In the Field Magazine Hillsborough

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2010 1

Oct. 15 - Nov. 15, 2010

®

Covering What’s Growing

Hillsborough’s AGRICULTURE Magazine

Florida Pacific Farms Receives CARES Recognition

John Stickles

2 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2010

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From the Editor

John Stickles 76

Fall is in the air! The weather is cooling down and the days are getting shorter. Something about fall brings families together to savor the season.

October is Fire Safety Month, so visit a local fire station, or teach children to “stop, drop and roll.” The upcoming holidays spark in-creased risks through candles for decoration or ambiance and many outlets become overloaded. Be sure to take the time to teach children about fire safety. While this should be a year round thing, Fire Safety Month is a perfect time to start, or reinforce, lessons that have already been taught.

These are just a few of the smoke alarm facts from the National Fire Protection Association.

• Smoke alarms cut the risk of dying in a reported fire in half• Most homes (96%) have at least one smoke alarm • Each year nearly 3,000 people die in US home fires• In fires considered large enough to activate a smoke alarm,

hard-wired alarms operated 91% of the time; battery-pow-ered smoke alarms operated 75% of the time.

We are always on the lookout for new story ideas. Please let us know if you have someone or some place in mind. We also invite you to share your thoughts with us.

On Veterans Day we each have the opportunity to thank the sol-diers who have served to protect our rights as American citizens. En-joy your freedom everyday, but especially on November 11. Thank you veterans for your dedication and for your sacrifices.

A very special Thank You goes out to our advertisers. Thank you for your confidence in us. Without you this publication would not be possible. Please support our advertisers!

Until Next Month

Sarah HoltHillborough’s AGRICULTURE Magazine

®VOL.6•ISSUE12October


Oct. 15 - Nov. 15, 2010

®

Covering What’s Growing

Hillsborough’s AGRICULTURE Magazine

Florida Pacific Farms Receives CARES Recognition

John Stickles

Cover StoryPublisherKaren Berry

Editor-In-ChiefAl Berry

Senior Managing Editor and Writer

Sarah Holt

Editor Patsy Berry

Office ManagerBob Hughens

Sales ManagerJohnny Cone

SalesKaren Berry

Al BerryTina Richmond

Danny CramptonEric Singletary

W. Russell HancockChass Bronson

Art DirectorLourdes Sáenz

DesignerJuan Carlos Alvarez

Staff WritersAl Berry

Carol WeathersbeeSandy Kaster

James FrankowiakKayla Lewis

Nick ChapmanTracy CoxSean Green

Lourdes SáenzCraig Chandler

Mark Cook

Contributing WritersWoody Gore

PhotographyKaren Berry

Al Berry

In The Field® Magazine is published monthly and is available through local Hillsborough County businesses, restaurants and other local venues. It is also distributed by U.S. mail to a target market, which includes members of Hillsborough County Farm Bureau and Strawberry Growers Association. Letters, comments and questions can be sent to P.O. Box 5377, Plant City, Florida 33563-0042 or you are welcome to email them to: [email protected] or call 813-759-6909.

Advertisers warrant & represent the descriptions of their products advertised are true in all respects. In The Field® Magazine assumes no responsibility for claims made by their advertisers. All views expressed in all articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of Berry Publications, Inc. Any use or duplication of material used in In The Field® magazine is prohibited without written consent from Berry Publications, Inc. Published by Berry Publications, Inc.

7 Did You Know?

13Sink & Scott Discuss FL

Agriculture Future

16Fishing Hot Spots

23Rocking Chair Chatter

24Horse Trainer Dan Crist

29Sickles Ag Academy

44Business UpFront

Rhizogen

46Gentle Gardening

52Grub Station

Frontier Cattle Co.

84Florida Pumpkin

88Recipes

90Agriculture Profits

in Hillsborough CountyThe LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you.Numbers 6:25

Sarah


SeedlingS Summer in ColoradoStrawberry breeding is an important part of the work

undertaken at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center. The path to development of new cultivars encompasses four basic steps: crossing, seed germination, summer nursery and evaluation. Though it may sound simple, the numbers and time involved along the way are staggering.

“Cross pollination takes place during the December through March period each year,” said Dr. Vance Whitaker. “And we generally have from 100 to 120 crosses each year.” Germination then takes place in April and produces approximately 100 seedlings per cross on average or about 10,000 altogether.

The next step is summer nursery for those seedlings and to most closely match climatic conditions at commercial operations in either Canada or the higher elevations of North Carolina, the strawberry breeding team each June takes its seedlings on a cross country road trip to San Luis Valley, Colorado. There they are transplanted and experience a cool and dry summer relatively free from disease and are able to achieve their full performance.

“Thanks to the cooperation of Phil Smart, a private potato grower, and also Colorado State University and its Potato Research Center, our strawberry seedlings have been spending their summers in Colorado since 2005,” said Dr. Whitaker. The breeding program

leases several irrigated acres near the town of Monte Vista, which is located about three hours southwest of Colorado Springs in the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of approximately 6,000 feet.

But unlike summer camp for kids where parents leave their children under the supervision of camp staff, the seedlings are always under the watchful eyes of GCREC staff members. Transportation to Colorado is handled by Center staffers Larry Smith and Dale Wenzel. “Larry and Dale use our 15-passenger van and are meticulous in the way they load, transport and unload the seedlings,” said Dr. Whitaker. “It’s a three-day drive to Colorado and they make sure nothing happens to damage or harm the seedlings.” Larry and Dale have over 50 years of combined experience with strawberries, so they know what they are doing.”

Biological Scientist Jim Sumler, a GCREC 25-year employee, is the advance man for the seedlings. He treks to Colorado with his travel trailer in advance of the seedlings and oversees preparation of the acreage. He then spends the balance of the summer watching over his charges until it’s time to get them ready for the return trip. Under his watchful eye each seedling matures and sends out multiple daughter plants, which are harvested and sent back to Florida. The return trip is via an overnight commercial shipper. Once back in Florida, the daughter plants are quickly transplanted

Continued on page 8

By Jim Frankowiak nursery Photos By dr. Craig Chandler

The Path to New

Varieties


HILLSBOROUGHCounty

HcFarmBureau.orgWhat is Hillsborough CountyFarm Bureau Federation?Hillsborough County Farm Bureau works as the ears and eyes on behalf of agriculturists across the county.HCFB makes sure local laws and regulations created take your best interests into consideration.• Maintaining private property rights• Water use changes through SWFWMD• Greenbelt• Keeps abreast of pesticide and disease breakouts affecting local industry• Active participation on the Hillsborough County AEDC (Agriculture Economic Development Council)• Political Action Committee provides a link to the county and state delegation• Working with IFAS Extension locally to benefit Hillsborough County Agriculture

Member BenefitsFarm Bureau offers many of the products and services you use every day.• Long-distance calling• Insurance protection and banking• You also receive discounts on tickets to Florida theme

parks such as Anheuser-Busch’s Busch Gardens, Adven-ture Island and Sea World, as well as Universal Orlando and Six Flags (Georgia)

• Members are eligible for a $500 Dodge rebate on select vehicles

• Members are eligible to receive $1,000 in accidental death insurance with their memberships

• Many more, visit www.FloridaFarmBureau.org for details

Are You A

Member?

100 S. Mulrennan Rd. • Valrico, FL 33594Tel: (813) 685-9121 • Fax: (813)681-3779

E-mail: [email protected]


HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FARM BUREAU100 S. Mulrennan Rd.

Valrico, FL 33594

FARM BUREAU INSURANCE

SPECIAL AGENTS

AGENCY MANAGER: Tommy Hale

Valrico Office: 813.685.5673100 S. Mulrennan Rd. Valrico, FL 33594

Tommy Hale, CLU, CHFC, Agency Mgr.Julie Carlson, John McGuire

Plant City Office: 813.752.55771302 S. Collins St., Plant City, FL 33563

Jeff Sumner, Bill Williams

Tampa Office: 813.933.54401046 W. Busch Blvd., Ste. 100

Tampa, FL 33612Greg Harrell, Mike Miller

Brad Allsgood

OFFICERS ANDEXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

DIRECTORS FOR 2009-2010Bill Burnette, Amanda Collins, Roy Davis, David

Drawdy, Jim Dyer, Alvin Futch, Lance Ham, Stefan Katzaras, Greg Lehman, Carl Little, Jake

Raburn, Patrick Thomas, John Stickles, Michelle Williamson

Judi Whitson, Executive Director813.685.9121

Danny Aprile .........................................Vice PresidentJemy Hinton ................................................... TreasurerGeorge Coleman ........................................... SecretaryGlenn Harrell ...................................Member at Large

YOU TOO CAN BE A WINNERHEY READERS, hidden somewhere in the magazine is a

No Farmers, No Food logo. Hunt for the logo and once you find the hidden logo you will be eligible for a drawing to win a FREE InTheField® T-Shirt. Send us your business card or an index card with your name and telephone number, the page on which you found the logo and where on that page you

located the logo to:

InTheField® Magazine P.O. Box 5377, Plant City, FL 33563-0042All Entries must be received by November 3, 2010.

Winner will be notified by phone.You Too Can Be A Winner - Enter Now!

Office Hours: Monday-Friday8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Insurance Services813.685.5673

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No FarmersNo Food

• The geographical center of North America is near Rugby, North Da-kota.

• If you stretch a standard Slinky out flat it measures 87 feet long.• It is said that Des Moines, Iowa has the highest per capita Jello con-

sumption in the U.S.• Tennessee is bordered by eight states. Can you name them?• All three of the 1996 Presidential candidates, Clinton, Dole and Perot

were left-handed.• Hamsters love to eat crickets.• The world’s largest bat has a wingspan of almost six feet.• Maine is the only state that borders on only one state.• Ralph Lauren’s original name was Ralph Lifshitz.• A coat hanger is 44 inches long if straightened.• The roads on the island of Guam are made with coral. Guam has no

sand. The sand on the beaches is actually ground coral. When concrete is mixed, the coral sand is used instead of importing regular sand from thousands of miles away.

• Woodard Ave. in Detroit, Michigan carries the designation M-1, named so because it was the first paved road anywhere in the US.

• The longest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119.• Canada is an Indian word meaning “Big Village.”• In the Wizard of Oz Dorothy’s last name is Gail. You can see on her

mailbox.• Samuel Clemens, known as Mark Twain, was born on a day in 1835

when Haley’s Comet came into view. When he died in 1910, Haley’s Comet came into view again.

• If you have three quarters, four dimes, and four pennies, have $1.19. You also have the largest amount of money in coins without being able to make change for a dollar.

• The highest point in Pennsylvania is lower than the lowest point in Colo-rado.

• Ingrown toenails are hereditary

CORRECTION – The email address for Vernon Blackadar was listed incorrectly in the September is-sue. The correct email address is [email protected].


Continued from page 5

at the GCREC.“The ongoing involvement of our staff in this summer nursery step has

enabled us to upgrade this process, which used to take place at our center, for minimal costs while providing an ideal environment for seedlings to perform,” said Dr. Whitaker. “This enables us to approximately replicate an environment similar to that of commercial nurseries, and that is very beneficial to our overall breeding program.” Recently the Florida Foundation Seed Producers provided funding enabling GCREC to enter into a land use agreement with Colorado State University, bringing an extra level of stability to the summer nursery program at San Luis Valley.

However, a successful summer in Colorado is just one step in the path to breeding new varieties of strawberries. The next step in the process is evaluation in which 200 to 300 individuals are chosen from more than 10,000 first year seedlings. Those 200 to 300 are then pared down to around 15 advanced selections the next year. The most promising selections then move on to grower trials and some are ultimately released as new cultivars.

“While we look at these important individual steps, it is essential to recognize the total team effort that is put forth at our center,” said Dr. Whitaker. “Our team includes not just the breeding program, but also our clean plant (tissue culture) program, pathology, horticulture, weed science and entomology. Our GCREC Farm Manager, Jose Moreno, works with us to free up Larry and Dale to help out with the summery nursery and other tasks. We also collaborate with faculty in Gainesville and with USDA researchers in the areas of food science, genomics and molecular biology.

“The ultimate goal of our team is to help our growers get maximum performance from newly-released cultivars,” said Dr. Whitaker.

Biological Scientist Jim Sumler

Center staffers larry Smith and dale Wenzel


Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Charles H. Bronson announced that the state has achieved an important land management milestone during the recently com-pleted fiscal year as a record number of acres both in State Forests and on private land were prescribed burned.

In all, more than 214,000 acres in the roughly one million-acre State Forest system were successfully treated with prescribed burn-ing in fiscal year 2009-2010, up substantially from the then record 160,000 acres burned by Florida Division of Forestry (DOF) per-sonnel the previous year. And statewide, DOF authorized burning of 2.7 million acres of private and public land, up from the previ-ous record 2.3 million acres burned a year earlier.

“These numbers are all the more impressive considering the tough economy we’ve experienced, the many regulations faced by those who have chosen to burn and the cutbacks in both public and private budgets,” Bronson said. “This activity will make Flor-ida safer from wildfires.”

Florida has long been recognized as the national leader in prescribed or controlled burning as it is indispensible in reducing thick underbrush and eliminating dead vegetation on forest floors as a means of mitigating the spread and intensity of wildfires. Without these fuels to carry wildfire, countless acres of state land are spared the damage wildfires can cause, including the loss of valuable timber, wildlife habitat and injury and potential destruc-tion of endangered species of plant and wildlife.

Jim Karels, Bronson’s Division of Forestry Director and a ma-jor advocate of prescribed burning, said that reducing the fuels in the forests is particularly critical today because so many new com-munities are being built near woods and forests.

“Because so many new and expanding communities are on the doorstep of forests, reducing the intensity of wildfires by the application of prescribed burning reduces the risk of property damage, injuries and loss of life in nearby communities,” Karels said.

Although vital to controlling wildfires, Bronson said that prescribed fire is also the most efficient and economical way to manage State Forest lands. It allows DOF personnel to improve wildlife habitat, control diseases, insects and invasive species and assist in the recycling of nutrients into the soil.

BRONSON ANNOUNCES RECORD-BREAKING

PRESCRIBED BURNING SEASON


New home canning classes have been added to the Extension schedule. They include Pressure Canning Vegetables, Friday October 29 and Saturday, November 6. Each session will take place at the Extension Office, 5339 County Road 579, Seffner, FL 33584. Classes begin promptly at 1:30 and end at approximately 4:40 p.m. There is no charge for the classes, but participants are asked to donate $5 each to help offset the cost of supplies used during the three hour sessions and the materials participants are given to take home. Dr. Keith can also test pressure canner dial gauges.

Additional class offerings include Making Jam and Pickles slated for Wednesday, October 6 and Canning Jam and Fruit Friday, November 19. Dr. Mary Keith will conduct each of the classes. She earned her doctorate in Food Science from Pennsylvania State University and Master of Science in Food Science, also from Penn State. Her undergraduate degree, which she also earned at Penn State, is in secondary education.

“Vegetable classes cover pressure canning of vegetables, meats, seafood and how to choose and use a pressure canner,” said Dr. Keith. “Jam, pickle and fruit classes demonstrate sweet spreads, quick-pack pickles, tomato and/or fruit preparation and boiling water processing. All classes will show complete processing procedures, use of equipment and answers to all attendee questions.” Participants will receive directions, recipes and resource lists.

Dr. Keith attributes the growing popularity of her home canning classes to a variety of reasons. “The current economy is certainly a factor, but we also have attendees who want to avoid unnecessary food ingredients and those who have health reasons,” she said. “Some participants lost significant quantities of food during power outages and are looking for a way to avoid repetition. We have others looking for ways to preserve food that is canned and ready to eat without the need for electrical or gas powered equipment,” she added. “I recall two gentlemen who brought their wives so together they could learn how to preserve goods such as meat and stews that they could eat from the jar while hunting. We also had some fishermen who had just returned from an Alaskan trip and wanted preserve salmon they had caught on that

trip.” “Our classes attract people of all ages and both sexes,”

she said. “We have families and individuals.” Classes are limited to 30 participants. Reservations are on a first come, first served basis. Reservations may be made on line as follows:

October 29 – http://pressurecanning1029.evenbrite.com

EXTENSION EXPANDS FALL FOOD PREPARATION

YRETIREMENT

PLANNING SESSIONSBy Jim Frankowiak

extension’s fall class schedule has been expanded in response to increasing interest in home canning and retirement planning.


and November 6 – http://pressurecanning1106.eventbrite.com.

Making Jam and Pickles – October 6 – http://jamandpickles1006.evenbrite.com

Canning Jam and Fruit – November 19 – http://canningjamandfruit1119.eventbrite.com

For additional information, visit www.hillsborough.extension.ufl.edu or call 813-744-5519.

