The Ag Mag ª
Agriculture and gardening in north central Florida
February 2016
Wondrous manatees
It’s time to put up bluebird houses
“My love is blind” ª
The contrary camellia
February 2016
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Seeking Submissions FEATURE ARTICLES. Soil management. Pest control. Seeds. You know your field (we know, that was a bad pun). Do you have an innovative method of [x]? marketing? distribution? Tell us about it! The sky’s the limit when it comes to ideas and content. Suggestions are happily accepted as well. INTERVIEWS. Perhaps you know an experienced farmer who can offer great advice in a particular subject area, or a broad perspective on life as a north central Florida farmer. We would love to read your conversation with that expert. Or just send us your suggestion, and we’ll cover it if we agree. HOW-TO. Practical ways you’ve learned to address needed projects or nagging problems. If you have a Tip or a How-To, we invite you to share your knowledge. LEGISLATIVE CONCERNS. If you know of a local “take action” item, please let us know. EVENTS COVERAGE. We can’t make it to every event, although we wish we could. Send us coverage of your recent event. With your photographs, please include the name and date of the event, as well as the names
of the people pictured and the names of their farms or businesses. We’ll be happy to give you credit, and we would love to publish Cowboy Social Pages. NEWS. Are you offering a new product or service? Opening a new location? Know of a story that should be shared? Send us your news! We are happy to edit if you aren’t confident about your writing. CALENDAR. We are the most comprehensive source of information on upcoming ag and gardening events, celebrations, and opportunities in our area. Send us your Calendar listings. DON’T BE SHY. If you want to see it covered here, then you’re probably echoing the feelings of countless others. Send it in or send us a suggestion! FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS: Written materials should be in Word .doc format. Photographs welcome (the more the merrier; 300dpi .jpegs). Send materials to Carolyn Blakeslee, Publisher, TheAgMag@gmail.com. QUESTIONS? Call Carolyn at 352-286-1779.
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Contents 7
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Letters to the Editor
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News: n Free Trees n Help for Farmers and Landowners Dealing with Invasives n The Hoof Beat: Decoupling
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Bird Bits
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Ag Law by William K. Crispin, Attorney At Law
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My Love Is Blind by Jan Cross Cubbage
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Water News: Kings Bay Restoration
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The Simple Secret to Growing More Food with Less Work by David the Good
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The History of the Extension Service
22 | Whippoorwill Peas by Jeri Baldwin 24 | Second Nature: The Contrary Camellia by Melody Murphy 26 |
Calendar of Events
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Recipes: n Chocolat Mousse by Chef Patrice Perron, La Cuisine French Restaurant n Valentine Salad by Jeri Baldwin, Crones Cradle Conserve
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Wonders of the World: Manatees by Patrick Rose, Save the Manatees February 2016
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The Ag Mag 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 Amy Garone Contributors Jeri Baldwin William K. Crispin Jan Cross Cubbage David Goodman Melody Murphy
Fun Facts The oldest viable seed to be propagated, after being unearthed from several feet of permafrost, was 32,000 years of age. The oldest viable seed to be propagated, after being unearthed from several feet of traditional earth, was 2,000 years of age.
Business Development Managers Jan Cross Cubbage Lynn Noble Contact Us 352-537-0096 P.O. Box 770194 Ocala, FL 34477 TheAgMag@gmail.com Facebook Facebook.com/ TheAgricultureMagazine Copyright Š2016 The Ag Mag, LLC All rights reserved
Join us — make some hay this year!
The Ag Mag is seeking independent account managers in the north central Florida region including Alachua, Levy, Marion, and Citrus counties, and The Villages/Leesburg/Wildwood. Must have some knowledge of agriculture as well as advertising sales experience. Excellent customer service a must. Needs to be a self-starter to develop, grow and maintain relationships with clients. Several open territories available. Please send resume to TheAgMag@gmail.com. Questions? Call Brooke, 352-537-0096.
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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, UF/ IFAS, high school and university ag 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, OCT and Reilly Arts Center.
Letters to the Editor To the Editor: Congratulations on the launch of this exciting new magazine! Its content is stimulating, wellwritten, and visually appealing. I appreciate the variety of interesting articles, the calendar of events, and the section on scholarships, grants and funding. It covers a lot of bases. Thank you for bringing this publication into the community. All the best of success to you, Carolyn, Brooke, and your team. — Aliye Cullu, Ocala
To the Editor: Got a copy in our goodie bag at AGRItunity … where can I find future issues? Thanks! — Jodi S., Citronelle Editor’s Reply: Glad you like the magazine! We are certainly enjoying putting it together. We are 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, UF/IFAS, high school and university ag 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, OCT and Reilly Arts Center. — Carolyn B.
To the Editor: Reviewed your new publication and it looks great. Great content and presentation of material. I know you must have spent many, many hours in gathering content, looking at presentation styles and deciding on the design. I am excited for your efforts and those of others (some we even know!). Thanks for forwarding to us so we can see the inaugural issue! — Pamela G.
To the Editor: Congrats! Thanks for the great coverage. It was a pleasure working with you on this [AGRItunity]. Best of luck with your new magazine. Also, just an additional word of thanks to the person on your team who is cross-posting our Facebook posts on The Ag Mag FB page. Like you, our FB page is fairly new. When you all started cross-posting, our page LIKEs shot up. My estimate is about 25% or so new Likes. I can’t thank you enough for driving some traffic our way. It is much appreciated. — BJ Jarvis, Director and Horticulture Agent, Citrus Cooperative Extension
The Ag Mag’s Brooke Hamlin with a tarantula on her hand at AGRItunity, January 2016. Photo by Stephen P. Evans.
Please send your Letters to The Editor to The Ag Mag, P.O. Box 770194, Ocala, FL 34477, TheAgMag@gmail.com. QUESTION: Does anyone actually READ those “Letters” from the Publisher/Editor in the monthly magazines? Please let me know. If “yes,” I’ll write them. If not, we’ll just keep charging on. Cheers, Carolyn
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News
Help for Invasives FloridaInvasives.org
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Free Trees
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he Florida Forest Service is giving away 10,000 trees to Florida’s homeowners. The giveaway is a partnership between the agency and the Arbor Day Foundation’s EnergySaving Trees Program. Strategically placed trees can add extra shade to a home, reducing the household’s summer electrical use by up to 30%. They also provide other benefits such as cleaner air and improved storm water management. Homeowners may reserve one tree per household. The program will continue until all trees are reserved. To reserve your free tree, visit arborday.org/floridatrees. The website also includes an online tool that will help you find the best place to plant a tree and will estimate your annual savings and benefits from planting the tree.
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he high ecological and economic cost of invasive plant, animal, and reptile species is a statewide problem in Florida. The Florida Invasive Species Partnership (FISP) is a collaboration of federal, state and local agencies along with nongovernment organizations in Florida. FISP was formed to link efforts at preventing and controlling infestations of invasive species. FISP has developed FloridaInvasives.org, an online tool of financial and technical assistance resources to make it easier for landowners and land managers to find them.
Each year, multiple agencies and organizations provide cost-share programs, grants and/ or technical assistance to help landowners and land managers with various agriculture or natural resource management practices including invasive species management. Previously, people had to contact every agency or organization to find this assistance. Now, FloridaInvasives.org provides program information in one location. It also specifies the requirements for each program, to see if they are a good match to the user’s needs. In the “Landowner Assistance” tab, web site visitors enter their county location, target species and other pertinent information into the online tool, and a complete list of available programs is listed. The resource is updated regularly.
The Florida Invasive Species Partnership offers many programs, including python-catching education workshops, “Don’t set it free!” events for K-12 classes, and more.
