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CONTENTS
May 2022 VOL. 15 • ISSUE 9
LET’S RODEO! POLK COUNTY RANCH RODEO
28 Cover Photo by Melissa Nichols PAGE 10 Scott Angle
PAGE 27 Radish
PAGE 11 AgVocating
PAGE 32 PCSO PAGE 35 News Briefs
PAGE 12 Thoughts from the Heifer Pen
PAGE 36 John Dicks
PAGE 14 Fishing Hot Spots
PAGE 38 Lily Hill Farm
PAGE 16 Endangered Species
PAGE 40 Activity
PAGE 18 Autonomous Tractor
PAGE 41 A Closer Look
PAGE 20 State Officer
PAGE 42 Medicinal Plants
PAGE 22 Rocking Chair Chatter
PAGE 44 City Trees
PAGE 24 Reclaimed Water
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
Polk County Cattlemen’s Association P.O. Box 9005 • Drawer HS03 Bartow, FL. 33831-9005 President – Kevin Fussell 4523 Fussell Rd Polk City, FL 33868-9676 (863) 412-5876 Vice President – Dr. Lujean Waters 8750 Shreck Rd Bartow, FL 33830 (863) 537-1495 Lujean.waters@gmail.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
Secretary/Treasurer - Justin Bunch Alternate PO Box 849 Highland City, FL 33846-0849 Standing Committee Chairs: Membership (863) 425-1121 justin.bunch@cpsagu.com Events Trade Show- Bridget Stice State Director – David Hunt 9699 Alt Bab Pk Cut-Off Rd Rodeo- Fred Waters Bartow, FL 33830 PO Box 463 (863) 287-1835 Alturas, FL 33820-0463 Dhunt285@aol.com (863) 559-7808 Alternate SD – Orrin Webb Website PO Box 202 Cattlewomen – President, Leslie Bartow, FL 33831 Buchanon (941) 916-5093 8444 Tom Costine Rd cwebbowebb@aol.com Lakeland, FL 33809 (863) 581-2711 Ray Clark Buckld96@gmail.com 4484 Swindell Road Lakeland, FL 33810 Extension – Bridget Stice (863) 640-0719 PO Box 9005, Drawer HS03 rclark@tampabay.rr.com Bartow, FL 33831 (863) 519-1048 Donald Conroy bccarlis@ufl.edu 3882 Wolfolk Rd Fort Meade, FL 33841 Sheriff’s Dept. – Lt. Paul Wright (863) 412-0790 1891 Jim Keen Blvd. Winter Haven, FL 33880 Stuart Fitzgerald (863) 557-1741 PO Box 1437 pw5281@polksheriff.org Lake Wales, FL 33859 (863) 206-5021 Sgt. Tim Sanders stuartcattlellc@yahoo.com 1891 Jim Keen Blvd. Winter Haven, FL 33880 Ken Sherrouse (863) 656-6119 13475 Moore Rd brusso@polksheriff.org Lakeland, FL 33809-9755 (863) 698-1834 Warner University – kensherrouse@yahoo.com Scott Shoupe 6130 Allen Lane Lakeland, FL 33811 (863) 581-7593 Scott_shoupe@hotmail.com
Abby Crawford 13895 Highway 27 Lake Wales, FL 33859 (863) 638-7248 Abby.crawford@warner.edu
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STAFF
Letter from the Editor Living in Florida we know about heat. And humidity. And that nice rain shower that is going to cool us down. Right. We know the humidity is going to climb to astronomical heights after an afternoon shower. So, take precaution when working outside. Here are some tips on dealing with the heat. • Wear loose-fitting, lightweight clothing • Protect against sunburn • Drink plenty of fluids • Take extra precautions with certain medications • Use the buddy system • Take it easy during the hottest parts of the day • Get acclimated
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
I think getting acclimated is the best route to take. Sometimes we don’t have the option of staying inside during the hottest part of the day. Work has to get done. But be aware of the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Contributing Writers Woody Gore John Dicks
Once your body stops being able to regulate your core temperature heat exhaustion and heat stroke can occur. Symptoms to watch for include:
Social Media Victoria Saunders
• Dizziness • Fatigue • Headache • Excessive sweating • Nausea and vomiting In its more severe form, heatstroke, confusion, irrational thoughts, or seizures may occur. It’s important to seek medical attention if you experience these symptoms. Stay safe this summer!
Sarah Holt PAGE
The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. - Numbers 6:25 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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.
Until Next Month
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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.
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Hello everyone. Hope this month finds you all doing well. It’s beginning to feel like summer is on the way, less the rain of course. At the time I am writing this we have seen a few showers, but many places could still use a good rain. By the time you read this, we will have had our Trade Show & Ranch Rodeo. Hope everyone made it out to see our sponsors and vendors at the Trade Show and maybe saw some products or equipment that you can use on your outfit. A big thank you to all of them and to all the volunteers who helped make the rodeo a success.
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If you haven’t worked your calves yet, as always remember a little can go a long way when it comes to your herd health. Most of you are already on a program, but if you’re not, a little wormer and vaccine and a sharp pocketknife can sure change the looks of your calves this fall. Just remember, having plenty of grass and groceries is the first step to
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good herd health. No health products you buy can replace nutrition. Hope everyone gets a little shower so we can get a little hay up before the summer rains. Let me know if there’s anything we can do for you. Until Next Time, Take Care,
Kevin Fussell Polk County Cattlemen’s Association
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Belle Glade | Boynton Beach | Brooksville | Fort Myers | Fort Pierce Homestead | Immokalee | Largo | Leesburg | Loxahatchee | Naples North | PlantMay City | St. Cloud I T Port F M | Odessa | Okeechobee | Orlando |Palmetto I T F M 2022 9
FROM THE SCIENTIFIC FIELD
By J. Scott Angle
Enter Wedgworth. The program gets participants out of their agriculture echo chamber and fosters communicating with people with different viewpoints—sometimes opposite viewpoints. A common mantra of the program is to “get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” Retreating to separate ideological or social corners is not an option in this model of leadership. Wedgworth leaders work hard to find common ground instead of dismissing others’ viewpoints as uninformed. Sewell wants to represent Hillsborough way beyond the county line. Early this year, the International Fresh Produce Association invited him to serve on its technology council, where he can advance the interests of Hillsborough County, Florida and U.S. farmers.
Marshal Sewell grew up in a strawberry farming family in Plant City wanting to be a farmer. Casey Simmons Runkles grew up in a strawberry farming family in Plant City wanting to be anything else. Neither of them succeeded. That’s a good thing, because Sewell leaving the farm and Simmons Runkles returning to hers has enabled them to play a greater role in providing leadership needed for the future of agriculture in Hillsborough County. Sewell travels the nation as the strategic accounts manager for the seed company Seminis and is active in trade associations. Simmons Runkles’ flexible work schedule on her family’s farm allows her to travel the state teaching producers how to safely handle the food they produce. She also served on the board of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association. For the past three years, Sewell and Simmons Runkles have traveled in Florida, in the United States and will soon visit Portugal and Morocco, taking deep dives into complex agricultural issues and developing the skills needed to address those issues. They are members of the current class of Wedgworth Leadership Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources. For Simmons Runkles, the trip to Washington D.C. helped demystify a process that affects Hillsborough-area agriculture. What could have been an overwhelming amount of material was presented in small-group seminar-style meetings with aides to a U.S. senator, staffers for the United States Trade Representative, lobbyists for agriculture, and others.
Simmons Runkles says Wedgworth taught her how important engagement with political leaders will be. That means forming relationships with policy makers. If they don’t know you, she says, they’re less likely to take in what you have to say. If it takes a run for office to achieve that, she’s open to it. Wedgworth equips them not only with skills and an ethic, but with a network. Other Hillsborough-Polk area alumni include Carl Bauman and John Bertram of Lykes Brothers, Tony Lopez of Metlife, Shane Platt of Farm Credit, Cammy Hinton of Hinton Farms, Mark Wheeler of Wheeler Farms, Sue Harrell of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association and others I don’t have space to list.
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Simmons Runkles had by her own account not been very po- The network knits together the disparate commodities of a litically minded before Wedgworth. Now, she’s open to a future specialty crop state into a more powerful unified voice for agrun for office to help carry the voice of agriculture to policy dis- riculture. cussions. Wedgworth celebrates 30 years of programming this year, and That’s in part due to the action-minded ethic Wedgworth im- Class XI graduates in July. Applications will open in late spring parts in its participants. Alumni repeatedly testify to how they 2023. For more information about the program, contact Christy emerged from the program wanting to repay those who had Chiarelli at ccw@ufl.edu. nominated and supported them by doing something with the I hope you’ll consider adding your voice and accepting the opportunity they’d just been given. challenge of serving the industry. Sewell feels it, too. The continuing wave of newcomers to Tampa and to the I-4 corridor who are generations removed from food production means the Hillsborough agriculture community needs not only to educate consumers, voters and neighScott Angle is the University of Florida’s bors, but it may require the active combatting of misinformaVice President for Agriculture and Natution. ral Resources and leader of the UF InstiThe stakes are high, Sewell says: “If we don’t engage, we potute of Food and Agricultural Sciences tentially do not exist.” (UF/IFAS).
