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Western & Outdoor Wear, Farm, Ranch & Pet Supplies
Pkwy. I T F M I T S. F Jim M Redman July 2019 (Hwy. 39 S) Plant City, FL • southsidewesternwear.com 23014 N HE IELD
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JULY 2019 VOL. 14 • ISSUE 9
CONTENTS THREE NEW, STATE FFA OFFICERS HAIL FROM PLANT CITY
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PAGE 10 Durant High School
PAGE35 Monstera Delicioso
PAGE 12 Hemp
PAGE 36 Jack Payne
PAGE 16 Business Up Front
PAGE 46 John Dicks
PAGE 18 Fishing Hot Spots
PAGE 48 Endangered Species
PAGE 22 Rocking Chair Chatter PAGE 24 Sawmill Country Market
PAGE 28 Harvest Queen
PAGE 33 Florida State Fair Authority PAGE 32 GCREC
PAGE 51 Hurricane & Urban Forest PAGE 52 Recipes PAGE 54 Literary Time Machine PAGE 57 Make Produce Last
PAGE 58 Activity
PAGE 59 A Closer Look PAGE 60 Veterans Florida PAGE 61 SWFWMD
PAGE 62 Hurricanes & Horticulture PAGE 63 Economic Analysis PAGE 64 Pollinator
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News Briefs PAGE 68
Soil PAGE 69 Fruit Bug
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. 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, Vincent Tort, Will Womack, Gayle Yanes
Judi Whitson, Executive Director 813-685-9121 Farm Bureau Insurance Special Agents
Valrico Office 813-685-5673
100 S. Mulrennan Rd., Valrico, FL. 33594 Tommy Hale, CLU, ChFC, CASL, CPCU Agency Mgr. Julie Carlson, Amy Engle
Plant City Office 813.752.5577
305 S. Wheeler St., Plant City, FL 33563 Jeff Summer Artis Griffin
Tampa Office 813.933.5440
6535 Gunn Highway, Tampa, FL.33625 Greg Harrell, Jared Bean
AGENCY MANAGER Thomas O. Hale WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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STAFF
Letter from the Editor
Publisher/Photography Karen Berry Senior Managing Editor/ Associate Publisher Sarah Holt Patsy Berry Editor
Why is it that everyone seems to be in such a hurry? I hope I don’t sound like my grandmother but when I was younger it seemed that people took their time more often. Today people are scurrying to their destination without even noticing the world around them, which makes driving an interesting feat. People walking are frequently rushing while looking down at their phone. You are letting the world pass you by and in doing so you can miss out on so much. I’ve been guilty of it. But I try to consciously step back and take a look at my surroundings. I get it. Sometimes we are running late. Something happens to set us back and we feel the need to hurry. Does this happen every day? Probably not. So why does everyone seem to be in such a hurry? I think it is a habit. We are busy, we are rushing to beat deadlines of many kinds and we want to be productive. Do you feel guilty when you slow down? I believe this causes so much anxiety in so many people. Why not live in the moment. Be conscious of what is going on around you, especially if you are driving on I-4. The world around us is filled with beauty. When you are rushing around, racing the clock so to speak, you miss out on so much. Let’s face it; we really aren’t present when we are in a hurry. So the next time you’re ready to blowup because of a traffic jam or the waitress is taking too long, or you scheduled your day with so many things that the only down time you get is your limited sleep, remember the roses on the path of life. Slow down and take the time to thank the farmers and ranchers that labored to get your food to you. When they are checking their crops or herds, you can bet they slow down to make sure everything is as it should be at that moment. Life goes by quickly enough. Let’s not rush it.
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 George Domedion Creative Director/Illustrator Juan Alvarez Distribution Bob Hughens Photography Karen Berry Staff Writers Al Berry Sandy Kaster James Frankowiak Sean Green Ginny Mink 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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A MIX OF GOOD AND NOT-SO-GOOD NEWS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
-Dennis Carlton Jr. - President
Greetings, This edition of IN THE FIELD has a blend of good news and one story in particular about a growing threat to our industry. Let me begin by extending my congratulations to the three, recently elected Florida FFA Association officers from the Plant City area: President JP Prescott, Secretary Syd Swartman and Area 5 Vice President Cole Hanson. Three of the state’s top eight FFA officers from the same county and city is a rare occurrence. We wish them the very best during their busy year in office. Hillsborough County Farm Bureau board member Michelle Williamson has just been selected vice chair of the Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board. My thanks to Michelle for her volunteer work with this important organization and its impact upon all of us. Now, some less than pleasant news that is hurting our specialty crop growers here in Hillsborough County and other parts of our state. Many of you are fully aware of the negative impact the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has had on farmers who grow fruits and vegetables in our area, particularly strawberries and tomatoes. There was a great deal of hope and a truly concerted effort to right the wrongs of NAFTA with a revised trade agreement. Disappointingly, that has not been the case. Early last month, the University of Florida released new information confirming and detailing the harmful impact of Mexican imports on Florida fruit and vegetable producers. Since NAFTA was introduced in 1993, the level of Mexican products entering the U.S. market during our peak winter seasons has grown dramatically. The UF study takes a close
look at the 2010-2018 period and bell pepper, strawberry and tomato crops. Researchers found that these Floridaproduced crops declined by 27%, 22% and 58%, respectively, during this period while Mexican imports of these same products increased dramatically. This trend, according to the researchers, will continue unless changes are made. Please take the time to review the analysis at https://fred.uifas.ufl.edu/pdf/economic-impactanalysis/MexicoFruit&Vegetable.pdf. Once you do, you will more fully understand why changes must take place, and why Florida Farm Bureau needs your support in having our elected officials in Washington take the steps needed to level the playing field for our growers. If your family does not belong to Farm Bureau, please give membership your consideration. Remember, you don’t have to be a farmer or rancher to join. Your membership and involvement is vitally important to agriculture. For more information, visit: hcfarmbureau.org, stop in and see us at 305 South Wheeler Street in Plant City or give us a call: 813/6859121. 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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Celebrating a most fruitful relationship
between Florida Strawberry Growers and International Paper.
1979
Together we’re sure to enjoy many more years of sweet success.
711 E. Lancaster Rd Orlando, FL 32809 (407) 855-2121
1996
2402 Police Center Dr Plant City, FL 33566 (813) 717-9100 6706 N. 53rd St Tampa, FL 33610 (813) 744-2220 Sales: Dean Fultz (901) 355-5197 or Jim Johnson (813) 205-0355
2001
2003
Present
©2018 International Paper Company. All rights reserved.
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DURANT HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDED THE 91ST ANNUAL FFA STATE CONVENTION
In June students from Durant High School attended the 91st annual FFA State Convention in Orlando. This is an awards ceremony recognizing accomplishments from across the state, as well as a host for several leadership contests that were conducted there such as public speaking, parliamentary procedure, etc. Durant students did exceptional there this year. In addition to six state titles won during the year, they won two more contests while at convention, bringing the total to eight, as well as three Proficiency Award winners. State Winner Extemporaneous Public Speaking Emma Poole
Proficiency Award Winners: State Winner Sheep Production - Brenna Sturgis State Winner Landscape Management - Cole Hanson State Winner Feeder Swine - Cole Hanson Top 4 in State Turfgrass Management - Tyler Hewett Top 4 in State Feeder Swine - Tanner Ashley Top 4 in State Agriscience Education - Austin Holcomb
State Winner Discussion Meet - Will Haxton
Top 4 in State Dairy Production - Austin Holcomb
2nd Place Prepared Public Speaking - Cole Hanson
Top 4 in State Goat Production - Chloe Murphy
2nd Place Conduct of Chapter Meetings -Aidan Vaughan, Casey Lane, Alexis Swantek, Michaela Carmichael, Brenna Sturgis, Austin Holcomb and Lisee Griffin
Elected at State Convention:
2nd Place Job Interview - Carter Howell
District Secretary - Emma Poole
3rd Place Parliamentary Procedure - Cole Hanson, Emma Poole, David Ferrell, Will Haxton, Carter Howell and Chloe Murphy
In addition - Cole Hanson was elected Area 5 State FFA Vice President and will take a year off from college to travel the state as an ambassador for Florida FFA.
District President - Carter Howell
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Thanks for your continued support and enjoy your summer!
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FDACS HOLDS
HEMP
RULEMAKING WORKSHOP AT FAIRGROUNDS
By Jim Frankowiak Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nicole “Nikki” Fried recently joined several other Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) officials at the Florida State Fairgrounds for the second of three, day-long public hemp rulemaking workshops taking place in the state last month. The first such workshop took place at Pembroke Pines and the third was held in Tallahassee. “The goal of these workshops is to hear from the public on the upcoming state hemp program,” said Fried. “For this program to be as successful as possible, it must inclusive, involving all Floridians interested in hemp and in the rulemaking process. I see this as an industrial revolution for our state and our country. It’s an opportunity to make our economy a bit greener.”
Each workshop included presentations from FDACS divisions of Plant Industry, Agricultural Environmental Services and Food Safety with opportunities for public comment following each of those presentations. Comments from attendees were recorded for further consideration. FDACS maintains a section on its website to provide information on cannabis and the new state hemp program. Interested parties are encouraged to visit: FreshFromFlorida.com/Cannabis for updates or emailing Cannabis@FreshFromFlorida.com with any questions.
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Concurrently, the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) industrial hemp pilot program announced passage of a critical milestone towards understanding the potential Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 1020 two days after the fi- of growing hemp throughout Florida. nal workshop, creating the state hemp program that is to be administered by FDACS. The program will regulate cultivation of hemp, ad- Hemp plants have been planted at the UF/IFAS Tropical Research and dressing issues such as the licensing of growers. The workshops were Education Center in Homestead and at the UF/IFAS Agronomy Forage organized to involve the public and various hemp industry stakehold- Research Unit in Hague. They are the first hemp plants to be legally ers, including growers, processors, lab owners, manufacturers and re- grown in the state since the 1950s. Multiple UF/IFAS sites are actively participating in the pilot project with researchers looking to identify tailers to interact among themselves and with FDACS officials. hemp varieties suitable for planning in Florida, developing industrial “Our new state hemp program marks the beginning of an exciting hemp management practices for growing hemp in the state’s diverse new chapter here in Florida and brings a chance to strengthen our growing environments and also assessing the risk of hemp being an agriculture industry, increase access to safe Cannabidiol (CBD) extract invasive plant that could pose a potential risk to Florida’s landscapes. products and diversify and fuel our state economy,” said Fried. Each “Industrial hemp is a diverse, multi-use crop with applications in bioof the three workshops was open to the public and live streamed on plastics, building material, food, textiles and forage,” said Assistant Professor of Agronomy Zachary Brym, who heads the UF Industrial The Florida Channel. Hemp Pilot Program. All workshop attendees were provided with copies of the draft rule for their information and comments. FDACS is to finalize the rules for The overall goal of the pilot program is to gather the most basic inforthe state hemp program at a future date. mation necessary for the initial design and economic assessment of hemp growing systems for regions across Florida. The UF Gainesville
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campus is involved in assessing the invasion risk that the plant has for Florida’s natural environment. Work to screen hemp for nematode and mildew susceptibility has begun at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. Additional information, which is regularly updated, is available at: https://progframs,ifas.ufl.edu/hemp/. Just prior to the initial workshop at Pembroke Pines, Commissioner Fried submitted a statement to the U.S. House Committee on Small Business for entry into the Congressional Record, regarding opportunities for small businesses within the cannabis industry. Her letter stated “Relevant federal agencies, including the Department of Justice, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the Food and Drug Administration, are strongly encouraged to revisit federal policies and regulations that run counter to the entrepreneurial growth of cannabis taking place across America. “In addition, the absence of traditional banking services forces statelicensed businesses to resort to all-cash operations, which is both inefficient and a public safety concern. Businesses cannot operate proficiently with irregularities restricting their growth, stability and the ability to pay bills and expenses. This is an issue impacting our state and national economy. “This is why I strongly support the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act (H.R. 2215). Lack of access to an efficient and safe banking system, and traditional loans and capital markets, puts legally-operating cannabis businesses at a crippling disadvantage. Without Congressional action, continued confusion and misinformation regarding cannabis could discourage financial institutions from partnering with businesses on this promising new commodity,” her letter to Committee Chairwoman U.S. Rep. Nydia Velazquez said.
