June2016TheAgMagOnline

The Ag Mag June 2016 Volume I, Issue 6

Agriculture and gardening in north central Florida

Agritourism Cogongrass: State funding to help you eradicate it Law: Remedies when seeds, systems, or sprays fail June 2016

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Upcoming Events Saturday, June 11 at 1:30 and 5:30 Sunday, Aprilpresents: 3 at 3 PM Footprints in Motion Elvis My Way starring Brandon Bennett The Land In Between Friday, July 1April at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, 9 at 7:30 PM Insomniac Theatre presents: Sunday, April 10 at 3 PM JAWS: Movie and Live Shadowcast The Ocala Symphony Orchestra presents: TributeJuly to the Sunday, 3 atBoston 3 p.m.Pops!

Ocala Symphony Orchestra presents: Red,Sunday, White, and OSO1Blue!

May at 3 PM

Sara Jean Ford: Dream of Now, Dream of Then Friday, July 8 at 7:30 p.m.

Classic Albums Live presents: Saturday, May 14 at 8 PM Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon Ann Hampton Callaway and Liz Callaway From West Side Story to Wicked: Saturday, July 23 at 9 p.m.

Broadway with the Callaways Run It World Comedy Show Saturday, 15 atp.m.

7 PM Thursday, AugustApril 4 at 7:30 Classic Albums Live presents: Central Florida Master Choir presents LedMorning, Zeppelin: Moon at Night Sun in the Zeppelin II Saturday, April at 9 PM Sunday, August 7 at 23 3 p.m.

Laugh Out Loud Christopher Kale JonesComedy presents:Show Darin: Bobby’s Biggest Hits Sunday, May 1 at 3 PM

Reilly Arts Center Artist Lounge Live presents

500 NE 9th St. Sara Jean Ford: Dream of Now, Dream of Then Ocala, FL 34470 352.352.1606 ReillyArtsCenter.com Box Office: M-F, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

ReillyArtsCenter.com / 352.351.1606 500 NE 9th St. Ocala, FL 34470 Box Office: M-F, 10 AM-2 PM

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Contents 6

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Masthead + Letter from the Publisher

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News

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AG LAW Things That Can Go Wrong ...

by William K. Crispin, Attorney At Law

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Cogongrass: Kill it before it spreads!

by Jan Cross Cubbage

14 | SECOND NATURE Summer Magic

by Melody Murphy 16 |

Growing Bananas in North Central Florida

by David the Good

18 | Agritourism:

“May I Please Pick an Egg?”

by Jeri Baldwin 22 | SPOTLIGHT Crones’ Cradle Conserve 24 | FIRST-PERSON FARMER

Windmill Acres Farm and Goat Dairy

by Alan Hart 26 | RECIPES Blueberries ...

by Janet Pepin 27

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Calendar of Events

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Happy Father’s Day!

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FARMING WONDERS OF THE WORLD Minneapolis Institute of Art

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The Ag Mag

Letter from the Publisher

Volume 1, Issue 6 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 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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lorida enjoyed $89.1 billion in tourism spending in 2015, with more than 100 million tourism visitors that same year, and the state consistently leads the southeastern U.S. in farm income. Thus, it’s no wonder that the agritourism market in Florida presents a worthwhile business endeavor. While agritourism is not a new niche in the Florida travel industry, it is one of the state’s fastest growing business ventures. Simply put, agritourism is any agricultural activity that provides the general public with recreational, entertainment or educational value. It includes many activities such as fishing, winery and vineyard tours, corn mazes, and plantation tours just to name a few.

(Source: www.FreshFromFlorida.com)

Please read Jeri Baldwin’s article this month on Agritourism on p.18, and consult our Calendar of Events for information on an Agritourism webinar that will be held June 9th.

The Florida Department of Agriculture now has a costshare Cogongrass treatment program. This program is available in all counties in Florida. It offers reimbursement of 50 percent of the cost to treat Cogongrass infestations with herbicide for two consecutive years, up to a maximum of $100 per year for treatment of up to one acre, and $75/acre per year for any additional area. Qualified applicants may apply to treat up to 133 acres of infested area. The Cogongrass Treatment Cost-Share Program is now accepting applications on a first-come, first-serve basis until July 29, 2016, or until the available funding has been allocated.

Treatments are to begin this fall.

Please read Jan Cross Cubbage’s article on p.12, and for more information visit http://bit.ly/1kmjMnL, or call Jeff Eickwort, Forest Biologist, at 352-395-4689. The application form is available online at http://forms.freshfromflorida.com/11298.pdf.

We hope you enjoy this issue! If you would like to see something in particular covered here, please contact us at 352286-1779 or TheAgMag@gmail.com.

Cheers,

Carolyn

News With sod-based rotation, profits up, risks down

by Beverly James GAINESVILLE, FL — David Wright, an agronomy professor and University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension specialist, makes it his mission to get farmers to grow more grass. This will increase profits, reduce risk of disease and pests on row crops that follow, and conserve natural resources, according to the researcher.

The benefits in rotating perennial grass (sod) with row crops, Wright says, may help farmers boost profits two- to seven-fold. Currently, more farmers are adopting the practice. Funding is being provided by the Florida Water Management Districts and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and through EQIP funds from National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), Wright says.

Wright, based at the UF/ IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center in Quincy, Florida, has been researching sod-based rotation for more than 16 years. Sod-based rotation involves planting a perennial grass, such as bahia, for several years, and then planting row crops such as cotton, peanut, soybean or cotton after kill-

ing out the sod.

Florida farmers who grow tobacco, watermelon, and other high value crops have known for decades that rotating perennial grass into their growing schedule would yield higher profits. But, most farmers have their pastures in one part of the farm and the row crop land in another, Wright says. So, he began his research along with a team of other IFAS scientists to explore the impact of sod- based rotation. What he found was astounding.

“We have found that sod-based rotated crops use 70 percent less water, and the soil is robust,” Wright explains.

“There has been an increase in peanut yields by 25 to 40 percent, and a 30 to 40 percent increase in the total root mass of cotton and peanuts, making the crops less stressed under drought conditions. Also, we have seen a dramatic drop in fertilizer needs for following crops if livestock are grazed on the perennial grass or overseeded winter annuals.”

In addition, there are many soil benefits from sodbased rotation, Wright says.

“Research shows that perennial grass reduces pest populations and diseases. Also, since two-thirds of the root mass of bahia and other perennial grasses is below ground, the grass leaves a lot of organic matter in the soil,” Wright explains. “The extra carbon or organic matter increases soil structure, which increases the water and nutrient holding capacity of the soil.

It also enhances the microbial

populations with an increase in indicator enzymes for carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus cycling.”

Wright recommends that Florida farmers plant bahia grass for two years before rotating to peanut for a year, followed by cotton the next year, and then returning to grass.

Winter annuals can be planted into the bahiagrass in the fall and grazed as well as being planted after cotton and peanut.

Cattle grazing gives a positive impact to the following summer crops with increased rooting while leaving double the amount of potassium and nitrogen in the root zone from recycled nutrients from the manure.

While the benefits of sodbased rotation are plentiful, farmers should be aware of potential problems, Wright says.

“Bahia grass produces lots of residue that can make planting peanuts difficult,” he says.

“I suggest using an herbicide to kill the bahia in the fall of twoyear-old bahiagrass and overseeding this with oats and rye, thereby giving the residue time to decompose before it’s time to plant peanuts in the spring.” Although the system is more complicated than a single crop being grown each year, the benefits far outweigh the extra management required.

For more information, visit http:// nfrec.ifas.ufl.edu/sod-rotation/. Beverly James can be reached at 352273-3566, beverlymjames@ufl.edu. ... NEWS continued on p.20

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Things That Can Go Wrong ...

by William K. Crispin, Attorney At Law

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ne of the challenges in submitting a monthly column about agricultural law is choosing the topic. There is no shortage of worthwhile areas of interest that merit space in The Ag Mag. Where attention is eventually focused is entirely arbitrary, sometimes popping from a local or national headline.

