In The Field magazine Polk edition

Cover More Ground with CKP

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HANNAH BAKER

Polk County Cattlemen’s Associati son P.O. Box 9005 • Drawer HS03 Bartow, FL. 33831-9005

President – Dr. Lujean Waters 8750 Shreck Rd Bartow, FL 33830 (863) 537-1495 Lujean.waters@gmail.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 33846-0849 (863) 425-112 Justin.bunch@nutrien.com

State Director – Orrin Webb PO Box 202 Bartow, FL 33831 (863) 634-6029 owebb@wandwsupply.com

Donald Conroy 3882 Wolfolk Rd Fort Meade, FL 33841 (863) 412-0790

Stuart Fitzgerald PO Box 1437 Lake Wales, FL 33859 (863) 206-5021 stuartcattlellc@yahoo.com

Kevin Fussell 5125 Fussell Rd Polk City, FL 33868 (863) 412-5876 drfussellranch@gmail.com

Wes Fussell 5010 Barush Rd Bartow, FL 33830 (863) 838-1594 g.wesfussell@gmail.com

Det. Jay Scarborough 1575 Mountt Pisgah Rd Fort Meade, FL 33841 (863) 860-7731 Jayscarborough5581@outlook. com

Scott Shoupe 6130 Allen Lane Lakeland, FL 33811 (863) 581-7593 Scott_shoupe@hotmail.com

James Stice PO Box 460

Highland City, FL 33846 (813) 714-2333 jstice@verizon.net

Dave Tomkow

3305 US Highway 92 E Lakeland, FL 33801-9623 (863) 665-5088 dave@cattlemens1.com

Alternate Standing Committee Chairs: Membership Events- Scott Shoupe

Trade Show- Bridget Stice

Rodeo- Fred Waters PO Box 463 Alturas, FL 33820-0463 (863) 559-7808

Website – Blair Buchanon

Cattlewomen – President, Blair Buchanon 8444 Tom Costine Rd Lakeland, FL 33809 (863) 581-2711 Buckld96@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 –

Abby Crawford 13895 Highway 27 Lake Wales, FL 33859 (863) 638-7248

Abby.crawford@warner.edu

Letter from the Editor

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! No, I’m not talking about Christmas, I’m talking about Fair Season!! This glorious time of year kicks off for Polk County youth with the Polk County Youth Fair, held January 24 through February 1. Following that is the Florida State Fair, held February 6 through 17. The Florida Strawberry Festival begins February 27 and runs through March 9.

I encourage you to attend one or all of these events. The youth work very hard, not just at the event but for months leading up to the competition. Caring for livestock and other projects teaches youth accountability and dedication. In addition, they learn responsibility, time management, communication, and the importance of healthy competition, sportsmanship, and hard work. Let’s show them that we appreciate that the future of agriculture is in their hands.

How are your New Year’s resolutions going? Once again, I saved myself from the resolution breaking by not making one. Why set yourself up for failure at the beginning of the year? If you want to make a change, just do it. Don’t wait for a special day. When making a big change, plan accordingly. Be sure it’s something you truly want to do. Otherwise, you can be hit with a lack of motivation, unrealistic expectations, and other things that will lead you to abandon the resolution.

See you at the fair(s)!

Sarah Holt

Publisher/Photography

Karen Berry

Senior Managing Editor/ Associate Publisher

Sarah Holt Sales

Karen Berry

Sarah Holt De De Floyd

Melissa Nichols

Creative Director/Illustrator

Juan Alvarez

Photography

Karen Berry

Staff Writers Al Berry

Sandy Kaster

James Frankowiak

Sean Green Autum Miller

Contributing

Wade Osborne

John Dicks

Tiffany Dale Social

In The Field Magazine is published monthly and is available through local Hillsborough County businesses, restaurants, and many local venues. It is also distributed by U.S. mail to a target market, which includes all of the Greenbelt Property owners, members of the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau and Strawberry Grower’s Association.

Letters, comments and questions can be sent to P.O. Box 5377, Plant City, Florida 33563-0042 or you are welcome to email them to: info@inthefieldmagazine.com or call 813759-6909

Advertisers warrant & represent the descriptions of their products advertised are true in all respects. In The Field Magazine assumes no responsibility for claims made by advertisers. All views expressed in all articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Berry Publications, Inc. Any use or duplication of material used in In the Field magazine is prohibited without written consent from Berry Publications, Inc.

Published by Berry Publications, Inc.

Happy New Year!

This year is bringing exciting news from the Polk County Cattlemen’s Association with the future of Agricultural for our Polk County Youth!

For over 15 years many community leaders have been the driving force in developing a new Agriculture Facility that would greatly benefit not only our youth, but many agriculture entities in Polk including our Polk County Cattlemen’s Assoc.  The board of county commissioners has allocated more than 21 million in funds to develop a Agriculture Complex that will serve agriculture industries across the county and state, but as an association we want to ensure we have a voice in seeing this

project come to fruition. Many thanks to our member, Laura Lee Taylor, for being an active advocate in this project. Thanks to her efforts, a fund has been created within the Give Well Foundation that we can not only contribute to as members, community leaders and an association but we have also bring given a seat on the advisory board of this fund in an effort to have a voice in the development of this project. This gives our association a chance to hopefully add value to this project by sponsoring specific additions to the project that may best serve our members and youth. We look forward to keeping you updated on this developing project.

Dr. LuJean Waters

Polk County Cattlemens President Heartland Large Animal Services

FROM THE SCIENTIFIC FIELD

By Brad Buck

INTERMITTENT IRRIGATION CAN SAVE STRAWBERRY GROWERS AS MUCH AS 67% ON WATER, MAINTAIN YIELD

As we enter the state’s strawberry-growing season, establishing young strawberry plants in the field requires substantial water. New University of Florida research shows that growers can save as much as 67% -- or up to half a million gallons per acre per season by alternating sprinkler cycles on and off -- and get the same yield.

The savings take place during the first two weeks of the season.

As Florida’s population is expected to grow from 21.5 million to 26 million by 2040, it is critical that every drop of water is used wisely. Conserving water is also crucial for enhancing the sustainability of Florida’s $434 million-a-year strawberry industry.

Normally, growers get their bare-root transplants from places such as Canada and northern California and plant them in Florida’s strawberry heartland -- Hillsborough, Polk, and Manatee counties.

After being shipped to Florida -- with no soil around the roots -- the plants initially need extra care, particularly daytime sprinkler irrigation. That’s because their damaged roots cannot absorb enough water to support the plants’ survival and growth. It typically takes 10 to 14 days of daytime sprinkler irrigation for bare-root transplants to settle in the field.

In fact, the establishment of strawberry transplants typically requires 355,680 to 456,000 gallons of water per acre over 10 days, or more than 600,000 gallons per acre with the extended use of sprinklers, said Shinsuke

Agehara, a UF/IFAS associate professor of horticultural sciences and lead investigator of the new study.

“This is a significant amount, especially considering the establishment period lasts only up to two weeks, and there are more than 14,000 acres of strawberry production in Florida,” said Agehara, a faculty member at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. “Using an intermittent sprinkler program can reduce water use during the establishment period by 50 to 67%.”

Results surprised scientists because they expected that alternating sprinkler cycles on and off would increase heat stress on the strawberry plants and negatively impact establishment and yield. But they saw no yield reduction.

Scientists also found that for some strawberry varieties, this method can increase yield without negatively affecting fruit quality. That includes ‘Florida Brilliance,’ which saw a 27% increase in yield in one season, using intermittent irrigation.

“Our next step is to set up an on-farm trial, so growers can see the water savings and the impact of intermittent irrigation for themselves,” Agehara said. “We would like to go beyond just academic publication. Our goal is to implement this intermittent irrigation program as a commercial standard practice for strawberry production, so we can conserve water and address practical issues.”

THOUGHTS FROM THE HEIFER PEN

New Year’s is not my favorite holiday, and I would say that there are probably a few people who would agree with me. As a kid, New Year’s was always kind of a disappointment after the big event of Christmas Day. I always tried to console myself that the holidays weren’t quite over, but who am I kidding? New Year’s Day just can’t compete with Christmas. I always had a great time on New Year’s Eve. We would always have family over and a bonfire, but it always meant the closing of the Christmas Season and back to boring regular life.

As an adult, I am not so worried about going back to regular life (even though I would prefer not to); I am more concerned about going into a new year. I have a hard time accepting that a whole year just flew by, and I am suddenly having to prepare for a new one. Going into a new year, to me, is like having to get up early on a frosty morning when you want to just stay in bed, but you have to get up and ride a colt. Now, you have ridden this colt a few times, but it’s a cold, frosty morning, so your colt is frisky. As you climb on, you know that all you have to do is lope him out. He might crow-hop a little bit, but once you push him through it, he will be fine.

When I started my first colt, I knew what to expect because I had seen it done many times before, but I didn’t know if I could handle what might happen. But as I trained my first colt and started my second colt, things became easier and easier. Physically, because my skill improved each time, but mentally because I knew what to expect and how to react. The signs of what a horse might do were familiar to me, and I could go through the motions. Even though I may know what to generally expect, every horse has a mind of its own, and you can never be sure exactly how it will react. It can be the same with a new year. As you get older, you kind of know what to expect, but you never quite know what each year will hold.

I am not one for New Year’s resolutions, but I do like to plan ahead for the year and get my things in order. It is exciting to me, in a way, to get new notebooks and my calendar for the year and to start filling in dates and making lists of what needs

By Marisol Tarango

to get done. Being prepared for the New Year is like getting a colt ready to ride. You brush him down, saddle him up, and lunge him around a few times in the round pen. He may decide to buck when you get on him, but now you have a feel for him and have an idea of what you are dealing with. He might buck you off in the first three steps, but you have a better chance of hanging on if you did your groundwork right.

