In The Field magazine Hillsborough edition

Letter from the Editor

STAFF

Publisher/Photography

Karen Berry

Senior Managing Editor/ Associate Publisher

Sarah Holt

Editor

Patsy Berry Sales

Karen Berry

Sarah Holt Melissa Nichols

September certainly went out with a roar. Hurricane Ian hit Florida as a Category 4 storm, the most powerful storm to hit Florida since Charley in 2004, which made landfall in the same area, and did massive damage south of us. Homes and business were destroyed, and lives lost. Some are committed to rebuild ing, some aren’t, but none of that will happen soon. It will take years before that area is rebuilt and its business as usual.

There was damage done in our area as well, but not to the ex tent of our southern neighbors. Trees were down, some homes were damaged, areas were flooded, and power was out for some time. According to weatherchannel.com damage from Hurricane Ian is being estimated at $67 billion.

Cleanup will be ongoing for some time as well. You can’t drive anywhere without seeing piles of debris next to roads waiting for pick up.

It’s a great time to help friends and neighbors. If you see some one is having trouble with cleanup or repairs, if you can help, jump in. I am sure it will be appreciated.

Until Next Month

Sarah Holt

George Domedion

Creative Director/Illustrator

Juan Alvarez

Photography

Karen Berry Blair Buchanon

Staff Writers

Al Berry Sandy Kaster

James Frankowiak

Sean Green

Contributing Writers

Woody Gore

John Dicks

Social Media

Victoria Saunders

In The Field Magazine is published monthly and is avail able through local Hillsborough County businesses, res taurants, 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 Associa tion.

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 Publica tions, Inc. Any use or duplication of material used in In the Field magazine is prohibited without written consent from Berry Publications, Inc.

Published by Berry Publications, Inc.

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HURRICANE IAN, OUR 80TH ANNUAL MEETING AND MORE

-Dennis Carlton Jr. - President

I’m writing this letter shortly after the departure of Hurricane Ian. I sincerely hope that each of you are doing well after this very significant weather event. My thoughts and prayers to those who were so severely impacted south of us and in our nearby communities.

Hurricane Ian’s track across Florida touched thou sands of acres of agricultural land and caused severe damage in many areas. That is significant as our in dustry is an important contributor to the state’s econ omy, producing over 300 commodities from livestock and aquaculture to fruit and vegetable crops.

This edition of IN THE FIELD Magazine will reach you shortly after our 80th Annual Membership Meeting, a wonderful opportunity for enhancing friendship and fellowship. There will be more information on that gathering in the next edition as well as the Florida Farm Bureau Annual Meeting which will be held Oc tober 26 - 28 in Orlando, FL.

At the end of this month and into the first week of November, Ag-Venture will be taking place at the Florida State Fairgrounds. This “hands-on” learning experience is designed to teach third grade students

in Hillsborough County about the importance of agri culture and help develop an understanding of where food comes from and the impact agriculture has and will have on their daily lives.

November 3 marks the first day of the 2022 Annual Hillsborough County Fair. The Fair’s Harvest Awards luncheon will take place on opening day with rec ognition for a number of groups and individuals. This year’s fair theme is “Homegrown Fun,” and I encour age you to attend. When visiting, be sure to check out the new Agriculture Education area, we are proud to sponsor that area and help educate fair attendees!

I would like to remind those of you who are not Hill sborough County Farm Bureau members to please consider joining and help strengthen our “Voice of Agriculture.” Visit www.hcfarmbureau.org for more in formation on membership benefits and volunteer op portunities.

Thank you,

Dennis Carlton Jr.

Dennis Carlton Jr. - President

Board of Directors

Dennis Carlton Jr, President; Carl Bauman, Vice-President; Tony Lopez, Treasurer; Madison Astin Salter, Secretary; Tiffany Dale, Christina Andrlik, Jake Cremer, Brittany Coleman, Travis Council, Drew Futch, Rep. Lawrence McClure, Casey Runkles, Michelle Williamson. Gayles Yanes, Kaylee Poppell, Executive Director

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

By Libby Hopkins

E ndang E r E d S p E ci ES Endangered Florida: Britton’s Beargrass

Nolina brittoniana or Britton’s Beargrass is a rare species of flowering plant in the asparagus family known by the com mon name Britton’s beargrass. It is endemic to Florida where there are 72 known populations, only a few of which are large enough to be considered viable. It is federally listed as an en dangered species of the United States.

Britton’s beargrass is a perennial that grows from a short, thick, fleshy, bulblike rootstock. The leaves are three - six feet long and 0.2-0.5 in. wide, forming a rosette with the youngest leaves upright and the oldest lying nearly flat on the ground. The flowering stem, usually solitary, grows at least 6 feet high from the rosette in April. The inflorescence is a panicle with about six branches; when in bloom, the branches are covered with small white six-parted flowers, making the plant very conspicuous. Individual plants usually appear to have all male or all female flowers.

The many small flowers have tepals measuring only one or two millimeters long. While the flowers are bisexual, they are functionally unisexual, with either the male or female part re duced and not functional. Most plants have either function ally male or female flowers, but some have both.

Blooming occurs in March through May. The flowers give rise to winged capsules roughly a centimeter long by a centime ter wide. The plant reproduces sexually via seed and vegeta tively by cloning.

The plant is limited to seven counties in Central Florida where it grows in a number of habitat types. It is known from various kinds of Florida scrub habitat, hammocks and sand hills. The habitat types are different in many ways but they all have dry, well-drained, low-nutrient sandy soils and they are all main tained by wildfire.

The plant is present on Lake Wales Ridge, home to many rare Central Florida endemic plants. It grows alongside Polygala lewtonii, Polygonum dentoceras, Polygonum basiramia, Paro nychia chartacea, Persea humilis, Liatris ohlingerae, Hyperi cum cumulicola, Conradina brevifolia, Calamintha ashei, and Bonamia grandiflora. The plant is relatively widespread when compared with other rare local plants, but most of the popu lations are small and some are made up of only female indi viduals.

The Britton’s beargrass is a member of plant communities that are maintained by a natural fire regime. Periodic wildfire halts the encroachment of large and woody vegetation, pre venting ecological succession and keeping the canopy thin to allow sunlight to the herb layer below. These fire-maintained habitat types in Florida are largely degraded now because of a long-standing policy of fire suppression. They are over grown, with thick canopies and a large amount of flammable organic buildup.

Without fire, the Britton’s beargrass does not grow well, its reproduction is inefficient, and its populations experience low recruitment. The Britton’s beargrass flowers most profusely in the year following a fire. Many populations are located on privately owned land, and it is up to the landowner to decide whether or not to initiate controlled burns.

Habitat is also being lost to development. Habitat fragmen tation has occurred. However, the species has likely always been sparse in widespread populations, even before human interference in the habitat, and conservation of remaining habitat fragments will probably be enough to maintain it. Pre scribed burns should be part of this conservation plan. While it is rare in the wild, the Britton’s beargrass is cultivated in plant nurseries

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NEW UF/IFAS ONLINE TOOL HELPS HORSE OWNERS PROTECT WATER QUALITY

By Jim Frankowiak

Managing manure can be a challenge for horse owners. One horse can produce an average of 50 pounds of waste per day and with an estimated 385,000 horses in Florida, that waste piles up. A new University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) online tool can help horse owners identify ways to improve how they handle waste to benefit the health of horses, humans and Florida waterways. Horse manure contains nitrogen and when significant amounts are introduced to water via leaching into groundwater or di rectly into a waterway, it has negative effects on water qual ity. Best management practices (BMPs) guide horse owners on how to reduce these potential impacts to Florida’s water quality.

The new, free tool allows horse owners to self-assess their waste management plan. The website also serves as a reposi tory for resources and information on proper manure manage ment.

“Manure management can become an unwieldy and frus trating part of horse ownership,” said Carissa Wickens, UF/ IFAS Extension specialist. “Responsible horse ownership and equine property management includes being good stewards of the land and making sure we are properly handling the ma nure the horses produce.”

The goal is not perfect execution of every best management practice but instead have a plan and make incremental chang es. Over time, that will make a significant difference and re duce negative impacts to water supply.

“There is not a one size fits all solution,” said Wickens. “We hope to help as many horse owners implement as many BMPs as possible, but we know there are some practices that will be difficult to adopt. It can be challenging and sometimes you have to get creative.”

Each farm will have their own unique needs and challenges when implementing BMPs. One simple way to get started is to understand where any sinkholes or water features are located on or around your farm and consider where manure is stored or disposed of. If your farm is near one of these areas, evalu ate the available space on your farm and consider moving the manure. How and where manure is stored can go a long way to protect water quality, control odor and flies, improve health and support positive relationships with neighbors.

