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JULY 2020 VOL. 15 • ISSUE 9
CONTENTS U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE OFFICIAL NAMED TO LEAD UF/IFAS
Scott Angle
44 Cover Photo for UF/IFAS by Edwin Remsberg PAGE 10 Recovery Assistance
PAGE 36 CFAP
PAGE 12 Horse Power
PAGE 38 Buying Meat PAGE 40 Rain Garden
PAGE 16 Improve Yields
PAGE 42 Mushrooms
PAGE 18 Fishing Hot Spots
PAGE 43
PAGE 22 Rocking Chair Chatter
Marshall Middle
PAGE 46 John Dicks
PAGE 27 HCSO
PAGE 48 Endangered Species
PAGE 29 Pomegranates
PAGE 52 Literary Time Machine
PAGE 33 News Briefs
PAGE 54 A Closer look
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 Mosquitos love me. It’s an unrequited love for sure. This has plagued me my entire life! I certainly don’t want to have to wear long sleeved shirts and long pants to keep them at bay. I was checking out The Old Farmer’s Almanac the other day (don’t judge me, I enjoy reading it and I bet many of you do as well) and found some interesting information. Not all mosquitos feed on blood. Some of them are just annoying because they fly directly by your ears and make you think you are going to get bitten. Okay, that wasn’t part of the information listed, just my take on it. Female mosquitos nourish their eggs with blood so they prefer ankles and wrists where blood vessels are closer to the surface. Interesting. I don’t know about you, but my mosquito bites aren’t limited to my wrists and ankles. My arms, legs, and even my elbows, are frequent targets as well. The male mosquito feeds on nectar. That seems much more pleasant and less painful to us doesn’t it?
Publisher/Photography Karen Berry Senior Managing Editor/ Associate Publisher Sarah Holt Editor Patsy Berry Sales Karen Berry Sarah Holt Melissa Nichols Creative Director/Illustrator Juan Alvarez Photography Karen Berry Stephanie Humphry Staff Writers Al Berry Sandy Kaster James Frankowiak Sean Green Ginny Mink Breanne Williams Anita Todd
When you get bitten, the pesky little critter injects a small amount of saliva to keep the blood from clotting. This is what makes us itch. Our bodies react to the foreign substance by producing a protein called histamine, which can trigger inflammation and itching.
Contributing Writers Woody Gore John Dicks
There are several home remedies listed, including swallowing slivered garlic to ward of the pests and probably a good many of your friends. Although in this day and age of social distancing maybe garlic is a good one to try!
Social Media Victoria Saunders
If you want to check out the home remedies they suggest, you can check it out at Almanac.com. If you find one that works, please share it with me. Until next month
Sarah Holt The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. - Numbers 6:25
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 GOOD LEGISLATIVE SESSION FOR AGRICULTURE
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
-Dennis Carlton Jr. - President
Greetings, My best wishes to each of you and your families as we cope with the many challenges of COVID-19. Despite that global pandemic and how it continues to impact us all on a daily basis, I would like to recognize our state legislature for its continued support of agriculture and Farm Bureau’s key priorities this past session – water quality, e-verify and budget support for the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and initiatives of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services that are important to industry. Please note that Rep. Lawrence McClure, who represents a portion of Hillsborough County, was one of 20 legislators named a “Champion of Agriculture” by Florida Farm Bureau for their exemplary efforts on behalf of our industry. We greatly appreciate his support as well as that of his legislative colleagues. While the pandemic has been challenging, it has prompted farmers and ranchers to step up with new ideas and ways to serve consumers. The growing trend to buy locally grown fruits and vegetables now includes beef. There’s an article in this issue of IN THE FIELD that covers the basics of buying beef from local ranchers and how it benefits both the buyer and seller, especially our young “ranchers” and their projects.
There’s also a story on hurricane preparedness that I encourage you all to read. It’s that time of year again, and being prepared is especially important this year amid the other challenges before us. Please keep in mind the significant resource we have on COVID-19 as a result of Florida Farm Bureau staff regular updates. Visit: https://www.floridafarmbureau.org/covid19-resources/ and stay abreast of changes as they take place. I believe it is important to note that Florida Farm Bureau continues to work hard to make sure farm families in Florida are being served by federal economic recovery programs. The pandemic has resulted in enormous losses by agricultural producers, and these relief programs are critical for the future of agriculture. And as always, if you are reading this letter, but are not a Farm Bureau member, please consider joining. Membership helps both your family and our industry. To learn more about Farm Bureau and the opportunities and benefits membership offers, please contact us at: www.hcfarmbureau.org or call our office in Plant City at 813/6859121. Your membership will help make the Voice of Agriculture just a little louder. Thank you.
Dennis Carlton, Jr. Those young men and women who raise and show beef cattle are part of agriculture’s future and your support of their efforts will help assure this part of agriculture will continue into the future. That’s an added dimension of this emerging trend, but a very important one.
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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Hillsborough County Offers COVID-19 Recovery Assistance for Small Businesses
By Jim Frankowiak
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released guidance regarding the annual pesticide safety training requirements outlined in the Agricultural Worker Protection Standard (WPS) that offers flexibility during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Hillsborough County is launching more than $100 million in financial assistance programs to help reopened local small businesses that were economically damaged by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
The Agency is aware that COVID-19 may make it difficult for agricultural employers and handler employers to provide WPS pesticide safety training or hire agricultural workers and pesticide handlers who have been trained in the last 12 months, as required by the WPS.
Business owners across Hillsborough County can apply for one of three programs: • Kickstart Small Business - up to $10,000 in working capital; for businesses with up to $3 million in annual revenue • Back to Work - up to $2,000 per employee in payroll incentives to hire or rehire workers; for businesses with up to $20 million in annual revenue • Safe at Work Matching - up to $10,000 matching reimbursement for the cost of qualifying workplace improvements directly related to mitigating the spread of COVID-19; for businesses with up to $20 million in annual revenue There will be three phased application periods in order to give a head start to the smallest, most economically vulnerable businesses in the community. Applications are now open for Hillsborough County small businesses.
Visit the R3 Economic Recovery Financial Assistance page at --https://www. hillsboroughcounty.org/en/residents/ public-safety/rapid-response-recoveryassistance-program-r3 -- for the latest program details. PAGE
EPA Releases Guidance on Pesticide Safety Training Requirements During COVID-19 By Jim Frankowiak
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In response, the just-released guidance advises agricultural employers and handler employers of flexibilities available under the WPS to allow continued protection for employees and agricultural production: • EPA encourages in-person training if workplace protections to maintain a healthy work environment are able to be implemented. For example, an employer may be able to provide pesticide safety training outside, in smaller than usual groups with well-spaced participants. • Alternatively, WPS training can be presented remotely, provided all WPS training requirements are met. • The employer is ultimately responsible for ensuring the training meets all requirements outlined in the WPS. For example, the training must still be presented in a manner the trainees can understand, in an environment reasonably free from distractions, and cover the full training content using EPA-approved training materials. • Once the training ends, the employer must document successful completion under a qualified trainer.
To read the guidance in full and to learn more about EPA’s Worker Protection Standard, visit epa.gov. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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Dreams Do Come True
Poet Henry David Thoreau once said, “Go confidently in the directions of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” Armando Gort followed his dreams all the way to the United States. Gort was born in Havana, Cuba and he came to the U. in 1970. As a small child in Cuba, Gort dreamed of coming to the U.S. and owning his own horse farm, where children could experience their love of animals in a real farm setting. Gort’s dream came true in 1994. He is the founder of Horse Power For Kids in Tampa. “Horse Power for Kids started in Safety Harbor as Hire A Pony with two ponies and a couple of goats.” Gort said. “We changed the name about 15 years ago. I have always had a love for animals and wanted to share my passion with whoever would benefit, regardless of their social economic status. Horse Power For Kids is funded solely by visitors and donations from animal lovers.”
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Horse Power For Kids is a local nonprofit organization that provides a farm and petting zoo so that everyone can have the opportunity to benefit from interaction with animals. “We provide fun, educational opportunities for children and adults to interact with and care for animals that have been rescued from a variety of situations,” Gort said. “In our experi-
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By Libby Hopkins
ence, working with animals enriches our lives. Through animals, children transform into young adults, learning responsibility and respect. These interactions build character, foster relationships and allow us to become more open as individuals. At our farm, we strive to provide these experiences to the public and share our love for animals with everyone. We enjoy sharing our animals with anyone who will benefit, including children who cannot afford to visit us due to finances can attend free of charge on scholarship.” If you ask Gort what makes Horse Power For Kids different from other petting zoos/animal sanctuaries in the area, he will tell you it’s how guests are allowed to interact with the animals. “At Horse Power For Kids, you can be a kid, as long as you respect our animals, volunteers and other visitors,” Gort said. “You are free to roam and explore the beauty of a true working, loving farm full of farm animals and some exotic ones as well, like our Zorse which is a zebra horse named ‘Danny’ and ‘Joe’ the camel and our lemurs.” The recent COVID-19 pandemic did have an effect on Horse Power For Kids. “We were closed for about four weeks, so that time was critical for us as our services are what provides our monetary funding to care for our animals as well as feeding and vetting them in addition to our insurance,” Gort said. Horse Power for Kids is licensed for Wildlife Rescue. They hold licenses in FWC, USDA, and Class-III. “Our organization is devoted to the rescue and rehabilitation of sick, injured, and/ or orphaned Florida wildlife species,” Gort said. “Animals are provided with diagnoses and services. We provide a loving environment for permanently impaired wildlife or offer gentle relocation when recovered. Some animals we treat include raccoons, rabbits, turtles, birds, ducks, deer and squirrels to name a few.” WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Gort and his staff are strong supporters of keeping things local. “We have been serving our community for more than 28 years, so supporting local businesses is huge for us,” Gort said. “Ninety-five percent of our help is made up of local volunteers.” Gort hopes that Horse Power For Kids can continue helping animals and be a place for families to come and have fun. “We hope to continue to rescue animals and to continue touching lives by sharing our animals with everyone,” Gort said. “Winston Churchill once said, ‘There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man’ and we truly believe this at Horse Power For Kids.”