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OPTIMIZING SOIL PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS PAYS OFF IN SANDY SOILS Healthy soil is alive, a living ecosystem, and serves as the foundation for agriculture. Sometimes, it doesn’t get the respect it deserves. When treated like dirt, soil is less productive, and the fertility of the land may be diminished. One new technology, called Cool Terra®, provides growers a way to enhance soil vitality for greater yield in strawberry fields like yours. In fact, Cool Terra has shown some of the greatest results in the type of high sand, low organic matter soil common in Florida’s strawberry fields. Just like a coral reef supports sea life by providing structure, resources, and habitat in an otherwise barren ocean floor, Cool Terra can support plant life by: •Optimizing water retention in the root zone •Enhancing nutrient exchange and availability •Building lasting soil structure •Providing an environment for microbes A 2018, 32 acre commercial trial in Polk County Florida using Cool Terra demonstrated improved strawberry yields by over 500 flats per acre. The increased strawberry yield provided a revenue impact of over $4K and a grower return on investment of 15.5x!
FIELD TRIAL: 32 ACRE COMMERCIAL TRIAL PLANT CITY, FL | 2017-2018 | STRAWBERRY VARIETY: RADIANCE Revenue Impact: +$4,055 | 1 year grower ROI: 15.5x 4000 3500
+510 FLATS/ACRE
3000 2500
3,106 flats/acre
Cool Terra applied pre-bedding via broadcast spread
3,616 flats/acre
2000
Grower Standard
• E X T E N S I V E S U R FAC E A R E A •HIGH POROSITY • F R E E A I R S PAC E • H I G H I O N E XC H A N G E C A PAC I T Y
Microbes Inhabiting Cool Terra
LIMITED TIME OFFER AVAILABLE I N N O V A T O R S C O U L D E A R N 10% BACK !
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Full program details can be found at www.coolplanet.com/cool-terra/innovator-advantage
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A FIXED-CARBON MATERIAL SPECIFICALLY ENGINEERED TO PROVIDE LASTING SOIL PERFORMANCE BENEFITS Backed by over 120 independent, 3rd party field trials, Cool Terra provides, on average, a 12.3 increase in marketable yield and a greater than 3 to 1 return on investment. Give your soil the respect it deserves to establish a solid foundation for strawberry productivity and quality. For more information, contact Cool Planet’s Regional Sales Associate, Jordan Schultheis: 330.770.1118 Available for sale today:
Cool Planet is proud to support and contribute to the FSGA to further soil health research and innovation.
CONTACT YOUR LOCAL RETAILER TODAY INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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Business Up Front
By Jim Frankowiak
Alan’s Air Conditioning is celebrating 25 years of air conditioning service to residences, businesses, commercial customers and a host of public and private facilities in the Plant City area and an ever-increasing list of communities in west central Florida. The family-owned business has also welcomed the third generation to its staff. Founded in 1994 by Alan Lewis and his wife Terry, their son Brian joined the team while a student at Plant City High School. After graduation, Brian studied at Travis Tech and continued his on the job training with his father. He gained a State Contractors certification in 2005 and became the company’s managing officer in 2006. In 2014 Brian and his wife Tiffany bought the company from Brian’s parents. Alan continues to be involved in the business. As founder of the company Brian appreciates his dad being around to lend his trade expertise and wisdom to not only him but also to the other 12 employees that make up Alan’s AC. Brian and Tiffany have three children: Joshua, 18; Madelyn, 2 ½ and one-year old Hawke.”I have truly been blessed!” claims Brian when asked about his children. Following in his father’s footsteps, Joshua is the third generation of the Lewis family working in the business.
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“We help our customers repair and maintain existing systems, change out units when needed and cut energy cost with high efficiency products and/or design,” said Brian, who noted Alan’s Air Conditioning is one of the longest tenured American Standard dealers in Florida.
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“We have been installing the American Standard brand for 25 years. In addition to preventative maintenance, repairs and system change-outs, we also offer duct cleaning, fiberglass attic insulation, spray foam insulation and air quality/purification services. “We can offer our customers the full package. A new high efficiency AC System installed with a new duct system designed for maximum performance, air purification and attic insulation to help bring energy consumption to a minimal level and maximize savings on monthly power bills.” Customer longevity is a hallmark of Alan’s Air Conditioning. “We are proud to have many long term customers, including a growing number of second generation customers,” noted Brian. “They tell us our service and commitment to making them come first is why they stay with us and recommend us to their friends and family.” Over the years, Alan’s Air Conditioning has provided service to churches, schools, day care facilities and public structures including the library and local Police and Fire stations. “That leads to referral work since prospective customers conclude our services must be cost-effective while also performing quality workmanship if we are selected to work in those types of places,” he said. “Our service team members know the technical side of our business and perform their job well, but what sets us apart is the attention to customer service and appreciation towards each individual client that our staff shows,” Brian said. “I have to give a lot of the credit to my
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Brian and Tiffany Lewis employees. I shared my vision for Alan’s AC and our future and they have rallied around Tiffany and me to make ideas and dreams reality!” Brian has come up with several things to help differentiate Alan’s Air Conditioning from others in the business. The most visual is their fleet of service vehicles with a Yeti-Design wrap that was introduced in 2014.When asked why he chose the Yeti Logo Brian claimed with a smile ” Yeti’s are legendary just like our service.” For example, Alan’s Air Conditioning has six portable air condition units, ranging in size from 6,000 to 12,000 BTU’s to help keep customers cool while waiting for an install to be completed or a special order part coming from out of state to be delivered and placed in service. “Hey it’s Florida and brutally hot. You are miserable without the AC so we offer some relief from the heat at no cost as a courtesy to our customers”. Brian also developed and introduced a maintenance plan with several levels of service offered. “Ninety-two percent of our new system customers belong to our A-List which is our maintenance contract program,” said Brian. “We remind them by phone or email about the need for a maintenance check.” Alan’s A-List members also enjoy a variety of benefits including discounts throughout the year. Alan’s AC supports a variety of programs and charities throughout Plant City and the surrounding area. Among them are the Pregnancy Care Center, Hope Children’s Home, Unity in the Community, Hope Bags, Trinity Sportsman’s Ministries and local youth with their steer and swine projects for the Strawberry Festival and Hillsborough County Fair. “My Family has called Plant City Home for many years just like a lot of our customers and it’s awesome to be able to give back to the community,” said Brian. Though Alan’s Air Conditioning began in and still calls Plant City home, customers are now located as far north as Crystal River and east to Lake Wales.
For more information about Alan’s Air Conditioning, visit:
www.alansairconditioning.com or call 813/752-0821. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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FISHING COURTESY... Two Simple Words Capt. Woody Gore
person, you’re likely to lose yours at one time or another. Even though not deliberately we’ve all done it, take a little too long getting our boat into or out of the water at the boat ramp, or we unintentionally cut someone off crossing the lake, or worse yet we fish a little too close to another angler. And when we do, we get that all too familiar, “hey dude,” with arms in the air shout, “What are you doing!”, Whenever anglers get together, the possibility of sharing fishing and adventure stories results in endless hours of quality companionship often developing into lifelong friendships. However, the pressure to catch fish, along with overcrowding fishing spots, can increase tensions among recreational anglers and sometimes professional guides, undermining what otherwise should be fun fishing. Crowding another angler, mainly when they’re catching fish, is probably the number one source of irritation and arguments. Everyone should realize when you’re heading to a popular fishing area you’re probably not going to be alone, especially on weekends or holidays. But on the other hand, just because you’re fishing near other anglers, you should expect and reciprocate a certain level of courtesy, consideration, and common sense.
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Capt. Woody Gore (www.captainwoodygore.com)
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It happens, and we all know everyone is guilty! It’s called our tempers, and unless you’re an extremely patient
or verbal exploitation of profanity and every name in the book. And of course, when this occurs, it’s challenging to maintain a non-confrontational attitude when your nine-year daughter and wife are with you.
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However, it’s to your emotional and occasionally physical advantage to ignore further attempts at provocation. In today’s society, you’re never sure of the other person’s mental or emotional capacity. So let them finish their angry outburst, say you’re sorry and continue your day.
Captain Woody Gore’s Guide Service; is the area’s top outdoor fishing guide service. He’s fished and guided Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs, Bradenton, and Sarasota areas for over fifty years and offers some world-class fishing adventures and memories of a lifetime.
Whenever you engage a confrontational situation here’s what happens; first, you lose your composure, second, you become emotionally involved, and finally, you wind up giving the other person control over your emotions. Whenever actions or tempers intensify, the situation can accelerate into physical conflict. If this happens, no one wins. Remember, “Never give them control.”
Capt. Woody specializes in Single Boat, Multi-Boat and Group Charters. With many years of organizational experience and access to the areas most experienced captains, He can arrange and coordinate any size group, outing or tournament; tell him what you need, he will get it ready.
Common Sense is what the world refers to as wisdom; it requires little education but does require the ability to think and reason. Common sense, combined with everyday courteousness makes our lives much brighter and more fun. If there is anything in our character worthy of imitation, why not make it “Common Sense and Courtesy.”
“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
We’re Growing the Population of Florida Scrub Jays Our efforts to protect native wildlife species have helped the endangered Florida Scrub Jay population not only survive, but grow. As part of the Mosaic mining process, we designated 850 acres of habitat, and then worked with local environmental experts to relocate Scrub Jays. Now the Scrub Jay population, which had only a five percent survival chance 15 years ago, is once again growing and thriving.
To learn more visit www.MosaicCo.com/Florida
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Beavers have transparent eyelids so they can see underwater with their eyes shut. In 2008, Usain Bolt set the 100 meters world record with one shoelace undone. Two-thirds of the people in the world have never seen snow. A squirrel can remember the hiding places of up to 10,000 nuts. Construction on the Pentagon began on September 11, 1941, 60 years to the day before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. A flea expert is a pullicologist. Baboons cannot throw overhand. Vincent van Gogh didn’t begin to draw until he was 27.
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GRITS Last year I went to my wife’s family reunion in Alabama. I decided to do a little “Southern Survey” on grits, since most everyone in attendance were true southerners. I know I have written about “God’s Manna From Heaven” before, but I thought you might be interested in the results of my survey. My first question was, “What Are Grits?” John “Greg” Davidson was a walking encyclopedia on grits. When posed the question he said, “I did an essay in college on the origin of grits. What do you want to know?” “Well, John” I asked, “If a Yankee asked you what grits were, what would you say?” He replied, “First off, Yankees have attempted to create synthetic grits. They call it ”Cream of Wheat.” The main ingredient, as far as I can tell, is Elmer’s Glue mixed with shredded Styrofoam.” I asked Jerry Davidson, Patsy’s uncle, “When they ask how grits are formed, what do you tell them?” “No problem, I just tell them grits are formed deep and underground with intense heat and pressure much like a volcano. Then I give them the full story! I tell them it takes more than a thousand years to form a single Grit. Most of the world’s grit mines are in the south, mainly Alabama and Georgia, and are guarded by armed guards with dogs. Harvesting the grit is a dangerous occupation, and many grit miners lose their lives each year so that grits can continue to be served morning after morning with the correct amount of butter.” I asked Kim Strother, my wife’s cousin, about the best way to cook grits. She said, “There’s nothing to it. You boil a cup and a half of water with salt and a little butter, dump in about five tablespoons of grits. Let the grits soak up all the water, then put the heat to it. When you stick a pencil in the grits and it stands alone, the grits are done.” Aunt Babs jumped into the conversations and said, “Do you know how to tell if the grits are buttered enough to eat?” “What is your answer, Aunt Babs?” I asked. She replied, “You hold an un-pealed ripe banana next to the bowl of grits. If the colors match, the grits are ready to eat.” Those Alabama people know how to cook grits and make red eye gravy. Grits, homemade buttermilk biscuits and red-eyed gravy will beat a T-bone steak and baked potato every time. My mother made the best biscuits in the world, and always said you never ever substitute canned or store bought biscuits for the real thing because they cause rotten teeth and impotence.