Training different horses isn’t as hard as breaking in a new saddle. With your old trusty saddle, you can ride anything with it because it is familiar to you as your own bed. But with a new saddle, it can be hard to ride even a familiar horse because you feel like you are trying to learn how to ride your saddle, let alone a horse. Sometimes, that is how a new year feels, too. You know what horse you are riding, but you just can’t get the saddle to feel right. With a new saddle, it can take several oilings, nights of leaving the stirrups twisted, and miles of riding to get it to feel as comfortable as your old saddle, but it will get there.

You have probably caught on by now that the main reason that I don’t like New Year’s is because it is new. I like things to stay the same because it is comfortable, and that is what I know. It’s okay if I change and grow, but I like my surroundings to stay the same. I don’t want my siblings to grow up or my parents to grow old. I want my mare to stay as agile as she was when I was in high school, and I want to drive the same truck for the rest of my life. But as I change, so do things and people around me. As much as I hate change, it makes me more into the person that I was created to be. It makes me let go so that I can reach out to something bigger. When a colt is started in training there is a lot of change that is uncomfortable and scary, but at the end of its training, that colt has something to offer and has gained a friendship along the way. When it comes to riding the colt of change, it is ok to be nervous, over prepare, and even dread it, but there comes a point where the only thing you can do is put a foot in the stirrup and swing up.

mtranchersdaughter@gmail.com

NEWS BRIEFS

Compiled by Jim Frankowiak

Florida State Fair – February 6-17

The 2025 Florida State Fair is scheduled for February 6 – 17. More information about the Fair and events taking place is available by visiting: www.floridastatefair.com. You may also sign up for email updates on Fair activities at that website.

AG Losses from Hurricane Milton Top $190 Million

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Economic Impact Analysis Program (EIAP) estimates agricultural production losses in Florida as a result of Hurricane Milton have an estimated value between $190.4 million and $642.7 million.

Mosaic Contributes $50,000 to Farm Bureau’s Hurricane Relief Fund

The Mosaic Company Foundation has contributed $50,000 to the Florida Farm Bureau Federation’s Hurricane Relief Fund, helping Florida’s farmers and rural communities recover from recent storms. The grant complements The Mosaic Company’s $500,000 in contributions to hurricane relief efforts across Florida. “The contributions reflect our ongoing commitment to standing with those in need during challenging times,” the company said. “Together, we are working to rebuild and strengthen the communities that we are proud to call home.”

Ask IFAS Available 24/7, 365 Days a Year

Ask IFAS, the Electronic Information Source of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension, offers access to information provided by Extension throughout the year. Content is peer-reviewed with target audiences including agricultural and horticulture producers, homeowners, Extension agents, industry or governmental staff, land managers, other professionals, youth, and interested citizens. Access is available by visiting https://edis.ifas.ufl. edu.

90th Annual Florida Strawberry Festival

February 27 – March 9

The Florida Strawberry Festival – with the theme “The Stage is Set” is scheduled for February 27 – March 9. Event attendees will be introduced to the festival’s new soundstage for a new entertainment experience. Information, including ticket sales, entertainment headliners, livestock shows and more is available by visiting www.flstrawberryfestival.com

Sheepshead are on the Menu!

The pre-spawn sheepshead bite has been very consistent lately, and as they school up during their traditional spawning season February, March, and April, the action is only going to intensify. Some say the sheepshead taste similar to lobster, so if you like lobster, sheepshead is a cheaper alternative. The challenge is catching enough for dinner before melting butter in a pan. That takes a bit of work and a little skill.

Sheepshead are always hanging around seawalls, bridges, and residential dock pilings, but during the spawn, they school up heavily and become extremely aggressive. They like to feed on small crabs, shrimp, barnacles, and other small crustaceans.

be used for bait, once thawed. In addition to having frozen shrimp onboard, I always stop at the local bait and tackle shop to buy live shrimp. When buying live shrimp, I always go for the medium-sized. As you fish, if you miss a strike and reel back in half of the shrimp, toss it back out there. Shrimp halves work very well!

Sheepshead are known as “Bait Stealers.” It’s often said, to catch sheepshead you need to set the hook before you feel the bite. That’s easier said than done. It helps if you’re using braided fishing line, but when using mono, it’s important to keep as much slack out of your line as possible. Then once you feel even the slightest of bites, immediately reel until your line is tight and lift the rod for a solid hook set. In most of the areas where you’ll be fishing for sheepshead, the water will be super clear, so down-size your terminal tackle. Start with a 20-pound fluorocarbon leader and use a size 1 or 1/0 hook. If necessary, drop down to a 15-pound fluorocarbon leader and use strictly size 1 hooks.

Some people keep a long-handled scraper on their boat and scrape barnacles off the bridge pilings where they’re fishing to chum up sheepshead. You can even put a piece of barnacle on your hook as bait to catch them. This works very well actually, but don’t try the scraping barnacle technique on residential homeowner’s private dock pilings, it’s illegal.

Fiddler crabs are another very productive bait for sheepshead, but unless you’re willing to go digging around in the sand for them along mangrove shorelines, fuhgeddaboudit! Sometimes bait shops have fiddler crabs on a day-to-day basis, when that’s the case, it’s a win-win. I, on the other hand, chum up sheepshead with pieces of shrimp. Whatever shrimp I have left over from a day of fishing, I freeze. On my next charter, I take the frozen shrimp along for chum. It can also

Once you’re back at the cleaning table, filleting sheepshead takes some practice to avoid waste. Begin by running the fillet knife down along the top of its back starting at the head area, and as you work the flesh off around the rib cage continue filleting along the backbone down towards the tip of its tail. Then flip the fillet over and run the knife between the skin and the flesh. I’m sure there’s got to be videos of filleting sheepshead on YouTube. The minimum size for sheepshead is 12 inches with an eight fish bag limit per person.

26-Year Veteran Fishing Guide, Captain Wade Osborne.

Capt. Wade Osborne

Capt. Woody Gore

The spotted seatrout action remains strong, and they’re easy to find. It’s no secret that with the extremely low tides we’ve been having lately the fish are in deeper water. Large concentrations can be found in all the tributaries leading into Tampa Bay. Some days though, getting a bait to the seatrout can be a problem due to the number of ladyfish feeding in the same area. Schooling ladyfish are like a pack of wolves, they will chase bait down in groups of threes and fours until it’s devoured.

When ladyfish are this abundant, it’s a perfect time to have some fun while using a fly rod. Jack found this out firsthand during his first saltwater experience with a fly during a recent trip while down from Virgina. Jack

caught numerous ladyfish, aka, “Poor Man’s Tarpon” and some feisty seatrout. With a little coaching while using a 9wt and a pinkish-brown imitation shrimp fly pattern, he started landing fish in no time at all.

Afishionado, “Adventures in Fishing.”

Tampa Bay fishing guide Wade Osborne of “Afishionado Guide Services” has been plying the waters of Tampa Bay as a professional full-time captain, since 1997. Osborne has been featured on numerous TV and radio shows and writes for multiple publications. Osborne offers inshore fishing charters on light tackle spin, fly or plug. He also offers eco-tours with an emphasis on photography. For more info visit Afishionado.com or find Afishionado Guide Services on Facebook and Instagram. Email: wade@afishionado.com Call/Text 813-286-3474

THE KEY DEER

By Libby Hopkins

The Key Deer, or Odocoileus Virginianus Clavium, as it’s known by its scientific name, the smallest of all white-tailed deer, is a subspecies of the Virginia white-tailed deer. Key deer live on 20 to 25 islands in the southern Florida Keys, hence their name. They used to live across the lower Florida Keys but now are only found in the areas from Sugarloaf Key to Bahia Honda Key. The National Key Deer Refuge in Florida, where many of the deer can be found, was established in 1953.

Key Deer live in all the types of ecosystems found in the Florida Keys, from pine forests to mangroves and freshwater wetlands. They can swim between islands and move around their habitat in search of fresh water.

Key Deer feed on native plants such as red, black and white mangroves, thatch palm berries, and over 150 other species of plants. Key Deer can tolerate small amounts of salt in their water, and they will also drink brackish water, but fresh water is essential for their survival. They must also have suitable habitat to ensure their future existence.

Rutting season activities begin in September, peaking in early October and decreasing gradually through November and December. Some breeding may occur as late as February. The gestation period is 204 days, with fawns born April through June. At birth, fawns weigh two to four pounds.

Antlers are dropped in February through March and re-growth begins almost immediately so that by June, bucks with twoinch stubs are seen. Antler growth is completed by August, and velvet is rubbed and kicked off in early September.

No records exist documenting the origin of the deer in the Keys. It is believed the deer migrated to the Keys from the mainland many thousands of years ago across a long land bridge. As the Wisconsin Glacier melted, the sea rose, dividing the land bridge into small islands known as the Florida Keys.

The earliest mention of Key Deer is found in the memoirs of Fontaneda, a shipwrecked Spaniard held captive by the local Indians. Records suggest that the deer were found around Key West and were used for food by residents and ship crews alike. Although early records indicated sporadic wider distribution of Key Deer throughout the lower keys, current data indicates they occupy a range from Johnson Keys to Saddlebunch Keys.