Composting manure can be another key strategy. Properly composting manure and reapplying it not only minimizes leaching of nutrients into waterways, but it protects horse and

human health as well. Proper manure management reduces pathogens, improves pasture health and more.

“Implementing these practices helps protect water resources for many generations,” said Wickens. “It’s important for drink ing water as well as the recreational aspect water resources contribute to the economic impact in our state.”

This project was made possible by funding from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Office of Agricultural Water Policy. The entire best management practices manual for Florida equine operations is available at: https://www.fdacs.gov/content/download/30687/file/ equineBMP-lores.pdf .

FIGHTING FOR EAST HILLSBOROUGH

WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT MOSQUITOES AND HURRICANE RECOVERY

By Lourdes Mederos

After a hurricane, flooding and scattered debris that hold wa ter are breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

“An increase in mosquito numbers can most likely be ex pected in the weeks following a hurricane,” said Eva Buckner, an assistant professor and medical entomologist at the Uni versity of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).

Buckner, an Extension specialist at UF/IFAS Florida Medi cal Entomology Laboratory in Vero Beach, remains in close contact with Florida’s more than 65 mosquito control districts providing training, solutions and information on topics includ ing mosquito identification, mosquito-borne diseases, inte grated mosquito management and more.

Buckner offers the following facts and tips to keep consum ers from getting bitten, eliminate those breeding grounds during hurricane recovery and dispel myths about mosquitoborne diseases.

Q: Can hurricanes promote mosquito breeding?

A: The flooding from hurricanes can cause mosquito eggs laid in the soil by floodwater mosquitoes during previous floods to hatch. This can result in very large populations of floodwater mosquitoes. Most of these mosquitoes are considered nui sance mosquitoes because they can be annoying biters that do not transmit any viruses to humans. Additionally, if flood waters do not recede, standing water mosquitoes may start laying eggs on the standing water.

Q: Do these mosquitos carry illnesses like Zika and West Nile Virus?

A: In general floodwater mosquitoes are just considered nui sance mosquitoes, except for Aedes aegypti, the yellow fever mosquito. This species can transmit chikungunya, Zika and dengue virus.

In Florida, this species can be found in some suburban and ur ban areas in the state. In areas with Aedes aegypti, increased rainfall may result in increased hatching of Aedes aegypti eggs from water-holding containers.

We’ve had no travel-related cases of chikungunya or Zika this

year, so no transmission of these viruses is expected in Flori da post-Ian. However, the risk of getting infected with dengue virus from Aedes aegypti may be slightly increased.

Also, some species of standing water mosquitoes can trans mit West Nile virus, so steps should be taken to protect from mosquito bites.

Q: What steps can residents take to protect themselves from mosquito bites?

A: Most important tip to remember is to wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Use En vironmental Protection Agency (EPA)-regis tered insect repellents with one of the fol lowing active ingredients: DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-men thane-diol or 2-undecanone.

Q: What steps can consumers take to control mosquitoes in side and outside of their property?

A: Draining water is recommended for reducing mosquito habitats in water-holding containers that individual home owners have control over, such as pet dishes, vases, bird baths, buckets, toys, flowerpot saucers and cans. You can help reduce your risk of diseases just by dumping containers.

To kill immature mosquitoes in pools at homes without elec tricity to run pumps, use mosquito bits or dunks. These micro bial insecticides can be purchased at hardware or box stores.

For vast water sources, it is best to leave the source reduction and treatment to the mosquito control agencies. Contact your local mosquito control program to ask for treatment request.

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October 2022 - Let's Go Fishing in Tampa Bay

Capt. Woody Gore

It's the time of year when the fish begin eating, and we catch more than just fish ing. So, this is a great time to fish as late summer temperatures begin to drop. If you want to catch tarpon, snook, red fish, trout, snapper, mackerel, grouper, or sharks, now is the time to do it. "Give Us a Call and Let's Go Fishing" For charters or articles on catching fish, visit my website www.captainwoodygore.com.

Tarpons are still around and biting. I've caught plenty over the past month. On an early scouting morning trip, I decided to do some artificial lure fishing. So, I tied on my favorite topwater, a MirrOlure Top Dog Jr., and decided on a little topwater tarpon fishing. After scouting around the smooth south Tampa Bay waters. I came upon a large school of rolling tarpon. The fun began. I never landed one but hooked several and had fun until they broke me off.

The snook and redfish bite was strong, so I looked around the outer mangrove shoreline catching a few snook and red fish on the MirrOlure Top Dog Jr. Redfish and snook are all over the area hanging around the many lush grass flats and mangrove shorelines. When fishing, look for points and eddies. Snook and reds seem to stage ambush sites in these ar eas.

Next, I moved to a middle Tampa Bay rock ledge to check the snapper bite. I switched over tying on a #1 Daiichi circle hook and a #3 split shot weight. I grabbed a big shrimp from the live well, broke it into two pieces, and threaded the back section onto the circle hook. I tossed it overboard in approximately 28 feet of water. It never got to the bottom before a nice-sized snapper grabbed it. After a few minutes, I limited out and decided that would make a nice supper.

Mackerel, bluefish, jacks, and ladyfish are feeding on bait schools everywhere. If it's glass minnows they're after, re member to try to match the hatch.

Never turn your fishing nose up at lady fish or jacks, especially when youngsters are involved; they can certainly make or break a trip. Most young folks are not interested in fishing. However, they are interested in catching something, and they don't care what it is. When you take kids fishing, make sure it's all about them. You'll get your turn when you and your buds get out.

If you want to catch fish, have a memo

rable adventure, or perhaps learn some new fishing tips, give me a call. I also specialize in group or multi-boat char ters. Tell me what you need and leave the rest to me. Fishing Florida for over 50 years, I offer professionally guided fish ing and teaching charters around Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Tar pon Springs.

To Book Fishing Charters, please visit my website, CaptainWoodyGore.Com, click Book Online Now and fill out the form or give me a call: at 813-477-3814.

Pepsi’s red, white and blue logo was made in the 1940s to support America’s war effort.

In colonial America lobster was anything but a delicacy, so cheap and plentiful that it was often served to prisoners.

In a Sesame Street episode, Cookie Monster said that before he started eating cookies, his name was Sid.

English muffins were first made in America, Venetian blinds were invented by the Chinese and Belgians were the first to make French fries.

Guinness says the world’s hardest tongue twister is this: “The sixth sick sheik’s sixth sheep’s sick.

Augie, a golden retriever from Dallas, Texas, owns the doggie world record for holding tennis balls in the mouth, with five.

There was no toilet in the kid’s bathroom on “The Brady Bunch” sitcom.

HOPEWELL

w.Hop

Figures of Speech

Have you ever wondered about the phrase, “figure of speech?” I went to Google on my computer and looked it up, and this is what I found:

fig·ure of speech noun

plural noun: figures of speech

An expression that uses language in a nonliteral way, such as a metaphor or synecdoche, or in a structured or unusual way, such as anaphora or chiasmus, or that employs sounds, such as alliteration or assonance, to achieve a rhetorical effect.

Huh? No kidding. I asked around to see if I could get an answer. Nobody seemed to know. I’ll bet if my English teacher, Mrs. Smith was alive she would have an an swer I could understand.

As a last resort I went back to Google for the answer. I did not get an answer I could understand, but I found some examples of “Figure of Speech.” You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.

The evening news is where they begin with “Good Eve ning,” and then proceed to tell you why it isn’t. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people ap pear bright until you hear them speak.

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. If I agreed with you, we’d both

Editor’s Note: This Rocking Chair Chatter was originally printed in the October 2018 issue

be wrong. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it’s still on my list. Change is inevitable, except from a vend ing machine. Where there’s a will, there are relatives. And lastly the one most everyone can understand, well, his goose is cooked! There you have it. Now you know a figure of speech when you hear it or read it.

As a kid I remember we would have fun seeing who could come up with the most tongue twisters. The one most people remember is: Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked. If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, how many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?

See if you can read this one without making a mistake. How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood? As much wood as a wood chuck could chuck, If a woodchuck could chuck wood. Try these two: But the thought I thought wasn’t the thought I thought I thought. If the thought I thought I thought had been the thought I thought, I wouldn’t have thought so much. A skunk sat on a stump. The stump thought the skunk stunk. The skunk thought the stump stunk. What stunk the skunk or the stump?

I have always thought the dictionary is filled with words that are seldom used. Open any page and you’re likely to find a word you have never heard, whether it’s gon goozle (means to stare idly at a waterway and do noth ing) or zwodder (a feeling of drowsiness). We see it, and think to ourselves that we absolutely must use it in con versation.

