In The Field magazine Polk edition

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CONTENTS

October 2020 VOL. 14 • ISSUE 1

28 JULIE HARTER: FLORIDA’S FEMALE NUISANCE ALLIGATOR TRAPPER Cover Photo By Blair Buchanon PAGE 5 Agvocating for Youth

PAGE 33 FFA State Officers

PAGE 11 Hall Of Fame

PAGE 35 News Briefs

PAGE 12 Ranchers Daughter

PAGE 36 John Dicks

PAGE 14 Fishing Hot Spots

PAGE 37 Cut Green House Gas

PAGE 16 Garden For Life

PAGE 38 Endangered Species

PAGE 18 Vegetable Garden

PAGE 39 COVID-19 PAGE 40 Activty

PAGE 22 Rocking Chair Chatter

PAGE 41 A Closerr Look

PAGE 25 June Plum

PAGE 42 Bread For The Masses

PAGE 26 Literary Time Machine

PAGE 43 Hog Hunts

PAGE 30 Recipes PAGE 31 From The Scientific Field

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! INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

October

P.O. Box 9005 • Drawer HS03 Bartow, FL. 33831-9005 President – Dave Tomkow 3305 US Highway 92 E Lakeland, FL 33801-9623 (863) 665-5088 dave@cattlemens1.com Vice President – Ken Sherrouse 13475 Moore Rd Lakeland, FL 33809-9755 (863) 698-1834 kensherrouse@yahoo.com Secretary/Treasurer - Justin Bunch PO Box 849 Highland City, FL 33846 (863) 425-1121 justin.bunch@cpsagu.com State Director – David McCullers 1000 Hwy 630 W Frostproof, FL 33843 (863) 635-3821 crookedlakeranch57@gmail. com Ray Clark 4484 Swindell Road Lakeland, FL 33810 (863) 640-0719 rclark@tampabay.rr.com Donald Conroy 3882 Wolfolk Rd Fort Meade, FL 33841 (863) 412-0790 Stuart Fitzgerald PO Box 1437 Lake Wales, FL 33859 (813) 478-8141 stuartcattlellc@yahoo.com Kevin Fussell 4523 Fussell Rd Polk City, FL 33868-9676 (863) 412-5876

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David Hunt 9699 Alt Bab Pk Cut-Off Rd Bartow, FL 33830 (863) 287-1835 Dhunt285@aol.com Scott Shoupe 6130 Allen Lane Lakeland, FL 33811 (863) 581-7593 Scott_shoupe@hotmail.com Carlton Taylor 9875 Hancock Road Lakeland, FL 33810

(863) 858-1771 L2brangus@aol.com Dr. Lujean Waters 8750 Shreck Rd Bartow, FL 33830 (863) 537-1495 Lujean.waters@gmail.com Standing Committee Chairs: Membership Events- Kevin Fussell Trade Show- Bridget Stice Rodeo- Fred Waters PO Box 463 Alturas, FL 33820-0463 (863) 559-7808 Website – Adam Norman 2115 West Pipkin Rd Lakeland, FL 33811 (863) 944-9293 Adamnorman1977@gmail. com Cattlewomen – President, Missy Raney PO Box 453 Homeland, FL 33847 (863) 205-3977 Raney747@gmail.com Extension – Bridget Stice PO Box 9005, Drawer HS03 Bartow, FL 33831 (863) 519-1048 bccarlis@ufl.edu Sheriff’s Dept. – Lt. Paul Wright 1891 Jim Keen Blvd. Winter Haven, FL 33880 (863) 557-1741 pw5281@polksheriff.org Sgt. Tim Sanders 1891 Jim Keen Blvd. Winter Haven, FL 33880 (863) 656-6119 brusso@polksheriff.org Warner University – Casey Wingate 7155 Wauchula Rd Myakka City, FL 34251 (941) 600-5772 Casey.wingate@warner.edu

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Agvocating for Youth

by Payge Dupre As we begin to enter the fall season, I’m certain we are all hoping for cooler and drier weather than what we are facing right now. The past month in Polk County has brought lots of rain and put a lot of us in bad situations. This past month consisted of lots of events for exhibitors at the Polk County Youth Fair. From market hog tagging to meetings and ownership deadlines, our youth were very busy. On top of that, the market hog committee was surely overwhelmed as they tagged 420 hogs on October 3. The busy season won’t end this month either. The first Archery safety and training session will take place October 24 at 8:30 AM with the second session to take place November 14 at 8:30 AM. If you have signed up for the Archery Competition, make sure you attend one of these meetings. On November 1, all Beef Breeding, Commercial Heifer, Breeding Goat, Goat Tying Skills, Horse, Poultry & Eggs, and Rabbit entries are due with the paid entry fee. The period from November 2 through November 30, Horse, Purebred Beef, Commercial Heifer, and Breeding Goat entries will be accepted with the late entry fee. Make sure you are aware of what activities you will be participating in at the Polk County Youth Fair this year so that you can get signed up in time. There are also more and more shows coming up each month. This month in Lake City, Dixie Cattle will be hosting the third show of their point series called the “Cowtober Fest.” This show will take place on October 17 and 18. Early entries were due October 3, but for a $15 per entry late fee, you can still participate. October 30 – November 1 in Vero Beach, the Indian River Youth Livestock and Horticulture Inc will be hosting the Battle on the Beach. They will have classes for Beef heifers, steers, bulls, ewes, market lambs, does (meat, dairy, and dwarf), market goats, a costume contest and a showmanship contest for each species. The pre-entry deadline is October 19 or there is a $10 late fee. The Cowabunga Classic will be held November 7-8 in Kissimmee, they will also have a livestock judging contest and showmanship clinic. Pre-entry deadline for this show is October 23 to avoid the late fee, but no entries will be accepted day of show. If you show Brahman cattle, the Florida Junior Brahman Association will be hosting their Brahman Spooktacular October 30 – November 1 in Indiantown. They are also looking for sponsors for this event, so if you are interested in supporting these Juniors, make sure you reach out to a board member. The Florida Junior Angus Association Fall Field Day will

With the cancellation of the Greater Jacksonville Fair, lots of breed associations had to face the choice of an alternative show for National Points. The International Brangus Breeders Association Show Committee has decided to move this show to the Southern Classic Regional Brangus Show on Sunday, November 22 in Fanning Springs, FL. It will be held immediately following the JFCA Big Chief Classic show and entries are due October 22. If you have any questions about the Southern Classic Regional Brangus Show, please reach out to Sandra Marvel at 352-226-0539. Recently, lots of our Middle and High School FFA Chapters competed in their first in-person contest of the year: Opening and Closing Ceremonies. In this contest, all members of the officer team are required to memorize and recite their own parts. The contest is judged on unison of the team members, organization, public speaking skills and so many more aspects that the members strive to perfect. At the Middle School level, they have the opportunity to compete at county, sub-district, district and state levels if they advance and High School members only compete at the county level. This year, George Jenkins High School placed 1st in high school with Auburndale Senior in 2nd and Frostproof Middle placed 1st in middle school with Lake Gibson Middle School in 2nd! Congratulations to all teams who worked hard for this day and good luck to Frostproof Middle as they advance to the next level! I have never been more excited to see the faces of other FFA members and some sort of normalcy for us all. I am so glad that we have been able to find safe and alternative ways to hold these contests and prove that the agricultural youth is the strongest group there is. Good luck to everyone in their upcoming events and stay safe! INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

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be held November 13-14 in Okeechobee with the pre-entry deadline to be determined.


STAFF

Letter from the Editor Here are some fun facts about October. On October 1, 1896, free rural delivery of mail started in the United States. Prior to this date, rural families had to travel to post offices to get their mail. On October 5, 1947, the first presidential telecast address from the White House was made by Harry S. Truman. On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus landed in the “new world.” On October 18, 1867, The U.S. flag was formally raised over Alaska at Fort Sitka. The ceremony included 250 United States Army troops, who marched to the governor’s house at Castle Hill. It is also National Cookie Month, National Chili Month, National Pizza Month and National Desert Month.

On a more serious note, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. This annual campaign from The National Breast Cancer Foundation is to increase awareness of the disease with a mission to help those affected by breast cancer through early detection, education and support services.

About 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of her lifetime. In 2020 an estimated 276,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed, along with 48,530 new cases of non invasive breast cancer. As of January 2020, there are more than 3.5 million women with a history of breast cancer in the U.S. This includes women currently being treated and women who have finished treatment. Breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among women.

Be vigilant. Early detection is when it is likely to be more easily treated.

Publisher/Photography Karen Berry Senior Managing Editor/ Associate Publisher Sarah Holt Sales Karen Berry Sarah Holt Melissa Nichols Creative Director/Illustrator Juan Alvarez Photography Karen Berry Melissa Nichols Blair Buchanon 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

Stay safe! In The Field Magazine is published monthly and is available through local Polk 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 Polk County Catllemen’s Association.

Until Next Month,

Sarah Holt The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. - Numbers 6:25

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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Here we are in October already, 2020 has definitely been one for the record books. We started the summer off mostly dry, with plenty of grass, now we have got plenty of water and are looking forward to cooler and drier days to come. Due to the pandemic, we have had to cancel the fall dinner, but we are working on member meetings to follow our bylaws. We will be getting a letter out to all paid members as soon we have confirmation on a date and time.

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Don’t forget that our Cattle Industry Organization Informational Meeting is Thursday Oct 29. This will be a great opportunity for all to receive some information on what is going on in the industry at the producer level. The tickets to this will be available online with a limited number available and will be held by a zoom meeting for those who can’t make it. The link to register is https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cattle-industry-organizations-informational-meeting-tickets-122561559925?utmmedium=discovery&utm-campaign=social&utm-

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content=attendeeshare&aff=escb&utmsource=cp&utm-term=listing And again, don’t forget, let’s all do just a little more to produce a healthier calf so we can offer our best to the buyers. Even one round of shots and being dewormed goes a long way. I hope the end of the year brings more good to us all. We have to stick together, and we will get through it. We miss seeing all of our members and look forward to the day that life resumes as normal. As always, I am here to help in any way possible and just a phone call away.

Dave Tomkow Polk County Cattlemen’s Association President

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COMMISSIONER NIKKI FRIED ANNOUNCES 2021 FLORIDA AGRICULTURAL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES By Jim Frankowiak

Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame Foundation announced the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame inductees for 2021. The induction ceremony will be held at the Florida State Fair’s Agricultural Hall of Fame Banquet on February 16, 2021. "Florida agriculture is at the core of our state's rich cultural history, impacting the lives of millions of Floridians each day. It's a great honor to recognize the achievements and the global impact our 2021 Agricultural Hall of Fame inductees have had on this industry and fair-trade practices,” said Commissioner Fried. “Their commitment proudly exemplifies the best of Florida agriculture, and their leadership paves the way for thousands of growers, ranchers, and educators to cultivate innovative practices and groundbreaking research throughout the nation.”