If you would like to learn more about Horse Power For Kids, you can visit their website at www.horsepowerforkids.com or call (813) 855-8992. Horse Power For Kids is located at 8005 Race Track Rd. in Tampa. If you are planning a visit to Horse Power For Kids, please check their website because their hours of operation may have changed due to COVID-19. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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CONTROL DISEASE AND IMPROVE STRAWBERRY YIELDS NATURALLY – ALL SEASON LONG Strawberry growers looking for improved yields and better control of profit-robbing fungal disease such as Botrytis Gray Mold can use the Vectorhive™ system to deliver the microbial bio-fungicide VECTORITE™ with CR-7, both from Bee Vectoring Technology (BVT). EPA-approved in 2019, the system gives growers easy and efficient, season-long control of disease by using commercially-reared bees to deliver its biological pesticide alternatives. This unique delivery application is unlike any other product on the market, giving growers early and precise delivery of a disease prevention product directly to where strawberry plants are most at risk – the flower. As the bees pollinate a crop, they leave behind the foundation for a season-long disease management program that encourages even, progressive growth, and a healthy, high-yield harvest.
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Sizemore Farms, a top-tier grower of Florida strawberries, was the first commercial grower deal for BVT. Sizemore Farms used the system on 100% of their
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62-acre organic strawberry crop this past season and is considering testing the naturally-derived fungicide on a portion of their 600+ conventional acres for possible implementation on next season’s crop. Typically, growers start with a pilot on a smaller crop before progressively adopting it across their entire operation over two to three seasons. John Sizemore, fourth-generation grower and co-owner of Sizemore Farms with his brother Jeff, is a grower and shipper of the Florida Supreme brand strawberries. He has clearly observed that consumers want more organics and fewer chemicals, and isn’t surprised that organic strawberries have become the fastest growing segment of his business. However, he also knows that growing produce in Florida’s finicky climate has its challenges, so he’s excited about using BVT’s unique biological product and process to ensure a quality crop.
A practical tool with strong ROI, healthier plants and better fruit The system is a practical tool for growers and routinely delivers strong return on investment for conventional fields. For organic fields, this natural system plays a pivotal role in disease control. BVT’s CR-7 has Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) approval for organic production and is also exempt from residue tolerance testing, making it an ideal tool for both conventional and organic berry growers. Grower feedback included field observations that the plants are healthier, with bigger, nicer, and fuller fruit. The feedback is supported by findings from recent Florida based trials: • A 2019 University of Florida trial found that using this system along with a fungicide program provided better marketable yield (+34%) and better Botrytis control (12% reduction) than using a fungicide program alone. • In the 2018-19 season, Florida strawberry growers using the system saw WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
from 28% to 44% yield increases on fields using it compared to fields not using it. Natural fungal disease suppression in strawberries with bee vectoring This proprietary system using commercial bees to deliver VECTORITE with CR-7, is an organic carrier agent with BVT’s patented strain of Clonostachys rosea that attaches safely to bees during their normal pollination activities. This natural process of bee vectoring provides continuous disease prevention through daily application by bees. The system is low-maintenance, easy to use, and provides a constant, season-long foundation of disease control applications while lowering fuel and water consumption – all with a fraction of the product required for traditional spray applications. Most importantly, the system integrates seamlessly with all standard disease and pest spray programs, no adjustments needed. The BVT system using VECTORITE with CR-7 provides a foundation for disease management in strawberries. It’s an additive control with an option to eliminate some conventional fungicide sprays. Follow the University of Florida “Strawberry Botrytis Spray Program” guidelines and apply fungicides when an alert is received, reduce sprays or lengthen spray intervals between alerts to save on costs. Visit www.vectoritebvt.com to learn more about how this system can provide better, longer disease control while saving your commercial farming operation money on labor, fuel and water costs.
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August Tampa Bay Fishing Report 2020 Capt. Woody Gore
Snook season is still closed, but the ac-
tion should be superb with plenty of big fish around bridges and passes, especially at night using free-lined baits. Fishing broken bottom potholes on the grass flats and mangroves shorelines should prove productive. For some exhilarating experiences, try tossing a topwater walkthe-dog type lure. MirrOlure, and High Roller, are excellent choices. If you’re not into artificial lures, livebait always works.
Trout are still close, but fishing is usually productive around lush grass flats. It usually takes moving water to get them eating, but when they start its fish-on. Popping corks with artificial plastic tails or live shrimp will produce.
Mackerel and Bluefish are open Tampa
Bay should still be loaded with threadfins, and the mackerel and bluefish will be all over them. If you’re looking for amazing, light tackle action, these are the target species.
Redfish are still closed, but the action
will be steady with schooling fish moving around the bay area. Always pole or slow troll to within casting distance, and put your Power-Poles down. Try to pick off fish at the outer edges, never casting into the middle of the school. Reds favor eating shrimp, greenbacks, worms, crabs, and pinfish. If live bait doesn’t seem to be working, you might try using some cut baits.
Snappers are open and excellent table
fare. If you’re looking for some late-summer fun go snapper fishing. Not only are they fun to catch, but they are also excellent eating. Small free-lined greenbacks or pieces of fresh shrimp around markers, bridges, or rock piles usually result in fish. Don’t forget a chum bag.
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Capt. Woody Gore (www.captainwoodygore.com)
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“Give Me a Call & Let’s Go Fishing”
813-477-3814
Captain Woody Gore’s Guide Service: The area’s top-notch outdoor fishing guide service. He’s guided and fished the Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs, Bradenton, and Sarasota areas for over fifty years and offers firstclass customer service, outstanding fishing adventures and a lifetime of memories. Single Boat, Multi-Boat and Group Charters: With years of organizational experience and access to the areas most experienced captains, Captain Woody can arrange and coordinate any size group, outing, or tournament.
Visit his website at www.captainwoodygore.com or send an email to fishing@captainwoodygore.com or give him a call at 813-477-3814.
With every generation,
we get better at protecting our environment. Reclamation ecologists like Ashlee work to return mined lands to productive use as wildlife habitats, public parks and more—so future generations can enjoy these lands for years to come.
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85% of plant life is found in the ocean. Armadillos have 4 babies at a time and are all the same sex. Goldfish can see both infrared and ultraviolet light. A bear has 42 teeth. A cat has 32 muscles in each ear. The only continent with no active volcanoes is Australia. Camel’s milk doesn’t curdle. An elephants ears are used to regulate body temperature. The Amazon rainforest produces half the world’s oxygen supply. Only female mosquitoves bite. The Atlantic Ocean is saltier than the Pacific. The cheetah is the only cat that can’t retract its claws. Japan is the largest exporter of frog legs. Your foot is the most common body part bitten by insects. A blue whale can weigh as much as 30 elephants and as long as 3 large tour buses.
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Sponsored by:
FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1971
HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM YOUR AROUND TOWN SPONSOR
Colonoscopy 289704-1
Editor’s Note: This Rocking Chair Chatter was originally printed in the July 2014 issue
I was having dinner in the Directors Lounge during the Florida Strawberry Festival and Dr. Michael Salvato sat down with me. As we ate he mentioned that at my age I needed to have a colonoscopy. He said a colonoscopy is the best available test for detecting and preventing colon cancer. He suggested I stop by his office after the Festival and he would set it up. Although I get squeamish just passing a doctors office in my car, I followed his advice and went in to his office. From what I had heard from other’s that had the exam, a colonoscopy is slightly worse than being buried alive, or walking over hot coals, or taking your kids to Wal-Mart. Mike showed me a color diagram of the colon, a lengthy organ that appears to go all over the place, at one point passing briefly through Turkey Creek, Brandon and back to Plant City. When he started to describe my procedure I didn’t hear anything after he said the physician would stick a tube six feet long up my behind and look for such things as polyps, cancer and hemorrhoids the size of a regulation soccer ball. I spent the next few days nervously awaiting a call from the gastroenterologists. They called and gave me instructions of what I had to do the day before the exam. As per their guideline I didn’t eat any solid food the day before the exam, all I had was some chicken broth, which was nothing but flavored water. That evening I took their prescribed MoviPrep. I took a oneliter jug, filled it with lukewarm water. (For those of you that are not familiar with metric system, a liter is about 14 gallons of water) I put in a couple of packets of the MoviPrep and stirred it up until it dissolved. I had to drink the whole jug within an hour. It tasted like horse slobber and toilet cleanser mixed together, with a hint of rotten grapefruit juice. I wondered if Patsy, my wife, would be scarred for life if she finds me lying in a pool of MoviPrep “effects” on the bathroom floor. Let me tell you I had an action packed evening. Finally dozed off on the commode about midnight.