Sometimes people never understand what you’re say ing. They hear what they want to hear. Case in point. About a week before this last Christmas I was at the checkout stand at a local grocery store. The lady in front of me wanted to buy some postage stamps to mail some Christmas cards. Here’s the way the conversation went; “Ma’am, I got these Christmas cards I need to mail today. I need 14 stamps, please.” The clerk said, “O.K., I have books of 6 first class or 12 second-class stamps.”

“OK,” she said, “I’ll take 14 second-class stamps.”

“I’m sorry,” the clerk said. “We only sell the stamps in books of 12.”

“Yes. I need 14 stamps, please.”

The clerk replied, “Okay. So two books will be $11.04.”

The customer replies, “What! That seems like a lot of money for 14 stamps.” Clerk: “No, madam. That is for 24 stamps. We only sell them in books of 12.” Customer: “But I only want 14.”

The clerk remained calm and said. “Lady, we are not a post-office, we only sell stamps in books of 12. In order to get 14 stamps you will have to buy two books. I am sure you can use the rest of the stamps later. Now, if it’s a real problem there’s a post office just around the corner past the fire station, which will be open in the morning.”

Very loudly she says, “Don’t you understand I only need 14 stamps.”

The clerk at the cash register politely said, “Sorry, I can not help you.”

With that the lady said, “Well give me one book!” She turned and looked at me and said, “I’ll hand deliver the other two cards tomorrow.”

People not only hear what they want to hear, but have trouble writing what they want to say. As an example, here are some notes a schoolteacher friend of mine collected over the years.

“My son is under a doctor’s care and should not take P.E. today. Please execute him.”

“Please excuse Lisa for being absent. She was sick, and I had her shot.”

“Please excuse Jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the Sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it Monday, we thought it was Sunday.”

“Please excuse Jason for being absent yesterday. He had a cold and could not breed well.”

And I leave you with this, which has nothing to do with anything written in this column. “If you can’t have a mid night snack why do we have a light in the fridge?

CASEY SIMMONS RUNKLES

FIFTH GENERATION FARMING FAMILY MEMBER - JOINS FARM BUREAU BOARD

By Jim Frankowiak

Casey Simmons Runkles, a member of the 5th generation Simmons farming family, has been named a member of the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau (HCFB) Board of Directors. One of 67 county Farm Bureaus under the Florida Farm Bu reau Federation (FFBF), HCFB is the voice of Agriculture, “striving to have our members well informed, educated and effective at all levels of the organization, as well as with com munity, legislative and other strategic alliances.”

The daughter of Billy and Carol Simmons, Casey is Director of Financial Operations and Food Safety for Simmons, Farms Inc., which has been growing strawberries since 1977, add ing blueberries in 2013. “Prior to that my father and his dad farmed a variety of citrus and vegetables,” she said. Shad, Dr. Evie D’Amico, Chaun, Brea and Philip are her brothers and sis ters. Casey also has her own Food Safety Consulting Business through which she assists farmers, cold storage facilities and packinghouses with their food safety compliance.

Casey has a broad involvement in Agriculture, including mem bership in the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA), Emerging Leaders Development Program, the University of Florida (UF) Wedgworth Leadership Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources and Florida Strawberry Growers As sociation (FSGA), which she has served as a board member and secretary and is currently Community Chair of Member Services/Community.

She is a member of the First Baptist Church of Plant City and

the church’s Women’s Ministry and First Impressions Ministry and the Tomlin Middle School FFA Alumni Association.

Married to Jason Runkles for 21 years this December, Casey and Jason have four children: Roby Elizabeth, 19; Laney, 17; Bryce, 11; and “the goldendoodle,” Oakley Jaye, 1.

“I am very passionate about the support of Agriculture and making sure our kids truly understand where our food comes from,” she said. “after completing the Wedgworth Leadership Institute, our class was challenged to not stop and continue to be involved with Agriculture policies on a decision-making level. I think being a member of the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau Board is a wonderful place to pursue that. I look for ward to learning more about and advocating for Florida Agri culture.”

Additionally, Runkles continues to participate in continuing education classes related to her position with Simmons Farms Inc. and her food safety consultancy.

When not involved in her business endeavors, Casey “enjoys spending time with my family. We love visiting theme parks as we are ‘roller coaster junkies’, and I am a proud supporter of USF (University of South Florida) football.”

Welcome to the HCFB Board and thank you for your commit ment to Agriculture!

Conventional methods have led to soil degradation, deteriorated crop health, and loss of livelihood.

methods help, but they’re not enough.

practices, renew soil health, produce stress and disease

crops,

provide

economic return to growers.

with

Business Up Front BROKE AND POOR

By Jim Frankowiak

SERVING CUSTOMERS SINCE 1985

Don’t let the name mislead you! The full name is Broke and Poor Surplus Building Materials of Plant City, known commonly as “Broke and Poor.” Located on U.S. High way 92 east of Plant City, Broke and Poor was founded by Donald and Sandra Brock and the late Layton Price in 1985. It is a family-owned company approaching its 38th anniversary.

“My dad and Layton came up with the name as a de rivative of their last names - Brock and Price,” said Ted Brock, Donald’s son and the current chief executive of the company. The company sells mobile home sup plies and materials, windows and doors and cabinets and awnings – plus a little bit of everything else, includ ing antiques.

“All of our materials are competitively priced,” said Brock. “Many of our products are simply not available at the big box stores. Products for mobile homes are not the same as those used to maintain and repair the majority of residential dwellings.”

The senior Brock and Layton were both Plant City na tives with finance industry backgrounds. “As they re tired from the finance industry, they also decided to sell the rental units each owned and this led to a substantial amount of unused building material. That was the basis for the beginning of Broke and Poor,” said Brock. Ini tially, the company had locations in Auburndale, Plant City and Lake Wales, but after the passing of Layton Price, Brock senior sold his interest in the Auburndale and Lake Wales stores to the Price family.

“Our customer base is made up of do-it-yourselfers, contractors and handymen,” said Brock. “We are now in our busiest time of the year as visitors from the north and Canada are or will be soon down here for the winter and many of them are residents of mobile homes.” In addition to selling items for mobile homes, Brock noted his staff “is highly customer service oriented and knowl

edgeable about construction, plumbing and remodel ing. We are also happy to provide the names of local contractors that we know and trust and are certain will take good care of our customers,” he said.

The Broke and Poor staff also includes bi-lingual mem bers “who can well serve our Spanish-speaking cus tomers,” said Brock. Long time Broke and Poor manag ers include Chris Brown and Blake Register with David Martinez, a veteran, bi-lingual member of the team. Ted’s daughter, Jennifer Brennan, oversees Broke and Poor accounting and payroll.

While Broke and Poor’s primary focus has and con tinues to be the mobile home market, it also carries a broad listing of high end kitchen cabinets along with aluminum carports and screen rooms. “We also of fer the names of honest and trusted contractors and handymen able to help with installation,” noted Brock.

Product installation is an area under consideration for Broke and Poor’s future. “While we will continue to offer the same mix of products we always have, we are care fully considering the establishment of our own installa tion team,” he said. “That is a major step, and one we are looking at very closely.”

As part of its commitment to mobile home customers, Broke and Poor has contributed products to retired mil itary mobile home residents in need. “That is our way of paying back for their service to each of us and acknowl edging that market’s importance to our business,” said Brock.

For more information about Broke and Poor Surplus Building Materials of Plant City, stop by the store at 2670 U.S. Highway 92, Plant City, FL 33564. Hours of operation are Monday – Saturday from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. Call: 813/752-3378 or visit: brokeandpoorpc@aol. com.

Blake Register Store Manager

Cesar, Chris, David and Tony

Owners Donald Brock & Ted Brock

BRIEFS

Compiled by Jim Frankowiak

FLORIDA AG EXPO – NOVEMBER 2

The 2022 Florida Ag Expo is scheduled for Wednesday, No vember 2, at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) at Balm, FL. Register at: www.flori daagexpo.net.

NEW EXTENSION WEBSITE AIDS SMALL FARMS DEAL WITH MANURE

Dr. Mary Lusk, Assistant Professor of Soil and Water at the UF/ IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC), has announced a new Extension website for small farms provides environmentally-friendly practices for dealing with manure. The site – https://animal.ifas.ufl.edu/equinebmps/ - offers a “virtual assessment tool” to permit users to see how their farm scores in terms of protecting Florida water quality, and recom mendations for ways to improve manure management.

