in the field magazine - hillsborough county september 2011

www.InTheFieldMagazine.com September 2011 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE 1Covering What’s Growing

2011 Florida Cattlemen’s Association Sweetheart

KAitlyn Gill

September 15–October 15, 2011

2 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE September 2011 www.InTheFieldMagazine.com www.InTheFieldMagazine.com September 2011 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE 3

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I was raised in a rural area in northeastern Kentucky. A very rural area I might add. My father was a “city boy” who married a country girl and after a few years of living in town, they moved to the farm. I couldn’t be more thankful.

Yes, it was a long drive to even get to the grocery store, especially for a young girl who was prone to motion sickness, something I never outgrew, but growing up on a farm made that a very small sacrifice.

We did not have a large farm by any means, a few cattle roamed the hillsides you find so abundant in that neck of the woods, pigs were acquired each year to go along with the beef we put in the freezer, a garden supplied most of our vegetables for the year and our cash crop was tobacco.

When not in school, I could be found roaming the hillsides searching for adventure, stopping by the house for lunch or a snack and then right back out the door I would go. Of course it wasn’t all play, but looking back it sure seemed that way. I also spent time at my grandparent’s house, just down the road, “helping” my grandmother with a variety of things like stringing beans, shelling peas and canning.

I was so tired at the end of the day, bedtime was never a fight for my mom. I didn’t sleep late, there was fun to be had outside. I enjoyed hearing my grandparents talk about their experiences growing up, both good and bad, family stories are to be cherished. I learned an appreciation for the land. The experiences I garnered growing up on a farm shaped the person I am today. No other experience can come close to the sights and sounds of a farm and nature.

I miss those carefree days on the farm. I will cherish those memories for the rest of my life. I wish every child could experi-ence that way of life. It is a lifestyle that should be preserved.

Until next month,

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

From the Editor

Sarah Holt VOL. 7 • ISSUE 11

September

www.InTheFieldMagazine.com September 2011 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE 1Covering What’s Growing

2011 Florida Cattlemen’s Association Sweetheart

KAITLYN GILL

September 15–October 15, 2011

Publisher/OwnerKaren Berry

Editor-In-ChiefAl Berry

Senior Managing Editor/Associate

PublisherSarah Holt

Editor Patsy Berry

Office ManagerBob Hughens

Sales ManagerDanny Crampton

SalesAl Berry

Tina RichmondDanny Crampton

Kay Mullis

Creative DirectorAmey Celoria

DesignersJuan Carlos Alvarez

Mona Jackson

Cover PhotoStephanie Humphrey

PhotographyStephanie Humphrey

Karen BerryAl Berry

Staff WritersAl Berry

Sandy KasterJames Frankowiak

Kayla LewisSean GreenMark CookGinny Mink

Contributing WriterWoody Gore

Les McDowell

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?

8 Advertisers Index

Kaitlyn Gill: A Truly Sweet SweetheartCover Photo by

Stephanie Humphrey

Cover Story50

12 Business UpFrontLancaster’s Hydro Farm

10 Cornfusion:Corn Mazes and Olive Trees

20 Fishing Hot SpotsCaptain Woody Gore

24 Rocking Chair ChatterAl Berry

28 Grub StationTaste of India

56 Chrissy GrimmerJFCA President

74 Fruit & Veggie

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CORRECTION: The feature article in the August issue of In The Field was Southern Style Boer Goats. Their website was incorrectly listed. It is southernstyleboergoats.com.


When: Thursday, September 29, 2011 Dinner at 6pm, Membership Meeting at 7pmWhere: John R. Trinkle Building (Plant City HCC Campus)Directions: I-4 exit 22 South, 1st light turn left, 3rd building on the leftWho: Each Farm Bureau member family is entitled to two free din-ners. Additional dinners may be purchased for $5.00. Children under 12 receive a free hot dog dinner.Featuring:

• The Youth Speech Contest Winner• 2011-2013 Board Member Election• Door Prizes & Lots of Fellowship

RSVP: 813-685-9121 or [email protected] by September 23. Leave your name, number of dinners (children & adult) and tele-phone number.Please bring canned food for the YF&R Harvest for All campaign.Bring this invitation with you for a special door prize drawing!

The 69th Annual Membership Meeting & Steak Dinner

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FARM BUREAU

100 S. Mulrennan Rd.Valrico, FL 33594

FARM BUREAU INSURANCE

SPECIAL AGENTS

AGENCY MANAGERTommy Hale

Valrico Office813.685.5673

100 S. Mulrennan Rd. Valrico, FL 33594Tommy Hale, CLU, ChFC, CASL, CPCU Agency Mgr.

Julie Carlson, John McGuire

Plant City Office813.752.5577

1302 S. Collins St., Plant City, FL 33563Jeff Sumner, Bill Williams

Tampa Office813.933.5440

1046 W. Busch Blvd., Ste. 100, Tampa, FL 33612Greg Harrell, Jeff Harper, Carter Metts

OFFICERS ANDEXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

DIRECTORS FOR 2010-2011Amanda Collins, Roy Davis, David

Drawdy, Jim Dyer, Alvin Futch, Stefan Katzaras, Joe Keel, Greg Lehman,

Kenneth Parker, Jake Raburn, Marty Tanner, James Tew, Patrick Thomas,

Michelle Williamson, Ray Wood

Judi Whitson, Executive Director813.685.9121

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

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

Insurance Services813.685.5673

Member Services813.685.9121

LOOK WHO’S READING

Ben Rothfeldof Windemere, FL

®

• The chicken is one of the few things that man eats before it’s born and after it’s dead.

• More people study English in China than speak it in the United States.

• John Quincy Adams, sixth president of the United States, loved to skinny dip in the Potomac River.

• The worst air polluter in the entire state of Washington is Mount St. Hel-ens.

• 90% of Canada’s 31,000,000 plus citizens live within 100 miles of the U.S. border.

• Costco is the largest wine retailer in the United States. Annual wine sales are about $700 million.

• A Georgia company will mix your loved one’s ashes with cement and drop it into the ocean to form an artificial reef.

• Over 1.5 million Americans are charged with drunk driving each year.

• A private elementary school in Alexandria, Virginia, accidentally served margaritas to its school children, thinking it was limeade.

• About 20% of gift cards are never redeemed at the full value of the card.

• La Paz, Bolivia is the world’s most fireproof city. At 12,000 feet above sea level, the amount of oxygen in the air barely supports a flame.

• In 2004, Virgin Atlantic Airlines introduced a double bed for first class pas-sengers who fly together.

• A chef’s hat is shaped the way it is for a reason: its shape allows air to circu-late around the scalp, keeping the head cool in a hot kitchen.

• Nearly one third of New York City public school teachers send their own children to private schools.

100 South Mulrennan Road • Valrico, FL 33594 Phone (813) 685-9121

BOARD OF DIRECTORSDanny Aprile, Vice-President; Jemy Hinton, Treasurer; George Coleman, Secretary; Glenn Harrell, Member-at-large;

Bill Burnette, Jake Raburn, Patrick Thomas, Amanda Collins, Roy Davis, David Drawdy, Jim Dyer, Alvin Futch, Stefan Katzaras, Greg Lehman, Carl Little, Lance Ham, Michelle Williamson and John Stickles. Judi Whitson, Executive Director


Florida Strawberry Growers AssociationFor more information call our office at

813.752.6822 www.flstrawberry.com

The Florida Strawberry Growers Association’s 29th Agritech Trade Show and Educational Seminar was a huge success this year. It

was two days of interacting with industry vendors and fellow

strawberry and vegetable growers filled with information and new products to keep the

growers in the race.

We sold out exhibitor space and over 300 growers and industry friends attended each day. The theme

this year was NASCAR.

We even had a member bring in a real racecar! With a full agenda, growers were updated on new developments in nutrient management, irrigation

system management, disease controls, and new strawberry variety and breeding research.

The speakers included professors from the University of Florida Gulf Coast Research & Education Center, located in Balm, Florida.

Thank you to all who volunteered to make this, our 29th Agritech, a success!!

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 October 3, 2011.

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

Ag Technologies ................13Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers ..........................79Antioch Feed & Farm Supply ...............................33Aquarius Water Refining ...64Astin Strawberry Exchange 92Bartow Chevrolet ................3Berry Blue Farm & Nursery 89Bill’s Transmissions ...........67Bingham Portables ............89Brandon Auto Services ......85Broke & Poor ....................81Byrd & Barnhill, P.L. .........83Carpet Diem .....................57CF Industries ....................39Choo Choo’s Lawn Equipment ........................19Chuck’s Tire & Auto .........63Cowboys Western World ...17Crescent Jewelers ..............73Dad’s Towing ....................59Dairy Queen .....................55Discount Metal Mart ........65Driscoll’s Berries ...............69Dusty’s Camper World ......85Dyson Spare Parts .............87Eco Water Systems ..............8Elite Home Fitness ............79F.C. Mullis Plumbing ........35Farm Bureau Insurance .....37Farm Bur. Ins./Jeff Sumner .71Farm Credit ......................55Felton’s Market .................71Florida Golden Honey ......92FL Ranch Rodeo Finals ......47Florida Strawberry Growers Association .........................9Forbes Road Produce .........11Fred’s Market ......................8Gator Ford ........................81Gerald Keene Plumbing .....45Grove Equipment Svc. ..67, 73Gulf Coast Tractor & Equipment ......................2Handy Can Portable Restrooms .........................83Harold’s Feed & Pet Supply ......................... 14-15Harrell’s Nursery ..............89Haught Funeral Home ......27Helena Chemical ...............69Hillsboro State Bank .........85

Hillsborough County FB .....7Hope Christian Academy ..87Huff Muffler .....................91I-4 Power Equipment ...........5Johnson’s Barbeque ...........83Jon & Rosie’s Tree Farm ....92Keel & Curley Winery .......95Kennco Mfg. .....................89KeyPlex Nutritionals .........31L.I.T. Security Cages .........94Lancaster Farms ................64Lands Feed & Farm Supply ......................77Lewis Insulation Technologies .....................94Loetscher Auto Parts ..........87Malissa Crawford, Coldwell Banker ..............................57Mark Smith Excavating .....30Mid-State Tractor Parts .....92Mosaic .............................54Norm Sapp Delivery Svcs. ..91Plant City Tire & Auto .....89Platinum Bank ..................61Red Rose Inn & Suites .. 48-49Rhizogen ..........................65Roadrunner Veterinary Clinic ................................96Sanchez Dermatology .......92Savich & Lee Wholesale ....75Seedway ............................92Shell’s Feed & Garden Supply ..................21Southside Farm & Pet Supply .........................29Southwestern Produce .......23Sparkman Chevrolet ...........3Stingray Chevrolet ............41The Hay Depot .................87Timberlane Pet Hospital & Resort ...............................85Trinkle, Redman, Swanson, Cotón, Davis & Smith .......61Uncommon USA ...............54Walden Lake Car Wash .....77Wells Memorial ................63Westcoast Enterprises ........91Wetzel’s Farrier Service ......91Willie’s Seafood ..................83Winfield Solutions ........59, 75Wish Farms .......................25Zaxby’s .............................43

Index of Advertisers


Hold on to your magazine ladies and gentleman, because what’s about to be revealed will blow you away! Lakeland is gear-ing up to experience one of the coolest things on land, something most of us have only seen in movies but secretly always wished we could participate in. Are you ready? Ted and Donna Smith of Green Leaf Sod Farms are hosting a corn maze this October! Yes, a corn maze in our very own Central Florida location.

Mazes are a unique part of human history. People have long been enthralled by things that make them go, “hmmm.” In fact, the first recorded maze in history was the Egyptian Labyrinth as reported by Herodotus, a Greek traveler and writer, in the 5th century, BC! It was built by pharaoh Amenemhet in the 19th century, BC (www.amazingart.com/maze-faqs/ancient-mazes.html). While that maze was made of stone the first hedge maze appeared during the 13th century in Belgium.