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Who ever wrote the instructions on the MoviPrep label thought they were being cute. It said, “After you drink it, you will notice ‘a loose, watery bowel movement will occur.” That’s sorta like saying jump out of an airplane without a parachute, and you will hit the ground hard.
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NASA must have invented that stuff. I’ll bet it could be used to launch the space shuttle. There were times when I wished the commode had a seat belt. That stuff was so powerful my bowels started singing ballads. One song I recognized was, “The Wind beneath Your Cheeks.” I spent several hours in the bathroom. Boy this stuff worked to epic proportions. It cleaned me out good and proper. But that wasn’t the end of it. I had to drink another liter of MoviPrep and go through it again. When it was over I was weak as pond water, staggering around as if I was on a six-week drunk. The next morning, early, they wheeled me into the examining room, where the doctor and a nurse, along with an anesthesiologist, were waiting. I didn’t see that six-foot tube, but I am sure it was there somewhere. Here they go! They rolled me over on my side, and the anesthesiologist hooked something up on my hand and stuck a needle in it. Pretty soon I got drowsy, and I could faintly hear the radio they had playing a song entitled, “Looking Up Your Back Door’! The next thing I remember was waking up in my room. A nurse was looking down at me. She said, “How do you feel?” I replied, “Fine, but my rear end feels like someone stuck the flag the Marines raised on Iwo Jima in it.” She said, “Mr. Berry, the doctor will be by shortly, but I can tell you, you passed the exam with flying colors. I asked her if I was a good patient, and she said, “Yes, you were. And quite talkative I might add.” What did I say?” I asked. Well the first thing you said was, “Careful Doc, you’re going where no man has gone before”! Then you started singing, “You put your left hand in, you take your left hand out,” but the one that we all cracked up about was when you said, “Now I know how a Muppet feels!” I know a lot of you folks reading this column need to have this exam. I am so eager for you to do this that I am offering a special to the first 50 that take the exam. When you have your exam, let me know by sending me a self-addressed stamped envelope addressed: Colonoscopy Limited Offer, In the Field Magazine, 110 E. Reynolds St., Suite 100B, Plant City, Fl. 33563. I will send you back a special 8 x 10, color certificate, suitable for framing recognizing you as a Charter Member, of the Al Berry Colonoscopy Club. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
AN EMERGENCY IS STILL AN EMERGENCY. EVEN DURING THIS EMERGENCY.
Don’t hesitate when it comes to getting emergency treatment. Even during a pandemic, you still need to be treated immediately if you have an emergency. Debating whether or not to risk going to an emergency room during a heart attack, stroke or other health emergency—waiting even a few extra minutes—could be harmful. That’s why
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20-1127552-0520
in all BayCare hospital emergency rooms, patients who have symptoms of COVID-19 are screened and treated in a separate area. This helps keep emergency room patients and our team members safe. So if it’s an emergency, don’t wait. For more information: BayCareEmergencyCare.org
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GCREC Center Director to Serve as Interim Director of Ft. Lauderdale REC
Dr. Jack Rechcigl, director of the University of Florida/ Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) has been named to the additional post of Interim Director of the Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center (FLREC). The FLREC was previously led by Robin Giblin-Davis who is retiring after 35 years at UF/ IFAS.
tems. Center scientists also aim to reduce the impact of invasive animals and plants on natural and highly urbanized habitats. Other area of research include termite identification and distribution wildlife ecology and conservation, palm production and maintenance, environmental horticulture, aquatic plant management, turfgrass science and sea level resilience in South Florida.
Areas of research at FLREC include sustainable management for tropical and subtropical landscape sys-
Rechcigl will hold both positions until a successor to Giblin-Davis has been named.
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DR. DEB BARRY ACCEPTS ASST. PROFESSOR OF AG ED POST
By Jim Frankowiak
Dr. Deb Barry has accepted the Assistant Professor of Agricultural Education position to be located at the Plant City campus of the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), effective January 1, 2101. In this role, Dr. Barry will focus on teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in agricultural teacher edu-
cation; conduct research and extension efforts that serve the over 400 agriculture teachers in the state of Florida. Dr. Barry comes to her new post with experience as a lecturer in agricultural education since 2016 and 13 years teaching agriculture in Florida high schools.
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Farm Bureau Seeks Advisory Committee Nominations Florida Farm Bureau Federation Advisory Committees are important elements in the federation’s policy development and implementation process. County Farm Bureaus typically provide qualified nominees to serve on the advisory committees, which provide guidance to the state board on policy or related issues.
necessary by the Florida Farm Bureau President.
State Commodity and Issue Advisory Committees accepting nominations include: Apiculture, Aquaculture, Beef, Citrus, Dairy, Environmental Horticulture, Equine, Forestry, Fruit/Vegetable, Labor, Peanut/Cotton, Sugar, Budget/Economy and Water/Natural Resources. Advisory Committees meet twice per year or as deemed
Nominations will be accepted online through August 28, 2020 at: https://floridafarmb u r e a u . fo r m s to c k . co m / forms/advisorycommittee_ nomination-2021. Additional information is available by contacting the FFB Ag Policy Division at 352/374-1543 or by emailing Donyelle St. Pierre at Donyelle.St.Pierre@ ffbf.org.
Nominees must be active Florida Farm Bureau members who are producers of the commodity committee for which they are nominated. Appointees serve a one-year term and may be nominated and reappointed for a consecutive term.
FLORIDA FARM BUREAU “FUSION” VIRTUAL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE AUGUST 6-8 Florida Farm Bureau is hosting a virtual leadership conference for Young Farmers and Ranchers and Women’s Leadership August 6-8. Entitled “Fusion,” the three-day event will hold a variety of virtual session each of the three evenings from 5 to 8 p.m.
Registration, the “Fusion” agenda
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Chad Chronister
CAUGHT STEALING THE CAMERA
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrested two brothers after they were caught on surveillance footage stealing the camera itself. At approximately 8:40 p.m, on June 28, 2020, Stewart Wilkerson, 42, and his younger brother, Brian Wilkerson, 39, were captured on the victim’s commercial horticulture property removing the surveillance camera, which was affixed to a telephone pole. The security camera is connected to the victim’s cell phone, so they were immediately notified as the theft was taking place. Photographs of the two suspects were sent directly to the victim’s phone. This helped in identifying the Wilkerson brothers quickly. On July 2, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office received an anonymous tip that both brothers were staying in Lithia. Patrol deputies, aviation, K-9, and the Agricultural Crimes Unit all responded. Brian and Stewart Wilkerson were taken into custody.
Brian Wilkerson was in possession of the camera and charged with Felony Petit Theft and Trespass on Commercial Horticultural Property. Stewart Wilkerson was also charged with Trespass on Commercial Horticultural Property. Stewart also has a fugitive warrant out of Alabama from the Houston County Sheriff’s Office.
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“These two brothers and suspects have an extensive criminal history dating back 25 years,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “This is a great example of our deputies and community working together to help get these two suspects off the streets. I want to commend our Agricultural Crimes Unit for taking a strong stance for our farmers and ranchers in Hillsborough County. This type of behavior will not be tolerated and these two will face the consequences for their foolish actions.”
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POMEGRANATES IN FLORIDA’S FUTURE? By Jim Frankowiak
Consumers enjoy pomegranates in a variety of ways – toss them in salads, sprinkle their seeds on yogurt or oatmeal or add them to smoothies. Their sweet and sour flavor has wide appeal as does their nutritional value. Pomegranates contain antioxidants that boost your health. Attesting to the popularity of this fruit is one of the most popular varieties called “Wonderful.” Scientists nationwide, including Zhanao Deng, Ph. D., a professor of environmental horticulture at the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC), are working collaboratively to improve the “Wonderful” pomegranate along with other varieties of the fruit. At present, California farmers produce 90 percent of the nation’s pomegranates, but “Wonderful” pomegranates come from Florida cuttings, and there is interest among some Florida farmers in pomegranates as an alternative crop. “For Florida pomegranate growers to be successful and sustainable, we need new varieties that are better adapted to our climate and more resistant to diseases commonly found here,” said Deng, who is testing some 2,000 plants from sets of parent plants that were grown in Florida several years ago. “We plan to create new breeding populations and screen them for better disease resistance, high crop yield and better fruit quality.” Deng is working with his GCREC colleague Plant Pathology Associate Professor Gary Vallad, Ph.D. Deng and Vallad will
As part of the national pomegranate research team, Deng is working with scientists at the University of California – Riverside, Texas A&M University, California State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). UC – Riverside received an $885,801 grant from the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) through the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Multi-State Program and is leading the effort. Deng started trialing pomegranate plants in 2017 to see if they would grow at his GCREC farm. “Our trials have shown that pomegranate plants can grow really well in Florida,” he said. “The most challenging issue comes from several fungal diseases that can cause severe defoliation, fruit rot and fruit drop.” Despite these issues with fungi and pests, “Farmers have been very supportive of our pomegranate research, and we have been working together for several years,” said Deng. “Florida specialty crop growers have faced a tough situation in recent years due to devastating diseases and international competition, and they have been looking for alternative crops to grow,” said Deng. “Pomegranate seems to make sense to Florida growers as plants can be grown with the same irrigation, fertilization and spray equipment have been used for growing citrus or some other crops.” INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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work with Florida growers to find plants that show the best disease resistance. As promising new cultivars become available, they will be tested in growers’ orchards.
