallery of home settings to highlight their cabinet and countertop products. Pam states, “At the Gallery, we like to listen to our clients’ needs and make their dreams come true.” The showroom and warehouse are located at 1103 Goldfinch Drive, off of Thonotosassa Road just south of I-4 in Plant City. Their hours are Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am to 6:00 pm, and Saturday from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm. They are closed on Sundays. You can reach the showroom at (813) 707-5600, and Pam can be reached directly at (863) 670-2092.

Caitlin Cribbs recognized as winner of Beef Production-Placement Proficiency The winner of the State Beef Production-

Placement Proficiency is Caitlin Cribbs, of the Durant FFA Chapter. Cribbs was recognized at the 81st annual State FFA Convention. Caitlin Cribbs, a member of the Durant Senior FFA Chapter, has been involved with her parents farming operations since an early age. From the young age of seven, Cribbs was beginning chores on the farm. She began doing basic tasks, cleaning and feeding animals. As she grew older, her duties progressed into areas of selecting stock, checking for injuries and signs of disease and detecting heats for artificial insemination. She has gained skills in cattle management to ensure optimal herd health. Caitlin plans to attend the University of Florida to major in elementary education, while staying close to her family’s cattle operation. Other finalists in the Beef Production-Placement Proficiency area were Drew Land of the Suwannee Junior FFA Chapter, Kaitlyn Gill, of the Durant FFA Chapter and John Levi Vann of the Lafayette FFA Chapter. The winner of the Beef ProductionPlacement Proficiency area received a $200 check and a plaque. Her agriculture teacher received a $100 check. The finalists were awarded with plaques. Polk County Cattlewomen and Baldwin Angus Ranch generously sponsored the proficiency area. Cribbs also received a $250 check from the national sponsor and will now go on to compete against other state winners. The national sponsors of this award are Fort Dodge Animal Health

and Midwest PMC c/o Agra Holdings LP. The National FFA Organization, formerly known as the Future Farmers of America, is a national youth organization of 500,823 student members – as part of 7,358 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands. The National FFA Organization changed to its present name in 1988, in recognition of the growth and diversity of agriculture and agriculture education. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. For more information visit www.flaffa.org.

Kaitlyn Gill Named State Star Greenhand The winner of the State Star Greenhand is

Kaitlyn Gill, of the Durant FFA Chapter. Gill was recognized at the 81st annual State Convention. Kaitlyn Gill, of the Durant FFA Chapter, is a very active FFA member in both Career Development Events and leadership activities. Aside from her busy CDE and leadership roles Gill works with her father rescuing, tagging and relocating endangered species. Through this endeavor, Gill and her family have many clients, some of which include Mosaic and Walt Disney World. Gill also owns 125 head of commercial cattle and her own herd of eight purebred Brahmans and 35 registered Herford cattle. Gill is currently working toward becoming the Consumer Beef Advocate for the Florida Cattlemen’s Association. She would also like to run for State FFA Office in the future. Gill plans to attend the University of Florida and major in Agricultural Communications. She hopes to return to the family farm, where she plans to continue the legacy and heritage created by the hardworking hands of her great grandparents. Other finalists in the State Star Greenhand area were Brittany Coleman, Durant FFA, Justin Fussell, DeSoto FFA and Robbie Hall, South Sumter FFA. Walpole, Inc. generously sponsored this award area. The National FFA Organization, formerly known as the Future Farmers of America, is a national youth organization of 500,823 student members – as part of 7,358 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands. The National FFA organization changed to its present name in 1988, in recognition of

the growth and diversity of agriculture and agriculture education. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career cusses through agricultural education. For more information visit www.flaffa.org.

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

A Closer Look- The Yellow Sac Spider (Cheiracanthium)

The Yellow Sac Spider (Cheiracanthium)

The Yellow Sac Spider (Cheiracanthium) is part of a larger family of nearly 400 species worldwide. Members of the Cheiracanthium family are documented beneficial predators providing a valuable service to Florida’s Agriculture Industry. Spiders are an important component to any successful agriculture formula, without them, we would be reliant on chemical solutions at an expensive and dangerous magnitude. In Florida, we have only a handful of medically significant species, the widow spider (Latrodectus) being the most dangerous. Conversation about dangerous Florida spiders inevitably includes reference to the recurrent misconception that the brown recluse (Loxosceles reclusa) is prevalent in Florida. L. reclusa has yet to establish a population in Florida and there have only been a handful of confirmed specimens over the past one hundred years, all of which were introduced by travelers or cargo. A more likely candidate to blame for the frequent misdiagnosis of skin legions for spider bites is the Yellow Sac Spider (Cheiracanthium). The Yellow Sac Spider (Cheiracanthium) is part of a larger family of nearly 400 species worldwide. Members of the Cheiracanthium family are documented beneficial predators providing a valuable service to Florida’s Agriculture Industry. Eggs are laid in June and July in small silk tubular “sacs,” hence the name Sac Spider. The female will enclose herself in the protective sac with the eggs and remain with her brood until after their first molt. Cheiracanthium do not build a nest to capture their prey, but rather, are nocturnal hunters that roam about at night in search of food much like the Wolf Spider (Lycosidae) that most Floridians are used to seeing at night. Each day the Yellow Sac Spider builds a new retreat for their diurnal rest. Of the variety of Cheiracanthium in Florida, there are only two that are of medical significance, these are Cheiracanthium mildei and Cheiracanthium inclusum. Both can be found all year in Florida and adults are most prominent from April to November. Spiderlings and immature adult spiders will comprise the bulk of the Cheiracanthium population beginning this month. C. mildei is a species introduced from Europe during the 1940’s and is reported to have reduced the population of citrus black fly in Florida 52-66 percent according to a 2005 study. C. mildei is more aggressive than its native counterpart and has been observed biting without provocation. This species is most often found in manmade structures and lays eggs almost exclusively indoors, often in the corners of walls where the ceiling meets but can occasionally be found under rocks near the home. The young spiderlings will remain in their protective sac during the day and venture out cautiously at night for hunting. C. inclusum is our native species and is by far the most studied. Its prey includes a large variety of insects and spiders, often much larger than itself. Its bite is more 56

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

destructive than that of C. mildei, with fangs that can easily penetrate human skin. Unlike its introduced cousin C. inclusum is usually found outside and consequently most bites are incurred in the field or in the garden during the warm humid months of summertime. Although both species are capable of delivering a necrotic wound, typically the bites of Yellow Sac Spiders are not deadly. Their venom does contains a cytotoxin (cell killing) similar to that of the brown recluse, however, studies have not reproduced significant necrotic damage in either species and the small necrotic wound that could be reproduced healed much faster than that of the wound caused by the brown recluse. There is enough evidence to warrant caution rather than eradication of this species. Although it does have the potential to inflict a serious wound, we can say the same for other more common and venomous spiders such as the brown widow (Latrodectus geometricus) and even for the toxins commonly used in pest control. The Yellow Sac Spider remains one of the most beneficial species in agriculture, especially significant for the citrus crops. Household control of C. mildei can be done with a vacuum cleaner. Because we know Cheiracanthium is a nocturnal species, they can very easily be eliminated by vacuuming them up during the daytime when they are at rest in their retreat sac. Disosal of the vacuum bag will be necessary to prevent re-infestation. In the field, C. inclusum can be managed with gloves to prevent bites where they would be most likely to occur. Sticky traps can be set to capture the spiders when they hunt nocturnally. Though doing so would result in an increase of crop pests as the population of this natural predator declines. Cheiracanthium only mate once in a lifetime, therefore, attractant pheromones are less likely to be effective as they are in other species. Field observations have concluded that the female Cheiracanthium are attracted to sticky traps that contain the parapheromone trimedlure, a powerful lure for the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata), a common food source of Cheiracanthium in Florida citrus crop fields.

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Twenty-eight years ago, a group of concerned citizens formed the Hopewell Church Cemetary, Inc. to care for and maintain the tombstones behind Hopewell Baptist Church. Today, the organization still cares for the farmers, soldiers, teachers, preachers, neighbors, friends and family members who lay there.

Hopewell Church Cemetary

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

By Kayla Lewis

In the Hopewell Community, just behind Hopewell Baptist Church, is a one-acre cemetery where community members from generations now past, sleep. Time is not often kind to old cemeteries. Without proper maintenance tombstones can crumble from erosion and the elements, and the undergrowth can take over, leaving plots buried beneath overgrown grass and weeds. Which is why on June 7, 1981, the Hopewell Church Old Cemetery, Inc. was formed. Martha Glover Durrance, and her niece, Barbara Glover Carter, both hold positions with the non-profit organization. Martha is the secretary and Barbara holds the position of treasurer. Currently, Don Kilgore is President and Martha Skinner is Vice President. They explained that the original members of the organization started Hopewell Church Old Cemetery, Inc. because of the difficulty of having work days to clean the grounds. “A group of concerned citizens met to discuss the possibility of organizing a perpetual care plan for the Hopewell Church Old Cemetery,” Martha said, explaining why the group was organized 28 years ago. “We’ve been supporting it ever since it started,” Barbara remarked. The cemetery itself was started on June 22, 1897. “Mr. and Mrs. William Glen McDonald,” Martha explained, “gave the church and cemetery two acres of land, one for the church and one for the cemetery.” Caring for a 112-year-old cemetery requires, as Barbara said, “hard work.” “It needs monthly care,” she explained. As treasurer, Barbara pays the expenses and keeps the financial accounts in order. “I keep the records and minutes of board meetings,” Martha added, explaining some of her duties as secretary. The committee hosts an annual fundraiser to raise money for the coming year. The fundraiser is a picnic held once a year on the grounds. “They had the first annual picnic on September 26, 1981,” Martha said, “in the Hopewell Church fellowship hall. At the first picnic barbecued chicken, smoked turkey, rolls and tea were furnished with side