The Hoof Beat Decoupling
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he Florida legislature is considering legislation that would allow decoupling, meaning that pari-mutuel facilities would no longer be required to operate horse racing, dog racing, or jai alai games in order to run a casino. It is part of a pact made with the Seminole Tribe. While the motivation is significant — a 20-year deal with the Seminoles that includes $3-billion to the state during the next seven years — opponents say the state and the people of Florida would lose a lot more if horse racing here were in fact to decline. The Seminoles want to expand their gaming operations; the legislature would still approve new operations on a case-by-case basis, so casinos would not “mushroom” as has been suggested. Dog track and jai alai operators admit that attendance at these events has decreased and the industries are already unsustainable. Thus, they support decoupling and the demise of the two sports, although racing Greyhound owners do not. Two major Thoroughbred
racetracks operate year-round in Florida: 77-year-old Gulfstream Park; and Tampa Bay Downs, now in its 90th year. Neither has given any indication that they would suspend horse racing if decoupling were to occur. Gulfstream West, which opened in 1971 as Calder Race Track, has a 60-day autumn season that starts the week after Labor Day and runs until the week before Thanksgiving. Hialeah Park, which opened in 1925, has a winter Quarter Horse season beginning the day after Christmas and lasting until the end of February. Isle of Capri Casino (formerly Pompano Harness Track) opened in 1964 for Standardbred racing and operates 10 months of the year. The Thoroughbred industry is credited with thousands of Florida jobs and billions of dollars passing through the Florida economy. Those who are against decoupling believe that it would weaken the Florida racing industry and that owners, breeders, and trainers would migrate to other states such as New York and Pennsylvania that are per-
ceived by some to have stronger horse racing business climates. George L. Russell, Sr., President of the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association, said, “It is hard to understand how our legislators could consider allowing the decoupling of live racing, which simply means elimination of horse racing while still allowing other forms of gaming to not only continue, but actually expand and prosper. Racing was the necessary catalyst for these facilities to obtain their other forms of gaming in the first place with the intended purpose of supporting racing itself as well as breeding and commerce. To simply require no more racing while allowing other forms of gambling to continue, grow and intrude will obviously create a substantial windfall for these facilities and their gaming company owners. Now to make matters worse, if you consider the resulting loss of Florida jobs, the loss of green space attributable to various farm closings, and the loss of economic benefit generated by our industry, decoupling is a bad bet and sure loser for our state.” — C.B.
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Bird Bits
Birds eat pests. They are the cleanup crew of the planet, eating dead vermin among other things. They disperse seeds and contribute to environmental diversity and health. Bird guano is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients. Birds even pollinate — 900 species of them, anyway.
Bald eagles in Florida M
Above: A bald eagle chick’s talons. The chick was the size of a smallish (perhaps 25-pound) dog. Photo from the Institute of Wildlife Studies Catalina Island, California banding project, 2007; the hand in the photo belongs to biologist Dr. Peter Sharpe. An eagle can break and crush a handler’s arm, so the leather glove traditionally worn protects only against cosmetic injuries. Even small birds can cause significant damage if they latch on with fright or harmful intent.
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ore than 1,000 pairs of nesting bald eagles are year-round residents of the Sunshine State. That’s the third largest population in the U.S. after Alaska and Minnesota. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) conducts an annual statewide survey of all known bald eagle nesting territories in Florida. The survey is conducted between November and March. Surveys are flown by fixed- or rotary-winged aircraft. New nests are searched for periodically by FWC staffers as both a routine duty and when new nests are reported to the FWC prior to the survey. The bald eagle, our national bird, was removed from the imperiled species list on the heels of its remarkable recovery. Sources: n Florida Department of Environmental Protection n Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
in helping the female feed their young, but because they work harder, they have shorter lifespans than their red brethren.
Finch feathers
Male finch feather colors determined by the bird’s diet
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he House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) is a small, seedeating songbird. These sparrowlike birds are common visitors to backyard bird feeders. Both males and females have brown back and wing feathers with dark streaks and white tips, and their belly or underside is white and heavily streaked with brown. The male is characterized by bright red, orange, or yellow color around his eye and on his neck, upper chest, and rump. During the late summer, the male molts completely, replacing all of his body feathers. During this period, the male eats brightly colored foods, such as red berries and flower buds; the carotenes in them will determine how brightly colored his new feathers will be. To further complicate things, the red birds are reportedly more attractive to young female finches in their first year or two of breeding, but the red guys are allegedly the laziest males. The yellow finches are said to be the most diligent
Sources: n UF/IFAS Extension, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw298 n Tough Little Birds blog, http://bit.ly/1RjaR4v n Male house finch, photo by Ken Thomas
Bluebird boxes J
anuary is the perfect time to get ready for bluebird nesting.
If you have a box, now is the time to clean it out — old nests, other critters making it home. If you don’t have a box or two, now is a great time to install them as the parents are “apartment hunting” for February nesting. Place boxes at least 15’ apart so males don’t fight over the territory. Contact the Citrus County Extension office in Lecanto, 352-527-5700, for more information or to purchase a box for a nominal donation to the 4-H youth program. Photo: Bill Pennewill, founding President, Florida Bluebird Society. — C.B.
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Ag Law by William K. Crispin, Attorney At Law
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hen approached recently by Carolyn Blakeslee and Brooke Hamlin to be a contributing author of an Agricultural Law column in The Ag Mag, my first reaction was that I did not need another deadline. However, the importance for production agriculture to be persistent in communicating and informing the public of our country’s greatest asset trumped other priorities. Historically, domestic food production has always been considered a matter of national security. No country of note can exist without the means and ability to feed its citizens. Our agricultural production is the primary way that we obtain food. This magazine’s focus on agriculture in north central Florida is an exceptional look into the nation’s agriculture due to the diversity of food and fiber produced by the region’s growers. Blessed with expansive agrarian lands, favorable climate, water resources and its notable human resources, north central Florida’s tradition of contributing mightily to the state and country’s food needs is indeed impressive. This bountiful area of Florida has been able to sustain its significant contribution in no small part to its land grant institution, the University of Florida and its Institute for Food and Agricultural Science (IFAS). With the land grant university, we further benefit by its knowledge transfer arm, the Coopera-
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tive Extension Services, with its extension agents and research specialists. [EDITOR’S NOTE: Please see the article beginning on Page 20 for more information about this history of UF/IFAS and Extension.] Also, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) maintains a vital presence with regional offices in Gainesville and each county. From Farm Service Agency offices to Agricultural Research stations, the USDA contributes to the area’s farm fabric. This inaugural column allows me to introduce myself and the role I fulfill as a lawyer whose practice is focused strictly on agricultural law. My clients are farmers who grow and produce the food and fiber that we all consume. Noteworthy is that the percentage of farmers, around one-and-a-half percent within our population, decreases slightly every year. This is remarkable — the amount of food being produced by fewer growers is feeding a growing population. The flip side of the shrinking grower numbers is the decreasing awareness the rest of the population has of exactly where and how their food is produced and the journey from farm to table. Even in the heart of a robust agricultural region, most people do not have any idea of the complexity of production agriculture. Certainly, many who strive to grow a garden recognize that it is not just sowing some seed and wishing. But garden-
ing and commercial farming are in two different galaxies. It will be an objective of this column to provide insight to the everevolving galaxy of our wonderful agriculture from the perspective of an agricultural attorney. It seems that the image of farming from times past is drawn upon by those advocating certain farm policies. And there are aspects of modern agriculture that continue to draw and rely upon those formative generations. But today’s farmer, whether it be a large commercial operation involving thousands of acres or a Community Supported Agriculture farm, face similar issues derived from local, state, national, and even international influences. These and other factors support the separate legal treatment of agriculture. First, no other industry in the United States makes as extensive use of the land resource as agriculture. Second, biological cycles govern production agriculture. These cycles of nature do not dovetail well with laws of other industries. Seasonal patterns, rather than marketplace supply and demand, govern many decisions and transactions of the grower. Third, a general characteristic of our production agriculture is that few producers have any real control over prices paid for inputs or prices received for their crops. These factors, combined with erratic market prices and changing climate patterns, clear the deck for federal farm programs such as federal crop insurance for risk management; marketing orders and special trade practices regulation to navigate the competitive marketplace;
and, unique credit institutions such as the Federal Land Bank, now known as the Farm Credit system. Locally, I serve on a couple of University of Florida committees, one as a member of the Regional Advisory Council to IFAS. Jack Payne, the university’s senior vice-president for agriculture and natural resources since 2010, heads the administration of IFAS. Jack is a real champion for agricultural research and a wellspoken advocate for food security issues. A recent comment of his, passed along as a New Year greeting, provides an update on current events’ influence on IFAS’s research. This research arm of the university supports many critical areas of production agriculture that, in turn, impact each citizen. Water is a current example. From a stepping up of investment in water science, to the hiring of additional specialized Extension agents in water resources, IFAS is focused on the research needed to make people aware of water-related challenges we face, and a means to avert crises. Efficient use of our water is a primary requirement for a healthy, sustainable agriculture industry. North central Florida is indeed fortunate to have the University of Florida as a key resource guided by leadership in touch with addressing these evolving challenges. We will explore these various components of agriculture through our local eyeglass. But at the end of the day, it is the production of our food that justifies legal support for agriculture. The need for food is quite the most rational basis for agricultural law as a unique discipline within our world of “too many lawyers.” I
look forward to sharing my perspective with you.