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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
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2001
2003
Present
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©2018 International Paper Company. All rights reserved.
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NEWS BRIEFS
Compiled by Jim Frankowiak
DISTRICT REOPENS CAMPGROUNDS; REDUCED CAPACITY The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) has reopened all campgrounds throughout its 16-county region with the following guidelines: capacity limited to 50 percent, maximum group size limited to 10 campers, minimum of 25-feet between campsites and social distancing and the use of face coverings. Questions may be directed to 1-800-423-1476 or visit: watermatters.org/recreation. STATE REP LAWRENCE MCCLURE NAMED “CHAMPION OF AGRICULTURE” Republican State Representative Lawrence McClure has been named one of 20 Champions for Agriculture by Florida Farm Bureau. These lawmakers go above and beyond to support and promote legislation that positively impacts agriculture. McClure is also a member of the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau Board. Congratulations, Lawrence! CROP ADVISING AWARD NOMINATIONS SOUGHT Nominations are being sought for the Excellence in Crop Advising Award sponsored by Florida Farm Bureau in partnership with the Florida Certified Crop Advisors board of directors. This annual honor recognizes a Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) who has performed outstanding service for farmer clients in nutrient, soil and water and integrated pest management, as well as crop production. The award winner will receive a $500 prize and plaque presented at Florida Farm Bureau’s annual meeting. Nominations for the award are due September 4 and may be made online at: https://floridafarmbureau.formstock.com/forms/2020_ excellece_in_crop_advising_award_nomination_form_copy. Questions may be directed to Jaime Jerrels at: 352/384-2654 or via email: Jaime.Jerrels@ffbf.org
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is conducting a series of prescribed burns through September on the Lower Hillsborough Flood Detention Area, which is located south of Cross Creek Boulevard between U.S. Highway 301 and Morris Bridge Road near Thonotosassa. Approximately 300 acres will be burned in small, manageable units to help reduce the risk of wildfires. Prescribed burns will also take place at the Green Swamp Wilderness Preserve, which includes the Green Swamp East Tract in Polk, Sumer and Lake counties, the Hampton Tact in Polk County and the Green Swamp West Tract in Pasco County. The Preserve is located north of U.S. Highway 98 along Highway 471 and Rockridge Road between Lakeland and Dade City. Approximately 11,800 acres will be burned. NOMINATIONS SOUGHT FOR FLORIDA AG HALL OF FAME Nominations are being sought for the Florida Ag Hall of Fame, which recognizes an outstanding farmer who has made a lifetime contribution to agriculture in the Sunshine State. The deadline for nominations is September 1 and may be made online at: http://floridaaghalloffame.org/nominate/.
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PRESCRIBED BURNS SET FOR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND GREEN SWAMP THROUGH SEPTEMBER
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ÍChadChronister
ChadChronister.com
The Chronister Record Over $49,000,000 returned in savings to taxpayers. Double digit drops in the crime rate for each of the last two years. 597 illegal aliens caught committing crimes and turned over to ICE. A deputy or Sheriff’s Office trained security personnel in every public school. Implemented veterans programs to help military personel get the vocational training and mental health counseling they need.
Endorsed by
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody
Vote in the REPUBLICAN PRIMARY August 18th! Political advertisement paid for and approved by Chad Chronister, Republican, for Sheriff.
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USDA Offers Digital Options for Farmers/Ranchers to Apply for Coronavirus Food Assistance Program By Jim Frankowiak
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) will now accept applications for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) through an online portal, expanding the options available to producers to apply for this program, which helps offset price declines and additional marketing costs because of the coronavirus pandemic. FSA is also leveraging commercial document storage and e-signature solutions to enable producers to work with local service center staff to complete their applications from home. Through the portal, producers with secure USDA login credentials—known as eAuthentication—can certify eligible commodities online, digitally sign applications and submit directly to the local USDA Service Center. Producers who do not have an eAuthentication account can learn more and begin the enrollment process at farmers.gov/sign-in. Currently, the digital application is only available to sole proprietors or single-member business entities. USDA Service Centers can also work with producers to complete and securely transmit digitally signed applications through two commercially available tools: Box and OneSpan. Producers who are interested in digitally signing their applications should notify their local service centers when calling to discuss the CFAP application process. More information about these options is available at farmers.gov/mydocs. USDA has several other options for producers to complete and submit their CFAP applications. These include: 1. Downloading the AD-3114 application form from farmers. gov/cfap and manually completing the form to submit to the local USDA Service Center by mail, electronically or by hand delivery to an office drop box. In some limited cases, the office may be open for in-person business by appointment. Visit farmers.gov/coronavirus/service-center-status to check the status at local Service Center office.
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2. Completing the application form using the CFAP Application Generator and Payment Calculator found at farmers. gov/cfap. This Excel workbook allows producers to input in-
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formation specific to their operation to determine estimated payments and populate the application form, which can be printed, and then signed and submitted to their local USDA Service Center. New customers seeking one-on-one support with the CFAP application process can call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer general assistance. This is a recommended first step before a producer engages the team at the FSA county office at their local USDA Service Center. All other eligibility forms, such as those related to adjusted gross income and payment information, can be downloaded from farmers.gov/cfap. For existing FSA customers, these documents are likely already on file. Producers self-certify their records when applying for CFAP, and that documentation is not submitted with the application. However, producers may be asked for their documentation to support the certification of eligible commodities, so they should retain the information used to complete their application. To find the latest information on CFAP, visit farmers.gov/cfap or call 877-508-8364. All USDA Service Centers are open for business, including some that are open to visitors to conduct business in person by appointment only. All Service Center visitors wishing to conduct business with FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service or any other Service Center agency should call ahead and schedule an appointment. Service Centers that are open for appointments will pre-screen visitors based on health concerns or recent travel and visitors must adhere to social distancing guidelines. Visitors may also be required to wear a face covering during their appointment. Field work will continue with appropriate social distancing. The program delivery staff will be in the office, and they will be working with producers in office, by phone and using online tools. More information can be found at farmers.gov/coronavirus. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
FARM BUREAU ENCOURAGES AG INNOVATION CHALLENGE APPLICANTS By Jim Frankowiak
The American Farm Bureau Federation, in partnership with Farm Credit, is looking to identify the top entrepreneurs who are addressing both traditional challenges farmers face on their operation to entrepreneurs who are addressing new challenges facing farmers and rural communities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Farm Bureau is accepting applications at https:// fb.submittable.com/submit through July 31. Farm Bureau and the Farm Credit Rural Investment and Innovation Workgroup will select ten startup businesses to compete at the AFBF Annual Convention. These ten businesses will be announced October 5th and awarded $7,500 each.
Farm Bureau will award $145,000 in startup funds to ten businesses, culminating at a live “pitch” competition and networking event at the American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention in January, 2021 in San Diego, CA. The Farm Bureau Entrepreneurs of the Year will be awarded $50,000 in startup funds provided by sponsors Bayer Crop Science, Country Financial, Farm Bureau Bank, Farm Bureau Financial Services, Farm Credit and John Deere.
Farm Bureau has partnered with Cornell University’s Center for Regional and Economic Advancement to provide pitch training and mentorshi8p for the ten semi-finalist businesses with faculty from Cornell University’s Dyson School of Applied Economics & Management.
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Launched in 2015, The Challenge was the first national business competition of its kind focused exclusively on rural entrepreneurs.
AN EMERGING TREND
Buying Meat from Local Producers
By Jim Frankowiak The move to buying locally grown fruits and vegetables is expanding to include beef and pork. Some consumers are also considering buying meat directly from local producers due to concerns about availability at local markets and pricing – both impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Regardless of the motivation, the steps to take are the same. The first has to do with quantity. How much freezer space do you have or need to store your meat? Finish cattle typically weigh from 1200 – 1300 pounds, yielding on average around 700 pounds of retail product, the kind of cuts on display in your local supermarket. Working with your local producer and/or butcher can be helpful in customizing your order. The butcher will want to know things such as how much hamburger do you want; the size of packages; the thickness of your steaks; bone in or out; and do you want your meat wrapped in paper or vacuum sealed. “Fresh Meat Selection for Consumers” offers additional helpful information. It can be accessed at edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdfiles/an/an22900.pdf. More information on beef retail identification cuts can be found at: edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdfiles/4h/4h38000.pdf. Don’t forget the time the butcher spends breaking down the cuts, the higher the processing cost. In addition to their own products and availability, local producers are typically well connected to other producers who can also be of assistance, as well as local butchers who can provide processing and packaging services along with information on packaging options. Other good local resources include Extension, Hillsborough County Farm Bureau, Hillsborough County Cattlemen’s Association and social media contacts.
