Agrimag May 2017 by AgriMag Press

Down to Earth in Florida

AgriMag Formerly: The Ag Mag

Florida AG Edible Landscaping Doing What Comes Naturally Tips for Pruning Fruit Trees Farming and Climate Change Eat Local all Year

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Volume II, Issue 3, May 2017 May 2017

Cherish ~ Protect ~ Celebrate

Make every day Earth Day 2

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AgriMag Volume II, Issue 3 ISSN 2471-3007

Publisher Jeri Baldwin Jeri@AgriMag.Press 352-209-3195

Things I can do to help the Earth Leave the car at home. Ride my bike, walk, take the bus, or ride together. Conserve Water. Limit myself, cut down unnecessary water use. Don’t leave it turned on if I don’t have to. Recycle or reuse everything possible. Choose to reuse, get crafty! Reduce food waste. Make war on waste! buy individual not bulk perishables, (remember to bring my own bags) Learn to love leftovers, take it home in a doggie bag, use a smaller plate, donate to food kitchens. !Create a compost pile! Eat locally. go to the local farmers markets, buy local in-season food, Freeze that stuff maybe even ‘can’ it.

Grow my own. - give up some lawn and grow food for my family. (Use my compost, save lawnmower gas and grocery money.)

Editors Jeri Baldwin 325-209-3195 Marnie Hutcheson 352-207-6520 Contributors William K. Crispin Jan Cross Cubbage David Goodman Laura McCormick Melody Murphy Design + Production Marnie Hutcheson Marnie@AgriMag.Press Amy Garone Ad Sales Ursula Ceballos Ursula@AgriMag.Press Distribution Terri Silvola-Finch Founder Carolyn Blakeslee Contact Us & Subscriptions AgriMag Press info@AgriMag.Press 352-209-3195 P.O. Box 635 Orange Springs, Florida 32182 Websites http://AgriMag.Press http://Facebook.com/ AgriMagPress Copyright ©2017 AgriMag Press All rights reserved

May 2017

Crones Cradle Conserve Spring Festival Booths 4

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Black Gold For the Garden by Jan Cubbage How To View AgriMag online In Season Recipe Agri News Calendar of Events Farming Wonders of the World Cover Photo: Harvest in a Bucket by Jeri Baldwin, digital art by Marnie Hutcheson

May 2017

Featuring Florida Agriculture Products

Oranges Many Florida residents move to Florida without much knowledge about the state. They move here only because they know that Florida’s winters don’t require them to shovel snow. Many new residents are therefore incredulous when they learn that their new state counts 9.45 million acres of land and generates 8.46 billion dollars of income on farming/ranching. Not only is Florida a leader in growing, they produce more, and the best, of several crops. An impressive number of Florida agricultural products rank among the leaders in the nation’s agricultural line up. The Florida orange, a citrus fruit, ranks number 1 in the country in orange production. Florida is famous for their oranges and other citrus fruits, and has been the number 1 producer of citrus in the US since early in the 20th century. Many oranges are eaten as fruit, and many others are squeezed into juice. The Parson Brown, a favorite juice orange, was developed in Marion County, in the town of Citra, which

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was once the center of citrus production in Florida. Another popular orange, the Hamlin, with similar taste to the Parson Brown, ripens earlier, and has replaced the Parson Brown as the favorite juice orange. The favorite “eating” orange is the Navel. Easy to peel with thick skin, they originated in Brazil about 1815. A mutation causes a second fruit at the apex, and resembles a human navel, thus its name. Perhaps, their juicy goodness is therefore twice enjoyed. Today, there are more than 8,000 citrus growers cultivating almost 550,000 acres of citrus in Florida. Nearly 76,000 other people also work in the citrus industry and other related businesses. The citrus industry has survived many freezing temperatures during the 20th century, but continues to thrive as new groves are planted further south after each freeze. Staunch advocates of citrus are convinced that the latest scourge of the citrus, citrus greening, will likewise be overcome and Florida citrus will remain number 1 in production in the nation.

From the Publisher

Your support of AgriMag has been positive, ongoing, and welcomed in these first months of publication. Thank you for your suggestions, observations, and support..

A Staggering Number 1000. One Thousand. One thousand people move to Florida each day. That staggering number caught my eye recently. When I began thinking of all that would mean in terms of housing, schools, electricity, sewers, medical and professional help, water, and food.. FOOD! All other people needs can be crunched, altered, or perhaps eliminated. Food needs cannot be crunched, altered. or eliminated. Added to the population already living in Florida, farmers and growers are faced with providing MILLIONS of meals for Florida residents… sooner than we care to consider.

Please walk across the bridge we work to build and share your input – EVERYONE’S input is crucial to solve the gigantic dilemma of growing healthy food for everyone. What is the answer? More farmers? More land? Government subsidy? New plants which grow faster? Leaning to eat less? Can someone invent a food stretcher? Would you share your thoughts with the AgriMag staff and readers? We want to make this an ongoing discussion in the next months, so let us hear from you. Someone has answers. It possibly is you. 1000. A Staggering Number.

Jeri Baldwin

To our anonymous donor: For your support and belief in AgriMag, we are grateful and thank you. Thank You! Thank

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May 2017

Doing What Comes Naturally by Melody Murphy

Whether you have a farm, a garden, or just a few houseplants, you need fertilizer. And if you live in Florida, you need pesticide. But what you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always need is chemicals, when often a natural alternative will work just as well. Even better: Much of what you need to create either one can probably already be found in your kitchen. I recently had an infestation of ants in my shower. Nothing I tried got rid of them. Two store-bought pesticides proved completely ineffective. I was irritated and became creative in my slaughter. Finally, I had the inspiration to go online and search for natural pesticides. I do like a home remedy which allows me to use things I already have around the house. Generally this is to heal rather than to annihilate, but desperate times, as they say. The Internet was a gold mine of murderous suggestions. I found a whole list of all-natural ant-killing possibilities. None of them being potentially toxic combinations, I decided if one was good, all of them together would be fantastic.

