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PAGE 56 From The Science
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County Farm Bureau 305 S. Wheeler St. Plant City, FL. Office Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Services: 813-685-5673 Member Services: 813-685-9121 OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Hillsborough
Insurance
Carlton, Jr.....................President
Runkles................Vice President
Joyner..............Treasurer
Casey
Clay
Astin Salter..................Secretary DIRECTORS FOR 2021 - 2022
Carlton Jr, Casey Runkles, Madison A. Salter, Clay Joyner, Carl Bauman, Brittany Coleman, Travis Council, Jake Cremer, Tiffany Dale, Drew Futch, Brian Shoop and Michelle Williamson AGENCY MANAGER Thomas O. Hale 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, Jacob Jones Plant City Office 813.752.5577 305 S. Wheeler St., Plant City, FL 33563 Jeff Summer Apollo Beach Office 813.933.5440 6510 N. US Hwy 41, Apollo Beach, FL.33572 Greg Harrell, Erin Campbell Kaylee Poppell, Executive Director 813-685-9121 40 CONTENTS 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 InTheField® Magazine P.O. Box 5377 • Plant City, Fl. 33566-0042 *Winners will be notified by phone. You Too Can Be A Winner!
Dennis
Endangered Species
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Chair Chatter
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Watering
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44 John Dicks
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47
Closer Look
Field March 2024 VOL. 19 • ISSUE 5 FLORIDA STATE FAIR RESULTS
Cover Photo courtesy of SRB Photography an images by blair
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Letter from the Editor
As I’m writing this the 2024 Florida Strawberry Festival is heading into its last weekend. It has been a successful run so far and I’m sure it will continue to be so through the final few days. I hope you had a chance to attend and see all the Festival has to offer.
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture, Wilton Simpson, applauded the Florida Legislature for the passing of SB 1084, which supports Florida agriculture and Florida’s farmers, ranchers, and growers.
“Food security is national security, and we all have a responsibility to ensure Floridians have access to a safe, affordable, and abundant food supply. This legislation is a reflection of our continued commitment to supporting and protecting Florida’s farmers, ranchers, and growers and enhancing consumer protection and transparency,” Commissioner Wilton Simpson said. “Thanks to the leadership of Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, House Speaker Paul Renner, Senator Jay Collins, and Representative Danny Alvarez, Florida is supporting our future farmers’ 4-H and FFA activities, prohibiting the sale of labgrown meat, and expanding safeguards for agricultural producers and consumers – ultimately creating a stronger, safer, and more prosperous Florida.” The legislation introduces several proposals including but not limited to:
• Protecting Florida’s food and fiber production by providing criminal penalties for trespassing on commercial agricultural property with the intent to commit a crime.
• Requiring Florida school districts to recognize 4-H and FFA-related activities as excused absences.
• Protecting Florida consumers by prohibiting the manufacture for sale of labgrown meat in Florida.
Please remember when shopping for yourself or your family, purchase Fresh From Florida products. Your food will be the freshest available and you will be supporting your local farmer and rancher.
Until Next Month
Sarah Holt
The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. - Numbers 6:25
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE March 2024 6 PAGE Publisher/Photography Karen Berry Senior Managing Editor/ Associate Publisher
Holt Editor Patsy Berry Sales
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Saunders STAFF 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. Published by Berry Publications, Inc.
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Greetings,
A Great Time to Tell the Story of Agriculture
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
-Dennis Carlton Jr. - President
I’m writing to you in the midst of the Florida Strawberry Festival. This is a busy time of the year for our industry, with strawberry season at its peak and the Florida State Fair just coming to a close. This time of the year includes a lot of celebrations, from 4-H and FFA members completing their market projects, to a new class of Florida Ag Hall of Fame inductees and a new Woman of the Year in Agriculture. Myself, along with our Board of Directors, wish to extend a congratulations to all.
Please take a few moments to read the article in this edition of IN THE FIELD Magazine about this year’s Florida State Fair. Hillsborough County Farm Bureau is always honored to host Ag-Venture, a hands-on learning exhibit where nearly 60,000 attendees visit during the 12 days of the fair. This exhibit is special, as it highlights our industry and reaches consumers in a way that not only teaches them about where their food comes from but leaves an impression on why agriculture is so important. This year also included two new outreach activities – the “Thank a Florida Farmer” exhibit and a Hologram production about the History of Florida Agriculture. There’s more about both in the article.
Last month also included “Food Check-Out Week,” a time to celebrate the abundance of fresh and nutritious food available to consumers nationwide at affordable prices. Most American households spend an
average of 11.3 percent of their disposable income on food. This is the LOWEST of any country in the world and would not be possible without the ongoing commitment of our farmers and ranchers.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average family of four will earn enough money to pay for their entire annual food supply after working seven weeks. By comparison, it takes 100 days of work to earn enough income to pay your taxes. Farm Bureau members statewide used this week to highlight Florida agriculture and the healthy and nutritious food that farmers and ranchers provide throughout the year. That’s an important story that needs to be told continuously.
In that regard, if you are not a Farm Bureau member, please consider joining so that you can help us advocate and educate. If you are a member, please volunteer at whatever level is practical for you. Please visit www.hcfarmbureau.org for more information about our organization, member benefits and opportunities for engagement.
Thank you for your continued support of our industry.
Dennis Carlton, Jr.
Dennis Carlton Jr.
Dennis Carlton Jr. - President
Board of Directors
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Dennis Carlton Jr, Casey Runkles, Madison A. Salter, Clay Joyner, Carl Bauman, Brittany Coleman, Travis Council, Jake Cremer, Tiffany Dale, Drew Futch, Brian Shoop and Michelle Williamson
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GULF MOCCASINSHELL
The Gulf Moccasinshell, or Medionidus penicillatus as it’s known by its scientific name, is a small mussel that reaches a length of about 2.2 inches, is elongate-elliptical or rhomboidal and fairly inflated, and has relatively thin valves.
The ventral margin is nearly straight or slightly rounded. The posterior ridge is rounded to slightly angled and intersects the end of the shell at the base line. Females tend to have the posterior point above the ventral margin and are somewhat more inflated. Sculpturing consists of a series of thin, radially oriented folds along the length of the posterior slope. The remainder of the surface is smooth and yellowish to greenish brown with fine, typically interrupted green rays. The left valve has two stubby pseudo cardinal and two actuate lateral teeth. The right valve has one pseudo cardinal and one lateral tooth. Nacre color is smoky purple or greenish and slightly iridescent at the posterior end. The Gulf Moccasinshell utilizes the brown darter and black-banded darter as host fishes.
Modern taxonomy recognizes the nineteenth-century names Unio penicillatus and Unio kingi as synonyms of Medionidus penicillatus. The recent taxonomic history of Medionidus species in the Apalachicola Region is complex. Two species of Medionidus, the M. kingi and M. penicillatus were recorded in the Chipola River system in 1940.
In 1956, two scientists synonymized M. kingi and two other nominal species, the Ochlockonee moccasinshell and Suwannee moccasinshell under the Gulf moccasinshell, an arrangement also followed by another scientist in 1975.
It was inaccurately reported in 1970 that the Gulf moccasinshell and Suwannee moccasinshell from the ApalachicolaChattahoochee-Flint River system and the Suwannee moccasinshell from the Ochlockonee and Suwannee Rivers fit as well. It was not until 1977 that the Gulf Moccasinshell, Ochlockonee Moccasinshell, and Suwannee Moccasinshell from Apalachicola Region streams were recognized as valid and
By Libby Hopkins
distinct based on their shell characteristics. The validity of the three allopathically distributed Apalachicola Region Medionidus species is now generally accepted.
Adult Gulf Moccasinshell mussels are sedentary as adults. They siphon stream water and filter phytoplankton and organic detritus as food. The female mussels siphon water containing sperm from the water to fertilize their eggs. The eggs hatch into larvae that are parasitic on fish. The larvae later meta-morphs into sedentary adults.
The Gulf Moccasinshell mussel inhabits relatively stable reaches of sandy and gravelly substrates in medium-sized streams to large rivers, often in areas swept free of silt by the current.
Impoundments have altered about 29 percent of main-stem riverine habitat on the Flint River. Preimpoundment records from Seminole and Blackshear Reservoirs exist for two sites for the Gulf Moccasinshell.
Populations of the Gulf Moccasinshell have been isolated due to major impoundments on the Apalachicola, Flint, and Ochlockonee Rivers. Future impoundments to satisfy expanding urban and suburban demand, particularly in the metropolitan Atlanta area, could damage stream habitats where small populations of the Gulf Moccasinshell exist. Although muskrats are not common within the range of these species, Piedmont populations of the Gulf Moccasinshell in the upper Flint River system may be subject to some degree of muskrat predation. The Gulf Moccasinshell only survives in a few critical habitats, and its reproductive success appears to be quite limited. Its surviving areas of critical habitat must be protected from impoundment and other damages, such as pollution. Its known populations should be monitored and additional ones searched for. Research should be undertaken into its ecological needs, with a view to developing management practices to maintain and improve its habitat.
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E ndang E r E d S p E ci ES
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WHERE THE WILD CALL HOME
By Libby Hopkins
Tigers, bears, lemurs, parrots, wolves, and other animals live in peace and happiness at Elmira Wildlife Sanctuary in Wimauma, Fla. “We are a sanctuary for exotic and wild animals,” Elmira’s Wildlife Sanctuary’s CEO, Robin Greenwood said. “We rescue these animals and give them a safe like to live out their days.”
Elmira’s Wildlife Sanctuary is a non-profit corporation supported solely by members and private contributions. There are no paid employees, it is staffed entirely by volunteers.
Their mission is to provide loving care, life management, and enrichment to exotic and wild animals in need of a home. “We also provide educational opportunities which increase community awareness of these animal’s needs,” Greenwood said. Elmira Wildlife Sanctuary began in 1998. Ted Greenwood, Robin’s husband, and David Kitchen started acquiring large exotic animals and housed them on Kitchen’s property in Wimauma. As awareness of the plight of these animals grew, and as laws changed, it was decided to become an official wildlife sanctuary.
Incorporated in 2005, Elmira Wildlife Sanctuary officially began operation as a non-profit wildlife sanctuary in March 2006. Unfortunately, by this time, Mr. Greenwood had passed away. His wife, Robin, stepped in to fill the role of Board President and Chief Executive Officer.
In 2007, Mr. Kitchen also passed away and the sanctuary was asked to relocate by the Kitchen family. In March of 2008, the sanctuary moved to its current location in Wimauma.
In November of 2008, Elmira Wildlife Rescue rescued an additional eight tigers, four bears, and a cougar. Since then, the
sanctuary has purchased the adjacent property and is expanding the space for the animals currently at the sanctuary. “We are currently looking for a local fence company to donate their time and supplies to help us build more fences for enclosures for more animals,” Greenwood said.
Since Elmira Wildlife Sanctuary is a “true sanctuary,” they uphold some great standards for their animals. No commercial trade in animals or animal parts. No animals are removed from enclosures for exhibition or other non-medical reasons. No direct contact between the public and animals, with some allowable exceptions, such as for some horses, and under carefully supervised circumstances.
Measures are in place to prevent breeding, either through segregation of sex or through a program of humane contraception, unless the animals are part of a bona fide release program.
The sanctuary is open to the public only by way of a structured visitor program in which tours are guided and where there is a bona fide educational component to the visiting program.