In our area of Florida this time of year, many farmers are working to capture the end-of-May market for watermelons. With the advent of specialty watermelon hybrids, growing from transplants, and utilization of polyethylene-covered raised beds, area farmers have put together an impressive level of production and quality of watermelons that provides the state and nation the green oblong Cucurbit to welcome summer. Thought to originate from Africa,

Photo: Bill Crispin’s father, Cecil Kenneth Crispin; and uncle, William Keith Crispin.

Photo c.1920 by Elizabeth Crispin, Bill’s aunt.

watermelon seeds have been found in the tomb of King Tut. Based on current production, Florida can be argued to have adopted it as its own. University of Florida has been one of the instrumental leaders in developing watermelon varieties to enable both commercial production and residential gardens.

Although watermelons grow throughout Florida, our north central region contributes the greatest production statewide of almost 40% of the harvested acreage. Florida is the only U.S. supplier of watermelons from December to April, with the majority of the production harvested from May to July. According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) who tabulates production statistics, the value of Florida’s watermelons represents almost six percent of all Florida vegetables.

Florida’s growers rank first nationally in watermelon production. Watermelons have evolved to be a high dollar revenue crop, although with production costs approaching $5,000 per acre, the incurred risk to the grower requires hitting the early market window of Memorial Day and Fourth of July to capture those prime prices.

More than half of the watermelons produced in Florida, and the majority grown in our area, are seedless varieties. The seedless varieties are transplanted because of the high cost of the hybrid seed, and because seedless watermelons cannot be established by direct seeding. Before hitting the field, transplants are first grown from seed by companies using

greenhouses, with the grower initially purchasing the seed and hiring the “plant” house to cultivate and grow the seed to a field-ready transplant. The plant house then delivers the transplants to the farmer, who can waste no time to place them in the field. Watermelon growers in our area primarily grow these transplants on the plasticmulch-covering raised beds.

Watermelons are quite sensitive to cold temperatures and the plastic warms the soil, allowing for the area’s earlier planting in late February to early March.

The plastic-covered raised beds also provide the added benefit of weed control, and more efficient use of pesticides and fertilizer. This orchestration of synchronized planning and implementation that results in

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a productive field producing sweet, juicy melons displays the farmer’s role as conductor of many players.

So, you may say, all this is interesting, but what does it have to do with agricultural law?

Well, the consequence to the year’s investment can be devastating if any of these pre-planting and post-planting aspects do not perform as intended. Not only does the fruit need to make USDA grade with sufficient production, but the timing of the harvest is critical to capture the target market window’s premium to achieve enough revenue to pay for the farm’s investment, and a profit to allow for the next year’s symphony.

During the last few years, I, along with Mike Martin of Lakeland, an exceptional agriculture trial lawyer, have represented growers of watermelons whose crops have been compromised by certain failures of one or more of the important tools and components discussed above. One group of growers purchased seed for the production of seedless watermelons, only to have the watermelons contain so many seeds that they could not even be sold as seedy melons. Another grower’s several-hundred-acre investment of watermelons was cut short due to a neighboring land owner spraying on a windy day a 2-4-D herbicide that drifted to the watermelon fields. In another case, several growers relied on the plastic mulch to maintain warmth and its other attributes for their melon crops.

Unfortunately, the plastic, which was designed to degrade from sunlight well after harvest

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is completed, began ripping and tearing apart only ten days after planting. The defective plastic resulted in the unprotected soil being exposed to cold temperatures, more weeds, and fewer melons. Resulting delay in the melons reaching maturity caused the growers to miss the all-important market window, thereby losing out of the market price premium that justifies their large capital and labor investment.

These three examples represent issues of seed law, spray drift negligence, and agricultural product liability, respectively. I refer to these types of ag law cases as being “on the front lines and in the trenches.” The challenge is to establish who the liable party is and calculate the crop loss value attributed to the liability. Of course the ultimate objective is to make the farmer “whole” as if the problem never happened.

Florida’s Seed Law is captured in Florida Statute §578 and requires certain procedures of investigation and hearings before any legal action can be filed in a court of law. The Commissioner of Agriculture appoints a seed investigation and conciliation council composed of seven members and seven alternate members, one member and one alternate to be appointed upon the recommendation of each of the following: the deans of extension and research, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida; president of the Florida Seedsmen and Garden Supply Association; president of the Florida Farm Bureau Federation; and the president of the Florida

Fruit and Vegetable Association.

The Commissioner of Agriculture also appoints a representative and an alternate from the agriculture industry at large and from the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Regarding plant injury caused by spray drift, this requires immediate reporting of the impactful drift to the FDACS by the spray operator, and/or the impacted farmer.

The third example of recent cases involving a product such as plastic mulch not performing as advertised and designed, present requirements of early action to preserve the farmer’s right to seek a legal remedy to injuries sustained to the crop. It is beyond the scope of this column to go into further detail of the applicable law. But the takeaway is that the importance of experienced agricultural lawyers to farming may be measured by the underlying importance of the crop, both to the farmer, and to Florida.

William K. Crispin (www.afarmersfriend.com) is an Agricultural attorney in Gainesville, Florida. His national practice focus is production agriculture with an emphasis on crop insurance. Mike Martin (www.martinpa.com) is a Lakeland attorney who works with agricultural interests and landowners to solve problems relating to defective products, land contamination, or denial of insurance benefits. He was introduced to agriculture as a young man by hoeing citrus trees in spring, building barbed-wire fences in Florida’s Green Swamp in the summer, and mucking stalls year-round. He is on the Board of the Florida FFA Foundation.

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Cogongrass Kill it before it spreads!

by Jan Cross Cubbage

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ogongrass is an alien life form that has tried to take over our farm.

We knew when we took possession of the 40-acre farm eight years ago that we were going to hit this wild reed-like grass hard and fast with the herbicide Roundup. Indeed we did saturate a three-acre area of Cogongrass-infested pasture, but this obnoxious, incredibly fast-growing, perennial, rhizomatous, razor-bladed,

Cogongrass root and rhizome.

Photo by James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, bugwood.org.

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sawgrass-like weed continues to be troublesome. Today we are battling it in the lanes between fences.

Cogongrass, like kudzu, was first planted here by an ignorant agronomist who thought the southeast Asian tough reed-like grass would make the perfect cover for erosion-prone land features.

Well, it certainly will grow anywhere and everywhere if left unchecked. The problem with Cogongrass, also known as “Japanese Blood Grass,” is that we don’t have water buffalo here to consume it. No other critter seems to find it palatable.

Nor do we have much call for roof thatching materials here in Florida as they do in southeast Asia, but if ever you are to build a Seminole chickee hut, Cogongrass might be used as suitable thatching.

I first noticed Cogongrass in Marion County on the Florida Greenway about sixteen years ago. The Greenway staff initiated a thorough spaying program and achieved success in eliminating Cogongrass from Greenway

A fanlike stalk of Cogongrass. Photo by James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, bugwood.org.

property. However, wherever the wind will blow, the fluffy airborne seeds of Cogongrass will go. It wasn’t long before patches of Cogongrass were appearing all over the southwest region of Marion County.

Masses of the sawgrass-like pest can be seen growing hardily along along State Road 40 and SW State Road 484. Spraying crews were sent out to the area last year but the Cogongrass is still prolific there.

A dozen years ago, the state of Florida began seriously dealing with half a million acres of Cogongrass, but there is no solution as yet as to how to eradicate it. Do not burn Cogongrass-infested areas; this tough grass with huge mats of rhizomes as soil anchors seem to love fires that provide it with more room to grow.

It is important to note that Cogongrass can be spread by feeding seed-contaminated hay to livestock and by mowers and bush hogs carrying seeds.

Arsenal AC has been tested as an effective killer of Cogongrass. Along wetland areas or flowing bodies of water, Habitat herbicide spaying is recommended.

The Florida Department of Agriculture now has a cost-share Cogongrass treatment program. This program is available in all counties in Florida. It offers reimbursement of 50 percent of the cost to treat Cogongrass infestations with herbicide for two consecutive years, up to a maximum of $100 per year for treatment of up to one acre, and $75/acre per year for any additional area. Qualified applicants may apply to treat up to a maximum of 133 acres of infested area. The Cogongrass Treatment CostShare Program is now accepting applications on a first-come, first-serve basis until July 29, 2016, or until the available funding has been allocated. Treatments are to begin fall of 2016.

