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The Strickland Ranch CARES
photos by: Carlton Ward
When you talk to Jim Strickland, it’s easy to see that he is committed to agriculture. The owner of Strickland Ranch, located just south of Myakka City, has spent his life involved with various committees, serving on distinguished boards, and handling presidential duties for associations and foundations that advocate and advance policy and management practices for agriculture.
ing rates. They have also installed wells on the property that provide a reliable, clean source of drinking water for the cattle, and they take regular soil and forage samples to ensure the precise amount of fertilizer is being applied to each pasture. The Strickland’s have also fenced off natural wetlands, installed lagoons and implemented several other BMP’s to protect precious natural resources.
Strickland’s dedication comes from a long family history in agriculture. His family has been in Florida since before the Civil War, and since then, most of the Strickland family has been involved in cattle. In 1938, Hiram Strickland, Jim Strickland’s father, started Strickland Ranch in Manatee County and he passed down his love of agriculture to his son.
“What we’re trying to do on the ranch is protect our water quality and protect our land, which is better for us and everybody downstream,” said Strickland.
“In the mid- 1800’s the first Strickland man came to Florida, and although we’ve never made great money in cattle, I think its been a love of the land and a love for the cattle that has kept five generations in business,” said Strickland. As a generational rancher, Strickland understands the importance of protecting and preserving the natural resources on and around his property. To ensure their family property stays productive and viable today and for future generations, they have implemented Best Management Practices (BMPs) to help manage water and nutrients on the property. “This land has fed us, clothed us and inspired us,” said Strickland. “It’s the only environment we have and that’s why we care for it.” Through the implementation of Florida Department of Agricultural Consumer Services’ (FDACS) BMP program, producers like Strickland have seen verifiable results that are increasing efficiency, cutting cost, and reducing inputs on their land. These BMPs are science and research-based, field-tested practices that have been determined to be the most effective and practical means for improving water quality and conservation, and the producers who implement BMPs highlight agriculture’s commitment to fostering water conservation and land protection through their continued efforts.
As a result of Strickland’s dedication to the preservation of Florida’s natural resources, Strickland Ranch was recognized by the County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship (CARES) program in 2014.The CARES program was founded in 2001 by the Florida Farm Bureau Federation and a coalition of farmers, commodity groups, agricultural associations and state and federal agencies to provide public recognition for farmers and ranchers who have voluntarily implemented outstanding nutrient stewardship practices on their operations. “The CARES program identifies some of those individuals, some of those corporations, or some of those families that have done a great job of taking care of the land and then highlights them for their efforts,” said Strickland. Farmers and ranchers, like Strickland, who meet BMP standards, are publicly recognized by Florida Farm Bureau Federation with a “This Farm CARES” sign to display on their property as a badge of stewardship. The CARES signs that are posted on more than 900 farms across the state, serve as a tool to demonstrate that Florida’s farm-families are actively involved in protecting our environment and sustaining the beauty and natural habitats of the state. Find out more on the farmers and ranchers who are doing their part to conserve natural resources at: www.thisfarmcares.org.
“BMPs help us determine what we should do in our daily work with our cattle to help the environment and the cattle, whether it’s moving a feeding station or fencing off wetlands, we’re committed to making a difference,” said Strickland. Some of the BMPs that have been implemented at Strickland Ranch include a rotational grazing system that improves pasture longevity, allows for more timely utilization of forage and increases their stockWWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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Bob Pitzer Page 70
VOL. 12 • ISSUE 1
Hillsborough County Farm Bureau 100 S. Mulrennan Rd. Valrico, Fl. Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Insurance Services: 813.685.5673 Member Services: 813.685.9121 OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Contents NOVEMBER 2016
Strickland Ranch
Tropical Sod Webworm
Dogss of Valor
New Cattle Enhancement Board
Jack Payne
Meet the Minks
John Dicks
Florida Friendly Landscaping
Page 3
Page 14
Fishing Hot Spots
Page 18
Rocking Chair Chatter
Page 40 Page 42 Page 46
Harvest Awards
Page 48
Page 22
Recipes
Animal Care During Emergencies
Literary Time Machine
Page 26
Page 52 Page 54
Endangered Species
Allyson Polsten
Florida Adzuki Beans
Florida Hops Trial
Page 28 Page 35
Page 58 Page 60
Page 66 Page 74 Page 76 Activity
Page 78 A Closer Look
Page 79
New Extension Agent
Page 82
Kenneth Parker....................President Will Womack................Vice President James Tew..........................Treasurer Buddy Coleman..................Secretary DIRECTORS FOR 2015 - 2016 Jake Cremer, Tiffany Dale, Bradley Ferguson, Carson Futch, Jim Frankowiak, Chip Hinton, John Joyner, Tony Lopez, Lawrence McClure, Rep. Jake Raburn, Emeritus, Sambahv Sambahv, Marty Tanner, Vincent Tort, Ron Wetherington
Judi Whitson, Executive Director 813.685.9121 Farm Bureau Insurance Special Agents Valrico Office 813.685.5673
100 S. Mulrennan Rd., Valrico, FL. 33594 Tommy Hale, CLU, ChFC, CASL, CPCU Agency Mgr. Juile Carlson, John McGuire
Plant City Office 813.752.5577
1302 S. Collins St., Plant City, FL 33563 Jeff Summer Bill Williams
Tampa Office 813.933.5440
13103 W. Linebaugh Ave. Tampa, FL.33626 Greg Harrell, Sonia Valladares
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Letter from the Editor
STAFF
Publisher/Photography Karen Berry Senior Managing Editor/ Associate Publisher Sarah Holt Editor-In-Chief Al Berry Editor Patsy Berry
It’s the season of Thanksgiving! I say every year at this time that we should be thankful every day for our blessings. This holiday was first celebrated in 1621 when the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared a feast. And while individual colonies and states celebrated Thanksgiving, it wasn’t until 1863 that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday to be held each November. The Thanksgiving of today centers on cooking and sharing a meal with family and friends. The turkey, roasted, baked or deep fried, is the staple of the meal, with traditional accompaniments including stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce (who eats that?) and pumpkin pie. While the food brings us together, it is the people around that table that give the most meaning to Thanksgiving. So when you gather together to give thanks, expressing gratitude for blessings and each other, don’t forget to thank the people who toiled in the fields and on ranches, to grow the food that makes your Thanksgiving meal. Last month I traveled to Washington D.C. to participate in the Marine Corps Marathon and while there I took a couple of extra days to walk around and see the sights. If you need an extra dose of patriotism, visit DC. I promise you will not regret the trip. From the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Monument, the World War II Memorial and the Korean War Memorial to the Vietnam Wall, there is so much to see that will remind you of the actual price of freedom. Engraved at the World War II Memorial is the following: “Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our country can never be repaid. They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices.” President Harry S. Truman. Although short on time I managed to see some of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. There were butter churns and tractors, tools and machinery used in agriculture, photographs, jars, and many other things to help trace the story of the American’s who work the land. It was not my first trip to our Nation’s Capital, and it won’t be the last. I look forward to going again and spending more time being a tourist.
Sales Manager Danny Crampton Sales Al Berry Tina Richmond Danny Crampton Melissa Nichols Creative Director/Illustrator Juan Alvarez Photography Karen Berry Al Berry Stephanie Humphrey Staff Writers Al Berry Sandy Kaster James Frankowiak Sean Green Ginny Mink Libby Hopkins Nick Chapman Vanessa Caceres Contributing Writers Woody Gore Les McDowell John Dicks
Until Next Month
Sarah The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. - Numbers 6:25
Hey Readers!
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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 335630042 or you are welcome to email them to: info@inthefieldmagazine.com or call 813759-6909 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. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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100 South Mulrennan Road • Valrico, FL 33594 • 813-685-9121
A TIME OF THANKS Dear Readers: This is the beginning of a very special time of the year for all of us and our families. The opportunity to celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year with family members and friends is worthy of our most sincere thanks. As you express your appreciation, please remember the family farmers and ranchers who are responsible for the food you will be enjoying at holiday celebrations. Despite significant advances in technology, the ongoing challenges they face from many sources are difficult, but thankfully many are working hard to resolve those issues. A reliable labor source is among those challenges. I encourage you to read the article about Harvest CROO Robotics in this issue of IN THE FIELD. Gary Wishnatzki of Wish Farms and Bob Pitzer, a robotics wizard, formed the company three years ago and they have made substantial advances is the development of an automated solution to the labor challenge our strawberry growers must address every season. What is especially significant about their work is its potential applicability to many other crops grown throughout the world. As you will read, Gary and Bob anticipate production of an automated harvester within the next several years.
As you read this letter we will have elected the next president of our country. While I –like many of you— have not been pleased with many of the campaign actions and words leading up to the presidential election, we must be thankful for the freedom we have in this country to engage in the democratic process. I ask you to also join me in expressing gratitude for the 75 years Florida Farm Bureau has been the Voice of Agriculture in our state. More than 600 Florida Farm Bureau members gathered in Orlando late last month to celebrate our organization’s Diamond Anniversary. We are indebted to the Farm Bureau staff and countless volunteers for their ongoing efforts in support of agriculture here in Florida. Our membership in Florida now exceeds 144,000. If you are not a Farm Bureau family and would like to join, please visit: http://hcfarmbureau.org or call 813/685-9121 for more information about the ways in which you can help as we look to the future Thank you.
Kenneth Parker Kenneth Parker - President
We also owe our thanks to the young people of FFA, who represent the future of agriculture in this country. In particular, I would like to recognize Victoria Harris, the newly elected National FFA Secretary for 2016-17. She is an alumna of Strawberry Crest High School and the school’s first national officer. Join me in expressing our appreciation to Victoria and all of the members of FFA for their commitment to not only agriculture, but leadership as well. They will be our country’s future leaders.
Board of Directors
Kenneth Parker, President; Will Womack, Vice-President; James Tew, Treasurer; Buddy Coleman, Secretary; Member-at-large; Glenn Harrell; Board members: Jake Cremer, Tiffany Dale, Bradley Ferguson, Carson Futch, Jim Frankowiak, Chip Hinton, John Joyner, Tony Lopez, Lawrence McClure, Rep. Jake Raburn, Emeritus, Sambahv, Marty Tanner, Vincent Tort, Ron Wetherington Judi Whitson, Executive Director 8 8
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~ Margaret R., a patient of South Florida Baptist Hospital
The Care You Need, When You Need It. After having knee replacement surgery, Margaret is back to all the activities she enjoys. When it comes to her health care needs, she takes comfort in knowing that everything is available
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right in her Plant City community. A member of the community since 1953, South Florida
n ER: Efficient medical treatment for minor or major emergencies and illnesses
Baptist Hospital was built on quality, compassionate care. You’ll find a highly skilled and experienced team that works to make patients and visitors as comfortable as possible during their hospital experience. When you’re treated at South Florida Baptist Hospital, you’ll feel at home, close to home — all your health care needs are covered, without ever leaving Plant City.
Choose South Florida Baptist Hospital. Let South Florida Baptist Hospital be your partner for getting you well and keeping you well. Fill out a health profile online at SouthFloridaBaptistCare.org and you’ll be sent a complimentary travel first aid kit.
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n Surgery: Large operating rooms, high-tech equipment and spacious recovery rooms create a pleasant environment for patients n Heart: State-of-the-art heart and vascular center offering cardiac diagnostic services and procedures
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Celebrating a most fruitful relationship between Florida Strawberry Growers and International Paper.
1979
Together we’re sure to enjoy many more years of sweet success.
711 E. Lancaster Rd Orlando, FL 32809 (407) 855-2121
1996
2402 Police Center Dr Plant City, FL 33566 (813) 717-9100 6706 N. 53rd St Tampa, FL 33610 (813) 744-2220 Sales: Ray Reteneller (813) 230-4216 or Mike Sanders (813) 240-7316
2001
2003
Present
©2016 International Paper Company. All rights reserved.
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by Nick Chapman
Business Up Front Kennco Manufacturing Rows and rows of evenly spaced fruits and vegetables are a common sight in the farm lands of Hillsborough County. There is always a sense of anticipation as the fields are plowed and prepped. Strawberries, tomatoes, melons and peppers are planted, and we watch them grow and yield their crops each season before our eyes. We all love the end product, but where do farmers go to get the equipment to help them get the job done? That’s where Kennco Manufacturing can be a farmer’s best friend. “We have a full line of equipment from ground prep to ground cleanup for plasticulture and raised bed farming,” said Brandy Evans, CEO of Kennco Manufacturing, Inc. “We design it here, manufacture it here and ship it all over the world.” Although the bulk of their client base is in the Southeast Coastal states, they do have clients in Egypt, Brazil, Africa, Switzerland, Germany and the Philippines. “We have sprayers, bed shapers, plastic layers, stake pullers, plastic retrievers, bed mowers, decontamination stations…the whole gamut.” Their facility in Ruskin seems to have all the implements a farmer needs behind his or her tractor. Founded in 1973, Kennco Manufacturing thrived under the leadership of Ken McElwain and Robin Knowles. Ken and Robin both worked at the same business until Ken decided to go out on his own. “Ken was on the building side of the house down in the shop, he just knew how to build and design things. Then he brought my dad in (Robin Knowles) for the business side of the house, he had the engineering degree. So Robin handled the business side and Ken handled the shop floor,” Brandy said. Located in Ruskin, the pair started with the local tomato farmers. “They designed and built what they needed, and tweaked it for the tomato growers, then it continued to grow.” Now the company services farmers in many industries, including melons, blue berries, peppers, carrots, garlic and strawberries. “The last three years we’ve really focused on the strawberry growers who are right in our backyard.” Kennco has been very active in the community, supporting local schools and charitable events. “We want the growers to know we’ll be there with our product, and we’ll adjust as we learn their needs. We’ll back our product 100%, and we will make it right.” They are eager to earn their business right in the fields with the farmers.
working closely with their customers. “Farmers are in the field, not in their office. So they’ll let us know if something isn’t working right.” Evans went on to say it could be a piece of equipment that works well for other crops, but not for a different farmer. “So our team gets together and says let’s see how we can make it fit all customers.” Kennco has three in-house engineers that are constantly redesigning and improving the capabilities of their equipment. “Anyone can make equipment that works in a perfect environment; we need to make equipment that works in the crappiest environments.” The sales staff at Kennco Manufacturing works like farming consultants, finding out exactly what the farmer needs and what conditions they’ll be working in, and what the customer is trying to do. “There’s certain things our equipment can and can’t do, and our sales guys know that, so they’re not going to sell something that is not going to work.” If the farmer is looking at a long term proposition, Kennco’s line of equipment is an investment that will pay long term dividends. “We’re not the cheapest on the block, but we’re not going anywhere (in business for 43 years). Our equipment saves labor costs, including fewer passes in the field, which also means lower diesel costs. Our line is geared toward doing more with less.” The thing that set Kennco apart from the competition is their quality and ability to customize. “Our equipment will last infinitely longer than the mass produced machinery out there. It’s built stronger and sturdier; it’s built for the long haul.” Kennco also has a depth to their equipment line that few companies can match. “We’re not just selling a mechanical transplanter, or we’re not just selling a plastic lifter. You can buy everything that will work together from us. We beat other competitors on our flexibility, because we can customize our machinery. It’s not just a piece of equipment sitting on the dealer’s floor. It’s equipment that has been made for this farmer, for this situation.” Add to those advantages that Kennco does have three design engineers and a sales staff, and it’s not just an order taking warehouse, and you can see why they say, “If you're a grower who wants to spend less and get better yields, you've found the right place.” For more information, visit their website at www.KenncoMfg.com, or stop by and visit them at their facility at 1105 3rd Street NE in Ruskin. Call them at (813) 645-2591 or email their sales staff at sales@kenncomfg.com.