Retirement Planning SeriesExtension and the Financial Planning Association of

Tampa Bay have joined forces to present another series of sessions designed to help people plan financially for their retirement. “This series will alternate classes and one-on-one sessions with financial planners who are volunteering their time,” said Extension Agent Lisa Leslie. The series will be held Tuesdays, October 5, 12 and 19 from 6 – 8 pm at the Extension office in Seffner. There is a $15 fee per household which covers the entire series.

“We encourage anyone in the work force to consider this series as way to begin planning for their retirement, regardless of their age or income level,” said Leslie. “We are fortunate to be able to offer the expertise of financial planning professionals who are donating their time to this program as a community service.”

Financial Planning Association Public Relations and Pro Bono Director Stephen Csenge and Susan Brandley, also a member of FPA, will be among those presenting during the series and providing individual guidance. “Our involvement in this series is part of an overall initiative of our association to give back to the community during these difficult

times,” said Csenge. “We also want to help overcome the misconception that retirement planning is a complicated process and one that is just for the wealthy.” Csenge and his FPA colleagues began this pro bono programming earlier this year as part of the America Saves initiative. “The need was apparent and the opportunities were manifest with Extension both in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. The popularity of initial sessions led to this second series.”

Registration may be made on line at http://20101005retirementplanningseries.eventbrite.com or by calling 813-744-5519, Extension 143. Leslie can also be reached via email at [email protected].


We’ll take care of the rest.

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Industry Leaders Hold Straw Poll on Florida Governor and Cabinet Races

Candidates for Florida’s top political offices presented their plans for governing Florida agriculture to more than 230 industry leaders at the ninth quadrennial Farm Credit - Agriculture Institute of Florida Candidates Forum held September 24 at the Orange County Convention Center.

“We appreciate the candidates’ attention to agriculture and we hope they have a better understanding of our issues, because we need their support,” said Betsy McGill, president of the Agriculture Institute of Florida.

“We’re at a critical time in our state’s history with many challenges. But for agriculture, our economy would be in worse shape,” said Alex Sink, Democratic nominee for governor and Florida Chief Financial Officer, who grew up on a farm in North Carolina.

Agriculture is Florida’s second largest industry, contributing more than $103 billion annually to the state’s economy and employing more than 763,000 people.

Republican nominee Rick Scott told producers and agriculture leaders from across the state, “I pledge to sit down with this industry and others and make sure we’re the best state in the country.”

Industry leaders also heard from Attorney General Republican candidate Pam Bondi and the candidates for Agriculture Commissioner – Democrat Scott Maddox, Republican Adam Putnam and Independent Thad Hamilton.

In a straw poll following the Q&A with candidates, here’s how participants voted:

GovernorRick Scott 70Alex Sink 68

Agriculture CommissionerAdam Putnam 142Thad Hamilton 5Scott Maddox 3

Attorney GeneralPam Bondi 140Dan Gelber 7

Chief Financial OfficerJeff Atwater 88Loranne Ausley 9

About the Agriculture Institute of Florida and Farm CreditThe Agriculture Institute of Florida is a volunteer

organization of communications professionals from private companies, agricultural associations and individual farms throughout the state. Since 1970, AIF has been dedicated to promoting the value of Florida agriculture and empowering producers to work effectively with the media and the public. Farm Credit is a Customer-Owned business serving approximately 5,000 ranchers, farmers, growers and rural homeowners with $3 billion in outstanding loan volume.

alex Sink, rick Scottdiscuss Future of agriculture


Bus: 813-986-4242Cell: 813-293-4242

• Land Clearing • Demolition • Drainage• Ditch and Pond Cleaning and Mowing• Mulching & Mowing of Heavy Underbrush

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By Sean Green

It’s October, our weather is starting to cool, and the rest of the year will be marked with festive holiday activities including the observation of Farmers Day, the second Monday in October. Traditional farming was difficult work and families often had to improvise in the absence of wealth and technology. This month, we will recycle household items to make crafts or useful items for the home and holidays.

SPOIlED MIlkMilk Casein Glue: (great use of spoiled milk)Mix skim milk and vinegar at a 2:1 ratio. (milk will curdle)Filter curd from whey through a paper towelRoll curd into a small lump; add a pinch of baking soda (pickling lime for strong glue)Mix until curd is light brown and lumps are gone.Use like commercial glue, refrigerate unused glue.

DRINk BOTTlE CRAfTS:Empty Plastic Drink Bottles (or any cylindrical object such as paper towel or bathroom tissue tube)PaintTwine or RibbonGoogly Eyes (or anything that can be used as eyes such as buttons, seashells, seed husks)Glue (milk casein or commercial)

SMAll TREAT CONTAINER(Adults) Cut the top of a drink bottle off Paint the bottle to make a spooky or funny face(Adults) Poke holes in the top sides of the bottle and attach a ribbon or twine handleGlue googly eyes to the bottleFill the container with small candies.

TEA CUP lIghT lANTERN(Adults) Cut the top of a Gatorade bottle off (or any bottle that is molded to look like a lantern)

Paint the bottle white Paint the ridges of the bottle silver for the lantern frameBorder the edges of the lantern with ribbon or other decorations.(Adults) Poke holes in the top sides of the bottle and attach a handle.Place a tea cup light inside the lantern, place the lantern in a window, or hang it up outside.

PENCIl hOlDER(Adults) Cut the top of a drink bottle off Decorate the bottle by painting it or gluing fabric around the bottleBorder the edges with ribbon, twine or braided materialGlue objects to the side of the pencil holder, try to make a picture with toothpicks, paper cutouts, dry macaroni, and objects found around the home.

Naturally Amazing ActivitiesRECYCLED CRAFTS

Photo by april Wietrecki


By Captain Woody Gore

TAMPA BAY’S FISHING REPORT

For Remarkable Fall Fishing Action - Tidal

Creeks, Rivers and CanalsAs the weather

turns and becomes more comfortable, anglers and anglerette’s get restless to wet a line. Fall is one of the best fishing times all year ,offering plenty of fishing opportunities. During the autumn months, as water temperatures cool, fish become more comfortable and start eating, which makes them easier to pattern. This time of year tidal creeks, rivers and canals are especially disposed to more catching with less fishing.

We begin seeing an upturn in fishing just after our first periods of cooler weather drops the water temperatures. It’s kind of like nature shooting off a flare. When fish detect the first change in water temp, they get excited about eating and often begin schooling around tidal currents and eddy’s. Unlike summer where you’re catching a few fish, there is something about a good fall bite that supplies plenty of exciting action.

Fish like moving water… it’s a food thing and something called conditioned behavior. That’s why you’ll always find them hanging around strong tidal areas like rivers, creeks and canals. Naturally, tidal flows will fill and drain these areas and it’s this same water that carries a fish’s next meal. Fish instinctively know that most of their meals are coming from the direction of the current. Accordingly, you’ll find them hanging around points, cuts, or eddies and always facing oncoming current. Success means your lure or bait presentation is critical. For a natural appearance to waiting fish, present your bait or lure up current working it back with the flow.

The same presentation scenario applies as cool water forces them deep. Fish go deep for different reasons. During

the summer they go deep to escape hot water. The same is true as water temperatures get colder. Fish go deeper to stay warm. Regardless of whether they’re deep or shallow they will always face current flow. However, on occasion and provided the shallow sun-warmed banks and shoals are holding bait, they will come up to feed.

As fish pattern deeper later in the fall, diving lures, skirted jigs and jigs with soft scented plastics work especially well. When the fish seem reluctant to bite, some veteran anglers will tip their jigs with pieces of fresh shrimp for more consistent hook-ups.

This time of year can offer some outstanding opportunities to catch quality fish. The pleasant change in weather also makes it more enjoyable for the angler. Over the next few months, if you get the bug to get out and do a little fishing, remember tidal creeks, rivers and canals can offer awesome fishing action.

What’s Biting in Tampa Bay –

October 2010

Snook: Expect good early morning flats action and later in the day you will find plenty of fish lounging in the shadow lines around docks and mangroves. Greenbacks, threadfins, shrimp and pinfish are baits of choice. Or you might try tossing some artificials around… they do catch fish.

Redfish: They should start congregating around the flats as the action picks up this month. Good grass flats with sandy potholes and large schools of mullet are great starting points. The Tampa Bay area holds miles of mangrove lined shores and high tide redfish love getting back under the root system. There is always a multitude of food available including crabs, shrimp, and small baitfish. The same baits that catch snook catch redfish, or for some early morning excitement try a walking-the-dog technique with a MirrOlure Top Dog Jr.

FALL INTO FISHINGCreeks - Rivers - Canals

Continued on the next page


Spotted Sea Trout: Fishing always improves as the water temperatures cool. Strong moving water and deep water grass flats can usually produce a decent bite. Trout love small pinfish, shrimp, and greenbacks free lined or under a popping.

Tarpon: Some Tarpon are still around and bridge light lines especially at night. We should see some smaller 30 pounders showing up in channels and rivers. They usually always take threadfins, greenbacks and crabs.

Spanish Mackerel & Bluefish: Tampa Bay is still producing excellent mackerel bites that should continue this month, especially south of the Gandy Bridge. Look for diving birds, put out a chum bag, and hold on.

Give Me a Call & Let’s Go Fishing Captain Woody Gore is the area’s top outdoor fishing guide. Guiding and fishing the Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs, Bradenton, and Sarasota areas for over 50 years; he offers world class fishing adventures and a lifetime of memories.

Single or Multi-boat Group Charters are all the same. With years of organizational experience and access to the areas most experienced captains, Woody can arrange and coordinate any outing or tournament. Just tell him what you need and it’s done. Visit his website at: WWW.CAPTAINWOODYGORE.COM, send an email to [email protected] or give him a call at 813-477-3814.

We preserve the best of nature, to produce the best from nature.

Enriching farmland is our labor and our love. We provide American farmers with nutrients to grow

the food we need. But our work doesn’t stop there. After mining the natural phosphate needed to

make our products, we reclaim the land for recreational and environmental uses. We bring more

to your table, all while feeding the world responsibly.

A better Florida and a better world www.mosaicfla.com


John Beuttenmuller has been named executive director of Florida Foundation Seed Producers Inc., which produces and licenses new plant varieties developed by faculty with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Beuttenmuller took the post July 1. He has worked in UF’s cultivar licensing program since 2005, most recently as FFSP’s intellectual property and licensing director. As executive director, he oversees breeding programs for more than 40 crops and a 750-acre seed stock farm in Marianna.

“I see this as an excellent opportunity,” Beuttenmuller said. “I’m excited to be involved in an organization that truly has the ability and track record of contributing greatly to agriculture in Florida, the U.S. and the world, as well as the continued success of plant breeding programs at UF.”

Beuttenmuller was an ideal candidate, said Mark McLellan, IFAS dean for research.

“John has an unusual mix of characteristics, as he is an astute businessman, a vibrant leader and has a warm personality,” McLellan said. “John is someone who will constantly seek out value for all business partners including the University, thus maximizing the partnership. I foresee a time under John’s leadership of great success and growth.”

Since 1971, FFSP has been a UF direct support organization, licensing cultivars to producers who grow and sell the crops, then pay UF a portion of the proceeds in the form of a royalty. The organization has been phenomenally successful recently. During fiscal year 2009-10, IFAS revenue from licensed cultivars was $3.78 million, a sixfold increase from 2000-01.

One reason is that IFAS makes cultivar development a priority, Beuttenmuller said. At a time when many land-grant universities are cutting back on plant breeding programs, UF is taking the opposite tack, and is able to do so because of the current success of cultivars licensed by FFSP.

Of the royalties generated by FFSP’s licensing activities, 70 percent are reinvested in the UF breeding program. So for every dollar in cultivar royalties UF receives, 70 cents goes back to the research team who developed the cultivar.

This arrangement has been in place since the early 1990s, Beuttenmuller said.

“The UF policy was created with a lot of foresight, and has been paramount to our success,” he said. “As biotechnology and molecular genetics have grown in popularity, it has been harder and harder for traditional plant breeders to attract grant funding, so reinvestment provides a way to support breeders and their programs. Given their long-term focus and resource-intensive nature, royalty support has become increasingly more important, especially in a climate of budget cuts.”

Two of Beuttenmuller’s goals are encouraging new plant breeders and garnering bigger market shares for Florida crop producers and, thus, the new varieties developed by UF breeders. Some of the University’s most successful breeding programs include blueberry, peanut, strawberry and tomato, annual ryegrass, and the ornamental plants aglaonema, caladium and coleus.

Beuttenmuller earned a bachelor’s degree in finance at UF and worked as a financial consultant before joining UF’s cultivar licensing team.

John Beuttenmuller named executive director of

Florida Foundation Seed Producers Inc.By Tom nordlie


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Have you ever noticed that many dogs do not like mail carri-ers very much? At times it goes even farther than that, to include parcel delivery drivers, garbage collectors, meter readers and just about anyone that enters your property briefly and leaves quickly. The reason dogs do not like mail carriers and others with simi-lar habits is that people in these professions inadvertently teach dogs not to like them. Dogs are instinctively pack driven, territo-rial predators. They feel it is their duty to warn strangers off of their turf and defend their territory if necessary. What we see and what the dog sees are two completely different things. We see the mail carrier approach our mailbox, drop our mail, and then move on down the street. Our dogs see a stranger approaching the edge of his turf. So the dog gives a warning to the intruder in the form of barks and growls. The dog then sees the intruder immediately leave after his warning. In the dog’s mind he just successfully drove away an intruder.

This behavior is repeated every day. The garbage collectors come by, the dog barks and they leave. The meter reader comes by, the dog barks and they leave. The mail carrier comes by, the dog barks and they leave. It does not matter that the barking dog has nothing to do with these people vacating the area. The dog sees it that way. Over time he becomes bolder and bolder. Some dogs become obsessive over it, remaining in a constant semi agitated state, ever vigilant for the evil intruders. This can cause multiple issues. The dog’s mind will become so focused on guarding against “intruders,” they lose focus on everything else. They begin ignor-ing commands they once obeyed. The guarding behavior the dog is displaying towards “intruders” may expand into other guarding behaviors. It could even progress to guarding household objects and space against family members. And of course it is likely that once this behavior develops should the dog ever gain access to the mail carrier or other visitor they will bite them.

While the thought of owning a dog that warns off strangers may sound appealing, allowing the behavior to go too far can have serious consequences. Most people would not like to see their dog injure someone. There is also the potential of civil suit and losing your dog. Territorial behaviors can easily be brought under con-trol through proper socialization. It is best to begin socialization as puppies but no dog is too old to be socialized. With puppies, I like to begin socialization once the course of puppy vaccinations are complete. This will ensure the puppy is well protected from diseases

such as parvo, distemper, and the like. I like to use a socialization process I call 100, 100, in 100. The way this process works is simple. You introduce the dog to 100 different people and 100 different ex-periences in 100 days.

It is best to introduce the dog to as wide a variety of people as possible. Tall, short, old, young, people with glasses, people wear-ing hats, coats, etc. You want this introduction to be as friendly and as casual as possible. If the dog is shy or submissive, do not force the issue. Instead encourage the dog to approach the strang-ers. Handing the stranger a treat is a good way to encourage a quiet natured dog to approach strangers. The dog will come to enjoy meeting strangers and look forward to greeting them rather than driving them away. Exposing the dog to new experiences will help the dog remain calm in new situations. Riding in various vehicles, walking on different types of surfaces, going in and out of differ-ent types of buildings, are all good experiences. And do not forget stairs. The worst time to realize that your dog has a fear of stairs is when you need to walk up a long flight of stairs with a large dog. This can be very frustrating and potentially dangerous. So work on short flights of stairs and work up from there. Something to add to this is to go to vets office just for a visit. Of course you want to check with your vet first. But if you explain what you are working on, most vets probably will not mind. Just walk into the waiting room with the dog. Having some treats for the staff to give the dog also helps. Doing this will make visits for checkup and vaccinations much more pleasant.

With a little time and work, we can help our guardians wel-come meeting friends and strangers alike. Our dogs will be friendly, social and eager to meet new people. This greatly reduces the chance of having an unfortunate bite incident. It also makes taking your dog out in public a relaxing stress free event for you, the dog and folks you may meet in your travels.

By: Johnny Cone

Why Dogs Hatethe

Mailman


I must admit I get amused at how news is reported on TV, radio and newspapers. For example, in August of 2010 WFLA-Ch. 8’s lead story for their 5:30 pm news was about three dogs being stolen from a kennel. Must have been a bad news day, what with McCollum and Rick Scott obviously not have new mud to sling.

USA today does a pretty good job of keeping up with the news all over the US. On Friday August 27 in their “Across the USA,” that has news from every state, they had some startling news. For instances, in Bismarck, North Dakota the City Commission passed a law making it illegal to jump from bridges within the city limits. Violators would face a fine, if they are still alive, of up to $500.

Now this is BIG news. In Myrtle Beach, South Carolina a costal night spot for bikers will soon be a Dollar General store. In Somerset, Massachusetts about 50 people were excited at Fox Hill Cove, after someone said they saw a shark fin in the water, but the local law enforcement discovered the so called “shark fin” was a piece of fin-shaped Styrofoam sealed with duct tape.