They also have very strong core values. “We practice compassion, patience, and honesty in all our dealings with wildlife, the animals permanently at our sanctuary and the public,” Greenwood said. “We provide a safe haven for our sanctuary residents. To place the needs, housing, food, medical care, and emotional wellness of each animal before anything else we may do. We also meet our goal of offering a unique interactive environment to all our animals and our guests. In addition to all of this, we strive to educate the public to the best of our ability.”
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Elmira Wildlife Sanctuary has many volunteer opportunities. “We need you,” Greenwood said. “Choose a time commitment you’re comfortable with and that your life allows. We need volunteers as often as once a week, but we can work with your schedule if you can only volunteer once a month. This is an incredibly enriching, unique volunteer opportunity. Some of the help needed includes working with the animals, guiding tours, keeping up the grounds, and helping with fundraisers. We need your talent, expertise, ambition, and a few hours of your time.” Volunteer applications are available on their website.
If you’d like to learn more about Elmira Wildlife Sanctuary, you can visit their website at www.elmiraswildlife.org, or call 813634-4115. Elmira Wildlife Sanctuary is located at 13910 Seminole Trail in Wimauma.
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Springtime is Slam Time!
Capt. Wade Osborne
If you’ve never achieved an “Inshore Slam” now is the time!
Every year when spring rolls around, the grass flats throughout Tampa Bay come alive. As baitfish start moving onto the flats, snook, redfish and seatrout follow. When this occurs, it’s the easiest time to achieve an inshore slam. If you don’t know what that is, it’s when you catch slot-size (or over) snook, redfish and seatrout on the same outing.
Now many of you may think that should be easy. Well, it’s easier said than done for some people. You’d be surprised how many people have been fishing with me that have never caught a slam. Occasionally, I meet a few anglers who have lived in the Tampa Bay area and fished all their life, but the slam eludes them.
To get the action going, toss out a few live scaled sardines and wait for the snook to respond by attacking the freebies. Once they start feeding, cast a hooked live sardine to the same spot for an instant hook up. If you get lucky, you’ll be able to catch numerous snook in the same spot and also land one over 28 inches. If you do catch a big one at your first spot, move down the shoreline a hundred yards or so and try again.
If you’re fishing during an incoming tide and it’s reaching its peak, move on to redfish.
Redfish like to feed on crustaceans around oyster beds and barnacle encrusted mangrove roots during a high tide. Find a spot with both and you’ve found a redfish goldmine. Redfish also like to travel with mullet. The reason: mullet flush baitfish and crustaceans out of the grass as they feed. Anytime I spot a school of mullet I get out in front of them and Power Pole down.
If an inshore slam is something you would like to pursue, you might assume that catching a slot-size seatrout would be the easiest and save that for last. Not necessarily, at times it can be the most difficult to land. That’s why many times, I’ll start out fishing around some sandy potholes on the grass flats trying to catch the seatrout first. If I have no success, I’ll move on snook and redfish and come back to seatrout to close the deal. While in pursuit, here’s where you should be looking for that snook and redfish.
With water temperatures back in the low 70s snook are moving out of the back bays, creeks, and rivers and seeking shelter along the mangrove shorelines and points. Snook feed best on a good tidal flow. Some days it may vary whether they prefer an incoming or outgoing. So, just make sure the current is moving.
In either scenario, always start by chumming with scaled sardines. After that, cast a bait out that’s suspended under a cork. Once the cork goes under, give the fish 2-3 seconds to eat the bait, then when you reel and get your line tight, lift your rod for a solid hook set.
Let’s say after a day on the water you caught all three inshore slam species, but they weren’t all big fish. You still achieved a slam, just not an official inshore slam. There’s always next time.
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26-Year Veteran Fishing Guide, Captain Wade Osborne.
Tarpon and Spanish mackerel will be migrating to the Tampa Bay as we approach April.
Tarpon start showing up first around the Sunshine Skyway Bridge and the Port of Manatee. One of the best fishing technics to use around the bridge is Spot Lock or anchor your boat between the pilings and start a fresh cut bait slick. Once you have a slick established, start freelining hooked
live bait within the slick. If you’re fishing at the port, do more of a spot and stalk or just drift fish past the schools.
Spanish mackerel make their presence at the mouth of Tampa Bay and slowly end up all the way past the Countney Campbell Causeway. Early on you mainly catch them around the bridges, artificial reefs, and range markers. As time goes on, Spanish mackerel start moving onto the grass flats as they feed on baitfish. There have been times when I’ve caught them in as little as two feet of water.
Some people claim Spanish mackerel aren’t good table fare. Not true. The key to good fillets is to ice the fish down immediately and always cut the bloodline out when filleting.
Afishionado, “Always an Adventure.”
Tampa fishing guide Wade Osborne of “Afishionado Guide Services” has been plying the waters of Tampa Bay as a professional full-time captain, since 1997. Osborne has been featured on numerous TV and radio shows and writes for multiple publications. Osborne offers inshore fishing charters on light tackle spin, fly or plug. He also offers eco-tours with an emphasis on photography. For more info visit Afishionado.com or find Afishionado Guide Services on Facebook and Instagram. Email: wade@afishionado.com Call/Text 813-286-3474
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Caimito has numerous common names including cainito, caimito, tar apple, star apple, purple star apple, golden leaf tree, abiaba, pomme de lait, estrella, milk fruit and aguay.
Slugs have four noses
In Cambodia, caimito is called “Plae Teuk Dos” which means milk fruit due to its milky juices inside.
Sea otters hold each other’s paws when they sleep so they don’t drift apart.
Beef fat, called tallow, is an ingredient in soaps, cosmetics, candles, shortenings, and chewing gum.
An acre of land is about the same size as a football field.
Raising beef cattle is the single largest segment of American agriculture.
The heaviest turkey ever raised weighed 86 pounds, about the size of an average third-grader.
One pound of wool can make 10 miles of yarn.
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“Mother Said”
Most all of us can remember how our mother would always have an answer for any question we would ask. As a child I often questioned her answers, but the older I got the more I realized how smart she really was.
I sometimes would miss school because of a cold, headache or some made up minor sickness. She could see through me like an open window. Usually I would start feeling better about the time school let out, and she would say, “If you’re too sick to go to school, you’re too sick to play outside.”
Here are some of my mother’s favorite sayings; I don’t care what “everyone” is doing. I care what YOU are doing! I’m doing this for your own good! I’m going to skin you alive! I’m not going to ask you again. If it were a snake, it would have bitten you. If you could stay out last night, you can get up this morning. Over my dead body! Pick that up before somebody trips on it and breaks their neck! Pick up your feet. Put that down! You don’t know where it’s been! Say that again and I’ll wash your mouth out with soap.
One of her funniest sayings was when she saw a person acting odd or wearing something outrageous was, “The sights you see when you haven’t got a gun.”
How may of these have you heard before?
A little soap & water never killed anybody. Always wear clean underwear in case you get in an accident.
Answer me when I ask you a question.
Are you going out dressed like that?
Are your hands broken? Pick it up yourself! I’m not your maid.
Bored! How can you be bored? I was never bored at your age.
Clean up after yourself.
Cupcakes are NOT a breakfast food.
Did you clean your room?
Did you flush the toilet?
Do you live to annoy me?
Do you think this is a hotel? You can’t just come here only to sleep.
Don’t ask me WHY. The answer is NO.
Don’t cross your eyes or they’ll freeze that way.
Don’t EVER let me catch you doing that again!
Don’t make me come in there.
Don’t run with a lollipop in your mouth.
Don’t stay up too late.
Don’t use that tone with me.
Don’t you have anything better to do?
Go ask your father.
Go to your room and think about what you did.
How can you have nothing to wear? Your closet is FULL of clothes.
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HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM
FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1971
Editor’s Note: This Rocking Chair Chatter was originally printed in the March 2019 issue
How many times do I have to tell you? I can always tell when you’re lying.
My mother said a lot a lot of things, but the one that I remember the most is; “Never look down on anyone, unless it is to offer your hand to help them up.”
My mother had a way to keep me under control. When I was about six years old I went through a phase of flicking the lights in our house on and off continuously. This was in the early 40s during World War II, so Mom convinced me to stop by telling me that doing so would send a signal to the Germans to bomb our house. That did the trick.
A friend of mine a few cabins down from me on Moon Ridge in Blairsville, GA is an interesting person. One afternoon we engaged in a conversation about our mothers.
He said when he was a child his mother always turned the cold water tap on first thing each morning, and let it run for a minute or so. She said she did that to clear the pipes of the stale water from the night before. He said there were no copper pipes in those days, all lead, but she didn’t know that.
She also cleaned her carpets by sprinkling tea leaves all over them, then brushing the carpet with a stiff brush. He said it was years before she ever got a vacuum cleaner.
If he said he was hungry between meals she would give him a slice of bread and butter and a glass of water.
He smiled and looked up at the sky and said, “One day she came over to visit me, and as she was leaving it started to rain. I gave her my umbrella to walk home with. About a week later I stopped in to see her. I was surprised to see my umbrella wide open in her living room by the window. She told me that she had been waiting for a rainy day to bring it back to me, as she couldn’t get the cockeyed thing closed!
A guy shopping in a supermarket noticed a little old lady following him around. If he stopped, she stopped. Furthermore she kept staring at him. She finally overtook him at the checkout, and she turned to him and said, “I hope I haven’t made you feel ill at ease; it’s just that you look so much like my late son.” He answered, “That’s okay.” “I know it’s silly, but if you’d call out ‘Goodbye, Mom’ as I leave the store, it would make me feel so happy.”
She then went through the checkout ... and as she was on her way out of the store, the man called out, “Goodbye, Mother.” The little old lady waved and smiled back at him. Pleased that he had brought a little sunshine into someone’s day, he went to pay for his groceries. “That comes to $121.85,” said the clerk.
“How come so much? I only bought five items.” The clerk replied, “Yeah, but your Mother said you’d pay for her things, too.”
We all love our mothers. My mother taught me about STAMINA. “You’ll sit there until all that spinach is gone.”
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A VERY SUCCESSFUL STATE FAIR WITH NEW AG EXPERIENCES FOR ATTENDEES
Hillsborough County Farm Bureau once again hosted AgVenture at the 2024 State Fair. This year, more than 60,000 attendees and families were provided valuable education about the importance of agriculture to all our community members during their visit to the newly remodeled Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame building at the Florida State Fair. Ag-Venture is a hands-on learning experience for children and adults alike to learn about where their food comes from and how agriculture touches our lives every day.
This year’s Ag-Venture stations included:
• Citrus – At the Citrus station, fair attendees were able to pick their orange off the tree and then squeeze them to taste “Fresh from Florida” orange juice. A special Thank you to Mr. Larry Black of Peace River Packing Company for donating the oranges for this exhibit!
• Beef – Here, the fair attendees learned about beef by-products through “mystery” sensory boxes in which they placed their hands to feel and guess what the product was. By-products included marshmallows, crayons, pasta, and band-aids, all of which are created using by-products of cattle.
• Plant Germination – At this station, fairgoers plant radish seeds and learn about the life cycle and how the radishes go from a seed to a harvestable product in just 28 days.