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Now I have some questions for you to help me answer. Does pushing the elevator button more that once make it ar-
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rive faster? If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, then what is baby oil made from? Why doesn’t glue stick to the inside of the bottle? How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire? Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet soup? Why is it that now everyone has a cell phone, no one talks about seeing UFOs like they used to? Who decided “Hotpoint” would be a good name for a company that sells refrigerators? Who took the bite out of the Apple logo? Do Victor the Dog’s relatives still receive royalties from RCA Victor when they use his picture on their label? Why isn’t there a period after Dr on the Dr Pepper label? Can you knock the stuffing out of the Pillsbury Dough Boy? Was Betty Crocker ever a flour child? Why do people spend twice as much money on a shirt just because it has popular logo on it? And men, when you’re working on the car and your hands become coated in grease, why is it your nose begins to itch, and you have to tinkle? I am not sure I have a firm grip on the situation we are in today! If you cross the Cuban border illegally you will be thrown into political prison to rot. If you cross the Venezuelan border illegally you will be branded a spy and your fate will be sealed. If you across the Iranian border illegally you are detained indefinitely. If you cross the Afghan border illegally, you get shot. If you cross the Saudi Arabian border illegally you will be jailed. If you cross the Chinese border illegally you may never be heard from again. If you cross the border into the United States you can get a job, drivers license, welfare, food stamps, credit cards, subsidized rent or a loan to buy a house, free cell phone, free education and free health care. I think I’ll change my name and get caught sneaking across the border into the United States. Did you hear the story of the Florida senior citizen that was driving his brand new Corvette convertible on I-75 at 90 miles an hour? He looked in his rear view mirror and saw a FHP Trouper, blue lights flashing and siren blaring. The old sport floored it to 100 mph, then 110, and on to 120. Suddenly he thought, “What am I doing? I am too old for this,” and pulled over to await the trooper’s arrival. Pulling in behind him, the trooper got out of his vehicle and walked up to the Corvette. He looked at his watch, and said, “Sir, my shift ends in 15 minutes. Today is Friday. If you can give me a good reason for speeding---a reason I’ve never heard before, I’ll let you go!” The old gentleman thought for a second and said, “Three years ago, my wife ran off with a Florida State Trooper. I thought you were bringing her back.” “Have a good sir, Sir,” replied the trooper. And in closing, don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It’s already tomorrow in Australia! Editor’s Note: This Rocking Chair Chatter was originally printed in the January 2014 issue WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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OLD TRADITIONS IN MODERN TIMES
By Libby Hopkins
Ted Fusko and his family have been providing the Riverview community with farm fresh eggs and produce since 1993. “My wife and I grew up with similar backgrounds, living a simple country life enjoying foods from the garden and eggs from our chickens,” Fusko said. “As a boy it was my job to tend to the chickens and I enjoyed and took pride in that. I wanted to pass this on to my kids.”
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Although Fusko’s family home is 90 years old, his family is only the third family to live here. He loved the history of the house so much when he purchased it in 1988 that he named his business after it. “We pay homage to our homestead’s former owners by naming the business Sawmill Country Market,” Fusko said. “Our home was built in 1929, but sold during the depression in 1932. A man, his wife and her sister lived here until he fell ill and the sisters moved into a nursing home. They didn't have children but they did have a dog. We found their initials embedded in concrete. Their initials ‘T’, ‘D’, ‘B’ and ‘C’, matched ours (mine, my wife, our son, and our dog) initials
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when we moved here in 1988. We feel very connected to our home. The man ran a sawmill from the property and we're told he milled most of the wood for the early Riverview residents from here.” Since moving in the home, Fusko’s family grew. “We have added another son in 1993, and adopted two daughters in 2011,” he said. If you ask Fusko what makes Sawmill Country Market different from other farmer's markets in the Tampa Bay community he will tell you it’s the connections he makes with his customers. “We started out selling our surplus eggs and vegetables to family, friends, and neighbors in 1993,” Fusko said. “As the demand grew, we started buying our vegetables from the market. I make trips twice a week and buy in smaller quantities to try and keep the freshest produce. It's really more about meeting our neighbors then making money. We very much enjoy connecting with like-minded people and feeling connected to the community.” WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Fusko has some customers who were children when they first stopped by his market with their parents to buy eggs. “We have literally seen them grow up and look forward to some day meeting their babies,” Fusko said. The Sawmill Country Market is located in an area that is growing by leaps and bounds. If you ask Fusko why he thinks his customers come to shop for eggs and produce with him instead of having produce or eggs delivered from a supermarket delivery service, he will tell you he feels people are longing for a simpler time. “I think so many people are yearning for a simpler, slower paced life, and they enjoy making a human connection with us,” Fusko said. “They know we are self pay if I’m away at the market or out back and not able to come out. They also know I trust them if they don't have the cash. I think it feels good to people to know that. We also keep chairs handy if someone has a few minutes to sit down and chat” Fusko’s customers are amazed that the honor system still exists at The Sawmill Country Market. “They are happy to get eggs like they used to get at Grandma’s house and I believe we get what we give, respect and caring,” Fusko said. We have made many friends.” Fusko and his family believe strongly in shopping local and keeping things local. “I think it's extremely important,” Fusko said. “I don't think it's good to eat food that might have been stored for months in a cooler then shipped thousands of miles. I believe it's best to eat or preserve food when it's in season, and it's always right to support local business, that's what built America and what can keep it strong.” Although Fusko is the main person you'll meet if you stop by The Sawmill Country Market, it is a family business, so you’re also likely meet his wife or one of his daughters. “You may even see my daughter in law with her little ones in tow,” Fusko said. “When it's time to unload watermelon or firewood it's my sons. It's a lot of work, but it's good work and we do our best to make it fun.”
If you’d like to learn more about The Sawmill Country Market, you can visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Sawmill-Country-Market-1315386798525646/ or call Fusko at 813765-8564. The Sawmill Country Market is located at the red barn on Balm-Riverview Road in Riverview. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ACCEPTING HARVEST QUEEN ENTRANTS; SENIOR DIVISION SCHOLARSHIP AWARD DOUBLED By Jim Frankowiak
Photos Courtesy of The Hillsborough County Fair The Hillsborough County Fair Harvest Queen Pageant has announced September 14 as the date the senior and junior queens will be selected at the Fairgrounds located at the corner of State Road 60 and Sydney Washer Road in Dover. The competition is open to girls who are residents of Hillsborough County and between the ages of 16-19 for the Senior Division and 13-15 for the Junior Division. The Roland and Olive Lewis Scholarship, an annual $1,000 award given by the Hillsborough County Fair to the pageant Senior Division winner, is made possible by the generous funding of Marvin and Linda Brown of Favorite Farms in Dover. The late Dr. and Mrs. Roland Lewis were chosen as the namesakes for the scholarship in honor of Dr. Lewis’ tenure and leadership on the Hillsborough County School Board from 1968 to 1988. This scholarship is awarded to the Senior Division winner of the pageant competition and it may be used at any postsecondary school in Florida. The Harvest Queen is chosen by a panel of judges based upon personality, appearance and poise as well as interview participation.
College from its beginning in 1948 until his retirement in 1981. “We are very pleased that this contribution by the Browns honors Dr. and Mrs. Lewis and gives Florida College the opportunity to participate in furthering the education of worthy students in Hillsborough County and promotes Florida College as “A Friend to Youth,” he said. Pageant entry information can be accessed at http://hillsboroughcountyfair.com, and the Online Entry information at: https://hillsborough.fairwire.com/. The application deadline is August 2, 2019. There will be a mandatory meeting Monday, September 9, at 6 p.m. for all entrants. This meeting will take place at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall. Senior Division interviews will begin September 14 at 3 p.m. and will take place at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds Exhibit Hall. The Pageant will begin at 5 p.m. September 14. The 2019 Hillsborough County Fair will take place October 1720 and 24-27.
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Dr. H.E. “Buddy” Payne, President of Florida College, announced that should the Harvest Queen choose to attend Florida College in Temple Terrace, the scholarship will be doubled. Dr. Lewis was Registrar and a Professor at Florida
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Community Leader to Serve on Florida State Fair Authority Board of Directors support will come in many different forms, from helping to uphold the organization’s mission and purpose to providing proper financial oversight and controls to the Authority. Through quarterly board meetings, committee-based action and individualized support, Dicks will help enhance the organization’s public and financial reputations.
Now under the leadership of Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nicole “Nikki” Fried, the Florida State Fair Authority Board of Directors welcomed several new faces at the June 2019 board meeting. Among those faces was John L. Dicks, II, a new board member appointed by Commissioner Fried. Dicks is a partner with Akerman, LLP, a law firm with over 700 lawyers in 24 offices around the country. As an experienced litigator, Dicks specializes in several areas of representation including fraud, breaches of contracts and fiduciary duty, commercial and residential landlord/tenant disputes, statutory claims, trust and probate litigation, bankruptcy court and more. Since finishing law school and earning his M.B.A from the University of Florida in 2010, Dicks has defended more than 40 consumer protection statute lawsuits, including the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), and the Florida Consumer Collection Practices Act (FCCPA).
As a board member, Dicks will be charged with helping to determine, monitor and strengthen the organization’s programs and services, including over 150 events hosted year-round at the Florida State Fairgrounds, as well as the annual Florida State Fair which features the nation’s largest midway, over 5,000 animals, fantastic Fair food, shopping, cultural exhibits and thrilling entertainment! Dicks lives in Tampa with his wife, Lauren and their two daughters, June (3) and Josephine (1). The memories of the fair are present in John’s home. “In our dining room, we have a picture of my great-grandfather showing a steer at the Fair, back when it was held at the University of Tampa. I think he’d be proud to know that I’m serving on the Board,” said Dicks. “I know that my daughters are very excited about riding the Ferris wheel next year. I look forward to continuing the family memories in years to come.” We are excited to have John L. Dicks, II at the Fair this coming February 6–17, 2020, and look forward to having him on our Board of Directors.
Dicks is not only an accomplished lawyer, but an important community leader as well. When he’s not practicing law, Dicks serves on the Board of Governors for the Florida Bar’s Young Lawyers Division. Super Lawyers Magazine recognized him as a “Rising Star” in Florida for General Litigation.
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As a seventh-generation Floridian growing up in Plant City, John’s agriculture roots run deep in his family heritage, particularly in cattle and oranges, which makes him a perfect fit to help guide the fair into the future. While on the Florida State Fair Authority Board, Dicks will assist 19 other leaders in supporting and overseeing the operations of the Florida State Fair Authority. This
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GCREC HAS SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH IN PEOPLE, PROGRAMS AND PHYSICAL PLANT SINCE 2005 OPENING IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY By Jim Frankowiak
The numbers tell a bit about the expansion that has taken place at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) at Balm in southern Hillsborough County since it opened in early 2005. “At that time there were 18 buildings with a total of 168,221 square feet on 475-acre campus. Currently, there are 33 buildings with 268,322 square feet,” said Project Manager Frank Tipton with UF/IFAS Facilities Planning and Operations. “That number will increase by an additional 10,839 with near term completion of the fifth graduate housing structure and precision lab on campus.”
“Hillsborough County Ag notables like Marvin Brown, Tony DiMare, Jay Taylor, Chip Hinton, and Stephen Gran have been involved all along,” noted Rechcigl. “Thanks to their collective efforts, the county donated the 475-acre site where we are located, but there is more to the success of the partnership.
The Center’s growth is also manifest by the addition of faculty and staff. “There were 70 of us in total when we opened a little over 14 years ago,” said Center Director Dr. Jack Rechcigl, noting that included seven faculty, a number that has grown to 21. “Faculty and staff now total 210,” he said. “In addition to an increase in number, the global representation has markedly expanded, as well, with international interns, graduate students and visiting scientists along with our strong international collaborations.
“We have an ongoing dialogue between our scientists and growers to continually identify their needs and potential alternatives for the future,” said Rechcigl. “Farming is a risky business and assessing alternative crops is an even greater risk that we take on behalf of our grower partners. And, we approach that from a multi-disciplinary perspective. I am grateful that our research team has accepted my challenge to think outside of the box when it comes to ways to help our growers achieve success.