Apparently there are two forms of mazes, unicursal and multicursal. Unicursal mazes don’t have any dead ends and so they really aren’t much of a puzzle for those walking in them. Multicursal mazes have blind alleys and branches that make find-ing the end quite a challenge. This information and tons more on the history of mazes can be found on www.unmuseum.org/maze.htm. By the way, the Smiths’ maze would be labeled multicursal.

“A corn maze or maize maze is a maze cut out of a corn field. They have become popular tourist attractions in North America, and a way for farmers to create tourist income. Many are based on artistic designs such as characters from movies.

Corn mazes actually began as formal garden mazes developed throughout Europe for the wealthiest castles and palaces to amuse kings and princesses. The largest corn maze in the world is located in Dixon, California, and is 45 acres in area as of 2010,” (http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_maze).

The Smiths’ corn maze spans eight acres and is very in-tricately designed. An aerial view would show two cows (with the Smiths’ brand on each hip), a WPCV 97 Country logo and a commemorative Polk County 150 year anniversary emblem. If you are anxious to see the aerial pictures for yourself just go

to www.themaize.com and click on the visit a maze tab. The Maize is actually the company the Smiths are working with on their corn maze and there’s lots of neat info on the website. For instance, they are the world’s largest cornfield maze company and have a Guinness Record!

The Smiths’ maze will be open every weekend in October, Friday 2-8 pm, Saturday 9 am to 8 pm and Sunday 12-8 pm. However, they are willing to set up weekday visitations for special interest groups and schools. So, if you’ve got a club or you can set up a “field trip” at a school, contact Donna. There is a cost and that’s $10 for adults, $8 for kids 5-10; four and under are free.

As if the maze weren’t reason enough to visit the Smiths’ amazing property, it gets better. There will be a 60 x 40 bounce pillow. Essentially, this is a giant inflated trampoline that will be placed in the ground. Certainly the kids will enjoy it, but the Smiths’ would probably be willing to bet, adults will be gleefully jumping away as well. For the wee ones they’re creating a little mini maze out of hay bails, it will be “two squares high so they can see over and not get scared,” Ted explains.

But wait, there’s more! They’ll have an air powered “corn cannon designed to shoot corn cobs, water bottles and tennis balls.” It has three different barrels to accommodate the various forms of ammo and there will be targets at different ranges. Simi-lar to the bounce pillow, the Smiths’ understand that grown-ups will want to participate in this unique shooting experience, so the furthest targets are for them. Set your sights on that! We’re still not done though, there’s a really cool duck race for the kiddies in which little rubber duckies will traverse PVC pipe. Here’s the catch, the ducks will only go as fast as the kids pump because

the water flowing through the pipes is managed by old style red pitcher pumps.

No doubt you’re thinking, “Wow, that’s mad cool! Can it get any better?” Well, yes, it can. They’ve built what they’re calling a “tractor train” for the kids that will pull them around the out-skirts of the big corn maze. No worries, Mom and Dad, they’ve thought of everything, they installed seatbelts in each “train car.” Also, they are going to have a corn box, which is basically a sandbox, but it’s filled with corn kernels for the little ones to dig in and you don’t even have to bring your own pails and shovels! Then there’s the pumpkin patch and the sunflower patch…

So, there’s all that fun and then there’s more!! Fred’s South-ern Market will be doing all the catering via their concession stand. Donna adds, “We got to okay the menu so there’s nothing outrageously priced, there’s something in everyone’s price range.” There will also be booths selling homemade goodies and crafts. By the way, if you’re interested in setting up a booth for the event, please contact Donna at 863 859 9714.

CornfusionCorn Mazes & Olive Trees

by Ginny Mink

Continued on page 80


People casually throw around the concept of taking a “leap of faith.” Typically they use this adage for things that really don’t apply. For instance, a woman might ask her friend, “Do you like my new hair color?” And upon receiving the answer therein she’ll add, “Well, it was definitely a leap of faith!” Come on now, that is really not definitive of what an actual leap of faith looks like. Angela Lancaster of Lancaster’s Hydro Farm can attest to that.

According to Angela, she and Mike have been married for 31 years and have “three wonderful children, 28, 26 and 21, and we just got our first grandchild, he’s 9 months old.” Certainly marriage and the bearing of children is a leap of faith in and of itself, yet, this is not what we are talking about here. We’re talking about feeling the leading of the Heavenly Father and then walking out of your lucrative careers to start a hydroponics farm. Yep, that’s what they did!

They started preparing to utilize vertical hydroponics grow-ing methodology in November of 2006. Neither of them had pre-vious farming experience but both felt strongly about participat-ing in and supporting local agriculture. Therefore they planted 50 different varieties of vegetables in December of that year. “We planted things like kale and Swiss chard, stuff we’d never even heard of. It was the winter and we didn’t know what would hap-pen, but God blessed us and every one of our plants grew!”

So, with their new farm in motion, they sought out methods to reach out to the community they so loved. Their goal was to recognize the doors the Father opened for them and then to walk right through. “I feel really strongly about supporting families and I wanted to do something that would encourage them to sit down and eat dinner together,” Angela explained. Thusly they arrived at the idea for the Produce Club. “The Produce Club allows us to bring fresh from the farm fruits and vegetables to your door in baskets weekly or biweekly. You just leave the basket outside your door on the day of the next delivery so that we can reuse them,” said Angela.

There are a number of basket op-tions to choose from, some of which include: vegetable baskets, fruit baskets, combo baskets, and something they call a staples basket. “This basket contains: lettuce, (3) tomatoes, broccoli, your choice of celery or baby spinach, (2) sweet onions, (2 lbs) sweet potatoes, your choice of red or white potatoes, (1 lb) baby carrots. Some items can be

substituted if not in season.” If you’re interested in learning more about it and hopefully participating in this awesome opportunity to support the co-ops and farms in the area, you should definitely visit the Lancaster’s website: www.lancasterfarm.net or contact Angela by phone at (813) 482 2008.

As if fresh fruits and vegetables arriving at your door each week wasn’t good enough, the Lancaster’s have partnered with enough other farmers and homemakers to provide an additional slew of tasty, healthy foods for you. The fact of the matter is, you can utilize their website to attain fresh baked goods, Amish made cheese, butter, preserves and dressing as well as raw honey, goat milk and goat cheese, organic eggs, pickled beets, and homemade whole grain organic granola. Do not hesitate to peruse it.

“People need to realize how important farming is and if we don’t support it, it’s gonna be gone. I tell you this has been a struggle, even the weather isn’t cooperating. It’s a dying thing, a lot of people are giving up and selling out. I’m all about support-ing local farmers ‘cause it’s kinda hard to compete with the Wal-Mart’s and Sweetbay’s. If everything hits rock bottom one thing’s for certain, we will not starve,” says Angela.

With God behind them they have trudged on through all kinds of adversity, but Angela chooses to give credit where it’s due, so she adds, “Our children have helped so much and the people that work for us are Christians, too, and it’s just been amazing.” No doubt this has been the experience of a lifetime for them and Angela’s words definitely attest to that. “We have met some wonderful people along this journey and have been enriched. God has blessed us in spite of ourselves and we are thankful. We are still learning and growing, but most of all still

enjoying life and having fun! We hope to be of service to you and your fam-ily soon!”

Obviously since this was a faith led venture, it’s important to note that their farm is also somewhat of a ministry. They provide free fruits and vegetables to three local pastors and their families. When a Produce Club member has financial or rela-tional troubles or just overall calamity, Angela and Mike have been known to provide for them free of charge as well. Talk about people walking the walk, not to mention being wholly and tangibly fruitful! Please visit their website and help support this inspired venture.

by Ginny Mink

Business UpFront

Faith and Tangible Fruitfulness:Lancaster’s Hydro Farm

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CF Industries’ Partnerships Bode Well for Partners and the Environmentby Jim Frankowiak

Conserving water resources is nothing new at CF Industries. In fact, over the last 15 years CF has forged partnerships with its Florida neighbors, the cities of Plant City, Tampa and Wauchula. In each instance, these public/private initiatives have involved treated or reclaimed water from each municipality’s wastewater treatment facilities, leading to benefits for the company, these cit-ies and the environment.

The CF/Plant City relationship can be traced back to a recommendation from the Hillsborough River’s Greenways Task Force, now known as the Hillsborough River Watershed Alliance, an entity formed to develop and implement regional plans that will protect environmental and ecological assets within the upper Hillsborough River Basin. CF’s Plant City Phosphate Complex is located in this basin. The task force recommended that the company consider using Plant City’s wastewater, keeping it out of Lake Thonotosassa.

This undertaking required construction of a pipeline from the Plant City Wastewater Treatment Plant to the CF Phosphate Complex where it would be used for a variety of process-related activities in the manufacture of fertilizer.

The 10-mile long pipeline is 24-inches in diameter and was partially funded by a grant from the Southwest Florida Water Management District. CF was responsible for construction costs associated with the pipeline connecting Plant City and the plant’s operations. Construction of the pipeline began in 1996 and was completed in early 1997.

“The Water Reclamation Facility has operated continuously since 1997,” said Plant City Utilities Director Frank Coughe-nour. “Upgrades placed in service in 2008 improved operational

flexibility and reliability and the system has remained in service continuously since 2008.

“Plant City is very pleased to provide reclaimed water to CF Industries, and we believe that the relationship has been mutu-ally beneficial. The City sees reclaimed water use as an integral component in the growth and sustainability of our water and wastewater utilities,” said Coughenour. “Recent Water Reclama-tion Facility improvements and reclaimed water pipeline exten-sions will provide reliable reclaimed water service to CF and other industrial, agricultural and residential irrigation customers for many years into the future.”

Currently CF Industries Plant City Phosphate Complex uses approximately 2.2 million gallons of reclaimed water each day.

At about the same time that plans were underway for the re-claimed pipeline, CF re-evaluated its overall use of existing water sources with an eye toward reducing consumption of groundwa-ter.

“Our overall goal was the best use of existing water re-sources,” said Ron Brunk, Superintendent Environmental Affairs. “This goal was very comprehensive and covered simple processes such as fixing leaking or open valves to more complex measures including ranking water quality use throughout the complex.”

Brunk said the highest quality water at the complex is used to produce steam for generating electric power. Chief Environ-mental Services, Mike Messina, noted that the complex generates nearly 78 percent of the power needed for its operations.

“Recycled process water is used for grinding phosphate ore for processing and other process-related activities,” said Brunk.

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A Triple WinThe combination of reclaimed wastewater from Plant City

plus the evaluation of water use and institution of new proce-dures “has enabled us to reduce groundwater use by 50 percent,” said Brunk. “That’s a triple win. Plant City win, CF wins and the environment wins through a marked reduction in groundwater use.”

In Hardee County, where CF Industries has a Florida phos-phate mining operation, there are actually two stories about water conservation. One is similar to the Plant City program, and another is set to begin in the final quarter of this year.

CF began mining in Hardee County in 1978. “From the be-ginning, we have worked to pioneer innovative and environmen-tally beneficial techniques and operating practices,” said David Gossett, Manager, Technical Services. “Some of these include using process water rather than well water in the phosphate flota-tion process, recycling more than 95 percent of process water, more rapid reclamation by using sand/clay mix disposal practices and innovative stream reclamation techniques.”

“Water is probably the most valuable commodity needed for future development in Hardee County,” said Gossett. “To that end, CF has been working with the City of Wauchula and Hardee County to secure the water future of the area.” In 2001 CF entered into a 20-year agreement with the City of Wauchula to accept and use treated domestic wastewater of up to 3.5 million gallons per day, eliminating the city’s discharge requirements and reducing CF’s need for precious groundwater.

“That agreement provides an important outlet for sending CF up to 3.5 million gallons per day of this nutrient rich wa-ter which would otherwise pose a difficult and costly disposal problem for the City of Wauchula,” said Gossett. “By doing this, CF reduces the quantity of groundwater used in our operations and after treatment provides improved quality of the area surface waters. In the longer term, this water could provide a source for the Aquifer Recharge and Recovery Project (ARRP).” The ARRP is schedule to begin operation in the fourth quarter of this year.

Phosphate mining is dependent on having a significant amount of water to conduct mining and mineral processing operations. CF pioneered the use of recycled water at the Hardee Complex rather than well water in the phosphate flotation pro-cess more than 30 years ago, thereby reducing the use of ground-water in its operations.