• Plant Nutrients – At this station, fair attendees make bracelets with numerous color beads representing the essential nutrients plants need to grow such as water, air, soil, and fertilizer elements such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
• Strawberries – At this station, fair attendees made a necklace that highlighted the 5 stages of a Florida Strawberry. A display containing a real strawberry plant showed how strawberries are produced.
• Dairy – An Ag-Venture favorite is at the Dairy station, where attendees shake cream, making their own butter! This station highlights all the products we receive from dairy cows.
• Pollination – Here, fairgoers made bees out of pipe cleaners, then pollinated blooms, learning about how the Ag industry depends on pollinators for most fruits and vegetables to grow.
Critical Ag-Venture volunteers included students from the following FFA chapters along with 4-H members from across the
By Jim Frankowiak
state: Plant City FFA, Barrington Middle School, Teneroc (Polk County), Armwood FFA, Buchanan Middle School, Strawberry Crest FFA, Mulrennan Middle FFA, Freedom High School, Durant High School, Marshall Middle School, and Randall FFA.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) sponsored a new area in the Ag Hall of Fame this year called “Thank a Florida Farmer,” where fairgoers could meet and thank a local farmer for their important contributions. These farmers also answered questions in an interviewstyle setting, providing valuable information to the fair. Some participating farmers were Ryan Gill, Sue Harrell, Dale McClellan, and several former Woman of the Year in Agriculture recipients.
The area included a postcard station where fair attendees could sit and write a “Thank You” note to a Florida Farmer and then post it for others to read before being mailed to respective farmers at the end of the fair. Some of the most noteworthy cards were those written by children.
This year’s fair also marked the introduction of the hologram production “Time Travel through Florida Agriculture.” This multi-media show was created by the Ag Hall of Fame Foundation with DEC Productions. Holographic images appeared out of thin air to tell the story of agriculture in Florida from indigenous times through today’s high-tech framing. The show was presented by the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame, Florida Cattlemen’s Foundation, Florida State Fair Foundation, Florida Farm Bureau, and M & B Products with supporting sponsors: Florida Strawberry Growers Association, Florida Peanut Producers Association, and Florida Watermelon Association.
Our sincerest thanks to the many exhibitors, sponsors, and volunteers who helped tell the story of Florida Agriculture!
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When you do business with Farm Credit, you are a member of a cooperative. When we do well, you do well. And we’ve been doing well for over 100 years. Refinancing
AGAZINE March 2024 27 PAGE
OUR PROFITS ARE YOUR PAYDAY
Equipment Loans for land, homes & living.
Buildings Fences
DISTRICT LIMITS LAWN WATERING
By Jim Frankowiak
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) has issued a Phase 1 Water Shortage Order due to prolonged drought conditions. Residents can only water their lawns one day a week. The irrigation restrictions are for all water users in Hillsborough County and extend to July 1 of this year.
Under the Order, each property owner or manager is to voluntarily reduce water usage and prepare for possible worsening conditions and more aggressive water shortage actions, if needed. All water users are obliged to keep informed about the water use restrictions and other required applicable actions.
Watering days in Hillsborough County are as follows:
• Addresses ending in 0 or 1 can only water on Monday
• Addresses ending with a 2 or 3 on Tuesday
• Addresses ending with a 4 or 5 on Wednesday
• Addresses ending with a 6 or 7 on Thursday
• Addresses ending with an 8 or 9 and common areas with or without addresses, locations with no addresses and locations with mixed addresses (such as office complexes and shopping centers) on Friday
Hillsborough County Code Enforcement can issue fines for non-compliance.
All watering must be done either before 8 a.m. or after 6 p.m. on allowable watering day. The use of reclaimed water for lawn and landscape use is exempt from this order. Property owners should reprogram their automatic irrigation times to adjust irrigation days to once a week. Free help with adjusting irrigation times is available by contacting Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ through Will Stone at 813/744-5519, Ext. 54133 or via email at: stonewi@hcfl.org.
The Tampa Bay Water Wise program is offering eligible applicants a rebate of up to $250 for the installation of a qualified weather-based irrigation controller, soil sensor or to receive a device and its installation free of charge.
More water conservation tips and information are available at: HCFL.gov/WaterConservation.
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County Line Road Investment, Plant City, FL Keysville 25 Acre Wooded Homesite, Lithia, FL
This 24.79± acre estate serves as a unique investment opportunity with over 900 feet of road frontage on County Line Road. The property has access from two roads, County Line Road and E. Trapnell Road with a median break on County Line Road, allowing easy access in and out.
Pricing: $2,000,000
This 25-acre secluded parcel is home to a wide variety of trees and vegetation - creating the perfect hidden retreat. With the combination of dense foliage and small clearings, it is an ideal place for wildlife and recreational activities.
Pricing: $650,000
FischbachLandCompany.com 813-540-1000
Reed Fischbach, Broker
Blaise Lelaulu, CCIM, Agent
Melissa
Ellie Dahl, Agent
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Land Brokerage | Development | Consulting
Fischbach Land Company
917 S Parsons Avenue Brandon, FL 33511
Raburn, Agent CountyLineRoad E. Trapnell Road
NEWS BRIEFS
Compiled by Jim Frankowiak
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
Farm Bureau Membership Offers Agricultural Advocacy and Valuable Benefits
Membership in Florida Farm Bureau offers families the opportunity to support agriculture and wide-ranging benefits and resources such as travel discounts, health and wellness, family entertainment and home/auto insurance. For more information about membership and its benefits, visit MyFFBF.org.
“Field to the Hill” Registration Open
Florida Farm Bureau is inviting interested members to register for “Field to the Hill,” the annual opportunity for members to visit with Florida’s congressional delegation regarding the legislative priorities of agriculture in the Sunshine State. This year’s event will be held May 14-16 at the Hilton Washington DC National Mall, The Wharf. For added information, contact Olivia Vairo via email: Olivia.Vairo@FFBF.org or by phone: at 954-3836608.
Ninth Military Ag Tour April 5
The ninth annual Military Agriculture Tour (MAT IX) is Friday, April 5, from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. The tour is to introduce transitioning military personnel, veterans, and their spouses to the diversity of Hillsborough County agriculture and the variety of careers in a modern agricultural operation. The tour will begin and end at the Hillsborough County Extension office (5339 C.R. 579, Seffner) and include visits to a cattle ranch, tropical fish farm, strawberry farm, and market, University of Florida, Institute of Agricultural Sciences Gulf Coast Research and Education Center and a blueberry farm. Reservations may be made at: April5MilitaryAgricultureTour. Eventbrite.com. You may call Simon Bollin at 813/8531086 or email him at BollinS@HCFLGov.net with any questions.
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Where medical expertise meets timeless compassion.
That’s the BayCare effect.
When medical excellence is combined with empathy, it produces powerful results. It means never having to compromise on compassionate care. At BayCare’s new South Florida Baptist Hospital, you can expect clinical expertise, combined with the use of advanced technologies, delivered by a team that treats you like family–it’s all right here.
The new South Florida Baptist Hospital is opening soon! Join us for a special hospital preview event. Take a tour of the new hospital and visit the BayCare Health Village to learn more about services that we’ll be providing to the Plant City community.
Hospital Preview Event
Sunday, April 21 | 11am–2:30pm
3202 N. Park Road | Plant City
To register or to learn more:
NewSouthFloridaBaptist.org
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Wild Game C T OO UKO INVITES YOU TO THE 50th Aual FRIDAY, APRIL 5TH, 2024 • 6:00-10:00PM “Still in the Wds” US HWY 92 BETWEEN FORBES & THONOTOSASSA ROADS TICKETS AT THE GATE $125 PRESALE TICKETS $100 NO ONE UNDER 21 Stag Only! CONTACT TREY STEVENS FOR MORE INFORMATION 813-752-1500 TREY@CACOCPA.COM “Plant City’s Original Wild Game Ck-Out!” Live Entertainment by Country Music Star AARON TIPPIN Br anch F orbes I-4 Wild Game Cookout US 92 1.9 miles Thonotosassa 0.6 miles Strawberry Festival Grounds Strawberry North Entry South Entry MLK Hwy 574 Ritter St.
FLORIDA SCALLIONS
By Sandy Sun, M.S. Clinical Medicines, B.S. Nutrition Science
Florida scallions can grow year-round but are at their peak growing season now in the winter and spring months. A member of the allium family, along with garlic and shallots, green onions are high in vitamins, minerals, and a host of nutritionboosting compounds, such as flavonoids and polyphenols. Some of these compounds may help combat heart disease, strokes, and cancer, as well as lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Scallions are also known as green onions or bunching onions and are among the easiest types of onions to grow.
NUTRITIONAL PROFILE
Fresh Florida scallions are low in calories and have no fat, sodium, or cholesterol. They contain a myriad of active compounds that may help ward off cancer, heart disease, high blood glucose, and strokes. Green onions may also help lower blood pressure and cholesterol and support the immune system. Like garlic and other alliums, scallions have antibacterial and antifungal properties.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, one cup of raw, chopped green onion (100 g) contains 32 calories, 1.8 g protein, 0.2 g fat, 7 g carbohydrate, and 2.6 g of dietary fiber. It also provides 31% of the Daily Recommended Value (%DV) for vitamin C, 10% for dietary fiber, 7.2% for potassium, and plentiful amounts of other B vitamins, as well as magnesium, calcium, iron, and iodine.
Phytonutrients Fight Disease
Scallions contain high levels of different phytonutrients, which are organic compounds in plants that may boost health. Among the phytonutrients, flavonoids (especially quercetin), are plentiful in green onions and are mainly concentrated in the outer layers of the flesh. The quercetin in onions is better absorbed than that from other sources, such as apples. Studies have shown that quercetin protects against cataracts, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Scallions have very high levels of these disease-fighting compounds, putting them alongside other veggie superstars such as broccoli, parsley, and shallots. As with most other nutrients, eating whole vegetables yields more benefits than taking supplements.
Quercetin is a powerful antioxidant that acts to block the formation of cancer cells. Several servings per week of onions may lower the risk of colorectal, laryngeal, and ovarian cancer. Oral and esophageal cancer may also be decreased by high green onion consumption.
Healthy Heart
Scallions are very flavorful, thanks to their sulfur compounds. These compounds pack a big health punch as well. They may help prevent the clumping of platelet cells in the blood because they possess substances with fibrinolytic activity. Additionally, these sulfur compounds may play a role in lowering blood pressure cholesterol and triglyceride levels. All of these benefits translate into a healthier heart.
How to Select and Store
Choose fresh scallions that have clean, white bulbs and deep green shoots that are free of wet spots or wilting. Store in a cool dry place with good air circulation or in the refrigerator.
Set the bulbs in a glass of water that is high enough to cover the roots for up to several weeks in the refrigerator. Change the water every two to three days. You can even regrow scallions by cutting off the tops for use and leaving the bulbs in water or plant in soil.
How to Enjoy
There are countless ways to enjoy fresh Florida scallions. They may be eaten raw, sliced, sautéed, fried, or even pickled. Although commonly used in sandwiches and salads, green onions can be used in a variety of dishes in many different cuisines.
More ways to enjoy scallions:
• Mince and mix with herbs to create a crust for roasted meats
• Grill whole scallions for a smoky flavor
• Mince and add to salad dressings, dips, or cream cheese
• Slice in long strips and stir-fry with ginger and garlic
• Dice and add to egg omelets and stir-fries
• Slice thin and use to top soup
• Dice and add raw scallions to a chutney
Enjoy the bright, aromatic flavor of Florida scallions today.