“We also have an industrial line, which is anything that is non-agriculture. We sell to International Paper and auto parts dealers for boat trailers. If somebody needs something and we have the capability, we’ll do it. We have a machine shop and a Titan plasma cutting table, we have a lot of resources so we can do things in-house.” Their Parts Department is fully stocked and will keep their customer’s Kennco equipment up and running for many years to come. They also carry many other common agricultural equipment parts for their customers’ convenience. Kennco has found the best way to improve their equipment designs is 12
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NEW CATTLE ENHANCEMENT BOARD UNDERWAY By Jim Frankowiak
Ranching and beef production have been an important part of Florida’s heritage for more than 500 years. The state’s cow-calf production ranks among the top ten in the U.S. with about a million head of brood cows for both beef and dairy raised on more than six-million acres in the state, according to Florida Cattlemen’s Association Director of Field Services Dusty Holley. “Our industry accounts for 12,779 fulltime jobs and another 19,743 jobs according to 2014 figures,” added Holley. To foster industry growth, the Florida Legislature and Governor Rick Scott’s office appropriated $1 million in 2015 for funding research and educational needs of the industry. Shortly thereafter proposals for project support in excess of $3 million were submitted, clearly suggesting the need for ongoing and expanded support. And while expanded support was possible, it was important to identify a vehicle that offered a timetable for use of the funding that was more in keeping with research requirements. “Legislative appropriations such as the one our industry received in 2015 must be expended and results reported within the fiscal year,” said Holley. “Our research programs often carry over several seasons and simply cannot be completed within a single fiscal year.” To address this challenge, a Direct Service Organization (DSO) – the Cattle Enhancement Board, Inc. – was created. It is similar to the DSO cre14
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Photos by Dusty Holley
ated to support and enhance the Florida citrus industry, the Citrus Research and Development Foundation, Holley noted. “In fact, this new DSO mirrors the citrus board in the way it reflects the needs and interests of our industry.” The state legislature has increased its support to $2 million this year. Both DSO’s were created and are governed by the President of the University of Florida (UF) with all actions subject to review and approval by that office. Operations of the Cattle Enhancement Board are overseen by a board that consists of one representative each of the Florida Association of Livestock Markets, an allied industry member, a practicing order buyer, a Florida Dairy Farm, a Florida Farm Bureau representative, a member of the Florida Cattlewomen’s Association, an appointee of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumers Services with industry experience, a University of Florida appointee typically the Senior Vice President of the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (which is currently Dr. Jack Payne) and six additional appointees of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association (FCA). “All board members are subject to approval by the UF president and each serves a three year term,” said Holley, noting that initial terms will be staggered so that one-third of the board will be replaced each year and not all at once. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Current Cattle Enhancement Board officers are: Chairman Erik Jacobson, vice president and general manager of Deseret Cattle & Citrus and a past FCA president; Vice Chairman Dr. Roger West, a cattleman, past FCA president and retired chair of the UF Department of Animal Science; Secretary/Treasurer Dr. Liz Steele, a large animal veterinarian and chair of the FCA Animal Health Committee; and Chief Operating Office Jim Handley, Executive Director of the FCA. “We wish to express our thanks to the leadership of the Florida Senate and House of Representatives, the appropriators and the office of Governor Rick Scott for recognizing the continuing and growing need for cattle research and promotion,” concluded Holley. For more information about Florida’s cattle industry, visit: www.floridacattlemen.org.
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18th Annual Lights of Love
Thank You for Your Gift of Love Join South Florida Baptist Hospital Foundation for a special community tree lighting ceremony, Lights of Love, at McCall Park in historic downtown Plant City. You can donate a light in honor or memory of your loved one today.
Thursday, December 1st | 5:30-8pm Photos with Santa – Train Depot
Music presented by First Baptist Church of Plant City Lighting of the tree presented by the City of Plant City
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Braided Fishing Line Love It or Hate It Capt. Woody Gore (www.captainwoodygore.com)
So, where did these super manmade materials originate? Invented by the DuPont Corporation in the early 1960’s and trademarked Aramid®, or more commonly known by DuPont’s trade name Kevlar®, it was a heat resistant fiber five times stronger than steel. Then finally, we get the bright idea to use this new material to create the most technologically advanced fishing line since monofilament and now we have braid, more commonly referred to as Super line. While it is not for everyone, much longtime, monofilament users are switching over. It takes a little getting used to, but for most applications, it is difficult to beat its superior qualities. Qualities like high strength, superior sensitivity, abrasion resistance, visibility, and absolutely zero stretch. Nevertheless, probably the most outstanding quality is the ability to make a long cast without loss of any mentioned qualities. The long cast is possible because of the strength to line diameter used in the manufacturing process. Let’s take Seaguar’s new Kanzen or Smackdown braid for example. Both 15 lb. class lines are basically equivalent in diameter to 2-4 lb. monofilament. With this example, it is easy to see why your casting distance increases drastically. Because of its small diameter in relation to hardness and abrasion resistance make sure your tackle will handle this extra tough line. However, since it’s manufactured to the highest specifications today’s new Super lines will work with practically all rods and reels. In addition, here’s a simple word of caution about handling braided line. Anytime you handle braid exercise caution to avoid cuts or abrasions to your hands and fingers. Pulling on braid with your hands or fingers often causes severe cuts, especially the joints. By its inherent nature and manufacturing process braid is extremely hard line and difficult to cut. Most clippers used for monofilament will not work, so you will need a good pair of sharp scissors or knife to get the job done. We’ve all heard or experienced that dreaded braid knot, (often referred to as a wind knot), that magically appears when least expected. First you hear it, and then you see it just after a perfect cast. Yep, there it is just dangling in the air about halfway to your bait. So, what do you do now?
Double-Uni or Yucatan knot. Now you are back to fishing. Here’s a tip on avoiding this time consuming braided line tangle. Because it’s manufactured using the smallest line diameter tolerances, braided line is extremely lightweight. For this reason, you should remember it must be reeled with some kind of resistance as it goes onto the spool or it will not fill the spool correctly. As with any line, you want it to spool tightly not loosely, so keeping resistance applied during the retrieve allows this to happen and the line wraps and seats correctly onto your reel spool. Here is a good rule of thumb to avoid those braided line loops and coils, especially when using an open-face spinning reel. After each cast, always close the bail manually, make sure the line is in the line roller, then lift the rod taking up any slack line before starting to reel. Doing this on every cast assures the line will position itself properly and begin tightly wrapping on the spool. Each year manufacturers throughout the world generate millions of miles of fishing line in hundreds of styles, materials, colors and sizes. Therefore, it is no wonder anglers get confused about which line to buy. So, with all the lines available, how do you make the right selection? The factors in choosing the right line are matching it to its intended use. Decide on the material best suited for your use, monofilament, fluorocarbon or braid. Then give extra consideration to its strength, size, stretch, abrasion resistance, and color by matching them to the application. Lastly consider the fish you will target, the water and environment you will be fishing. The best rod and reel, sharpest hooks, top of the line boat, motor and trailer are all great advantages to catching fish. However, the fact remains the only thing standing between you and success is your fishing line. Never turn the reel handle to close the bail. Always manually close the bail, make sure the line is in the line roller, lift on the rod to take up slack any line and then start to reel.
Here’s what I do and it’s important to remember what you’re seeing in your line is normally just a series of loops and coils. For the most part these are manageable until you unsystematically start pulling on the main or tag ends. Instead start slowly trying to unravel the loops by pulling them lightly until you will find the ones that begin untwisting then continue with the others. Now, continue lightly pulling on each individual loop until they begin to separate and untwist. It takes a little patience, but with some practice, you will soon master it. The key to this whole process is “PATIENCE.” And since braided line is not cheap the last thing you want to do is rip off 75 to 100 yards of braid because you did not have enough patience to work out a few tangles. If you’re unable to remove the tangle or your patience gets the best of you, just cut the line before and after the knot and re-tie using a 18
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2016 “Let’s Go Fishing”
“Give Me a Call & Let’s Go Fishing”
813-477-3814
While fishing in Florida can be done comfortably year round, fall offers some excellent opportunities on a variety of species. During this time Captain Woody Gore is the area’s top outdoor fishing guide. Guiding of year some species you’re likely to catch include snook, redfish, trout, and fishing the west central Florida areas for over fifty years; he offers snapper and the occasional cobia. And if you can take a little rock and world class fishing adventures and a lifetime of memories. roll, the kingfish and mackerel often move in close to the beaches. But for those of us that prefer a calmer approach to fall fishing, like the Multi-boat Group Charters With years of organizational experience cooler water temperatures of shallow water fishing, the bite definitely and access to the areas most experienced captains, Captain Woody improves. The fish start feeding and become more active as they search can arrange and coordinate any outing or tournament. Just tell him for food in anticipation of the upcoming winter bait slow down. And what you need and it’s done. since they will have large appetites, they’ll take an assortment of baits ranging from live to dead and even artificial’s.
Snook:
Snook are usually tops on the list as the fall transition starts and we are catching plenty on just about every shoreline. The best bite has been at the beginning and end of incoming and outgoing tides. Snook respond exceptionally to live baits as well as top water lures and soft plastic jerk baits. However, we’ve also been having good success with larger fish using dead baits on the bottom.
Visit his website at: WWW.CAPTAINWOODYGORE.COM
send an email to wgore@ix.netcom.com or give me a call at 813-477-3814
Spotted Sea Trout: We’re finding plenty of sea trout inshore and near shore in and around sea grass flats, mangrove shorelines, oyster bars, deep holes and channels. Free-line live shrimp or small pinfish near the bottom to entice trout out of the grass-beds. Depending on the depth and to attract more attention to the bait, I sometimes attach a float, which allows the baits to drift over the grass beds. Casting with soft-bodied jigs and top-water poppers can also be effective. Trout are very delicate, so returning unwanted or illegal fish promptly to the water is necessary to maintain a healthy population. Redfish: The reds are still schooled up and biting when you get them to settle down from all the fishing pressure. They should continue to be consistent on the flats and around the mangroves. A variety of artificial lures are catching their share along with sardines, and pinfish (alive and dead). The key to finding redfish is fishing dark patchy bottoms, especially around schools of larger mullet. Although chumming with live bait works, tossing dead cut bait around the mangroves on flooding tides usually brings them out to investigate. Kingfish, Spanish Mackerel, Bonito, Bluefish:
Fall cold fronts are starting and so are the traditionally high winds that follow. As the water temps fall with each passing front the near beach kingfish bite should improve. Tons of bait should bring the kings, Spanish mackerel, bluefish and bonito within a mile or so of the beach and sometimes inside Tamps Bay. We’ve been having great success on huge Spanish mackerel and the occasional King inside Tampa Bay.
Mangrove Snapper – These great eating fish are all over the bay and not bashful about eating small greenbacks or shrimp. You must be quick or they’ll clean your hook before you know it. If you feel the bump and do not hook up, reel in because your baits gone.
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• There are three things the human brain cannot resist noticing, food, attractive people and danger. • Right-handed people tend to chew food on their right side • Putting dry tea bags in gym bags or smelly shoes will absorb the unpleasant odor. • According to Albert Einstein, if honey bees were to disappear from earth, humans would be dead within 4 years. • There are so many kinds of apples, that if you ate a new one everyday, it would take over 20 years to try them all. • People who laugh a lot are healthier than those who don’t. • If a part of your body “falls asleep,” you can almost always “wake it up” by shaking your head.
Cultivating the land is
Tom Pospichal Mosaic Agricultural Operations, Florida
As the global population increases, so does the demand for affordable food. Essential crop nutrients, like phosphate produced in Florida, help farmers put more food on the table using less land. Our connection to agriculture is rooted here, too. Our team manages thousands of acres of post-mined land for sod and tree farms, citrus, cattle grazing and row crops. We are honored to be stewards of our agricultural lands in Florida and proud that our fellow employees produce crop nutrients for farmers all over the world.