In Falmouth, Maine a teenager passed over a “bait car” with a laptop, cell phone and other valuables in it in the city park, and instead broke into the police surveillance van and took a bottle of water.

The town of Oakwood, Illinois will celebrate the opening of a grocery store after being without one for more than a year. And in Los Angeles a civil rights group is protesting the county’s sheriff’s plans to install a high-tech unit that shoots a high beam at unruly jail inmates.

In Orlando a police sub-station was evacuated when an elderly woman walked in with an old hand grenade. She said she found it while going through a relative’s belongings.

My friend Bruce Rodwell knows how much I enjoy reading these newspaper goofs. He recently emailed me a few that I think you’ll enjoy. “Toilet out of order. Please use floor below.” Sign in a Laundromat: “Automatic washing machines, Please remove all your clothes when the light goes out.” In a London department store: “Bargain basement upstairs.” Memo on the office bulletin board: “Would the person who took the step ladder yesterday please bring it back or further steps will be taken.” “After the tea break staff should empty the teapot and stand upside down on the draining board.” Outside a second hand shop: “We exchange anything – bicycles, washing machines, etc. Why not bring your wife along and get a wonderful bargain?” Sign on a health food shop window: “Closed due to illness.” Seen at a safari park; “Elephants please stay in your car.” Sign at hotel during a business conference: “For anyone who has children and doesn’t know it, there is a day care on the first floor.” Sign in a farmer’s field: “The farmer allows walkers to cross the field for free, but the bull charges.” Message on a leaflet: “If you cannot read this leaflet it will tell you how to get lessons.” Notice on a repair shop door; “We can repair anything! (Please knock hard on the door - the bell doesn’t work.)”

Ever read the wedding announcements? They can be hilarious at times. Sometimes it would be better to use the couple’s entire name instead of hyphenating them. Examples: “Looney–Ward,” “Hardy-Harr,” “Wendt-Adaway,” and lastly “Dunnam-Favors.”

This past year they had a referendum on the ballot in Union County, Georgia to allow the sale of beer and wine. It passed, and one old timer that had been sipp’n a little shine made by some of the locals quickly converted to the legal stuff.

When the beer and wine went on sale, Gaston J. Feeblebunny (don’t laugh-that’s his name) who lives just outside of Blairsville, staggered home late the first night it was legal to sell the spirits. He quietly took off his shoes so as not to wake his wife, Belcher. Then

silently tiptoed toward the stairs that lead to their bedroom. He misjudged the first step. Immediately he grabbed the banister, as his body quickly swung around and he landed on his rear end. The beer bottle he had in his back pocket broke as he landed and cut his rear end up pretty badly.

He covered his mouth instantly so as not to yell, jumped up, pulled down his pants, and looked in the hall mirror to see that the left side of butt cheek was cut and bleeding. He found a box of Band-Aids and as best he could, looking in the mirror where he saw blood, he the applied the Band-Aids.

When finished he hid the almost empty Band-Aid box and stumbled his way to bed.

The next morning he woke up with a sore rear end and a terrible headache. Across the room was Belcher his wife staring at him.

“Well, you were drunk again last night, Feeblebunny,” she said!He smiled and said, “Sweetheart, why would you say such a

thing?”“My goodness,” she said. “It could be I found the front door

was open when I got up, or it could be the broken beer bottle at the bottom of the stairs, it could be the drops of blood trailing up the stairs to the bed, it could be those bloodshot eyes I am looking at now, but mostly it’s all those Band-Aids stuck on the hall mirror.

I’ll leave you with a couple of thought to ponder. Why do we put suits in garment bags and garments in a suitcase? Why is it that bullets ricochet off of Superman’s chest, but he ducks when the empty gun is thrown at him?


By Jim Frankowiak

Dan Crist is a horse trainer thanks to his wife Tracy and her introduction to horses when they were classmates at Crystal River High School. Married for going on 15 years in 2011, Dan and Tracy are the parents of Logan, 10, and Emori, a two-year-old young lady. The family resides south of Plant City on 60-acres that have been in his family since 1914 when it was settled by Dan’s great grandfather, Charlie Wiggins.

“I grew up in Crystal River, but spent summers here with my grandparents,” said Dan who has always loved the country lifestyle, working the land and being out in the fields. “My wife grew up with horses in Crystal River and she got me started on them when we were in high school. We trail rode and I got involved in team roping for a few years.”

Shortly before getting married a bit over 15 years ago, Dan and Tracy moved to the family land near Plant City. “I did a variety of different things from electrical work and driving trucks and transporting autos to day working at different ranches,” said Crist. As the Crist family began to grow, Dan grew weary of being away from his family on the road.

“We decided to get into the horse boarding business as I made the transition from working away from home to being able to stay at home,” said Crist. The process was gradual and Dan became a fulltime trainer several years ago and now enjoys the short trip from his home to work, which is just a few steps from the back door of his home to his six-stall barn, which he helped build a number of years ago.

His path to training horses came

By Jim Frankowiak

Continued on next page

HORSE TRAINER

STRIVES TO KEEP IT SIMPLE

FOR BOTH HORSE AND RIDER


Tom Sparkman813.927.3104

702 Tillman Place • Plant City, FL 33566

gradually, but his focus has always been “to keep it simple so the horse can comprehend what the rider wants. I do a lot more than just break a horse. I work hard to get horses soft and responsive by being relaxed and willing.”

“My method is to be calm and assertive not aggressive and I depend a lot on consistency and repetition. I firmly believe that if horses are started properly, they will do well as they grow.” Crist works with all breeds of horses and all riding disciplines. “My training is western, but I have found that the lessons horses learn from me are easily transferred to any discipline.” Crist has a growing list of satisfied clientele form large operations, such as the Cecil Farm and its quarter horses and thoroughbreds, to individual horse owners happy to trail ride with a safe and relaxed animal.

“Horses with a relaxed state of mind will look to their riders for direction and not bolt or buck when they face the unknown or a surprise. That is what I work to achieve with every horse I train,” said Crist. However, the focus is not just on the horse. “I have owners come to my ranch for lessons as they approach the time for their horses to leave. It is vital that they continue what I have begun and that means repetition to help maintain that relaxed state of mind for the horse.” He also admits that sometimes the problem in the horse and rider relationship is shared. “That is why lessons with me at the end of the horses stay are so important since we can address and work through those challenges and set the course for a relaxed long term relationship for both the horse and rider.”

“When the horse looks to the rider for direction, success comes from providing the right direction and that’s what I strive for.”

Crist demonstrates his approach through a variety of clinics and demonstrations held throughout the Tampa Bay area. Future plans include custom training for participants on given days within a specified period of time. “This will make it possible for horse and owner to trailer in to my ranch for lessons at a specific day and time over a series of weeks or months,” said Crist. That is a program that is in its early stages of development. In the meantime, Crist accepts new clients for a minimum of two months, but strongly suggests 90-days.

Horse owners interested in more information about Dan Crist and his training program, are encouraged to visit www.dancristhorsetraining.com. In addition to an overview of his training process, the site includes directions to his ranch, information on upcoming demonstrations and clinics, plus his email address and phone number.

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On a typical Sunday morning at First Baptist Church of Plant City, you may shake the hand of Dusty Willis, a deacon and official greeter, as he welcomes you at the front door. He is

genuinely glad you are there because that is the kind of man he is – genuine, no pretense, what you see is what you get. His strong hands welcome fellow worshipers, perform acts of love for his family, know hard work, and stay busy, even in retirement, as a craftsman of cow whips.

“It’s a dying art, not that many people around making them,” Dusty said. “Hopefully, I can teach my grandson before I am gone.”

While admiring a friend’s cow whip about 35 years ago, he said to himself, “I can build those.” Armed with a book on plaiting because he was unable to find any how-to-books on cow whips, he taught himself. He went to every local hardware store asking for flat nylon until he realized it was parachute cord that he needed.

“When I started out it was hard to find hickory and ash so I used broken ax and shovel handles. It takes a hardwood because they take a lot of punishment,” Dusty said. “I have made handles out of orange wood. It makes a good handle, but it doesn’t have wood grain as pretty as cherry or black walnut.”

Phil Faith, a close friend who enjoys traveling the mountains, brings him black walnut from Tennessee sawmills and Dusty buys the

cherry wood from a local sawmill. He then turns the wood on a lathe to create a tapered handle to attach the white nylon whip so it will swivel when popped.

“The first one I built the guy still uses as far as I know,” he said. “Leather won’t take all the abuse that nylon will. Leather looks good hanging on the wall.”

Dusty prefers the white nylon versus colored as he has found the white cord braids better. He will make the whips from the color nylon if requested. The average sizes he makes are 10 to 12 feet′. For kids, especially little boys who just like to pop whips, six to eight feet are available.

“People buy them for different reasons, but when they buy one, they last for years, not something you have to replace,” he said. “It helps the nylon if you wax them once and awhile in a mixture of paraffin and beeswax.”

His cow whips are featured on the website, www.dancristhorsetraining.com, by friend, Dan Crist, who, according to Dusty, has used them since he began training horses. They are carried locally at Southside Farm & Pet Supply, 3014 S. James Redman Parkway, or just by giving Dusty a call at (813) 737-3161. All other advertising is by word of mouth.

“I used a 15′foot whip when I

By Tracy Cox

DUSTY WILL ISH a n d M a d e C o w W h i p s



did cow work, but I traded it to a guy for a cur dog,” Dusty said. “He was supposed to be a good cur dog, but wound up not being that good.”

His family moved from Tifton, Ga. to the Cedar Grove community south of Plant City, when he was just a 9-year-old lad. Growing up, they had milk cows and a two acre garden, but unfortunately for “horse crazy” Dusty, the cows were the only livestock the family owned. He still found plenty to rope while helping out his granddaddy, a farmer, working at neighbors’ farms, and doing cow work.

“I have been horse crazy all my life, but didn’t have one until I got married,” he said. “We have six now.”

He put down deep roots in the Hopewell community 43 years ago when he married Margie McDonald, a descendant of a pioneer family. Margie and her sister, Glenda Haney, operate the family owned business, Hopewell Funeral Home.

Dusty and Margie are the proud parents of John, an administrative assistant to First Baptist Church Associate Pastor Tommy Warnock and Youth Minister Randy Wilson, and in-laws to Christy, a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputy. Their pride and joy, however, are their grandchildren, Kody, Jena, and Rylee. Kody is his deer hunting buddy up on his leased property just north of Tifton, where they bow and gun hunt. The girls like to ride the horses with their granddaddy.

A man who loves all things country, he also builds old time spring wagons designed for one horse with wood spoke wheels made by an Amish craftsman in Tennessee.

“I needed a wagon so I just built one,” said Dusty, who has built approximately 10 in the last 20 years. “I build them for myself and someone would see it. I would sell it and have to make another one.”

Dusty also builds hayride wagons with siderails, sideboards, and long benches. As if that isn’t enough to take him away from retirement, he appears in television shoots as a horse handler with Les McDowell, formerly of WQYK, at Les’ place, Dry Creek, an old west town he built out in the woods in Parrish.

“People keep finding me things to do,” he said. “I am always busy doing something.”

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Julie Brashear is head of the Sickles Academy of Veterinary Sciences and the FFA advisor at Walter L. Sickles High School. The program teaches students everything they need to know about veterinary assisting. “We have around 160 students, and we teach all level of vet assisting.” She went on to say that among the many programs they offer for the student is a 95-member FFA program.

The veterinary assisting program at Sickles does not just teach students, but offers hands on experience. “In our Ag Lab we have different livestock animals,” she said, “pigs, chickens, cattle, sheep, goats.” They also have a doggie day-care and grooming facility that the students run, and they just started a new aquaponics facility that was arranged and is managed by the students. “The program is set up for the kids to utilize their skills.” She said, “The kids take care of all the animals.” Apart from the student’s studies at the school the program at Sickles works with various animal shelters, and students who are at the eligible age can go volunteer at the programs to gain even more experience. “We try and get out there so that the kids can learn more about the industry without me just talking in the classroom,” said Julie. She explained that she is the only teacher for all of her students.

Sickles High School has had an Ag program for 12 years but the Veterinary Sciences program is only two years old. “When the school started it was in a really rural area,” Julie said, “We started the vet classes a couple of years ago because we had a lot of kids from suburban areas that wanted to know about small animals. So we had to change the program up a bit.” She went onto say that currently their program only offers veterinary, or animal sciences. “We’re trying to get the kids prepared to be vet techs.” She added that many students who have graduated from the program have gone on to have successful careers in veterinary assisting. The work and studies are not easy and are geared toward the various sciences that encompass veterinary assisting. Julie explained that the curriculum involved, “A lot of animal handling and anatomy and physiology.”

The program at Sickles High School is one that includes every student that wants to learn about veterinary sciences. “To remain in the academy the students have to make sure they have passing grades, but besides that, we’re open to everyone.”

By Kayla lewis


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28th Annual Florida Cattlemen’s Institute & Allied Trade Show

What began in 1984 as a local county meeting with 50 producers and 10 allied vendors has grown to become the largest single-day cattle educational event and trade show in Florida. From the beginning, the Cattlemen’s Institute has been designed for Florida cattle producers who have a desire to increase their profitability by broadening their knowledge base. Each year’s educational seminars feature both state and nationally recognized experts with specific information for Florida cattle producers.

The 2011 Cattlemen’s Institute will be held January 20 in Kissimmee at Osceola Heritage Park located at 1921 Kissimmee Valley Lane, off of Highway 192 East (Irlo Bronson Memorial Highway). The trade show will open at 8:00 am and the program will begin at 9:00 am with comments from Florida Cattlemen’s President, Jim Strickland and University of Florida/IFAS Sr. Vice President, Dr Jack Payne.

The 2011 theme “Total Herd Management” includes the following seminars: Body Condition, Nutrition & frame Size (Live Animal Demo) – Matt Hersom, PhD., UF/IFAS Extension Beef Cattle SpecialistTracking Your Progress/Use of Production Records (Panel Discussion) – Gene Lollis, MacArthur Agro-Ecology Research Center

Buck Island Ranch; Chris Hardee, Hardee Farms; Kay Richardson, Richardson Bros., Inc. and Eric Jacobsen, Ag Reserves Deseret Cattle & Citrus;

Bulls: Size Does Matter (Live Animal Demo) – Mike Milicevic, Lykes Bros.; Roland Starnes, Kensington Cattle Company and Bob Weaber, PhD., University of Missouri, Extension Beef Cattle Genetics

getting the girls Ready/heifer Development – Wes Williamson, Williamson Cattle CompanyOur trade show was designed to be a true “working” trade show. We strive to bring various farm and ranch feed, equipment and

service providers together in one location so you, the rancher, can ask questions and get answers about products and services without having to spend several days driving from store to store. This concept has worked well from both the supplier and user side of the equation. Almost all the vendors and exhibitors who have participated in previous Cattlemen’s Institute Trade Shows have made comments about how much they accomplish and how many “serious” people they get to meet. Take time to visit our trade show and ask questions, and if you get a chance, thank the exhibitors for supporting the Institute. Encourage your suppliers to participate in our trade show. We still have space available. For exhibitor information, contact Randy Bateman at (321) 697-3000. The more exhibitors we have, the more other vendors want to be involved.

Additionally, the Trade Show Exhibitors sponsor a free steak lunch for all program participants.For more information about the 2011 Florida Cattlemen’s Institute and Allied Trade Show, contact your local University of Florida/

IFAS Extension Office. You can find your local county office at http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/map/.


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For Florida’s blueberry growers, public enemy No. 1 has finally been identified.

Researchers with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences have pinpointed two fungus species responsible for stem blight, the costliest disease affecting the state’s blueberries.

Though Florida is better known for citrus, it ranks fifth nationwide in commercial blueberry acreage, producing a crop with an annual farmgate value of $20 million, said Philip Harmon, a UF plant pathology associate professor.

The predominant variety in the state, southern highbush, ripens earlier than blueberries grown elsewhere, offering a lucrative niche market. But in recent years, growers have been plagued by a fungal disease that causes leaves to wilt and drop. In serious cases, the infection kills the entire plant.

To identify the pathogen, Harmon and graduate student A.F. Wright tested 360 samples from blueberry plants afflicted with stem blight in two counties. Using genetic analysis they determined the infections were caused by two fungal species with the tongue-twisting names Lasiodiplodia theobromae and Neofusicoccum ribis.

The study was published in the August issue of the journal Plant Disease.

The researchers recommended that future efforts to manage the disease and breed resistant blueberry cultivars should focus on these two fungi.

UF researchers pinpoint fungi responsible for state’s worst blueberry disease

By Tom nordlie

No FarmersNo Food


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Everglades Seasoning BBQ Team was announced as the Florida participant at the Jack Daniel’s 22nd Annual World Championship Invitational Barbecue October 22-23 in Lynchburg, TN.