USDA-NRCS LOCAL WORKING GROUP MEETING SET FOR NOVEMBER 29

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service ((NRCS) and Hillsborough Soil and Water Conservation District will hold the next Local Working Group (LWG) meeting November 29 at 13138 Lewis Gallagher Road, Dover, FL 33527 (Location of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association) at 3 p.m. Interest parties can contact Betty Jo Tompkins for a Zoom Link via email: bjt6890@yahoo.com. The LWGs provide recommendations to the USDA on criteria for conservation activities and programs, and they focus on agricultural interests and natural resource issues in their local community.

FFVA NAMES GCREC’S NATHAN BOYD “RESEARCHER OF THE YEAR”

The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) has named Nathan Boyd its 2022 “Researcher of the Year.” The award is presented annually to deserving individuals who strive to im prove Florida agriculture.

Boyd is a professor and associated director at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) at Balm where he focuses on the development of integrated weed management programs for small fruits and vegetables, as well as improving the agriculture industry’s understanding of weed biology. The FFVA is an agricultural association whose mem bership represents the majority of Florida fruit and vegetable production.

TWO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY RESIDENTS IN FFVA EMERGING LEADERSHIP CLASS

The Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) has an nounced the 14 members of Class 12 of its Emerging Leader Development Program. Among the class are Jeremy Nipper of Everglades Equipment Group in Tampa and Erin Parke Wat son of Parkesdale Farms in Dover. Administered by the Florida Specialty Crop Foundation, the Emerging Leader Develop ment Program provides young leaders with an immersive ex perience on the issues facing the industry and how to be lead ers within the FFVA,

Edible Hobby

By Libby Hopkins

Mike Gonzalez is originally from San Diego, CA but now calls Tampa home. He is the owner of Food Forest Tampa. Growing up, he always had a garden of some sort. “My grandmother had loquat and pomegranate in San Diego,” Gonzalez said. “I moved to Tampa in 1992 and instantly noticed mainly Oak, Pine, and Cypress trees. Since I was 12 years old, I wanted to have a yard full of fruit trees and somehow convince people to plant more fruit trees.”

When he got married and moved back to San Diego in 2012 he started his own food forest with citrus, apples, pomegran ate, figs and a herb garden. “At another house I had about 18 fruit trees with mulberries, citrus, pomegranate, white sapote, mango and more,” Gonzalez said. “I don’t have an agriculture degree or a real agriculture background other than starting as a hobbyist and running a mango farm.”

Hobby farming has become more and more popular recently. A hobby farm is a small-scale farm that is primarily for plea sure instead of profit or business gain. The owners of a hobby farm typically have some other primary source of income like an off-farm job, pension, or retirement income that allows them to live. The hobby farm is exactly what it sounds like, a hobby.

Someone who raises a flock of chickens in your backyard, a couple of goats, some fresh veggies or anything else along those lines, then they are considered a hobby farmer.

Basically, the difference between a hobby farm, homestead, and a farm is this, a hobby farm and homestead can be one

and the same. It is all about the person’s purpose behind their farming efforts.

Then a farm and a homestead could also be one and the same because if the person farms for a full-time living, then they are no longer doing it just as a hobby or for supplemental income. “Food Forest Tampa started as a vision to beautify the Florida landscape with edible fruit trees,” Gonzalez said. “I was tired of seeing oak and pine trees.”

People start hobby farms for a variety of different reasons, but in the process, they may realize other unexpected advan tages. Some of these benefits include better mental health, a reliable food source, and an ideal way to engage in physical exercise.

Gonzalez gets many complements from his customers. “Our customers like our knowledge, customer service and the unique ability to taste many varieties of mangos in Tampa,” Gonzalez said. “What we like the most is the people’s faces when they try a mango variety for the first time. Their smiles get me every time.”

Keeping things local is also very important to Gonzalez. “Sup porting local business directly impacts the business owner and family,” Gonzalez said. “I always suggest buying local and not a big box store.”

If you would like to try some of Food Forest Tampa’s produce or their yummy mangos, you can contact Gonzalez at food foresttampa@gmail.com or call 813-482-8476.

FLORIDA SAND

By Sandy Sun, M.S. Clinical Medicines, B.S. Nutrition Science

Most of us think of pears as juicy and sweet with its familiar pear-shaped fruit, but did you know there are such things as Florida sand pears? Fresh sand pears are more round than pear shaped and are crispier and grittier inside, which gives them the name of “sand pears.” They more closely resemble Asian pears in their shape and texture than they do the tradi tional pear types such as Bartlett. Like Asian pears, sand pears are sweet, juicy, and crunchy. Sand pears are often used in jams, pies, pear butter, canned or dried, as well as eaten fresh off the tree.

In addition to pears, other members of the Rosaceae family include apples, cherries, apricots, peaches, plums, quinces, strawberries and almonds. In addition to sand pears, other types of pears that grown in Florida include Hood, Pineapple, and Flordahome pears, and all are delicious for eating. Pear trees are more often grown in the northern parts of Florida because they require a period of dormancy and an accompa nied chilling at 45 degrees or less to bear fruit. Hood pears are good for eating out-of-hand as well as for cooking. They are golden yellow with a soft, buttery flesh and a slightly tangy flavor, much like Bartlett pears. Pineapple pears are hard and used mostly for canning. Flordahome pears are sweet, juicy, and savory and good for eating raw.

Nutritional Profile

Fresh Florida sand pears are a fantastic source of vitamin C, vitamin K, dietary fiber, riboflavin, and potassium. The outer peel of sand pears is thicker than that of other types of pears and is entirely edible and contains most of the fiber in the fruit. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, one medium pear (178 g) contains 101 calories, 0.6 g of pro tein, 0.2 g of fat, 27 g of carbohydrate, and 5.5 g of fiber. It also provides 22% of the Daily Recommended Value (% DV) for dietary fiber, 17% for copper, 10% for vitamin C, and 9% for vi tamin K. Pears also contain significant amounts of potassium, manganese, phosphorus, calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, and many of the B vitamins.

Fiber

Research has shown that dietary fiber has a protective effect against cardiovascular diseases, by lowering blood choles terol levels and slowing the progression of heart disease in high-risk individuals. Fiber binds to the cholesterol-containing bile salts and helps to excrete them out of the body. It also promotes bowel regularity and increases satiety levels, which can aid in weight control.

In addition to the effects of fiber on regularity, other com pounds in sand pears promote healthy digestive functioning and offer protection from colon cancer. Pears are one of the top foods for high fiber.

Antioxidants

Florida sand pears are full of disease-fighting antioxidants, which neutralize destructive free radicals in the body. The vi tamin C and vitamin A in pears, as well as other compounds,

have antioxidant qualities. Copper also supports the func tion of antioxidants, sweeping up free radicals. When healthy cells are damaged, they are more susceptible to disease and certain types of cancer, and antioxidants may help slow the progression of conditions like asthma, arthritis, and colon cancer. Diets that contain fruits high in antioxidants are linked to a reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and multiple types of cancer. Pears also contain flavonoids that improve insulin sensitivity, a key factor that can help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Vitamin C

In addition to its antioxidant properties, vitamin C has many important functions in the body. Eating foods like pears that are high in vitamin C significantly raises the amount of iron your body absorbs, which helps prevent anemia. In its most famous role, vitamin C supports the body’s immune system in its ability to fight infections and viruses, and may possi bly shorten the duration and intensity of a cold. Additionally, this vitamin is involved in keeping capillaries, gums, and skin healthy and supple.

How to select and store

When sand pears begin to turn yellow and either fall off, or can be easily pulled off the tree then they are ready to harvest and eat. The texture is smoother and less gritty the earlier they are picked but will not ripen further once off the tree. Choose pears that are free of blemishes or bruises and feel heavy and firm for their size. Ripe sand pears can be stored in the refrig erator for up to a week. Rinse under cool running water before eating or preparing.

How to enjoy

Ripe, juicy, sand pears are delicious eaten out-of-hand. Pears can also be cooked, poached, made into jam or jelly, or incor porated into salads and desserts. Other ways to enjoy fresh sand pears include:

• Slice pears and toss with romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and walnuts for a delicious salad.

• Dice pears and mix with other fruits in a fruit salad

• Serve pears with blue cheese for a simple appetizer or dessert.

• Add chopped pears, ginger and honey to oatmeal for a breakfast treat.

• Core pears and poach in apple juice or wine.

• Thinly slice pears and top a freshly baked cake

• Add thin slices of pear to peanut butter or grilled cheese sandwiches

sweet and juicy Florida sand pears today. It’s a delicious way to get plenty of fiber and other nutrients.

WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT HOLDING HOG HUNTS; PERMITS AVAILABLE ONLINE

By Jim Frankowiak

Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) land managers will hold a series of hog hunts on District lands throughout the year to help reduce the feral hog population.