William K. Crispin is an Agricultural attorney in Gainesville, Fla., home of the University of Florida and the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS). His practice focuses on natural resource based industries, notably production agriculture. Crispin, since 1983, represents producers in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Georgia, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and other agri-production states. He was involved in the Everglades restoration project; he advocated that agriculture must be made part of the solution for restoration to be sustainable. This proposition was adopted by resolution of the Governor’s Commission for a Sustainable South Florida and the Agriculture Advisory Committee to the South Florida Water Management District. Crispin’s work with farmers in their federal crop insurance claims furthers his commitment to agriculture producers, as fair adjustment of their crop losses is a critical component for the economic survival of the industry. His work advocating the interests of the farmer/insured has advanced this area of law favorably for the farmer.
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My Love Is Blind By Jan Cross Cubbage
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inding love via the Internet is an act which I had viewed as a bit absurd. Yet, it was through an e-mail I received from someone in Louisiana that resulted in my hooking up with a new acquaintance with whom I now hold the deepest of admiration. My love is an equine. She is a Thoroughbred. Her frame is stout and very broad across the butt. Gentle as a dove, wise as an owl, and blind as a bat, Lady Hoosier has quite a story to tell of her 16 years. The e-mail I received originated from a Louisiana horse rescue that was also a Thoroughbred breeding and training farm. The rescue organization was circulating a list of 10 mares found starving and standing in mud at an Arkansas farm. The mares were in desperate need of adopters. Information was provided as to the mares’ names, ages, and bloodlines. As I scanned the list, my
heart jumped a beat when I read the info following the name Lady Hoosier. This particular mare’s sire was a world class sire (deceased) named Rahy. Rahy had stood for a stud fee of $100,000 during his prime as a sire of race horses. Fantastic Light was his best known son; this phenomenal steed had won more than $8 million and was declared a turf champion in 1981 in both the USA and Europe. Owning a Rahy mare was described as possessing a “jewel” in a Thoroughbred bloodlines commentary I had recently read. More astounding information was discovered about Lady Hoosier’s pedigree when I went to Equibase, the Jockey Club research database. Lady Hoosier’s dam’s sire was the internationally acclaimed French sire of champions, Riverman. I also learned that Lady Hoosier had raced 10 times and won four races; all four victories were described on the racing charts as front-running
dashes in which she couldn’t be caught. She had been bred and raced by the colorful owner of the New York Yankees, George Steinbrenner at Kinsman Farm near Ocala. What on earth was a mare of Lady Hoosier’s caliber doing at a horse rescue? I called the Louisiana farm and was told that she was blind and that no one wanted a blind mare, with or without a star-studded pedigree. Horsemen with business sense know that breeding a blind mare is a hazardous investment. A blind mare is believed to be likely to trample her foal or knock it down by accident because of her disability. She is predicted to behave as a neurotic mother, forever wondering where her foal is. So while most of the other mares had been adopted already, Lady Hoosier remained at the rescue farm. Having little in the way of business sense, I agreed to adopt the blind mare sight unseen. A week later, Lady Hoosier
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was riding in a box stall in a commercial horse van heading eastward on I-10 toward Florida. Lady Hoosier was coming home to Marion County. I was advised by the horse rescue to limit Lady Hoosier to a small paddock and perhaps put an older, gentle horse in the paddock with her for company. A poor listener, I immediately turned out Lady in a 10-acre field with two other mares and my old Quarter Horse, Roper. And then I watched her learn the lay of the land as she quietly strolled
around the field. Lady mentally mapped the location of fences by bumping them with her nose. It took only minutes for her pasture mates to jog up and check out Lady Hoosier. Like most horse meetings, there was the usual bowing of necks, snorting, and hoof stomping; but Lady is not a timid mare, and she did not yield to their introductory nipping. Lady held her ground, bared a fine set of teeth herself, and
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established that she was a force to be reckoned with. The show was over in about 10 minutes, and Lady and her new pasture chums had their heads dropped and grazing. There is no doubt about Lady’s blindness. Lady’s left eye is a recessed, partially empty socket. The right eye is a mass of white clouds. My vet believes that Lady became afflicted by uveitis, an inflammatory eye disease. Lady probably lost her sight in increments over a year or two. The “gradual” factor, plus the good sense and remarkable intelligence she possesses, has helped her adjust to her lack of sight. Lady also sports a set of big ears. Her ears are not cute fox- like Quarter Horse ears, but large wide-based sonar antennas. A human who can weirdly wiggle their outer ears has three muscles in their ears. Horses have a set of 10 ear muscles and a back and forth wiggling radius of 180 degrees. Equine ears can move independently of one another, trapping sound waves that would just fly by our own ears that are permanently plastered to the sides of our skulls. Lady keeps track of her pasture mates and stays with them by using those big ears as tracking devices. Satisfied that I had adopted
a sensible and gentle mare, I decided to breed Lady. She was serviced by Circular Quay, a Grade I stakes winner of more than a million dollars, on March 12, 2013. On that same date a full year later, I watched her calmly give birth to a tall, brawny chestnut filly. Lady never came close to stepping on her foal. Using those big ears of hers, Lady followed the heartbeats, breaths, and movements of her foal as the newborn made her first wanderings into the confines of her stall and then later as she gamboled about the great outdoors. Lady Hoosier’s motherhood instincts were excellent, and she worried no more about the whereabouts of her frisky filly than a sighted dam. Lady has proved her worth in spite of being without vision. Her foal is now a two-year-old in race training. Heads turn when the stout good-looking redhead nicknamed Lucy struts by. How could a horse owner not love a mare like Lady Hoosier? Yes, my love is blind. Jan Cross Cubbage, a blood stock agent and Thoroughbred farm manager, is at heart an educator. 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.
Water News Kings Bay Restoration
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ings Bay and Crystal River together are one of the most environmentally important assets in all of Florida. They are classified as a National Wildlife Refuge and are the largest winter refuge for manatees on Florida’s Gulf Coast. More than 600 manatees migrate to Kings Bay and Crystal River each winter; it is the largest seasonal refuge for manatees on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The Bay comprises more than 600 acres and is fed by 70 springs, the second-largest group of springs in Florida. Crystal River has been named an Outstanding Florida Waterway and supplies critical fresh water to St. Martins Reef, one of the principal sea grass beds and estuaries in the state. Last fall, state-funded restoration of the area began. So far, 74 spring vents have been cleared, and more than 8,000 cubic yards of Lyngbya, an invasive algae, have been removed; 99% of
phosphorus, and 50% of nitrogen pollution has been removed; and 1,800 native grasses have been planted. The waters are clear now, compared with what most of the Bay still looks like. And the manatees have more sea grasses
to eat, now that the Lyngbya isn’t blocking the grasses’ sunlight. Lyngbya affects more than manatees. As Lyngbya mats deplete oxygen levels in the water, they cause a chain reaction in the overall ecosystem. Tiny microscopic animals l iving in the grass begin to die and become
less abundant. Small fish, turtles, shrimp,crabs and other creatures that eat these microscopic animals begin to disappear. Birds and larger animals that eat these smaller fish and c rabs begin to migrate to other habitats. The whole ecosystem is altered. The economic threat of Lyngbya is considerable as well. Commercial fisherman and recreational charters depend on the waterways for fishing and crabbing. Hotels, attractions and tour operators depend on tourists visiting the area to swim, dive, kayak, paddle board, hike, take photographs and see manatees. In fact, tourism alone infused nearly $175 million into the area’s economy in 2014. Pending more state funding, the second phase of the restoration will begin in the spring. For more information, visit https://kingsbaypilotrestorationproject.com.