Jimmy Brod, co-owner of JB Aircraft of Sebring, is the “pitmaster” for the barbecue team. Brod, together with the Everglades Seasoning BBQ Team, gained entry into this competition by winning The Pig Festival in Lakeland, Fla. this past January.

“The Jack‚” considered the most prestigious barbecue competition in the world‚ will bring together the best of the best to compete for the top prize - to be named Jack Daniels’ Grand Champion. Winners will not only be awarded ultimate bragging rights‚ but awarded with more than $30‚000 in cash and prizes.

More than 25,000 barbecue fans are expected to arrive on Friday, October 22, and Saturday, October 23, to watch as some 80 championship barbecue teams from across the United States and from around the world will compete for the Grand Champion title.

Qualifying teams will be competing in eight categories: Pork Ribs, Pork Shoulder/Butts, Beef Brisket, Chicken, Dessert, Cook’s Choice and Jack Daniel’s Sauce. The 2009 Jack Daniel’s world grand champion and the 2010 champion from Memphis in May, American Royal Open and Houston World’s Championship Bar-B-Que, received automatic invitations.

Everglades Seasoning BBQ Team was formed in late 2009 when a friendship formed between the owners at Everglades Foods Inc. and Jimmy Brod, both tenants of the Sebring Airport. Brod uses Everglades Seasoning and the Cactus Dust BBQ Rub in his competition recipes.

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By alvin Futch

Well one day it happened! We were moving cattle along the prairie when a plane from Drane Field breezed in for a touch and go about a quarter of a mile way when a cow that had been grazing in the bottom of a canal heard the engine. She ran up the bank just in time for the wheels to hit her broad side. The plane flipped over on its back with the pilots still in the harness hanging upside down. We let the cows go and galloped over to give those in the plane help. They were calm and said they were alright but please help them get loose from the harness so they would not fall on their heads. William and I helped them out. The pilot was from Nebraska, and his passenger from Australia. They rode double to our house to call in, however six other trainers were circling to see the wreck and the dead cow. The army came that day and hauled the plane away. Those two pilots were very thankful for our help and came back to visit us several times before they shipped out. They liked to visit because mother fed them well.

Alissa BakerJenna Baker John BanksKayli BassingerAaron BinghamCole BlackburnAmber BoykinKristin BozekClayton BrockJacob BurnetteChristopher CarrollMichaella ChristieBrooke CogginsJacob CogginsLacie ConnellAna ConradMadilyn ConradAlicia ContrerasCarli CorbettKatey CorbettRafael CruzAshley DenslowOwen DunnJonathan DygertCassidy EnglishChase EnglishAbe FernandezEthan FernandezKevin FlowersCJ GarciaMichael GarrisonKody GlausierMavric GriffinMckenzie GriffinAshlyn GudeJessica HarrisChad HarrisonAmber HarwellKenneth HattawayNikki HonakerAlexandra JettKyle JohnsonJoshua Jones

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STRAWBERRy FESTIvAL PIG DRAW

The following students will be showing pigs at the 2011 Florida Strawberry Festival. Make plans now to come out and show your support for these hardworking young people.


If someone would’ve told Dave Zino, now Executive Chef for National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, contractor to the Beef Checkoff Program, during his time in culinary school that there was a beef-specific culinary center, he would’ve said, “You’re kidding me.” Now, after nine and a half years with the organization, his believes that the beef checkoff has extended him an opportunity … a job he may not have otherwise known existed.

In our last issue, you may have read Dave’s credentials, but we wanted to give you an in-depth look at what Dave’s everyday life is like as Executive Chef for the beef industry. The basic culinary function is to support the checkoff and its program areas. For instance, the checkoff hosted a “Live Well” Event this past June in an effort to engage and mobilize top-tier health professionals and credentialed members of the nutrition media, providing them with new research and tools to incorporate beef nutrition information into their education efforts. As a result of that event, nutrition influencers expressed the need to have more breakfast beef items. Thus, the genesis of some of Dave’s most recent work.

Providing health professional’s clients with more options, Dave and the culinary team went to work to develop six new recipes for breakfast beef. Such concepts include a breakfast burrito (a recipe that is frozen and micro-waved for a quick and easy breakfast), make once, dine twice breakfast sandwiches (grilled steaks make great leftovers for a breakfast sandwich), a beef and sweet potato enchilada, a homemade beef sausage for breakfast pizza and a beef turnover.

“Breakfast is a day part we don’t normally think of for beef as an option,” says Zino. “With Burger King introducing nine new breakfast items, we knew we were on the right track with these concepts.”

So what turns a concept into a meal? Dave responds to numerous requests that come in to each of the checkoff program areas. First, it’s brainstorming … a pen and paper concept. Over the years, the checkoff has also created a database of recipes that serves as a great history to springboard ideas off of and change them to fit the current environment’s needs. The concept is then taken into the kitchen for testing, tasting, double-checking by another tester who acts like the consumer and follows the recipe as written, then sent to the program managers for a formal taste test. Lastly, the recipe is written, edited, a nutritional analysis is done, and in some cases, photographed.

“Our recipe-writing style is very well-respected within the food community,” Dave adds. “It comes down to ingredient order and method order according to what consumers are asking for. This makes for an efficient process where we maximize producer’s checkoff dollars.”

Start to finish on these new breakfast items? About four weeks. What a team!

The new recipes don’t have official names, and the

naming process is less scientific than the testing process. I t ’ s more of a practice in fun, with a little methodology mixed i n . Dave calls upon his culinary team to come up with an appropriate name, based on food trends, usually including “beef” or “steak” somewhere in the title, and highlighting recipe ingredients. On one occasion, when testing new hand-held youth products, a panel of 8- to 12-year-olds were brought in to taste-test and give feedback on the new names. And believe you me, kids tell the truth.

“In my early years, recipes were a little more involved and took a little longer to make, but we reacted to the fact that cooking skills were not what they were when my mom made dinner, so we adjusted the recipes accordingly. After the recession hit, we discovered that more and more people are going back to the kitchen and scratch cooking which really excites me,” says Dave. Even with this trend, the focus remains on streamlined straight-forward recipe development. “For me, the epiphany was really the Healthy Beef Cookbook. During the process of that project, I learned how to develop healthy recipes that are still flavorful. We have so many more fresh ingredients out there today that we’re really breaking the barriers of ‘the norm’ with beef. For instance, we’ve experimented with mango and beef as mango is high in fiber and pairs well with beef. There are so many opportunities on the horizon, we just need to capture what the consumer wants and put it on a recipe card.”

To date this fiscal year, the culinary team of experts has created 80 new recipes for all checkoff program areas (e.g. nutrition, PR, veal, foodservice, new products). The year the Healthy Beef Cookbook was released, that number was much higher, but on average, 75 to 80 new beef recipes are generated each year.

Dave ZinoA Beef Culinary Center? You’re Kidding.


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So where can you find Dave, other than traveling the country to meet with major food publications, attending and putting on cooking demos at trade shows and holding educational seminars sponsored by state beef councils? You can tap into Dave’s recipes by signing up for the Beef So Simple e-newsletter (www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com), follow Dave on Twitter (www.twitter.com/zcooks) or find him on Facebook (search for Dave Zino).

When Dave is at home, he’s a weekend warrior in the kitchen. He lives in Chicago where the winters are longer than the summer, but he says that provides him with a great opportunity to braise short ribs and delve into a hearty beef stew – the kind of recipes that take all day.

“Beef and new recipes are always top-of-mind,” concludes Dave. “I just hope my work inspires people to love their kitchen and the food that they can create.”

qrThe Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985

Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to uSda approval.


By Jim Frankowiak

The January 3 – 13, 2010 timeframe was a record-set-ting period for temperatures in eastern Hillsborough County as the area experience 11 consecutive days of readings below 34 degrees. During this unprecedented cold spell, strawberry farmers pumped large quantities of groundwater to protect their crops. This combined pumping dropped the aquifer level 60-feet and caused more than 750 temporarily dry wells for neighboring homeowners. There were also incidents of sinkholes within the Dover/Plant City area during this pe-riod.

Although pumping groundwater for freeze protection is a best management practice for strawberry, citrus and other industries and was authorized by their water use permits, farmers were responsible for fixing hundreds of dry wells.

To address concerns related to this event, the South-west Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) held a public workshop and a series of technical work sessions to receive feedback from key stakeholders. The informa-tion gathered at these meetings helped district staff develop recommendations to prevent a similar situation from taking place in the future. A second public workshop was held Sep-tember 14 at the Plant City campus of Hillsborough Com-munity College. Approximately 100 persons attended the evening session during which the district presented its new management plan with the goal to have changes in place by this coming winter, pending District board approval.

Presented by the district’s Tampa Service Office Director Alba Mas and Deputy Executive Director Richard Owen, the audience also included board chairman Ron Oakland, vice chairman Hugh Gramling of Plant City and board members Doug Tharp, Paul Senft and Plant City resident Jennifer Closshey. Plant City Mayor Dan Raulerson was also in attendance.

Recommendations in the management plan, which must have district board approval, include:Expanding special well construction standards for the Dover area to reduce the likelihood that homeowners will experience well fail-

ures during prolonged freeze events. Well construction standards in this area require wells to be dug deeper than typical residential wells. All new wells constructed within the area will now be required to meet additional casing depth standards.

Enhancing communication for freeze events. District communication before, during and after freeze events will include reminder letters to permit holders at the beginning of the cold season. Media alerts to all local media and an automated phone call to residents advising them to turn off their well pumps will also occur when aquifer levels are expected to drop below a level that will impact wells. In addition, the District’s web site will continue to contain the most up-to-date information during freeze events, and permit holders will receive timely communication from the District when mitigation is required.

The District will create a water use caution area and set a minimum aquifer level in the Dover/Plant City area. A water use caution area is designated where water resources are or will become critical in the next 20 years. The District will also develop regulatory strategies in the new water use caution area that will limit groundwater pumpage. The area with the new designation encompasses 256 square miles.

The District designated a new process for determining which permit holder is responsible for dry well complaints during freeze events. This process will result in a more equitable approach to assign each permittee a relative responsibility based on the volume of groundwater they are permitted to use for crop protection.

Expanding the FARMS Program and increasing incentives for alternative frost/freeze protection methods. The District will increase its share of costs for projects that reduce groundwater pumping for frost/freeze protection in the Dover/Plant City area. The increase will be part of the District’s Facilitating Agricultural Resource Managements Systems, or FARMS Program. FARMS is a cost-sharing program to reduce groundwater use through water conservation best management practices in agricultural operations.

Area Homeowners and Strawberry Growers Respond

WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT UNVEILS NEW MANAGEMENT PLAN IN AFTERMATH OF DOVER/PLANT CITY RECORD FREEZE


Expanding the data collection network for freeze events. The District will expand its data collection network for freeze events by drilling additional monitoring wells. In addition, the District will expand its Automated Meter Reading Program by providing fund-ing for equipment and installation to monitor all permitted wells with frost-freeze quantities in the Dover/Plant City area. This will provide real-time meter readings and freeze temperatures.

Public meeting attendees were given the opportunity to com-ment on the new plan followings its presentation. The majority of those who commented were homeowners who had experienced dry wells or sinkholes on their properties, as well as several environ-mentalists concerned about the protection of area water resources.

Dover resident Richard Clark’s remark characterized those of the homeowners who gave comments when he said, “your (the Dis-trict’s) solution is a 10-year program that will look for a 10 percent decrease in water use is unacceptable.” The majority of residents who commented wanted stricter rules on water use for agricultural frost-freeze protection and a shorter time frame for program to de-crease water use by the agricultural community.

Strawberry Grower Carl Grooms of Fancy Farms reminded attendees that he and his colleagues were not just farmers, but residents of the area, also susceptible to the same hardships as non-farming residents. “We follow the rules and recognize the im-portance of carefully managing our natural resources.” He also said, “without strawberry farms there would be no Plant City, no annual Strawberry Festival and the loss of a very substantial eco-nomic impact, we built this town,” he concluded.

Florida Strawberry Growers Association Executive Director Ted Campbell commented on the proceedings noting “this is a large and complex issue, so it is very difficult to give a brief answer.”

“Strawberry farms only run overhead irrigation when trans-plants are first planted or if there is a freeze. The water used during the 11-day freeze period last January was probably more than the strawberry industry would typically use during an entire crop year. We average five freeze nights per year – not necessarily consecutive. So, if weather patterns are normal, there is no strain on the aquifer from strawberry farming, and we are the poster children of water conservation.”

“Hillsborough County ranks in the top three agricultural counties of Florida with strawberries holding the highest value crop. We produce 40 percent of Hillsborough County’s farm gate value on about 4 percent of the agricultural land. Strawberries con-tribute over $800 million in economic value to this immediate area at a time when other sectors of the economy are severely stressed. SWFWMD recognizes the importance of sustaining our small fam-ily farms, and clearly understands that a spigot cannot be shut off at an arbitrary threshold point. We all agree to work together to modify farm consumption responsibly without destroying anyone’s livelihood.”

“SWFWMD’s professionalism and understanding that all wa-ter users have rights should be commended. They did an impres-sive job obtaining input for diverse stakeholders to seek long-term solutions instead of implementing knee-jerk responses. They are a regulating agency, so permitting will always be somewhat adver-sarial. However, we all respect the mutual goal of protecting our most valuable natural resource and recognizing everyone’s right to water.”

“Overall, I would say the plans presented were well thought out and addressed many stakeholders’ interest. We can hope the weath-er is never that bad again, but hope is not a strategy. The goals are achievable, and coexistence is certainly possible. We salute SWF-WMD for the speed at which they addressed the issue and the tre-mendous amount of work their staff performed,” said Campbell.

For additional information on the new SWFWMD manage-ment plan, visit www.watermatters.org and click on the Dover/Plant City Freeze Management Plan or www.swfmd.state.fl.us./ag-riculture/freeze-management.

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MORE GRASS when you need itUF-Riata grazes earlier and later allowing more grazing days and more hay cutting

UF-Riata is #1 in COLD TOLERANCETests prove UF-Riata tolerates cold weather better than other bahiagrasses

UF-Riata is GENETICALLY PUREOur unique production and processing procedures assure

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The Tampa Downtown Market on Franklin Street is open Fridays, October through May from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. This market serves as a community gathering place and offers a diverse group of vendors who contribute something unique to the market.


Healthy, living soil is the foundation of our food system. Without it, healthy crops cannot be produced to nourish people. Rhizogen, a company concerned about soil stewardship, has formulated a family of safe organic granular fertilizers for farmers, golf courses, ornamental nurseries, and gardeners to produce healthier plants and roots.

“Our products help them utilize the nutrients and restore soil health by putting life back into the soil,” said Alan Warren, President.

Formed in 2007, Rhizogen operates a 53,000 square foot state of the art manufacturing facility near Houston, producing a patented mixture of beneficial probiotic microorganisms and decontaminated poultry manure into a true granular biological fertilizer. The distinct features of Rhizogen’s fertilizers that set them apart from other fertilizers are the true granular form and the proprietary blend of microorganisms and mycorrhizal fungi.

In order to decontaminate the poultry manure, it is exposed to extreme temperatures up to approximately 800 degrees. The manufacturing process rolls the poultry manure to produce small, uniform granules. The microorganisms and fungi were selected for their abilities to capture and assist delivery of nitrogen and other nutrients to the plants’ root systems. The microorganisms contribute to the overall mineralization and nutrient cycling process.

“The market has wanted a true granular product,” Alan said. “Our products are drum granulated for a true round granule which helps eliminate dust particles, which is often found in crumbled-pellet form fertilizers. Farms and golf courses simply do not want a lot of dust flying across their fields and courses.”

Different strains of bacillus help support plant root establishment, enhance soil biodiversity, and participate in the mineralization of organic matter in the soil. The mycorrhizal fungi create thousands of extensions of the plants’ roots, multiplying their ability to pull water out of the soil. Humates, decomposed organic matter, reduce soil compaction, which means growers do not have to water as often. Essential nutrients help the plants grow to be strong and robust.

“Biologicals are put in to make fertilizers work better,” said Alan. “Our fertilizer products have been matched up against and out-performed other poultry fertilizers and even synthetic (conventional) fertilizers.”

Proven effective with more than three years of USDA field trials, Rhizogen’s biological fertilizers help growers reduce their investment costs in a healthier plant environment and have demonstrated improved soil diversity, increased crop yields, increased nitrogen utilization, and enhanced nutrient

uptake. A g - L I F E ®

fertilizer, Rhizogen’s solution for the growing trend in farming and gardening towards fostering good practices in soil management, restores soil fertility for sustainable agriculture. It is certified for use in organic farming by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) and/or Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA).

Products approved by OMRI and WSDA may be used on operations that are certified organic under the USDA National Organic Program, which sets the standards for organic farming. Ag-LIFE® fertilizers are listed as non-restrictive meaning the products can go on crops anytime before harvest because they are safe. There is no human waste, known as bio-solids, or heavy metals. Additional features include low odor and user friendly.

