The Ag Mag Agriculture and gardening in north central Florida
April 2016 Volume 1, Issue 4
April 2016
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Where quality doesn’t cost, it pays!
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Crones’ Cradle Conserve Foundation
Ecological Preserve Retreat Center Organic Farm Florida Certified Stewardship Forest
Farm Store Open 9am-3pm 7 Days a Week
Saturday April 16, 2016 - 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Natural Foods & Sustainability Festival Vendors: Featuring Sustainable uses and ideas to promote living habits to register a smaller foot print on the earth, including: Solar Energy, Native Plants, Rain Barrel Use, Cooking with Wood Local Artists with Creative Original Items Including: Wooden Bowls, Pottery, Jewelry, Baskets, Books, Home Accessories
6411 NE 217th Pl. Citra, FL 32113 6.4 miles east of 301 on CR 318
Tease your palate. Encourage your own food preparation. Natural and Organic Foods Samples Including: Grass fed beef and chicken, goat milk cheese, goat milk cheescake, fresh organic vegetables and herbs, fruits, fish and hushpuppies, wild pig, other wild meats, and sweets. All served in sample portions... try whatever tempts your taste buds.
Exciting Tips For Preparing Organic Foods Free Recipe Cards for Organic Foods Live Music Garden Tours Greenhouse Tours Farm Store
Admission: $2.00 Food Samples Tickets: $2.00 352-595-3377 catrone@aol.com FB: Crones’ Cradle Conserve Foundation cronescradleconserve.org No Pets or Smoking Cash or Check Only April 2016
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Dr. Tom Frazer pulling and examining seagrass from the coast of Cedar Key. UF/IFAS Photo by Tyler Jones. See “Water News,” p.16.
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Contents 6
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Masthead + Fun Facts
7 | NEWS n The Grub Hub n Spring Natural Foods Gala April 16th n Let’s Eat Fresh Commissary Kitchen 8 | Blueberries by Dudley Calfee 10 |
AG LAW The Florida Right to Farm Act by William K. Crispin, Attorney At Law
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You Can Bee Sure: We Need the Bees! by Jan Cross Cubbage
16 | The Diversified Farm by Jeri Baldwin 18 | Four Delicious Must-Try Vegetables for Your Garden by David the Good 21 | SPOTLIGHT T.T. Distributors by Brooke Hamlin 22 | SECOND NATURE How Not to Have a Cow by Melody Murphy 24 | FARM FINANCE Community Banks = Local Advantage by Craig Carpenter 26 | RECIPE Strawberry Shortcake by Jeri Baldwin 27
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Calendar of Events
33 | FARMING WONDERS OF THE WORLD Ripening Blueberries
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The Ag Mag Volume 1, Issue 4 ISSN 2471-3007
Publisher + Editor Carolyn Blakeslee TheAgMag@gmail.com Director of Marketing and Advertising Sales Brooke Hamlin 352-537-0096 TheAgMag1@gmail.com Design + Production Carolyn Blakeslee Valerie Feagin Amy Garone Contributors Jeri Baldwin William K. Crispin Jan Cross Cubbage David Goodman Melody Murphy Business Development Lynn Noble Contact Us 352-537-0096 P.O. Box 770194 Ocala, FL 34477 TheAgMag@gmail.com www.The-Ag-Mag.com Facebook.com/ TheAgricultureMagazine Copyright ©2016 The Ag Mag, LLC All rights reserved Covering agriculture and gardening in north central Florida: Alachua, Citrus, Levy, and Marion Counties, as well as The Villages, Leesburg, and Wildwood. The magazine can be found 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, high school and university ag departments, trailer dealers, selected restaurants, farmoriented real estate offices, Thoroughbred associations, landscape and garden centers, libraries, and theatres including The Hippodrome and OCT. NEW: Also available by subscription. Send your name and address with a check for $24 to the address above, or order securely online at https:// squareup.com/store/the-ag-mag/
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Fun Facts The Buzz on Bees n Bees communicate with a “bee dance” which gives other bees the direction, distance, and quality of flowers they have found. n Doctors recommend that their patients with severe allergies use honey – preferably local – for relief. n Honey is used in native and natural medicine to heal wounds. n Hives have, on average, 50,000 bees in a hive. n Required to make one tablespoon of honey: 50,000 to 65,000 bees; 800 miles gathering; 2,600 stops. n One pound of honey requires 55,000 miles of flight; one gallon requires one million travel miles with stops at two million flowers. n Honey does not spoil; honey has been recovered from the tombs of mummies. n Part of the commercial beekeeping market consists of transporting hives to different areas of the country to pollinate crops ranging from almonds to cranberries, depending on the season and location.
Food News The Grub Hub
Delivery or Pickup of Local Produce
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here’s another new kid in town: The Grub Hub. The Grub Hub partners with local farmers to offer weekly or bi-weekly baskets of local produce, meats, and dairy products. The store is located within Infinite Ale Works at 304 SE Magnolia, Ocala. Laura McCormick, one of the partners in the project, says, “We are always accepting qualified farm partners.” Call 352-8123111 or visit www.FloridaGrubHub.com for more information.
Natural Foods Gala April 16th Sustainability Festival
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he 2016 Spring Natural Foods Gala and Sustainability Festival will be held on April 16th starting at 10am. The event features guest chefs making all kinds of dishes, as well as vendors offering crafts, foods, plants, and more. Admission is $2/person, with each a la carte food sample available for $2. Vendors are invited to apply for space. Items for sale should be made of recycled or sustainable materials, and should be home/handmade. Jewelry, pottery, home accessories, musical instruments, and wooden items are just a few of the possibilities. Education, display and presentation possibilities include solar energy, native plants, rain barrels, etc. Crones Cradle Conserve is six miles east of Highway 301 at 6411 NE 217th Pl., Citra, 352-5953377, www.CronesCradleConserve.com.
Let’s Eat Fresh
Commissary Kitchen and Catering
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et’s Eat Fresh is a commissary kitchen designed to help chefs, caterers, and Farmers Market participants start or expand their business. This is a shared rental commercial kitchen that has been licensed by the State of Florida division of hotel and restaurants. The kitchen, as well as various forms of storage including refrigerated storage, may be rented on an hourly or monthly basis. Facilities include an 800 sq. ft. kitchen, 10-burner gas range, two gas ovens (one oven designated gluten-free only), several refrigerators, a three-compartment sink, a 5- and 20-quart mixer, 20- and 60-quart stock pots, grease/waste/ water disposal, and more. Let’s Eat Fresh also does catering and offers a weekly meal service for busy people. Choices can be gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan, paleo, etc. Contact the mother/daughter team, Rosaria and Maria DelPrete, at Let’s Eat Fresh, 809 N. Magnolia Ave., Ocala, FL 34475, 352-299-5233, www.LetsEatFresh.com. Other certified kitchens in the area include Blue Oven, Gainesville, www.blueovenkitchens. org/; and Crones Cradle, Citra, http:// cronescradleconserve.org/.