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Agvocating for Youth
by Payge Dupre
Happy May! We’re almost through another school year and into the summer! This past month I had the privilege of travelling to College Station, Texas for the Youth Beef Industry Congress. This entailed three days of ranch and facility tours with members from numerous breed associations. On day one, we toured the ST Genetics facility and learned about the different services they offer. We toured the feedlot area, got to see the collection facility and even hear from multiple speakers in different areas of the facility. The next day was full of ranch tours at 44 Farms (Angus cattle) and Collier Farms (Beefmaster cattle) where we learned about different breeds beyond what we have individually, as well as see the way these different operations function and are set up. My favorite part of the weekend was having the opportunity to meet and connect with new people from different breeds, as well as listening to the speakers who each had a different message for us. The main points I took away from the weekend were to never take anything for granted and to step outside of my comfort zone as much as possible, even if it means taking big risks. We also learned how to become better advocates for the agriculture industry as the owner of Wandering Maverick Boutique, Kodye Neel, spoke to us. She told us to always make sure we show all aspects of the agriculture industry in a positive light. She tells us to find just one sentence to share whether it be an ag fact, statistic, or something positive in general and let that be our voice. If we just share one sentence in advocacy for the agriculture industry, we will be helpful. I think it is very important for our youth coming up in agriculture to understand this because they are the ones who will be leading us in the future, and they are the ones that need to learn to speak up now in order to help save our industry. Quickly approaching next month is the Florida FFA State Convention & Expo. The convention is open to all FFA members
Stay safe this summer, have fun, and remember to always be agvocates!
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who should be accompanied by an appointed school district representative/ advisor. All first-place state-winning Career Development Event team members and all high individuals will be recognized on stage. One individual and one advisor from the second through fifth place teams will also be recognized on stage. ALL award winners and finalists need to report to the award line-up room 30 minutes before the session in which you will receive your award. FFA members and advisors who are award winners that are recognized on stage will also be asked to visit the Convention Media Room after their award announcement or during a scheduled time. Members will participate in interviews that will be used to create press releases, videos, feature stories, and more. There should be two delegates from each chapter in the appropriate place whenever official business is being conducted at the convention. This includes delegate committee meetings, district meetings, business sessions, and campaign sessions as well as the general sessions. Delegate business sessions will be announced well in advance of convention. Advisors will be required to assign each of their delegates to one of the delegate committees during registration. The Florida FFA Emergency Medical Form, Waiver of Liability, Personal Conduct Agreement, and Promotional Release (Permission Form) is the only form required for students to attend. This form must be completed and must be presented at the event registration. Prices for attendance are as follows: $85 online per person, $95 onsite per person, $20 for a single session per person, and $30 per person for a single day. Convention will be hosted June 13-17 this year at the Caribe Royale in Orlando.
By Marisol Tarango
THOUGHTS FROM THE HEIFER PEN
I had a startling realization recently, and I didn’t really like what I realized. I keep getting older. A few years ago, I was in my teens and now the quarter century mark is getting closer on the horizon than is comfortable for me. Now I know that I am still young and should have many years and adventures ahead of me, but I guess I am just realizing the mortality of my youth. When you are 17, you don’t think about getting older. Sure, there is excitement to hit the 18 and 20 year milestones, but you don’t actually think about being old. After you graduate and turn 21 though, things start to go downhill fast.
consider long term consequences. Growing up has made me more cautious and calculated.
But there are somethings that I don’t really appreciate about getting older. I cannot function on five hours of sleep and coffee anymore; I have to have a decent amount of sleep and still need coffee in the morning. I have bills to pay and things to save up for. Which is in some ways is exciting because it means that I am moving on to new things, but in other ways can be a little frustrating because almost everything has to be planned out. I can’t do too many things on a whim anymore and have to
Blooming and living the dream life does not mean that life is a garden full of roses. We do not have time to sit around for dreams and adventures to happen. There is no opportune time to do anything. We have no time to wait to be happy, we just have to find happiness where we are (even though it’s really hard sometimes) and continue on with the dream. Marisol can be reached at mtranchersdaughter@gmail.com
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The thought I will not be young forever is sobering and sometimes scary, but it is also, in a way, liberating. Knowing that I have a limited amount of time on this earth pushes me to do the big things and the scary things. Not in a reckless living for the moment way, but in a meaningful and fearless way. Has a life been really lived if it is spent playing it safe the whole time? The dream life looks different for many different people, but so many people feel pressured to have the white picket Not only am I getting older, but the people around me are get- fence dream. Why not think outside the box and not care what ting older, too. My siblings and their friends who should be in people think? Yes, there are things to consider like retirement elementary school are now in high school. My younger cousin and financial stability, but life is too short to get approval from who should be in high school is finishing her freshman year of the mainstream. college. It’s startling to realize how recently my freshman year of college was, but also how far away it feels. What seemed like There is a difference between living the dream life and livdaunting adult things then, seem like easy problems now (ex- ing for pleasure. The world can be a miserable, sick place. cept the homework). Sometimes when I am with my younger Our dreams get dashed and hopes of the future destroyed. cousins, I realize that I have memories of going to see movies Some people spend their lives trying to escape the troubles when they first came out in theaters that have always existed of the world, while others try to bloom despite them. I hope to for my younger cousins. And then I realize that the youngest be among those who try to bloom in the face of trouble. But of my cousins are a completely different generation than I am, what makes us bloom? Does pursuing empty things make us and I try not to calculate how old I will be when they graduate bloom? At one point in high school I wanted to be a neurologist. I also wanted to be a pilot and an English or history profeshigh school. sor. I could have carried on with those thoughts and become Some of the things about growing older I don’t mind and ac- them (not the neurologist, science is not my thing). I could have tually enjoy. I like it when my younger siblings ask me to take had a lucrative and prestigious career. But would I have really them places or the rare occasion when they ask me for advice. bloomed? There were days where I would come home from It’s endearing to me when my brother asks to borrow my sad- college and tell my mom that I was allergic to A/C and flodle because he has outgrown his and when he rides the first rescent lighting, and I knew deep down the life of a professor horse that I trained beginning to end. In some ways I appreci- was not for me. I loved to fly in airplanes, and I still do, but to fly ate the world a little bit more than when I was younger. I enjoy over cypress domes does not do justice to the beauty that can the small and simple things more and am learning to enjoy the be seen riding through them. Those careers are important to society, but they were not for me. moment for what it is.
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Scammers - They’re Out There! Capt. Woody Gore
Since the beginning of time, certain people have always looked for an easy way to steal money from other unsuspecting folks. Centuries ago, a wellknown con artist could fleece you out of your life saving and make you think he was doing you a favor. These charlatans would ramble into town, steal people's money and personal belongings, and flee out of town before anyone realized they were gone. Today it's gotten easier because they don't even have to meet you to steal your money. They're called scammers, and they are located all over the world. These cyber thieves use any means possible to gain your confidence and trust and then steal your money. It's happening every day, worldwide to thousands of unsuspecting folks just like us.
Here's a situation that happened to a friend of mine who happens to be a fishing guide here in Florida. It started when he received an email from someone wanting to charter his guide service. They claimed to be coming from England and wanted to hire him for four full fishing days for four anglers. They agreed on a price and date set for four weeks away at the end of the month. The charter cost was $4,000.00 for the four full days of fishing. The Prospective client told the Captain they would mail him a cashier's check for the total amount. The client sent a Cashier's Check from Regions Bank in Tennessee via express mail to the Captain, which he deposited into his Wells Fargo bank account. Two days later, he received an email from the client indicating there had been a death in the family. The husband of one of the persons making the trip had suffered a heart attack and suddenly passed away. Because of this, unfortunately, they were not going to be able to make the trip. They were sorry for the inconvenience and wanted to know if they could get a refund of their monies? Because they needed money for funeral expenses right away, they were willing to allow the Captain to keep $2000 for his inconvenience if he would send the balance via an American Express Money Order right away.
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Capt. Woody Gore (www.captainwoodygore.com)
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To make their frauds work, scammers depend upon trust and gullibility. Not realizing it might be a scam and that he could still realize a profit, trustingly, the Captain had a money order made out for $2,000 and sent it off as requested. Three days later, his Wells Fargo bank sent him a letter informing him the cashier's check for $4,000 was invalid, and they deducted monies from his account. Unfortunately, once the Money Order was sent, this Captain was left holding the bag for $2,000 of his own money. And with no way to recover the funds sent via American Express Money Order. There are thousands of fraud cases registered with the FBI and the State of Florida.
Things to watch for:
• An offer to send a cashier's check for more than the purchase price • Never send money back until you're sure it has cleared your bank • Communication via odd-sounding email addresses • If they are demanding fast payment or a refund • It can often take months to clear all banks • Verify the money order or check is valid. So how can you protect yourself from a phony check or money order? First, if it's for a relatively small amount like a oneday charter, ask for cash or a credit card number. If it's a long-distance transaction and you receive a cashier's check or money order, call the issuer it's drawn on and verify it's okay. Remember, never call the numbers printed on the check because scammers often have people answering those phone lines. Look up the bank's number yourself. If they insist on paying by cashier's check, you can have them use a bank with a local branch to ensure its valid. The U.S. Postal Service money orders are hard to beat for smaller amounts, although limited to $1,000. You can take it to a local post office or call the toll-free number to verify. Just use common sense when booking charters and making business decisions. The best thing is to remember that old saying: "If it sounds too good to be true, You can probably count on it not being true." WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Tampa Bay Fishing Report Snook Look for Snook on tidal
flats, especially those with deep channels or cuts. They forage the flats early and move toward the mangrove shade lines or deeper water as the sun heats up. Try using greenbacks or artificial lures on moving tides. Redfish: Expect some good redfish days around the same areas. Look for tailing reds or that familiar rusty red color on low water flats. They'll also begin pushing into the mangroves and oyster bars on incoming tides. Spotted Sea Trout: Normally, you can always catch trout on good grass flats throughout the summer. Look for fair-sized fish on the deeper grass flats with sandy potholes. Live shrimp or greenbacks under a popping cork should do Capt. Mark Gore put a client on a monster nicely. Occasionally, free-lined snook. First cast out of the boat. baits in and around the sandy potholes produce larger fish and the occasional flounder. Tarpon: Tarpon fishing comes alive in June. They're all over the place, from the beach to the bays, hungry. Threadfins, greenbacks, and crabs are abundant, and tarpon is there to eat.