THE 2021 INDUCTEES ARE: BOBBY MCKOWN spent his career

championing and defending Florida agriculture and the Florida citrus industry's health and well-being. Taking the helm of the state's largest citrus growers association as Executive Vice President/CEO of the Florida Citrus Mutual, McKown led Florida's citrus industry through a critical period. Over the course of his career, he earned a reputation as an expert in international trade negotiations and was appointed by five presidential administrations to every trade committee, task force, and advisory position of any influence. He participated in developing four different trade agreements, including the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the General Agreement for Tariff and Trade (GATT). He not only protected Florida citrus growers from unfair trade practices, but he also worked to gain the best results for the state's agriculture industry.

JOHN STITT realized early in his

career that the agricultural ecosystem in Southwest Florida was vastly different from that in Central Florida and the region around Lake Okeechobee. He saw a great need for research in beef cattle pastures, citrus, and sandland sugarcane production and, through his vision, led to the development of the UF/IFAS Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee. Today, the center provides cutting-edge research for citrus, vegetables, water quality, soil science, and weed science. In addition to serving on numerous advisory committees to the Immokalee center, Stitt has been extensively involved in industry organizations, including the Florida Cattlemen's Association and Florida Farm Bureau. Stitt led the charge to establish the South Florida Agricultural Council, and with the cooperation of the legislative delegation, the council secured $2.39 million in funding for construction. In 1988, the Board of Regents, the UF/IFAS leadership, and the council developed a five-year plan to complete the staff funding. The result was the opening of a fully-funded research center staffed with a director and 12 researchers.

and lasting effect on the tomato industry in Florida and beyond. Brown's family is well-known in Alachua County for its multigenerational Brown's Farm and legendary roadside produce stand. After 12 years as a UF/IFAS Extension Service agent in various capacities and a 10-year stint at the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association as marketing and membership director, Brown was named executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange while at the same time leading the Florida Tomato Committee and the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange. As the face of the Florida tomato industry, Brown has led on numerous fronts, including unfair Mexican trade practices, tomato food safety, and the effort to retain the use of methyl bromide as a crop-protection tool and stood at the forefront of fostering fair trade for the tomato industry and resolving trade disputes. He successfully worked to gain consensus among growers, regulators, and other stakeholders to develop statewide food safety standards for Florida fresh market tomatoes. Those efforts became the benchmark for the development of the national produce safety guidance. As chairman of the Crop Protection Coalition, Brown was the voice of the industry nationally and internationally. He served on the delegation to the Montreal Protocol Treaty negotiations for ten years during the phase-out of methyl bromide, a decades-old component of pest management for many Florida crops, vigorously protecting growers' interests. DR. WAYNE SMITH'S contributions to Florida agriculture encompass his lifelong devotion to education and research and forestry passion. Smith, a native of Marianna, Florida and graduate of the University of Florida, returned to his alma mater in 1964, advancing through the academic ranks as a professor, director, and finally, professor emeritus. In retirement, he served as interim dean for UF/IFAS Research and the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. He proved to be a groundbreaking educator, researcher, and administrator. Smith played a crucial part in developing and implementing the first Best Management Practices (BMPs) for silviculture. BMPs soon spread across Florida's agricultural industry and changed the face of agriculture. His research in fertilization led to practices that increased pine forest productivity by up to 300%. And his pioneering work in bio-energy made Florida a leader and earned accolades from the U.S. Department of Energy. Smith's work has been recognized around the globe, including an audience with royalty. He has been a consultant for the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, and has been called upon to testify before Congress as a staunch supporter of agriculture.

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REGGIE BROWN has had a profound


By Marisol Tarango

CONFESSION OF A RANCHER’S DAUGHTER

The rancher’s daughter knows that she cannot back down from trouble. If something is wrong, she must help fix it before the problem gets worse or someone gets hurt. When working cows, she learned to ride up and not back off when the herd wanted to go a different direction. When the yearling bull got out, she knew how to get him off the old yard dog without getting herself rolled up. She has had to make herself seem bigger to problems bigger than herself and has had to dig deep to find strength to move things she didn’t think she could move. If you talk to the rancher’s daughter about facing things bigger than her, she will probably say its all in a day’s work, what else was she supposed to do?

had knocked me off my high war horse (sometimes literally) into the reality that the world can be a dangerous place.

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Unfortunately, I learned that there are other things besides cows and horses that can knock you off your high horse. The initial transition to college was not that big of a deal, but I soon learned that there was more to college than books and academics. You are expected to talk to people, and by that, I mean more than classroom discussions and presentations. There were mock interviews to go to, real interviews to go to, guest speakers to thank, and then the unavoidable industry dinners that you get invited to, where you are supposed to “network,” but it is all you can do to remember how to shake a hand and smile, and maybe not trip as you turn to walk off. Those situaCONFESSION # 16: Sometimes I feel very small. tions made me feel really small. Not only was I shoved off the Growing up I felt very invincible, there was nothing that I safe perch of my saddle, I was also stripped of my conversacouldn’t do (or at least wouldn’t try to do), there was nothing tional weapons and battle armor. When there is no set topic to to be afraid of because I always came out okay. Sometimes I be discussed, I have no plan of attack; and all of my hand sewould feel nervous or scared to do something, but my parents lected knowledge is of no use when no one needs to know the were always there to encourage me. My dad would say “You historical accuracy of Beowulf or the anatomy of a horse’s hoof. can do anything for five minutes.” And after five minutes, the I felt like I was shoved on a stage and told to play the grand scary thing was either over, or I wasn’t scared anymore. The piano and sing, when all I can peck out on the piano is “Jesus horses I rode gave me a lot of courage, too. When I was riding Loves Me” and my singing is worse than my piano playing. my horse, I had nothing to fear. I was a mighty maiden warrior on the back of my trusted steed; we plunged into battle as our After being bucked-off, knocked-off, and rolled over by your foes fled before us in fear for their very lives (having a horse high horse (theoretical and literal) you seriously start to queswho has the same sense of invincibility can only feed your own tion your ability to face the troubles of this world. The problems fearlessness). But sometimes invincible horses trip on invisible that you set out to conquer seem bigger and more numerous than you had ever imagined. Not only do you doubt your ability things, and foes do not always flee in fear. to handle new challenges, but you start to question whether As I grew older, I learned that there were things to be afraid of, you can even handle the everyday challenges correctly. Has not only for myself but for others as well. I was not as thrilled all of your work been in vain? Have you even made a dent in to get on a colt for the first time as I usually was, especially the problem that you are championing for? Is it even worth it if I thought it might buck. When we went to work cows, I just to continue fighting, because even despite all your efforts, the prayed that the herd went in the pens without a fight, where problems seem to grow? in the past I usually was as eager as a dog for the signal to go stop the herd. I also started to be concerned when my dad When I realize how truly small and incapable I am, I also rehad to go rope a bad bull or when he had to ride a colt that alize that it is okay to be small and incapable. I realize that did not have a gentle attitude (l learned that, surprisingly, he this is why I have armor, weapons, and a horse. It is also when was not invincible either). Concerned about these newfound I realize that I am not alone in this struggle against the tide fears that seemed to take precedence over eagerness to meet overwhelming opposition. There have been many times where a challenge, I confided in my dad that, as hard as it was to I have been drug out of the waters by the arm by my family and admit, … I was just plain scared. I think my dad was secretly friends. In these times, I also realize that it may be my fight, but amused at first, but he explained to me that I was just growing it is not my war. The war belongs to somebody else, and He up. I had seen, heard, and experienced how things could go has His arm held up in victory, even for the small, incapable wrong quickly while working with cows and horses and that rancher’s daughter.

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Tampa Bay Fishing Report November 2020 Capt. Woody Gore

Snook season is closed; however, the water temperatures should start cooling a bit, and when that happens, snook fishing ought to brighten up in Tampa Bay. We’ve maintained decent snook action all summer, and November should turn out nicely. Anglers have been catching impressive quantities on both half and three-quarter day trips, most averaging in the 22-28 inch range with several over 30 inches. If you’re into trying something new, artificial lures are a blast, especially if you enjoy matching wits with a linesider. If not live bait, free-lined or under a cork will always do the trick. Redfish – (Season Closed) The red-

fish action was booming in October and should continue right through November. For some real fun, try red-fishing on our Tampa Bay grass flats; it’s always a hoot! In late summer through fall, we often catch one or two big “bull” redfish hanging out close to the mangroves. However, this time of year, the redfish move onto the grass flats. And that is when you will see an armada of flats or bay boats chasing them up and down the flats. When this happens, the fish become very skittish and can stop eating. That is why we’ve always preferred finding a few fish feeding quietly by themselves and fish them on our own. Redfish can be picky eaters. So when they hesitate to take live bait, e.g., greenbacks, plump juicy shrimp, or pinfish, we will try a piece of cut bait, e.g., a larger greenback cut in half, or a strip of freshcut mullet, bluefish, or ladyfish. Any redfish or snook in the area will pick up the scent, hone in and find it. Sometimes, we also suspend it under a cork letting the scent travel with the current.

around, watch for diving birds, find the birds, and you’ve found feeding fish. Set up a drift near the activity and get ready for some fast, furious and drag screaming action. I suggest a minimum of 60 lbs. Seaguar leader and long shank 2/0 Daiichi hooks. If the bite is on, bring plenty of leader and hooks and be prepared to retie. Always be prepared for the occasional cobia and, of course, Mr. snoopy shark to pop up. So have a heavier rig ready to toss a small pinfish to a passing cobia. If you are doing any chumming, it doesn’t take much to get some sharks interested. There are usually plenty of smaller blacktip sharks around, but a larger cut-bait like a ½ juicy Spanish mackerel free-lined in the current, on heavier tackle usually does the trick.

Mangrove Snapper – these excellent

eating fish are all over the bay and not bashful about eating small greenbacks or shrimp. You must be quick, or they’ll clean your hook before you know it. If you feel the bump and do not set the hook at that exact instant, you might as well go ahead and reel up because your bait is gone. When fishing often times folks forget and grab a J-Hook. Just remember folks, when snapper fishing that is the wrong hook. Remember back in 2008, when the FWC passed the Amendment 27/14 rule changes about reef fish and circle hooks, well, it still applies today. You can look it up at the following website. (https://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/ recreational/gear-rules/)

Sea Trout – (Season Closed) However, the bite should continue right into winter, so be prepared for some decent trout fishing action. Drift any broken-bottom grass flat, casting free-lined live bait or putting it under a popping cork. Here is a novel idea. Try casting artificial lures while using light action spinning tackle and soft plastic baits. You will have a ball catching and releasing this beautiful Tampa Bay fish. Remember, trout are one of our most fragile species; whenever possible, please handle it using a de-hooker tool and never bring them into the boat if you can avoid it.

Mackerel, Sharks, Bluefish, and Cobia

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- Schools of mackerel, bluefish, yellowtail jacks, and ladyfish should still be chasing bait around the bay. As you are racing

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“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

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Garden For Life

By Libby Hopkins

Michelle Sylvester and Kathryn Adeney are two friends who had a dream to be the only nursery in Central Florida that offered native Florida plants. Their dream came true in the fall of 2019. “The Nectary was born out of a need that we both saw to make native plants more accessible to residential landowners in Polk County,” Michelle said. “We both spent many hours driving around Central Florida looking for native plants, which is not sustainable when attempting to create a predominantly native yard.” “Michelle had a dream of owning a native plant nursery in the heart of Lakeland, and when she met me, I expressed interest in helping her with the business logistics, the idea came to fruition,” Kathryn said.