dishes.” Money raised at the event goes toward the monthly maintenance and grounds keeping of the cemetery. “We have a reserve fund,” Martha explained, “the funds that are raised yearly go into the cemetery care, and we don’t have to go into it.” Among the group of concerned citizens that started the organization 28 years ago, and the committee’s first secretary was Isabelle Preacher. Upon her death several years ago she left a legacy to the organization that she had helped start. “Mrs. Isabelle Preacher left about 55 acres to the cemetery and the church combined.” Martha said. Hopewell Church Old Cemetery’s plan is to one day sell the land and use their portion of the money to further the continual care and maintenance of the cemetery. “Our goal is for it to be self-sufficient,” Barbara added. For Martha and Barbara, as well as the other members, the organization and the cemetery means more to them than preserving a historical site in the community. For example, the first president of the organization was Barbara’s father and Martha’s brother Forest “Doc” Glover. Martha’s mother, Myrtle Inez Glover, is buried in the cemetery. For the organization’s members the one-acre cemetery is a tangible link with the past along with memories of loved ones. Today the landscape around the cemetery seems little changed from what it was in 1897 when the land was first donated. The property sits adjoining the church, and the plots in the old cemetery are all taken. Hopewell Community’s past can be linked with many of the names on the tombstones, farmers, soldiers, teachers, preachers, neighbors, friends, and families. A newer cemetery has been built beside the old one. But the tombstones are still there, and so are the memories. And the purpose of the organization? “To take care of this cemetery until the Lord calls us all home,” Babara said. “Maintain the cemetery and keep it mowed and clean,” Martha added. “That’s how come it started,” said Barbara.

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

Naturally Amazing- Summer Activity

Twig Picture Frame By Sean Green

Summer vacation will be over soon so we should all have great pictures of the fun we had this summer. Hopefully much of it was spent outdoors in nature. For the really good pictures, we need a really good picture frame and the best picture frames are the ones we make ourselves. This month’s summer activity will involve foraging for twigs. Did you know, many insects like wasps and ants forage for wood? Although they do not forage to make picture frames, they do it to make homes. Get on your hiking boots and set out to find some really good twigs to make your frame. I prefer twigs with stuff on it, like lichen. Collect twigs that are two inches bigger than the size of your picture, enough for two or three twigs per side. Arrange the twigs so they surround your photo, covering about a quarter of an inch all the way around your photo. You can tie the twigs together at each corner with twine, string, or even palm leaf strips cut to an eighth of an inch wide. Finally, glue your picture to the back of the picture frame you made using either regular glue or a hot glue gun. Once the picture is glued on to your frame, you can glue a loop to the top of your picture frame so it can be hung on the wall, or you can glue small magnets to the back of your picture frame so it will stick to the refrigerator.

Materials Needed: • Twigs (two inches longer than the length and width of the photo) • Glue • Tine or String (I prefer natural hemp) • A picture for framing

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AUGUST 2009

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AUGUST 2009

Florida FFA Hall of Fame to Induct Five in 2009 The Florida FFA Association is pleased to announce the 2009 FFA Hall of Fame Inductees. The 2009 inductees are Marion Bishop, Bill Gunter, Richard Kelly, Joe Kirkland, and C. M. Lawrence. “Florida FFA owes an immense debt of gratitude to these outstanding leaders,” said Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Charles H. Bronson. “Their dedicated service in agriculture education helped make FFA the outstanding student organization recognized throughout the state.” They will be inducted into the Florida FFA Hall of Fame during the third annual awards celebration October 3, 2009, at the Florida FFA Leadership Training Center in Haines City. “These individuals are responsible for the tradition of excellence that our FFA members have come to expect,” said Caitlyn Prichard, president of the Florida FFA Association. “This year our theme is ‘in motion.’ Through the tireless and unselfish efforts of individuals such as these, Florida FFA has set ‘in motion’ an outstanding program for Florida’s agriculture education students for many years to come.” The Florida FFA Hall of Fame began in 2007 to pay tribute to those outstanding individuals who have helped make the Florida FFA Association the premier youth leadership organization in the state. Because of the support of these individuals, Florida FFA has become home to more than 15,000 FFA members in more than 300 FFA chapters across the state. FFA members are engaged in a wide range of agricultural education activities, leading to more than 300 professional career opportunities in the agricultural industry. Tickets to the event will be available from the Florida FFA Foundation. For ticket information, contact Gary Bartley at (863) 439-7332. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FARM BUREAU Thursday, October 1, 2009, 6:00 PM Annual Meeting

John R. Trinkle Building on the HCC Campus, Plant City (I-4 exit 22 south, 1st light turn left, third building on left)

The membership Meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. and will feature: The Youth Speech Contest Winner, Presentation of the Tampa Bay C.A.R.E.S. Awards, Election of 2009-2010 Board Members, Door Prizes and lots of fellowship! Each member family is entitled to two (2) free dinners. Additional dinners may be purchased for $5. Children under 12 receive a free hot dog dinner. Please RSVP to 813-685-9121 or hcfb@tampabar.rr.com, by Sept. 26. Leave your name, number of dinners (children and adult) and telephone number. Please bring canned food to help the YF&R Harvest for All campaign! Bring this invitation with you for a special door prize! 62

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

Gentle

GARDENING Tip of the Month: Pruning can be a pain... By Craig and Lynda Chandler

Pruning is a technique used to control plant growth.

Some pruning is essential and improves the appearance of our home landscape. For example, lawn mowing is a form of pruning and is useful for maintaining open space and a green foreground to highlight flower beds and other taller landscape elements. But, too often we are forced to prune because plants (mostly shrubs) are in the wrong place. Large shrubs planted close to houses, sidewalks, patios, or driveways require frequent pruning to keep them within bounds. In west central Florida, it is common to see linear hedges of Ligustrum, Sweet Viburnum, or Pittosporum as foundation plantings. And Podocarpus is often at the corners of houses, sheared into rectangular prisms. Pruning is necessary, because, if left unpruned, these shrubs could quickly engulf a single story house. Planting shrubs close to the house is a practice carried forward from the days when the typical house was raised off the ground and plants were used to hide the house’s crawl space foundation. However, today most houses in Florida have slab foundations and there is no space to hide. Plants can still be useful – to soften the sharp lines of a house’s modern architecture and help integrate the house into the landscape – but they should not serve to hide or block main design features, such as windows, entranceways, and pillars. The problem is that the large landscape shrubs mentioned above start off small and are cheap (especially when purchased in one gallon containers) so contractors and new homeowners have used this material extensively to comply with codes requiring foundation plantings. And once established, many people are reluctant to dig up these shrubs and replace them – even if they

are too big, detract from the beauty of the house, and require regular pruning. Plants appropriate for foundation plantings include Indian hawthorn, Liriope, ‘Xanadu’ Philodendron, Asiatic jasmine, muhly grass, and African iris – all with mature heights of a few feet or less. Before adding a new plant to your landscape, consider its potential size at maturity. A very helpful database is located at www.floridayards.org/fyplants/index.php. It gives the mature height and spread, as well as other useful information, for hundreds of landscape plants. There is no need for shrubs to touch the house. They should be far enough away that there is good air circulation and room to easily access exterior walls. If shrubs are given enough space to reach their mature size, frequent pruning is usually u n n e c e s s a r y. O c c a s i o n a l l y, however, it is advisable to cut back an errant stem or to head back excessive top growth to prevent shading and thinning of the lower canopy. Details on proper pruning techniques can be found in the on-line publication “Pruning Landscape Trees and Shrubs” (edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG087) by University of Florida professors Ed Gilman and Robert Black. But I would like to mention one pruning technique I feel is overused, hedging. Hedging is a popular method of pruning shrubs, probably because it gives a tidy appearance and can be done with power hedgers. But generally this is not the best way to control plant size (unless you have an English-style estate and want to create a very formal looking landscape). Hedging has to be done frequently to maintain that neat appearance. Also, since hedging slices through leaves and stems indiscriminately along a single plane it results in a layer of foliage on the outside edge of the shrub and essentially no leaves in the interior of the shrub. Consequently, if any of the (exterior) leaves are damaged, an unsightly hole appears. Hedging is particularly ill-advised for shrubs that have large leaves, such as hibiscus and Ixora, because the cut edges of the leaves become burnt and ragged. So, if you want improve the looks of your home landscape and save a lot of time and effort over the long term, dig up those shrubs you constantly have to prune, and replace them with compact, slow-growing shrubs or herbaceous perennials. And don’t touch those power hedgers! Lynda and Craig Chandler both have degrees in horticulture from the University of Florida, and have been caring for a residential landscape in Temple Terrace for more than 20 years.