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So in a large Pyrex measuring cup, I brewed some peppermint tea and let steep in it a rather bizarre concoction of apple cider vinegar, the juice and peel of one lemon, a cinnamon stick, a liberal sprinkling of cayenne pepper, and a few squirts of liquid dish soap. (Lends new meaning to â&#x20AC;&#x153;bubble tea,â&#x20AC;? yes?) Some of these ingredients are said to repel ants. Some are said to destroy the scent tracks ants leave and to keep them from finding their way back. And some just flat kill them dead. I planned to attend all three of these parties. The mixture had a slightly peculiar but not at all unpleasant smell. After the pesticidal potion cooled, I poured it into a spray bottle and went full gangster on the ant colony.

The brew proved wonderfully lethal. Not only did I kill the current residents of my shower, but I also kept their relatives from coming to visit for the mass funeral. Granted, the mixture does stain a tub a bit, but it’s nothing a little bleach won’t take right out. I understand this is a common problem for most killers. But mostly, I’m trying to get things to thrive, rather than to die. For this, we need fertilizer. There are many ways to go all-natural with your fertilizer. No, not that natural; I have no desire to collect the manure of any animal living on this country road. Just as I created a pesticide with things I already had in the kitchen, you can easily create an all-natural fertilizer with the by-products of your average breakfast. Are you like most people and brew coffee first thing in the morning? Do you often scramble a couple of eggs for breakfast? How about some fresh-squeezed orange juice? No time for that: Surely you can grab a banana on your way out the door. However you start your day, there’s probably at least one item that will leave you with scraps ideal for fertilizing your plants. Coffee grounds, eggshells, orange peels, and banana peels are all terrific natural fertilizers. Coffee grounds slowly release nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous, copper, calcium, and magnesium. Roses, tomatoes, camellias, blueberries, and evergreens all love coffee; best of all, they are not in the slightest bit hipster and do not care if it is cold-brewed or single-bean or locally sourced or how it was roasted. Plants are delightfully openminded like that. Eggshells are high in calcium. They also help prevent blossom rot in tomatoes and, with their sharp edges, deter slugs – so don’t crush them too finely. Your plants will sing you a hymn of praise if you remember to save all the eggshells after next Easter. My

great-grandmother always fertilized with eggshells, and to this day we have a pair of her ferns which are still thriving so aggressively that a friend refers to them as “the man-eating ferns.” Fruit salad isn’t just good for you – it’s good for your garden, too. Banana peels are another great source of potassium, phosphorous, and calcium. And orange peels, besides adding nitrogen and sulfur to the compost, keep bugs like aphids, ants, and mosquitoes away. They also attract butterflies. Now, unless you cook your breakfast over a campfire or on an old-fashioned hearth every day, wood ash probably isn’t a part of your morning routine. But it’s another excellent fertilizer, full of potassium and phosphorous. So the next time you have a bonfire or enjoy your fireplace on a cold evening, be sure to sweep up and save your ashes the next day. I typically save old coffee cans and fill them with my coffee grounds, crushed eggshells, chopped orange and banana peels, and wood ash. Then I’ve got a terrific, ready-to-go, all-natural fertilizer. Waste not, want not! Melody Murphy is a local writer who likes to make use of all good things.

The Wagon

U-Pick Blueberry Farm

14201 SW 16th Place Ocala, Florida 34481 Open Thurs.-Sat. 7am-12pm from Memorial Day, May 31 until June 30 Closed Sunday - Wed. Organically grown $3.00/lb. Call: 352-489-1441 for directions

May 2017

Edible Landscaping by David the Good How many times have you read a story about gardeners getting in trouble for planting gardens on their own land? A lot of cities and homeowners associations don’t like it when you grow food. Somehow, oleanders and St. Augustine lawns are okay, but fruit trees and kale are verboten. This is stupid on many levels, but I’ll just cover three points before sharing a good way to work around the short sighted officials. First: who owns the land? The government… or you? If you really own your slice of suburbia, you should be able to make use of it – especially for something as basic as growing food. In America, however, we don’t own our land. Not really. Stop paying property taxes and you’ll see who owns it. You are renting from the government, so it’s no wonder municipalities also restrict your use of the soil in “your” yard. Second: if you are required to grow a lawn rather than food, you are wasting resources. There must be thousands of flyers and PSAs on saving water. Yet cities – who often

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proclaim proudly how “green” they are – require you to grow grass instead of investing precious fresh water into a productive use, such as growing produce. Third: keeping people from growing food leads to fragility. Our nation is already massively over-centralized and subject to serious disruptions if anything goes wrong. When your cabbages come from a thousand miles away instead of next door, you’d be short some serious sauerkraut in a crisis. Having a patchwork of homeowners and farmers growing food is a much better system than relying on a complicated and fragile distribution system connecting us to faraway factory farms.

ing code enforcement. Grow rows of corn and you’re going to the big house – but grow a guava hedge and no one will bat an eye. Some locales have a list of species you are allowed to plant, and that’s it. If you live in a place like that – why? I’ll never understand why people have such a need for control, but whatever floats your boat. I recommend you sell and get to the countryside before things become unstable. If you live in an area without serious restrictions on plant species, I created a graphic for you that should give you some ideas for food-producing trees and plants which are easy to combine into an attractive landscape plan without getting you in trouble.