Because Key Deer have lost their fear of humans, there is a serious problem with people illegally feeding them. This makes the deer more vulnerable to dog attacks or getting entangled in fences. It also brings them closer to roads where they can be hit by cars. Feeding Key Deer can also cause them to group in a small area, rather than spreading out over the available habitat. Then if one deer is sick, it more easily passes its diseases on to other deer.

The Key Deer are listed as endangered by the Endangered Species Act. Currently, fewer than 1,000 Key Deer survive, and their future remains precarious. Threats to Key Deer include habitat loss from the development of coastal habitats and floodplains, car accidents, disease, illegal feeding by humans, and climate change, which is affecting mangroves.

The National Wildlife Federation has worked to protect the Key deer since 1951 when only about 25 of the animals still survived. That year, they adopted a resolution at their annual meeting to safeguard them and soon after made “Save the Key Deer” the subject of National Wildlife Week.

The National Wildlife Federation also was instrumental in creation of the National Key Deer Refuge in 1953 and in making the Key Deer one of the first endangered species protected by the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 1973. Today, the National Wildlife Federation continues to take action to ensure a safe future for the Key Deer and its habitat through the courts and through education.

LETHAL BRONZING AND PALM TREES

By Jim Frankowiak

Whether your landscape includes palm trees or you are considering adding them, it is important to be aware of Lethal Bronzing Disease (LB). It is a deadly disease for which there is no known cure.

“LB was originally called Texas Phoenix Palm Decline (TPPD) because it was first discovered infecting trees from the Phoenix genus of palms in Texas,” said Dr. Brian Bahder, an Associate Professor at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Ft. Lauderdale Research and Education Center (FLREC) where he specializes in insect vector ecology.

“Lethal bronzing was first discovered in Florida in 2006 in Hillsborough, Manatee, and Sarasota counties in West Central Florida,” Bahder said. “The disease has since spread to 36 of the Sunshine State’s 57 counties, as far north as Jacksonville and to the Keys in the far south. It is most prevalent in the central part of Florida. LB has also been reported in Louisiana. “LB is caused by a phytoplasma, an unculturable bacterium that has no cell wall. Phytoplasmas are transmitted to plants by piercing-sucking insects that feed on the sap,” said Bahder. “The insects spread the disease from plant to plant as they visit different hosts during their feeding activities. Phytoplasmas are not known to survive outside of their host, whether the host is plant or insect. Planthoppers and leafhoppers are the main groups of insects that transmit phytoplasma.

Palm trees do not show any LB symptoms until 4 to 5 months after they have been infected. Fruits will start dropping to the ground much earlier than expected. Then, the palm’s flowers start dying.

If a palm tree has neither fruit nor flowers, the first symptom observed is lethal bronzing’s most prominent one. The oldest leaves will start turning bronze, brown, or gray. The disease will work its way up to the younger fronds until it reaches the spear leaf.

If the palm’s spear leaf has collapsed, then it is completely dead. From the first sign of disease, the infected palm has about 2 to 3 months to live. “This happens because the phytoplasma concentrates in the palm’s sap at the base of the tree and cuts off its circulatory system,” said Dr.Bahder. “It is as if the palm has suffered a heart attack. The blood vessels are just clogging up, and the palm can’t handle it, and it dies.” Management of LB involves removal of infected palms and the preventative injection of antibiotics. “Current data suggests that once palms start showing symptoms, the label rate for injected antibiotics is not sufficient for symptom reversal,” said Dr. Bahder. “Because of this, upon symptom development and/or a positive test result, a palm is considered lost and should be removed immediately to reduce the amount of time this source of phytoplasma exists in the environment. The longer it is left, the higher probability that further spread will occur.

“Sampling healthy-looking palms around infected palms can help get ahead of the disease because even healthy-looking palms can test positive. Even though no symptoms are present, those palms need to be removed since there is insufficient time for an antibiotic to take effect before LB symptoms develop. Also, by testing healthy-looking palms, non-infected palms can be identified, and preventative antibiotic injections can begin,” said Dr. Bahder.

Following is a list of palm trees that can be infected by LB:

• Coyol palm

• Christmas palm

• Dwarf sugar palm

• San Jose Hesper palm

• Pindo palm

• Carpentaria palm

• Coconut palm

• Chinese fan palm

• Canary Island date palm

• Edible date palm

• Pygmy date palm

• Wild date palm

• Needle palm

• Mexican palmetto

• Cabbage palm

• Queen palm

• Chinese windmill palm

When sampling a palm for phytoplasmas, some basic equipment - distilled water, cordless power drill, 5/16” Drill bit (6”–8” long), trigger-start propane torch, golf tees, hammer, toothpicks or coffee stir straws, plastic bags, and a marker to label samples.

After you assemble all of the equipment and choose a palm to sample, begin by flame sterilizing a drill bit and cooling it off with sterile distilled water. Next, select a location on the trunk approximately two feet (about 0.6 meters) above the ground and drill a hole. Palms contain both living and dead tissues. The brown outermost tissue, called pseudobark, is the dead tissue and should be discarded. Drill through the dead tissue, pull the drill out, clean the drill, and then resume drilling into the living tissue.

The depth of the pseudobark is variable among palm species, thus this step involves observation to determine how much to remove. The living tissue is typically an off-white color. Continue drilling to obtain approximately two tablespoons worth (three grams/0.1 oz.) of the living trunk tissue. Without touching the tissue, put it into a plastic zipper-closure bag and seal carefully. The use of nitrile gloves is highly

recommended to avoid contamination. Excess tissue on the drill bit can be scraped into the bag using a sterile toothpick or individual coffee stir straw. The trunk tissue need not be obtained from the same hole, and it is advisable to take tissue from different spots around the circumference of the trunk, for a total of 0.1 oz./three grams. Hammer golf tees into the sample holes to seal them and protect the tree

Test tissue samples must be shipped overnight to Dr. Bahder at the University of Florida, Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, Vector Entomology Lab 3205 College Avenue Davie, FL 33314-7719. Tissue can be placed in a zip-lock bag within a standard mailer only if shipped overnight. The basic test fee is $75.

Peaceful Fort Meade Retreat, Fort Meade, FL

Anderson Road Homesites, 17.56± Acres, Babson Park, FL

Florida ranks 2nd in US production of fresh vegetables and provides 80% of the fresh vegetables consumed in the US during January, February, and March each year.

Florida ranks 4th in the Southeast and 12th nationally in the production of beef calves.

The second largest industry in the state is agriculture. Tourism is the largest industry within the state.

The state flower is the orange blossom.

Cattle were first introduced to North America in Florida in 1521 by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon.

If all the boxes of Florida tomatoes shipped in a crop year were laid end to end, they would stretch from Pensacola round-trip to Beijing, China – over 58 million boxes!

Florida has 47,500 farms consisting of 9.25 million acres. The average farm size in Florida is 195 acres.

Brain Exercise

I’ve heard it said it is as important to exercise the brain, as it is to exercise your muscles. As we grow older, we should keep mentally alert. With that in mind I have prepared a test to see if you are losing it or still “with it.”

Relax and clear your mind. (Do not look at the answers until you answer the question)

First question!

What do you put in a toaster? The answer is “bread.” If you said “toast” then give up now and go do something else. Try not to hurt yourself. If you said “bread,” go to Question 2.

2 - Say “silk” five times. Now spell “silk.” What do cows drink?

Answer: Cows drink water. If you said “milk” please do not attempt the next question. Your brain is obviously over stressed and may even overheat. It may be that you should content yourself by reading a Disney book. If you said “water,” then proceed to Question 3.

3 – If a red house is made from red bricks and a blue house is made from blue bricks and pink house is made from pink bricks and a black house is made from black bricks, what is a green house made from?

Answer: Greenhouses are made from glass. If you said “green brick,” why are you still here reading these questions? If you said “glass,” then go on to Question 4.

Editor’s Note: This Rocking Chair Chatter was originally printed in the January 2016 issue

4 - Twenty years ago, a plane was flying at 25,000 feet over Germany. If you will recall, Germany at the time was politically divided into West Germany and East Germany. During the flight three of the engines failed. The pilot, realizing that the last remaining engine is also failing, decides on a crash landing procedure. Unfortunately the engine fails before he has time to do anything, and the plane crashes smack in the middle of “no man’s land” between East Germany and West Germany. Where would you bury the survivors, East Germany or West Germany or in no man’s land?

Answer” You don’t, of course, bury survivors. If you said anything else, you are a real dummy and you should never try to rescue anyone from a plane crash. If you said, “Don’t bury the survivors” then proceed to the next question.

5 – If the hour hand on a clock moves 1/60 of a degree every minute then how many degrees will the hour hand move in one hour?

Answer: One Degree. If you said “360 degrees” or anything other than “one degree” you are to be congratulated on getting this far, but you are obviously out of your league. Turn in your pen and exit the room. Everyone else proceed to the final question.

6 – Without using a calculator – You are driving a bus from New York to Washington D.C. with 17 people on the bus as

you start. Five miles into your trip you stop and 6 people get off the bus and 9 people get on. Fifteen minutes later you stop again, 2 people get off and 4 people get on. On your third stop 11 people get off and 16 people get on your bus. Two more stops. First stop 1 gets off, 3 get on, and the last stop 9 get off and 3 get on. You then arrive at the nations capital on time. What was the name of the bus driver?

Answer: Oh, for goodness sakes! Don’t you remember? The driver is YOU!

7 - There is a fishing trawler with a ladder in it leaning against a wall in the harbor. There are 5 oars and 2 fishing nets in the trawler. The distance between two consecutive steps on the ladder is one foot. If waves lashing against the wall rise six-inches in 30 minutes, how much time will it take for six steps to get under the waves?