For more information visit http://bit. ly/1kmjMnL, or call Jeff Eickwort, Forest Biologist, at 352-395-4689. The application form is available online at http://forms.freshfromflorida.com/11298.pdf.

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.

Unfortunately, Cogongrass is sometimes used in landscaping. Right: Red Baron variety in a greenhouse.

Photos by Charles T. Bryson, USDA Agricultural Research Service, bugwood.org.

A roadside infestation of Cogongrass in its dormant phase. Photo by James H. Miller, USDA Forest Service, bugwood.org.

Cogongrass flowers and foliage. Left: photo by Chris Evans, University of Illinois. Right: photo by Karen A. Rawlins, University of Georgia. www.bugwood.org.

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Second Nature

by Melody Murphy

Summer Magic “We’ll watch the fireflies sparking Do some sparking, too …”

– Burl Ives, Summer Magic

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ireflies are among the most magical elements of a summer evening. When visiting my Alabama relatives in the summertimes of my childhood, I loved watching fireflies in the evenings. Lightning bugs, my mother calls them. She remembers catching them in jars as a little girl.

I never had any desire to catch them.

I preferred to watch them freely flitting and flickering in the hedges and long grasses, twinkling among the trees like fallen stars. I would feel sad and sorry to see them trapped, same as I feel about birds in cages. Winged things should be free to fly.

Waiting for the fireflies to come out after the sun went down was like waiting for a theatrical performance to start. I would rush outside at twilight to sit on the grass of my aunt and uncle’s back yard, blowing rainbowy soap bubbles while watching the sunset fade, eagerly anticipating the first glimpse of a glimmer.

Dotted with dandelions, the grass was

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soft and the red clay was still sun-warm under bare feet as the wide-open yard sloped down to the vegetable garden, a perfect stage for the light show. Rabbits came out from beneath the blueberry bushes to nibble on clover, eyeing the lettuces that rustled in the evening breeze.

The warm, heavy air smelled of freshly cut grass and the watermelon sliced open on the back porch. I dabbed the welcome dampness of the cool condensation from my glass of ice-cold lemonade onto my face and neck. The cricket orchestra tuned up beneath the vespers of the bird-choir in the treetops, to the counterpoint of the creaking porch swing.

And then, when the first flashes appeared among the peonies, glints of glowing greenishgold, tiny sparks of blinking brilliance, little lights dancing in the dusk, illuminating the violet shadows: pure magic.

Growing up here, I don’t remember seeing fireflies in Florida — until a summer evening ten years ago, in my best friends’ yard, across the street from my parents’ house. Through the window, I saw a fleeting flicker among the trees.

At first I thought it was the reflection of the candles lit in the dining room, but when I realized

it wasn’t, I went out to investigate.

And to my astounded wonderment, it was fireflies. Just a few, circling gracefully in a dance of delicate light along the edge of the woods. Close by, a rabbit foraged on clover in the rosy lavender-mist glow of twilight, serenely unconcerned by my presence. Ten years later, I still clearly remember the mesmerizing moment of ethereal and enchanted loveliness created by this unexpected apparition.

That was the last I saw of the fireflies — until their recent renaissance one evening. I was in my mother’s front yard. The air was warm and jasmine-scented, with a whiff of blooming magnolias from the pasture. The sky was the glorious, velvety, deep blue-violet of dusk: the color of morning glories, hydrangeas, ripe plums.

The first stars were twinkling above the treetops.

And suddenly, something else twinkled much closer.

Fireflies.

There was a whole swarm across the street, where I had last seen them a decade ago: glimmering among the ferns, shimmering among the azaleas, twinkling in the trees, winking in the darkness down the winding wooded lane carpeted with pine needles. Little glints and gleams of light arose from the shadows, like sparks flying upward from a fire. All down that side of the street, it looked like someone had scattered a handful of stardust. It was an interlude of pure magic, wonder, and delight.

I saw them every evening for the next week: in the pasture, the woods, my mother’s yard. One night I turned off all the outside lights and took her out to see them. Once the lights were off, they appeared. Now I look for fireflies every chance I get, trying to divine the perfect combination of timing, weather, and luck.

If you grew up seeing fireflies and rarely (if ever) do now, you aren’t imagining their scarcity, and it isn’t nostalgia making you think they were once more prolific. A combination of light pollution and over-development, which I hate more than mosquitoes, has caused their numbers to dwindle alarmingly.

Fireflies need the warm, humid environment of fields and forests, where their larvae thrive

in rotten old logs, near standing water: ponds, streams, rivers, marshes. For their short life cycle, they tend to stay near their birthplace. When their habitat is cleared, they often disappear.

Fireflies speak a language of light, using flashes to communicate courtship, signal danger, and defend their territory. Modern civilization, oversaturated with artificial light, confuses them and disrupts their mating habits — meaning fewer larvae to hatch and illuminate next summer. Consider this before you light up your yard like a football field every night.

So if you want to experience the wonder of fireflies — as well as help save them for future generations to enjoy — get nostalgic and do what people once did on warm summer evenings: Pour yourself a cold drink, turn off your lights, and go sit on your porch in the velvety dusk. Watch the stars come out. Listen to the cricket choir and the fading hum of cicadas. Breathe in the fragrance of jasmine and gardenias, honeysuckle and magnolias.

And wait for the magic to start.

Melody Murphy can be seen haunting the countryside at dusk for the rest of the summer, in search of fireflies and a peaceful place to enjoy them.

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Growing Bananas in North Central Florida

by David The Good

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rowing your own bananas in north central Florida isn’t nearly as hard as we’ve been led to believe.

All you need is a little patience, a somewhat sheltered location, lots of nutrition and water, and some smart cultural practices, and you’ll be able to grow plenty of bananas in north Florida.

Don’t think you’re going to plant a little banana pup and get fruit the first year. Bananas quit growing when it gets cool out. We’re talking 70°F or below — they just kind of hang out and wait for it to get hot again.

If you live in a place that has cool winters, during those few months your bananas are just going to sit. Frost damage will also set them back, which leads me to my next point: winds and cold nights will wreak havoc on your trees.

If you have a south-facing wall with some sun, plant your bananas there. I love south walls and you will too, once you see what you can pull off.

Other locations that are good for bananas are right be-

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side a swimming pool, next to a fence that blocks the wind, or under the outer edge of a large shade tree so they get some sunlight but also some canopy protection from cold nights.

Shorter bananas are easier to shelter than taller varieties, but I still grew 16’ Orinoco bananas at my place and they did great by the south wall of my house north of Ocala — despite some nights that reached down into the teens!

Now, how about feeding those trees? When it comes to desired fertility, banana trees are pigs. The best-looking banana trees I ever saw were growing next to a broken septic tank that was leaking sludge.

You could do that in your yard, but it’s probably not going to endear you to your neighbors, or code enforcement. Just know this: bananas are hungry trees that will eat almost all the nitrogen you can throw at them.

They love compost, manure, and coffee grounds.

Bananas are also very thirsty. According to the FAO, they like roughly 80-100 inches

of rain a year — almost twice the water we get in the middle of Florida. Plant them at the base of a gutter and/or make sure they’re getting water regularly or they stall out. Grey water systems are great for bananas, as are trickling a hose at the base of the clump.

Banana circles are also a great way to combine both water and fertilizer in one. I cover that method in my popular book Compost Everything: The Good Guide to Extreme Composting.

Here’s another tip that will get you bananas for your table: don’t cut back your trees after winter. For some reason, folks around here like to chop back banana trees after a frost, along with removing all the dead leaves. Don’t do that! First of all, only remove the dead banana leaves after all danger of frost has passed. Secondly, cutting the trunk back will set the tree back a season or so and keep it from fruiting as soon. I know, the tree looks ugly — let it look ugly for a while. Usually, new shoots will emerge from the center of the tree once the

weather warms up, and often, a bloom and bananas will follow.

If you chop them back this usually won’t happen until later in the year and you may lose your bananas to frost.