What if you planted a persimmon tree inside a border, then planted the ground beneath with sweet potato vines? Or put some beautiful (and tasty) nopale cactus beneath a pindo palm? Or make a rock Edible Landscaping garden and plant it with fig, dwarf If you’re a sneaky little gardener, pomegranates, rosemary, sage and lemongrass? you can grow a lot of food in plain sight without summonBut – all that aside – how can a little guy like you work within the weird system we have and not get popped? Two words:

Got some big oaks in the front yard? Plant some malanga (which looks like elephant ears) and gingers beneath them, and maybe let some winged yams climb up into the canopy. All you really need to do is imagine a beautiful landscape and start popping in useful and edible species instead of ornamentals and grass. A mulched herb bed can be

beautiful. A little circle of sugarcane is quite attractive. A pair of olive trees will nicely flank a driveway. One day you might get to plant that front-yard cornfield, but for now, sneak in some edible trees and shrubs and start harvesting the most local organic food you can imagine.

David The Good is a Florida native, a gardening expert and the author of five books you can find on Amazon: Totally Crazy Easy Florida Gardening, Create Your Own Florida Food Forest, Compost Everything: The Good Guide to Extreme Composting and Grow or Die: The Good Guide to Survival Gardening. Gardening inspiration http://www.TheSurvivalGardener.com and be sure to follow his popular YouTube channel at https://www. youtube.com/user/davidthegood

May 2017

Farming and Climate Change by William K. Crispin, Attorney At Law Climate change is creating land management related issues with new norms for rainfall patterns, temperatures, and the nature of storm systems. Florida is also suffering salt water intrusion that pollutes fresh water wells due to sea level rise on the east and west coasts. Established growing seasons and the timing of crop harvests have changed and continue to change. Farmers’ need to hit certain market windows’ in order to get the best prices and profit from their labor but, hitting the target has become a gambler’s crap shoot. Even safety nets like crop insurance now need to keep pace with the reality of climate change and its impacts on seasonal dates, like planting and harvest deadlines, that their farmer/policy holders must meet. Bottom line: We cannot implement changes fast enough to address the causes, evolution, thinking, and process required to manage the complexity of our changing climate system. Ninety seven percent of the world’s peer-reviewed climate

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scientists have published findings that state that the serious threat of global warming is the result of human activity causing massive carbon dioxide emissions. Understanding the source of the problem does not make managing the necessary adjustments to a farming operation any easier. Rather than helping address these very real problems, politicians debate endlessly about the central cause of climate change, or some even deny that there is any climate change going on at all. Meanwhile, the rising atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations from burning fossil fuels and the reality of its effect on climate change has moved beyond serious debate. This article is really about carbon and solutions that we have available to us today. What is important in this discussion, is to spark interest in the global issue so that farmers will become knowledgeable about a farm operation’s local carbon footprint and current solutions. In addition to the following re-

sources, see also the Resources section at the end of this article. The last couple of decades have provided bountiful research through the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, ARS, (https://www.ars.usda.gov/ search for Climate Change), and IFAS’ Research Stations (http:// edis.ifas.ufl.edu/fe787). Their findings are now being applied to farms through the USDA’s Natural Resource & Conservation Service, NRCS, and Extension Service (https://www.nrcs. usda.gov). Another notable resource is the Florida Climate Institute at the University of Florida (http:// www.floridaclimateinstitute-uf. org). This institute combines faculty and researchers from several departments and colleges across campus to produce a very high quality research of the dynamics of climate change that benefit home owners, forests, row crop farms and grazing lands. One of the most promising solutions to get carbon out of the air is to hold it in the ground. The process of transferring carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into the soil to be stored is known as carbon sequestration. The carbon holding capabilities of our lands are huge and so are the benefits of Carbon Sequestration. Farm Management Practices have been developed to assist the landowner in improving rates of sequestration. Seques-

tration not only helps offset atmospheric carbon from fossil fuel emissions, but it improves the quality of the soil, reduces soil erosion and promotes greater crop production and that is just for starters. The benefit of enhanced soil organic matter in our dirt is well documented and there are many resources available to help you learn about it. One of the research leaders in the area of sequestration on grazing lands is Dr. Ron Follett, ARS-Ft. Collins, CO Station. I have had the pleasure of working with Dr. Follett on matters associated with the amount of carbon sequestered by turf grass on golf courses. Dr. Follett has written extensively on the subject of the nation’s grazing lands and their ability to absorb and hold carbon from the atmosphere. Follett’s research is an ARS national research program, GRACEnet, Greenhouse Gas Reduction through the Agricultural Carbon Enhancement network, (https://data.nal.usda.gov/dataset/gracenet-greenhouse-gasreduction-through-agriculturalcarbon-enhancement-network). This program provides an assessment network of soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas mitigation through agricultural management. GRACEnet has produced a number of fact sheets regarding cultural practices that help producers manage emissions. Two of the Gracenet units are located in Florida.

I also recommend reading the IFAS Extension document Carbon Sequestration in Grazing Land Ecosystems, (http://edis. ifas.ufl.edu/ss574), authored by Maria Silveira of the Range Cattle Research & Education Center; Ed Hanlon, professor of soil and water science; and PhD candidates Mariana Azenha, and Hiran da Silva. The article’s information applies to large cattle grazing lands as well as your backyard.

Crispin is co-author of three US and International patents of Methods for measuring and quantifying amounts of carbon from certain greenhouse gases sequestered in grassy and herbaceous plants above and below the soil surface.

Another related significant topic is that major US energy companies are supporting a tax on every ton of carbon emissions. A group of prominent Republicans formed the Climate Leadership Council and this council has drafted a carbon tax plan. Their plan proposes a tax on each ton of carbon emissions and returning the generated revenue to Americans through a quarterly dividend check.

~Economic Impacts of Climate Change on Florida: http://edis.ifas. ufl.edu/fe787

The political distortion of the climate change topic cannot be allowed to ignore all the great research that has been performed about our carbon cycle. Carbon belongs in the ground and in plants, not so much in our atmosphere. If we address this objective we can produce better, and more lasting results in water and soil conservation along with improved yields everywhere.