SELECTED REFERENCES
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ http://sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu/
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FLORIDA
Strawberries & Pineberries
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE 36 PAGE now In SEasoN!
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COMFORTING COWS
By Libby Hopkins
Nikki and Ernie Davis are the owners Ernie Cattle Company in Lithia. Their farm was created out of a need to help Ernie Davis, whom the company is named after. “My husband suffered a brain injury while he was in the military in 2010m,” Nikki Davis said. “Over the last decade, I had this idea of finding a compound for him because he is incapacitated, so safety is always a concern for us. I still wanted him to get out and do things and be confined to one area.”
Davis found a 52-acre piece of property in Lithia and the property came with eight cows. “I originally wanted 22 acre but this property checked off all the boxes I was looking for and the cows were just extra,” Davis said. “I was like I know about horses but not cows, but the seller was a Veteran too, and he helped us with the property and the cows. So, that’s how Ernie Cattle Company got started.”
From the original herd, Davis only has two full-size cows remaining. They have added smaller cows to their herd and now they have 30 cows. “We will specialize in producing high-quality miniature cows through our special breeding program,” Davis said. “Our unique cows make excellent pets, companions, and livestock for your own breeding program.”
The cows have also helped with Ernie’s health. “We’ve had this company for three years and lived on the property for four years and we have seen an improvement in
my husband’s cognition,” Davis said. “Anytime we work the cows, he is out there with our crew de-worming, with assistance, working the chute and other things. Most people like my husband would have been put in a home, but it is awesome to see him out there like a cowboy working like a cowboy would be. His quality of life is so improved.”
There are many benefits of having animals to help rehabilitate a person with injuries of any kind. Animals play a crucial role in supporting brain injury patients during rehabilitation. Whether it’s your own beloved pet or specially trained therapy animals, they offer a range of benefits.
Survivors of brain injury often experience isolation. Having an animal companion provides comfort, company, and stimulation, helping to alleviate loneliness. Brain rehabilitation can be emotionally taxing. Pets offer acceptance, love, and motivation. Even simple actions like petting an animal can have a calming effect on mental health.
Animals can incentivize survivors to work on rebuilding their walking ability. Patients tend to walk further when accompanied by a dog, as the distraction helps them cover more distance.
Pets encourage individuals with aphasia to communicate. For instance, taking a dog for a walk can be a
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conversation starter, providing more practice opportunities. Animals provide comfort, confidence, and motivation, helping survivors stay committed to their rehabilitation efforts.
Additionally, there are specially trained service and therapy animals that cater to specific needs. Service animals, such as dogs or miniature horses, assist with balance or walking during recovery from brain injury. These animals often live with their humans and have special rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. “Our cows all come up to my husband and they are very gentle with him and they stand around him as if they are projecting him,” Davis said. “He loves being with them as well.”
Keeping things local is very important to the couple. “We believe in keeping things local,” Davis said. “We want to have a good Florida cow that we can raise and sell to our customers. We use all local vendors for everything for our cows and our farm.”
If you’d like to learn more about Ernie Cattle Company, you can visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ErnieCattleCo or call (813) 838-3848.
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2024 CHAMPIONS OF CHAMPIONS “THE BEST OF THE BEST”
1st Place THE CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS –Abbaigaelle Millard, Volusia Co.
2nd Place Champion of Champions
Mia Portillo, Volusia Co.
3rd Place Champion of Champions
Ashley Simmons, Orange Co.
4th Place Champion of Champions
Okeechobee Co. Champion Youth for Dairy Show
Emily Shvetzoff, Pasco Co.
YOUTH DOG
Junior Champion
Jacob Peters, Hillsborough Co.
Intermediate Champion
Anna Radajcsics, Pinellas Co.
4th place Senior Champion
Sophia Smith, Hillsborough Co.
3rd place Senior Champion
2024 Fair Results
Photos courtesy of SRB Photography an images by blair
YOUTH LLAMA
Junior Champion
Reece Robinson, Manatee Co.
Intermediate Champion
Hannah Neumann, Pasco Co.
4th place Senior Champion
Andjela Mrkela, Pinellas Co.
3rd place Senior Champion
Archer Konow, Pasco Co.
2nd place Senior Champion
Madison Gulley, Pasco Co.
Champion Youth for Rabbit Show
Abbaigaelle Millard, Volusia Co.
Emily Shvetzoff, Pasco Co.
5th Place Champion of Champions
Chloe Davis, Marion Co.
6th Place Champion of Champions
Lauren Higgins, Orange Co.
2024 CHAMPION YOUTH WINNER RESULTS
YOUTH BEEF
Junior Champion
Kenslee Thompson, Pasco Co.
Intermediate Champion
Aiden Lepianka, Alachua Co.
4th place Senior Champion
Adysen Burns, Gilchrist Co.
3rd place Senior Champion
Reagan Hancock, Morriston
2nd place Senior Champion
Hayley Luzner, Volusia Champion Youth for Beef Show – Mia Portillo, Volusia Co.
YOUTH DAIRY
Junior Champion
Lucas Spann, Levy Co.
Intermediate Champion
Mallory Hartwig, Pasco Co.
4th place Senior Champion
Mikah McCoy, Columbia Co.
3rd place Senior Champion
Kaleigh Hamric, Columbia Co.
2nd place Senior Champion
Kathryn Montes De Oca,
Amaryllis Hallaert, Sarasota Co.
2nd place Senior Champion
Isabelle Muir, Polk Co.
Champion Youth for Dog Show
Josie Stoddard, Manatee Co.
YOUTH GOAT
Junior Champion
Reagan Casler, Pasco Co.
Intermediate Champion
Hunter Roof, Volusia Co.
4th place Senior Champion
Tabitha Crist, Pasco Co.
3rd place Senior Champion
Andrew Jordan, Orange Co.
2nd place Senior Champion
Dylan Walden, Pasco Co.
Champion Youth for Goat Show
Abbaigaelle Millard, Volusia Co.
Rome Greeley, Suwannee Co.
Intermediate Champion
Ireland Greeley, Suwannee Co.
4th place Senior Champion
Michael Miller, Hillsborough Co.
3rd place Senior Champion
Riley Miller, Marion Co. 2nd place Senior Champion
Daniel Greeley, Suwannee Co.
Champion Youth for Llama Show
Raina Ishak, Hillsborough Co.
YOUTH POULTRY
Junior Champion
Delaney Haggard, Orange Co.
Intermediate Champion
Tristian Robinson, Manatee Co.
4th place Senior Champion
Karoline Kmetz, Hillsborough Co.
3rd place Senior Champion
Lauren Higgins, Orange Co.
2nd place Senior Champion
Jacqueline Degirmenci
Champion Youth for Poultry Show
Valerie Rodriquez, Orange Co.
YOUTH RABBIT
Junior Champion
YOUTH SHEEP
Junior Champion
Emma Arosenius, Orange Co.
Intermediate Champion
Hunter Roof, Volusia Co.
4th place Senior Champion
Madison Braun, Volusia Co.
3rd place Senior Champion
Grady Callahan, Volusia Co.
2nd place Senior Champion
Izabella Moss, Volusia Co.
Champion Youth for Sheep Show
Mia Portillo, Volusia Co.
YOUTH STEER
Intermediate Champion
Aiden Lepianka, Alachua Co.
4th place Senior Champion
Cayden Davis, Levy Co.
3rd place Senior Champion
Reagan Hancock, Levy Co.
2nd place Senior Champion
Chloe Davis, Marion Co.
Champion Youth for Steer
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Show
Mason Lefler, Hillsborough Co.
YOUTH SWINE
Junior Champion
Carlee Johnson, Gilchrist Co.
Intermediate Champion
Kenly Mellan, Suwannee Co.
4th place Senior Champion
Walker Scott, Hernando Co.
3rd place Senior Champion
Archer Konow, Pasco Co.
2nd place Senior Champion
Emily Shvetzoff, Pasco Co.
2024 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
Mosaic - $1,500
Gabrielle Howell, Hillsborough Co.
Kaitlin Zelatis, Hillsborough Co.
Jan Dillard Memorial - $1,000
Anais Degnan, Hillsborough Co.
Florida State Fair Foundation - $1,000
Kayden Duncan, Volusia Co.
Lauren Higgins, Orange Co.
Jack Peterson, Lafayette Co.
$100
Jackson Sturgis, Hillsborough Co.
Susan Harrell, Swine SR.$100
Jaylyn Wood, Hillsborough Co.
Charlie Moore Memorial, Sheep - $300
Sarah Morris, Volusia Co.
Youth Shepherd, Sheep$300
Madison Braun, Volusia Co.
2024 YOUTH BEEF SHOW SHOWMANSHIP BEEF
JUNIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Claire Jerrels, Levy INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Ansley Ward, Alachua
SENIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Addisyn Worrell, Union SHOWMANSHIP BEEF 2
JUNIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Brayden Cranor, Polk INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION SHOWMAN
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION HEIFER ANGUS
LNL Queen Beyonce 3780
Ryleigh Locke
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION COW/CALF PAIR ANGUS
C&C Penny 1056
Kate Chewning
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION BULL ANGUS
LA Dutton 223 of 822 Ocoee
FFA
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION BRANGUS
HCT Miss Khloe 789K Kinley
Ward
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION COW/CALF BRANGUS
TCR Belinda 302J8 Railee
Steele
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION BULL BRANGUS
HCT Mr Legend 789L
Kinley Ward
GRAND CHAMPION HEIFER RED BRANGUS
M&M Leighton 702L1 Carlee
Taylor
GRAND CHAMPION COW/ CALF
RED BRANGUS Marvel’s Sweet Jasmine 1621
Champion Youth for Swine
Show
Ashley Simmons, Orange Co.
2024 YOUTH LIVESTOCK
GRANT
SPONSORED BY THE NATIONAL INDEPENDENT CONCESSIONAIRES’ ASSOCIATION, INC.
Beef Grant - $400 Brooke
O’Connor, Pasco Co.
Dairy Goat Grant - $250 Brayden Jackson, Lake Co.
Poultry Grant - $50 Delaney Haggard, Orange Co.
Dairy Grant - $400 Boer Goat
Grant - $250 Rabbit Grant$50 Sheep Grant - $250
Malerie Scammey, Orange Co.
Logan Shoop, Hillsborough Co.
Covington Memorial$1,0000
Uma Limaye, Pasco Co.
Ronnie Reed Memorial, Poultry - $500
Abigail Liptrap, Hillsborough Co.
Alaura Brown, Gilchrist Co.
Rabbit Committee - $500
Alaura Brown, Gilchrist Co.
Kayden Duncan, Volusia Co.
Bill Carey Memorial, Dairy$100
Zachary Bolen, Okaloosa
Bill Carey Memorial, Steer$100
Kaylee Hudson, Hillsborough Co.
Charlie Moore Memorial, Steer - $400
Aubrey Ward, Levy Co.
Buddy McCullough Memorial, Steer - $100
Abree Perryman, Marion Co.
Cindy Revels Memorial, Steer - $250
Gabe Mitchell, Levy Co.
Charlie Moore Memorial, Swine - $300
Archer Konow, Pasco Co.
Susan Harrell, Swine JR.$100
Grant Gilmore, Hernando Co.