“Our initial focus was on just three crops: strawberries, tomatoes and caladiums,” said Rechcigl. “We have undertaken programs that continue to include those three crops, as well as olives, blueberries, blackberry breeding, artichokes, pomegranates, hops and most recently hemp.”
“Hops, a crop most often associated with the northwestern states in the U.S. or Europe, was brought to our attention by Hillsborough County Agribusiness Development Manager Simon Bollin and several craft beer brewers a little over three years ago,“ said Rechcigl. “Our researchers have developed ways to grow hops in Florida to such an extent that we have expanded our hops yard three-fold,” he said. “Even though we are relatively new to this crop, others have taken notice and visit us to learn more about this crop,” he said. Those visitors are both domestic and international,
The GCREC’s mission is to develop and share new sciencebased information and technology that will help Florida’s agricultural industry compete in a global marketplace. It is one of 12 research and education centers in the state. UF/IFAS researchers and scientists work diligently to maintain and enhance the quality of Florida’s natural resources and agriculture. The researchers, who specialize in different disciplines, work collaboratively on a variety of ever-changing projects – from breeding new, disease-tolerant fruit and vegetable varieties, to developing new approaches to control weeds, as well as other challenges growers face domestically and globally. Disciplines at the GCREC include agricultural economics, breeding, entomology, horticulture, pathology and weed science. PAGE
“To me, this growth is the result of a very practical partnership between our researchers and the growers that we serve,” said Rechcigl. “That is a partnership, in my estimation, that is like no other, anywhere.” Hillsborough County government has and continues to play a role in the ongoing progress at the center.
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Bollin, who has been in his position with the county since 2013, appreciates the ease of working with the staff at the GCREC. “They are always ready to sit down and discuss news ideas, even crazy ones like hops a few years ago,” he said. “I anticipate more of the same in the future, as we continue to look for ways to help our growers.” Hinton, who has a long term relationship with the center, believes “listening to growers” has been a key activity that has WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
developed and nurtured this partnership. “The ongoing needs assessment and search for ways for growers to achieve greater success is vital,” he said. “Researchers have been open to new ideas like hops as an alternative crop. The demand for that crop was present, and thanks to the work of the team at the GCREC, the way to successfully optimize that crop’s potential for our growers appears to be close to realization.” Industrial hemp may offer growers another alternative crop. “Unlike hops, hemp would be a large acreage crop with substantial potential,” said Hinton, who noted another underlying factor that has helped ongoing center expansion. “The esprit des corps among the faculty and staff is just fantastic,” he said. “Dr. Rechcigl is behind that and it contributes to high morale and productivity.” Florida Strawberry Growers Association Executive Director Kenneth Parker currently heads the GCREC Advisory Council with Di Mare. The council continually assesses the long range needs and challenges of growers. “Overall, the center strives to bring added value to the majority of high volume crops grown in the state,” he said. “This can be through new varieties with consumer appeal, greater disease and pest resistance and longer shelf life. Thanks to the programs at the center, growers in Hillsborough County have higher crop value today than ever before. “Researchers at the center have also helped growers by taking a very close look at the business of agribusiness and factors such as international trade practices. This type of factfinding has been very important as our specialty crop industry in Florida works to keep our lawmakers and regulators aware of the challenges we face.” This broader perspective also includes utilization of technological advances to help growers and to address the issue of labor through mechanized harvesting. Parker also noted that growers work closely with researchers participating in trials of new varieties or growing techniques in their fields, as well as at the center’s fields. The FSGA’s Research Foundation has been an ongoing financial supporter of projects at the center. This funding is derived from the sale of strawberry varieties developed at the center and sold both domestically and internationally. “The GCREC model is the envy of the nation, and for that we are most thankful,” Parker said. Tomato growers in Florida also appreciate the assistance it continues to receive from the center. “The Florida tomato industry has an outstanding partnership with the GCREC and its research faculty,” said the Florida Tomato Committee’s Michael Schadler. “From tomato breeding to disease and insect management, the researchers at the GCREC have been
Gran, who held Bollin’s position at the time the GCREC opened in 2005, is now head of Extension in Hillsborough County and oversees and fosters the linkage between researchers and growers in the county. “Our agents help share information between the researchers and growers, so the interests and needs of both are met,” he said. “We also foster ongoing communications with our county leaders and regulators so that they are aware of the projects taking place and benefits not only to our growers, but overall agricultural economic development in Hillsborough County.” Sonia Tighe, Director of Membership for the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association and Executive Director of the Florida Specialty Crop Foundation, considers the GCREC research staff “excellent in their ability to get out into the fields and work directly with growers on issues they are having,” she said. “They are extremely fast to work on a problem when it is given to them by a grower. They are encouraged to think outside the box and to be creative in their approaches. Our industry as a whole is very supportive of the center. They are able to work very well together in a collaborative manner to include multiple disciplines when working on either a problem in the field or an opportunity for a new crop. The center has expanded rapidly and continues to meet the needs of growers.” Researchers at the GCREC have an even more promising future as a result of a joint effort by Tampa Electric Company (TECO) and the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD). They now have significantly more water with which to conduct their experiments in support of existing and alternative crops. Access to the additional water came about after TECO bought several hundred acres of former citrus groves in the Lithia area of the county, some 15 miles from the center. This land was acquired for a solar plant, and the land purchased included water permits. Solar plants require minimal water and TECO opted to donate the permits to the center, an action permitted by SWFWMD after a study was conducted.
More information about the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, its staff and programs is available at: gcrec.ifas.ufl.edu. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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instrumental to the success of Florida’s tomato growers. Dr. Rechcigl has assembled a world-class team that not only has the relevant scientific expertise, but also the skills to work alongside growers in the field to apply the research. We’re lucky to have partners like this in the heart of Florida’s tomato country,” said Schadler.
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Florida
Monstera Delicioso
By Sandy Sun, M.S. Clinical Medicines, B.S. Nutrition Science Fresh Florida monstera deliciosa is a tropical fruit that tastes like pineapple and jackfruit. Also called ceriman, windowleaf, cut-leaf philodendron, swiss-cheese plant, and split-leaf philodendron, the monstera plant is often grown for decoration and its beautiful large tropical green leaves with natural holes. Monstera thrives in Florida’s warm, humid climate. The fruit of Monstera deliciosa resembles an ear of corn covered with hexagonal scales. It can grow up to 9.5 inches long and about 1.5 inches in diameter. When the fruit ripens, the scales lift up and fall off the fruit and releases a sweet, tropical scent. Once fragrant, the fruit can be cut from the stalk and stored in a paper bag to finish ripening. The scales fall away, revealing the edible flesh beneath.
NUTRITIONAL PROFILE Monstera fruit is sweet and delicious with an exotic, tropical flavor. Little detail exists in the literature about its nutritional value, but in general is thought to be high in vitamins A, C, fiber, and potassium.
VITAMIN C Monstera fruit contains several antioxidants, including vitamins A and C. Vitamin C supports the body’s immune system in fighting infections and viruses. Additionally, this vitamin helps keep capillaries, gums, and skin healthy and supple. The vitamin C in pitaya also enhances iron absorption from other foods, which reduces the risk of anemia. It even plays a role in preventing cardiovascular disease and eye disease.
VITAMIN A Vitamin A is essential for optimal eye health and can help prevent night-blindness. It also plays a role in immunity by supporting the white blood cells in fighting infections. Vitamin A is also involved in hearing, taste, and normal fetal development.
Research has shown that dietary fiber has a protective effect against cardiovascular diseases, by lowering blood cholesterol levels and slowing the progression of heart disease in high-risk individuals. Fiber also promotes bowel regularity and increases satiety levels, which can aid in weight control.
HOW TO SELECT AND STORE Pick ripe monstera fruit that has turned to a lighter shade of green and look for ones with scales that have lifted. At this point, ripe fruit may be cut from the plant, and ripened at room temperature or in a paper bag. The pulp should only be eaten from that portion of the fruit that easily falls off the core. The fruit can also be stored for up to several days in the refrigerator. Avoid eating unripe fruit or excessive amounts since this fruit contains oxalic acid.
HOW TO ENJOY Monstera fruit is delicious eaten out-of–hand. Peel off the outer scales and cut off the kernels from the inner core with a knife, as you would an ear of corn. You can also slice the fruit into rings as you would pineapple, and separate the flesh from the inedible core. Other ways to enjoy this fruit include: •Freeze the pulp to make sorbet or ice cream •Mash the pulp to make jelly, yogurt, juice, or sauce •Slice and toss into a fruit or vegetable salad •Use the pulp in baked cakes or pastries •Blend with other fruits for a refreshing smoothie Enjoy this beautiful, fragrant fruit during Florida’s peak season. Eat it out of hand and enjoy the tropical sweetness.
SELECTED References http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ http://www.tropcialfruitgrowers.com
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FIBER
By Jack Payne Tiffani Swestyn wants to be an agriculture teacher so badly that she’s willing to drive clear across the state every week – and sometimes twice -- to do it. If it weren’t for the ag teacher training program in Plant City, she may not have been able to do it at all. That would have been a big loss because we need more aspiring agriculture teachers like Swestyn, not more missed opportunities. Our instructors at the University of Florida’s ColTiffani Swestyn lege of Agricultural and Life Sciences know not everyone can make it to Gainesville to pursue their dreams. That’s why we come to them. Or at least to within an hour and a half of them. Swestyn lives in Titusville. She commutes in a Honda Civic, a country music station her only companion, almost to the opposite coast to get to class. We can’t get her from student to teacher fast enough. Brian Myers, chair of the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Department of Agricultural Education and Communication, says there’s 100 percent teaching job placement rate for ag education graduates.
counties. UF/IFAS offers the only program to certify ag teachers in the state, so Plant City has been a popular spot for all of South Florida to access a UF education. It also increases opportunity in an environment of hypercompetitive admissions. UF gets more applications for its freshman class than Yale does. Plant City offers the opportunity to transfer to UF as a junior. There were 24 students in the program for the past academic year. Many of them work part- or full-time, as Swestyn does. The class schedules are in part built to accommodate that. Plant City is a portal to all of UF/IFAS. Plant City students learn from animal sciences faculty in Gainesville, a water quality expert in Wimauma, and entomology faculty at various UF/IFAS sites. I often say, “If you’re not teaching, you’re not a university.” While I often talk about research and Extension in this space,
Like most states, Florida has a shortage of school-based agriculture teachers. A perception of low pay and of lack of respect for the profession is thought to discourage some would-be ag teachers. Heavy recruiting from the ag industry diverts new graduates away from public schools and into private companies seeking young professionals who can think, plan, and share ideas, says Myers. At 21, Swestyn has a clear picture of her future. She plans to teach agriculture in a middle school, marry her fiancé, and pay the mortgage on their new home. It wasn’t always so clear. She had always been interested in agriculture – she was active in FFA from sixth grade to high school graduation, Swestyn just didn’t see the path to a profession in the field. After two other universities and two other majors, she sought advice from her mentor – the agriculture teacher she had for six years. That teacher was a UF graduate, and she knew about Plant City and told Swestyn about it. Suddenly Swestyn could see her future again. She enrolled last year and plans to graduate next spring.
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Debra Barry, who has taught several of Swestyn’s classes in Plant City, said Swestyn’s commute is the longest of her students but that others come from Polk, Pasco, and Manatee
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I am equally committed to teaching as part of the land-grant university mission. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a teacher of agriculture, please reach out to us. Jason Steward is Plant City’s academic adviser and can be reached at 813757-2280 or jsteward@ufl.edu . You can also check out the program at https://gcrec.ifas.ufl.edu/uf-degree-programs/ advising-and-appointments/.
Jack Payne is the University of Florida’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and leader of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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THREE NEW STATE FFA OFFICERS HAIL FROM PLANT CITY AREA TWO STRAWBERRY CREST GRADS, THIRD FROM DURANT
BY Jim Frankowiak The slate of officers recently elected by the Florida FFA Association includes three greater Plant City area residents: President James “JP” Prescott, Secretary-at-Large Sydney Swartman and Area 5 Vice President Cole Hanson. Prescott and Swartman recently graduated from Strawberry Crest High School, while Hanson is now an alumnus of Durant High School. Although Plant City is often represented among statewide FFA leadership, it is rare for three of the eight statewide positions to be filled by residents of a single community in one county. “Beyond that, we have gone on from being friendly competitors for many years in FFA competitions to teammates working to advance agriculture and FFA,” said Hanson. “That’s pretty cool!”