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Blueberries by Dudley Calfee
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lueberries have been grown here in Florida for a long time, but only recently have we seen a tremendous increase in the number of acres of commercially grown berries in our state. We should surpass 8,000 acres this year, making Florida a serious player in the worldwide blueberry industry. While some growers used to be able to produce a cash crop of berries on only a few acres, most commercial operations now range from 30-300 acres in size. But, unlike our northern neighbor growers, most of Florida’s blueberry crop is still harvested by hand, not machine. With the decline of citrus acreage because of greening disease, many orange groves are being converted to blueberry production. Due to this and the popularity of blueberries in the American diet, we will probably see our acreage of Florida blueberries continue to increase in the next few years. We still have a way to go to surpass the Georgia growers who, at about 25,000 acres, have more blueberry production than any state in the nation. Florida growers enjoy the unique advantage of harvesting
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the first berries in the U.S. each spring. This means we get the highest price for our blueberries, with prices falling as the harvest progresses north through Florida and moves into Georgia and the Carolinas. Most varieties of blueberries grown in Florida are “Southern Highbush” types, developed by the breeders at the University of Florida specifically to thrive in our sub-tropical environment. Even these specially bred plants do not like our soil in most areas of Florida, so they are commercially grown in pine bark beds. Pine bark presents its own unique challenges to the grower. While it is a suitable medium for blueberry production, bark fails to hold moisture near the plant roots, necessitating constant vigilance on the part of the grower to make sure the plants stay hydrated, especially in the heat of our summer seasons. Other problems have been presented to Florida blueberry growers by the cedar waxwing, a small migratory bird that seems to have been specifically designed by nature to consume large quantities of blueberries on the bush. They can come in flocks of thousands and, if they
find your field attractive, the challenge to dissuade these little thieves can be daunting. Other pests and pathogens also thrive in Florida and seem to like blueberries as much as the waxwings. Through cooperative efforts with the UF/ IFAS scientists, we have learned how to deal with most of them effectively; however, as our acreage has expanded, new pests are finding our fields and we are again faced with the challenge of how to manage them. Florida’s blueberry season runs from April through May each year. Field fresh Florida blueberries certainly taste better than the South American berries we consume in the wintertime, most of which spent several weeks on a boat to reach our grocery store shelves. We celebrate the harvest each year with the Florida Blueberry Festival, held in Brooksville in Hernando County. The dates for the festival this year are April 16-17. Florida blueberries can be grown in your backyard garden too. You should consult with your county extension agent to see which varieties do best in your area. Be prepared to build your own pine bark beds and keep the plants well watered
and free of pests and fungus. “You-pick” farms are another family fun way to get fresh Florida blueberries right off the bush. The Florida Blueberry Growers Association’s web page has a list of you-pick operations in your area. Blueberries are part of a healthy diet for everyone from young children to our growing population of older Americans. The plentiful anti-oxidants contained in a handful of blueberries can help to control your weight and blood sugar, and even make your brain work better! Enjoy our “Fresh from Florida” spring crop of blueberries in your favorite recipes, or simply toss a handful into your pancake mix or smoothie for a breakfast treat.
FARMER
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n UF/IFAS: http:// solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/ (search for “blueberries”) Dudley Calfee is an awardwinning grower, agricultural consultant (visit http:// dudleycalfee.com/), and president of the Florida Blueberry Growers Association. He and his wife, Diane, reside in Citrus County, Florida. Photo, top left: Ripening blueberries.
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Signature
February 2013
Cedar waxwing
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The Florida Right to Farm Act
by William K. Crispin, Attorney At Law An objective in these early columns is to provide a legal information reference foundation that presents matters relating to Florida’s production agriculture industry. This month we explore the Florida Right to Farm Act, Fla. Stat. §823.14.
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But before we turn that corner, let’s get back to the above objective. In the February issue I explained the significance of our local land grant institution, the University of Florida and its Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/ IFAS). Notably, UF/IFAS is also home of the Center for Agricultural and Natural Resource Law. Professor Michael Olexa is the center’s Director and teaches Agricultural Law and Policy at UF. His contribution through his teachings is recognized throughout the state and nationally. His mentored students hold positions everywhere, including the current Commissioner of Agri-
culture, Adam Putnam. The UF/IFAS brings another important information source to the public, the Electronic Data Information Source of UF/IFAS Extension, otherwise known as EDIS at www. edis.ifas.ufl.edu. This electronic library provides access to a bevy of publications, most of which are authored by UF/IFAS faculty and staff. Many of Professor Olexa’s research papers can be located in the EDIS library. As summarized in an EDIS publication, Florida’s Right to Farm Act protects reasonable agricultural activities conducted on farmland from nuisance suits. A farm that was not a nuisance when it was established
is not subject to public or private nuisance suits after one year of operation. Exceptions to this protection include unsanitary conditions, improper treatment of wastes, keeping animals that may give rise to diseases harmful to human or animal health, and expansion of operations when adjacent to an existing homestead or business. Also, this law does not protect a farmer from lawsuits due to negligent acts, such as groundwater contamination or pesticide misapplication. With few exceptions, the Act limits the authority of local governments to adopt any ordinance, regulation, rule, or policy to prohibit, restrict, regulate, or limit an activity of a bona fide farm operation on agricultural land as long as the activity is regulated through implemented best management practices or interim measures. It is beyond our scope and space here for a comprehensive discussion of the Florida Right to Farm Act, but the stated findings of the Florida Legislature within the statute is good reading: (2) Legislative findings and purpose. — The Legislature finds that agricultural production is a major contributor to the economy of the state; that agricultural lands constitute unique and irreplaceable resources of statewide importance; that the continuation of agricultural activities preserves the landscape and environmental resources of the state, contributes to the increase of tourism, and furthers the economic self-sufficiency of the people of the state; and that the encouragement, development, improvement, and preservation of agriculture will result in a general benefit to the health and welfare of the people of the state. The Legislature further finds that agricultural activities conducted on farm land in urbanizing areas are potentially subject to lawsuits based on the theory of nuisance and that these suits encourage and even force the premature removal of the farm land from agricultural use. It is the purpose of this act to protect reasonable agricultural activities conducted on farm land from nuisance suits. As urban populations expand, the importance of clarity between farming operations and
residential bliss grow paramount for a balanced co-existence. I wrote an article published in the November 1995 Florida Bar Journal titled “Florida Agriculture: In the Crosshairs.” Some 15 years later I revisited the topic with co-authors Professor Olexa and one of his students, Ben Lingle, in the March 2011 Florida Bar Journal, “Florida Agriculture: Still in the Crosshairs.” Three paragraphs from the 2011 article, republished here without the footnotes, are strikingly relevant today: Florida’s warm climate and fertile soils put it in a particularly enviable position for agriculture, allowing the state to play a substantial role in maintaining the nation’s food security. Recognition of this position must remain in the forefront of discussions on how to allocate the state’s resources. As described above, water resources are allocated and overseen by the water management districts. An equally important resource to Florida agriculture is Florida’s land itself. Since 1995, Florida has lost almost one and a half million acres of farmland.38 Nationwide, the American Farmland Trust reports that 78 percent of vegetables and melons and 67 percent of dairy products are grown on farms threatened by development.39 Additionally, 54 percent of the nation’s poultry products and 91 percent of the nation’s fruit, tree nut, and berry farms are reportedly in the same predicament.40 These figures stem from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service’s numbers on “urban influenced counties.”41 Though extrapolating “threatened by development” from “urban influenced” may push these figures higher than they perhaps should be, the statistics certainly show that a large percentage of farmland is in the path of urban sprawl. These national issues are no doubt prevalent in Florida. When the boom times of development return, Florida agriculture will again have to contend with increasing ... Continued on Page 15
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You Can Bee Sure: We Need the Bees! by Jan Cross Cubbage
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hat would our human diet be without bees? We would be missing about one third of every mouthful of food we are accustomed to. An estimated 80% of pollinated fruits, nuts, vegetables, and herbs of our diet are pollinated by bees, wild and domesticated. Beekeeping is an integral part of agriculture that sweetens our lives in many ways. Beekeeping can be a backyard enterprise in our region or a busy-as-a-bee commercial enterprise. Florida ranks fourth as a honey producing state with about 4,000 registered beekeepers reporting to the Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services. There are countless one- or two-hive backyard beekeepers in north central Florida that keep their neighborhoods buzzing with pollinators. Basic bee setups — including tiered hives, extraction tools like smokers, and the important protective mask and suit, and the bees — can be purchased for as little as $400. Beekeepers profit from the procurement of thousands of pounds of honey from hives to be marketed wholesale or retail. However, beekeep-
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ing is also serious business for the commercial beekeeper who transports trailer loads of sleeping bees at night to orchards and groves around the state. In fact, many of the 400,000-plus bee colonies residing in Florida in the spring to pollinate citrus groves are packed up, shipped, and leased to the expansive almond groves of San Yoaquin, California to continue the necessary job of pollination of almond tree blossoms. More than 80% of the world’s almonds are grown in California’s Central Valley. According to BBC News, “Beekeeper David Mendes is known as the ‘marathon man’ of U.S. beekeeping. A former president of the American Beekeeping Federation, David moves about … 14,000 hives … from Florida to California for the almonds, moving them back to the Florida Panhandle to make Tupelo honey. In May, bees are moved up to Maine to pollinate wild blueberries, then a month or so later they are moved to the Cape Cod region of Massachusetts to pollinate the cranberry crop. When the cranberry bloom ends, the bees are taken back down to Florida until the following January, when their 10,000-mile annual journey begins again.” (“Huge scale of California pollination event” by Adam Hart, University of Gloucestershire, 3/26/13.) In June of 2015, a new Bee Research Center