Susan Harrell, Swine INT. -
Ansley Bryant, Polk SENIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Raelan Sherouse, Polk SHOWMANSHIP BEEF 3
JUNIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Landrie Locke, Levy INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Abigail Hutchins, Alachua SENIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Brandon Weber, Alachua
GRAND CHAMPION HEIFER ANGUS
Rina (RC-ECC Palmaerina 422L) Breely Yeomans
GRAND CHAMPION COW/ CALF PAIR ANGUS
RW Inauguration Sandy 108 Owen Austrino
GRAND CHAMPION BULL ANGUS
AA Muy Macho 4610 Owen Austrino
GRAND CHAMPION HEIFER BRANGUS
Bandi Ms Lace 07L Alexis Bandi
GRAND CHAMPION COW/ CALF BRANGUS Farris Ms Tank 07H2
Alexis Bandi
GRAND CHAMPION BULL BRANGUS
HCT Lamberts Asher Aubrey Beatty
Joyce Teague
GRAND CHAMPION BULL RED BRANGUS
Marvel’s Mr Cruz, Kinley Ward GRAND CHAMPION HEIFER ULTRABLACK
GRT Ms 6847 G-money 804L2, Carlee Taylor
GRAND CHAMPION COW/ CALF ULTRABLACK MNR
Ms Lizzo 535H
Madilyn Nichols
GRAND CHAMPION BULL ULTRABLACK
CT Deep Pockets 108K2
Carlee Taylor
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION HEIFER RED BRANGUS
M&M 237L
Madyson Carter
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION COW/CALF
RED BRANGUS
Marvel’s Goldie Girl 1319
Aaron Young
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION BULL RED BRANGUS
Marvel’s Kalel Pride 1922
Aaron Young
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION HEIFER ULTRABLACK
MNR Ms Shakira 617K2 Madilyn Nichols
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION COW/CALF ULTRABLACK
continued on pg. 42
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CF Blackbird Atlanta
Jesse Pinkston
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION BULL ULTRABLACK
SB Titus 302L
Railee Steele
GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE GRAY BRAHMAN
Moreno Miss Lady Kardashian
Chasey McCrimmon
GRAND CHAMPION BULL GRAY BRAHMAN
RAC Titos And Tonic 01
Addisyn Worrell
GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE RED BRAHMAN
LML Rock’en Lady
Levi Larson
GRAND CHAMPION BULL RED BRAHMAN
LCW Red Baron
Lane Warren
GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE CHAROLAIS
Gulf Coast Polled Nancy 607K
Whitney Mobley
GRAND CHAMPION BULL CHAROLAIS
SP GCC Charleston’s Eye Candy 5K
GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE
SANTA GERTRUDIS
XL Miss Charlotte
Audrey Jones
GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE PUREBRED SIMMENTAL
TJSC Sixr So Sweet 332K
Brandon Weber
GRAND CHAMPION BULL PUREBRED SIMMENTAL
3 Aces/Mday Madison
Brandon Weber
GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE PERCENTAGE SIMMENTAL
OHL Klass Mate 2249K
Halle Bird
GRAND CHAMPION BULL
PERCENTAGE SIMMENTAL
Mr SFGS Squirly Dan12K
Brandon Weber
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION BULL LIMOUSIN
LLR Kool Dude 407K Hailey
Molander
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE SANTA GERTRUDIS
AJS Miss Delilah
Audrey Jones
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE PUREBRED SIMMENTAL
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE ALL OTHER BEEF
GCC WSCC Brighton 35K ET
Carlie Shenefield
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION MALE ALL OTHER BEEF
Dafter 2C 223-35
Layla Lyle
2024 YOUTH DAIRY SHOW
Junior Champion Showman
Grace Salter
Intermediate Champion Showman
Avery Best
Senior Champion Showman
Emily Shvetzoff
GRAND CHAMPION AYRSHIRE
SHC Dunkin’s Glazed Donut
Makayla Watson
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION
AYRSHIRE
JSB-Acres George Srirachia
Austin Boyd
GRAND CHAMPION
BROWN SWISS
CIE FTE Sherlock 19428
Josh Larson
JUNIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Evelyn Durham, Marion
INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Brynleigh Durham, Marion
SENIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Tess D’Ariano, Okeechobee
GRAND CHAMPION PERCENTAGE DOE
EKB1 Jenny's Delight Livia
Carbino
GRAND CHAMPION PUREBRED DOE
RMBG Sweet Cake
Brynleigh Durham
GRAND CHAMPION BULL PUREBRED BUCK
BZL RL Fire & Brimstone
Amber Rogers
GRAND CHAMPION WETHER
Jeffery Cheyenne Bragg
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION PERCENTAGE DOE
SAFD 68 Blue Lady in Red
Jaylyn Rogers
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION PUREBRED DOE
WLC55 GSB Footprints in The Sand
Livia Carbino
Sayde Price
GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE LIMOUSIN
SHSK Scarlett Jo 314L ET
Abigail Hutchins
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE GRAY BRAHMAN
BCC Lady Prada 248/3
Addisyn Worrell
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION BULL GRAY BRAHMAN
Mr Ward 97 Polled Prince
Isabelle Oakes
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE RED BRAHMAN
LGL Ellie 1/3
Lily Larson
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION BULL RED BRAHMAN
Moreno Mr Roly Poly 265/1
Chasey McCrimmon
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE CHAROLAIS
Lauren 3719L
Bailey Bird
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION BULL CHAROLAIS
Gulf Coast Relentless 106K
Jasmine Rogers
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE LIMOUSIN
ELCX Cassie 17K Taylor Holloway
GRAND CHAMPION BULL LIMOUSIN
LLR Lane Frost 503L Holli Moore
Winslow’s Ranch Girl Dream 22K
Scarlett Earnest
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION BULL PUREBRED SIMMENTAL
Saint Arrow Beau
Lillie Myers
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE PERCENTAGE SIMMENTAL
FRKG Dutchess 389L
Emma Pridgen
GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE ZEBU
Dundee Ridge Blossom
Bella Silva
GRAND CHAMPION BULL
ZEBU
Garcia’s Ranch Oakley’s Outlaw
Evangelina Garcia
GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE
ALL OTHER BEEF
ASTN Paris
Raelan Sherouse
GRAND CHAMPION MALE
ALL OTHER BEEF
Bergs Juggernaut
Brayden Cranor
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE ZEBU
Dundee Ridge Lola
Dundee Ridge FFA
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION BULL ZEBU
Bonagurus Little Mr Mango
Shayanne LaRue
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION
BROWN SWISS
CIE FTE Tequila 17024
Josh Larson
GRAND CHAMPION
GUERNSEY
Brown Farm TN Lambeau
Tibby
Kenslee Heinke
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION
GUERNSEY
Sniders Brogdon Marley
Brianna Shephard GRAND CHAMPION
HOLSTEIN
Milk A Way Bailey
Kenslee Heinkee
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION
HOLSTEIN
JPL Revelation Farti
Josh Larson
GRAND CHAMPION COW JERSEY
C&S Respect Maui
Rebecca Holcomb
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION COW JERSEY
ADH Magnolias Casino Maple
Andrew Hammer
2024 YOUTH BOER GOAT SHOW RESULTS SHOWMANSHIP
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION WETHER
Guapo
Tess D’Ariano
2024 YOUTH DAIRY GOAT SHOW RESULTS SHOWMANSHIP
JUNIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Reagan Casler
INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Aleigha Walden
SENIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Renata Blatt
BEST IN SHOW
Pleasant Grove NSMM Brigitta Shelby Lawrence
GRAND CHAMPION ALL OTHER PUREBREDS
Terra Calda Kist by Mist
Dylan Walden
GRAND CHAMPION ALPINE
In-Hock-Farms AC Kona Ice
Ava Gelyon
GRAND CHAMPION LAMANCHA
D6Farms Hottie Tottie Seth Danner
GRAND CHAMPION NIGERIAN DWARF
Tanya's Dream CB Maple Leaf
Sydney Byers
GRAND CHAMPION NUBIAN
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE March 2024 42 PAGE
Olympus Acres Dolly Par Don
ME
Parker Walsingham
GRAND CHAMPION RECORDED GRADE
The Sogno Grande’s Ruby
Renata Blatt
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION ALL OTHER PUREBREDS
DAW Farm Claire
Aleigha Walden
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION ALPINE
Wonderfully Made 'Ohana
Ava Gelyon
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION LAMANCHA
Pine Springs Nadine
Dylan Walden
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION NIGERIAN DWARF
Twin Ravens Farm Hazel
Khloe Deem
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION NUBIAN
Olympus Acres Nephele HF
Nicole Stanquist
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION RECORDED GRADE
DAW Farm Monkey
Dylan Walden
GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE
LLAMA
OTF Peanut Brandy
Abigail Brosius
GRAND CHAMPION MALE
LLAMA
PLL Silver Ace
Tampa Bay Tech FFA/ Kyla Lineberger
GRAND CHAMPION GELDING
LLAMA
Willo’s Jupiter
Riley Miller
GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE ALPACA
Grayvik’s Easter Joy
Leonard Greeley
GRAND CHAMPION MALE
ALPACA
Heaven Sent Ranch Jack’s
Final Whisper
Ireland Greeley
GRAND CHAMPION NONBREEDING ALPACA
BC’s Quinlan
Riley Sconyers
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE LLAMA
Pesada Tamella
Ella Barfield-Wiese
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION MALE LLAMA
ley
Llama Suri
Grand - Who’s Jupiter
Riley Miller
Reserve – Peanut Brandy
Abigail Brosius
2024 YOUTH RABBIT SHOW RESULTS SHOWMANSHIP
JUNIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Reece Robinson
INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION SHOWMAN
MacKenzie Crain
SENIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Madison Gulley
BEST IN SHOW
Dutch
Alaura Brown
1st RESERVE BEST IN SHOW
American Fuzzy Lop
Ashlynn Burgan
2nd RESERVE BEST IN SHOW
Netherland Dwarf
Melissa Espinosa-Salgado
BEST OF BREED BELGIAN HARE
Abbaigaelle Millard
BEST OF BREED HAVANA
Rachael Mendelsohn
BEST OPPOSITE BREED MINI SATIN
Lorelai Heath
BEST OPPOSITE BREED NETHERLAND DWARF
Hannah Neumann
BEST OF BREED POLISH
Abbaigaelle Millard
BEST OF BREED REX
Morgan Huston
BEST OPPOSITE BREED POLISH
MacKenzie Crain
BEST OPPOSITE BREED REX
Jordan Woznick
BEST OF BREED AMERICAN FUZZY LOP
Ashlynn Burgan
BEST OF BREED BRITANNIA PETITE
Morgan Huston
BEST OF BREED CALIFORNIAN
Lecanto FFA
BEST OF BREED DUTCH
Alaura Brown
BEST OF BREED ENGLISH LOP
Abby Morrison
BEST OF BREED ENGLISH SPOT
2024 YOUTH LLAMA & ALPACA SHOW RESULTS
SHOWMANSHIP
Junior
Rome Greeley, Levy
Intermediate
Ireland Greeley, Levy Co.
Senior
Raina Ishak, Hillsborough Co.