As for fruiting, bananas are non-seasonal trees (actually, they’re not even trees — but I digress), meaning they fruit when they feel like it. This could mean that they decide to put out a bloom in September and then as it cools off in October, you have a little hand of bananas hanging there and not maturing because the weather has gotten cool ... and then in November or December, a freeze will take out the fruits before they have any kind of a chance to ripen.

Ideally, your tree will outgrow the frosts of winter and put out blooms in the spring and early summer, ripening up by fall and frost season.

I get asked when to harvest bananas by gardeners all the time. Harvest the entire stalk of bananas (pictured to the right) by cutting down the complete stalk — but only do this when the fruits have all filled out and plumped up and the top few are starting to turn

yellow or at least green-yellow.

It isn’t quite a science, but it’s close. Catch them at the right time and bring them indoors or hang them on a porch. Once you harvest your stalk of bananas, cut down the entire “tree” that bore the fruit — it won’t bear again. The biggest pup beside it will replace it, don’t worry.

Long ago, farmers and hobbyists bred the seeds right out of most good eating banana varieties. This is a good thing since wild banana seeds are like birdshot and aren’t kind to your teeth. What this means, though, is that bananas can only be cultivated by clonal reproduction.

Divide a little banana pup off the base of a clump of bananas carefully with a shovel, getting a chunk of the main root system while not cutting through the little banana’s trunk and leaving the roots behind ... and you’re set.

Bananas grow lots of little pups if they’re happy and one banana will quickly turn into a clump under the right conditions.

As for what varieties are good, we’ve had success with both Orinoco and Raja Puri bananas. I find the Orinoco to be a better cooking banana than eating banana.

Dwarf Cavendish will also produce fine stalks of bananas, though it’s a bit slow and prone to frost damage. If you really want to get deeper into growing bananas, go visit my friend Joe Pierce at the Mosswood

Farm Store in Micanopy, Florida.

Behind the store he’s testing a wide range of varieties and having great success; it’s a must-see if you’re craving some good bunches for the table. Make sure you buy some coffee and baked goods when you’re there, too — they’re the best in town.

Now get out there and get growing bananas! If I can do it, you can too.

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 fresh gardening inspiration every weekday at his popular website www.TheSurvivalGardener.com.

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Agritourism “May I Please Pick an Egg?”

by Jeri Baldwin

I

looked toward the light but persistent tug on my pants and discovered a small form just a bit higher than my knee. Her hand patted steadily. Colorful hazel eyes caught mine,

“May I please pick an egg from your hen?”

“Of course you may pick an egg. Weren’t you here last week?”

“Yes ma’am, but I want to pick another egg.

Your hens don’t scare me this time. I like her now.”

With my permission she raced away to “pick eggs” from her new friend, the chicken.

During the course of her two-hour visit, she

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pulled weeds from the garden, threw them to the chickens, watered the flowers, pulled carrots to take home, and petted the farm cats. She probably also discovered that her own grandparents had done those same activities that the older members of her family shared stories about on the farm of their youth.

Within the past 20 or 30 years, chances are good that youngster would have lived on her own farm, or in a nearby town which survived — and thrived — by providing goods and services for surrounding farms and ranches. For the town folks,

farm life would have been readily accessible. On the farm, even at her age, her assigned list of daily chores would have sealed her place in her family dynamic. A similar list for each of her siblings would require their daily attention to the work of the farm. Each family member, regardless of age, participated in keeping their farm active, productive, and their place within the family secure.

In 1820, 72 percent of Americans lived and worked on farms. Since that time, U.S. Census Bureau figures suggest a major movement from farm life to residence in towns, cities, and metropolitan areas. After World War I, in 1920, nearly 105.7 million people, or 32 percent of the population, remained on farms and earned their income there. By 1987, just 2.2 percent of the national population were rural dwellers and workers. A few months after that census, The New York Times announced, “Farm Population Lowest Since 1850s” and confirmed statistics from other sources.

So, the joy and awe of reaching under a wary, startled hen, and laying warm, brown eggs into a basket, ought to be available to all. Today people are exploring ways to fill the gaping hole within, which is filled only by connection, experience, and relationship — and associating with authentic nature can satisfy it.

Agritourism is simply opening the doors of one’s farm/ranch/farmstead for sharing with nature-hungry people. Satisfactory experiences often involve manual activity, so do not hesitate when help is needed to herd cattle, drive sheep, haul hay, plow or till acreage, shell 25 bushels of peas, or can 100 quarts of tomatoes. Agritourism activities can be offered with 100 or 5 acres.

The farm size is not important; the quality and fun of the experience is. Basic shelter and food are all that is necessary, though embellishments and soft touches are welcome.

The major concern in agritourism is assuring the safety of all participants. No activity or practice should be undertaken if safety is an issue.

Also be sure your insurance coverage is current and sufficient.

Farm families who plan agritourism experiences and activities succeed best when their offerings enhance and expand on farm life.

Visitors usually want to resurrect childhoods, do what someone told them about, or do something

that reading has introduced them to.

Agritourism operators plan toward experiences which give their customers the most satisfaction and desire to repeat the experience. The popularity of agritourism continues to grow because people miss and need an experience out-of-doors, using their muscles.

The numerous advantages of agritourism fall about equally between customer and provider.

For farmers, agritourism offers: n Income for farmers who wish to stay on their farm; n Activities which do not require drastic changes to farm structures or farm land; n The opportunity to share their pride in the heritage which longevity in one place ensures; n An audience for farmers to reap accolades for productive, hard work; n Experiences which people have longed for over long periods of time; n A chance to return to childhood without huge outlays of money, time, or effort.

For customers, agritourism offers: n An chance to leave city life for a while; n The opportunity to return to the experiences of childhood; n Time spent with family in real life experiences; n Instruction in new skills or activities; n The possibility of seeing different parts of the area, or the country; n A chance to break free of a tedious job; n Eating fresh, nutritious meals and snacks.

Agritourism may include three week cattle drives in the out-of-doors or a three-hour trip 15 miles from home to pick blueberries. It may include building fences, barns, outbuildings or planting a garden. The range of agritourism activity is limited only by imagination, time, and finances. Even if those are limited, immeasurable satisfaction and pleasure is sure to follow if one commits to re-discovering the natural, and reminding oneself of one’s place in that structure.

Every person deserves to have a place where they can go and “pick an egg.” Consider agritourism as a service for nature starved friends, neighbors, and folk you haven’t met yet.

Jeri Baldwin is a writer, historian, farmer, and cofounder of Crones Cradle Conserve, the 756-acre ecological preserve and education center in Citra.

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News

USDA Offers New Loans for Portable Farm Storage and Handling Equipment Portable Equipment Can Help Producers, including Small-Scale and Local Farmers, Get Products to Market Quickly USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) will provide a new financing option to help farmers purchase portable storage and handling equipment. The loans, which now include a smaller microloan option with lower down payments, are designed to help producers, including new, small, and midsized producers, grow their businesses and markets.

The program also offers a new “microloan” option, which allows applicants seeking less than $50,000 to qualify for a reduced down payment of five percent and no requirement to provide three years of production history. Farms and ranches of all sizes are eligible. The microloan option is expected to be of particular benefit to smaller farms and ranches, and specialty crop producers who may not have access to commercial storage or on-farm storage after harvest.

These producers can invest in equipment such as conveyers,

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scales or refrigeration units and trucks that can store commodities before delivering them to markets. Producers do not need to demonstrate the lack of commercial credit availability to apply.

Earlier this year, FSA significantly expanded the list of commodities eligible for a Farm Storage Facility Loan. Eligible commodities now include aquaculture, floriculture, fruits (including nuts) and vegetables, corn, grain sorghum, rice, oilseeds, oats, wheat, triticale, spelt, buckwheat, lentils, chickpeas, dry peas, sugar, peanuts, barley, rye, hay, honey, hops, maple sap, unprocessed meat and poultry, eggs, milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, and renewable biomass. FSFL microloans can also be used to finance wash and pack equipment used postharvest, before a commodity is placed in cold storage.