was established at the University of Florida; $2.7 million in funding is awaiting the governor’s signature. A major mission of the UF Bee Center is continued research into the causes and prevention of colony collapse disorder that exceeds more than 30% yearly in many areas of the U.S. The seriousness of these high loss rates on the pollination of fruits, vegetables, herbs and nuts cannot be overstated. Millions of dollars of food crops were lost because of a shortage of pollinators in 2008 through 2014. In 2014, the federal Pollinator Health Task Force was established and is cochaired by USDA and EPA. USDA researchers and state investigators believe that colony losses are caused by a multitude of stressors. According to Dr. Jamie Ellis, Gahan Endowed Associate Professor at the UF Bee Research Center, “These include pests, most notably the Varroa mite; pathogens, poor nutrition, and pesticides.” When it comes to pesticides, the neonicotinoid class of pesticides is thought to be especially deadly to pollinators, as neonicotinoid residues are found in pollen and nectar consumed by bees and butterflies. The residues can reach lethal concentrations in some situations. (Source: www. xerces.org/neonicotinoids-and-bees/) In our region of Florida, hobbyists with just one or a few hives are making a huge contribution
What to do if bees have colonized inside your home or barn
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any people decide not to do anything about a feral colony because the “bees seem calm.” Just because a colony is calm now does not mean that it will always be. Bee colonies become more defensive once their nest is established because they have something to protect. This can take months to happen. Also, there is evidence that the average queen (at least in managed colonies) lives less than one year. When a new queen is born to replace the old queen, she leaves the colony to mate in the air with 15-20 different male bees (drones). Therefore, she is mating with drones from nearby colonies, not typically with drones from her own hive. If Africanized bees are in the area, the new queen may mate with the Africanized drones and the resulting offspring can display Africanized bee characteristics (heightened defensive behavior). Therefore, a colony that was calm 6 months ago may be defensive today. For more information and a list of registered bee removers, visit http:// entnemdept.ifas.ufl.edu/afbee/bee_removal. shtml. — UF/IFAS Honey Bee Research & Extension Lab
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Photo courtesy Ohio State University’s Department of Entomology.
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Cute Chicks
... Continued from p.13
to the return of bees to Florida after the colony collapse era of 2008 to 2014. Active bee hive colonies have increased significantly in the past two years in north Florida. Florida beekeeping laws are in place; these are directives by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. To view the statutes, visit http://bit.ly/1XyrecS. A great garden-scaping practice is to designate at least 10% of your vegetable garden to the planting of long-term blooming bee-friendly flowers. Beneficial pollinating insects will not stay around your gardens for long if there are no blossoms for hungry pollen collectors and nectar sippers. I have found a few plants that are very easy to grow, and the honey bees will fly from all directions to visit my garden when I have blooming coreopsis, zinnias, Indian blanket flowers, and a variety
of sunflowers blooming in the corners and borders of my gardens. Bees on a mission are certain to stop and pollinate the tomatoes, squash blossoms, eggplant, and other veggies at my local bee-fest dining zones.
Resources:
n Florida State Beekeepers Association, www. floridabeekeepers.org/ n UF/IFAS Honey Bee Research & Extension Lab, http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/ honeybee/ n Bee health, http://articles. extension.org/bee_health n Florida registration, fees and information, http://bit. ly/1U1XqYm n Florida beekeeping laws, http://bit.ly/1XyrecS. n African bees, www. slideshare.net/fldpi/ africanized-honey-bees-inflorida Jan Cross Cubbage, a blood stock agent and Thoroughbred farm manager, is at heart an educator.
Bees making a bridge to unite two bee parts of a bee swarm
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Brood cells containing pupae. Photo courtesy www.ars.usda.gov/.
She is a retired high school teacher of history and science, and former certified workshop facilitator for Florida Fish and Wildlife; she has received four grants for educational programs from Southwest Florida Water Management District; she wrote the equine lesson plans for the online Florida Agriculture in the Classroom (FAITC); and she is the author of Screaming Ponies, a book about American wild horses. She is also a former licensed Thoroughbred trainer in six states and a former jockey winning races in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida.
... Continued from p.11 pressure to convert vital farmland into residential and commercial development. Little understood is the importance of agricultural lands as urban buffers in the preservation of wildlife habitat and ground and surface water recharge and retention. As pressures for development inevitably build, the state will risk losing these services, while the agricultural industry will be forced to develop innovative ways to maintain requisite production on fewer acres. These pressures on agriculture will continue to raise tough questions on water, nutrients, and pesticides, with agriculture and the public each demanding concessions of the other. It is critically important to strike the right balance. To maintain its contribution to U.S. food security and preservation of Florida’s economic and natural resource bases, agriculture’s contribution must be clearly understood by the Florida public.
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A lot has changed in Florida agriculture in the last 15 years. Farmland continues to be converted to residential and commercial developments. The U.S. population continues to increase, with now over 300 million mouths to feed. Florida’s population continues to increase. Young people continue to migrate to urban areas and pursue other professional avenues than the family farm. In addition to these inevitable changes, environmental policy has shifted more toward the regulation of non-point sources of pollution. Additionally, agriculture contends with such challenges as uncertainty in immigration policy, the implementation of free trade agreements, and economic pressures from oscillating fossil fuel prices. Florida was one of the first states to pass a right to farm law. As one of the country’s fastest growing populations and a top agriculture producing state, the Legislature got it right to publish its pertinent findings in the official statutes. Let’s hope such insightful findings are not left on the shelf when issues that involve the inevitable clash of farming and urban sprawl are debated. William K. Crispin (www.afarmersfriend.com) is an Agricultural attorney in Gainesville, Fla. His national practice focus is production agriculture with an emphasis on crop insurance. Crispin’s work with farmers’ federal crop insurance claims furthers his commitment to agriculture producers. The fair adjustment of their crop loss is a key component for the economic survival of the industry.
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The Diversified Farm by Jeri Baldwin
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Photos: Florida State Archives
Jeri Baldwin
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n north central Florida, in the middle decades of last century, most folks eked out their living on small farms that gave the word “hardscrabble” full meaning. People managed to buy or sharecrop 40 acres, reckoning to subsist on that. Farms included a “cracker” house, a barn, outbuildings, a fenced pasture for cows, and a fenced field for corn, sugar cane, and a few vegetables. Logs harvested in clearing the land provided the raw materials for house, barn, and outbuildings; people either built with the logs or milled them into rough boards. Hog wire, split rails, or barbed wire fenced the pasture to keep the cows in and the field to keep the deer out. The open space came with a price. Majestic Southern Yellow Pines grew everywhere, while smaller trees, shrubs, bushes, and the ubiquitous palmetto smothered the ground. For days and weeks, humans and mule, oxen, or horse struggled to cut, clear, and grub a patch to graze and garden. When the youth of farm families couldn’t play (the
press of work and school took all available time during the week), they dreamed, planned, imagined, and adored baseball. With no signal — everyone just knew — baseball started when school opened after Christmas. But Sunday sang a different tune. Our parents frowned on activity on the Sabbath, so we simply bided our time until Sunday dinner brought Sunday naps, then eased out the door. We walked north through our woods to the patchy, thin soil that Mrs. Lowe farmed. Her cows shared their pasture with every neighborhood child who could get away to play Sunday baseball. Best, Mrs. Lowe didn’t care if we played on Sunday. In typical Southern winter style, some Sundays we wore everything we had, and some Sundays we wore as little as we could. As each young’un arrived, she or he went to the team with the fewest players; the next arrival joined the other team. One of the Lowe boys had a bat and a few of us had scuffed, gashed baseballs trailing broken threads. Five or six of us had a shapeless,
cracked leather glove, and we shared with the team in the field. We scrounged our bases around the farm: a board, a flattened oil can, an empty “croker” sack, a plug of hay. Batters called their own balls and strikes. The “hot shots” — the older boys — played the glory positions at first, second, and third bases, shortstop, and pitcher. The youngest and less skilled went to the outfield. I played out with Art Lowe and his two brothers, one of whom still wore diapers. We weren’t much older. Some of the big boys came out to the fence when a power hitter batted and they wanted a long fly ball caught. Everyone hustled when a hard-hit baseball flew toward the cows, ’cause if a ball hit a cow — game over. For the bloopers, grounders, and Texas leaguers, the older ones praised and coached us about our importance to the team for hustling balls back to the infield. We chased balls as desperately as though we played in the seventh game of the World Series. We believed so completely how indispensable we were that we plowed barefoot through patches of sand spurs that could slice leather to run down the ball and heave it toward the infield. We played with sores on our toes and festered fingers that had fielded balls with sand spurs stuck in the leather. Worst of all, balls unerringly found the manure piles left when our stadium doubled as a cow pasture during the week. Sometimes we raced to cut off a hot line drive, and ball and players arrived at a fresh cow pie simultaneously. My love affair with baseball sometimes took a deep breath as I scraped fresh manure off my face and shirt. But my passion for baseball endured and grew, even when we caught on to why the older boys really wanted us playing the “most important positions on the team.” Hours flew by. Only when the sun dropped fast toward the horizon and farm chores beckoned did we call the game and find our way home, reliving the day as we walked. Major League baseball begins this month. Athletic skill will bedazzle with breathtaking hitting, pitching, and running plays. Professional players will use pristine, white balls, play in million-dollar stadiums, sign dozens of autographs, make piles of money, and believe that life is wonderful.