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

FLORIDA SELECTED AS PILOT PROJECT TO MOBILIZE MILLIONS OF FLEXIBLE FUEL VEHICLE OWNERS IN FFV AWARENESS

A national consumer awareness campaign aimed at owners of flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) was officially launched at the Farm-to-Fuel Summit. The project is a cooperative effort between key Florida state government interests, gasoline/E85 distributors, ethanol companies, and several nonprofit environmental and energy advocacy groups. The Florida Farm-to-Fuel Summit provided the forum for Charles Bronson, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services, to announce that the state would be taking a proactive role aimed at increasing the use of higher blends of renewable biofuels, like ethanol, in FlexFuel Vehicles (FFVs). “Our state has developed a comprehensive strategy to become more energy independent with clean, sustainable, and affordable fuel sources,” said Governor Crist. “Today’s announcement is one more step that our state can take in the effort to become better stewards of our natural resources.” “We can stimulate the state economy and create new biotech jobs simply by using more ethanol. Several advanced biofuel projects in our state will use our abundant renewable biomass resources, waste from our agriculture processing plants, and trash from our cities. There are hundreds of millions of dollars that are being invested in Florida for these second generation ethanol plants and we need to develop the market by educating consumers now,” said Bronson. There are more than eight million FFV owners in the U.S. and 500,000 in Florida. Hundreds of auto dealers in the state will be selling millions more FFVs in the next few years. Project organizers say the program will be duplicated in states across the U.S. and can play a key role in meeting national renewable fuel use requirements. “The FFV Awareness driver education project is designed to locate and encourage drivers of FFVs to try higher blends of ethanol when they are available. This will help Florida meet its goals of reducing the cost of and reliance on imported oil, improving air quality, and creating economic development opportunities - all while reducing greenhouse gases. This is a Win-Win-Win for Florida drivers, the state government, and the nation,” said Douglas A. Durante, Director of the Clean Fuels Foundation. There are currently thirty E85 stations in the state, with a majority 64

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AUGUST 2009

of them located in the South Florida market. “Ethanol is the only renewable alternative fuel available today that is noticeably reducing our dependence on imported oil,” said Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen. “Americans are willing to support a domestically-produced, renewable fuel over imported oil if they know where to buy it and if they can use. Making consumers aware of their fueling options puts the drive for energy independence in their capable hands. By partnering with the industry, the state of Florida is leading by example.” The Clean Fuels Foundation and the FlexFuel Vehicle Club of America are the project organizers in cooperation with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The lead sponsor for the pilot project is the Renewable Fuels Association. Other project supporters include General Motors, Verenium, Protec Fuel Management, Urbieta Oil, Florida Biofuels Association, and the USDA Office of Energy Policy and New Uses.

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a year later they moved to a 20-acre farm, that was purchased for $2.00 an acre, on the east end of Midway road just northeast of Plant City. The house on the property consisted of a 20 by 20 foot, one-room building with a lean-to on one side for a kitchen. The house had a wooden floor and a tin roof for a ceiling. The makeshift kitchen was built with cypress poles for rafters with a tin roof that would drown out any conversation when it rained. There was the old cast iron wood stove that was popular in those days. Of course they had no electricity or inside plumbing. Water had to be brought into the house from a pitcher pump out by the mulberry tree. The barn was further away from the house and had a cow stall for milking and a stall for Jake the ox. Dolly, dad’s thoroughbred mare, had her own stable. Dolly was a bay mare that dad acquired somehow. She came from the racetrack, but dad broke her to plow and cow hunt. Dolly was very calm and gentle. When she was harnessed to plow she would walk so fast dad had to tie a ball to a buckskin string that would bump her knees to slow her down. This was the only way he could keep up with her. Dolly wasn’t gentle and calm with my brother William. One day she ran away with him from the old cow pens at Cowpen Lake all the way home, a distance of a mile-and-a-half. Old Red, the cow dog, had the run of the farm keeping coons from eating corn in the fields and bringing the cows up in the evening. My family farmed year-round, growing sweet potatoes, squash, pepper, tomatoes, strawberries and pumpkins. Along about this time the home canning process was invented using metal cans. It was great, except that one in twenty cans didn’t seal and after it spoiled they would pop and spew their smelly contents all over the storage area. Those were the good old days when life was simple. My how times have changed.

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Look for Helpful Hints from Dr. Denny Every Month!

Yaupon Holly – A Great Florida Shrub with a Past! By Dr. Geoffrey C. Denny, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Environmental Horticulture-Commercial Landscape Management

Are you looking for a tough shrub for a difficult

spot in you Florida landscape? If so, you should take a look at Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria). This immensely adaptable plant is a native of Florida and the southeastern US. It is able to thrive in almost any condition that can be found in a landscape. Yaupon Holly is an evergreen shrub that grows from 15-25 feet tall and about as wide. It grows well in a variety of situations. It will fit into a parking lot island or sidewalk planter as well as manicured or naturalistic residential landscapes. Yaupon will tolerate sandy or clay soils and full sun to shade. It doesn’t mind wet sites, and is very drought tolerant. Even sea salt doesn’t seem to bother this tough shrub. Hollys are unusual because they have both male and female plants. Most species have both sexes on the same plant. In Yaupon, this is important because the female plants are the ones that have the bright red showy berries. Make sure to buy a plant with berries on it to make sure it is a female! There are numerous cultivars available. There are two dwarf varieties that are commonly available, ‘Nana’ and ‘Schelling’s Dwarf.’ However, neither of these produce berries because they are all male plants. There are weeping varieties and varieties that are very upright. The cultivars ‘Pride of Houston’ and ‘Jewel’ are both heavy fruit producers, providing a striking effect in the landscape. You can even find some yellow-fruited types. Yaupon Holly gets its botanical name, Ilex vomitoria, from its association with ritual purification ceremonies performed by Native American tribes in the southeastern US. The shrub was used to brew a caffeine-loaded drink, often referred to as the ‘Black Drink.’ Large volumes of the Black Drink would be consumed by the men of the tribe, who would then induce vomiting to help the purging and purification of themselves. When European botanists first described Yaupon, they applied the name Ilex vomitoria, Ilex, meaning holly, and vomitoria, referring to the regurgitation at the ceremonies. Yaupon Holly also has a connection to a very famous Floridian. The Creek word for the Black Drink is asi (pronounced ah-see). During the ritual purification ceremonies, there was singing and yelling. The Creek word for this is yahola (pronounced yah-o-lah). The man singing during the ceremony was called the ‘Black Drink Singer’ or asi-yahola in Creek. Asiyahola (pronounced ah-see yah-o-lah) was corrupted into English as Osceola. The great Seminole War Chief’s name meant the

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‘Black Drink Singer’ in his native language! Whether your landscape is full sun or deep shade, on the beach or in the woods, wet or dry, you should definitely keep Yaupon in mind. When you plant this shrub in your Florida landscape you can be sure that you are getting a great plant with a fun history and deep Florida roots!

2009 FLORIDA EQUINE INSTITUTE & ALLIED TRADE SHOW

Foundations for Florida Horses

Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009 • Southeastern Livestock Pavilion

2232 NE Jacksonville Rd. • Ocala, FL 34470* Weed ID/Control and Herbicide Selection • Jason Ferrell PhD, UF Weed Specialist These Ain’t Your Father’s Parasites: Dewormer Resistance & Recommendations for Effective Parasite Control • Ray Kaplan, DVM; UGA College of Veterinary Medicine Riding with Rhythm/Increasing Expectations, Improving Responsiveness (Live Demonstration) • Clint Depew PhD, Equine Specialist, Louisiana State University The “Unwanted” Horse in the US; An Overview of the Issue • Amanda House, DVM; UF Equine Extension Veterinarian

REGISTRATION

Includes: Admission to all seminars • Entry to trade show • Bar-B-Que lunch from Tommy’s • Printed program with speaker’s presentations • Chance to win $400 gift certificate from Tack Shack or Tack Shack Too and all refreshment breaks. $25 Early Registration (postmarked on or before Sept. 4) $15 Student Registration (postmarked on or before Sept. 4, ID required) $50 Late Registration (postmarked after Sept. 4) HOST HOTEL: Ocala Fairfield Inn • 4101 SW 38th Ct. • Ocala, FL 34474 Equine Institute Rate: $69 + tax; For reservations, call the hotel directly at 352.861.8400. Ask for the Equine Institute Group to secure the special rate. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

*To register please send name, address and email along with your check to the above address. For additional information contact the Marion County Extension Office at 352-671-8400 or view the entire detailed agenda at http://cflag.ifas.ufl.edu/ calendar.shtml

AUGUST 2009

Home Protection Pest Control

SUMMER SALE MODEL# ZELKH61250 E-MAX

• 61” DECK • 25 HP KOHLER • 2 YEAR WARRANTY

GREAT FEATURES GREAT PRICES! Home Protection Pest Control Welcomes Hillsborough County Native Walter Warren

We Control: Roaches, Ants, Fleas, Ticks, Carpentar Ants and more! Home Protection Pest Control is a family owned business serving the pest control needs of Hillsborough, Polk and Pasco counties. With ten years experience in the field, they would like the opportunity to serve your needs.

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AUGUST 2009

R E C I P E S Strawberry-Lychee Shortcake Ingredients • • • • •

1 pint sliced, fresh strawberries 4 tablespoons sugar 1 cup ricotta cheese 1 can lychees or 2 cups fresh lychees 6 individual sponge shortcakes

Preparation

In a small bowl, crush half of the strawberries. Add remaining strawberries and 2 tablespoons sugar. Refrigerate until ready to serve. In a second small bowl, combine ricotta cheese, lychees and remaining sugar; blend well. Place shortcakes on serving plate and top each with cheese-lychee mixture. Spoon strawberries over filled shortcakes.