To learn more about Farm Storage Facility Loans, visit www.fsa.usda.gov/ pricesupport or contact a local FSA county office. To find your local FSA county office, visit http://offices.usda.gov.

USDA Establishes New Partnerships to Link Underserved Farmers to FSA Programs Minority, Women, New and Beginning, Military Veteran, and Urban Producers

to Receive Training and Information on Agency Services USDA announced cooperative agreements with 55 partners to educate farmers and other producers that have been underserved by USDA programs historically about Farm Service Agency (FSA) programs that provide financial, disaster or technical support. Nearly $2.5 million will go to nonprofits, associations, universities, and foundations that will provide training and information on agricultural best practices, local networking opportunities, and more.

FSA, which solicited applications last fall, received nearly 100 proposals that requested more than $9 million in funding.

Cooperative agreements, encompassing more than 28 states, will be between $20,000 and $75,000 each and several involve multi-state or national efforts. A list of awardees can be found at www.fsa.usda.gov/outreach.

FSA is also accepting proposals for consideration in the second evaluation period.

Applications are due no later than July 11, 2016. Projects not selected during the first evaluation period will be reconsidered during the second period.

Additional information on the funding solicitation and the related FSA programs can be found at www.grants.gov using reference number USDA-FSACA-2016-001. For nonprofits and public institutions of higher education that are considering participation, a recording of the online informational session

held with stakeholders is posted on the web at www.fsa.usda. gov/outreach.

USDA is also helping producers find an entry into farming through urban agriculture opportunities and the increasing consumer demand for locallyproduced items. Under this Administration, USDA has invested more than $1 billion in over 40,000 local and regional food businesses and infrastructure projects. USDA is committed to helping farmers, ranchers, and businesses access the growing market for local and regional foods, which was valued at $12 billion in 2014 according to industry estimates. More information on how USDA investments are connecting producers with consumers and expanding rural economic opportunities is available in Chapter IV of USDA Results on Medium.

Growers Excited About Two New Early Valencia Orange Varieties from UF/IFAS GAINESVILLE, FL — Nurseries are very interested in two new early Valencia orange varieties from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. Growers need help because citrus greening has infected more than 80 percent of Florida’s citrus trees, according to a recent UF/IFAS survey of growers. Although these two new early Valencias are not resistant to greening, the scientist who bred them thinks it’s a har-

binger of good things to come.

“Many citrus growers are replacing trees or entire groves severely impacted by greening,” said Jude Grosser, a professor of citrus breeding and genetics at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research and Education Center. “As they replace trees, they now have a chance to replace a poor-quality orange with Valencia types.”

The two new varieties can be harvested beginning in December, about three months earlier than standard Valencia oranges, Grosser said. The traditional early-season Florida orange, the Hamlin, is harvested from November through February, said Grosser, a faculty member at the Lake Alfred, Florida, facility.

The new Valencia oranges were released by UF/IFAS in December.

“These two new Valencia cultivars have potential to replace Hamlin with oranges that have Valencia quality, which could have a significant impact on the overall quality of our juice products,” Grosser said.

“What better way to address declining juice sales than to offer a more colorful and better-tasting product.”

Growers like Hamlin oranges because they produce a high yield, and they can be harvested before the threat of freezes. But Hamlin juice must be blended with high-quality Valencia juice to make a gradeA product.

Also, during the current season, Valencia trees with citrus greening are not dropping fruit nearly as badly as Hamlin trees, he said.

Many nursery owners

are participating in the release of the early Valencia cultivars.

Typically, for a new release, there’s very little budwood available for nurseries to use for local commercial tree production, Grosser said. This year, he tried to produce a significant supply of budwood-increase trees to satisfy grower demand.

Commercial citrus trees are produced by grafting buds of the fruit variety onto selected rootstocks.

“Considering the nursery interest, I expect several nurseries to already have large orders for trees of these new cultivars,” Grosser said. But it will probably be spring 2017 before any commercial trees are sold to growers, he said.

“Like” our The Ag Mag Facebook page for interesting posts about ag and gardening news, events, cool pictures, and humor.

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SPOTLIGHT Crones’ Cradle Conserve Foundation

T

wo conservation addicted women, including Jeri Baldwin, a native Marion Countian, first bought 80 acres in 1986 in northeast Marion County, Florida, abutting Alachua and Putnam Counties. In following years, additional parcels became available for purchase; Crones’ Cradle Conserve now stewards 756 acres. The land was purchased to ensure that at least one parcel in the county remained natural.

Crones’ Cradle Conserve is named: Crone, to honor elder folk who are often ignored, neglected, and forgotten; Cradle, because of our commitment to nurture the earth, its wildlife, and people in physical, emotional, and spiritual need; and Conserve, to reinforce our commitment to conservation of land, natural food, and values.

Two areas in need of restoration were identified. One, a wetlands restoration, we accomplished in a first-ever privatepublic partnership with a state agency, enabling the return of more than 200 acres to original water flow and wetlands habitat. This project is 75% complete.

The second restoration

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area involved the removal of almost 400 acres of planted slash pine and restoring native Southern Yellow Pine, thus improving native wildlife habitat. This project is 95% completed. 80,000 yellow pine seedlings have been planted to date. Crones’ Cradle received recognition as a Florida Stewardship Forest in 2010 from the Florida Department of Forestry for its restoration work.

Every Florida species of wildlife except for the Florida weasel has been sighted on Crones’ Cradle (not including the Florida panther; tracks confirm the presence of the marvelous animal, though no sightings). The Florida black bear regularly visits the farm’s bee yard, though four stalwart dogs have thus far prevented a bear raid on the hives.

CCCF farms more than 50 vegetables, 25 herbs, and a dozen fruit and berry bushes. In

addition, wild fruit growing on the farm is used in food dishes, jams, jellies, and drinks.

Naturally grown produce is offered in the farm store, to nearly two dozen Ocala and Gainesville gourmet restaurants, and in a subscription food program, “Farm to Fare,” which delivers each week five fresh vegetables, one fresh herb, a dozen brown eggs, two recipes, and a newsletter identifying the vegetable and herb offerings, and other pertinent gardening information.

The store carries jams, jellies, vinegars, relishes, pickles, fruit butters, and pesto, as well as homemade bread, vegetable and herb seedlings, Angus grass-fed beef, free-range chick-

Jeri says, “fresh air, shared stories, rocking chairs, dawdling, beauty, serenity and quiet.”

Farm relevant workshops are presented regularly, including gardening, soil building, bee keeping, canning, preserving, cooking, and small animal care.

The Florida Folk Life Program offers training in skills

en, cheeses, farm-fresh chicken eggs, honey, jams, jellies, vinegars, pickled and spiced goods, books, T-Shirts, antiques, and herb salves. The farm store is also the proud home of the Cracker Art Gallery, featuring the original, creative work of area artists.

The farm offers farm tours, walks, swings, complimentary coffee, tea, toast and jam, and,

practiced by early pioneers including quilting, basket making, textile weaving, braided rag rugs, soap making, fire building, cast iron cooking, and music and dancing.

The facility is available for

rent for conferences, seminars, and retreats. Prices include meals for the occasion with fresh, mostly vegetarian menus.

Conservation and sustainability drive all of the Conserve’s endeavors. The ultimate priority of the Conserve is nurturing, protecting, and respecting the earth and all sentient beings, and providing encouragement and guidance for people who want to take responsibility for their own food and well being.

In 2010, CCC became a non-profit business and added the word Foundation to the name.

For more information, call 352-595-3377, visit CronesCradleConserve.com, or — best of all — visit the farm at 6411 NE 217 Place in Citra. From Hwy. 301, turn right on CR 318 and drive 6.4 miles to a left turn into Crones’ Cradle’s long driveway.

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First-Person Farmer

Windmill Acres Farm and Goat Dairy

by Alan Hart Publisher’s Note: This idea for this column was hatched after a visit to Windmill Acres Farm. This is a space for area farmers who would like to share information such as farming methods and philosophy, how they got started, goals, etc.

Farmers are invited to submit FirstPerson stories. Please send with photos to TheAgMag@gmail.com.