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The Florida FFA Association has some 20,000 members active in 340 chapters at middle and high school levels. The organization’s mission is “to make a positive difference in the lives of students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education, leading to successful careers and a lifetime of informed choices in the global agriculture, food, fiber and natural resource systems.”
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Founded in 1928, the National FFA Organization, to which the Florida Association is affiliated, is one of the largest youth organizations in the U.S. with nearly 670,000 members in 8,630 chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. FFA is the largest of the career and technical student organizations in U.S. schools. Each Florida state officer serves a one-year term characterized by the association as being “a rewarding, but yet very serious job…considered to be a twenty-four hour per day job.” In addition to attending state, county and local chapter meetings, the officers have a role in various events such as the Florida State Fair, State and National FFA meetings. “We will also travel within the U.S. and internationally,” said Prescott. One domestic trip is to Iowa for the Iowa Ag Experience, an opportunity for Florida state officers to become familiar with crops and other Ag operations in the Upper Midwest such as corn, soy, wheat, the pork industry and dairy farms. “There’s a long term bond between the two states and this experience has taken place for many years,” said Swartman. The Florida leadership group will travel to Spain and Portugal during their term to experience agriculture internationally. The majority of expenses for domestic and in-state travel are WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
covered by the association, while officers must raise funds needed for their international trip. While there is no pay associated with their year-long commitment, each will receive scholarships from the Florida FFA Foundation, University of Florida, Bank of America and Warner University, should they choose to enroll at Warner. Hanson plans to attend Warner after his year in office, majoring in Agriculture Studies and Business Management. Prescott is the son of Susie and Tim Prescott. He has older step-siblings, Kendall and Taylor Ragans. The Prescotts have a tree farm in southern Georgia and plan to move to Jefferson County and possibly start a small cattle operation. JP
JAMES “JP” PRESCOTT
specializing in Shotokan Karate. “I studied at Chris Welbon Karate Clubs in Plant City and have competed for eight years all over the U.S.” she said, noting that she has been awarded a black belt. UF is also in Swartman’s plan after her term as State FFA Secretary, majoring in biotechnology. “I hope to be able to create ways to farm and feed the growing population of the world,” she said. Both Prescott and Swartman are indebted to the FFA team at Strawberry Crest High School which is led by Susan Mayo and Advisors Michelle Cesario and Kelsey Humphrey. “They have all been very supportive,” said Prescott. “Ms. Mayo would do whatever it took to help us progress,” said Swartman. “She even went dumpster-diving with me when I misplaced an expensive dental retainer.” They both also owe a debt of gratitude to FFA colleagues Anna Pess, Adayden Kelly and Priscella Shreve for their friendship and support over the years. “We would not be here without them,” said Swartman. Hanson’s parents are Julie Hasting and Craig Hanson. He has 12-year-old twin siblings Casey and Summer and sisters Miley, 12; and Ava, 14, Hastings. His step dad is Shane Hasting and his step mother is Sherri Hanson.
began his association with agriculture in the 7th grade. “My friend Dalton Vanderford suggested that we enter a forestry competition together,” he said. “We did and I really enjoyed that competition and have continued to do all I could to learn more about Ag.” While attending Strawberry Crest High School Prescott was also a member of the swim team, competing in butterfly and free style events, as well as participating in freestyle and medley relays. He served as Swim Team Captain his senior year. Following completion of his year as Florida FFA Association President, Prescott plans to attend the University of Florida College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, studying biological engineering with “emphasis on either the biological or mechanical sides,” he said. “That may lead to a research position, but time will tell.” Swartman’s parents are Holly Berry Swartman and Jeffrey. She has a 15-year-old brother Cole and sister Ava, who is 11. Syd was introduced to agriculture by one of her teachers, Jason Stewart. “Mr. Stewart suggested I use my public speaking
SYDNEY SWARTMAN
COLE HANSON
He was introduced to agriculture by his stepfather who showed animals while in high school. “That sparked my love for animals and led me to 4-H competitions, starting when I was six and moving on to FFA,” Hanson said. “I ran for office and that has brought me to this dream year as a state officer. “ Durant FFA Ag instructors and FFA Advisors Tim Cribbs and Thomas Sturgis have been important mentors to Hanson. “They shaped me into the young man that I am, and for that I am most grateful,” said Hanson, whose passion is bass fishing tournaments, “especially those that offer prizes to the winners.” While a very busy year has just begun for Prescott, Swartman and Hanson, they all feel the same way about a successful term. “Giving back and having an impact so that we help others find the same love for agriculture that we have. To us, that will be success.” Additionally, educating all about the importance of agriculture is of equal importance. “People, especially our lawmakers and regulators, need to have a full understanding of the importance of our industry globally. Being able to feed the world is at stake,” they said.
skills in my first competitive Ag event, and that led to my interest and love for agriculture,” she said. In addition to participation in FFA, Swartman is a martial artist,
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For additional information about the Florida FFA Association, visit: www.flaffa.org. The National FFA site can be reached at: www.ffa.org.
NEW LAWS, NEW ROADS, NEW AG PRODUCT
by John Dicks
Historically in Florida, the midpoint of the year is marked with the beginning of new laws recently passed by the legislature.
red light! Haven’t you noticed? It’s particularly annoying and frustrating!
This year was no exception. Like clock work, right smack-dab half way through the calendar, on July 1st, a whole slew of new laws geared up to make our life better, or at least it was intended so anyway.
Of course another frustrating thing about driving in Florida is congestion and nonstop gridlock. Certainly I could devote a zillion words to the discussion about solving our transportation woes, but for now will limit it to the observation that with this year’s state legislative accomplishments, our government committed a substantial sum and agreed to plans to expand our highways.
It’s the number of new laws that always amazes me. This year, there were nearly 200 bills passed by the legislature! Frankly, it’s just hard to imagine that there were that many things wrong with our state. Nonetheless, the nearly 200 pieces of approved legislation actually represented roughly only 10% of the bills proposed! Oh, well; as I am sure you would agree, Florida is still a great place to live. This year also marked the first time the legislature met during which Gov. Ron DeSantis was in charge of the executive branch. It seemed that many observers noted how, in comparison to recent previous administrations, De Santis was more active in the process and engaging with legislative leaders. The biggest headline grabber amongst the new laws was one dealing with texting while driving. The safety issue had been discussed for years but never seemed to make much headway. This year proved to be different and the law making texting while driving a primary offense finally passed. It means that unlike before, when officers could ticket motorists for texting only when they were pulled over for some other reason, like speeding, now drivers can be stopped and issued a citation whenever the officer spots them in the act. Probably to prevent any future legal arguments, the law indicates that the ban does not apply to those situations where the driver is not moving. I suppose that non-moving exception acknowledges and continues today’s new driving technique of the seemingly mandatory texting (or Facebook updating) that drivers apparently feel compelled to do whenever stopped at a
Three new transportation corridors are being established. All three are toll roads, but they will add 340 miles throughout Florida to move around some of our ever increasing population. Provided that it really gets done, it will relieve a bit of pressure particularly on north/south travelers. The SunCoast Parkway is set to get expanded from Tampa Bay to Georgia, and also to get connected along the way with the Florida Turnpike. I remember so well looking at a Google map of Florida just a couple of years ago when Hurricane Irma was threatening our shores. Overlaid on top of the lines reflecting Interstates 75 and 95, heading north out of Florida, were deep, dark red hues indicating the highways were clogged beyond measure. These new roads, albeit toll ones, will help relive some of that pressure buildup otherwise caused by another emergency evacuation. One more major piece of legislation that we will no doubt hear much about as it fully develops was a law setting up a state hemp program. This was strongly supported and encouraged by State Agriculture Commissioner, Nikki Fried, and an issue that she has not been shy in talking about when she travels and speaks throughout the state. The new law gets things going with a rule making process for licensing and regulating the hemp industry as a potentially important crop and new one for farmers. Fried anticipates that the first production could get started as early as the end of this year and could grow into an annual $20 billion industry. With new laws, new roads and a new agricultural product, it is a busy time in Florida for our beloved Sunshine State.
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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. John serves as Of Counsel to Trinkle Redman, a law firm in Plant City where he also served nine years as City Commissioner, including three terms as Mayor.
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E n d a n g e r e d S p e c i es
Not What You Think:
Crenulate Lead-Plant
By Ginny Mink
If you have ever had to buy a house, you are aware of the dangers of lead paint. You have to sign papers, dependent upon the year the house was built, in reference to those dangers. So, when we were looking for an endangered species to write about this month, we were intrigued by a plant known as the crenulate lead-plant, or Amorpha crenulata. Of course, it’s not what you think. It has nothing to do with lead paint, but the name caught our attention, nonetheless. The Amorpha crenulata was added to the Federally Endangered list on July 18, 1985. So, as we near it’s listing anniversary, 34 years later, it seems as good a time as any to bring the plant’s plight to you. To recognize it, you must understand that it is a medium sized shrub with single petaled flowers and compound leaves. And, it grows in pine rockland habitats.¹ According to the Fish and Wildlife Services it is only located in small areas of Miami-Dade County in an area maintained by periodically scheduled fires. It has reddish purple branches with leaves that are green or grey on the top and spotted underneath. Flowers are in loose clusters and generally white. The Amorpha crenulata produces fruit as well.² The fruit is a flattened pod on these plants that can reach upwards of 5 feet in height. You will notice the flowers during the spring and summer while the leaves are most distinctive during spring and fall. Unfortunately, 99% of the habitat where the Amorpha crenulata exists has been lost to development. Due to this, and some other factors, there are now only eight known populations; only four of which are located on managed areas. One of these locations is an area where the plant has been introduced.³ The crenulate lead-plant grows best in poorly developed soils. It likes areas where there is a thin sand layer and a porous limestone substrate. This is often referred to as Miami oolite. Many of the plants find their rooting in rock crevices and solution holes that are the result of the erosion of the underlying limestone. They grow in areas where you will find saw palmetto, poisonwood, wax myrtle, southern slash pine, and silver palms.¹ Amorpha crenulate was first described in 1919 by Rydberg in the hammocks located between Cutler and Coconut Grove. Currently it is only found within a 20 square mile section between Coral Gables and Kendall. Historically, its range was only a little bit wider than that. There have been no sightings of the crenulate lead-plant in hardwood hammocks and there is even some debate as to whether or not any collections were actually made in those locales.² The reality for these plants is that the area has undergone extensive urbanization and development. The original habitat of 152,000 acres has been decreased to 4,500 acres as of 1978 and only 1,700 of those acres are considered to be in pristine condition. Because we now suppress fires and have a serious issue with the invasion of exotic and non-native plants, some of the vegetation that would have been understory has kind of taken over.¹ As far as reproduction goes, scientist don’t know much. After observing one population for two years, they noticed no appearance of seedlings and very little growth among the already existing plants. In fact, they only noted that flowering happened after there had been some sort of human disturbance. And, there doesn’t seem to be any pollinators or dispensers present. But, they noted that cultivation was easy, so they suspect that the lack of viable seeds isn’t really the issue in the wild.²
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Recommendations for protection, conservation, and recovery include intervals of three to ten years for controlled burns. It is
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assumed that without these controlled and prescribed burns the hammock areas will be dominated by various understory plants and invasive species within the next 25 years. Unfortunately, due to the fragmentation of the current populations, those of smaller sizes are not expected to survive at the time of this writing.¹ Of course, controlling the existence of exotic plants could also be a substantial benefit for the crenulate lead-plant. But, controlling these non-native and often invasive species can be significantly expensive due to the need for manual labor. Heavily infested areas are quite labor intensive because plants must be pulled by hand. However, once an area has been cleared of these invaders, the costs to control and maintain is significantly less. Basically, an active strategy must occur and, given the location, requires a multi-lingual outreach program that stresses the importance of controlling invasive species and providing prescribed fires.² As we suggested in the beginning, the crenulate lead-plant has nothing to do with lead paint, or the poisoning associated therein. Instead, it has everything to do with the way Florida was designed by the Creator. These plants were placed here on purpose and therefore, it is our job as stewards of this planet to ensure that they are protected. If you have connections in the Miami-Dade area, please reach out and make this plant known. Help it garner some attention and thereby protection by the locals, especially since some of the populations are founds in small urban areas. Together, we can make a change.
