INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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We are OPEN and ready to continue our great customer service. The rumors are true. We have sold our Western Wear clothing side to Russell’s Western Wear. But we are still here at the same location to supply our customers with feed and outdoor supplies as we have since 1978. Please excuse our dust as we are still finishing a few upgrades. Look forward to seeing everyone!
A Plant City landmark since 1978, Southside Feed & Outdoor continues a family tradition in Purina Feed, Farm & Pet supplies as well the largest selection of YETI, Green Mtn Pellet & Green Egg Grilles & Garmin Tracking Collars.
813-752-2379
Mon. - Sat.: 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
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Feed & Outdoor
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3012 S. Jim Redman Pkwy. (Hwy. 39 S) Plant City, FL • SouthsideStores.com INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
November 2020
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NOVEMBER 2020 VOL. 16 • ISSUE 1
CONTENTS SPROUSE FAMILY STRAWBERRY FARM
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Hillsborough County Farm Bureau 305 S. Wheeler St. Plant City, FL. Office Hours: Mon. - Fri. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Insurance Services: 813-685-5673 Member Services: 813-685-9121
Cover Photo by Karen Berry PAGE 10 City Farming
PAGE 30 News Briefs
PAGE 16 Hillsborough County Fair Results
PAGE 35 Mustard Greens
PAGE 18 Fishing Hot Spots PAGE 22 Rocking Chair Chatter
PAGE 37 Rooted Property Maintenance PAGE 40 Companion Tools PAGE 44
PAGE 24 State Officer Column
Vestaron
PAGE 46 John Dicks
PAGE 27 HCSO
PAGE 48 Endangered Species
PAGE 29 Grants
OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE PAGE 52 Literary Time Machine
PAGE 54 Scott Angle PAGE 55 A Closer Look PAGE 58 Dr. Jim Mertely PAGE 59 Farm Labor Education PAGE 60 House Plants PAGE 62 AG-venture
PAGE 64 Brooks Parrish
Hey Readers!
Hidden somewhere in the magazine is a No Farmers, No Food logo. Hunt for the logo and once you find the hidden logo you will be eligible for a drawing to win a FREE No Farmers No Food Sticker. Send us your business card or an index card with your name and telephone number, the number of the page which you found the logo and where on the page you located the logo to the address below
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InTheField® Magazine P.O. Box 5377 • Plant City, Fl. 33566-0042 *Winners will be notified by phone. You Too Can Be A Winner!
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Dennis Carlton, Jr.....................President Jake Raburn................Vice President Tony Lopez..............Treasurer Buddy Coleman..................Secretary DIRECTORS FOR 2018 - 2019 Christina Andrlik, Carl Bauman, Jake Cremer, Tiffany Dale, Carson Futch, Jim Frankowiak, Chip Hinton, John Joyner, Lawrence McClure, Sambahv, Vincent Tort, Will Womack, Gayle Yanes
Judi Whitson, Executive Director 813-685-9121 Farm Bureau Insurance Special Agents
Valrico Office 813-685-5673
100 S. Mulrennan Rd., Valrico, FL. 33594 Tommy Hale, CLU, ChFC, CASL, CPCU Agency Mgr. Julie Carlson, Amy Engle
Plant City Office 813.752.5577
305 S. Wheeler St., Plant City, FL 33563 Jeff Summer Artis Griffin
Tampa Office 813.933.5440
6535 Gunn Highway, Tampa, FL.33625 Greg Harrell, Jared Bean
AGENCY MANAGER Thomas O. Hale WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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STAFF
Letter from the Editor Oh this year keeps getting better and better. As I write this, Tropical Storm Eta is doing some weird things in the Gulf of Mexico. Having already hit Florida once, it seems it will make a U-Turn of sorts and hit Florida once again.
Also, a human case of West Nile virus was confirmed in Hillsborough County. If you are like me, mosquitos love you. What can you do to avoid getting bit, since this is how the virus is transmitted?
• Drain water from garbage cans, house gutters, buckets, coolers toys, flower pots or any other containers where water has collected. • Empty and clean birdbaths at least once or twice a week • Protect boats and vehicles with tarps that don’t accumulate water • Maintain and appropriately chlorinate swimming pools • Cover skin with clothing or repellent
Of course there are more things you can do to prevent mosquito bites. A quick online search will help you would.
I hope you enjoy Thanksgiving with your family and friends. Some may think the blessings of this year are hard to find, but they are there.
Thank you to our advertisers. You all allow us to continue to cover what’s growing!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Sarah Holt The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. - Numbers 6:25
Publisher/Photography Karen Berry Senior Managing Editor/ Associate Publisher Sarah Holt Editor Patsy Berry Sales Karen Berry Sarah Holt Melissa Nichols George Domedion Creative Director/Illustrator Juan Alvarez Photography Karen Berry Staff Writers Al Berry Sandy Kaster James Frankowiak Sean Green Ginny Mink Breanne Williams Anita Todd Contributing Writers Woody Gore John Dicks Social Media Victoria Saunders
In The Field Magazine is published monthly and is available through local Hillsborough County businesses, restaurants, and many local venues. It is also distributed by U.S. mail to a target market, which includes all of the Greenbelt Property owners, members of the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau and Strawberry Grower’s Association. Letters, comments and questions can be sent to P.O. Box 5377, Plant City, Florida 33563-0042 or you are welcome to email them to: info@inthefieldmagazine.com or call 813-759-6909 Advertisers warrant & represent the descriptions of their products advertised are true in all respects. In The Field Magazine assumes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers. All views expressed in all articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Berry Publications, Inc. Any use or duplication of material used in In the Field magazine is prohibited without written consent from Berry Publications, Inc.
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Published by Berry Publications, Inc.
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THANKSGIVING A Special Time of the Year
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY
-Dennis Carlton Jr. - President
Greetings: Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of the year. It’s a special time to spend with the ones we love and to be thankful for all that God has given to each of us. I think we would all agree that 2020 has been a challenging year, to say the least. Our families, friends, farmers and ranchers have all faced obstacles because of the pandemic and all the challenges it has sent our way. That gives us an opportunity to be ever more thankful for the blessings that we do have in our lives. I urge that we all take the time and list the many things that we should be thankful for. I believe that would help brighten our outlooks as we move forward toward the end of the year. I Chronicles 16:34 says “O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good; for His mercy endureth forever.” I pray that everyone has a special Thanksgiving, spending it with the ones you love. I’m sure that will be the case with the Sprouse family. They are multi-generation strawberry growers and their story is included in this edition of IN THE FIELD. George and Pat came together thanks to strawberries and they have enjoyed a good life despite some significant challenges and ongoing hard work. I encourage you to read about them and what might be the third generation of their family to become involved in growing strawberries and carrying forth their legacy. That’s their grandson Colton and though he’s only 10 years old he is considered “one of the hardest working members” of the farm team.
Earlier on I mentioned the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges it has brought before all of us. That prompts me to remind you that the most recent information on the pandemic is available at the Florida Farm Bureau website: https://www.floridafarmbureau.org/covid-19-resources/. That site is updated continuously as new information becomes available. Let me close by expressing my appreciation to the many families that volunteer their time and talent in support of many different Farm Bureau initiatives. They have enabled Hillsborough County Farm Bureau to be effective as the “Voice of Agriculture.” If you and your family would like to become advocates for agriculture, please contact our office to learn of both the opportunities available and the benefits membership offers. You can either email us at: www.hcfarmbureau.org or call our office in Plant City at 813/685-9121. Your membership will help increase the volume of the Voice of Agriculture. Thank you, be safe and Happy Thanksgiving. Dennis Carlton, Jr.
Dennis Carlton Jr. Dennis Carlton Jr. - President
305 SOUTH WHEELER STREET • PLANT CITY, FL 33566 • 813-685-9121 Board of Directors
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Dennis Carlton, Jr. , President; Jake Raburn, Vice-President; Tony Lopez Treasurer; Buddy Coleman, Secretary; Christina Andrlik, Carl Bauman, Jake Cremer, Tiffany Dale, Carson Futch, Jim Frankowiak, Chip Hinton, John Joyner, Lawrence McClure, Sambahv,Jay Marty Tanner, Vincent Tort, Will Womack, Gayle Yanes Judi Whitson, Executive Director
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Celebrating a most fruitful relationship
between Florida Strawberry Growers and International Paper.
1979
Together we’re sure to enjoy many more years of sweet success.
711 E. Lancaster Rd Orlando, FL 32809 (407) 855-2121
1996
2402 Police Center Dr Plant City, FL 33566 (813) 717-9100 6706 N. 53rd St Tampa, FL 33610 (813) 744-2220 Sales: Dean Fultz (901) 355-5197 or Jim Johnson (813) 205-0355
2001
2003
Present
©2018 International Paper Company. All rights reserved.
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City Farming
By Libby Hopkins D.J. Roy got into urban farming in 2014 when he started an aquaponics system to raise Tilapia for a sustainable food source. He is the owner of Sunshine Urban Farm in Tampa. “My love and passion for sustainability and knowing where my food comes from really grew out of doing aquaponics,” Roy said. “I started with a small backyard in the USF area and now Sun Shine Urban has grown to three acres five minutes from Ybor City and 10 minutes from downtown Tampa.” Sunshine Urban Farm is an Earth-friendly farm. They only use 100 percent sustainable farming practices. They never use pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics or synthetic fertilizers. They raise happy, healthy free-range chickens, grow healthy food and are proud to produce zero waste. Sunshine Urban Farm’s mission is to change the way farming is done. “Sun Shine Urban farm is different from other urban farms in that we are Tampa’s first, fully self-sustaining and carbon negative farm,” Roy said. “We raise chickens and pigs in a closed loop horticulture system, meaning we grow food for people and our animals. We strive to support our animals on locally grown food.”
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Closed loop-horticulture is the same as closed loop recycling, which is the process by which a product is used, recycled, and then made into a new product, therefore not ever entering landfill. This means that these waste types are better for the environment than those that are recycled but have to be mixed with virgin materials to make new products and those that can’t be recycled at all.
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There are many benefits to closed loop recycling. According to the website, Temarry Recycling (https://resource.temarry. com/blog/the-top-5-benefits-of-closed-loop-recyclingand-recovery) “The benefits are nothing is wasted. This means materials or substances are converted to a new raw material, which can then be used in another manufacturing process. This indefinite process can provide many cost-savings features. Closed Loop Recycling offers many benefits for companies who want to incorporate reducing natural resource consumption into their sustainability initiatives. Sunshine Farm offers a closed loop recycling program. “We also have our close the loop recycling program where we accept food waste, yard waste and certain types of cardboard,” Roy said. “This recycling program is free so it is a great opportunity for business to promote their commitment to going green and maintaining a sustainable way of business.” Food waste is split into two categories. “We have food waste that can be used as a supplemental food source for our animals and we have food waste that gets mixed with yard waste and cardboard to create compost,” Roy said. “Having Sunshine Urban so close to the city, we have been able to build some really great connections for yard waste and cardboard. Collecting food waste on the other hand has proven to be our most difficult challenge in the close the loop-recycling program. All of our foods waste currently comes form individuals in the community. We would love to work higher volume businesses that have food waste that they would like to put to good use instead of throwing it in a landfill.” WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Local business and individuals can get involved in the program by contacting Sunshine Urban farm on facebook.com/ sunshineurbanfarm or emailing Roy at sunshineurbanfarm@ gmail.com. “As we come into Florida winter, we also have lots of volunteer days on the farm if people want to come out and get their hands dirty,” Roy said. Roy loves working his farm and finding creative ways to be sustainable. “There are so many things I love about farming, but if I had to pick my absolute favorite it would have to be the constant challenge of finding creative and sustainable solutions to problems that farms face,” Roy said. “I believe local farming is key to helping the global warming crises that we are facing. If we had more local farms to produce the food cities need we could cut down on so much waste. Further more,
If you would like to learn more about Sunshine Urban Farm you can visit their website at www.sunshineurbanfarm.com.
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in our country’s current social and economical predicament, I believe local farms provide a food safety net. So much of food people eat today is not grown locally. If something happens to disrupt this food distribution, communities without local farms could go hungry. So, I think supporting your local farms is incredibly important if not a necessity to a community’s well being.”