®
We help the world grow the food it needs.
mosaicco.com/florida
© 2016 The Mosaic Company
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Rock’n White House All I have been seeing on the news is what’s going on at the White House. If we ran our household the way the Government runs our nation, we would be bankrupt in no time. They have a printing press to print money and we don’t. I heard the other day to help save the economy the Government will soon announce that the immigration Department will start deporting seniors (instead of illegals) in order to lower Social Security and Medicare costs. Older folks are easier to catch and will not remember how to get back home. There are a number of stories over the years about the White House being haunted. Our newest occupant of the presidential palace in Washington, First Lady Michelle Obama, recently confirmed the mystery of the White House haunting theory. A few months back a group of children visiting the Royal Mansion, on “Take your child to work day,” were told by Mrs. Obama a strange story. She said, during this mystery hour, that in the past two weeks or so, she and her husband President Barack Obama, have been awakened during the night. She told the kids they both heard strange sounds in hall. They got up to investigate, but could not find anything. Who knows, it could be some of the leftovers from prior Presidents. When Ronald Reagan was in office my wife and I were guests of Mike and Evelyn Bilirakis. We were invited to the White House lawn honoring the President of Sri Lanka. He presented President Reagan with a small live elephant. Other Presidents had animals in the White House. John Quincy Adams had a pet alligator living in the East Room. Thomas Jefferson had two pet grizzly bears that lived in a cage on the South Lawn. William Howard Taft loved fresh milk so much that he kept a pet dairy cow in the garage with all of his fancy cars. If you ever visit the White House don’t look for his ghost, as George Washington never lived in the White House. George passed away in the later months of 1799, about one year before John Adams became the first president to live in the building. 22
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There is very little left of the original White House. The British burned it in 1814 after U.S. forces set fire to Canada’s parliament. Dolly Madison became somewhat of hero when she saved the famous Gilbert Stuart painting of George Washington. A second fire occurred in 1929 when a flue was blocked in the Oval office. It was in 1792 that a group of freemasons met at a Georgetown tavern and paraded down the street to the site of the new White House that was to be built. History records that they placed an inscribed cornerstone to mark the start of the House’s construction. From there, they marched to an inn and made a toast to the event. In fact they made a total of 16 toasts. It was said they got so liquored up that no one documented where the stone was. President Truman, during his stay in the White House attempted to find the cornerstone during a renovation period, but to no avail. It hasn’t been seen since 1792. Some believe the cornerstone is imbedded between two stone walls near the Rose Garden. Here are some strange facts I am sure you can’t live without. In the past year your hair most likely has grown almost five inches, and your nails close to two inches. From one birthday to the next there will be more than 50,000 earthquakes, and you will have had approximately 1,460 dreams. If you ever had a birthday party for your kids at Chuck E. Cheese, you no doubt have fond memories of singing Happy Birthday to your kids. However, your parents could get a subpoena to appear in court for being part of a public performance of “Happy Birthday to You,” which as it turns out is totally illegal. The song is copyrighted. Well, you paid to get in, and Chuck E. Cheese is making a profit. And that’s where it’s illegal to sing the song. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) requested that the Girl Scouts pay royalties for singing the birthday song during their campfire gatherings. Yep, somebody always has his or her hand out. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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ANIMAL CARE AND PROTECTION DURING EMERGENCIES
You May Have a Role
By Jim Frankowiak
Hurricane Matthew was kind to all of us in the Tampa Bay area, but what if it hadn’t? More specifically, what would have happened to animals large and small had Matthew decided to pay us a visit? The answer is straightforward and has to do with the State of Florida and its advance preparation to respond quickly and effectively on a 24-hour basis to developing events. When an event or potential event is first detected, the State Emergency Operations Center is activated to a level appropriate to the magnitude of the threat. The State’s response efforts are then initiated through the State Emergency Response Team (SERT), which is comprised of gubernatorial-appointed Emergency Coordination Officers (ECO) from state agencies and volunteer organizations. These ECO’s are authorized to use the resources of their respective agency or organization to carry out response and recovery missions that are assigned by functions. All state agencies and volunteer organizations that comprise the SERT are grouped into 18 Emergency Support Functions (ESF) to carry out coordination and completion of assigned missions. These functions represented specific response activities that are common to all disasters. Each ESF is comprised of one or more primary agency (ies) serving as the lead with several other agencies and organizations providing support. The ESF is a mechanism that consolidates multiple agencies 26
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that perform similar or like functions into a single, cohesive unit to allow for the better management of emergency response functions. The ESF concept was developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the late 1980s to address the potential management concerns that would be necessary to coordinate a federal response to a catastrophic earthquake in California. FEMA subsequently implemented the ESF concept in the development of its Federal Response Plan. In Florida, ESF #17 – Animal Protection has as its lead agency, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), for animal and agricultural emergencies. FDACS created the State Agricultural Response Team (SART), a MultiAgency Coordination Group (MAC) that serves as a planning, training and response support group with the aid of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS), UF College of Veterinary Medicine, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the State Animal Response Coalition (SARC) sheltering group. SART is composed of partner agencies and organizations including local, state and federal agencies, private sector entities and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). This structure and the broad relationships it fosters among partners is an important asset when isolated incidents or accidents occur. An example of an isolated incident is the flooding which took place in the Odessa area of Hillsborough County WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
about a year ago. “Making feed and water available to several ranches became a real challenge,” said M.J. Maruca, field services supervisor for Hillsborough County Pet Resources, often referred to as the “go to” person when accidents or incidents put animals at risk in the county. “In that instance, we worked with our colleagues in Pinellas County who gave us access to the horses through a gate that separated our two counties. Taking care of those horses until the waters receded became possible thanks to the simple task of unlocking that gate,” she said. “That was the exception not the rule,” said Maruca, “and we work continuously to update and refine our programs to assure prompt and proper response to incidents that occur.” Maruca and her associates within and outside the country are striving to build a broad and far-reaching network of partners able to respond to whatever type of incident that may occur involving any type or size of animal. “Cats, dogs, pigs, cattle, horses, llamas, emus and exotic animals all fall under our purview,” she said. “I doubt there is one person able to properly handle all of those types of animals, but building a network that includes such expertise and equipment needed to move, if necessary, animals from one place to another and provide for their safety and care is our continuing goal.” To that end, Maruca and her partners welcome questions from animal owners of all types so they are prepared and know who and where to call if assistance is needed. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
“By the same token, if they would like to become one of our partners, that would be most helpful and welcome,” she said. SART partners participate in exercises in different parts of the state several times each year. A substantial exercise involving several hundred people is slated for early 2017 at the Hillsborough County Fairgrounds adjacent to State Road 60 in the eastern part of the county. “In addition to involving our partners from both the public and private sectors at that event, several states will also be viewing the exercise to learn and replicate what we have in Florida in their own states.” For questions about actions to take when animals are at risk, visit: FreshFromFlorida.com. Should you be interested in becoming a SART volunteer or partner, visit: FLSART.org. If you have an immediate large animal concern, please contact the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Department Agriculture Unit at 813-247-8605. For questions regarding ESF-17, contact M.J. Maruca via email: Marucam@hcflgov.net or by calling 813530-5850. “Prompt response with the needed expertise and equipment is critical in many of the incidents that take place involving animals,” said Maruca. “The broader our partnership in terms of expertise and equipment, the better we are able to respond and protect our animals.”
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They Don’t Want to Suck Your Blood: The Florida Bonneted Bat By Ginny Mink As we close out the spooky season to enter into a time of gratitude, perhaps we should be thankful for the plants and animals that don’t appear on the endangered or threatened species lists. Unfortunately, the Florida bonneted bat doesn’t have that luxury, although it is a relatively new addition. The Florida bonneted bat joined the federal listing of endangered species in 2013. Bats are fascinating creatures. Really, they are! And, they are wholly beneficial to the management of the bug population. That’s something Florida knows a lot about. Florida’s bugs are unlike anything else in the continental United States. So when there’s an animal that will help us eliminate those pesky insects, we should probably do what we can to help. Did you know that Florida bonneted bats don’t migrate? They are completely confined to their South Florida habitats. In fact, that restrictive range is more intense than any other bat in existence. In 2014 one active, natural, roost was discovered inside a hollow tree near Avon Park. Prior to that they had only been documented in bat houses.¹ These bats are Florida’s largest bat species. They have a “free tail” which means it extends beyond the typically short membrane found on many other bat species. It kind of looks like a mouse tail if you ask us. The incredibly broad ears that stick out over their eyes earned them the name, bonneted bats. Their wingspans can reach almost two feet and their bodies are roughly six inches long. However, they are still very small in size due to the fact that they weigh less than two ounces.¹ Although the bats have mouse like tails, and could certainly remind people of various other rodent like mammals, they don’t have similar reproductive abilities. In fact, the females generally only give birth to one pup at a time. They can have more than one reproductive cycle a year, but the limited population is certainly suffering from their slow reproduction rates.¹ Most research suggest they have two breeding seasons annually.² Bat hair is called pelage and the bonneted bats’ pelage ranges from cinnamon brown to gray to black. They survive on a diet that consists, primarily, of flying insects.² The insects that seem to be particularly appreciated by the Florida bonneted bats include: beetles, true bugs, and flies.¹ True bugs, in case you were wondering, are bugs that have piercing or sucking mouth parts.³ The site that provided that information has pictures of 32 different types of true bugs in case you want to learn a little more about them. The link is in the resources section. The roosting habits of these bats appears to be slightly odd compared to other bats in Florida. Apparently, one male will roost with several females. Very few bonneted bat nursery roosts have been documented. However, they seem to enjoy foraging in semi-tropical habitats. Golf courses and neighborhoods are also of interest to them. But they prefer pinelands, mangroves, and tropical hardwood.² No doubt you are wondering how you can help their plight. First, you need to understand what is causing the decline in these rare bats. 28
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Due to their small colony numbers, isolation, low fertility, and highly restricted range, they are tremendously vulnerable. Habitat loss and degradation are certain contributors to the decrease in Florida bonneted bat populations. However, there are other issues to consider as well.¹ Sea level rise, climate change, and coastal squeeze are causing some very serious threats. Unfortunately, these bats have often been removed from their preferred roosting sites in buildings and artificial structures. Development has played a key role in destroying the trees and the cavities in them that the bonneted bats call home. Hurricanes, pesticides, and other contaminants have also negatively impacted the livelihood of these wee insect destroyers. ¹ Current methods of protection and restoration include using ecodogs and acoustic equipment to detect the existence of the Florida bonneted bat. A 2013 Tampa Bay Times article discusses that methodology pretty well. Dogs search for snail mucus, bat guano and pythons in Florida, by Craig Pittman, reveals the results of the search party led by Bart Rogers. Apparently one pill sized pile of guano that could have been from a Florida bonneted bat was discovered. That was in the Babcock-Webb Wildlife Management Area down south near Punta Gorda.⁴ This might sound promising, but that wee pile was all they found after searching for 21 days and up to 10 hours each day. The article said that Rogers and his dogs covered nearly 200 miles of territory over that time. He used two, three year old Labs named Baxter and Felix. The dogs get rewarded with time to play ball instead of food. It’s an interesting method utilized by Auburn EcoDogs, the company where Rogers is a trainer.⁴ Who knows where those search and record efforts will take Auburn EcoDogs. We can only hope that they can help identify more Florida bonneted bat populations. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to add bat boxes to your property. The insects might not like it, but your plants, animals, and family will. Resources: ¹National Park Services- Florida Bonneted Bat- https://www.nps.gov/ever/ learn/nature/flbonnetedbat.htm ²Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission- Florida Bonneted Bat: Eumops floridanus- http://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/imperiled/profiles/ mammals/florida-bonneted-bat/ ³Insect Identification- True Bugs of North America- http://www.insectidentification.org/true-bugs.asp ⁴Pittman, C. (2013). Tampa Bay Times. Dogs search for snail mucus, bat guano and pythons in Florida. http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/wildlife/dogs-search-for-snail-mucus-bat-guano-and-pythons-in-florida/2141942 Photo Credits: Group of bats- Florida Fish and Wildlife. Bonneted Bat 2: https://flic.kr/p/ bYA8XG Bat being cut out of wire- Florida Fish and Wildlife- Kathleen Smith (photo from 1980): https://flic.kr/p/bUvmRb Bat in hand- Florida Fish and Wildlife- Kathleen Smith (photo from 1980): https://flic.kr/p/bUvmYQ WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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Florida
Adzuki Beans
By Sandy Kaster, M.S. Clinical Medicines, B.S. Nutrition Science
Adzuki beans share the same great nutrition as other beans, but are uniquely enjoyed in desserts as well. Naturally sweet in flavor, they are popular in some Asian desserts such as Chinese moon cakes or red bean cakes, red bean ice, or sweet bean soup. Eaten widely in the Asian countries, adzuki beans are pureed with sugar and made into red bean paste, which is used as the filling in red bean cakes. Adzuki beans are also used in savory dishes, like stew and chili, much like you would use other types of beans and legumes. They are a major crop in Japan and China, and produced in many of the other Asian countries. In the United States, adzuki beans are mainly grown in Florida, California, and Minnesota. Originally from Japan, adzuki beans are expensive to purchase but quite easy to grow in Florida. The young, tender pods can be eaten raw or lightly cooked as you would snap beans. Adzuki bean sprouts are nutty in flavor and high in nutrients. Dried beans require about one hour of soaking before cooking. Adzuki beans are very nutritious and especially high in protein. Peak season for fresh Florida adzuki beans runs from November to March.
NUTRITION PROFILE
Rich in fiber, nutrients, and protein, adzuki beans are bursting with nutrition. Naturally free of cholesterol and saturated fat, and low in calories and fat, these legumes are a fantastic vegetarian source of lean protein. Adzuki beans are very high in both soluble and insoluble fiber, most of the B vitamins, and folate, iron, and phosphorus. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, one cup of boiled adzuki beans (230 g) contains 294 calories, 17 g protein, 0.1 g fat, 57 g carbohydrate, and 17 g of dietary fiber. It also provides 70% of the Daily Recommended Value (%DV) for folate, 66% for manganese, 39% for phosphorus, 35% for potassium, 67% for dietary fiber, 35% for protein, 34% for copper, 7% for zinc, and plentiful amounts of other nutrients including iron, thiamin, and calcium.