Lychee Cheesecake Blossom Ingredients • • • • • • • • • •

8 sheets phyllo dough 1/4 cup butter, melted 1/2 cup cottage cheese 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened 1 egg 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided 4 teaspoons lemon juice, divided 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 30 ounces of lychees peeled, cut in halves, and juice reserved Fresh lychees and sliced kiwifruit, for garnish

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 12 (2 1/2 inch) muffin cups. Layer 4 sheets of phyllo dough on waxed paper, brushing each sheet with melted butter. Repeat with remaining 4 sheets, forming seperate stack. Cut each stack in half lengthwise and then in thirds crosswise, to make a total of 12 squares. Gently fit each stacked square into prepared muffin cup, forming 4-petaled blossom. Process the cheese, egg, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice and the vanilla in a food processor or blender until smooth. Divide evenly among cups. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Carefully remove from muffin cups to cool. Bring reserved lychee juice to a boil in a small saucepan. Cook until reduced to 3/4 cup, stirring occasionally. Puree lychees in food processor or blender. Combine lychee puree, juice, remaining 1/2 cup sugar and 3 teaspoon lemon juice. Refrigerate. To serve, spoon lychee sauce onto 12 dessert plates. Place cheesecake blossom on each plate. Top with fresh lychees and arrange kiwifruit in sauce to resemble leaves. By Bill Mee & Krystal Folino - Lychees Online Are you a lychee enthusiast? Get your FREE Lychee Idea-Kit or browse hundreds of lychee recipes, photos, tips and articles on eating and growing lychees at the Lychees Online Web site http://www.lycheesonline. com

Do you know of a great recipe that we should feature in a future edition of Whipping Bowl? Submit your recipe to info@inthefieldmagazine.com INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

Kaitlyn Gill Recognized as Winner of Environmental Science and Natural Resources Management Proficiency The winner of the State Environmental Science

and Natural Resources Management Proficiency is Kaitlyn Gill of the Durant FFA Chapter. Gill was recognized at the 81st Annual State FFA Convention. Kaitlyn Gill of Lithia, a member of the Durant Senior FFA chapter, recalls that some of her earliest memories include working with her family on the land. As Gill grew older she began to understand and become involved in the environmental part of her familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business. Gill realized the importance of being a steward of the land and preserving it for future generations. A large portion of her time is spent with gopher tortoise relocation. Gill is in the middle of all the work. She can operate the backhoes, gather animals and disinfect boxes for transportation of animals. She also assists in the replanting of native plants, which aids in creating an ideal gopher tortoise habitat. Through her Supervised Agricultural Experience, Gill has decided to one day return to the family farm to run their cattle and environmental operation. Other finalists in the Environmental Science and Natural Resources Management Proficiency area were Nicholas Swain of the Lake Placid FFA Chapter. The winner of the Environmental Science and Natural Resources Management Proficiency area received a $200 check and a plaque. Her agriculture teacher received a $100 check. The finalists were awarded with plaques. Mosaic Fertilizer, LLC generously sponsored this proficiency area. Gill also received a $250 check from the national sponsor and will now go on to compete against other state winners. The national

AAHA Accreditation Why does it matter to you?

The standards require hospitals to provide diagnostic services (x-ray and lab) so that they can quickly and accurately diagnose your pet. The standards focus on the quality of care in the areas of anesthesia, contagious diseases, dentistry, pain management, patient care, surgery and emergency care. Accredited hospitals have an onsite pharmacy (another standards area) so they can begin treatment immediately. AAHA standards also require that medical records be thorough and complete which helps them to better understand your petâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s medical history and how past health issues might be impacting that current medical status. The Standards developed and published by AAHA are widely accepted as representing those components of veterinary practice that represent high quality care. The Standards are periodically reviewed and updated to ensure that they remain consistent with evolving knowledge and technology. Accreditation helps vet hospitals stay on the leading edge of veterinary medicine and provide the quality and range of services you and your pet deserve. Because of the AAHA Standards of Accreditation, you can be sure that your pet will receive top-quality care at an AAHA-accredited hospital.

813.754.PETS (7387)

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AUGUST 2009

sponsor of this award is Kraft Foods. The National FFA Organization, formerly known as the Future Farmers of America, is a national youth organization of 500,823 student members as part of 7,358 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands. The National FFA Organization changed to its present name in 1988, in recognition of the growth and diversity of agriculture and agriculture education. The FFA mission is to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success through agricultural education. For more information visit www.flaffa.org.

Premier Milk (PMI) is raising the bar on quality standards in the milk industry By Georgia Brown

Lately the recalls and stories of food contamina-

tion have eroded consumer confidence in the quality of food products on our shelves. But good companies are working daily to produce the best possible food for our tables. Premier Milk, Inc., a new dairy cooperative based in Ocala, is one that has distinguished itself by exceeding the standards of milk production. Premier Milk began delivering milk that is well above the state’s standards of quality to processors last month. Founded by a small group of dairy producers who own and operate farms in Florida and Georgia, members of Premier Milk all share the same commitment to produce milk of the highest quality. “To be a member of PMI, dairy producers are required to perform better than the state’s regulatory limits on factors that give bottled milk its Grade A status,” said Tom Pittman, Premier Milk’s general manager. “We are raising the bar on quality standards in order to delivery higher quality milk to the market. Our members understand that milk quality is 100 percent our responsibility,” said Premier’s president and member producer David Sumrall. They also believe that high quality milk can be produced without the rBST hormone. “In recent years, producers of bottled milk have been moving away from using milk from cows that have been injected with the hormone rBST, which essentially causes the cow to eat more and produce a higher volume of milk,” said Pittman. Throughout the Southeast, the market has demanded that the hormone not be used according to Pittman “Good dairy management, keeping cows comfortable and with access to free choice quality forage will produce almost as much milk,” he said. Pittman grew up on a dairy farm near Au Clair, Wisconsin and has lived in Ocala for four years. He has been in the dairy industry his entire life. As Dairy Procurement Manager at Wells’ Dairy in Iowa, he learned the importance of raw milk quality, from the farm and throughout the processing plant. Wells’ Dairy took pride in producing high quality dairy products that usually lasted a week to 10 days past the code date stamped on the bottle according to Pittman. Milk quality is regulated by two factors, somatic cell counts and standard plate counts. “If the cow is kept clean and everything is done properly on the farm, most dairies can easily produce milk that exceeds the state’s standards,” said Pittman. “Somatic cell counts are generally an indicator of the health of the cow, the lower the count, the healthier the cow. Our members believe in holding that cell count below 400,000,” said Pittman. The state regulation limit is 750,000.” Standard plate counts, which measure bacteria in milk, should be kept below 100,000 according to regulations. Members of Premier Milk’s dairies keep standard plate

Premier Milk counts of 25,000 or less, well below what is required. Additionally, their dairy producers are dedicated to following the guidelines of the National Animal Well-Being Initiative, a producer-led coalition designed to protect consumer trust by demonstrating a commitment to animal well being. “It’s been known for years that comfortable conditions on the farm and an animal’s well being are the keys to producing more milk. When we have hot days, it’s important to keep them out of the sun, clean and comfortable. Dairies use fans and misting water to blow over the cows to help keep them cool. They provide mixed rations with good nutrition and protein levels, letting them eat what they want and come up to drink water when they want,” said Pittman. “If you treat cows well, they are going to perform for you,” he added. Premier Milk’s founding dairy producers are located in Hernando, Gilcrest and Suwannee Counties in Florida and Appling County in Georgia. “We are starting with 2,400 total cows on four farms,” said Pittman. Milk from the coop’s Florida dairies is processed at M & B Products in Tampa, a company well known for small individually packaged milk, the kind used in schools and hospitals. Other Premier Milk can be found in the grocery stores bottled by T.G. Lee Farms of Orlando, Velda Farms of Winter Haven and the Pet Dairy in Georgia, a division of Dean Foods. Some of the responsibility for preserving the taste and quality of milk rests on consumers. If we don’t get that bottle of milk home promptly or allow it to get warm, its shelf life will be shorter. “Ultimately milk should be kept at 40 degrees or less, ideally at 36 degrees,” said Pittman. Milk that is delivered to the store and isn’t refrigerated immediately will suffer in taste and shelf life. “Our producers provide a higher quality of milk, something consumers deserve. Dairy products are good for you at any age, young or old, in whatever form you prefer, milk yogurt or cheese.” For more information visit: www.premiermilk.org Calcium is an important part of a balanced diet at all ages. The Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine recommends three to four servings of dairy, or certain nuts and leafy vegetable greens, to maintain a healthy daily intake of calcium. Children 1-3 years: 500 mg. per day 4-8 years: 800 mg. per day 9-13 years: 1300 mg. per day

Average servings of foods high in calcium is listed below: 8 ounces of milk = 300 mg. of calcium 2 ounces of Swiss cheese = 530mg. of calcium 6 ounces of yogurt = 300mg. of calcium 6 ounces of cooked turnip greens = 220mg. of calcium 6 ounces of almonds = 210mg. of calcium

Adults 19 to 50 years: 1000 mg. per day 51 and over: 1200 mg. per day

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AUGUST 2009

Florida Lychees

Lychee: An Exotic Treat Grown in Florida By Sandy Kaster, M.S. Clinical Medicine, B.S. Nutrition Science

The lychee, or litchi, fruit, is a member of the soapberry family that grows in subtropical regions. The majority of the world’s lychee production is from China, India, Taiwan Vietnam, and Thailand. A small percentage is also grown in the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America. In the United States, Florida is the main producer of lychees, followed by Hawaii and California. In recent years, there has been a growing demand for fresh lychee, partly due to the increasing Asian and Hispanic populations and health-conscious consumers. The fruit is covered by a reddish, leathery rind that is easily removed, inside, the edible white flesh is sweet and fragrant and the center contains a single glossy brown seed that is inedible. The texture is juicy and pliable, similar to that of a grape.

development of bone and connective tissue, production of melanin (pigment) in hair and skin, and the elimination of free radicals. It also aids in proper functioning of the thyroid gland and preservation of the myelin sheath that surrounds all nerves.