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1325 E Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. 10.48+/- Acres, Seffner, Florida Zoned AS-1 with a Future Land Use of R-4 on E Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Existing zoning across the street consists of BPO, CG, and a future land use of LI-P (light industrial). The land features scattered oaks and open pasture with a fully treed perimeter, providing privacy for a secluded homesite. $324,999.00
Reed Fischbach, Licensed Real Estate Broker Blaise Lelaulu, Licensed Real Estate Associate Melissa Raburn, Licensed Real Estate Associate
813-540-1000
FischbachLandCompany.com
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Information provided on properties is as accurate as possible. Fischbach Land Company does not guarantee the accuracy thereof. All parties shall conduct their own due diligence, research, inspection, and records to come to their own conclusions.
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GCREC FACULTY AWARDED SPECIALTY CROP GRANTS
By Jim Frankowiak The University of Florida (UF) Board of Trustees has awarded Specialty Crop Grants to three faculty members at the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC). The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funds projects which increase the competitiveness of specialty crops, including fruit, vegetables, tree nuts and horticulture and floriculture. Dr. Sriyakna Lahiri, Assistant Professor of Entomology was awarded a $294,854 grant for thrips management in strawberry and pepper production. Dr. Amr Abd-Elrahman, Associate Professor of Geomatics was awarded $135,066 for improving water-use efficiency through surge irrigation schemes and plant monitoring technologies. Dr. Feng Wu, Research Assistant Scientist Ag Economics was awarded $159,933 for the impact of Mexican competition on the Florida tomato and strawberry industries; industry trajectories and solutions. The U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is the overall funding source for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.
2020 FLORIDA AG EXPO CANCELLED
Organizers of the Florida Ag Expo, an annual trade show with educational seminars for vegetable and specialty crop growers, have decided to cancel this year’s event amid COVID-10 concerns. The one-day event takes place annually at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) of the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) located at Wimauma. Ag Expo is managed by AgNet Media. The annual gathering began in 2006.
The date for the 2021 Florida Ag Expo has been set for November 17. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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Greater Hillsborough County Fair
By Jim Frankowiak STEER RESULTS Grand Champion Carter Howell Reserve Champion Gabby Howell Grand Champion County Bred - Alivia Rivera Reserve Champion County Bred - Eliana Holt
3rd - Alivia Rivera Intermediate Showmanship Grand - Shalee Conrad Reserve - Gabby Howell 3rd - Tucker Conrad Junior Showmanship Grand - Bella Ballard Reserve - Maddox Sewell 3rd - Tytan Gill
Class 1 1st - Keegan Smith, Marshall FFA 2nd - Owen Skinner 3rd - Colton Skinner 4th - Karlie Arocho Class 2 1st - Madi Lefler 2nd - Phillip Futch Plant City FFA 3rd - Marissa Johnson 4th - Fallon Lanteigne 5th - Mason Lefler Class 3 1st - Blake Zajac 2nd - Madelyn McClellan 3rd - Michaela Carmichael 4th - Dixie-Lee Bailey
Junior Grand Champion - Ellie Smith Reserve Champion Jayde McConnell 3rd - Jackson Sturgis
Class 5 1st - Gabby Howell 2nd - Case Watson 3rd - Tyson Griffin 4th - Jamie Paris 5th - David Bradley Class 6 1st - Shalee Conrad 2nd - Alivia Rivera 3rd - Dakota LaPointe 4th - Caroline Crim Mulrennan Middle FFA 5th - Carly Varnum
Class 8 1st - Maddox Sewell 2nd - Mariah Austin 3rd - Harlee Miller 4th - Caden Mittan Class 9 1st - Bella Ballard 2nd - Eliana Holt 3rd - Gracelyn Grooms 4th - Cassidy Eramo
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Senior Showmanship Grand - Mariah Austin Reserve - Carter Howell
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Showmanship Senior Grand Champion Owen Baylor Reserve Champion Justin (Wyatt) Zinke 3rd - Avery Ashley Intermediate Grand Champion - Jaylynn Wood Reserve Champion - Levi McDonald 3rd - Kace Zinke
Class 4 1st - Joseph Vanegas 2nd - Morgan Chancey 3rd - Alleigh Goff 4th - Grace Kirby
Class 7 1st - Carter Howell 2nd - Tucker Conrad 3rd - Tytan Gill 4th - Jonathan DePaz Simmons Career Center
SWINE SHOW Grand Champion Jayde McConnell Reserve Champion Ellie Smith
4th - Logan Ausburn Strawberry Crest FFA 5th - Tyler Goethals 6th - Maci Davis 7th - Hannah Rice 8th - Colt Johnson Class 5 1st - Keegan Smith Marshall FFA 2nd - Faith Satterfield 3rd - Makayla Baker 4th - Cody Rice 5th - Ryan Rice 6th - Tori Allen Newsome FFA 7th - Ella Strickland 8th - Alex Griffin Class 6 1st - Avery Ashley Durant FFA 2nd - Ava Swindle 3rd - Taylor Smith 4th - Justin (Wyatt) Zinke 5th - Jeremiah Stewart 6th - Lacey Merrell 7th - Savannah Rice 8th - Landon Futch Class 7 1st - Jaylynn Wood Turkey Creek FFA 2nd - Julia Jones 3rd - Spencer Baylor 4th - Braxton Willis 5th - Tyson Griffin 6th - Kali Daniels 7th - Nick Claussen
Class 1 1st - Jayce Ware 2nd - Jackson Sturgis 3rd - Brenna Sturgis 4th - Olivia Payne 5th - Beau Ware 6th - Bentley Bridges 7th - Kortney Whitmer 8th - Ava Futch 9th - Desiree Schmidt
Class 8 1st - Ellie Smith 2nd - Haley Jones 3rd Zachary Cobb 4rd - Imogen Lanzetta Randall FFA 5th - Owen Baylor 6th - Jessie Parker 7th - Jacob Collins 8th - Caroline Crim Mulrennan Middle FFA
Class 2 1st - Jayde McConnell 2nd - Mariah Austin 3rd - Justin Boyette 4th - Ashley Mitchell 5th - Kennedy Schreit 6th - Eli Griffin 7th - Chesnee Wink
Class 9 1st - Payten Christie 2nd - Emma Leiss Tomlin FFA 3rd - Camryn Brown 4th - Abigail Mullis 5th - Olivia Lawton 6th - Brylynn Newsome 7th - Kayla Hanson
Class 3 1st - Dakota Grigson 2nd - Kace Zinke 3rd - Levi McDonald 4th - Briley Wyatt 5th - Hannah Perry 6th - Hallie Peacock 7th - Kaylee Hudson
Class 10 1st - Georgia Kimbrell 2nd - Dylan Karnowski 3rd - Bryce Runkles 4th - Gabija Davila 5th - Caris Schneider 6th - Blake Chancey 7th - Bailee Lawrence 8th - Evan Vogt 9th - Macy Bodwell
Class 4 1st - Alyssa Chancey 2nd - Brody Cook 3rd - Gabby Howell Hillsborough Federation November 2020
Class 11 1st - Kiah Swilley 2nd - Cassidy Eramo
3rd - Gillian Matheson 4th - Raegan Hyder 5th - Ciera Diaz 6th - Clayton Brown 7th - Lyla Bent 8th - Raeleigh Morris Steinbrenner FFA TURKEY SHOW Grand Champion Tori Allen Newsome FFA Reserve Champion Camryn Brown MARKET LAMB SHOW Grand Champion - Mackenzie Paul Reserve Champion - Avery Ashley Durant FFA Showmanship Senior Grand Champion - - Avery Surrency Reserve Champion - Shyanne Wood 3rd - Chloe Howard Junior Grand Champion - Jaylynn Wood Reserve Carter C. HerndonStalvey 3rd - Levi Sampson Intermediate Grand Champion - Abigail McGuin Reserve Champion - Avery Ashley 3rd - JG Smith FFA Novice Grand Champion - Ty Polk Reserve Champion - Gabriel Holt 3rd - Georgia Kimbrell Class 1 1st - Mackenzie Paul 2nd - Levi Sampson 3rd - Abigail McGuin 4th - Cooper Davis 5th - Plant City Sr. FFA 6th - Bailey Polk 7th - David Ferrell 8th - Avery Surrency Class 2 1st - Gabriel Holt 2nd - Savannah Rice 3rd - Georgia Kimbrell 4th - Kierlyn Parham 5th - Emma Leiss Tomlin FFA 6th - Bryan Ferrell 7th - Gideon Miller 8th - Ryan Rice Class 3 1st - Ty Polk 2nd - Jacob Collins 3rd - Carter C. HerndonStalvey WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
4th - Esdras Vanegas 5th - Shyanne Wood 6th - Jaylynn Wood Turkey Creek FFA 7th - Marlee Howard 8th - Cody Rice Class 4 1st - Avery Ashley Durant FFA 2nd - Jayde McConnell 3rd - Chloe Howard 4th - J.G. Smith FFA 5th - Nick Claussen 6th - Kenzie Palmer 7th - Austin Holcomb 8th - Brock Sampson BEEF SHOW Showmanship Seniors 1st - Mariah Austin 2nd - Carter Howell 3rd - Cassidy Eramo Intermediates 1st - Case Watson 2nd - Shalee Conrad 3rd - Jayden Mathena 4th - Frank McBride Juniors Bella Ballard Tucker Conrad Sawyer Price Steers Grand Champion - Mariah Austin Reserve Champion - Spencer Baylor 1st Place Winners: Colton Skinner Delaney Buch Ava Hasting Spencer Baylor Cassidy Eramo Mariah Austin LIGHT-WEIGHT HEIFERS Grand Champion - Bella Ballard Reserve Champion - Gabrielle Howell 1st Place Winners: Bailee Lawrence Sawyer Price Gabrielle Howell Casey Willis Bella Ballard Beckham Hasty HEAVY-WEIGHT HEIFERS Grand Champion - Case Watson Reserve Champion - Shalee Conrad 1st Place Winners: Bella Ballard Shalee Conrad Mariah Austin Case Watson Cassidy Eramo
Senior Showmanship Grand - Nadia Rhoton Reserve - Morgan Chancey Intermediate Showmanship Grand - Emma Leiss Reserve - Carter C. HerndonStalvey 3rd - Levi Sampson Junior Showmanship Grand - Shelby Southerland Reserve - Jackson Sturgis 3rd - MacKenzie Paul Novice Showmanship Grand - Harleigh Clark 3rd - Adelyn Jensen Supreme Champion - Emma Leiss
3rd - Harleigh Clark 4th - Cooper Stewart 5th - Plant City FFA
Yearling Ram Lamb 1st - Colby Holcomb 2nd - Khali Booth
Black Face 1st - Mackenzie Paul 2nd Mackenzie Paul 3rd - Danielle Miller 4th - Tomlin Middle FFA 5th - Nadia Rhoton 6th - Chloe Howard 7th - Ty Polk 8th - Reid Patino 9th - Lexi Costello 10th - Jonathan DePaz 11th - Anna Cook
2-Year-Old Ram Rare 1st - Kaysie Kropik
Rare 1st - Tomlin Middle FFA 2nd - Chloe Dudzinski 3rd - Jerelle Franklin 4th - Keely Wells 5th - Gabriel Arce
POULTRY SHOW
EWES Grand Champion Black Face MacKenzie Paul Reserve Champion Black Face - Levi Sampson Grand Champion White Face - Emma Leiss Reserve Champion White Face - Emma Leiss Grand Champion Rare - Morgan Pelham
2-Year-Old Ewe White Face 1st - Jackson Sturgis 2nd - Brenna Sturgis 3rd - Nancy Yang
Late Spring Ewe Lamb Black Face 1st - MacKenzie Paul 2nd - Makayla Watson
3-Year-Old Ewe White Face 1st - Shelby Southerland 2nd - Carter C. HerndonStalvey 3rd - Tomlin Middle FFA
White Face 1st - Emma Leis 2nd - Emma Leis 3rd - Cade Brock 4th - Plant City FFA 5th - Bailey Polk 6th - Carter C. HerndonStalvey 7th - Josie Clark 8th - Jackson Sturgis Rare 1st - Morgan Pelham 2nd - Chloe Dudzinski 3rd - Jerelle Franklin 4th - Keely Wells 5th - Gabriel Arce Early Spring Ewe Lamb White Face 1st - Emma Leiss 2nd - Shelby Southerland 3rd - Adelyn Jensen 4th - Makinley Jensen 5th - Ty Polk Black Face 1st - Levi Sampson 2nd - Makinley Jensen 3rd - Bailey Polk 4th - Marissa Pelham
Black Face 1st - Nancy Yang 2nd - Brendan Flores 3rd - Morgan Chancey 4th - Makayla Watson
Black Face 1st - Brock Sampson 2nd - Ricky Kaeterle Aged Ewe (Born before 10/31/16 and less than 6 years of age) White Face 1st - Brenna Sturgis 2nd - Ruca Thoton Rare - Kaysie Kropik RAMS Grand Champion - Plant City FFA Reserve Champion - Cooper Stewart Late Spring Ram Lamb White Face 1st - Plant City FFA 2nd - Brenna Sturgis 3rd - Jackson Sturgis 4th - Nancy Yang
YEARLING EWE LAMB
Rare 1st - Cooper Stewart 2nd - Kaysie Kropik 3rd - Kaydence Booth
White Face 1st - Emma Leiss 2nd - Shelby Southerland
Early Spring Ram Lamb 1st - Jerelle Franklin 2nd - Chloe Dudzinski
White Face 1st - Cooper Stewart 3-Year-Old Ram White Face 1st - Plant City FFA 2nd - Morgan Chancey 3rd - Kaysie Kropik
Commercial Best of Show Jonathan Joyce Simmons FFA Commercial Hen Rhode Island 1st - Jonathan Joyce Simmons FFA Barred Rock 1st - Marielis Oquendo Simmons FFA Australorp 1st - Jonathan Joyce Simmons FFA William Walker Simmons FFA Purebred Bantam Cock Sebright Reserve Champion Bantam Modern Game Best of Variety Megan Dempsey Old English Best of Breed Sarah Rogers Japanese Bantam Best of Variety Addison O’Brien 1st - Jayden O’Brien 2nd - Addison O’Brien Dutch 1st - Carter Manis Purbred Bantam Cockerel Reserve Champion Bantam Mikayla Mazza D’Uccle 1st - Mikayla Mazza 2nd - Mikayla Mazza Silkie 1st - Reid Patino 1st - Reid Patino Dutch 1st - Carter Manis 2nd - Carter Manis 3rd - Cartis Manis Leghorn Reserve Champion Bantam Vanessa Smith continues on pg. 38
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BREEDING SHEEP SHOW
Tampa Bay Fishing Report December 2020 Capt. Woody Gore
The Tampa Bay area is genuinely blessed with an abundance of residential canals, back-bay fishing, and inshore channels. Not to mention all the inshore reefs, so when it comes to fishing in December, the bay area anglers are lucky because they never have to go too far when looking for fish. The fish seem to acclimate to the lower tides and feed all day with little or no weather concern. Fishing around the grass flats also begins heating up with plenty of good sight fishing. Live baits are occasionally unnecessary, especially with all the artificial lures available in today’s arsenal of fishing tackle. If you’re looking for larger fish during the colder water months, it can help to take along a few dozen large live shrimp.