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Additional Resources

~Carbon Sequestration in Grazing Lands: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss574

~ https://www.ars.usda.gov/newsevents/news/research-news/2014/ usda-research-on-climate-changeeffects-of-warmer-winters-published-in-plos-one/\ ~http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/topic_climate_change ~ https://www.carbonbrief.org/thestate-of-carbon-pricing-around-theworld-in-46-carbon-markets) ~Nasa video on climate change: http://www.distractify.com/oldschool/2014/08/07/photos-of-climate-change-1197777208

William K. Crispin

May 2017

Pruning Fruit Trees

By Marnie Hutcheson Heirloom Florida Hard Pears are ancient natives, and one of the most delicious fruits I have discovered in my adult years. I started my heirloom Florida hard pears from cuttings given to me by my dearest neighbor, Joe Mayweather. Joe, a wise 3rd generation Florida farmer, gifted me with some of hard pears my first Summer in my Florida home, 1993. It seems that Florida farmers have long supplemented their cows, pigs, and horses with hard pears. When I discovered that my horses preferred these huge motley skinned pears to any treat or candy on the planet, I praised them so profusely that Joe brought me a bunch of budding branches the next Spring. I have sort of a black thumb, so the two trees that grew from Joe’s gift are very dear to me. They have been bearing fruit since 2005, and me, my friends, my horses, my dogs, and my wildlife have been frothing at the mouth for them every summer since. In 2016, my Florida hard pears

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had a bumper year. --It sounds wonderful, but it was a terrible experience for them and me.

As a result of this experience I began researching fruit tree pruning.

TOO MANY PEARS!!!! The fruit desperately needed to be thinned, but by the time I realized that I had a problem, the fruit was so heavy the branches were bent double under the load. I started picking young pears in June. I fed them to my horses who were most appreciative.

Traditionally, pruning practices dictated pruning fruit trees before flower and leaf in the Spring, but arborists today are thinking it’s a “good idea” to prune certain fruit trees after they have flowered. This is now considered best practice for citrus, and in particular for peach, pear, and apple trees.

Over the next weeks I harvested over 40 bushels of pears from my two trees. Mature Florida hard pears are HUGE; easily twice to three times the size of a Bartlett pear. I left a few pears that continued to ripen and be harvested through September. The upper limbs were beyond my reach even from my loader bucket. So, even though I stripped the majority of the pears from the branches that I could reach, the main vertical branches, also called “leads” bowed under the load until they snapped, leaving terrible wounds, and breaking healthy branches below them as well.

First of all, many of our peach, pear and apple trees suffer serious damage if they flower too abundantly and don’t get their fruit thinned. Secondly, these trees suffer winter kill that is not obvious until they begin to flower and leaf out. Thirdly, branches pruned after flowering not only lighten the load on the remaining wood, the cut wounds have the best of the growing season in which to heal, limiting problems from pathogens in the cut area. And, finally the remaining branches grow heavier wood (bulk up) for the next fruiting season.

With these things in mind, I invited my friend and certified ISA Arborist, Robert Barkley, to demonstrate some of the latest pruning practices on my fruit trees. I am happy to report that my fruit trees are recovering nicely and not in danger of broken limbs again this year. Here I offer you some extra basic concepts and background; do’s and don’ts to compliment Robert Barkley’s pictorial “Tips for Pruning, Trimming and Renovating Fruit Trees” pages 16 - 17. Don’t spread diseases from tree to tree Before pruning or working on any tree, dip all equipment that will cut into the tree; i.e. pruners, saw blades, and climbing spikes in a solution of 1 part bleach and 3 parts tap water. This helps sanitize the pruning equipment and minimizes the risk of transferring diseases to and from trees. This applies to all trees but is especially important for fruit and citrus trees. Use the right tool for the job Fruit trees are normally trimmed using hand tools. There are many types of “hand tools” for pruning and trimming. The most common types are hand pruners and shears, pruning saws, and loppers. There are also long reach pruning saws and loppers for high branches. Trim “just right” at the branch collar When trimming branches, make the cut the

point where the branch to be trimmed is flush with its collar on the parent branch. (Picture #1 on pg. 16) All branches have a “collar” where they join their parent branch. The collar is the part that will heal over and seal off or “compartmentalize” the wound. Not all trees can heal in this way. Avoid cutting into the bark of the parent branch and damaging the collar, but also avoid leaving long stubs as the stub will rot and the collar may be compromised from within and fail to seal the wound. Height pruning and renovation Most citrus, apple and pear trees are species that do compartmentalize. They actually need height management to allow fruit thinning and harvesting and they thrive with it, if it is done correctly. Height pruning on a tree that is already too tall is called “renovation.” Peaches and nectarines are not recommended for renovation. Guidelines for renovating a fruit tree There are several strategies for renovating and height pruning. We chose to cut about half the vertical leads on the trees this Spring. We will reduce the rest if the trees look healthy when they bud next Spring. My pear trees are about 20’ tall. Robert cut half of the main vertical leads back to side branches growing more horizontal to the ground at about 12’-14’ tall, (see #13 and #14 in Tips on page 17). These cuts across the verti-

cal lead at a point where there are horizontal cuts are called “knuckle cuts.” This type of cut causes dormant buds to activate, grow and branch out. This activity creates a swelling called a knuckle. Cutting small branches at the top of a vertical lead isn’t likely to produce a knuckles. It’s the major vertical leads that “knuckle out” when they are cut back in this way. Knuckle cuts can be trimmed each year by going back to the knuckle and cutting only the new growth. In this way, we can keep the tree more or less the same height without cutting the major vertical leads again. Marnie Hutcheson

Resources ~ http://homeguides.sfgate.com/trimcitrus-tree-51121.html ~ http://www.gardensalive.com/product/ how-and-when-to-prune-fruit-trees/ you_bet_your_garden ~ http://extension.psu.edu/plants/gardening/fphg/pome/0 pruning/pruning-a-special-case-renovating-old-fruit-trees ~ http://homeguides.sfgate.com/trimorange-grapefruit-trees-57930.html