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Local 4-H and FFA youth are another good source for meat. Members of these youth organizations raise and show ani-
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mals as part of their annual program projects, which typically culminate at the state or county fair or Florida Strawberry Festival. The animals are auctioned off at the conclusion of the event with proceeds from the sale going to the youth. Youth must maintain records on their project animals just like producers to ensure the buyer gets a quality product. Animal cost and processing fees depend upon many variables. Is your price based on live weight, how much the live animal weighs prior to processing, or the hanging weight, the dressed carcass weight after removal of hide, internal organs, blood drained, etc? If you purchase from a youth exhibitor, you will most likely pay the live weight plus processing costs at the butcher. Not surprisingly, if the exhibition animal is a champion, its cost usually brings more of a premium. “How Much Meat to Expect from a Beef Carcass” offers added insights and is available at extension.tennessee.edu/publications/documents/pb1822.pdf. Supporting local producers and youth exhibitors through the purchase of locally produced meat is also a great way to help advance agriculture and to assure future generations will have similar opportunities. More information is available by emailing the Hillsborough County Cattlemen’s Association at hillsboroughcountycattlemen@gmail.com, as well as other resources noted earlier. (A note of thanks to Escambia County Extension Director and Livestock Agent II Nick Simmons and Dr. Chad Carr, Associate Professor, Extension Meat Specialist at the University of Florida, Department of Animal Sciences, for their assistance with the development of this article, as well as Hillsborough County Farm Bureau President Dennis Carlton, Jr. and Hillsborough County Cattlemen’s Association President Bear McCullough.)
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FLORIDA FFA RECOGNIZES FARM BUREAU SUPPORT; HCFB AIDS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FFA OFFICERS By Jim Frankowiak Florida Farm Bureau was honored with a Distinguished Service Citation at the recent, virtual 2020 Florida FFA Celebration Event. The honor was presented on behalf of the Florida FFA Foundation and Association “to thank you for your support and promotion of FFA and its opportunities to students in Florida. Your interest and support are appreciated by our 25,000 FFA member.” Earlier last month, Hillsborough County Farm Bureau Executive Director Judi Whitson along with Farm Bureau Agency Manager Tommy Hale and Agent Jeff Sumner presented a $1,750 check to local officers of the FFA Federation. The funds, which were donated by Hillsborough County Farm Bureau and the Agency, will be used to provide officers with official FFA jackets and T-Shirts.
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GOOD TIME TO CREATE A RAIN GARDEN Lynn Barber, Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Agent University of Florida Extension Hillsborough County It’s that time of year again where we are generally fortunate to receive rain frequently. If you are looking for a way to capture rainfall when it arrives, you may want to consider creating a rain garden in a particularly low area (shallow depression) in your landscape or at the bottom of a downspout where water puddles. The purpose of a rain/bog garden is to capture stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces, such as roofs, driveways and sidewalks, and allow the captured runoff water to percolate through the soil. Rain gardens are beneficial because they decrease flooding and erosion and attract wildlife and beneficial insects. Another benefit is filtering runoff that would otherwise carry pollutants (grass clippings, pet waste, fertilizer, etc.) to storm drains and ultimately into Tampa Bay, contributing to algae bloom and killing fish. To create a rain garden, first, determine the size and location. It should be at least ten feet from your foundation, in an existing low area that drains quickly after a heavy rain, in full sun, not within 25 feet of a septic system or well, away from tree roots and within 30 feet of a water source. The larger the garden, the larger the plant diversity and more maintenance that may be involved. Next is the construction phase. Before you start digging, be sure to call 811, Sunshine State One Call of Florida Inc., for underground utility marking. After that occurs, you can design the shape of your rain garden by laying out a garden hose in the manner you desire. Information about construction is contained in the publications cited below.
and are drought tolerant for those times when rainfall is infrequent. Some selections include: bald cypress, river birch, beautyberry, dwarf palmetto, Walter’s viburnum, swamp hibiscus, river oats, tickseed and muhly grass. Select plant materials after you have determined the site conditions, which include sun, adequate space for mature height and spread and soil texture. If you install a rain garden in sandy soil, it will only hold water for a few hours. This will add to your maintenance duties which include watering until plants are established (60 days or so), weeding and using sphagnum or peat moss to decrease weed growth, regulate soil temperature and retain moisture. For more information on creating a rain garden, please see Marina D’Abreau’s Rain Garden Manual, https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/pdf/articles/ rain-garden-manual-hillsborough.pdf, from which this article was adapted. For assistance with horticultural questions, call us, 813-744-5519, or visit us, http:// hillsborough.ifas.ufl.edu, and check out our calendar of events, https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/hillsborough/upcoming-events/. Once our office can reopen, please feel free to stop by, 5339 County Road 579, Seffner, where you can see our rain garden in the Bette S. Walker Discovery Garden. Remember to reduce, reuse, recycle and repeat. Be well!
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Select plants that like wet feet
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RAINWATER HARVESTING
NOW’S A GOOD TIME TO READY, SET AND CAPTURE! Lynn Barber, Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Agent University of Florida Extension Hillsborough County
Did you know that one inch of rain on a 1,000 square foot roof will yield 623 gallons of water? Yes, that’s hard to believe…until you attend a workshop, receive your rain barrel, take it home, hook it up and it rains. With an average annual rainfall of approximately 50 inches, each household can save more than 31,000 gallons a year if you had sufficient storage capacity. We offer Rainwater Harvesting workshops one Saturday a month via Zoom currently through the Extension office in Seffner for a cost of $5.00. By participating in this workshop on-line, you will learn that a rain barrel is any device used to collect rainwater mainly for landscape irrigation. The benefits of capturing rainwater include reductions in potable water use for a landscape, erosion and stormwater runoff. These benefits are extremely important because of the decrease in the amount of water you purchase, the soil washing away from your landscape (erosion) and stormwater runoff, which moves fertilizers, pesticides, oil, gas, trash, etc. from your property into a storm drain, and ultimately into Tampa Bay, resulting in algae bloom, fish kills, etc. Participants will learn how to make their own rain barrels, to set up their barrel at home, the ideal locations with or without gutters and to create a stable platform/base for their rain barrel. We provide information on why an overflow on a rain barrel is important and how to create one, connecting multiple rain barrels, and the maintenance needed.
Harvested rainwater can be used on ornamental plants, but not edibles, and this will also be fully explained during the workshop. Did you know that we offer triple workshops (rainwater harvesting, composting and microirrigation) nearly every month of the year, currently via Zoom? These educational programs are $5.00 per household per workshop, attendance one time only, as a Hillsborough County resident. If you have not attended, think about this: after the rainwater harvesting workshop, you will receive one rain barrel that staff and Master Gardeners have drilled and spigoted. After composting, you receive a compost bin, kitchen compost bucket and compost thermometer. After microirrigation, you receive a microirrigation kit, hose nozzle and rain gauge. Prior to the workshop, registrants will receive information about workshop item pick-up locations and times. Pre-registration is required. Check out our website which contains the calendar of events at: http://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/ hillsborough/upcoming-events/. For horticultural assistance, contact the UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, 813-744-5519. We do hope that soon, we will all be able to again stroll through the Bette S. Walker Discovery Garden, our perennial garden and Girl Scout Troop created Pollinator Garden. We hope to “see” you via Zoom at our upcoming workshops and remember to reduce, reuse, recycle and repeat. Thanks, and be well!
Instructions are provided on painting rain barrels, safety considerations and use of products to kill mosquito larvae. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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Mushrooms and COVID-19 What’s the Connection? By Jim Frankowiak
University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) mushroom Identification expert Matt Smith is getting more calls than usual about someone having eaten a mushroom that might be poisonous. “Mushrooms are less common during the spring in Florida, so this time of year I hardly have anyone contacting me,” he said. “But since everyone started staying home because of COVID-19, I’ve been getting more calls than usual,” said Smith, an associate professor of plant pathology at UF/IFAS. “People often get in touch because they want to know if a mushroom their child or pet ate was poisonous,” he said. “With everyone being stuck at home, that probably increases the chances that a child or pet will come across a mushroom. If they look for answers online, they often find their way to my lab’s mushroom identification service.” That service is located at https://plantpath.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/mushrooms/services. While the vast majority of mushroom species are not poisonous, Smith suggests that caution should always be taken. He needs just a few high quality photos of the mushroom in question to determine if it is a poisonous species. Smith has a detailed online guide to help Florida residents if they need to submit a sample and that guide can be reached at https:// plantpath.ifas.ufl.edu/misc/media/fungi-submission.pdf.
that they should seek immediate medical attention. Florida Poison Control, UF Health and UF Veterinary Services coordinate with Smith to identify suspected species. “There are so many different species of mushroom out there, and some that are poisonous look very similar to ones that aren’t, so poison control, doctors and vets ask for my help to make an identification,” he said. So far, none of the cases submitted to Smith this spring have involved poisonous mushrooms, but the peak Florida mushroom season is now upon us and Smith anticipates even more calls in the weeks ahead. Questionable mushrooms growing in yards can be picked and thrown out. “Just handling a poisonous mushroom won’t lead to poisoning,” he said. “You have to put it in your mouth and eat it for it to affect you.” For adults interested in foraging for wild mushrooms, Smith has a few words of caution: “If in doubt, throw it out. If you’re not 100 percent sure of the identity of a mushroom, don’t eat it.” For those interested in locally grown mushrooms, Smith suggests doing some research about local mushroom growers who sell their mushrooms directly to consumers or at farmers markets. “You can find some unusual and tasty varieties that way, and you’ll be supporting local agriculture,” he said.