Snook: If snook is your species of choice, the bay and its tributaries offer plenty of excellent fishing. There are so many areas that hold this prize, it’s hard to take the time to find new ones. This coming year I intend to concentrate on learning new unlikely places for snook. For some reason, the grass always seems greener on the other side of the street and the same holds true when it comes to fishing. We’ve often seen redfish tournament anglers make multi-mile runs to catch the same fish they are running past; it doesn’t seem to make much sense to me. Some great snook fishing is located in your own backyard; just take time to learn the areas. Redfish: Red fishing should still be okay
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Capt. Woody Gore (www.captainwoodygore.com)
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with some schools found on the flats and in and around the mangroves looking for food. You should be able to find a few big fish in skinny water, but locating them does require a bit of exploration. On both sides of the bay, start by looking for healthy, shallow grass flats with lots of bait and larger mullet schools. Find a big school of mullet and they are usually frequented by schooling redfish. One of the keys to finding fish is shallow flats with narrow cuts and larger sandy-potholes. This type of flat can be dissected and studied, particularly during low tides.
November 2020
When the water is so low, you cannot reach the potholes where they stage and feed during low tide. Therefore, you need to find their access lanes for getting back to the deeper holes during low tide. Find these access lanes that funnel water onto and off the flat and you have an avenue back to the potholes. If you cannot use the same access because it’s too shallow, you can set up an ambush point and be ready when the tide turns to come out. The trick is learning exactly where to be and at what time. If you can get close enough, simply pull up to the bar and start throwing chum; live and dead baits will work. But you can also catch plenty of fish on jigs and jerk baits, for the simple reason of having the ability to cover more water. A good color preference is new penny, camo, and white.
Trout: Sea Trout fishing has been off the wall this year, especially around deeper rocky bottoms and lush grass flats with sandy potholes. Windy, changing weather, and overcast days, incoming water is a favorite time for avid trout anglers. Live greenbacks, shrimp, or artificial lures will do the trick. Early morning grass flats with
a MirrOlure’s Top Dog Jr. or a MirrOdine will produce some excellent sized fish, including the occasional snook or redfish.
Kingfish, Spanish mackerel, Bonito, and Bluefish: Cold fronts should bring
the traditionally high winds. As the water temps fall with each passing weather 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 or inside the bay. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
“Give Me a Call & Let’s Go Fishing”
813-477-3814
Capt. Woody Gore operates Tampa Bay’s #1 Outdoor Fishing Guide Services. Guiding and fishing Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater areas for over fifty years, he offers first-class customer service, family-oriented charters, and a lifetime of memories.
Visit his website at www.captainwoodygore.com or send an email to fishing@captainwoodygore. com or give him a call at 813-477-3814. Member: FOWA-Florida Outdoor Writers Assoc., MemberSEOPA Southeastern Outdoor Press Assoc. CEO/Pres. Sport-Fishing Unlimited & Outdoor Communications, Outdoor Writer & Speaker
From our family to yours, wishing you a
Happy Thanksgiving
Come see what’s NEW at Fancy Farms Market Delicious Strawberry Desserts - Using Family Recipes Full Selection of Produce and our Flavorful Strawberries And Much More
Produce Stand: 5204 Drane Field Rd. | 813.478.3486 or 813.754.4852 | FancyFarms.com INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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With every generation,
we get better at protecting our environment.
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Reclamation ecologists like Ashlee work to return mined lands to productive use as wildlife habitats, public parks and more—so future generations can enjoy these lands for years to come.
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Cats spend 66% of their life asleep Macadamia nuts are toxic to dogs All insects have 6 legs An ostrich’s eye is bigger than it’s brain Birds need gravity to swallow A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21 inch tongue Camel’s milk doesn’t curdle Fire usually moves faster uphill than downhill Frogs can’t swallow with their eyes open Elephants are the only mammal that can’t jump A hummingbird’s heart beats at over a 1,000 times a minute Cows don’t have upper front teeth Apples are more effective at waking you up in the morning than coffee It’s physically impossible for pigs to look up at the sky A group of frogs is called an army The only animals that purr are cats Small dogs usually live longer than larger breeds
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Sponsored by:
FAMILY OWNED AND OPERATED SINCE 1971
HOPEWELLFUNERAL.COM YOUR AROUND TOWN SPONSOR Editor’s Note: This Rocking Chair Chatter was originally printed in the November 2014 issue
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Elderly People The last I heard the doctors say he will walk again, but most likely will have a limp. A few months back I was having breakfast at the Hole-In-TheWall restaurant on the square in downtown Blairsville, Georgia. Now eating at the Hole-In-The-Wall is an experience all in itself, but to visit with the hometown folks is something else. I was eating some of their famous thick country fried ham, eggs and grits and overheard the old folks next to me talking about why it takes older folks longer to answer a question. Gafford, as he is known to his friends, hit the nail on the head when he said, “Us old folks have so much information in our brain that it takes longer for us to access it. Older peoples brains don’t get weak, the problem is, they simply know more, and it takes more time to figure out what to say.” From there the conversation went on to what they did last week. Fred spoke up with a brilliant thought, “Last week I got to thinking about when I grew up. I drank my bottled water out of a garden hose. And that’s not all. I think this recession is just dragging on. I don’t give a rip what they say on TV, it’s still rough as a cob out there. I always ask if they have a senior discount.” Zeke jumped in with full agreement. He said, “As a rule, I try to avoid all the fast-food restaurants because I’m not a real big fan of explosive diarrhea or clogged arteries, but I have to admit some of them kick out a good breakfast real cheap.” “Did you hear Clovis’ wife left him?” Zeke said. “He told me the other day he asked his wife what she would do if he won the lottery!” She said, “I’d take half, then leave you.” “That’s good,” he replied. “I won $20.00, here’s $10.00…I’ll see ya.” If you’re ever passing through Blairsville, stop in at the “HoleIn-The-Wall” for breakfast downtown at the square around the historic courthouse. These guys are usually there for a couple of hours.
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Have you heard the story of the man that could never find the time to fix his lawnmower? His wife kept hinting to him that he should have it fixed. But, somehow he always had something else to do first, the boat, working in the shed, playing golf…he always had more important things to do. Finally, she thought of a clever way to make her point. When he arrived home one day from playing golf with his buddies, he found her seated in the tall grass busily snipping away with a tiny pair of scissors. He watched for a minute, and then went into the house, and came back and handed her a toothbrush. He said, “When you finish cutting the grass, you might as well sweep the driveway.”
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I enjoy those clean and simple jokes, like George, the farmer, that had so many children he ran out of names. To solve the problem he started calling his kids after something around his farm. It was the first day of school and the teacher asked each child their name. When he got to farmer Georges’ son, the boy replied, “Wagon Wheel.” The teacher said, “I need your real name boy.” The boy replied, “Sir, my name is Wagon Wheel.” The teacher, rather annoyed replied, “Okay young man, take yourself right down to the Principal’s office this minute.” The young man pushed himself out of his chair, turned to his sister and said, “C’mon ‘Chicken Feed’, he ain’t gonna believe you either!” Have you ever wondered why men are seldom depressed? Think about it. Men are happier people. Your last name stays put. You can never be pregnant. You can wear a white T-shirt to the water park. The world is your urinal. People never stare at your chest when you’re talking to them. Phone conversations are over in 30-seconds flat. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase. Your underwear is $8.95 for a three-pack. The same hairstyle lasts for years. You only have to shave your face and neck. You can do your nails with a pocketknife. You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24th in 25 minutes. If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah. If Mike, Dave and Chuck go out, they will refer to each other as Fatboy, Bubba and Wildman. A woman marries a man expecting he will change, but he doesn’t. A man marries a woman expecting that she won’t change, but she does. I remember my mother telling me she was taught in a very small school, where several grades were often in the same classroom. There was no indoor plumbing in the building and the bathroom was an outhouse behind the school. There was one thing she said she could not figure out. She said, “We had to raise our hand and speak when called upon. But the funny part was when we wanted to go to the out-house, we raised our hand with one finger up for #1, and two for #2. For the life of me I never could figure out why the teacher wanted to know which bodily function was necessary, but that was the way it was!” In closing remember you don’t stop laughing because you grow old. You grow old because you stop laughing. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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November State Officer Column By Emma Poole and Christian Bentrovato
Since we were elected as state officers, the one thing we’ve been anxiously awaiting is being able to connect with students. This month, that dream finally came true as we began virtual hangouts! Emma and Morgan Raper (Area 1 State Vice-President) had a Denim and Diamonds themed hangout where they encouraged members to dress up or dress down to tell fun stories, listen to some good classic country music, and have a question and answer session about state office and FFA. It was a wonderful time! Christian and Parker Kruse (Area 3 State Vice President) had a Hawaiian Shirt Night themed workshop where they connected with several members and discussed some interesting topics. This year, it’s been kind of hard to see an end in sight for the Coronavirus, and for us, it’s all about focusing in on the positive interactions we’ve been able to have instead of thinking about whatever opportunities we might have missed out on. Being able to spend time with the students during these hangouts has shown us that, regardless of the circumstances, there are wonderful opportunities to connect with people. All we have to do is seek them out and take advantage of these opportunities! Over the past couple days we have gotten to participate in the National FFA Convention virtually. One of the cool activities that state officers get to be a part of during convention is being delegates. This is an amazing opportunity that not many FFA members get to be a part of, in fact only 17 members (including us the state officers) get to do it here in the state of Florida. While we wish we were all in Indianapolis celebrating the year with everyone from around the county; we are happy that we get to be a part of history in attending the first ever virtual National Convention and the largest online celebration of its kind in the world. As we look toward the future we hope we will be able to safely return to normal in the coming years and gather together in Indiana once again.