M

y wife Yvonne and I have been running our small goat farm since 2010. The project started with a course we took that year about raising goats at home. Goats are

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fun and economical to raise, and we rapidly decided to make it our livelihood. We have been in business since 2010.

I was awarded the Florida Innovative Farmer Award for 2011 and the 2013 National Innovative Farmer Award for operating our goat dairy farm using innovative and conservative agricultural techniques. We use skylights in the barns to reduce power consumption, and we harvest our rainwater for future use.

We compost all farm organic materials. The compost is either

used in our own gardens or offered to our customers.

It took some time and effort to achieve, but today we are the only Grade A goat dairy in the state of Florida. What that means is that our goat milk is approved and licensed for human consumption.

Florida law prohibits selling raw milk for human consumption. However, raw milk can be sold labeled as “Pet Food Ingredient Not for human consumption.” The farmer selling this type of milk should still have a permit issued by the

state of Florida, although no production or handling standards apply with this type of license. Grade A means that the facility that produces it is licensed by the Florida Department of Agriculture, is inspected regularly for compliance, production, and cleanliness, and meets all the standards for human consumption.

We maintain the herd, do the milking, and make and market the products, from milk to soap. We operate under a basic fundamental goal to always produce a product that we would want to purchase ourselves.

We have an aggressive herd health management program that includes frequent stall and pen cleaning as we believe that if the animals are kept healthy then they won’t need to be medicated. We also practice farm biosecurity in order to prevent the spread of diseases onto our farm. This is part of our effort to keep antibiotics and chemical wormers from being needed.

We feed a high-quality feed to the dairy herd along with high-quality perennial peanut hay. This technique produces a consistent flavor in our milk and products and assists in keeping production at favorable levels.

Our products are sold statewide in both wholesale and retail markets. We have conducted goat husbandry seminars at our farm for other goat producers in order to enhance their abilities and knowledge. We have also worked with the state’s Division of Dairy so that their rules and regulations as they pertain to small producers can be more accessible, and to make it more economical for other farmers to become Grade A certified.

We are very fortunate to have many resources available to us to help care for our animals. We have a local large animal veterinarian that specializes in caprines. In addition, the University of Florida Large Animal Teaching Hospital is about an hour’s drive from our farm, and we have a good relationship with the staff of veterinary doctors and students who frequently come to the farm to practice their skills.

We are involved with our county’s youth with their 4-H and FFA programs in the elementary, middle school and high school levels. We support our local Youth Fair and we take time to visit our elementary schools’ career days to educate our youth about the goat farming industry.

Windmill Acres Farm and Goat Milk Dairy is located at 13323 SE 114 Street Road, Ocklawaha. For more information, call 352-288-8490 or visit WindmillDairies. com.

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Blueberries...

Recipes

by Janet Pepin

B

lueberries are not just for jam and pies anymore (though that is a very good and delicious use for them!). Use your local harvest of blueberries to make a wonderful gastrique (a sauce that combines sweet and sour ingredients) that can be used on salads or meats like chicken and pork. Or use the blue morsels to make a spicy barbecue sauce for a thick cut of Angus beef served medium-rare from the grill. For a list of U-pick farms, visit http:// blueberriesfromflorida.com/florida-u-pickblueberry-farms/.

Blueberry Barbecue Sauce Ingredients: 3 pints of blueberries ½ cup of brown sugar 1 cup of balsamic vinegar 1 cup of red wine vinegar 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 habanero or jalapeno pepper 1 medium onion, chopped 1 bottle of dark beer (or 1 cup of coffee) 1 tbsp each of ground coriander, ground cumin, chipotle powder, ground coffee Directions: n Mix all the ingredients together into a saucepan. n Cook on medium-low heat (low boil) for two hours. n Remove from heat, pour sauce into blender, and puree. n Strain through a sieve. n Serve sauce warm over beef or any grilled meats.

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Blueberry Gastrique Ingredients: 1 cup sugar ¼ cup water 1 cup balsamic or red wine vinegar 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed 2 cups (about ¾ pound) blueberries Pinch of salt Directions: n Combine the sugar and water in a medium saucepan and stir to blend. n Bring to a light boil over medium-low heat. Do not stir. Cook until the sugar melts and begins to caramelize slightly, 5 to 7 minutes. n When light brown in color, carefully and slowly pour the vinegar into the pan, as the vinegar will cause steam and sputtering to occur. n Continue simmering and stirring until the caramel re-softens into the vinegar. n Continue simmering for another 5 minutes until the mixture reduces in volume by half. n Next, add the berries and the garlic pieces and cook the gastrique about 10 minutes or until the sauce takes on the color of the fruit and thickens slightly. n Remove the garlic, remove saucepan from the heat. n You can now choose to strain the mixture through a mesh sieve to remove the blueberry pieces, or leave the sauce with the blueberry pieces. n Mix in a sprinkle of salt. n Store in glass container in refrigerator. n When needed, warm and pour over salad, chicken or pork slices.

Calendar of Events

Ocala Rodeo Grounds, 4680 NW 27th Ave. (exhibitors: 4886 NW 27th Ave.), Ocala, 352-512-1487.

Events: Workshops, Conferences, Fairs, Etc.

Tuesday, June 14

1. Marion County Soil and Water Conservation District Board meeting, 9am, USDA Ocala Service Center, 2441 NE Third St., Suite 204-2, Ocala, Information: Ann Bishop, 352-622-3971, x.112. Upcoming meetings (second Tuesday): 7/12, 8/9, 9/13, 10/11, 11/8, 12/13.

2. St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board meeting, 11am, District headquarters, 4049 Reid St., Palatka. Information: Missy Mc-

Saturday, June 4

62nd Annual Chiefland Watermelon Festival. http://chieflandwomansclub.org/.

Snow’s Country Market

Monday, June 6

Vegetable Gardening for Beginners. Learn to start a vegetable garden using the square foot gardening technique. Bed construction, soil preparation, vegetables that can be grown, and pest control will be covered. Free, 3-4:30, Library HQ, 401 E. University Ave., Gainesville. Teacher: Dr. Denise DeBusk. Preregistration required: call 352-337-6209. Information: 352-955-2402, Tuesday, June 7

* Levy Soil and Water Conservation District meeting. 6:30pm, 625 N. Hathaway Ave., Bronson, http://myswcd.org/. Upcoming meetings (first Tuesday): 7/5, 8/2, 9/6, 10/4, 11/1, 12/6.

* Springs Academy. Chemistry: general, nutrients, trace contaminants. 12-1pm, $5. North Florida Springs Environmental Center, 99 NW First Ave., High Springs.

352-489-4933 Open daily 9-6 Georgia and Kent Snow, Proprietors

6976 N. Lecanto Hwy. Beverly Hills, FL

Thursday, June 9

Easy as PIE webinar series. Agritourism in Florida: Examining the industry from a policy and producer point of view. Facilitators: Kelly Mosley, Amazing Grace Crop Maze owner/operator; Adam Basford, Florida Farm Bureau’s Director of State Legislative Affairs. Mr. Basford will speak on policy, the history of Florida’s agritourism law, liability protection, and government oversight. Ms. Mosley will share her background story and how she got involved in an agritourism business, the lessons she has learned about successful management of her business, and the vast possibilities of agritourism. 2-3pm. Information: 352-273-3139. Preregistration required: www.piecenter. com/webinars/.

Friday, June 10

Rodeo event. Exhibitions 6-8, race at 8:30.

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Dermont, 386-329-4214. Upcoming meetings (second Tuesdays): 7/12, 8/9, 9/13, 9/27 (final budget meeting to be held at 5 pm), 10/11, 11/8, 12/13.

June 14-15

School Garden Summer Workshop. Open to formal and informal educators who teach students K-8, with gardening abilities of all levels. The 2-day workshop includes a walking tour of Bok Tower Gardens, and learning how to prepare easy meals and snacks using produce from the school garden. $30, Lake Wales. Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, http:// faitc.org/summerschoolgardenworkshop/.

Wednesday, June 15

Withlacoochee Regional Water Supply Authority meeting, 3:30pm, Lecanto Government Building, Rm. 166, 3600 W. Sovereign Path, Lecanto, 352-527-5795,

www.wrwsa.org. Upcoming meetings (third Wednesdays): 7/20, 8/17, 9/21.