Feral hogs, which are not native to Florida, can cause damage with their broad snouts and can leave an area looking like a plowed field. They also prey on native wildlife, compete with native species for food and transmit diseases to other wildlife, livestock and humans. Additionally, hogs may facilitate the spread of exotic plant species by transporting seeds and/or providing germination sites through rooting.

The District has a three-phased hunting system. The first two phases of hunts will have separate registration processes. The single top producer from each Phase 1 and Phase 2 hunt will be asked to participate in hog management activities for Phase 3.

All hunts will adhere to the hog-dog format. No still hunts will be available. The program works like this:

PHASE 1 HUNTS

• Registration now under.

• Includes five hunts that occur November through December 2022.

• A $75 nonrefundable fee must be paid for each permit.

• Permits are transferable.

• The top producer of each Phase 1 hunt with no rule violations will be placed on the District’s “top producer” list and will be awarded participation in the District’s Phase 3 hunts, free of charge.

PHASE 2 HUNTS

• Registration will begin at 9 a.m. Dec. 13, 2022.

• Includes five hunts that occur January through February 2023.

• A $75 nonrefundable fee must be paid for each permit.

• Permits are transferable.

• The single top producer of each Phase 2 hunt with no rule violations will be placed on the District’s “top produc er” list and will be awarded participation in the District’s Phase 3 hunts, free of charge.

PHASE 3 “AS-NEEDED” MANAGEMENT HUNTS

• Includes management hunts that may occur March through October 2023.

• Only those registrants that qualify as “top produc ers” following the Phase 1 and 2 hunts will be contacted to take part in management hunts during this period.

• Management hunts offered to “top producers” will be free of charge and nontransferable.

• All Phase 1 and Phase 2 top producers, without rule violations, will be offered participation on a minimum of four management hunts occurring March through October 2023.

The District-managed properties will be temporarily closed to the public during the hog hunts. Only permitted hunters will be allowed access.

Prospective hunters can purchase permits for Phase I on the District’s WaterMatters.org/HogHunts. Permits will be avail able on a first come, first serve basis until they are sold out. The cost is $75 for each permit. A complete list of hunts with locations and dates is also available online.

This is the 14th consecutive year for the hunts. Last year’s hunts removed 656 hogs on nine different tracts of land throughout the District.

HURRICANES, A LANDSCAPE PRUNING OPPORTUNITY

By Lynn Barber, Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ Agent UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County

Hurricanes provide many of us with the ‘opportunity’ to prune our landscape plants that have not been uprooted or de stroyed. Under normal conditions, pruning does not have to involve a significant amount of our free time, but after a hur ricane it may.

We should prune our landscape plants soon after damage has occurred. Generally, we prune to train the plant to grow in a specific direction, stimulate flower or fruit production, pro mote more full growth, remove diseased, deranged or dead foliage, or to prevent damage to people and property. After a hurricane, we prune for some of those reasons and to im prove the appearance of shrubs that have wind damage, bro ken stems or damage from falling trees and/or tree limbs. A few tips to follow:

• Use pruners, not hedge shears, to prune shrubs. Cutting back one-third of the plant will improve the aesthetics and health of the plant. This is called rejuvenation pruning and cuts should be made to remove 1/3 of old, mature stems back to the basic framework or near ground level. However, you may need to prune more now depending on the amount of damage sustained. If you need to remove more than 1/3 of growth, the shrub may take longer to recover.

Tree pruning may be necessary to improve the shape or form. For assistance in pruning trees, use an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist which you can find at: www.treesarecool.com. Click on the tab titled ‘Find an Arbor ist’ to locate professionals in your area. If you choose to at tempt some minor pruning on your own, refer to the following publications for tree pruning information: https://hort.ifas.ufl. edu/woody/pruning.shtml and for safety recommendations: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FR170.

• Hurricane pruning on palms is a practice that harms the palm and can cause more dam age in strong winds. Over pruning palms leaves only the fronds on the top of the palm which results in weak structure promoting breakage at the growing point and death of the palm. Fronds should not be removed above the clock hand positions of 9 and 3. A full head on a palm provides wind protection by lift ing the wind over nearby structures. Refer to the publication, Pruning Palms: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/EP443, which provides information on correct pruning practices. Not all palms require pruning. Dead fronds can be pruned; however, partially dead fronds (part green, yellow or brown) should not be pruned as they continue to supply potassium to the palm. Palms with a green crownshaft are self-pruning and do not require pruning because the fronds fall off naturally once they turn brown.

For assistance with horticultural questions, call us at 813-7445519 or visit us at the UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County, 5339 County Road 579, Seffner, FL 33584. Visit our Hillsbor ough County Extension and Florida-Friendly LandscapingTM websites. Remember to reduce, reuse, recycle and repeat.

CADE McCULLOUGH

By Jim Frankowiak

This June marked an important event in the life of Hillsbor ough County 11th grader Cade McCullough as she was named 2022-2023 Intermediate Beef Ambassador after successfully completing an interview with a panel of Florida Cattlemen’s Association judges.

The year-long appointment comes “with vast responsibility, being able to attend Florida Cattlemen and Florida Cattle women events, while also attending community events to promote the beef industry,” said McCullough. “I enjoy being able to educate and serve the community at different events, sharing the beef story with people and learning from other cattlemen and cattlewomen. While serving as the Beef Am bassador thus far, I have had the opportunity to travel around the great state of Florida and volunteer at numerous events helping to educate and serve for the beef industry. As the 2022-2023 Florida Intermediate Beef Ambassador my per sonal goal is to educate consumers and help spread the im portance of Florida’s beef industry and Florida’s Beef Produc ers.”

McCullough was born and raised in Hillsborough County, Florida along with her older brother Zackary. Their parents are Sherry and Buddy McCullough. “Raising livestock is no

stranger to me, I have been around cattle and horses since I was a child,” she said. “You could say it’s in my blood as my Papa A.L. “Buddy” McCullough was a lifelong cattleman. He served as president of the Hillsborough County Cattlemen’s Association, the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau and also served on both of their boards of directors.

“Coincidently, my uncle, Bear McCullough, happens to be the current president of the Hillsborough County Cattlemen’s Association,” she noted. Before joining 4-H and FFA, Cade was trained in both Western and English riding, specifically Eventing, where she won several ribbons and prizes. “I have also been involved in Sporting Clays and was a member of the Fishhawk Sporting Clays youth team where I attended the Junior National Sporting Clays at the Cardinal Shooting Center in Marengo, Ohio. I joined 4-H where I started showing lambs, which was fun having the chance to learn and meet new people. In 2021, I was invited to attend a Hillsborough County Junior Cattlemen’s Association meeting where they were reviewing questions for an upcoming statewide quiz bowl. While they were reviewing for the quiz bowl, I realized that I had a deeper passion and knowledge for the cattle industry. I started to network with local Brahman breeders and later purchased a registered Brahman heifer and began

showing her. I joined the Florida Junior Brahman Association and the American Junior Brahman Association. I decided to purchase a registered Brahman cow calf pair from another local breeder because it will expand my registered Brahman herd’s genetics and lead to more cattle to use for showing.”

McCullough has been homeschooled since the first grade. “I am currently in 11th grade and continue homeschooling. I am also dual enrolled at Hillsborough Community College (HCC). Though in the past I was unable to enroll in an FFA Chapter, this school year a homeschool FFA Chapter was created, and I was chosen for the role of Reporter.

“As regards future plans, after obtaining my Associate of Arts (AA) degree, I will attend a university to earn my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree. I have seen the need for large animal veterinarians, both in my area and around the United States so, with my DVM I plan on using it to help live stock owners including cattlemen and cattlewomen,” said McCullough.

“Although I have met and know some incredible people, a few noteworthy mentors include my best friend, Joleigh Hin ton.” She said. “Without her I may have never started showing cows or know how to show, from teaching me how to show cattle to answering other cattle questions she has helped and educated me. Another mentor of mine is Mrs. Debbie Gill. Mrs. Gill is someone that I have always thought of when someone mentions the Florida cattle industry. As a past President of the Florida CattleWomen Association, she has inspired me through what she has done and continues to do as a woman in the beef industry.”

Congratulations Cade and best of luck with the remainder of your appointment and your future plans!

THREE ARRESTED FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING

JAY SAXE BRIAN STREETER MARTIAL BOUTCHUENG DJIDJOU

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has arrested three individuals for Human Trafficking after a week-long under cover operation.

On September 12, 2022, Human Trafficking Squad detectives began an undercover operation within parts of Hillsborough County. Their goal was to identify individuals that exploit chil dren for commercial sexual acts.