FOLATE: ESSENTIAL VITAMIN AT ANY AGE
Florida adzuki beans are a great source of the B vitamin folate, a vitamin that can reduce the risk of birth defects of the brain and spinal cord (neural tube defects) in the fetus. Pregnant women should consume a diet high in folate, and eating adzuki beans and other legumes, vegetables, and fruits every day can help. Folate is also essential for growth and development, and plays a key role in DNA formation. Its heart-healthy benefits come from its ability to lower homocysteine levels in the body. Homocysteine is an amino acid in the blood that is correlated with heart disease. Additionally, low levels of folate have been linked with low energy levels, depression and even memory impairments. So it’s an essential vitamin for everyone, in addition to its significant importance for the developing fetus. A one cup serving of adzuki beans provides 70% of your daily folate requirements.
THIAMIN: FOR GOOD MEMORY
Adzuki beans are a good source of thiamin, also known as vitamin B1. One cup provides 18% of your daily requirement for this B vitaWWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
min. This nutrient is involved in enzymatic reactions relating to energy production and is also essential for cognitive function. Thiamin is required for the synthesis of acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter essential for memory.
PROTEIN: FOR MANY CELLULAR FUNCTIONS
Protein is the second most abundant substance in the body, after water, and plays an important role on many levels. Adequate protein intake is not typically a concern in the Western diet, but an emphasis on plant-based rather than meat-based proteins is associated with better health and decreased incidence of certain cancers. Fresh Florida adzuki beans are an excellent source of protein. A one cup serving provides over one third of your daily needs. Many important components of the body are comprised of protein, including antibodies that fight infection, hormones that control a variety of physiologic functions, and enzymes that increase the rate of chemical reactions in the body. Protein is also a major source of energy and required for the maintenance and repair of tissues.
HOW TO SELECT AND STORE
Choose adzuki beans with fresh, firm, green pods. The smaller beans are younger, more tender, and can be eaten like snap beans. They are best eaten right away, but can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week in a tightly sealed plastic bag. You can also let the beans dry in the pods. Once dried the pods break open easily to reveal seven to 10 dried beans each. Store shelled beans in an airtight container in a cool, dry location for up to a year until ready to use. Adzuki beans are also available canned.
HOW TO ENJOY
When ready to use fresh adzuki beans, rinse under running water and then soak a cup of beans in water for at least one hour or overnight. Discard the soaking water. Rinse the beans add to a pot with fresh water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook until tender, about 45 minutes to an hour. Once cooked, adzuki beans can be stored for up to five days in the refrigerator or up to six months in the freezer. Some delicious ways to enjoy adzuki beans: • Throw a handful into any vegetable soup, stew, or chili Make a bean salad with diced veggies and oil and vinegar or salad dressing. • Heat them up and spoon over hot cornbread • Stir them up with chopped, cooked winter squash such as butternut • Make bean tacos with corn tortillas, adzuki beans, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa and cheese • Stir fry them with steamed brown rice, tamari, ginger, garlic and a drop or two of toasted sesame oil. • Mash them up and make bean dip • Substitute adzuki beans for other beans in your favorite recipes • Use in place of chickpeas in hummus • Mix into a pasta dish with olive oil and vegetables Enjoy fresh, delicious Florida adzuki beans in their peak season today. They add a lot of nutrients, protein, and fiber to any dish.
SELECTED REFERENCES
http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/ http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ http://www.florida-agriculture.com INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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Growing the Future with Precision Ag
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1945 Pine Ridge Road Naples, FL. 34109 Store (239) 260-8800
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Since 1963 Everglades Farm Equipment has been serving the agriculture and commercial equipment business. We invite you to put us to the test and look forward to doing business together. 36
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Pesky Pest: Tropical Sod Webworms
By Susan Haddock, Commercial Horticulture/Integrated Pest Management/Small Farms Agent, UF/IFAS Hillsborough County Extension
Tropical sod webworms (TSW), Herpetogramma phaeopteralis, are a pest of all warm season turfgrass including the most common: St. Augustinegrass, zoysiagrass, bermudagrass and bahiagrass. The adults may be present year round in south central and south Florida. The highest numbers occur in the fall (September-November) with smaller numbers again in the spring (March-May). The adult moths are tan-brown with a wing span of about 3/4 inch. At rest the wings are triangular, but adults will scatter as you walk through grass. The adults shelter in shrubby areas in the day, becoming active at dusk. The adults do not cause damage. The adult females lay eggs on the grass blades that hatch in three to four days. The caterpillar or larvae feed on the grass. The larvae are cream to green in color with brown spots on each segment. Mature larvae are 3/4 to 1 inch in length. During early growth stages they feed on the upper portions of grass blades, so damage may not be noticed. During later growth stages they can cause severe damage by eating entire sections of the leaf blade. The larvae feed at night and hide in the thatch during the day. They prefer hot and dry areas of grass and they do not feed on other plants. Doug Caldwell (Collier County Extension) writes that “Sorting out turf damage takes some kneeling. Damage begins in small patches of short-clipped grass, about one to three inches in diameter. The grass may look ragged, as if someone randomly used a weed-eater here and there, and irregularly-shaped, larger brown patches may form if there is severe defoliation.” Chemical control should be targeted at larvae and not adult moths. Affected areas should be spot treated. Small larvae (instar stages 1-4) are easier to control than larger caterpillars. See Side Bar for IPM recommendations.
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Tropical Sod Webworm Integrated Pest Management Turfgrass management practices can reduce susceptibility to sod webworms. Proper fertilization, irrigation and mowing are key. • Excessive fertilization and high rates of water soluble nitrogen fertilizer create lush turf attracting females for an egg laying party. Use slow release nitrogen sources instead. • When an infestation is discovered, removing grass clippings may reduce egg populations and dethatching via vertical mowing may help remove cover for larvae. • Beneficial insect predators such as spiders, lady beetles, big-eyed bugs, syrphid flys, ground beetles and rove beetles, and parasitoids such as ichneumonid wasps can suppress TSW populations up to 80%. Using low-toxicity insecticides will help preserve beneficial insects. • To look for signs of insect damage part the grass in areas of affected (not dead) turf. Look for chewing damage, webs, frass (caterpillar poop) and larvae. • To verify what insect is causing damage do a soap flush test using 2 tablespoons of liquid dishwashing detergent in 2 gallons of water poured over a 3 by 3 foot area. The soapy water causes insects to crawl up where they are visible within 5 minutes. Repeat in several affected areas. For more information on tropical sod webworms search for ‘Tropical Sod Webworms’ on edis.ifas.ufl.edu or contact your local UF/ IFAS Extension Office.
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By Jack Payne UF/IFAS Extension may be more ag than ever. The numbers tell us it has more agricultural specialists than a decade ago. In 2005, the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences employed 136 agricultural Extension agents. That was about a third of all agents statewide. We have 198 by a recent count – almost half of our total number of agents. When we started this new wave of ag agent hires, James McWhorter was a U.S. Army communications specialist in Afghanistan. That put him behind the wheel of a truck driving Green Berets through the countryside and handling their radio communications on the missions. After six years in the military, he left to get degrees in agriculture, and we hired him two years ago. James brings modern expertise and an old-school respect for his elders to his job as Highlands County livestock and forage agent. He’s quick to seek introductions to the locals from his boss Laurie Hurner, who is the county Extension director just like her dad was. James received a phone call from rancher and Farm Bureau member Del Murphy one morning earlier this year inquiring about Bermudagrass. By early afternoon, James and Del were walking the pasture in Avon Park. And he met the matriarch of the Murphy family farm, an octogenarian who still mounts a horse to move her cattle and still puts staples into fences. When James is asked what the woman’s first name is, he’ll tell you, “Mrs.”
When he arrived in Highlands County two years ago, he had the idea that growers would come to the Extension center for monthly workshops on forages. But when he failed to draw an audience, he adopted his predecessors’ approach with more emphasis on visits to ranches like the Murphys’. It’s a testament to the trust he’s earned that James doesn’t even have to see the land owners to inspect a weed control trial or take a soil sample. When he asks for permission to set foot on a rancher’s property, he’ll get responses like the one rancher and Farm Bureau member Charlie Cullens gives him: “Lock the gate behind you.” McWhorter is doing everything he can to help the Elrods with their vision for Sandy Gully Dairy. That is, a vision of handing it over to their grandkids instead of selling and watching it become 4,000 more acres of subdivisions in Sebring. That support often involves fielding a simple phone call on whether to install insulators on the wood posts that support an electric fence. But he’s also out there often enough -- offering suggestions on how to improve their yields of hay, for example – that he knows what stores are nearby and where suburbia ends and farmland begins. It all sounds like the Extension agent of a bygone era. It’s also the agent of today. By adding scores of agricultural agents to the team in the past decade, modern Extension has kept a close eye on agriculture and its tradition of directly serving producers.
Jack Payne is the senior vice president of agriculture and natural resources at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. jackpayne@ufl.edu • @JackPayneIFAS 42
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Tampa Bay Ferry … The Future or Folly?
by John Dicks November marks the start of the much touted Tampa Bay Ferry pilot project. Of course much of the touting has been by paid political lobbyists, but governments on both side of the bay have allocated taxpayer dollars to the test of using our waterways as a mode of transportation. It’s being pitched as a way to solve part of our infamous transportation gridlock. No one can dispute that boating on Tampa Bay is a wonderful experience, but is the ferry really a workable commuter alternative as it is being sold to the public or is it instead a solution looking for a problem to solve? Ferries are, of course, used all over the world. It’s worth noting, though, that they are successful when used on trips to reduce travel times or make a journey that is otherwise impossible because no bridges connect the destinations. A good case in point is to realize that the boat we are using on our six month test comes from New England where it is used to run trips between Boston and Provincetown. The ferry runs it in a straight shot that takes about 45 minutes, whereas to get there by car, Google Maps suggests that the hook shaped journey takes nearly 2 1/2 hours to drive. Well that makes sense. You can spend $10 and enjoy a 45 minute boat ride or you can fight traffic for 2 1/2 hours and spend $15 driving the 115 miles. But how about this Tampa to St. Petersburg run? On the ferry, it takes 50 minutes. Yet by car, the same Google Maps shows that the drive from the ferry’s two docks, the Tampa Convention Center and St. Petersburg Vinoy Basin, takes 32 minutes. Realistically, the time difference is even worse than that. Let’s say you live in Brandon and work in downtown St. Petersburg. To get to the ferry, you’ve got to drive to the convention center. Google says that will take you at least 20 minutes. Plus you’ve got to park and walk to the ferry and get there a few minutes early so you don’t miss the boat. That will add another 30 minutes to your trip. Once you arrive in St. Pete, you’ll have to walk or take an Uber to your work, but let’s presume it is only a short few 15 minutes away. If all goes like clockwork, your trip from home in Brandon to downtown St. Petersburg will take you 2 hours. Your alternative is to drive. Google Maps tells us it takes about 45 minutes. There goes the time savings that ferries are designed to provide, but what about the costs? Well first there is that cost of the ferry ride. Enjoying it roundtrip will cost you $20. Parking all day at the convention center, according to the tampagov.net website, will cost you $9.50. Then there’s that Uber ride to get you to your St. Pete office, which we hope won’t set you back for more than another $10 each way.
All in all, that’s nearly $50 gone for your daily commute and we haven’t even figured in the cost of your driving from home to get to the ferry parking. Yes, boating can be expensive, but that’s not how it’s supposed to work with ferries. Nonetheless, suppose you don’t mind spending the extra $50 every day, nor stretching your normal one-way 45 minute commute into a two hour journey, how about the convenience of it all? As of this writing, the ferry’s website, found at CrossBayFerry.com, lists two workday trips from Tampa. The first one leaves at 9:30. The ONLY returning trip that afternoon leaves from St. Pete at 3 pm. Yes. You read that correctly. The ferry being billed as a solution to at least part of our transportation woes has precisely one workable workday trip! It all sounds simply dandy, provided your job in St. Pete requires your presence in the office daily from about 11 am in the morning (the time you arrive after your ferry & Uber ride) until about 2 pm in the afternoon (the time you need to leave to catch the ONLY return ferry)! Finally, let’s just presume that there really are plenty of people willing to spend $50 every day to turn their 1 1/2 hour roundtrip commute into a 4 hour roundtrip journey. And further, that those spendthrift souls really do have jobs in St. Pete requiring them to be there from only 11 am until 2 pm. Whoever these people are, they are well advised to buy their tickets in advance, because the ferry holds only 149 people. Yep, 149. That’s tourists and commuters. And bicycles (they’re allowed, but you have to pay another $2 for the roundtrip). The trial of the Tampa Bay Ferry runs through April 30. The boat then sails back to Provincetown to run the more logical cruise back and forth to Boston. Presumably, during our trial here the ferry was not needed up north because people don’t enjoy riding the boat during the winter months. Who knows whether Tampa Bay commuters will ride during the chilly, gray, rainy days of January and February. The cost to taxpayers for this test folly (sorry, I mean ferry) is $1.4 million, split four ways between Hillsborough and Pinellas counties and the cities of Tampa and St. Petersburg. Is it worth it? Frankly, if the ferry was billed as a tourist attraction and paid for with tourist tax revenues it would make to sense to give it a test. But spending money earmarked for transit and transportation projects on something that will be expensive to use, prolong commuting times and divert few cars from the highways, makes the ferry seem much less like a bright new future than it does more of a failed folly.
John Dicks is both a lawyer and a farmer. He and his family own a blueberry farm and have agricultural lands which they lease for cattle operations, as John says, “to someone who knows and handles cattle much better than I do!” John is both a Gator, having received his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida, and a Seminole, with his Law Degree from Florida State University. He and his wife, Sharon, live in Plant City, where he served nine years as City Commissioner, including three years as Mayor. 46
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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FAIR PRESENTS HARVEST AWARDS Celebrating and Preserving Agriculture’s Legacy By Jim Frankowiak Photos by Ron O’Connor – Farm Credit
Hillsborough County’s rich and important agricultural heritage was again celebrated at the outset of this year’s County Fair during the 16th annual Harvest Awards program. The award program has as its purpose “to preserve the agricultural heritage of Hillsborough County which has been a mainstay for many years and to extend agricultural education,” said Master of Ceremonies Earl Lennard, a member of the Harvest Awards Host Committee. “This is done through recognition of families, individuals and organizations,” said Lennard, former Hillsborough County school superintendent and Supervisor of Elections. After a moment of silence in honor of deceased past Harvest Award recipients, Lennard introduced attending dignitaries and Hillsborough County Commissioner Stacy White who read a proclamation of the County Board designating the dates of this year’s fair as “Hillsborough County Fair Days.” The Brandon High School Army Junior Reserve Officer’s Training Corp Color Guard presented the colors, while Paul Davis of the Florida Strawberry Festival led attendees in the invocation and Turkey Creek Middle School FFA member Austin Holcomb led the Pledge of Allegiance.