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Neither woman has a background in agriculture or horticulture, though they both have training in medical science fields. “We have a passion for making native plants accessible and for providing the space for people to ask questions and learn,” Michelle said. “We are both self-taught, using the writings of experienced native gardeners and our own yards as little research fields. We want everyone to feel confident in their ability to create their own native backyard habitats with the right tools and a little trial and error.”

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The two friends dipped their toes in the water by opening a stand at the Downtown Lakeland Farmers Market the summer of 2019. “After confirming that people were interested in native plants, and many who had experienced the same struggle of finding natives, we knew we could successfully branch out from our 10’ x 10’ market tent space,” Kathryn said. “We wanted our nursery to be centrally located, but because of city zoning requirements, our options were limited. We ended up finding the perfect vacant property on E. Main Street in the middle of used car lots and auto repair shops. The building was originally a used car lot, but sat empty for many years. We officially opened the nursery gates in the fall of 2019. From the main road we may look like another nondescript car lot, but beyond the gate is a little urban oasis full of native plants teeming with wildlife.” They named their nursery The Nectary because they are passionate about making their little piece of land a life source. “The nectary is the site of pollen production in a plant,” Michelle said. “ And without plant pollination, much of our life as we know it would cease to exist. Our motto is ‘Garden for Life.’ This can have many meanings, WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM


including landscaping to benefit local wildlife, as well as finding personal joy and fulfillment in the ecological benefits of planting natives. We hope our nursery is a small glimpse of the life someone can create in his or her own garden.” The Nectary is truly a unique nursery. “We are the only nursery in Lakeland that is exclusively dedicated to Florida native plants,” Kathryn said. “Other than our veggie garden starts, every landscaping plant we carry at the nursery is native to Florida. Florida is an incredibly diverse state, but because tropical plants dominate the nursery trade, we find that most consumers aren’t aware of the thousands of beautiful species that call Florida home. For example, Florida has one of the largest diversities of wildflower species in the country. Our hope is for people to see native plants presented beautifully and functionally, so they can easily envision them planted in their yard and community. Our goal is for everyone to find gratification in their home landscape, so we are happy to spend one-on-one time helping people pick out plants specifically for their yard.” Keeping things local is extremely important to the two friends. “Naturally, we believe in planting local plant species as a means to support our local ecosystem elements both seen and unseen,” Michelle said. “All of our plants are purchased from Florida growers. We also carry the products of several local artists and business people, like pottery, stationery, and candles in our small retail gift shop. We believe that sourcing local plants and products enhances everyone’s commitment to stewardship of our environment and community.” “We hope people leave our nursery with an appreciation for nature and native plants,” Kathryn said. “If everyone made small changes in their gardening choices, we would see large scale changes in our environment.” If you would like to learn more about The Nectary, you can visit their website at www.thenectarylkld.com or call 863-937-7879. The Nectary is currently open on Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. It is located at 1047 E. Main St. in Lakeland.

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PLANNING AND PLANTING A COOL SEASON VEGETABLE GARDEN

By Anne Yasalonis, UF/IFAS Extension Polk County

It’s that time of year. Time to plan, prep and plant your cool-season edible garden. It is important to start with a plan for the vegetables and herbs that you will be growing this season and UF/IFAS Extension Polk County can help with that. Let’s get started. • Create a plan: If you are new to vegetable gardening, figure out how much space you plan to allocate to your garden so you know what to grow. Determine if you will grow in the ground, in raised beds or in containers. It is best to select a location that is in full sun for at least six hours, close to a water source and easy to access for maintenance and harvesting. It can be helpful to draw a plan to map out your space.

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• Prep your space: If you have an existing garden space that you need to prep for the new growing season, remove all dead or dying plant material and weeds. Submit a soil sample of your existing soil so you know if any adjustments should be made to the pH prior to planting. Vegetable gardens should have a pH between 5.5 and 7.0. Till in organic matter and just before you are ready to plant and then add any necessary nutrients using fertilizer. If you are creating a new garden, purchase, or create your own, well-drained potting mix.

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Find a recipe here: https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/lawn-andgarden/homemade-potting-mix/. • Plant your crops: Here is a list of vegetables and herbs that you can start now from either seed or starter plant. Argula, beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbages, lettuces, collards, kale, swiss chard, mustard, onions, radish, spinach, fennel, dill, cilantro, garlic, parsley, mint, and sweet potatoes. Record what vegetables were planted in each area of your garden so that you can rotate out of that plant family for the next gardening season. Crop rotation means that plants from the same family are not planted in the same location each season. This is important to minimize pests. These records can also be helpful in recording successes (and failures) each season. The Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide is a great resource for all gardeners and provides planting times, recommended varieties, and pest management resources. Of course, the Plant Clinic is always here to answer your gardening questions.

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For more information, contact UF/IFAS Extension Polk County at 863-519-1041 or visit us online at http:// sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/polk. The Plant Clinic is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to answer your gardening and landscaping questions. While we are not open to walk-in visits at this time, give us a call, or email us at polkmg@ifas.ufl.edu. If you are not in Polk County, Contact your local UF/IFAS Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Plant Clinic. The Florida Master Gardener Program is a volunteerdriven program that benefits UF/IFAS Extension and the citizens of Florida. The program extends the vision of the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, all the while protecting and sustaining natural resources and environmental systems, enhancing the development of human resources, and improving the quality of human life through the development of knowledge in agricultural, human and natural resources and making that knowledge accessible.

Anne Yasalonis is the residential horticulture agent for UF/IFAS Extension Polk County. Please contact her at anneanne@ufl.edu.

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DISTRICT 2021 BUDGET FUNDS WATER RESOURCES PROJECTS

USDA ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

FOR CFAP 2; UP TO $14 BILLION AVAILABLE FOR AG PRODUCERS By Jim Frankowiak The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced up to an additional $14 billion for agricultural producers who continue to face market disruptions and associated costs because of COVID-19. Signup for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP 2) has now begun and will run through December 11, 2020. The USDA will use funds available from the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) Charter Act and CARES Act to support row crops, livestock, specialty crops, dairy, aquaculture and additional commodities. USDA has incorporated improvements in CFAP 2 based on stakeholder engagement and public feedback to better meet the needs of impacted farmers and ranchers. Producers can apply for CFAP 2 as USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FASA) county offices. This program provides financial assistance that gives producers the ability to absorb increased marketing costs associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Producers will be compensated for ongoing market disruptions and assisted with the associated marketing costs. CFAP 2 payments will be made for three categories of commodities – Price Trigger Commodities, Flat-rate Crops and Sales Commodities. A complete list of CFAP 2 eligible commodities, payment rates and calculations, as well as application forms, can be found on farmers.gov/cfap. The USDA noted additional commodities are eligible in CFAP 2 that were not eligible in the first iteration of the program.

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Producers seeking one-on-one support with the CFAP 2 application process can call 877-508-8364 to speak with a USDA employee. This is a recommended first step before a producer engages with their local FSA county office.

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The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Governing Board has adopted a $183.5 million budget for fiscal year (FY) 2021, including more than $65.7 million for the Cooperative Funding Initiative and District grants for water resources projects. The budget reflects the District’s commitment to protect Florida’s water resources and to improve Florida’s economic vitality. Some of the key initiatives in the District’s FY2021 budget include: · $20.9 million for development of alternative water supplies to ensure an adequate supply of water resources for all existing and future reasonable and beneficial uses. · $15.9 million for springs initiatives to restore springs and spring-fed rivers to improve water quality and clarity as well as restore natural habitats. · $26.3 million for Watershed Management Program plans to support floodplain management decisions and initiatives, 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 $119 million for sustainable alternative water supply development, water quality improvements and other water resource management projects. The adopted FY2021 millage rate is 0.2669 mill, 4.7% lower than the current fiscal year which will help lessen the tax burden for Florida residents by saving taxpayers approximately $6 million in property taxes. For the owner of a $150,000 home with a $50,000 homestead exemption, the District tax would be $26.69 a year, or about $2.22 per month. The fiscal year runs from Oct. 1, 2020, through Sept. 30, 2021. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM


• Did you know the ancient Egyptians were the first to recognize the beneficial status of the earthworm? • Cleopatra (69 – 30 B.C.) recognized the earthworms’ contribution to Egyptian agriculture and declared them to be sacred. • Removal of earthworms from Egypt was punishable by death. • Egyptian farmers were not allowed to even touch an earthworm for fear of offending the god of fertility. • A 1949 study by the USDA confirmed that the great fertility of the soil in the Nile valley was due in large part to the work of earthworms. • Earthworms neutralize soil pH. • Composting with worms occurs four times faster than normal composting. • One of the largest earthworms ever found was almost 22 feet long.

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Over this past year I have received numerous funny, clean, e-mail jokes from Mac Smith, Bruce Brodwell and Bob Hughens! Some of the better ones I have saved for use in “Rock’n Chair Chatter. So, here we go! From the state where drunk driving is considered a sport, comes this absolutely true story. Recently a routine police patrol parked outside a bar called the Pot Hole in a small farm town in north Georgia. After last call the officer noticed a man leaving the bar so intoxicated that he could barely walk. The man stumbled around the parking lot for a few minutes with the officer quietly observing. After what seemed an eternity in which he tried his keys on five different vehicles, the man managed to find his truck and trailer and fall into it. He sat there for a few minutes as a number of other patrons left the bar and drove off. Finally, he got into the car and started the engine, switched the wipers on and off, they were fine. He then flicked the blinkers on and off a couple of times, honked the horn and then switched on the lights. He moved the vehicle forward a few inches, reversed a little and then remained still for a few more minutes as some more of the other patrons’ vehicles left. Finally, when his was the only car left in the parking lot, he pulled out and drove slowly down the road. The police officer, having waited patiently all this time, now started up his patrol car, put on the flashing lights, promptly pulled the man over and administered a breath analyzer test. To his amazement, the breath analyzer indicated no evidence that the man had consumed any alcohol at all! Dumbfounded, the officer said, ‘I’ll have to ask you to accompany me to the police station. This breath analyzer equipment must be broken.’ ‘I seriously doubt it,’ said the smiling farmer. ‘Tonight I’m the designated decoy.’ A hooded robber burst into a Texas bank and forced the tellers to load a sack full of cash. On his way out the door, a brave Texas customer grabbed the hood and pulled it off revealing the robber’s face. The robber shot the customer without a moment’s hesitation.