On September 13, 2022, Jay Saxe, 33, was arrested when he arrived at a trailer to meet and pay for sex with who he be lieved was a 14-year-old girl. Saxe is the owner of a Kona Ice in Lakeland.

On September 15, 2022, Brian Streeter, 50, was arrested after he arranged to meet with who he believed was a 14-year-old female to have sexual intercourse for $60. Streeter is a Lieu tenant with the Pinellas Park Fire Department.

On the same day, September 15, 2022, Martial Boutchueng Djidjou, 44, a cancer researcher at Moffit Cancer Center was arrested after he traveled to meet with who he believed was a minor and wanted to pay for sex with the minor.

“While these men may be trying to hide their disgusting life choices in the shadows of our community, our detectives are the beacon of light,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Our detec tives will continue to track down anyone participating in this vile behavior and make sure they are held accountable.”

Sheriff Chad Chronister

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Hurricane Hindsight!

by John Dicks | Photo by iStock

Surely you’ve heard of the old phrase “hindsight is 20/20.” It suggests that while standing in the present, looking back into the past, things were so obvious.

It’s only after everything has passed that we can mentally slip back to the past and accurately predict the future! It’s easier to analyze and evaluate things once they’ve already hap pened.

Certainly there’s no better example of this reverse logic than in predicting the terror and destructive damage of hurricanes. The case in point here is the one most recently to have blown through central Florida, the infamous Hurricane Ian.

All of us suffered from some sort of destruction, or at least disruption, caused by the weather monster. I sincerely hope yours was slight in all respects.

Mine was minor, just a few downed tree limbs and debris strewn around the place. It made me imagine that God simply grabbed my trees and shook them hard to get rid of all the dead stuff up high in the limbs.

By comparison, especially to that of what we all saw in pic tures online and on tv, we have so much to be thankful for. Probably like you, I have friends who lost lots. One friend described the loss of his family’s vacation home was as if it just vanished! Built of sturdy red cypress logs from the Ever glades back in the 1930’s, his memories are sweet, yet now so painful.

It will be some time before we know the full extent of the damage and costs of destruction. The Ag community went to work immediately to assess the situation.

Florida is home to some 500,000 acres of fresh produce each year, and it generates about $20 billion in sales. There are more than 6,400 fruit and vegetable farms with a total of 139,000 workers. Interruption to even part of this mammoth operation, spread out primarily over the path of hurricane Ian, can have a substantial economic and personal affect throughout our state.

Some of the effects came almost as a surprise. Most all of us dealt with the inconvenience of power outages, but Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried notes that it was a huge emergency for dairy farmers to get generators for daily milking opera tions!

Then there was the concern over the hurt felt by bees throughout Florida. An estimated 400,000 colonies were placed at risk, with many submerged in water while many others were just scattered to who knows where.

It’s not just the honey that was lost, either. Losses of honey bee colonies can lead to a reduction of honey bee pollination. That affects all of the crops depending on them, including blueberries, strawberries, squash, and more.

There’s no question but that all of which was brought by Hur ricane Ian was tough, debilitating, and will have lingering ef fects which will last for years.

Could we have possibly done anything to stop it, to prevent it from happening, to turn it away? Of course not. Silly ques tion, it is.

But what about our plan of how we dealt with things? Where did we go when the storm was approaching? What did we do to prepare? Are there things we can do to improve upon how we get ready?

I’m not talking about our government’s response. Most of that was great; some was not so much. The subject, though, is ob viously too much for our discussion here.

Instead, I’m suggesting that we take a good hard look at our own personal situation. Especially so now that we have the benefit of Hurricane Hindsight.

Some things are obvious. Like, for example, if you’re in a Hur ricane Evacuation Zone A, time to implement your plan is about 7 seconds after you learn that a hurricane is approach ing!

Whether you should stay or go, of course, depends upon your own personal situation. The key is to make a plan now, ahead of time. Racking your brain, deciding what to do, all while ev ery channel on tv is showing the absolute worst situation will seldom lead to logical and best results.

When we live in the hurricane magnet state of Florida, one thing is imperative.

Make a plan. Do it now. Write it down. Share it with your family. Know what you need to buy and where, if anywhere, you’re going to go.

We don’t need a second dose of Hurricane Hindsight!

John Dicks is both a Lawyer and Businessman, including an interest in farming. He and his family have owned a Blue berry 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.

Farming is stressful

Working on a farm can be physically and emotionally demanding. If you are feeling anxious or depressed, you’re not alone.

Nine in ten farmers cite financial issues, farm business concerns and fear of losing their farms as mental health stressors.

Call 211 to speak to someone who will listen and provide the resources you need to get through tough times. Calls are confidential and can be anonymous.

FLORIDA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES THEME FOR 2023 EVENT

The Florida Strawberry Festival announced the theme for its 88th annual event –

“We Have a Winner!”

“Yes, it points to the recent win we achieved in nam ing strawberry shortcake as Florida’s official dessert as we’re a little partial to the berry,” said President Paul Davis. “We’re excited about this year’s event and look forward to sharing in the celebration of the shortcake dessert that has come to make us so suc cessful!”

A new theme is created for each year’s festival to offer patrons a glimpse of the experience they will have at the 11-day event. It also unifies vendors, FFA chapters, organiza tions, corporate partners and exhibitors, who create parade floats and displays throughout the event.

The Festival’s strawberry character featured in each year’s theme artwork is an iconic part of the event’s branding and advertising efforts. In this theme’s art work, he wears a sweat band, waves a #Berry Fest23 baton and holds a plate of strawberry short cake as he crosses the fin ish line.

This past year, state Rep. Lawrence McClure and state Sen. Danny Burgess filed a bill to designate strawberry shortcake as the state’s official dessert. Earlier this year,

Gov. DeSantis visited the Festival grounds to of ficially sign the bill into

law. Many local producers of strawberries, vegetables and cattle, along with Festival ex ecutives, City of Plant City of ficials and local law enforce ment were present at the assembly to witness DeSan tis signing bill SB 1006, which took effect July 1, 2022.

“The strawberry industry has an economic impact of more than a billion dollars in the state of Florida,” said Davis. “Plant City is home to roughly 12,000 acres of strawberries and the Festival serves just about 200,000 shortcakes each year. We’re proud of our

city and the Florida straw berry. It’s kind of a big deal around here!”

ANNOUNCES FISCAL YEAR 2023 BUDGET

By Jim Frankowiak

The Southwest Florida Water Management District has adopt ed a $211.7 million budget for fiscal year (FY) 2023, including approximately $90.6 million for the Cooperative Funding Initia tive and District grants for water resources projects.

Some of the key initiatives in the budget include:

• $41.5 million for development of alternative water supplies to ensure an adequate supply of water resources for all existing and future reasonable and beneficial uses.

• z$18.7 million for initiatives to improve springs and spring-fed rivers and to improve water quality and clarity as well as restore natural habitats.

• $18.3 million for Watershed Management Program plans to support floodplain management decisions and initia tives, and address potential and existing flooding problems.

Through cooperative funding partnerships, District funds are typically matched up to 50% and will result in a total regional investment of more than $165 million for sustainable alterna tive water supply development, water quality improvements and other water resource management projects.

For the 11th year in a row, the District’s Governing Board has adopted a millage rate equal to or less than the rolled-back millage rate, for a cumulative rate reduction of 42.5%. The ad opted FY2023 millage rate is 0.2260 mill, 10.8% lower than the current fiscal year which will help lessen the tax burden for Florida residents by saving taxpayers approximately $15.5 mil lion in property taxes.

For the owner of a $150,000 home with a $50,000 homestead exemption, the District tax would be $22.60 a year, or about $1.88 per month. The fiscal year runs from Oct. 1, 2022, through Sept. 30, 2023.

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MELISSA RABURN

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has appointed Melissa Raburn to the Board of the Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County. As a Board member, Raburn will support the organiza tion’s mission to ensure that all of the community’s youngest children grow up to achieve anything they can imagine by pro viding the best possible early learning experiences and sup porting the families and teachers who care for them.

“Having four children, a background in education and residing in rural, southeast Hillsborough County, it is my hope to bring a unique perspective to the board,” said Raburn. “I am passionate about making sure our youngest learners are set-up for suc cess, and that the parents and families of these children are aware of all of the services available to them.”

“My interaction with the Coalition Board so far has shown me that this is a group of people who are truly looking to help the families in our county,” she said. “I want to be an asset to that team in whatever way it is most needed. I believe there are so many resources that parents are not aware of, so I look forward to helping to share the message of the good work that the Co alition is doing.”

“My husband Jake and I have been married for 14 years and have four kids – Jackson, Mason, Clayton and Leah. Personally, we have experienced the educational system in Hillsborough County in the form of School Readiness, Voluntary Pre-Kinder garten, Public and Private schools,” she noted.