May 2017

Tips for Pruning, Trimming and Renovating Fruit Trees Robert Barkley, ISA Certified Arborist

Branch collars may be hard to see on some fruit trees, like this citrus tree. The yellow outlines around the collars show how close to trim the branches. It’s better to leave a little branch than to damage the collar. See the Pruning Fruit Trees article for more on branch collars. Trim small branches on the trunk near the ground Hand pruners work well for small branches. They let you get close and into places larger tools can’t reach. Prune suckers and dead wood Suckers come from the root, they steal energy from the rest of the tree. Dead branches can allow rot into the trunk. The tree loppers leave a clean cut across the sucker without damaging the trunk. Don’t try to get so close to the bottom of the sucker that you damage the trunk with your tools. The hand saw may allow you to trim deadwood closer to the trunk. But, you risk of damaging the branch collar, and trunk bark. The torn bark below the cut is from the saw.

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Trim unwanted and wayward branches to let light and airflow into the canopy This snarl of tangled and rubbing branches needs thinning and damage repair. Rubbing branches: Prune the most damaged branch. If the damage seems equal; prune the smaller branch. Prune to raise the canopy (direct the growth upward) Where a branch splits, prune the descending branch, and leave the rising branch. For a crotch with three or more branches, prune the descending branch and/or the largest branch.

Renovation and Height Pruning For pear, apple and loquat, but not peach.

Trim damaged/broken branches back to first pair of branches, or the first healthy branch below the break. Cut the tallest leads back according to the guidelines in Pruning Fruit Trees, page 14. Cut the main lead at a pair of branches if possible. This helps the vertical lead heal into a â&#x20AC;&#x153;knuckleâ&#x20AC;? where new growth starts. New branches on the knuckle can be trimmed each year without cutting lead itself.

Robert Barkley Tree Service, ISA Certified Arborist Serving Marion and surrounding Counties in Florida 352-361-8232 May 2017

Eat Local All Year Heat resistant plants:

by Jeri Baldwin

Italian Oregano

I first began farming again in Marion County in the early 1980s. Natural or organic growing raised an uproar among friends and acquaintances. Opinions ranged from “good luck, I hope it works,” to “You are absolutely crazy to think you can grow anything in this county without pesticides. ” Actually, not much middle ground appeared between those opposite opinions. As we gained experience in growing naturally, our vegetable yield increased, Thus we spent a good deal of time selling our vegetables and the concept of buying naturally grown food. Buyers struggled to adjust to less pristine appearance, and learned to prefer the taste and vitality in the vegetables more than their looks. At last the inevitable differences between chemically and naturally grown produce weighed in, and the scales tipped our way. More and more farm guests visited the farm to buy produce, passing farmer’s markets, road side stands, and mainstream groceries as they drove. Other visitors ordered our weekly subscription baskets, and learned to prepare fresh, local, tasty meals from those weekly purchases. A gentle, but convinced swell of consumers increased their purchases, and

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Malibar Spinach

Cuban Oregano

brought family and friends to become converts to natural and local food. Amid our steady progress, a wrinkle appeared. We sold our natural foods concept to more and more users, but a persistent problem nagged. Late in our sales promotion, we casually tossed the wrinkle’s contents, the one drawback to our food, into the conversation. “By the way, we don’t grow much in July, August, and most of September. Our plants can’t withstand the heat of the deep summer. Though we will grow peppers and okra, so come on to the farm.” Silence usually fell as folks digested our announcement. Our farmers looked embarrassed almost as soon as our visitors looked shocked. “But, what will we eat those two months?” “What will we eat for two months?” “What will we eat?” What started as a simple announcement suddenly loomed as a survival issue for the farm – and for those who bought into our pitch. We gained believers, then pushed them out the door. Quickly, it turned out to be our problem, not theirs at all. Serious solution searching started.

Many ideas later, one idea looked worth checking. Don’t people in hot countries grow food? What do they grow? Is it good? Can we find seeds anywhere in this country? Will seeds be affordable? Would they grow here? Yes to all the questions. Our first hot weather plant came courtesy of barter with a man who toured our farm with his Master Gardener group. In exchange for plants, he brought us Callaloo, a favorite in his native Jamaica, which he assured us grew easily. After days in the green house, the greenhouse gardener suggested that our chief gardener ought to get the Callaloo transplanted to the garden. When our Chief Gardener could not find the plant and asked the greenhouse gardener to show her the Callaloo, she pointed to a large, beautiful plant. Our chief gardener howled! Amaranth! We had Amaranth! Amaranth prospered in our garden for years. As time passed, we learned that Amaranth thrived virtually all over the globe, different only by its local names in different regions.

another. That Amaranth-Callalloo, in the front of our garden stands tall, beautiful, protective, and very reminiscent of all the lessons plants give us. The years since our customers had to search for another place to get natural food is forgotten. We became year ‘round vegetable growers! Our customers love to shop year ‘round at our farm. Practically the prime strategy of natural gardening is, “If you have a problem, find the solution. If there is no solution, make one. So we did. ~ Jeri Baldwin

Shortly after we bartered for Callaloo, friends of the farm brought Malabar Spinach, and a year later, other friends gifted us with Okinawa Spinach. A young man who tended his own garden when he came to work for the farm Heat resistant plants: Amaranth Callaloo; with its 6” trunk brought Cassava, or Yucca. Other vegetables joined our line up. Those include Catalogs with heat resistant seeds: Moringa Olifera, Japanese Spinach, Misome Tat Soi, Gita Beans, Red Noodle Beans, and Kitazawa Seed Co – Kitazawaseed.com recently, New Fire and Manoa Lettuces. High Mowing Organic Seeds – Highmowingseeds.com Johnny’s Selected Seeds -- Johnnyseeds.com One of our favorites is the Red Noodle Bean Peaceful Valley Farm & Garden Supply – Groworganic. which matures at about 18 inches. A burgundy, com which, when cooked, retains its lovely color, the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange – Red Noodle Bean is excellent with an entrée, SouthernExposure.com and other vegetables. Territorial Seed Company – TerritorialSeed.com The Natural Gardening Company – Naturalgardening. The best touch? The Jamacian Callaloo grew com huge. We planted it at the front of the garden. Pinetree Garden Seeds – Superseeds.com It drowned in a huge rain storm. We planted