813-477-3814
Capt. Woody Gore operates Tampa Bay’s #1 Outdoor Fishing Guide Services. Guiding and fishing in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater areas for over sixty years. He offers first-class customer service, family-oriented charters, and a lifetime of memories. Single or Multi-boat Group Charters are all the same. With years of organizational experience and access to the area’s most experienced captains, Capt. Woody can arrange and coordinate any outing or tournament. Website at: WWW.CAPTAINWOODYGORE.COM, email wgore@ix.netcom.com, or call at 813-477-3814. Member: FOWA-Florida Outdoor Writers Assoc., Member-SEOPA Southeastern Outdoor Press Assoc. CEO/Pres. Sport-Fishing Unlimited & Outdoor Communications, Outdoor Writer & Speaker
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“Give Me a Call & Let’s Go Fishing”
E n d a n g e r e d S p e c i es
Lakela’s Mint By Libby Hopkins
Lakela’s Mint or Dicerandra immaculata, as it is know by its scientific name, is a low-growing, dome-shaped shrub with a woody base and non-woody stems, reaching a height of 15 inches bearing opposite, oblong leaves and flowers in small flat-topped clusters at the ends of the stems. The lavender to purple flowers distinguishes Lakela’s Mint from other mint species. Blooming is mainly from September to November, but occurs sporadically through the rest of the year. This mint is restricted to coastal sand-pine scrub vegetation on dunes of highly drained, extremely acidic sterile soils of the Astatula, Paola, and St. Lucie sands. Sand pine is the dominant tree, with an understory of various oaks. Associated trees and shrubs include scrub hickory, cabbage palm, saw palmetto, hog plum, and tough bumelia. The habitat is 45 feet above sea level. Lakela’s Mint requires nearly full sun and does not tolerate much competition from other plants. Historically, Lakela’s Mint probably grew along much of the Florida peninsula. Today only nine sites remain. The species was first described in 1963 from specimens collected from southern Indian River County.
tinue to encroach onto the Lakela’s Mint habitat. The mint is also vulnerable to mildew attack, which destroys the viability of the seeds before they can be dispersed. Thanks to the hard work of Cheryl Peterson and her colleagues at Bok Tower Gardens’ Rare Plant Conservation Program, there have been significant efforts to preserve the Lakela’s Mint species. In cooperation with Savannas Preserve State Park since 2006, Cheryl has established three individual populations throughout the preserve’s sand pine scrub habitat, introducing approximately 3,000 individuals with genetic material from the original off-site populations. Using techniques discovered in previous restoration efforts and knowledge of growth habits and reproductive strategies of similar gap specialists, Cheryl has replicated the most ideal growing conditions in the field. There is a constant learning curve as the conservation efforts occur simultaneously with experiments and data collection. The species currently persists in introduced populations at greater than 4,000 individuals. Coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Disney Conservation Fund has helped provide grant funding for restoration efforts.
The number of remaining plants is so small that the Lakela’s Mint gene pool has been dangerously depleted. A population along Route 1 was destroyed in 1982 during construction of a parking lot. This population was noted for several whiteflowered plants that grew three times the average size. Since the loss of this site, white-flowered plants have been found only once. The nine remaining Lakela’s Mint sites are clustered in an area of about two miles in Indian River and St. Lucie Counties, between the cities of Vero Beach and Fort Pierce. There are no current population estimates, but numbers are considered critically low. Shortly before this species was listed in 1985, one population was destroyed by a commercial development and two sites were partially cleared for housing, destroying most of the plants. Two other sites are currently threatened by active sand mining.
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Peninsular Florida has one of the highest growth rates in the United States and, consequently, development will con-
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JOHN DEERE REVEALS FULLY AUTONOMOUS TRACTOR AT CES® 2022
MOLINE, IL (January 4, 2022) – During a press conference at CES 2022, John Deere revealed a fully autonomous tractor that’s ready for large-scale production. The machine combines Deere’s 8R Tractor, TruSet™-enabled chisel plow, GPS guidance system, and new advanced technologies. The autonomous tractor will be available to farmers later this year.
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The autonomous tractor serves a specific purpose: feeding the world. The global population is expected to grow from about 8 billion to nearly 10 billion people by 2050, increasing the global food demand by 50%. Furthermore, farmers must feed this growing population with less available land and skilled labor, and work through the variables inherent in farming like changing weather conditions and climate, variations in soil quality, and the presence of weeds and pests. All of these
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factors impact a farmer’s ability to farm during the most critical times of the year. The autonomous tractor has six pairs of stereo cameras, which enables 360-degree obstacle detection and the calculation of distance. Images captured by the cameras are passed through a deep neural network that classifies each pixel in approximately 100 milliseconds and determines if the machine continues to move or stops, depending on if an obstacle is detected. The autonomous tractor is also continuously checking its position relative to a geofence, ensuring it is operating where it is supposed to, and is accurate to within less than 1 inch. To use the autonomous tractor, farmers only need to transport the machine to a field and configure it for autonomous operation. Using John Deere OpWWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
erations Center Mobile, they can swipe from left to right to start the machine. While the machine is working, the farmer can leave the field to focus on other tasks while monitoring the machine’s status from their mobile device. John Deere Operations Center Mobile provides access to live video, images, data, and metrics, and allows a farmer to adjust speed, depth, and more. In the event of any job-quality anomalies or machine-health issues, farmers will be notified remotely and can make adjustments to optimize the performance of the machine. The full press conference can be viewed on John Deere’s CES microsite: www.JohnDeere.com/CES.
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STATE OFFICER Tyler Brannan Florida FFA Area IV State Vice President
As the year closes in for the home stretch of our service as State Officers, my teammates and I have repeatedly been reminded of the work the members of the organization elected us to carry out. The latter half of this school year has been anything but short of an eventful schedule. Our time has been spent productively in and out of the classroom, with jobs as simple as assisting with FFA events to the extraneous task of preparing for the upcoming 94th Florida FFA State Convention & Expo. Allow me to take you on a journey of just a few of the duties our State Officer year has entailed over the past month. The Florida FFA Association provides over 30 competitive events known as Career Development Events (CDEs) and Leadership Development Events (LDEs) for our members to display and expand their knowledge of the agriculture industry. The competitive events can range anywhere from dealing with animals in the livestock judging CDE to learning how to run a meeting through the parliamentary procedure LDE. These events enable students to explore the skills and opportunities within their respective categories and industry. The experience for students allows them to develop their potential for premier leadership, personal growth, and career success. The Association has been fortunate enough to host six competitive events in the last month, which we are so grateful for. Various schools showed out at events such as land judging, horse judging, and more to take home state titles that will be presented at the state convention in June. Many of these schools will move to national competitions in Indianapolis, Indiana at the National FFA Convention in November Although our year of service is almost over, that doesn’t mean we are out of FFA activities to keep us busy interacting with the members. Over the next few months, chapters around the state are wrapping up their year with something we like to call banquet season. My fellow teammates and I have spent many hours taking time assisting and attending various banquets around the state. Of course, the few we have attended are far from over. We will spend many nights speaking with students and celebrating the accomplishments of the members across the state. We are so proud of our members and are blessed with the chance to see thousands of students gather once again for the celebration of a lifetime. For many students, these banquets may be the last time to zip up their blue corduroy jackets and stand in membership with their chapter. They will move to an alumni status, if not that night, then soon in the following year. While other members will continue their FFA journey where they may enjoy the joys as well as discomforts of an agricultural life that we pride ourselves in. My team and I cannot wait to continue this celebration with many more chapters across the state.
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Naturally, we wouldn’t want this moment of celebration to end and that is what our Association plans to do when kick off the 94th Florida FFA State Convention & Expo in June. For a large portion of our year as State Officers, we pride ourselves in spending countless hours creating and perfecting a wonderful state convention experience for all our members and
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guests. The work that is put into the convention is something that I find hard to put into words. Our state staff and my fellow teammates put hundreds of hours to make sure the Florida FFA State Convention is one to remember. We love the organization and always intend to bring the best content forward for our students as we come together to be alive and celebrate all things within the organization. The convention will take place June 13th - 17th, where we will award those who have accomplished so much this year and celebrate together. Once we wrap up the week, the members will have elected new leaders to guide over the next year as their State Officer Team. However, prior to that election, we take the time to uncover who might be the candidates for next year’s team in the state officer screening. We hosted the state officer screening process over the period of two days at our Leadership Training Center in Haines City. These two days entail various personal interviews to grasp the quality of the possible candidates. With a personal interview, state degree interview, agricultural knowledge interview, advocacy stand and deliver, conversational practicum, and an individual problem-solving practicum being part of the screening process, we are confident that only the best of the best screen through for the possibility of a lifetime. All the work for the process is completed by a screening committee of an unbiased group of individuals who swear to judge students fairly. We do our best to ensure the process is fair and consistent across the board with all results confirmed and overseen by two adult consultants working outside of the committee and staff personnel. These results are confidential, and we only release the names of those who screen through as candidates. This year we are proud to announce nine deserving individuals who will embark on this journey as State Officer Candidates at the convention. From Area I is Laken Troup from the Jay FFA Chapter. From Area II is Carleigh Newsome from the Bell FFA Chapter. From Area III is Tyler Laib from the Lake Weir FFA Chapter and Ashlynn Neal from the Vanguard FFA Chapter. From Area V is Austin Holcomb from the Durant FFA Chapter and Lana Guzman from the Wesley Chapel FFA Chapter. From Area VI is Addie Ferguson from the Avon Park FFA Chapter. Finally, our presidential candidates are Anelise Bullard from Fort White FFA and Abby Kruse from South Lake FFA. Each of these candidates are worthy individuals for this opportunity and we wish them well at state convention. As we wrap our year, the question is always asked, “do you believe this year was worth it?” The simple answer to this is most definitely yes. It is an honor to serve Florida FFA and the agriculture community. I believe that you should love what you do, especially in the long run. That is why I love FFA and the values we stand for. As you move through life, I hope you can find the same love in the work you do. Continue to love your work and I’ll see you next time.
