INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
January 2019
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Western & Outdoor Wear, Farm, Ranch & Pet Supplies 3014 S. Jim Redman Pkwy. (Hwy. 39 S) Plant City, FL • www.southsidewesternwear.com
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JANUARY 2019 VOL. 14 • ISSUE 3
CONTENTS Mark Harrell FSGA Hall of Fame
64 PAGE 12 Poinsettia PAGE 16 Business Up Front PAGE 18 Fishing Hot Spots PAGE 22 Rocking Chair Chatter PAGE 25 Neem Tree Farm PAGE 26 Lauren Walden
PAGE35 Snow Peas PAGE 36 Jack Payne
PAGE 54 Literary Time Machine
PAGE 38 Gayle Yanes
PAGE 58
PAGE 40 Hops
PAGE 60
PAGE 45 The Field Foodies
PAGE 62
PAGE 46 John Dicks
PAGE 28 AG Tour
PAGE 48 Endangered Species
PAGE 32 Healing Horses
PAGE 50 Strawberry Crest FFA
SWFWMD
Nikki Fried
Gardening Caldendar
PAGE 63 Healthy New Year
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News Briefs
Hey Readers!
Hidden somewhere in the magazine is a No Farmers, No Food logo. Hunt for the logo and once you find the hidden logo you will be eligible for a drawing to win a FREE No Farmers No Food Sticker and a FREE In The Field T-Shirt. Send us your business card or an index card with your name and telephone number, the number of the page which you found the logo and where on the page you located the logo to the address below
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InTheField® Magazine P.O. Box 5377 • Plant City, Fl. 33566-0042 *Winners will be notified by phone. You Too Can Be A Winner!
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Hillsborough County Farm Bureau 305 S. Wheeler St. Plant City, FL. Office Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Insurance Services: 813-685-5673 Member Services: 813-685-9121
OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Dennis Carlton, Jr.....................President Jake Raburn................Vice President Tony Lopez..............Treasurer Buddy Coleman..................Secretary DIRECTORS FOR 2018 - 2019 Christina Andrlik, Carl Bauman, Jake Cremer, Tiffany Dale, Carson Futch, Jim Frankowiak, Chip Hinton, John Joyner, Lawrence McClure, Sambahv, Jay Marty Tanner, Vincent Tort, Will Womack, Gayle Yanes
Judi Whitson, Executive Director 813-685-9121 Farm Bureau Insurance Special Agents
Valrico Office 813-685-5673
100 S. Mulrennan Rd., Valrico, FL. 33594 Tommy Hale, CLU, ChFC, CASL, CPCU Agency Mgr. Juile Carlson, John McGuire
Plant City Office 813.752.5577
305 S. Wheeler St., Plant City, FL 33563 Jeff Summer Bill Williams
Tampa Office 813.933.5440
6535 Gunn Highway, Tampa, FL.33625 Greg Harrell, Sonia Valladares
AGENCY MANAGER Thomas O. Hale WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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STAFF Publisher/Photography Karen Berry Senior Managing Editor/ Associate Publisher Sarah Holt Patsy Berry Editor
Letter from the Editor It’s a brand new year and fair season is in full swing! First up is the Polk County Youth Fair, held January 26 – February 1. This is a true agriculture fair. This fair revolves around students competing for blue ribbons in a variety of events with livestock, plants, table settings and much, much more. Following that is the Florida State Fair, held February 7 – 18, which hosts students in FFA and 4-H from all across the Sunshine State. This fair boasts more than 100 years of tradition. Wrapping it up is the Florida Strawberry Festival, February 8 – March 10. Consistently ranked as one of the best fairs in the nation, the Florida Strawberry Festival was founded as a celebration of harvest. Today the tradition continues as we celebrate all things strawberry, as well as livestock and plants. These three events have one big thing in common, FFA and 4-H students with a wide variety of projects on display. These projects, whether livestock, plants or a myriad of things, are the end result of a lot of work. The lessons learned are invaluable. If you are attending one of these fairs, please stop by, ask exhibitors about their project. They will be happy to explain it to you. More than likely they will exude pride at what they have accomplished. A very special thank you to our readers. You allow us to continue to cover what is growing. We enjoy every minute of it. See you at the fair!
Sarah Holt The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. - Numbers 6:25
Sales Melissa Nichols Karen Berry Sarah Holt Robert Verner George Domedion Creative Director/Illustrator Juan Alvarez Photography Karen Berry Staff Writers Al Berry Sandy Kaster James Frankowiak Sean Green Ginny Mink Breanne Williams Contributing Writers Woody Gore John Dicks
In The Field Magazine is published monthly and is available through local Hillsborough County businesses, restaurants, and many local venues. It is also distributed by U.S. mail to a target market, which includes all of the Greenbelt Property owners, members of the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau and Strawberry Grower’s Association. Letters, comments and questions can be sent to P.O. Box 5377, Plant City, Florida 33563-0042 or you are welcome to email them to: info@inthefieldmagazine.com or call 813-759-6909 Advertisers warrant & represent the descriptions of their products advertised are true in all respects. In The Field Magazine assumes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers. All views expressed in all articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Berry Publications, Inc. Any use or duplication of material used in In the Field magazine is prohibited without written consent from Berry Publications, Inc.
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Published by Berry Publications, Inc.
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Our New Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
-Dennis Carlton Jr. - President
Dear Readers: Florida has a new Commissioner of Agriculture, Nikki Fried, who took office January 8. The Commissioner is new to agriculture, but I am pleased to report that she is taking steps to learn about the industry and the challenges we face. She is also approachable and willing to meet with industry representatives to learn about the different aspects of Florida agriculture and how she can help. Let me be specific. Early last month, our Executive Director Judi Whitson and I contacted her with some very specific questions about matters of particular importance to producers in Hillsborough County, as well as other areas of Florida. Even though this was during the busy period of transition and the holidays, Commissioner Fried responded. Please read the article in this edition with our questions and her responses. In addition, our new Ag Commissioner visited with a small group of beef producers in Polk County in December at the Lightsey Ranch. Though I was invited, I was unable to attend due to my work schedule. However, I had a long conversation with Cary Lightsey after that meeting with the Commissioner and the group’s overall reaction to Commissioner Fried was positive. The group was impressed with her overall knowledge of government and agriculture, and looks
forward to helping her learn more about the beef industry. I was also told she is factually well versed on the algae bloom situation and is pro agriculture and pro conservation. The meeting also included a conversation about the Florida State Fair, and that is a topic that she is studying. Carey also told me that Commissioner Fried was anxious to have the group’s immediate support, but was told in Cary’s words, “We create relationships and stay with them.” That is a process that takes place over time, leading to a long-term partnership. This type of outreach is a very important facet of Farm Bureau action in Florida. It is essential to have our top agricultural official aware of our industry and its challenges, so she can respond in a manner that reflects an up-to-date, fact-based understanding. If that is of value to you and your family, please help us by joining Farm Bureau and getting involved. Please remember you don’t have to be a farmer or rancher to join. For more information, visit: hcfarmbureau.org, call us at 813-685-9121. Thank you,
Dennis Carlton Jr. Dennis Carlton Jr. - President
305 SOUTH WHEELER STREET • PLANT CITY, FL 33566 • 813-685-9121 Board of Directors
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Dennis Carlton, Jr. , President; Jake Raburn, Vice-President; Tony Lopez Treasurer; Buddy Coleman, Secretary; Christina Andrlik, Carl Bauman, Jake Cremer, Tiffany Dale, Carson Futch, Jim Frankowiak, Chip Hinton, John Joyner, Lawrence McClure, Sambahv,Jay Marty Tanner, Vincent Tort, Will Womack, Gayle Yanes Judi Whitson, Executive Director
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When you’re pregnant, there are so many questions. WHERE TO HAVE YOUR BABY shouldn’t be one of them. Which car seat? What stroller? And oh, the discussions about the name. With so many questions surrounding a new baby, we want to give you one definitive and easy answer. The hospital you choose. At BayCare’s South Florida Baptist Hospital, we have exceptional doctors and nurses to give you and your new baby an extraordinary level of care during labor and delivery, in a comfortable, spacious room. If you’re expecting, or thinking about having a baby, come in and see for yourself. Take a tour of South Florida Baptist Hospital and sign up for one of our free prenatal classes. Visit SouthFloridaBaptistMaternity.org to register.
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January 2019
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POINSETTIA I’ve written about other holiday plants, so it’s time to ‘speak to’ the traditional one, the Poinsettia. This holiday favorite was introduced in the United States in 1825 by Joel Poinsett, the ambassador to Mexico. The classic Poinsettia is bright red, which is easier to establish for outdoor use than other colors. After much breeding, several other colors are available, including pink, peach, white, burgundy, yellow and marbled colors. What some think of as the flower is really the leaves, aka bracts. The actual flowers are the tiny clusters in the middle of the bracts. This is a “short day” plant, meaning it blooms when days are short and nights are long. Blooming requires an extended period of darkness. If planted near artificial light, like a street light or exterior house lighting after October 1, there will be a flowering delay. This tropical plant likes temperatures in the area of 75-80 degrees during the day and 65 degrees at night. Our temps range in that area and below right now! Indoors, don’t fertilize or overwater. Give it a drink only when the soil is dry. Use the index finger test: put finger in soil up to the knuckle. If dry, water. If moist or wet, do not water. You can plant Poinsettia outside after the last chance of frost has passed, which is generally around mid-February. Outdoors, it should be located in the sun and away from artificial light. Prune to four to six inches of stem on each branch; then fertilize monthly with a balanced fertilizer from March to October. This plant has received a bad reputation as being poisonous, but it’s not. There is a white, milky sap in the stem. But, if you are allergic to latex, you are probably better off not handling this plant.
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For more information about this holiday gem, please see the University of Florida publication, “Poinsettias at a Glance” by Sydney Park Brown, at: http://edis.ifas.ufl. edu/ep349, from which this information was adapted. For assistance with horticultural questions, call: 813-744-5519 or visit us at the UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, 5339 County Road 579, Seffner, FL 33584. And, check out our website and calendar of events at: http://sfyl.ifas.ufl. edu/hillsborough/upcoming-events/.
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Lynn Barber, Florida-Friendly LandscapingTM Agent UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County
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Business Up Front
by: Breanne Williams | Photos Courtesy of Tori Nizmanoff
Suncoast Community Health Centers, Inc. brings quality care to all in need
THE NOT-FOR-PROFIT FACILITIES ARE CHAINING THE WAY COMMUNITIES HAVE ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE. Suncoast Community Health Centers, Inc. has been providing what one traditionally finds in health care facilities. Every exceptional medical to care for any in need for more than 40 single employee has a heart for serving others, according to years. Herremans, and that allows them to go above and beyond when providing care. It all began in Ruskin in the 1977 when there was a need for a primary care clinic for a local migrant community. Four or five He said when new employees are brought on board they are people worked out of a trailer to ensure they received the told if they are here to serve they are being welcomed into a best care available and it didn’t take long for that enthusiasm new family and will have a long career at Suncoast. If they’re to help others to spread. here to bide their time or get experience and then leave for a “cushy” job, they aren’t going to make it. The company became federally qualified and now is able to ensure everyone is seen and cared for regardless of ability Fraziar said he sees that heart for others echoed in everyone to pay. It uses a sliding fee scale and medical visits can be as he works with. He himself started at Suncoast developing his affordable as $15 or $25. The clinics are as far south as Ruskin medial education. When he saw the way the not-for-profit faand as far east as Lakeland. Last year alone more than 56,000 cility was able to make lasting impacts in its patients lives he patients stopped in for a total of more than 215,000 visits, acwas hooked. Several students have transitioned into employcording to Brad Herremans, CEO of Suncoast. ment with the company and many stay for decades. “One of the things we are most proud of is some of the dental programs we have,” Herremans said. “We have a range of services from medical to dental to pharmacy and pediatrics. Without us being in these locations providing the services at the price we do, many of these children, many of these families would not receive care… That’s one of the things that really drives our staff. When you see a child come in and they are in pain and suffering, how do you turn them away just because of their ability to pay? We saw a need and we are working to fill it.” The company recently completed construction on a new clinic in Plant City. The multi-floored building is able to bring all of its services under one roof. The grand opening was Jan. 7 and Shari Sun, clinic administrator for the building, said people were lined up all morning long for the 1 p.m. opening. “We can see anywhere from 180 to 200 patients a day in our new facility including all services like adult and internal medicine, family medicine, women’s health, pediatrics, dental and more,” Sun said. “One of the unique things we are doing in this clinic is integrating health care. In pediatrics we have a dental hygienist embedded in the department…. We are integrating the behavioral health treatment room into pediatrics and the adult clinic. We’re looking at the whole person, not just one part.” Taking the time to examine any potential behavioral health issues is an innovative way to provide healthcare. Brett Fraziar, associate medical director of the Plant City branch, said he believes this is the future of health care. Treating a multitude of issues at once will help stem a problem at its root rather than simply continue to treat symptoms. Sun agreed, saying Suncoast may one day be able to even include mental health treatment into its facilities. PAGE
Suncoast staff members work with a different mindset than
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“We have patients coming in that have never been treated for some of these problems,” Sun said. “Because of our partnerships we are able to provide some truly incredible and important services at an affordable cost, specifically with our women’s health and dental units.” As the company continues to expand and grow it is able to reach more and more of those in need throughout the area. The majority of the staff is bilingual and the multiple facilities are able to act as a one-stop-shop providing adult and pediatric medical care, dental care, pediatric dental care, x-rays, lab services, pharmacies and more. “The neat thing to me is our patients have been so excited,” Fraziar said. “We’ve been talking about this transition into the new facility here in Plant City for probably a year now. Our patients are proud to come to a place that’s beautiful. They don’t just need a good provider, they need a good facility to come to.”