Raburn is an alumna of the University of Florida with a degree in Agricultural Education and Communication. “Upon gradua tion, I began teaching Agriculture at Marshall Middle School in Plant City. From there, I was given the opportunity to become Program Coordinator for the Banner Center for Agriscience, an educational grant that was awarded by Florida Farm Bureau to develop curriculum for agriculture education.

“Currently, I am a licensed Real Agent with Fischbach Land Company where I focus mainly on agricultural land, acreage homesites and rural residential homes,” she concluded.

Congratulations Melissa and best of luck with your role on the Coalition Board.

STEINBRENNER HIGH SCHOOL RECOGNIZED AT THE 95TH NATIONAL FFA CONVENTION

By Libby Hopkins

Steinbrenner High School’s FFA was recognized at the 95th National FFA Convention in October for not only being a Three-Star National Chapter, but they were also finalists for the Growing Leaders category with their Healthy Lifestyles activity. “To give a little background information on the Na tional Chapter Award program, it required chapters to com plete 15 activities that fall under three different categories, Growing Leaders, Strengthening Agriculture and Building Communities,” said chapter advisor Jessica Switzer. “Our ap plication went to the state level and qualifying chapters re ceived the distinction of one of Florida’s Finest FFA Chapters and are recognized at the State Convention in June. After that, our application makes its way to National FFA to be graded. We then receive a one, two or three rating and our chapter has been a Three Star Chapter for the past four years. Unique and standout activities are then recognized and chapters are given notice for being finalists for the different categories. For the first time, our chapter was selected as a finalist.”

For the chapter’s Healthy Lifestyles activity, they did an Amoeba Awareness week in memory of a local boy in their community who passed away from deadly freshwater amoe bas. “Our officers organized events to spread awareness and safety information to their peers,” Switzer said. “We were no tified that we were selected as finalists for this activity and would be competing virtually at the end of September, with hopes of making it to the final round and compete at nation als. Our chapter has never made it to nationals before, so we were so excited because we have been making so much progress in our chapter over the years and getting to this point.”

Steinbrenner High School opened in 2009 in honor of George M. Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees and an avid horseman. “One of the visions Mr. Steinbrenner had was the agriculture and veterinary assisting program, with the even tual chartering of Steinbrenner FFA as well,” Switzer said. “When the school opened, Mrs. Donna Moeller, who many teachers remember as she was also very passionate about youth in agriculture, was the one to get everything going. Un fortunately, Mrs. Moeller passed away not long after the pro gram was started and, as the years went on, our chapter saw a lot of turnover in agriculture teachers.”

When Switzer came to Steinbrenner, there were many things that needed to be changed in order to have the chapter and program run efficiently and provide students the hands-on learning environment that is indicative of agriculture pro grams. “Alongside my students, as well as many supporters

and the addition of our other agriculture teacher and FFA ad visor, Devon Morrison, we have been able to make effective changes that have put our chapter and members in a position to help their community, develop leadership skills and work on advocating for agriculture,” Switzer said. “We compete in many CDEs and LDEs, including Parliamentary Procedure, Horse Evaluation, Livestock Evaluation and Prepared Public Speaking, as well as hosting a large variety of Supervised Ag ricultural Experiences (SAEs) for our students. Our land lab is home to student projects such as steers, beef heifers, swine and market lambs, in addition to having a greenhouse and shade house that are the homes to our students’ plant proj ects for the Florida Strawberry Festival. We also are working on developing a small cow-calf operation and have a reg istered herd of dairy goats, which both act as additional re sources for hands-on learning activities with our students.”

The students found out they were top 10 finalists in the midst of their open house right before school started. “I instantly started screaming, which prompted the kids to scream and celebrate and it was such a full-circle moment,” Switzer said. “These kids put a lot of heart into these activities each year and we set goals for ourselves each year. One of their goals for this year’s application was to be a finalist, so for them to actually do that, I think showed that they have what it takes to compete on a National level.”

Outside of the recognition for what the chapter has done for amoeba awareness, they are most grateful for being able to speak on something so important and something that can im pact any one of us. “It is not uncommon to grow up swimming in lakes and ponds, especially here in Florida, but it is so im portant to protect yourself against something that can be so life-changing,” Switzer said. “It is only rare until it happens to you, and we want Brayden’s story to inspire people to make choices that keep them healthy and safe.”

2022 HARVEST AWARD RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED;NOVEMBERLUNCHEON 3

By Jim Frankowiak

The annual Hillsborough County Fair Harvest Awards luncheon will be held Thursday, November 3, at the fairgrounds’ Entertainment Pavilion, 215 Sydney Washer Road, Dover, FL 33527. The event, which begins at noon, is the official start of the 2022 Hillsborough County Fair.

The Harvest Awards were estab lished by the Cooperative Exten sion Service as a way to preserve the agricultural heritage of Hills borough County and to celebrate outstanding pioneers in the farm ing community. The Hillsborough County Fair took over the awards several years ago.

Categories and recipients this year are Farm Family of the Year – Sammy & Jeff Busciglio, Life time Achievement in Agriculture – Helen Parke, Outstanding Public & Community Service – St. Vin cent DePaul Faith & Grace Garden, Outstanding Young Farmer- Joshua Griffin, Outstanding Woman in Agri

culture – Michelle Williamson and Posthumous Memorial tributes to Al Berry, Vernon Blackadar, Perry Buttram and Bruce & Susan Harrell. The Fair will also honor several Friends of the Fair Honorees at the luncheon. They are Ken & Sheryl Anderson, Hillsborough County Sheriff Office, Florida State Fair, Florida Strawberry Festival, Stacy White, Alvie Still with Grove

Equipment, Homer Brown with Everglades Farm Equipment, Jim Scott Ford, Ziad Kazbour and the Florida Strawberry Growers As sociation.

The Harvest Awards recognize the accomplishments of farm families, individuals, and organiza tions for their achievement and commitment to agriculture and to preserve the agriculture heritage of Hillsborough County. The 2022 Hillsborough County Fair Harvest Awards are presented by Mosaic. The awards luncheon is compli mentary, but advanced reserva tions are required by contacting the Fair office at: www.hillsbor oughcountyfair.com or calling 813/737-3247. The 2022 Hillsbor ough County Fair, themed “Home grown Fun,” will run continuously from November 3 through Novem ber 11.

FROM THE SCIENTIFIC FIELD

By J. Scott Angle

mand for graduates. So he has secured a National Science Foundation grant to recruit students from low-income areas that have traditionally not been aware of the opportunities that await them in geomatics.

Of course, he’s doing it with geomatics itself. That’s right, he wants to map the teaching and learning of mapping. He can then target recruitment efforts accordingly.

I’ve owed Jack, John, Pam and Russ and the industry a thanks for their support for a long time. One of the best ways I know how is by keeping people like Abd-Elrahman.

That’s part of why we have a tenure and promotion system. We told Amr eight years ago that UF/IFAS wanted him here for his whole career and granted him tenure. It’s a pledge to support him for trying new things and not to penalize him when new ideas don’t turn out as envisioned. And that can happen a lot on the cutting edge where Amr lives. Drones can crash, data collection can be garbled and a map can misrepresent. With out the leeway to make mistakes from which we learn, scien tists would stick to more sure bets, which wouldn’t do much to expand knowledge.

To get a good look at how water on the beds affects strawber ries’ growth, Amr Abd-Elrahman looks from the sky. His drones collect images that he converts into a map to reveal how small changes in irrigation look across an entire field.

He can make a map of weeds for scientists developing smart sprayers that hit only weeds, not crops. Or how about monitor ing the spread of invasive species like cogon grass that render land unusable for agriculture or recreation? Some day there could be a map for that.

We don’t have enough people like Abd-Elrahman, in academia or industry. Geomatics has broad applications in agriculture, land surveying, infrastructure, documenting damage for relief funding and more.

Thanks in part to Jack Breed, John Clyatt, and Pam and Russ Hyatt and other active board members of the Florida Survey ing and Mapping Society (FSMS), we’re fixing the academia part. Their advocacy for expansion of the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences geomatics program was influential in the legislature’s decision to fund three more faculty positions.

That in turn, will help us fix the industry part. With more faculty, we’ll be able to prepare more graduates equipped with the skills and certifications to define land boundaries, improve ve hicle navigation systems, predict the spread of wildfires, moni tor landscape-level effects of drought or detect flood-prone areas.

More than 50% of geomatics graduates from the UF/IFAS Col lege of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) School of Forest, Fisheries, & Geomatics Sciences own or are partners in their own companies, and 65% supervise a surveying and mapping department. Three-fourths of the graduates are registered in Florida. Masters or Ph.D. graduates move into academic ca reers or key leadership positions in government or industry.