Nutritional Profile

How to Select and Store

The lychee is considered a very good source of vitamin C and a good source of copper, phosphorus, and potassium. The fruit is naturally low in calories, fat, cholesterol, and sodium. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, a 100g portion of lychee (approximately 10 fruits) contains 66 calories, 1.0 g protein, 0.4 g fat, 16.5 g carbohydrate, and 1.3 g of dietary fiber. It also provides 119% of the Daily Recommended Value (%DV) for vitamin C, 7% for copper, 5% for potassium, and plentiful amounts of other valuable nutrients.

Vitamin C: For a Healthy Immune System

With only 66 calories per ten fruits, one serving of lychee more than meets your daily vitamin C requirement! This vitamin is important for a strong immune system, cancer prevention, healthy blood circulation and wound healing. Vitamin C acts as a potent antioxidant in the body, neutralizing harmful free radicals and preventing its damaging effects in cells. By fighting cell and tissue damage, Vitamin C protects against cancer and other diseases, such as the common cold. This vitamin also enhances iron absorption from other foods, which reduces the risk of anemia. Additionally it aids in the development and maintenance of healthy capillaries, gums, and skin, as well as strong bones and teeth. Vitamin C also has anti-inflammatory properties that make them helpful for protecting against conditions such as asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis, where inflammation plays a big role.

Copper: For Iron Absorbtion & More

Copper plays a role in a wide range of physiological processes throughout the body. This mineral is involved in iron utilization,

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AUGUST 2009

Potassium: For Blood Pressure

Lychees are high in potassium, a mineral, which promotes healthy heart functioning and protects against high blood pressure. Potassium helps regulate fluids and mineral balance, aids in muscle contraction, and helps transmit nerve impulses. People with low potassium levels are more prone to muscle cramps. Fortunately vegetables and fruits, such as lychees, are a rich source of potassium. Select fruit with a light reddish to brownish color, free of blemishes and soft spots. Avoid those with skin that is overly dry, dark, or fermenting. Refrigerate fresh lychees in an open container for up to one week. They may also be frozen whole, with the skin on, in an airtight plastic zipper bag. Canned lychees, found in Asian markets and some grocery stores, are whole fruits packed in syrup, and a convenient way to enjoy the fruit year-round.

How to Enjoy

Because of its mild sweet flavor and juiciness, lychees are delicious eaten out-of-hand. Peeled and pitted lychees can be used in many ways, including: • Added to fruit salads and desserts • Stuffed with cottage cheese or whipped cream • Tossed in salads or stir-fries • Sliced as a relish for ham or chicken • Pureed for use in sorbet or ice cream Savor delicious Florida lychee as much as you can during its short harvest season. With its luscious texture and sweet taste, it’s a nutritious summer treat to savor.

Selected References

http://en.wikipedia.org/ http://www.ipmcenters.org http://www.whfoods.com http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/lychee.html

Photo above taken by Barry Fitzgerald, USDA

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AUGUST 2009

Learning Gate THE

COMMUNITY SCHOOL

By Tracy Cox

Many parents have to fight with their kids

to get them to eat their veggies, but not those of students attending Learning Gate Community School, a charter school where a 5000 square foot organic garden is the central point of their education. Located in Lutz, the school’s motto, “Nature is our best teacher,” is demonstrated, not only as an A school for K-8th grades, but also by the kids who are eager to get outside, grab a hoe, and sing little parodies they make up as they weed in Florida’s infamous ninety-degree weather. “The parents get a kick out of seeing what their kids will eat,” said Cissy Stanko, who along with Christine Miller is a garden resource teacher. Two areas of sustainable living that Christine and Cissy will focus on with the kids this year will be to take home what they learn for a family garden and to set aside part of the school’s crop to seed, save them, and share with other area schools. Last year, the students designed their own seed packets for several varieties of lettuce seeds. This year, they will add heirloom seeds of green beans and tomatoes. “We do integrate all subject matters in what we do in the garden,” said Christine. “They thoroughly enjoyed the process to see that one plant could produce many seeds and then to calculate how many families could be fed. We help enrich what the teachers teach in the classroom.” When the students return for the new school year, they will remove the plastic and newspaper covering the garden since the end of school and begin weeding and preparing the ground for the fall crop. The garden plot is surrounded by another two acres with additional vegetables beds for each classroom, a greenhouse, two tool sheds, and a small barn. Nearby is a log cabin, the school’s library. “We have such great opportunities for students to learn on campus in the outdoors,” said Michele Northrup, the school’s public relations specialist. “There is so much pressure on public school teachers to teach to the FCAT. We have a philosophy if we teach them right, they will know the state’s standards inherently.” Christine and Cissy work with the kindergartners through sixth graders. The elementary grade classes spend approximately one-third of their day outdoors. The amount of time varies with each grade level in middle school. Learning Gate, founded by Patti Girard, principal, as a private school in 1983, averages 20 students in each class with a total of 525 students. Depending on the grade level, there is a student waiting list, plus teachers as well, who are eager to join the 40 currently employed. Continued on page 83

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Natural Born Killers of nematodes and soil diseases MeloCon WG annihilates nematodes. SoilGard takes down soil diseases. There’s nothing soft about nature. MeloCon WG and SoilGard contain powerful fungal parasites. Apply them to your vegetable, melon and strawberry soils to release a millionplus lethal spores per square inch of soil. When MeloCon spores collide with nematode eggs, juveniles and adults, they germinate, penetrate and consume the contents of the nematode body. MeloCon fungus engulfing nematode eggs. Photo: R. Holland, Macquarie Univ., Australia.

SoilGard spores germinate into a spreading mass of mycelium while producing a powerful blast of antibiotic cleansers. The mass soon dominates the soil, parasitizing and blocking soil pathogens from causing crop damage while preserving beneficial non-plant pathogenic fungi. • 4-hour REI • Zero PHI • Application ﬂexibility including drip

Nature can be so tough.

SoilGard fungus strangling Rhizoctonia. Photo: USDA.

MeloCon is a registered trademark of Prophyta Biologischer Pﬂanzenschutz GmbH. SoilGard is a registered trademark of Certis USA.

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AUGUST 2009

Hurricanes And Your Pets By Christy Poulin, D.V.M

Hurricane season 2009 has arrived and it is time to make sure that you are prepared for your pets. Just as getting ready for the human concerns during a hurricane, there are many things that you should make sure you have together for your pet’s safety. • Have your pet micro-chipped as a permanent identification in case they were to get lost or separated from you during a disaster. Microchips have saved thousands of lives and aided in reuniting many pets after past hurricanes. The main thing to remember once you have a microchip implanted into your pet is that they are only as good as the information that you keep on file with the microchip company. I recommend keeping multiple phone numbers including numbers of family and friends that are out of town on file. After Hurricane Charley in 2004, we found it difficult to get in touch with owners of rescued pets that did not have out of town numbers on file since many home phones and cell towers were not working for a while after the storm. Also make sure your numbers are updated yearly prior to hurricane season or after any changes. • Get together a list of pet friendly hotels, shelters or boarding facilities in case you need to evacuate. Also, think about friends/family out of the area that would be willing to care for you and your pet during an evacuation. • Make sure that your pet’s vaccinations are up to date in case of emergency evacuation. (Most shelters will require a copy of this) • Assemble a Pet ID kit for each of your pets and place it in a waterproof package. Its should contain: • Microchip information & number • Medications that your pet may need for at least two weeks with instructions on dosing • Vaccination records/Rabies License and contact information of your Veterinarian • Photo of you and your pet together as proof of ownership In addition to the above Pet ID kit, you should also put some other supplies together if a hurricane should threaten our area. • Carrier or crate large enough for a pet to stand and move around inside • Food and water bowls • Towels, pillows, blankets and toys or anything that may make your pet more comfortable • Enough food and water for your pet for 3-4 days along with non-electric can opener if you are bringing canned food • Collar with tags and leash • Kitty litter and small litter box for cats; paper towels and plastic baggies for waste disposal **Make sure all of the above items are labeled with your pet’s first and last name to aid in identification. As you can see, planning ahead is the key to a successful reunion with your pet after the storm has passed. Below are websites to aid with your planning for the 2008 Hurricane season. www.HAHF.org (Hillsborough Animal Health Foundation) www.hillsboroughcounty.org/animalservices www.uan.org/ears (Emergency Animal Rescue Service) Our larger pets such as horses and llamas require even more planning. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

IN THE FIELD OF DREAMS, SIXTY YEARS IN THE MAKING... By Dee Dee Grooms

I had surprised my husband, Carl Grooms, for

his 40th and 50th birthdays, but could I do it again for 60? For months, I had been thinking about what I could do for a man who has done so much for his family, friends, and community. One morning while watching FOX 13, a story aired about a local school creating a gigantic living painting of their dolphin mascot. Students and staff wearing blue shirts, along with other natural materials for the details, formed the perfect dolphin shape. I said to myself, “THAT’S IT!” The idea was perfect…a human birthday card. I immediately visualized a big, red strawberry in the middle of Fancy Farms made of all our friends and family. I told our son, Dustin, about the idea first and he was concerned about what “natural” materials we’d use in the field because Dad wouldn’t be too happy if grass starts growing in the middle of his berry rows. Next, I spoke with our daughter Kristi, who follows in my creative footsteps. She enthusiastically rambled ideas off right away. Then, I consulted Donnie Randall, one of our farm supervisors, about the location of the design and my concern for keeping the berry rows intact for the following season. He assured me that the beds were firm and could take some abuse. Once I knew it could be done, I had one more person to convince, the designer himself. In March, I contacted Daniel Dancer, the designer and creator of Art for the Sky, to discuss my surprise birthday idea. Daniel primarily works with schools and educates students about the 3,000 year-old art form of creating human mosaics visible from the sky. He had never worked with someone on a private event, but was extremely excited and agreed to bring my idea to life! I immediately hired him and we agreed that July 25 would be the big day. During April and May many emails were sent between Daniel, Kristi and myself discussing the design and the “natural” materials, along with our 300+ guests in red shirts, we would use to make the design. With the help of my sister, Denise, the planning continued, calling vendors