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by David The Good
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or years I planted almost nothing but annual gardens. As a child and later as a young man, anything other than beans, radishes, lettuce, and other crops that produced quickly were usually off my gardening radar. Fruit and nut trees took forever to produce, or so I told myself. And who wants to wait a few years for a good berry harvest? Forget that, I thought — I’ll plant some sweet corn I can harvest in less than three months! Then I had a change of heart. It wasn’t an overnight change, but it was a change based on a few observations and the purchase of a home that came with two mature pear trees. Those pears opened my mind to the incredible possibilities of trees. We harvested baskets of sweet fruit summer after summer and spent almost no time tending the trees. Pear jam, pear sauce, pear butter, dried pears, pear slices in syrup, pear pie, pear wine, pear salsa ... we loved the heck out of those trees and based at least one year’s Christmas gifts on the many delicious
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The Simple Secret to Growing More Food with Less Work confections my wife and I created from the massive harvests of the fall. Two trees. Hundreds of pounds of food. I realized the error of my gardening ways. Annual gardens require replanting every spring and fall — trees don’t. Established trees take care of themselves pretty well without much care — annual gardens don’t. Here’s another story. Back when I was 15, I lived in South Florida about a mile from my Grandmom and Grandpop’s house. They had a row of coconut palms growing in their backyard along the canal and my Grandpop would pile up the fallen coconuts under the edge of the hedge. I noticed one of them had sprouted, so I brought it home and asked Dad if I could plant it in the backyard. I had been gardening since I was six and already had a little annual garden spot, but I thought it would be cool to plant a coconut and see what happened. Dad gave me a space and I planted it. Now, more than 20 years
later, that coconut tree is loaded with hundreds of pounds of nuts. Every. Single. Year. My old annual garden back there is long gone. But what if I had planted a mango back then? A Key lime? A jackfruit? Just imagine the yields my parents would be getting now! If you’re not convinced you should plant trees yet, here’s a third and final story for you. When we moved to Marion County, my wife and I looked at quite a few foreclosures for sale before settling on our current homestead. One old house we visited had broken windows, trash around the yard and some ugly additions ... yet in the backyard were two towering grapefruit trees that had covered the weedy ground with fallen fruit. Though it looked as if no one had lived there for years, those trees went on happily producing great big piles of delicious fruit anyway, watered only by rainfall and fed with just what their roots could pull from the sand. Try walking away from a patch of sweet corn and see how long it keeps producing!
After these experiences, I was completely sold on trees being the way to produce more food with less work and I resolved to plant a few trees every spring and fall when I planted my vegetable gardens. Since then I’ve planted many hundreds of foodbearing trees. I’ve planted trees in my yard, in the yards of my relatives, on friends’ properties, and even on empty lots in my neighborhood. After the first few years of getting established, fruit trees leap into growth and will begin to bear fruit, which they bear in greater and greater quantities as they reach maturity. During the last year, I’ve harvested figs, plums, mulberries, peaches, loquats, oranges, Key limes, persimmons, bananas, lemons, guavas, calamondins, jujubes, and kumquats from my yard, and even some tropical almonds and starfruit from trees I planted in South Florida. Five years ago, all I had on my property were oaks and a single sweet gum. In another year or two, in addition to the big list of fruits above, my sand pears, apples, chestnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and avocados will start producing. You can do the same thing. As you plant your spring garden, pick out a few fruit trees and pop them into your yard. My top three favorite easy-to-grow fruit trees are mulberries, loquats and Japanese persimmons. After that, add more in the autumn. Then add a few more. With pruning and a little bit of cleverness, you can grow a lot of fruit trees in even a small yard — and as you get older and are less willing to go dig up a patch of soil for a vegetable garden, you’ll be picking more and more sweet fruit from your own yard with a minimum of effort. Don’t just plant the quick stuff as I used to do. Think long-term, and you’ll harvest a ton of food with less work than you ever thought possible. 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. Pictured, top right: The author with a young chocolate pudding fruit tree he planted in South Florida.
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February 2016
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The History of the Extension Service
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ll universities engage in research and teaching, but the nation’s more than 100 land-grant colleges and universities have a third mission as well — sharing the fruits of research by extension. Through extension, these institutions provide evidence-based, scientific, and practical information and technology to agricultural producers, small business owners, consumers, families, and youth nationwide. By educating farmers on business operations and on
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modern agricultural science and technologies, extension contributes to the success of countless farms, ranches, rural businesses, and today’s urban gardens. Further, these services improve the lives of consumers and families through nutrition education, food safety training, financial information, youth leadership development, and more.
History
The Morrill Act of 1862, also called the Land Grant Act, gave
states tens of thousands of acres of land; proceeds from the sale of these lands were to be invested in an endowment fund that would provide support for colleges of agriculture and mechanical arts in each state, known as land grant colleges. In Florida, this school was Florida Agricultural College, established in Lake City in 1884. The Smith-Lever Act formalized extension in 1914, expanding USDA’s partnership with land-grant universities to provide research and education in agriculture. In 2014, the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and its land-grant university partners celebrated 100 years of extension in the United States. NIFA supports both universities and local offices of the Cooperative Extension System (CES) to provide research-based information to its audiences. NIFA distributes annual congressionally ap-
propriated formula grants to supplement state and county funds.
Today
During the last century, extension has adapted to changing times and landscapes, and it continues to address a wide range of human, plant, and animal needs in both urban and rural areas. Today, extension works to: n Translate science for practical application n Identify emerging research questions, find answers, and encourage application of science and technology to improve agricultural, economic, and social conditions n Help people break the cycle of poverty, encourage healthful lifestyles, and prepare youth for responsible adulthood n Provide rapid response in disasters and emergencies n Connect people to information and assistance available online through Extension.org. The nation’s transformation from a manufacturing to an information society raises questions as to how best to reach people. Extension educators use modern technology to disseminate knowledge and tools, but also rely on traditional human values and relationships to gain the attention and trust from the people they serve. As residents of the communities in which they work, local extension agents bring credibility to their roles as educators.
Tomorrow’s Agricultural and Natural Resource Workforce
Experiential learning is a great way to promote youth interest in adopting science, tech-
nology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in their future careers. NIFA-supported 4-H programs touch more than 6 million children across the country every year. Several projects supported by NIFA Smith-Lever funds and special funding from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service taught youth to learn and apply Geographic Information Systems mapping skills that support wildlife refuge systems from the Caribbean to the Pacific, from Maine to Alaska. For example, youth in Iowa tested the effectiveness of mapping using iPhones compared with Global Positioning System units. This learning experience allowed them to map features such as fences, invasive species, oak stands, and areas that need attention to conserve wildlife. Another project, in Minnesota, engaged teens on the White Earth Indian Reservation to conduct golden-winged warbler habitat and nesting cover mapping at the Tamarac Refuge. Such experiences help youth develop science skills and learn skills necessary for future employment.
Florida: UF/IFAS
The University of Florida (UF), together with Florida A&M University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, administers the Florida Cooperative Extension Service. In 1905, the Florida legislature passed the Buckman Act, which consolidated Lake City’s 1884 Florida Agricultural College, the East Florida Seminary of Gainesville, the St. Petersburg Normal and Industrial School at St. Petersburg, and the South
Florida Military College at Bartow to form the University of the State of Florida, which was moved to Gainesville. The school was renamed University of Florida in 1909. As outlined above, the Smith-Lever Act of 1914 established the Cooperative Extension Service. In 1964, Florida’s higher education governing board created the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences by combining UF’s College of Agriculture (now the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences), School of Forestry (now the School of Forest Resources and Conservation), Florida Agricultural Experiment Station (now Florida Agricultural Research and Education Center), and the Cooperative Extension Service into a single unit. Nick T. Place, Ph.D., is the Dean and Director of UF/IFAS Extension. At the University of Florida, Extension is located in the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), along with the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) and the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station, and is called UF/IFAS Extension. UF/IFAS Extension encompasses thousands of faculty members, scientists, educators, administrative staff, and volunteers, all working to carry out an amazing array of research and provide life and work solutions. For a complete list of extension services in Florida, visit http://sfyl.ifas. ufl.edu/map/index.shtml. Photos: Antique tractor, Citrus County Extension; Women County Agents, 19--. State Archives of Florida, www.FloridaMemory.com.