As we write this article, we’re together in Gainesville preparing to release some exciting new virtual opportunities for students and take part in meeting new people and having valuable experiences at National Convention. During the first day, October 27, we kicked off an amazing virtual convention with messages from the Governor of Texas, the United States Secretary of Agriculture, and many other notable guests. Together we celebrated our American degree recipients, our Honorary American degree recipients, and our national finalists in Agriscience Fair and Proficiency Awards. This week will be an exciting time of connecting virtually with members across the nation and honoring our national finalists. Our national officers have been engaging and enthusiastic about the national convention experience. We know that they have had an unexpected year, but they have remained strong throughout all of their experiences and we’re so glad they can have their time to shine during the virtual convention! We are excited for our National Officer Candidate, Artha Jonassaint, from Okeechobee, as she moves into the final round of interviews with the potential to become a national officer. Although the experience is virtual, we’re still so excited to be able to celebrate National FFA together. When we entered this experience as state officers, we didn’t know what twists and turns this year would take. Although we never could have anticipated that we would be where we are today, we will forever be grateful for this experience. We’re thankful for our community who supports us faithfully throughout this journey, and we can’t wait to share with you more of our exciting adventures in the coming months. Until then, stay safe and we can’t wait to check in with you again next month! Signing off,
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Emma Poole and Christian Bentrovato
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TEENAGER ARRESTED ON MULTIPLE FELONY CHARGES The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 16-yearold in connection with a stolen ATV and UTV, which were later used to drive over rows of soon-to-be strawberries at a local farm. On October 21, 2020, deputies responded to an undisclosed residence on Bethlehem Road in Dover in reference to a stolen ATV. They discovered tire tracks at a nearby strawberry field, leading out to the road. The suspect fled south on Bethlehem Road. A UTV was also reported stolen that same day from a home on Sydney Washer Road in Dover. The suspect later took both the stolen ATV and UTV to vandalize Astin Farms, located at 3610 Holloway Road in Plant City. They drove through rows of what would be strawberries in the coming months, causing approximately $3,000 worth of damage, according to HCSO’s Agricultural Crimes Unit.
on a podcast episode of “Keeping It 100 with Sheriff Chad Chronister.” To listen, you can download episodes to your mobile device via Apple Sheriff Chad Chronister Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, Stitcher, and iHeartRadio. Episodes are also available on teamhcso.com. “Keeping it 100 with Sheriff Chad Chronister” is a monthly podcast that highlights various individuals and community partners who are dedicated to making Hillsborough County the best place live, work and raise a family. It debuted in January 2020.
Deputies were able to locate the stolen ATV at another residence on Calhoun Road in Plant City. William McDougal, 16, was inside the home and confessed to stealing the vehicles. He also admitted to driving into Astin Farms. “Through investigative measures and help from technology, our patrol deputies and Agricultural Crimes Unit worked together to make a quick arrest on this suspect,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “This individual not only stole from innocent victims, but he also put the livelihoods of farmers in jeopardy for his selfish actions. October is a critical month for strawberry farmers who are just putting plants in the ground for harvest later this year and into next year.” McDougal is charged with Grand Theft Third Degree ($10,000$20,000), Burglary of an Unoccupied Structure (x5), Grand Theft Third Degree ($750-$5,000) (x2), Dealing in Stolen Property, Trespass on Property Other than Structure or Conveyance, Criminal Mischief $1,000 or More, Grand Theft Motor Vehicle (x4), Burglary of an Occupied Dwelling, and Grand Theft Third Degree ($5,000-$10,000). This is not McDougal’s first run-in with law enforcement. He has been arrested more than a dozen times, which includes a recent burglary spree in Hillsborough County. Anyone with information about an agricultural crime happening on a local farm or ranch is asked to call (813) 247-8200. #teamHCSO’s Agricultural Crimes Unit was recently featured
To report a crime on your farm or ranch, or to provide information about a case the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is investigating, please call (813) 247-8200. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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FLORIDA FARM WORKERS URGED TO BE TESTED FOR COVID-19; FREE TEST SITES OPEN By Jim Frankowiak
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension (UF/IFAS) and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) are encouraging agricultural workers to be tested for COVID-19. Farmworkers have access to numerous no-cost COVID-19 testing events in some of Florida’s top agricultural counties. Support for these tests is provided in part by FDACS, the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) and county governments. Testing services will continue as funding, demand and availability allow. Here are the times, days and address of where to get tested in Hillsborough County: • San Jose Mission (migrant labor camp), 13524 E. Dr. Martin Luther King Drive, Dover Days: Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays Times: 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. (Wednesdays and Thursdays), 10 a.m. to noon (Saturdays)
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
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To find free test sites in your area, call the department of agriculture and consumer services at 1-800-HELP-FLA, and for Spanish speakers 1-800-FL-AYUDA (1-800-352-9832).
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DISTRICT AWARDS GRANTS TO SCHOOLS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FOR WATER RESOURCES EDUCATION PROJECTS
The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) awarded more than $97,000 in grants to 43 educators within the District as part of the Splash! school grant program. The program provides up to $3,000 per school to enhance student knowledge of freshwater resources in grades K-12. Splash! grants encourage hands-on student learning through STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities as well as engagement of the greater school community through awareness campaigns. Each school district allocates a portion of their annual youth education funding provided by the District to support the Splash! grants in their county. The District awarded grants to the following schools/ teachers in Hillsborough County: • Bailey Elementary School - Roland Jackson • Bryan Elementary School - Karen Beck • Dr. Carter G. Woodson PK-8 School - Tekila Lindsay • Davis Elementary School - Terri Stevens • East Bay High School - Michelle Laycock • Excelsior Prep Charter School of Tampa - Debra Gwyn • Heritage Elementary School - Jean Josephson • King High School - Sonia Coleman • Riverview Elementary School - Judy Der • Sickles High School - Brooke Brammer • Tampa Heights Elementary Magnet School - Krystal Greenberg • Terrace Community Middle School - Elizabeth Mila • Warren Hope Dawson Elementary School - Pamela Vasquez • Wilson Middle School - Kenneth Coogan Grants are available for freshwater resources field studies, water-conserving garden projects, community or school awareness campaigns and on-site workshops. Last year’s Splash! grants brought water resources education to 5,478 students throughout the District.
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NEWS BRIEFS
Compiled by Jim Frankowiak
FARM BUREAU MEMBERS SAVE ON PRESCRIPTION COSTS
Florida Farm Bureau members save an average of 60 percent on brand name and generic prescription drugs for their entire household, including pets, the ScriptsSave WellRX. Visit www.wellrx.com/FloridaFB and sign up using Group #246B. You can text, email print or download a savings card.
FORD AND LINCOLN OFFER FARM BUREAU MEMBERS $1,000 BONUS CASH ON ELIGIBLE VEHICLES Ford and Lincoln have announced $1,000 Bonus Cash on eligible Ford and Lincoln vehicles and $500 Bonus Cash toward F-150 and Super Duty Trucks. This offer is valid through January 4, 2021. For more information, visit: www.floridafarmbureau.org/discounts/ford or www.floridafarmbureau.org/discounts/lincoln. DISTRICT CONDUCTING CONTROLLED BURNS The Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) will be conducting prescribed burns through December on the Lower Hillsborough Flood Detention Area (LHFDA) in Hillsborough County. The LFHDA is located south of Cross Creek Boulevard between U.S. Highway 301 and Morris Bridge Road near Thonotosassa. Approximately 200 acres will be burned in small, manageable units. The effort is designed to reduce the risk of wildfires burning out of control. CHECK YOUR IRRIGATION SYSTEM TIMER
There’s also an app members can download from the Apple Store or Google Play. More information is available at: https://ww.floridafarmbureau.org/discounts/scriptsave/. FLORIDA FARM BUREAU OFFERS COVID-19 ONLINE RESOURCE PAGE Florida Farm Bureau has developed a COVID-19 resources website page that includes a variety of agricultural, state and federal links related to the pandemic. The site, which is updated on receipt of new information, is accessed at https://www.floridafarmbureau.org/covid-10-resources/. FDACS OFFERS FREE COVID-19 TESTING FOR HILLSBOROUGH FARMWORKERS
With the end of daylight saving time, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) is reminding residents to check the timers on their irrigation systems and adjust them accordingly. The time change is also a good opportunity to make sure the system timers are set correctly for consistency with year-round conservation measures. The District suggests residents don’t water just because it’s their day to irrigate. Water lawns when signs of stress from lack of water are manifest such as: grass blades fold in half lengthwise; grass blades appear glue gray or grass blades that do not spring back, leaving footprints on the lawn for several minutes after walked on. More information about water conservation is available at: watermatters.org.
Farmworkers in Hillsborough County have access to no-cost COVID-19 testing thanks to a program offered through a partnership involving the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) and Hillsborough County.
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Testing is free for employers, farmworkers and their families and are available Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 5 to 8 p.m. at San Jose Mission, 13524 East Dr. Martin Luther King Drive in Dover, FL 33527. The site is open for walk-up services and appointments. For appointments, those seeking testing at advised to call 727-309-8682 or 813-300-3777. Individuals are required to wear face masks and provide a name, date of birth and phone number. Results will generally be available in 36 hours and will be shared with the individual tested or a person they designate.
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FLorida
Mustard Greens
By Sandy Sun, M.S. Clinical Medicines, B.S. Nutrition Science
Leafy greens including mustard and collard greens, kale, and spinach are incredibly nutritious foods in terms of their impressive vitamin and mineral content. Mustard greens are members of the Brassica family, which also includes cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. These greens can be eaten raw or cooked, and are available as fresh, canned, or frozen. The flavor of mustard greens is sharp, peppery, and pungent. Younger leaves are more tender and milder in flavor. Both the stalks and leaves are edible. Mustard greens are delicious eaten raw or steamed, sautéed, or simmered. They can be prepared in a similar manner as spinach. These nutritious leafy greens come in both green and red cultivars. Common types of mustard greens found in Florida include Broad Leaf, Mizuna, and Southern Giant Curled. Fresh greens are available throughout Florida from November through May, and are at their peak season now. They are also available frozen and canned year round.
NUTRITIONAL PROFILE High in vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as other nutrients, mustard greens are a nutritional standout. Along with the other cruciferous vegetables, collards contain multiple anti-cancer, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial compounds. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, a diet rich in dark green leafy vegetables lowers risk for a variety of cancers. A higher intake of cruciferous vegetables has been associated with a lower incidence of cancers of the lung, colon, breast, ovaries and bladder. Current research studies have shown that people who eat the most cruciferous vegetables have a much lower risk of prostate, colorectal and lung cancers, even when compared to those who regularly eat other vegetables. In addition to its cancer-fighting properties, fresh Florida mustard greens are considered an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K, manganese, folate, calcium, and dietary fiber, and a very good source of magnesium, riboflavin, and vitamin B6. Mustard greens are also considered a good source of vitamin E, magnesium, protein, iron, zinc, and omega 3 fatty acids. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, one cup of cooked mustard greens (140 g) contains 36 calories, 3.6 g protein, 0.68 g fat, 6.3 g carbohydrate, and 2.8 g of dietary fiber. One cup of mustard greens also provides a whopping 922% of the Daily Recommended Value (%DV) for vitamin K, 96% for vitamin A, 47% for vitamin C, 22% for copper, and 17% for vitamin E, manganese, and calcium, and plentiful amounts of the B vitamins, iron, potassium, fiber, and magnesium.
Phytonutrients: Fight cancer Phytonutrients are potent compounds found in some vegetables which promote good health. Some of these include glu-
Calcium: Strong bones and more Mustard greens are an excellent non-dairy source of calcium, providing 17% of your daily requirements in one cup of cooked greens. Calcium is important in maintaining strength and density of bones. Additionally, this mineral has been shown to prevent bone loss that can occur as a result of menopause and reduce symptoms of premenstrual syndrome. Adequate calcium intake is needed to prevent calcium stores being leached out of bones. Calcium also plays an important role in muscle contraction, nerve conduction, and cell membrane function.
Vitamin K: For blood and bone health Mustard greens are one of the richest known sources of vitamin K. Just a few tablespoons of cooked mustard greens would meet your entire daily requirement. This vitamin is an essential component for proper blood clotting in the body. It also helps your body transport calcium and metabolizes the mineral into your skeleton. Several research studies have found that vitamin K boosts bone mineral density and reduces fracture rates in people with osteoporosis. As a result, the Institute of Medicine increased its daily recommendation of vitamin K.