Answer: The trawler rises with the waves, so no steps will go under water.

8 - There are 6 mangoes in a basket and 6 kids eagerly waiting to get one. Each kid is given 1 mango, yet there is one mango in the basket. Answer – The last kid gets the basket with the mango in it.

Most likely you did not get all the right answers. If you did you looked at the answers first!

Let’s look at some of the 2015 Darwin Award winners. A young Canadian man searching for a new way of getting drunk cheaply, because he had no money with which to buy alcohol, mixed gasoline with milk. To no ones surprise this concoction made him ill, and he vomited into the fireplace in his house. The resulting explosion and fire burned his house down, killing both him and his sister.

Another winner was a medium-size warehouse in west Texas that had a gas leak. Sensibly, management evacuated the building extinguishing all potential sources of ignition; lights, power, etc. After the building had been evacuated, two technicians from the gas company were dispatched. When they entered the warehouse, they found it difficult to navigate in the dark. To their frustration, none of the lights worked. Witnesses later described the sight of one of the technicians reaching into his pocket and retrieving an object that resembled a cigarette lighter. Upon striking the lighter-like object, the gas in the warehouse exploded, sending pieces of it up to three miles away. Nothing was found of the technicians, but the lighter was virtually untouched by the explosion. The technician suspected of causing the blast had never been thought of as “bright” by his peers.

In closing, I know you have been lying awake at night wondering why diapers have brand names such as “Luvs”, Huggies,” and “Pampers,” while undergarments for old people are called “Depends.”

Well here is the answer. When babies poop in their pants, people are still gonna Luv’um, Hug’um and Pamper’um. When old people poop in their pants, it “Depends” on who’s in the will.

KNOW YOUR BEEFHOW FLORIDA RANCHERS ARE USING MODERN TECHNOLOGY

By Bridget Stice, UF/IFAS Livestock Extension Agent

Florida is home to some of the most innovative ranchers in the country. While the image of ranching might bring to mind cowboys on horseback, today’s ranchers are also tech-savvy professionals using cutting-edge tools to raise cattle. Florida ranchers are combining tradition with technology to care for their land, cattle, and the environment in innovative ways.

GPS and Drones: A Bird’s-Eye View

Managing large pastures can be a challenge, especially in Florida, where ranches often span hundreds or even thousands of acres. That’s why many ranchers are turning to GPS and drones.

• GPS Technology: Ranchers use GPS to map their land, track cattle movements, and plan grazing patterns. This ensures the land isn’t overused, keeping the soil and grass healthy.

• Drones: Drones give ranchers a bird’s-eye view of their property. They can monitor cattle from the sky, check water levels in distant ponds, and even spot fence breaks. This saves time, fuel, and energy.

These tools help ranchers manage their land efficiently while protecting Florida’s natural resources.

Herd Sires and Genetics

When it comes to building a healthy herd, Florida ranchers carefully select their herd sires. A herd sire typically breeds

This makes the bull’s genetic traits—like heat tolerance, disease resistance, and growth potential—especially important. By focusing on top sires, ranchers ensure their calves inherit traits that help them thrive in Florida’s unique climate while producing high-quality beef.

Water Resource Management: Smart and Sustainable Solutions

Water is one of the most important resources for cattle ranchers and Floridians alike, and ranchers are using a variety of tools to manage it wisely.

• Automatic Waterers: These systems provide fresh water to cattle and shut off automatically to prevent waste. They help ensure herds have a consistent supply of clean water while reducing overall consumption.

• Solar-Powered Pumps: Many ranchers use solar-powered pumps to draw water from wells or ponds and deliver it to troughs in remote pastures. These pumps are energy-efficient and reliable, even in areas far from power sources.

By combining innovative technology with careful resource management, ranchers ensure their herds stay hydrated while protecting Florida’s water resources.

20-25 cows, meaning his genetics contribute to half of the calf crop each season.

Smart Apps for Ranch Management

Today’s ranchers use smartphone apps to make managing their herds easier and more efficient. These apps help them:

• Track medical treatments and vaccination schedules.

• Monitor weather conditions to prepare for extreme events like hurricanes.

• Record and track herd performance.

With the push of a button, ranchers can stay organized and make informed decisions to improve animal care.

Tradition Meets Technology

While modern tools have transformed ranching, Florida ranchers still hold onto traditional values. Caring for their animals and land remains their top priority. Technology simply helps them do it more efficiently and sustainably.

Florida’s ranchers are proving that agriculture isn’t just about hard work; it’s also about smart work. With the help of modern technology, they’re raising safe, nutritious beef while protecting the environment and their communities.

Stay tuned for more insights into the beef industry in future articles. Have an idea for a topic? Send it to us at bccarlis@ufl. edu—we’d love to hear from you!

FRESH FLORIDA DATES

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

Fresh Florida dates are sometimes referred to as “nature’s candy” since they provide a natural source of sweetness in eating and cooking. Fresh dates are the fruit of the date palm tree, which can grow up to 75 feet. More than 1,000 dates can grow in a single bunch! Dates are considered healthy because they are packed with nutrients, including fiber, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds. Dates often make an appearance during the winter and holiday season in a variety of forms---Christmas pudding, sticky toffee pudding, and date nut bread. Their main harvest season is in the early winter. Dates have a long shelf life. Some varieties of dates are sold dried and processed, while other types, including the Medjool date, are eaten fresh and gradually shrink and wrinkle as they age.

Nutritional Profile

Dates are as nutritious as they are delicious. Rich in polyphenols, potassium, and fiber, dates pack a hearty nutrition punch in a small package. They also contribute to your daily requirement for magnesium, iron, and manganese. Because dates are naturally sweet, they can be used to replace refined sugar in baking and cooking. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, one 100-gram serving of fresh Medjool dates (approximately five dates) contains 277 calories, 1.8 g of protein, 0.1 g of fat, 75 g of carbohydrate, and 6.7 g of fiber. A serving of dates also provides 40% of the Daily Reference Intake for copper, 27% for fiber, 20% for potassium, 19% for vitamin B6, 14% for magnesium, and 13% for manganese. Dates also contain notable amounts of vitamins A and K, folate, niacin, zinc, iron, calcium, and phosphorus.

Protect Against Heart Disease

Fresh dates are high in potassium and low in sodium, which is beneficial for maintaining normal blood pressure and optimal heart function. Additionally, people who ate foods high in fiber, magnesium, and potassium, such as dates, had a lower risk of stroke. The potassium and calcium in dates can also enhance bone health. Some studies suggest that potassium can slow the rate of calcium loss from bone.

Polyphenols and Antioxidants

Fresh dates are a rich source of antioxidants including polyphenols which include flavonoids and phenolic acids. These antioxidants help neutralize free radicals, decrease inflam-

mation and support overall heart and immune function. Some polyphenols also have neuroprotective properties, which could contribute to brain health by protecting neurons from damage. Potentially, this could reduce the risk of chronic inflammatory diseases such as arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease. Antioxidants support heart health by protecting against oxidative stress, reducing cholesterol levels, and improving blood pressure.

How to Select and Store

When shopping for fresh dates, choose those that are shiny and unbroken. Avoid any that are hard, have crystallized sugar on their surface, or have a sour smell. Fresh dates can be stored in an airtight container (to prevent them from drying out) in the refrigerator for up to one year or freezer for many years.

How to Enjoy

Dates can be eaten fresh or dried, much like raisins. People can also add them to a variety of sweet or savory dishes. Dates are sometimes processed into syrup or sugar and can be used in baking or serving. Additional ways to enjoy fresh dates include:

• Stuff dates with almonds, pecans, cream cheese, or goat cheese for a snack or finger food.

• Add chopped, sliced, or pitted whole dates to any vegetable or fruit salad.

• Blend dates into a smoothie

• Cook in Moroccan stews or tagine dishes.

• Make energy balls by blending dates with nuts, cranberries, oats, coconut flakes, or a variety of other ingredients to make no-bake “energy balls.”

• Substitute for raisins in cookies, breads or baked goods, such as date nut bread.

With so many ways to enjoy this delicious fruit, enjoy fresh Florida dates today. They add natural sweetness and nutrients to your dish.

Selected References

http://www.whfoods.com http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu

HANNAH BAKER BEEFS UP BOVINE PRODUCTIVITY AT UF/IFAS RANGE CATTLE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION CENTER

THE ECONOMIST’S PASSION FOR COWS LED TO A CAREER IN AGRICULTURAL ECONOMICS.

By Michelle Caceres

For some, a love of animals is a passing fancy. For Georgia native Hannah Baker, a passion for cows has evolved into a groundbreaking career that blends animal husbandry with cutting-edge economics.

Tucked away in an office at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Science (UF/IFAS) Range Cattle Research and Education Center (RCREC), Baker utilizes her advanced skills to study the economics of raising beef cattle and the forage used to feed them, including topics such as production costs, marketing, ecosystem services, and animal welfare.

Raised in Hahira, Georgia, a small town about 20 minutes north of Valdosta, Baker was constantly exposed to agriculture and its societal importance. “I remember my great grandad, who owned a herd of cows, taking me out to see a set of twin calves that had been born, and even though I didn’t realize it at the time, I attribute that memory now as the beginning of my love for the cattle industry.”

Honing her God-given gifts in math and problem-solving, Baker attended Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, Georgia, earning a dual degree in Agribusiness and Agriculture with an emphasis in Livestock Production. While in college, she got involved with the ABAC Cattlemen’s Association, as a member and then as an officer.