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Whippoorwill Peas Heirloom Seeds, Good for What Ails Ya Whippoorwill. Photo by Tom Benson/Flickr Creative Commons
S Whippoorwill peas (seeds)
Suwannee cowpea on left; whippoorwill on right. Photographed on July 12, 1934. Print collections, UF Agricultural Experiment Station, FloridaMemories.com
Whippoorwill pea plant flower
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by Jeri Baldwin
teven Manning had kin ’cross the river in Marion County, so he often left his home in Lake County and rode north to visit. He passed the small farms and homesteads that a lot of people lived on in the years after the War Between The States. The hardscrabble huddles of buildings and sandy soil told him what a letter would have taken a long time to write: Folks were just barely making it on these little places. Somewhere on that road Steven Manning traveled several times a year, one place sent a different message. The field always looked dark green and healthy. Reluctant to disturb someone he did not know, the traveler rode and wondered for many months. Who knows what made this day different, but on this day Manning stopped and enjoyed the view again, reined his horse around, and rode along the dirt path to the barn. “Hello the place,” he called. From deep inside the barn came the response, “Comin’ out.” Manning introduced himself to Israel Brown and explained why he came in. He then heard the story about that amazing field. “That field grows whippoorwill peas. They grow good in the sorriest soil there is, and they are good, good for you, and good for what ails you. They are called whippoorwill peas ’cause they are speckled just like the feathers on a whippoorwill. Some of my great, great, great, greats managed to bring them along when they got captured out of Africa, and they growed them to remember their home. They also wanted good food that they knew, that belonged to them. So we been growin’ them ever since for just about the same reasons. “They are easy to cook, but don’t look at them much. The more they cook, they get so dark, you maybe think they bad burned. When the peas finish cooking, the liquor is so thick it takes a spoon to get them to your mouth. You want somethin’ good, take a bowl of whippoorwill peas, tear up some hot cornbread or biscuits over them, and you got a real feast. “They also are good medicine, cure lots of ailments.” Steven Manning took peas when he left the Brown homestead. He shared the seeds with his kinfolk in Marion County, whose little
farms had soil as bad as Israel Brown’s. The peas always got planted, and they were easy to grow, and made great food. Families east of the Ocklawaha River shared with anyone who wanted to plant, and whippoorwill peas provided food for many families’ tables in a county where folks loved their land but never managed to produce much of a cash crop and didn’t have much steady cash work. Steven Manning’s grandson, Richard Mills, grew up in the same county, married, and had a daughter, Janet Ann. But Janet was sickly; soon, her parents journeyed along the dirt roads in the pine woods, and crossed the Ocklawaha, then into Ocala, and found Dr. Peek. He looked at Janet, faced her parents and said, “Your daughter has rickets and needs nourishing food, right away. Do you have any whippoorwill peas on your farm? You do? You cook them, and give them to her all the time, until she gets a whole lot better.” During the next several months, Janet Ann Mills improved, survived, grew into a woman, and married Johnny Pohlers, a young man from a family in the pine woods. They raised their children on their farm and always planted whippoorwill peas, and always told folks about the peas that grew good, tasted good, were good for you, good enough to cure rickets, and good enough to always get planted on the farm. The farmers always talked about the good-looking soil where whippoorwills grew. Years passed. Johnny Pohlers aged, and he started planning what to do about his treasured whippoorwill peas. He decided to share seeds wherever gardeners would take them. I was on his list of gardeners to call on, as we had been friends for years and he knew I would treasure his gift. He trudged up my stairs with two quart jars filled with peas. With the peas came the story of his ancestors and their journey with whippoorwill peas. Whippoorwill peas are good, good for you, and good for what ails you. They are doing their part to build on the legacy of heirloom riches that seeds ensure if planted, eaten, and passed along to others. 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.
n No food is more connected with the South than the Whippoorwill pea, brown with brown speckles and named after a similarly speckled nocturnal bird, the whippoorwill. Often planted on the borders of fields to help keep down weeds and enrich the soil, it earned one of its names, the “field pea,” with that usage. Cattle grazed on the pea bushes, so “cow pea” became another of its names. n A bush variety with short runners and purple flowers, the pea grows in conditions few other plants can live in. Resistant to drought, heat, high humidity, and cool temperatures, the pea thrives in adverse conditions including poor, sandy soil, but it requires warmth above all. n For best planting results, sow peas directly into the ground from mid-June to late July in rows at least 12 inches apart. The peas can be harvested when the pods are yellow and plump with peas or can also be allowed to dry on the vine, then stored for winter consumption. Peas are wonderful eaten either fresh or dried. Cowpeas are a delicious southern vegetable when boiled for hours to create a dark, savory gravy. n Whippoorwill peas originated in the forests of west Africa and were brought to America with the captured slaves as both a familiar and delicious food. n Whippoorwill produces vigorously. A legume, it is an excellent nitrogen fixer for the soil. With an 85-day cycle, it grows rapidly and can be double succession cropped in Florida. n When peas made their way from slave cabin to master’s mansion, a delicacy made from peas was developed by plantation wives. Instructions include shelling, boiling, and draining the young and newly gathered peas, mashing them into a cake, and frying until browned, then serving with a garnish of thin bits of fried bacon. For more information: n www.monticelloshop.org/600568.html n www.cherrygal.com/peasouthernwhippoor willheirloomseed2015-p-15327.html n www.nytimes.com/2010/12/30opinion/ 30harris.html n www.charlestoncitypaper.com/charleston/ southern-field-peas-enjoy-a-moment-in-thespotlight/Content?oid=5488021
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Second Nature by Melody Murphy
The Contrary Camellia
I
t’s been a warmer and wetter winter than usual. Naturally, the azaleas and Japanese magnolias are confused and bloomed early. In February, nature is painted in Valentine colors — pink, orchid, red-violet, white — but this year, Mother Nature decorated right around the time the heart-shaped boxes of chocolates hit the stores, which was just after Christmas. However, there’s one latecomer: I’m still waiting for my camellias to bloom. There is a sasanqua, also called a Christmas camellia, in my back yard. Christmas is a misnomer; it has bloomed as early as August, but typically blooms from September through late November, maybe a straggler or two in early December, with lovely, profuse pink blossoms. As soon as it’s finished, the camellia in the front yard picks up where it left off. The camellia bush by my front door has bloomed, with big, ruffly, pink flowers, every winter for the six years I have lived in
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this house. One year, it bloomed as early as Thanksgiving. Last year, it first bloomed, with two perfect pink blossoms, on New Year’s Day. I remember this distinctly because it was a perfect symbol: My two best friends, also sisters, were both expecting baby girls, one to be born in January and one in June. I thought it quite fitting that even the old camellia bush joyously heralded their imminent arrival. This year: nothing. I’ve inspected the bush numerous times, and seen a bud or two, but no blooms yet. I don’t know what the problem is. We’ve had sunshine, warmth, cold snaps, and rain. I don’t know if it has a blight, or if it’s just taking its sweet time this year, but either way, my camellia needs to get its act together. I admit, freely and with a little shame, that I am a neglectful gardener. This is much like last month’s confession, when I admitted I have no background in agriculture other than a heritage of farmers and a love of nature.
I love flowers and plants, but I only sporadically apply myself, when I remember with a pang of guilt, to the well-being of the ones which happen to inhabit my yard. That being said: I am oldschool. I crush all my eggshells, collect my coffee grounds every morning, and gather the ashes from my fireplace, and I mix it all together and save it in old coffee cans under my sink. A compost of eggshells, ashes, and coffee grounds makes an excellent fertilizer. Now, if I could just remember to take the coffee cans outside and actually fertilize said plants and flowers ... perhaps I would have a blooming camellia right now, yes? However: It isn’t altogether my fault. The other yard flora seem to thrive under my regime of benign neglect. The sasanqua, though equally ignored, flourished last fall. The tea olive is blooming fragrantly as we speak. It’s just the old camellia that’s being contrary. In my grandmother’s yard a
Photograph by Melody Murphy
hundred miles south of here, her camellia bush has been blooming merrily, right on schedule, and I can assure you it has been deprived of fertilizer or any attention. It’s one of the pretty pink-andwhite-striped variety that reminds me of a candy cane. Did it require coddling with eggshells and coffee grounds and the ashes of my last three fires? No. It did not. The thing I like about camellias is that they are hardy. Cold weather doesn’t upset them. They thrive on it. This is just the right kind of flower for me to have in my yard, as I am not given to tucking in plants for a cold winter’s night with old bed sheets. My style of plant parenting is rather like that of a mother bird who unceremoniously pushes her fledgling offspring out of the nest: You’ve got to make it on your own, kid. But my camellia child, who has been so dependable for six winters now, has suddenly gone sulky on me. I find this vexing and perplexing, far more than I should. After all, this is an ornamental plant we’re talking
about. Whether it blooms or not shouldn’t have any bearing on my life or affect my mood in any real way. And yet, it does. I have a good memory and a pretty keen observation of the natural order of things. I take great satisfaction in thinking, “Well, the robins ought to be passing through any time now ... and now it’s strawberry season ... and this is the week the redbuds should bloom, and then the wild cherries and wild plum just before Valentine’s Day” — and sure enough, they do. I keep a calendar in my head
of what nature ought to be doing at any given time. This must be the farm girl in my heritage. But when nature proves untrue to the almanac, it’s very disconcerting. As for the contrary camellia: I’m starting to take this personally. Melody Murphy wonders if stating publicly in print that she is a neglectful gardener will make her any more accountable to her yard flora, or if this column might somehow shame the contrary camellia into blooming — but she doubts it either way.