“Mr. Produce” –Tony Ippolito was recognized by Lennard with the Lifetime Achievement in Agriculture award. Ippolito had served for 32-years as the manager of the Tampa Wholesale Produce Market and “became an ambassador of fruits and vegetables” through his various industry engagements and educational outreach. Ippolito also served as a member of the Hillsborough County Extension Advisory Council and is now active in Meals on Wheels. County Commissioner White presented Outstanding Woman in Agriculture honors to Susan Dumke who owns and operates BluesBerry Farms and has served as an advocate for small farmers and their employees. White noted Dumke’s adherence to Best Management Practices at her farm, plus use of the latest technology to enhance her operation and her efforts to create and foster coop marketing activities to the benefit of small farm owners and operators. “This award to my family and my employees is most humbling,” Dumke said.
Prior to presentation of the awards Tampa New Car Dealers Association’s Eddie Gomez presented fair officials with a $10,000 check for the fair’s building fund. Mosaic Company, primary sponsor of the award luncheon, was represented by Nikki Foster who expressed the company’s appreciation for the opportunity “to bring families and community together while supporting agriculture.”
Plant City Mayor Rick Lott, presenter of the Outstanding Agribusiness award noted his education and involvement in 4-H and FFA gave him “the core values I use and lean on today” to perform his duties on behalf of city residents. The award was presented to Wish Farms, a family business with humble beginnings that has grown through innovation to achieve “global impact while maintain its base in Plant City and always giving back to the community. The award was accepted by Gary Wishnatzki on behalf “of my whole family, our employees and the great family farmers we have done business with for so many years.”
Farm Family of the Year honors were presented to the Roy G. Davis family by State Representative Dan Raulerson of Plant City who noted the family’s “innovation and Roy’s involvement in industry and the community through his leadership in a range of organizations that has been beneficial to many.”
The 2016 Public & Community Service Harvest Award was presented to the Hillsborough County 4-H Foundation by State Representative Jake Raburn for its continuing “investment in our youth and their education through participation in educational and competitive programs.” Foundation Board Member Betty Jo Tompkins expressed
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her organization’s thanks and recognized Carl and Dee Dee Grooms for their support of foundation activities through the annual U-Pick event at their strawberry fields and to the fair as the location of the foundation’s barbecue, the two primary fund-raisers for the foundation each year. Tompkins also noted that both events also include support of needy children and their families, as well as the mission of the foundation. Florida State Fair Executive Director gave the Memorial Tribute to the late Lee and Minnie Holcomb and their family for their years as agricultural leaders and pioneers, as well as their tireless commitment to volunteerism and community service. The Holcomb’s, who were dairy farmers in the Riverview area, were especially supportive of F-H and FFA. Lennard concluded the program recognizing his Harvest Awards Committee members: Kathy Curry, Richard Joyner, Mike McKinney, Christine Smith, Michelle Williamson, Stephen Gran, Wesley Joyner, Yvette Lewis, George Parker, Ronda Storms, Commissioner White and Tom Umiker. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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Recipes Courtesy of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Chef Justin Timineri
Florida Flatbread with Tomatoes and Sweet Peppers Ingredients 2 medium or 1 large baked flatbread or pizza crust 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded (or your favorite) ¼ cup fresh basil, hand torn ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated 5 cloves fresh garlic, minced 1 large Florida bell pepper (red, yellow, green or 1/3 of all 3 colors),
seeded and sliced thin 2 medium Florida tomatoes, sliced thin 1 tablespoon olive oil sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread olive oil and garlic evenly over the flatbread. Evenly distribute three-fourths of the two cheeses over the flatbread. Evenly distribute the bell pepper and tomato over the cheese. Add remaining cheese to the top of the flatbread. Season the flatbread lightly with salt and pepper. Bake flatbread on a cookie sheet for 7 to 10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove flatbread from oven and garnish with the hand-torn basil. Cut flatbread into several servings and serve warm.
Creamy Bacon-Mushroom Shrimp and Grits INGREDIENTS 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined grits for 4 servings 3 slices bacon, chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion, finely minced 1 large clove garlic, minced 1/3 cup celery, chopped fine 1/3 cup green pepper, chopped fine
1 sprig fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 1 cup mushrooms, sliced 1 cup half-and-half 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper Dash hot pepper sauce 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice parsley, chopped
DIRECTIONS Prepare grits according to package directions; set aside and keep warm. Fry bacon until crisp then remove from pan and set aside. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan and add olive oil to bacon fat; heat over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, celery, green pepper, thyme, bay leaf and mushrooms; sauté until soft. 52
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Add shrimp and cook until pink and cooked through. Stir in cream, bacon, cayenne pepper, hot sauce and lemon juice; simmer until heated through. In individual bowls or plates, spoon shrimp over grits; sprinkle with parsley and serve. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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Ornamental Gardening in Florida By Ginny Mink We are particularly thrilled about this voyage on the Literary Time Machine because we get to read about Orchids. Perhaps you have never experienced their beauty, both aesthetically and olfactory. If that’s the case, then maybe this piece will inspire you to enter the incredible orchid world that consists of some of the most gorgeous flowers on the planet. Since Mr. Simpson dives right in, we will too. He describes the blephariglottis, or fringed orchids. He writes that they are, “A genus of beautiful terrestrial plants of which five species grow wild in Florida.”¹ He continues, “Most of them live in bogs or lowland and a number have wonderfully fringed lips. Two of the finest species are B. chapmani and B. ciliaris, the latter having brilliant orange flowers and considered by some the handsomest terrestrial orchid in temperate North America.”¹ Bletia verecunda is the next one on his list and he says it has, “an elegant pink or purple flower of large size.”¹ We’re particularly fond of purple, so that orchid sounds grand. But then he suggests a companion to the Bletia, the Calopogon pulchellus. He elaborates, “It grows in our swamps to a height of eighteen inches, bearing a loose spike of large elegant purple flowers. The name Calopogon comes from the Greek and means beautiful beard, the lip having a handsome fringe or beard but of course the modern botanists must change it and now they call it Limnodorum. However, Bailey with good sense retains the old name as he does in many other cases. There are several fine Calopogons in Florida such as C. multiflorum, C. pallidum, C. simpsonii and C. graminifolium all of which are well worthy of cultivation. All grown in lowland.”¹ We kind of like the idea of plant conspiracies that Mr. Simpson seems to be all riled up about. So, we decided to see who “Bailey” is and what the story behind changing the orchid’s name might be. What we discovered, is that Mr. Simpson is probably referencing the work of Dr. Liberty Hyde Bailey. An obituary for this gentleman in the New York Times states that he was an, “internationally renowned botanist, horticulturalist and agricultural educator.”² His accolades are included in the obit stating, “Dr. Bailey’s activities, some of which continued after he was 90, included writing more than 50 books…traveling more than 250,000 miles to collect more than 54
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275,000 plants…”² It is easy to see why Mr. Simpson held the man in high esteem. But what of the Calopogon? From what we can tell, it would appear that Baily might have won out with keeping that “good sense.” In fact, it would also appear that Mr. Simpson misspelled the new name. Perhaps that was on purpose to make a mockery of the change. Unfortunately, we will never know. However, our research on the topic led us to another interesting piece of botanical history. This sentiment, discovered in a very lengthy paper penned by Joseph Arditti (1979) on orchids, is exactly how we feel about them: “In 1678 Jacob Breynius wrote in his compendium “Exoticarum Aliarumque Minus Cognitum Plantarum,” on the extraordinary diversity of orchids: If nature ever showed her playfulness in the formation of plants this is visible in the most striking way among the orchids. The manifold shape of these flowers arouses our highest admiration. They take the form of little birds, of lizards, of insects. They look like a man, like a woman, sometimes like an austere sinister fighter, sometimes like a clown who excites our laughter. They represent the image of a lazy tortoise, a melancholy toad, an agile, ever-chattering monkey. Nature has formed orchid flowers in such a way that, unless they make us laugh, they surely excite our greatest admiration. The causes of their marvelous variety are (at least in my opinion) hidden by nature under a sacred veil (translated by Ames, 1948).”³ Maybe that description will help you better appreciate these intricately designed and wholly delicate flowers. Mr. Simpson certainly did. He continues, “The Epidendrums which are classified as weeds among orchids contain a number of really attractive and worthy species and Florida is rich in them, there being some eight or nine within our borders. E. conopseum is a delicate plant found growing on trees in lowlands…Its dainty flowers, which are produced in abundance, are greenish yellow sometimes tinted with purple. E. nocturnum has long, white, spidery-like blossoms and in E. tampense they are variegated white, brown and purple, beautifully spotted. E. cochleatum has a concave lip that is painted purple and has a greenish striped base reminding one of an old-fashioned pansy or “Johnny-jump-up” as our mothers called it.”¹ WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Did your mom call anything a Johnny-jump-up? A quick search and you’ll first find those bouncy seats you hang in the door frame for your wee ones. Then you might find the Wikipedia description of varying pansies that have acquired the name. Interesting how terms change over time. In concluding the section, Mr. Simpson introduces us to, the H. repens, “the only orchid I know that is wholly aquatic. I have found this growing as a long branch full of bloom and almost entirely immersed in water, its attenuated, white roots wholly unattached.” But, he saves the one he’s obviously most impressed with, for last, “O. luridum is a rank grower with thick leaves sometimes three feet long and slender, arching panicles of marvelously variegated greenish yellow and red brown flowers, the whole sometimes ten feet long! There is an incredible lightness and airiness about this immense, wand-like panicle; it reminds one of a delicately tinted cloud.” Orchids are incredible plants, but learning how to take care of them could be a daunting task. If you want to learn more about them, and how to best grow them, read this: The Orchid Whisperer: Expert Secrets for Growing Beautiful Orchids. Resources: ¹ Simpson, Charles T. (1926). Ornamental Gardening in Florida. Published by the Author; Little River, FL. Printed by J.J. Little and Ives Company, New York. (p. 117-119). ²Obituary in New York Times (1954). Liberty H. Bailey, Botanist, is Dead. http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/ bday/0315.html ³Arditti, J. (1979). Aspects of the Physiology of Orchids. Advances in Botanical Research, Vol. 7. Academic Press, London. Photo Credits: Orchid images provided by David Stewart. Orchids grown and cared for by Virginia Stewart. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FARM BUREAU ANNUAL MEETING Something for Everyone By Jim Frankowiak It was quite an evening. That is the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau annual meeting that began with a great meal of steaks barbecued by Farm Bureau Insurance’s Jeff Sumner and a number of other agents after a special rendition of our National Anthem by Kasey Todd. Following the business portion of the meeting with approval of last year’s minutes and the treasurer’s report, Florida Farm Bureau General Counsel Staci Sims recognized State Representative Jake Raburn as a “Champion of Agriculture” for his support of agriculture through various bills he introduced and supported during the recent state legislative session. “Representative Raburn is both an advocate and leader for agriculture in Florida,” she said. Sims went on to present a “Friends of Farm Bureau” honor to U.S. Representative Dennis Ross for his untiring support of farmers and ranchers throughout the country. “I am pleased to help protect and support farmers and ranchers,” said Ross. “They represent what America is all about.” Recognition continued as Florida Farm Bureau’s Jason Mathis presented County Alliance for Environmental Stewardship (CARES) awards to Kelly Fulford of Southwest Cattle Co., Greg Davis of Speedling Inc. and Travis Council and the Council family of Council Growers Sod. CARES is a statewide program established in 2001 by Florida Farm Bureau to publicly recognize farmers and ranchers who have voluntarily implemented Best Management Practices (BMPs) on their operations to promote environmentally sound and economically viable farming practices. The program also serves to help educate and demonstrate to the public that Florida agriculture is actively involved in protecting our natural resources by implementing sound environmental management and nutrient stewardship practices. “As an industry leader, Speedling’s contributions to agriculture have advanced technology and improved growing operations worldwide, and through their implementation of BMPs, they have shown a commitment to environmental stewardship,” said Mathis. Begun in 2010, Southwest Cattle Co. is a cow/calf operation with registered Brahman Bulls and Brangus cows on the ranch in Odessa. Additionally, Fulford keeps and raises her own heifers and grows and bales her own coastal hay for supplemental feed in the winter. “Kelly is proud that she is helping to feed America, loves the time spent outdoors and her ranch animals, and she is committed to environmental stewardship,” he said. The Council family’s agricultural heritage can be traced to the late 1800s when their great grandfather, Columbus Lee Council, began farming in Manatee County. The current farm was founded by Pat 58
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and Jean Council, who continue their involvement today, with Travis Council and his wife Amber and their teenage children Elijah and Beck producing fresh and juice fruit as well as sod on the farm. “Travis and his family enjoy being outside and growing anything from starting a tree or plant to picking the fruits of their labor. They are committed to protecting and preserving Florida’s natural resources,” he said. Each of the three CARES recipients were presented with outdoor signs signifying their achievements as stewards of the land. Outgoing Hillsborough County Farm Bureau board members – Glenn Harrell, Ron Wetherington, and James Tew – were then recognized for their service and the slate of board nominees was presented to meeting attendees. Following an opportunity for additional nominees, President Kenneth Parker sought election of the proposed board members. All were voted in to office and the new members of the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau Board of Directors are: Will Womack, Michelle Williamson, Dennis Carlton, Jr., Vincent Tort, Melissa Grimes, Marty Tanner, Jim Frankowiak and Buddy Coleman. Young Farmers and Ranchers officers Tiffany Dale and Melissa Grimes presented a report on the past year’s activities of that group, while Michelle Williamson detailed the initiatives of the Women’s Committee. Each encouraged those interested to become involved with their respective groups. IN THE FIELD columnist Ginny Mink was honored as “Newsperson of the Year” for her contributions to telling the diverse story of agriculture in Hillsborough County through the experiences of her children Hazel, Zeke and Jaidyn and their monthly visits to ag operations in the county, entitled “Meet the Minks.” Farm Bureau board member Ron Wetherington then recognized and thanked Hillsborough County Property Appraiser Bob Henriquez, State’s Attorney Mark Ober and county Agribusiness Development Manager Simon Bollin for their attendance and ongoing support of agriculture in the county. He concluded his remarks with the introduction of 2016 Woman of the Year in Agriculture – Judi Whitson – who is executive director of Hillsborough County Farm Bureau, expressing his appreciation for her years of service and the many programs she has helped to introduce and promote in support of the agricultural industry in Hillsborough County and beyond. Whitson is to be formally recognized with her honor by Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam at the 2017 Florida State Fair. President Parker closed the meeting with distribution of a range of donated raffle items to lucky members of the audience. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