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• Ten states in the U.S. account for 65 percent of horticulture production. California, Florida and Oregon led the nation in sales, according to the 2014 USDA Census of Agriculture, Horticultural Specialties report. • Florida ranks second in the United States regarding fresh vegetable production. It provides 80% of the fresh vegetables consumed in the whole of the United States during the months of January, February and March every year. • More than half of the United States’ supply of cane sugar is produced in Florida. • Florida is the No. 1 producer of at least eight major U.S. crops. • Florida’s famed agriculture industry employs 2 million people and contributes more than $104 billion to the state’s economy each year.
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Editor’s Note: This Rocking Chair Chatter was originally printed in the MAY 2018 issue
All of us do dumb things from time to time for no reason at all. I have often wondered what makes a person do things out of the ordinary. Even smart people do dumb things. We super-size our French fries and order a diet coke. Many famous people have done stupid things. Einstein could not remember his own address. Edgar Allen Poe split his pants playing leap- frog with his wife. In 1992, Frank Perkins of Los Angeles made an attempt on the world flagpole-sitting record. Suffering from the flu he came down eight hours short of the 400-day record, his sponsor had gone bust, his girlfriend had left him and his phone and electricity had been cut off. A woman came home to find her husband in the kitchen, shaking frantically with what looked like a wire running from his waist towards the electric kettle. Intending to jolt him away from the deadly current she whacked him with a handy plank of wood by the back door, breaking his arm in two places. Till that moment he had been happily listening to his Walkman.
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Iraqi terrorist, Khay Rahnajet, didn’t pay enough postage on a letter bomb. It came back with “return to sender” stamped on it. Forgetting it was the bomb he
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opened it and was blown to bits. John Bloor mistook a tube of superglue for his hemorrhoid cream and glued his buttocks together. Paul Monkton used a van with his name and phone number painted on the side as a getaway vehicle. A bus carrying five passengers was hit by a car in St. Louis, but by the time police arrived on the scene, 14 pedestrians had boarded the bus and had begun to complain of whiplash injuries and back pain. A man in Johannesburg, South Africa, shot his 49-yearold friend in the face, seriously wounding him, while the two practiced shooting beer cans off each other’s head. AT&T fired President John Walter after nine months, saying he lacked “intellectual leadership.” He received a $26 million severance package. Perhaps it’s not Walter who’s lacking intelligence. A man spoke frantically into the phone: “My wife is pregnant and her contractions are only two minutes apart!” “Is this her first child?” the doctor asked. “No, you idiot!” the man shouted. “This is her husband!” WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
In Ohio, an unidentified man in his late twenties walked into a police station with a 9-inch wire protruding from his forehead, and calmly asked officers to give him an X-ray to help him find his brain, which he claimed had been stolen. Police were shocked to learn that the man had drilled a deep hole in his skull with a Black & Decker power drill, and stuck the wire in to try and find the missing brain. A 25-year-old Argentine man pushed his 20-year-old wife out of an eighth-floor window after an argument, but her fall was broken when her legs became entangled in power lines below. A police spokesperson told the state-run news agency that when the husband saw the woman dangling beneath him, he apparently tried to throw himself on top of her to finish her off. He missed, however, and fell to his death. Meanwhile, the woman managed to swing over to a nearby balcony and was saved.
Maybe I’m dumb, but there are some things I don’t understand. Why don’t we ever hear jokes about fatherin-laws? When statistics claim that the sum of all the stars in the sky is about four billion, people believe it. But, when someone sees a sign on a park bench or board stating, “wet paint,” they must verify this? How many times will we keep coming back and opening the door to the fridge when we are hungry? Do we really think that food will appear there miraculously? Why did the Japanese pilots who were planning to crash into American ships wear helmets? Why do people move a vacuum cleaner over a small piece of thread again and again? Why do we pick it up, examine it and then place it back down and move the vacuum cleaner over it to give it a second chance? Why are soap bubbles always white no matter the color of the soap? Have you noticed that if it is summer we try and make the house as cold as it would be during winter, and if it is winter, we try and make the house as hot as it would be during summer?
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PROMOTE AG
Reclaimed Water: Giving our water a second chance
Beth Robertson Water Conservation Program Coordinator UF/IFAS Extension Polk County
Florida is the national leader in the reuse of reclaimed water with 884 million gallons per day in 2020. Currently, the Southwest Florida Water Management District reuses an average of 55% of domestic wastewater, however, the goal is to reuse 75% by 2040. Meanwhile, the nationwide reuse average is 7%.
not be used for drinking, cooking, cleaning, or anything that might result in its consumption. There are no documented incidents of people becoming sick from reclaimed water that meets Florida standards.
What is reclaimed water?
Reclaimed water has many potential purposes, including: • Groundwater recharge • Wetlands • Toilets • Street cleaning • Cooling towers • Power plants • Vehicle washing • Pond/fountain water • Irrigation
Reclaimed water is domestic wastewater that has been treated to non-potable, or non-drinkable, standards. Unlike gray water, which is water that is reused on site, this water has gone to the wastewater treatment plant and received at least secondary treatment. Is reclaimed water safe?
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Florida law requires for reuse to undergo secondary treatment plus disinfection and pH management. During primary treatment, the solids are removed first by screens and then sink to the bottom of settling tanks. In secondary treatment, bacteria remove around 85% of organic matter. Once these have been accomplished, the water is disinfected to kill more than 99% of pathogenic bacteria. However, this process leaves behind nutrients, salts, chemical contaminants, and potentially pathogens. For this reason, reclaimed water can-
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How is reclaimed water used?
Irrigation can be any at any number of locations and uses. Golf courses, parks, and schools are frequent recipients of reclaimed water. Residential irrigation customers can also receive reclaimed water for their yard in addition to the potable water for inside the home. Food crops are also good candidates for reclaimed water, however, there are restrictions on which kinds should be used. Only those that will be cooked or peeled should be irrigated to eliminate the risk of human ingestion of harmful microbes. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
What are the benefits of using reclaimed water? The use of reclaimed water has many benefits, especially to a state like Florida that is facing water shortages. When reclaimed is used, that much potable water is still available for drinking and less is discharged into surface water. With the high nutrient loading, fertilizers do not need to be applied at the same rate as other areas. Finally, with each gallon pumped getting a second use, utilities can postpone expensive new water projects to meet growing demand. How do I know if I have reclaimed water? Reclaimed water is always distributed in purple pipes so people cannot be confused with potable water. If you are still unsure, look at the maps https://www31. swfwmd.state.fl.us/maps/pages/viewer_ rw.html?_ga=2.191576172.751147954.16497911211623282683.1634235939 and https://www.sfwmd. gov/our-work/alternative-water-supply/reuse to see if your neighborhood is covered. Do I irrigate any differently with reclaimed water? Take into consideration the concentration of nutrients already in the water when it comes time to fertilize your landscape. In addition, salts can be high in some areas, particularly near the coast.
Resources:
https://floridadep.gov/water/domestic-wastewater/content/ applicable-rules-reuse-projects https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/projects/reclaimed-water https://www.sjrwmd.com/water-Rsupply/reclaimed/ https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/2017/06/20/reclaimedwater-frequently-asked-questions/ https://www.sfwmd.gov/our-work/alternative-water-supply/ reuse https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/water-science-school/ science/reclaimed-wastewater https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/bastre.pdf https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/ss542
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-Friday, 9:00 am-4:00 pm to answer your gardening and landscaping questions. Visit us in person, give us a call, or email us at polkmg@ ifas.ufl.edu. An Equal Opportunity Institution.
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Therefore, some salt sensitive plants may need special care. Reclaimed water contents vary dramatically from one location to another, so contact your utility for a report of what your water looks like before you spend money on expensive fertilizer.
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WATERMELON RADISH
By Sandy Sun, M.S. Clinical Medicines, B.S. Nutrition Science
You may have seen different types of radishes at the farmer’s market or grocery store lately. Traditionally, we think radishes are bright red bulbs, but there are actually many varieties available. Some popular types are Easter Egg radish, daikon radish, black Spanish radish, and watermelon radish. A root vegetable that is often carved into a decorative garnish, the radish packs a big nutritional punch as well as a mild peppery flavor. As a member of the Brassicaceae family, radishes are related to other cruciferous vegetables including broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. Florida is the top radish producing state in the United States. According to the Florida Department of Agriculture, the state harvests over 30 percent of the country’s radish acreage and the value of the state’s radish crop is estimated at $30 million a year. The watermelon radish is an heirloom type of Chinese daikon radish and has an edible round white root with a green stem and leaves. The skin is thin and edible. The inner flesh is rimmed in white with a dark pink circular pattern in the middle, resembling a watermelon when cut. The texture of the watermelon radish is crisp and crunchy with a taste that is milder and sweeter than that of a red radish. The size ranges from that of a golf ball to as big as a softball. Watermelon radishes are available throughout the year, with a peak growing seasons in the spring and late fall.