“If I died and you remarried, and he lived in this house,” the husband asks, “would he sleep in our bed?” “Well the bed is brand new, and it cost us $2000. It’s going to last a long time, so I guess he would.” “If I died and you remarried, and he lived in this house and slept in our bed, would he use my golf clubs?” “Oh, no!” the wife replies. “He’s left-handed.” Little Bobby was spending the weekend with his grandmother after a particularly trying week in kindergarten. His grandmother decided to take him to the park on Saturday morning. It had been snowing all night and everything was beautiful. His grandmother remarked, “Doesn’t it look like an artist painted this scenery? Did you know God painted this just for you?” Bobby said, “Yes, God did it and he did it left handed.” This confused his grandmother a bit, and she asked him, “What makes you say God did this with his left hand?” “Well,” said Bobby, “we learned at Sunday School last week that Jesus sits on God’s right hand!” I know you have been lying awake at night wondering why baby diapers have brand names such as”Luvs,” “Huggies,” and “Pampers,” while undergarments for old people are called “Depends.” Well here is the low down on the whole thing. When babies poop in their pants, people are still gonna Luv’em, Hug’em and Pamper’em.

He then looked around the bank and noticed one of the tellers looking straight at him.

When old people mess in their pants, it “Depends” on who’s in the will!

The robber instantly shot him also. Everyone else, by now very scared, looked intently down at the floor in silence.

Of all the jokes, I think this one from Mac is the best. On a bitterly cold winter morning a husband and wife in northern Michigan were listening to the radio during breakfast. They heard the announcer say, “We are going to have 8 to 10 inches of snow today. You must park your car on the even-numbered side of the street, so the snow plows can get through.” So the good wife went out and moved her car. A week later while they are eating breakfast again, the radio announcer said, “We are expecting 10 to 12 inches of snow today. You must park your car on the odd-numbered side of the street, so the snow plows can get through.” The good wife went out and moved her car again. The next week they are again having breakfast, when the radio announcer say’s, “We are expecting 12 to 14 inches of snow today. You must park....”Then the electric power went out. The good wife was very upset, and with a worried look on her face she said, “I don’t know what to do. Which side of the street do I need to park on so the snow plows can get through?” Then with the love and understanding in his voice that all men who are married to blondes exhibit, the husband replied, “Why don’t you just leave the car in the garage this time?”

The robber yelled, ‘Well, did anyone else see my face?’ There are a few moments of utter silence in which everyone was plainly afraid to speak. Then, one old cowboy tentatively raised his hand, and while keeping his head down said, ‘My wife got a pretty good look at you.’ A husband asks his wife, “Honey, if I died, would you remarry?” “After a considerable period of grieving, I guess I would. We all need companionship.” “If I died and you remarried,” the husband asks, “would he live in this house?” “We’ve spent a lot of money getting this house just the way we want it. I’m not going to get rid of my house. I guess he would.” PAGE

Jokes

Editor’s Note: This Rocking Chair Chatter was originally printed in the October 2015 issue

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FLorida

June Plum By Sandy Sun, M.S. Clinical Medicines, B.S. Nutrition Science Fresh Florida June plum is a delicious tropical fruit that tastes like a combination of pineapple, mango, and soursop. Other names for this fruit are Jewish plum, golden apple, hog plum, or jobo plum. The texture is pleasantly crunchy and juicy, and is delicious eaten out-of-hand. The fruit can also be juiced, stewed like applesauce, or made into jams, jellies, pickles, or relishes. June plums are thought to have originated from Hawaii, and grow in Jamaica, Cuba, Central America, and the Carribean Islands. The peak season for June plums in Florida is now, from fall to mid-winter. The fruit is about the size of an apple, with a thick skin that is peeled and discarded. It can be eaten at different stages of maturity. If eaten while firm, the fruit is crisp, juicy, and acidic with green skin. As it ripens, the skin and flesh turn yellow and soften. Inside the flesh is a single seed.

Fiber Eating June plum and other foods high in fiber can help decrease the risk of coronary heart disease and help prevent atherosclerosis. This tropical fruit contains insoluble fiber that adds bulk and decreases constipation, as well as soluble fiber which lowers cholesterol levels. How to Select and Store Choose June plum that is firm and free of dark spots or blemishes. Less ripe fruit will have a green peel, while riper fruits will feel softer and have a yellow coloring. The fruit should feel heavy for its size. June plums can be stored for a few days at room temperature until they soften. They are ripe and ready to eat when they yield to slight pressure. Ripe fruit can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Nutritional Profile

How to Enjoy

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, one fresh June plum (66g) contains 30 calories, 0.5 g of protein, 0.2 g of fat, 7.5 g of carbohydrate, and 1 g of fiber. It provides 10% of the Daily Reference Intake for vitamin C, 7% for phosphorus, 6% for calcium, 4% for vitamin A, and plentiful amounts of vitamin K, potassium, copper, and manganese.

Fresh June plum is delicious eaten out-of-hand, and has a sweet, tart, tropical flavor. After discarding the peel and seed, the flesh can be eaten out-of-hand. The pulp may also be diced and added to fruit salads. Other ways to enjoy June plum include: • Chop, chill and mix with sugar and milk for a refreshing dessert • Juice and serve over ice for a cold beverage • Cube and add to your favorite fruit salad • Puree the pulp for use as a salad dressing or sauce • Freeze pureed pulp with sugar to make a sorbet, or mix with milk or cream for ice cream. • Use the pulp for making jelly or syrup. Enjoy fresh Florida June plum in its peak season today. These locally grown treats are sweet and nutritious and a unique tropical treat.

Potassium Florida June plum is high in potassium, an important electrolyte for heart and bone health. High potassium coupled with low sodium in soursop is beneficial for maintaining normal blood pressure and optimal heart function. Several research studies have established the beneficial effects of potassium foods in effectively lowering blood pressure. Additionally, people who ate foods high in fiber and magnesium, as well as foods high in potassium, had a lower risk of stroke. The potassium in June plum can also enhance bone health. Some studies suggest that potassium can counteract some of the effects of high sodium diets and slow the rate of calcium loss from bone.

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Selected References


By Ginny Mink

Ornamental Gardening in Florida If you have been joining us for our journeys on the Literary Time Machine, then you know we have been going through this book for more than six years! What might be surprising to note at this time is that we only have another 18 pages left! That will still probably take us another several months as there is so much information to glean from Mr. Torrey-Simpson’s knowledge. And it is our hope that we won’t stop there as we search for more vintage Florida books about plants and such. So, with that in mind, hop aboard and let’s see what other Aquatic and Wet Land Exotics we find interesting. We absolutely must stop for a moment at Nymphaea. You will know these better as water lilies and there are, according to Mr. Torrey-Simpson, about 40 different species. He pays particular attention to three of them after providing us with this description, “…beautiful aquatics widely distributed in temperate and tropical regions. Leaves usually floating…The flowers have four sepals but many petals gradually changing inwardly into the stamens.”¹ Then he introduces us to his favorites.

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“There are now a great number of varieties produced by hybridizing but one of the well known species is N. caerulea, the Blue lotus of the Nile and the Egyptians. There are N. lotus of North Africa and the Nile which has white flowers and was one of the sacred plants of

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Part 73

the Egyptians; N. rubra of India which is the probable parent of the red flowered forms and which may be only a variety of the Egyptian species. Besides these there are several others grown in the north and all of them should be given a trial in Florida.”¹ While Mr. Torrey-Simpson is telling us to put these water lilies all over the state, we have a friend that is desperately trying to rid her pond of something seemingly similar. Because they float and have no anchor, every time she gets her side of the pond clear, the people across the way blow theirs over to her side. And though she might have enjoyed the pretty flowers, she doesn’t enjoy not being able to fish from her dock. So, perhaps some of these species have become a bit invasive? After contacting her for images though, we discovered she’s having problems with water hyacinths. He next tells us about Salvinia. He writes that it, “…is a genus of flowerless plants found mostly in the tropics with one species, S. natans quite often cultivated and is widely scattered over the northern hemisphere and in South America…The plant floats free on the water and is generally an annual, usually dying in winter after ripening a crop of spores. These sink to the bottom and if the soil is preserved without being disturbed they will come up and grow in the spring. It is a remarkable plant and is sometimes grown in tubs here in our state.”¹ The WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM


idea of people growing plants in tubs in 1926 is interesting to us, though we suppose people are still doing that today! And now we arrive at a plant that he is apparently quite enthralled with. He pens, “Victoria. The most splendid genus of water plants in the world. The two species known are from South America, the first discovered being V. regia, a native of Guiana and well down into tropical Brazil and probably Bolivia. The immense circular leaves are six feet or more across…The white flowers are very large, they open at night and remain in perfection for about two days…Poeppig, the botanist and traveler, found the plant on the Amazon in 1832 and gave a published account of it that year under the name Euryale amazonica while the name Victoria regia was not given to it until 1837 by the botanist Lindley. It will be interesting to know whether the systematists will throw Lindley’s specific name out and use the first that was regularly given.”¹ Obviously, he had no clue what would happen, so we have to provide the answer, almost a hundred years later.

And with that, we shall end this trip! We hope you have learned a lot and that the pictures we provide will be as “Wow” to you as they have been for us! Keep on traveling with us until we reach the end of the book and we promise to take you on another adventure in the near future. Until then, happy gardening! Oh, and by the way, he doesn’t mention the water hyacinth in this chapter. So, if you have problems with it as well, you’ll have to look elsewhere for answers. 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. 212-214). ²Missouri Botanical Garden. Victoria amazonica. http:// www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=c263 Photo Credits: Dick Culbert. (2015). Victoria amazonica. Flickr. https:// flic.kr/p/uxstcC Stanley Zimny. (2017). Blue Water Lily. Flickr. https://flic. kr/p/QQ1Cjx

THE

According to Missouri Botanical Garden, they have combined the two names! It is now known as the Victoria amazonica. And the photos on their site are incredible. This is not at all what we had envisioned from his description. It’s like they have one giant platter shaped leaf. And according to that site it was during the reign of Queen Victoria that the plant was grown in Kew Gardens in England. And, apparently, the flowers will

change color as they age from the initial white to a rose purple.² We suspect you’d have to have a very large span of water in which to grow them effectively. Let us know if you try!

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JULIE HARTER: FLORIDA’S FEMALE NUISANCE ALLIGATOR TRAPPER By: Lauren McNair

Julie Harter never really planned on becoming an alligator trapper. A native of Kathleen and a former 4-H and FFA member, she began riding to calls with her late husband, Billy Harter, who was a licensed nuisance alligator trapper, in 1993. Accompanying him on nights, weekends, and holidays, she started learning the trade and helping him on jobs in his territory of Hillsborough and Manatee Counties. “I messed up one day and caught an alligator,” Harter said. “From then on, he said, ‘All right, you’re on your own.’”

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They worked together for 11 years before his death in 2003. At that point, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) was already aware of her trapping

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experience and was interested in keeping her in the program officially. After interviewing for an opening, Harter was given a contract in January of 2004 and now covers the East Hillsborough County territory. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the American alligator is classified as threatened due to its similarity of appearance to the American crocodile. This classification provides the animals with federal protection and the state with the ability to implement approved management programs. The FWC utilizes the Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP, established in 1977), the Statewide Alligator Harvest Program (established in 1988), and the WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM


Private Lands Alligator Management Program to protect the state’s alligator population and allow the animals to be responsibly harvested from the wild.