Resources: ¹Beachman’s Guide to the Endangered Species of North America. (2000). Crenulate Lead-Plant. Gale Group Inc. As provided by Encyclopedia.com. https://www.encyclopedia.com/ environment/science-magazines/crenulate-lead-plant ²Fish and Wildlife Services. Crenulate Lead-plant. Amorpha crenulata. https://www.fws.gov/verobeach/MSRPPDFs/ Crenulate.pdf ³Florida Natural Areas Inventory. (2000). Crenulate Lead-Plant. https://www.fnai.org/FieldGuide/pdf/Amorpha_herbacea_ var_crenulata.pdf Photo Credits: Zona, S. (2011). Amporpha heracea var. crenulate 2. (Flickr). https://flic.kr/p/9UpPz9 Smith, L. (2014) Lead Plant (Oaklahoma- other variety). (Flickr). https://flic.kr/p/nJjAPP WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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HURRICANES AND URBAN FORESTS
An Approach for Enhanced Risk Assessment Accuracy
Hurricane season is upon us and that means the need for proper preparation, a multi-faceted task with many components to help assure safety and well being should such a weather event impact us. Hurricane-force winds can result in severe damage to communities and urban forests. Trees can become hazardous, potentially harming both people and property. While trees may pose risks during a hurricane or heavy storm, their many benefits, such as the provision of shade, energy conservation and enhancement of property values cannot be overlooked. Scientists from the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) conducted a study after 10 hurricanes impacting Florida, other gulf coastal states and Puerto Rico over the period of 1992 – 2005. The full study, which is entitled “Wind and Trees: Lesson Learned from Hurricanes,” can be accessed by visiting http://treesandhurricanes. ifas.ufl.edu. It covers lessons about the urban forest, trees, soil and rooting conditions and considerations for new and older trees. Balancing risk assessment and the benefits of urban forests is an ongoing quest of arborists, scientists and urban foresters. “We strive to achieve accuracy, consistency and precision,” said Dr. Andrew Koeser, Assistant Professor of Environmental Horticulture, Landscaping and Ornamentals at the UF/ IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC). He noted a very helpful compilation of data by Bartlett Tree Experts of risk assessments conducted in the Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina areas prior to a major tropical storm event that struck both areas. “That information enabled us to compare pre- and post-event data, noting pre-storm accuracy was 95 percent correct for the worst of the worst trees,” he said. “While those findings are good, we continue to look for ways to provide methods for achieving even greater accuracy with risk assessments.” Most of the commonly used tree risk assessment methods draw on visual indicators to gauge risks using three key factors: likelihood of impacting a target (target occupancy), likelihood of failure and consequences of failure should the target
be struck. These factors are typically ranked and then added to provide an overall risk rating. Of those three factors, target occupancy is considered to be the most important. “Risk assessment methods have long incorporated the understanding that trees in areas with higher target occupancy pose greater risk,” he said.“During a risk assessment, target occupancy is typically the first thing considered and it is often the only factor that can effectively bring risk down to zero” Some potential targets such as buildings and structures are stationary, representing 100 percent occupancy. However, pedestrians and vehicles are often in motion and their occupancy can vary greatly, depending on the site and the time of day. To provide the most accurate and precise target occupancy there is a growing trend to utilize equipment such as traffic counters. This quantitative risk assessment method has been most prevalent in Australia and the United Kingdom. Here in the U.S., most risk assessments rely on qualitative assessments from visual cues such as road size, nearby places of interest, presence of benches or other infrastructure that would attract occupants, to gauge how often mobile targets like pedestrians or vehicles are present in a tree’s target zone. Additionally, this approach is influenced by time of day and season in which a site is visited. Koeser and his colleagues have also studied the significance of the arborists assessing a tree during a risk assessment. “Personal biases and individual perceptions of risk account for the variability associated with ratings of likelihood of tree impact and consequences of failure,” he said. “Consistency is not the same as accuracy and efforts to reduce variability in risk assessments must reflect our current understanding of trees, risk and tree biomechanics. It may be possible to make risk assessments more reproducible given training and the creation of clear industry definitions. More research is needed to provide the basis for concrete and meaningful thresholds for guiding tree risk assessments.” To support this need, Koeser noted UF “is half way to funding at new arborist professor position.” This $2 million goal is being funded in part through the sale of Florida specialty license plates stating, “Trees are Cool!” If you agree, consider that plate the next time your tag is up for renewal. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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By Jim Frankowiak
s e p i c e R
Courtesy of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Chef Justin Timineri
Florida Chicken, Avocado and Swiss Wrap q Ingredients q 3 Florida chicken breasts 1 large Florida avocado, peeled and sliced 4 slices Swiss cheese 4 whole-wheat wraps Âź cup plain yogurt 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 lemon, juiced 1 lime, juiced Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
PREPARATION In a small bowl combine the yogurt, mustard, and lemon juice; season with sea salt and pepper, to taste. Place two slices of cheese on top of each wrap, place on a cookie sheet and broil in the oven until the cheese melts. Remove from the oven and add chicken slices to each wrap. Add sliced avocado, sprinkle with lime juice, and top with yogurt sauce. Fold the wrap to create a sandwich.
Florida Avocado Crostini q Ingredients q 2 Florida avocados, halved, pitted and peeled 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, torn into 3-inch pieces 1 medium baguette, sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing 2 cloves garlic Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange prosciutto in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake until crisp; let cool. Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet and brush with oil. Bake until light golden brown around edges. Rub bread with garlic cloves. Mash avocados with a fork and season with salt and pepper. Spread avocado on baguette slices. Top each with a piece of prosciutto and serve.
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By Ginny Mink
Part 58
Ornamental Gardening in Florida It’s time for another ride on the Literary Time Machine as we venture back in time nearly one hundred years to determine whether the ornamental gardening advice of that time is still relevant today. Mr. Charles Torrey Simpson is our conductor and will be quoted throughout as we delve deeper into his book, Ornamental Gardening in Florida. Today we begin with the Dioscorea. Though you don’t have the pleasure of looking at this antique book, we would like you to know that the previous owner drew a line through one of Mr. Simpson’s statements and off to the side wrote, “Not true.” This in and of itself gives us the desire to find out what’s going on with the Dioscorea. Here’s what Mr. Simpson wrote about it, “Although this vine is grown largely in the tropics for its great, edible roots, which reach a length of eight feet and weigh a hundred pounds, yet it is one of our fine ornamentals.”¹ Eight feet long roots that weigh a hundred pounds and are edible? What in the world? Science Direct has a plethora of information about these plants which are some sort of yam species. In Africa, they are often used for food and are popular in traditional Chinese medicine as well. However, some of the varieties attached are poisonous and can cause renal failure. The site notes that its been used, in its non-detoxified state, in cases of ritual poisoning, suicide, and hunting.² Since, Mr. Simpson doesn’t clarify which Dioscorea he is referencing, we’d prefer you err on the safe side and don’t eat these plants! He continues, “Along in May it begins to send up strong, leafless stems which grow wonderfully and are soon covered with large, handsome, heart-shaped leaves. It bears very curious blossoms and winged seeds, also air potatoes which hang from long stems and are catapulted to a distance by high winds – a means of distribution.”¹ The which hang from long stems part is where the previous owner of this book took issue. Given all the other negative attributes of these “air potato” plants it seems an odd thing to note. So, we move on to Gloriosa. He says this is a climbing lily, and being partial to lilies, this is of great interest. He writes, “I have three species growing around my house and all are as much at home as anything I have. G. superba and G. virescens come up in the spring and, after producing their beautiful lilies all summer die to the ground as cooler weather comes on. G. rothschildiana does not come up until later and its period of blooming lasts longer. Once established these spread and the bulbs can be taken up when dormant.”
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As we stated previously, we are indeed fans of lilies. However, when you search for these Gloriosa, or climbing lilies, you will probably be quite surprised by their appearance. In fact, when the image popped up, we realized that these flowers are located throughout the writer’s parent’s property. They are almost a backwards looking flower, with the petals
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thrown back and the stamens protruding forward. Not your typical lily in the least, but still quite attractive if you are looking for a climbing flower. Onward to the Ipomoea, or morning glory. Mr. Simpson pens, “…planted generally in the tropics, (it) is one of the most exquisitely beautiful vines we cultivate. When given good soil and plenty of feed it will soon cover a pergola, a use for which it is especially adapted, and produce an immense number of crimson flowers that appear as if varnished. There are varieties having different shades of color.” If this sounds like just the right flower for your garden area, we are happy to provide some additional tips. According to Gardening Know How, there are a number of varieties, as Mr. Simpson suggested, and they all have funnel shaped blossoms. They bloom between May and September, opening in the morning and closing by the afternoon. They prefer full sun but can survive some light shade. And, you don’t have to worry about your dry or poor soil as they are quite tolerant. Of course, given its preference, it does best in moist, well-draining soil. You can start them from seeds and once they are established you won’t have to do much for them.³ Given what we have learned on this voyage today, it is our suggestion that you avoid the Dioscorea and settle for either the Gloriosa or Morning Glory, or both, when considering plants to add to your garden. We think both of the latter two suggestions are attractive and worthwhile. So, until next time, happy gardening! 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. 184-185). ²Ekor, M. (2014). Toxicological Survey of African Medicinal Plants. Discorea. Nephrotoxicity and Nephroprotective Potential of African Medicinal Plants. Science Direct. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/ dioscorea ³Tilley, N. Growing Morning Glories: How to Grow Morning Glory Flowers. Gardening Know How. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/vines/morning-glory/growing-morning-glories.htm Photo Credits: International Institute of Tropical Agriculture. (2008). Load carrier carries yam tubers to motor park. (Flickr). https://flic.kr/p/ ebAo71 Rulkens, T. (2012). Gloriosa superba. (Flickr). https://flic.kr/p/ briEHB James M. (2014). Blue Morning Glories. (Flickr). https://flic.kr/p/ pb5sRc WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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When Temps Soar, Here’s How to Make Fruits, Vegetables Last Longer by Samantha Grenrock You’re proud of yourself — you’ve just come back from the grocery store with a trove of healthy fruits and vegetables. Fast forward to a few days later when you’re throwing away all that beautiful produce because it’s spoiled in the summer heat. Hot weather isn’t kind to most fresh produce, but there are steps you can take to help fruits and vegetables last longer, says a University of Florida scientist. Higher temperatures speed up all the natural processes that fruits and vegetables go through as they ripen or age, said Jeff Brecht, professor of horticultural sciences in the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Brecht studies what happens at the chemical level as produce goes from the farm to the consumer. “Once a fruit or vegetable reaches its optimum eating quality, its cells begin to die, a stage we call senescence. If you’ve ever picked up a piece of produce and found a puddle underneath, that’s the cells breaking down and releasing their liquid contents,” Brecht said. During this stage, fruits and vegetables lose their resistance to microbes such as bacteria and fungi, which cause decay, Brecht explained. This is why berries found at the center of plastic clamshells are sometimes mushy or moldy. “It’s a misconception that producers hide those berries in the middle of the pack. The fruit in the middle is insulated and stays warmer, so it goes bad first,” he said. Lowering the temperature seems an obvious solution, but it’s not that easy, Brecht said. Refrigeration can produce unpalatable results in some fruits and vegetables. “The storage method should match the climate of the place where the fruit was grown,” Brecht said. “Crops that grow in temperate regions, such as apples and pears, do best when stored just above freezing. On the other hand, crops from tropical regions, such as mangoes and bananas, are damaged by cold temperatures and shouldn’t go in the refrigerator.”