For more information: Visit: suncoast-chc.org or its Facebook page Locations: Brandon Community Health Center: 313 S. Lakewood Dr. Brandon Ruskin Health Center: 2814 14th Ave. SE Ruskin Oakfield Community Dental Care: 710 Oakfield Dr. Suite #105 Brandon Thonotosassa Community Health Center: 9555 E. Fowler Avenue Thonotosassa Palm River Community Health Center: 7728 Palm River Rd. Tampa Tom Lee Community Health Center: 14254 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Dover Plant City Family Care: 801 East Baker Street Plant City Wimauma Community Health Center: 5121 State Rd. 674 Wimauma SCHC Women’s Care of Lakeland: 1729 Lakeland Hills Boulevard Lakeland Mobile Medical Coach: Appointment Line: 813-653-6100 Mobile Dental Program: For Information: 813-653-6100 WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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Tampa Bay Fishing Report February 2019 Capt. Woody Gore
Snook: Still catch and release until May 10, 2019 Fishing is one of those on then off again things in the cooler months and it also depends on the bait situation. They do seem to be making a recovery, but there is still no reason to open a season on them until we have some decent fishable numbers. The size being caught is average to small, but if the season remains closed the larger fish will come. If you can get live baits you're ahead of the game. Greenbacks off the flats usually run smaller during the cooler months, so downsize your circle hooks and leader. As temperatures drop and you feel like you just have to target snook, look for deep water canals, rivers, creeks with deep muddy-bottoms.
Redfish: Still catch and release until May 10, 2019. When the cooler weather shows up, the algae dies off and the clearer waters can trigger some good site fishing. Also the low winter tides make red fishing a shallow water anglers dream. As usual the reds are hanging in mullet schools so chunk in some cut or live bait. If you like walking shallowwater in waders; be sure to toss a few artificial’s into those sandy pot holes. With over 200 species of fish in Tampa Bay you never know what you’re going to pull out. There is also some exciting action when pitching soft plastics or MirrOLure topwater lures around the mangroves especially on in coming tides because redfish tend to be more active during tide changes.
Spotted Sea Trout: Take an incoming or outgoing tides then add a MirrOLure Top Dog lure and start walking it across the surface of a broken bottom grass flat. Now prepare yourself for some fantastically awesome trout action, especially on a cool, calm, early Tampa Bay morning. But when the sun comes up, don’t forget the old standby, live shrimp, or a DOA under a popping cork for some fast fish results. The trout population is getting stronger and some larger ones are showing up. The 20 plus inch fish seem to be more plentiful than I can remember. Don’t forget to put a few back since those over 20 inches are the breeders and without them we don’t get any more.
Snapper and Sheepshead: Note of Caution: In-line Circle Hooks (Florida & Federal Regulations require all recreational anglers and commercial fishers using natural baits and targeting any reef species including snappers, in Gulf waters and inshore waters which include Tampa Bay must use In-line circle hooks. Be sure they are not off-set hooks, since hook manufacturers make both kinds.)
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Capt. Woody Gore (www.captainwoodygore.com)
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When you’re going out for some snapper action it never seems to be a problem with plenty both nearshore and all around Tampa Bay. And WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
over the bay anglers are coming in with a few really nice snapper and white grunts. Most docks are also holding plenty of both snappers and sheepshead. The south end near the Skyway Bridge and south end channels and rock piles are producing some good sized fighters. Over the years and depending on the depth and current I’ve found a slip sinker rig very effective in catching snapper or sheeps. Sheepshead: Sheepsheads are found around bridges, oyster bars and deep water docks. Try using green mussels, fiddlers (if you can find them), small black rock crabs, shrimp or oysters and scrape the pilings to get them going. Here’s my slip sinker rig. First, attach a 15-30” Seaguar Premier Fluorocarbon leader directly to Seaguar 20# Smackdown Braded main line. Next comes a small soft glow bead, egg sinker (size depending on depth and current) another small soft glow bead and finally a 1/0 Daiichi In-line Circle Hook. The soft glow beads allow the leader to slip freely through the egg sinker without sticking on the leader to braid or leader to hook knots. This allows the bait to be held directly on the bottom and if using live bait it can swim free of the sinker.
Cobia: Cooler temps should push the fish into or near warm water run offs at local power plants. When fishing these restricted areas be sure to adhere to the rules. Also don’t forget to check the shallow water beach edges adjacent to the power plant runoffs because they also seem to hold some nice fish.
“Give Me a Call & Let’s Go Fishing”
813-477-3814
Captain Woody Gore is the area’s top outdoor fishing guide. Guiding and fishing the west central Florida areas for over fifty years; he offers world class fishing adventures and a lifetime of memories. Multi-boat Group Charters With years of organizational experience and access to the areas most experienced captains, Captain Woody can arrange and coordinate any outing or tournament. Just tell him what you need and it’s done.
Visit his website at: WWW.CAPTAINWOODYGORE.COM send an email to wgore@ix.netcom.com or give me a call at 813-477-3814 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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In the 1890s Henry B. Plant originally held what was to become the Florida State Fair to promote his Tampa Bay Hotel. In 1904, Tampa Bay Hotel manager T.J. Laud-Brown revived the fair concept when he, city founders, and railroad officials put on what is considered the first-ever Florida State Fair. The event—called the South Florida Fair—was held on 27 acres next to the Tampa Bay Hotel, at a site that is now home to the University of Tampa. The event included five races for betting and a building housing agricultural exhibits. In 1915 the Florida State Mid-Winter Festival officially became known as The Florida State Fair. In 1975, Florida State Legislature created the Florida State Fair Authority and designated the Tampa event as the official Florida State Fair. In 1977, the fair was held at its current location at Interstate 4 and U.S Highway 301 in eastern Hillsborough County for the first time.
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When you take your marriage vows it is supposed to be until “Death Do Us Part,” however many marriages end up in divorce. There’s nothing like divorce to bring out the worst in people. Attorneys who specialize in family law share the craziest antics they’ve had the pleasure of witnessing over the years. (Out of respect for their clients, they’ve requested to remain anonymous.)
One Attorney in Texas said, “I find it funny when a client is ordered to provide a hair follicle drug test, then shows up for the test having shaved their head, not realizing hair follicle tests can be achieved with leg hair, hair from the armpit or pubic hair; it’s even better when the client realizes that any hair can be used, so waxes their whole body and calls it a ‘lifestyle choice.’”
“One of my clients had a chemical peel before her deposition so she could look good in front of her husband. Instead, her skin turned bright red and began falling off of her face during the meeting!”
The story is told, “One night my client was leaning on the kitchen counter, shooting the breeze with his wife and she said to him, ‘Do you want chicken or fish tonight for dinner? I need to know what to take out of the freezer. Oh, and by the way, I’m having an affair with the next door neighbor so I want a divorce.’ Her nonchalance really threw him into a tailspin; if she could break that kind of news to him as easily as ‘chicken or fish,’ what else did she have up her sleeve? He became convinced she was trying to kill him to expedite her love plans with the neighbor and that she’d accomplish this by poisoning his food. He installed a deadbolt on his bedroom, bought himself a mini-fridge and a hotplate and he didn’t leave his room until the mandatory waiting period to finalize the divorce expired.”
After a lengthy and harshly contested divorce case, the wife looked out her window on the day after the trial ended and saw a moving van at the house next door. It was her ex moving in. He had purchased their neighbor’s house secretly during the trial.
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One attorney said, “The only thing my client wanted from the house were her son’s bar mitzvah pictures. We agreed that her husband would keep the album and she would get all the prints. When the prints were delivered to her, she realized that her image had been cut out of all the photos. When she confronted her ex about this he claimed, ‘Oops, your sister must have done it to make me look bad.’”
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This is a good one! “This was a hotly contested divorce. The husband (who had been having an affair) agreed to buy out the wife’s interest in their home for WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
more money than the wife would have received if she had kept the home and sold it herself. When the couple appeared in court to finalize the divorce, the wife, who had previously agreed to everything, refused to sign the papers unless the husband gave her every last landscaping rock surrounding the house. She didn’t want to be paid for the value of the rocks. She wanted the husband to agree to rip out those exact rocks from the front yard and give them back to her because she claimed they were a gift from her father. At the time, she lived in an apartment.” A Florida attorney said “My client hated his wife so much that the mere idea of her having his toolbox was special to him. He asked for temporary use and possession in a $3,000 hearing (actual cost of attorney’s fees) for tools that were worth $500. By the time we drafted the motion for his use and possession of tools, I advised him that I could have bought him a top-ofthe-line new set at my hourly rate — and without looking so petty in front of the judge. Opposing counsel was in the same boat, arguing over the same, silly tools. The judge called us into her office mid-hearing, and literally laughed out loud for a solid minute before she told us to get out of her courtroom and make our clients behave.” During a very heated divorce, it came as somewhat of a surprise when the wife, who had been fighting for the contents of the house, quickly agreed to give up the living room furniture set to her husband, who had moved to a new place. When the movers delivered the furniture, the husband started wheezing and sneezing within minutes. He was allergic to cats, something his former wife knew. Turns out that right after he moved out, she bought three longhaired Persian kitties. Their favorite place to sleep and shed? You guessed it...all over the velvety, soft living room furniture. “I represented a woman in a divorce. When I told her that she would receive over $300,000 per month in support she said to me, ‘How am I going to live on that?’ I guess the husband couldn’t live with that, either; he died of a heart attack before the divorce was finalized.” A dietitian was addressing a large audience in Chicago: “The material we put into our stomachs is enough to have killed most of us sitting here, years ago. Red meat is awful. Soft drinks erode your stomach lining. Chinese food is loaded with MSG. Vegetables can be disastrous to some and none of us realize the longterm harm caused by the germs in our drinking water. But there is one thing that is the most dangerous of all and we all have eaten or will eat it. Can anyone here tell me what food it is that causes the most grief and suffering for years after eating it?” A 75-year-old man in the front row stood up and said, “Wedding cake.” INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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DIRT FARMING GENES
It has been said that our past generations are the keys to our future. We carry down their knowledge and traditions more than we realize. Vicki Parsons comes from a long line of farmers who worked the land and reaped its benefits. “I'm a sixth-generation Florida farmer,” Parsons said. “One of my ancestors was the first female graduate of the University of Florida because Florida State College for Women didn't have a degree program in agriculture.” The ancestor Parsons is referring to is Lassie Goodbread-Black who was a farmer and educator. In 1925, she became the first woman to enroll at the University of Florida, in the College of Agriculture. In 2000, Goodbread was named a “Great Floridian” by the state of Florida. “My grandfather worked very hard to get off the farm and became the master electrician at Cecil Air Field in Jacksonville, and sent my father to UF,” Parsons said. “He started working in my mother's family business but ended up growing roses and stephanotis in Key West, so I figure I have dirt farming in my genes.” Parsons is the Founder and CEO of Neem Tree Farms in Brandon. “I am a journalist by training and I’m still the editor of Bay Soundings (www.baysoundings.com), but grew food and roses for fun and rescue dogs,” Parsons said. “I developed a horrible chemical sensitivity in the late 1980’s that made it impossible for me to risk exposure to anything toxic, so Neem offered an alternative that would let me continue to garden and live with a house full of dogs.” She found a man who had successfully imported neem seeds and was selling the plants in early 1992 and bought a dozen to try. “I also bought a copy of a book published by the National Academy Press called ‘Neem: A Tree for Solving Global Problems.’ My husband and I read it and decided we needed to start growing neem commercially. We planted our first 500 neem trees in 1992, expecting to sell leaves, bark and oil to other companies to be made into final products.” The couple soon discovered they were too far north to grow neem commercially, but by then they had been bitten by the neem bug. “About that time, the Internet became a viable marketing opportunity and we created the nation’s first comprehensive website on neem in 1996,” Parsons said. Parsons did a story for Bay Soundings on urban agriculture and talked to people who were growing enough food to
share. “We grow most of our trees in a greenhouse and ship living plants but we also have a couple of acres in trees we grow to sell fresh leaf and chew sticks,” Parsons said. “Since I was paying somebody to mow under the trees, it was a sensible step to see what I could grow under them to share.” The first year Parsons gave away nearly 1,000 pounds of Seminole Pumpkins but discovered that sweet potatoes didn't outcompete the weeds. “The second year we had fewer pumpkins because we had terrible slugs, but then we planted Daikon Radish that were so successful that we couldn't give them all away,” Parsons said. “They rotted, then attracted centipedes which ate the slugs and we had another bumper crop of pumpkins.” Parsons shared some of the pumpkins with ECHO in Brandon for Halloween and the Cafe of Hope for Thanksgiving. Both ECHO and Café of Hope are organizations in the Brandon area that help those who are food insecure or in need of food. “We took a giant pot of Daikon radishes to the Cafe of Hope for Thanksgiving and we're starting to get radishes big enough to share,” Parsons said. “The radishes and pumpkins were Will Carey of Tampa Bay Harvest’s idea because both can sit on a kitchen counter unrefrigerated for months so they don't need to be used immediately or take up valuable food space. They're also super-easy to grow and transport well, both critical concerns for food kitchens. We're also growing papayas and bananas but they're not coming in large enough quantities to share with anyone but employees and neighbors.” Parsons loves being involved with Tampa Bay Harvest because of all the good it does for those in need in the Tampa Bay area. “My parents and grandparents on my mother's side were always involved in food kitchens,” Parsons said. “I don't necessarily cook or serve the food, but it's a family tradition to be part of helping people when they need it most.” If you would like to learn more about Neem Tree Farms and the products they offer or if you would like some yard-sized amounts of seeds to grow their own food for an SASE, you can visit them on the web at www.neemtreefarms.com or contact Parsons at 1-877-500-6336. Neem Tree Farms is located at 602 Ronele Drive in Brandon, Fla. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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By Libby Hopkins
LAUREN WALDEN NEW DISTRICT SUPERVISOR FOR AGRICULTURE AND OTHER CAREER EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
Hillsborough County School District has named Lauren Walden, a current Supervisor with Career, Technical, and Adult Education to oversee Agriculture Education, along with Culinary Arts and Automotive programs throughout the District. Overseeing the Agriculture branch of CTE is new to Lauren and coincidentally, she replaces her aunt, Pam Walden, who previously retired and was responsible for Agriculture and the ROTC programs within the county. “When the time came to look at who would replace my aunt after retirement, I was the one in the office with the Agriculture background,” said Lauren. “Knowing that I grew up in FFA and was familiar with the Agriculture community, my boss, Workforce Connections Officer Scott Brooks, asked if I would take on the Agriculture programs along with my other programs.” Walden’s position responsibilities now include Culinary Arts and Automotive programs, as well as Agriculture throughout the Hillsborough school district. “Being a product of Agriculture Education, I am motivated to get teachers the support and resources they need to make their programs successful and help prepare students for their next steps in life,” said Walden. “I grew up in a very Agriculture-centered family. Our family farmed strawberries dating back to my great-great-grandfather Larry Walden. My father, Jim Walden, grew strawberries in the Dover area for many years. He also was a Director with the Florida Strawberry Festival for over 20 years and served on the committee that formed the first steer show at the Strawberry Festival.