Saturday, June 18

Hunter Safety Internet Completion Course, Alachua county.

Students who have taken the online course and want to complete the classroom portion must bring the online-completion report with them; bring pen and paper. Firearms, ammo, and materials provided free of charge. An adult must accompany children younger than 16. Anyone born on or after 6/1/75 must pass an approved hunter safety course and have a hunting license to hunt alone; FWC course satisfies hunter safety requirements for all the other states too. Preregistration required. Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, 386-758-0525, MyFWC.com/HunterSafety.

May 30-June 24

Greenhouse 101. Online

Learn the secrets in this book...

“If I had had this book 10 years ago, I'd have saved a lot of frustration and wasted energy.”

“If you've had trouble growing anything edible in Florida, or if you are new to Florida gardening, this is a must read.”

“This book gives hope to us, the ‘purple thumb’ people, that we can have a successful garden in Florida.”

...and

transform your

Florida garden forever!

From expert gardening author David The Good comes a remarkable new book that gives you the key to jaw-dropping success in your garden:

Totally Crazy Easy Florida Gardening Now on Amazon in Kindle and paperback versions

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training course in English and Spanish. $200. Topics: plant parts and functions, photosynthesis and growth, greenhouse technology, flowering, compactness and branching, irrigation, nutrition, plant health. http://backpocketgrower.org/onlinecourses.asp FUTURE COURSES: Nutrient Management 1 (intro), 7/18-8/12. Nutrient Management 2, 8/22-9/17.

Disease Management, 9/26-10/21.

Weed Management, 10/24-11/18.

Saturday, June 25

Ask Your Master Gardener: Molds and Mushrooms. 10-11, Fort McCoy Public Library, 14330 NE Hwy. 315.

Monday, June 27

Florida Farmers’ Network: Sharing resources for sustainable agriculture. Network with people involved with sustainable production, connect with resources, help start a community of sustainable

Please return by f

FARMER

agriculture. Free parking and lunch will be provided. 9-5, Straughn IFAAS Extension Professional Development Center. NCFAgNetwork. wix.com/events.

&

RANCHER REE F

t Firsvery Deli

PROOF

Tuesday, July 7

Springs Academy. Biology: algae, plants, wildlife. 12-1pm, $5.

North Florida Springs Environmental Center, 99 NW First Ave., High Springs.

Friday, July 8

8th Annual Healthy Horses Conference. http://reg.conferences.dce.ufl.edu/Equine/470

Peanut Hay

941-361-106

or call toll-free 877-95

Orchard / Alfalfa Premium Alfalfa Timothy / Alfalfa APPROVED AS IS

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July 11-13

Applications and Analyses of Mycorrhizal Associations. $500.

McCarty Hall B, Room 3108, UF, Gainesville.

Wednesday, July 13

ServSafe速 Commercial Food Handler Certification Training and Exam. 8:30-5. $110/class and exam, $165 includes textbook. Marion County Ext. Classroom, 2232 NE Jacksonville Rd., Ocala, 888-2328723.

Friday, July 15

Summer Cover Crops and Soil Health Field Day. See how 17 summer cover crop species perform in west central Florida. The Center is evaluating different sources of cover crops to develop future planting recommendations for the Southeast. Regional Soil Health scientist Nathan Lowder will demonstrate different infiltration rates for cropland management types.

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Brooksville Plant Material Center, 14119 Broad St., Brooksville. 10-1. Information: Janet Grabowski, 352-796-9600, x.101.

Saturday, July 16

Fundraising dinner for Marion Therapeutic Riding Association. Happy Hour at 6, dinner at

Join us and make some hay!

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 TheAgMag1@gmail.com. Questions? Call Brooke, 352-537-0096.

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7, at Silver Springs Moose Lodge, 7165 SE Maricamp Rd., Ocala. $20/ person. 352-732-7300, http://bit. ly/25c2RGO. Thursday, July 21

Green Industries: Best Management Practices. $25, lunch included. Marion County Ext. Auditorium, 2232 NE Jacksonville Rd., Ocala, 352-671-8400.

Saturday, July 23

Ask Your Master Gardener: Bees in Florida. 10-11, Fort McCoy Public Library, 14330 NE Hwy. 315.

Deadline August 1

Heifer Development Program. Open to members of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association. http://bit.ly/1WGLH0S. Tuesday, August 2

Springs Academy. Stresses: groundwater pumping, fertilizers, wastewater disposal, recreation.

12-1pm, $5. North Florida Springs Environmental Center, 99 NW First Ave., High Springs.

August 24-25

Evidence-Based Turf Management. $500, Ft. Lauderdale. CEUs available. http://bit. ly/1TeZzyO. Deadline September 22

Southeastern Hay Competition. https://sehaycontest.wordpress.com/ Mid-May through January 15, 2017

Wicked Plants exhibit featuring more than 100 of the world’s most diabolical botanicals, from plants that merely smell like death to those that can actually cause it. Based on Amy Stewart’s book Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln’s Mother, the exhibit opens into the garden of an abandoned Victorian house. Florida Museum of Natural History, Gainesvile, www.flmnh.ufl.edu.

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Dates Vary

Citrus County Extension Svc. Remote Plant Clinic Dates and Locations. 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, 352-527-5700, www. citrus.ifas.ufl.edu.

Monday, 2pm, Sugarmill Woods Library.

Every Wednesday

Farm baskets of 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.

Deadline June 17

Grower Achievement Award.

Open to vegetable growers who represent the spirit of excellence in the industry and/or are innovative and outstanding. Nominations. www.GrowerAchievementAward. com.

Every Thursday and Saturday

Garden Classes at Ocala Wellness Community Garden, 2200 block of West Hwy. 27, Ocala.

Thursday classes are held 5:306:30pm; Saturday classes, 9-10am.

6/9 and 6/11: Garden maintenance. 6/23 and 6/25: Garden clean-up.

Grants, Scholarships, Other Funding

Every Saturday

Farmstead Saturdays. 9 am to 3 pm. Free admission. Lunch and pastries available. Crones Cradle Conserve, 6411 NE 217 Pl., Citra, 352-595-3377, www.CronesCradleConserve.com.

Deadline June 15

The Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association scholarships, $500-1,500. Open to graduating high school, college, university, trade school, graduate school and PhD students who are an FTBOA member, or a child of a member, or an employee of or child of members’ employees. Information: www.ftboa, 352-629-2160.

Varies Citrus County Master Gardener Plant Clinics. EveryTuesday, 1pm, Lakes Region Library. First Wednesday, 2pm, Floral City Library. Second Wednesday, 1:30pm, Central Ridge Library. Second Friday, 1:30pm, Coastal Region Library. Third Wednesday, 1pm, Citrus Springs Library. Fourth

Awards Deadline June 1

2016 Woman of the Year in Agriculture award. Seeking nominations of women who have made outstanding contributions to Florida agriculture. Florida Dept. of Agriculture, Attn: Pam Fuller, 170 Century Blvd., Bartow, FL 33380, http://bit.ly/1mCVx2E.

Deadline June 1

4-H Scholarships. http://bit. ly/1U9jUnE.

Deadline July 26 The Florida Department of Agriculture now has a cost-share Cogongrass treatment program. ... Continued on Page 32

Photograph courtesy Farm Credit of Florida

Happy Father’s Day!

THE LESSON

by Doyle Conner, Jr.

I once knew a nice city fella, a man of influence and means, Who drove west from his mansion one fall, for a serious change of scene.

He headed into the country seeking education and fun In order to teach a lesson to his bright and growing son.

He wanted the lad to understand, just what it means to be poor.

So they went to visit a ranch family, who had plenty of debts to be sure.

For a few days they watched and helped, as the family worked all through the light.

And noticed how even mom and the kids fell tired into bed at night.

The cowman and his family worked hard, through hours long and late.

But by pulling together they hoped to keep debts and wolves from the gate.

As they headed towards home, in their great big new Cadillac Dad asked the son what he thought, and the boy’s reply set him back.