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Calendar of Events Events: Courses, Conferences, Fairs, Etc. February 1-5 Florida Edible Gardening 101. For those new to gardening or just new to gardening in central Florida, this 5-evening class will teach the basics to help you be successful at growing just about every kind of plant. Subjects will include building soil, composting, mulching, garden pests, vegetable gardening, plant propagation. $30/person or $50/ couple, includes printed materials and light snacks. Monday-Friday, 6-8:30 pm. Monday: Composting, organic gardening. Tuesday: Edible landscaping. Wednesday: Micro-irrigation, vegetable varieties for the area. Thursday: Herbs, tropical fruits. Friday: Pests, diseases. Terry Holt, UF/IFAS Extension Marion County, 2232 NE Jacksonville Rd., Ocala, FL, 352-671-8400. This class will be repeated September 12-16. Tuesday, February 2 1. Florida Water Star training; offered to building professionals about water-efficient appliances, irrigation systems, and landscaping. Residential construction as well as commercial and community-level projects. 8:30 am-5 pm. The training is free; $50 exam fee. Class held at Southeast Ecological Science Center, 7920 NW 71st St., Gainesville. Information: Merry Mott, mmott@fngla.org, 800-375-3642, FloridaWaterStar.com. 2. Food Safety and Quality Program (ServSafeÂŽ) training program for food managers and staff. 8:30-4:30, UF/ IFAS Extension Alachua County Office, 2800 NE 39th Ave., Gainesville. Information: 888-232-8723, http://tinyurl.com/ nmdc3sc. 3. Hydroponic Vegetable Nutrient Management. Learn about plant physiol-
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ogy, nutrient basics, water quality and pH, media selections, how to mix your own fertilizer, monitoring and adjusting nutrient solutions, equipment and meters, more. $150, 8-5; includes lunch, refreshments, class materials. Held at UF/ IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, 2725 S. Binion Rd., Apopka, FL. Information/registration: http://bit. ly/1VGuS4i Every Tuesday (2, 9, 16, 23) in February Water, Landscape, Energy. A 4-part series on becoming a FloridaFriendly Homeowner. Ever wonder how you can save money on your utility bill? Are you curious as to why water is such a big issue in Florida or is your lawn just giving you a huge headache? Water, energy, and landscaping will all be discussed. Each session will feature in-classroom presentations, a guided tour or field trip and lunch. $35/all 4 sessions includes lunches; 9-2; held at Rainbow Springs State Park, Headsprings Pavilion, Dunnellon. 352-671-8400, https://rainbowffh. eventbrite.com. February 2-3 Florida Farm Bureau’s annual Legislative Days, Tallahassee. Legislative briefing dinner, Tuesday evening, 5:30 pm, at Tallahassee Automobile Museum; RSVP by email to Christine.Scovotto@ ffbf.org. Taste of Florida Agriculture reception, Capitol Courtyard on Wednesday, 5 pm. Information: www.FloridaFarmBureau.org.
Wednesday, February 3 4-H Day at the Capitol in Tallahassee. Contact your representative to set up meetings. $15-28 registration for tee shirts, lunch, interaction with the legislature, tours. http://florida4h.org/programsandevents_/capitolday/. February 3-4 The St. Johns River Water Management District is holding a public workshop to discuss comments received on the Upper Ocklawaha River hydrologic mode. 9-4, Maitland Service Center, 601 South Lake Destiny Rd., Suite 200, Maitland. Information: 386-329-4201, FloridasWater.com/othermeetings. Thursday, February 4 CALS Career Expo. With employers representing the food, fiber, natural resources, and life sciences sectors, attendees can expect to find opportunities for internships and employment, as well as representatives of graduate programs and professional schools. Open to UF students and alumni. 9-3, UF College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, 2002 McCarty Hall D, Gainesville, www.cals.ufl. edu/careerexpo. February 4-15 Florida State Fair. For entry deadlines, call 813-627-4229 or visit www. floridastatefairag.com/ Deadline February 5 The Master Gardener Training Program will be held every Wednesday
February 17-April 6. Levy County Extension, Bronson, 352-486-5131. Information: http://bit.ly/1lIGG8Z. Friday, February 5 1. Hydroponic Vegetable Nutrient Management workshop. $150, 8-5, held at Mid-Florida Research and Education Center, Apopka. Lunch included. Information: 386-362-1725, http://2016NutrientManagement.eventbrite.com. 2. Marion County Master Gardeners Plant Clinic. 10-1, Dunnellon Public Library, 20351 Robinson Road, Dunnellon. Bring your plants and questions for diagnosis by the experts. 3. Small Scale Mushroom Production. Cost is $80-135 depending on level of participation and date of registration (Early Bird registrations close January 10). Primary Participant receives mushroom toolkit, two inoculated natural logs, two inoculated synthetic logs, a notebook, lunch, and refreshments. Held 8:30-4:30 at Suwannee Valley Agricultur-
al Extension Center, 8202 CR 417, Live Oak, FL 32060. Information: Dilcia Toro, dtoro@ufl.edu, 386-362-1725, x.102. Register online at http://smallfarmsacademy.eventbrite.com. UF/IFAS Small Farms Academy, http://svaec.ifas.ufl.edu/ sfa. February 5-6 9th Annual Charity Truck and Tractor Pull. 7 pm (gates open at 5), Southeastern Livestock Pavilion, 2232 NE Jacksonville, Road, Ocala. $15 at the door, $12 in advance. Information: OcalaTractorPull.com, 352-843-0146. Saturday, February 6 1. Cast Iron Cook-Off Contest. This event will feature prized cast iron cooking recipes in several categories. Vendors are invited to apply for booth space for the event. Crones Cradle Conserve, Citra, 352-595-3377, catcrone@ aol.com. 2. Lake Apopka Wildlife Festival and Birdapalooza, Orange County’s Mag-
nolia Park and Lake Apopka North Shore. More than 360 species of birds have been identified there. St. Johns River Water Management District, 904-730-6258, tmonson@sjrwmd.com. February 8, 15, and 22 First Time Home Buyers Education Program. 3-part series to help with buying, maintaining, and keeping a home. Session 1 covers getting your budget and credit worthiness taken care of, determining affordability, understanding responsibilities and costs. Session 2: understanding the sales contract, home inspections, mortgage process, homeowners’ insurance, warranties, closing costs. Session 3: Q&A. $10 per individual or couple. 6-8 pm, held at UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County Office, 2800 NE 39th Ave., Gainesville. Information and registration: 352-955-2402. Tuesday, February 9 1. Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District Board meeting, 9
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Congratulations on The Ag Mag. Thank you for a much-needed forum! ~ The Allens
5455 N. US Hwy. 441, Ocala 352-840-0200 www.AllenFarmAndLawn.com
Financing available
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am, USDA Ocala Service Center, 2441 NE Third St., Suite 204-2, Ocala, Information: Ann Bishop, 352-622-3971, x.112. Subsequent meetings (second Tuesday): 3/8, 4/12, 5/10, 6/14, 7/12, 8/9, 9/13, 10/11, 11/8, 12/13. (NOTE: Dates have changed since last month’s Calendar was published.) 2. St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board meeting, 11 am, District headquarters, 4049 Reid St., Palatka. Information: Missy McDermont, 386-329-4214. Subsequent meetings (second Tuesdays): 3/8, 4/12, 5/10, 6/14, 7/12, 8/9, 9/13, 9/27 (final budget meeting to be held at 5 pm), 10/11, 11/8, 12/13. (NOTE: Dates have changed since last month’s Calendar was published.) Thursday, February 11 Teacher Workshop and Farm Tour, Broward County. Open to all educators, formal and not, working with pre-K through 12th. $10 registration fee includes tour, lunch, 8 professional development points, lesson plans and activities. Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, www.faitc.org/teacher-workshopand-farm-tour-registration-available.