But all that won’t come close to matching the passion, grit, pleasure, and memories of playing baseball in Mrs. Lowe’s cow pasture on Sunday afternoons in north Florida in the ’50s. Hello Spring! Play ball! Jeri Baldwin is a writer, historian, organic farmer, and co-founder of Crones Cradle Conserve, the 756-acre ecological preserve and education center in Citra. Visit CronesCradleConserve.org.
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April 2016
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Four Delicious Must-Try Vegetables for Your Garden by David The Good
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t’s heating up across the state, so it’s high time to get cracking on your warm-season garden. I’ve grown roughly 1.7 zillion different plants in my three decades of gardening but there are only a few I consistently plant in my annual gardens year after year. If you haven’t given these four fun vegetables a try yet, jump in right now before it gets too hot to go outside without melting.
Cayenne Peppers
Cayennes are often overshadowed by jalapeños and that’s a shame. Homegrown cayennes are sweet and hot with bit of smokiness that will take a pot of chili from “good” to “holy cow, I need this recipe!” Cayenne peppers are behind such classic seasonings as the crushed red peppers that make a pizza great, many of the world’s favorite hot sauces, and the ground red pepper found in the spice aisle. I often grow my peppers from seed in March, yet in April I’d rather start with transplants so I have more time for them to produce lots of peppers before the frosts kill them in the winter.
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If you look up cayenne peppers on my website, TheSurvivalGardener.com, you can also read recipes on how I turn them into an amazing smoked hot sauce and the most delicious ground red pepper you’ll ever taste.
Yard-long Beans
Yard-long beans transformed the way I look at green beans. I’d always had good luck with traditional bush beans, but these magnificent Southeast Asian pole beans are way more productive and easy to grow than any other bean in a Florida garden. The bean pods are more than two feet in length and stringless. Though they’re not good as a dry bean or a shell bean, they’re a rich-flavored green bean that’s perfect for steaming, salads, soups, and stir-fries. Plant them where they can climb and they’ll grow rapidly and bear bunches of snaky beans over a couple of months of picking. Just get them before they get too lumpy and leathery. You can
plant them from spring right on through to early fall and they shrug off the heat. These are a mustgrow.
Dent Corn
I know most gardeners like to grow sweet corn, but in my book there’s nothing better than a rich, starchy full-flavored traditional dent corn. One of my favorite varieties is the old Southern standby “Hickory King.” It’s a white field corn that grows on 12’-foot-tall stalks. They deal with insects and low water much better than sweet corn; plus, if you harvest them when dry, you can make the most delicious grits, corn bread, and polenta you’ve ever tasted. Homegrown corn bread — how cool is that? Harvest dent corn in the milk stage for roasting ears and be sure to chop up the luxuriant plant growth after harvest to use as the base of compost piles or for ready “chop and drop” mulch around your perennial trees and shrubs.
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Sweet Potatoes
I plant sweet potatoes in March, April and May. If you can’t find slips for sale, you can simply bury a few potatoes in the dirt to get them growing, then start breaking off and planting 6-8” pieces of vines wherever you want to grow more. Water them well and they’ll root. I’ve started entire beds of potatoes just by growing sweet potatoes in pots in late winter, protecting them from frosts and then cutting pieces of the vines off and planting them in my gardens when everything warms up. For nice big potatoes, give them good soil and water, then wait to harvest until right before the first frost in the fall or winder. I’ve grown white, purple, and orange varieties of both sweet and starchy cultivars. Bonus: you can eat the leaves in salads or as a cooked green. They taste much like spinach and can be used interchangeably in recipes.
Seminole Pumpkins
If you haven’t yet tried this amazing Florida heirloom, what are you waiting for? Seminole pumpkins are a small winter squash (ranging between one to 12 pounds, depending on the seed line) related to butternuts. The vine growth and vigor is incredible so be sure to give them plenty of space. They’ll usually beat powdery mildew, pickle worms, and most other pests nature throws at pumpkins. Unlike the bland jack-o-lantern and pie types you see for sale around Halloween, Seminole pumpkins are delicious — almost like a cross between a good sweet potato and a butternut squash. They can also keep on your countertop for months, sometimes even a
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year! Harvest when the fruit is solid and the stem attached to the vine has yellowed, then store for a couple of weeks at room temperature before eating for the best flavor. We eat them roasted, mashed with butter, and in the most delicious pumpkin pies you will ever taste. Seeds aren’t often available locally, but you can usually get them from my friends at The Edible Plant Project in Gainesville and online at Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Co. (rareseeds.com). I’ve been growing and saving their seeds for years now and am even working on breeding a new Seminole pumpkin variety all my own. Conclusion So what are you waiting for? Give some of these four unique vegetables a try and see how exciting and delicious your 2016 garden can be. David The Good is a Florida native, a gardening expert and the author of four books you can find on Amazon, including Totally Crazy Easy Florida Gardening, Create Your Own Florida Food Forest, Compost Everything: The Good Guide to Extreme Composting and his new bestseller Grow or Die: The Good Guide to Survival Gardening. Find new horticultural inspiration every weekday at his popular gardening website www.TheSurvivalGardener.com.
SPOTLIGHT T.T. Distributors by Brooke Hamlin
M
oments after Tom Kindred opened his T.T. Distributors store on State Road 40 in 1985, the bell rang at the entrance. Boots hit the floor, spurs a-janglin’. A local trainer walked across to the bins of horseshoes and began to pick out the sizes he needed. They clanked in his hands, and he set them on the counter in front of Tom before heading across the store to look for new skid boots, wraps and a snaffle bit. Before opening the store, Tom drove to Ocala from Jacksonville every week in a re-purposed bread truck visiting individual farms with all the products they needed. Soon, it made sense to Tom to move here and set up shop. In the meantime, Dana
Barber, who was to become Tom’s son-in-law, moved to Dunnellon with his family and began attending Dunnellon High School, where he met Tom’s daughter, Debra. They became high school sweethearts and married. After college, Dana joined the Coast Guard and they landed in Martha’s Vineyard. “We loved it there and it was where we started our family,” he said. After son Devin and daughter Amanda were born, they decided to return to Ocala and join the family business. Their third child, Shelby, was born shortly after arriving back in Ocala. She is a first generation Floridian, but is now third generation in the business; her brother Devin works there too. Amanda is working on her nursing degree. When I visited T.T. Distributors recently, Shelby was working at the desk next to Dad’s in the office. She is a bright young
lady learning the business from the inside out. It’s good to know T.T. Distributors will carry on under the same banner — a successful and happy family indeed. But family isn’t limited to blood. TT’s employees seem like family too. I was surprised and pleased to meet Libby Comegys, who started out with Tom 29 years ago and now is a mainstay of the 10-person team at T.T. Distributors. Her enthusiasm is infectious. Dana says that all T.T.’s loyal customers are family too. “Many of our customers have been with us since the beginning, and our customers are our most important asset.” T.T. Distribution gives life to the phrase “Buy Local” with great products, excellent service, and a managing family who cares. And don’t miss the food truck right outside. They do a super job! Brooke Hamlin is The Ag Mag’s Director of Marketing and Advertising Sales. Visit T.T. Distributors at 7715 W. Hwy. 40 in Ocala, call 352-854-0528, or order online at www.TTDistributors.com. Photo: Dana Barber with daughter Shelby.