“Of the approximately 150,000 gallons per minute needed for operating the facility, more than 95 percent is recycled process and captured storm water. The balance is made up of groundwa-ter during periods of low rainfall. CF now has further reduced its groundwater consumption through the use of treated domestic wastewater from the City of Wauchula,” said Gossett. Another triple win, benefiting the municipality, company and environ-ment.

The ARRP project traces its beginnings to 2003 when CF, working with Hardee County, Florida Institute of Phosphate Research (FIPR) and Peter Schreuder, an environmental innova-tor, developed the idea for a water conservation project. Slated to begin in the last quarter of this year, the project will produce two to four million gallons per day of water suitable for drink-ing. “This water eventually (after two years of rigorous testing) is planned for injection into the Florida Aquifer providing relief for the stressed drinking water supply in the area,” said Gossett.

The ARRP utilized land previously mined for phosphate. It was returned to a storage site for sand and clay generated by min-ing and processing operations, followed by reclamation. The area

underwent consolidation and compaction and has been reconfig-ured to serve as a reservoir and treatment wetlands. The reservoir is used to capture and store excess stormwater and process water that would otherwise be released. The treatment wetlands have been created using native soil and plants to remove nutrients and purify the water. The water then will be pumped to a filter basin constructed of sand where it will be filtered and purified further.

“The primary benefit of the ARRP project is the ability to provide two to four million gallons per day of clean water for injection into the Florida Aquifer an/or other beneficial use,” said Gossett. “This could relieve some of the stress to the aquifer and potentially provide clean water for future economic development or environmental benefit in Hardee County.” In the short term, mining operations can provide the water source for the ARRP, in the longer term, the City of Wauchula wastewater and poten-tially other wastewater sources may provide the water supply for the ARRP.

Another water innovation story comes from CF Industries Tampa Terminal and Warehouse, which faced a challenge with regard to the unloading of anhydrous ammonia from its storage tank transfer into railroad cars and trucks. The cold ammonia is used by CF at its Plant City complex and a number of other industrial users in Florida. “When stored on ships or at our port facility, the ammonia is kept at minus 28-degrees Fahrenheit,” said Maintenance Superintendent Bill Yates. “However, when loading a truck or railcar from our tanks, the temperature of the ammonia must be elevated to above freezing.” To accomplish this, CF devised a unique way to capture heat using treated sew-age effluent.

The CF Tampa Terminal and Warehouse borders the City of Tampa’s Howard F. Curren Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant. That plant daily discharges thousands of gallons of treated wastewater or effluent into Tampa Bay.

In 1997, CF’s then Terminal Manager Nick Katzaras entered into discussions with wastewater treatment plant officials about the potential for using the plant’s effluent to cool the ammonia lines at CF during unloading and loading.

The result was the construction of a 16-inch underground line from the wastewater facility to CF. The link was complete and operation of the connecting pipeline began in late 1998. “It has been a good partnership,” said wastewater plant operations specialist Eddie Driver. “We are pleased to have been able to help. It was the right thing to do.” The pipeline link is currently deliv-ering approximately 3,000 gallons per minute.

“We send CF 90-degree water,” said Driver. “The same water is returned to us about 20-degrees cooler and that temperature reduction helps to decrease overall water temperature which is beneficial to our internal operations.”

The link to Tampa’s wastewater facility provides CF a constant flow of warm water. This water is used to heat ammo-nia through a heat exchanger for loading. “We no longer have to use boilers and solar ponds to warm water, which represents an energy saving and a reduction in emissions,” said John Joyner, superintendent of operations at the CF Port of Tampa facility.

All of these projects emphasize the importance of sound water management practices. Each benefits the partners and the environment. Three Triple Wins!


There is nothing difficult about keeping fish in first class condition from the time they are caught until the time they are cooked and what a difference it makes to the taste.

Recreational or sport fishing anglers are always ready to jump up and down about any attempts to reduce their right to catch a mess of fresh fish for dinner. Then how come so many of those same anglers, who jump on their soap boxes and vociferously voice their opinion about this right, so often bring home fish that are often an inedible travesty of the original delight they caught?

The summer months seem to be the worse simply because the heat has such a devastating effect on any catch that is left unattended.

Anglers often forget and take little precaution to protect the freshness of the fish they plan on eating. They toss them into a fish box or un-iced cooler where the fish slowly struggles as it drowns in the air. Then as more fish are caught they are thrown on top of the already dead and dying

fish. By the time the anglers get to shore, sometimes five to eight hours later, they have a spoiled mess on their hands that certainly should not be eaten. Simply put, the fish have literally cooked in their own blood and slime. Now there is nothing left to do but discard the rotting carcasses.

If we’re not going to do it right we shouldn’t be doing it at all. Many anglers would be better advised to fish on an exclusively catch-and-release basis only. If they want to have some fish for dinner they could stop by the local market and buy some on the way home. The fish in the market would most likely be in much better condition than the amateur’s catch.

The fact is, if we have any right to demand a stake in the way our fishery is managed and that a significant piece of that fishery is reserved to ensure that recreational and fishing anglers can indeed continue to catch fish for dinner, then it is also true that

we must use our share with care. That share must not only be controlled and managed by the obvious measures now in place, such as catch limits, and the like, but also by ensuring that the fish we choose to take to the table are in prime eating condition.

If you were buying fish at the local fish market, the rules for checking the condition of the fish are simple. The same rules should apply to fish coming to the cleaning table after a day on the water in your boat.

• Are the eyes clear and bright? Cloudy or dull eyes are signs are the fish has not been treated right after it was caught.

• Is the flesh solid and ‘bouncy’ to the touch? When pressed and released does the flesh bounce back into shape? Soft flabby flesh means it is bruised, or beginning to decompose, or both.

• Is the fish slimy? Excessive slime is a sure sign the fish has been allowed to overheat and is beginning to decompose.

• Does the fish stink? A strong, putrid, fishy smell means the fish is decomposing. Fresh fish in good condition have a clean fishy smell, not unpleasant, or strong.

There is no reason we cannot produce fish in prime condition when we start preparing them for the table. The simple facts are that to produce table fish in prime condition we simply follow four easy steps.

• First Step - fill an insulated cooler with ice, lots of ice.• Second Step - as fish come over the side, kill them right

away, preferably with a solid whack over the eyes with a fish club. Then place them in the cooler and cover with ice.

• Second Step (Option) - However, If you have a freshwater circulated water livewell place the fish in the livewell and keep them alive as long as possible.

by Captain Woody Gore

TAMPA BAY’S FISHING REPORT

Keep Them Fresh

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813.932.9775 or 813.932.4333

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“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 fifty 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.

• Third step - Add some water to the insulated cooler along with the ice and drop the dead fish into this slurry as they are caught or die. Keep adding ice as needed.

• Fourth step - Whenever time permits, remove the stomach contents and drop the fish back into the slurry.

Following these simple steps has very real advantages.

Because the flesh is chilled down, when the time comes to prepare the fish the job is much easier. The fish will not be slimy, which means cleaning is easier, more efficient and filleting is especially a breeze.

Many people, who have trouble filleting fish, find the difficulty comes from slimy soft flesh making it hard to make a clean full cut. It’s much easier when the flesh has some consistency and firmness.

Preparing fish for the table also becomes more pleasant when there is little or no odor. Cooking fish should be an appetizing smell. I know many people who do not like eating fish because of bad past experiences. The cooking odor of foul-smelling fish is an integral part of taste, because our brain usually relates a bad smell to a bad taste.

But by far and away the biggest bonus will be in the taste. There is little to compare with the taste of fresh fish that has been well cared for since capture, especially fish that we have caught ourselves. For me that is one of the true joys of fishing.

Despite the very real problems in our saltwater fisheries, in comparison with most other places in the world ours is a dream fishery. The ability to take to the sea with a realistic anticipation of hooking into a nice catch of fish is one of the things that make our area unique. To mistreat the fish we choose to keep is an abuse of this right and privilege.

Tampa Bay Fishing Report August was a scorcher with humidity in the 90s, but we’re

still catching fish. While it’s still important to pick the right tide days for the most part, even if you miss the bites still been fairly consistent. Although we’re not catching the numbers we might like, we are still catching. Warm summer waters make fish lethargic for most of the day, but when fishing at night they seem to become a little more active. Many summer anglers find nighttime fishing enjoyable and, provided the mosquitoes don’t carry you off, the fishing is relatively productive.

Bait in the Bay, if you can find it, is getting small, but deeper grass flats and heavy chumming can still bring in some decent fishable sardines. However, large greenbacks are not always the answer to inshore production. It’s called match the hatch and because they will be eating the smaller baits it’s always advisable that you fish with them. Remember, you don’t need to black out the live well, you only need enough for fishing.

With water temperatures in the high 80s to low 90s the trick is keeping your bait alive. Therefore you must understand that less bait consumes less oxygen and for this reason ‘less is more’. Here’s a tip: buy an inexpensive swimming pool thermometer to keep in your livewell. Now freeze several bottles of water and keep them in your cooler. When your livewell temperatures soar into the 90s add a bottle of frozen water to the livewell. Fresh water and bait do not mix, so never empty the contents into the livewell, just place the entire bottle into the livewell.

If you’re looking for some lively mackerel action, threadfins

are no problem and throwing a ten foot, ¾ to 1 inch net should get all you need. You’ll find large schools all over the Bay in deeper water. Mackerel also take small silver spoons fished under and behind a popping cork. I say behind because if you need to make some noise with the cork make sure to have sufficient leader behind the popper (at least 36 inches). Seaguar 50 to 60 pound works for me except when a small black tip shark decides to strike. If the sharks become a problem go to 85 pound Seaguar and long shank inexpensive hook. Mackerel have plenty of teeth capable of inflicting a nasty bite so bending down the barb on your hooks makes de-hooking much easier.

Another tip about handling sharks, just because they are not six feet long, don’t think the smaller ones are a cakewalk. Small sharks can be extremely dangerous. Despite their size they are strong and very flexible. Grabbing one by the tail could result in a nasty bite if you’re not careful. If you must handle them grab it firmly behind the head while controlling the tail with your other hand.

Snook-Redfish-Trout Fishing should begin returning to normal as the temperatures ease up somewhat. It’s still going to be hot, but perhaps the humidity will lighten some. Night fishing will produce good catches of Snook, Redfish and Trout around structures, especially lighted docks. Work any topwater lures through the light line and hang on. Live shrimp and greenbacks free-lined or under a popping cork always work when fishing around the mangroves and in sandy potholes on the grass flats.

Cobia fishing should continue as they travel around the flats with large rays, sharks or manatees. Toss your bait or lure somewhere near the fish and it’s usually fish on. They’re not picky about what they eat, just get it close and make it move. They also frequent channel markers and channel buoys, especially those holding schools of greenbacks or threadfins. Hang a chum block over the side and if they’re close they’ll come.

Tarpon anglers will find them moving into Tampa Bay and around the bridges. Bridge tarpon are always fun and threadfins, crabs and larger white baits tossed directly into their path should do the trick. Pick a bridge with a good light-line at night and sight cast them.

Mackerel offer some great light tackle action. Tampa Bay’s full of threadfins and big mackerel. Just drift or anchor around the bait, toss out a white bait or threadfin, shinny spoon or gotcha lure and hang on.

Snapper catches are being reported around almost any structure, especially around the full moon. Pick any artificial reef, rock pile, pilings or marker, find some small greenbacks or shrimp, a # 1 hook, 20 pound Seaguar fluorocarbon leader, ¼ ounce egg sinker or larger (depending on the current) make a knocker rig and have fun. Limit catches reported around the bay with some weighing three to six pounds but most average around one to two pounds.

Perfectly Fresh. Perfectly Priced.