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Walden also mentioned her father Jim retired from Farm Credit where he was
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responsible for helping to start the annual Farm Credit Salute to Agriculture Breakfast, which hosts the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and is still held each year in March. “My father passed away from cancer when I was 13, but my mother, Linda, stayed very active in the Strawberry Festival and made sure I stayed active in Agriculture throughout my middle and high school years,” stated Walden. “My sister, Suzanne Cribbs is a teacher on Tomlin Middle School’s Natural Resources STEM team and also carries on a family tradition in the Strawberry Festival and serves as an Associate Director on the Festival Board. My brother-inlaw, Tim Cribbs, has taught Agriculture for over 35 years in Hillsborough County and has been at Durant High School since it opened. Both my niece Caitlin Cribbs and my nephew Joshua Cribbs served as Florida FFA State Officers,” Walden added. “I was very active in FFA, starting in the 7th grade at Marshall Junior High School.” “Mr. John Altizer was my first Ag teacher and he encouraged me to become an FFA officer and to participate in my first FFA contest, Forestry. I stayed active throughout high school, participating in Parliamentary Procedure, Ornamental Horticulture Demonstration and Forestry among other contests. I also enjoyed raising and showing rabbits, chickens and steers each year at the Strawberry Festival,” she added. Walden attended the University of Florida (UF) where she earned a B.S. in Telecommunications and also worked at the university news station, WRUF, “on numerous coaches’ shows and Gator Zone, the university’s athletic show. She was also active on campus as a member of the Alpha Chi Omega So-
By Jim Frankowiak
rority. After receiving her undergraduate degree at UF, she went on to work in the field of production at ABC Action News for three years, including 2004 when multiple hurricanes hit the state. “When I was given the opportunity to teach at Randall Middle School my family’s educational roots prompted me to make the career change,” said Walden. She taught Reading and Exceptional Student Education (ESE) at Randall Middle School for several years before moving to Tampa Bay Technical High School to teach Television Production for five years. “I was offered the chance to become a District Resource Teacher for Career and Technical Education, which later lead to becoming a Supervisor of Industrial Education. I received my Master’s in Educational Leadership from University of South Florida and I have been a Supervisor of Career, Technical and Adult Education now for over three years. “I know the importance of Career, Technical and Adult Education programs and the multiple opportunities they can provide for our students,” said Walden. “As a CTE Supervisor I am able to work with teachers and industry partners to help students have the real world experiences they need to be productive members of our community and to learn skills to carry with them into a career. “Since making the career change to agriculture education, I have enjoyed seeing some of my former Ag teachers, Mr. Ray Clark and Mr. Bob Wilder, at various events and knowing that I am in a position to help preserve and prosper those traditions in Agriculture Education they built and instilled in me,” Walden said.
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our new location in Brooksville and begin a new chapter in the Everglades Equipment Group story. Mike Schlechter, President
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GREATER PLANT CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EXPANDS AGRIBUSINESS COMMITTEE INITIATIVES; New Area Ag Tour Set for February
By Jim Frankowiak
It’s not a big secret that agriculture is important to Plant City and Plant City is important to agriculture. Back in 1986, the Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce established the Agribusiness Committee in testimony to that realization. The committee has expanded recognition awards and currently recognizes the Agriculturalist of the Year, Young Agriculturalist of the Year, Ag Education of the Year, Agribusiness of the Year and Supporter of Youth Agriculture. “This committee is a sub-committee of the Chamber’s Governmental Affairs Committee,” said Agbribusiness Committee Co-Chair, Gayle Yanes, who is Vice President and Regional Market Manager for Farm Credit of Central Florida. “Our committee felt that we could be doing more to tie the Ag community and the Chamber together by assisting both parties with education on how each can benefit the other. The Chamber can assist the Ag community by advocating in areas that are beneficial to Agriculture and what it brings to the Plant City community.” “On the other hand, the Ag community can help the Chamber by becoming more involved, joining the Chamber and allowing the Chamber to advocate and give the Ag community a voice in what’s going on in Plant City proper,” said Yanes. In addition to Yanes, the Committee’s other co-chair is Wesley Joyner of Pilot Bank. Other Committee mem-
bers and their affiliations are: Jim Jeffries, Florida Strawberry Festival; Dan Walden, Poppell Insurance/Florida Strawberry Festival; Pam Walden, retired Supervisor of Hillsborough County Schools Career, Technical & Adult Education; Lauren Walden, Supervisor of Hillsborough County Schools Career, Technical & Adult Education; Stephen Gran, Director of Hillsborough County Extension; Stephanie Conrad, Weeping Creek Ranch; Mike Lopez of West Coast Enterprises/Southside Stores; Jake Raburn, Hinton Farms and Jim Scott with Jarrett Scott Ford. The latest Ag Committee initiative is the Chamber Ag Tour scheduled for February 22. “The tour is being offered to Chamber members and the cost is $20 per person,” said Yanes, noting the initial tour is limited to 30 participants. Tour stops include the Florida State Farmers Market, the Audubon Ranch and the Oak Ridge Fish Hatchery, all in Plant City. Added stops include Hinton Farms in Dover and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Balm. “The tour stops offer an interesting mix of fruit and vegetable growers and a related facility, a cattle ranch, tropical fish farm, state run market for the sale and shipping of locally grown fruits and vegetables and a research facility dedicated to working with local growers to help assure their competitiveness in the global food market,” Yanes said.
Additional information on the tour and Chamber member is available by calling: 813-754-3707
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or by visiting the Chamber website: www.plantcity.org
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CROP INSURANCE: IT PAYS TO MANAGE YOUR RISK When you purchase risk management coverage with Farm Credit of Central Florida, we return a portion of our commission as patronage dividends to eligible stockholders. Patronage dividends could help lower the cost of insurance premiums, saving you money as you manage your risk. Farm Credit of Central Florida is glad to discuss how we can save you money on your crop insurance with patronage dividends. Feel free to contact our crop insurance specialist, Regina Thomas, at 407.721.4687 or rthomas@farmcreditcfl.com. Patronage dividend distribution is subject to eligibility. Certain limitations, conditions, and exclusions apply for crop insurance. Please refer to the policy for more details.
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Healing Horses
Healing Horses By Libby Hopkins
Bakas Equestrian Center Horses for Handicapped is a nonprofit organization that benefits Bakas Equestrian Centers Equine therapy program for children and adults with physical and developmental delay disabilities. It has been a dynamic part of the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department since 1987. “We hold classes for our riders, as well as groups of inner city children and children in foster care,” Blackhurst said. “We also have school children come out to learn about our facility.” The mission of the equestrian center is to provide recreational horseback riding opportunities for children and adults with emphasis on the disabled. They afford families and individuals with numerous networking opportunities in a social setting to increase abilities, self-esteem, and camaraderie through participation in challenge shows, Special Olympics and riding events.
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Winston Churchill once said, “No hour of life is wasted that is spent in the saddle.” Clients who are a part of the Bakas
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Equestrian Center Horses for Handicapped would agree with Mr. Churchill. “My daughter, Kayla Brown has been a rider at Bakas for the last three years,” said Bakas’ Communications Secretary Tamara Blackhurst. “She is 26-years-old and has always been around horses. She has Asperger’s and is shy around people. Bakas has given her the confidence to show at the Challenge Show and Special Olympics. I can’t tell you how much this program helped her come out of her shell. Her goal now is to do the PATH Program and be an instructor who works with people with disabilities, just like the wonderful people at Bakas.” Blackhurst started volunteering with Bakas by helping with their events. “I felt I needed to give back to this amazing program that has done extraordinary things to help my daughter,” Blackhurst said. “It is a place where our kids can be themselves and no one treats them differently from any other kid.” Not only has Blackhurst’s daughter gained from this program, she has too. “I’ve made some everlasting friends who understand the struggles and simple joys we all have,” Blackhurst WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
said. “I hope that we can get sponsors for our horse show, sponsors for our therapy horses and more volunteers to help our program. We really need the community to continue to help. It is truly a program that makes a difference.” Bakas covers the costs of riders by offering scholarships if they are needed, in addition to lessons, safety equipment, tack and apparatus for riders, as well as horse and facility supplies. “Sponsorship and donations are crucial for our program to continue to be successful,” Blackhurst said. Volunteers are another vital need for the program. “Numerous volunteers are needed on a regular basis to provide a safe environment for our riders,” Blackhurst said. “Volunteers assist with activities such as leading horses, walking next to horses to assist the rider with balance, performing chores in the barn, fundraising for events and so much more.” Parents of riders are required to volunteer and are encouraged to participate in monthly activities at the facility.
apy horses and are in need of sponsors for all of them. It costs us $3000 a year per horse.” The therapy horse sponsorship pays for feed, hay, vet and farrier services. Individual and corporate sponsorships are necessary to support the upkeep of the horses. Sponsors receive a plaque along with recognition of their generosity on the sponsored horse’s stall. Acknowledgement of sponsors is also given in publications and on the Bakas website. Monthly sponsorships are also available. A contribution of $250 will sponsor a horse for one month. If you would like to learn more about the Bakas Equestrian Center/Horses for Handicapped or if you’d like to volunteer or become a sponsor, you can visit them on the web at www.bakasridingcenter.com or call 813-264-3890. The equestrian center is located at 11510 Whisper Lake Trail in Tampa, Fla.
Blackhurst said in addition to volunteering, the other ways the community can help the nonprofit is through sponsorship. “We are in need of sponsors for our upcoming Fundraiser horse show, Bakas Charity Open Pleasure Circuit Series, which is being held at Lake Park in Lutz on March 10, April 7, and May 19,” Blackhurst said. “We also have 15 therINTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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Celebrating a most fruitful relationship
between Florida Strawberry Growers and International Paper.
1979
Together we’re sure to enjoy many more years of sweet success.
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Florida
Snow Peas By Sandy Sun, M.S. Clinical Medicines, B.S. Nutrition Science
Fresh Florida snow peas are at their peak now in the winter months. They are eaten whole, pods, seeds, and all. The pods are tender and less fibrous than that of snap beans or peas. They grow well in moderately cool, moist climates. Also known as sugar pea and edible-podded pea and mange-tout (French for “eat it all”), snow peas are sweet and crunchy and eaten either raw or cooked. The tender, flat pods are translucent with tiny tender sweet peas inside. Snow peas are harvested early, before the seeds accumulate starch and the pods swell. The main producers of snow peas in the United States are California, Florida, New Jersey, and Hawaii. There are many types of snow peas. Several that fare well in Florida are 'Oregon Sugar Pod' and 'Dwarf Sugar.' Sugar snap peas are different, and actually a cross between snow peas and garden peas.
Nutrition Snow peas are considered an excellent source of the antioxidant vitamins C, K, and A. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, one cup of fresh snow peas (98 g) contains 41 calories, 2.7 g protein, 0.2 g fat, 7.4 g carbohydrate, and 2.5 g of dietary fiber. It also provides 98% of the Daily Recommended Value (%DV) for vtamin C, 31% for vitamin K, 21% for vitamin A, 12% of manganese, 11% for iron, and10% for thiamin and folate. Fresh Florida snow peas also contain notable amounts of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
and lower high blood pressure. A healthy heart rhythm is influenced by these minerals. Potassium helps regulate fluids and mineral balance, aids in muscle contraction, and helps transmit nerve impulses.
Bone up on Vitamin K A one cup serving of Florida snow peas provides roughly one third of your daily vitamin K requirements. This vitamin is crucial in the blood clotting process and plays an extremely important role in bone health. Several large research studies, including the Nurses’ Health Study and the Framingham Heart Study have found that lower intakes of vitamin K were correlated to a higher risk of hip fracture in both men and women.
How to Select and Store CChoose firm, green pods that are free of blemishes. Fresh beans will snap crisply when bent. Examine the pointy ends and avoid those that are wrinkly or shriveled. Snow peas are best eaten as soon as possible, but can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three or four days. They can also be blanched and frozen to enjoy for later use.