Abd-Elrahman doesn’t just teach the students. He finds them. He knows he’ll have to look harder to catch up with the de

We cemented his relationship with UF/IFAS even more this year when we promoted Amr to full professor. Professors, like Amr, have achieved a national reputation, and the title comes with the expectation that they will take on a greater role in mentoring faculty and students and serve the professional as sociations that serve the industry.

In addition to his promotion, he was recognized in April by CALS as its graduate student teacher/advisor of the year He also picked up awards this year from the North American Col leges and Teachers of Agriculture and FSMS.

When I visited him in his CALS Plant City office this summer, his gadgetry spilled into the hallways. We talked about how to source American-made drones and how we can put imagery to work for farmers and ranchers.

No one else in Florida does this the way UF/IFAS does. Under the leadership of longtime geomatics program leader Bon De witt, Amr and his colleagues have put us on the map—in Plant City, in Gainesville, and in Fort Lauderdale.

The program’s expansion and Amr’s growing role as a mentor and leader is good news for Hillsborough, Polk and Florida. The better we are at making sense of spatial relationships, the more informed our decisions will be on how to grow our food and how to grow our communities.

Scott Angle is the University of Florida’s Vice President for Agriculture and Natu ral Resources and leader of the UF Insti tute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).

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South Florida Baptist Hospital is more than just a small community hospital. We’ve got a wide array of specialty care and surgical services that you don’t have to travel far to get. Our surgeons are experts in minimally invasive robotic surgical procedures that provide lots of benefits, including shorter hospital stays, decreased blood loss and smaller incisions that reduce the risk of infection. Plus, faster recovery times that mean you can get back to your normal activities sooner. You’ll find comprehensive orthopedic care—whether you’re an athlete who needs sports medicine services or you’re someone who needs a total joint replacement. Our all-inclusive gynecology program offers high-quality care to the women and mothers in our community with a variety of women’s care services. We’ve even been designated as a Center of Excellence for our weight loss surgery program, meeting nationally recognized standards and providing outstanding care to our patients. And all of this extraordinary care exists right here in Plant City. Learn more: SouthFloridaBaptistSurgery.org

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY HOSTS FIRST STOP FOR INAUGURAL ITALIAN AGTECH TRADE MISSION

By Jim Frankowiak

The Italian Trade Agency (ITA), the Italian government agency responsible for promoting Agriculture and AgTech business development and trade in the United States, recently visited Hillsborough County with representatives of 11 Italian AgTech companies as the first stop in an official trade mission across the eastern U.S. Other states visited during the mission were Georgia, Pennsylvania and New York.

The participating Italian AgTech machinery companies in cluded: Caba Industrie, FALC, Ferrari, Martignani, Maschio Muratori, O.C.L.L. Officine Mingozzi, ROJ, Roter Italia and Sel vatici. Each produces a range of equipment for agricultural application in various crops along with the potential for devel opment of equipment for specialty crop requirements.

“The pilot program has the objective of encouraging expan sion of the portfolio of Italian brands offered by U.S. importers, distributors and dealers,” said ITA Marketing and Promotion Officer Salvatore Grignano. “Many Italian AgTech companies already have a presence on the West Coast and we see a great deal of potential among the states we will visit during this mission. The U.S. market is one of the most important markets for the Italian agricultural machinery sector. In the

last three years, on average, Italy has exported between $450 and $500 million worth of equipment,” said Grignano.

“Italian equipment manufacturers, on average, can be consid ered as small to medium enterprises, especially if compared with the U.S. market,” he said. “This means that most of the Italian companies do not have the financial capability and the right structure to access and thrive in the North American market on their own.”

“Additionally, the U.S. market is moving more and more to wards specialty crops that offer increased revenue and profit margins to farmers and investors,” said Grignano. “This is the case for crops like grapes, olives, fruits vegetables and more. All of these specialty crops require the right specialized equipment from preparing the soil all the way to harvesting crops. The Italian agricultural machinery industry can provide innovative equipment for all segments of production,” he said. The ITA’s involvement in this program, in addition to bringing potential partners and users together, is also devoted to re ducing the financial exposure and risks involved in adding a new brand. Part of this overall initiative includes an incentive program for importers, dealers and distributors that begin

or expand relationships with Italian AgTech manufacturers. Information on the specifics of that program is available by contacting: https://www.itahouston.com/agtech22.

The ITA trade mission visit to Hillsborough County included stops at Keel & Curley Winery, Wish Farms headquarters and shipping facility, Florida Coast Equipment and the Florida Strawberry Growers Association (FSGA) where the delegation saw current strawberry field trials.

A networking luncheon was held at the Hillsborough County Extension office where attendees were given the opportu nity to learn about the goals of the inaugural trade mission, participating Italian company backgrounds and the chance for one-on-one conversations with company representatives to explore future relationships and the expansion of existing partnerships, as well as the needs of area growers.

Fifth generation strawberry grower Michelle Williamson of G & F Farms in Plant City characterized the mission as having strong potential to enhance the sustainability of Florida ag riculture.

“We have more than 320 crops in Florida,” she told luncheon attendees. “If you (referring to the Italian mission representa tives) can help reduce water usage, enhance precision ap plication, aid frost/freeze protection or any other aspect of growing from field preparation to harvesting, storage and shipment, it’s a good day for Ag,” she said.

The ITA inaugural mission’s first stop in Florida was supported by Hillsborough County, the Tampa Bay Economic Council and Hillsborough County Extension, as well as several Agrelated businesses in the Plant City area and the FSGA.

ITA is an Italian governmental agency that helps the business development of Italian companies abroad and promotes the attraction of foreign investments in Italy. ITA has a worldwide network of 79 offices, including five in the U.S., providing in formation, assistance, consulting, promotion and training to small and medium-sized Italian businesses enhancing the global recognition of products “Made in Italy.”

The ITA Hous ton office, which organized the trade mission, primarily over sees industrial sectors that include agricultural machinery and equipment, aerospace, construction and earth-moving equipment, glass working equipment, oil and gas, textile ma chinery, woodworking equipment and jewelry. For more in formation about the ITA, visit: www.itahouston.com.

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HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FAIR NOVEMBER 3 – 13

By Jim Frankowiak

The 2022 Annual Hillsborough County Fair, themed “Home grown Fun,” will take place November 3 – 13, 2022 at the fair grounds, 215 Sydney Washer Road in Dover. The 11-day event will once again celebrate community, youth competition, arena entertainment and fun for all. The 2022 Fair is partner ing with Dreamland Amusements of Lake Tahoe, Nevada for carnival rides and games.

The fair will run continuously this year, offering more time for fairgoers to enjoy rides, food and exhibits. Among food offer ings at the fair are corndogs, funnel cakes, cotton candy, BBQ and much more, according to fair officials.

Youth livestock shows and sales, one of the fair’s annual high lights, will take place in the fair’s new, 18,000-square-foot Livestock Exhibition Building. Hillsborough County youth will have the opportunity to show in a variety of livestock shows, including market shows for steer, swine, lamb, goat and tur key and breeding shows for beef, dairy, sheep, goat, rabbit and poultry. Questions about youth livestock shows should be emailed to the Fair Livestock Director, Serena Stratton, at rena70@aol.com or Fair Manager, Suzanne Holcomb, at Su zanne@hillsboroughcountyfair.com. Added information can also be found at: www.hillsboroughcountyfair.com.

Special arena events will include a stomping good time at the two nights of the Fair Rodeo, Demo Derby smashing time on

the two nights of the Tractor Pull, the Fair Rodeo November 4 and 5 with barrel racing, bronc and bull riding, as well as the two night Truck and Tractor Pull November 11 and 12, featur ing antique tractors, hot rods and “Big Boy” trucks and trac tors. The last day of the fair, November 13, will feature the Demolition Derby and bragging rights for the driver of the last car standing.

This year’s fair will include new exhibits and entertainment, daily specials and promotions along with traditional exhibits such as the family living exhibition full of arts, crafts, edu cational exhibits and activities. Free daily entertainment will include the Camel Kingdom Show, Disc-Connected K-9s and the educational Firefighter Show. Farmer Sydney will also roam the fairgrounds greeting and welcoming guests throughout the fair.

The fair will also offer attendees the chance to stroll through historical Hometown Hillsborough and to participate in cow boy camp by Les McDowell to enjoy fun from days gone by. The Hillsborough County School District will be offering school exhibit displays in the fairgrounds’ “Little Red School house.”

For more information about the 2022 Hillsborough County Fair, visit: www.hillsboroughcountyfair.com.

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