NUTRITIONAL PROFILE The flesh, skin, root, and leaves of the watermelon radish are all edible and a great source of fiber, vitamin C and other nutrients. The leafy green tops, which often get thrown away, are both delicious and very nutritious, being high in vitamin C, iron, and calcium. Along with the other cruciferous vegetables, radishes contain multiple anti-cancer, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial compounds. Eating more cruciferous vegetables has been associated with a lower incidence of a variety of cancers, including those of the lung, colon, breast, ovaries, and bladder. Current research studies have shown that people who eat the most cruciferous vegetables have a much lower risk of prostate, colorectal and lung cancers, even when compared to those who regularly eat other vegetables. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, one half cup of fresh raw sliced radish (58 g) contains 9 calories, 0.39 g protein, 0.06 g fat, 1.97 g carbohydrate, and 0.9 g of dietary fiber. It also provides 14% for vitamin C, 4% for potassium, dietary fiber, and folate, 2% for vitamin B6 and manganese, and significant amounts of calcium, iron, magnesium, riboflavin, vitamin K, and zinc.
Vitamin C Vitamin C is important for a healthy immune system, cancer prevention, healthy blood circulation and wound healing. It may also offer protection from heart disease. By neutralizing harmful free radicals, antioxidants prevent damage to the artery walls, which could later lead to plaque formation and subsequent narrowing of the vessel. Additionally, its antioxidant properties may decrease the risk of cancer by protecting cells from free radical damage. This vitamin has many other useful roles. It may aid in preventing cataracts, a leading cause of blindness in older adults. Also involved in wound healing, vitamin C is important in collagen production. This vitamin also helps the body absorb more iron and aids in the development of strong bones and teeth.
Potassium Potassium plays an important role in muscle contraction, nerve function, muscle contraction, and blood pressure regulation. In the heart and other muscles, this electrolyte is essential for the contraction and relaxation of muscles. Potassium is also required for energy metabolism and is involved in protein and carbohydrate metabolism. This mineral is important for normal growth and for building muscle. Along with sodium, potassium regulates the water balance and the acid-base balance in the body. In nerve cells, potassium plays an essential role in the conduction of nerve impulses. It also helps generate muscle contractions and regulates the heartbeat. Radishes and many other fruits and vegetables are rich sources of this important mineral.
How to Select and Store When buying a watermelon radish, pick one that feels heavy and dense for its size. Avoid those with bruises, wrinkly skin, or other blemishes. Store in the refrigerator for up to several weeks. Remove green leafy tops before storing. Wash well under running water immediately before use.
How to Enjoy Fresh watermelon radishes are delicious eaten raw, with their crisp texture and peppery flavor. Slice thinly and add to any salad or vegetable tray. Radishes can also be cooked. They can be sautéed, roasted, or pan fried for a side dish. Cooked radishes are sweeter and more mellow with less of a peppery bite. Other ways of enjoying radishes include: • Shred or slice thinly and use as a sandwich topper • Sliced and tossed in a stir-fry • Sauteed with butter and herbs • Roasted with olive oil in the oven • Baked and mashed with potatoes • Grated and added to chicken or tuna salad Enjoy fresh Florida radishes today. With their satisfying crunch and peppery flavor, radishes can add flavor to any dish as well as boost its nutrition at the same time.
SELECTED REFERENCES http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ http://www.florida-agriculture.com http://www.ipmcenters.org/cropprofiles/docs/FLradish.pdf
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Current research findings support that vitamin C’s benefits come from consumption of whole fruits and vegetables. A high intake of produce, including radishes, is associated with a reduced risk of death from all causes, including heart disease, stroke, and cancer. Taking supplements does not seem to provide the same protective benefits as eating raw or cooked produce.
LET’S RODEO!
Raney Cattle takes the top spot in the Polk County Ranch Rodeo By Sarah Holt The Polk County Cattlemen’s Ranch Rodeo & Trade Show were held May 7 in Bartow. It’s the 16th time the trade show has been held and the 14th ranch rodeo. Now folks, this isn’t your everyday rodeo where cowboys ride bulls and broncs, although there is some bronc riding. This is an event that showcases what these cowboys and cowgirls may run into on a daily basis on the ranch. Teams are made up of four men and one woman.
So in the calf branding event, you have a rider on horseback who sorts out the numbered calf and (hopefully) rope it. Two “flankers” on the ground remove the rope and hold the calf while the female member of the team “brands” the calf with a brand that has been dipped in powdered lime and returns the brand to the bucket. If she’s lucky, all this happens relatively near the bucket. But more often than not, she is running full tilt across an arena to get to the calf.
In no particular order, here’s what you may see.
The team with the fastest time wins the event.
Calf Branding Event sponsored by Merck Animal Health Stock Sponsored by Danny McLelland
Wild Cow Milking Event Sponsored by M&D Overstreet Ranch Stock Sponsored by KH Cattle Company
In years gone by, there were no fences to your cattle from your neighbors. Herds were also driven to market and frequently intermingled with other cattle. Unique brands from each ranch were used to show ownership.
Sometimes beef cattle can get an infection, so they are unable to nurse the calf, sometimes first time mothers reject their calves or maybe the calf is unable to nurse for some reason. Whatever the reason, sometimes a cowboy has to get milk from the unwilling mother, or possibly another cow so the calf can get nourishment.
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Why brand today? Yes, we have fences, but cattle have been known to break through them. Don’t you just love getting that call in the middle of the night? Branding also deters theft. Believe it or not, there are still cattle rustlers.
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If you have ever seen an angry beef cow, you know this is probably not going to be easy. These cows probably aren’t WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
used to being restrained, milked or really even bothered. They are big and have no qualms about running you over. For this event, a haltered cow (I mean I don’t even want to try to put the halter on a cow in a chute) is placed in a chute. Three cowboys are waiting outside the chute. Once she is released, two cowboys have to bring her to a standstill (or something resembling that) and the third has to collect a small amount of milk in a longnecked bottle. That cowboy runs the bottle to the judge.
Now, lest you think that all sounds very difficult, lets add in other teams with their own wild cow to milk at the same time. In the same arena. It’s a real circus. You can bet each of the three cowboy’s is going to have some marks to show after this event. Again, the fastest time wins.
In a perfect world, when cattle need to be immobilized for treatment, you will be able to drive cattle to the cow pens and put them in a chute. But sometimes that isn’t a possibility so treatment must be administered “in the wild” so to speak. To restrain the animal, it is roped, and any three feet are tied together so it can’t get up. This is “mugging.” This could be a small calf if the cowboy’s are lucky, but it could also be much larger. So the animal needs to be restrained as quickly as possible, which also causes less stress for them. I mean the animal, but the cowboy, too. Again, a specific animal is sorted out of a herd and one team member on horseback ropes it. These are typically yearling cattle that may weigh between 700 to 1,000 pounds. Once you cross the “line” with your yearling, it’s roped and the other team members will bring it to the ground and tie it’s feet.
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Double Mugging Event sponsored by Zoetis Stock Sponsored by Mike Tomkow
This is another timed event where the fastest team wins.
broke horse? It can inflict some serious damage. Once saddled, a lucky team member mounts the horse and tries to get to the opposite end of the arena.
Team Sorting and Senior Sorting Event sponsored by Putnam Groves, Inc & Florida Coast Equipment Stock Sponsored by Wynn Cattle & Sara Wynn
As with the Wild Cow Milking, there are multiple teams going at the same time. You never know which way to look!
Sorting herds of cattle has long been a necessary ranch activity. For this you need a talented and well-trained horse. Teams have to cut yearlings from a herd. Doesn’t sound that difficult does it? Oh, but wait, you have to do it in a specific order. The announcers calls out a number, say 5, and the cattle have to come out and cross the line in order. The others yearlings have to stay behind the “line” with two other team members “hold the line.” The cattle already across the line have to stay out and the others must come out in order.
The overall winning team was Raney Cattle. Second place went to the Peggy Mann Ranch with Cattlemen’s Livestock Auction team coming in third. Event winners: Branding – Raney Cattle Company Milking – T6 Ranch Mugging Raney Cattle Company Sorting – Cattlemen’s Livestock Market Colt riding – Peggy Mann Buck Mann Ranch
There are two different versions of this event. In the Team version, the cowgirls gets to show of her sorting skills. In the Senior version the teams are made up of cowboy’s 50 years of age and older.
Prior to the rodeo, a trade show was held giving participants and spectators a chance to interact with businesses that provide products and services they may need. There were also artists and craftsmen on hand to showcase they work.
It definitely takes skill. And patience. But it’s timed.
If you missed this year’s ranch rodeo, don’t make that mistake again. The 2023 version is sure to be just as exciting! You will be on the edge of your seat!
Colt Riding Event sponsored by KH Cattle Company Stock Sponsored by KH Cattle Company & Polk County Cattlemen’s Association This one should be easy to understand. If you ever have the pleasure of seeing cowboys on their way out to work cattle, there’s usually one or two horses that have a little “buck” in them. This one dates back to when man first started to “tame” the first horses. On a long cattle drive, cowboys would have multiple horses in case one gets sick or injured. A lot of the horses were “green broke” when they started the drive. It’s “on the job training” so to speak.