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Should someone eat a mushroom and then feel ill, experiencing symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, Smith advises
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Marshall Middle Magnet's FFA Receives a Premier Award! Marshall Middle Magnet in Plant City has something to be very proud of. The Florida Future Farmers of America Association is awarding Marshall’s FFA program its Premier FFA Chapter Award. The Premier Chapter Award was initiated to recognize superior achievement by chapters in Agricultural Education and the FFA. The students in Marshall’s FFA program present themselves as positive advocates for the Agriculture Industry. They spent time promoting Agricultural Literacy within their community, including reading to elementary students, participating in the Strawberry Festival and showing animals at the Florida State Fair. Marshall Middle Magnet’s FFA students know serving others is an important part of being a member of the program. This upcoming school year, Marshall’s FFA Chapter, led by Ms. Alicia Price, will be applying for the National Chapter Award. Congratulations and good luck to this amazing team!
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Photo by Edwin Remsberg
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE OFFICIAL NAMED TO LEAD UF/IFAS The University of Florida has named J. Scott Angle, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, to lead the university’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) into the next decade. He is expected to assume the role as vice president for agriculture and natural resources on July 13. Angle will oversee UF’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences with more than 6,000 students, the Florida Cooperative Extension Service, and the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station’s network of research centers. The announcement ends a 10-month national search to lead one of the nation’s largest and most accomplished organizations of its kind. “Dr. Angle is a nationally recognized leader in agricultural science and administration. His passion for science, natural resources and service to the community will advance our work toward feeding a growing world population while reducing our use of resources needed to do it,” UF President Kent Fuchs said. “During this critical time in Florida agriculture, he is the proven leader we need to adapt our traditional landgrant mission of teaching, research, and outreach to a 21st century context, contributing significantly to UF’s drive to be a top-five university.” “Dr. Angle has a demonstrated record of innovative leadership,” said Michael Perri, dean of the UF College of Public Health and Health Professions and chair of the search committee. “His work has also driven scientific advances that underpin our state’s second-largest industry and customized Extension to the needs of each local community it serves.” Angle spent more than 35 years in agricultural science and administration, including 25 years as a professor of soil science and administrator (Director of the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station and Maryland Cooperative Extension) at the University of Maryland. His early work focused on the study of losses of nutrients from agro-ecosystems, and their impact on the Chesapeake Bay. He also studied the impact of heavy metals on the food chain with the goal of protecting our food supply from these harmful elements. From 2005 to 2015, Angle served as dean and director of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the University of Georgia. He is a fellow in the American Society of Agronomy and the Soil Science Society of America and a Fulbright Fellow having worked at the Rothamsted (Research) Experimental Station, in the United Kingdom. He subsequently served as president and CEO of the International Fertilizer Development Center (IFDC), an international public organization (IPO) dedicated to helping the poorest farmers of the world produce more food. “My experience at NIFA gave me the opportunity to see university agriculture operations across the nation, and UF/IFAS is simply one of, if not the, best. Agriculture is changing faster than I have ever
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witnessed in my career,” Angle said. Many challenges lie ahead, not the least of which is Covid-19, and its long-term implications for agriculture. UF/IFAS, however, is up to the
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challenge and I am honored to be at the helm during such an important time for agriculture.” Not one to shy away from challenges, Angle recently oversaw the successful transition of NIFA operations from Washington, D.C., to Kansas City, Missouri, while ensuring mission continuity and service. UF/IFAS has been in transition mode during the coronavirus pandemic as well, pivoting quickly to remote learning and working, budgetary challenges and an industry in crisis. “During my interview I noted that I thought UF/IFAS combines both applied science, teaching and extension with the basic sciences better than any other land-grant university in the world. It’s the intersection of these functions where impact is made, and few institutions can compare with UF/IFAS in local, state, national and global impact,” Angle added. “This why I am so pleased to have been selected for this position. My wife, Kay, and I look forward to moving to Gainesville and becoming a part of the community.” Scott Angle succeeds Jack Payne, who is retiring after 10 years in that position. During Payne’s tenure, CALS enrollment rose to record levels and faculty achieved a single-year record for grants and contracts. UF/IFAS built a honey bee lab, a professional development center, a biological station in Cedar Key, a teaching forest learning center, and a beef teaching unit headquarters among other advancements under Payne’s leadership. MEET SCOTT ANGLE • Director, United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture, 2018-2020 • President and CEO, International Fertilizer Development Center, 2015-2018 • Dean, University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, 2005-2015 • Ag bona fides: Angle had a farm in Maryland that has been used to grow vegetables for his brother’s restaurant as well as wine grapes and hay • Innovator with seven agriculture-related patents • Academic background in soil science • Personal: Married, two grown children, two grandchildren and one on the way; currently using his wife’s CR-V while shopping for a car • Hobbies: None claimed, unless you count reading agricultural academic journals on vacation WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
FROM THE SCIENTIFIC FIELD The growing of niche products in urban environments can expand the Florida farming sector, give city dwellers more choices in the produce aisle, and make agriculture more visible in urban communities. You can count on support from the top of UF/IFAS for traditional production agriculture, which must stay viable As the new leader of UF/IFAS, it’s my and thriving if we’re going to feed a job to help guide Florida agriculture world of 10 billion by mid-century. to the future. I am looking forward to visiting Hillsborough and Polk County It’s essential that we innovate to stay regularly, because that’s where I see competitive globally. Artificial intellithe future of Florida farming happen- gence can give Florida farmers a cruing today. cial edge. You are going to continue to lead the way to a Florida that accommodates the growth of its urban centers without sacrificing the agricultural production vital to its economy, culture and heritage. UF/IFAS will continue to help through its Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Balm, the UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences program in Plant City, the Tropical Aquaculture Lab in Ruskin, and, of course, the UF/IFAS Hillsborough County Extension Office in Seffner as well as the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred.
You have more data than ever on weather, soil moisture, plant stress, and more. It’s not of much use if you can’t make sense of it all. That’s where AI can come in, and UF/IFAS is already making great strides in translating data into advice on how to manage citrus, berries, and vegetables.
UF/IFAS is already a national leader in agricultural applications of AI, and it aspires to expand and deepen that expertise. The Gulf Coast REC and the Citrus Research and Education Center in Polk County have faculty making great use of AI in the lab that they want I will listen and learn much from you to make simple, accurate, and affordabout issues particular to the Tampa able enough to use on your farm. Bay area, but I start with an understanding of how city residents are UF/IFAS is a powerful resource both often disconnected from farm folks. in terms of intellectual capacity and Some call it the urban-rural divide. I infrastructure. Call upon us anytime don’t subscribe to that paradigm. and anywhere. Our job, and the reason we wake and work each day, is to I’m very much a city kid on one hand, support you and others leading one and on the other I’m a farmer. I don’t of the state’s largest and most signifisee things as farm versus city. cant industries, agriculture. Whether that means tropical fish, urban trees, Before moving to Gainesville, my or tomatoes, we want to keep Florida morning commute was on foot, just a growing. few city blocks from home to the United States Department of Agriculture headquarters. I walked to the grocery store where I enjoyed everything from (sometimes Florida) berries grown on large farms to greens grown in city warehouses. But I’ve also owned a farm. So I understand the frustration of getting rain when you’re trying to dry hay, finding grape root borers in the soil of a vineyard, or battling bacterial spot on tomatoes I’d hoped would be worthy of making it onto the menu of my brother’s restaurant. I have a foot in both worlds, city and farm, and hope to act Scott Angle is the University of Florida’s Vice President for Agriculture and Natuas a bridge. ral Resources and leader of the UF InstiOne promising way I see to build that tute of Food and Agricultural Sciences bridge is through urban agriculture. (UF/IFAS).
5 THINGS YOU CAN EXPECT FROM UF/IFAS UNDER SCOTT ANGLE 1. New foods! Angle fully supports UF/IFAS breeding programs that create new varieties of berries, corn, lettuce, squash, and so much more. 2. Technology applied to agriculture. Angle will advocate for UF/IFAS to be a big part of UF’s campus-wide artificial intelligence initiative to assure that applications of AI benefit the state’s growers – and their customers. 3. More experiential learning. The UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences already offers a wide array of learning-bydoing–study abroad, undergraduate work in research labs, internships, volunteer work. Angle plans to launch a Vice President’s Promise to expand access to these opportunities for every student with a fundraising campaign to help defray costs associated with outside-the-classroom learning not covered by tuition. 4. Continued focus on a response to HLB. Angle is committed to the development of science that keeps citrus profitable in an age of HLB. 5. Open door, open ears. Angle pledges to make himself available to hear from stakeholders by email, phone, Zoom, and, as the pandemic permits, in person. Barring travel restrictions, Angle aspires to visit every Florida county and is eager to meet stakeholders in Hillsborough and Polk counties.