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

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Baby Butter Beans ............... $13 Green Beans ....................... $13Pole Beans .......................... $13Speckled Butter Beans ......... $13Blackeye Peas ..................... $13Butter Peas .......................... $13Conk Peas ........................... $22Crowder Peas ...................... $13Green Peas ......................... $13Mixed Peas ........................ $13Pinkeye Peas....................... $13Sugar Snap Peas ................. $15Zipper Peas ......................... $13

White Corn .......................... $13 Yellow Corn ........................ $13Cream White Corn 4# ...........$ 6Cream Yellow Corn 4# .........$ 6Collard Greens .................... $12Mustard Greens .................. $12Turnip Greens ..................... $12Spinach ............................... $12

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

Blueberries 5# .................... $15Blackberries 5# ................... $15Raspberries 5# ................... $15Cranberries 5# ................... $15Mango Chunks 5# .............. $15Pineapple Chunks 5# ......... $15Dark Sweet Cherries 5# ...... $15Peaches ............................... $15Green Jumbo Peanuts......... $15

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school parking lot with his shotgun in his gun rack. Back in 1962 the principal comes out to look at Fred’s shotgun. The principal then goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Fred. Today the school goes into lockdown and the FBI is called. Fred is hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors are then called in for traumatized students and teachers.

Then there’s the story of a second grader that came home from school and said to her mother, “Mom, guess what? We learned how to make babies today.” Mom was startled, and tried to keep her composure. “That’s interesting,” she said, “how do you make babies?”

“It’s easy, Mom,” she replied. “You just change ‘y’ to ‘i’ and add ‘es’.”

We need to give children credit as they have logic! For instance a teacher asked the class to give her a sentence about a public servant. One small boy wrote: “The fireman came down the ladder pregnant.” The teacher took the boy side to correct him.

“Don’t you know what pregnant means?” she asked. “Sure,” said the young boy confident. “It means carrying a

child.”I’ll close with this story. A private school in Oregon was faced

with a problem. A number of 12-year-old girls were beginning to use lipstick and would put it on in the bathroom.

The problem was after they put on their lipstick, they would press their lips on the mirror leaving dozens of little lip prints.

Every night the maintenance man would remove them, and the next day the girls

would put them back. Finally the principal decided that

something had to be done. She called

all the girls to the bathroom and met them there with the

maintenance man. She explained that

all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the janitor who had to clean the mirrors every night.

To demonstrate how difficult it had been to clean the mirrors, she asked the janitor to show the girls how much effort was required. He took out a long-handled squeegee,

dipped it in the toilet, and cleaned the mirror with it.Since then, there have been no lip prints on the mirror. There are

teachers……and then there are educators.

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Well it’s back-to-school time, and even in this bad economy all the clothing stores are offering discounts to fight for their share of the money spent by parents on their kids clothing and other accessories.

Maxine has had an eye on the bad economy, and reports that it is so bad, if the bank returns your check marked “Insufficient Funds” you need to call and ask if they meant yours or theirs. She said she got a pre-declined credit card in the mail, too.

I remember when I was going to grammar school some of the kids went bare-footed. I had one pair of tennis shoes from Black’s Department store that mother would wash every-other-day ‘cause I would put a hurt’n on them playing football after school in the sand lot.

Much emphasis in school today is put on writing and politics they tell me. I read an essay from a sixth grader the other day that shows the progress of not leaving anybody behind. “As you know the colonists won the War and no longer had to pay for taxis. Delegates from the original 13 states formed the Contented Congress. Thomas Jefferson, a Virgin, and Benjamin Franklin, were two singers of

the Declaration of Independence. Franklin had gone to Boston carrying all his clothes in his pocket and a loaf of bread under each arm. He invented electricity by rubbing cats backwards and declared ‘a horse divided against itself cannot stand.’ Franklin died

in 1790 and is still dead. George Washington married Martha Curtis and in due time became the Father of our Country.

Then the Constitution of the United States was adopted to secure

domestic hostility. Under the Constitution the people enjoy

the right to keep bare arms.”I ran across these

excerpts from student’s science exam in Alabama. “There are

three kinds of blood vessels: arteries, vanes and caterpillars. The process of turning

steam back into water again is called conversation. The Earth makes

a resolution every 24 hours. Clouds are high-flying fogs. A blizzard is when it snows sideways. The first

commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple.” In my opinion teachers have their job cut out for them

these days. They have so much competition from X-Boxes, TV, cell phones, and computer games. I wonder what the

next 30 years of electronics will bring.I read an article comparing the 60s to today at school. The

scenario: Fred goes rabbit hunting before school, pulls into the high


Recipes Courtesy of The Florida Department of Agriculture

Polynesian Shrimp

Ingredients 1 pound Florida shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined1 cup fresh pineapple chunks1 cup Florida celery, thinly sliced½ cup seedless green grapes¼ cup Florida green onions, sliced2 tablespoons mayonnaise2 tablespoons sour cream½ teaspoon salt1/8 teaspoon white pepperFlorida salad greenspaprika

Preparation

Cut large shrimp in half. Drain pineapple, reserving 2 tablespoons juice. Combine shrimp, pineapple, celery, grapes and green onions in a 2-quart bowl. Combine pineapple juice, mayonnaise, sour cream, salt and white pepper; mix well. Pour over shrimp mix-ture and toss lightly. Chill 30 minutes. Serve on salad greens. Sprinkle with paprika.

Yield

6 servings

Cantaloupe with Chicken Salad

Ingredients Salad2 cups chicken cooked, shredded2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried1 cup celery, sliced1 cup green grapes seedless, halved1/2 cup pecans, chopped3 cantaloupes, halved and seeded Dressing1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise 1/4 cup low-fat sour cream 1 tablespoon lemon juice fresh1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest grated1 1/2 teaspoons natural sugar 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger root, groundkosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

PreparationIn a large bowl, combine chicken, blueberries, celery, grapes and pecans. In a small bowl, mix dressing ingredients. Pour over the chicken mixture and toss gently. Spoon into canta-loupe halves.

Yield

6 servings

Serving Plant City and East Hillsborough CountyHAUGHT FUNERAL HOME

Tim is married to Jo Carpenter who is a

native of Plant City.

708 W. Dr. M.L. King Jr. Blvd. • Plant City Fl. 33563813-717-9300

TIM & JO HAUGHTHaught Funeral Home is family

owned and operated. Timothy J. Haught has been a licensed

Funeral Director since 1973 and a resident of Plant City since 1952.

For 10 years Haught Funeral Home has been assisting families during their loss of a loved one with interment in these area cemeteries:

AntiochBethlehemHopewell Memorial GardensHopewell Church CemeteryPelote

OaklawnMemorial ParkMt. EnonSpringheadShiloh

Haught Funeral Home Remembers…In recognition of the families who entrusted us with their loved ones in

August 2011Santos Herrera, Jr.—54 of Plant City died July 28, 2011. He is survived by his wife Adela Herrera; children Daniel, Eric, Yasmara; mother Olivia Garcia Herrera; six brothers; five sis-ters and two grandchildren.Emmett L. Stidham—84 of Plant City died August 1, 2011. He is survived by his wife Junea; sons Darby and Michael; daughters Terri Arrighi, Judy Jefferies; twin sister; eight grand-children and one great-grandchild.Thomas W. Perkins—74 of Plant City died August 6, 2011. He is survived by his sons Thomas and Tim; daughter Rhonda Kabrich; three brothers and three grandchildren.Charlotte Seiter—94 of Plant City died August 13, 2011. She is survived by her son David; two grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.Edith L. Browning—86 of Plant City died August 15, 2011. She is survived by her son Bud; one sister; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.Kathi Dempsey—54 of Brandon died August 20, 2011. She is survived by her husband Patrick; mother Dondru Hart; and 2 sisters.

Kenneth Pitts, Sr.—66 of Plant City died August 22, 2011. He is survived by his wife Teresa; sons Kenneth, Jr. and Terry; daughters Michelle Johnson and Tracy Bailey; three sisters and seven grandchildren.Drakyn Mykael Medley—infant son of Lindsay and Joseph died August 22, 2011.Ethel Cross—94 of Plant City died August 25, 2011. She is survived by her sons James and Chuck; seven grandchildren and twelve greatgrandchildren.Maria DeJesus Montoya-Ortiz—70 of Monterrey, Mexico died August 26, 2011. She is survived by her loving family.John Waldron—64 of Temple Terrace died August 28, 2011. He is survived by his son Carl; daughter Christina Kelleher; three brothers, one sister and six grandchildren.Hubert Graves—72 of Thonotosassa died August 28, 2011. He is survived by his wife Margaret; daughter Kimberly Mat-thes; two sisters and two grandchildren.

It has been an honor to serve you.


India is one of the largest and most fascinating countries in the world. It supports over 17.5 percent of the world’s population with many language dialects, religions and traditions, all woven into a colorful, living and exotic tapestry.

Once you have seen the beauty of India the sights, sounds and smell of aromatic spices in the air will stay in your senses and memory forever.

Recent U.S. census figures show people emigrating from India to be the fastest growing segment of the immigrant population wave.

Hillsborough County is home to the greatest number of Asian Indians in Florida with about 2,500 people taking up residence and so, with two Taste of India restaurants (one in Brandon and one in Tampa) available to us, we are fortunate we can enjoy the experience of India’s culinary cultural diversity without ever leaving our home turf.

Restaurant owners Joppen Thomas and George Thomas (same last name but not blood relatives) are business partners and friends for

life who grew up together and divide their time between the two Hillsbor-ough locations. There is a third long-time friend, who manages their two east

coast restaurants in Melborne and Palm Beach. While both owners are originally from the southern part of the country, George

lived in the north for several years and brings the flavors of northern cooking to the extensive and varied menu that traverses India from north to south.

The north is known for being the home of the Bengal Tiger and many other species of animals and birds and is rich in a variety of spices while the south provides the fish, rice, coconut, cassava melon, areca and cashew nuts, as well as the spices of pepper and ginger in many of the restaurant’s dishes. All spices are imported from India, while all fresh produce is purchased locally in Hillsborough County.

Taste of India is dedicated to the artistic presentation of all foods. Their dishes are a feast for the eyes and are known for their sophisticted use of herbs and spices.

“There are some myths about Indian food and our restaurant. One, is that it is too spicy for western palates. We can adjust the spice levels on 80 percent of our menu. Secondly, people think all we have is buf-fet service. We only serve buffets in the early afternoon and always have fine dining available on one side of the restaurant while the other has a less formal atmosphere,” says George.

The distinctive restaurant easily seats 100 guests with a party hall available on-site for catered events. September 10 will open the fes-tive catering season with a traditional harvest celebration and birthday of the diety Ganesha, known as the Lord of success and destroyer of evils.

My husband and I were served an ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’ platter containing a huge paper-thin rolled crepe called Masala Dosa, made of rice and lentils, served with mint coconut curry, tomato

by Cheryl Kuck


curry paste, Mulligatawny soup for dipping and can also be stuffed with vegetables, chicken tikka, etc.

The magic crepe can be substituted for a more diet-friendly version of the thicker, more caloric and ever-popular Naan bread.

One of the most popular dishes is Tandoori Chicken. One half of a chicken is mari-nated in yogurt and spices and baked in a clay oven. The reason the food is so rich and flavorful is because of the tandoori oven, which seems to simultaneously bake and steam. Dishes like Naan, Chicken Tikka, Tandoori Chicken, Tandoori Lamb, Prawns, Sheekh Kabab, and many vegetarian dishes cannot be made without a tandoor.

The Tandoori Chicken is a beautiful dish served with a large variety of colorful fresh vegetables cooked to al dente perfection and is enough to serve two at only $12.95. The most expensive items on the comprehensive menu are lamb dishes at $19.95. Taste of India is able to boast that they serve the most extensive vegetarian menu in the county.

In addition to the atmosphere, the excellent and polite good ser-vice, it is exciting to go outside of your comfort zone and experience something different. My advice…be adventurous and taste the food of a different culture, it’s a lot less expen-sive than an airline ticket to India.