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and delegating jobs. The first item on the list was to find an 80-foot lift for Daniel to direct the guests into formation while videoing and photographing…luckily one of our good friends, Darryl Kehoe at Ring Power came though! In keeping with the theme, the day wouldn’t be complete without serving strawberry shortcake, so we had to plan ahead. For two weeks my mother, Joyce, and I sliced strawberries to use, freezing around 20 gallons. The entire time we hoped Carl wouldn’t ask what we were doing with all those strawberries, and luckily, he didn’t. The next big task on my list was to figure out how to fly Carl and I over the farm in a helicopter while our guests were forming the human strawberry. Our good friend Mike Bulger graciously volunteered to pilot us. The planning continued, and there were more vendors and details to iron out. We ran into a problem with the tent when a small tree had to be removed without Carl noticing, and if you know Carl, he notices if a blade of grass is out of place in his field. Luckily, he didn’t notice! All of the other final details came together and I delegated Kristi to be the “boss” of the event day. Carl and I slipped away to the Don Cesar in St. Petersburg to celebrate his birthday. More importantly, it was a deterrent to get him away from the planning chaos

back at Fancy Farms. The next three days were abuzz with activity to prepare for the big event. Daniel arrived Thursday, July 23 and meet with Kristi and Dustin at the farm to look at the location and discuss the design. It was the moment of truth. Would all of our plans from the last four months come together and work? We were concerned that we might have to remove 24 rows of plastic to accommodate the design, but were relieved to find out that this was unnecessary. I knew Kristi and Dustin could execute the plans…they are their fathers children! That Friday, our field foreman gathered the materials for the strawberry design, prepared the site location, and finished a number of other jobs on Kristi’s long “to do” list. The strawberry design prep work took three hours to create using mulched palmetto branches for the bur and white sand for the entire strawberry outline and the number 60 in the middle. To complete the design we incorporated four of Carl’s antique Farmall tractors. So, you’re probably asking yourself how did I get Carl back to the farm? I had Alison, my daughter-in-law, call and make up a whopper of a story that we needed to meet at the Lakeland Linder Airport that morning. When we arrived, I quickly told Carl that Kristi and Dustin had planned a helicopter ride over the farm for his birthday present. Our plan almost backfired when our friend Mike’s helicopter had a few start up problems, but he quickly called in a favor to one of his buddies, Dr. Harley Richards, and we were back in business! My adrenaline was pumping now, all of my months of hard planning were about to pay off! Luckily, Mike was communicating with Kristi back on the ground to coordinate the exact time to fly over the farm, so Carl could see his giant strawberry birthday card. As we approached the farm, Kristi called Mike to tell him they were not ready for us yet because our nearly 300 family and friends were not yet corralled into the strawberry formation. We took a quick detoured scenic

Willa Dean Hall Grooms

ride above downtown Plant City and circled by his parents’ farm where he grew up. Then we headed back towards Fancy Farms where I noticed the giant strawberry right away. Carl thought the design was an X, like “X marks the spot” and that was where we were going to land. We circled around to get a closer look and that is when Carl realized the design was a strawberry with real people. At that moment, everyone stood up and waved. He was totally surprised – we had pulled it off! We landed in a pasture next to the field and couldn’t wait to meet up with everyone. Carl jumped up on the Farmall tractor while waving his famous yellow

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hat while everyone cheered. Then, our family and friends sang Carl a birthday song Daniel Dancer had specially written. Carl thanked everyone for being involved and said, “Of all the strawberries I’ve grown, and there’s been millions, this is by far my favorite and definitely the sweetest!” Afterwards, everyone gathered in the tents to greet Carl, wish him a happy birthday and eat cake…our world famous strawberry shortcake of course! Plus Leslie Platt drew a special caricature cake in his liking…down to a tee, driving a red Farmall tractor in the strawberry field. This was definitely a day we’ll all remember, working with our family and friends to get the job done and surprising Carl for his 60th birthday! Carl described it best, “this perfect strawberry has been in the making for 35 years, and is made from friendship, kindness, devotion, pain, worry, and best of all, is sweetened with love!”

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

Of all the strawberries I’ve grown, and there’s been millions, this is by far my favorite and definitely the sweetest!

”

The Learning Gate Community School-Continued from page 76

Electives are offered for the middle school, one of which is environmental science. Last year, two projects included creating a native frog sanctuary and analyzing the air quality in their regular buildings as compared to that of the certified eco-friendly Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building, the only one in the nation. “Green Energy for the Kitchen,” which includes vegetables from their garden in the school lunch program and the creation of an “Eco-machine,” a pump system utilizing native plants to flow water through for filtration, will be the two main projects this year. Learning Gate currently utilizes a cistern to catch rainwater to flush toilets. Parents, who are asked to volunteer 30 hours each school year, are not left out of the learning process. Each spring, a conference, at which the students help out and demonstrate what they have learned, is offered to the parents, from container gardening tips, how to make your own compost, to a scavenger hunt for plants and seeds. An enterprising parent designed and built a compost bin that is built and sold to other parents as a fundraiser. Their volunteer efforts, which have included installing an irrigation system in the garden and greenhouse, building tables for the greenhouse, and helping out in the classrooms, goes a long way because of budget cuts. “We have a family environment here using the oneroom school approach,” Christine said. “We know every kid and there is a lot of hugging, they need that.” Eager to foster the kids’ environmental awareness of Florida and to further their own knowledge of their labor of love in the garden plot, Christine and Cissy are both in the process of earning the certification, Florida Master Naturalist, a University of Florida (UF-IFAS) extension program. The three areas of study are Freshwater Wetlands, Upland Habitats, and Florida’s Coastal Systems. “I notice the way we go about teaching is that when we go outdoors, they become fully engaged to learn,” said Cissy. “We have less behavior problems here because the kids go outside and burn their energy.”

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AUGUST 2009

“Jerry, a big man

with huge tattoos on his arms and large gold rings on every finger, can be foreboding dressed in a leather riding jacket on his favorite ‘hawg,’ but when he throws meat on his smokers, he does it with a big heart.” BY TRACY COX Wherever the wind blows is where he will be, because

when FEMA calls, Jerry Cook is ready to go, and he doesn’t leave his smokers behind. He bar-b-qued in New Orleans after Katrina, in Galveston after Rita, but during the off-season he likes to keep it close to home. Be prepared, because when you pull up to his place at the corner of McIntosh and Thonotosassa Roads, you’ll be blown away by a mouth watering experience as your eyes roll back in your head after that first bite. “There was no where to go, no where to eat because everyone had been blown down, so I came up with this idea,” said Jerry, who co-owns J. P. Graham Trucking of Florida in Tampa, about the three years he worked in New Orleans. “I bought enclosed trailers and converted them to kitchens on wheels to haul to disaster areas.” Besides 18 semi-trucks leased and filled with food, medical supplies, ice, generators, diapers, you name it, that his trucking company is contracted by FEMA to bring in, he also loads up six refrigerated semi-truck trailers he owns with his smokers, meat, and the fixings and heads to where he is needed. Decked out with shiny stainless steel sinks, warmers, and coolers, his mobile kitchens are pulled by Ford F-350 Duallies. When Jerry gets to where he is called to, he feeds truckers, disaster workers, and the residents trying to make sense of their homes and all of their earthly belongings being blown away by the hurricanes or washed away by flood waters. Jerry has seen his share of local folks in need as well. He said, “When I see someone drive up in a car with three kids in the backseat and they order only one hamburger or hotdog, I know they are not going to eat that in front of their kids, but try to split it up between them. I give them one for each of the kids. I cannot turn people away who are hungry.” As a kid hanging out with his granddad, Christopher Columbus Cook, known for his bar-b-que throughout Hazard, Kentucky, he learned the “secrets” while watching him bury hogs in dirt pits filled with coal and cooking them for days on end. “Bar-b-que is simple, anybody can put it on to smoke for 14 hours, but there are secrets,” he said with a big smile. “I make my own sauce using my Grandfather’s recipe. There are a lot of secrets – how much wood you use, how much sauce you use.” As you drive up to his place, you see an average size smoker and a large pile of wood stacked high out by the road, but the big guns are in the screened room he built behind his mobile kitchen. He starts smoking about 9:00 p.m. until around six or seven the next morning. The big sellers are ribs and pulled pork, but he also sells a couple of hundred pounds of mullet each week that he smokes the same day they are caught.