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Dr. Angle and his wife Dr. Kay Angle Photo by Edwin Remsberg
SOARING POLL NUMBERS FOR FARMERS by John Dicks
Here’s a tough question for you (well, not really). In nationwide polls, who do think gets a higher rating for trust; farmers … or members of Congress? There’s not really much of a difficult decision to that, is it? The most recent polling data that I saw, from June 2020, puts the approval rating of the United States Congress at 25 percent. That’s a rather pitiful number! Perhaps, though, the only thing really surprising was to learn that the poll number was actually about 50 percent higher than it was a year ago when the same polling firm registered Congressional approval at 17 percent. Frankly, that’s almost embarrassing! The interesting thing is to compare that, with a respectful contrast, to farmers and ranchers. As might be expected, they have been really strutting their stuff, sliding in with a trust factor of a whopping 84 percent! Americans, it seems, have come to recognize the seriousness and truth behind the bumper sticker slogan that says, “No Farmers, No Food!” The big poll numbers come from a poll commissioned last month by the American Farm Bureau Federation. Granted that such high numbers seem slanted somewhat since they so greatly benefit the organization paying for the polling. It’s a similar situation and reason why you get dramatically different numbers in political polls, depending upon who paid for them. Nonetheless, at 84 percent, it’s a very big number even if you shave off a few points for any bias in the calculus of the poll. In releasing the poll numbers, the American Farm Bureau noted that “the results of the survey indicate a growing understanding of how important a stable food supply is to the health and wellbeing of our nation.”
Well, that’s stating the obvious, and certainly we can all agree with that assessment. If anything enlightening has come from this coronavirus pandemic it would be the understanding of the “shock and awe” that could wreak havoc upon our nation’s populace when faced with shortages at markets and grocery stores. No doubt it’s been frustrating to find vacant stocks and empty shelves where fresh fruit and vegetables should have been selling. However, it has been equally (if not more so) nauseating to see some of those same crops missing from the stores being left rotting in the fields because of stoppages in our food supply chain. Farmers hate the situation just as much as those who want and need to be fed! Equally as interesting was that the American Farm Bureau poll also revealed that a strong majority, some 59 percent, also believe that the federal government should classify U.S. agriculture as a matter of national security so as to ensure a stable food supply. The American Farm Bureau went on to suggest the poll indicated that “addressing agricultural labor shortages, ensuring farm and food worker safety, and protecting trade partnerships to stabilize agricultural markets are all part of prioritizing U.S. agriculture.” I suppose that this new data arms lobbyists with sound arguments to insure that farmers and ranchers will be included with any new federal stimulus that likely will be winding its way out of Washington. I’m fine with that. The key to effective stimulus is getting money into the hands of people who both need it, and the ones who will use it to help keep our country running and working. Producing food to feed Americans is the foundation on which we get through this thing. Farmers and ranchers are folks who are both proud and humble. They deserve the support and respect reflected in this poll.
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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
Good News for a Change: Wood Stork By Ginny Mink
Seems like there’s so much bad news in the world today that it might be nice to read about an animal that has been downgraded from the endangered list to the threatened list. In 1984, the Wood Stork was added to the Federal Endangered Species Act list, but in June of 2014, it was reclassified as threatened instead.¹ It took three decades of conservation efforts to get this large American wading bird removed from the endangered list. The efforts have allowed the birds’ population to spread throughout the Southeast, including Florida. The birds were originally listed because their populations were dropping by five percent each year.² If you have never seen one, the Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) stands more than three feet tall with a five foot wingspan and a bald head. Though that sounds rather large, it still only weighs between four and six pounds. It is currently the only stork that breeds in the United States, which makes it a rather important aspect of our ecosystem.³ Not only is its head bald, but so is its neck, which makes for a rather unappealing appearance as you will see in the pictures provided. The featherless areas are gray with rough scaly skin. They have black bills and legs but pink toes. Interestingly enough, they are voiceless, only capable of making hissing noises. Which, in all honesty, sounds a little scary both to look at and to hear.¹
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While the storks have been able to maintain an average of more than 6,000 nesting pairs since 2004, they cannot be completely removed from the threatened category until they surpass the ability to maintain 10,000 nesting pairs for five years. That makes it seems like they still have a long way to go and since they only breed in the United States we are specifically responsible for their continued improvement along those lines.²
interesting hunting technique but apparently it works for them.¹ They call this method tactolocation. Many times, the areas in which they search for prey are muddy and full of plants which makes it particularly difficult for them to see the food in which they seek. They sweep their bills from side to side through the muddy waters and have a 25 millisecond reflex action when they touch their prey. Apparently, this is the fastest reflexive method known for vertebrates. During the breeding season though, each pair of these birds requires 440 pounds of fish.³ Wood Storks breed in social nesting habitats. It is not unusual to find colonies that include up to 500 nests. In South Florida colonies form between November and the beginning of March. Whereas in North and Central Florida they form from February to March. Once mating has occurred, the males begin to gather twigs to build their nests in trees that stand in water. Eggs will be laid from October to June and one clutch will produce two to five eggs each season. Young Wood Storks will be able to fly 10 to12 weeks after they hatch.¹ When initially listed as endangered, the Wood Storks were only found in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina, but thanks to partnerships focused on restoring wetlands, their range has expanded to include parts of Mississippi and North Carolina. This is an area of assistance we are more than capable of providing for them.² Get connected with wetlands conservation groups and support the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission’s efforts to preserve these areas. As we state every month, God put these animals here for a reason and it is our job to be good stewards of the planet and the creatures that He provided. Besides, as indicator species, these birds will help scientists ensure that other creatures and plants in the Everglades are properly protected. We can all do our part!
Scientists view the Wood Stork as an “indicator species” specifically as they relate to the Everglades ecosystem. These species help measure how well the habitat in that area is doing based on its ability to sustain them properly. In the past, these birds were more abundant in the South Florida wetlands than in any other part of the country. This is because they prefer the tropical and subtropical habitats that offer them both wet and dry seasons. ³
Resources: ¹Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Wood Stork Mycteria americana. https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/profiles/birds/waterbirds/wood-stork/ ²Beasley, David. (2014). Wood Stork Removed from Endangered Species List. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/wood-stork-removed-from-endangered-species-list/ ³National Park Services. Wood Stork: Species Profile. https:// www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/woodstork.htm
Due to their feeding requirements, the wet and dry seasons provide them with the reptiles, amphibians, crayfish, and medium-sized fish that they subsist on. They use their bills, partially opened, as they wade through the water. When something touches their bills, they snap it up. This seems like an
Photo Credits: Mullhaupt, Jim. (2018). Wood Stork. (Flickr). https://flic.kr/p/ Madg5i Schneider, Kenneth Cole. (2014). Wood Stork 3-20141208. (Flickr). https://flic.kr/p/qiLEeu
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Part 70
By Ginny Mink
Ornamental Gardening in Florida
Last month we questioned what Mr. Simpson would think about the things going on today, but historically he would have had to have lived through the 1918 pandemic. So maybe we didn’t give him enough credit. Or, maybe, we were right, he just stayed home and worked in his garden. So, let’s take another voyage on the Literary Time Machine and see what he can teach us about ornamental gardening this month!
When last we were with him, we discussed some exotic air plants, a chapter that we are still in. So, let’s see what he has to say about the next cool species. “Epiphyllum truncatum, Crab’s claw cactus, Christmas cactus. A native of Brazil where it grows on trees and it can be grown here in damp woods the same way. This is now Zygocactus. E. latifrons. A rampant epiphyte from Mexico and seen by the writer in Honduras; perfectly at home on trees in our hammocks. I have a large specimen whose roots are loosely attached to a decayed limb that has sprawled twenty feet over the scrub and which opens its long white nocturnal flowers every summer…”¹ Of course, his description is not the same as what we think of as Christmas cactus, so we read on. “E. ackermanni grows here on my trees but some kind of nocturnal insect injures it. These last three were placed in the genus Epiphyllum when I was a young man, then they were changed to Phyllocactus, now they are put back into Epiphyllum. Where next? What will be the next foolish move with these harmless cacti?”¹ As we have learned over the years, Mr. Simpson gets pretty upset over the changing of plant names, so we had to see what was next. Where have these cacti been placed in our day and age? According to succulent city, this cactus “belongs to the Cactaceae family, Schlumbergera genus, and Truncata plant species.”² It’s got quite a few nicknames, too, including: Linkleaf plant, Yoke cactus, Crab cactus, and Claw cactus. The pictures we recovered do remind us of what we consider the typical Christmas cactus, but like all the other one’s we’ve seen the flowers are a pinkish color unlike the white bloom Mr. Simpson described. And Dave’s Garden reveals that the E. ackermanni that was being attacked by some nocturnal insect also has a plethora of name changes. Currently it is considered Disocactus ackermannii but has also been known as Epiphyllum ackermannii, Nopalxochia ackermannii, and Pseudonopalxochia conzattiana.³ When you start seeing these things it is no wonder that Mr. Simpson got a little frustrated over the frequent name changes!