How to Select and Store Choose dark green leaves that have a deep, even color, avoiding those that have yellow or wilted leaves. Young greens tend to be more tender and lighter in taste. Store mustard greens in a ventilated plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to one week. Cooked greens also freeze well for up to six months in an airtight container or freezer bag.
How to Enjoy Wash well to remove all sand and grit immediately before use. Several ways to enjoy this vegetable include: · Lightly steamed with garlic · Sauteed lightly with olive oil and herbs · Boiled with smoked or salted meat, such as smoked turkey wings or ham hocks · Tossed into any stew or soup · Use tender young leaves raw in a salad Fresh Florida mustard greens are at their peak today. Eat more of these leafy greens and reap all of the health benefits.
SELECTED REFERENCES http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ http://www.whfoods.com http://www.florida-agriculture.com INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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cosinolates and sulforaphane, both of which boost the liver’s detoxifying enzymes and help neutralize harmful substances. In animal studies, these compounds seem to slow or halt the growth of cancer cells in the breast and colon.
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Business Up Front
Rooted Property Maintenance By Libby Hopkins Rhett McClelland is a sixth generation Floridian born and raised in Plant City. He is a husband, father and the owner of the pressure washing company, Rooted Property Maintenance.
still helping him pressure wash. I got to learn a lot of the trade from him and finally, last year, I realize pressure washing was what I needed to do because I didn’t want to cut grass until the day I die.”
His company doesn’t have a website or a social media page. He gets all of his business by word of mouth and the quality of his work because it speaks for itself. “I guess I’m a cowboy at heart,” Rhett said. “Sometimes technology just doesn’t have a place in my life. My business is built merely on word of mouth and it’s growing.” Rhett has only had his business for just a little over a year.
Rhett’s work ethic and outstanding customer service has helped him make a name for himself in the Plant City community. He is a strong believer in helping his community as well. “I believe if you have been blessed with things, you should be giving back to others,” Rhett said. “I try to do at least four charitable pressure washings a month.” Last month he gave away a free pressure washing to a local church’s basketball court. “I try to lift up everyone around me,” Rhett said. “Those that I can do good for, I do good for them.” Doing good for others is something his family believes in too. His wife and his daughter offer free Holy Yoga in the front lawn of their house every Saturday morning.
When he was in high school, he wanted to be a contractor, but life had a different path for him. “As a young adult, growing up and trying to raise a family, I had more responsibilities and it’s difficult to go back to school and take care of my family at the same time.” Rhett said. He had a lawn care business for 13 years but when the economy took a turn years ago, he gave up his lawn care business. “I then went into construction for about five or six years,” Rhett said. “I had rave reviews while I was working in construction and I got to be known as ‘The Fixer’ because I would come in and fix other people’s work and do it at a fair price.” He had a quite a niche for being “The Fixer” for a few years but he grew very tired of being “The Clean Up Guy.” “You learn as you grow when you are in business for yourself, that you have to treat people right and bad news travels faster than good news,” Rhett said. “I wanted to do more than be the guy who fixes other people’s mistakes.”
If you ask Rhett what he wants to be known for in Plant City, he’ll tell you he wants to be know as “A Man Who Cares.” “I want to give away 1000 free driveways this coming year,” Rhett said. “Up to 600 square feet, which is the value of $100. It’s completely free, other than me hooking up to their water faucet, but while I’m there, I want to know if there is anything else they need done and help them get a fair price on getting it done. If they say, ‘yes’ then great, if they say ‘no’ then that’s fine too. I’m a man who cares. I care about desperately about my family and our future. I care about my town of Plant City and I want to see it and our community thrive.”
As luck would have it, Rhett came upon another job opportunity by world of mouth. “A woman who worked at the bank I banked at told me about her husband needing some help with his pressure washing business,” Rhett said. “Her husband really didn’t like hiring people because they always let him down.” This wasn’t the case with Rhett. “I went to work with him on my first day and he told me he would pay me $12 an hour and we’ll see where it goes from there,” Rhett said. “When we got done at the end of the day, he paid what was worth $20 an hour. He told me, ‘you are worth so much more than $12 an hour’ and over the next seven years, I had my own thing going on with another lawn care business I had started and I was
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If you would like to have a pressure washing done by Rooted Property Maintenance, you can call Rhett McClelland at 813376-5182.
continued from pg. 17 Purebred Bantam Hen Modern Game Best of Variety - Taylor Cella Best of Variety - Megan Dempsey 1st - Megan Dempsey 2nd - Taylor Cella Cochin Best of Breed Christopher Privett 1st - Taylor Cella 1st - Elijah Price 1st - Tabias Price D’Uccle Grand Bantam Mikayla Mazza 1st - Autumn Rutherford 2nd - Mikayla Mazza 3rd - Mikayla Mazza 4th - Mikayla Mazza 5th - Autumn Rutherford Silkie Best of Variety Gideon Miller Japanese Bantam Best of Breed Addison O’Brien 1st - Jayden O’Brien 3rd - Tobias Price Sebright Grand Bantam Caleb Miller Serama Best of Variety Taylor Cella Dutch Grand Bantam Carter Manis Best of Variety Megan Dempsey
Reserve Champ Bantam Carter Manis 3rd - Carter Manis
Pheonix 2nd - Brady Manis
Leghorn Grand Bantam Vanessa Smith
Langshan 1st - Elijah Price
Ameraucana Best of Breed William Walker Simmons FFA 2nd - Marielis Oquendo Simmons FFA
PUREBED LARGE FOWL COCKEREL
Buckeye 1st - Jaylene Carey
Malay Best of Variety Mikyala Mazza 2nd - Mikayla Mazza
Buff Orpington Best of Variety Jaylene Carey 2nd - Jacob Carey
Brahma 1st - Reagan Casler
Polish Best of Variety Michael Carlson Simmons FFA
Pheonix Best of Variety Taylor Cella Cornish Best of Variety Taylor Cella PUREBRED DUCK Call Duck Best of Variety Varsha Satish 1st - Joliene Reid 1st - Varsha Satish 2nd - Joliene Reid
Phoenix Champion Large Fowl Brady Manis
Pekin Best of Variety Danielle Miller 1st - Emma Zimmerman 2nd - Alexander Nuckles 3rd - Alivia Knight Mascovy 1st - Caleb Miller 2nd - Danielle Miller
Brahma Best of Variety Taylor Cella 2nd - Reagan Casler
PUREBRED LARGE FOWL HEN
PUREBRED GOOSE
Pheonix Reserve Champion Largefowl Brady Manis 1st - Brady Manis 3rd - Brady Manis Orpington 3rd - Sarah Rogers 4th - Christopher Privett 5th - Nicholas Privett
Chinese Best of Variety Danielle Miller 1st - Danielle Miller PUREBRED LARGE FOWL COCK Polish Best of Variety Michale Carlson Simmons FFA
Delaware Best of Breed Addison O’Brien 2nd - Tobias Price Barred Rock Best of Variety Jacob Carey
PUREBRED LARGE FOWL PULLET Langshan Champion Large Fowl Emma Zimmerman Reserve Champion Large Fowl Eric Zimmerman 34e Eric Zimmerman 4th - Mason D’Azzo Ameraucana 1st - Elijah Price Malay 1st - Mikayla Mazza 2nd - Mikayla Purebred Turkey Best of Variety Broad Breasted Bronze Turkey Landon Cousin Australorp 1st - Alexander Nuckles
THE FIRST FLAT OF STRAWBERRIES FOR THE 2020/2021 SEASON
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The first flat of strawberries for the 2020/2021 season was picked by Spivey Farms on October 20, 2020. They are the Florida variety known as Beauty.
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COMPANION TOOLS: UF/IFAS ASSESSMENT & PLANT SELECTION GUIDE Lynn Barber, Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Agent UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County
The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Assessment of Non-native Plants in Florida’s Natural Areas uses literature-based assessment tools to evaluate the invasion risk of non-native species in the state, new species proposed for introduction and novel agricultural and horticultural selections, hybrids and cultivars. The goal of the assessment is to reduce non-native plant invasions in Florida and throughout the Southeastern United States for protection of natural and agricultural areas. This online resource provides information about invasive plants and invasive plant potential around the state and those under caution in other areas. The UF/IFAS Assessment conclusions on plant invasiveness are color-coded to follow a “stoplight” in which green = go, yellow = caution and red = stop. Red-light plants include prohibited, invasive, invasive (no uses) and high-invasion risk plants. These plants will not be recommended. Yellow-light plants include caution and moderate-risk plants. These may be recommended but need to be managedto prevent escape.You can access the UF/IFAS Assessment at: https://assessment. ifas.ufl.edu/. For an example, please see weeping bottlebrush, a red-light plant, meaning it is in the high-invasion risk category. The Florida-Friendly LandscapingTM Guide to Plant Selection & Landscape Design is online and in print. This guide includes trees, shrubs, vines, groundcovers, grasses, perennials, annuals and turfgrass. If a plant’s status changes and is determined to be under caution to “invasive,” according to the UF/IFAS Assessment, the photo of that plant will be darkened and marked with the word “Invasive” over the photo. This guide is available for online viewing at: http://ffl. ifas.ufl.edu/pdf/FYN_Plant_Selection_Guide_2015.pdf. By using these companion tools together, we can significantly decrease the number of non-native invasive plants in our state.
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Lynn Barber is the Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ agent for UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County. Please contact her at labarber@ufl.edu.
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CONTINUING THE LEGACY OF THE SPROUSE FAMILY STRAWBERRY FARM By Jim Frankowiak One of the noteworthy aspects of many strawberry farms in the Plant City area is the fact that they are essentially multi-generation family operations built on years of dedication and hard work, The Sprouse Family – George, Pat and their son Mark -- is one such family that is now working to continue its strawberry farming operation with grandson Colton. While he’s a 10-year-old fifth grader at Robinson Elementary, he’s already regarded as one of the hardest-working members of the farm team. He’ll tell you straight-up that “farming is in my future.” His dad Mark came to the same conclusion more than 30 years ago and now manages the farm. Time will tell on Colton’s future, but he does have some great mentors in his grandparents and father and a legacy that began more than 60 years ago when George began farming strawberries. Originally from Alabama, George’s earliest memories of his parents are his dad working in the wood, cutting pulpwood and his mother and the rest of his siblings working in the cotton fields picking cotton. At the age of 6 or 7, George had to go to work in the cotton fields, as well.