“You spend a lot of time educating people,” she said.

According to the numbers, it’s no wonder humans and alligators often bump heads. The U.S. Census Bureau reports that Florida is currently home to nearly 21.5 million people, and the FWC reports the state’s current alligator population spans all 67 counties and totals about 1.3 million. Additionally, the New York Times reports that almost 1,000 people move to Florida every day. With more alligator habitats being surrounded by homes and developments, it’s certain that humans and alligators will continue to need assistance in peacefully co-existing.

“Don’t feed alligators,” she said. “It makes them not fearful of people. That’s why it’s against the law.”

When the FWC receives calls about suspected nuisance alligators, SNAP dispatches contracted trappers to respond to the location with the appropriate permit for removal of the animal. The FWC considers nuisance alligators to be those “at least 4 feet in length and believed to pose a threat to people, pets and property.” In 2019, 7,669 nuisance alligators were trapped by the FWC with the largest being between 12 and 13 feet and the average size being 6.8 feet. Since SNAP’s implementation, just over half a million nuisance alligators have been captured. The demand for trapping in Harter’s territory is fairly unpredictable, and alligators don’t always respect the need for one’s sleep – she can be called to work in the middle of the day or the middle of the night. Demand often depends on the weather and the season, she said. “You could get four or five permits in one day,” Harter said. “Then you could go another week and not get any. You might not catch any that day or you could go out and catch all of them. It just depends. It’s working with wild animals.” Harter works alone most times and, like others in the trade, depends on another trapper when dealing with the largest alligators and challenging environments. When she is dispatched to a call, she must first ensure that all parties involved are in agreement with trapping the alligator, per FWC guidelines. She then assesses the alligator’s environment and size to determine which method of trapping will be best for the animal. Once the alligator is captured and contained, she then follows FWC guidelines for determining the animal’s next steps. Harter said she has been called to jobs where she has located alligators in retention ponds, at businesses, in developments, under vehicles, in swimming pools, and in locations where perhaps the alligator didn’t want to leave. “I went to a subdivision in Tampa, and there was a 9-foot perimeter wall surrounding this house,” Harter said. “I had to go through the home to access the back yard, and the homeowner had this elaborate garden with a large, beautiful fountain. The gator was about 5 feet, and he was in the fountain with his mouth open – like he should be there. He looked like he was part of the display.” While on calls, Harter works to make the job about more than solely trapping the animal.

When not officially educating Floridians on the job, Harter gives community talks with her partners, Billy and Theodore – two small alligators she is licensed to keep at her home. In addition to teaching the public how to safely live among Florida’s thriving alligator population, she also wants people to know what constitutes a nuisance alligator. “Everybody needs to know that just because they have an alligator, it doesn’t mean it needs to be removed,” Harter said. “If I had one in my pond, I would love to watch him and know what he’s doing. But it’s different if it gets to be too friendly and comes to them, intimidates them, might take a calf, or come swimming at them with their kid when they walk outside.” Now, Harter’s family members sometimes join her in the work established by the patriarch of the family. Her two children, Lee and Monica, and her grandchildren have all ridden with her and actively participated in the family tradition. Not everyone in the family, however, is a fan of the trapper’s demanding schedule. “I’ve had to get up and leave Christmas dinner,” Harter said. “My mom is like, ‘No, you’re not going gatoring.’ I say, ‘Yes, mother, I’m going gatoring.’ If I’m not at church, I get, ‘Where were you? Don’t tell me you were gatoring.’I say, ‘Yes, mother, the gator didn’t know it was Sunday.’ She says, ‘Well I’m going to have to talk to him.’” While trapping takes up much of Harter’s time, it is not her full-time job. She also works for Hope Services, helping individuals with disabilities who are seeking employment. Holding a degree in special education and formerly serving as a special education teacher and agriculture teacher, Harter’s training and experience have prepared her to assist clients with writing resumes, locate on-thejob training opportunities, work with potential employers, and teach self-advocacy. But Harter’s heart lies with “gatoring.” The memories she carries of she and her late husband traveling to calls, trapping alligators, and transporting the animals throughout Central Florida have transformed what many see as just a rare trade into a passion she holds dear. “I just enjoy it,” she said. “It’s become my lifestyle.” For more information on Florida’s nuisance alligator program, the state’s alligator population, or to report a suspected nuisance alligator, visit www.myfwc.com or call 1-866-FWC-GATOR. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

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Callers are typically interested in knowing where the alligator came from and how it reached their property. She often issues the reminder that alligator laws are in place for a reason and should always be followed.


s e p i c e R Courtesy of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Chef Justin Timineri

Golden Fried Florida Mullet with Cabbage and Citrus Slaw DIRECTIONS Golden Fried Florida Mullet • Heat oil to 375 degrees F in deep fryer or deep saucepan. • Whisk together egg and water in a shallow dish. • Combine flour, cornmeal, cayenne, salt and pepper; mix well. • Dip fillets into egg wash then into flour mixture to coat. • Deep fry fish in hot oil for 4 to 5 minutes until fish is golden brown. • Drain on absorbent paper and serve with lemon slices.

INGREDIENTS Golden Fried Florida Mullet 4 (6-ounce) mullet fillets canola oil for frying 1 large egg 1 teaspoon water 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup cornmeal 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 lemons, sliced for garnish

Cabbage and Citrus Slaw

Cabbage and Citrus Slaw 1/2 large head cabbage, shredded fine 2 oranges, segmented 1 grapefruit, segmented 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced thin 1/4 cup olive oil 2 lemons, juiced sea salt to taste fresh ground pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, mix well and let marinate in refrigerator for an hour. Taste slaw and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve chilled.

Ingredients 1/2 ounce natural sugar 4 ounces grapefruit juice 4 ounces orange juice 2 drops natural vanilla extract 4 ounces low-fat milk

DIRECTIONS 1.) Pour the orange juice, grapefruit juice, milk, sugar and vanilla extract into a blender with 2 ounces (approximately 4 cups) of ice.

3.) Pour into a glass, add a straw and serve. 4.) Garnish with sliced fruit.

2.) Blend until smooth.

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FROM THE SCIENTIFIC FIELD

By J. Scott Angle

Ten years ago, when Fidel and Hilda Castillo received a visit 75 percent of the area’s strawberry acreage on her commute from then-U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack at their and took advantage of that by stopping at most of the farms Plant City farm, they invited only one person not related to regularly. them—Alicia Whidden. UF/IFAS is a service organization. That is, we serve the farmThe Secret Service preferred not to have an outsider at the ers of Hillsborough and Polk counties and across the state. We event, but the Castillos insisted. Though Whidden is not relat- do that with a combination of expertise and service ethic that ed to them, they consider her family because of the strong re- Whidden has embodied for decades. As we develop the comlationship she developed with them as a UF/IFAS Hillsborough munications methods that allow us to deliver know-how to a County Extension horticulture agent. wider audience, we will always have agents like Whidden who believe in “house calls” and handshakes as indispensable ways Whidden retires on Oct. 31 after 17 years as an agent, but many to connect with individual growers. more than that in service to Hillsborough County agriculture. She had previously worked in the strawberry lab in Dover. She This is evident in a new generation of Hillsborough and Polk took her knowledge of plant pathology with her in her role as county agents who are quickly establishing reputations for agent, helping strawberry growers identify disease threats in personal service. Shawn Steed and Francisco Rivera come to their fields. mind in Hillsborough. And Chris Oswalt has long been an onfarm presence from his base in Polk. But she didn’t have to know everything, because she knew people. Whidden is so well known that growers would call her Among the highest compliments I hear of UF/IFAS employwhen no one else knew what to do. They’d call on weekends. ees is when you claim them as yours. Kenneth Parker of the Sometimes it would have nothing to do with a crop but with a Florida Strawberry Growers Association calls Whidden “our” kid’s science project. strawberry and vegetable agent. Whatever the source of her paycheck, Parker sees Whidden as working for the people in Whidden would know the answer or find the answer among the Hillsborough and Polk ag community. As with Castillo, for faculty at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center or Parker the line between Whidden the agent and Whidden the elsewhere in UF/IFAS. She also connected growers with op- family friend seemed to dissolve. portunities to participate in research field trials. There was something beyond expertise at work. Growers regard Whidden with what is considered a great compliment— she’s an “old-fashioned” agent. That means an agent who visits the farm, talks to growers and takes conversations beyond plants and into the realm of family, friends, hopes and dreams. In fact, growers were part of her daily commute from her home just over the Polk County line. Hilda Castillo said she’d call Whidden and the agent would stop by the farm that same day on her way home. Carl Grooms goes one better. He said she’d sometimes call him and ask to visit on her way to work. Grooms estimates she has visited hundreds of times. She is part of what he called a local “family of farmers.” Hillsborough County Extension Director Stephen Gran says Whidden may have passed through

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


By Grady Judd, Polk County Sheriff

BERRY BANDITS BEWARE

Let’s talk about the infamous saw palmetto berry. With its fanshaped leaves and sharp, saw-toothed edges, this palm tree only grows in the southeastern United States, and perhaps due to the limited grow regions of this plant, the saw palmetto berry is highly sought after. Apparently, it is believed the benefits from the berry extend to urinary and prostate health. And if you do a quick online search, you’ll easily find the saw palmetto’s potential benefit to prevent hair loss, reduce acne, and increase libido. Whether the berry’s claim to fame is true or not won’t stop some believers from doing whatever it takes to get their hands on them. This makes the demand for saw palmetto berries skyrocket, and the high demand brings out the worst in some people.

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In 2018, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Endangered Plant Advisory Council added the berries to the list of commercially exploited Florida plants to strictly regulate their harvesting and prohibit palmetto pilfering. To harvest the berries, you must have a permit which is associated with a specific piece of property. So, just because you obtain a permit doesn’t mean you can go berry picking on someone else’s property. Berry rustlers are not only trespassing on private property, they often times destroy the native

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Florida flora in the process. Permitting not only protects the saw palmetto berry, it also protects the legal property owner’s crop from being poached. Obtaining a permit is easy and free – just contact the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services at 1-800-435-7352 for more information. One incident this year involved a berry bandit who cut a barbed wire fence from post to post and, upon getting caught by one of our Agricultural Crimes deputies, drove a stolen vehicle through another section of the fence when he fled the property. While a damaged fence might seem a minor infraction, the cattle held inside the fence could have gotten out, potentially costing the property owner hundreds of thousands of dollars, not to mention endangering the livestock. By knowing and following this law, you can help us protect one of our natural plants in Florida and help protect land owners from trespassers. Landowners in Polk County know that they can depend on the Sheriff’s Office to help safeguard their land. By participating in our Agricultural Watch Decal/Sign Program, you’ll not only get a sign to warn trespassers to stay away, but it will also allow deputies to better serve you should a trespasser be found on your property. If you’d like to participate, you can contact our Ag Unit at 863-298-7205. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM


Peanut Boil By David Byrd

When I was a youngin’ growing up in the late 50’s and early 60’s, my Mama always planted a few rows of peanuts in the family vegetable garden. When the peanuts were mature enough, we would pull up the peanut vines, shuck the peanuts off the vines, wash and boil the peanuts, and feed the vines to the cows. Feasting on boiled peanuts was one of our summer luxuries. Fast forward a few years; I started teaching high school agriculture in 1978. From 1980 to 1983 I worked with a gentleman by the name of Sylvester Smith at Lakeland High School. Smitty, as he was affectionately known to the students, was a master vegetable gardener. Smitty grew peanuts, broccoli, southern peas, carrots, sweet corn, and a few other great tasting vegetables. When I transferred to my alma mater, Auburndale High School, I would plant peanuts during June after school was out. A 50 pound bag of peanut seed would be sufficient to plant about three quarters of an acre. The peanuts would grow over the summer months and be ready to harvest in September after the students returned. My colleague, Mr. Frank Rhodes, borrowed a 10 gallon pot from the lunchroom manager. We used his propane fish cooker to boil the peanuts in the 10 gallon pot.