How to Enjoy
Antioxidant vitamins Snow peas are high in a variety of nutrients, including antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins that work together to promote a healthy heart. This legume boasts high levels of the antioxidants vitamin C and vitamin A, which work to reduce the amount of free radicals in the body and prevent its damaging effects in cells. By fighting cell and tissue damage, Vitamin C protects against cancer and other diseases, such as the common cold. Vitamin C is important for a healthy immune system, cancer prevention, healthy blood circulation and wound healing. This vitamin also helps the body absorb more iron, and aids in the development of strong bones and teeth.
Fresh snow peas are delicious eaten raw, out-of-hand. They can be served with other raw vegetables and dip or placed in any salad. They can also be boiled, steamed, roasted, or grilled. Snow peas are fairly delicate and are cooked for a very short time, if they are cooked at all. Any sauce or simply a pinch of salt and fresh herbs can enhance their flavor. Here are some more ideas: • Boil in salted water until crisp-tender, about 1-2 minutes • Stir-fry snow peas Asian style with teriyaki sauce and sesame seeds • Toss raw or steamed snow peas into salads • Sauté beans with butter and sliced almonds for an easy side dish • Toss into soups and stews Enjoy fresh Florida snow peas in its peak season today. With its crisp sweet flavor, you can boost your health and lower your risk of cancer by eating more snow peas.
Minerals for a healthy heart
SELECTED REFERENCES
Snow peas are also high in other important nutrients, including potassium, magnesium, and folate. Potassium and magnesium work together to promote healthy heart functioning
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http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ http://www.whfoods.com http://www.wikipedia.org
Rob Gilbert there was done in pressure-packed environment. Or how about managing the first stages of research on a crop that investors and producers are clamoring for but that until the recent Farm Bill signing was labeled a Schedule I drug? Gilbert has helped promote accurate media coverage and a clear distinction between industrial hemp and marijuana by telling reporters that while they are both cannabis, so are Chihuahuas and Great Danes both dogs. And he has been quoted as saying of industrial hemp, “If you smoke it, you’ll be sorely disappointed.” When Gilbert interviewed for the job, he clearly identified top research priorities. Among them was HLB, and he will continue to advocate for researchers at the Citrus Research and Education Center. In fact, Gilbert says his first job will be to continue the momentum he’s inheriting from retiring Dean Jackie Burns. Last year she presided over a UF/IFAS record $166 million in contracts and grants. That was up 54 percent from the previous year.
By Jack Payne All those agricultural scientists that the University of Florida has in Wimauma, Ruskin and Lake Alfred have a new boss whose job it is to help them succeed. Rob Gilbert will essentially be my right-hand man for Florida agriculture R&D. That’s good news for Hillsborough and Polk counties, because Gilbert has a record of helping other scientists at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences succeed. He spent his career seemingly preparing for this job. He knows how our off-campus research stations like the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center and the Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory work. He ran the Everglades Research and Education Center in Belle Glade as director. He knows how academic departments work – he served as chair of the UF/ IFAS Agronomy Department. Grant money to the Everglades REC increased by 365 percent on Gilbert’s watch. Since he took over the Agronomy Department, funding is up by 136 percent. He’s done all this in an environment where he’s had federal funding agencies, producers, environmentalists, local politicos, university administrators, and even law enforcement looking over his shoulder. He’s succeeded in sugar and hemp. He can handle tomatoes, cattle, berries, and other Hillsborough-Polk commodities. If you’ve heard anything about sugar in the Everglades, then you can appreciate that Gilbert’s work as a cane scientist
Hillsborough County Farm Bureau President and Florida Strawberry Growers Association Executive Director Kenneth Parker called Burns “a rock-solid supporter and true friend to many of us here in Hillsborough County,” someone distinguished by “her leadership and work ethic.” Gilbert takes over from Burns this month. I made sure to have their jobs overlap for a few weeks for a smooth transition and for Gilbert to download as much as he can from Burns before she and her career’s worth of knowledge departs. Though research is his domain now, Gilbert also appreciates the value of Extension. As a member of UF President Kent Fuchs’ Goal-Setting Task Force, he championed the inclusion of Extension in the resulting Decade Ahead plan. All of this is why I’ve promoted him for a third time in eight years. He’s an accomplished scientist and an accomplished leader. Gilbert will face the huge challenge of overseeing agricultural research in a state that produces some 300 commodities. That’s a lot of ground to cover, and he intends to start covering it on a listening tour in early 2019. Gilbert appreciates the value of impactful research. Memories of the muck in and on his shoes in the cane field remind him it takes hard work to make that impact. There’s no reason for him to believe it’s any different in the grove, on the ranch, in a strawberry field, or in the dean’s office.
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Jack Payne is the University of Florida’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and leader of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
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NEW FARM BUREAU DIRECTOR ‘PASSIONATE’ ABOUT AGRICULTURE Gayle Yanes, a newly elected Hillsborough County Farm Bureau Director, is passionate about agriculture. While that’s not unusual for Farm Bureau leaders, it is when you consider Yanes’ “Motor City” roots. Yes, she is a “city” girl that’s come to know and love all things Ag. She was born in Dearborn Heights, a suburb of Detroit, but left after getting married after high school. Her then husband was a member of the U.S. Air Force and they spent the next two-and-a-half years in England. They then moved to Tampa as he was reassigned to MacDill Air Force Base and on to Homestead Air Force Base, residing in Key Largo. Her first marriage ended after nearly six years. She moved to Homestead and worked on a construction site with responsibility for coordinating activities related to various trades and their work at the job site. It was there that she met her husband Dale and they have been married for 31 years. Gayle and Dale are the parents of Amanda, 27; Jennifer, 25; Kristin, 23 and Dale’s son Dustin, who is 35. They have three grandchildren. In 1989, Yanes left the construction business and joined Farm Credit of South Florida and “that’s where my knowledge of agriculture began and also my passion for all things Ag,” she said. She was initially a loan assistant and became active in the Dade County Agri-Council, holding a number of offices and especially active in the annual Dade County Youth Fair where “the sale of fruit, vegetables and plants helped to fund scholarships for youth.”
By Jim Frankowiak
In December of 2015, Yanes joined Farm Credit of Central Florida as Vice President and Regional Market Manager, providing leadership to a team of lenders for Commercial & Residential loans in areas of business development and portfolio management in the 13 counties served. She also continues her participation in community affairs, including serving as Vice President of the Polk County Cattlewomen. “The opportunity to continue to learn about agriculture is important to me and to the farmers and ranchers we serve,” said Yanes. “Keeping abreast of their challenges enables us to assist them and the industry.” Her election to the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau Board fosters her ongoing commitment to learning about agriculture and enhancing her passion for the industry. “I have come to realize the importance of helping to educate non-Ag residents about the important of agriculture, as well as the challenges farmers and ranchers face. Farm Bureau is a natural partner and we work hand-in-hand in a range of activities designed to help the industry,” she said. “Throughout all of my activities with farmers and ranchers, I am continually gratified with how welcoming they have been to me from my first experiences in the Keys right through to the current time. They are good people and I am so happy to work with them and help in most any way that I can.” Welcome to the Farm Bureau Board Gayle, and thank you for your support and interest in Ag.
After seven years with Farm Credit in Homestead, Yanes was given the opportunity to join Farm Credit of North Florida, based in Gainesville where she was a loan officer involved with underwriting agricultural and home loans. She also earned her Associate of Arts degree with Honors at Santa Fe Community College in Business and Accounting, not an easy task for a full-time loan officer who was also the mother of a growing family. Nine years later, Yanes and her family moved to Raleigh, North Carolina and an initial position as Home Loan Manager with AgCarolina Farm Credit. Two years later, she was named Branch Manager responsible for a range of managerial and administrative functions, including marketing, new business development, human resources and credit management. “I also learned about different crops such as tobacco, cotton and soybeans and furthered my involvement with various Ag groups that included FFA and 4-H, as well as others,” Yanes said.
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Yanes also continued her education while based in North Carolina, attending and earning her bachelor’s degree Magna Cum Laude in Business Administration & Accounting from North Carolina Wesleyan College & University.
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FLORIDA GROWN HOPS A Positive Future, but More Work Needs to be Done By Jim Frankowiak Prior to 2015 the growth of hops in Florida was practically non-existent. Significant strides have been made thanks to an initiative suggested and supported by a number of Florida craft brewers. Hops are flowers of the hop plant used primarily as a bittering, flavoring and stability agent in beer. Hops are a climbing plant, trained to grow up trellises made from strings or wires that support the plants and allow them significantly greater growth with the same sunlight. Hops plants are planted in rows seven to 15 feet apart. At harvest time, vines (they are actually referred to as “bines”) are pulled down and flowers are separated from vines mechanically and then taken to a hop house for drying. The number of craft beer breweries in Florida has increased substantially from 66 in 2013 to 243 in 2017, and the number continues to grow. This growing industry has created a significant demand for locally produced hops, coinciding with a need among Florida growers for alternative specialty crops. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) began testing hops in late 2015. The tests have been supported by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumers Services (FDACS) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, Hillsborough County Economic Development, local brewers, the GCREC and other allies. Donations have been provided by the Bailey Family Foundation, Redner Family Foundation, Cigar City Brewing, Coppertail Brewing, 3-Daughers Brewing; Hopsteiner, Chemical Dynamics & Crooked Can Brewing Company.
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Lead GCREC researchers include Dr. Zhanao Deng whose focus is the variety of hops best suited for Florida and the breeding of new varieties; and Dr. Shinsuke Agehara with emphasis on the photoperiod manipulation and the most costeffective production practices that lead to optimum yields. Collaborators include Drs. Gary Vallad, Hugh Smith and Johan Desaeger, all faculty members at the GCREC, Hillsborough County’s Simon Bollin and Sonia Tighe of the Florida Specialty Crop Foundation.
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This new Florida specialty crop faced challenges. Among those was day length. The Pacific Northwest is a major hops production area. Day length there can be more than 16 hours during the early summer, while here in Florida it is typically less than 14 hours throughout the year. The insufficient day length cause plants to initiate flowering at an immature growth state, limiting yields significantly. This shortcoming in Florida day length was overcome by GCREC researchers with the addition of LED lights located above the trellises where hop plants were grown. This resulted in plant growth to the top of trellises and the development of cones at the same time, enabling a single harvest and therefore less labor. GCREC researchers are also exploring a number of hop varieties to determine which are best suited for Florida. Fourteen varieties have been involved in trials at the GCREC. They have also recognized that Florida’s climate permits two crops per year from the same hops plants. Hop plants in the Pacific Northwest typically mature after several years and achieve full productivity for up to10 to 15 years. Florida hop maturity and productivity has yet to be determined. Trials at the GCREC have shown higher production from certain varieties in the spring, while others are more productive in the fall. Top performing hop varieties harvest this past spring included Cascade, Comet and Galena. Preliminary findings on the fall harvest showed top performance from Galena, Cascade and Willamette varieties The GCREC research team has made significant advances on the study of hop production in Florida. Initial obstacles have been overcome and the ongoing results, including the brewing of beer with Florida-grown hops has won praise from the brewers and consumers, but additional work is planned. Breeding lines developed here would offer better adaptation to Florida’s climate and production practices have to be finalized that offer the greatest cost-effectiveness coupled with WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
the best yield. Production considerations such as trellis height, the number of wires per row and other variables along with an overall economic analysis are planned, short-term considerations that will be included in the next proposal for financial support from FDACS. In addition, GCREC Director Dr. Jack Rechcigl recently reached out to the Washington embassy of the Czech Republic, a country well known for its beer and production of hops varieties, with an invitation to visit the Center to view the hop trials. The Czech visiting delegation, included administrators and researchers from different universities, as well as representatives from the Republic’s hops research institute. The next step in this potential international partnership is a visit to the Czech Republic by a team from the GCREC, hopefully leading to the formalization of a partnership of benefit to the Republic and GCREC.