Taste of IndiaA reflection of exotic India in décor and cuisine–flavors traverse the length of India from north to south

Locations: 902 East Brandon Blvd. in Brandon 1241 East Fowler Ave. in Tampa

Phone: Brandon/Tampa 813-689-4040

Hours: Lunch Buffet $8.99 Mon.–Fri. from 11:30am–2:30pm, Dinner Buffet $11.98 Sat. & Sun. from 12:30pm–3:00pm, Dinner Sun.–Thurs. from 5-10:00pm, Fri.–Sat. from 5–10:30pm

Price Range: Appetizers from $7.95 Entrees from $7.95 to $19.95

Specialty: Most comprehensive veg-etarian menu in Greater Tampa area

Take-Out: Full menu is available

Catering: Extensive catering on-site or outside for all occasions; festival/holy days celebrations, party hall available

Seating capacity: 100

Alcohol: Full bar, Indian Beer and non-alcoholic Indian specialty drinks

Web site: www.tasteofindiafl.us

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

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Florida Farm Bureau Federation President John Hoblick and colleagues recently completed a series of statewide “tailgate” meetings to gather input from members regarding priority pro-grams for the upcoming Farm Bill Policy and debate.

Hoblick told west central Florida members gathered at the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau office, “it would be great to be able to change just the date on the current Farm Bill from 2010 to 2012, but that just isn’t possible,” he said. “Large deficits, a debt crisis, high commodity prices and changes to farm programs have created an environment for a perfect storm with regard to upcoming debate.”

“We believe in taking our fair share of cuts, but the federal budget couldn’t be balanced if all spending on agriculture was eliminated,” Hoblick said. That drastic measure would only cut the budget by one half of one per cent, he noted.

To help formulate the federation’s policy with regard to the upcoming legislation, Hoblick held a series of sessions across Florida “to find out what programs are important to Florida farmers so Farm Bureau’s policy is accurate as we participate in this important upcoming debate.” Information gathered at the “tailgate” sessions will be discussed at the annual meeting in October, as well as during the American Farm Bureau resolutions session in December and at the annual meeting of the American Farm Bureau Federation in January.

Farm Bureau staff and leaders get their “marching orders” from the public policy book. Policies are adopted annually through a process that is designed to reflect and act upon con-cerns and issues that affect producers throughout Florida. Issues are introduced in resolutions developed by Florida Farm Bureau Federation Advisory Committees and county Farm Bureaus.

These resolutions are complied into a workbook with copies provided to all county Farm Bureaus several weeks before the state convention where voting delegates meet and discuss the workbook contents. The resolutions are then voted into policies that guide staff and leaders going forward.

National Affairs Director Adam Basford, who was a partici-pant in the “tailgate” sessions, compiled the findings of the ses-sions. There are the main topics that were consistently brought up in response to questions posed by Hoblick to participants. “These are main themes and not meant to be a state of policy or comprehensive account of the meetings,” said Basford.

The themes, according to Basford, are as follows:• Risk management is very important. Virtually all

participants agreed that one of the most important and beneficial things the farm bill should do is help manage risk. Crop insurance and disaster programs were both cited as programs that should continue to be part of the farm bill, but each need some reforms.

• Research funding should be a priority. Agreement was also consistent on the importance of research. Especial-ly in the specialty crop discussions, participants felt like programs such as the Specialty Crop Research Initiative and the Specialty Crop Block Grants have been benefi-cial and should continued.

• Conservation programs are useful, but could be im-proved. Participants saw conservation as both impor-tant and useful as well as a possible place to cut. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) was often referred to as a program that was beneficial. It was referred to as a ‘win-win’ where producers could receive assistance to do projects they needed to do anyway. Others noted that some requirements, timing and insufficient funding made it less helpful. Other programs faced similar scrutiny. Participants saw them as positive and beneficial, but having flaws. Many spoke to the desire to have conservation programs that incentivized conservation while promoting production, not discouraging it.

• Views on Direct Payments varied• Bureaucracy and complexity should be improved. The

complexity of programs often makes them too difficult to apply for and administer. Many said that efficiencies and streamlining should be a priority, and could save more money than reforming programs. Some partici-pants noted that technical barriers made programs difficult for those who really need them.”

Hoblick noted “cuts will have to be made, but in a fashion that enables farmers to stay in business.” He asked members to carefully consider the issues surrounding the new Farm Bill and to share their thoughts with him or his colleagues as they begin to work on policy development and unified messages to elected officials.

by Jim Frankowiak

Farm Bureau Holds Statewide ‘Tailgate’ Meetings to Gain Member Input for New Farm Bill Policy Debate

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EXTENSION FOOD CANNING SCHEDULE ANNOUNCED, SOLAR COOKING INFORMATION AVAILABLE AND MORE

Fall is an especially busy time at Hillsborough County Exten-sion with a new and expanded schedule of canning classes, the availability of information on solar cooking and the new MyPlate nutrition initiative.

Canning classes, which are held at the Extension office in Sef-fner, are taking place September 9, 20, 23, 26 and 28, October1 and 21 and November 8, 9 and 18. For specific class information and reservations, visit http://www.hillsborough.extension.ufl.edu. Once on the site, click on Food, Nutrition and Health along the left margin, then click on Home Canning and Freezing. The schedules and links to register will be there.

“We offer classes for the preservation of jams, fruit, pickles and tomatoes using the boiling water method, plus the pressure canning of meat and seafood,” said Extension faculty member Dr. Mary Keith, who is also a Licensed Dietitian and Nutritionist. “Reserva-tions are on a first come, first served basis.” There is a requested $5 donation of each participant to cover the cost of supplies and hand-outs provided during the sessions. No one needs to bring canners or other equipment.

“There are classes mornings, afternoons and evenings, weekdays and weekends, so hopefully there will be something to meet everyone’s interest and schedule!”

If you have a canner with a dial gauge on it, you can get it tested at the office, or after any of the canning classes. Please call Mary Keith at 813-744-5519 to set up an appoint-ment for the testing, or you can mail just the gauge to her to test. She will return it by mail with the results.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s new Guide to Home Canning is available at the office during working hours, and will also be available at the sessions. The cost for that publication is $15. There are several changes from older procedures, so even if you’ve been canning for years, you might be interested in getting the newest information.

“For those unable to attend one of our canning sessions, it is possible to review our home canning video on line,” said Keith. That video may be viewed by visiting http://youtube/boDQT7d-VuYU. The video shows the full procedure for using a pressure canner, canning carrots, and has information on various kinds of pressure canners.

Extension is also offering information and classes tied to nutri-tional needs and food preparation during natural disasters. “While we all hope this hurricane season will pass without incident in our area, it is important to be prepared,” said Keith. “That includes having a supply of food and beverages on hand in the event of a disaster and using those items in your refrigerator and freezer in the event there is an extended power outage.”

Dr. Keith has prepared a “Hurricane Food Supply Checklist” that guides a family through the proper amounts and types of food and beverages to have available in the event serious weather is fore-cast. The checklist is available at the Extension office or accessible online at http://hillsboroughnutrition.ifas.ufl.edu/GeneralNutri-tion/FoodPubsA-Z/HurricaneChecklistEng%204.pdf. A video with suggestions and help for choosing foods for your emergency food

supply is also on the website at http://hillsboroughnutrition.ifas.ufl.edu/index.shtml#Solar, then playing the “Preparing for a Storm” link. For those seeking a hard copy via U.S. Mail, call Dr. Keith at 813-744-5519. Please leave your address if you must leave a message.

“Solar cooking is becoming a popular way to prepare food in the aftermath of a natural disaster,” noted Keith. Extension has developed a video presentation on solar cooking which can be bor-rowed from the Hillsborough County Library system.

“We also offered solar cooking classes at Extension,” said Keith. During those sessions, participants saw how to use com-mercially manufactured solar cookers and made their own. While there are no more classes on the schedule right now, instructions for a simple cooker are on the website at http://hillsboroughnutrition.ifas.ufl.edu/GeneralNutrition/GeneralPubs/Solar%20Cooker%20handout.pdf. More complete instructions and resource lists are available from the Extension office. Contact Dr. Keith for copies. Please leave a mailing address if you leave a message, because the materials are in hard copy form.

“For those interested in building their own so-lar cooker, they will need cooler or cardboard boxes, insulating material if they use cardboard boxes, alu-minum foil, cardboard for reflectors, and duct tape. Solar cooking is an inex-pensive way to utilize those refrigerated items that may go to waste if power is not available for an extended period,” said Keith.

Dr. Keith also wants to remind everyone of the importance of making the

right food choices for a health lifestyle. “That’s a critical first step even before thinking about canning, food preparation or assembling items in anticipation of a serious weather event,” she said. The USDA recently introduced MyPlate, a contemporary version of the old Food Pyramid. “We’re hoping it will be an easier way to visually recognize proper nutritional choices,” she said.

“Information in both English and Spanish is available at www.ChooseMyPlate.Gov,” said Keith, “and that includes 14 tip sheets with 10 nutritional tips on each sheet for audiences such as the gen-eral population, children and vegetarians.” The website also has a page to calculate the calories you need, gives you how much of each of the different food groups you need to get those calories in a bal-anced way, and much, much more.

The initial Choose MyPlate tip sheet offers these 10 tips “for a great plate.”

• Balance calories• Enjoy your food, but eat less• Avoid oversized portions• Foods to eat more often• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables• Switch to fat-free or low-fat milk• Make half your grains whole grains• Foods to eat less often• Compare sodium in goods• Drink water instead of sugary drinks“These are simple tips that, if followed, can lead to a healthy

lifestyle,” said Keith.

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Why Point the Finger at nonPoint Source Pollution: Storm Water run-oFF

Non-point source (NPS) pollution is both air and water pollution that comes from diffuse sources. Diffuse sources means that the pollutants come from large spread out areas and therefore a single source cannot be identified. Although the pollution has original sources the ability for the pollutants to move long distances combined with the multiple sources of the pollution make it non-point source pollution.

NPS air pollution comes from sources such as industrial processes, automobiles and coal burn-ing. NPS water pollution occurs when rainfall, snowmelt, or irrigation runs over land or through the ground, picks up natural and human made pol-lutants, and deposits them into rivers, lakes, and coastal waters or introduces them into ground wa-ter. NPS water pollution comes from sources such as:

• Oil, grease and other vehicle discharges• Pesticides and nutrients from lawns,

gardens and agricultural areas• Viruses, bacteria and nutrients from pet

waste and failing septic systems• Heavy metals from roof shingles and

vehicles• Sediment from eroding stream banks, improperly managed

construction sites, crop and forest lands• Thermal heat from impervious surfaces such as asphalt roadsThe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports NPS as the lead-

ing cause of water pollution in the United States today. Significant causes of nonpoint source water pollution include runoff from agriculture, hy-drological and habitat modification, silviculture and urbanization.

Because NPS water pollution comes from so many different sources it is a difficult problem to solve with any one specific solution and difficult to regulate. Even though the effects of NPS pollution on waters such as the Hillsborough and Alafia Rivers, Tampa Bay and many lakes and ponds may not be fully known, it is known that the pollutants result in harm-ful effects on fish and shellfish, wildlife, recreation, beaches and drinking water supplies. These pollutants also affect the aesthetics of where we live. Have you noticed the green slime on the surface of your conservation or retention/detention pond lately?

Stormwater run-off is one factor of NPS water pollution. Stormwater run-off is rain that runs off streets, rooftops, parking lots, lawns and other land surfaces into the closest water body. The runoff is not absorbed by the soil. This is because the soil may have reached its saturation point or the soil surface is covered with impervious sur-faces such as roads, bridges, parking lots or buildings. As the water moves over surfaces, contaminants move with the water and get deposited into rivers, lakes, ponds and the Tampa Bay.

Natural areas such as forests,

wetlands and grasslands are porous, trap rainwater and allow rainwater to slowly filter into the ground. Impervious or nonporous surfaces such as roads, bridges, parking lots and buildings prevent rainwater from filtering into the ground. Instead most of the rainwater, along with the contami-

nants, remains above ground and runs off either directly or through storm water drains into water bodies. As this surface water accumulates it runs off in large amounts. The deposited water can have volume and velocity capable of eroding riverbanks and damaging the vegetation that hold riverbanks in place.