Because of the overuse of synthetic chemicals, soils have become lifeless and have deteriorated. With Rhizogen’s respect for the environment and

By Tracy Cox



its desire to safeguard our natural resources, the company is utilizing science to bring soil back to its natural state.

Large commercial farms are also using Rhizogen’s products in conventional applications because they get a greater yield.

“Much of our product goes into the conventional farming market versus organic,” Alan said.” We ship product all over the U.S., Mexico, and even into Europe.”

While a big volume of Rhizogen’s business is agriculture, they are in all markets. Their ForeTURF® granular microbial-fertilizer is a homogenized blend of six bacteria and two mycorrhizal fungi for golf course turf. Glomus aggregatum, a mycorrhizal fungus, demonstrates improved plant performance in sandy soils and is effective at colonization with time release fertilizers. ForeTURF® can also be used in ornamental nurseries and conventional farming.

Soil-CURE™, with seven different strains of beneficial probiotic microorganisms, can be blended in liquid fertilizer applications. GREENLIFE™ is a transition product line with Ag-LIFE® base material mixed with other conventional products.

Rhizogen’s exclusive Florida distributor is ProSource One. They serve customers in the farming, golf, lawn care and sports turf businesses, as well as customers in the ornamental, vegetation management, and aquatic and forestry industries. To locate one of their Florida distribution outlets, visit their website at www.prosource.com.

For home gardeners, the same professional formulas, just in different packaging, are marketed under the “Better Naturally®” brand in lawn and garden centers.

For more information on Rhizogen and its products, visit their website at www.rhizogen.com.

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GentleGARDENINGTip of the Month:

By Craig Chandler

Be careful not to overwATer

in the fallFall in the Tampa Bay area is generally a time of very low rainfall

(only about two inches per month, on average). But fall is also a time of shortening day lengths and diminishing light intensity, changes that lower a plant’s water requirement.

Here is some information that will help you determine which of your garden and landscape plants need water and how much:

•Establishedpalmsandtreesgenerallydon’trequiresupplementalirrigation, while most established shrubs can survive just fine without rain or irrigation for several weeks – and probably longer if well mulched.

• Newly planted shrubs should receive 1-2 gallons of water(i.e. the capacity of a standard watering can) every four days for six months, after which they can be treated as established shrubs.

• Most vegetable garden plants, bedding plants, and lawnsrequire irrigation once or twice a week if rain is lacking – although bahiagrass lawns are quite drought tolerant.

•Areasonableschedule(assumingnorainfall)wouldbetoapply½ to ¾ inch of water to these drought susceptible plants twice a week till about mid November, and then just once a week during the latter half of November and all of December.

•Thebesttimetoirrigateisearlymorning.Irrigatingatthistimeminimizes the amount of water lost to evaporation. The worst time to irrigate is late afternoon or early evening because this can result in leaves staying wet overnight and being more susceptible to infection by disease causing organisms.

To determine how long it takes your irrigation system to apply ½ to ¾ inch of water: place several empty tuna cans (or similar straight-sided containers) in a line from your sprinkler to the edge of the watering pattern; turn the water on for 15 minutes; measure the depth of water in each can; calculate the average depth; and, finally, multiply this number by four to obtain the irrigation rate in inches per hour.


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HCC CONTACT: ASHLEY CARL, 813-253-7158. GRAPHICS CONTACT: PAT BROWN, 813-253-7069

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Learn at HCC.Then stop by Hillsborough Community College for an informative session:

Hillsborough Community College is an equal access/equal opportunity employer that makes employment and education-related decisions without regard to race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status or any other bias that is or may be prohibited by law. In addition, the college does not discriminate in employment practices or in the admission and treatment of students. HCC is committed to equitable treatment for all students and employees and to a learning and working environment free of discrimination and harassment for current as well as future students and employees. The college provides equal educational opportunities for qualified individuals with disabilities and complies with, as well as supports, the Americans with Disabilities Act.

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OCTOBER 15RALPH ALLOCCO& SECOND WINDPerforming in the Red Rose Dining Room

OCTOBER 16LOLA & THE SAINTSDoo Wop At Its Best! Relive the 50s & 60s asthough it was yesterday – “Forever in Love,”“Just Over the Brooklyn Bridge.” PLUS P.J. LEARY& THE LAS VEGAS SOUNDS with special guestKEN BRADY (Lead Singer of The Casinos),featuring the 1967 hit “Then You Can Tell MeGoodbye” before and after the show in theRed Rose Dining Room.

OCTOBER 22RICHIE MERRITTRichie Merritt of the Marcels will be performingin the Red Rose Dining Room with P.J. Leary andthe Las Vegas Sounds.

OCTOBER 23SOUL MUSIC NIGHTWITH THE LEGENDARY DELFONICS TRIBUTE REVUE ANDARTHUR “SUGAR BEAR” AIKENfeaturing the Grammy Award Winning “Didn’t IBlow Your Mind,” “La La Means I Love You,” plusmuch more, and lead singer of The Blue Notes,Arthur “Sugar Bear” Aiken. Hear songs like “If YouDon’t Know Me By Now,” “The Love I Lost” &many more. Johnny Alston’s Motown Rock & Roll Revue will perform before and after the showin the Red Rose Ballroom.

OCTOBER 29 COVER TO COVER

The band performs in the Red Rose Dining Room, plus PJ Leary & The Las Vegas Sounds before and after the show

OCTOBER 30RALPH ALLOCCO& SECOND WIND

Performing in the Red Rose Dining Room

NOVEMBER 5JOHNNY ALSTON’SMOTOWN ROCK & ROLL REVUEA dynamite crowd pleaser! P.J. Leary & The LasVegas Sounds perform before and after the show.

NOVEMBER 6RALPH ALLOCCO& SECOND WINDPerforming in the Red Rose Dining Room

NOVEMBER 12 COVER TO COVERThe band performs in the Red Rose Dining Room, plus Ralph Allocco & Second Wind perform before and after the show

NOVEMBER 13JOHNNY ALSTON’SMOTOWN ROCK & ROLL REVUEA dynamite crowd pleaser! Destiny perform beforeand after the show.

NOVEMBER 13 “LET’S HANG ON” –A TRIBUTE TO FRANKIE VALLIEAND THE FOUR SEASONSHear the hits from one of the 60’s top bands - The Four Seasons! “Sherry,” “Ronnie,” “Walk Likea Man,” “Dawn,”“ Ragdoll,” “Let’s Hang On,”and many, many more. P.J. Leary & The Las VegasSounds open and close the show. This event benefitsthe St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

NOVEMBER 19 BOBBY PALERMOBobby Palermo plays several instruments and has composed many songs that he sings in his show. Plenty of laughs, impersonations, and music. PJ Leary & The Las Vegas Sounds also perform.

NOVEMBER 20 “A NIGHT OF LEGENDS”SHIRLEY ALSTON REEVESAND BOBBY HENDRICKSShirley Alston Reeves, former lead of the Shirellesand Bobby Hendricks, formerly of Bill Pickney’sOriginal Drifters perform, plus PJ Leary & The Las

Vegas Sounds with Ken Brady of the original Casinos before and after the show in a Supper Club Atmosphere in the Ballroom.

NOVEMBER 25 THANKSGIVING BUFFETA big hit and a Red Rose tradition!!! Fresh fruits,warm breads, roasted turkey, traditional dressing,seasoned prime rib, glazed ham, fresh fish, sweetpotato casserole, mashed potatoes, pasta, omelet/waffle station, and an assortment of desserts, including chocolate fountains, are only a few of the many delighful dishes that will make your mouthwater! Three seating times available. Call to reserveyour table soon.

NOVEMBER 26 DESTINYPut on your dancing shoes as this band featuresadult contemporary music with tunes ranging fromJimmy Buffet to Ricky Martin.

NOVEMBER 27 –DECEMBER 3 & 17RALPH ALLOCCO & SECOND WINDPerforming in the Red Rose Dining Room

DECEMBER 4“SNOOPY’S CHRISTMAS” WITH THE ROYAL GUARDSMENThe Royal Guardsmen are best remembered fortheir many epic hit songs from the late 1960s, including one about the “Peanuts” cartoon dog,Snoopy - the World War I flying ace “The RedBaron.”

DECEMBER 10 & 18JOHNNY ALSTON’SMOTOWN ROCK & ROLL REVUEA dynamite crowd pleaser! P.J. Leary & The LasVegas Sounds perform before and after the show.

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BRUNCH WITH SANTABegin your holiday by joining us in the Red RoseDining Room for a wonderful buffet with specialdelights to bring in the Christmas Spirit, includingan opportunity to get your photo made with SantaClaus!


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52 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2010Continued on next page

Looking for an out of the ordinary steak meal in Tampa? You will not be disappointed if you drive out of the hustle and bustle of the downtown area and head west on Highway 301 to find the Frontier Cattle Company Family Restaurant. A landmark in the area for 23 years, this spacious western style restaurant wel-comes you with laid back, family oriented and typical decor with murals and wall hangings of ranching and cattle images. The lobby has a “glory wall” where the brave survivors of this establishment’s challenge are displayed. The challenge: to eat a 6-pound steak din-ner, complete with sides, in one hour and fifteen min-utes.

For the rest of us mortals, who just want a good, regular size steak, bursting with flavor and tenderness that only comes from the freshest meats, this is the place to be. Roberto Rodriguez, owner, originally from Bogo-tá, Colombia, started the business venture with the aid of two other partners 23 years ago. He moved to the US in 1965 and lived in NY prior to moving to the Tampa area and starting in the restaurant business. By now he

is the sole propri-etor and runs the business along with his daughter. His experience with cattle brought from the years in his native country, combined with the high quality of the meat that they handle, which is never frozen and is cut on the premises, the slow cook-ing process over Orangewood, and finally the original recipe of herbs and spices, make each and every type of steak served at Frontier, a gourmet dish.

They serve a variety of appetizers, from onion rings, mozzarella sticks, fried jalapeños and more. The list of steak dishes is extensive as well, from filet mignon, to the Cowgirl, a 16 oz. choice T-Bone steak, and combinations that may include surf and turf with shrimp or lobster tail. They also serve salads, ribs (baby back and spare), pork chops, chicken and even pasta dishes, all around an impressive array of quality and variety to please the most critical appetite. They open for lunch with a separate menu featuring a great variety of sandwiches, but also include some of their standard steak dishes.

By lourdes m. SáenzPhotos by lizbeth mendieta


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On our recent visit we tried the fried moz-zarella, a large order, piping hot and great tast-ing, served with marinara sauce. Then we were able to feast with the house tradition and pride, great steaks! One was the 14oz New York Strip, which was perfectly cooked to our specifica-tions, great quality meat, juicy and very tender. The other was the 16 oz. T-Bone steak that was so tender a knife was almost unnecessary. Both bursting with flavor, the taste of subtle spices mixing with the Orangewood fire, resulted in an excellent steak. The sides to every meal are a fresh green salad, baked potato with all fix-ings and fresh rolls, but there are a la carte items that may be added such as sautéed mushrooms, grilled onions or vegetables.

The desserts are as tempting as the meals, including cheesecake, fried ice cream, key lime pie and more. Frontier offers a full liquor bar, wines by the bottle or glass and beers, domestic and imported. The restaurant is very spacious,

with a separate area for the bar that includes table seating. There is a banquet room available for events or private parties. Our entire visit was complemented by excellent ser-vice and a very friendly atmosphere. With their varied menu, the highest quality of steaks and attention to their preparation, this is an experi-ence worth the drive and worth repeating.

Frontier Cattle Co. is open for lunch, serv-ing a variety of sandwiches including some favorites like the Cuban, Club, BLT, Pastrami, Corned Beef and more. They also serve some of their regular menu dishes as lunch size plates.

A banquet room is available for any special event. Please call for reservations on parties of 10 or more.

All major credit cards accepted.

FRONTIER CATTLE CO.(813) 621-3050

Fax: (813)620-3988

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OPEN FOR LUNCH Mon. - Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

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OPEN FOR DINNER7 days a week

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The humidity was high, the temperatures in the low 90’s and the sun was beating down hard, giving no hint of the upcoming fall as the cars began pulling up at the county park building in Picnic, beside the old fire tower. The fire tower has been gone for a few years but anyone familiar with the area knows where you are talking about when you mention it. The Davis family reunion was taking place and even though I’m not sure what number it was I’m certain it was at least more than 50 years that my family has been gathering on that third September weekend to get together for a few hours. Walking in the old building through the kitchen area, familiar faces started to appear. While most of my grandmother’s family live within an hour of each other it takes this reunion for us to see everyone.

One by one families kept arriving armed with plates bowls and platters of food and sweet tea. Spread across several large folding tables lined up in a row the aroma of fried chicken, pot roast, rice and gravy, peas, and other vegetables rivaled that of any restaurant I have ever walked in to. On the back tables photos were displayed going back to the early part of the last century. Faces I had forgotten, long since passed away, made me smile as I reminicesed and remembered. Many I didn’t recognize as age has taken hold of us all. The wrinkles, crows feet, and loss of hair among other flaws were apparent and people walked up helping each other identify the faces on the photo film.

I turned a round as I heard a small commotion by the entrance. I knew someone had arrived that made people stop and take notice and after waiting for a few people to move away I saw Aunt Irene. We all wondered if she would be able to make it and there she was with her trademark grin as people walked up to hug her neck and say hello. Just a few weeks prior she had stumbled and fell and took

a nasty blow to the head. Several days in the hospital followed and after hundreds of prayers she came home sore and bruised but home nonetheless. Over 90 years old, Aunt Irene is the last of the Davis family’s brothers, sister’s, wives, or husbands and while not a blood Davis, Aunt Irene is the last link to my Granny’s siblings.

Uncle Johnny and Aunt Irene ran Davis Grocery for many years, their last location was where Rick’s Custom Meats is today. Rick and his brother Joe Shirley worked for Uncle Johnny and Aunt Irene as teenagers and with the knowledge they learned working in the store they both went on to successful grocery careers before taking over the abandoned Davis Grocery a few years back. And while the name has changed the reminders are everywhere. Behind the counter is a large Davis Grocery sign among numerous other links to the past. While the Shirley brothers have every right to remove the past, they consider it an honor to be in the same building where they began learning their current trade and they keep the Davis Grocery name all over the inside of the store. I am comforted walking in and still can see Uncle Johnny wearing his familiar white apron, peeking over the meat counter and behind his wire frame glasses asking, “what else for you son?” The Shirley boys still get weekly visits from Aunt Irene who likes to check on things and make sure her banana pudding recipe they use is being followed.

As the crowds began to clear away from her I made my way up and said hello to her daughter Patricia and Aunt Irene. Smiling big she hugged me and I hugged back. At her age names and faces are slipping and while I’m sure she recognized me, she politely asked how my family was. A safe question, and I told her we were all good then I mentioned who I was. A bit of relief came over her face as she realized that the awkwardness of age’s cruel game was striking again

By mark Cook


and glad she didn’t have to try and figure out exactly who I was.

A few months ago after I had written my first column for In the Field about my Granny Cook and our Christmas get togethers, I saw Uncle Johnny and Aunt Irene’s daughter Pat at the local grocery store. She told me how Aunt Irene got a copy of my story and read it over several times. Pat said the whole day when she walked by her Mama’s room Aunt Irene was looking at my story and the picture of my grandparents. While I appreciate In The Field paying me to write these stories, no amount of money could replace that feeling of knowing Aunt Irene enjoyed my story.

Soon it was time to start and after concluding business about next year’s reunion and updating everyone on the ones who couldn’t make it, it was time for the dinner prayer. The lines formed down both sides of the table and we spent the next hour or so stuffing our faces, expanding our waistlines and disappointing our cardiologists. It was worth it. Next the least appealing part of the day began as a few of the women started gathering everyone together for group photos. Trying to cram everyone in, sucking in our stomachs, looking at several flashes going off and of the course there is always that one person who, as the group starts to disperse, yells to get back in there, they want a photo. At least in the digital age we didn’t have to wait for someone to have to reload his or her film or even worse run out to the car to get another flashcube. Technology’s not so bad sometimes.

And just as they arrived the crowd began thinning out. One by one the families started with the goodbyes, let’s go fishing soon, and who made that banana pudding talk. Hugs were exchanged, the men shook hands and backs were patted. I found Aunt Irene and we took a picture together and said we would visit soon.

We loaded up the car with our dishes and as I turned around to back out of the parking lot I caught the fragrance of Aunt Irene’s perfume on my shirt collar. Psychologists will tell you of the senses we possess smell is the one that can bring back a memory faster than any other. I agreed. Suddenly I was five years old again, walking out of Davis Grocery with my orange Nehi hugging Aunt Irene goodbye.