Following internships on cattle ranches in Kansas and Georgia and a brief stint at the University of Georgia’s Experiment Station as a student research assistant, she attended Oklahoma State University, where she earned a Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics. The re-

search focus for her thesis was developing economic analyses for rangeland management practices. “I wanted to focus on land and forage management for cattle production because I believe it is our responsibility as agriculturalists to be responsible stewards of the land God has entrusted us to raise these cattle on so we can help feed the world,” said Baker.

As a graduate student, she also presented her research at several conferences and a few Extension events, which confirmed her desire to pursue a career in Extension.

She joined the team at UF/IFAS based in Ona, Florida in June 2023 as the State Specialized Extension Agent for Beef and Forage Economics, where she uses science-based information to address the challenges affecting owners and managers of grazing lands.

Bridget Carlisle Stice, US/IFAS Extension Agent in Polk County, said Baker’s contributions have been very valuable to cattle ranchers. “We’ve been excited to have her as a resource for extension programs because she has been able to put an economic value to practices that we recommend,” she said. “Even with topics like animal welfare practices, she provides data that shows how it economically benefits ranchers when they apply certain practices.”

One example is Baker giving a quantitative figure on the importance of reducing stress in calves during shipping and its effects on weight gain/loss. “She was able to show what it costs the producer when an animal is under more stress versus less,” said Stice. “A stressed animal is not going to eat as well, their immune system

isn’t as strong, and she’s able to show that economically and explain it in a way that everyone can understand.”

Stice said Baker is a resource that can be called upon for answers to difficult questions. “She also does an excellent job writing articles pertinent to our industry, is a great presenter, and is always available to answer any questions I have.”

Now in the role for a year and a half, she has happily found a career she loves at an organization that has been serving its clientele for more than 80 years. “I am beyond blessed that I get to work with some of the most intelligent and kindest people across the state that share my enthusiasm for this industry from county extension agents to producers,” she said. “I know there aren’t many people that can say they love what they do but I certainly do. I get to talk about cows all the time and that in itself is fun.”

Her website is a treasure trove of information, including annual reports (the highly anticipated 2024/2025 annual report that details market conditions in 2024 and 2025) will be available in February), monthly Florida cattle market updates, and helpful calculators for controlled calving season and revenue and replacement heifer cost estimations. It also includes fact sheets about the cost of keeping an open cow, estimating the investment cost of raising replacement heifers, the economic impact of raising and selling a uniform calf crop, the economic importance of sorting cows based on their nutritional requirements, and the price gap, price slides and the value of additional pounds for steers and bulls.

But it’s all in a day’s work for Baker, who finds immense satisfaction in her efforts to provide education of the economics of beef cattle and forage enterprises, costs and returns of traditional management practices, economic analysis of the latest technological inputs and marketing strategies that could increase the profitability of beef cattle and forage producers in Florida.

“There are three important areas of my life that are the most important to me: my relationship with Jesus Christ, my family, and agriculture,” she said. “My job as an Extension Economist allows me to incorporate these three things into my work by getting to know producers and their families and us all working together to efficiently and economically take care of the land and cattle that the Lord has given us.”

Baker’s expertise comes at a crucial time for Florida’s cattle industry as it grapples with higher input costs, soaring interest rates, and reduced forage availability, among other challenges. Although cattle prices have increased, her innovative approach provides solutions to these challenges, helping farmers save money while improving herd quality and overall efficiency.

“It’s important to be good stewards of the land, to not only provide for their families but to provide beef for the country,” said Baker.

For more information about Baker and the UF/IFAS Range Cattle Research and Education Center visit https://rcrecona.ifas.ufl.edu/about/directory/staff/hannah-baker/or call (863) 374-7051. To subscribe to the RCREC’s weekly newsletter, email Andrea Dunlap at dunlap73@ufl.edu.

December: A Jolly Month for Bok Academy North FFA

By Bok North FFA Reporter Kendall Farrar

Photos courtesy of advisors Jennifer Williams and Hayley Neal

This December was a festive and fruitful month for our chapter at Bok Academy North FFA! True to the FFA mission statement — “Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve” — we’ve enjoyed incredible experiences filled with growth, learning, and service.

State-Level Competition

Our month began with an impressive showing at the state level on December 6. Our Citrus and Vegetable Identification teams demonstrated dedication and skill, earning 20th place in Vegetable ID and 13th place in Citrus ID. We are incredibly proud of their hard work and teamwork. We are currently practicing to compete at the Florida FFA State Livestock Evaluation contest in February.

Success at Sub-Districts

On December 12, our members competed at Sub-Districts, hosted at First Baptist Church in Lake Wales. After starting the day with a delicious breakfast, we dove into the competition. Our results were thrilling! The Opening and Closing Ceremonies (OCC) team earned first place, our parliamentary procedure team placed second, and both Mya and LaRae secured first place in their speech contests. With these outstanding achievements, we are now advancing to Districts in January! To celebrate, we enjoyed a picnic lunch at a park, followed by a festive Christmas sock exchange. Special thanks to Ms. Williams and Ms. Neal for their thoughtful gifts!

Welcoming New Arrivals

December brought new life to our agricultural program with the birth of seven adorable baby goats. Students and staff are thrilled, and more arrivals are expected soon! Every Friday, we host goat workdays, where students learn how to train their goats for the youth fair, practicing walking techniques and stance training to build trust and readiness for competition.

Ag Literacy and Community Outreach

Community outreach was a major focus this month. On December 16, we visited Janie Howard Wilson Elementary to teach second graders about agriculture and how to keep Florida green. The students loved learning new facts about agricultural by-products and sustainability. At Polk Ave Elementary, we discussed the importance of pollinators and shared delicious honey. Additionally, our members and animals visited Garden Grove Elementary, helping make their PBIS Winter Festival a success by working carnival games, preparing snacks, and introducing students to our holiday calf, goats, and lamb. Bandit, our lamb, even enjoyed being read to by a couple of awesome second graders!

Later, we acted out the “Journey to Bethlehem” at First Baptist Church in Lake Wales, dressing as shepherds and bringing animals to enhance the experience. We also provided animals for the Live Nativity Scene at First Baptist Church in Davenport from December 1820. The church generously provided costumes and dinner each night, making it an unforgettable experience. We rounded out the month by adopting residents at Palm Krest Assisted Living Facility, where we provid-

ed new shoes, toiletries, and reading materials. Special thanks to Ms. Brandi Lamb for helping our chapter create these cherished memories.

Chapter Meeting and Leadership Development

Our monthly chapter meeting on December 18 was a highlight, with students enjoying a meal, playing games, and learning about upcoming events. Six of our officers attended the Florida FFA Middle School Conference, gaining valuable leadership skills to enhance our chapter’s success.

Field Trips and Wellness Programs

Educational field trips enriched the month, with seventh graders visiting Bok Tower and the foundation class exploring the UF Tropical Aquaculture Research Lab to learn about research facility management and opportunities in various aquaculture pursuits.

Our Wellness Warriors program held its third work session, focusing on managing holiday anxiety. Participants created affirmation bags and practiced calming techniques, helping students navigate the season with resilience.

Honoring Our Heroes

One of the most meaningful activities this month was participating in Wreaths Across America. Members traveled to the National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida, to lay wreaths on the graves of soldiers who fought for our freedom. It was a humbling experience to honor their service and sacrifice. Our chapter and supporters were able to help the Florida Cattlewomen surpass their goal for sponsored wreaths. Our members helped to place over 175 five wreaths and were taken back by the enormous outpouring of support from the community.

Exciting Times Ahead

Looking forward, we’re excited to participate in the Polk County Youth Fair where we’ll showcase over 200 exhibits, including animals, plants, home goods, wood working projects, and photography. We are looking for sponsors to help the Lake Wales FFA Alumni provide meals each day of the fair to participants from all of the Lake Wales area schools. If you or a business can help, please reach out through our Bok North FFA Facebook page or contact the front office.

Wrapping Up the Year

December has been a month filled with learning, service, and celebration for Bok Academy North FFA. As we reflect on 2024, we are grateful for the opportunities we’ve had and look forward to what 2025 has in store.

Homemade Strawberry Pop Tarts

Strawberry Shortcake

Iced Latte

DIRECTIONS

Begin by rinsing and hulling your fresh Florida strawberries then dice into small pieces. Toss the strawberries in sugar and let them macerate for 5-10 minutes or longer. You’ll know they are ready when you have a syrupy sauce and all the sugar is dissolved.

Add the strawberries, syrup and all, into a medium sized cup. Fill with ice and then top with milk

INGREDIENTS

4 fresh Florida strawberries

2 tbsp sugar Ice

3/4 cup of milk

2 shots of espresso

leaving room for the espresso shots. If you want a richer treat feel free to substitute some of the milk for half & half or cream!

Finally, top the drink off with two shots of fresh espresso, give it a stir and enjoy!

Now revel not only in the delicious iced treat you just made but also in all the money you’ve saved!

Ingredients

2 pack of Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust Strawberry jam

1 egg white

1¼ cups sifted powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract Sprinkles

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Unroll the pie crusts onto a floured surface. If you have a rolling pin, feel free to thin them out a bit. A little crust goes a long way here. Use a cookie cutter in whatever fun shape to cut out your crust, or go for the classic 3 inch by 5 inch Pop Tart rectangle. You will need each piece to be the same size and an even number, half for bottom and half for top.

Spoon a small amount of strawberry jam into the middle of the bottom pieces. Spread evenly but leave around 1/4 of an inch on the sides. Carefully lay the top layer on top of the dough and use a fork to smush the edges together so nothing leaks out.