Our daily lesson plan book said we were harvesting and marketing agricultural commodities. But here are the details – our first period Ag students would pull several wheelbarrow loads of peanuts. Second and third period students would “shuck” (pick) the peanuts off the vines and wash the peanuts and feed the vines to our small beef cattle herd. It was slow, tedious, dirty work. But the labor was free! We would

We decided that we needed a larger cooking pot so we asked our friends at Lakeland Drum Service for a 55 gallon, food-grade stainless steel drum. We took the drum to our friends at the City of Auburndale maintenance barn where they cut the drum in half, welded the bung holes shut, and welded handles on each half-barrel. We now had 2 each 27.5 gallon peanut boiling pots. Since we didn’t need it, we sent the 10 gallon pot back to the cafeteria. The cafeteria manager sent it back to us saying that it was too smutty to be used in the cafeteria anymore. Peanut boiling season at Auburndale High School would last about two weeks. We sold about two batches of boiled peanuts each day. I’m pretty sure many students spent their lunch money on boiled peanuts. The sale of boiled peanuts and other vegetables provided a source of income so our students could participate in many FFA leadership activities and competitions. There were peanut shells scattered from one end of campus to the other end. No one ever complained but I’m sure the administration didn’t appreciate the mess. We did give the custodians boiled peanuts to eat every time they asked. They were the ones that had to deal with the mess. Since I retired, I have thought about planting some peanuts. But I don’t have 300 + teenagers for free labor to do the dirty work. These days I just stop by Combee Produce and buy them already shucked, washed, and ready to boil. A pot is on the stove now. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

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get a pot cooked before lunch. Fourth, fifth, and sixth period students would repeat the process so that a pot was ready before the dismissal bell rang.


October State Officer Column By Emma Poole and Christian Bentrovato

There’s so much to look forward to as a Florida FFA State Officer! Although most of our interaction with the agricultural industry has been over a computer, it’s been more amazing than either of us could’ve imagined. It’s wonderful how technology has begun to connect us to the rest of the team, Florida’s agriculture students, and stakeholders in the industry. September was all about connections, as you’ll see throughout this month’s journal. As our year as state officers continues, we’re learning even more about agriculture and having the chance to meet some truly amazing people. On September 3rd we had the opportunity to meet virtually with Chuck Benson from BASF. BASF is a German multinational chemical company that is the largest chemical producer in the world. Mr. Benson told us about all of the different products BASF makes. From paint to agriculture chemicals, BASF produces many different chemicals that go into just about anything you can think of. Before we had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Benson, we had never really known what exactly BASF manufactured. However, after meeting and talking over an hour we have a greater knowledge of just how vast not just the agriculture supply chain is, but global supply chain for everyday products. Mr. Benson also told us a little bit about himself. A longtime supporter of FFA, Mr. Benson was an active FFA member from Illinois. He had the opportunity to serve as a state officer and even met his wife through FFA! He mentioned that he had the opportunity to meet with other Florida FFA state officer teams in the past, so it was great to keep up the tradition, even though we could not meet him in person. The whole state officer team would like to thank Mr. Benson for speaking with us and explaining a little bit about what he does and what BASF does!

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As if meeting Mr. Benson wasn’t exciting enough, we began chapter visits in the last couple of weeks. One of the main duties of a Florida FFA State Officer is to reach agricultural education students across the state, and even though we can’t do that in person, thanks to platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, Florida’s agricultural classrooms are only a click away. The chance to interact with and potentially inspire students is an opportunity that every state officer looks forward to.

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During a normal year, chapter programs would consist of a state officer going to a school and spending the day there, teaching the classes about a topic such as team dynamics, leadership skills, communication, or goal setting. In this format, the officer would be able to interact with all the students in person and form connections with them. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to threaten schools, our team and state staff started to realize that in-person visits wouldn’t be an option, and thus, we were catapulted into the challenging task of adapting these visits to be online. Immediately, restrictions and guidelines began curbing the amount of interaction the students could have with each other even during an online visit and keeping a balance in interaction with both in-person and online students during the same lessons began to look pretty difficult. But there was something we needed to remember. When we ran for state office, one of the target behaviors that our interviewers looked for was adaptability. During this pandemic, possessing that behavior is more important than ever. If any state officer team should be adaptable, it’s this one. We were able to design presentations that would allow the students to get to know us and would allow us to share about our mission as well. Using chat features, social media, and of course, help from the teacher, we’ve had amazing chapter programs and we’re just getting started. In all professions and situations, it may seem like this pandemic is preventing us from inspiring and reaching others. One of the biggest fears that many state officers face is that they won’t be able to connect with students like they would in a normal year. It’s encouraging to have a student message you after a program and tell you that your program has inspired them to join FFA. Although the method may be different, the message is still the same! This goes to show that although our idea of what life should look like has been flipped upside down, it’s still very possible to have an impact on everyone we come in contact with. Until next month, Emma Poole and Christian Bentrovato WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM


NEWS BRIEFS

Compiled by Jim Frankowiak

EXTENSION DEAN NICK PLACE LEAVING UF

COVID-19 INFORMATION AVAILABLE AT FLORIDAFARMBUREAU.ORG

Nick Place, University of Florida (UF) Dean for Extension and Director, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, has accepted a new post as Dean and Director of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) at the University of Georgia (UGA), effective January 1, 2021. His last day at UF will be December 31, 2020.

Florida Farm Bureau has developed a COVID-19 resources website – https://www.floridafarmbureau.org/covid-19-resources/that includes regularly updated information on a variety of agricultural and state and federal links related to the pandemic.

FLORIDA FARM BUREAU OFFERS COVID-19 ONLINE RESOURCE PAGE

WORKBOOTS.COM OFFERS FARM BUREAU MEMBERS 10 PERCENT DISCOUNT

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/.

Florida Farm Bureau members received a special 10 percent discount on equipment, apparel and footwear at Workboots. com. Popular brands include Ariat, Carhartt, Justin, Wolverine and others. FFB members enter the promo code, FFBF, at checkout to receive the discount.

CARES PROGRAM HOSTING FALL PHOTO CONTEST Farm Bureau members have the opportunity to participate in a fall photo program on the CARES Facebook and Instagram pages. Entries can include photos of members working in their fields/pastures or even selfie’s at a local U-pick farm. A winner will be selected at the end of this month and will be awarded a “fall favorites” basket billed with CARES hats and items. FARM BUREAU MEMBERS OFFERED SAVINGS ON MARATHON FUEL

Florida Farm Bureau members can save 3 cents per gallon of gas or diesel when filling up at a Marathon Gas station. To save on fuel members must swipe their Florida Farm Bureau membership card at the pump, confirming their fuel discount on the screen and proceed with normal payment. The discount is valued for 52 uses, up to 20 gallons per use at participating Marathon stations which can be located by calling 888-654-DROP or visiting https://www.makeitcount.com/app.html?root=locations. Added details are also available at https://www.floridafarmbureau.org/discounts/cents-off-marathon/. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

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ADAPT AND OVERCOME! by John Dicks Adapt and Overcome. It’s a catchphrase often used and connected with the U.S. Marine Corps. The creed is the mindset of Marines as they face challenges in unexpected situations and chaotic environments. Frankly, though, it seems like an appropriate, if not necessary, motto which we should all be adopting right now. Particularly so while this pandemic rages on with its destructive force, reaching every age and level of our society, from newborns (surprisingly) all the way to the President and First Lady. Perhaps like you, I have longed for a return to life as normal. No masks would be nice, as would mingling carefree with family and friends. There used to be something known as travel, too; though today it is substituted more by wistful dreaming of faraway places free of COVID-19. I’m confident that we will someday return to a healthier and more stable situation. Probably not, though, “to life as normal.” Not in the near term, anyway. So Adapt and Overcome seems like a logical, if not powerful phrase to guide us. Adapt to the situation, accepting it for “it is what it is,” followed by Overcome, not in militant terms, but in determination to “make the best of the situation.” Rather than wishing for a “return to normal,” the motto would have us develop and embrace a “new normal.” It is to smile while wearing a mask, chuckling at the thought that when we are greeting some people we are actually glad to see them forced to wear one! It is the pleasure brought by a Zoom conference when realizing the time it saves for other, more fun things, thanks to technology and its having allowed us to skip attending meetings in person. It is the delight found from the convenience of ordering ahead through an App on the iPhone, followed by a

friendly delivery, compared with the chaos of in-store shopping and waiting for what seems hours in long lines at checkout. Yes, the “new normal” it seems should be to Adapt and Overcome. It is good guidance from the U.S. Marine Corp. Incidentally, it’s also one more good reason to be thankful, grateful really, for those who serve and protect our citizens and nation. Certainly not just for the Marines, but an appreciation that we should show and share with all members of our armed forces, both past and present. There is, of course, a day most particularly set aside for doing just that. It is Veterans Day, a federal holiday, and it is fast approaching, arriving on the calendar on November 11. Veterans Day was originally known as Armistice Day. It was to reflect the cessation of hostilities, and effectively, the end of World War I. The armistice, or truce agreement, was to take effect at the “eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month” of 1918. Hence we officially celebrate each year at 11 am on November 11. While the date is still recognized and celebrated in many European nations, the United States Congress, in 1954, renamed it Veterans Day, thus expanding the definition of the commemoration such that it recognizes not just those who served in World War I, but to include all of those who have served in the military. This year, Veterans Day is just one week and a day after the frenetic frenzy of the 2020 Presidential election. After all of the zaniness of this year’s political season, I suspect that post election we will all likely need the respite or relief of a national holiday. Frankly, it can’t come soon enough!