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George and his family moved to Florida when he was 9. His father continued cutting pulpwood, while the rest of the family worked in the fields picking oranges and strawberries. The family then went to Michigan as mi-
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grant workers, working in the fields picking strawberries, peaches, blackberries and cherries. At the age of 12, George returned to Florida and moved in with his oldest sister, Ruby Williams and her husband Junior Williams. That also marked the end of school for him as Junior worked him on his strawberry farm. Ending school for good at that time was probably a good thing since George, at the age of 7, tried to burn the school down that he was attending, earning a buttbeating to help dissuade him from trying to burn his school down again. By the time George was 16, Junior had him driving the trucks loaded with strawberries to the market. About the same time, Junior and Ruby almost went broke and Junior had to take an outside job, leaving George to run the farm completely on his own. With George raising the strawberries and Junior selling them, the Williams’ farm made a comeback. Junior also procured a wholesale deal with Publix Supermarkets to deliver strawberries to their stores throughout Central Florida. This put George back behind the wheel, delivering strawberries to Publix stores in Orlando and Daytona. It was at this time that Junior and Ruby met Reggie Booth, an Orlando Publix store produce manager. They became friends and often visited each other’s homes with their children, who also became friends. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
One day, George had to deliver Reggie’s children back to their Orlando home after a visit in Plant City. When he arrived at the Booth home with the children he saw their cousin, “the most beautiful brown-eyed girl” he had even seen. Her name was Patricia Ann Hurst from Deland, and in George’s words, “When she saw me, she planted the seed. When I went back, she put a little water on me. Then the last time I went back, she picked me...” Pat shared those feelings when she first saw George she knew she was meant to marry him and they did on June 7, 1965 in Deland at the Hurst home. Though trained at keypunch school, Pat never pursed that career path, but she did haul strawberries for Junior in her 1956 pink and charcoal Rambler. This car was George and Pat’s only car after they got married. Their honeymoon was coming home and going back to work. Pat went on to running a regular route in one of Junior’s trucks, hauling strawberries to Publix stores. When not doing that, she worked in the field, picking berries, driving tractors and whatever else was needed on the farm. In April of 1968, George and Pat were blessed with son Mark and their daughter Tami was born in September of 1969. Mark continues to work on the farm and has sons Daniel, 26, who works in the landscaping business, and Colton. Tami works at a shipyard in Tampa. Coincidentally, both Mark and Daniel spend some of their spare time involved in music. For Mark it’s the Double Barrel Band which plays country music and Rock ‘N Roll, while The Daniel Sprouse Band is primarily country. The challenging of raising two children couldn’t be fully funded with work on the Williams’ farm so George went to work at Acme Pumps in Plant City in 1973, but he “moonlighted” on Junior’s farm and he and Pat entered into a special sharecropping agreement with Junior allowing farm profits to be split evenly between the two families. In 1982, George and Pat decided to farm on their own, leasing five acres from Sam Jones at $25 per acre. They also worked out an agreement with Gary Booth who worked at an International tractor dealership in Plant City that allowed them to use a brand new Farmall 140 for one year before making a payment. Funding for this new endeavor came from a Hillsborough Bank loan for their first crop thanks to the banks Gary Booth. The four-member family worked the farm and Mark, who was 13 at the time while Tami was a year younger, loved the work. The Sprouse’s first crop was cherry tomatoes, but they didn’t make any money. George and Pat planted the second crop of cherry tomatoes and they hit the sweet spot, making a profit. That enabled them to buy five-acres on Trapnell Road they still farm today. Their farm currently has a total of 50-acres. Mark and his family own part of the land that includes his home. Unfortunately George and Pat were involved in a very serious accident in May of 2004 while riding in one of their farm trucks. They were struck by a teenage driver causing the truck to flip over several times. First re-
In 2004 Pat began her own business, Strawberry Hill Stitichin,” which offers custom vinyl and embroidery for customers in the greater Plant City area and beyond. She customizes uniform shirts and other items for individuals and members of groups such as the Florida Strawberry Growers Association. The business continues to grow thanks to an increasing number of satisfied customers. Pat and George celebrated their 50th anniversary in June of 2015, and while life has not always been easy for them, thanks to strawberries, which brought them together initially and continues to be an important part of their life and the lives of their family members. After 60 years in the field growing strawberries George believes some aspects have changed over the years, while others have stayed the same. Here are a few of his observations: • Family farms used to grow just what the family could pick • Growing strawberries in the dirt has given way to raised plastic beds • Farmers are “magicians” when it comes to getting money to finance their operations • However, bankers today are far different than they were years ago • Advances in technology have meant the need for advanced studies. “Thirty years ago you didn’t need an elementary education. Twenty years ago you had to have a high school education. Now, you need a college degree.” There are some series challenges for strawberry growers beyond those associated with farming and they include: • Subsidies for growers in Mexico and a much lower cost to grow strawberries there make it necessary to make it a level playing field for us. Hopefully, the U.S. Trade Representative will move ahead and take actions that will help us here in Florida • There are now 40,000-acres of strawberries grown in Mexico compared to around 10,000-acres here in Plant City • Each year there are a “Chosen Few” strawberry growers. Some get rich and some don’t, but that’s always changing and part of growing strawberries • Government regulation and oversight keeps on increasing “Overall, farming is a good way of life,” Sprouse concluded. And the Sprouse family will do their best to prepare Colton for life as a farmer, continuing the family legacy.
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sponders thought George was dead and airlifted Pat to Tampa General Hospital once she was pulled from the wreckage. They then realized George was still alive and pulled him from the wreckage and flew him on to Tampa General, as well. They both survived, though George has some back issues that remain, but he can still “run a tractor and drive a truck.”
Business Up Front
Vestaron GROWERS HAVE NEW TOOLS TO HELP CONTROL TROUBLESOME PESTS FROM ATTACKING CROPS By Jim Frankowiak
Crop protection is a critical need for growers and they now have new options provided by Vestaron Corporation and its Spear family of bioinsecticides based on a naturally occurring peptide and produced using the company’s proprietary fermentation platform. The company has been engaged in research and product development for more than 15 years and began commercialization of its products in 2018. Vestaron’s initial focus is on a class of peptides that kills insect pests efficiently, but is safe for humans, birds, fish, pollinators and the environment. The company has developed a proprietary platform for peptide optimization and fermentation-based peptide production that will allow development of a wide variety of biologic crop protection solutions. Vestaron is dedicated to improving the safety, efficacy and sustainability of crop protection through migration from chemical pesticides to biological peptides. Eric Hammons is leading this effort for Vestaron in the southeast with the launch of Spear and Spear Lep. “The Spear molecule was granted a new Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC) Group (32), the first in over 10 years,” noted Hammons, who is working with leafy vegetable, cucurbits, citrus, and blueberry and strawberry growers in the southeast. IRAC was formed in 1984 and is a specialist technical group of the CropLife industry association, providing a coordinated industry response to prevent or delay the development of resistance in insect ad mite pests.
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Within the southeast vegetable and specialty market, Hammons efforts concentrate “on lepidoptera and soft bodied insects, including aphids, thrips, spotted wing drosophila and two spotted spider mites,” he said. “Besides a new IRAC group that allows a balanced Integrated Pest Management (IPM) approach while extending traditional chemistry, both Spear and Spear T are beneficial insect and pollinator safe, have a four-hour reentry time, zero post day harvest interval and are both measurable residue level exempt.”
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Vestaron has registered and released two formulations of Spear bioinsecticides in the U.S. The first, Spear-T, is a concentrated liquid formulation designed for contact activity against a broad range of insect and mite pests in the greenhouse. Spear-Lep, the second domestic product, targets lepidopteran (caterpillar) pests in outdoor and indoor crops where a reduced rate of Spear is applied with a synergist (Bt) to achieve efficacy through ingestion. Vestaron products have gained significant recognition, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Green Challenge Chemistry Award for incorporating the principles of green chemistry design into chemical design, manufacture and use. This year, Vestaron was ranked among the top 50 growth-stage companies by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) at its Agricultural Outlook Forum and the company was also listed among 2020 Global Cleantech 100 companies, private, independent and for-profit companies best positioned to contribute to a more digitized, de-carbonized and resource-efficient industrial future. The company continues “with local independent research and university data, and conducting more trials and demonstrations in the area,” said Hammons, A U.S. Navy veteran, with more than 24 years of experience in agriculture, including animal production, seed sales, biostimulants, fertilizer and crop protection. He and his wife Shelley have two children, daughter Sloan and son Lance. The Hammons are area residents.
Growers interested in learning more about the ways in which Vesatron products can help them may visit: www.vestaron.com, email Hammons at EHammons@vestaron.com or call Eric at (813)967-4284 WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
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Giving Thanks For Thanksgiving! by John Dicks
November at last! It’s the month for Thanksgiving, of course. It’s also the month for giving thanks, and particularly for the election being over! At least, technically speaking it’s over. There is still that elusive Electoral College which must do its work to make things official. Then there’s also the ongoing squabbling and the endless lawsuits enriching the high powered (and high priced) lawyers. Our part, though, as voters, has finally come to an end. For that, I would suspect, we all are thankful, if not grateful! Especially so, I am thankful to see an end to our overstuffed mailbox from political mailers and relief to my computer’s email inbox! How crazy did it get before election day? On the last day of fundraising, just a few days before this month’s final day of voting, I counted 127 desperate pleas for contributions crowding important email that needed to be attended to. Likely you got them too. Some were complimentary, like the ones implying that the future of the world depended upon whether I gave up my credit card info to send a few dollars to one candidate or another. Other ones took a different, more ominous, approach, including my favorite one which said in its lead line, “I’m begging you!” Sad, I thought, that he had to resort to this. Nonetheless, I deleted that email along with the rest. I really thought the deluge of fundraising emails would end that day. Unfortunately, I forgot that while candidates with deadlines could no longer raise money, there are plenty of others, such as PAC’s (Political Action Committees) and similar entities which apparently have no such deadlines. Those groups more than made up for the slack from individual candidates. To my dismay, the very next morning following the “deadline” there were 73 more, hoping that their pitch would yield a bounty of results. Every time I deleted an email or dropped a paper flyer into the trash I kept thinking about how our postal system, way back when it first got started, operated with a business model of hav-
ing the recipient, rather than the sender, pay the postage for delivery. Now imagine that. What if the Post Office sent you a bill for every single piece of mail that was dropped into your pile? What if you were required to pay for every one of those slick political hit pieces that some candidates drop into the public domain, presumably because they think that the best way to “build themselves up” is to “tear their opponent down”?! Surely, if we had to pay to receive such nonsense the strong demand of recent days to “save our Post Office” would quickly reverse to shut things down. Our nation’s first national Postmaster, Benjamin Franklin, was a very smart, savvy and sophisticated businessman as well as an inventor, patriot and statesman. Along with others, the payment for mail got switched around. Apparently they realized that it was a far simpler system (and easier to collect) to make the sender pay for all the mailings. One interesting side note that reveals the wisdom of Franklin is that as part of his salary for serving as Postmaster, he negotiated a provision that allowed his mailings to be sent for free. Naturally, it meant that not only did all of the newspapers he printed get delivered for free, but so too did all of the letters he wrote. Instead of postage, all he had to do was write in the corner of the envelope, “Free. B. Franklin.” Interesting, by the way, and perhaps showing a bit of his well noted humor and equally devoted patriotism, as the notion of independence from Great Britain began to percolate, the Postmaster began to modify his letter notation to “B. Free. Franklin.” One of the reasons historians know so much about the man whose image appears on one, if not the most, of widely circulated currency bills worldwide (the $100 bill) is that there are some 20,000 of his letters still in existence, sent by Franklin and saved by whomever were lucky enough to have received them. In addition to all of his other accolades, it’s likely that Ben Franklin, with 20,000 handwritten letters, is the original master of “Social Media!” Here’s to a very happy and thankful Thanksgiving.
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John Dicks is both a Lawyer and Businessman, including an interest in farming. He and his family have owned a Blueberry Farm and have Agricultural lands which they lease for cattle operations, as John says, “to someone who knows and handles cattle much better than I do!”. John is both a Gator, having received his undergraduate degree from the University of Florida, and a Seminole, with his Law Degree from Florida State University. John serves as Of Counsel to Trinkle Redman, a law firm in Plant City where he also served nine years as City Commissioner, including three terms as Mayor.