Poke a series of holes with a thin knife blade across the tops so they can vent, then bake for 20-25 minutes on parchment paper, just until they start to turn golden brown.

Meanwhile we’ll make the frosting by whisking the egg whites until peaks form. Add in the powdered sugar and vanilla, whisking until smooth. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the tarts once they are finished baking and have had time to cool. Top off with sprinkles and you’re ready to go!

By Hannah Baker

Looking Back on 2024 & Looking Into 2025

As we look back on the cattle industry in 2024, there are many things to be thankful for and reflect on, with many more things to look forward to and plan for in 2025. Tight supplies, record-level/breaking prices, carcass weights, and culling rates were some of the main talking points for 2024 as we discussed historical trends along with circumstances such as H5N1, drought impacts, high input costs, elections, and the detection of New World Screwworm that temporarily halted imports of cattle from Mexico at the end of the year. It is safe to say that 2024 was an eventful year for the cattle industry. This article gives a brief summary of what happened in 2024 and how it sets the stage for what we can possibly expect in 2025.

Feeder cattle prices started rising in 2023 and reached record levels in 2024 due to tight supplies. Prices for 450-500-pound steer calves in Florida ended 2024 at around $314/cwt, a 20 percent increase from 2023. Average annual prices for this same weight class were roughly 23 percent higher than 2023 ($56/cwt). While location affects prices for cull cattle from state to state and even within a state, it can be concluded that national prices for cull cows were also more than favorable in 2024. The national weighted average price for lean (85%) cull cows in 2024 was $122.51/cwt, a 32 percent increase from 2023.

Liquidation over the last couple of years has diminished the supply of beef cows available for slaughter. Demand for ground beef products has remained fairly steady, supporting high prices for lean trimmings and cull cows. Total beef cow slaughter declined by 18 percent in 2024, but we were still culling about 10 percent of our beef cows. The culling percentage during the last expansion was about eight percent. However, despite having fewer cull cows, heavier carcass weights of fed cattle and more heifers entering feedlots than being retained helped to offset the overall decline in cattle slaughter. As of October 2024, almost 40 percent of cattle on feed were heifers. Steer and heifer carcasses reached record level carcass weights with average dressed weights of 929 pounds and 846 pounds and peaks of 960 pounds

and 869 pounds. As a result of heifer slaughter numbers and increased carcass weights, data indicates that beef production for 2024 only declined by about 0.6 percent compared to the expected decline of about four percent at the beginning of 2024.

2024 will most certainly be a year to remember for the beef cattle industry. But it might also be safe to say that 2025 could be just as “exciting” with the likely continuation of high prices for the next couple of years and preparing to answer the question of when we will be able to start rebuilding and expanding.

The USDA Inventory Report was released at the end of January, giving us a clearer picture of the state of the beef cow herd. If you would like to read more about what was in the 2025 January Inventory Report along with other details relating to information in this article, please see the 2025 January Annual Report that can be found at https://rcrec-ona.ifas.ufl. edu/about/directory/staff/hannah-baker/ under ‘Annual Report Summaries’ or by scanning the QR code below.

Update: Polk County Agricultural Center

By Laura Lee Taylor

Ag Center in Polk County a reality.  On Friday, August 2, 2024, BOCC Chairman Bill Braswell requested $21.3 million to proceed with building a new Ag Center and multi-purpose facility that Polk County would develop, own, and maintain on 300+ acres of BOCC land located in Homeland near Hwy 17 and 640 that can be used for agricultural purposes, as well as an emergency man agement staging area during storms and disasters.

In late November 2024, Polk County issued Contract Solicitation Number: RFP 24-642 for Architectural and Engineering (A&E) Services for the Polk County Agri cultural Center Complex. On December 17 there was a mandatory pre-proposal meeting and site visit. The following vendors attended the meeting and site visit:

1. Tim Hoeft – Straughn Trout Architects

2. Carmen Bennett – CPH Consulting

3. Scott Crews – Parlier + Crews Architects

4. Ashley Buckley – The Lunz Group

5. Emily Breheny – The Lunz Group

6. Alan Rayl – Rayl Engineering & Surveying, LLC

7. Rudy Salinas - Wellogy

8. Neil Melby – CMHM Architects

9. Neal Greshan – Ayres Associates

16. Jeff Middlebrooke – Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC)

The revised proposal receiving date was Wednesday,mittee meeting to score and elevate Proposers. At this would like to interview Proposer(s) or if they would like to recommend to enter into contract negotiations withviews will be held on this date and time.

Now is the time for the community to come alongside our County Commissioners to make this new world-

why does the new Ag-Center project need private-Sector donations?

Yes $21 million dollars sounds like a lot of money but to build out a 300-acre site and complete construction for phases beyond the Livestock/Horse arenas and stalling barns there will be a funding gap We envision this new Ag-Center to be a crown jewel asset that tells about Polk s agricultural heritage and legacy and ensure we have the proper and necessary equipment to operate a facility for multiple groups such as rodeo livestock events English and Western horse events and trade shows Therefore we need the private sector to show support for this project but most importantly say through financial contributions that AGRICULTURE is important to the citizens of Polk County

An elected official recently said to us that we need the agriculture and business communitIES to show that They really support A New Ag-Center

This statement motivated us and gave us the idea to reach out to the trusted team at GiveWell Community Foundation to establish a community fund to benefit the new BOCC Ag-Center Project GiveWell Community Foundation is home to more than 400 charitable funds and over than $600 million of assets in our community Therefore donors can feel comfortable giving to a reputable organization that will provide donation letters to supporters

How Much are you asking people to donate?

During the 1st and 2nd Quarters of 2025 while the project is still in the planning and design phases we are asking for general donations ranging from $100 to $1 000 for individuals and $1 000 to $5 000 for businesses to add their name as a supporter of A Community in Support of Agriculture

Smaller donations are gladly

Once architectural renderings are available Bill Braswell and the BOCC will work to establish a list of Naming Opportunities for the project

What if I can not give at this time, is there an opportunity for me to help?

Yes just like in a church or any community organization there are people that utilize their talents and connections to make a community project successful without having to write a check Please email us at PolkAgriculture@gmail com and offer any suggestions on how you can help

class Ag Center an opportunity to showcase our agricultural heritage, but most importantly, display financial support that Polk County will continue to be a leader in agricultural innovation, education, farming, and ranching in our state and nation. We have traveled and seen many facilities, but we want the BOCC to create an Ag-Center that tells a story and educates the public about our county’s greatest asset: Agriculture. Now is the time to envision the possibilities.

A group of community leaders have come together and established A Community in Support of Agriculture Fund at GiveWell Community Foundation, so individuals and businesses can securely donate to a foundation that will handle all tax documents for donors. Join us in making this a premier facility that will be used for youth in agriculture and our agricultural industries, as well as all Polk citizens. This project will take a village to make it special and we need YOU!  Join us and add your name to the A Community in Support of Agriculture fund for the benefit of a New Polk County Agricultural Center.

For more information, please visit: https://www.givecf. org/a-community-in-support-of-agriculture-fund/

by John Dicks

NEW YEAR BRINGS NEW LAWS

With celebrations of the Holiday Season behind us, it’s time to get back to business, work, school, play, and whatever other pursuits we might have planned for the new year.

Adding to our enjoyment (or chagrin), the state government joins in the fray by enacting some of the laws passed by the legislature last spring. That seems like a long time ago, but perhaps they are such that legislators considered that the public needed time to prepare, or maybe some were such that they just hoped we’d forgotten about them!

Nonetheless, every year in Tallahassee, when 40 Senators and 120 members of the House of Representatives meet to discuss and argue over the future of Florida, thousands of matters and ideas are put forth in the form of proposed bills to change the laws of our state. Most of them never actually make it through the process, but even the few hundred that do seem like a surprising number of things supposedly wrong with Florida that needed changing.

Once passed by the legislature, and having escaped the veto pen of the Governor, the new laws typically linger until enacted, traditionally and by custom, either in July (middle of the year) or January (beginning of the new year).

The ones taking the longest to get going through enactment are generally the ones that are the most significant, sweeping, or controversial. Here are a few that just recently took effect:

Amendment 5 to Florida’s Constitution - Sometimes, Floridians just take things into their own hands rather than relying on the legislature to get things done. It happens when the general public gets so propelled to do so over a particular concern that enough signatures of voters are gathered to force the initiative on the ballot. Many get proposed, but most seem to fail during the November elections since the threshold for passage requires approval by at least 60% of voters.

Sailing through, though, with a strong percentage of voters favoring it, was Amendment 5, probably because it resulted in some property tax savings on homesteads. Specifically, it increased

an exemption on homestead properties by factoring into the calculation an adjustment based on inflation as measured by the consumer price index. It’s a convoluted matter of math, but basically, it will save some for most homeowners.

Threatening First Responders

- Thanks to Senate Bill 184, the new law of the land says that it’s illegal to threaten, disrupt, hinder, harass, or interfere with First Responders from performing their duties. Well, that makes sense, and frankly, I thought that would have been illegal all along! This one, though, does make things specific. When told to move, onlookers have to move at least 25’ away.

Social media restrictions on children - This came out HB3, and it aims to prevent children under age 16 from opening social media accounts on some internet platforms. Parents can give consent to have accounts for kids aged 14 and 15 years old, but children under 14 would be barred from doing so.

Presumably, this will apply to social media apps and sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, although the new law did not name specific ones. Instead, it defined such platforms as those with criteria related to such things as algorithms, addictive features, and allowing the content or activities of other users to be viewed. Not surprising is that already lawsuits have been filed citing First Amendment issues, all of which have delayed the implementation of this law.