The sediment from contaminants and erosion causes turbidity or cloudiness in the water. The contaminated sediment includes oil, grease, toxic chemicals, nutrients, pesticides, bacteria, viruses, and heavy metals. The resulting cloudiness reduces the amount of sunlight that can reach lower depths and inhibits the growth of beneficial submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). SAV is important as it provides a habitat for aquatic life, produces oxygen and traps sediment. As a result, fish and shellfish that depend on this plant life are affected as their

habitat deteriorates. If a hypoxic condition occurs where the level of oxy-gen in the water is very low the aquatic life will die. The lack of oxygen and increased bacteria as algae decays will result in a fish kill. Sediments can also clog fish gills and interfere with drinking water purification systems.

The combination of suspended sediments and excessive nutrients can create a eutrophic condition in a water body. Eutropic conditions occur when excess nitrates and phosphates, by either natural or human means, produce excessive plant growth and decay. Excessive or improper fertilization and failing septic systems are the two main human contribu-tors of nitrates and phosphates. The plant growth is usually in the form of simple algae rather than beneficial SAV. This algae “bloom” can cause a severe reduction in water quality depleting oxygen and turning water to a green, yellow, brown or red color.

Over the last decade, and especially recently, attention is being fo-cused on storm water runoff related to urbanization. This is because

urbanization produces a wide variety of pollutants and large amounts of runoff. As little as 10 percent impervious cover in a watershed can result in water body degradation. Did you know that a typical city block contributes more than five times more runoff than a woodland area of the same size?

For information on managing urban storm water runoff look for the next article in the series Why Point the Finger at Nonpoint Source Pollution: Managing Urban Runoff or see the UF/IFAS Florida Friendly Landscaping website at http://fyn.ifas.ufl.edu/.

by Susan Haddock Commercial Horticulture/Integrated Pest Management/Small Farms Agent, UF/IFAS Hillsborough County Extension


You don’t really need a globe to recognize the distance between China and the University of Florida/IFAS Gulf Coast Research Center at Wimauma is very substantial. However, the Center’s teaching and research reputation, a UF office and out-reach program in China and the popularity of the Web have all been instrumental in enhancing the link. Currently there are three post doctoral students and four graduate students at the Center, a dramatic increase that has taken place in just a few years.

GCREC faculty member Dr. Zhano Deng, Associate Profes-sor of Environmental Horticulture, attributes the three factors above to the growth in popularity of the Center among Chinese students. “In addition, both govern-mental and private sector organizations maintain and update lists of educa-tional and research facilities around their world where they will either send or recruit future employees,” said Deng. “This is an important part of their respective growth plans for the future and recognition of our global marketplace and how best to succeed.”

In addition to Dr. Deng, whose focus is the breeding of ornamentals, the graduate students and post doctoral researchers also work with faculty members Dr. Gary Vallad – plant pathology, Dr. Amy Shober – soil and water and Dr. Jay Scott – vegetable breed-ing.

The current group includes Zhe Cao from the Yinchuan area of northwest central China. Cao has a masters degree from China Agricultural University and holds a doctorate in plant genetics and breeding. He worked for several years in the golf course industry and as a rice agronomist in China. Cao plans to return to China and use his advanced skills to assist farmers in his native land.

Zhixuan Qin learned of the Center through a search on the Web. She is pursuing an interdisciplinary doctorate in ecology with a concentration on soil and water science. Qin, who is working with Dr. Shober, plans to return to China once she has received her doctorate.

Wenlan Tien, who is married, attended Nanjing Forestry University and is focused on a doctorate with emphasis on the jatropha plant, a primary source for biodiesel fuel. Her advisor

is based at the UF Center in Homestead. She plans post doctoral work in Europe.

Dr. Shixiao Xu has a two-year appointment in Dr. Deng’s Landscape and Ornamental Plant Breeding program. He is a recent graduate student at the Huazhong Agricultural University where he earned his doctorate in Plant Molecular Biology. Dr. Xu is married and his wife, Dongfang Cai, is pursing a doctorate in plant genetics in China.

Xiahoe Song is a doctoral student at Northwest Agricultural and Forestry University in Yangling, China. She, too, is married

and her husband, Yankai Li, is volunteering with Dr. Hugh Smith at the Cen-ter while on a sabbatical from his doctoral studies. Song learned of the Center through a referral from a colleague of Dr. Deng at the University of Maryland. Song plans to return to China following her work with Dr. Deng at the Center on characterizing plant and pathogen interactions and understanding plant disease resistance. She will also be working in the pathology lab with Dr. Natalia Peres and her team.

Doctoral student Xiao-hui Yang is enrolled at the Institute of Vegetables and Flowers of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Beijing. She is working with Dr. Scott primarily on mapping of the Ty-2 gene molecular markets in the lab and other related research. Yang be-came aware of the Center through her Chinese advisor, a tomato breeder familiar with Dr. Scott and his work.

The final member of the group is Dr. Cheng-Hua Huang, who received his doctorate in Plant Pathology from the Univer-sity of Florida. He is working with Dr. Vallad and is in charge of studies leading to improved bio-based disease management strategies for commercial vegetable production in Florida.

While the cost for Chinese students studying at GCREC are substantial, Dr. Deng noted the Chinese government has a sub-stantial program in place called the China Scholarship Council. “Students may apply for scholarships for periods of one to four years,” he said. “Some of the students are scholarship recipients.”

All of the students and post doctoral researchers appreci-ate and enjoy the opportunity to work at the Center, but all also agree “getting used to Florida summers takes some doing.”

The Growing Link Between China and the Gulf Coast Research and Education Centerby Jim Frankowiak

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Late this past June, the U.S. Department of Labor an-nounced labor training grants totaling $83.9 million through the National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP) to combat unem-ployment and underemployment experienced by migrant and seasonal farmworkers. Of that total, Florida’s Department of Education will receive $4.1 million to provide training, employ-ment and support for Florida farmworkers and their families.

An additional $5.7 million in grants was announced to provide temporary or permanent housing assistance and two organizations in Florida – Farmworker Coordinating Council of Palm Beach County Inc. and Florida Non-Profit Housing Inc. -- will receive nearly $1.0 million of that total award.

The NFJP helps eligible workers improve their agricultural job skills and train for careers in emerging industries and occupa-tions that offer high wages and more stable employment. The program also offers services such as child care, health care and transportation assistance.

“Agricultural workers face significant barriers to stable em-ployment, and all too often it is their families who pay the price,” said Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. “These grants address this reality by not only helping workers improve and expand their job skills, but also by providing housing and other crucial support services.”

The housing assistance grants provide permanent housing assistance, temporary and/or emergency housing assistance or a combination of both. Permanent housing assistance services include pre-development and development services, project management, and resource development to secure acquisition, construction or renovation, and other operating funds for farm-worker housing. Temporary housing assistance services include housing units for temporary occupancy, the management of such housings unit, emergency housing payments and case manage-ment.

The NFJP is authorized by Congress as part of the Work-force Investment Act of 1998. Grants are allocated through a formula that estimates the number of eligible workers in each state or territory.

Florida’s Department of Education has successfully imple-mented this grant for more than a quarter century. The depart-ment provides senior management at the state level to provide guidance, support and oversight of the programs and operations of the Florida Jobs and Education Program (FJEP). FJEP pro-

vides educational and supportive services to chronically unem-ployed and underemployed farmworkers to obtain the education needed to prepare to enter or advance in the workforce; prepare their children for success in school; and exercise their rights as citizens in their communities.

Eligible farmworkers must be disadvantaged, prove a his-tory of farm work and reside legally in the United States. Most program participants are Florida home-based farmworkers and reside in the state year round.

FJEP encompasses 21 counties and 12 Workforce Devel-opment Regions in central western, central, central eastern, southwestern and southeastern parts of Florida. FJEP also has the capacity to mobilize resources through collaborative relation-ships statewide and in local communities.

Services are delivered by specific sites established through financial contract agreements with community colleges, school districts, technical centers, community and faith-based organiza-tions and county governments. To enable access to services, FJEP coordinates its activities through the state’s Workforce Boards and their One-Stop Centers through outreach, co-enrollment and the sharing of data.

The school districts of Hillsborough and Polk counties are among those agencies statewide serving in a fiscal capacity rela-tive to the training grant. The amount recommended for Hills-borough County during the current fiscal year is $341,714 and for Polk County, $291,612. To locate information regarding other FJEP service providers within the state of Florida, access the Florida Department of Education, Division of Career and Adult Education’s website at: http://www.fldoe.org/workforce/fjep/.

Program activities permitted under the grant include core, intensive and training services, as well as related assistance services. Core services are primarily informational and those that participants can access on their own. Intensive services are highly individualized, while training services are keyed to helping to prepare program participants to pursue specific occupations. Related assistance services include, but are not limited to emer-gency assistance and non-training related support, workplace safety and farmworker pesticide safety, heat stress prevention and other areas of aid to participants.

The effectiveness of project activities is based on established and approved performance goals. Department of Education staff monitors recipients’ compliance with program and fiscal requirements according to applicable federal and state laws and regulations.

U.S. Labor Department Awards Florida $4.1 Million to Help Overcome Undemployment and Underemploying of Migrant and Seasonal Workers

by Jim Frankowiak

Added Funds for Temporary and Permanent Housing Assistance Also Announced


The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 27 counties in Florida – Hillsborough and Polk included – as pri-mary natural disaster areas due to losses caused by drought and excessive heat that began January 1 and continues.

“Florida producers can count on USDA to provide emer-gency assistance during these difficult times,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “President Obama and I are committed to reducing the impact of this disaster for Florida producers and we will commit all available resources to help in recovery.”

Among those counties are Hillsborough and Polk, as well as Charlotte and Orange. Farmers and ranchers in selected contigu-ous counties also qualify for natural disaster assistance. Those counties include Hardee, Highlands, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota.

The counties listed above, as well as a host of others in Florida, Alabama and Georgia were designated natural disaster areas July 29, making all qualified farm operators in those areas eligible for low interest emergency (EM) loans from USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provided they meet eligibility require-ments. The USDA noted farmers in eligible counties have eight months from the date of the declaration, July 29, to apply for loans to help cover part of their actual losses. FSA will consider each loan applications on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability. FSA has a variety of programs, in addition to the EM loan program, to help eligible farmers recover from adversity.

USDA has also made other programs available to assist farmers and ranches, including the Supplemental Revenue Assis-tance Program (SURE), which was approved as part of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008; the Emergency Conserva-tion Program; Federal Crop Insurance’ and the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistant Program.

Interested farmers and ranchers are encouraged to contact their local USDA Service Center for further information on eligi-

bility requirements and application procedures for the programs mentioned in this article and others. Additional information is also available online at http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov.

The Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) defines a “qualified operator” as “…the individual or entity that provides the labor, management, and capital to operate the farm. The operator can be either an owner-operator or tenant-operator. Under appli-cable state law, an entity may have to receive authorization from the State in which the farm is located to be the owner and/or operator of the farm,” said Bronwyn Bethea-Myers, Farm Loan Manager at the USDA Service Center in Plant City.

“Anyone who feels they have suffered a qualifying loss due to the specified disaster should apply to their respective FSA office. To apply for an EM loan for Hillsborough, Polk and Hardee (in addition to DeSoto, Manatee, Pinellas and Sarasota) counties, any interested applicants should contact our office in Plant City, and we will send an application package,” said Bethea-Myers. The Plant City Service Center phone number is 813-752-1474, Extension 2. “One of the first things we will look for, though, upon receiving the application is to see if the applicant has at-tempted to obtain credit elsewhere (at the lender’s reasonable rates and terms, not ours). This is one of the eligibility require-ments, and one that I recommend they take care of before they take time to complete our application package,” she said.

“Eligibility requirements for the EM program are detailed in the FSA’s loan making handbook,” said Bethea-Myers. That information is available on the web at http://www.fsa.usda.gov/Internet/FSA File/3-flp r02 a03 pdf. EM requirements are outlined on pages 10-8 through 10-15. “Also, eligibility requirements be-ginning on page 4-2 through 4-17 also apply,” she said.