Mark Cook Tribune outdoor writer and Y’all Magazine Florida editor writes a monthly column for In the Filed and welcome suggestions and ideas for future stories. He can be reached at [email protected]

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A Closer Look: fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata)

By Sean GreenA Closer look: fruit fly

Fruit Flies are one of the most economically important insects in the world. Fruit flies are comprised of two families, the Tephritidae, historically noted as a commercial crop pest, and the Drosophilidae, noted for its use as a model organism in studies of biology, and genetics. More than ever, we are relying on our farmers to take a closer look.

Tephritidae is a family of large fruit flies, the most notorious being the Mediterranean fruit fly, (Ceratitis capitata), casually known as the Med Fly, it is one of the world’s most destructive fruit pests. Its worldwide distribution, wide range of hosts, and tolerance for cooler climates make it the most economically important fruit fly species. The Med Fly originates in sub-Saharan Africa and is not known to have an established population in the continental United States, however, populations have been recently introduced to Florida, California, and Texas through imported fruit. Although the most notable, the Med Fly is not the only imported threat to the farming community. In late August of this year male Oriental fruit flies (Bactrocera dorsalis) were found during routine surveillance of a trap set in a Pinellas County grapefruit tree. In 2003, live larvae of the Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens) were found in Pinellas County manzano peppers that were imported from Mexico. This discovery is rare because the Mexican fruit fly does not respond to sex attractants that are effective with other species making early detection and trapping difficult. The Caribbean fruit fly, (Anastrepha suspense), is a relative of the Mexican fruit fly (Anastrepha ludens) and is native to the West Indies. Its larvae attack tropical and subtropical fruits preferring guavas, roseapples, and Surinam cherries, however, significant damage caused by this species has not been recorded. In Florida this species has been found only in very ripe citrus but is of concern more for its potential to damage commercial mangoes and peaches.

Smaller flies in the Drosophilidae family were generally considered more a nuisance than pests, because they usually breed in rotting vegetation. However, in 2008, the first reports of pest activity emerged in Santa Cruz County, California when larvae from the Spotted Wing Drosophilia (Drosophila suzukii) were found in maturing raspberries and strawberries. The first Florida occurrence of this species was reported in Hillsborough County in August of 2009. Though only a single male fly was captured in each of two separate multi-lure traps, Florida growers and agricultural service agencies are urged to be watchful for this pest in their areas. This pest has already become a formidable enemy to California’s strawberry market. California farmers were advised not to leave strawberries and caneberries to continue to fruit without harvest over the winter to prevent propagation of the Spotted Wing Drosophilia. Crops potentially at risk in Florida include thin-skinned fruits such as strawberries, blackberries and blueberries. Hillsborough County farmers produce about 15 percent of the nation’s strawberries, and almost 100 percent of berries sold during the winter.

Regulations prohibiting the movement of fruit to the United States are typically our first and best line of defense to prevent economic loss from pests such as the fruit fly. Detection systems such as traps are an effective tool for estimating the populations of

most species. However, cutting late season or harvested fruit will be the best method for estimating populations of Anastrepha. When infestations of any non-native fruit flies are detected, quarantine and eradication procedures are necessary to prevent the species from establishing a population in the United States and procedures vary depending on the species. For example, eradication is declared when three life cycles (about 60 days) has passed without further detection of a wild Medfly (Ceratitis capitata).

Prevention of propagation has become the prevailing management solution. The Sterile Insect Technique is a biologically-based reproduction control method that involves mass rearing and sterilization of the specific pest targeted for eradication coupled with a sustained field release of sterile males in numbers sufficient to displace the potential for wild males to mate. Wild female insects mated with sterile males do not reproduce offspring. The advantages of the Sterile Insect Technique over conventional insect control methods are significant. The sterile release program is safe for the public, has no adverse impact on the environment, and is specific only to the species targeted. This sterile release program eventually became a Preventative Release Program (PRP) over parts of Dade, Hillsborough, Manatee and Sarasota Counties. The program began operation out of MacDill AFB until the 9-11 tragedy created complications with air space and access to the base forcing the program to relocate to Sarasota in 2002. Weekly releases continue in Hillsborough, Sarasota, Dade, Manatee and Broward Counties, all of which are considered high risk entry points for the introduction of exotic fruit flies.

Photo Courtesy of Florida department of agriculture and Consumer Services; Fruit Fly identification laboratory (FFil)


The Hillsborough County Farm Bureau held their 68th Annual Meet-ing on Thursday, October 7 at the Trinkle Building on the Hillsborough Community College campus.The following awards were presented: Media Award – Jim FrankowiakFriend of Agriculture Award – David Moore, Southwest Florida Water Management DistrictAll Hillsborough County Farm Bureau members are eligible for two free steak dinners at the meeting and the event included entertainment, door prizes, awards, election of board members and a year-end wrap up. A Straw Poll was held during the meeting and 93 ballots were turned in. The results were:GOVERNORRick Scott (R) 68Alex Sink (D) 22

CFOJeff Atwater (R) 84Loranne Ausley (D) 3

uS SenaTorCharlie Crist (NPA) 15Kendrick Meek (D) 2Marco Rubio (R) 75

ATTORNEY GENERAL Pam Bondi (R) 84Dan Gelber (D) 7

CommiSSioner oF agriCulTureAdam Putnam (R) 90Scott Maddox (D) 2

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Did you know that you can now “go lean” with your favorite pro-tein? The Florida Beef Council does and it’s their job to make sure you know, too. Our mouths water at the thought of a T-bone steak right off the grill and not only is it delicious, but it is one of the 29 cuts of nutrient-rich lean beef that can be part of a healthy diet.

“Beef is the most naturally nutrient food,” said Polly Golden, the Council’s executive director. “It is a nutrient warehouse.”

The Florida Beef Council, a wholly-owned corporation of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association, was founded in 1956 under the lead-ership of president, Jay B. Starkey, Sr. The Council encouraged a vol-unteer effort by Florida’s cattlemen to donate 10 cents per head of cattle sold, also known as the beef check-off, to fund its functions as the promotional and educational arm of the beef industry in the state of Florida. As the Council grew, the cattlemen’s interest grew and they agreed to increase their donation to 25 cents per head sold. Eventually, the initiative went national.

As part of the 1985 Farm Bill, the Beef Promotion and Research Act was passed and created a national beef check-off program re-quiring beef producers to pay one dollar per head on all cattle sold in their state. Half of those funds collected in Florida are sent to the National Beef Council and are designated for national promotion, research, consumer information and industry information programs. The other half is used by the Florida Beef Council to disseminate nutritional and product information to the media, food service and retail industries, school educators, health professionals, consumers and producers.

“We work hand in hand with the National Council by taking our 50 cents and really extend into the state the national programs,” Polly said. “Our board looks at our budget and complexity of our state. Its philosophy is to use its limited resources to reach out to groups who teach others.”

The Florida Beef Council’s activities are governed by a board of directors comprised of representatives from all segments of the beef industry: cattlemen, dairy farmers, food scientists, and livestock mar-kets. Chairman of the Florida Beef Council is George Kempfer, a fifth generation Floridian and descendant of one of Florida’s oldest ranch families.

“We want to get our message out to the consumers and help change the attitude about beef,” said Polly. “With 18.5 million con-sumers, the philosophy of let’s teach the teacher helps get the word out.”

As a result of investing beef check-off dollars in research, the beef industry has gone from representing six cuts as lean to 35 cuts today for inclusion in a healthy diet. With consumers’ increased fo-cus on healthy lifestyle changes and a growing awareness of obesity, the Council’s two main focus groups are health professionals and the food industry. Health professionals include not only physicians and nurses, but also dieticians, the Florida Dietetics Association, and the Florida Diabetes Association. The food service segment includes food distributors, chefs, and culinary schools.

With approximately 4000 registered dieticians in the state, the Council participates as an exhibitor at the Florida Dietetics Associa-tion’s annual convention and sponsors a speaker from the national level. They recognize the need to do a considerable amount of work

By Tracy Cox

FLORIDA BEEF COUNCIL

with dieticians because a large percentage of their patient load is diabetics.

“Even dieticians are amazed to learn that 29 cuts of lean beef fall between the chicken breast and thigh in fat content,” Polly said. “We look at all the diets to determine if it is good for you.”

For the food service industry, they conduct their annual Beef 101 Seminar. The seminar includes meat science topics and hands on workshops in cutting and grading practices. Company specific workshops are also conducted for their salespeople to invite key customers and chefs.

The Council also believes that you can never be too young to learn about beef. For school education programs, the Florida Cattlewomen Association is instrumental in reaching out to local schools with teaching kits for the kids. According to Polly, the kids’ favorite is the kit where they learn about beef by-products in their chewing gum, marshmallows, and baseball gloves.

“I can’t brag enough about the Florida Cattlewomen,” she said. “We really count on them to go into local areas, both in school education and one on one with consumers in supermarket promo-tions.”

The Florida Beef Council continues to build on their programs stature year by year. To increase the outreach of their educational mission, they created the Florida Voluntary Beef Check-Off where cattlemen can also donate a second dollar. By getting to keep this entire dollar, it has made a real difference in their programs.

“This is a very exciting time for us to be in the beef industry,” Polly said. “I feel proud of our producers’ willingness to financially support this. They are very much attuned to what the consumer wants.”

For a wealth of information, from nutrition to recipes, visit the Florida Beef Council’s and related websites at www.floridacattle-men.org and www.beefitswhatsfordinner.com.


In tests conducted at Louisiana Tech University,

during the coldest winter in recent memory,

cattle grazed on Prine gained .4 lbs per day more

than cattle grazed on Marshall.


In tests conducted at Louisiana Tech University,

during the coldest winter in recent memory,

cattle grazed on Prine gained .4 lbs per day more

than cattle grazed on Marshall.

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STRAWBERRY HIST RY

Strawberries are thought to have been cultivated in ancient rome. Strawberries, as we know them today, were originally grown in europe. However, varieties can also be found in Chile, russia and the uS. The first known american species of strawberries was cultivated about 1835. The berries seem to be strewn among the leaves of the plant, and were first called strewberries in the late 18th century. later the name was changed to strawberry, possibly from the practice of english children threading the berries on pieces of straw for sale or from the 19th century practice of laying straw around the strawberry plants to protect them from bad weather. other stories noted that farmers would bring the strawberries to market on beds of straw to protect them during traveling. alpine strawberries are believed to have medicinal uses. The leaves, roots and fruits were used as a skin tonic. The berries were eaten to relieve diarrhea and an upset stomach. leaves and roots were eaten for gout. in addition, a paste made from the strawberries was used for sunburn and skin blemishes and the juice of the fruit would be used to whiten teeth.

ask the lord of the Harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field. matthew 9:38

The Plant City Church of God held a salute to agriculture on Sunday, October 3, 2010 to recognize the critical part agriculture plays in our daily lives. The Plant City Church of God extended a special thank you to the farmers and ranchers of the area. Following the service a picnic was held on the grounds. A special thank you to The Plant City Church of God for recognizing the importance of our farmers and ranchers.

Pastor robert Herrin

Harvest is Here


Stingray Chevrolet would like to welcome Todd Balog to their Collision Repair Facility. Todd Balog is relocating the Collision Center at Lott-Mather Buick-Pont-GMC to our dealership. Todd has been with the Buick-Pont-GMC franchise and involved in the automotive business for 21 years. He has been very involved with our community and is well known for his open and honest business practices. We invite all his family and friends to stop in and say hello and welcome him to his new home.

to their Collision Repair Facility. Todd Balog is relocating the Collision Center at Lott-Mather Buick-Pont-GMC to our dealership. Todd has been with the Buick-Pont-GMC franchise and involved in the automotive business for 21 years. He has been very involved with our community and is well known for his open and honest business


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It used to be the only “tweets” associated with farming came from a chicken coop. Not anymore.Online social media, including Twitter, Facebook and MySpace, are making inroads in the agribusiness community,

because they can help producers attract and serve customers, says marketing expert Tracy Irani, a professor with the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

The technology may seem daunting, Irani said, but producers need to know that social media offer a new way to create and maintain relationships with people. That’s a basic task for any successful farming operation.

Irani gave a presentation on the use of social media in consumer marketing at the International Citrus & Beverage Conference in Clearwater Beach. The presentation included an overview of social media, case studies and tips on interacting with consumers online.

“What I hope to do is get some thoughts started,” Irani said. “We know, no matter what the issue is, the biggest challenge is getting people educated.”

Part of that involves showing farmers what they’re missing if they don’t use social media. For example, many farms that sell direct to consumers have websites. But they may be little more than electronic fliers, offering directions to the farm, lists of products and purchasing information.

By plugging into social media, producers can encourage users to share opinions, make requests and pose questions. This information can help farmers boost sales and increase efficiency.

Irani is development director for UF’s Center for Public Issues Education in Agriculture and Natural Resources. The “PIE Center,” as it’s called, includes a website that focuses on agribusiness issues, offering research-based information and solutions designed to raise awareness and informed decision making. It’s located at www.centerpie.com.

The center has been operating for about 18 months, she said. “Response has been amazing,” Irani said. “Sometimes an idea is right for the times.”Center personnel have collaborated on public opinion research with several organizations, and Irani said she expects this

trend to continue.John Hoblick, president of the Florida Farm Bureau, said he is impressed with the quality of the center’s work.“Florida agriculture will benefit by having this type of resource available and we urge continued industry wide support for

the work done by the PIE Center,” Hoblick said.Irani is available for presentations. Contact her at 352-392-0502, ext. 225 or [email protected].

Social media give farmers new ways toreach customers, UF expert says


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Make your plans now to attend Florida Ag Expo Wednesday, November 10 at the University of Florida/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) in Wimauma. The event begins with a complimentary breakfast at 7:30 a.m.

This day long exposition will again include a wide range of agricultural products on display, plus a variety of educational sessions and field tours. Registration is free and includes complimentary breakfast and lunch for those who register in advance.

“We anticipate more than 1,000 attendees this year,” said Center Director Dr. Jack Rechcigl. “The schedule of events for this year’s Ag Expo reflects suggestions made by attendees last year in a post event survey. One of the new elements this year is a growers’ roundtable with discussion focusing on current issues facing the vegetable industry.” That session will be moderated by Gene McAvoy, Regional Vegetable/Horticulture Extension Agent IV from the Hendry County Extension. Roundtable participants will include:

Tony dimare, dimare FreshJamie Williams, Six l’sBilly Heller, Pacific Tomatoesdavid Pensebene, gargiuloChuck obern, C&B Farmsd.C. mcClure, West Coast Tomatoes

“Dr. Jack Payne, our new UF/IFAS Senior Vice President, will address attendees and have the opportunity to experience

first hand the important role our center plays with the men and women of agriculture in this part of Florida,” said Rechcigl. “The roundtable will be particularly important with regard to our current and future programming emphasis since it provides our agricultural constituents the opportunity to tell us where are focus must be going forward.” Congressman Adam Putnam, who is currently running for Florida Secretary of Agriculture, has been invited to attend and speak at the Expo.

The morning education session will be led by Manatee County Extension Vegetable Agent and will include the following presentations:

managing Whitefly adults and TYlCV: Challenges and Possibilities – dr. david Schuster, gCreC

remedial Control of Foliar Cucurbit Pathogens in georgia – dr. david langston, university of georgia

The Challenge of managing Bacterial diseases of Tomato and Pepper – dr. gary Vallad, gCreC

good agricultural Practices (gaPs): an overview – dr. Keith Schneider, uF/iFaS Food Science department

Hillsborough County Extension Vegetable Agent Alicia Whidden will moderate the afternoon educational session, which will include:

new regulations for Fumigants – dan Botts, Florida Fruit and Vegetable association

Proper Selection of methyl

Florida Ag ExpoNovember 10 at UF/IFAS

gulF CoaST reSearCH CenTer, Wimauma

By Jim Frankowiak

Continued on page 73


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Continued from page 71 B r o m i d e alternatives – dr. andrew

macrae, gCreCPotential of Tropical and Subtropical

Fruit Crops – dr. Jonathan Crane, uF/iFaS Homestead research and education Center

improving Water management/Freeze Protection for Strawberries – dr. Bielinski Santos, gCreC

Sessions on Invasive Pests Impacting Florida will cover:

Potential Future Pests impact Florida – dr. doug restom gaskill, uSda – Cooperative agricultural Pest Survey

Spotted-Wing drosophila: impact on Small Fruits – dr. James Price, gCreC

invasive exotic Viruses of Vegetables – dr. Scott adkins, uSda

Field tours, which will held in the morning and afternoon, will be led by the following GCREC faculty and include a range of subjects:

dr. Bielinski Santos – advances on cultural practices, nutrient and water management and soilless culture for tomato, pepper and strawberry

dr. gary Vallad – management of tomato bacterial spot with bacteriophage; use of copper alternatives for the management of tomato and pepper bacterial spot and chemical control of early blight and target spot

dr. david Schuster – management of whiteflies and tomato yellow leaf curl virus on tomato and management of lepidopterous larvae on tomato and cabbage

dr. andrew macrae – long term sustainability of methyl alternatives

dr. Jay Scott – tomato variety trials including large rounds, plus and grape/cherry types; TYlCV resistant tomato variety trial and iFaS experimental tomato hybrid and inbred trials.