HERDSMAN
Junior
Wyatt Sconyers
Intermediate
Ireland Greeley
Senior
Abigail Brosius
PERFORMANCE CHAMPIONS
GRAND CHAMPION
Junior Wyatt Sconyers
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION
Junior Rome Greeley
GRAND CHAMPION
Intermediate
Logan Bennett
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION
Intermediate
Cole Valerius
GRAND CHAMPION
Senior
Riley Miller
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION
Senior
Jacqueline Degirmenci HALTER
PLL Apollo
Tampa Bay Tech FFA/Michael Miller
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION NON-BREEDING LLAMA
Kashyyyk
Wyatt Sconyers
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION FEMALE ALPACA
Heaven Sent Ranch Auntie’s
Delight
Ireland Greeley
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION MALE ALPACA
Golden Ohyes More
Raina Ishak
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION NON-BREEDING ALPACA
El Valludo Tigre
Jacqueline Degirmenci
FLEECE CHAMPIONS
Alpaca Huacaya
Grand – Bozzie, Else Brosius
Reserve – Golden Oh Yes
More
Alpaca Suri
Grand - GoldStar HandiLock, Rome Greeley
Reserve – Harry, Evangelina
Garcia
Llama Double Coat
Grand – PPL Apollo, Tampa Bay Tech FFA
Reserve – PPL Silver Ace, Tampa Bay Tech FFA
Llama Single Coat
Grand – Grady, Daniel Gree-
Danica Keele
BEST OF BREED HIMALAYAN
Madelyn Brothers
BEST OF BREED HOLLAND LOP
Atticus Hank
BEST OF BREED JERSEY WOLLY
Brianna McDougall
BEST OF BREED MINI LOP
Alaura Brown
BEST OF BREED MINI REX
Elizabeth Buie
BEST OF BREED MINI SATIN
Karina Jara-Hanks
BEST OF BREED NETHERLAND DWARF
Riverview FFA
BEST OPPOSITE BREED BELGIAN HARE
Abbaigaelle Millard
BEST OPPOSITE BREED HAVANA
Brayden Jackson
BEST OPPOSITE BREED HIMALAYAN
Tabitha Crist
BEST OPPOSITE BREED HOLLAND LOP
Sarah Dominey
BEST OPPOSITE BREED JERSEY WOLLY
Wyatt McDougall
BEST OPPOSITE BREED MINI LOP
Sydney Kypros
BEST OPPOSITE BREED MINI REX
Emma Haudrich
BEST OF BREED FLEMISH GIANT
Abbaigaelle Millard
BEST OF BREED FLORIDA WHITE
Tabitha Crist
BEST OF BREED FRENCH LOP
Katlynn Eicholtz
BEST OF BREED HARLEQUIN
Shelby Lynch
BEST OF BREED LIONHEAD
Atticus Hank
BEST OF BREED NEW ZEALAND
Morgan Huston
BEST OF BREED SATIN
Jonathan Pipkins
2024 YOUTH SHEEP SHOW RESULTS SHOWMANSHIP
JUNIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Emma Arosenius
INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Caylee Draper
SENIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Reagan Barlow
CHARLIE MOORE SCHOLARSHIP
Sarah Morris
YOUTH SHEPHERD SCHOLcontinued on pg. 48
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE March 2024 43 PAGE
A Manatee and Me
What are the things you do for sheer enjoyment? One of mine, perhaps to some surprise, is writing these monthly articles!
Well, that and the mental stimulation that a creative craft seems to provide. Besides, delving into all matters of life and living, and giving commentary to the occasion, has taken me many places and led to doing fascinating and fun things.
It’s interesting the comments I get from those who share with me a few minutes of their lives by reading my writings. Last year, for example, after recounting an adventure with nesting sea turtles on Florida’s Atlantic coast, someone asked me how I happened to become an “outdoor writer.”
That particular description of my scribbling had never even occurred to me. After all, I consider and respect the true outdoor writer as one who details opportunities in typical outdoor activities such as hunting and fishing.
Still, though, it seems that my most creative juices flow freely when I am, indeed, outside. While there, and with my iPhone seemingly attached to my hand, I can make many notes to be later elaborated upon.
So, with that being the case, I’ll accept the moniker of “outdoor writer” and wear it proudly, along with the taglines of other titles and licenses I have acquired along the way. Even now, for example, I am outside, on an especially clear, bright, and sunny day, enjoying an early Florida springtime onboard a boat not far from home.
There is a gentle lapping of light waves across the bow as we float; drift really, in whatever direction the tide and gentle breeze decide to nudge us. It’s an idyllic day; the kind that daydreams are made of.
In retrospect, and as great luck and fortune would have it while musing that day, suddenly, and quite to my surprise, she swam by.
Granted I am not certain, nor write with any precision, as to whether it was a she, or he, that politely rolled ever so closely. A snout, some whiskers, and an eyeball stared in our direction, clearly conveying the impression that she/he/it seemed just about as curious of us as we were in return.
John
by John Dicks
A mammal she was, and needing air to breathe, she exhaled so strong as if to expel a bit of breath that we could actually smell as well as feel its warmth. Sometimes referred to as a “siren of the sea,” no doubt you recognize it was a Florida manatee.
I suppose that by now, all of us living in Florida have at least seen, if not encountered, lots of manatees. This one, though, brought back memories of my first one. It was many years ago in Crystal River while snorkeling, not looking for manatees, but suddenly getting bumped in the back by one. The surprise was most disconcerting as I turned to face, nose to snout, with what looked like a 12ft. leathery torpedo!
Fortunately, it all turned out fine, which is why I’m still here to write about it all!
When I was a boy, though, growing up in Florida, several generations ago, I had never seen a manatee. It was not for having been a recluse, for even then I was always outside, and particularly in and around the water. There simply were no manatees to be found.
Christopher Columbus first noticed one and wrote about it back in 1492, but by the 1970s there were remaining only a few hundred Florida manatees scattered throughout our waters. It led to having them added to the U.S. endangered species list.
Their protection worked well, so much so that in 2017 when the manatee count was in the thousands, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service downgraded their classification from “endangered” to that of only “threatened.”
Fortunate we are to live in central Florida where with a short drive to the TECO Manatee Viewing Center on most any day of chilly weather, we can get up close and personal to sometimes hundreds of the sea cows all snuggling up in the warm water outflow of the Big Bend Power Station in Apollo Beach.
TECO’s “manatee season” runs from November through April 15. Miss it and you’ll have to hope for a chance encounter like the “outdoor writer” in me was fortunate to do.
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE March 2024 44 PAGE
his
they
for
as
says, “to someone who knows and
cattle much better than I do!”. John is
a
having received his undergraduate degree from the University of
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.
Dicks is both a Lawyer and Businessman, including an interest in farming. He and
family have owned a Blueberry Farm and have Agricultural lands which
lease
cattle operations,
John
handles
both
Gator,
Florida,
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE March 2024 45 PAGE
A Closer Look
Naturally Amazing Activities
Leaf Skeleton
Since our featured insect this month looks like a leaf, we thought it would be cool to do a leaf project. Leaf skeletons can be used in several crafts. They can be added to the epoxy mold project we recently featured or framed against an illustration or alone. Leaf skeletons can be colored with food dye, varnished onto wood, or stone and even be added to a clear candle holder. The possibilities are vast. There are several ways to create a leaf skeleton, most of which take a good deal of time (weeks) before you have completed the leaf. I typically do not have weeks for projects so I did a little research and found a method that I really like and would like to share with you. It starts with finding a good leaf to use. Every source I have found suggests using thick waxy leaves such as Magnolia, Gardenia, and Hydrangea or the sturdy leaves of Oak and Maple.
Materials:
Leaves
Water
Large Pot
Washing Soda
Bleach (optional)
Food Dye (optional)
Tongs
Terry Towel
Production:
by Sean Green
• In pot, mix about 1 part washing soda to 4 parts water
• Bring the mixture to a gentle boil
• Lower the heat to simmer and add the leaves
• Simmer 2-3 hrs (leaf cells should be soft enough to rub off … just as a test, don’t rub them off yet.)
• Pour the murky water out and fill with just enough clean water to cover the leaves
• Add bleach (if desired) to speed the process up Note: bleach will weaken the leaf veins if used for too long
• Allow bleach to remove the leaf color (30 – 60 minutes)
• Gently remove the skin of the leaf by either brushing with a soft brush or carefully rinsing under running water.
• It helps to support the leaf in your hand to help prevent it from tearing while removing the skin
• Coloring (optional): Fill a shallow dish with water and food coloring.
• Let the leaf soak in the food dye mixture until the veins absorb the desired tone.
• Gently remove the leaf from the dye mixture with tongs
• Place the leaf on a terry cloth towel for complete drying (the leaf skeleton should be stiff.)
Once your leaf is dry, it can be used as a component for other crafts as mentioned above or a work of art itself.
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE March 2024 46 PAGE
A Closer Look by Sean Green Giant Katydid (Stilpnochlora couloniana)
The sounds of Spring are approaching. Soon our nights will be filled with a chorus of wildlife that is characteristic of the Deep South. Kicking it off is a large insect commonly known as the Giant Katydid. This insect is the largest katydid in the United States measuring over 2 ½ inches with wings at rest. The Giant Katydid (Stilpnochlora couloniana) is more closely related to crickets than grasshoppers and is a member of the genus phaneropterine (false katydids). This month we will take a closer look at the Giant Katydid, a somewhat rare treat found only in the Isle of Pines in Cuba and as far north as Gainesville in Florida (Entomological News, Mar 2017).
This species was first described by George Marcgraf from a Brazilian specimen in 1648. Most species are found in the tropical neotropics, which roughly begins just south of Bradenton and extends through south Florida and into the Caribbean islands of Cuba, Grenada, Trinidad, and Jamaica. The Giant Katydid is the one species that can be found in the Nearctic region of Florida as far north as Gainesville. Illustrations as early as 1725 (Sloane) and 1800 (Shaw) indicate that it was first known as the Bay Leaf Locust.
We know of over 250 species of katydid in North America, nearly half of which are in the Tettigoniinae (shieldbacks) family and among the shieldbacks, there are 15 species of Stilpnochlora, but none as large as the Giant Katydid (Stilpnochlora couloniana). This insect, though imposing, is harmless to human beings; in fact, it has become a popular pet and classroom addition. One of the fascinating characteristics of this insect is its ability to avoid becoming food for potential predators by fooling them. In evolutionary biology, some species evolve to resemble (mimic) another organism or object. The Giant Katydid mimics spiders in its earliest stages of life (instars) and when finally becoming an adult, the Giant Katydid looks like a large leaf.
Katydids are active at night; during the day they rest high up in the crowns of host trees such as oak, bramble, or hazel but can occasionally be found foraging in shrubs of hypericum, butterfly bush (Buddleja), apple, rose and hawthorn. Beginning at dusk and continuing to the morning, males create their
songs by stimulation (friction). Their wings have a scraper and file that when rubbed together create various tones for their song, like scraping a stick across a washboard. Their threesyllable song sounds like” kay-ti-did” and is responsible for their common name. Typically, all the males in the area will synchronize their song in ranges from 3 kHz to over 20 kHz. The collective songs of these insects can get loud enough to drown out most other sounds. You will hear these nocturnal insects long before you see them and can easily differentiate them from grasshoppers by their song alone. When you do see one however, the long antennae are a dead giveaway that they are not grasshoppers. Katydid have antennae that are as long or longer than their body, grasshoppers have short antennae.