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WAT TEMPLE OFFERS LEGENDARY THAI FOOD
Each Sunday the Wat temple in Tampa draws thousands of guests to its weekly market, which serves up what is arguably the best Thai food in all of Tampa Bay. Photos by Jackie Benitez The Wat Mongkolratanaram, otherwise known as the Wat Temple, is a hidden haven for lovers of authentic Thai food. Each Sunday the temple, 5306 Palm River Rd., holds a market between 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., drawing thousands of guests to the picnic grounds located adjacent to the temple along the banks of the Palm River. Though there are essentially three extensive parking lots on site, many cars find themselves parallel parked on the side of the road as people flood into the grounds. Once you enter the property it doesn’t take long to see why the Wat is such a cherished asset to the community. Temple volunteers prepare the food fresh each week and serve everything from meat kababs to Phat Thai (Pad Thai) to chicken curry. The line for the beloved Guiteow, which is a beef, pork or vegetable noodle soup, frequently wraps around the giant L-shaped porch the majority of the food is served on. Sometimes guests wait more than 45 minutes to grab a steaming hot bowl of the legendary soup. Though there are always a decent number of first timers the Wat has accumulated a loyal following. The majority of its patrons stroll up to the giant market and weave their way toward their preferred booth. They can be in and out in 15 minutes if they get there early enough and their experience shows in the way they split up and quickly file in the seemingly sporadic lines. Most tag-team the experience to cut down on waiting. If it’s your first time, come as early as you can to ensure you have time to slowly peruse the options. Any later than 10 a.m. and you’ll be facing long lines and heavy crowds. If you come after 12:30 p.m. odds are the majority of the booths will be sold out leaving just a handful of Thai desserts and fried bananas, taro root or sweet potatoes for the picking. Everything is cash only so have at least $20 to get a full experience. The food is cheap, but you’ll want to overindulge and buy enough for dinner, too. If you don’t know exactly what you want and decide to buy a little of everything the meals can quickly add up. Come with a group to cut down on the overall price. If you want the best trip bring a small group and arrive well before 10 a.m. Remember, the porch is shaped like an L. One person hit the far left side of the building that faces the parking lot. They will grab the spring or egg rolls and the curry dishes or Phat Thai. You can easily get all for between $10 and $15, depending on how many meals you pick up. Another of your group should hit the other end of the same row and the booths at the curve of the building. They will
Your last party member will inevitably have to wait the longest. Have them stand in the line for the booth at the far end of the other side of the L-shaped porch. Depending on when you get there you can walk right through a weaving queue and up to the ordering station or you may have to wait in a line that wraps around the corner of the long deck. Either way, it’s worth it. This is the Guiteow (soup) line. Bowls are small ($6) or large ($8) and come with either traditional or fine nearly angel hair shaped noodles. You choose to add either vegetables only, beef or pork balls. The broth is rich and heavy and the flavoring is out of this world. At the end of a line is a station where you can add additional seasoning like fish broth, peppers or salt to the mix. While waiting in line two weeks ago the person in front of me said they regularly drive over an hour to get a bowl of the famed soup. One sip and suddenly the commute seems worth it. Once everyone has their piles of food head to a giant red picnic table. Again, coming early ensures a seat. Otherwise you’ll see people laying out blankets they’ve tugged along from home and eating in the grass. Spread out your feast and let the entire group try a little of every dish. There’s always too much so be prepared to fight over left overs. Though the food is what created the immense following, the ambiance at the temple grounds is serene. All under the Florida sun guests laugh and enjoy their meals while listening to fish jump from the river. Many attendees bring their dogs and will walk away with both left overs and a new orchid or plant from the flower booth at the edge of the lawn. The temple itself is utterly breathtaking. It’s 89 feet long and it’s gold roof glitters in the bright morning sun. The monks at the temple have graciously opened their sanctuary to the public and as long as guests are respectful they are welcome to take off their shoes and participate in a Q&A session from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 a.m. The Sunday service begins promptly at 1 p.m. and are conducted in Pali, however all are welcome to attend and take part in the chanting and meditation. The Wat is an experience unlike any other. Once you’ve gone, it’s hard to go longer than a month without itching to return. Regardless of how far you travel or how long you wait the Sunday market is worth the journey. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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need about $12 to $15 to pick up dessert — hands down the best is the mango sticky rice — as well as fried bananas and drinks for the group.
New Year - New Laws by John Dicks Celebrations are certainly in order with the beginning of a new year. In Florida, though, the change in the calendar also marks the start of a whole host of new laws.
inched upwards from $8.25 to $8.46. For tipped employees such as restaurant servers the paycheck is now pegged to at least $5.44 per hour.
It’s an annual tradition. It sneaks up on us at the stroke of midnight each new year, much like the dropping of the crystal ball on Times Square in New York.
All of this works out to an increase of about 2 1/2%, but it had nothing to do with action from the Florida Legislature. Instead, Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment in 2004 requiring an automatic annual calculation and adjustment based on the Consumer Price Index.
Maybe a better analogy is that the start of new laws in Florida kick in like the “Possum Drop” of Tallapoosa, Georgia. There, some 7,000 people gather together in the cold of night to bear witness to a stuffed, or taxidermied, opossum named Spencer being lowered to the hollering delight of fevered fans gathered together to party in a town formerly, and aptly, named Possum Snout! My New Year’s Eve celebration wasn’t nearly so hearty, but I do hope that yours was special, indeed! Nonetheless, back to our new laws. The big news for those of us making Hillsborough County our home is that the much debated and ultimately voter approved increase in sales tax started with the start of 2019. It makes ours now the highest in the state! For every dollar spent, we now cough up and extra penny and a half for sales taxes. Provided it’s spent wisely, one third of that will pay for school property improvements and the rest will go towards fixing and building roads, bridges and sidewalks along with a chunk of it paying for enhanced and expanded public mass transit. There is litigation challenging the constitutionality of the voter proposed transportation referendum, but already the extra taxes are being collected on the stuff we buy.
Incidentally, folks receiving Social Security benefits actually receive an even higher raise (at least slightly so). The new cost of living adjustment (COLA) for Social Security payments worked out to an increase for 2019 of some 2.8% There were several amendments to our state constitution which were passed by voters during the last election. Each of them seemed to carry different effective dates. Among the several starting up during the first week of January included the following. A permanent 10% cap on the annual increase of non-homestead property tax assessments. This keeps in place protections from exorbitant increases in annual property taxes. Another constitutional amendment restores voting rights to an estimated 1.5 million former felons in Florida who served their sentence, including parole and probation. There is an exception on restoring voting rights applied in cases of those convicted of murder and sexual offenses. Prior to this new law taking effect this year, former felons had to wait at least five years after completing their sentences before they could ask the Florida Clemency Board, made up by the governor and the Cabinet, to restore their rights.
Another bit of new year’s money making news helps folks making minimum wage. Workers now see a larger inflation adjusted increase than the bump in their paycheck from last year.
Also taking effect this new year is a constitutional amendment which raised the mandatory retirement age of Florida judges, including Supreme Court justices, from 70 to 75. I suppose voters deemed it wise to recognize the wisdom of our elders still sitting on the bench as Judges across the state of Florida.
As costs keep creeping higher a bit more quickly, the minimum wage
At least for elderly Judges it was a decision well done and cause for a hearty Happy New Year!
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John Dicks is both a Lawyer and Businessman, including an interest in farming. He and his family have owned a blueberry farm and have agricultural lands which they lease for cattle operations, as John says, “to someone who knows and handles cattle much better than I do!” John is both a Gator, having received his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida, and a Seminole, with his law degree from Florida State University. He and his wife, Sharon, live in Plant City, where he served nine years as City Commissioner, including three terms as Mayor.
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E n d a n g e r e d S p e c i es
Pause for Hope: The Florida Panther
By Ginny Mink
We were chatting with a well-read and exceptionally intelligent hunter the other day. What he told us was a wee bit shocking, but also gave us pause for hope. He had recently been traipsing through the Green Swamp in hopes of taking home a prize. What he found, was a rather large feline paw print. He believed it to belong to a panther. Given their endangered status in our great state, we must admit that we were thrilled but also skeptical. This conversation was the catalyst for this month’s endangered species focal point, i.e. the Florida panther. Are there any roaming the Green Swamp? How many still exist in Florida? Just how endangered are they at this stage? These are the kinds of questions we hope to answer as we delve deeper into their lives and history. The panther became an endangered species in 1967 per the Department of the Interior. If you happen to see one, the adults are generally tan in color but there may be a darker spot along the ridgeline of their backs. Their bellies are lighter and the tips of their tails, ears, and muzzles are blackish. But, their babies are often spotted with five bands that encircle their tails. By the time they are six months old these spots have all but faded to invisibility.¹ According to the Endangered Species Coalition, “The Florida panther is the most endangered cat in North America.”² They add that it is a subspecies of puma and is often known by a host of other names including: cougar and mountain lion. The site suggests that the Everglades is not a prime habitat for these felines and that they are more readily located in southwest Florida.² We suppose that might then include the Green Swamp. The National Wildlife Federation reports that the best way to tell a Florida panther from the other varieties is the fact that it has a crooked tail and there’s a patch on the back that resembles a cowlick. They say that these cats are roughly six to seven feet in length though the males are typically larger than females. They add a fun fact in that panthers cannot roar as most assume large cats do. Instead they “purr, hiss, snarl, growl, and yowl to communicate.”³ We suspect that any sound resembling a roar, no matter the semantics seen here, is going to send just about anyone running. Ideally, panthers would have large areas of land to meet all their needs. Habitats are generally chosen based on their ability to hunt and stalk prey. It is important that there is dense understory for them to rest, den, and feed. So, studies have shown that they prefer forested habitats, swamps, marsh shrub, and even prairie grasslands that include agricultural conditions.¹ Once again suggesting that the hunter we spoke to truly did see a panther print on his trip into the Green Swamp.
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The Endangered Species Coalition states that there are currently only 100-160 panthers in the wild. And, they believe that without the assistance of the Endangered Species Act this small population of wild panthers would not exist today. Apparently, in 1995 eight female Texas cougars were introduced
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into the population here as a means of reducing congenital abnormalities and reinvigorating the gene pool. That was how the then population of 50-70 became what it is today.² Panthers are skilled hunters and will eat feral hogs, raccoons, white-tailed deer, and other medium sized reptiles and mammals. In fact, they have even been known to stalk birds. They are particularly territorial and most often solitary unless they are mating or raising cubs. Territory is defined by feces, pheromones, and claw markings. Male panthers roam larger areas than females. Sometimes their territorial edges extend to 250 square miles.³ Historically, panthers ranged throughout the southeastern parts of the United States including South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Arkansas, and Louisiana. Unfortunately, today’s panthers only exist in one breeding population in southern Florida. This breeding range, according to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, is found south of the Caloosahatchee River. Which would suggest that the Green Swamp is out of bounds. However, they also admit that in 2016, they discovered a female had gone north of the river. Then, in 2017, they found out that she had mated and produced two litters of kittens. And, male panthers have been found as far north as Georgia.¹ These are all encouraging results as people and organizations seek to improve the conditions for Florida panthers to ensure that they are able to remain on this planet as God has intended. Recovery activities focus on the numbers increasing to three populations of at least 240 individuals. At which point, the Florida panther will be delisted as endangered.¹ There is hope for continued range expansion and for the establishment of additional populations. There is hope for the Florida panther! And, we might just have one living in our very own backyard, the Green Swamp! Keep your eyes peeled. Resources: ¹US Fish and Wildlife Service. Florida Panther. https://www. fws.gov/refuge/florida_panther/wah/panther.html ²Endangered Species Coalition. Florida Panther. http://www. endangered.org/animal/florida-panther/ ³National Wildlife Federation. Florida Panther. https://www. nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/ Florida-Panther Photo Credits: Florida Fish and Wildlife. (2013). Florida Panther Mother with Kittens. (Flickr). https://flic.kr/p/ehpx8s Florida Fish and Wildlife. (2014). 2 Weeks Old. (Flickr). https:// flic.kr/p/jHTtch Monica R. (2007). Florida Panther (face). (Flickr). https://flic. kr/p/4hpMu6 US Fish and Wildlife Service. (2012). Florida Panther Trail Camera 04. (Flickr). https://flic.kr/p/26tzwwe WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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National Finalists from Strawberry Crest FFA By Anna Ress
The Strawberry Crest FFA is excited to have National finalist in the National FFA Agriscience Fair. Abby Petrus and Emily Dernulc developed a project that they conducted during school and competed at the Florida FFA Convention in June, where they placed first in their category, Social Science. The National FFA Organization selects only 25 projects from the state winners, to compete the National FFA Convention in Indiana, Indianapolis. Convention was held October 23-27, 2018, where they competed with the top teams from across the country. They proudly were awarded a silver medal and placed in the nation, putting them among the best. Their project was centered on Food Science and surveyed students, placing them in the Social Science category. They did a triangle test with two different types of potato chips and asked participants to distinguish between regular and reduced sodium. A triangle test is a taste test with three different samples, where participants were tasked with giving their opinion on which sample was different and which one they preferred. Abby and Emily hypothesized that students enjoy the taste of foods without considering the effect it may have on their health. Students prefer the potato chip with regular sodium. They also informed participants of the long-term effects that eating foods with full fat or regular sodium, which may include high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. Their project showed that people preferred the regular sodium potato chip when they were unaware of what sodium content it had. They hoped that by informing people of the consequences of their food choices, they would be able to influence people to purchase foods with lower sodium. “Our project was a fun way for us to share our passion for Food Science with others. The experience was fun and rewarding because now we got to compete at the national level,” said Abby. They hope to show people that reduced sodium chips can be a healthier alternative. Their idea can be applied to foods other than chips that have reduced fat or salt. Eating healthier can help to combat some health problems by simply by making small steps towards healthier options. “We wanted to show people that they can make simple, small changes to improve their diet and lead a healthier lifestyle. These changes could have a big impact on student health if they take into consideration how food can affect them,” said Emily.
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The participants that gave their opinion to the student researchers enjoyed their experience and some of them are even considering trying out for the Food Science Career Development Event (CDE). Abby and Emily have taken steps to improve the health of students in their school, as they are “living to serve” those around them.