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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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SCIENTISTS WORK TO CUT GREENHOUSE GASES, ONE COW BURP AT A TIME By Samantha Murray The sulfur hexafluoride tracer technique allows scientists to measure the amount of methane emitted from the animal’s mouth and nose. Photo credit: Nicolas DiLorenz

When you first learn that cows produce methane, a greenhouse gas, you might assume it comes from the animal’s rear end. But you would be wrong. “Methane is generated in an organ called the rumen, which is the first of the cow’s ‘four stomachs,’” said Nicolas DiLorenzo, a researcher at the University of Florida who studies methane production in cattle. “The rumen is quite close to the cow’s mouth, so the mouth is the closest exit. This is why the cow releases this methane by burping.” This anatomic fact is the whole reason why scientists like DiLorenzo study the rumen — and why DiLorenzo is often correcting the misconception that cow flatulence is the source of methane. “When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions from cattle, we go to the source, and that is the rumen,” DiLorenzo said. For several decades, researchers have been looking for ways to reduce the methane produced in the rumen. Now new research by DiLorenzo and others shows that a small change to cattle’s diets reduced the animals’ methane emissions by 11%. These findings are a step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions from livestock. The study was led by UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences graduate Darren Henry, now an assistant professor in the department of animal and food sciences at Texas Tech University. The study was part of Henry’s doctoral research directed by DiLorenzo and received funding support from the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. The study’s authors discovered that cattle produced less methane when a supplement commonly given to grass-fed cattle was replaced with a supplement that provided the same nutrition but had different chemical properties. To understand why, you need to know how the rumen works. “The rumen is where bacteria ferment the food the cow eats, helping break it down and allowing the cow to absorb more energy and nutrients from the food,” said DiLorenzo, one of the study’s authors and an associate professor of animal sciences at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center.

The rumen is also where methane enters the equation. As bacteria ferment the cow’s food, some microorganisms create methane as a byproduct. Eventually, the cow burps, and methane enters the atmosphere. Previous research has indicated that nitrates interrupt the chemical reactions that allow methanogens — microorganisms in the rumen responsible for methane — to produce methane. The UF researchers wanted to test if feeding nitrates to cattle would have the same effect. In the experiment, they introduced nitrates by swapping out urea for encapsulated calcium-ammonium nitrate (eCAN). “Diets of grass-fed cattle are often deficient in protein, so urea is used to supplement protein,” DiLorenzo said. “The thinking was: What if we used a different substance that would provide protein like urea does but had properties that would affect methane production?” The researchers fed eCAN to cattle by mixing it into molasses, a traditional vehicle for urea. Cattle will lick up every drop of molasses presented to them, so this method ensured they would consume the eCAN the researchers provided. “The eCAN looks like Dippin’ Dots ice cream and allow for the slow release of the calcium-ammonium nitrate in the rumen,” DiLorenzo said. To measure how much methane the cattle produced when fed eCAN, the researchers used something called the sulfur hexafluoride tracer technique. This technique uses a Ushaped canister attached to a halter on the cow’s head. Small tubes connected to the canister sit above the cow’s nostrils. The device allows scientists to measure the amount of methane emitted from the animal’s mouth and nose. Compared with cattle that were given urea, cattle that consumed eCAN produced 11% less methane. “This is quite a large reduction and an exciting result,” DiLorenzo said. The study is published in “Journal of Animal Science.”

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“I tell my students that the rumen is ‘the animal within the animal’ because it has a kind of life of its own,” he added.


E n d a n g e r e d S p e c i es

Short and Beautiful: Pygmy Fringe-tree

By Ginny Mink

We don’t usually write about two endangered plants in a row, but we liked this one so much we decided we wanted you to know all about it! Let us introduce you to the Pygmy Fringe-tree. If you live in Polk County you could have the joy of viewing one of these neat little trees! According to the US Fish and Wildlife Services, “Chionanthus pygmaeus is a large shrub that occurs primarily in scrub as well as high pineland, dry hammocks, and transitional habitats in central Florida.”¹ Unfortunately, so much of its natural habitat has been cleared for housing and citrus growing it was listed as endangered in January of 1987.¹ This tree is generally shorter than 10 feet tall and its stems are often found buried in the sand. Leaf scars cover the twigs while the remaining leaves are two to four inches in length. They are kind of leathery and oval shaped with maroon and yellow-green leaf stalks. So, given that initial description there’s probably not anything that is going to stand out to you about the tree at first glance.² However, it is the small white flowers that hang down like a fringe and are sweet smelling that will entice you. They are known to bloom between late February all the way through March. And if you are really hoping to see them, you will need to take a trip to the Lake Wales Ridge. It’s an ancient sand dune and beach system they say was formed millions of years ago and it “has one of the highest concentrations of threatened and endangered plants and animals in the United States.”³ On May 15, 2020, Hillsborough County published an article about endangered species because the third Friday of May each year has been designated Endangered Species Day. The site used that opportunity to bring to people’s mind that plants can be endangered, too. And, in the article, they mention the Pygmy Fringe-tree. Their small snippet reveals that the Pygmy Fringe-tree is fire-resistant and will resprout from its roots after prescribed or natural burns. They call it “one of the state’s fireadapted species.”⁴ It is known to exist northwest in Osceola County and west of Lake Apopka in Lake County. But you can also find it in Polk County if you opt to visit the Lake Wales Ridge as we mentioned before. Sadly, it can no longer be found in its historic habitat, which was the Mount Dora Ridge, but one of the largest populations we know to exist is in Highlands County in the Carter Creek Scrubs.¹ Essentially, the Pygmy Fringe-tree does best in sandhill, scrub, and xeric hammock areas. In some locations it may intermingle with evergreen scrub oaks and shrubs to create thickets. Since there are only 46⁴ populations of this tree remaining, it is definitely in need of protection. Sadly, only ten of those populations are located on protected conservation land.²

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You might find it interesting that people like this tree enough to have established a yearly Pygmy Fringe Tree Wildflower

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Festival. There are several sites that participate in the festival including the Museum of Florida Art and Culture (MOFAC), Bok Tower Gardens, and the Archbold Biological Station. The Festival lasts from Thursday through Saturday in March. So, be looking for it to be presented by the South Florida State College again next year.³ Of the 46 remaining populations that you could potentially see, some of them only consist of one tree.⁴ That doesn’t seem to qualify as a population to us, but since every tree counts we must count every tree! Obviously, researchers have been trying to figure out how to propagate these trees in an effort to save their existence. They have discovered that most new trees appear from root sprouts, though there are rare times when they will grow from seed. However, since there is no set time in which seeds are produced and disseminated, it is hard for conservationist to know when to seek them out to attempt to grow them elsewhere. Nurseries have found some success with air-dried seeds and have even seen germination out of whole fruits. In fact, Bok Tower Gardens has “achieved 60 to 70 percent germination rates under greenhouse conditions.”¹ Our best bet for saving these trees, is to adamantly work to preserve sandhill and scrub lands. We need to ensure that the preserved areas have prescribed burns and sunny gaps are maintained as the Pygmy Fringe-tree likes to be in full sun.² And we should be aware of the fact that a plethora of animals enjoy their seeds including, deer, quail, and turkey.¹ Like we tell you every month, God put these trees here for a reason and it is our job as stewards of this planet and this state to ensure that those things He placed here for a purpose are able to remain. So, visit the locations we mentioned and find out more about how you can help keep these cool trees blooming in our state! Resources: ¹US Fish and Wildlife Services. Pygmy Fringe-Tree. Chioanthus pygmaeus Small. https://www.fws.gov/verobeach/msrppdfs/pygmy.pdf ²Florida Natural Areas Inventory. Pygmy Fringe-Tree. https:// www.fnai.org/FieldGuide/pdf/Chionanthus_pygmaeus.pdf ³South Florida State College. Florida’s Heartland Celebrates the Pygmy Fringe Tree. https://www.southflorida.edu/news/ floridas-heartland-celebrates-the-pygmy-fringe-tree ⁴Hillsborough County Florida. (2020). Not all Endangered Species Have Fur or Feathers. https://www.hillsboroughcounty. org/en/newsroom/2020/05/15/not-all-endangered-species-have-fur-or-feathers Photo Credits: Jon Fisher. (2016). Fringe Tree. Flickr. https://flic.kr/p/GDUdDg Arthur T. LaBar. (2016). Fringe tree blossoms. https://flic.kr/p/ Gsd3tC WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM


COVID-19 RISK FACTORS VARY BY FARM WORKERS’ LEGAL STATUS: SHOWS NEED FOR TAILORED MEASURES

By Brad Buck As laborers return to the fields this fall in Florida, both unauthorized workers and those authorized to plant and pick crops through a guest workers visa are vulnerable to the coronavirus. In fact, an estimated 75% of Florida crop workers have at least one underlying health issue that puts them at risk of developing COVID-19 complications, new UF/IFAS research shows. However, sources of risk for these two groups are different, according to the study. That is largely because domestic unauthorized workers are significantly older than H-2A workers, which increases their risk of developing COVID-19 complications, said Gulcan Onel, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of food and resource economics. Most of the members of both legal groups of workers do not speak English and have less than a high school education, Onel said. “These findings highlight the need for accessible and culturally-minded outreach efforts to educate workers about preventive measures for COVID-19,” she said. One example of UF/IFAS outreach is based at the Southwest Florida Research and Education Center in Immokalee. Faculty and experts there are hosting a series of workshops in September and October to help train farm supervisors to keep their employees as safe as possible from COVID. For her study, Onel used three different sources of data, including a citrus harvester’s survey her team conducted in several Florida counties. Onel also synthesized existing health and employment data from federal sources. She then compared the demographic differences of H-2A workers with those of unauthorized agricultural workers to draw conclusions about COVID-19 risks among these farm workers. The federal H-2A guest workers program provides legal, temporary nonimmigrant visa classification to foreign-born workers, where able, willing and qualified U.S. workers are not available. That work typically lasts no longer than one year. Unauthorized workers are foreign-born workers who lack proper, legal documentation to work in the United States. Data show that unauthorized domestic workers, on average, have been in the United States for more than a decade. In addition to legal status groups, workers’ susceptibility to the virus varies by location across Florida counties, the study shows.

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Onel and her colleagues saw a high correlation between counties with the most COVID-19 cases and counties with the most agricultural workers. Among counties with the highest crop worker populations, Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Hillsborough counties had the most COVID-19 cases. They were followed by Broward, Collier, Lee, Manatee and Polk counties. Among other findings: • H-2A workers live in employer-provided and controlled housing, which may make it easier to take measures to help mitigate COVID-19 for them, compared to domestic workers. On the other hand, H-2A workers spend more time traveling to their work sites than domestic workers, which may make transportation a higher risk factor for this group of workers. • Preventing or mitigating COVID-19 among unauthorized workers gets more complicated by today’s immigration environment. Contact tracing and encouraging workers to seek testing and/or care may be difficult because unauthorized domestic crop workers fear they will be deported. Ensuring privacy of workers and their contacts will be vital for effective mitigation strategies. • H-2A workers send more of their earnings back home compared to domestic unauthorized workers; therefore, H-2A workers likely have stronger ties with family in their countries of origin, the survey found. “This is important with the recent spikes in COVID-19 cases in Mexico and South America; higher remittances (back home) indicate that H-2A workers -- who are mostly married and have minor-aged children – likely have stronger ties to their country of origin,” Onel said. “They might be more reluctant to return to U.S. farms amid the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, existing workers in the fields may continue working, even when they are sick, to keep up with their support for family back home. Piece-rate payment schemes may further encourage risk-taking behavior among workers, posing a challenge for containing outbreaks.” While the study’s findings provide insights into COVID-19 risks for Florida crop workers, predicting when and a COVID-19 outbreak will occur is difficult and no trivial matter, Onel said. “This type of prediction requires tracking of data over time,” Onel said. “The county-level maps in our article -- which layer farm worker populations and COVID-19 cases -- can easily be updated periodically for more up-to-date information on higher-risk agricultural counties.