May 2017

Black Gold For the Garden: Composted Horse Manure by Jan Cubbage

I have seven horses that are long time residents of our farm. As four legged members of the family they all enjoy a high quality diet of pasture grass, hay and premium horse feed. What I get in return for the care of my steeds is a thoroughbred foal to sell every other year and thousands of pounds of horse manure! I attach significant value to the manure my horses produce for I compost every bit of manure that is dropped in my horse’s stalls and lounging shed area. What I received in compensation this week from my composting and gardening efforts resulted in an assortment of delicious and nutritious, toxin free array of vegetables. The spring harvest season is in full swing and our refrigerator is quite bare as the garden is twenty steps from the kitchen. In the past several days I harvested sweet potatoes, tomatoes, egg plant, mustard greens, kale, Swiss chard, onions and brussel sprouts. And the squash plants are blossoming! My garden is not so large as it is fantastically productive and it is all because of the loads of black gold I have hauled up to my garden area from the barnyard compost piles.

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Successful composting is a fine blend of animal nutrition, soil science and perhaps most importantly enticing millions of macro and micro organisms and fungi to come at your call and get to work digesting the waste products of your horses. So let me explain the process starting with well, a big pile of horse poop. A horse digests about 60% of what feed, hay and grass he consumes. The nutrients in your horse’s food, as you know from reading the ingredients list on your horse feed, alfalfa pellets and so on contain a range of 12% to 16% protein and of course, fiber. At the rate of 60% digestion, your horse’s manure most likely contains an array of nutrients that may have passed right on through his digestive tract. I am going to recycle those nutrients into my garden via composting! A few studies of manure composition have revealed that the estimated 10 tons of manure produced per year from a 1,000 pound horse can contain an average of 102 lbs. of nitrogen (N), 43 lbs. of phosphorous (P2O5) and 77 lbs. of potash/potassium (K2O). Depending on the bedding used, other nutrients and of course organic material are incorporated

into the nutrient values of your horses’ compost. Bedding can add 8 to 10 lbs. of fibrous material to the manure and urine removed from a stall of a confined horse. I use only bahia and coastal hay as bedding largely because the breakdown of stable and stall waste containing hay versus wood shavings is about 100% faster. Also, the carbon level of wood fiber beddings such as sawdust or shavings adds much carbon (C) to compost. You may need to offset the high carbon ratio with additional nitrogen in your garden use of wood -fiber based compost. Storing horse manure in large three sided bins adjacent to a stable is a common practice. It looks nice and neat but piling manure and bedding waste high in a bin is not the practical way to compost. The far better way to manage composting is to pick a high and dry area to pile stall waste in long, wide and low (just three foot high) piles or rows. Do not pile manure in the low lying area of your farm where periodic flooding occurs! A Best Management Practice (BMP) is to construct a berm around any area where considerable amount of manure is to be piled. Another BMP is to cover manure / composting piles with a tarp during heavy rainfall episodes. The construction of low and wide piles maximizes surface area of the top of your manure waste pile so that rainwater will penetrate into the depths of the compost pile. Too much moisture causes rotting instead of composting but water is a necessary component of composting process. Moisture needs to be present throughout the compost pile for fungi and

macro and micro-organisms to thrive, survive and multiply and consume all the manure with voracious appetites leaving behind the product that will fertilize your garden plants! My piles of compost are often full of mini sow bugs and fat, white nematode-grubs who eat their weight every day in manure and excrete a mixture of high nutrient material. You can add earthworms to your compost heap but I love my grubs. I carefully pick up those grubs along with their compost bed and take them up to the garden to release them to do more fertilizer production work for me. The windrow method of composting horse stall waste is presently used by large thoroughbred horse farms such as Solera Farm in the Williston area. Solera Farm has a field dedicated to the storage of long windrows of horse stall bedding in various stages of decomposition. Once the desired well -composted dark heavy soil product is achieved, the compost is loaded into a spreader and spread in pastures and paddocks. This is free organic fertilizer at its best. One cubic yard of good horse manure compost will contain the same nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium ratio (N-P-K) as $150 worth of garden store bought high grade organic fertilizer. The rate at which the piles will shrink in size as composting organisms go to work will amaze you. Here in our warm, wet climate you will find that in about 100 days an average pile will be 50% reduced in size as composting organisms and fungi go to work digesting fiber to create a rich humus soil amendment.

Like much of north central Floridaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s long used farmland, our farm is wanting in top soil. To develop a productive garden area I understood from the beginning of establishing a garden that I was going to have to add tons of organic matter to the garden area in order to boost the nutrient offering potential of the gardenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s soil. And so I put my microbial friends to work to create compost! Over 13,000 different organisms have been identified that live in healthy soil. According to Dr. E Ingram, soil biologist at Oregon State University, a single teaspoon of healthy soil contains 100 million or more individual bacteria, 50 to 150 meters of fungal thread, 10,000 to 100,000 protozoa and hundreds of beneficial nematodes. Organic matter based humus soil added to your garden is a supermarket of food for your vegetable plants. Microorganisms and fungi bind to roots in symbiotic relationships not quite fully understood by soil scientists. But soil scientists do know that soil microorganisms release growth hormones, amino acids, complex sugars, unlock major and minor minerals, and make beneficial enzymes and vitamins available to growing plants. A European study has found that grazing livestock excrete vitamin B-12 in their manure. Compost from grazing animals like horses pass on the Vitamin B-12 right into the plants via roots and vegetable plants grown in compost amended soil have two to three times the amount of Vitamin B-12 as plants grown in non- manure based compost amended soils.