“I encourage interested parties to register today,” said Dr. Rechcigl. Registration is free and can be done online at http://flagexpo.ifas.ufl.edu. Florida Ag Expo will begin at 7:30 a.m. with a complimentary breakfast for pre-registered attendees. Lunch is also complimentary for those who have pre-registered.

gCREC is located 14626 County Road 672, Wimauma, florida 33598. Telephone 813-634-000.

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Pigs available for Strawberry Festival and State FairPigs will start at $200Available at Harold’s:

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I studied the books, rehearsed the presentations, and before I knew it, the time had

come for the highly anticipated state officer screenings. Along with other senior FFA members from chapters all over the state, I headed to the FFA Leadership Training Center in Haines City for a two-day screening process for the chance to become a Florida FFA State Officer. Two of the most nerve-wrecking days of my high school career went by, and the

announcement was made that I would be an Area V State Vice-Presidential Candidate.

After months of campaigning, visiting FFA chapters, and speaking at end-of-the-year banquets,

you can bet your bottom dollar that I was ready for the 82nd Annual Florida FFA State Convention in June. I assumed that it would be a stressful week, but I truly had no idea! The life of a state officer candidate at state convention is one of early mornings, late nights, and long days in high heels, but meeting hundreds of FFA members made it worth every minute. By the time Friday rolled around, all 12 of the state officer candidates were ready for the final session of state convention. Our speeches had been given and the votes had been cast, the only thing left to do was wait. Our hearts were pounding and our stomachs in knots when it was made known that the 2010-2011 Florida FFA State Officers would be: President- Clay Sapp, Secretary: Valerie McKee, Area I Vice President: Lynsey Meharg, Area II Vice President- Kaitlin Van Heusen, Area III Vice President- Elise Stoddard, Area IV Vice President- Michelle Perez, Area V Vice President- Nicole Liles, and Area VI Vice President-Jillian Murphy. After the music played, the lights flashed, and our names were called, I was overwhelmed with the most exhilarating but humbling feeling one could possibly imagine. I had just been elected to serve over 15,000 Florida FFA members…What an honor!

Since that Friday afternoon, I have had some of the best moments of my life. At the end of June, the new state officer team met up for our first experience together at the FFA Leadership Training Center. We spent a week together for the Building Leaders and Strong Teams of Officers (BLAST Off) training getting to know one another, learning each other’s strengths, and simply having a good time! Right after BLAST Off, we headed to Daytona Beach, where Florida FFA hosted the National Leadership Conference for State Officers (NLCSO). We were joined by the state officer teams from Georgia, Alabama, and North and South Carolina, along with two National FFA Officers. We learned how to effectively represent our state associations and even made a trip to Disney’s EPCOT where we participated in the Youth Leadership Program. In August, the team met in Gainesville for our first board meeting, and began planning for the Chapter Presidents’ Conference that was recently held in Daytona Beach. The theme of the conference was “Vision Overboard,” and a record number of FFA members attended to learn how to successfully guide the vision of their chapter. Chapter Presidents’ Conference was the first conference that the state officer team put together, and we couldn’t have had a more wonderful time doing it. Participating in the growth of fellow FFA members is one of the most rewarding things I have ever experienced. Currently, the state officer team is in the process of preparing our next conference, Chapter Officer Leadership Training (COLT), which will take place during the first few weeks of October. After COLT, we are off to the 83rd National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, Indiana with nearly 55,000 FFA members from across the country! Did you know that the National FFA Convention is the third largest in the United States, only behind the Republican and Democratic National Conventions?!

On a local scale, I have already had the opportunity to travel to several different high school and middle school agriculture classes and FFA chapters to be a guest speaker for the day. From veterinary assistance labs and tilapia tanks, to the more traditional vegetable gardens and cattle barns, it is so refreshing to see all the different styles of programs with one common purpose: leadership and learning through agricultural education and the FFA. I am looking forward to making even more of these chapter visits as the year progresses.

One could say that the past few months have been the most hectic, busy months of my life, but they have without a doubt been the best. God has blessed me with the most rewarding job a gal could ask for and I am looking forward to the year of service ahead of me.

Nicole LilesArea V State Vice President

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Florida Pacific Farms, one of 12 Tampa Bay growers recently recognized for natural resource stewardship at the first ever CARES (County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship) recognition event of the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau, believes its practices make good corporate sense. Florida Pacific Operating Manager and Partner John Stickles said the verifiable Best Management Practices (BMPs) instituted at Florida Pacific Farms is something “a good neighbor would do, and it makes sense from a corporate standpoint.”

CARES was initiated by Florida Farm Bureau and the Suwannee River Partnership to highlight efforts by farm owners to improve natural resource management in the Suwannee RiveR Basin. The partnership includes local, regional, state and federal agencies, research institutions, industry associations, businesses and conservation groups. Since its inception in 2001, the program has moved statewide with CARES farmers, ranchers and growers being recognized in the Santa Fe and Suwannee River basins as well as in the Northern Everglades and Indian River areas. One

of the keys to the success of the program involves site visits by public officials who assess the implementation of state-of-the-art resources management techniques at the farm property.

Examples of BMPs include water conservation efforts, animal waste management and the strategic use of fertilizer.

The specific Best Management Practices instituted by Florida Pacific Farms throughout its operation include the control of silt and water runoff and construction of tail water recovery ponds enabling the farm to better control ground water usage. Growers of strawberries, blueberries and vegetables, Florida Pacific is a 16-year-old firm originally begun by Glenn and Frances Williamson, who Stickles respectfully refers to as the patriarchs of Florida Pacific, with a partner from the west coast, the reason for the “Pacific” in the name. Stickles joined the partnership in 1997 and how that came about offers an interesting lesson for growers.

“I grew up on agricultural lands in San Diego County in southern California,” said Stickles. “My grandfather and father grew tomatoes, cabbage and strawberries in an area know as

By Jim Frankowiak

FLORIDA PACIFIC FARMS ATTRIBUTES

GOOD CORPORATE CITIZENSHIPTO CARES RECOGNITION


Continued on page 78

Oceanside. I can recall growing up on agricultural lands we farmed and worked on lease at Camp Pendleton, the Marine Corps training facility.” The troop buildup for the Vietnam War saw that lease end and the Stickles move their farming operation to another location in the county.

“In the mid 90s I was growing raspberries in San Diego County aND it was becoming more apparent with each passing year that the county was giving up on agriculture in favor of development,” said Stickles. Land and water costs were rising to the point of serious concern. “Prospects for the future of agriculture there were limited to say the least.”

Stickles became aware of an opportunity in Dover with the Williamson’s and made two exploratory trips to the area. He was offered a position, including ownership, in Florida Pacific Farms, and after discussions with his wife Kim and their daughter Helen, the Stickles’ family made the decision to relocate from California to Dover. Kim now serves as the office manager for Florida Pacific and Helen is completing degree requirement at Florida State University and seeks a career in the hospitality industry.

“Glenn and Frances had plans to expand their operation and their offer, plus the good fit that I perceived with them and Florida Pacific gave me an opportunity with a solid future,” said Stickles. “This has been a very enjoyable and rewarding experience. I have no regrets about the move. There are many opportunities for

agriculture in Florida,” he said. Coincidentally, the last land Stickles leased in southern

California became the site for the first Legoland in the U.S. Though Florida is certainly different from California, there

is one basic similarity. “Where plants like to grow, people like to live,” said Stickles. “There are things we have to do as we work to exist and survive while urbanization continues to take place.” In that regard, Florida Pacific Farms is pursuing opportunities afforded by the Facilitating Agricultural Resource Management Systems or FARMS program, an agricultural best management practice cost-share reimbursement program that involves both water quantity and water quality aspects. This public/private partnership program was developed by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

“We are looking closely at row covers to protect berries during rain and very cold weather, as well as the use of high tunnels,” said Stickles. He notes that it is important to recognize that any alteration to the growing process typically involves many dimensions. “While some of these measures may help reduce water consumption, they will undoubtedly require other considerations such as the introduction of new varieties of berries that will thrive in these new environments and provide desired yields. I consider us to be in a transitional period that will take some time, as well


as trial and error as we try new approaches at sufficient levels. I

am optimistic given the resources working on these challenges at the University of Florida and other places.”

Among other places is Driscoll’s, the privately held organization for which Florida Pacific grows its crops. “They grow and market globally and have a 50-year business plan. In addition, they have committed substantial resources to the development of new varieties of berries that are able to thrive and produce the type of yields growers such as us must have.”

But there’s more to the challenge and that includes ever increasing fuel and transportation costs and the growing concern over the associated carbon footprint. “Shipping used to be an afterthought when developing the cost of a product, now it is a critical component,” said Stickles. Packaging is also a consideration. Previously, strawberries were sold 12-pints to the flat. Now there are pints, half-pints, one and two pound containers and stems. “Our bottom line on yield now is pounds per acre and we must do whatever we can to controls costs and that means taking advantage of our advantages,” he said. Among those advantages is proximity to major population centers with various crops available almost throughout the year.

“Floridians should realize the benefit they all have living so close to so many available crops at so many times during the year. This is just one of many advantages we as growers have and must optimize.”

“Looking at new ways to preserve our resources, while controlling costs and maintaining or enhancing our yields is essential. And we have to do this with recognition that urbanization is and will take place. Granted the downturn in the economy has slowed down development, but that’s just where we are in the cycle today. That will change and we can’t forget people like to live where plants grow.”

Continued from page 76

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Mr. Pedro RuizDriscoll Strawberry AssociatesP.O. Box 519, Dover, FL 33527September 27, 2010

Dear Pedro,It was a pleasure to meet you on September 20th at the Ritz Carlton in Naples, Florida. We are truly fortunate to be in a business that allows us to meet our vendors in a social setting as classy as the Ritz. When we were introduced, I offered an unsolicited testimonial to Driscoll’s service and berry quality, using the Ritz as my prime example of why we are so picky and particular about the berries we buy not only for this key account, but for all our customers. In that regard, it is crucial to our operation in Fort Myers, FL that our inventories turn quickly, the berries have great shelf life, color, and taste for our customers, and we have no issues with filling our orders or arrivals. Overall, the service is second to none. I want you and your workers to know that we hold Driscoll in very high regard as it concerns all of the key points I’ve mentioned. In the produce business, and especially in the fruit side of it, day-to-day consistency is so important to building trust and relationships. I have told everyone that I have met from Driscoll how much I appreciate everything that the com-pany does for us at FreshPoint Southwest Florida in Fort Myers, much of which flows through your operation in Florida.Please share my sentiments with your staff. Too often our workers hear about things that don’t go right, I’d like to make sure they know that in our case, we think Driscoll gets it right. Thanks very much.

Sincerely,

Brad YoungGeneral ManagerFreshPoint Southwest Florida

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Our state of mind is of strong influence on our everyday thoughts, actions and even on our physical well being. That is why it is very important to maintain a balanced and positive perspective on life. But, as much as we may understand the positive in being positive, with all the problems and stress we encounter on a daily basis, with excess of work routines, family conflicts or just the enormous worries of the worldwide economic crisis that is affecting most of us, it is hard to go on being worry-free and optimistic. But for those moments when we feel excessively melancholy, down, with no energy, or just simply depressed, there are some natural remedies that may bring our emotional stability closer to normal. It is a good idea to exercise on a regular basis to aid in the lifting of our spirits and to release some of the built up stress. It is also important to get enough sleep. When feeling down and depressed make sure to get a full eight hours of rest. But if exercise and sleep are not enough, here are some of the remedies that come from nature that we may have at hand around the house or in our garden:

• Garlic (150 g.), mixed with honey, apple vinegar and fil- tered water. Peel the cloves of garlic, cut them into small pieces and place in the water and vinegar until they are covered. Close the container tightly and leave in a dark and cool place for 4 days. After this time, strain the garlic, mix with 150 g. of honey and mix well. Take 1 tbs of this mixture before each meal. Maintain the rest in a cool place.

• Valerian root has been known as a natural tranquilizer and an aid in medical problems, including insomnia, which usually accompanies worry and stress. The powder from this plant’s root may be dissolved in a cup of water. Another way that it is effective is making a tea by boiling in water for five minutes and mixing with a few linden tea leaves, which also have calming qualities.

Another tea that battles depression is made from lemon grass. A natural supplement may also be taken, but consult with a doctor for interaction with other medications.

• VeGetables and fruits to include in our diet that aid in keeping stress away: broccoli, cabbage, potato, tomato, spinach, cauliflower, mango, peach, kiwi and oranges. Oth-er fruits that are recommended to lift our spirits: Milk products, salmon, tuna, and egg.

• anti-stress juice cocktail #1: one orange, one slice of pineapple, 1/2 ba-nana, tbs. of wheat germ. Mix well and drink right away.

• anti-stress juice cocktail #2: in a juice extractor, mix two celery sticks, five carrots, a handful of spinach leaves and a handful of parsley. This mixture is very rich in potas-sium. Add fresh lemon juice to taste.

• Hops and passionflower, like valerian, promote stress relief and sleep. It has been given to children to aid concentration in school, and is particularly effective for deep and restful sleep. About 100-200 milligrams a day is an effective dose.

These are stressful times and it is crucial to take the time to slow down and understand the problems that affect our minds and, if not resolved, will deteriorate our physical health. Keep in mind these simple remedies of nature, relax and enjoy your life.

cornercorner

EXTRA CURIOUS TIPS:Provoked sneezes (like with a feather) will not only expand your lungs, but will help you lift your spirits as well.

stress and depressionBy: lourdes m. Sáenz


Humorous stories

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Story by Sandy Kaster, M.S. Clinical Medicine, B.S. Nutrition Science

florida

Every autumn one of nature’s most nutritious fruits emerges in the form of pie, soup, bread, cookies, smoothies, and even decorations. Eighty percent of the pumpkin supply in the United States is available in October. Pumpkins grown domestically are used primarily for processing, with a small percentage grown for ornamental sales through farms and retail sales. Pumpkins are grown in some parts of Florida. Researchers at the University of Florida have been experimenting with different Florida-friendly varieties.

Pumpkins are almost entirely edible, including their flesh, seeds, and flowers. Pumpkins are full of nutrients, including beta-carotene (which is converted to vitamin A), vitamin C, vitamin E, dietary fiber, potassium, and many other minerals.

NUTRITIONAl PROfIlEAccording to the United States Department of Agriculture

(USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, one half cup of fresh boiled, drained pumpkin (245 g) contains 49 calories, 1.7 g of protein, 0.17 g of fat, 12 g of carbohydrate, and 2.7 g of fiber. It provides an incredible 245 percent of the recommended daily requirement for vitamin A, 19 percent for vitamin C, 8 percent for iron, and 4 percent for calcium. Pumpkins are also a good source of magnesium, folate, phosphorus, and dietary fiber.

lungs: Breathe easyPumpkin and other foods rich in vitamin A may be beneficial

to lung health. Researchers at Kansas State University discovered that carcinogens in cigarette smoke may deplete the body’s stores of vitamin A, and increase the likelihood of developing emphysema and lung cancer. They also discovered that a diet rich in vitamin A can reduce the risk of emphysema in animals exposed to smoke.

Vision: See clearlyWith very high levels of beta carotene and vitamins A and C,

pumpkin is great food for your eyes. One cup of pumpkin contains over 250 percent of your daily needs for vitamin A! In a study of over 50,000 women, those who consumed the highest dietary amount of vitamin A had a 39 percent reduced risk of developing cataracts. In another study that looked at the incidence of cataract surgery and diet, researchers found that those people who ate diets that included carrots had half the risk of cataract surgery. Beta-carotene also provides protection against macular degeneration and protects night vision. Vitamin A plays an important role especially in night vision and being able to see black and white. Additionally, this nutrient helps to maintain skin health, both when ingested and when used topically.

Antioxidant Protection: Ward off cancerAntioxidants are compounds with the ability to neutralize free

radicals, which are harmful by-products of metabolism that can lead to disease. Antioxidants may reduce the risk of some diseases, including several forms of cancer. Pumpkin are bursting with vitamins A and C. High levels of these vitamins in the body have been linked to a decrease in cancers of the breast, bladder, cervix, prostrate, colon, and esophagus.

hOW TO SElECT AND STOREChoose heavy pumpkins for their size, and look for one that is

free of blemishes or soft spots. A large, well-shaped one is good for jack-o-lanterns, while pie pumpkins are a good choice for pumpkin pie. Small, mini pumpkins make great decorations and are also very sweet and delicious for eating. Pumpkins can usually be stored for up to four months in a dry and cool place, although this may be more challenging in Florida. Keep individual pumpkins spread out to avoid spread of decay.