Do It Your Self Activity

by Nick Chapman

Recycled Halloween Decoration The weather is cooler, the days are shorter, and thoughts of Halloween decorating are here. This easy “How To� project will let you take an old cow or horse supplement bucket and make it into an easy recycled decoration for Halloween. And you should have everything right on the farm. Most farms feed some type of supplement to their animals, and the buckets are usually thrown in the recycle bin. This project will give that bucket a second life and become an easy and cheap Halloween decoration.

Step 1: Preparing your recycled bucket

Step 2: Make an easy decoration template for painting

Get an empty bucket and Decide what type of Halloween character you peel off the labels. On most want for a decoration. Print or draw on a piece buckets these will come off of paper and cut out the areas you want to paint. Attach the template to the bucket with tape. easily.

Step 3: Paint and let dry

Paint with the desired color. A quick drying spray paint works best. Watch the overspray if windy. Allow to dry before removing the attached template. Drying time approximately 1015 minutes for spray paint.

Step 5: Attach plastic bag for ghost effect

Attach a draw string plastic garbage bag around the rim of the bucket. Use scissors to cut strips to blow in the wind for an eerie effect. If there is no rim, you can hot glue to the side.

Step 4: Prepare for hanging

Drill holes in top to insert the hanging string or twine. Baling twine works great. Tie a washer or large nut to the underneath side to keep the twine from slipping through the hole.

Step 6: Hang ghost from suitable location

Find an easily accessible tree limb or leave to hang your Halloween ghost.

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A Closer Look

by Sean Green | Photos by April Green

Scoliid Wasps (Scoliidae)

While hiking last week we came across a huge wasp we just had to get pictures of. He was beautiful. The gentle giant made his way from flower to flower sipping nectar with the other pollinating patrons of the flower’s hospitality. This wasp was not scary to us, though we have seen posts about this wasp on social media that indicate a general fear of big wasps. A fear that I am certain was encouraged with the “murder hornet” hype that was circulated not long ago. Hopefully some of those fears were dispelled in our previous article on the “murder hornet” but, for good measure, this month we are taking a closer look at the scoliid wasps, a friendly and beneficial species that many will want nearby. Scoliid wasps, pronounced sko-LEE-ud, also known as Scarab Hawks or Scarab Hunters. With a body size ranging from 10mm to 35mm and a wingspan of up to 60mm these are among the largest wasps in North America and hard to miss. Their body is so large, it tends to have a slightly bend or curled appearance. The family name for this wasp, Scoliidae comes to us from the Greek scolios “bent, curved” the root word for skoliosis “crookedness which many of us are already familiar with. There are about 20 native species of Scoliid wasps in North America, these are divided into five genus (groups). The genus Pygodasi (formerly Campsomeris) is likely to have the greatest distribution of the four species we have in Florida. The wasp in our picture appears to be a male four spotted Scoliid wasps (Pygodasi quadrimaculata) the scientific name comes to us from the Latin quadri- (four) and macula “spot, stain,” The females abdomen is marked with four distinct spots; males on the other hand have much more variation in color patterns. For this reason, color patterns are not enough to identify the species. The wing pattern, abdominal and antennae segments as well as coloration must be considered for the identification of the species. Scoliid wasps, regardless of species, are parasitoids of scarab beetle larvae and have become an important species in the biologic control of the invasive Japanese beetles and sawyer beetles. It is not only the invasive species that become prey to this wasp, it will also parasite native pest beetles such as the June beetles, weevils, and other crop pests. Scoliid wasps are solitary ground nesting hunters. The female does the hunting to find a suitable host for her young. She flies just above the ground scanning for the subterranean beetle larvae. We don’t fully understand how she

Scoliid wasps have a four-stage lifecycle like the butterfly (egg, larvae, pupa, adult). After hatching, the scoliid wasp larva feeds on the paralyzed scarab host from the inside out and in a week or two, emerges from the skin of the beetle larva to spin a cocoon for the pupa stage. While remaining underground, in the pupal stage, the pupa develops into an adult and digs its way out of the soil to begin the next generation. The hottest days of the year are the best time to see these wasps, but in Florida, it’s hot enough to see them well through October and maybe into November. If you see one of these wasps in the wild, you will see the males drinking nectar from the flowers while the females are busy hunting. But do not be quick to assume the males do not have an important role in all that nectar drinking, evolutionary history illustrates this point. There are South American species of Scoliid wasps (Pygodasis bistrimaculata) that engage in pseudocopulation with some species of orchids. What this means is that both the flower and the wasps have co-evolved to depend on eachother. The flower releases pheromones that resemble the sex pheromones of the female wasp specifically to attract a male wasp to it for pollination. The male wasp attempts mating with a flower (and of course fails) but in the process, the flower gets pollinated. As a reward for this trickery the wasp can partake of the sweet nectar the flower produces. These wasps are fascinating to watch and are amazingly docile. We were only inches away from them when we took these pictures. Although large and intimidating to some, I promise you, so long as you do not trap these wasps between your fingers or torment them, they will go about their business without aggression. I encourage our readers to look for these large North American wasps, recognize them, and protect them. In a previous article we took a closer look at the murder hornets, It would be a sad thing to hear of Americans killing one of our largest species of wasps because of the inaccurate hype pertaining to murder hornets. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE

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detects the larvae, but she finds them as readily as white ibis, that also feed on beetle larvae. Once found, she burrows into the ground to intercept and paralyze the larvae with an impressive sting of which the larvae remain alive, but never recover from the paralysis that results. Sometimes the female will invade the burrow of an adult beetle and attack any larva found within, often digging a new chamber within the beetles burrow to deposit the beetle larvae and on it one of her own eggs.


BREAD FOR THE MASSES

By Libby Hopkins

Benjamin Vickers was born and raised in Lakeland. He received formal culinary training from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. “For the past eight years, I have been working as a baker and pastry chef up and down the east coast, from NYC to Tennessee,” Vickers said. “Returning home to Lakeland in 2016, I earned the opportunity to pair my entrepreneurial spirit with my long-time affinity for bread baking. Honeycomb Bread Bakers started as a passion project, selling a mere two sourdough loaves in our first week using only a cast iron pot and a conventional gas oven. Three years later, we serve hundreds of guests throughout Polk County and beyond through the farmer’s markets and our network of wholesale clients.” Honeycomb’s brand is easily identifiable by the iconic golden bee, but the name is actually not a reference to our insect friends. “When you slice a loaf of sourdough, you can see the lacy whirl of crumb in the cross section. Bakers refer to this structure as the ‘honeycomb’,” Vickers said. “We are first and foremost an artisan bread bakery, specializing in natural fermentation of humble, wholesome organic grains that are milled in-house, slowly fermented, then baked on a hot stone hearth. It’s a style that’s one part quiet discipline and one part mad sorcery inherited from artisans of past generations.

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Honeycomb’s menu is dynamic, sometimes featuring their Danish Rye and Marinated Kalamata Olive, or sometimes their Focaccia Bianca and the Farmer’s Grain Sourdough. “These rustic, gnarled loaves are a delight to make, and it’s humbling to be the preferred choice for so many folks in the

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community who wish to bring home fresh bread for their family,” Vickers said. Vickers is thrilled with the partnerships he has made with local restaurants throughout Polk County. “We are blessed with a diverse profile of local partners who help make Honeycomb’s menu unique and special. Ethos Coffee, Crum Brothers Farm, Red Roof Farms, The Salty Cow, Happy’s Place Farms and No Guilt is just a small cross section of the Central Florida makers and growers we are proud to source honey, cheese, gluten free breads, herbs, fresh flowers, eggs, and produce from. The Wilken family grows our organic wheat in Ashkum, Illinois. They converted their farm to fully organic in 2013 and specialize in heirloom varietals of wheat and rye. We blend and stone mill these heirloom wheats to produce pastry, whole wheat, rye, bread, and cake flours, making Honeycomb the first commercial mill using organic-only wheat in Florida, and we already have shipped fresh-milled flour to bakers as far away as Alaska.” Vickers has big future plans for his bread company. “We are working diligently on building a brand-new brick and mortar storefront for our guests,” Vickers said. “In the meantime however, the best place to find your favorite artisan goodies is at the Saturday Farmers Markets in Lakeland and Winter Haven. The markets have been so generous and welcoming to us and seeing our regular guests every weekend is such a joy for us. It’s the honor of a lifetime to be able to serve the families and bring a little yumminess into our guests’ homes. The most important driver of our economy is the everyday WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM


spending of the average consumer and the best way to ensure that spending drives your local economy is to put your dollar towards your favorite locally owned business. Small local shops, cafes and restaurants give our town vitality, stability and a flavorful culture. Honeycomb’s mission is to make our beautiful city a better, yummier place and every single guest is a participant in that journey.”

If you would like to learn more about Honeycomb Bread Bakers or if you’d like to see which artisan markets they will be at in the near future, you can visit their website at www.honeycombbread.com or call Vickers at 863-430-4929.

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DISTRICT HOLDING HOG HUNTS; PERMITS AVAILABLE ONLINE By Jim Frankowiak

Southwest Florida Water Management District (District) land managers are holding 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.

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All hunts will adhere to the hog-dog format. No still hunts will be available. The program includes

• A $75 nonrefundable fee must be paid for each permit. • Permits are transferable. • The top producer of each Phase 1 hunt 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. The District no longer award free admission into Phase 2 for the top two producers of the Phase 1 hunt. PHASE 2 HUNTS • Registration will occur Dec. 8, 2020, at 9 a.m. • Includes six hunts that occur January and February 2021. • A $75 nonrefundable fee must be paid for each permit. • Permits are transferable. • The single top producer of each hunt of Phase 2 will be placed on the District’s “top producer” list and will be contacted between March and October 2021 to take part in feral hog management hunts on an as-needed basis, free of charge.

PHASE 1 HUNTS

PHASE 3 “AS-NEEDED” MANAGEMENT HUNTS

• Registration began Oct. 6, 2020. • Includes six hunts that occur November through December 2020.

• Includes management hunts that may occur March through October 2021. • Only those registrants that qualify as “top producers” follow-

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ing 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 non-transferable. • 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 2021. 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 hunts on the District’s WaterMatters.org/HogHunts. Permits will be available on a first-come, first-served 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 12th consecutive year for the hunts. Last year’s hunts removed 625 hogs on 13 different tracts of land throughout the District.

With every generation,

we get better at protecting our environment. Reclamation ecologists like Ashlee work to return mined lands to productive use as wildlife habitats, public parks and more—so future generations can enjoy these lands for years to come.

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®


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MEETING YOUR SERVICE, PARTS AND EQUIPMENT NEEDS SINCE 1963.....

*Photo courtesy of our Palmetto team. Stop in and say hi!

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