The nature of nature is to pass on nutrients from one level of the food chain to another. I know my efforts to bring nutrient rich compost to my garden are well rewarded every time I eat those garden fresh veggies on my plate. Jan Cubbage

Resources for this article: ~Nature's Way Resources MicroorganismsThe Benefits of http://www.natureswayresources.com ~Horse and Manure Rutgers Univ. Fact Sheet FS 036 Horses and Manure http// njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs ~Cognition COG Field Crop Handbook 1.3 The Soil Ecosystem ~The compost Soil Bacteria http://gardener.com

Publisherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s caveat: Disturbing research has been released about the use of aminopyralid broadleaf herbicide on hay. For up-to-date information, see http://www.dowagro.com/en-us/ range/forage-management/aminopyralid-stewardship We advise that you always know what has been used on any hay/ feed you plan to use as mulch in your garden.

May 2017

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In a 9”x 9” baking dish or casserole, arrange the ingredients in layers. • • • •

In Season Recipe

Tomato, Collards, Kale and Fish Cassarole

From Chris Kell, of Kell Farms, Williston FL. You will find several varieties of locally grown tomatoes at our farmers markets all summer, including Ponderosa Pink, Arkansas Traveler, and Jubilee Yellow; mix them in this dish!

Onion rings on the bottom Tomato slices The fish fillets Sprinkle the top of the fillets with the catfish crumble or fish breading and lemon juice. • Cover with a layer of shredded kale and collards • Top with onion rings and tomato slices Cover and bake in 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Or, on the shelf in the grill approximately 37 minutes. --Cooking times will vary depending on the amount of food you are cooking and the heat of your grill. When the fish is flaky, the tomatoes juicy and the kale and collards wilted it’s done. Don’t overcook. Serve alone or with rice pilaf, pasta, or garlic bread. Feel free to experiment!

Collard leaves and kale add a bitter flavor to this dish, so use less if you want it sweeter. Wash the leaves well (on both sides) and then cut out the central spine. For collards, cut narrow slices across the ‘half ‘ leaves so that you have narrow strips. Tear kale into very small pieces if it’s crisp and fresh, otherwise use a pizza cutter to slice it into very small pieces. If you want a lot of fish in this dish, try a double layer of fish separated by a layer of kale and collards. Sprinkle the catfish crumble or fish breading and lemon juice on each layer of fish. This recipe serves 1-2, but you can easily increase it for more. Just fill a bigger pan. Ingredients: • 3 medium tomatoes sliced • 1 medium onion sliced into rings • 2 Collard leaves sliced into narrow strips • 2-4 Kale leaves shredded • Enough boneless, skinless, fish filets for 2 persons, and Lemon • Catfish crumble or other fish breading

Editors Note: You can find locally grown produce at On Top of the World Farmers Market on Thursdays The Ocala Farmers Market on Saturdays, and Farmstead Weekend at Crones Cradle Conserve on Saturdays and Sundays. The ingredients for this dish will be available at the markets through May.

May 2017

Agri News Bees Boost Blueberry Yield Blueberry growers who use bees on their highbush berries now have concrete evidence to justify the cost and care of bees. Recent research by University of Florida's IFAS Joshua Campbell, notes that the recent findings "are relevant for growers who are growing blueberries in greenhouses or high tunnels. Data shows that blueberry bushes housed in enclosed places away from bumblebees produced less than 10 percent of the possible yield. The flowers on those bushes with free access to bees had a 70 percent yield. USDA Announces Major EU Trade Breakthrough for U.S. Citrus Producers U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Acting U.S. Trade Representative Stephen Vaughn today announced that the European Union (EU) has amended its requirements for imports of U.S. citrus. Specifically, the EU has dropped its requirement that U.S. groves be surveyed for citrus canker, which eases entry of U.S. citrus into the EU market and saves growers millions of dollars in production costs. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) have worked continuously with EU officials over the last 10 years

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to ensure that the EU's plant health requirements for citrus are based on scientificallyestablished risks. The new EU directive requires countries where citrus canker has been detected to have a disease management program and to ensure that exported fruit have no symptoms. The EU's change means they are satisfied with APHIS's disease management program. As a result, grove surveys are no longer required, saving U.S. producers an estimated $5.6 million dollars per year. See the full article at http:// growingfl.com/news/2017/05/ usda-announces-major-eutrade-breakthrough-for-u-scitrus-producers-2017-05-05/ Florida's Academic Partner University of Florida uploaded a new website the documents the economic impact the university makes on Florida. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences played a large role in gathering the numbers for the website. The university boosts local economies from Key West to Escambia County. Among the monetary impacts on the state include supporting the start of an agritourism campaign, in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties; Training farmers in best management practices which led to a 79 percent reduction in phosphorus in agricultural water flowing into the Everglades; and teaching Gadsden County rose growers how to cope with a devastating virus. For a full report and

summary of UF's influence on Florida's economics, the website may be found at http:// economicimpact.ufl.edu/ Farmers as Environmental Stewards A coveted statewide award for outstanding achievement in preserving land and water will be given to ten farm families in the Suwannee River and Santa Fe Basins, including families from Alachua, Columbia, Gilchrist, Levy, Union, and Taylor counties, Awarded by the County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship, of the Florida Farm Bureau, the group recognizes progressive farmers and ranchers who have taken voluntary action to protect our environment. Preserving farm land for the next generation is a priority of the award winners. A dinner to recognize and thank the ten families is scheduled on May 11, 2017 at 6 p.m. at the Suwannee Valley Agricultural Extension Center, Live Oak, Florida. Agriculture Supporters to the Hill Florida farmers, ranchers and small business owners will speak for agriculture when they visit the Florida Congressional Delegation in Washington, D.C., May 23-25. More than 80 members of Florida's Farm Bureau will visit the country's capital. They plan to discuss several federal policies that affect agriculture and rural land. The delegation also plans to meet informally with their elected representatives.