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AUGUST 2009

“I smoke with apple wood, pecan wood, and hickory that my brother, Roger, sends down to me from Taylor County, Kentucky,” Jerry said. “Every summer, I send him a semi filled with palm trees because he loves them and they die every winter. The truck comes back filled with wood.” A bar-b-que connoisseur will tell you it is the smoke that beckons to them. “My thought process is, if there is smoke, there is good bar-b-que,” said Rudy Lopez, a professional photographer from Tampa, who stopped by for a lunch break while helping his brother-in-law build a fence down the road. “We travel around a lot and I always like to stop at places like this, where I see people eating outside and the smoke.” Under the shade of an outdoor canopy, folks can get out of the sun, sit at a folding table covered in a patriotic red, white, and blue vinyl tablecloth or around an industrial-size wooden spool converted into a place for the “fast food” crowd to stand

FLORIDA AGRICULTURE IN THE CLASSROOM NAMES NEW CHAIRMAN Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc.

up, eat, and hit the road. Customers who stop by are locals, farm workers, and the occasional movie star. “Margaret, my wife, said to me last week ‘that actor you like to watch was here’ and I asked who, but she couldn’t remember his name,” said Jerry. “I found out when a buddy called me and said, I saw Denzel Washington at your place today. Chuck Hill, a customer who works at Lazydays, told me later that Denzel had been in their place that same day and bought a RV.” Anthony, Jerry and Margaret’s son, is carrying on what has turned into a family tradition by running another roadside bar-bque on the north side of Lakeland at the intersection of Highway 98 and Rockridge Road. They also cater “anything that anybody wants.” Home is in Zephyrhills, where Jerry, a proud member, can be found singing karaoke at the local Moose Lodge or donating his time and trucks to haul disaster supplies to other Moose Lodges throughout the nation to distribute to victims. Jerry, a big man with huge tattoos on his arms and large gold rings on every finger, can be foreboding dressed in a leather jacket riding on his favorite “hawg,” but when he throws meat on his smokers, he does it with a big heart. He can be contacted at (813) 690-0706.

named Vina Jean Banks, director of agribusiness for the Florida State Fair, its new chairman. She succeeds Cara Martin, former assistant director of government and community affairs for the Florida Farm Bureau, who ended her two-year term earlier this year. Banks has served as chairman of the Agriculture Committee of the Florida Federation of Fairs and Agriculture Committee for three years, and is currently serving as advisor to that committee. She has also been instrumental in the growth of the Hillsborough County Agriculture in the Classroom program. She has played an active role in her local FFA Chapters and 4-H Clubs and was a 4-H club leader for more than 10 years. Banks has been a member of the Florida Cattlewomen Association and Hillsborough County Cattlewomen Associate for over 28 years and has served in numerous offices, including president, of both organizations. Serving as the representative of the Florida Beef Council, she will continue to help nurture the Florida agriculture industry by continuing the efforts of Florida Agriculture in the Classroom to educate teachers and students alike about its importance.

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

By Will Irby

I woke to the rain ending abruptly, the water pearling up

in heavy beads along the eave of the upper story. It dripped then, drop from drop down from the peeling paint to the banana leaves in that nook between the chimney and screened back porch. The staccato thud of each drop rose with the blue mist until overcome by the clickety-clack of the first streetcar out on the avenue that morning. This was Tampa, April 1946. The streetcars would not run any more after August of that year. I didn’t know that then. I didn’t know that was ending, too. My grandmother came to my room festooned in the style of spring, even if out of fashion. She laid out a suit too small, or nearly so. It was the best I had and it would do. The tie she liked. This one, not that one, which had been my father’s before the war. I was reminded then how important it was that my shoes be shined, how significant the straightness in the part of my hair. Even a young gentleman’s attention to such detail, she said, was as admirable as brave deeds. One’s appearance, insofar as one was neat and orderly and made the best of what one had was by her reckoning an outward manifestation of the soul within. That was how we now lived in the afterglow of the life her own father had made. This was as he had left things, only much later. So she fanned faithfully at the last glowing family ember of it all while I dressed that morning. I knotted my tie thinking her ignorance – this ignoring of the decay about us – to be more her bliss than folly. Out my window the dense shade of old oaks obscured the new cracks in our foundation, the paint peeled, and the roof shingles buckled above. Yet we lived as my grandmother dreamed. But it was true as she said, “We must look our best with what we have, or lose all. We must be seen.” There was a man we would see that day. Not just any old man, but a writer. This man, she said, would see my folio and something may come of it. A very important prospect she kept saying. Very important indeed. With the money I had saved lifeguarding at the city pool, I’d bought a six-year-old Speed Graphic camera with a large flash

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

attachment, a camera most common and prized of all “press” cameras at the time. Grandmother had already shown and sold my work to other men, men with traction in business downtown, the chiefs of police and fire, legislators, military men, as well as men who made their money trafficking bootleg liquor or running racquets. Money and politics still mingled more by habit than gain in Grandmother’s salon, spilling out into the walled garden behind the house where deals got made over whiskey and cigars. I had done their portraits, many of these men my grandmother ushered before the lush velvet drape we’d drug down to the parlor from an upstairs room at the dark end of the hall. Some of these men would become men of means far greater than ever my great grandfather was. Some went to prison. Some did both. The photographs I took reflect their best days, and were taken in a place that had known its best days. The man we would see that day would become famous. He wasn’t yet, but his editor was one who had made others famous. He had already said this writer would become famous, and the editor was famous for his spot-on predictions at the most famous publishing house in New York. The meeting had been arranged. We took the streetcar to Ybor City where a small, popular restaurant served dark Cuban coffee and sweet rolls ladled with a sugary icing and sprinkled with crushed nuts. He was lonely. I would see this in his eyes at once. So was I. I don’t think he noticed. It was strangely transparent, too, the aptitude in him. I knew at once that behind the furrows of his brow was a great talent. He was a frail, thin man, flush with remembrances – recollections horded up like heirlooms he would some day produce and make glorious from that hidden heart behind that heavy tweed jacket. I can’t quite say how I knew this, but I did. She was a sweet liar, my Grandmother. As for her, she did not know this man as well as she had said. I could see that in his dark eyes, too. Perhaps she sensed his skepticism as we came near. But she raised her bosom and lifted

her wonderful red hair with great regal bearing. It didn’t matter that she was not all she might have been, she strutted who she was. In refuge and revenge she lived as well as she could and prided herself in me and pushed me forward. We came to where he sat waiting in a darkened corner at a table brooding. Or else the atmosphere of the room was brooding about him, this rail-thin man in tweed with dark eyes. He stood, mustachioed and gaunt in his thick, ill-fitting suit. He waited until her hand was extended before he offered his. We were introduced. “Yes, yes,” was all he said without quite looking at me. My grandmother talked incessantly, even before we sat. Neither he nor I had inclination or opportunity to interject. She ordered coffee and sweet rolls without slowing pace in her promotions. Her effervescence was effortless. There was no heavy lifting for her in this, nothing to unwrap or bind up in her bold fascination about a possible collaboration between this author and me. She sat, her fingers spread wide, one hand with painted nails over the other on the table like a fan of Tarot cards. There would be good fortune for this man who looked like death. I felt it so, but I felt none of that waft my way as he leafed hazily through my folio while I slyly examined the newspaper package beside his chair. I knew what was in that package. I knew it as certainly as he saw my work, black and white. When she would let him talk, he said in a slow, drawn, elongated affirmation, “Well, yes. Yes.” And that was all he said, as if nothing more need be said. And of course, yes was nothing less than she required. So, after it had rained again for the last time that morning and we stood on the wet pavement, he said finally, “Yes.” Then, with a slight bow went back up the street taking his long shadow with him. Back in the streetcar, the echo of his final yes reverberated in the space between my grandmother and me. She sat with her purse

on her knees smiling back toward the future as we returned to the past. His slow, syrupy yesssssss was drawling behind us as the sprinklers came on in dazzling sunlit sprays over the already wet lawns along the avenue. Yes was: No. Yes that morning meant everything my grandmother wanted to hear. It meant nothing, exactly as he meant to say. At seventeen, I already knew that his yes was little more than sugar disappearing in hot coffee that he’d leave as an empty cup. It was like that. So distant did that day become that in the last of her years, my grandmother spoke of this proposed collaboration as if it had actually occurred. She would introduce me over again to her eldest friends and speak of “the book” as an object that could well be taken from a shelf in her small library next to the parlor – the furniture there long covered with bed sheets, mottled by the stains of insect larvae and brittle flecks of dead fern. If only she had been able and not by then so frail, she would have gone there that moment to the library to show the beautiful, leather-bound book with gold leaf and open it to my exquisite photographs illustrating his excellent prose. So it had come to that. And it lingered until the summer’s eve when a dazzling moon rested its gentle rays upon her window’s ledge. She died in the gauzy dark where jeweled shadows reflected the massive posts of her bed: a Yes forming – fixed then, firm and crisp as starched lace upon her aged, lifeless lips. Yes was what she wanted.

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FFA Members Attend Washington Leadership Conference By Calli Jo Parker

Only one percent of FFA members in the nation have the opportunity to attend the Washington Leadership Conference. This summer students from Brandon, Durant, Plant City, and Strawberry Crest High Schools were blessed with the trip of a lifetime. Arriving in DC, stressed and exhausted, the students were placed in hotel rooms with students from all over the states that they didn’t know. As you can imagine this wasn’t idealistic for teenagers from a small town. However, to the FFA member’s surprise, these turned into friendships that will last a lifetime. While in DC, they had the privilege of seeing all of the Capital’s monuments and memorials on a night tour. With a few hours of free time, our students got to view the White House and see the First Lady’s organic garden. They also had a chance to visit with United States Representative Adam Putnam. He shared with them how he was a dedicated 4-H member as a kid and how he truly believes that our students are the future of agriculture and the future of our country. They spoke with him about his campaign and running for Commissioner of Agriculture. He

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

simply said in a joking manner, “It’s going well, but there is still plenty of time for me to mess it up.” The students wished him luck as they ventured on to explore the United States Capital. FFA members went to a series of meetings where they discovered their purposes and mapped out their “Live to Serve Plans.” These gave the students an idea of how they will give back and serve their communities. They had a chance to serve the DC community during a service day where they cleaned up a local agricultural area full of brush and debris. It warmed their hearts to know they were helping little boys and girls to have a cleaner place to experience an agricultural way of life. Reluctantly, our independent world travelers set out to come home. Megan Young whole heartedly exclaimed, “This was without a doubt the best experience of my life.” Courtney Newsome recalled back to the day before she left, “I wasn’t sure about traveling all the way to DC without my family, but now I don’t want to leave!” All in all, it was a successful conference. Our FFA members can’t wait to take what they learned and help make our world a better place, one service plan at a time.