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JP PRESCOTT PLACED 3rd In the National FFA Extemporaneous Public Speaking LDE By Anna Ress
James (JP) Prescott was awarded the second runner up of the National FFA Extemporaneous Public Speaking Leadership Development Event (LDE.) Awards were announced Friday during the seventh session of the National FFA Convention & Expo. The event was held in conjunction with the 91st National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis. The National FFA Extemporaneous Public Speaking LDE is designed to recognize outstanding FFA members for their ability to prepare and present a factual speech on a specific agricultural issue in a well thought out and logical manner. Members select one topic from a choice of categories, have 30 minutes to prepare a four to six minute speech, and respond to five minutes of questions following delivery. To make it into the final four competitions, JP had to compete in the primary and semifinals. In the first round of competition, JP wrote a speech on effect on trade policies to the American farmer. From that round of competition, two FFA members from his heat moved on the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, JP wrote and gave a speech on a technology that would help feed the world. Then on Wednesday, JP Prescott, his advisor Susan Mayo, and parents attended the Extemporaneous Public Speaking banquet. Here we found out that JP would be advancing the final round. He competed against all college students including a Harvard student. He wrote and gave a speech on “What challenges do you foresee in the agricultural community that will be faced in the coming decades and how will agriculture be part of the solution rather than the problem.” Dr. Jon Ramsey of Oklahoma State University served as the superintendent of this year's national event. The top four individuals received cash awards to recognize their success. The cash awards and the extemporaneous public speaking event are sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation. The American Farm Bureau Federation is proud to sponsor the National FFA Organization and its members as they pursue their mission of premier leadership, personal growth, and career success. This event, held at the Hyatt and the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, is one of many educational activities at the National FFA Convention & Expo in which FFA members practice the lessons learned in agricultural education classes. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
A tradition
of ambition
Witness the legacy of the Florida State Fair in action through competitive agricultural shows, intricate creative exhibits and thrilling entertainment.
all included with the price of admission!
for tickets and more information, visit floridastatefair.com INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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FDACS”OPERATION CLEANSWEEP” FOR FREE PESTCIDE DISPOSAL By Jim Frankowiak
FARM BUREAU ENCOURAGES COMMENT ON NEW WATERS OF THE U.S. RULE
By Jim Frankowiak
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) anticipates allowing at least 1,000-pounds of qualifying materials to be picked up per participant during the first round of the initiative this year. Consequently, FDACS is encouraging interested parties to submit their material list as soon as possible. The material list form can be accessed on line at: www. floridafarmbureau.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/ cleansweeppesticidecollectionform_FY_18-19.pdf. Participants with multiple locations for pesticide pickup must file a separate form for each location, listing each pesticide name and amount. The pickup contractor will call in advance to schedule a date and time for picking up qualifying materials. FDACS notes the following items do NOT qualify for free pick-up: • Fertilizer unless it is pesticide-coated • Paint unless it is anti-fouling paint • Empty pesticide containers • Gas cylinders • Sludge Although Cleansweep does not pick-up empty containers, there are disposal options: • Ag Container Recycling Council (ACRC) recycles plastic containers that are 55-gallons or smaller • The Pesticide Stewardship Alliance (TPSA) has compiled information about companies that recycle containers larger than 55-gallons, visit: tpsalliance.org • USAg Recycling, Inc.,: www.usagrecycling.com or call 800-654-3145 and ask for Scott Mosley
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For additional information or questions, contact FDACS’ Shannon Turner via email: Shannon.Turner@freshfromflorida.com or call 850-617-7853.
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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the text of the proposed revised definition of “Waters of the United States,” also known as the Clean Water Rule. This new rule is to replace the 2015 Waters of the United States, promulgated by the previous administration. Florida Farm Bureau considers this “an encouraging, common-sense step that provides regulatory clarity for Florida’s farmers, ranchers, small businesses and landowners.” Florida has long been a leader in addressing water quality issues. In fact, the majority of water quality sampling in the United States has been conducted in Florida. “This new rule will assure that decisions regarding water quality stay at the state and local level where they can be effectively addressed without additional, onerous federal regulation.” Once published in the Federal Register, the rule will be open for public comment for 60-days. It is anticipated the rule will have been published by the time this edition of IN THE FIELD is available. Florida Farm Bureau members and county Farm Bureau boards will be encouraged to provide public comment and Florida Farm Bureau staff will assist this outreach by providing bulleted points that may be included in this sought after public commentary. Farm Bureau is encouraging all members to provide both quick and substantive comments. More information is available at www.floridafarmbureau.org. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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Part 52 By Ginny Mink
Ornamental Gardening in Florida It’s a new year and time for another voyage on the Literary Time Machine. We hope that this year has started well for you and that you are ready for a new adventure in the world of ornamental gardening as presented to us all the way back from 1926 via the treasured writings of Mr. Charles Torrey Simpson. So, let’s get going. Over the years, as we have traveled through historic gardening advice and learned tons of information about the origins and care of countless plants, we have often stuck to those that we are, at the very least, somewhat familiar with. As we begin this new year, we wanted to take a look at some hitherto disregarded plants. That desire lands us on Combretum. Mr. Simpson explains, “This genus contains climbers with magnificent flowers which are usually arranged in one-sided spikes. C. coccineum, C. grandiflorum and C. laxiflorum are among the finest and should be tried in the warmest part of the state. I have several times imported plants but they have reached me in such condition that they have died.”¹ Though we may not be in the warmest part of the state, the concept of flowers in a one-sided spike form is intriguing. Research on the topic led us to Kruger National Park in Africa! Perhaps the reason his plants arrived in such poor shape is because he was attempting to import them from there? Anyhow, these plants are better known as bushwillows whose “… flowers appear in greenish yellow axillary spikes mainly during September and are sweetly scented.”² They also produce fruit and their roots are used to weave decorative baskets in Africa.² Interesting! Since Mr. Simpson didn’t mention that the Combretum was from Africa, we found it interesting that the very next plant on his list is given credit for its origin there. He writes, “Cryptostegia grandiflora is a climber from Tropical Africa with opposite, glossy, oval leaves and large, pale purple campanulate flowers. C. madagascariensis has reddish leaves and pale purple blossoms. Both do exceedingly well here and are very handsome. The milky juice of these vines produces caoutchouc.”¹ If you are even remotely like us, you are wondering what caoutchouc is. Well, according to a little investigation, it is natural rubber! Further reading defined it as “an elastic material obtained from the latex sap of trees…that can be vulcanized and finished into a variety of products.”³ What is really gripping here is that both these plants, from Africa, serve a greater purpose than being ornamental, as they would be were they growing in Mr. Simpson’s yard. We love it when plants are more than décor!
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Moving on, we arrive at Solandra guttata, which Mr. Simpson says, “is considerably cultivated in lower Florida and is a sprawler with immensely elongated flowers with a swollen, yellow, purple-striped tube.”¹ Just the description of the flower alone was enough to catch our attention. So, we returned to our ever favorite resource, Dave’s Garden, to learn more.
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According to his site, the Solandra guttata is better known as the chalice vine and the seeds of this plant are poisonous when ingested as are many of its parts. But, bees, butterflies and various kinds of birds are attracted to its fragrant flowers. It’s particularly well suited for the Keys area and other locales south of us.⁴ We are not sure whether it will grow here, but it might be a plant worth investigating further, especially if you like the idea of more birds, butterflies, and bees in your yard. We will end our trip at the Solanum simply because Mr. Simpson’s write up endears it to readers. He explains, “S. seaforthianum has cut leaves and clusters of rich blue flowers with yellow stamens. It bears bright red berries which the mocking birds take in exchange for music and as soon as the plant is established on one’s place these birds scatter the seeds all over so that one soon has these charming vines everywhere.”¹ The image of mockingbirds exchanging music for the berries is quite appealing. Of course, the quick spread of the vine did make us a wee bit apprehensive. Via USF’s Plant Atlas, we discovered that the Solanum seaforthianum is better known as Brazilian nightshade. It grows all over Florida including Hillsborough and Polk Counties.⁵ Unfortunately, additional sources suggest that this plant has the potential to be invasive as it will take over the native habitat of other Florida species. Therefore, it is probably not the best plant to introduce to your garden for ornamental purposes no matter how much you like mockingbirds. With that information in tote, we have arrived back from our New Year’s jaunt on the Literary Time Machine. Hopefully you learned a little bit about potential plants for your gardens and which ones to stay away from. We look forward to our next venture with you and until then, happy planting! Resources: ¹ Simpson, Charles T. (1926). Ornamental Gardening in Florida. Published by the Author; Little River, FL. Printed by J.J. Little and Ives Company, New York. (p. 160-164). ²Siyabona Africa. Kruger National Park. Bushwillow. http:// www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_bushwillow.html ³Vocabulary.com. Caoutchouc. https://www.vocabulary.com/ dictionary/caoutchouc ⁴Dave’s Garden. Chalice Vine. https://davesgarden.com/ guides/pf/go/83386/# ⁵Atlas of Florida Plants Institute for Systematic Botany. Solanum seaforthianum. http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant. aspx?id=55 Photo credits: Jayesh Patil. (2009). Rubber Vine- A flower of the climbing plant Cryptostegia grandiflora. (Flickr). https://flic.kr/p/6Q3wqV Gael Rakotovao. (2015). Combretum coccineum. (Flickr). https:// flic.kr/p/C7Bnh5 Forest and Kim Starr. (2002). Solanum seaforthianum flowers. (Flickr). https://flic.kr/p/DeEPum Tatters. (2008). Cup of Gold Vine. Solandra maxima. (Flickr). https://flic.kr/p/56CrCf WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Helping Tomorrow’s Farmers Get a Head Start Feeding the world is a big job, but thanks to youth agricultural programs like 4H and FFA, the future of farming is in good hands. Mosaic is proud to support organizations like these—and the young people they serve—at county fairs, local livestock shows and more. // Learn more at MosaicCo.com/Florida
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NEED BERRY OR VEG GROUND ???
Gladstone Land owns a dozen farms with close to 2,000 acres in Hillsborough and Manatee counties that we lease to growers.
1. We provide flexible lease terms based on market rents.
2. We provide ongoing capital to improve the wells, irrigation and drainage.
Please contact Bill Frisbie at Gladstone Land: (703) 287-5839
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bill.frisbie@gladstonecompanies.com | www.gladstoneland.com
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“SWIFTMUD” INTRODUCES INCENTIVE PROGRAM TO AID WATER CONSERVATION
The Southwest Water Management District (SWFWMD) has introduced a new water conservation program that incentivizes utilities, institutions and commercial users to reduce their water use. This 50-percent cost-share reimbursement program, Water Incentives Supporting Efficiency (WISE), is available throughout the district. WISE will award applicants up to $20,000 on a 5050 cost share basis to implement projects that help reduce water use and protect the region’s water resources. This program offers a funding opportunity to small utilities, hospitals, schools, prisons, homeowner associations, golf courses, hotels, manufacturers, food processing and other commercial users who do not typically participate in the district’s Cooperative Funding Initiative (CFI). Applicants can apply for WISE funding anytime throughout the year until all annual funds area awarded. Among district suggestions for eligible projects are: • Toilet, showerhead and plumbing fixture replacements • Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ conversions • Irrigation system modifications • Weather stations for irrigation control • Cooling tower modifications and pre-treatment systems • High-efficiency commercial/industrial processing equipment
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The district encourages project innovation. More information about WISE, including application guidance, is available at: watermatters.org/WISE.
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A Closer Look
by Sean Green
Wild Boar (Sus scrofa)
Wild boar are found in every county in Florida. With population estimates exceeding 500,000 wild boar, Florida populations are exceeded only by Texas. Florida’s highest populations are in large forested regions north and west of Lake Okeechobee. These animals are described as Hogs, Boar, Pig, and Swine; they are essentially the same animal with certain characteristics that distinguish the name. The term Hog describes domestic pigs that weighs more than 120 lbs. Boar technically describe uncastrated male domestic pigs, however, the term is also used to describe wild pigs of any gender. Pigs, also known as swine, were among the first animals to be domesticated; earliest records date back 9,000 years in an area of ancient China that is now known as Turkey. Wild boar belongs to the family Suidae (true wild pigs), and are an old-world species that are not native to the Americas. MtDNA (Mitochondrial DNA) studies indicate that the wild boar originated on islands in Southeast Asia such as Indonesia and the Philippines, and later spread to mainland Eurasia and North Africa. Most authorities suggest the first pigs introduced to North America may have come from domestic stock (Sus scrofa domesticus) brought to North America with Ponce de Leon as early as 1521, but more likely not established until 1539 when Hernando de Soto brought pigs with him to provision the early settlements of Charlotte Harbor in Lee County. During the next few centuries, European settlers brought domestic pigs with them to Florida and ranched them on the open range for food. Native American communities soon expanded this new resource by gift or theft. The pigs roamed freely through the forests and swamps and were hunted only when needed for food. By the early 20th century, hunting large swine became a popular sport and the larger Eurisian or Russian wild boar (Sus scrofa scrofa) became a popular release on for hunting. Feral populations grew and expanded through Florida providing food and sport for many early Florida settlers. Senate Bill No. 34 in 1949 made open range ranching illegal in an effort to prevent animals from “running at large or straying upon public roads.” This was the beginning of fence laws that were more effective at keeping cattle at bay than boar. By the time the Bill was enacted, feral pig populations were already well established in Florida and continued to grow with every pig that escaped captivity and gave rise to the commercialization of hunting wild boar on private fenced land. For a time, the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission trapped and relocated feral populations and hybrids from problem areas to appropriate hunting properties as a means of control (although the state no longer does this).
In Florida, peak breeding seasons are in the spring and fall, however, wild hogs breed year-round in Florida and begin as early as one year old provided they are healthy. Sows can produce two litters of one to 13 piglets per year. The average lifespan for a wild hog is only four to five years. Although prey animals such as panthers, alligators, crocodiles and bears can take an adult wild boar, human beings are the boars primary predator. Younger piglets frequently fall prey to smaller predators such as bobcat, foxes, coyotes, and several birds of prey. Wild hogs reproduce faster than potential predators in North America can balance populations. “Natural predators” such as the Gray wolf, Leopards, Tigers, and Komodo dragon that keep wild hog populations balanced are across the ocean where this introduced species originated. Hunting wild boar has a rich history seeded by Florida’s earliest European settlers. It has not only become an American pastime but is an important control method for limiting this invasive species impact on our native fauna and flora.