For those interested in visiting the Plant City Service Center, the address is 201 South Collins Street, Suite 201, Plant City, Florida 33563. An advance call to schedule an appointment is suggested.

by Jim Frankowiak

USDA Terms 27 Florida Counties ‘Primary Natural Disaster Areas’Emergency Assistance Available

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Yes, the headline is correct. Florida was one of three states recently visited by a group of 4-H leaders from Iraq, the 81st for-eign country to become associated with 4-H International. The nine leaders were joined by three interpreters, all were part of the International Visitor Leadership Program.

The visit took place July 16 – 27 and included stops in Penn-sylvania and Nebraska, as well as the Sunshine State. How this all came about, the progress of 4-H in Iraq and interesting ties to Florida, make for an interesting story.

In early 2009 there was no 4-H in Iraq, but in April of that year Mary Kerstetter arrived as a one-year volunteer U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) advisor for the Department of State’s Provincial Reconstruction Team in the Anbar Province where she was to work to help build Iraq’s agricultural sector. “My work as a district conservationist with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service in Ellicottville, New York, would prove useful in helping Iraq better manage its natural resources,” said Kerstetter. “As I began to acclimate to my new work environment, I found that my active involvement in 4-H as a child growing up in Pennsylvania was a resource I could draw on as well to make a difference in Iraq. I realized that starting a 4-H program in Iraq would be a good way to help the country ensure a brighter future for its children.”

4-H is the premier youth development program of the USDA. Originating in the early 1900s as “four-square educa-tion,” the 4-H’s head-heart-hands-health seek to promote positive youth development, facilitate learning and engage youth in the work of their community through USDA’s Cooperative Extension Service to enhance the quality of life. 4-H is recognized worldwide and exists in more than 80 countries.

Though none of the Iraqis had ever heard of 4-H, Kerstet-ter found high levels of interest and support from the provincial agricultural ministry and private sector. Unlike the U.S., where 4-H is a USDA program, in Iraq 4-H the private sector provides the foundation for 4-H and sponsors individual clubs.

Kerstetter noted that in Iraq as in the U.S. sheep are a popu-lar species of livestock, small and easy for children to handle. She submitted a funding request for $25,000 to cover the cost of starting a 4-H club in Anbar Province with the funds to be used to purchase grain, sheep shears, hoof nippers, feed pans, water buckets and sheep. The grant was approved and the foundation for 4-H in Iraq was put in place and the focus was placed on disadvantaged children.

To help grow the 4-H program in Iraq, Kerstetter reached out to former colleagues for assistance. That included retired Hardee County Extension Director Lockie Gary and retired state 4-H Program Leader Marilyn Norman. They provided materials to help Kerstetter and her efforts with 4-H in Iraq. What began with 24 youngsters has grown to 42 clubs with 1,100 children involved throughout the country.

To nurture the development of 4-H in Iraq, Kerstetter was successful in securing a grant for Iraqi 4-H leaders to come to the

U.S. to learn more about 4-H, enhance their skills and help their efforts in Iraq. The trip was “pending” for a period of time, but was finally approved this past May. It included stops in Pennsylvania, Nebraska and Florida.

Leading the Florida leg of the trip was Georgene Bender, South Central Regional Spe-cialized 4-H Agent and “the invaluable assistance of 46 oth-ers,” said Bender, who serves 11 counties in the west central part of the state from her office at the UF/IFAS Plant City Center.

Florida 4-H Hosts Visiting 4-H Leaders from Iraqby Jim Frankowiak


It was a fitting match since Bender’s 4-H tenure includes posts in Poland, Japan, Latin and South America.

After stops in Pennsylvania and Nebraska, the group came to Orlando and began their visit at Disney’s EPCOT with a behind the scenes tour of agricultural areas at the attraction. “Some of the techniques they saw depicted similar land condi-tions in their native Iraq,” said Bender. The EPCOT tour also included a fish farm, alligator pool and other crops.

The next day the group visited Arcadia where they at-tended a local 4-H club meeting and saw demonstrations from DeSoto County 4-H leader Cindy Kinard on poultry and a sheep showmanship and shearing demonstration from Jessica Squitieri, Hillsborough County 4-H’er. Norman also met with the visitors and discussed the value of 4-H in the development of citizen-ship, leadership and life skills among youth. The handling of livestock in emergency response situations was the focus of a meeting with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services State Agri-culture Response Team.

Later in the day, the group observed a cattle sale at the Arcadia Stockyards and toured the Dakin Dairy and Sales Out-let. “The sale was of particular interest,” said Bender. “In Iraq livestock sales are much more informal, though the cost per

animal is as much as 10 times more than in the U.S.” The day concluded with a series of demonstrations at the Range Cattle Research and Education Center and a barbecue dinner reception.

The group’s last day in Florida was spent with more dem-onstrations and roundtable discussions on designing quality pro-grams for youth at the college level. Programs such as Collegiate 4-H and course work in the University of Florida Agriculture Education and

Communications Department were discussed. There was much interest between both groups to participate in some educa-tional exchange via existing distance education

programs for students in Iraq. Since Iraq 4-H is sponsored by local businesses, they are interested in developing partner-ships with universities at home and abroad. There was also an

opportunity to interact at lunch with more than 300 senior 4-H members at the annual State 4-H Congress.

At this writing, the final chapter in this story is yet to be written. As part of the grant to bring the Iraqi 4-H leaders to the U.S., Bender and some of her colleagues may be going to Iraq to help teach the teachers during a 10-day trip later this year. The trip is subject to final approval, but Bender “is ready to go.”

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Hillsbor-

ough River State Park will host the 19th annual Haunted Woods event on Friday, October 21 and Satur-

day, October 22, 2011. A favorite unique outdoor haunted attraction for the past

19 years, this event features a spooky guided trail through the woods after dark with strange and scary things for adults. For those with small children, there will also be a harvest celebration including costume contests and children’s activities through the decorated camp-ground. Tram rides will be offered on Saturday night only.

Florida State Parks are in various stages of accessibility. Should assistance be required, contact the park office in advance.

Admission to this event is free with a donation of $5.00 per person and children five and under are free.

For additional information, contact Hillsbor-ough River State Park at (813) 987-6771.

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Friday, September 30 - Saturday, October 1 Rodeo Finals begin at 7 pm each day

Saturday, 10 am - 5 pm

Cowboy Heritage Festival

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Children 10 & Under FreeFor more information visit www.floridacattlemen.org

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SEPTEMBER 16RICHIE MERRITTRichie Merritt, formally of the Marcels, willbe performing in the Red Rose Dining Room.Also, P.J. Leary’s Las Vegas Sounds performbefore and after the show.

SEPTEMBER 17 & 23RALPH ALLOCCO& SECOND WINDPerforming in the Red Rose Dining Room

SEPTEMBER 30JOHNNY ALSTON’SMOTOWN ROCK & ROLL REVUEA dynamite crowd pleaser! P.J. Leary’sLas Vegas Sounds perform before andafter the show.

SEPTEMBER 24THE MYSTICSThe Mystics, including,original members of thegroup, George Galfoand Phil Cracolici, willperform their hits,including their number one chart topper“Hushabye.” P.J. Leary’s Las Vegas Soundsperform before and after the show.

OCTOBER 11861 BALLIn cooperationwith “Gone WithThe Wind Memo-ries” of Plant City,it’s a Tribute toone of America’stop novels andfilms! Come seeand meet original Gone With the Wind castmembers, Mickey Kuhn and Patrick Curtis.Music from the 97th Regimental String Band.Period costumes welcome, but not required.Doors open 6:30, Dinner served at 7:00,1861 Ball Events at 8:00.

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Join this special Sunday Tea with a reading byMarjorie York with her one woman show of“Just Call Me Peggy,” a tribute to Gone WithThe Wind author, Margaret Mitchell; castmembers will also be in attendence to signautographs and talk about their experienceof being in one of the greatest films of alltime! (In cooperation with “Gone With TheWind Memories” of Plant City)

OCTOBER 7, 14, 22 & 29RALPH ALLOCCO& SECOND WINDPerforming in the Red Rose Dining Room

OCTOBER 8LOLA & THE SAINTSDoo Wop At Its Best! Relive the 50s & 60sas though it was yesterday. “Forever in Love,”“Just Over the Brooklyn Bridge.” Plus,P.J. Leary’s Las Vegas Sounds.

OCTOBER 15 & 21JOHNNY ALSTON’SMOTOWN ROCK & ROLL REVUEA dynamite crowd pleaser! P.J. Leary’sLas Vegas Sounds perform before andafter the show.

OCTOBER 28COVER TO COVERThe trio covers the top hits from yesterday totoday! Also, P.J. Leary’s Las Vegas Soundsperform before and after the show.

NOVEMBER 12FROM THE SAHARA HOTEL IN VEGAS –A SALUTE TO THEPLATTERS, COASTERS,DRIFTERS AND TEMPTATIONS

FOR ST. JUDEMyles Salvage’s act from Las Vegas comes toPlant City to help benefit St. Jude Children’sHospital. The annual event includes Dinnerin a Supper Club atmosphere and greatmusical talent to dance the night away...for a very good cause. Call about our newTiered Pricing!

NOVEMBER 18COVER TO COVERThe trio covers the top hits from yesterdayto today! Also, P.J. Leary’s Las Vegas Soundsperform before and after the show.

NOVEMBER 19 & 25RALPH ALLOCCO& SECOND WINDPerforming in the Red Rose Dining Room

NOVEMBER 26LOLA & THE SAINTSA Red Rose favorite. Great hits from the 50s& 60s. Plus, P.J. Leary’s Las Vegas Sounds.

DECEMBER 10CHRIS MACDONALD “ELVIS”The magic of “the King or Rock-n-roll” in atruly dynamic performance celebrating thelife and music of one of the greatest entertain-ers and pop culture icons of our time.Destiny opens and closes the show!

DECEMBER 16THE FOUR ACESIt’s a “Winter Wonderland Dinner Dance”in the Ballroom as the dynamic groupperform their hits: Three Coins in a Fountain,Shangri-La, Tell Me Why, and more!

DECEMBER 31NEW YEARS EVEIt’s a celebration not to miss! Ballroom andDining room performances of The Legacyof the Temptations and the World FamousPlatters. Be part of the big COUNTDOWN...Call for pricing and details.

RRose_SeptSpread:Layout 1 9/2/11 11:14 AM Page 1 RRose_SeptSpread:Layout 1 9/2/11 11:14 AM Page 2


In a world where spokespeople are just paid actors (according to the fine print) it’s exhilarating to meet someone who is genuinely excited about who they represent and what

they do. There’s this contagious thrill one contracts, almost virally, when speaking to someone who is hyper-enthusiastic about a subject, product, idea or group. You can’t help but desire to learn more from that person, to engage in further conversation and perhaps even get involved with whatever he or she represents. Unfortunately, young people are often wishy washy in these arenas, but there are the rare exceptions and Kaitlyn Gill is definitely one of them.

by Ginny Mink

A Truly Sweet Sweetheart

Kaitlyn Gill


The upbeat, positive nature of her dialogue could potentially influence even the most reticent person to re-consider the value and beneficial attributes of partaking in beef, which is a really good thing since part of her job as the Florida Cattleman’s Sweetheart is to promote the concept of eating beef for its nutritional excellence. She says, “You need a 3 oz serving of lean beef each day to get 51 percent of the nutrients necessary for your everyday diet.”

Kaitlyn grew up in Fort Lonesome, the home of her father and grandfather. Though her friends would call her crazy, she says, “I wouldn’t move to the city for a million dollars! I drive a truck, haul trailers and saddle my own horse, I’m Southern.” Obviously, having been reared on her family’s nearly 5,000-acre cow/calf operation called the Lonesome G Ranch, has qualified her to make such a state-ment. “I can remember being 4 years old sitting on the cow pen helping Dad,” she explained.

It was at this same age that Kaitlyn got her first glimpses of the Florida Cattleman’s Sweetheart. She re-called, “Thinking it was cool because they were promoting what my parents made a living off of. Sweetheart isn’t about looks, it’s your knowledge on the cattle industry, how well you present the info, how you communicate to others, to educate them (the consumers) on the importance of beef.” So, with respect for previous Sweethearts, Kaitlyn made it her goal to achieve that same title when she was old enough.