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So, in this event, the team works together to get a saddle on an un-broke horse. This horse is restricted only by a halter and rope and they are typically mad. Ever seen a mad un-
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By Grady Judd, Polk County Sheriff
PCSO’S AGRICULTURAL CRIMES UNIT; A TOP-NOTCH GROUP
Illegal dumping has been on ongoing problem for property owners; it’s an eyesore, an unwanted expense to clean up, it can be dangerous, and it could lead to additional crimes… so our deputies take it very serious. Last month, a deputy heard about a possible trespassing in a citrus grove near Lake Wales, and went to check it out.
As most who read this article are already aware, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office is always working to protect the families, property, and livelihood of those in Polk County, including those in the agricultural community. For that specifically, we have the Agricultural Crimes Unit.
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The deputies in Ag Crimes are very dedicated to what they do.
When the deputy arrived, he found an RV parked in the grove, about 100-feet off of the road. A man was sitting on the RV sidesteps where there were several bags of garbage and other items scattered around on the ground. But this would turn out to be more than a simple illegal dumping case. As the investigation unfolded, the man told the deputy that he was there because his vehicle broke down and he was trying to fix it. But you and I both know that’s not what was going on. And the deputy knew it too.
They are proactive, working to prevent crimes from happening in the first place.
Sitting next to the man was a silver tray. And on the tray was a glass pipe and what appeared to be methamphetamine. A field test soon proved that it was indeed methamphetamine.
They are reactive, too. Once a crime has been committed, they do what they can to catch those responsible as quickly as possible to prevent additional crimes from occurring.
The man then tried telling the deputy that he had found the meth and he decided to use it to get high. I’m left wondering if he thought that claiming
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that he found the meth made it seem not as bad than if he just admitted to buying it somewhere. Either way, he was arrested and charged with trespassing, littering, and possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. As a property owner, this kind of thing is exactly what you don’t want going on within your boundaries. If the deputy didn’t find this guy, that mess would have been left for the property owner to clean up on their own, or they would have had to pay someone else to clean it. An even worse scenario is that the property owner’s family member, possibly a child, could have been walking through the grove and happened onto this stranger. There is no telling what could potentially happen. I can’t say enough good things about the men and women who work in the Ag Crimes Unit. Hopefully, you’ll never be in a position where they will have to respond, but know that if you do find yourself in such a position, this group of deputies will provide you with the very best service.
@InTheFieldMagazine
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for a FREE On-Farm Readiness Review The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR) inspections have begun. Sign up now to request a free On-Farm Readiness Review (OFRR), offered in partnership by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and University of Florida IFAS. The OFRR is an educational opportunity to help individual farms align practices with the PSR regulatory requirements in preparation for inspections.
For more information on FSMA and to sign up for an OFRR, visit FDACS.gov/FSMA or call (863) 578-1900. To take full advantage of the OFRR and for PSR compliance, one farm representative should first attend a Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training. Upcoming trainings can be found at: crec.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/events
This publication is supported by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award U2FFD007446 totaling $1,179,719 with 100 percent funded by FDA/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by FDA/HHS, or the U.S. Government.
Congratulations, Graduates! We are proud to celebrate the accomplishments of the 2022 Senior Class. Now that you’ve harvested seeds of success, Mosaic and the community wish you a bright and bountiful future!
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NEWS BRIEFS
Compiled by Jim Frankowiak
Ferrellgas Offers Farm Bureau Member Savings
Ferrellgas is offering Farm Bureau members saving opportunities for propane gas. Residential members save 10% off market rates while all members save 50% off annual tank rental fees. Call 888/337-7355 and provide your Farm Bureau membership number to receive the discount.
UF/IFAS has Spanish Version of Blueberry Growers Guide The University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) has just released a Spanish-language version of its Blueberry Growers Guide app that can be downloaded on iOS or Android. More information is available at blueberryguide@ifas.ufl.edu.
GROWERS NEEDED FOR PAID SURVEY WITH BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES LABELING The University of Florida is working on a USDA-funded Best Management Practices (BMP) labeling study to determine if a product labeling program would prompt growers to consider adopting BMPs in their production program. The research team has developed a draft survey and they wish to “test” this survey by having four to five specialty crop growers who have adopted BMPs to participate. Participants will receive a $50 debit card as compensation for their time. If you qualify and are interested in participating, contact Professor Zhifeng Gao at 352-294-7672 or zfgao@ufl.edu.
USDA Leading Nationwide Network of Partners to Tap Resources for Rural America The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is leading a new, whole-of-government effort to transform the way federal agencies partner with remote places to create economic opportunity in rural America. The Rural Partners Network (RPN) is an all-government program that will help rural communities access government resources and funding to create jobs, build infrastructure and support long-term economic stability. More information is available at Rural.gov.
USDA Accepting Proposals for State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement Program
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is accepting new and modified proposals from conservation partners for the State Acres for Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE) initiative, a part of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) focused on effectively managing wildlife habitat. To learn more, visit: usda. gov.
UF Ag College Ranked #28 Globally The University of Florida College of Agricultural and Life Sciences has been ranked the 28th agriculture college in the world, according to the recently released Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject. The QS global ranking portfolio was first issued in 2004 and has grown to become the world’s most popular source of comparative data about university performance.
FFBF Members Get $500 Cash Reward on Select Ford Vehicles Florida Farm Bureau members can receive a $500 Exclusive Cash Reward on the purchase or lease of an eligible new 2021/2022/2023 Ford Maverick, Ranger, F-150 or Super Duty® after 30 days of membership. More information is available at: floridafarmbureau.org/discounts/ford/.
Ag Greenhouse Gas Emissions Continue to Drop Agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions fell more than 4 percent from 2019 to 2020, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The most recent Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks shows agriculture continues to represent just 10 percent of total U.S. emissions, much lower than other economic sectors.
Hillsborough County Fair Seeking Harvest Award Nominations
The Hillsborough County Fair is seeking Harvest Award nominations to recognize the accomplishments of families, individuals and organizations for their achievement and commitment to agriculture and to preserve the agricultural heritage of Hillsborough County. Additional information and the nomination form is available at: www.hillsboroughcountyfair.com or by calling 813/737-3247 or emailing Suzanne@hillsboroughcountyfair.com. The deadline for nomination forms is July 15, 2022. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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Summer 2022 - The Season Of Crowds! by John Dicks | Photo by iStock I suppose it makes no real difference what the calendar might say.
Boston. It will be even more busy into its two major hubs of New York and Atlanta.
Regardless that the official start of summer is technically June 21st (at least so, this year), we all know that summer in Florida kicks off sometime during Memorial Day weekend!
Delta also announced that it recently had its highest ever one-day cash sales in its more than 90-year history. Well, that will make for some crowded flights!
I think it has something to do with the arrival of Love Bugs (yes, I’m kidding). It’s a sure sign that when they start splattering their entwined masses upon the windshields and bumpers of our cars, we can start winding up to the “dog days” of summer.
Of course, they’ll all be wanting to come to Florida; and why not? We’ve got beautiful beaches, wonderful weather, tons of theme parks, and the most friendly people around!
This year’s sweltering season of hot, muggy days, followed by predictable afternoon rains and thunderstorms is, by most accounts, shaping up to be a real doozy. Forget, for a moment, the hurricanes that will naturally be forecast for Florida. The real storm set to unsettle our nerves will likely be brought simply by the sheer throngs of humanity and mass of humans destined to be headed our way. Blame it on COVID, of course. Travel, for most people, has been very much scaled back. Many folks have been anxious about going anywhere; while the ones who wanted to have been met with restrictions, delays, and cancellations. Now, though, it seems like lots and lots of people have concluded that “enough is enough” and it’s time to get going again. Consider this. The market research consultant, Longwoods International, recently released a survey which found that 90% of American travelers plan to take a trip in the next six months. Further, 70% of those travelers now feel safe traveling outside their community. Those are eye-popping numbers, and the travel industry has taken due notice of the pent-up demand. Delta Air Lines, for example, has plans to nearly double its transatlantic capacity versus last year. As if right on cue, Delta’s schedule expands, starting Memorial Day weekend, with new international routes to
Traveling in and to Florida is even considered cost effective, too. Prices are reasonable in the Sunshine State. Well, at least, they used to be. I’m seeing and hearing lots of anecdotal evidence to suggest that visitors this summer may suffer from sticker shock. Rental rates have soared for the summer, and rental cars are expensive and still hard to find, causing creative travelers to resort to off-brands and cargo vans to save a few bucks! Still, though, people are signing up to go somewhere, anywhere, and Florida, it seems, sits strong in the crosshairs of their focus. So, what does all this “good news” mean for those of us who live here. First is to recognize that massive numbers of people traveling, visiting, and just moving around our peninsula homeland really is some “good news.” Spending their money does help our economy, raises the pay for workers, and, at least in theory, keeps our taxes down. Raking in tourist dollars is what generally has helped us from ever (so far) getting a state income tax slapped on our list of responsibilities. Still, it’s hard sometimes, maybe most times, to maintain a happy smile and chipper disposition when tourists crowd our visits to Disney, grab the best spots on the beach, and clog our roads and highways (particularly when sightseeing while driving 20 mph)! Nonetheless, I’m happy things appear to be returning to normal; and, really, just the thought of summertime puts a huge smile on my face!
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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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Keeping Farming Traditions Alive
By Libby Hopkins Kristy Muir’s grandparents were dairy farmers and she grew up in a farming community. Even as a child, she knew she wanted to preserve the farming lifestyle and raise her own family this way. “After college I worked in animal care for a large zoological institution, learning hands-on about animal husbandry with a range of animals from tigers to giraffe,” Muir said. “My graduate degree is in Applied Behavior Analysis with a focus on animal behavior. This has helped me immensely with working with our herd for daily husbandry, shows etc.”