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Although technically the term “feral” originally referred to free-ranging decedents of domesticated stock, all wild swine in Florida are considered feral whether descendants of wild boar or domesticated stock. Likewise, all wild swine in Florida are considered the same species, Sus scrofa. These wild boars share common characteristics that are notable. They have four self-sharpening tusks that are continually growing, two in the upper jaw and two in the lower jaw. Males have larger tusks than females, and thus greater trophy value for hunters. Males also have an upper mantle shoulder hide that can be as thick as ¾” that protects them in fights. Boar have an excellent sense of smell with which they find areas to dig up the soil in search of roots, insects or mast such as acorns or nuts. They have good hearing, but relatively poor vision and rely on a variety of vocalizations to communicate to the rest of the group, ironically called a sounder. For example, the first hog to see a threat will sound a warning call causing a flight response in the entire sounder of swine. A more destructive form of communication is a boars “tusking” behavior in which they rub their scent on trees along frequently used paths, territory, or wallows and sometimes damage the tree in the process. Wallows are a critical environmental resource for boar. Although they have both aprocrine (hair) and eccrine (skin) sweat glands, these glands are not used for cooling. Human beings are the only mammals that rely on sweat as a cooling mechanism. Boar, like other hairless mammals such as elephants, rhino, etc., must wallow in water or mud to cool.
NEWLY ELECTED FLORIDA AG COMMISSIONER FRIED RESPONDS TO QUESTIONS FROM COUNTY FARM BUREAU LEADERS
By Jim Frankowiak Hillsborough County Farm Bureau President Dennis Carlton, Jr., and Executive Director Judi Whitson recently posed a series of questions to Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried on issues of importance to the industry, particularly in the county.
cally congress, has the responsibility to manage immigration policy—they have failed at that. We should be maximizing opportunities for all people who live in Florida and work towards an approach that attracts specialized labor to fill those jobs needed to keep our economy going strong.”
Agriculture is an important asset to the county and is noted for production of fruits and berries, nursery and greenhouse products, vegetables and ornamental fish. The 2016 Economic Impact study done by Dr. Alan Hodges of the University of Florida considered Agriculture, Natural Resources and Food industries in Hillsborough County. That study found that those industries represented 168,654 full- and part-time jobs, representing 20.7 per cent of the county’s workforce. Revenue contributions were estimated at $22.46 billion. At the time of the study, the county had approximately 215,000-acres of farmland. Carlton and Whitson reminded Commissioner Fried of these factors as an introduction to their questions and/or requests for comments from her, which are as follows:
3. What are your plans for “Fresh from Florida” going forward? “Fresh from Florida is an incredible brand – I want to grow and expand it, to keep supporting our farmers and ranchers and marketing Florida agriculture to the rest of the country.”
1. The omission of seasonal specialty crops (strawberries) from NAFTA 2.0 and any plans you may have for action to address that omission?
“Some of the challenges facing our agriculture community are immediate and some are long-term, but whatever the challenges may be, I’m here to give you the support you need and work together to build a partnership. We must tackle these obstacles to ensure farmers and ranchers can compete in a changing environment and economy.
“This new agreement did not include a trade remedy for our specialty crop producers. It allows for unfair and destructive trade practices that leave Florida’s fruit and vegetable farmers behind. The president’s trade war has put our agriculture industry in a position of uncertainty, instability, and risk. “We need seasonality agreements, and we need a way for farmers to make dumping cases region-specific and faster action in those cases. As your Commissioner, I’ll be a fighter for your livelihood and take a stand in D.C. This can’t be about politics. It’s about keeping our second largest economic driver and one of our state’s oldest traditions going strong.” 2. Where do you stand on a revised guest work program that has become increasingly important to producers?
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“Delivering a more streamlined and responsive program would be better although the federal government, specifi-
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4. Will you continue to advocate for all Ag commodities programs and groups? Do you see yourself involved in all trade matters that impact Florida producers? “I know that the success of our farmers and ranchers is directly tied to Florida’s success, and I will be your voice in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C.
“Despite the significant challenges, together we will be prepared to face them head-on and succeed – because when Florida farmers and ranchers succeed, Florida succeeds.” 5. What are your thoughts about invasive species on fruits, vegetables and even livestock? “Invasive species are a serious threat to our agriculture. We must continue to fund the research and take the necessary action to keep our crops and livestock safe and healthy.” A note of thanks to Commissioner Fried and her Communications Director Max Flugrath for responding during the very busy period of transition and the holidays. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
WISHING YOU A WISHING YOU A
Berry
Berry HAPPY NEW YEAR
HAPPY NEW YEAR
F R O M O U R FA M I LY T O Y O U R S
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Central Florida Gardening Calendar
Lynn Barber, UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has many excellent tools for gardeners. This article speaks to the benefits that the Central Florida Gardening Calendar provides to those of us that like to get our hands dirty. This resource contains the information you need on what to plant and what gardening tasks to perform and when. Those tasks include pruning, fertilizing, managing pests appropriately and much more. Let’s focus on the month of February. Under the category of What to Plant, the headings include: Bedding plants, Bulbs, Azaleas and Vegetables. Each of the categories includes a link to another University of Florida publication on that specific topic. For example, under Vegetables, while several are listed in the Gardening Calendar, such as bean, pepper, cucumber, tomato and squash, many more are showcased in the separate Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh021.
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Under the category of What to Do, the headings include: Palms, Citrus, Roses, Shrubs, Lawn and Citrus and other fruit trees. Under Citrus and other fruit trees, advice is to fertilize now if this was not done in January. Under Roses, prune to remove canes that are damaged, then fertilize and mulch.
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For more information on What to Plant and What to Do, you can access the Central Florida Gardening Calendar at: http:// edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep450. It will save you time and money by planting plants, fertilizing and pruning at the right time of year. The Central Florida Gardening Calendar is a great free resource. You can read it on-line, print it, or pick up a copy at our office. Something to ponder: just because you can purchase a plant at a particular time of year does not mean that is the right time of year to plant it in Central Florida. This Gardening Calendar will help you select the right plant for the right time of year. For assistance with horticultural questions, call: 813-744-5519 or visit us at the UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, 5339 County Road 579, Seffner, FL 33584. More gardening and workshop information is available at: http://sfyl.ifas.ufl. edu/hillsborough/lawngarden/. You can access our calendar of events easily at: http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/hillsborough/ upcoming-events/. Our Florida-Friendly Landscaping Facebook page is located at: https://www.facebook.com/HCFFL/. We hope to see you at an upcoming workshop in the near future. Remember to reuse, reduce, recycle and repeat.
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Resolve to Meet Your Resolutions
By Alison Grooms, MPH, CPH, CHES® Nutrition & Health Agent with UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County
According to an article published by Forbes magazine, over 40 percent of Americans make New Year’s resolutions but only 8 percent actually achieve them. If you are among the 40 percent of us who vow each year to eat better, get into shape, join a gym, or achieve some new health goal, learn how to attain what you’ve set out to accomplish and not fall into the 32 percent who fall short at reaching their goals. The first step in setting a resolution is to be realistic. Set S.M.A.R.T. goals. The S.M.A.R.T. acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Bound. If you have one overarching goal, like weight loss for example, break it up into smaller, achievable goals that you can set along the way. Also, instead of simply focusing on kicking a habit, work towards incorporating a new, healthier one. Again, if your goal is weight loss, instead of just resolving to lose weight, make a goal to incorporate at least two to three more fruits and vegetables into your diet a week. Or set a goal to take a walk around your office during your lunch hour instead of using this time to catch up on social media. Incorporate the tips below to help set realistic New Year’s resolutions to make 2019 the year you become part of the 8percent!
1. Reduce your sugar intake by making swaps: Cutting back on sugar might be the best thing you do for yourself in 2019, and while it may seem like an impos-
2. Add in a vegetable to each meal: Consuming vegetables is one of the healthiest choices you can make. Even if you are not someone who likes the taste of veggies you can still use tricks to sneak them into your meals so you won’t be able to taste their presence. Breakfast is one of those meals that traditionally tends to rely heavily on the grains group. This is because we need most of our energy at the start of our day and grains provide a lot of carbohydrates which our bodies use for energy. However, many times we forget to add the most important food group to this meal – vegetables! If the idea of con-
suming vegetables with your breakfast turns your stomach, use the trick of mixing them into your breakfast foods as you cook them. Adding spinach, broccoli, asparagus, etc., into your egg dishes adds lots of flavor and antioxidants. You can even sneak zucchini into muffins! For the avocado lovers, enjoying it on a piece of toast has become a popular breakfast item for many. Tomatoes pair great with eggs and toast also!
3. Pledge to prepare at least one additional meal at home per week: For one meal where you would normally dine out, cook at home instead. If the thought of cooking makes you run for the hills, you are not alone. Many of us are so busy with life that by the end of the day, cooking is the last thing we have energy to do. Planning ahead can help save time, money, and energy, and using a simple cooking method like a slow cooker, a pressure cooker, or a simple one-pan dish recipe, are some of the simplest ways to do this. The dish can be prepped ahead of time on a day when you have more free time. Then you can just freeze the contents, thaw them when ready for use, and cook them using one of the methods mentioned. Your meal will be ready in no time. Cooking at home helps to cut back on added fat, salt, and calories that can come with dining out – not to mention the price tag associated with it. Let this year be the year you achieve the resolutions you’ve set and let 2019 be your best year yet! INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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sible task, it is one that is definitely achievable. For example, if sweet tea is your go to drink, gradually start filling your cup with half sweet and half unsweet tea. Continue this method until you eventually fill your cup with more unsweet than sweet. If sweets are your downfall, try desserts that incorporate a fresh fruit in them. The idea is to train your taste buds to become so sensitized to the sweetness of sugar that it eventually becomes too sweet for their liking. I don’t recommend using artificial sweeteners in place of sugar because their sweetness is much greater than regular sugar which won’t help you become accustomed to not wanting that sweet taste. Eventually you will enjoy the taste of fruit alone and choose it as your sweet snack instead. And those items you once thought you couldn’t live without will taste too sweet to eat and drink.
FSGA CELEBRATES 36TH ANNIVERSARY AT JAM AWARDS BANQUET;
Industry and Community Gather for an Evening of Fellowship and Recognition
Lifetime achievement award - Bob Hinton with his wife Lisa and family.
By Jim Frankowiak The Florida Strawberry Growers Association (FSGA) held its 36th Annual Jam Awards banquet last month to recognize and honor those promoting the history and continued success of the Florida strawberry industry. The event was held at the Southern Barn at Lonesome G Ranch in Lithia with about 150 in attendance. FSGA President Adam Young began the event welcoming attendees and noting “there are great things taking place in our industry; however, there are many issues ahead. Each of us is fighting hard to be the best we can be. As a result, the Florida Strawberry Growers is stronger than ever. I ask everyone here tonight to continue to use the FSGA as a resource. When we join together as one, we can overcome the obstacles,” he said. Event sponsors included Highland/Sonoco Packaging Solutions, TriEst Ag Group and TriEst Irrigation, while award sponsors were Lareault, Chemical Dynamics, The RCS Company of Tampa and Patterson Companies. Young began the recognition portion of the event thanking the 2018 FSGA Ambassadors Hannah Spivey, Caroline Brummer, Jake Fitzpatrick and Amber Boykin. The Ambassadors are high school students who support the industry through participation in a variety of activities each year. FSGA Executive Director Kenneth Partner recognized and thanked outgoing board members Lisa Fox, Andy McDonald and Lance Ham for their three-years of service to the FSGA. Parker also presented Past President Awards to Ham and Young. First Flat Award honors went to Favorite Farms for picking the first flat of strawberries this season on October 22. Lisa Fox accepted the award from Young. The FSGA annually recognizes friends that are not directly associated with growing berries who have proven by their actions to be dedicated supporters and industry friends. This honor, the Classic Award, was presented by Parker to Roy Hartline of Hartline Fabrication, which produces equipment for the strawberry industry not just in the Plant City area, but for customers in other states in the U.S., Canada and even South Africa. “Roy’s passion for the industry and drive to provide the best service and quality products to his customers, are the foundation of his business,” noted Parker. “He continues to show pride for his community and contributes to the success of farmers and they agricultural industry in any way he can.”