How to enjoyPumpkin can be enjoyed in countless ways. Try roasting it with

spices like cinnamon or nutmeg, boiling and mashing for a nutritious side dish, or boiling cubes in a soup. Beyond the delicious pumpkin pie, other serving ideas include:

• Blend pumpkin puree with apple cider for a delicious autumn drink

• Blend pumpkin puree into yogurt or a smoothie• Mix chunks or puree into oatmeal, soups, stews• Use puree in pancakes, breads, cookies• Roast pumpkin seeds for a healthy snack high in amino

acids and zinc• Cut out the top, scoop out the seeds, and roast the entire

pumpkin. Then use it as a serving bowl for soup, stew, or chili

• Stuff whole mini pumpkins with rice and vegetables and bake as you would a stuffed pepper

• Toss pumpkin seeds in salads, casseroles, and baked goods• Pumpkin-seed oil can be used in cooking or as a salad

dressing• Pumpkin flowers can be eaten as a vegetable or used as a

garnish

hOW TO USE PUMPkINThere are many ways to enjoy pumpkins in addition to

pumpkin pie. For more ways to enjoy pumpkins in Florida, go to a pumpkin patch, where you can pick out your own pumpkins to take home or chuck a pumpkin out of a canon. Pumpkin competitions also exist. Every year the Florida Keys holds an underwater pumpkin carving contest.

SElECTED REfERENCEShttp://www.whfoods.comhttp://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/http://urbanext.illinois.edu/pumpkins/facts.cfm

More than just a Halloween Treat


Hillsborough County Announces 2010 Community Water-Wise

Award WinnersHillsborough County Extension is proud to announce

the winners of the 2010 Hillsborough County Community and City of Tampa Water-Wise Award. Nanette and Rick O’Hara, South Seminole Heights, have been named the City of Tampa award winners. The Hillsborough County award winners are Janean Reschlein and Daniel McMahon, Golf Club Estates II.

Both landscapes feature many positive examples of Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ practices. These practices include using drought-tolerant trees and plants, self-mulching areas under trees, using pervious materials for paths and walkways, grouping plants with similar water and maintenance needs, using alternative mulches that are environmentally-friendly, adding downspouts directed into mulched or planted areas or into rain harvesting devices, and creating of landscape beds that serve to retain stormwater runoff on the property.

The Community Water-Wise Awards program identifies examples of outstanding Florida-Friendly Landscaping™ for homeowners, businesses, industry and government, and promotes these principles within the community. Winning landscape entries combine water-conservation, environmental protection and aesthetics.

The selection process involves an on-line application, completed by those entering the award contest, and an on-site evaluation, typically during July, by a team of judges. This contest also occurs in Pinellas and Pasco Counties. The Community Water-Wise Awards Program is sponsored by Hillsborough County, University of Florida, Hillsborough County Water Resource Services, City of Tampa Water Department and Tampa Bay Water.

for more information on florida-friendly landscaping™

contact lynn Barber at (813) 744-5519 or visit http://hillsborough_fyn.ifas.ufl.edu/index.html

or http://www.floridayards.org/landscape/tutorial1/

index.php?pid=0


HopewellFuneral Home& Memorial Gardens

www.hopewellfuneral.com • 813.737.3128Family Owned & Operated for Over 35 Years

6005 State Rd. 39 South (1/2 mile south of State Rd. 60)Plant City, FL 33567

Hopewell Funeral Home & Memorial Gardens will host their 25thannual Veteran’s Day Ceremony

on Thursday, November 11, 2010.

The program will begin at 10:30 a.m.

To be held at the Veterans Memorial Park at Courier Field703 North Wheeler Street in Plant City.

Students from the local schools will offer reflections entitled“What Veteran’s Day Means To Me.” The entire event will pay

tribute to all Veterans. You will not want to miss this!

Refreshments will be served.SEE YOU THERE!


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Easy ways to transform an uncooked pumpkin into the puree used in baking:BAKING METHOD• Cut the pumpkin in half and discard the stem section and stringy pulp. Save the seeds to dry and roast• In a shallow baking dish, place the two halves face down and cover with foil• Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) oven for about 1½ hours for a medium-sized sugar pumpkin, or until tender• Once the baked pumpkin has cooled, scoop out the flesh and puree or mash it• For silky smooth custards or soups, press the pumpkin puree through a sieve

BOILING METHOD• Cut the pumpkin in half, discarding the stringy insides• Peel the pumpkin and cut it into chunks• Place in a saucepan and cover with water• Bring to a boil and cook until the pumpkin chunks are tender• Let the chunks cool, and then puree the flesh in a food processor or mash it with a potato masher or food mill

Pumpkin and Butternut Creamed SoupIngredients6 cups cubed butternut squash2 tablespoons butter3 carrots, chopped1 large onion, chopped1 cup chopped celery1 cup heavy cream1 cup sour cream8 cups chicken broth1 tablespoon ground nutmeg1 teaspoon ground black peppersalt to taste6 small sugar pumpkins, halved and seeded1 cup grated Asiago cheese, divided

PreparationPlace the butternut squash cubes in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain off water, and set the squash aside.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.Melt the butter in a large skillet, then cook the carrots, onion, and celery until tender, about 10 minutes. Place the vegetables, cooked butternut squash, cream, and sour cream into a blender. Cover, and puree until smooth, working in batches if necessary. Transfer the blended vegetables to a soup pot; stir in the chicken broth, nutmeg, black pepper, and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-low heat, then simmer gently for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.While the soup is simmering, place the pumpkin halves, cut sides up, on the prepared baking sheet, and bake in the preheated oven until the pumpkin flesh is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Start the broiler, and place the pumpkin halves under the broiler about 6 inches from the heat source to brown the cut side of the pumpkins, if desired. Place a pumpkin bowl into a decorate soup plate; serve soup in the pumpkin bowls, and sprinkle each serving with Asiago cheese.Yield: 4 servingsRecipes courtesy of allrecipes.com

R E C I P E S


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Agriculture continues to remain strong in Hillsborough County, even though some sections of the economy are still on shaky ground. The Hillsborough County Agriculture Industry Development Program and the County’s Extension Service have released the agriculture sales and acreage estimates for 2009.

According to the data, the 2009 sales estimate of Hillsborough County agriculture products is almost $778 million, down 3.1 percent from 2008, with 243,388 acres devoted to agriculture. Despite the fact that the amount of farmland has decreased 8.3 percent since 1997, the production value of the land is up 57 percent because of the increased farming of higher-value-per-acre commodities.

Hillsborough County covers more than 1,000 square miles and 38 percent of that is used for agricultural production.

Hillsborough ranks as the 4th largest producer of agricultural products in the state, and 59th out of 3,076 counties in the United States. Hillsborough County has 2,843 farms, the second most of any county in Florida.

Hillsborough County produces the most tropical fish and strawberries of all counties in the state. Strawberries continue to be the highest sales crop at $338,045,400, which is 43.5 percent of the county’s total agricultural sales. Hillsborough produces 90 percent of the strawberries grown in Florida, and nearly 11 percent of the strawberries grown in the nation; 14 percent of Florida’s tomatoes and 5 percent of the tomatoes grown in the U.S.; 85 percent of the state’s tropical fish.

The next highest sales crops after strawberries are: Ornamental plants at second with $144,554,342, accounting for 18.6 percent of annual sales.Vegetable production at third at $138,000,000, with 17.7 percent of annual sales.Aquaculture at fourth with $28,518,750 and 3.7 percent of annual sales.Citrus at fifth with $21,583,789 accounting for 2.8 percent of annual sales. These five commodities together generate 86 percent of the agricultural sales in the county, using only 16

percent of the total land area devoted to agriculture. According to a 2005 study completed on behalf of the Hillsborough County Agriculture Industry Development

program, agriculture production and its related businesses in Hillsborough County generate an economic impact of more than $1.4 billion and employ more than 20,100 people with $293 million in annual earnings.

Local agriculture generates additional local economic impact by supporting related businesses such as banking, real estate, transportation, packaging, equipment, seed, agricultural suppliers and services, and marketing firms.

For more information, contact Stephen Gran, Hillsborough County Agriculture Industry Development Program at (813) 272-5506.

AgrICulture remAIns A strong ProFIt seCtor In HIllsborougH County

note: These figures are for the County’s agricultural industry in 2009, and do not reflect the effects of the freezes that occurred in early 2010.


Perfectly Fresh. Perfectly Priced.

Southwestern Produce Company1510 Sydney Rd. • Plant City, FL

(813) 754-1500 or (813)757-0096

VEGETABLE SALEFri. & Sat. Oct. 15th & 16th • 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.Fri. & Sat. Nov. 19th & 20th • 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.Call and place your order today, or drop by on the sale days.

Fresh fromthe Farm to yourFreezer!

Fresh GeorgiaPecans comingin November!

WALK-INS WELCOMEGive us a call to be placed on our mailing list for monthly notification.

Baby Butter Beans ............... $13.Cranberry Beans ................. $15Green Beans ....................... $13.Pole Beans .......................... $13.Speckled Butter Beans ......... $13.

Blackeye Peas ..................... $13.Butter Peas .......................... $13.Conk Peas ........................... $22Crowder Peas ...................... $13.Green Peas ......................... $13.Pinkeye Peas....................... $13.Sugar Snap Peas ................. $15White Acre Peas .................. $13.Zipper Peas ......................... $13.

White Corn .......................... $12Yellow Corn ........................ $12Cream White Corn 4# ...........$ 6Cream Yellow Corn 4# .........$ 6Collard Greens .................... $12Mustard Greens .................. $12Turnip Greens ..................... $12

Spinach ............................... $12Cut Okra ............................. $12Breaded Okra ..................... $12Whole Okra ......................... $12Sliced Yellow Squash .......... $12Sliced Zucchini .................... $12Brussel Sprouts ................... $12Baby Carrots ....................... $12Chopped Broccoli 5# ............$ 5Broccoli ............................... $13.Cauliflower ......................... $13.Mixed Vegetables ............... $12Soup Blend .......................... $12

Blueberries 5# .................... $15Blackberries 5# ................... $15Raspberries 5# ................... $15Cranberries 5# ................... $15Mango Chunks 5# .............. $15Pineapple Chunks 5# ......... $15Dark Sweet Cherries 5# ...... $14Rhubarb 5# ........................ $10Peaches ............................... $15

* All items 8lbs unless Noted

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DECkINg BRDS. & T1ll SIDINg Call Ted 813-752-3378

MASSEY fERgUSON 255 Grove Tractor with 6’ mower $7,500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722

kUBOTA l275Withshuttleshift•Readytowork!$3,500.Call 813-759-8722

CORIAN COUNTER TOP$15.00SquareFoot•CallTed813-752-3378

DBl INSUlATEDThermo Pane. Starting at $55.00 Call Ted 813-752-3378

BEAUTIfUl BROOkSVIllE hORSE RANCh, 51 Acres, Large 7 Stall center Aisle Barn, 5 Bay RV Garage, 4 Car Garage, Nice 3 Bedroom 2 Bath house, Private Lake, Private Pool and Much More! $699,000 http://alturl.com/i9rka (Old Video) Realty Associates (352) 346-5295

CAlVES fOR SAlESimmental outstanding pedigree, gentle.813-967-4552 or 813-754-5370

hUSQVARNA lZ 6127 Zero turn mower. 61” cut, 27 hp Kohler engine, 5 yr. warranty $7,499 (MSRP $9,699) C&J Equip., Lake Wales, 863-638-0671

SURPlUS WINDOWS DOUBlE INSUlATED Startingat$55.00•CallTed813-752-3378MOBILE HOME SIZES

WINDOW SCREENSWe make window screens all sizesavailable in different frame colors.Call Ted 813-752-3378

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1984 kUBOTA B62002wd,w/4ft.FinishMower.$3,000•863-698-2967

NEW hOllAND lS185BSkid loader. Includes bucket, forks, tree boom. New tires.1600 hrs. &16,000 U10805 813-623-3673

kUBOTA kX 41Mini Excavator low hours. Quick attach buck-et. Call Scott 813-764-0603

BEAglE PUPPIES - AkC Bred from show champions, small tri-colored. Females $500 - Males $450.Taking deposits now. 813-752-8172

BRAND NEW MAhINDRA 4025Tractor, 41hp, power steering. $9,4954.99% interest @ 72 months, 5 year warranty. Call Alvie 813-759-8722

STUMP gRINDERShaver S-25 PTO mount. Less than 3 years old. Perfect condition, hardly used. Cost new $5,778. For sale for $2,500.Lake Wales 863-528-3213

joHn deere tractor 23552WD, 55 pto hp, 2100 hrs, canopy, clean $9600.00 (U13434) Call Fred 813-23-3673

NEW hOllAND TN55 Tractor/loader, 2WD, 45 hp, $13,000.00 (UUT7084) Call Fred 813-623-3673

fORD 2000 gAS TRACTORRestored, 2WD, 33 hp, PS, 3600 hrs, $4,950.00 (U13360) Call Fred 813-623-3673

USED POST hOlE DIggER W/6” & 9” augers $500.00 (U13347) Call Fred 813-623-3673

fORD 3010S TRACTOR2WD, handyman special $3000.00 (UT5634) Call Fred 813-623-3673

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2010 kAWASAkI MUlE Trans 4010 $9,499 or $199.00 per mo.Sky Powersports of Lake Wales 863-676-2245

fORD INDUSTRIAl TRACTOR/lOADER MODEl 5152WD, 54 hp, runs good, $4500.00 (U13367) Call Fred 813-623-3673

DEUTZ TRACTOR MOD.10702WD, 70hp, runs good, $3975.00 (U13389) Call Fred 813-623-3673

REAR BlADE 84” $175.00 (U13350) Call Fred 813-623-3673

2000 gMC SONOMA 4X44x4, auto, extended. $5,500813-967-4552 or 813-754-5370

kUBOTA l26002wd, 2334 hours, 27hp.$2,750. Call Alvie 813-759-8722

kUBOTA 17504x4 Hydro Stat Trans. 20hp.$3,750. Call Alvie 813-759-87221998 DODGE 4X4

AUTOMATIC, AC, $3,500 or best offer.Good Condition (color black)Call Gary 813-752-3099

kINg 12fT OffSET hARROWCut out blade $3,499Call Alvie 813-759-8722

hAY fOR SAlE4X5 rolls. Tifton 44, Star Grass, Clean Bahia Grass.Delivery Available. Call Charlie 813-763-4967

NEED hORSE hAY?Tifton 44/85 round & Square. Call Jimmy O’Bryan Farms (352)303-3070Need replacement cattle? (352)559-2769

BACkhOE/lOADER 2004Diesel 1200 hrs 4x4 shuttle shiftclean serviced large machine.Private Owner! $37,500 813-685-4203

$3,900 By Owner7/10 of an acre south east of ZephyrhillsPasco County. For house or mobile home. Total price $44,900. Call 813-752-9596

2 ACRES +/- SMAll fARMFor Rent north of Plant City has irrigation.Call 813-752-9596.

$3,900 DOWN BY OWNER1 acre north of Plant City. Mobile home onproperty being sold as is. Total Price $39,900.Call Today!!! 813-752-9596

$900 DOWN BY OWNERMobile home lots in Pasco County.70 x 110. Total price $5,900. Call 813-752-9596

$4,900 DOWN BY OWNER1.1 acre on Withlacoochee River.(2 Lots) Hernando County, Total Price$69,900. Call 813-752-9596$1,400 DOWN BY OWNERLake Wales small lot (50 x 160) Backsup to Lake Effie. Total price $9,900.Call 813-752-9596

$1,400 DOWN BY OWNER2 lots in Frost Proof for mobile home.111 x 140 total price $12,900. Call 813-752-9596

$2,900 DOWN BY OWNER1.75 acres (2 parcels) on Hwy. 98 in PolkCounty. For home or mobil home. Total Price $32,900. Call 813-752-9596

$3,900 DOWN BY OWNER2 acres fro home or mobile home. Fort Meade area.Total price $39,900. Call 813-752-9596

TRUSSESPole Barn? New Home? Addition?For FREE quote on your truss needs call Standard Truss 863-422-5964 or [email protected]

2007 hARlEY DAVIDSONDyna Glide Streetbob with only 368 miles.Excellent condition, garaged kept, covered.Extras added and ready to ride! $12,000.Serious Inquiries Only. Call 813-659-3402

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• 24 hr. Ambulatory Service• All Farm Animals Treated (excluding cats & dogs)• Colics, Wound Care, Founders, Emergencies, etc.• Routine Care: Coggins, Vaccinations, Teeth Floating, etc.• Advanced Equipment: Portable Digital X-Ray, Ultrasound, Endoscope, etc.• Servicing Central Florida

914 E Knights Griffin Rd., Plant City, FL 33565 • 813.951.0118 cell • 813.752.0224 office813.719.1913 fax • [email protected] • www.horse-dentist.biz

Est. 1969

24 hrs a day7 days a week 365 days a year

In the Field Magazine Hillsborough

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