The giant katydid is among the largest of all insects and are often kept as pets. There are some species of katydid that are carnivorous and vicious predators, those that are carnivores can be recognized the by the spikes on their legs which are used for capturing prey. The Giant Katydid, however, is a strict herbivore feeding only on a variety of trees and shrubs and is quite harmless to human beings. It’s no surprise that this insect has become a popular pet and is sometimes kept in the classroom for students to observe.
The average lifespan of the giant katydid is about one year from birth through adult. In our tropical Florida environment this species is capable of producing offspring twice a year. These insects are easy to rear and will breed readily so long as they are kept in a habitat of about 10 square inches per insect. The humidity will have to be kept high to mimic a tropical environment if they are kept indoors with air-conditioning. They will need fresh leaf cuttings every day for food and a rough substrate, preferably bark from one of its host trees on which the females can lay eggs. Keep in mind, these insects are excellent jumpers, you will need a lid on its habitat, especially if there are other animals, or potential predators that could become problematic if the katydid jumped out of the enclosure. These insects will become more abundant beginning this month. We hope you have a chance to take a closer look this month.
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE March 2024 47 PAGE
ARSHIP
Madison Braun
Supreme Champion Ewe
Emma Leiss – Hampshire
1st Reserve Supreme Champion Ewe
Caylee Draper – All Other Sheep Breeds
2nd Reserve Supreme Champion Ewe
Hayley Luznar - Dorset Supreme Champion Ram
Izabella Moss - Hampshire
1st Reserve Supreme Champion Ram
Reagan Barlow - All Other Sheep Breeds
2nd Reserve Supreme Champion Ram
Shelby Southerland - Southdown
GRAND CHAMPION MARKET LAMB
Grady Callahan
GRAND CHAMPION WETHER DAM
Caylee Draper
GRAND CHAMPION EWE DORPER
Hayley Luznar
GRAND CHAMPION EWE
Claire Lovenbury
GRAND CHAMPION EWE SOUTHDOWN
Grady Callahan
GRAND CHAMPION RAM SOUTHDOWN
Shelby Southerland
GRAND CHAMPION EWE SUFFOLK
Izabella Moss
GRAND CHAMPION EWE
ALL OTHER BREEDS
Caylee Draper
GRAND CHAMPION RAM ALL OTHER BREEDS
Reagan Barlow
GRAND CHAMPION EWE
SOUTHDOWN
Emma Leiss
GRAND CHAMPION EWE SUFFOLK
Lane Gedeist
GRAND CHAMPION EWE
RESERVE
ALL OTHER BREEDS
Caylee Draper
2024 YOUTH FUTURITY
STEER SHOW SHOWMANSHIP
Honey Farm
CLASS 3 WINNER
Ethin Szetela
Producer: DH Ranch
CLASS 5 WINNER
Cayden Davis
Producer: Barto Farms
CLASS 7 WINNER
Abby Cassels
Producer: Graham Farm
CLASS 2 WINNER
Holly Carroll
Producer: Shoop Cattle Co.
CLASS 4 WINNER
Ada Perryman
Producer: Richardson Brothers
CLASS 6 WINNER
Mikayla Meyers
Producer: Graham Farms
CLASS 8 WINNER
Dixie FFA
Producer: Graham Farms
CLASS WINNERS
CARCASS RESULTS
GRAND CHAMPION CARCASS
Aubrey Ward
Producer: Richardson Brothers
Zephyrhills Sr. FFA
Producer: AW & VJ Banks, LLC
7th PLACE
Aiden Lepianka
Producer: Roma III Ranch
8th PLACE
Karl Scholl
Producer: Richardson Brothers
9th PLACE
Mason Lefler
Producer: Phillips Ranch
10th PLACE
Ada Perryman
Producer: Richardson Brothers
GAIN IN WEIGHT RESULTS
1st Place
South Sumter Jr. FFA
Producer: Lykes Brothers
2nd Place
Aubrey Ward
Producer: Richardson Brothers
2024 YOUTH SWINE SHOW RESULTS SHOWMANSHIP
JUNIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Grant Gilmore
DORSET ADVANTAGE
Hayley Luznar
GRAND CHAMPION RAM DORSET ADVANTAGE
Cheyenne Bragg
GRAND CHAMPION EWE HAMPSHIRE
Emma Leiss
GRAND CHAMPION RAM HAMPSHIRE
Izabella Moss
GRAND CHAMPION EWE KATAHDIN
Sarah Morris
GRAND CHAMPION RAM KATAHDIN
Sarah Morris
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION MARKET LAMB
Hayley Luznar
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION WETHER DAM
Cheyenne Bragg
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION EWE DORPER
Sarah Morris
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION EWE DORSET ADVANTAGE
Emma Leiss
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION EWE HAMPSHIRE
Cheyenne Bragg
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION EWE KATAHDIN
Claire Lovenbury
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION RAM KATAHDIN
INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Aiden Lepianka
SENIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Madalynn Worley
PREMIER STEER
Ada Perryman
Producer: Richardson Brothers
RESERVE PREMIER STEER
Aubrey Ward
Producer: Richardson Brothers
GRAND CHAMPION STEER
Dixie FFA
Producer: Graham Farms –John & Jamie Graham
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION STEER
Aubrey Ward
Producer: Richardson Brothers
CHARLIE MOORE SCHOLARSHIP
Aubrey Ward
BILL CAREY SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Kaylee Hudson
CINDY REVELS MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Gabe Mitchell
A.L. “BUDDY” MCCULLOUGH AWARD
Abree Perryman
CLASS 1 WINNER
Joel Gatlin Buzbee
Producer: Natural Bridge
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION CARCASS
Ada Perryman
Producer: Richardson Brothers
3rd PLACE
Wyatt Davis
Producer: Phillips Ranch
4th PLACE
Mason Lefler
Producer: Phillips Ranch
5th PLACE
South Sumter Jr. FFA
Producer: Lykes Brothers
6th PLACE
Dixie FFA
Producer: Graham Farms
7th PLACE
Joel Gatlin Buzbee
Producer: Natural Bridge
Honey Farm
8th PLACE
Kaleb Scholl
Producer: Phillips Ranch
9th PLACE
Adysen Burns
Producer: Roman III Ranch
10th PLACE
Aiden Lepianka Producer: Roman III Ranch
3rd PLACE
Adysen Burns
Producer: Roman III Ranch
4th PLACE
Kaleb Scholl
Producer: Phillips Ranch
5th PLACE
South Sumter Sr. FFA
Producer: Jones Cattle Co.
6th PLACE
INTERMEDIATE CHAMPION SHOWMAN
Camdyn Herman
SENIOR CHAMPION SHOWMAN
William Conquest
GRAND CHAMPION CROSSBRED
Clayton Peters Christy Hog Farms
RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION CROSSBRED
Emma Albert Gossett Genetics
DIVISION 1 CLASS WINNERS – CROSSBRED
CLASS 01 WINNER
Christopher Fennell
Producer: Farm on Jubilee
CLASS 02 WINNER
Haylie Stephens
Producer: Wehmer Show Pigs
CLASS 03 WINNER
Charley Palmer
Producer: Backwoods Genetics
DIVISION 1 CHAMPION
Haylie Stephens
Producer: Wehmer Show Pigs
DIVISION 1 RESERVE CHAMPION
Christopher Fennell
Producer: Farm on Jubilee
CLASS 04 WINNER
Dalaney Price
Producer: Tanner Winter
CLASS 05 WINNER
Maci Robinson
Producer: Rincker Livestock
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE March 2024 48 PAGE
CLASS 06 WINNER
Clayton Peters
Producer: Christy Hog Farm
DIVISION 2 CHAMPION
Clayton Peters
Producer: Chrisy Hog Farm
DIVISION 2 RESERVE CHAMPION
Amma Albert
Producer: Gossett Genetics
DIVISION 3 CLASS WINNERS – CROSSBRED
CLASS 03 WINNER
William Conquest
Producer: Robinson Show
Pigs
CLASS 04 WINNER
Jessa Crandell
Producer: Slayton Show Pigs
CLASS 05 WINNER
Dixie Land
Producer: Lyons Show Pigs
CLASS 06 WINNER
Abigail Davis
1st – Isabelle Muir, Polk Co.
2nd – Charlotte Watkins, Pinellas Co.
3rd – Chelsea Morris, Hillsborough Co.
4th – Anna Radojcsics, Manatee Co.
Top Ten
Analeigha Ybatzabal-Martinez
Sofia Srodek
Berea Noah Poock
Jadon Biagiotti
Emersyn Coddington
Luca Lovato
Hilliker Challenge
Large County Winner
Sarasota
Small County Winner
Hernando
Jerry Manning High in Rally
Gemma Eldridge
High Point
Junior
Lucas Lovato
Intermediate
Gemma Eldridge
Senior
Sofia Srodek
2024 QUILT-TOPIA BARN QUILT RESULTS
Academy at the Farm, Dade City
5TH PLACE
Caitlyn Cooke, Member of Southeast Manatee FFA
6th PLACE
Evan Yargus, Dade City Member of Academy at the Farm
7th PLACE
Blaze Picard
Members of Homegrown 4-H Club
8th PLACE
Sunshine 4-H Club
9TH PLACE
Chautauqua 4-H Club
10TH PLACE
Boots and Badgers Lee County 4-H Club
2024 HAY BALE RESULTS
1ST PLACE
Middleton FFA, Tampa 2ND PLACE
Rowdy Ropers 4-H, Winter Haven
3RD PLACE
Legacy Clovers 4-H, Winter Haven
4TH PLACE
CLASS 07 WINNER
Max Keen
Producer: Kilmer
CLASS 08 WINNER
Mayree Johnson
Producer: Lyons Show Pigs
CLASS 09 WINNER
Kyndal Sowell
Producer: Brandon Ogle
DIVISION 4 CHAMPION
Kyndal Sowell
Producer: Brandon Ogle
DIVISION 4 RESERVE CHAMPION
Mayree Johnson
Producer: Lyons Show
Pigs
GRAND CHAMPION PUREBRED
William Conquest
Robinson Show Pigs RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION CROSSBRED
Emersyn Nasworthy
Decker Show Pigs
CLASS WINNERSPUREBRED
CLASS 01 WINNER
Laylynn Wood
Producer: RNC Show Pigs
CLASS 02 WINNER
Haylie Stephens
Producer: Wehmer Show Pigs
Producer: Lyons Show Pigs
CLASS 07 WINNER
Lacy Box
Producer: McAlexander Livestock
2024 YOUTH DOG SHOW
Phyllis White Awards (BEST IN SHOW)
1ST PLACE
Armwood FFA, Tampa
2ND PLACE
Hudson FFA, Hudson
3RD PLACE
Mason Yargus, Dade City
Member of Academy at the Farm FFA
4TH PLACE
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UF/IFAS Ph.D. candidate to study the impact of citrus greening with renowned tree ring researcher
By Robin Koestoyo
Lukas Hallman is about to embark on an internship to investigate the vascular system of trees when they are affected by the world’s most severe citrus disease.
Hallman begins his final year of a Ph.D. program in horticultural sciences under the guidance of Lorenzo Rossi, assistant professor of plant root biology at the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center (IRREC) in Fort Pierce.