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Muir is the owner of Lily Hill Farm in Lakeland. “We are a small dairy goat farm, focusing on show and production quality Nigerian Dwarf goats,” Muir said. “The first time I saw our farm I knew it was meant to be. In an area of continued urbanization, it remains a workable piece of land with a history.”
If you ask Muir what makes Lily Hill Farm different from other goat farms she’ll tell you it’s the quality of her goats. “Our farm focuses on quality Nigerian Dwarf goats,” Muir said. “We are active in the American Dairy Goat Association. We have brought in animals with top genetics from as far away as California to build upon our foundation stock. We also participate in Dairy Herd Improvement programs. We conduct monthly milk tests on our herd and participate in annual appraisals of our does in milk.” “My favorite time of day is the morning milking,” Muir said. “There is nothing quite like sitting in a quiet barn at sunrise milking a goat and listening to the farm wake up. It’s a rare moment of quiet reflection and thankfulness.”
Local records suggest that Muir’s area has a long history of farming. “We have found artifacts to support this throughout the property,” Muir said. “It makes us happy to think that the land is still being used for farming after all these years.”
Her other favorite thing to do on her farm is playing with the baby goats. “Of course, playing with babies is another favorite around the farm,” Muir said. “You can’t help but smile when a baby goat runs and jumps in the air to greet you.”
Muir’s initial goal with Lily Hill Farm was to create a subsistence farm to provide for their family and friends. “We were fortunate to join a wonderful 4H group where our children were introduced to Nigerian Dwarf goats,” Muir said. “We quickly fell in love with them and shifted our focus to creating a strong herd. Nigerian Dwarfs are fantastic little milkers. They are extremely efficient milk producers with a higher butterfat ratio than standard sized goats. At the size of a large dog, even children easily manage them. We will sing their praises to anyone looking for a home milker.”
The young farmers who come to Lily Hill Farm like being able to show Muir’s goats because they are a good, quality goat. “I will tell you the thing they like most about the farm is going to shows,” Muir said. “They have had a very successful season in the ring and have enjoyed the time spent with friends outside the ring.”
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Their goats also impress visitors to Lily Hill Farm. “Visitors are always surprised by how intelligent and friendly the Lily Hill Ladies are,” Muir said. “The goats are the first to meet visitors WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
and will come running to say ‘Hello.’ Visitors often comment on how well kept the goats are.” The goats have fans, a fly spray system, heated kidding stalls and an air-conditioned milk room. We sometimes think we should move in with them.” Their goats have gone to farms all over the country. “Farms with our goats keep in regular touch with us and often come back to use when they are ready to increase their herd,” Muir said. “We hope we are able to help bring new genetics to the area an encourage newer farms.” Muir and her family are also big believers in supporting their local community and local agriculture in anyway possible. “We are active in 4H and work with families to mentor them on dairy goats and showmanship,” Muir said. “We are very fortunate to have a strong community of dairy goat farmers in Florida. We all help each other at shows and in life. If one farm is succeeding we all are! We stay busy attending events and educating the community on dairy goats, how to milk and where our dairy products come from. Even beyond the farm to table movement, our future depends on people understanding where their food comes from. Small farms like ours can’t compete with a commercial operation without the support of our community.” Lily Hill Farm also produces goat’s milk soap. “We try to source ingredients locally whenever possible,” Muir said. One of our most popular soaps features loofah grown on our farm and honey produced in the area.” If you would like to learn more about Lily Hill Farm, you can visit their website at www.lilyhillfl.com. INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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A Closer LookAmazing Activities Naturally
by Sean Green
Tissue Roll Flower
I had been saving tissue rolls for a project that was abandoned and had a few left over after dumping dozens of rolls, so I decided to go ahead and add an element to the mushroom project we did last month and make a flower out of tissue rolls. There are many things that can be added to a project like this, for example, ribbon for leaves, plastic beads, clear beads for water droplets, plastic insects, even small LED lights could be beautiful.
Materials: Tissue Roll Scissors Glue Gun & Glue Twine Bamboo (optional)
Process: • Cut and flatten tissue rolls • Divide one of the rolls in half (this will be the flowers center) • Cut thin strips going half way across on one piece • Cut thick strips going half way across on the other piece • Roll and glue the thin piece core first • Roll and glue the thick piece core around the thin piece core • Cut tear shaped petals for the flower (or any shape you wish) • Glue the petals to the core one at a time ** (stagger the petals so they overlap slightly) ** • Make a knot in the twine and thread it through the top of the flower, glue the knot in. Its better to leave loose ends, these can be the pistil of the flower. If you are using a stem, glue the stem into the bottom of the flower along side the twine that was threaded through Wind the twine neatly around the stem and petals of the flower, working your way from the bottom towards the top until all the petal based are covered, glue along the way. Cut long leaves, creasing them down the middle and glue in place (again, stagger the leaves but let them over lap a little)
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A Closer Look A Closer Look
by Sean Green
Centipedes (Chilopoda)
Now that spring is here again, we can look forward to finding some pretty fascinating beneficial insects in our gardens and crops. One of the coolest is in fact believed to be one the earliest species of terrestrial predators in the animal kingdom. Myriapoda is the name given to a class of insects that have a “myriad” of legs. The term Myriapoda stems from the Middle French word “myriade” meaning “ten thousand.” Although the name is suggestive of a larger number of legs, all known myriapods have no more than 750 legs. Myriapoda are a subphylum of arthropods defining five classes of insects. Included in Myriapoda are two well-known classes of insects; Centipedes (Chilopoda) and Millipedes (Diplopoda). Both are valuable agents of our ecosystem augmenting our natural environment and agriculture resources. This month let’s take a closer look at the Centipede (Chilopoda). According to evolutionary theory, centipedes are distant relatives of lobsters, crayfish, and shrimp and have an ancestry dating back 420 million years. Centipedes were one of the first land animals to fill a fundamental niche as a ground level predator. Centipedes derive their name from the Latin prefix “centi” meaning “hundred” and “pedis” meaning “foot.” Centipedes are often confused with Millipedes because both share a physical characteristic of having from 10 to more than 100 legs depending on the species. Beyond the crude resemblance, centipedes have little in common with millipedes. Neither centipedes nor millipedes are crop or garden pests, in fact, they are both tremendously beneficial. Centipedes are predators and hunt their food. Millipedes are detrivores and consume decomposing organic material. Both fulfill important ecological roles and should be left alone to do their work. While centipedes and millipedes may look similar, there are a few characteristics to keep in mind that will help distinguish the two. Millipedes feed on damp and decaying wood, organic material, and will also feed on tender roots and green leaves that have fallen to the ground. Only the first three segments of the millipede have one pair of legs per segment, the rest of the body will include two legs per segment. Millipedes are not venomous; their primary defense mechanism is to curl up into a ball. Many species have glands capable of producing mild acids or hydrogen cyanide gas through pores in their armored bodies. Some of the liquids produced from the millipede are caustic and burn the exoskeleton of ants and other predators. A few species in the United States are even capable of squirting their unpleasant fluids several inches to reach their target. I know from personal experience that the smell that is left on the hand after
Centipedes can be easily distinguished from millipedes by their flattened, elongated bodies. They have only one pair of legs on each body section rather than the two pairs that characterize the millipede. Centipedes have jointed antennae and a powerful jaw like front appendage with which they grasp and envenom their prey; in addition, each leg is also connected to venom glands making them effective predators. In fact, this characteristic makes the centipede an exclusively predatory group, a trait that is uncommon of most animals. Centipedes lack the protective waxy coating common to other insects and arachnids and consequently lose water rapidly through the skin. This characteristic dictates a preference for outdoor environments that provide moderately high humidity in moist, protected shelter such as beneath an accumulation of leaves, under stones, rotted logs, boards, bark or compost piles. Centipedes spend winters in seclusion and mate in the summer, laying 35 eggs or more in the hollows of rotting logs or in the soil. The eggs are typically clustered together with a glue-like secretion and coated in soil for camouflage and the female typically guards the eggs by curling her body around the clutch and hatchlings. Upon hatching, the larvae initially have only four pairs of legs, gaining more as they mature and molt. When the larvae finally reach adult stage, they will have developed between 15 and 177 body segments with each body segment having one pair of legs. This fascinating and beneficial class of insects can thrive in Florida’s tropical environment. Populations of at least four orders have been documented in Florida, however, few are indigenous to Florida. Centipedes are fascinating invertebrates and can be rewarding pet for a responsible hobbyist or science class. All centipedes are venomous and potentially dangerous to humans and pets. While I do encourage our readers to take a closer look at the centipedes in your backyard, please do so safely with your eyes more than your hands.
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handling millipedes is unforgettable and can linger for days. Interestingly, there are reports that Wild wedge-capped capuchin monkeys (Cebus olivaceus) intentionally irritate certain species of millipede to encourage a self-defense secretion and then anoint themselves with the secretions as a natural mosquito and bot fly repellant (Weldon, P.J.; Aldrich, J.R.; Klun, J.A.; Oliver, J.E.; Debboun, M. (2003). I have not tried this purported natural mosquito repellent, but the peer reviewed source of the research is authoritative, and I may just try it this year in my own research.