Agri News cont. The Farm Bureau members will share personal stories and experiences with lawmakers to impress upon them the importance national policy issues have on local agriculture. The delegation also will meet with Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue, and enjoy a Taste of Florida Agriculture reception at the Florida House. Drought Impacts Farmers and Ranchers The extended drought in Florida is changing the price of some produce and meat in Florida grocery stores. Grass is scorching and dying, so cattle farmers have to spend money to feed their cattle without pasture grass. Buying supplemental feed drives beef prices up. A significant amount of cow-calf

operations are almost, if not totally, grass-dependent, This is especially true in Southwest Florida, where dry conditions have sparked fire and recent weeks. Farmers face the prospect of buying all the feed their cattle need, at least for the foreseeable future. On the other hand produce growers, namely tomato growers, have no quarrel with the path their season has taken. Conditions are nearly ideal for tomatoes, and the yield should be significant. Perhaps too significant, as the price for tomatoes begins to drop. May is National Strawberry Month A good time to reflect on the history of this sweet, nutritionpacked fruit that grows well in Florida â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and to extol its health benefits.

Strawberries originally grew in Europe. In France, people regarded them as the highest-quality aphrodisiac. People believed Alpine strawberries provided various medicinal benefits. You can find these and other strawberry-related facts on a web page http://bit.ly/2q6hvB9 of the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, part of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Florida Family Farms - by the Numbers Passed down through generations, the majority of Florida's farms are family owned and operated. See the infographic below. Source: NASS (National Agricultural Statistics Service), USDA florida-family-farms/

May 2017

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Hey, Advertizers GeT Noticed! Advertize in Agrimag Call 352-209-3180 or email

Ads@agrimag.press AgriMag Distribution 15,000 copies of AgriMag are printed monthly and distributed in Alachua, Citrus, Levy, and Marion Counties, as well as The Villages and Wildwood. This magazine can be found in your neighborhood. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in feed stores, tack shops, tractor dealers, hardware stores, extension services, farm bureaus, FL Farm Credit offices and other farm-friendly banks, a few vets, UF/IFAS, high school and university agricultural departments, trailer dealers, selected restaurants, farm-oriented real estate offices, Thoroughbred associations, landscape and garden centers, nurseries, libraries, economic development offices/ chambers of commerce, wineries, farms with retail outlets, and theatres including The Hippodrome and OCT.

May 2017

Calendar of Events May 15 Integrated Organic Tomato Production System Workshop http://events.r20.constantcontact. com/register/event?llr=isahrlwab&o eidk=a07ee3qe7pd7675c481 1 to 4 pm ET, UF/IFAS Plant Research and Education Unit, 2556 West Highway 318,Citra, FL 32113. The workshop is co-sponsored by UF/IFAS and Florida Organic Growers. This joint Kansas State University-University of Florida research & extension project is supported by the USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Food Security Competitive Grants Program. For more information call Florida Organic Growers at (352) 377-6345. May 18-20 37th Annual Florida Native Plant Society Conference (link), Westgate River Ranch Resort & Rodeo, 3200 River Ranch Boulevard, River Ranch, FL 33867. The conference will address the biological and ecological connections important to the Kissimmee River Basin and beyond. See link for details and registration http://www.fnps.org/conference

BASF. To reserve a seat, call 863674-4092, or send an e-mail to Mongi Zekri at maz@ufl.edu May 18 FAMA June Sale Order Deadline Onion Sale now. http://www. floridafarmbureau.org/benefits/fama/ May 19 USDA Deadline for Water Quality Assistance in Select Watersheds May 24, 2017, 10:00 AM â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12:00 Noon Location: UF-IFAS Southwest Florida Research and Education Center, Immokalee Speakers: Larry Duncan and Ron Brlansky, UF-IFAS Program Coordinator: Mongi Zekri, UF-IFAS Program Sponsor: Joe Mitchell with BASF June 12-16 Florida State FFA Convention, Orlando, FL http:// www.flaffa.org/convention/ June 20-22 Florida Cattlemenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Association Convention & Trade Show, Orlando, FL http:// www.floridacattlemen.org/events/ annual-convention/

June 22-25 70th Georgia Feed and Grain Association Summer Convention, Amelia Island, GA May 24 https://squareup.com/store/georgiaCitrus Blight, Leprosis, Diaprefeed-and-grain-association pes and Nematode Management July 10 UF-IFAS Southwest Florida 2017 Fierce Awards which will Research and Education Center, be held at Emerson Hall on MonImmokalee (map) day, July 10th from 5:30-8:00pm! Pre-registration is required. No Join us at the 3rd annual event registration fee and lunch is to honor the transformative and free thanks to Joe Mitchell with

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inspirational women who have changed the landscape of our community through their entrepreneurial, charitable and executive work. May STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS-PEANUT SCHOLARSHIP The Florida Peanut Producers Association will award two $1,200 scholarships to deserving high school seniors and/ or college students. Applicants must represent an active peanut growing farm family. For an application contact the FPPA office at 2741 Penn Avenue, Suite 1, Marianna, FL 32448. Call 850.526.2590 or visit www. flpeanuts.com. Scholarship applications must be postmarked no later than July 1, 2017. http://www.floridafarmbureau.org/ student-scholarships-peanut-scholarship/ Any time Digital Download Landscape Pests By UF/IFAS IT Education Landscape Pets assists in identifying common insect and mite pests found in Florida and the Southeastern United States. Search for pests using menus based on plant host, damage symptom, common name or scientific name. http://pest.ifas.ufl. edu/list.html Any time Florida Flower Trails http://floridahikes.com/wildflowerwalks

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