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Young noted the FSGA’s Classic Awards have two categories, friends of the industry who earned their living through
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On the way out our guest were treated to old fashion candy and Hot chocolate at the country store. Here is Dee dee Grooms and Carl Grooms getting ready to fill their bags of candy.
support of the strawberry community in private ventures like Hartline, the other category honors those who, through their actions in the public realm, demonstrate their love for the strawberry community. Entitled the Public Service Award, this honor was presented by Young to Patrick Rodriguez, an Environmental Specialist II with the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) in Hillsborough County. “Patrick has served as the migrant labor camp coordinator since 2015,” said Young. “He has worked with other state agencies and within the Department of Health to ensure prompt permitting of facilities and ensured that the needs of the industry are known to agency heads in Tallahassee.” “Patrick has a passion for public health and for the implementation of practices that encourage compliance without using enforcement. He plans to continue to serve the people of the State of Florida throughout his career with fairness and integrity.” The Workhorse Award recognizes those who are always available when there is work to be done either as an industry representative or to help set up for an industry event. The 2018 recipient was Casey Simmons Runkles, FSGA Board Secretary, Member Services Chair and Community Relations Committee member. “Casey is always willing to lend a hand and she works tirelessly to stay on the forefront of issues and challenges the Florida strawberry industry faces,” said Parker. “The hard work and dedication that Casey commits to her work and Florida strawberries is exemplary of what a great industry we represent.” A new honor presented at the banquet was the Social Media Award, recognizing an individual for taking advantage of the opportunity to share the Florida strawberry industry story via social media outlets. The first-ever recipient was Kenny Hattaway of Astin Farms. Retail and restaurant sector partnerships are very important to the Florida strawberry industry. Recognizing representatives of both sectors, Parker presented Retailer of the Year honors to Wal-Mart and Restaurant Partner of the Year to Goody-Goody. Over the past 36 years the FSGA has given student scholarships totaling more than $450,000. The Association’s Best Flat Competition serves as the primary fund-raiser for the FSGA scholarship fund. “Perhaps one of the greatest investments made by the members of the FSGA is in the young people of our community,” Parker said. “It is gratifying to know that assisting outstanding students in their efforts to attain a high level of education will return great dividends not only to our community, but around the world.” WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Roy Hartline , classic Award and his family
First Flat - Lisa Fox and Kenneth Parker
Scholarship recipients announced at the banquet were: Regan Brown, Amber Boykin, Lily Batley, Sarah Carter, Amanda Clark, Madilyn Conrad, Kendall Gaudens, Garrett Gould, Cole Hanson, Kenneth Hattaway, Leah Harrell, Raelynn Hudson, Alyssa Shepherd, Reagan Tears and Katelyn Yarborough. Their plaques and $1,000 checks were presented at a separate gathering earlier this month that also included their parents. Young then recognized Bob Hinton as recipient of the FSGA’s 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award. “Bob’s history with the strawberry industry goes back to the small farm his parents started in 1958,” said Young. “Bob and his brothers started Hinton Farms after he graduated from the University of Florida in 1976 with a degree in Agricultural Engineering. It evolved over the years from farming the home place in Dover and a local farm down the road, to growing over 100 acres of berries on their farm in Boyette, as well as 40 acres at the home farm with Eddie Mercer. “Bob, along with Carl Grooms, Tommy Brock, Johnny St. Martin, Allen Williford and Bobby Parker, started to meet to organize and form the Florida Strawberry Growers Association. This group, with Bob as the first president, formed the association. Bob and his wife Lisa are the proud parents of Shane and Melissa and grandparents of seven grandchildren. “Bob has spent his lifetime committed to serving the agricultural industry,” said Young. “You won’t find him volunteering for leadership positions or speaking up at any meetings, but you will bind him going out of his way to encourage a young farmer or showing up to do a job nobody even knew needed doing. It is his quiet, strong, humble and fair way of dealing with people that have made him a role model for so many.” The recognition portion of the evening’s activities concluded with the presentation of the Strawberry Hall of Fame Award, the “Florida Strawberry Growers Association’s most prestigious award,” said Parker. The award is presented to a person or team in the industry “who has devoted a lifetime to the support of Florida strawberries. This recognition is designed to be a gem in the crown of glory extending through decades of service.” The 2018 recipient is Mark Harrell, a third-generation strawberry and vegetable grower who started working after school and on the weekends with his father, Buford Harrell, in the
Public Service - Patrick Rodriguez and Kenneth Parker
strawberry fields in Dover from middle through high school. In 1975, Mark made it his career. That was the same year he met his wife Sue on a blind date. Sue went to East Bay High School and Mark went to Brandon High School, the schools were arch rivals. Sue and Mark married a year later and just celebrated their 42nd anniversary. The year the Harrell’s were married, it snowed and seven years later when their son Christopher was born, the area experienced a freeze. “They wondered if it was some kind of a sign,” said Parker. Harrell later began laser leveling and building farms for growers in the summer months and then went on to laser thousands of acres across Florida. He partnered with Marvin Brown and they built a 90-acre farm in 1993 from a dead orange grove in Plant City. The farm was sold after 23 years of operation, while Mark continues to manage the farm which is still in strawberry production. “Mark has been to Peru to help educate growers there how we farm, and to see their operations,” said Parker. “He was once asked to visit South Africa and manage farms there using our equipment and our farming practices.” “Mark has served on the Board of Directors for the Strawberry Growers Association multiple times and has received the Workhorse Award for all the hours he has spent volunteering and donating berries for projects and promotions. From Agritech and the Strawberry Festival, doing tours, interviews and even shooting video for the industry, Mark has been a big reason why these events have been successful. In the busiest times of year, he has donated his time and resources. “Mark’s whole family is involved in Florida agriculture in one way or another.” Parker noted. “His wife Sue is currently the Marketing Director for the Florida Strawberry Growers Associations, his son Christopher is with RCS Refrigeration Construction Company, and his daughter-in-law Candace is at Patterson Trucking Company. Florida Agriculture has been a way of life for the whole family. It’s what they do!” “What he is most proud of is being a grandfather to his beautiful granddaughter Stevie.” Congratulations to Mark Harrell on his 2018 induction into the Florida Strawberry Growers Association Hall of Fame.
Our strawberry painting auctioneer was a past FSGA ambassador Rusty Hartline. We raised Workhorse award Casey Runkles Social Media Award - Kenny Hataway. Retailer of the Year - Walmart accept$3,000.00 for the painting! her brother Shad Simmons on the Sam Astin accepted the award for him ing the award is Pete Santiago, SR Thank you to Sam Astin of right accepted the award in her honor. Sourcing Manager Walmart GFS Astin Farms! INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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NEWS BRIEFS
Compiled by Jim Frankowiak
Six Easy Ways to Save Water and Money
crop growers in Washington, D.C., as well as with foreign governments and agencies that regulate international trade.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District is suggesting six easy ways to save water and money on your water bill. Water plays a role in everything from food preparation to the cleanup process. Here’s how to incorporate water conservation into your daily food preparations: • Defrost frozen foods in the refrigerator or the microwave instead of running hot water over them. • Rinse vegetables and fruits in a sink or pan filled with water instead of under running water. This water can then be reused to water houseplants. A running faucet can use up to 4 gallons per minute. • When washing dishes by hand, fill one sink or basin with soapy water and fill the rinsing sink one-third to one-half full. Avoid letting the water run continuously in the rinsing sink. • Select the proper size pans for cooking. Large pans require more cooking water than may be necessary. • Scrape food scraps into the garbage can or a composting bin, rather than rinsing them into the sink’s garbage disposal. A garbage disposal uses up to 4.5 gallons of water per minute. • Run your dishwasher only when you have a full load. Dishwashers use between 7 and 12 gallons per load. For more water conservation tips, please visit the District’s website at WaterMatters.org/Conservation.
Florida Farm Bureau Supports Ag Improvement Act of 2018 Florida Farm Bureau supports the Agricultural Trade Act of 2018, which would equip specialty crop producers like strawberry growers with an effective remedy to challenge Mexican “dumping.” If such legislation becomes law, it would be similar in effect to the “season/perishable” provision pursued, but not included in NAFTA renegotiations. This legislation was introduced by U.S. Senators Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson and U.S. Congressmen Carlos Curbelo and Al Lawson.
SONIA TIGHE NAMED VP OF FLORIDA AGRI-WOMEN
PRODUCE SAFETY RULE ROUTINE FARM INSPECTION VIDEO The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has an online video that introduces viewers to the fundamental elements of a routine farm inspection under the Produce Safety Rule. The You Tube video will make viewers aware of fundamental concepts of the Rule, including: Initial Interview, Adjacent Lane Use, Employee Training, Employee Practices, Toilet and Hand Washing Facilities, Animal Intrusion, Agricultural Water, Biological Soil Amendments of Animal Origin, Growing, Harvesting, Packing and Cooling, Sampling, Records Review and Exit Interview. The video can be viewed at no cost at: https://www,youtube. com/watcg?v=Q_KXS5pXHls.
USDA SEEKING COMMENTS ON UPDATED WETLAND DETERMINATION GUIDANCE The USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) has posted updated guidance to improve consistency and timeliness related to the process in how it makes wetland determination in the Federal Register. The NRCS is encouraging comments on this interim final rule through February 5. For more information on this action, visit: https://www.nrcs.usd.gov.
Sonia Tighe, executive director of the Florida Specialty Crop Foundation, has been named vice president of Florida AgriWomen, a non-profit affiliate of American Agri-Women, a national coalition of farm, ranch and agribusiness women’s organizations.
MINOR CROP FARMER ALLIANCE HONORS FFVA’S DAN BOTTS The Minor Crop Farmer Alliance (MCFA) honored Dan Botts, Vice President of Industry Resources for the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association for his guidance of the MCFA’s Technical Committee as its first and only Chairman to date. Botts retired in December.
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His work with the MCFA included advocating for U.S. specialty
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Check out our NEW
Sulfate-Free FMS Super-Min, Super-Mol, and Super-Pro Products Enhanced with
Wishing yy a Happy New Yee! !! OO Family to YYrs!
Thank you for your business the last 27 Years! We look forward to serving you for many years to come, providing Fresh from Florida Mineral products for all your livestock needs. Family Owned and Operated Since 1992.
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For more information, contact us at 813-623-5449 or by email at info@fmsap.com
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In The Field Classifieds ANIMALS & NEEDS ANIMAL & BIRDCAGES
Equipment serving the fur bearing animal & exotic bird industry! Cages built to order. Wire by roll or foot. (813)752-2230. Call Don Ammerman. www.ammermans.com July 14, 2019, Nov. 24, 2019
BUILDING SUPPLIES METAL ROOFING
Thousands of 8ft. & 10ft. sheets. In Stock. Prices from $6 and up. Custom lengths available. 813-752-7088 ask for Ferris.
ALUMINUM
We have all your aluminum needs! Screen Room, carports & awnings. Call Blake (813) 752-3378
WINDOW SCREENS
Info@inthefieldmagazine.com
Tel: 813.759.6909
INTL. MCCORMICK FARMALL 560 Very good condition! $3,500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
2012 MAHINDRA 4025-4
Low hours with 6ft rotary cutter. Ready to get to work! Call Alvie for additional information. $12,500 813-759-8722
TAYLOR WAY TILLER DISC Plow - good condition. $1750.00 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
JOHN DEERE
Looking for your new tractor? Come see us at Everglades Farm Equipment. evergladesfarmequipment.com 2805 SR 60 West, Plant City 813-737-1660
FMC 352
Air Blast Sprayer. Good condition. We make window screens of all sizes available $3,500.00 Call Alvie 813-759-8722 in different frame colors. Call Ted(813) 752-3378 2005 MAHINDRA 6500 4X4, 65 hp with loader. CABINETS 1,000 hours. $15,900 All wood kitchen cabinets. All wood vanities. Granite counter tops. Custom made to your size. Call Alvie 813-759-8722 Call Blake 813-752-3378 ELECTRIC PLUCKER Plucks 4 chickens in 15 seconds. VINYL SIDDING Barely used! Call 863-409-8496 Many colors and styles to choose from. Ask for Ted. HEAVY DUTY RAKE 813-752-3378 Heavy duty 6ft wide rake with a 3pt. hitch. $275 Call 863-409-8496 MOBILE HOME SUPPLIES Everything you need under ONE roof! TILLER Call Blake 813-752-3378 5ft wide tiller. Very low hours, CALL FOR A WINDOW QUOTE. like new. Call 863-409-8496 We are a MI Windows dealer. Our windows are energy star, lifetime warranty. FOR RENT Call Broke & Poor 813-752-3378 Millcreek Pine Bark Row Mulcher. For blueberry farms, six yard, FARM EQUIPMENT PTO drive need at least a 30hp tractor. Call 863-604-2526 for rental details.
Bread warmer, chrome trim. You have got to see it to believe it! Call Ted for more details. 813-752-3378
DOORS & WINDOWS SPECIAL ORDER No upcharge. House & Mobile Home. Many standard sizes in stock. Ask for Blake. (813) 752-3378
KITCHEN CABINETS & VANITIES
Get quality all wood cabinets for less than the BIG Box STORES! Call Today! Ask for Blake. (813) 752-3378
JOBS MECHANIC NEEDED Agricultural equipment. Pay with benefits based on experience. Call David 863-537-1345
LAWN EQUIPMENT/ SUPPLIES BRAND NEW HUSTLER RAPTOR
Zero Turn Mower 52” cut, 23hp. Kohler engine, 3 year warranty. $2,999 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
HUSTLER RAPTOR 54
New! Has a flip deck. New price $5,499 SALE for $4,500. Call Alvie 813-759-8722
PRODUCE FRESH PRODUCE
Forbes Road Produce. Open everyday from 7:30am - 8pm. Forbes Rd. & I-4 @ exit 17. Come out and see us!
MISC.
MAHINDRA 8560
FREE
83 hp, 4X4. $12,500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
Wooden Shipping Pallets All sizes! Call Alvie 813-759-8722
3 POINT BACK HOE ATTACHEMENT
RUBBER MULCH
VTEKSHDVTZS - Self contained. Asking $3,650 Call today and ask for Alvie 813-759-8722
All Colors, $8.99 a bag. Call Ted (813) 752-3378
2004 MASSEY FERGUSON 471
Coggins Plumbing licensed • bonded • Insured. www.cogginsplumbing.com 813-643-7173
Tractor with loader, 72hp, 4x4. Its ready to work. $17,500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
2003 TAFE TRACTOR 4010 2wd in excellent condition! $4,950. Call today and ask for Alvie. 813-759-8722
FOR SALE
8ft disk. New bearings thru-out. $999 Call 863-409-8496
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FOR SALE OLD ANTIQUE BLUE STOVE
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TRADE • BUY • SELL? Since 2004 In The Field has been Hillsborough and Polk Countys #1 Agriculture Magazine. Call Us at 813-759-6909 to place your Ad Today!
FOR SALE
Wurlitzer Organ, rhythm & dancing chords & 3 keyboards. $100 Clean Sealy twin mattress w/ frame rollers $50. Pedestal table 42" round. 30" high heavy wood, no chairs. $50 Call 813-685-1365
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