The Best Is Yet to Come by Allyson Polston “You never know unless you try.” These are words my parents have instilled in me and my sisters from a very young age. I tried many new things growing up, whether I was dancing, playing softball, or currently showing my registered Brangus cattle, these dedications of my life helped build me to where I am today. Getting out of the shell of my comfort zone was very difficult for me but I know determination can lead to success for my goals. Hi, my name is Allyson Polston. To introduce myself, I am twenty years old, from the beautiful city of Lakeland, Florida, and I attend Hillsborough Community College. I am in my last semester of finishing my Associates of Arts degree. I have applied to the University of Florida and will hopefully be furthering my education in the spring, starting a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Education/Communication and Leadership Development. Agriculture, Brangus cattle, and Jesus are the three things that are my passion in my life. My family and I have been a part of the agriculture/cattle industry for thirteen years; and oh we have learned so much! The industry gave me a responsibility to agriculture, the urge to be outgoing, and a set of problem solving skills, a dedication to hard work, and the confidence to be myself. I personally have been involved with Brangus cattle for nine years. At first, I started out with a market steer for the Polk County Fair and ended up falling in love with showing cattle. Additionally, in 2008 I bought my first Brangus heifer. As of right now, my family and I own twenty head of cattle with quite of few bred and owned babies on the way. As a team, Rocking 3P, our goal is to have all bred and owned calves as our show string. This past year was the closest we have come to meeting that goal. My family and I have traveled all over the state of Florida, to College Station, Texas, to Duncan, Oklahoma, and Hattiesburg, Mississippi to show our Brangus cattle. In the year 2013-2014, I won the Florida Premier Award for Brangus Female along with having the National Grand Champion Female. That year was one of the best years for my family and for our ranch. This past year her full brother won the Florida Premier Award for Brangus Bull along with having the National Reserve Grand Champion Bull. My sister and I are beyond blessed to have these experiences and we welcome the challenge of more accomplishments. As we continue to grow, we will strive to learn more about our cattle and how to make the breed more successful. We strive for quality not quantity. We have discovered the quality of our Brangus cattle are better than having a large quantity of cattle. I dream of one day having a large commercial operation along with a dedicated regisWWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
tered operation. For the past four years I have been lucky enough to represent the state of Florida as a junior board director. This year I am representing as the International Brangus Queen, as well as a Junior Board member. As a board member, not only do I represent my state but the breed I love as well. By being on the board I have been lucky enough to travel all over the United States with some of my closest friends. As a board, we help run shows like the Oklahoma State Fair, the Show of Merit in Shreveport, Louisiana, and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. We also have a fall and spring meeting to plan for our National Junior Brangus Show, along with planning our Legacy Leadership conference we have every odd year. In 2017, we will be having our Legacy Leadership Conference in Haines City, Florida. At this conference we have a lot of fun and have many informational opportunities in store for the group who comes. I get to serve on the board with some amazing people that are learning, just like myself, and get to meet so many breeders with a great knowledge base of the Brangus breed industry. I plan to continue promoting and breeding Brangus after I graduate with my bachelor’s degree and get married. Additionally, I hope to own my own land, this will allow me to breed Brangus cattle for not only myself but for others and younger generations that are interested in showing. I love being able to look at a heifer or bull and think about the possibilities of what it will become in the future, despite whether or not I would want that cow in my herd. The passion I have for the industry and the hope I have for the future of the breed makes me want to help inform others as other people have helped inform me and my family. To add on to this, I recently got engaged to the love of my life and my best friend. In our spare time, which is very rare, we love going to the “Happiest Place on Earth,” Disney World, we love to hang out with our friends, and we both love working with the teenagers in our youth group. I am beyond blessed to have such a supportive fiancé’ that loves to travel and help with my cattle. It takes a team to do what we do and I am very happy to say I have the best team I could ever ask for! As long as you do what you love, with the people you love, winning doesn’t matter, winning is just icing on the cake. I am so enthusiastic about what is yet to come for my future! I want to thank In The Field for giving me this great opportunity to introduce myself. I can’t wait for the future possibilities and I’m so thrilled to start this journey! INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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3 DAUGHTERS BREWING BREWS FIRST CRAFT BEER FROM FLORIDA HOPS TRIAL By Jim Frankowiak
It’s a Blonde Ale brewed by 3 Daughters Brewing, St. Petersburg’s largest brewery. What’s special about this craft beer is that it is the first beer brewed with hops grown at the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/ IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) located in Wimauma in southern Hillsborough County. Cascade Hops, which were used to brew the Blonde Ale at 3 Daughters Brewing, were grown at the center as part of a project funded primarily by a U.S. Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant to determine the viability of Florida grown hops “with specific emphasis on the selection of suitable hop varieties and determining the horticultural practices that can increase yields,” according to study leader Dr. Zhanao Deng, a professor of Environmental Horticulture at the GCREC. The growth of brewing and sale of craft beers in Florida is on a significant upswing with annual sales approaching $900 million and yearly production by more than 150 in-state breweries exceeding 1.2 million barrels. With that growth comes an increasing need for the highest quality ingredients, locally grown, if possible. Hops, one of the primary ingredients for craft beer, have traditionally been sourced from either the northwestern U.S. or imported from other countries. Craft brewers and GCREC researchers felt this growing need for hops presented an opportunity for Florida agriculture and that resulted in the preparation of a proposal for the grant to support further research regarding growing hops in Florida. The team was awarded a grant of nearly $160,000 that led to the construction of a hop yard at the GCREC and a second trial. The initial hops trial at the GCREC included three vari60 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE November 2016
eties of hops plants – Cascade, Hallertauer and Saaz – grown in containers for six months in greenhouses at the center. The Cascade variety was the best performer. “This hops project is an interesting concept in our industry and we support local resources being used for our brewing process,” said Ty Weaver, the head brewer at 3 Daughters’ Brewing who takes pride in brewing complex, authentic and elegantly crafted beers. “Craft brewers and other valuable community organizations in Florida will be positively impacted by the GCREC research in all aspects.” “3 Daughters Brewing spent some time researching the concept and purpose driving the GCREC project, and found interest connected to the research,” said Desiree Chubb, Director of Quality Assurance for 3 Daughters Brewing. “This project is addressing an interesting concept in our industry, and because we admire the integrity and efficiency with which the GCREC uses its resources, we decided to further pursue and donate funds to this project. It proves the GCREC and its hardworking researchers and staffers have a vision and commitment to our industry and the community. Those services provided by the GCREC are valuable and necessary in our present day brewing industry and local farming community.” 3 Daughters Brewing’s Blonde Ale has been well-received by those who have tried it at the brewery. “This Florida Hopped Blonde Ale “shows off the spicy and citrusy notes of the Florida-grown Cascade hop without being overwhelmed by the other ingredients,” said Gerard Walen, author of the book, Florida Breweries (Stackpole Books, April 2014) and founder and editor of the website: BeerinFlorida.com. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
“3 Daughters picked the perfect base beer to add the Floridagrown hop to because the blonde is a well-balanced beer with neither too much bitterness from the hops used nor too much sweetness from the malt,” said Walen. “I’ve been closely following the development of the newborn Florida hops industry as it grows toward a commercially viable venture, and I’m very excited to taste an early version of what I hope will become a commonplace practice among Florida craft breweries – locally sourced hops.” As the largest brewery in St. Petersburg, 3 Daughters Brewing has a tasting room “created to be a fun, relaxed place to experience all the creativity that Tampa craft beers have to offer.” Trivia Nights are held on Mondays, Discounted Growler Fills and Food Trucks on Thursdays and live music on Fridays, Sat-
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urdays and Sundays. The tasting room has 18 taps, showcasing a range of craft beers, plus seasonals, specialty brews “and some of the most innovative, best tasting beer in Tampa Bay.” Tasting room visitors also have the opportunity to visit the 3 Daughters brewery to see the brew house, canning line and fermenters in action. Craft beer tours are available for those who want a more in-depth view of the craft beer brewing process, the story behind the company and the quality lab on site. 3 Daughters Brewing’s craft beers are available across Florida. 3 Daughters Brewing is located at 222 22nd Street, St. Petersburg, Florida 33712. You may also visit: http://3dbrewing. com.
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Fuel your growing season with propane. Irrigation Incentives Available Now
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Dogs of Valor
By Libby Hopkins
Owning a dog can boost your spirits or help you feel less stressed. Dogs can help you feel better by providing companionship. They can also provide a service for those in need. Carol Lansford is a graduate from Valdosta State University with a B.S. in Psychology. “I have since earned a certificate in canine behavioral psychology. During my studies, I completed two internships; one at Dolphin Encounters in the Bahamas and the second at Zoo Atlanta,” Lansford said. “I am passionate about working with animals and have always wanted to use my love for animals to help people.” In 2012, her husband, Justin, was injured in Afghanistan. Justin’s injuries were so severe, that Lansford relocated to Washington, D.C. to help during his recovery. “During Justin’s rehabilitation, I accepted a position as a governmentcontracted service dog-training instructor,” Lansford said. “There are only four federal positions like this in the United States. I worked at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where I taught others to properly train service dogs for wounded service members.” Following two influential years in the service dog training industry and the completion of his physical therapy, Lansford realized she wanted to continue this mission in Florida. She created Valor Service Dogs. “My dream for Valor Service Dogs is to give a higher level of independence and confidence to our nation’s wounded service members through the use of service 66
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dogs,” Lansford said. “I have witnessed, first-hand, the lifechanging effects service dogs have on our wounded veterans, and I understand the impact they can have on their successful transition to civilian life. I have surrounded myself with a board of directors with the same morals and goals as myself and we work incredible well together to ensure the success of Valor Service Dogs.” Valor Service Dogs is a nonprofit organization that helps post9/11 wounded veterans regain their independence, return to civilian life, and maintain successful partnerships through the training and placing of mobility assistance and PTSD service dogs. In addition to aiding their veterans in community reintegration, both physically and psychologically, Valor Service Dogs brings awareness and education to the general public on service dogs, their training, and the laws that allow service dogs to be active members of society. “We use purpose bred golden retrievers from breeders across the country,” Lansford said. “They breed for a specific temperament and health standard. We train using positive training methods. Because some of the service members getting our dogs may have physical limitations or use prosthetic limbs, our dogs need to be completely ‘voice activated.’ This means, we don’t maintain control of the dog through the leash or physical corrections, our dogs respond to verbal cues and commands and they go through WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
many assessments and training stages to ensure their 100 percent reliability.” According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (www. va.gov), “Recovering from PTSD is a process. Evidence-based treatments for PTSD help people do things they have been avoiding because of their PTSD, such as standing close to a stranger or going into a building without scanning it for danger first. Evidence-based treatments can also help people feel better. Dogs can help you deal with some parts of living with PTSD, but they are not a substitute for effective PTSD treatment.” The website also states that dogs can make great pets. “Having a dog as a pet can benefit anyone who likes dogs, including people with PTSD. For example, dogs can help bring out feelings of love. They are good companions. Dogs can take orders well when trained, which means this can be very comfortable for a Service member or Veteran who was used to giving orders in the military.” There is a growing demand for service dogs and the spectrum of injuries is vast. Service dog organizations need to be adapting and growing with the many types of injuries that service members are coming home with. The Tampa VA Polytrauma Center is serving veterans suffering from PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal cord injuries. “I have witnessed, first-hand, the life-changing effects service dogs have on our wounded veterans, and I understand the impact they can have on their successful transition to civilian life,” Lansford said. Valor Service Dogs will be able to provide support for
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the many veterans being treated at this center. Currently, there are no organizations in the Tampa area that offer service dogs that facilitate the transition from military to civilian and home life for wounded vets through both physical and physiological support. A veteran has to be either currently retired or honorably discharged from the military or in the process of separating from the military under the same circumstances (retired or honorable discharged). The veteran also needs to be a continuous treatment program and the organization requires two letters of recommendation from healthcare providers who have helped them during their recovery process. “This is in addition to our application which includes a Skype interview with our licensed clinical social worker and the veteran traveling to Tampa if they are not local for two weeks of training with their new service dog,” Lansford said. “Upon completion of those two weeks, they head home with their new best friend. The veteran keeps their service dog for the dog’s life. When the dog is too old to work, around 12-13 years-old, we retire that dog from service work but the dog continues to live with the veteran as their pet. At this point, they can apply for a successor service dog.” If you would like to learn more about Valor Service Dogs or if you would like to donate to the foundation, you can visit their website at www.valorservicedogs.org or call Lansford at 813-982-0147.