Revision to Building Regulations - Arising from HB 267, this new law modifies the Florida Building Code so that sales drawings are not required to replace windows, doors, or garage doors in existing homes, provided that they match the previous installation. This sounds like a reasonable revision, which should require less paperwork for review by local government building departments and result in a faster building permitting process.

Now that these new laws are up and running (along with a few more), the Legislature is set to convene yet again, just a few weeks ahead, so that evermore matters considered to be urgent can be deliberated and argued over. It all begins on March 4.

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.

Polk County Ranch Rodeo & Trade Show Coming Soon

The Polk County Cattlemen's Association would like to invite you to the 20th Annual Polk County Ranch Rodeo & Trade Show, on February 15, 2025. The 2025 Ranch Rodeo will feature a wide range of exciting activities, including wild cow milking, colt riding, calf branding, double mugging, team sorting, boot scramble, and “Senior Sorting” for participants 55+.

The overall rodeo winner wins individual saddles and entry into the Florida Ranch Rodeo Finals scheduled for September in Kissimmee.

Are you interested in entering your team? For information, contact Reed Fussell at (863) 205-7365.

Bring your whole family! Tickets are $10, kids under 8 are free, and PCCA members and veterans are $8. Tickets can be purchased at the gate.

Watch local cowboys and cowgirls show off their skills in ranching events, including colt riding, wild cow milking, sorting, and roping events.

Event Schedule:

Trade Show: 10 AM

Concession Stand Open for Lunch Youth whip-cracking contest - 11 am (registration starts at 10 am in the trade show) Ranch Rodeo 1 PM

First Generation Bee Farmer

Libby Hopkins

Scott Harrison is a journeyman lineman with IBEW local 222. He was born and raised in Bartow. He started his agricultural journey when he was in high school. “I was in the FFA in high school and showed pigs and Brangus heifers at state and county fairs,” Harrison said. “I started raising bees about two years ago when I bought three nucs from a local beekeeper, which is a five-frame starter hive. Within a couple of weeks, I bought two more. I really fell in love with it and started splitting hives and buying mated queens to make new hives. I grew my numbers by the end of summer to 16 hives. In the fall I extracted Brazilian pepper honey, which was my first harvest. We made 15 gallons that fall.” Harrison Honey Farm was born. Harrison Honey Farm has continued to grow over the last year. “In the spring of 2024, I hired a local migratory beekeeper to make splits for me because I had to travel for my work,” Harrison said. “He took my eight hives and turned them into 24 with splitting. I came home at the end of May and really focused on treating mites and splitting hives. We have grown to about 50 hives and plan to double those numbers in the spring and be able to offer five-frame nucs for sale.”

Beekeeping is increasingly being taken up as an amateur hobby. This can be attributed to many factors, ranging from increased awareness of the importance of bees within the ecosystem to the ready availability of bees and beginner equipment accessible for purchase. Some may catch a local swarm; some may purchase a few bees and work to socialize them into a colony. The point is that many people do it.

Beekeeping is both the work you put in and the harvest you reap. Both have health benefits, the former therapeutic, the latter nutritional. It certainly casts bees as one of the more benign creatures on our planet and both the care of them and their produce hold potential health benefits for humans.

Additionally, the process of managing hives, harvesting honey, and caring for bees can promote physical activity and improve cardiovascular health. Bee products such as honey, propolis, and royal jelly have long been used in traditional medicine for their antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. Honey has also been shown to have a range of health benefits, including improved wound healing, reduced inflammation, and enhanced immune function. (www.beekeeping-101.com)

Harrison Honey Farm is different from other bee farms because of their size and location. “I would say the difference between me and other beekeepers around this area is the number of hives,” Harrison said. “I’m at 50 and growing where a lot around here are 1,000 plus hives and send bees to pollination and send bees across the country chasing honey flows. I only move bees around Polk County currently to catch the different blooms. Where we have our hives, we can make Palmetto honey in late spring and Brazilian pepper in the fall. We have a bee yard that is sitting on several hundred acres of orange groves that are still producing, so hopefully, we will be able to offer orange blossom honey. Last year, we split hives during the orange blossom bloom, so we couldn’t make excess orange blossom honey.”

Splitting the hives is Harrison’s favorite part of raising honeybees. “My favorite thing to do is make splits and graft queens,” Harrison said. “Grafting queens is a process of raising your own queens to make more hives or replace older failing queens. I was able to go spend a day in the spring with Indian Summer Honey Farm which has an operation in Sumter County and Wisconsin. They raise thousands of queens a year. They let me come work with them for a day and showed

me their process for making splits and queen grafting. This past fall I went to Georgia and spent a weekend with Dustin Profitt of Profitt Apiaries, and he taught me how to graft. I was able to come back home and set up a cell builder hive and I grafted my first 15 queen cells for some fall splits. This will be a huge money saver as buying mated queens costs anywhere from $24-$40 a queen.”

Keeping things local is very important to Harrison. “Buying and supporting local is very important to us as it helps us be able to grow and expand our operation,” Harrison said. “Buying local honey supports small operations like us and you know what you are getting. Imported honey has driven the price down and some of the imported honey from other countries may be mixed with corn syrup and is not actual honey.”

If you would like to learn more about Harrison Honey Farm, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile. php?id=61563842751393.

By Grady Judd, Polk County Sheriff

THE GRINCH WHO STOLE A UTV

Although The Grinch Who Stole Christmas is a children’s fiction book, we saw something like the Grinch in action here in Polk County during the Christmas season of 2024. Just like the book, this story has a happy ending, although whether or not our Grinch’s heart has grown three sizes remains to be seen. This is a story about the Grinch of Lake Wales who stole a sideby-side Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV) from a non-profit organization that does so much good for our community.

Exactly one week before Christmas, on December 18, 2024, we were contacted by our friend Andy Blair, who runs Refuge on the Ridge, a Christian regeneration program that helps men find freedom from their addictions. A suspect (the Grinch) was spotted speeding away from one of their locations on their 2016 white Polaris side-by-side worth approximately $7,000. The Lake Wales Police Department and my deputies quickly sprang into action and followed the thief’s trail. Despite their quick response, he got away, but not until he wrecked the UTV and left it inoperable.

One of the best places to live in Florida, and dare I say, in this great nation of ours, is Polk County – the people who live here love and support us, and they help us solve crimes. They are our eyes and ears, and a couple of those eyes and ears spotted the suspect lurking in the Lake Wales area, and reported it to us later that day. We placed him under arrest – his name’s Justin by the way - and charged him appropriately. Did I mention that in addition to the UTV theft, he also stole someone’s Jeep? And we found all kinds of stuff in his backpack when we caught him, such as methamphetamine, cash, and people’s personal belongings. No worries, we also collected fingerprints from all of the different crime scenes, and videos showing him in the area. We have a pretty solid case, not to mention his confession.

Captain Robert Sessions, Andy Blair from Refuge on the Ridge, Sheriff Grady Judd and Ted Miller from Crystal Tractor of Sebring.

But I digress, because the real point of this story is how we were able to bring some great organizations together just in time for Christmas. Crystal Tractor of Sebring, Florida, and Polk Sheriff’s Charities, Inc., collaborated to donate a brand new Kubota side-by-side to Refuge on the Ridge on December 24, 2024.

Polk Sheriff’s Charities is a 501 c (3) that was formed in December 2006 after the tragic murder of Deputy Sheriff Matt Williams and his K-9 partner Diogi. Since that horrific event and the formation of the charity, the community’s outpouring of emotional and monetary support has helped us purchase Christmas gifts for children in Polk County’s most economically challenged neighborhoods, provide sports jerseys for youth teams, support organizations dedicated to assisting victims, and support agency members and their families.

Refuge on the Ridge, also a non-profit organization, is a safe Christian-based residential environment where men can focus on healing. The program helps with addiction issues and helps put families back together. We appreciate Crystal Tractor for their role in providing this new UTV for the men in the program. God bless us, everyone!

By

Leather Coaster

Leather work can be a lot of fun and does not have to be expensive. Scrap pieces of leather can come in the form of old leather wallets, jackets, boots, purses, or a number of other items. One of the qualities I love about working with leather is not only its endurance, but it ages with character and even scraps of leather that look worn out can be perfect for the right project. This month’s project is a leather beverage coaster that can be made from scrap leather and will last for years.

Tools:

Leather Leather Lace

(from shoes, boots, or

craft store scrap bag)

Cordage (Sinew, Hemp)

Hammer

Awl (Stitching Awl, Nail)

Leather Stamp (optional)

Scribe Compass (optional)

4 Final

1 2 3

1

2

3

Cut a scrap of leather into the desired shape of your coaster and inset a scribe a line on the leather, inset the thickness of the Leather Lace.

Punch (with awl or nail) holes along the scribed line Loosely whipstitch ever other hole on the diagonal.

Feed the Leather Lace through the loose whipstitch Cut Leather Lace to length

Tighten Stitch around the lace (DO NOT CUT CORDAGE YET)

4 5

Continue whipstitch in the OPPOSITE direction to create a crisscross pattern.

Tie off neatly to the side and trim the cordage.

Embellish the coaster with leather stamp patterns or hand stitched embroidery.