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Second Nature by Melody Murphy
How Not to Have a Cow I
do not earn my livelihood in agriculture, but it is a fundamental part of my heritage. This is the only way I know to explain my love of cows. I am as happy as can be driving through miles of wide-open, live-oak-dotted cow pastures. I grew up in the citrus-and-cattle country of central Florida, so it just feels like home when cows are around. I vastly prefer cows to horses and think nothing is cuter than a baby calf. You could even say I had three pet cows in high school. You couldn’t say this factually, as they weren’t my cows and I contributed little to their upkeep. (This is the best way, I believe, to have a cow.) But they were mine in spirit. There was a pasture by our house. A good many cows grazed there, but I had three favorites: an old black bull I named Methuselah, a blackand-white cow I named Bathsheba, and a gingeryred cow with sharp, curved horns, whom I named Jezebel. I don’t know why I gave them names out of the Old Testament. These are just the names that spoke to me. They each had a distinct personality. Methuselah stepped across the pasture with a solemn gait and a grave expression as he surveyed his domain. I always imagined his thoughts would sound as if narrated by Morgan Freeman. Bathsheba’s countenance was placid
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She appears to be a thoughtful and introverted cow, always standing a little ways apart from the herd, grazing with a tranquil, untroubled expression. I sense that she likes her space and enjoys her solitude. I respect that. She’s a cow after my own heart. This winter, when I was out on a friedcatfish run for the family, I decided to stop and finally meet Little Boo. I passed the catfish place, took the back road west of the pasture, and found her standing at the fence like she was waiting for company. I went up and spoke to her. She stuck her face eagerly through the fence and licked my hand like we were old friends, then wrapped her tongue around a tuft of Spanish moss stuck on the barbed wire and sucked it in, chomping it with gusto. I’m old enough now to know better than to feed livestock that doesn’t belong to me. But I can’t help but wonder if Little Boo would like her moss with a side of Golden Delicious apples. Melody Murphy is also fond of some longhorns north of Lakeland, but she hasn’t named them. Yet.
Photographs by Melody Murphy
and amiable. Though pleasant, she was the most reserved. Jezebel had a saucy glint in her eye and some sass in her step — clearly the cow to instigate trouble if ever the opportunity arose. When I stood at the fence, they would amble up and stand looking at me, serenely inquisitive. After we eyed each other for a while and I spoke kindly to them, they would come closer and let me pet them. Methuselah would sniff my hand and permit me to stroke his nose. Bathsheba always licked my hand and would let me pat her cheek. Jezebel tried to nibble on my fingers, but she liked her head scratched. My dad gave boxes of apples to his customers every year at Christmas, and we always had several boxes left over. After a while, you just can’t eat any more apples. But you hate to waste them. So one rainy winter day, I thought, I wonder if cows like apples ... I cut up a few apples, walked across the lane, and waited for my cows. Jezebel, being the boldest and most curious, came first. The other two soon followed. And I quickly discovered two things: 1) Cows do like apples. Very much. Or at least these did. 2) These cows overwhelmingly preferred Golden Delicious to Red Delicious. I’m not joking. They would accept and tolerate the red ones, but their eyes lit up with particular appreciation as they chomped into a slice of yellow apple with extra zeal. I feel the same way. I would take almost any variety of apple over a Red Delicious any day. When a cow disdains an apple for being dry and mealy, humans should take notice. Those apple-eating cows are long gone, but I have a new pet, a pretty little black-and-white cow who lives in a pasture just north of Bartow. I drive south several times a month to visit to my grandmother, and since last spring I have watched this little cow grow up from a calf. All calves are precious, but this one is especially cute. She has the exact coloring of a panda bear. I had a stuffed panda I called Bamboo when I was a little girl, so I call this cow Little Boo. There are other cows in the pasture, but Little Boo is my favorite. She just has the sweetest little face. I keep an eye out for her every time I drive by.
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Farm Finance Community Banks = Local Advantage By Craig Carpenter
O
ne knock against community banks — that they aren’t as big as megabanks — is actually one of their greatest assets. It’s true that community banks might not carry the name recognition of national banks, but they can be a significantly better option for folks who live, farm and ranch in north central Florida. Why? In many ways, smaller is better. The proof is in the name — community bank. The focus of a community bank is always on what is best for the local economy and the people and businesses of the immediate region. North central Florida is a major agribusiness center in the state. As a result, the needs of ranchers and farmers are far different from businesses in Orlando, Tampa or Jacksonville. Our community cares about what is best for their local businesses, including having access to locally focused resources. Local banks rise from the needs of a community; therefore, they exist solely to serve local businesses and residents. They spend time getting to know you, your business and your specific objectives — and they earn your business by rolling up their sleeves and work-
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ing alongside you. At a community bank, customers and businesses are not transactions, they’re neighbors. Before making a decision about where you should bank, consider these community bank advantages: A community bank is a true local bank. That means they are specifically focused on a defined region, and they spend time with businesses that drive the local economy. In addition, the bank’s employees, officers and board members live, work and volunteer in the communities they serve. They shop, dine and go to church where you do. Their kids play with your kids. They care about the community because they are intricately involved in it — just as you are. Community banks and their staff are strongly connected to developing the local economy. When the economy grows, a community thrives, and when a community thrives, residents and businesses prosper. Deposits remain in the community. Big banks centralize deposits and invest assets throughout the nation and the world. Community bank deposits stay local and are invested to drive local initiatives. Because of this, community banks are concerned about one thing:
what is best for local businesses and residents. Lower costs. Community banks offer the same services that regional, national and international banks offer, although most often at a lower cost — and some services are often available without accompanying fees. It’s always best to compare fees to truly understand the cost of banking with a particular institution. High-tech and hightouch. A common misconception is community banks don’t offer the depth of services or technological advantages of larger banks. Today’s community banks offer online banking, smart-phone app banking services, and person-to-person payments just as the big boys do, but they also offer something larger banks can’t: consistent personal service. Larger banks spend less time developing local relationships because their focus is often spent satisfying objectives driven from other area codes rather than in their own backyard. Size vs. culture. Big banks project a sense of stability that is undeniable. If bigger seems better, you might feel more secure knowing that you have billions of dollars behind you. But at the same time, are you content
with sacrificing a communitycentric culture of caring, something big banks rarely provide consistently? Large banks are transaction-focused, and they follow centralized processes that are managed hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away. Community banks provide a culture of friendliness and caring about you, your business, your neighbors and the community at large. Local decision-making. Perhaps most importantly, community banks make decisions locally and based on what is best for the community. Lending officers interact directly with customers, and with this personal knowledge, community banks often approve small business loans that big banks
would reject. Community bank decision-makers don’t fly in from out of town, they drive to the boardroom. They review opportunities with a local perspective, they develop programs that are tailored to local needs vs. national ones, and they consider the character of the borrower along with the trending local market conditions. This is an approach that treats you like a vital part of the local economy and not just another loan.
holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida in Food and Resource Economics. Visit www. cbtfl.com.
Craig Carpenter is a Senior Vice President and Commercial Loan Officer for Community Bank & Trust of Florida. He has been with CBTFL for 18 years. Craig has been in banking for more than 25 years and has specialized in agricultural lending his entire career. He
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Strawberry Shortcake Recipe by Jeri Baldwin Serves 8
F
lorida is awash with red — strawberry red, that is, as farmers produce and offer the succulent berry. Strawberry jam, shortcake, milk shakes; strawberries with cream; strawberry cookies, strawberry soup, and as many other recipes as creative minds may develop are offered at dining tables, restaurants, or the nearest Strawberry Festival. Strawberry Shortcake — the genuine dish — is made with a biscuit as the base.