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The Ag Mag
Saturday, February 13 Ask Your Marion County Master Gardener. 11 am, Reddick Public Library, 15150 NW Gainesville Road, Reddick. Gardening tips. Tuesday, February 16 Chicken University. Introduction to poultry biology, nutrition, and egg production. $5 includes written take-home materials. 6-8 pm, UF/IFAS Lake County Extension Auditorium, 1951 Woodlea Rd., Tavares. Pre-registration required, http://bit.ly/1PMHUIE. February 16-17 5th UF Water Institute Symposium. Trends, cycles, and extreme events pose challenges to management of water resources. Coastal flooding brings intrusion of salt water into municipal and agricultural water supplies. Seasonal and longterm climate cycles challenge us. Floods and droughts, along with chronic nutrient loading, trigger harmful algal blooms in estuaries and inland waters. Such trends, cycles, and extreme events present complex physical and social challenges that require improved scientific understanding and innovative engineering and management solutions. The symposium will bring together individuals from a variety of institutions, disciplines and perspectives. Presentations, poster sessions and panel discussions will focus on new science, technology, and policy that address drivers of/interactions among trends, cycles, and extreme events; impacts to coastal, surface water, and aquifer systems; and solutions that integrate science, technology, policy, and management. Early registration deadline January 19th. J. Wayne Reitz Union, University of Florida Campus, Gainesville, FL. Information: Lisette M. Staal, 352-392-5893, x.114 or lstaal@ufl.edu. Wednesday, February 17 Withlacoochee Regional Water Supply Authority meeting, 3:30 pm, Lecanto Government Building, 3600 W. Sovereign Path, Room 166, Lecanto. Information: Nancy Smith, 352-527-5795, www.wrwsa.org. Subsequent meetings: 3/16, 4/20, 5/18, 6/15, 7/20, 8/17, 9/21. (NOTE: Dates have changed since last month’s Calendar was published.)
Thursday, February 18 1. Florida Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program 2016 training. This is required for all growers who want to participate in the 2016 Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (WIC). The training this day is held at the Leon County Ext. Office, Tallahassee, at 10 am. A few other dates and locations are available. Information: Allison Leo, Bureau of Food Distribution, Tallahassee, 850-617-7179. 2. Grow Potatoes with Success. Soil preparation, variety selection, how to harvest and cure potatoes. 6-7 pm, free. UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County Office, 2800 NE 39th Ave., Gainesville. Information/pre-registration: 352-955-2402. Saturday, February 20 Know Your Springs. 2 pm, Forest Public Library, 905 S. Hwy. 314A. Delve into the ecology of our unique and complex ecosystems with experts from the Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute. Deadline February 21 This is the deadline for teachers to apply for the free 5-day Plant Camp June 20-24 held by UF/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. Invasive plants interfere with navigation on Florida’s lakes and rivers, block flood control devices and bridges, harbor mosquitos, create fire pathways to tree tops, tangle electrical lines, and cost taxpayers more than $80 million/ year. This course will help you expand your content knowledge and lab/field experience in the area of aquatic and upland plant biology; learn the difference between native, non-native, and invasive plants; learn a new approach to plant identification; discover the impacts invasive plants are having on Florida’s ecology and economy. Participants will earn in-service points for professional development. Participation is limited to 24. Information: UF/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants, 7922 NW 71st St., Gainesville, 352-392-3665, plants.ifas. ufl.edu/education/plantcamp. Tuesday, February 23 Florida-Friendly Landscaping™: Getting Ready for Spring. Pruning, mulching, irrigation, other spring cleaning chores. 6:30-7:30 pm, free. UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County Office, 2800 NE 39th Ave., Gainesville. Information/ pre-registration: 352-955-2402.
Wednesday, February 24 Review and Exams for Limited Certification Pesticide Applicator Licenses. 8-3, UF/IFAS Lake County Extension Auditorium, 1951 Woodlea Rd., Tavares. Review for exam, followed by exam for Limited Commercial Landscape Maintenance license and Limited Lawn and Ornamental for government workers. Information: http://bit.ly/20nLxMt.
10 am, Ft. McCoy Public Library, 14660 NE Hwy. 315, Ft. McCoy. 2 pm, Forest Public Library, 905 S. Hwy. 314A.
jor supermarket distribution center. $600; lodging and meals not included. http://bit. ly/1kJIHBw.
Monday, February 29 Florida Native Plant Society presentation on Beneficial Insects: The good, the bad, and the ugly, presented by Taryn Evans. 6 pm, Belleview Public Library, 13145 SE Hwy. 484, Belleview.
March 3-13 Florida Strawberry Festival, Plant City. www.flstrawberryfestival.com/
February 24-28 Live Oak International. Combined Driving and Show Jumping event and inaugural Live Oak International 5K. 2215 SW 110th Ave., Ocala, 352-873-9407, www.LiveOakInternational.com.
February 29-March 4 27th Annual Florida Postharvest Horticulture Tour. Participants learn how fresh subtropical, tropical, and temperate fruits, vegetables, and ornamental crops are handled. Behind-the-scenes visits are hosted by the operations’ top management. Participants become familiar with a variety of methods and technologies used to harvest, pack, cool, chip, and receive fresh crops. Coordinators: Dr. Steven Sargent and Dr. Mark Ritenour, specialists in postharvest technology at UF/IFAS. Tour travels via commercial bus to a variety of operations throughout Florida including growers, a fresh-cut processor, and a ma-
Thursday, February 25 Raised Bed Vegetable Gardening. 6-7:30 pm, free. UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County Office, 2800 NE 39th Ave., Gainesville. Information/pre-registration: 352-955-2402. Saturday, February 27 Ask Your Master Gardener: Bulbs.
March 4-5 Bee College. Open to everyone interested in honey bees. Lectures in the morning, hands-on workshops in the afternoon; open hive demonstrations. Fees vary. Protective gear provided; also morning and afternoon snacks, lunch both days, a banquet dinner Friday, ice cream social after Awards Ceremony. Held at UF’s Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, 9505 N. Oceanshore Blvd., St. Augustine. www.ufhoneybee. com, http://bit.ly/1P8M3FW. (NOTE: The Master Beekeeper Program is offered on Thursday, March 3.) Dates Vary Citrus County Extension Svc. Remote Plant Clinic Dates and Locations.
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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Fourth Monday: 2 pm, Sugarmill Woods Library. Every Tuesday, 1 pm: Lakes Region Library. First Wednesday, 2 pm: Floral City Library. Second Wednesday, 1:30 pm: Central Ridge Library. Third Wednesday, 1 pm: Citrus Springs Library. Second Friday: 1:30 pm, Coastal Region Library. Information: Citrus County Extension Svc., 3650 W. Sovereign Path, Suite 1, Lecanto, FL 34461, 352-5275700, www. citrus.ifas.ufl.edu. Every Wednesday Farm baskets of organic vegetables, jams, jellies, etc., are delivered to the Ocala Public Library every Wednesday at 2:30 pm. $25-50. Reserve in advance. Crones Cradle Conserve, 6411 NE 217th Pl., Citra, 352-595-3377, www. CronesCradleConserve.com. Every Saturday Farmstead Saturdays. 9 am to 3 pm. Free admission. Crones Cradle Conserve, 6411 NE 217 Pl., Citra, 352-5953377, www.CronesCradleConserve.com.
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Awards Deadline March 1 Nominate the Agricultural Environmental Leadership Award winner. The award commends enterprises that demonstrate leadership in developing and implementing innovative and progressive techniques to safeguard the environment and conserve natural resources. The following environmental practices will be considered in judging nominations: Wildlife protection and Habitat Conservation: Provide a safe, vibrant habitat for wildlife within an agricultural operation; Pesticide/Nutrient Management: Use pesticides/nutrients responsibly, maximizing benefits and minimizing potential adverse environmental effects; Water Quality: Preserve or improve water quality within or adjacent to an agricultural operation; Soil and Water Conservation: Reduce soil erosion, nutrient depletion and water consumption, and enhance water recharge; Waste Management/Recycling: Reduce
waste by recycling agricultural by-products and waste products on site. Information: FreshFromFlorida.com, http://bit. ly/1P8zA9D.
Positions, Internships Deadline March 1 Farm Credit’s Social Media Corps program: National Dairy Challenge. Mini internships; students develop and implement a live, on-site content plan for an influential organization’s event. Students will take photos, create tweets and Facebook posts, engage with key stakeholders online to expand the visibility of the Diary Challenge events. One-on-one training before event; hotel and meal costs paid; assistance with travel. National Dairy Challenge will be held April 7-9 in Syracuse. bit.ly/1mJ9wqL.