NEW MEDICINAL PLANTS COURSE ADDRESSES INDUSTRY NEEDS By Tory Moore
Emerging industries require a skilled workforce to function. Sometimes, the industry begins to boom before employers can hire a sufficient number of skilled employees. That was the case for many employers in the medicinal plant industry, which includes crops like hemp, kava and kratom. Faculty from two University of Florida colleges worked together to help meet that demand with a new course. Developed by the UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and the UF College of Pharmacy, the course addresses the skill sets required to help launch new, emerging crops. Labs taught students skills in propagation, germination, extraction and analysis and everything in between. “Employers in emerging industries have issues finding employees that understand plant production and extraction for medicinal use,” said Brian Pearson, a UF/IFAS assistant professor who developed and taught the course. “There is a major gap of potential employees with this skill set, and it is impacting producers. This course teaches a different skill set from what current course offerings prepare students for.”
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Driven by industry need and student interest, Pearson and UF College of Pharmacy Professor Chris
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McCurdy teamed up to establish and teach the course. The partnership provided faculty expertise on both the plant production and medicinal side of the industry. “UF is in a unique position to offer such a course because we have UF Health and UF/IFAS all under one umbrella which is a great strength,” said McCurdy. “To be able to offer the horticulture and cultivation training would be something that could happen at any agricultural program, but to add indepth understanding of the medicinal properties, compounds responsible for biological activity in animals and/or humans is a unique opportunity that gives our students an advantage over others in the field.” Students enrolled in the course varied in their interests and goals but found inspiration from the course content and the ability to interact with many expert faculty. “I believe that botanical medicine offers a wealth of untapped potential, especially in terms of offering alternative treatment options for those who may not respond to conventional therapies,” said Daniela Perez Lugones, a graduate student studying horticultural therapy. “I hope to work with individuals recovering from substance-use disorder. WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
While it is not the job of the horticultural therapist to prescribe medicines, I believe that any insight I can gain on how plants can offer these additional therapeutic benefits and how their secondary metabolites interact with the human body will facilitate better understanding and connection with my clients.” Another student – who is a current grower and master’s student – took this course to help him reach future business goals. “My goal is to one day create a restaurant centered around medicinal plants to help people eat a bit healthier, without sacrificing flavor,” said Jansen Mitchell Gedwed. “I would also like to use this knowledge to help integrate medicinal cooking and plant production into community gardens and other community focused organizations. The education provided to students in this course is critical for furthering the safe growing, consumption and processing of medicinal plants.” While this course may be new, the research partnership between UF/IFAS and the College of Pharmacy is well established. The two teams already unite on projects such as research in the chemistry and pharmacology of plant-produced chemicals with plant cultivation and growing techniques that influence the production of these chemicals. These cross-functional research projects help scientists understand the best ways to grow medicinal plants to benefit farmers and the consumers who will ultimately purchase the products these plants become.
Crop diversification is important for farmers and sometimes helps replace other crops that are experiences losses or a decrease in value due to market fluctuations. “There have been decreases in crops that have a long legacy in Florida and being able to support these new emerging industries that can help a grower’s bottom line is critical,” said Pearson. Special thanks to Roseville Farms and AgriStarts, who provided tours of their facilities and plant products to use in the lab that gave students hands-on experiences in the industry. “We’re really thankful for the industry support we received for this course,” said Pearson. “Students did research, provided UF/IFAS Extension to growers from the research they conducted all while learning. All three missions of the land grant mission worked together to make this course a huge success.”
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“This is the most exciting time in my career,” said McCurdy. “This work with UF/IFAS gives us the potential to really understand how to cultivate these plants as a crop that could benefit the farmers in our state while helping to treat the population of our state that needs this plant. We use kratom in our research, but this could be just the tip of the iceberg for additional projects with more medicinal plants.”
FESTIVAL STEER GRAND CHAMPION
11,000 tree varieties in North America, but only a few species dot cityscapes By Brad Buck
If you look at trees, especially in Florida’s urban areas, you’ll generally see southern live oaks or cabbage palms. Makes sense. Those are the two most common species in the Sunshine State’s cities. Indeed, most of America’s cities rely on a half-dozen species for the majority of their street and park trees. But there are so many more kinds of trees that you could plant and grow. In North America alone, there are 11,000 tree species, said Andrew Koeser, a University Florida associate professor of environmental horticulture. Koeser told participants at last month’s UF Urban Landscape Summit it’s important to plant lots of different kinds of trees in cities so they survive and to increase wildlife habitat, among other reasons. If you look at Florida, only 10 species make up 63% of Tampa’s inland urban forest, and a similar pattern can be found in other Florida municipalities. But if you plant different types of trees in urban areas, you can reduce maintenance costs and infrastructure damage.
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“A lack of species diversity sets the stage for tree
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loss in the face of diseases or pests that prey on certain trees,” said Koeser a faculty member at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. Andrew Koeser, associate professor of environmental horticulture at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. Credit: Tyler Jones, UF/IFAS photography. For example, in Florida, palm trees are often an iconic and abundant feature of the state’s urban areas. Lethal bronzing, which affects a wide range of palms — but is particularly devastating to date palms — is infecting palms throughout the state. Mass plantings of the same species over and over again can be particularly hard hit by lethal bronzing, as it has spread to about 30 of Florida’s 67 counties. “This dependence on a small subset of trees is largely driven by market forces, public policy and a lack of familiarity surrounding underused tree species,” Koeser said. “This often results in tree loss and reductions in the air filtering and shading services they provide.” WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Other losses include: • Removing trees. With tree loss can come canopy loss, which translates to an increase in problems like urban heat effect as well as stormwater flooding. • Reduced access to greenspace, which is necessary for human health and wellbeing.
Researchers hope to identify the root causes of why the same tree species always seem to be planted in cities across the country. “Is it a communication problem? Is it a biology problem? Is it an economic problem?” Thompson said. The focus groups are finished, and researchers are still assembling data.
To bring different kinds of tree species to cities, Koeser and a colleague from Iowa State University are working with a $50,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to learn how urban areas across the country use various tree species. Koeser and Grant Thompson, an assistant professor at Iowa State — along with a set of national collaborators — are conducting focus groups. They’re interviewing tree growers, landscape architects, urban foresters, governmental authorities, and representatives of government and nonprofit organizations from across the United States. Deb Hilbert, a recent doctoral graduate from Koeser’s program, led focus groups that include tree producers and buyers as well as city officials, among other stakeholders. They want to figure out which of these issues could be addressed in the short term.
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Andrew Koeser, associate professor of environmental horticulture at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. Credit: Tyler Jones, UF/IFAS photography.
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GRIBALDI-SALVIA SB3947 Sickle bar mower. Good condition and ready to work. $1,500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722
PRODUCE FRESH PRODUCE Forbes Road Produce. Open everyday from 7:30am - 8pm. Forbes Rd. & I-4 @ exit 17. Come out and see us!
MISC. 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 SHOWER STALLS - FIBERGLASS Scratch and dent shower stalls - fiberglass perfect for hunting camps. $150 you pick! Call us! 813-752-3378
DOORS & WINDOWS SPECIAL ORDER No upcharge. House & Mobile Home. FOR RENT Many standard sizes in stock. Millcreek Pine Bark Row Mulcher. Ask for Blake. (813) 752-3378 For blueberry farms, six yard, PTO drive need at least a 30hp KITCHEN CABINETS & VANITIES Get quality all wood cabinets for less than the tractor. Call 863-604-2526 for rental details. BIG Box STORES! Call Today! Ask for Blake. (813) 752-3378
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 SALES REPRESENTATIVE In The Field Magazine is looking for a team player who enjoys building relationships. Commission based position part-time or full-time! Email us info@inthefieldmagazine.com
TRADE • BUY • SELL? Since 2004 In The Field has been Hillsborough and Polk Countys #1 Agriculture Magazine. Call Us at 813-759-6909 to place your Ad Today!
LAWN EQUIPMENT/ SUPPLIES
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USED ZERO TURN MOWERS Prices begin at $1,750 Call Alive 813-759-8722
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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
May
2022
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM
Polk County Cattle Women
I
t’s the most wonderful time of the year…..BEEF MONTH! Since Florida has been a beef cattle producing state for over 500 years, we certainly have reason to celebrate. According to the USDA, beef cattle production represents the largest segment of American agriculture so it’s only natural we’d have a whole month dedicated to nothing but BEEF. This is a time where we celebrate and show our appreciation to the hardworking cattlemen and cattlewomen who feed our nation. To help you celebrate this kick-off to the summer grilling season, be sure and “chuck” out www.floridabeef.org or www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com for recipes that will get you fired up about sharing your favorite protein with your friends and family.
At PCCW, we’d like to thank those who support us in all our fundraising efforts throughout the year, most recently our Mother’s Day Dessert Silent Auction on Facebook and at the concession stand at the Polk County Cattlemen’s Association’s Ranch Rodeo. Your support makes a difference in our community by helping us fund college scholarships, sponsor livestock shows, sponsor awards at our county fair, and much, much more. As we look to the future, we can’t wait to see everyone at the Florida Cattlemen’s Association Convention & Allied Trade Show in June. We would like to extend our best to our PCCA Sweetheart, Peyton Chandley, as she competes for the title of Florida Cattlemen’s Sweetheart. You have already made us so proud in your representation of Polk County’s beef cattle industry. We’d like to invite all ladies from all walks of life to come join us for our monthly meetings! One of the best ways to stay current with all that we do is to follow us on our Facebook and Instagram pages. An even better way is to become a member! We meet the first Tuesday of each month at the UF/IFAS Ag Complex in Bartow at 6:30 p.m. in the Valencia Room. Please consider this your personal invitation to come join us. Please email me if you have any questions at BuckLD96@gmail.com. Till next month,
Leslie Buchanon Polk County Cattlewomen President
INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
May
2022
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INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE
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2022
WWW.INTHEFIELDMAGAZINE.COM