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“Hohenbergia penduliflora. I have a magnificent plant of what may be this which I brought from western Cuba where it grows on trees in great masses. The somewhat scurfy leaves are four feet long and as many inches wide, the bloom stems are long and pendulous, bearing short spikes of inconspicuous flowers followed by capsules containing seed in a sweet pulp. It is a most striking plant and is readily grown from seed or suckers.”¹
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So, what is this plant he describes since he’s obviously not sure himself? Once again, we find a plant with a slew of additional names. The most common addition we see to the name he provided is adding (A. Rich) Mez to the scientific name and that seems to be the most widely accepted variety. But the other thing that stood out to us was him saying the pulp was sweet. Does this mean you can eat it? You know how we like plants with additional purposes. However, our research revealed something more interesting than we had been expecting. We located a copy of The Bromeliad Society Bulletin, published for July-August 1956, which mentions Mr. Simpson! Mulford B. Foster writes in that bulletin, “The first species to come to the Florida gardens was also H. penduliflora for it was brought here by Charles Torrey Simpson from Cuba. Mr. Simpson, one of the earliest plant collectors in Florida, came here in 1882… After Mr. Simpson’s introduction of the plant, it became known locally, as Aechmea Simpsonii as well as Hohenbergia Simpsonii; to this day it is often found in gardens of South Florida.”⁴ Even cooler, he quotes from another book Mr. Simpson wrote in 1923 entitled Out of the Doors of Florida. Apparently, Mr. Simpson described the plant this way, “It’s hard, indigestible seeds, surrounded by a sweet, very sticky mass, are contained in dry capsules and the pulp is much relished by birds in the island. In getting it, a part of the contents is daubed on their beaks, feathers and claws and when they alight on other trees it sticks to their bark. They also swallow the whole capsules and pass the seeds out undigested, so this crafty plant has two perfectly good means of distributing and planting itself on the barks of trunks and branches.”⁴ We will have to assume that people shouldn’t eat the pulp, but we are in awe of Mr. Simpson’s humility. He could have quite readily given himself props for the plant being named after him once he brought it here from Cuba, but he does not mention that in 1923 or 1926. What an impressive example he has set for those of us on the Literary Time Machine! Until our next journey, 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. 207-208). ²Succulent City. (2020). Thanksgiving Cactus- Schlumbergera Truncata/ Everything You Need to Know. https://succulentcity.com/thanksgiving-cactus-schlumbergera-truncata/ ³Dave’s Garden. Disocactus Species, Orchid Cactus, Strap Cactus. https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/60332/#b ⁴Foster, Mulford B. (1956). Hohenbergia in Horticulture. The Bromeliad Society Bulletin (Vol. VI July-August 1956 No. 4). http://journal.bsi.org/V06/4/ Photo Credits: HQ. (2004). Disocactus ackermannii (Epiphyllum ackermannii) Jiangdu, China. (Flickr). https://flic.kr/p/f2p7nt Valerie. (2007). Hohenbergia bromeliad. (Flickr). https://flic. kr/p/H137w WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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A Closer Look
by Sean Green Photo courtesy of April Green
Harvestmen
(Opilliones)
"They shared the tent with us"
I hope you all had an enjoyable and safe Independence Day. I can tell you I certainly did as restrictions have eased up enough to get back outside and go camping. It’s great to get out and explore the wild in search of fascinating critters, but even better when they come to you. There are certain critters that seem to be universally familiar and often admired by most Americans from an early age. One of these critters is commonly known as Daddy Longlegs and though familiar, is often misunderstood. This month we will take a closer look at this critter, dispel some myths, and highlight some characteristics that we hope you will find fascinating. Most of us recognize daddy long legs on sight. The common name is derived from its unusually long legs. Though it is an arachnid and may look like a spider, it’s not actually a spider. It is a member of the order Opilliones, from the Latin “Opillio” meaning “shepherd.” The name of the order is credited to Martin Lister, a 17th century British naturalist. In Listers time, this critter was known as the “harvest spider” because it resembled the European shepherds of the time period that often walked on stilts for a better view of the flocks of sheep they maintained. To this day, Opilliones are still commonly known as harvestman or shepherd spiders.
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Scientists suggest that the unusually long legs are an adaptation for their leaf litter habitat. Unlike a spider, they do not spin webs; they do not even have silk glands with which to do so. Biologically, Opillionids area closer relative of mites and scorpions than they are of spiders. Like mites, their cephalothorax(back) and abdomen (tail) are fused together rather than having a clear separation like that of a spider. In addition, Opillionids do not have fangs like a spider does. It is a popular misconception that daddy longlegs have potent venom but are unable to deliver it through human skin because they have small fangs. The real reason they cannot deliver venom is because they have no fangs or venom glands at all. Opillionids have palps (tiny front legs) that are modified to resemble crab like claws. They use these claws to eat chunks of food rather than sip food through fangs as a spider does.
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In addition to the myth busting confirmation that daddy longlegs is not at all venomous, you may find other unique characteristics fascinating, or even a little disturbing. Daddy longlegs breathes through a hole in their body called a spiracle that is attached to a trachea, very similar to our human windpipe. Some species even have an extra set of spiracles on the fourth pair of legs from which they can breathe. The long legs of Opiliones are specialized. Unlike other arthropods, the tips of the legs have multiple false segments that function like a finger wrapping around an object for a good grip. Daddy longlegs have only two eyes and poor vision. Their second pair of legs are longer than the others and function as feelers to compensate for their poor eyesight. Some of their legs have a “pacemaker” at the end of the first long segment that sends electric pulses along to the nerves. One of its defense strategies is to chew off a leg. The pacemaker will make the detached leg twitch for up to an hour distracting the predator. If the leg trick does not work, daddy long legs can use chemical warfare to protect itself. At the front of its body are glands from which it releases foul smelling ketones and quinones, which are nasty chemicals often found in things like nail polish remover. Daddy longlegs are omnivorous and will readily hunt soil fauna such as snails, lizards, and a variety of insects, but also scavenge decaying plant and insect matter. In this respect they share the ecologic niche of detritivores such as centipedes, millipedes and mites. Although they are among the largest arachnids, they pose absolutely no danger to humans and can be safely handled. They are very delicate, if you choose to handle it, please be careful. Unlike spiders, they do not regrow limbs and if it loses its two feeler legs, it will surely die. Daddy long legs tend to hunt at night, if you want to observe them in action, and can be found sleeping in leaf litter or under logs during the day. If you have a chance to get outside this month, this critter is an ideal hunt if you want a closer look at a fascinating and safe invertibrate.
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40 ACRE NURSERY CLOSED SELLING EQUIPMENT! 1.)Propagation bed radiant heat system $1,800 2.) 30X30 shade house frame kit $350 3.) 5HP 220 submersible pump and controller $699 4.) 5 + 10hp starite Centrifugal pumps 230V $600-$800 5.) 30 HP 480V Berkley submersible $5999 6.) 48” ACME fans $250 @ 7.) Hoop house by stuppy 35’x96’ $1999 obo..you move **ALSO** Irrigation controller Toro +100 - 2 wire decoders, 22 +valves $2,199 Call Jerry 352-895-8687 No Texts!!! Call only! CITRUS PACKING HOUSE Citrus packing house equipment for sale. Mikey Fertilizer Spreader, Rears mini blast sprayer, FMC juice machine & two wind machines. Call 863-324-2833
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OLD ANTIQUE BLUE STOVE I4 POWER EQUIPMENT Bread warmer, chrome trim. Trade-Ins Welcomed, Service You have got to see it to believe it! Department Available. Exit 22 • S. Frontage Rd. Call Ted for more details. 813-752-3378 Plant City 813-752-4459 DOORS & WINDOWS SPECIAL ORDER TAYLOR WAY TILLER DISC No upcharge. House & Mobile Home. Plow - good condition. $1750.00 Many standard sizes in stock. Call Alvie 813-759-8722 Ask for Blake. (813) 752-3378 2019 MAHINDRA 4540 KITCHEN CABINETS & VANITIES With loader, 2 wheel drive. Get quality all wood cabinets for less than the $14,000 Warranty. Ask for BIG Box STORES! Call Today! Alvie 813-759-8722 Ask for Blake. (813) 752-3378 JOHN DEERE HUNTER JUMPER SADDLE Looking for your new tractor? Marcel Toulouse Candice Double Come see us at Everglades Farm Equipment. Leather hunter/jumper saddle. Size 17. evergladesfarmequipment.com Very little use. $650 813-323-0222 2805 SR 60 West, Plant City WINCO 25KW PTO GENERATOR 813-737-1660 With control box. Like New. $3,600 MASSEY FERGUSON 3435 Call Alvie 813-759-8722 Vineyard Tractor. 80hp, 1523 hrs. Cab with A/C. $23,500 JOBS Call Alvie 813-759-8722 MECHANIC NEEDED 2013 MAHINDRA 5010 Agricultural equipment. Pay with benefits HST Transmission. Cab with loader. based on experience. Very good condition. $17,500 Call David 863-537-1345 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
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2019 GRAVELY PRO STANCE 36 Excellent condition. $3850 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
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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 FARM BUREAU INSURANCE We have you covered! Call us today. 813-752-5577 LOOKING TO BUY OR SELL? Call Rhonda Wetherington, P.A. Realtor, GRI. 813-933-1761 ALAN’S AIR CONDITIONING Residential, Commercial Sales SVS & Repair. Legendary service for over 20 years! 813-752-0821 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.
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!
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
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