“This happens when avocados are exposed to cold before they are fully ripe, when they are more sensitive to lower temperatures,” Brecht said. This chilling injury also inhibits aroma development, making it a major cause of flavorless produce. On top of that, some fruits and vegetables produce ethylene gas, which can cause spotting and yellowing in produce stored nearby. Leafy greens, carrots and broccoli are all ethylene sensitive and should be stored separately from ethylene producing produce, such as bananas and melons. “This is where the crisper drawer in your refrigerator can come in handy,” Brecht said. “It’s a good idea to store ethylene sensitive produce in the crisper draw to keep it separate from ethylene producing items elsewhere in the refrigerator.” Brecht points out that even the car ride home from the grocery store can affect produce. “Instead of putting produce in the trunk, put your produce up front with you, where there is air conditioning,” he said. The moral of this story: fruits and vegetables are sensitive to their environment. But if you store them in the right place, at the right temperature, you can enjoy them all summer long.
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS works to bring science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents. Visit the UF/IFAS web site at ifas.ufl.edu and follow us on social media at @UF_IFAS. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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That includes avocados. Have you ever opened a seemingly perfect avocado to find that the inside is mottled brown, with dark, stringy fibers running through the flesh?
A Closer LookAmazing Activities Naturally
by Sean Green
Leather Bookmark
When you mention bookmarks these days many will assume you’re talking about a web browser. Bookmarks, like the books they belong in, are quickly becoming a thing of the past. Digital copies of a book cannot replace the personal connection the printed version offers. Likewise, there is nothing quite like a bookmark that has acquired its character through countless pages of beloved literature. This month we are making a magnetized leather bookmark that will not only endure, but will gain character the more it’s used.
Supplies: Thin Leather Scrap (1-2 oz) Waxed Cord (optional) Felt Leather Stamp (optional) Strong Magnetic Strip (Ideally Neodymium) Fabric Glue Cutting Tool (Leather knife, Scissors, Razor) Leather sewing needles (optional) Production: Your bookmark design should be symmetrical and double the length you want sticking in the book. The finished piece will be folded in half over the page. Lightly draw the shape of your bookmark onto leather with a sewing needle. Cut the leather and felt to shape Cut magnetic strips to fit within both sides of the bookmark leaving a couple mm space on each side and space to fold the bookmark in the middle.
Spread fabric glue onto the leather
Sandwich the magnetic strip between the glued leather and felt, allow to dry. Sew an outer seam of 2 mm to secure the leather and felt (optional)
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Stamp or decorate the leather bookmark
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The fabric glue will likely hold well enough, but hand stitching will certainly make the bookmark more durable and attractive. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
A Closer Look
by Sean Green
Giant Water Bug (Belostomatidae)
It’s getting hot in Florida and many of us are playing in the water to keep cool. This month we are featuring a bug that just might be swimming in the water with you. If you’ve ever seen little black bugs swimming in circles on the surface of the water, these are water bugs. Not all water bugs are created equally and not all are small. The waterbug we are featuring this month is the giant water bug and is, in fact, the largest of the true bugs. The giant water bug, though fascinating, should be approached with caution for a closer look. If you’ve ever seen a giant water bug you will not soon forget. They are huge; in fact they’re the largest of true bugs. Their bodies can reach lengths of 4 inches and their two front legs have been modified to become raptor like appendages with spikes on the end specially designed to grasp their prey. Hollowed out, these front appendages inject digestive fluid into its prey to reduce it to a slurry that can be sucked up through its proboscis in much the same manner a spider predigest it’s meal. The giant water bug is very close to the top of the food chain in its environment of small bodies of still water. It has been known to prey on fish, crustaceans, like crawfish, frogs and even turtles, pretty much anything it can dig its claws into. Although human beings are not on the menu, they will definitely bite if harassed. Oh, and I might add, they can fly. I have never been bitten by one, but most sources agree that when this bug does bite it is known to be one of the most painful of all insects and can last up to four or five hours. The venom this insect injects is enough to paralyze its prey and begin breaking down its tissue; however, there’s no evidence that the Venom is potent enough to have the same effect on a human being. Those of us that have experienced these insects first hand may refer to them as toe biters for obvious reasons. They typically hunt in the water just below the surface, breathing through a snorkel like organ attached to their abdomen. When frightened they will dive down into the water and settle within the leaves and sub-
Once mated these seemingly evil bugs are actually pretty good parents. One species (B. lethocerus) lays her eggs on plants near the edge of a pond and takes turns with the male in guarding the eggs while the other hunts. Another species, (B. abedies), lays the eggs on the larger males’ back to ensure the eggs remain protected until hatched. The male not only surfaces occasionally so the eggs get air, but also has an interesting brood pump that forces water to move over the eggs increasing oxygen diffusion. These fascinating insects are very efficient Hunters in both their larval and adult forms. They are opportunistic feeders with a wide range of prey that include critters that many of us would consider pests, such as mosquito larva and other aquatic insects, snails, and snakes. The giant water bug will prey on animals many times its size, sometimes even sharing the kill with other giant water bugs. This insect can absolutely be a benefit to pond owners that wish to maintain balance in the pond habitat. Choose this insect as a pet simply because they are so fascinating to watch and relatively easy to keep. I encourage you to take a closer look at the giant water bug. I will caution you again that these insects can deliver a very painful bite though not life-threatening. If you would like to take a closer look, you could always go to Asian food market where these insects are sold as a delicacy and can be safely handled and examined before indulging in new cuisine. Bon Appetit. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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merged debris, their camouflage making it very difficult to find them in their natural environment. Most of us see these bugs in urban environments such as mall parking lots, airports, parking garages, public pools or anywhere else there are bright lights near bodies of stagnant freshwater. As mentioned before these bugs can fly and do so when they emerge for mating. They crawl out of the water and fly from pond to pond to mate and get disoriented by bright street lights and can be seen flying around the street lights. It is because of this attraction to lights that the giant water bug is also known as the electric light bug.
REGIONAL PLANNING COUNCIL HONORS VETERANS AG PROGRAM
By Jim Frankowiak The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (TBRPC) recently honored the Veterans Florida Agriculture Program (VFAP) with its Economy and Energy Award. Presented at the TBRPC’s 27th Annual Future of the Region Awards gathering, the honor recognizes projects that promote economic vitality and workforce development while benefiting the community. VFAP was developed by Veterans Florida, a non-profit organization created by the State of Florida to provide veterans and transitioning service members with career opportunities and entrepreneurship resources. “We are proud to receive the Economy and Energy Award from the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council,” said Amy Entress, VFAP Program Manager. “By creating career opportunities for veterans and a talent pipeline for the agriculture industry, the Veterans Florida Agriculture Program is a winwin for Florida.” VFAP is a partnership with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) that offers ninemonth internships at UF/IFAS Research and Education Centers (RECs) across Florida and agribusinesses in the state.
The initial six-months of the program take place at one of the UF/IFAS RECs in the state. The last three-months of the program match participants with a local agribusiness. Veterans selected to participate receive a $500 monthly stipend for the first six months in addition to an hourly wage throughout the program. Participants work a 40-hour week. While participating in VFAP, veterans are encouraged to enroll in a UF agriculture certificate program. Those who do not receive job offers at the conclusion of their internship will be assisted with placement in a permanent position in the Florida agriculture industry.
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MORE INFORMATION ABOUT VETERANS FLORIDA AND VFAP, INCLUDING AN APPLICATION, IS AVAILABLE BY VISITING: VETERANSFLORIDA.ORG.
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MICHELLE WILLIAMSON ELECTED VICE CHAIR OF THE SWFWMD GOVERNING BOARD
Michelle Williamson, manager of G & F Farms in Dover, has been elected Vice Chair of the Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) Governing Board for the 20192020 term. Appointed to the board in August of 2016, she represents Hillsborough County. Mark Taylor, who represents Hernando and Marion counties, was elected Chair. He is president of TTG Properties, Inc., a real estate management, investment and development firm. He also joined the board in August of 2016. Joel Schleicher, who represents Charlotte and Sarasota counties, was elected Governing Board Secretary. He is a May 2017 appointee. Kelly Rice was elected Treasurer. She represents Citrus, Lake, Levy and Sumter counties and is a small business owner involved in real estate, agriculture and health care. Rice was appointed to the Governing Board in September 2015. Governing Board members are unpaid, citizen volunteers who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate. The Governing Board sets policy for the District, whose mission is to protect water resources, minimize flood risks and ensure the public’s water needs are met.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SWFWMD IS AVAILABLE AT: WATERMATTERS.ORG
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Hurricane Season and Hort Hurdles aka Opportunities LYNN BARBER, FLORIDA-FRIENDLY LANDSCAPING™ AGENT
We are now in the midst of hurricane season. What opportunities for flying debris adorn your landscape? If yours looks anything like mine, we have some work ahead of us and should start now! Do you have trees that are leaning over your home or lanai? You may want to contact a certified arborist for advice about pruning or other alternatives. You can access a list of certified arborists at the International Society of Arboriculture at: https://www.isa-arbor.com/For-the-Public, on the right side of the page, Find an Arborist. Are your landscape shrubs already bending groundward? You may want to consider pruning one-third off the top. What about palms? Hurricane pruning is harmful to palms and not all palms need to be pruned. If palms are pruned, the fronds should appear as the hands on a clock at 9:00 and 3:00. For more information on palm pruning, refer to the University of Florida publication, Pruning Palms by Timothy Broschat at: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ep443. How many potted plants adorn your front porch, lanai and outdoor landscape? What about the hanging plants on your porch and in trees? Then there are signs, rain barrels, birdfeeders, worm composting bins, lawn furniture and much more! Are you tired yet? I think I am. It doesn’t matter how heavy things are, they can still be relocated in a high wind or hurricane, so it would be best to move them when there is time. It is really much easier than it sounds unless we wait too long. All of us just need to start working on this ‘to do’ list now. Make sure you have space in your garage for many of these items and an empty wheelbarrow or other type garden cart to move things. Many items can be moved inside your home if they will
not be consumed by your pets. A clothing rack with wheels works very well to move hanging plants from the porch into the garage. You don’t even have to remove them from the rack unless you have an extra garage door rail you are not using or need to make multiple trips from the porch. In that case you may need more than one clothing rack. Several years ago, a friend called me from out of state in the midst of hurricane season with one approaching. Her plea was for me to go to her house and put all of her outside potted plants and decorations in her garage. After working on this for an hour, I recruited another neighbor to help me. It was a good thing that one of her cars was at the airport because we needed a lot of space for all her yard things! That taught me a lesson for a while…ok, maybe a year. Bottom line is: Call an arborist if you think you have potential tree issues. Prune shrubs that already appear to be top heavy or damaged. Remove decorative items and/or potted plants that you have lost interest in, or that need to be, or can now be removed from your landscape. Drain the water from your rain barrel if high winds or a hurricane appear imminent and move it into your garage.
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For horticultural assistance, contact the UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, 813-744-5519, or visit at 5339 County Road 579, Seffner, FL 33584. Stroll through the Bette S. Walker Discovery Garden, our perennial garden and Girl Scout Troop created Pollinator Garden. Check out our website which contains the calendar of events at: http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/hillsborough/upcoming-events/. We hope to see you at our upcoming workshops and remember to reduce, reuse, recycle and repeat.
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UF ECONOMIC ANALYSIS SHOWS SIGNIFICANT HARM OF MEXICAN FARM IMPORTS By Jim Frankowiak A new economic analysis undertaken by a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) team confirms that Mexican imports have significantly harmed Florida fruit and vegetable producers.
pers. The research team found that these Florida-produced foods declined by 58 percent, 22 percent and 27 percent, respectively, during the eight-year period while Mexican imports of these same products increased dramatically.
The level of Mexican products entering the U.S. domestic market during Florida’s peak winter seasons has grown substantially since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was introduced in 1993. Florida growers have lost large portions of the domestic market as well as sales volumes, according to the analysis.
The researchers concluded this trend will continue and lead to broader negative impacts across the state unless the trade relationship between the U.S. and Mexico undergoes changes. Florida Farm Bureau President John Hoblick, commenting on the analysis, noted “The new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) does not go far enough to provide such relief. The Florida delegation’s unanimous endorsement of H.R. 101 points to a clear solution. Please support it,” he said.