Sean Green

Photo by Jennifer Pohlhaus

A Closer Look

by Sean Green

The Large Milkweed Bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus)

Milkweed is an important plant for a variety of pollinators including not only the infamous Monarch butterfly, but also a large variety of bees, flies, beetles and seed bugs. Like many gardeners, I keep milkweed growing year round to attract the pollinators and I take great pleasure in watching generations of Monarch propagate right outside my front door. I do not try to control the dominance of any one species that is attracted to the milkweed and consequently, get to witness the changing command of milkweed real estate as different insect species take the stage in natures drama. This month we take a closer look at the Large Milkweed Bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus), a seed eating insect that is a blessing to some and a pest to others, depending on one’s disposition for milkweed.

Milkweed bugs belong to the Lygaeidae family of true bugs (Hemiptera). Hemiptera are characterized by sucking mouth parts and include many crops pests such as aphids, plant hoppers, leaf hoppers, and shield bugs. Milkweed bugs (Lygaeidae) have evolved to feed primarily on milkweed plants (Asclepias) for good reason. Milkweed plants are so named for the milky sap produced to protect the plant. The sap itself contains a natural latex that helps the plant seal up and heal injuries, but more significantly, the milky compound contains toxic alkaloids and cardenolides that are distasteful at the very least but more often, fatal. Cardenolide is a type of steroid derived from sugars, in the milkweed, these compounds take the form of cardenolide glycosides which is a heart arresting compound. These plants have been used by humanity as both a medicine and a poison since at least 1500 B.C. Certain insects such as the Monarch Butterfly and the Milkweed Bug have mastered the used of these compounds over millions of years and are typically colored bright orange and black to display their deadly potential to would be predators. Insects that consume these toxic plants have evolved different strategies for dealing with the toxic compounds. The milk weed leaf beetle (Labidomera clivicollis) for example, chews through the veins of the leaf to drain the plants toxins from the outermost layer, then feeds on the drained outer tissue. The Large Milkweed Bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus), like the Monarch, isolates the toxins from the milky sap and stores them in its body so the insect itself becomes as toxic as the plant that created the toxins.

In Florida, both the Large Milkweed Bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus) and the Small Milkweed Bug (Lygaeus kalmii) are abundant. Though similar in color, the two can be distinguished

by the pattern on their backs. The Large Milkweed Bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus) has a thick black band crossing it’s wings while the Small Milkweed Bug (Lygaeus kalmii) has an red X pattern across it’s back and a black heart shape just above the X mark. Both species are migratory but can have populations in Florida all year long. Large Milkweed Bugs have a fairly short development period of only four instars and can reach adulthood in less than a month. Because they are easy to cultivate, they have become one of the most popular insects studied by scientist and insect enthusiasts. The Large Milkweed Bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus) feed only on milkweed or if necessary, closely related species in the dogbane family (Asclepiadaceae) such as Oleander. The nymphs of the Large Milkweed Bug (Oncopeltus fasciatus) will occasionally feed on young shoots, flowers, and developing pods, but require mature seeds for healthy growth from nymph to adult, fully developed wings, and effective reproduction.Small milkweed bugs (Lygaeusspp.) on the other hand, are more liberal in their dietary needs, they feed on seeds as nymphs but they can develop into adulthood with host plants other than milkweeds. The adults are not strict herbivores and will scavenge insects trapped in milkweed flowers, stalk monarch butterfly pupae, and frequently engage in cannibalism.

Our Florida population of milkweed bugs primary host is Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassivica), a largely introduced species that contains a much higher supply of toxins than native species such as Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa). Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassivica) is native in the Neotropic ecozone of southern Mexico and South America and the southern half of Florida. This particular species is a widely promoted exotic species that often becomes invasive, displacing species such as Butterflyweed (Asclepias tuberosa) that are native to our Nearctic ecology. Milkweed, especially exotic species, can propagate beyond control to become crop weeds, displace native species or pose a threat to livestock and agriculture regions, in which case, the milkweed bug may be a very welcome and abundant predator. Gardeners that want to attract butterflies to their gardens may not welcome an abundance of milkweed bugs and may be in for a battle to keep healthy milkweed for the butterflies while keeping the milkweed bugs from crashing the party. Knowing that the exotic milkweed are more attractive to the milkweed bugs than the native species, gardeners are encouraged to consider including more of our native milkweed species to attract butterflies.

Photo: Oncopeltus fasciatus on Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) | Photo Credit: Sean Green

BUILDING SUPPLIES

METAL ROOFING

Classifieds

Thousands of 8ft. & 10ft. sheets. In Stock. Prices from $6 and up. Custom lengths available. 813-752-7088 ask for Ferris

ALUMINUM

We have all your aluminum needs! Screen Room, carports & awnings. Call Blake (813) 752-3378

WINDOW SCREENS

We make window screens of all sizes available in different frame colors. Call Ted 813-752-3378

CABINETS

All wood kitchen cabinets. All wood vanities. Custom made to your size. Call Chris 813-752-3378

VINYL SIDING

Many colors and styles to choose from. Ask for Ted. 813-752-3378

MOBILE HOME SUPPLIES

Everything you need under ONE roof! Call Blake 813-752-3378 NEW, USED & ABUSED.

CALL FOR A WINDOW QUOTE.

We are a MI Windows dealer. Our windows are energy star, lifetime warranty. Call Broke & Poor 813-752-3378

UR CABINETS CENTRAL FL.

FREE consultation including 3-D Rendering! Call today 813-785-1033 102 S. Evers St. Suite 103 Plant City, Fl 33563

LAWN EQUIPMENT/ SUPPLIES

USED ZERO TURN

Zero turn mowers, several to choose from. Call Alvie 813-759-8722

JOBS

MECHANIC NEEDED

Agricultural equipment. Pay with benefits based on experience. Call David 863-537-1345 or Alvie 813-759-8722

PARTS COUNTER HELP

Wanted for parts look up and sales. Experience in the agriculture equipment service. Speak with Alvie. 813-759-8722

FARM EQUIPMENT

I4 POWER EQUIPMENT

Trade-Ins Welcomed, Service Department Available. Exit 22 • S. Frontage Rd. Plant City 813-752-4459

JOHN DEERE

Looking for your new tractor? Come see us at Everglades Farm Equipment. evergladesfarmequipment.com 2805 SR 60 West, Plant City 813-737-1660

2021 MAHINDRA 2638

38hp, 4x4 tractor with loader and 3rd function. $18,500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722

2018 MAHINDRA 4540

2wd tractor, 180 actual hours $8,500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722

NEW 2023 BAD BOY BANDIT

750 UTILITY VEHICLE

4x4, liquid cooled EFI engine, power steering, dump bed, roof, 2-piece windshield, winch, mirrors, 2-year limited warranty. $14,975.00. Financing available WAC. Call 813-759-8722

Ask for Alvie.

A LOT OF CLEAN UP STILL GOING ON!

See us for your grapple and 3rd function needs. Call us today - Grove Equipment 813-759-8722

NEW MASSEY FERGUSON 1840MHC

Tractor with cab, loader, hydrostat transmission and 3rd function hydraulics. Save thousands! $44,150.00. Financing available at 0% for 60 months wac. Call Alvie 813-8722

OLD ANTIQUE BLUE STOVE

Bread warmer, chrome trim. You have got to see it to believe it! Call Ted for more details. 813-752-3378

DOORS & WINDOWS SPECIAL ORDER

No upcharge. House & Mobile Home. Many standard sizes in stock. Ask for Blake. (813) 752-3378

KITCHEN CABINETS & VANITIES

Get quality all wood cabinets for less than the BIG Box STORES! Call Today! Ask for Blake. (813) 752-3378

OVERSTOCK SPECIAL

Barn doors starting at $80.00 Call Ted 813-752-3378

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TEMPORARY HOUSING

Used RV 35' class a motorhome. Interior clean In good condition. Slide out, gas range, microwave and 3 TV's. Good for park or hunting camp. Call 813-382-8382

FREE Wooden Shipping Pallets

All sizes! Call Alvie 813-759-8722

24 HOUR SERVICE

Coggins Plumbing licensed • bonded • Insured. www.cogginsplumbing.com 813-643-7173

FARM BUREAU INSURANCE

We have you covered! Call us today. 813-752-5577

ALAN’S AIR CONDITIONING

Residential, Commercial Sales SVS & Repair. Legendary service for over 20 years! 813-752-0821

Polk County Cattle Women

Polk County Cattlewomen are looking to ring in the new year, by expanding our membership. We are inviting any and all women from age 18 and up to attend one of our monthly meetings. We work together with the Florida Cattlemen’s Association, Florida Cattlewomen’s Association, as well as the Polk County Cattlemen’s Association to educate the public about the benefits and current issues of the cattle industry. We meet on the first Tuesday of each month and welcome you to attend.

Below is a list of upcoming events that the PCCW will be participating:

• PCYF -Polk County Youth Fair –Jan. 24 – Feb. 1, 2025 –

• Fl State Fair – Feb. 8 – 17, 2025

• Cattlemen’s Ranch Rodeo & Trade Show – Feb 15, 2025 – This is our biggest fundraiser, and the means to fund our scholarships throughout the year. It is a lot of fun, although it is a lot of work. If you’ve never been, you definitely need to join in the activities. You will be hooked…

• CFYIA- Central Florida Youth in Ag – Late March

• Agri Fest – March 2025 – approximately 6000 Fourth graders and their teachers from all of Polk County come to the extension office for an agriculture Field day of sorts.

As always, PCCW welcomes new members. If you are interested in joining, our next meeting will be at the Ag Complex, 1702 US Hwy 17 S, Bartow, FL 33830, February 4, 2025 at 6:30 pm. We would love to see new faces. If you have any questions, or need directions, please feel free to contact me at #863-205-3977.

Missy McLaughlin-Raney

Polk County Cattlewomen President - 2025