PROOF Open until filled Located in Illinois, The Land Connection seeks a full time program director to join the team this winter. The program director will oversee the farmers’ market, farmer training, and outreach programs, and will be in charge of writing grants to support these programs. http:// thelandconnection.org/about/employment-opportunities. Deadlines Vary Florida Sea Grant. If you are interested in marine and coastal work, check in with the Florida Sea Grant program, as new positions are posted frequently. www.flseagrant.org/about/jobs/
APPROVED WIT CHANGES
Scholarships, Grants, Other Funding Deadline February 1 1. The Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund. The Farmer Veteran Fellowship Fund provides direct assistance to veterans in their beginning years of farming or ranching. The Fund does not give money directly to the veteran, but rather to a third-party vendor for any items that make a 2013 farm business. $300,000 will critical difference in the February launch of a young
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Deadlines Vary Internships in the beef industry. Many opportunities; some include housing. www.floridacattlemen. org/internship-opportunities/ Deadlines Vary UF/IFAS. Extension agents, dairy cattle assistants, water resources agents, horticulture agents, veterinary support, professors, teaching assistants, much more. Check out the list at http://explore.jobs.ufl.edu/ cw/en-us/listing/.
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be awarded in 2016. Applicants must have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, currently be on active-duty, or serving in the military reserve/National Guard; must be members of the Farmer Veteran Coalition (farmvetco.org, no membership fee); must have an honorable discharge (other characters of discharge may be accepted on a case-by-case basis) or a command support letter; must have an agricultural business in operation, and submit a business plan; and be willing to fully participate in the Fellowship Program, which includes reporting progress, mentoring aspiring veteran farmers, etc. http://www.farmvetco.org/about-us/ our-programs/farming-fellowship/ 2. The Florida Sea Grant Scholars Program. Provides financial support to high-achieving graduate or undergraduate students who are enrolled full-time at Florida universities, in order to support timely and innovative ocean and coastal-related research. Five $2,000 scholarships will be awarded. Selected projects must align with one or more of the goals identified in the 2014-2017 Strategic Plan (www.flseagrant.org/about/strategicplan/). Students are eligible to receive the award just one time, as the aim is to support a diversity of projects and establish a cadre of scholars over the lifetime of this award. Scholars will participate in a Sea Grant event in 2016 or 2017 and will spend a day shadowing a Sea Grant extension agent, in addition to using their funds to support their research program (attending extension retreat or the next coastal science symposium). Information: Dr. Karl Havens, 352-392-5870, www.flseagrant.org/ students/scholarships/seagrant/.
Deadline February 12 John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship. Provides a unique educational experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean or coastal resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources. The program matches highly qualified graduate students with hosts in the legislative and executive branch of federal government in the Washington, D.C. area, for a one-year paid fellowship. The amount of this award, contingent on federal funding, is $56,500 to each fellow for stipend, living expense and travel. Information: Dr. Karl Havens, 352-392-5870, http://seagrant.noaa.gov/fundingfellowships/ knaussfellowship.aspx Deadline February 15 Research Experience for Undergraduates Program at CCMI (Central Caribbean Marine Institute): Coral Reef Biodiversity and Resilience at the Little Cayman Research Centre, May 28-July 22. Open to undergrad. students enrolled in a degree program leading to a B.S. degree in marine science. Research themes will include coral reef stress, climate change, ocean acidification; coral reef resilience and restoration; invasive species (lionfish); herbivory. Eight applicants will be selected. Besides conducting research, REU participants will attend workshops on career skills in science, participate in excursions on and around Little Cayman, and interact with local conservation professionals. http://reefresearch.org/research/researchexperience-for-undergraduates/.
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Deadline February 25 2016 Guy Harvey Scholarship Award. Open to full-time undergrad. and grad. students in FL degree programs who are conducting research related to the biology, ecology, habitat or management of fish in Florida’s marine environment. $5,000 each, up to 8 will be awarded. www.flseagrant.org/students/ scholarships/guyharvey/. Deadline March 10 Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Programs. $17.6 million to support research and outreach activities that will help growers, producers, and processors find innovative ways to improve organic agriculture. http://1.usa.gov/1NRY5Tz. Deadlines Vary Alachua County Farm Bureau. Scholarships, mini-grants for Ag Literacy Day Pizza Parties, speech contest, Teacher Ag Mini Grants, Agri Science Awards, grants for Youth Fair transportation, Youth Fair and Livestock Show achievement awards. Information: www.alachuacountyfarmbureau.com/programs-2/ youth/. Deadlines Vary UF/IFAS Awards, scholarships, assistantships, fellowships, travel awards for Graduate Students. http://cals.ufl.edu/ students/graduate-travel-awards.php#award.
Deadlines Vary or Ongoing 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. www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=KYF_ GRANTS. Send your agriculture- and gardening-related Calendar listings to TheAgMag@gmail.com.
Holy Moses Water Treatment, Bryant’s Pump Service and Well Drilling 24-Hour Emergency Service Pumps, Wells, Softening, Purification and More — All makes and sizes! 352-629-3769 P Ocala, FL 386-755-3358 P Lake City, FL 229-559-8272 P Lake Park, GA Holym@bellsouth.net
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Valentine Salad
Chocolat Mousse
Recipe by Jeri Baldwin Crones Cradle Conserve, Citra
Recipe by Chef Patrice Perron La Cuisine French Restaurant, Ocala
2-4 cups of green salad mix. ADD your favorite or available vegetables. Possibilities include cauliflower, cucumber, tomato, watermelon radish, sweet bell peppers (any or all colors), carrots, broccoli, or any vegetable you like. OPTIONAL: Mozzarella, cheddar, or any cheese you like.
Serves 8 people
1. Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut vegetables into hearts. You may also cut cheese into hearts if you like. 2. In a large salad bowl, tear the spring mix, add the vegetables, sprinkle with cheese. 3. Drizzle with Wild Orange/Honey Dressing: Wild Orange/Honey Dressing 1 cup mayonnaise 2 tablespoons wild orange juice ½ cup raw honey ¼ teaspoon salt OPTIONAL: Poppy seeds 1. Whisk or shake all ingredients together. 2. Add to salad just before serving.
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200g (approx. 7 oz.) of good dark chocolate 80g (approx. 1/3 cup) of unsalted butter 1/8 cup liquid cream Put all these ingredients into a round metal mixing bowl. Melt everything together in a bain-marie (hot water bath or double boiler). In a separate bowl, combine: ½ cup egg yolk 80g (approx. 6 tbsp.) of sugar Mix together until you have a light yellow batter that is nice and smooth. Fold in the chocolate mix with a spatula. With a Kitchenaid type mixer, mix 1 cup egg white with a pinch of salt. When your egg white is white and fluffy, add 2 tablespoons sugar. When your egg white is “solid,” add, in three separate times, the egg/chocolate batter very gently with a spatula. Try not to break the egg white. Put this finished batter into ramequins, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Serve with a cookie, whipped cream, and/or a raspberry or strawberry. Delicious! Bon appetit!
Wonders of the World D
id you know? According to Save the Manatee Club executive director Patrick Rose, “Alligators will give manatees the right-of-way. If a manatee wants to go by, it bumps or nudges the gator to move it. How’s that for clout?” Photographs © Patrick M. Rose, Save the Manatee Club. Above: Close-up of a manatee (note the boat propeller marks). Below: A manatee and her calf. Information: www.SaveThe Manatee.org.
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Upcoming Events
Reilly Arts Center
Feb. 7 - 3:00 PM I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues: A Salute to Ella, Judy & Patsy Feb. 13 - 7:30 PM & Feb. 14 - 3:00 PM The Ocala Symphony Orchestra presents Star Crossed Lovers Feb. 19, 20 - 7:30 PM & Feb. 21 - 3:00 PM Churchill: The Play Starring Ronald Keaton Feb. 26 - 7:30 PM The Ocala Symphony Orchestra presents A John Williams Spectacular Feb. 27 - 7:30 PM An intimate evening with Travis Tritt March 5 - 7:30 PM Jaws Movie & Live Shadowcast Performance March 12 - 7:30 PM & March 13 - 3:00 PM The Ocala Symphony Orchestra presents: Silver Youth
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Reillyartscenter.com / 3523511606 500 NE 9th St. Ocala, FL 34470 Box Office: M F 10 AM 2 PM | The Ag Mag