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FMS SUPER-MOL AND SUPER-PRO FOR FALL
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Since 1992
E n d a n g e r e d S p e c i es
Taking a Proactive Stance: The Reddish Egret
By Ginny Mink Though we generally focus on endangered species, that often seems too dire and worrisome. How can we save species that are already so dangerously imperiled? Is it too late for them? So, this month we want to be a little more proactive with our topic and discuss a bird that is listed as threatened in our state and has thankfully not reached that status federally. That suggests there may still be time for us to do something for the reddish egret before it gets to that level of population decline. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, “The reddish egret is the rarest egret species found in North America.”¹ Though called the reddish egret, it comes in two varying appearances. These are called morphs. There is a dark morph, which is most common, and “has a grayish-brown body, with a reddish head and neck.”¹ And then there’s a white version. Both morphs have a pink bill with a black tip and dark blue feet and legs.¹ Historically, their numbers had been “decimated by plume hunters in (the) late 1800s.”² And apparently that created the issue in which they were, “Reportedly not seen in Florida between 1927 and 1937.”² Thankfully, as some protections were put in place, their numbers began to gradually increase. At this time there are thought to be “roughly 2000 pairs”² in the entire United States.² “The reddish egret (Egretta rufescens) is the least common heron in Florida.”³ They are wading birds that stick strictly to coastal areas. That means you will typically only see them in coastal lagoons, tidal flats, estuaries, and mangrove swamps. Sightings of the reddish egret are generally restricted to Southern Florida and the Keys. However, there has been a slow increase in their populations in north Florida.³ One cool thing you will notice about the reddish egret, beyond its distinctive coloration, is its foraging habits. “They run after their prey and can appear to be “dancing” as they jump and weave back and forth with wings spread while hunting.”¹ Since they mostly eat small fish, we imagine that this process would be a joy to watch as they chase them through the water.¹ According to Audubon, their specific diet includes, mullet, killifish, minnows, as well as crustaceans, frogs, and tadpoles.²
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These birds are more common in Texas than they are here and will breed in the spring there. However, those in Florida breed in both winter and spring. Their mating rituals are also quite a show. When courting the “male perches in (the) future nesting site, stretches (his) head and neck upward and backward with shaggy feathers fully raised, then tosses (his) head forward repeatedly. (He) May perform a variant of this display in flight.”² He might also walk around a female who is standing in the
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shallows while tossing his head and raising both or just one wing as he circles her.² Once paired, both sexes will build the nest. It usually consists of loose sticks located in black or red mangroves. They will nest in colonies and place their nests less than 10 feet above water or ground staying three feet or more beneath the tops of the trees. Once the eggs are laid, they incubate for 26 days. They will lay two to five “pale blue-green eggs.”³ Within nine to ten weeks their young will leave the colony. Unfortunately, these birds do not reach breeding age until they are three years old which is about a year later than other herons.³ While scientists are not certain why they are imperiled here in Florida, they do have some theories. An increased attack from predators, loss of genetic diversity (due to how small the population is already), habitat degradation, disturbances at breeding and foraging sites (thanks to recreational human behaviors), and coastal development seem to be the primary concerns.¹ To rectify this situation, Audubon has recommended that an investment of nearly $2 billion dollars be focused on conservation and restoration from the Florida Keys all the way to Texas.² “The Sanibel-Captive Audubon Society and J. N. “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society are active in aiding research to monitor the reddish egret’s utilization of coastal habitats.”³ So, if you are someone who believes we are to be stewards of this planet and therefore protect the species placed here by our Creator, you can help the reddish egret by supporting the societies that are trying to save them before they reach endangered status! Resources: ¹Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Reddish Egret. Egretta rufescens. https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/ profiles/birds/waterbirds/reddish-egret/ ²Audubon Guide to North American Birds. Priority Bird Reddish Egret Egretta rufescens. https://www.audubon.org/fieldguide/bird/reddish-egret ³Kevin. (2017). Reddish Egret: The Rarest and Most HabitatRestricted Heron in Florida. Times of the Islands Sanibel • Captiva & Surrounding Islands. https://www.timesoftheislands. com/2017/08/28/153308/reddish-egret-the-rarest-andmost-habitat-restricted-heron-in-florida Photo Credits: Alan Schmierer. (2012). 191- Reddish Egret (2-29-12) S Padre Island Birding Center, TX. https://flic.kr/p/eiBYUM Matthew Paulson. (2009). Reddish Egrets cross paths (normal and white morph). https://flic.kr/p/9ND654 WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
22nd Annual Lights of Love Give the Gift of Love
Give the gift of love this holiday season by donating a tree light in memory or in honor of someone special. The Lights of Love tree is located in McCall Park in downtown Plant City and will be lit through the holiday season. All donations are tax deductible and will benefit the many community services provided by South Florida Baptist Hospital.
For more information, sponsorship opportunities or to purchase a light ($25–$100): SFBHFoundation.org | (813) 757-8478
20-1278994-1020
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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.
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Add onion, garlic, celery, green pepper, thyme, bay leaf and mushrooms; sauté until soft.
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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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By Ginny Mink
Ornamental Gardening in Florida Welcome back to the Literary Time Machine! Last month we finished our chapter on Aquatic and Wet Land Exotics and are now moving into Ornamental Fruit Bearing Plants. This is exciting as you know we love plants that are more than just for decoration, even though that’s the whole idea behind the concept of them being “ornamental.” We’re truly glad that Mr. Simpson relegated a chapter for those plants that would produce something useful for our families and gardens! So, let’s take a look at his recommendations as we begin our journey. He begins the chapter stating, “In the temperate regions few of the fruit bearing trees or shrubs are particularly ornamental but in tropical and sub-tropical countries many of them are very fine for foliage and flowers and a considerable number of handsome fruits. Thus the orange and lemon are often cultivated in pots or tubs in the north for their beautiful leaves although they seldom produce flowers or fruit.”¹ Obviously, we all know what has unfortunately happened to the citrus fruit in our state, but no doubt in his time it was quite delicious and well grown. Surprisingly, that’s not where he starts his list for this chapter. Instead, he begins with the Sapodilla which he describes as, “A beautiful tree much grown in Lower Florida with symmetrically whorled branches and leathery, shining, finely veined leaves, from Mexico and South America. The fruit is roundish and covered with a russet skin, the pulp is soft and delicious, being quite sweet. The milky sap is chicle or chicla, and is made into chewing gum.”¹ We wonder if that’s where the idea for chiclets gum came from? There’s a website entitled: Today I Found Out, and they actually have an article on the history of chewing gum. Apparently, the Greeks chewed the resin of the mastic tree and the ancient Mayans chewed chicle, just like Mr. Simpson suggested. The history gets even more interesting with Santa Ana trying to scheme Americans into buying Mexican chicle to help with their rubber production, which at the time was incredibly expensive. However, the man he met with to devise the scheme, Thomas Adams, couldn’t get it to work that way. So, he decided to make some gum out of it having recalled Santa Ana chewing it. Eventually, his company became the one to produce Chiclets! And all of this happened before 1900!² This is what we love most about the Literary Time Machine, you never know what you’re going to learn!
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But let’s not stop there. Mr. Simpson now introduces us to the Carambola. He writes, “… (it) is a handsome, pinnate leaved
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Part 74
tree which bears fruits as large as a goose egg, sharply five angled, clear yellow with the angles pea green. The fruit is acid but makes fine sauce and the tree bears well for me in a somewhat shady place.“¹ You probably know this as the star fruit. In our experience it hasn’t been acidic unless unripened. Yet, the idea of making a sauce from it seems a little foreign to us. But a quick Google search reveals that there are lots of recipe sites suggesting these methods, in case you are interested. Herein we discover another fruit that he suggests makes great sauce. He writes about the “Carica papaya, the Papaw or Melon fruit. A native of the American tropics and South Florida. The trunk of this plant may reach twenty feet or more and a diameter of over a foot. The palmate leaves are deeply cut and sometimes three feet across. The fruit of the wild plants is rarely more than two inches in diameter but of the cultivated forms it is a foot long and may weigh fifteen pounds and makes fine sauce. It is a striking and handsome tree.”¹ So, is this the papaya tree we have to ask? IFAS tells us that the answer is yes, but they also say the plants are short lived, dying by the time they reach about 15 feet tall.³ We know how popular papaya is so we shall stop our trip there. And, of course, we will be looking forward to next month’s trip because we always learn something along the way. The information about gum was definitely the coolest we’ve read about in a while, so feel free to check out that website for additional background info! Until next month, happy planting! Resources: ¹ Simpson, Charles T. (1926). Ornamental Gardening in Florida. Published by the Author; Little River, FL. Printed by J.J. Little and Ives Company, New York. (p. 215-216). ²Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader. (2017). The Man Who Put the Chicle In Chiclets. Today I Found Out. https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2017/12/man-put-chicle-chiclets/ ³Univeristy of Florida IFAS Extension. Carica papaya: Papaya. https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fp106 Photo Credits: Malcolm Manners. (2003). Sapodilla. https://flic.kr/p/4BCi1Z Marbraga. (2018). Carambolas. https://flic.kr/p/JQi5LH
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FROM THE SCIENTIFIC FIELD
By J. Scott Angle
Craig Watson I had a we’re-not-in-Kansas-anymore moment during a recent replacing mice and birds as subjects of experiments. A local visit to Hillsborough County. fish farmer can sell his or her pufferfish to an elite university research operation for many times what he or she could get Intellectually, I knew Florida was not like the Midwest states from a major retailer. where just a few commodities account for most of production agriculture. I knew, too, that UF/IFAS works to support most of Hillsborough’s fish trade enjoys a special kind of government the 300 commodities farmers, fishers, foresters and ranchers involvement. The leader of the USDA’s national aquaculture produce in Hillsborough, Polk and across the state. program would ordinarily would be based in the same Washington, D.C., office building I worked in as director of the USDA’s Still, it was an eye opener to see a single UF/IFAS lab at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture before I came to center of a local industry that accounts for 90 percent of all U.S. Florida in July to lead UF/IFAS. Instead, she’s embedded in an production. The Hillsborough County area is the undisputed office in TAL. king of the ornamental aquaculture industry. That puts Dr. Kathleen Hartman much more in touch with the Ornamental aquaculture has the diversity of Florida agriculture industry than she would be from afar, and assures that local on steroids. It’s actually an industry of 1,000 commodities, each farms are in the forefront of her mind when she is developone a different species of fish prized for its brilliant colors or ing national health programs. Those farmers sometimes have other physical features. a challenge that requires other government intervention, like predators that feed on growers’ fish, so the TAL also hosts the That industry is built on the hard work of fish farmers. Their state’s regional office for USDA Wildlife Services, including a hard work is supported by the land-grant university partner- full-time employee dedicated to working on fish farms around ship of academia, industry and government. the state. It’s the kind of thing that no one else could take care of as effectively and quickly. The science behind the jobs and companies that produce ornamental fish comes out of the UF/IFAS Tropical Aquaculture Both USDA programs are based at the TAL on a hand-shake Laboratory (TAL). Director Craig Watson’s team of scientists fig- agreement that has lasted for more than 20 years. It’s consisures out how to raise fish no one else knows how to raise, and tent with the shorts-and-flip-flops vibe of the place. TAL has then shows local fish farmers how to do it--profitably. The TAL another handshake agreement that allows the Hillsborough team is so good at it that a cluster of businesses has grown up Community College aquaculture program to operate rent-free around the lab and now dominates the national industry. out of a greenhouse on the site. The TAL demonstrates an approach to science that includes both basic research—understanding the fundamentals of fish biology, for example—and applied science that produces the recipe for producing a fish that previously could only be obtained in the wild.
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Make no mistake, though, TAL drives a multimillion-dollar business for the Tampa area and the rest of the state. Public science is an investment in the area’s economy. Craig and his team of scientists If that sounds like an academic distinction, consider the puff- deliver a thriving ornamental fish erfish. Craig has lots of them in his tanks in Ruskin. Retailers industry as a return on that investhave had to import pufferfish caught in the wild. The TAL is now ment. teaching local farmers how to raise them in tanks, which is big business. The result is one of the few ecoScott Angle is the University of Florida’s In this case, though, the real money is in selling to other aca- nomic phenomVice President for Agriculture and Natudemic institutions. The TAL team’s work is important in increas- ena where it’s a ral Resources and leader of the UF Instiing our understanding of the pufferfish so that other academ- good thing to be tute of Food and Agricultural Sciences ics can use it in research. It turns out that the pufferfish has a under water. (UF/IFAS). simple genome that makes it a prime candidate for research,
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A Closer Look
by Sean Green | Photos by April Green
Southern Chorus Frog (Pseudacris nigrita)
I can’t believe it’s November already. It feels like only weeks ago I was celebrating the return of summer and the abundance of insects that can be found on the hiking trails. There is no doubt wintertime is just around the corner, the night air is becoming refreshingly cooler and the chorus of our summer nights in Florida are winding down in their final debut. The songs of the South, however, are never shut out by the curtain of winter, there is always a song in the air if you listen closely. This month, the stage light belongs to the Southern Chorus Frog (Pseudacris nigrita); a species that keeps Florida swamps and marshes festive with song throughout the winter season without need for accompaniment. If you get a chance to participate in a night hike soon, bring a good flashlight and take a closer look at our native Southern Chorus Frog, they can be found even in the cooler months.
stone, or from the shallows of the water, they are easy to hear but not so easy to see. Females lay their eggs in small clusters of 10-15 eggs on plants in the shallow water. The male releases sperm onto the eggs to fertilize them and the larvae (tadpoles) develop and hatch within a few weeks. When the tadpoles emerge from the egg, they will feed on algae and plant debris for the next one to four months. During this period, the tadpoles slowly grow arms and legs and their tail shrinks as their metamorphosis turns them into a juvenile frog. The juvenile frog may remain near the water it was born in for a couple of weeks and changes its diet from algae to small insects such as ants, beetles, and grasshoppers. The juvenile frog then ventures out on its own to higher and dryer ground to build a burrow in the soft sand of the upland pine savannas and flatwoods.