Ingredients:
1 quart of strawberries ¼ cup sugar + 4 tbsp. sugar 1 pint heavy whipping cream Optional: vanilla or almond extract 8 biscuits
Pictured: Three fiddlehead ferns. One is this magazine. One is a business. One is the account representative who connects the business with the magazine and, in turn, with the community. Watch the three fiddleheads grow, and benefit the community at the same time! We are seeking independent account managers in the north central Florida region. Several open territories available. Send resume to TheAgMag@ gmail.com or call Brooke, 352-537-0096.
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Directions:
Wash the strawberries, remove caps and hulls, and slice in half (or quarters if very large); put into a bowl. Sprinkle ¼ cup granulated sugar over the berries; let sit until a light syrup forms. Follow your favorite biscuit recipe for drop biscuits. (Paula Deen’s recipe has lots of butter: http://bit.ly/1ReMTGK.) Bake following the directions on the recipe. (NOTE: You can also use pound cake, angel food cake, or sponge cake as the base for your strawberry topping.) While biscuits are baking, pour the pint of heavy whipping cream into a deep bowl. Add 4 tbsp. sugar. Optional: a splash of vanilla extract or almond extract. Beat the cream with a whisk, electric mixer, or egg beater until peaks stand up on the cream (about four minutes). Split each biscuit horizontally across the middle. Place the lower half on serving dish; pour two-three tablespoons of strawberries and syrup over the biscuit. Add one or two heaping tablespoons of whipped cream over the strawberries. Top with the other half of the biscuit. Enjoy!
Calendar of Events Events: Workshops, Conferences, Fairs, Courses, Etc. March 28-April 3 Citrus County Fair, Inverness. Info: Crystal.the.manatee@gmail.com. March 31-April 3 Levy County Fair 2016. Livestock, arts, science and technology, baking, sewing, horticulture, more; entertainment and rides. SW 9th Terrace off of SW 21st Place, Williston. Info: pghdusk2dawn@aol. com, www.LevyCountyFair.com. Friday, April 1 Ask Your Master Gardener session on caring for your lawn. Noon, Freedom Public Library, 5870 SW 95th St., Ocala. Saturday, April 2 1. Bugfest Open House. Insect displays and activities. Free, 10-2. UF Entomology and Nematology Dept., Steinmetz Hall, 1881 Natural Area Dr., Bldg. 970, Gainesville. 2. Go Springs and Get Wet. $15, 9:30am. Educational presentations about springs; guided hiking and kayaking tour; springs cleanup, etc. Rainbow Springs State Park, Dunnellon. 3. Water Works. Presentation on Citrus-Levy-Marion water problems’ impact on our lifestyles including ecotourism and farming. 2pm, Forest Public Library, Ocklawaha. 352-817-8077. April 2-June 25 Garden Classes at Ocala Wellness Community Garden, 2200 block of West Hwy. 27, Ocala. All Thursday classes are held 5:30-6:30pm; Saturday classes, 9-10am. 4/2: Good bugs/bad bugs. 4/14 and 4/16: Fertilizing, composting, weed control. 4/28 and 4/30: Nutritional health and wellness. 5/12 and 5/14: Harvesting tips. 5/26 and 5/28: Cooking your harvest. 6/9 and 6/11: Garden maintenance. 6/23 and 6/25: Garden clean-up.
Tuesday, April 5 1. Beneficial Insects in Your Garden, presented by Taryn Evans, FL Native Plant Society. 6pm, Forest Public Library, 905 S. Hwy. 314A. 2. Canning Workshop using boiling-water canner and steam-pressure canner. Directions/tips on making jams, jellies, pickles. Free, 1-3:30 and 6-8:30. Alachua County Ext., 2800 NE 39th Ave., Gainesville, 352-337-6209. 3. Levy Soil and Water Conservation District meeting, 6:30pm, 625 N. Hathaway Ave., Bronson. Subsequent meetings (first Tuesdays): 5/3, 6/7, 7/5, 8/2, 9/6, 10/4. 4. Master Gardeners’ Plant Clinic, 10-1, Dunnellon Public Library, 20351 Robinson Road, Dunnellon. Wednesday, April 6 1. 52nd Florida Dairy Production Conference. 9:30-5, Straughn IFAS Ext., UF, 2142 Shealy Dr., Gainesville, http:// dairy.ifas.ufl.edu/dpc/info.shtml. 2. Farm Estate Planning. Four out of five Florida farmers do not have written estate plans. This workshop will help farmers and their families discuss the future of the farm, assess future financial needs, and develop an outline of a farm estate plan. 8:30-4:30, Citrus County Ext., 3650 W. Sovereign Path, Suite 1, Lecanto. $25/first person, $5/each additional. bit. ly/AgSavesCitrus. NOTE: Also April 5 in Sebring (bit.ly/AgSavesHighlands). 3. Water Works. Presentation on Citrus-Levy-Marion water problems’ impact on our lifestyles including ecotourism and farming. 2pm, Reddick Public Library. 352-817-8077.
Thursday, April 7 1. Florida Friendly Landscaping. Rain barrels, irrigation, other waterand money-saving techniques. 2:30-4, Alachua County Ext., 2800 NE 39th Ave., Gainesville, 352-337-6209. 2. Greenhouse and Outdoor Hydroponics Short Course for Teachers. Overview of springs protection, Florida hydroponic industry, greenhouse and shade structures, post-harvest handling safety, production systems and media, seeding and growing transplants, water and nutrient management, pest management, popular and profitable crops. 8:30-4:30, UF/IFAS Small Farms Academy, 8202 CR 417, Live Oak. $150, includes class materials, lunch, refreshments; some scholarships available. April 7-16 Lake County Fair. www.lakecofair. com/. Saturday, April 9 1. Ask Your Master Gardener, 11am, Reddick Public Library, 15150 NW Gainesville Rd., Reddick. 2. Shade Gardening. Learn about understory trees, shrubs, and plant choices, including seldom used selections. 10am, Superior Landscape and Garden Center, 5300 N. US Hwy. 27, Ocala, 352-3686619, www.superiorlandscape.net/. RSVP by 4/8. 3. UF College of Veterinary Medicine Open House. Learn about vet profession, see what the Small and Large Animal Hospitals do, even adopt a pet. 10-4, UF College of Veterinary Medicine, 2015 SW 16th Ave., Gainesville, www. vetmed.ufl.edu/open-house-2016/.
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Monday, April 11 Dr. Jamie Ellis of UF’s Bee Center will discuss causes and solutions of honeybee colony loss. 6:30pm. Free; purchase dinner. Blue Gill Quality Foods, 1310 SW 3th St., Gainesville, http://bit.ly/1Prx61R.
Thursday, April 14 Creepy Crawlies in Garden Soil. Increase beneficial organisms in your garden and landscape. 2:30-3:30, Senior Recreation Center, 5701 NW 34th St., Gainesville, 352-337-6209.
Tuesday, April 12 1. Growing Herbs. Food enhancement, flavored vinegars. $5, 5:30-7:30, Alachua County Ext., 2800 NE 39th Ave., Gainesville, 352-337-6209. 2. Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District Board meeting, 9am, USDA Ocala Service Center, 2441 NE Third St., Suite 204-2, Ocala, 352-622-3971, x.112. Subsequent meetings (second Tuesday): 5/10, 6/14, 7/12, 8/9, 9/13, 10/11, 11/8, 12/13. 3. St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board meeting, 11am, District headquarters, 4049 Reid St., Palatka, 386-329-4214. Subsequent meetings (second Tuesdays): 5/10, 6/14, 7/12, 8/9, 9/13, 9/27 (final budget meeting to be held at 5pm), 10/11, 11/8, 12/13.