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An Update and More By Jim Frankowiak
Harvest Computerized Robotic Optimized Obtainer (CROO) Robotics began as a corporate entity in 2012 to help find a practical solution to the growing agricultural challenge of unreliable human labor. It is a technology company focused on revolutionizing the agriculture industry with automation. An automated strawberry picker is well along the way of development and undergoing advanced testing of the very latest technology for agricultural robotics. Gary Wishnatzki, co-founder of Harvest CROO and owner of Wish Farms, is very familiar with the need for an automated system for harvesting strawberries as a means to resolve the labor challenge. His vision combined with the expertise of Chief Technical Officer and co-founder Bob Pitzer are guiding the transformation of ideas and concepts into reality. Wish Farms traces its beginnings to 1900 when Harris Wishnatzki immigrated to New York City from Russia. He began selling produce from a push cart which led to the start of a wholesale business in 1922. Eventually the family became involved in produce buying in Central Florida and moved to the area in 1929. Wish Farms has continually evolved it’s operations through innovative procedures and strategic partnerships with its growers. Six years ago, the company launched its consumer brand, Wish Farms, featuring Misty, the Garden Pixie. Wish Farms is nationally recognized for quality and innovation, growing both conventional and organic varieties and is a year round supplier of strawberries, blackberries and blueberries. Wish Farms utilizes How’s My Picking?, a patented tool for traceability to ensure quality by tying consumer feedback to specific information from each day’s harvest. Third generation family-owner Gary Wishnatzki takes pride in continuing his family legacy while fostering the company’s core values of quality, integrity and responsiveness. Pitzer, who is from Sarasota, joined the U.S. Navy out of high school and spent six years as a Nuclear Machinist Mate in submarines. He then attended Manatee Community College for a year and moved on to the University of Florida, receiving his undergraduate degree 70
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in Mechanical Engineering. While at UF, he started the subjugator team and built the first robot submarine entered in the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International Student Submarine Competition. After receiving his degree, Pitzer joined Intel Corporation, serving as a mechanization design engineer for nearly five years and then formed his own engineering consultancy 4FX Design, as well as being associated with several startup companies, including one owned by Gary Wishnatzki. Several years after working together on that startup, Wishnatzki and Pitzer met over lunch and began discussions which eventually led to the founding of Harvest CROO. As additional automated strawberry picker principles are proven through field testing, the prospect of Harvest CROO Robotics offering agriculture relief from the growing pain and unreliability of human labor becomes more imminent. Strawberry growers in the U.S. spend more than $750 million each season for harvesting strawberries. “Some of our principles were proven our first year with the prototype I call our green tractor or Berry3,” said Pitzer. “As we prove out more principles related to other aspects of berry production and harvesting, we are fast approaching the vision for an automated system “that does not require growers to radically change the way they currently grow. That is the major reason other robotic harvesters have not yet been commercialized.” The initial prototype mimics the way humans currently pick strawberries. “Our goal has been to develop robots that pick as many berries as possible while utilizing conservation of motion,” said Pitzer. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
The core of this capability is the picking wheel known as the Pitzer Wheel which conserves motion while offering full rotation of robotic picking heads. The wheel has several claws which pick the berries. Adding to that challenge was the development of ways to locate the berries, determine if they are ripe for harvesting, pick them, inspect them once picked and then move them up into a packaging system. The picker uses two cameras, one positioned to identify the berry’s color, mass and site to determine whether it should be picked or not. The second camera pinpoints the berry via triangulation enabling the claw to pick the berry and move them into the packing system. This season, improved harvest speed and the autonomous mobile platform that will carry the robotic pickers through the field will be tested. Once picked, strawberries will be transferred overhead the platform level where they will be inspected and packed into consumer units. “We have accomplished our selection and picking techniques, and I anticipate our Alpha unit will be available for harvest and packaging testing during the 2017 season,” said Pitzer. “We anticipate building five more units for the 2018 season proving our capability to harvest 30-acres per day. The following season, we will provide our initial production models to our investors for their use.” In the meantime, Pitzer and his colleagues have much to do. “Work needs to be done on our Global Positioning System (GPS) capabilities so that the field GPS layout can be input into the harvester,” he said. “This will be done by punching holes into the plastic where the strawberry plants will be planted and having those locations on our harvester’s GPS map for harvest reference within ¼-inch.” Statistically at present the Harvest CROO prototype system “requires 8-seconds to inspect and pick a strawberry plant, our goal is an intelligent system able to speed up or slow down the process as needed,” said Pitzer. Picking time initially averaged 1.5-seconds to pick an individual berry and we have improved that to an average of .5 seconds.” WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Harvest CROO also plans to develop modular system components for its harvesters. “Reduced weight, speed of operation plus assembly of harvesters proximate to the fields where they will be used are additional important considerations for us over the near term,” said Pitzer. Attesting to the progress of Harvest CROO Robotics and its automated strawberry picker comes from several sources. Investors, which include Sweet Life Farms, Sam Astin III, California Giant, Inc., Main Street Produce, Inc., Sweet Darling Sales, Inc., Innovative Produce Inc., DG Berry Inc., Central West and Naturipe Berry Growers, now represent more than 20 percent of the U.S. strawberry industry. Most recently, Harvest CROO and its initial project have been named one of six finalists in the annual technology competition of the Western Growers Association (WGA). Pitzer will be a guest of the WGA at its annual meeting in Hawaii where the top technologies will be unveiled. “Our confidence continues to grow as we continue to prove out our initial concepts and ideas,” said Pitzer. “I believe our projection for production models in two to three years is a goal that is readily attainable.” While strawberry crops have been the initial focus of Harvest CROO, “many of the principles we have proven and technology that we have developed can be applied to other crops such as tomatoes,” noted Pitzer. “I anticipate that within 20 years, all of the fresh market harvesting will be done by robots.” For more information, visit: www.harvestcroo.com.
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Fire Pit Fiascos with Friends
By Ginny Mink
I started laying out the resources that we have for the purpose of creating that chicken coop we keep talking about, but we are still in need of additional wood and roofing materials. So, in an effort to do something productive on the property, and make my way-too-city-kids get out there and enjoy the green grass, sweet air, and mosquitoes, we decided on a different project this month. Amazingly, I made the decision to build a fire pit prior to the temperature drop. However, it was great to see that we will eventually be able to enjoy a nice fire out in the crisp fall air. I’m more excited about that than these words can convey. Hazel on the other hand, was significantly less than thrilled. That changed though when the neighbor’s eldest daughter came over to help. We love having the ability to add people to our adventures, so please find great honor in meeting Solara Rose (she’s 3). We had gathered all the materials to design our fire pit and were busy carrying them to the back yard, when from the back porch I heard Hazel squeal in her queen-of-the-whine voice, “I don’t wanna do work! I hate work and this is work!” I suspect she probably stomped too. Thankfully, right about that time my most appreciated neighbor, Shannon, came around the back side of the house with her girls. Zeke, who had steadily been carrying one brick at a time suddenly became Mr. Stud in front of the girls. He began stacking the bricks up like Jaidyn. “I’m strong.” He proclaimed, beaming. And, in reality, I was kind of impressed by his three year old muscle and machismo. He’s not supposed to be trying to get the attention of girls yet though! Guess that’s what I get for 74
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birthing a blonde hair, blue eyed boy. Huh? Solara took note of the camera, and me eagerly snapping away, and she was soon involved in the brick hauling and design layout. Hazel was the director. Now that shouldn’t surprise anyone; she thinks she’s queen after all. Yes, forget being a princess, she gave herself a promotion. “Put that one here, Solara,” she instructed and Solara would pause in front of my lens before doing what she was told. Zeke, ever the master of his own drumline, began putting the bricks wherever he thought was a good position. That messed up the design and before long he was being severely chided by Madame Queen. “That’s not where that goes Zekiel!” Hazel screamed, kind of getting his full name right in the midst of it. Solara just kept working and smiling at the camera. It was really quite amusing. Initially we thought we ran out of bricks, but then we recalled the ones we had stacked on the back porch where Hazel had thrown her hissy fit. The kids were quickly back to delivery duty. Well, actually it was just Zeke and Solara doing the work as Hazel was still overseeing the process. I have failed to mention J much in this piece because he was caught up in putting the actual fire pit together. Per typical maleness, he was not interested in looking at the instructions and was frequently misguided. Well, not really, I think there were only like 5 pieces, but I was giving him a hard time nonetheless. I am good at that. I mean really, what else are moms for? Of course, J’s favorite part about creating a back yard fire pit WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
is the fact that I let him light the fires. My brother, the Burned Guy, happens to be quite gifted in the realm of fire starting and has taught J well. Unfortunately, J had no luck starting the blaze that first night. And the other two did not quit bothering about it until they were finally able to get it going Tuesday. They were less thrilled by the burning fire than the ability to roast marshmallows. Sadly, Solara has yet to join us in that endeavor. Zeke says he likes the fire pit and that building it was “good” but then he reminds me, “You din’t even get to roast a arshmellow.” Once again, that’s no typo, I’m just trying to convey Zeke to you as best as I can. He’s all about the roasted marshmallows, but when he bit into his first one from the fire pit he was less than enthusiastic having gotten a mouthful of ash. He promptly spit it out and made very unattractive faces. It was a good thing the neighbor’s girls weren’t there to see that. He might have lost points in their eyes. Hazel tells me, when recalling the building of the fire pit, “I liked playing with Solara, nothing else.” When I gave her a cockeyed look she added, “I like roasting marshmallows.” She then rolled her eyes at me and refused to discuss the matter any further. Dear Lord, help me with this child! For the grand conclusion, I asked J about his experience. He replied, “I don’t know. What do you want from me?” Sounds like a pretty typical teenage response I guess. I can tell you all, I’ve got my hands full, and since it’s just me and them these days, we will definitely welcome your prayers! And, if all goes well, maybe, just maybe, there will be a chicken coop on the horizon. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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Research Plots Results Lynn Barber, Florida-Friendly LandscapingTM Agent What is Florida-Friendly Landscaping™? It is a quality landscape that is designed, installed and maintained according to the nine Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ (FFL) principles. The nine principles are: Right Plant Right Place: Reduces the need for water, fertilizer, pesticides and pruning by selecting plants suited to your site conditions Water Efficiently: Once established, water only when your plants need it. Efficient watering is the key to having a healthy Florida yard and reducing runoff. Fertilize Appropriately: Use slow-release fertilizers to fertilize your landscape. Over-utilization of fertilizers can be hazardous to your yard, the environment and Florida’s water resources. Mulch: Maintain a two to three inch layer of mulch to help retain soil moisture, prevent erosion, suppress weeds and regulate soil temperature. As organic mulch decomposes, it adds nutrients to the soil. Recycle: Leave grass clippings on your lawn and reduce fertilization from two or three times each year to one or two times each year. Yard trimmings make an excellent, no-cost mulch for your landscape beds or for composting on-site. 76
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Control Yard Pests Responsibly: Spot treat as needed using the most environmentally friendly product. Unwise use of pesticides can harm people, pets, beneficial organisms (99 percent of all insects) and the environment. Reduce Stormwater Runoff: Water flowing off your yard can carry fertilizer, pesticides, grass clippings and other debris that can harm water quality. Pervious surfaces allow for stormwater infiltration. Examples of pervious surfaces include landscape beds, rain gardens and pervious pavers. Impervious surfaces, like many sidewalks and driveways, promote stormwater runoff. Attract Wildlife: Plants in your yard that provide food, water and shelter can attract Florida’s diverse wildlife and increase the variety of species that live in your landscape. Protect the Waterfront: Waterfront property, whether on a bay, river, stream, pond or beach, is very fragile and should be protected. Leave at least a ten foot buffer strip between your landscape and the waterway where no fertilizer and no pesticide is applied. These principles seek to reduce environmental impacts from landscaping by properly applying water, fertilizer and pesticides, creating WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
wildlife habitats, preventing erosion, recycling yard waste and utilizing other practices based on the University of Florida’s research. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Center for Landscape Conservation & Ecology, conducted a three year research program in Gainesville from July 27, 2013 through July 14, 2016. The purpose of the research was to compare a traditional landscape to a Florida-friendly landscape. The most significant result was the amount of water used:
perennial garden and Girl Scout pollinator garden) and at home. How can you utilize the nine principles of the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ program to make a difference in your community and landscape? Please visit our website for workshop and gardening information at: http://hillsborough.ifas.ufl.edu. For assistance with horticultural questions, call: 813-744-5519 or stop by our office, the UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, 5339 County Road 579, Seffner, FL 33584. Please remember to reduce, reuse, recycle and repeat. The information contained in this article regarding the research results is from the Dr. Gail Hansen, Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology, University of Florida.
Water used and water costs were more than five times higher in the traditional versus Florida-friendly landscape. Labor hours and costs were similar, but slightly less in the Florida-friendly landscape. There was less labor involved in the Florida-friendly landscape in several areas and more in others. Those areas where less labor was involved included: fertilizer and herbicide applications, irrigation maintenance, mowing, edging and leaf blowing. The Florida-friendly landscape required more time spent on mulching, hand weeding, hand watering, pruning and plant replacement. This is because landscape beds versus traditional turfgrass are mulched, pruned, hand watered, etc. However, overall, there was less labor involved in the Florida-friendly landscape than the traditional Florida landscape. I teach FFL principles and utilize them at work in our teaching gardens (Bette S. Walker Discovery Garden, Garden Goodies garden, WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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Naturally A Closer Look Amazing Activities
Petroglyphs
by Sean Green
Rocks have been an important natural resource for our earliest ancestors, not only for tool making and crop technology, but also for art and communication. Petroglyphs (rock engravings) were likely the earliest form of artistic and intellectual expression. Stone carving and engraving is an ancient activity in which rough stone or rocks are shaped by chipping, grinding, and sanding to control the shape or image in a stone. Petroglyphs are found world-wide, the permanence of stone provide us with evidence that literally every society in from our earliest civilizations were engaged in some form of stone work. The word Petroglyph comes from the Greek word petro-, theme of the word “petra” meaning “stone”, and glyphein meaning “to carve.” This month we will created a small Petroglyph, or engraved stone that can be made from any good skipping stone you find out in the wild. There are a number of things that can be done with the Petroglyph once it’s complete. It can be made into a necklace pendant, part of a stone trivet, or a simple decoration for the mantle. Petroglyphs usually have a tribal appeal but can be quite elegant depending on the design. If you do not have a Dremel tool to engrave with, an impressive image can still be made on the stone with acrylic paints or drawn on the stone with a permanent marker.