The binomial name for the Southern Chorus Frog comes to us from the Greek pseudes, meaning “false” and akris meaning “locust.” Combined with the Latin nigritais, meaning “blackened” we have a blackened false locust, though the song of this frog more closely resembles crickets than locusts in my opinion. The Southern Chorus Frog can be found throughout Florida with the exception of the keys. They are found in longleaf pine flatwoods and savannas that are characteristically poorly drained, level soil that is prone to having patches of swamp and often forms wet prairies. Researchers have found that our Florida populations are especially associated with limestone sinkholes (Duellman & Schwartz 1958).
Because they are still frogs, it is important that they maintain proper body moisture. Researcher have noted that in captivity, adults will burrow almost immediately. It is suspected that adults may live a predominantly subterranean life to avoid drying out (Carr 1940). Longleaf pine flatwoods and savannas are characteristically moist and include patches of shallow water making the pine flatwoods an ideal environment for yearlong populations. Pine flatwoods and savannas are known for their high diversity of ground cover that make a great home to a large variety of insects the frog can hunt. Diversity, however, has its price. The perfect habitat for the Southern Chorus Frog is also an attractive one for a variety of snakes, birds, and small mammals that are natural predators of the frog itself and such is the drama of nature. The Southern Chorus Frog has adapted well to the dangers of its habitat, they are not easy to find even when you know where to look. If you take the time to look for them on your next hike, be forewarned, they have excellent hiding places. If you bring children along that are “hide and seek” experts you may have a better chance to take a closer look at the Southern Chorus Frog. Even if you do not actually see one, you will certainly be treated to a chorus of southern spirit while you are sloshing through the Florida wetlands and that in itself is a satisfying experience.
Southern Chorus Frogs tend to breed in shallow, temporary bodies of water such as wet prairies, but also roadside ditches, flooded fields, and shallow ponds. Habitats that are characterized by grasses growing in shallow water are an indication of a recent dry period and are less likely to have tadpole predators such as salamanders and large aquatic insects. Researchers hypothesize males choose such environments for their mating calls to indicate a safe environment for breeding. (Caldwell 1987) In Florida, breeding season for these frogs begins in November and continues through April. Males make their calls from the seclusion of thick clumps of grass, cavities in lime-
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DR. JIM MERTELY RETIRES FROM GCREC
By Jim Frankowiak After 22 years of dedicated service to the University of Florida and Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Dr. Jim Mertely has retired from the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC).
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Dr. Mertely’s expertise in plant disease originally assisted many Florida strawberry growers experiencing issues in the Plant City and surrounding areas when the GCREC had a strawberry research lab in Dover. After GCREC centers in Dover and Bradenton were combined in 2005 and relocating to Balm, he became the plant diagnostician for the expanded plant clinic, which assisted vegetable growers and ornamental plant nurseries along with strawberry grower samples. His dedication and determination to assist central Florida growers was appreciated by the faculty, staff, growers and industry representatives.
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In addition to his work at the plant diagnostic clinic, Dr. Mertely also ran the fungicide efficacy trials for the program of Dr. Natalia Peres, Professor of Plant Pathology. He was a very active member of Dr. Peres’ plant pathology team and participated in the strawberry research from planting to harvesting. Dr. Mertely was also a great mentor for graduate students and interns. The clinic is now being run by Dr. Peres’ lab technician Teresa Seijo with the help of several graduate students. And, the fungicide efficacy trails are being coordinated by Dr. Peres’ post-doctoral researcher Dr. Juliana Baggio. Dr. Mertely’s retirement plan includes hiking, fishing and traveling around the country. We wish him the best and note that he will be sincerely missed.
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UF/IFAS Extension Farm Labor Education program goes online in English and Spanish
By Jim Frankowiak This is prime time for agriculture in Florida and over the next few months, an increase in the farm worker population will help plant, maintain, and harvest our crops in the Sunshine State. Agriculture is an essential industry where farmworker safety is paramount to the successes underlying timely and efficient crop production activities.
tion program. This course provides the WPS TTT Certificate that is required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to train agricultural workers and pesticide handlers. The program also provides a free, self-paced, online review option that allows one to download the “How to Comply� WPS documents.
For the first time, free online resources along with a required certification course are also available in Spanish, putting safety in the hands of non-English-speaking agricultural workers and pesticide handlers through a statewide program led by the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension.
The Farm Labor Education Program also offers farm safety videos. These training videos are designed to comply with safety standards and enhance agricultural worker learning experiences. Videos promoting safety with tractors, ladders, citrus harvesting, tomato production, field sanitation, food safety and sugarcane harvesting are also available in Spanish.
The program, UF/IFAS Extension Farm Labor Education, is part of UF/IFAS Extension Online Learning. A central source for online training and professional development opportunities related to agriculture, natural resources, youth and families, and communities. These continuing education and non-credit courses and educational modules are developed by UF/IFAS experts in a variety of fields throughout the year. New research-based courses and modules are continually added to the catalog of offerings.
COVID restrictions that prevented traditional in-person group trainings over the past seven months, has made the opportunity to earn the FDACS-approved WPS Train the Trainer Certificate through the on-line platform very timely. It is also the time when the agricultural community is challenged with getting their workforce trained up for the upcoming growing season, which makes the timing of this on-line WPS training opportunity particularly relevant.
For the first time, the Worker Protection Standard Train the Trainer (WPS TTT) certification course is available online in both English and Spanish as part of the Farm Labor Educa-
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For more information, visit the UF/IFAS Extension Farm Labor Education site at https://ifas-farmlabor.catalog.instructure. com/ or contact Cesar Asuaje at 561-233-1727 or by email at crasuaje@ufl.edu.
Stylish Houseplants By Libby Hopkins Priscilla Goodall sees herself as an entrepreneur at heart. Since she was eight-years-old, she’s had multiple business ventures, including selling oranges on the driveway of her family home to a photography business in college. Goodall is currently the owner of Scilla Verna, which is a plant nursery in Tampa. Growing up in Florida, Goodall immersed herself in learning all about the plants around her. “I was surrounded by green,” Goodall said. “I learned the names of every shrub and tree in my front yard like cherry jubilee, yucca and philodendron. Many of my Mother’s Day gifts consisted of a vase full of wildflowers I collected that morning. Gardening became a therapeutic hobby for me in my early twenties as I learned how to cope with anxiety.” In early 2019, Goodall started growing vegetables in a plot at the Tampa Heights Community Garden. She then began a houseplant collection. “It was then my entrepreneurial spirit was reignited,” Goodall said. “With the encouragement of my partner and close friends, I sold my first houseplant a few months later and launched Scilla Verna. My vision is to become a certified plant nursery and open a storefront in Tampa by 2025.”
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Houseplants have become all the rage nowadays. American gardeners spent a record $52.3 billion on lawn and garden retail sales last year, according to the 2019 National Garden-
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ing Survey. A quarter of that spending was attributed to 18- to 34-year-olds, whose spending on plants has grown at a higher rate than any other age group since 2014. (www.gardenresearch.com) In a recent online article on the website Houseplant Resource Center (www.houseplantresourcecenter.com) “Millennials and Gen Zers are busy with demanding jobs and social lives and may not spend as much time in nature as they like. Many live in urban environments where nature is hard to come by. With skyrocketing home prices, student debt, and a competitive job market, many young people are also putting off home buying and choosing to rent instead, which means that many live in apartments without their own yards. Houseplants are a great way to carve out a little piece of nature all to you. Houseplants have taken social media by storm, especially Instagram. Gorgeous houseplant photography can inspire others to collect plants of their own, and this trend spreads like wildfire. Social media also provides a platform for plant lovers to inspire each other, share tips and secrets, and even arrange Meet-Ups and organizations where they can talk shop and even trade or share cuttings from their collections.” “People are spending more time in their living spaces as COVID-19 has forced people to quarantine, so naturally they are paying more attention to home décor,” Goodall said. “I believe this has contributed to the surge in interest in houseplants.” The mission of Scilla Verna to inspire others to invite beauty
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and life into their home through thoughtfully styled plants. If you ask Goodall what makes her plants business different from others in Tampa, she will tell you it’s the uniqueness of her plants. “Custom orders and unique arrangements are a large bulk of my sales,” Goodall said. “So, when you’re buying from Scilla Verna, you will most likely be purchasing a product no one else in the world owns.” One of Goodall’s favorite things she loves about her business is sourcing the unique pots for her plants. Her Instagram page (www.instagram.com/scillavernaplants/) showcases the variety of pots she has to offer her customers. “Sourcing my pots is probably my favorite part,” Goodall said. “It’s like a treasure hunt for me. I also like the creative aspect of finding the perfect pot for a plant.” Goodall also believes strongly in supporting local. “I love where I live and the local business community here,” Goodall said. “I have multiple local contacts for pots and plants and try to source from them as often as I can.” If you would like to learn more about Scilla Verna or if you’d like to order one of Goodall’s custom plants or pots, you can visit her website at https://scillaverna-plants.weeblysite.com/ or contact Goodall at 813-841-9504.
CROP INSURANCE: IT PAYS TO MANAGE YOUR RISK When you purchase risk management coverage with Farm Credit of Central Florida, we return a portion of our commission as patronage dividends to eligible stockholders. Patronage dividends could help lower the cost of insurance premiums, saving you money as you manage your risk. Farm Credit of Central Florida is glad to discuss how we can save you money on your crop insurance with patronage dividends. Feel free to contact our crop insurance specialist, Regina Thomas, at 407.721.4687 or rthomas@farmcreditcfl.com. Patronage dividend distribution is subject to eligibility. Certain limitations, conditions, and exclusions apply for crop insurance. Please refer to the policy for more details.
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AG-VENTURE PROGRAM GETS ‘BOXED’ By Jim Frankowiak
Ag-Venture, the agriculture educational program typically held at the Florida State Fair for third graders in the county, underwent dramatic changes this year as a result of concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers created the Ag-Venture in a Box set designed for classroom settings. Each box features eight different stations such as beef, strawberry, aquaculture, dairy, pizza garden and more for hands-on participation by students in their classes. The revised program also included video presentations associated with each station along with worksheets and additional information related to various Ag topics. The cost for each classroom box kit was $25. The “box” program marked a major change for the program which was established in 1994 and is supported by Hillsborough County Farm Bureau, Hillsborough County Extension, the Florida State Fair and various commodity organizations. “We kept the program’s momentum,” said Hillsborough County Farm Bureau Executive Director Judi Whitson. “In addition to participation from traditional schools and home schoolers, we received box orders from several schools outside of Hillsborough County. We also received comments how well-organized and complete the new program was,” she said.
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Approximately 100 boxes were created and delivered to Hillsborough County classrooms as well as classes in Hardee County, North Port and Port Charlotte.
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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FARM BUREAU ANNUAL MEETING;
VIRTUAL FOR THE FIRST TIME
The 78th annual meeting of Hillsborough County Farm Bureau was – for the first time – a virtual meeting prompted by concerns over COVID-19, the global pandemic. Members were invited to participate virtually in the session. Florida Farm Bureau Governmental Affairs Director was present and honored State Representative Lawrence McClure with the Champion of Ag Award for his legislative support of agriculture. McClure is also a member of the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau Board of Directors. The session also included remarks from Scott Franklin, a candidate for Congressional District 15.
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GCREC GRAD STUDENT BROOKS PARRISH WINS VIRTUAL STUDENT RESEARCH COMPETITION
Brooks Parrish, a master’s student in the Department of Environmental Horticulture at the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) recently won the Charlie Parkerson Virtual Student Research Competition. The competition is sponsored by the International Plant Propagators’ Society (IPPS) Southern Region of North America.
including those involved in horticultural research and education. IPPS aims to improve the knowledge, skills and professionalism of its members. The competition Parrish won was named in honor of the first IPPS Southern Region president Charlie Parkerson and has as its purpose professional development for students.
Parrish’s presentation was entitled “Morphological and cytological characterization of six porter weed (Stachytarpheta) selections. A 2019 alumnus of UF with a Bachelor of Science degree in Plant Sciences, Parrish grew up working on his family’s farm where they grow watermelons. As a UF undergrad he worked in a micropropagation lab on campus where he assisted in the production of disease eradicated caladiums in vitro. His agricultural experiences have set him on a path to become a plant breeder. Parrish works for Professor of Environmental Horticulture Dr. Zhanao Deng, who is also his adviser at the GCREC, researching caladiums. Parrish’s graduate research under Dr. Deng is centered on evaluating caladium somaclonal variants that were generated through micropropagation. The goal of his research project is to identify the changes that occurred at the molecular level during the micropropagation of these caladiums.
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IPPS is a global network of plant production professionals,
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