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• The Taxpayer is someone who works for the federal government but doesn’t have to take the civil service examination. • The older you get your secrets are safe with your friends because they can’t remember them either. • Roy Parke of Plant City, Florida won the first Strawberry Growers “Hall of Fame” award in 1983. • The most terrifying words in the English language are: “I am from the government and I’m here to help you.” • Life is simpler when you plow around the stump. • You should always drink upstream from the herd. • Chrysippus, a Greek philosopher, is believed to have died of laughter after watching his drunk donkey attempt to eat figs. • There are two theories to arguing with women, and neither one works. • If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably a wise investment. • Kidney beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes, they look exactly like the human kidneys. • In 1908 the average wage was 22 cents an hour.

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

“This is for my brother

and all the love [he] had for the great outdoors. Until we meet again, we will go on showing people how the great outdoors can make a difference in their life just as it did for him and me.” By Julie Bedford

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

Strut-N-Rut Outdoor Adventures The joy of shooting her first deer overwhelmed her. She screamed, “I can’t believe it! I just shot an eight-point buck!” And for a moment, her pain was gone. Madison suffers from Familial Dystonia. Dystonia is a neurological disorder that affects the entire body, causing involuntary muscle movements that can be very painful. She had always wanted to go deer hunting, but an outdoor adventure like that seemed impossible given her circumstances. Little did she know, dreams like these are made possible every day by Strut-NRut Outdoor Adventures. Madison was treated like a star on the day of her adventure. The Strut-N-Rut staff and the staff of the hunting lodge came to meet her and hear her story. She also received gifts of a camouflage shirt, hat and Bible. Strut-N-Rut has been helping children and adults like Madison fulfill their outdoor adventure dreams since July of 2007. Sonny Hancock, a former business owner in the construction industry, and his partner Phillip Sandlin, founded the organization after a life changing experience with an old friend. Both men, who are husbands and fathers, have since devoted their lives to fulfilling the wishes of those less fortunate. Years earlier, Sonny was reunited with a childhood friend, J.W. Shreves. J.W. told Sonny he had been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Shocked and saddened, Sonny wanted make the most of J.W.’s final days. They started fishing, hunting and playing on a softball team together. One day J.W. shared his desire to go turkey hunting with Sonny. Soon after, Sonny took him to harvest his first turkey. It was a big gobbler that seemingly waited there in the clearing for J.W. Just two short weeks after his turkey adventure, J.W. passed away. He was a loving father to three wonderful children. His bravery is the foundation behind Strut-N-Rut Outdoor Adventures. “It put a burden on my heart, my son’s heart and my husbands heart,” said Tammy Sandlin, wife of Phillip Sandlin. She and her husband knew they had to continue making dreams come true for other sufferers of physical and mental illness. Tammy helps to organize adventures and raise money for the organization. She recalls how J.W.’s courageousness continues to empower her. “J.W. never accepted pity or believed in giving up. He never complained or asked ‘why me’,” Tammy said. “J.W. was determined to live life to the fullest despite his cancer. His legacy lives on, and we continue to love and care for others as J.W. would’ve wanted us too.” Philip shares her sentiment. “This is for my brother and all the love [he] had for the great outdoors. Until we meet again, we will go on showing people how the great outdoors can make a difference in their life just as it did for him and me,” he said. More than a dozen volunteers and several Mossey Oak pro staff members make up Strut-N-Rut Outdoor Adventures. Their mission is similar to that of Make a Wish Foundation, only many of the recipients are not suffering from a terminal illness, rather a debilitating condition. Strut-N-Rut puts together a variety of outdoor adventures. They arrange everything from fishing trips, deer hunting trips, equine activities, duck hunting trips and more. Tammy is currently scheduling a trip to Sea World for a recipient to swim with the dolphins. “We try to show people, kids and adults, that are wheelchair bound or disabled in some way, that there is life outside of the doctors office,” Tammy said. The Strut-N-Rut staff is also highly mobile. They bring the adventure to the recipient. This is a benefit for many people who may not be able to travel long distances. Countless hours go into planning the perfect local adventure for each recipient. “Our motto is “one adventure at a time,” Tammy said. “This is so the staff can give each participant our full attention.” The biggest challenge for Tammy and her staff is collecting donations. She has been fortunate to receive the support of sponsors like Wrangler, Daisy, M&D Outfitters and more, but with each adventure, comes specific needs. “It’s been rough going out and trying to raise money right now,” Tammy said. “My dream would be to someday have land donated that we could put cabins on.” Despite hard economic times, Tammy and the Strut-N-Rut staff remain positive. “We have great people like Cowboys Restaurant in Okeechobee, who feed us, and Mossey Oak, who wrapped our equipment trailer,” she said. “These people make it possible for us to go on.” If you are interested in making a tax-deductible donation or learning more about Strut-N-Rut Outdoor Adventures (a 501-C3 organization), please contact Tammy Sandlin at (407) 957-6767, or visit their Web site at www.strutnrut.org.

Agriculture

In Biblical Times

By Carol C. Weathersbee

Imagine yourself in the midst of the most glorious garden ever envisioned, admiring the flora and

fauna all around you. Your natural senses percolate as your eyes behold ribbons of vines and a plethora of lush, green trees. You bask in the warmth of the sun and feel the soil beneath your feet. You pause a moment, and realize your nose is delighting in the aroma of earthy fragrances and your ears are entertained by the sound of a rippling river watering the garden. You smile as your hands feel the coolness of the fruit you’ve plucked from a vine and your mouth waters as you taste the sweetness of the fresh fruit. This must have been what it was like when life began in the Garden of Eden. With the exception of one tree, God generously gave Adam the whole garden, to watch over it, care for it and to eat and enjoy all that the land offered. (Genesis 2:1517) There was no need to plow the fields, combat insects and pests, install irrigation and fertilizing systems, or even pull weeds. Carefully and thoughtfully, God laid the foundation and provided everything. The sunshine and the river’s water nourished the plant life, and the vegetation produced food for Adam and Eve to eat. Upon Adam and Eve’s disobedience, God cursed the ground and told Adam he would have to labor and sweat while working the land to make it as fruitful as God intended. (Genesis 3:17 NLT) This is only one of the many consequences that came from their disobedience. And so began the first days of farming land and struggling against it’s adverse natural elements. In comparison, the many stages of farming in ancient biblical days are similar to the ways of farming today. Plowing the land was necessary to prepare it for sowing or planting the seeds. Strong animals, such as donkeys and oxen, were used to pull the plows. Two like animals were joined with a plow often made from a metal blade and a large shaped branch. Working two different animals under the same plow was not suggested because of the difference in size and strength of each type of animal, which would hinder the farmer from plowing an even field. (Deuteronomy 22:10) Planting the seed was done by hand. Farmers would carry a large bag of seed slung across their shoulders and walk the land, throwing handfuls of seed onto the ground. Without the use of today’s farm machinery, it was unattainable to create perfectly neat rows in which seeds could be carefully planted. So no matter how skillful the farmer, the seeds often fell in areas where they could not take root. Some wound up scattered on the footpaths, or strewn amongst the rocks and thorns, and sometimes the birds ate many of the seeds before they had the chance to sprout. So, farmers tossed an abundance of seeds ensuring the growth of bountiful crops. (Mark 4:38) A watchtower built of stones was at the heart of many farms and vineyards to help keep a careful watch over the crops. The family members worked the fields by day while the father slept at the base of the watchtower. By night, the family members slept while the father sat perched at the top of the tower protecting the crops and farm animals from thieves and natural predators such as foxes. (Isaiah 21:56) Much like today, crops varied from region to region and there were environmental conditions to contend with. Wheat and barley were grown for making bread, which was considered a staple food item. Wheat made a softer and more palatable dough, but required good soil and sufficient water. Barley was not as tasty, but withstood poor soil quality and drought. Learning the cycles of rainy and dry seasons and experimenting with the different crops, helped man determine when it was the right time for planting and/or harvesting the various types of crops. Livestock was also common among biblical farmers. Sheep and goats were raised for their milk and meat as well as for their wool and hair. Both types of animals were known for surviving in marginal weather conditions and neither required shelter. Goat hair together with camel hair was woven to create tents for shelter. The two types of animal hair not only protected families from the heat of the sun, but also kept

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

them dry in the rain. When the woven goat and camel hair gets wet, it expands thus creating a tighter weave and preventing the tents from leaking. Goats milk and goats cheese were often traded for grains and other produce. It could be said that farming became the first profession of man. And though much has changed over the years, farmers today still work hard at toiling their land, raising their livestock and protecting their farms. Have you ever wondered just how much easier life would have been had man not disobeyed his Creator? The consequences of our defiance should teach us to fully appreciate what God created: the imagination, the ingenuity and the intelligence He used to create every living thing. Though we defied the laws of the land, God still cares and provides for his people. In Matthew 7:25‐26, Jesus assures us, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life – whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren’t you far more valuable to Him than they are?” (NLT) It should be noted that the author of this article is a layperson and not a theologian. Much of what is shared herein has been learned through research and bible studies. If you would like the opportunity to transport yourself back in time and relive the cultures and customs of biblical times, plan a trip to Explorations In Antiquity (EIA) located in LaGrange, Georgia. EIA is dedicated to sharing the message of Christ through their living museum that recreates the life and times of ancient biblical history. To learn more about EIA or to plan a visit for individual or group travel call 706-885-0363 or visit www.explorationsinantiquity.com. You are in for a treat!

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EQUIPMENT SERVICE INC. AUGUST 2009

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

AUGUST 2009

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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

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2009