“My goal is to measure tree ring width and detect shifts in wood anatomy within orange and grapefruit trees grown under the challenges of citrus greening,” said Hallman.
Citrus greening is present in most of Florida’s citrus groves and has reduced the state’s signature crop by 80% over the last 20 years, Rossi said.
“I will be working with trunk sections taken from 10-year-old trees. These observations will help us reconstruct how citrus trees coped with citrus greening from the day of planting to now."
Hallman will investigate both components of the tree’s vascular system, called xylem and phloem, for two months at the Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL in Zurich, Switzerland. During this time, Hallman will collaborate with Professor Paolo Cherubini, a senior scientist specializing in dendrosciences, the scientific study of tree rings. Cherubini is a renowned scientist and a recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his role as an invited expert reviewer contributing to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report.
“International collaboration is one way scientists can address tree stress physiology under different ecosystems,” said Rossi, who once worked alongside Cherubini to investigate wood anatomical adjustments of olive trees subjected to various water availability levels.
“Our proposal for Hallman’s study aims to unveil changes in wood structure as a part of the citrus tree’s response to citrus greening. Clogged citrus tree vascular systems prevent the trees from absorbing the necessary nutrients for the citrus trees to grow and produce high-quality fruit,” said Rossi.
The IRREC is central to the world’s famous grapefruit production region. Since shortly after the start of the 21st century,
the region has seen a steep decline in its prized grapefruit crop as citrus greening spread rapidly throughout the state. Hallman said the phloem is the specific sieve inside citrus trees that clogs with a callous material in response to infection by the bacterium that causes citrus greening disease. Hallman’s research plan is to investigate and understand phloem and xylem anatomy and tree ring formation to measure citrus physiological responses to stress. The scientists will conduct the work on grapefruit and sweet oranges grown in the Indian River Citrus District over the past ten years.
“We need more information about the influence of the bacterium on phloem structure and tree and root physiology,” Hallman said. “My work has been mostly with nutrient application methods to improve the root health of affected trees. I will access highly specialized equipment in Zurich at Cherubini’s laboratory and explore vascular systems in trunks and roots of citrus greening-affected grapefruit and sweet orange trees.”
Hallman said he and Cherubini will reconstruct the physiological history of the trees in response to citrus greening through dendrochronological and wood anatomical techniques. In addition, the researchers will measure how the trees use carbon and oxygen in response to citrus greening over the years, said Rossi.
“Understanding linkages between phloem alterations and their relationship to carbon and oxygen utilization will allow us to identify the best water and nutrient application methods and provide more insight about how citrus trees are affected by citrus greening to advance better management of the disease,” Hallman said.
ABOUT UF/IFAS
The mission of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is to develop knowledge relevant to agricultural, human and natural resources and to make that knowledge available to sustain and enhance the quality of human life. With more than a dozen research facilities, 67 county Extension offices, and award-winning students and faculty in the U.F. College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, UF/IFAS brings science-based solutions to the state’s agricultural and natural resources industries, and all Florida residents.
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Unlocking the heat in mosquito modeling: Exploring disease transmission under climate change
By Lourdes Mederos
Thermal adaptation is the ability for organisms to adjust their life history traits as the temperature changes. In the case of mosquitoes, these traits can determine their risk of transmitting mosquito-borne diseases and how this risk might change in the future as they respond to climate warming.
“Global drivers such as transport, trade and climate change, are altering the distribution of mosquitoes around the planet, and, with this, comes shifting patterns of disease risk,” Matthew Thomas, a UF/IFAS professor and UF/IFAS Invasive Science Research Institute (ISRI) director said.
In the study, “Phenotypic adaptation to temperature in the mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti,” published in the journal Global Change Biology, a team of scientists including some researchers at the Invasive Science Research Institute, examine a critical aspect often overlooked in models that examines the impact of climate change on mosquito-borne diseases. Many models don’t take into account the potential influence of thermal adaptation in mosquitoes.
“It is well accepted that temperature affects mosquito biology but the implications for disease transmission are still not well understood,” said Thomas.
The authors contend that if mosquitoes undergo thermal adaptation in their local environments, it could lead to variation in how different populations respond to temperature. Models that take a uniform approach, a “one-size-fits-all” method, might not accurately represent the diversity of responses among different mosquito populations. Additionally, these models may fail to predict how mosquitoes could adapt in the future as temperatures change.
“It is likely that if there is local adaptation in mosquito populations, there could be increased variation in the expected results of climate change on mosquito-borne disease transmission. In other words, there may be cases where we would expect a decrease in disease transmission, but we see the opposite,” Nina Dennington, a co-author and doctoral student in Thomas’ previous lab at Pennsylvania State University said. The authors focused on Aedes aegypti, commonly known as the yellow fever mosquito. This mosquito is one of the most important invasive species globally, responsible for infecting more than 400 million people worldwide each year with vi-
ruses such as dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika. Researchers aimed to assess how Aedes aegypti populations may adapt phenotypically — what scientists call observable characteristics — in response to temperature changes. By understanding these adaptive responses, researchers can improve the accuracy of models that predict the spread of mosquito-borne diseases under different climate scenarios. They started by examining five populations collected from different locations in Mexico, together with a longstanding lab colony. This part of the study revealed significant variations in thermal tolerance, or the ability to withstand high temperatures between the different populations. The researchers then conducted a novel experimental evolution study to explore whether these differences were likely a response to environmental temperature.
“We provided support that there are existing differences in thermal tolerance for populations of mosquitoes, due to local adaptation. We then show how differences in environmental temperature can affect mosquito fitness over time, and in this case only 10 generations,” Dennington said. “We aim to better understand whether a change in temperature that is similar to the increase expected with climate change may influence mosquito fitness responses and consequently vector-borne disease transmission.”
The results showed that temperature tolerance, together with other key biological traits such as survival and the ability to produce an abundance of offspring, could shift in response to temperature within just 10 generations.
“Our results provide support for local thermal adaptation in a primary mosquito vector. Not only do we find differences in thermal responses between populations in the field, but we also show that these responses are not static and have the potential to shift in response to changing environments,” said Dennington.
“This study challenges the assumption that you can take a temperature-based model derived from measures in one location and simply extrapolate it to all other locations or future climates,” said Thomas. “We now need further research to confirm what this means for disease risk and whether similar patterns might exist for other mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria.”
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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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FROM THE SCIENTIFIC FIELD
Preparing 4-H youth members to become productive citizens through life skills
Florida 4-H prioritizes the development of communication, higher-order thinking, and appreciation of differences as essential workforce skills. Hillsborough 4-H provides a range of opportunities for young people to develop communication skills and gain confidence in expressing themselves. For instance, County Events Day is an excellent opportunity go members to learn how to articulate their ideas clearly and confidently. How you may ask?
To get started, you can brainstorm by jotting down things you lose track of time doing, which we refer to as your “spark” in 4-H.
Now circle three that excite you the most. Divide a piece of paper in three sections and place those circled topics at the top of each column. Write down all the things you could teach someone about each topic. Which one topic stands out?
From that list, pick the one thing to teach or discuss. Congratulations you now have a topic for your presentation. Break the topic into three main ideas and write a paragraph for each.
Now focus on the short hook. You can start with a story, a relevant quote, or an attention-getting fact to get the audience excited for what is to come. After that, you should introduce yourself and explain why you chose this topic. Finally, you can present the three main ideas of your demo/talk. The conclusion should leave an impression. Start by recapping what the main ideas were and then leave them with something that you did not use in the hook such as a relevant quote, attention-getter fact, or question.
You now have a speech ready to go! It is now time to decide what props, slides, and posters, or you may decide you will do a traditional speech and not use any of these aides. If your topic is about making something, collect all the supplies needed to make it happen. Remember to cover all manufacture logos.
If you plan to use traditional poster boards, you can use stencils or sticker lettering large enough to be visible to the audience.
By Amber Norris
If you will be using software to create a presentation, limit your words on each slide. Only include relevant graphics. Refrain from using distracting movement on the slides. Remember this is an aide to help you give the presentation, not the presentation itself.
Now it’s time to practice, practice, practice!! It is recommended that you practice in front of many different people. Start with you and a mirror, then a trusted adult or member. Consider recording yourself and evaluating yourself. Be sure to watch it without sound as well to see if there are any visual distractions.
If you are using notecards, reading from note cards can hinder eye contact and audience engagement. Instead, use them to help you remember key points.
Congratulations on conquering your fear of public speaking! It’s a great accomplishment that not everyone can achieve. You should be proud of yourself for taking the initiative to overcome your fear and improve your public speaking skills. Keep up the good work!
If you would like to join our 4-H youth members participating in educational programs and demonstrate the life skills of communication of knowledge gained in the program, call Amber Norris, Hillsborough County 4-H Extension Agent at 813-755-4419 x54116.
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Florida Strawberry Nutella Pizza
Florida Strawberry Dream Ice Cream
INGREDIENTS
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups mashed fresh strawberries
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine the milk, cream, sugar, salt and vanilla. Pour the mixture into the frozen freezer bowl and let mix for 20-30 minutes until it begins to thicken.
Add strawberries and process for 10-15 more minutes. The ice cream
Filling
Pizza dough for one pizza
1 jar of Nutella
8 oz bittersweet chocolate bar 4 cups of sliced Florida strawberries
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 450°F. If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven as it preheats. This will give you an extra crispy crust just like a traditional stone pizza oven!
Roll out the dough on a floured surface. Pressing from the center out in a circular motion, start forming your pizza. It’s important to keep the dough density consistent so flip the dough and re-flour from time to time.
Take your pizza stone out of the oven. Dust the top of the pizza stone with flour
will have a soft, creamy texture. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer for 2 hours.
Remove from freezer about 15 minutes before serving. Add a sprig of mint or basil for an even more beautiful display.
Chef’s note: If your ice cream maker is as noisy as most, or if it tends to lose its cool a little early in the process, have I got a trick for you! Simply clear out some space in your refrigerator or freezer and let the magic happen in the cold, quiet darkness of your freezer or fridge. This also means you can make more than one batch a day since your freezer bowl won’t thaw out as quickly!
and carefully place the pizza dough on the stone. Place back into the oven and bake for around 10 minutes or until its edges are puffy and the crust begins to turn golden brown.
Once the pizza is ready, remove from the oven and the pizza stone. Now spread the Nutella and don’t be afraid to be as generous as you like! Grate the dark chocolate bar over the Nutella.
Evenly distribute the sliced strawberries, slice and enjoy!
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE March 2024 60 PAGE These recipes come from WWW.STRAWBERRYSUE.COM Recipes
On-Farm Readiness Review Sign up
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR) inspections have begun. Sign up now to request a free On-Farm Readiness Review (OFRR), offered in partnership by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and University of Florida IFAS. The OFRR is an educational opportunity to help individual farms align practices with the PSR regulatory requirements in preparation for inspections. For more information on FSMA and to sign up for an OFRR, visit FDACS.gov/FSMA or call (863) 578-1900.
To take full advantage of the OFRR and for PSR compliance, one farm representative should first attend a Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training. Upcoming trainings can be found at: crec.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/events
This publication is supported by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award U2FFD007446 totaling $1,166,732 with 100 percent funded by FDA/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by FDA/ HHS, or the U.S. Government.
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