The study focused on the 2010 – 2018 period with attention to three farm products: tomatoes, strawberries and bell pep-
The UF/IFAS analysis can be accessed at: https://fred.ifas.ufl.edu/pdf/economic-impact-analysis/ MexicoFruit&Vegetable.pdf. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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COUNTY HORTICULTURE AGENTS DEVELOP MIDDLE SCHOOL
“POLLINATOR POWER” CURRICULUM
By Jim Frakowiak
By Jim Frankowiak
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Thanks to the efforts of Nicole Pinson and Alicia Lamborn, Extension horticulture agents with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) in Hillsborough and Baker counties, respectively, middle school science teachers now have a new tool to help teach students about pollinators and the role they have in producing food. The new curriculum is entitled, “Pollinator Power.”
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“Teaching youth about pollinators is important so they may develop an understanding of and appreciation for the link between pollinators and the food we eat,” said Pinson. “Some of our favorite foods – such as watermelon and blueberries – come from pollinated plants. Without pollinators, the food we eat would be limited.” WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Pollinators are animals that move pollen from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma of a flower, helping to bring about fertilization of the ovules in the flower by the male gametes from the pollen grains. Most commonly known insect pollinators include bees, butterflies and moths.
layout, which includes learning objectives, timeframes for activities, references and online resources and optional items to supplement teaching that are available for purchase online.”
The “Power Pollinator” curriculum contains three lesson plans and a variety of activities to introduce students to pollinators in fun, interactive ways.
“For instance, one learning activity has the class construct a ‘bee hotel’ and set it up in a pollinator friendly part of the school,” said Lamborn. “This activity teaches students about solitary bees and wasps that nest in the kind of hollow spaces included in the hotel.”
“The thinking behind the activities is to engage students in several ways: inside the classroom through computer-based, online learning; outside in natural areas; and through relevant, real-world inquiry,” Pinson explained. The curriculum includes a Pollinator Power Safari Kit, which contains bug jars, a butterfly net, magnifier and insect and flower rubbing plates. With these supplies, students can scout a garden or landscape for pollinator insects and animals. In another activity, students get to “Be the Bee” by hand-pollinating squash or zucchini flowers. “It’s a one-stop shop for teaching pollinator science,” said Pinson. “With content and resources already compiled for teachers and students, it saves teachers time researching and planning the lesson,” she said. “Educators will appreciate the curriculum’s easy-to-follow
For educators with students who are afraid of bees and wasps, the curriculum can help those students better appreciate these insects and to see them as beneficial, Lamborn said. From Pinson’s experience, however, most youth enjoy learning about pollinator insects and animals, especially when they are able to identify them in the garden or schoolyards.
TO ORDER THE POLLINATOR POWER CURRICULUM, VISIT THE UF/IFAS EXTENSION BOOKSTORE WEBSITE: IFASBOOKS.COM.
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While the lessons were designed to mirror topics taught in grades five through eight, “teachers can adapt them for learners of other ages and even adults,” Lamborn said. “With reports of declining pollinator populations, this curriculum is highly relevant to students today who want to know how to support pollinators.
NEWS BRIEFS
Compiled by Jim Frankowiak
NEWS BRIEFS UF OFFERS TWO NEW PUBLICATIONS ON BLUEBERRY PRODUCTION The Electronic Data Information Source (EDIS) of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension has announced release of two new publications on blueberry production. Florida Blueberry Leaf Disease Guide – (http://edis.ifas. ufl.edu/pdffiles/PP/PP34800.pdf) is a diagnostic field guide for the identification and management of common leaf diseases of southern highbush blueberry in Florida. Diaprepes Root Weevil on South Highbush Blueberry in Florida – (http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/IN/IN124100. pdf) contains updated information on citrus root weevil on southern highbush blueberry, including the most recent control recommendations. A list of all UF EDIS publications on blueberry management can be found at https://www.blueberrybreeding. com/blog. USDA CHANGING ANIMAL ID PLAN The USDA has announced radio frequency identification (RFID) ear tags will be required as the only official animal ID device in beef, dairy and bison as of January 1, 2023. No changes were announced for ID techniques used with swine, goats, sheep, etc., but producers may begin to see potential changes as early as the fall of 2020. More information is available at: https://aphis. usda.gov/traceability/plan-to-achieve-eid-factsheet. pdf EPA Rule Exempts Farms from Emissions Reporting The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has finalized its rule exempting livestock farmers from reporting to state and local authorities the routine emissions from their farms. This eliminates the need for livestock farmers to estimate and report emissions from the natural breakdown of manure.
needs under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA). The online self-service tool may be accessed at: https://efile. aphis.gov/LRAssistant USDA Farm Service Agency Accepting Committee Member Nominations The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting nominations for county committee members. Producers who participate or cooperate in any FSA programs can be nominated. Committees make decisions about how federal farm programs are administered locally. Interested producers are encouraged to visit their local FSA office for information about involvement in their local county election. The nomination deadline is August 1 and self-nominations are permitted. The local FSA office is located at 201 South Collins Street in Plant City. Telephone: 813/752-1474. USDA OFFERS RE-ENROLLMENT OR EXTENSION OPTIONS FOR CRP CONTRACTS The USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) is offering farmers and ranchers with expiring Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts the option to re-enroll in certain CRP continuous practices of, if eligible, select a one-year contract extension. The FSA is also accepting offers from those who want to enroll for the first time in one of the country’s largest conservation programs. The signup period ends August 23. For more information, visit: fsa.usda.gov.
FARM BUREAU IS ACCEPTING PHOTO CONTEST ENTRIES Florida Farm Bureau Federation is accepting member photo entries for its 2019 contest. The contest is open to all members who do not receive a regular income from photography. Categories include: On the Farm, Natural Florida and Wildlife and Children, Families and Pets. The deadline for entries is August 9. The entry form is available at: https://bit.ly/2W3o0Z9. USDA/APHIS has New Online Tool to Assist with Animal Licensing and Registration
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The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has introduced an online tool to help individuals and business identify their licensing and registration
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BENEATH THE EARTH, THE ‘BLACK BOX’ OF SOIL HOLDS A KEY TO CROP GROWTH
By Brad Buck Like much of what lies just beneath the earth’s surface, soil microbes present a mystery. University of Florida scientist Sarah Strauss seeks to help untangle the web of intrigue surrounding soil microbes to improve agricultural production in Florida and globally. “There are microbial activities going on that we don’t exactly understand. It’s known as the ‘black box’ in soil,” said Strauss, an assistant professor of soil and water sciences at the UF/ IFAS Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee, Florida. “One thing that we’re now realizing is that microbes have the potential to play a really large role in crop production – whether it’s helping combat soil-borne diseases that are a really big problem in agriculture or whether it’s actually increasing plant growth.” Farmers use fertilizer to put nutrients into their soil to help crops grow. When nutrients get into the soil, microbes can help plants grow by changing nutrients into other forms, such as nitrate or ammonium, that plants either use or are leached out of the soil, Strauss said. Other microbes give the soil more nutrients by providing new sources of nitrogen that can also benefit plants. Soil microbes also include pathogens — such as bacteria and fungi — that cause diseases in plants. So, Strauss is trying to discover which underground microbes are good for crops and which hinder their growth.
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Strauss works on soil microbes to improve citrus and vegetable production, primarily in Florida, but data from many of her experiments could be applied to crops all over the world. To solve parts of the microbial mystery, Strauss and her colleagues use DNA sequencing technology.
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To get those DNA sequences, Strauss and her team take soil samples and bring them back to the lab. Those samples provide key evidence in Strauss’ research, and she’s studying plenty of aspects of soil microbiology. In one experiment, Strauss studies how cover crops, such as legumes, which are planted during the fallow season, can improve soil health by adding nutrients beneath the ground. Such nutrients help soil retain more moisture, preventing erosion and making nutrients more available for the next round of crops. Strauss is also working on a four-year, $450,000 USDA grant from the federal Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, part of the USDA. With the funding, she’s conducting research with Patrick Inglett, a UF/IFAS associate professor of soil and water sciences in Gainesville and Catherine Reardon, a microbiologist with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service in Pendleton, Oregon. The scientists are studying biocrusts, thin layers of bacteria, fungi, moss and algae that grow together on the surface of some soils. So far, researchers have found that the biocrusts appear to improve the nitrogen concentrations in soils in some citrus groves. Next, they want to find out how much nitrogen the microbes can make, whether this is enough nitrogen to help plants grow and if the nitrogen from the crusts is being used by the trees. “If we can better understand the interactions between these microbes and plants, we might be able to alter soil conditions to increase the positive interactions — those that benefit crop production — and minimize the negative interactions such as diseases, loss of nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen,” Strauss said. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Lebbeck mealybug damage on citrus (Photo courtesy of Lauren Diepenbrock, UF/IFAS)
UF/IFAS Helps Assess, Manage New Fruit Bug By Brad Buck
Researchers with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are already trying to help growers figure out how to effectively manage the problems created by an invasive pest – confirmed in Highlands County — that could further erode citrus production at a time when growers are just beginning to turn the corner on managing citrus greening.
Diepenbrock is working with UF/IFAS Extension citrus agent Laurie Hurner to assess the extent of the problem in Highlands county. After Diepenbrock and DPI scientists obtain a better picture of the issue, UF/IFAS will provide recommendations on how commercial and backyard growers can cope with the bug.
DPI scientists confirmed the lebbeck mealybug, known scientifically as Nipaecoccus viridis. It has previously been seen on dodder and tallow wood in Palm Beach County and intercepted at ports of entry in Florida, such as Miami.
UF/IFAS recommendations on how growers can deal with the lebbeck mealybug will be based on Diepenrock’s research. UF/IFAS Extension citrus agents will be able to advise growers on the most important next steps.
It spends time on many plants in Florida, including citrus, mango, pomegranate and several ornamentals like hibiscus and mulberry, said Lauren Diepenbrock, assistant professor of entomology at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) in Lake Alfred, Florida.
Because the pest moves accidentally quite easily, UF/IFAS researchers recommend power washing large equipment, sanitizing smaller tools using both bleach and water and washing all clothing in hot water to help reduce the spread of this pest to new areas.
“Florida gets new insects all the time,” Diepenbrock said. “This is why we respond urgently when we find a new invasive species known to cause crop damage.”
Meanwhile, if residents find the bug in their backyard citrus, they should cut off the branch, double bag it and place in the trash can, Rogers said.
Diepenbrock wasted no time and is already setting up field trials to test different approaches to manage this pest under Florida growing conditions, said Michael Rogers, director of the UF/IFAS CREC.
For updates on managing this pest, please find your UF/IFAS Extension county office at http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/find-yourlocal-office/ . INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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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
PRODUCE FRESH PRODUCE Forbes Road Produce. Open everyday from 7:30am - 8pm. Forbes Rd. & I-4 @ exit 17. Come out and see us!
MISC. FREE Wooden Shipping Pallets All sizes! Call Alvie 813-759-8722 24 HOUR SERVICE Coggins Plumbing licensed • bonded • Insured. www.cogginsplumbing.com 813-643-7173 DONE-RITE HANDYMAN SERVICE Quick fix specialists. All forms of construction residential / commercial. Insured and Bonded. Call 813-999-5476 FOR RENT Millcreek Pine Bark Row Mulcher. For blueberry farms, six yard, PTO drive need at least a 30hp tractor. Call 863-604-2526 for rental details.
INTERNATIONAL 574 TRACTOR 2wd, 67hp tractor. In very good condition! Asking $7,950. Call Alvie 813-759-8722 MASSEY FERGUSON 360 Grading Tractor. $6,000 Call Alvie 813-759-8722 I4 POWER EQUIPMENT Spring is here, and the grass is growing again! Trade-Ins Welcomed, Service Department Available. Exit 22 • S. Frontage Rd. Plant City 813-752-4459 TOP DOLLAR PAID FOR FIREARMS We Have 100+ Years Combined Experience. Estate Collections Welcome. No Collection TAYLOR WAY TILLER DISC is Too Big or Too Small. Cash or Consign. Plow - good condition. $1750.00 Pickup Available. Call 888-659-9909 or Call Alvie 813-759-8722 visit GunAuctionsUSA.com 2017 MASSEY FERGUSON GC1710 Tractor, loader back hoe, 22.5 hp, 4x4. $12,500 Call Alvie for details. 813-759-8722
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2012 MAHINDRA 4025-4 Low hours with 6ft rotary cutter. Ready to get to work! Call Alvie for additional information. $11,500 813-759-8722
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July 2019
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!
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July 2019
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