Saturday, April 16 1. 43rd Rose Show. Theme: Election Year with Roses 2016. 1-4pm, free admission. Celebration United Methodist Church, 9501 SW Archer Rd., Gainesville, betty.giesel@gmail.com, GainesvilleRoseSociety.org. 2. 1st Annual Golf Tournament. Registration ($80/person) includes lunch and 18 holes. Fundraiser for youth programs of Marion Soil and Water Conservation District. Registration at 11, lunch at 11:30, tee off at 12:30; Ocala Golf Club, 3130 E. Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. 352-622-3971. 3. Natural Foods Gala and Sustainability Festival. Guest chefs, organic foods; crafts, foods, plants, more. $2/ person admission, $2 per a la carte food sample. Crones Cradle Conserve, 6411 NE 217th Pl., Citra, 352-595-3377, www. CronesCradleConserve.com. 4. Swallowtail Farm 7th Annual Farm Spring Festival. Music, refreshments, workshops, demonstrations, tours, activities, games. $10. Swallowtail Farm, 17603 NW 276th Ln., Alachua, www.facebook.com/events/1570738633148652.
Wednesday, April 13 1. Florida Friendly Landscaping. 3-5, Alachua County Ext., 2800 NE 39th Ave., Gainesville, 352-337-6209. 2. ServSafe® Commercial Food Handler Certification Training and Exam. $110/class and exam, $165/textbook too. 8:305, Marion County Ext., 2232 NE Jacksonville Road, Ocala. 888232-8723, http://bit.ly/1pyL38W.
Two Sister's
VINTAGE Furniture, Antiques, Junque & More 352-427-2843 540 N.E. 14th Street, Ocala 34470 TwoSistersVintageThrift.com
April 16-17 Florida Blueberry Festival, Brooksville. www. FloridaBlueberryFestival.com. Sunday, April 17 Our Santa Fe Riverfest, High Springs. Water ecosystem festival. www.OurSantaFeRiver.org. Tuesday, April 19 1. Operation Farm2Health Symposium. Invited: Farmers, veterans, sponsors. This program is designed to empower veterans and beginning farmers. 9-11, UF/IFAS Marion Ext., 2232 NE Jacksonville Rd., Ocala, www.10-CAN.info. 2. Stone Fruit (peaches) Field Day. 9:30-3:30, UF/IFAS Plant Science Research and Education Unit, 2556 W. Hwy 318, Citra.
Florida Fresh Foods Local Produce Weekly and Bi-Weekly Baskets Naturally Raised Meats Dairy Products Email: FloridaGrubHub@gmail.com or Call: 352-812-3111 For More Info!!
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Always Accepting Qualiied Farm Partners
Wednesday, April 20 Withlacoochee Regional Water Supply Authority meeting, 3:30pm, Lecanto Gov’t Bldg., Rm. 166, 3600 W. Sovereign Path, Lecanto. Subsequent meetings (third Wednesdays): 5/18, 6/15, 7/20, 8/17, 9/21. Thursday, April 21 1. Growing Blueberries. Planting, fertilizing, pruning. 6-7, Alachua County Ext., 2800 NE 39th Ave., Gainesville, 352337-6209. 2. Water Works. Presentation on Citrus-Levy-Marion water problems on our lifestyles including ecotourism and farming. 6:30pm, Williston Women’s Club, 352-628-0698. April 22-23 Florida Sheep, Wool and Herding Dog Festival. Friday: producer workshops, lamb and wine pairing, spinning, wool working. Saturday: Sheep shows, fiber arts workshops, “Lamb Jam” cookoff at 6pm ($10). Both days: herding dog demonstration, livestock guardian dog display, fun for kids. $5/car admission. 10am-8pm, Greater Ocala Dog Club Grounds, 10205 NW Gainesville Rd., Ocala, www.FloridaSheep.com.
Saturday, April 23 1. 2nd Annual Sale in the Swamp, 1pm. Sale of 16-20 head of 2-year-old horses bred in the UF/IFAS Equine Sciences Program; see “The Hoof Beat” article, March issue. UF Horse Teaching Unit, 1934 SW 63rd Ave., Gainesville, 352376-0562, www.ufequine.com. 2. Customer Appreciation Day. Refreshments and giveaways. 11am-2pm, Superior Landscape and Garden Center, 5300 N. US Hwy. 27, Ocala, 352-3686619, www.superiorlandscape.net/. 3. Hydroponic Gardening for the Homeowner. Floating hydroponics, hydroponic bucket garden, growing your own transplants, vertical systems integrated pest management. Wear comfy clothes and closed-toe shoes. $20. 8:15am-12:15pm, Suwannee Valley Ag Ext., 8202 Creek 417, Live Oak, 850-973-4138, http://bit. ly/1VEP3Bs. Tuesday, April 26 1. 2016 Florida Agriculture in the Classroom Agriculture Literacy Day. This year’s book is titled Drive Through Florida: Livestock and Poultry. Florida ag volunteers are invited to read to elementary school children; schedule classroom
visits with schools at least two weeks before readings. http://faitc.org/aglitday/ Agriculture Literacy Day. 2. Green Industries: Best Management Practices (GI-BMP) for people working in lawn care and landscape maintenance. Environmentally safe landscaping practices that help conserve and protect ground and surface waters. FL Statute 482.1562 requires all commercial fertilizer applicators to have a license from the FL DACS; to get the license, worker must be trained in the GI-BMP and receive a certificate of completion from UF/ IFAS and FDEP. $25, 8:15-3:30, lunch is included. Terry Holt, UF/IFAS Ext. Marion County, 2232 NE Jacksonville Rd., Ocala, 352-671-8400. This course will be repeated July 12 and October 18. Thursday, April 28 Watermelon Research & Extension Day. Tour to research plots. Disease control and grafting; weed control, drip irrigation, fumigants; worker protection standards; agribusiness development. CEUs and BMPs available. Free, 8:30-11:30, Plant Research and Education Unit, 2556 W. Hwy. 318, Citra, http://bit.ly/1paYADv.
14’x48’
10’6”x36’
Financing available 5455 N. US Hwy. 441, Ocala 352-840-0200 www.AllenFarmAndLawn.com April 2016
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Saturday, April 30 Herb Planter Class. You’ll make herb planter bowls and learn how to use them. Class includes planters and recipe cards. $25, 10am, Superior Landscape and Garden Center, 5300 N. US Hwy. 27, Ocala, 352-368-6619, www.superiorlandscape. net/. RSVP by 4/28. April 30-May 1 2nd Annual Spring Festival. 9-5 both days. Cedar Lakes Wood and Gardens, 4990 NE 180 Ave., Williston, 352-812-2279, www.CedarLakesWoodsAndGarden.com. Dates Vary Remote Plant Clinic Dates and Locations. Fourth Monday: 2pm, Sugarmill Woods Library. Every Tuesday, 1pm: Lakes Region Library. First Wednesday, 2pm: Floral City Library. Second Wednesday, 1:30pm: Central Ridge Library. Third Wednesday, 1pm: Citrus Springs Library. Second Friday: 1:30pm, Coastal Region Library. Info: Citrus County Ext. Svc., 3650 W. Sovereign Path, Suite 1, Lecanto, FL 352-527-5700, www. citrus.ifas.ufl.edu. Every Wednesday Farm baskets of organic vegetables,
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jams, jellies, etc., are delivered to the Ocala Public Library every Wednesday at 2:30pm. $25-50. Reserve in advance. Crones Cradle Conserve, 6411 NE 217th Pl., Citra, 352-5953377, www.CronesCradleConserve.com. Every Friday Fridays through May 27, 10am, Native Plant workshops and giveaways at Belleview Public Library, 13145 SE Hwy. 484, Belleview. Every Saturday Farmstead Saturdays. Free, 9-3. Lunch and pastries available. Crones Cradle Conserve, 6411 NE 217 Pl., Citra, 352-5953377, www.CronesCradleConserve.com.
Awards Deadline June 17 Grower Achievement Award nominations. Open to vegetable growers who represent the spirit of excellence in the industry and/or are innovative and outstanding. www. GrowerAchievementAward.com.