I have learned what you wanted. I now know what it means to be poor.

I have looked, learned and listened. We have a dog, they have four.

I have lots of neat toys, like my favorite battle droid Tony.

But their kids have the coolest stuff. Even the baby has a pony.

We have our pool with its unique guitar shaped bends.

But they have that beautiful creek, which I don’t think has ends.

We have big Spanish lanterns to help keep our backyard bright.

But the cowfolk have the moon and stars shining all through the night.

I like our garden. It’s big and it feels like the woods.

They eat out of theirs; it feeds them, like I guess a real garden should.

We have many kind servants, who really keep us up nice.

But they spend their time serving others, no matter what the price.

We have high walls ‘round our property, to keep us safe from harm But they have friends who protect them. That must make you feel warm.

Thanks Dad for this trip, even if we had to travel so far.

Thanks for helping to teach me, just how poor we are.

Dad sat there speechless; he could think of nothing to say.

Then he quietly thanked the Lord for the lesson he had been taught that day.

June 2016

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This program is available in all counties in Florida. It offers reimbursement of 50 percent of the cost to treat Cogongrass infestations with herbicide for two consecutive years, up to a maximum of $100 per year for treatment of up to one acre, and $75/acre per year for any additional area. Qualified applicants may apply to treat up to a maximum of 133 acres of infested area. The Cogongrass Treatment Cost-Share Program is now accepting applications on a first-come, first-serve basis until July 29, 2016, or until the available funding has been allocated. Treatments are to begin fall of 2016.

For more information visit http://bit.ly/1kmjMnL, or call Jeff Eickwort, Forest Biologist, at 352395-4689. The application form is available online at http://forms. freshfromflorida.com/11298.pdf.

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. www. usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/ usdahome?navid=KYF_GRANTS.

Summer Camps

Positions, Internships Deadlines Vary

1. 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/

2. Internships in the beef in-

June 6-10 and July 25-29

Fish Camp, age 9-15. Youth will learn bank/boat fishing, boating safety, small-boat handling, types of tackle, casting tips, knot tying, fish identification, cleaning, preparation, fishing rules and etiquette. All campers will receive a rod and reel, tackle box, tackle; final day includes a family fish fry. $140/child, 8-5, before-care avail-

Two Sister's

Now Available:

Furniture, Antiques, Junque & More

Mailed Subscriptions to The Ag Mag. $24/year.

Delivered via First Class mail every month.

VINTAGE 352-427-2843 540 N.E. 14th Street, Ocala 34470 TwoSistersVintageThrift.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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dustry. Many opportunities; some include housing. www.floridacattlemen.org/internship-opportunities/

3. 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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The Ag Mag

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

able at no extra cost starting at 7:30. Brick City Adventure Park, 1211 SE 22nd Road, Ocala, 352-671-8560.

June 6-July 29

Firewise Nature Camps, age 6-12. Each week a new nature theme is introduced. $100/child/week includes 8-5 camp and before-care and after-care, extending it to 7:30am-6pm. June 6-10: Web of Life. June 13-17: Extra Ordinary Find. June 20-24: Slithering’s Relatives.

June 27-July 1: Izzy Whizzy, Let’s Get Busy. July 5-8, Magnetic Personality. July 11-15, Star Light, Star Bright.

July 18-22, Navigating the Ocean Blue. July 25-29, Incredible Journey. Brick City Adventure Park, 1211 SE 22nd Road, Ocala, 352-671-8560.

June 7-July 29, Tuesday-Friday

Summer Mini Camp, ages 6-12. 9-2, $15/child/ week. Arts and crafts, indoor and outdoor games, etc.

Forest Community Center at Sandhill Park, 777 S. CR 314A, Ocklawaha, 352-438-2840.

June 13-16 and July 18-21

Kayak/Paddleboard Mini Camp, ages 10-15.

Campers learn the basic skills of kayaking and standup paddling. Program includes instruction and local outings. 802, $80/child, includes before-care starting at 7:30. Brick City Adventure Park, 1211 SE 22nd Road, Ocala, 352-671-8560.

June 13-July 29

Levy County Summer Day Camps. 6/13-17, Sport Fishing I. June 20-24, Shooting Sports I. June 27July 1, Shooting and Fishing II. July 5-8, Marine Science.

July 18-22, Games. July 25-29, Outdoor Activities. $25 per session; breakfast and lunch included. Levy County Ext. Office, 625 N. Hathaway Ave., Bronson, http:// levy.ifas.ufl.edu.

June 20-24

1. Bug Camp. Open to 5th-9th graders who love the creepiness of bugs, who want to study insects, and everyone in between. 8:30-4 each day, UF/IFAS entomology and nematology department, Steinmetz Hall, 1881 Natural Area Dr., Bldg. 970, UF, Gainesville. $175/ person. Students age 14+ may register as Junior Leaders ($125). http://bit.ly/1LHIvzS.

2. Extreme Adventure Camp, ages 9-15. 8-5, $175/child, includes before-care starting at 7:30. Outdoor adventures with challenging activities such as kayaking, paddle-boarding, tubing, ropes challenge, zip-lining, tree climbing. Brick City Adventure Park, 1211 SE 22nd Road, Ocala, 352-671-8560.

3. Marion Sprouts. Open to kids 8-14. June 20-24, 8:30-4:30. $75. Plant growth and development, water, gardening for food, soils, garden pests, career explora-

tion, plant I.D., environmental horticulture. Marion County Master Gardeners, 2232 NE Jacksonville Road, Ocala 34470, 352-671-8400.

June 27-July 1 and August 1-5

Archery Camp, ages 9-15. $50/child, 9-12. Brick City Adventure Park, 1211 SE 22nd Road, Ocala, 352671-8560.

Send your agriculture- and gardening-related Calendar listings to TheAgMag@gmail.com.

gator truck center of ocala

$300 off Any Truck on Lot with this coupon

4235 N Hwy 441 Ocala, FL 34475 WWW.GATORTRUCKCENTER.COM

629-3300

Pineywoods Automotive, Inc.

- Your Neighborhood Garage MV11887

Maintenance - Service - Repair Foreign & Domestic Trailer Repair & Service Oil Change Available for most vehicles including tractors 352-629-6727 Fax: 352-351-2946 5800 N US Hwy 27, Ocala, FL 34482

Please Make Appointment June 2016

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Farming Wonders of the World

In a continued effort to bring art outside the museum’s walls and into the community in new and surprising ways, the Minneapolis Institute of Art commissioned renowned crop artist Stan Herd to create a planted version of Vincent van Gogh’s Olive Trees painting. Planting began in the spring of 2015 and the final piece remained intact through the fall of 2015. The field location on Thomson Reuters’s property was chosen specifically so that the growing art could be seen from many flights coming and going from MSP airport. Photos courtesy Minneapolis Institute of Art. http://new.artsmia.org/100/mia-commissions-crop-art-inspired-by-van-gogh/

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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

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352-368-6619

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Financing available 5455 N. US Hwy. 441, Ocala 352-840-0200 www.AllenFarmAndLawn.com June 2016

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Crones’ Cradle Conserve Foundation

Ecological Preserve Retreat Center Natural Farm Florida Certified Stewardship Forest

Farm Store Open 9-3 7 Days a Week Farm to Fare Weekly Baskets Farm Stead Weekends Women’s First Sunday Brunch Spring Sustainability Festival Spring & Fall Natural Foods Galas Group and School Farm Tours Natural Gardening Apprenticeships Local Produce Delivered to Your Restaurant

Coming Soon!!

Celebrate the Florida Pioneer Farm Heritage Experience: Candle Dipping, Apple Peeling, Corn Husk Dolls, Laundry on Scrub Board, Ironing with Flat Irons, Rope Making, Cross Cut Sawing, Juicing, Pumping Water, Farm Chores

Rent our Certified Kitchen & Honey House 6411 NE 217th Pl. Citra, FL 32113 6.4 miles east of 301 on CR 318 36

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352-595-3377 catrone@aol.com FB: Crones’ Cradle Conserve Foundation cronescradleconserve.org No Pets or Smoking Cash or Check Only