Materials:
Smooth Stones (skipping stones) Permanent marker Dremel Tool Dremel Grinding bits (Disk and Conical)
Dremel Diamond Point Bits Acrylic Paint (optional) Dremel sanding bit (optional) Dremel Buffing pad (optional) Bees Wax (optional)
• Draw a rough pattern on your stone as a guide for engraving • Lightly outline the pattern on the stone with a grinding bit (you do not have to stay in the lines) • Once you have the basic image on the stone, use the edge a disk shaped grinding bit to deepen the outline • Refine the image by using conical bits for wide smooth marks, disk bits for deep ridges, diamond bits for fine detail.
Optional
If you want a natural look, do nothing more to the stone than wash it off with water and let it dry. The stone can be sanded and buffed with the appropriate bits. For a shiny look an application of bees wax will bring out natural color in the stone and give it a polished appearance. If you have done relief work on the stone such as an image of an animal painting the stone with acrylic paints will add a touch of realism that can be pretty impressive.
813-767-4703 301 South Collins Street, Suite 101, Plant City, Florida 33563
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A Closer Look
by Sean Green
False Burnet Moths (Urodidae) Urodidae is a family of moths commonly known as false burnet moths. Both the caterpillar and the adult form are pretty drab. Adults are considered micromoths with wingspans less than 20mm. The small wingspan makes them harder to identify by external markings, consequently, these moths are still largely misunderstood. These moths have been reclassified in at least three different families of Lepidoptera just in the past 28 years. DNA sequencing efforts are providing more accuracy in the identification and classification of insects but for the time being, Urodidae is considered a superfamily of moths that consist of three genera and 65 species worldwide, most of which occur in the neotropic ecozone characterized by an abundance of tropical rainforests. South Florida falls within the neotropic ecozone. The tropical hammocks that are scattered throughout our state can be regarded as miniature tropical rainforests; a habitat rich in biodiversity and a critical need to adapt effective strategies to survive.
Our natural world is filled with wonders that go unnoticed in our daily grind. Enchantment is concealed not in the extraordinary, but rather in the ordinary. Believe it or not, some of our most fascinating natural treasures can be found right at our feet when we take the time to take a closer look. This month we are featuring a rather homely neotropic moth. It’s not particularly colorful or impressively large. This moth is not distinguished as a rare or endangered species that warrants any special conservation status. It is not a remarkably destructive pest to any of its host plants and it’s modest adult form will seldom draw a second look. If however, you are lucky enough to find one of these moths at just the right time in its metamorphosis, you may find this humble moth hard to ignore. For many of us, one of earliest fascinations of the natural world was finding a butterfly or moth cocoon. A strange papery sleeping bag that a majestic winged insect would emerge from. The process of metamorphosis is taught in school at an early age and you may have even had a chrysalis or cocoon to watch in the classroom. The fascination that began in childhood never fades for some of us; in fact, it becomes more astonishing as we continue to discover the treasures our lifelong adventure can offer. There is a particular moth that for the most part is pretty dull but, when it comes to its transformation, it is hands down the champion of awesome. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Like other moths, Urodid moths pass through four distinct stages of development in a complete metamorphosis. The pupa stage is the final stage of the metamorphosis and the pupa is enclosed in an impressive net like cocoon rather than a solid sleeping bag like cocoon that is common for nearly every other species of Lepidoptera. The unique construction of the cocoon is thought to accommodate the heavy rainfall that is common in tropical and subtropical eco regions. A net like cocoon enables rainfall to travel through the cocoon without flooding and drowning the pupa. Pupae breath throughout their metamorphosis and as you could imagine, would drown if a solid cocoon were to fill up with water. In addition to the unique construction of the cocoon, the Urodid moth suspends it’s cocoon from a single thread on the underside of a leaf rather than attaching itself to a twig or rolling itself up in a leaf. This strategy is thought to protect the pupa from aggressive ant species that are common in tropical regions. The bottom of the cocoon has an escape chute from which the adult moth emerges when metamorphosis is complete. These fascinating characteristics are unique only to moths within the Urodidae family. Central and North Florida are the southernmost reaches of the nearctic ecozone that extends north through the rest of the continental United States. Because there is a transition from the neotropic ecozone, we enjoy a unique variety of tropical, and subtropical ecosystems that provide a reasonable environment for Urodid moths outside the neotropic ecozone. The species we are most likely to see in central Florida is the Bumelia Webworm Moth (Urodus parvula). They can be found in dry open forest glades, and sometimes along streams or swamp. Larvae feed on a variety of native Florida shrubs and trees such as Gum Bumelia (Bumelia lanuginosa), Gum Bully (Sideroxylon lanuginosum), various Hibiscus, Beeches, Oak, Laurel, Citrus, and Milkweed and are active most of the year but particularly abundant in the winter and spring months. The weather is cooling and hiking in Florida will become more comfortable. The cooler weather will slow the activity of mosquitoes, biting flies, and snakes giving you more opportunity to enjoy the hike and take the time to take a closer look. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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Francisco Rivera
By Jim Frankowiak
NEW SMALL FARMS/ALTERNATIVE ENTERPRISES AGENT JOINS EXTENSION Francisco Rivera, a native of Puerto Rico, has joined Hillsborough County Extension as the Small Farms/Alternative Enterprises Agent with responsibility for planning, developing, implementing, evaluating and reporting on educational programs that focus on small farms and alternative enterprises. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines small farms as those with annual sales of $250,000 or less. Farms so designated in Florida make up approximately 15 percent of all farm product sales in the state, and they have gained greater visibility as an important sector of the agricultural industry nationwide. Small farmers and representatives of allied organizations consider access to profitable markets, business skills development, accessible technical information and alternative crops and enterprises as “critical issues” they face. Among Rivera’s Extension responsibilities are the establishment of a local program advisory committee and working with agencies and organizations that are concerned with the needs and well-being of small farmers and local food systems. In addition to working with diverse clientele, Rivera will also relate to governmental agencies at the local/regional/state levels, environmental groups and organizations, and agricultural property owners, assessing needs and developing priorities to be addressed through Extension educational programs. Prior to joining Extension, Rivera was associated with Camera Mundi, Inc. in Puerto Rico for six years working in the development science special projects division. Camera Mundi is the largest and most comprehensive provider of products, equipment, materials and services to the educational sector in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, fulfilling the needs of educational institutions, their students, parents, teachers and administrators. Rivera counts the project “Characters Counts P.R.!” as one of his best experiences while with Camera Mundi. That project “improved my skills in the areas of leadership, presentation development, public and government relation-building, organization and planning,” he said. The project is geared towards the education community, including government, directors, teachers, parents and students. “As Master Trainer I prepared staff to deal with difficult and emotional situations 82
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related to the audience, made presentations and generated progress reports researching educational needs for school decision makers and future educators. The outcome of this project was an improvement in students’ academic performance and behavior.” Rivera also served as an education consultant for Camera Mundi’s Careers and Technical Education, Early Education and Science Department. Additionally, he served the company as an agricultural consultant, helping to develop diverse agricultural projects designed to teach pre-K, elementary, middle and high school students and educators. A native of Garrochadec, Rivera, who is fluent in both English and Spanish, also has “hands on” farm experience through work at his grandfather’s 80-acre dairy farm. Once settled in the area, he hopes to become a farmer in addition to his Extension duties. Among his Extension program areas are sustainable agriculture methods, agricultural marketing, rural resource conservation and protection, least toxic pest management and regulatory requirement for agricultural production. Rivera’s work may also include programs relating to rural/urban interface, intensive small scale agricultural and small farm livestock/forage production. Added responsibilities include supporting local farmers’ markets and urban farms in addressing food accessibility, as well as contributing to 4-H Youth Development programming. Rivera is an alumnus of the University of Puerto Rico with undergraduate and graduate degrees in General Agriculture and Animal Science. He also has a Master of Business in Accounting from Universidad Metropolitana. He is married to Kimberly Cavan and they have a two-year-old daughter Alena. More information about the Small Farms/Alternative Enterprises programming at the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension - Hillsborough County is available by visiting: http://hillsborough.ifas.ufl.edu. Phone: 813/744-5519 WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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Classifieds
Tel: 813.759.6909 Info@inthefieldmagazine.com ROUND BALES
Pangola Hay Call Dale 863-229-9876 or John 407-448-5608
ANIMALS & NEEDS ANIMAL & BIRDCAGES
Equipment serving the fur bearing animal & exotic bird industry! Cages built to order. Wire by roll or foot. (813) 752-2230. Call Don Ammerman. www.ammermans.com July 17, 2016, Nov. 27, 2016
CHICKEN MANURE FOR SALE Dry and available IMMEDIATELY! Call Tim Ford (863) 439-3232
BRAND NEW HUSTLER RAPTOR
FMC 352
Air Blast Sprayer. Good condition. $3,500.00 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
Zero Turn Mower 52” cut, 23hp. Kohler engine, 3 year warranty. $2,999 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
7X15 LAWN TRAILER
BRAND NEW HUSTLER X1
Used Lawn Trailer with aluminum plate tool 60” cut price was $10,356 buy now box. 5ft tongue & heavy duty gate. $1,650 Call for $8,800. Call Alvie 813-759-8722 Alvie 813-759-8722
2015 MAHINDRA EMAX TRACTOR
CATTLE FOR SALE
26 producing Angus/SimAngus cows / exposed to bulls. 2 Angus bulls / SS Objective sire. 16 ft WW Gooseneck stock trailer. Losing lease / Must Move. Make offer on group. 863-667-4828
BUILDING SUPPLIES
4wd with 60” mid mount mower. 39 hours, warranty. $9,950 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
HUSTLER RAPTOR
42” cut, 21 hp Kohler engine. 3 year warranty. $2,799 Call Alvie (813) 759-8722
FOR RENT
METAL ROOFING
Thousands of 8ft. & 10ft. sheets. In Stock. Prices from $6 and up. Custom lengths available. 813-752-7088 ask for Ferris.
LAWN EQUIPMENT/ SUPPLIES
Millcreek Pine Bark Row Mullcher. For blueberry farms, six yard, PTO drive need at least a 30hp tractor. Call 863-604-2526 for rental details.
PRODUCE
FRESH PRODUCE
Forbes Road Produce. Open everyday from 7:30am - 8pm. Forbes Rd. & I-4 @ exit 17. Come out and see us!
REAL ESTATE METAL WAREHOUSE
3200 sq. ft. Metal warehouse for lease. Located in E. Bartow off of highway 60. For more information call 863-221-0986
ALUMINUM
We have all your aluminum needs! Screen Room, carports & awnings. Call Blake (813) 752-3378
FOR SALE
WINDOW SCREENS
We make window screens of all sizes available in different frame colors. Call Ted(813) 752-3378
CABINETS
All wood kitchen cabinets. All wood vanities. Granite counter tops. Custom made to your size. Call Blake 813-752-3378
HESSTON 3710 TEDDER
Priced to sale. Call Alvie 813-759-8722 ROSSI CADDY 8 HAY RAKE Call Alvie 813-759-8722
T-111
FOR SALE
4X8 sheets 4” on center. $26.95 Call Blake 813-752-3378
KITCHEN CABINETS & VANITIES
MOBILE HOME TUBS
Metal brand new in bo 54” Mobile Home Tubs Call Ted (813) 752-3378 $199.00
CALL FOR A WINDOW QUOTE. We
are a Simonton/MI Windows dealer. Our windows are energy star, lifetime warranty. Call Broke & Poor 813-752-3378
FARM EQUIPMENT TAYLOR WAY TILLER DISC Plow - good condition. $1750.00 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
TYM T723PS TRACTOR
74hp 4X4 Cab with loader & grapple rake. $22,500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
NEW HOLLAND TC40D
2004 4X4 40hp. HST Transmission. $8,750 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
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Get quality all wood cabinets for less than the BIG Box STORES! Call Today! Ask for Blake. (813) 752-3378
DOORS & WINDOWS SPECIAL ORDER No upcharge. House & Mobile Home. Many standard sizes in stock. Ask for Blake. (813) 752-3378
JOBS
17 acre blueberry farm, turn-key operation. Located near hwy 98 & 54. Polk & Pasco line. Over 24,000 plants, 12” well. equipment, everything you need. $285,000 Call 863-604-2526 or 863-689-5458
SERVICES CALLER ON HOLD
A low cost service that enables you to communicate important information about your business to customers while they are on hold. No monthly payments or annual payments. Call today and ask for Al (813) 763-2220
MISC. FREE
Wooden Shipping Pallets All sizes! Call Alvie 813-759-8722
RUBBER MULCH
All Colors, buy 10 bags, get 1 FREE! is looking for agriculture/tractor mechanics $8.99 a bag. Call Ted (813) 752-3378 at both the Bartow & Plant City locations. Having own tools is a plus. Pay based on skill and ex- HAVE SOMETHING TO SELL? Call us today! 813-759-6909 perience. Call Bartow at 863-537-1345 or or email us: info@inthefieldmagazine.com Plant City at 813-759-8722 Let us help you get rid of it!
GROVE EQUIPMENT SERVICE
Now Hiring Experienced Barn Builders” 813-754-1766 DELIVERY DRIVER NEEDED
For tractors and agriculture equipment. CDL class “A” license required. Pay based on skill and experience. Call Alvie @ Grove Equipment. 813-759-8722
November 2016
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EFFECTIVE PEST CONTROL
STARTS WITH PAL ADIN® Start the strawberry season with Paladin ® soil fumigant for broad-spectrum control of weeds, nematodes, and soil-borne diseases. Since 2012, growers in Hillsborough County have relied on Paladin® fumigant to effectively control sting nematodes, purple and yellow nutsedge, and charcoal rot. And Paladin® has proven cost-effective while delivering high yields.
We are committed to providing our growers and distributors up-to-date information on proper product stewardship for successful use. To learn more, visit our website or contact your local distributor.
paladin.com
Paladin® soil fumigant is a restricted-use pesticide. Always refer to and follow the federal label requirements for crops, specific use rates and application directions.
WWW. HEFIELDtrademark MAGAZINE.COM Paladin isIN a Tregistered of Arkema.
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