Positions, Internships Deadline April 15 Florida FFA Convention Media Room Internship. Seeking college students in ag communications, P.R., journalism, or a closely related field to work behind the scenes facilitating media relations during the annual state FFA convention and leadership conference June 13-17 in Orlando. Feature writing; news releases; facilitate interviews; broadcast and new media; assist with photography; social media. Hotel accommodations and most meals provided. http://ow.ly/ZL4PA. Deadlines Vary 1. Florida Sea Grant. New positions in marine and coastal work are posted frequently. www.flseagrant.org/about/jobs/ 2. Internships in the beef industry. Many opportunities; some include housing. www.floridacattlemen.org/internshipopportunities/ 3. UF/IFAS. Extension agents, dairy cattle assistants, water resources agents, horticulture agents, veterinary support, professors, teaching assistants, more. http:// explore.jobs.ufl.edu/cw/en-us/listing/.
Scholarships, Grants, Other Funding Deadline April 1 1. Citrus-Hernando Farm Bureau Scholarship. Open to residents of Citrus and Hernando counties, http://bit. ly/1PsjmUi. 2. Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) positions (two) available at Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) for 10 weeks starting in June. REUs will design and conduct studies that contribute to the Coastal Waters Consortium (http://cwc. lumcon.edu/) collaborative effort studying the effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on Louisiana salt marshes and coastal environments. $500/week, room and board, support for research. http://on.fb. me/1RAXey7 Deadline April 11 USDA Farm Business Management and Benchmarking program. Funds to improve the farm management knowledge and skills of agricultural producers; and
establish and maintain a national, publicly available farm financial management database to support same. http://1.usa. gov/1RyHGFt. Deadline April 15 1. Levy County Farm Bureau Scholarship. Open to residents of Levy County. Academics, career and technical education involvement will be considered. 352-493-4780. 2. Pioneer Garden Club of Ocala scholarships. Two $500 scholarships will be awarded to Ocala high school students with B or better GPA, who have been accepted into and plan to attend a Florida college/university and major in ecology, horticulture, landscape design, conservation, botany, forestry, or marine biology. Tricia Evans, Scholarship Chair, 352-694-9785. 3. USDA National Water Quality Initiative. Farmers and ranchers in three Florida watersheds (Deep Creek, Clarks Creek, Little Scurlock Creek) may apply for technical and financial assistance to adopt conservation practices that improve water quality, such as improving soil nutrient management, planting cover crops, using conservation cropping
systems, establishing filter strips and monitoring water quality. Lakeisha Barber, 386-328-3908, x.3. 4. USDA Organic Transitions Program. $3.8-million available to support research, education, and extension projects that will assist current organic producers and those transitioning into organic farming. Priority concerns for 2016 include: documenting and understanding the effects of organic practices such as crop rotation, livestock-crop integration, organic manure, mulch and/or compost additions, cover crops, and reduced or conservation tillage on ecosystem services, greenhouse gas mitigation, and biodiversity; improving technologies, methods, model development, and other metrics to document, describe, and optimize the environmental services and climate change mitigation ability of organic farming systems; developing cultural practices and other allowable alternatives to substances recommended for removal from NOP’s National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances; addressing major barriers that limit the transition to organic agriculture in a given region or specific crop or animal production systems. http://1.usa.gov/1TdP26a.
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Now Available: Mailed Subscriptions to The Ag Mag. Delivered via First Class mail every month. To order securely online, visit https://squareup.com/store/the-ag-mag/ OR Send your name and address with a check to: The Ag Mag PO Box 770194 Ocala, FL 34477-0194
Deadline April 30 Alachua County Farm Bureau Scholarships, http://bit. ly/1ZuxofI. Deadline May 2 USDA’s Rural Energy for America Program. Loans and grants up to $250,000 for making energy efficiency improvements, and up to $500,000 for purchasing or installing renewable energy systems. Open to producers with at least 50% of gross income derived from ag operations. Energy efficiency projects may include door and window insulations, installation of LED lighting, heating and cooling upgrades, solar powered pumps for sprinkler pivots, electric irrigation motors. Renewable efficiency projects may include the purchase, installation or construction of geothermal systems for electric generation, the action of hydropower below 30 megawatts, development of hydrogen and wind projects, solar or ocean generation. Producers must provide 75% or more of the project cost if applying for a grant; 25% if applying for a loan. Loan applications accepted year-round; grant applications due May 2. Pick up an application at any local USDA office, visit http://1. usa.gov/1AlJtoH, or email Theresa.purnell@fl.usda.gov. Deadlines Vary USDA grants, loans, and other support. Many programs are open to individual and family farmers, even people starting out. Micro-loans are fast tracked. There are other programs open to farmers’ markets, nonprofits, and educational providers. http://1.usa.gov/1J5L4r9. Send your agriculture- and gardening-related Calendar listings to TheAgMag@gmail.com.
www.superiorlandscape.net FULL SERVICE GARDEN CENTER
LANDSCAPE DESIGN & INSTALLATION
Palms • Shade Trees • Citrus Trees Annuals • Perennials • Shrubbery Pottery • Custom Planters Mulch • Pine Straw • Soil
Ponds • Waterfalls • Fountains Paver Patios • Driveways Landscape Lighting Outdoor Kitchens
SUPERIOR LANDSCAPE & GARDEN CENTER 5300 North US Highway 27, Ocala, FL 34482
352-368-6619
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Farming Wonders of the World Ripening blueberries. Photo by Brittany H. Lee, Florida Blue Farms
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Upcoming Events Sunday, April 3 at 3 PM Elvis My Way starring Brandon Bennett Saturday, April 9 at 7:30 PM Sunday, April 10 at 3 PM The Ocala Symphony Orchestra presents: Tribute to the Boston Pops! Sunday, May 1 at 3 PM Sara Jean Ford: Dream of Now, Dream of Then Saturday, May 14 at 8 PM Ann Hampton Callaway and Liz Callaway From West Side Story to Wicked: Broadway with the Callaways Saturday, April 15 at 7 PM Central Florida Master Choir presents Sun in the Morning, Moon at Night Saturday, April 23 at 9 PM Laugh Out Loud Comedy Show Sunday, May 1 at 3 PM Artist Lounge Live presents Sara Jean Ford: Dream of Now, Dream of Then
ReillyArtsCenter.com / 352.351.1606 500 NE 9th St. Ocala, FL 34470 Box Office: M-F, 10 AM-2 PM
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FLORIDA SHEEP, WOOL & HERDING DOG FESTIVAL April 22 & 23, 2016
Sponsored by the Meat Sheep Alliance of Florida Greater Ocala Dog Club Grounds 10205 NW Gainesville RD Ocala FL 34478 For times & Schedule of Events and Fees Go To:
www.Floridasheep.com
Friday April 22 & Saturday April 23 10am - 8pm
Friday: Producer Workshops - See Website Schedule and Fees Lamb & Wine Pairing
Spinning & Wool Working
Herding Dog Demonstration Livestock Guardian Dog Display Friday’s Fun For Kids!
11AM
“Sheep Ewe-Niversity” & Kids Corner! Learn All About Sheep
Barrel Rides, Baby Lambs, Sheep Shearing,
Luke the Great Pyrenees
Livestock Guardian Dog Display
Saturday: Sheep & Sheep Shows Commercial & Purebred Fiber Arts Workshops - Spinning, Weaving, Supplies
Herding Dog Demonstration Livestock Guardian Dog Display
Saturday “Lamb Jam” Cook Off
6 PM $10
$5 Per Car - MSA Members Free On Member’s Day Saturday RVs & Campers $30 Per Night - Power Only Meat Sheep Alliance Member Forms At MSASheep.com
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YOUR FARM-FRIENDLY
LOCAL BANK
Farmers and ranchers have valued Community Bank & Trust of Florida’s commitment to agribusiness for the past 19 years. As a local bank, we spend time in the field getting to know the folks who live, farm and ranch in North Central Florida. And because all lending decisions are made right here, we have the ability to customize solutions and move quickly. After all, it’s our community, too – when your business succeeds, we all benefit.
Where Banking is Personal® cbtfl.com
Drop by one of our branch offices today to say “hello” and learn how we can help your business thrive.
11 CONVENIENT BRANCH LOCATIONS IN ALACHUA COUNTY: MARION COUNTY: SUMTER COUNTY: 36
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The Ag Mag
352-33 1 -1063 352-369-1000 352-259-3070