Talk about a young woman with an extensive and ab-solutely impressive amount of drive! She says she did all her proficiency contests on her own cow/calf operation. After the loss of her 17-year-old brother, Kaitlyn’s parents handed down his herd of cattle to her. They are Herefords, but her brother’s true passion was for Brahmans. She pronounces that, “Brahmers.” Amazingly, Kaitlyn won every proficiency award she competed for.

She started showing the Brahmans in middle school and “developed a niche for the Florida environment by breeding a Brahman bull to the Hereford cattle. That’s what produces the Golden F-1 Tiger Stripe. They have a unique tolerance for the heat and can adapt better when there’s a shortage of grass,” she said. As she’s grown her herd she’s become known for producing the Golden F-1 Tiger Stripe. She says there’s the “glory of getting up every day and saddling my horse and doing what I love to do.”

Because Kaitlyn was “born into the cow/beef indus-try,” it’s no wonder that she intends to “promote the beef industry for the rest of (her) life.” After all, she’s a fifth generation cattle rancher living on a large cow/calf opera-tion. Nor is it any surprise that she was, “Big in FFA. I did all on the Cattleman’s industry; all my speeches were on it. I was preparing myself to run for Sweetheart. I studied everything on them.” So, as her senior year came to an end she had a tough decision to make, either “run for State FFA Officer or Sweetheart.” She says, “I sat down and thought about it and decided to do Sweetheart and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Kaitlyn’s no stranger to award winning and recognition. In fact, she won the National Cattleman’s Public Speaking Contest at the National Cattleman’s Convention in Phoenix, Arizona. “I competed against college graduates,” she adds, obviously proud of her own accomplishments, with good reason.

In addition, she says she achieved, “two pristine titles in FFA.” She further explains, “My sophomore year I was the Florida State Star Greenhand. You have to have your own business. They pick four finalists and then do an interview. My Greenhand was diversified. I did it on my cattle opera-tion and my parent’s company, Southern Developers and Earth Moving’s, Environmental Division, which relocates

gopher turtles prior to mining.” Her senior year she was the Florida State Star Farmer. “I did that on the environmental company. It says you know what you’re doing. It’s the top of the top of all Star Awards. There were 200 applicants and that was a week before running for Sweetheart.”

That very next week Kaitlyn was off to Marco Island to compete for the one honor she’d been training her whole life to attain. “There were eight amazing and brilliant girls there. Each knew the cattle industry front and back. We were all there for the same reason, to get the word out that the Cattlemen are here. When we were there it wasn’t like a competition. I got to meet girls from all over the state. It was a week full of tests, interviews and presentations. It was a jam packed, amazing week!”

Now that Kaitlyn has been named the Florida Cattle-man’s Sweetheart she says she’s “done a variety of things: UF Youth Seminar to educate youth on beef, cattle shows and the National Day of the Cowboy in Okeechobee.” She explained, “My job is to travel the state from the Panhandle to the very southern part to promote the cattle industry and get people to eat beef. I’m traveling, giving speeches and teaching third graders about the by-products and nutrients from cows.”

She recently attended the Cattleman’s Summer Confer-ence located on the Deseret Ranch in Kissimmee. This is the largest cow/calf operation in the U.S. “People from all over the U.S. came. I served them lunch and got to talk to them about how they run their cow/calf ranches versus how we run ours.”

While she was thrilled by the opportunity, she admits that her experience at the National Day of the Cowboy is one she’ll “cherish for the rest of my life.” Upon further probing she expounds on why this event made such an im-pact on her. “They go back as if they were in the old days,

back when cattlemen had to drive their cattle down the highway to get the cattle to the market. They reenacted it with a herd of old cracker steers and I got to be a part and ride up front as the Sweetheart. I hauled my horse down there to do it!”

She definitely finds her excitement and enthusiasm difficult to contain based on the rapidity in which she spews forth all the cool things she gets to do in her illustrious new position. She says she wants to leave a legacy that will “make my grandparents, parents and county proud. I brought home the title for Hillsborough County. Everyone wants to be the Cattleman’s Sweetheart,” she says, “and I’m the lucky girl that gets to be it!”

Thankfully she realizes, as Spiderman did, that “with great power comes great responsibility.” There are “little girls looking up to me and I can remember being that little girl. It’s not about wearing a crown or a sash. It’s about what my job is, to promote the beef industry, providing a safe, healthy and wholesome product. We’re not going to produce something we wouldn’t feed our own families. Cattlemen do take care of their cattle. We’re out there every day checking them, making sure they’re healthy, happy and have what they need.”

Kaitlyn’s planning on attending Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) in Tifton, Georgia. However, “Since I won Sweetheart I’ve been asked not to move out of the state for the year. So, I postponed ABAC for a year and I’m just going to be going to HCC.” One thing is for sure about Kaitlyn Gill, when she puts her mind to something all the competition had better watch out. No doubt she’ll make HCC proud to have her and will remain Florida’s Sweetheart even after her year of service comes to an end.


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Chrissy Grimmer has been raising and exhibiting livestock since the age of 7. Her passion, though, has always been with her cattle and locally some have been known to call her the “cow whisperer.” Her parents, Kenny and Michelle Grimmer, said that she has always had a subtle gift of earning a calf’s trust and getting it to do what she wants it to. Chrissy attributes this gift to the multiple successes she has had with her cattle over the years, starting with her 2002 Grand Champion Commercial Heifer “Sugar” and finally with her 2010 Grand Champion Steer “Twister” at the Florida Strawberry Festival. Chrissy has also won multiple Showmanship and Herdsman competitions across the state through the years, further demonstrating the bond she devel-ops with her cattle.

As the cattle Chrissy and her brother, Chad, exhibited through the years grew too old to be exhibited, they would be put out to pasture. These retired show calves are now part of CG Show Cattle and have produced calves that have been shown by Chrissy and other exhibitors throughout the years. Chrissy said that she feels real pride when a calf that her family produced walks into the ring and does really well for the exhibitor who purchased it.

It’s not just about raising and showing cattle that has kept her interest through the years. It’s about the camaraderie with her fellow showmen and the relationships that she has forged through the years that made it fun. Chrissy is always willing to help anyone that asks. She has coached individuals competing against her in showmanship, helped others break calves, and given grooming tips to fellow exhibitors. She’s even participated as an instructor in showmanship and grooming clinics so that she can help anyone who wants to learn.

A Plant City High School honors graduate, Chrissy was always extremely active in her FFA chapter. She served as an officer every year and participated in numerous leadership and

CDE competitions. She was a State Finalist in the Feeder Steer proficiency several years and State Winner in the Feeder Swine proficiency in 2010 and this past June received her State FFA Degree.

Considering her love of cattle, she felt it was only natural to join the Junior Florida Cattlemen’s Association. In addition, she joined the local Hillsborough County chapter of Junior Cattle-men’s, serving as an officer this last year. In October of last year, Grimmer won a state-wide competition and was named the Flor-ida Beef Consumer Representative, a position that represents the

Florida Cattlemen’s Association, Florida Cattlewomen’s Associa-tion and Florida Beef Council and educates the general public about the nutritional benefits of beef.

The Junior Florida Cattle-men’s Association held its annual JFCA Cattle Show in August in Kissimmee. In addition to the cat-tle show, the JFCA held its Annual Meeting. At the meeting, Chrissy was elected by peers across the state as the 2011-2012 President of the JFCA. She will travel the state this next year with the JFCA officer team promoting the beef industry. In addition, the team

will travel to the National Cattle-men’s Convention in Nashville, TN

in February. As President, Chrissy hopes to work with her officer team to grow the membership of the JFCA and to demonstrate the importance of today’s youth in the future of the state’s cattle and agriculture industry.

Chrissy currently attends Hillsborough Community College and is a member of the Honors Institute at HCC and Collegiate FFA. She is working on an AA degree in Vet Sciences. Upon re-ceipt of her AA degree, she will transfer to University of Florida and aspires to become a mixed-practice veterinarian, working with small animals, equine and, of course, cattle. She plans to open a practice in Plant City, where she can play an active part in helping future exhibitors with their livestock projects.

Chrissy Grimmer...The New Junior Florida Cattlemen’s Association President

Chrissy and her Grand Champion Steer, Twister at the 2010 Strawberry Festival; Inset: Chrissy and 2002 Grand Champion Commercial Heifer, Sugar


Strawberry industry standards, ‘Strawberry Festival’ and ‘Florida Radiance’, will soon have a new partner, though the new cultivars name is yet to come. Currently known as ‘FL 05-107’ Strawberry, the new strawberry will be released later this year with full commercial availability for the 2012 – 2013 season.

Dr. Vance Whitaker, Assistant Professor of Strawberry Breeding and Genetics at the University of Florida/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, said a patent has been ap-plied for under the name ‘FL 05 – 107’ and a trademark name for common usage will be filed at a later date.

“The name we select for trademark of this new cultivar must work well not only domestically, but in the international market-place as well,” said Whitaker. This approach – seeking a patent for the cultivar followed by trademark protection for a name – is a new process for UF with respect to strawberry cultivars.

The new strawberry was selected by Dr. Craig Chandler in 2005. Dr. Whitaker joined the GCREC faculty as Dr. Chandler’s replacement in 2009 and was given responsibility for manage-ment and further testing of the new strawberry. Dr. Chandler continues his association with GCREC as a consultant though he is officially retired.

“This new cultivar has been tested over several years in field plots at the GCREC, at the Flower Strawberry Growers Associa-tion (FSGA) headquarters in Dover and on several commercial farms,” said Whitaker. Data from these trials have been used to produce detailed information designed to help strawberry grow-ers in west-central Florida obtain optimum performance of ‘FL 05-107’.

The introduction of new strawberry cultivars is funded by royalties the University receives from the sale of released variet-ies. “We also have ongoing support from the FSGA for our tissue culture program, which enables us to introduce new cultivars to growers at a much faster rate,” said Whitaker.

The release of the new cultivar also marks a new “team ap-proach” through which GCREC plant pathologists and horticul-

turists bring their disciplines to bear on the new cultivars. “This provides grower with vital information on production practices and disease management to help assure optimum yields,” said Whitaker. In addition to Whitaker and Chandler, the team included Dr. Bielinski Santos, GCREC Horticulturist, and Center Plant Pathologist Dr. Natalia Peres.

The new strawberry “is a short-day plant adapted to an-nual, winter plasticulture growing systems,” said Whitaker. It is compact and upright with long stems, making the fruit easy to harvest. “It produced cone-shaped fruit that are very uniform in shape throughout the growing season, resulting in few non-mar-ketable fruit,” he added.

The new fruit size is intermediate between “Strawberry Festi-val” and “Florida Radiance” and firmness and shipping quality is also similar to these two varieties. “At some times during the late season, the firmness of FL 05-107’ has exceeded that of “Festi-val”, offering benefits as end of season temperatures rise,” noted Whitaker. “The external color of the fruit is bright red and de-velops external color gradually. It has a lower acid content than either Festival or Radiance, giving it a milder, sweeter flavor that improves continually during ripening. It has performed consis-tently well during taste tests throughout the trial period,” he said.

“FL 05-107 planted in early October has performed very well in GCREC field plots as well as in protected culture environ-ments, such as high tunnels,” Whitaker said.

Whitaker said expanded trials of the FL 05-107 will take place this coming season and growers have been invited to par-ticipate via the Florida Foundation Seed Producers, Inc. Interest-ed commercial growers had until mid September to submit Plant Request Forms.

“Additional information regarding the new cultivar’s name and commercial availability for the 2012 - 2013 will be available later this fall,” said Whitaker. Those interest in more informa-tion about the new strawberry, should visit http://strawberry.ifas.ufl.edu/breedigpg.htm.

by Jim Frankowiak

U n i v e r s i t y o f F l o r i d a I n t r o d u c e s N e w S t r a w b e r r yPatent Sought for ‘FL 05-107’; Trademark to be Filed

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Joe Gude of Brandon Farms is a hands-on guy. When I called him to discuss the early preparation for the upcoming strawberry season, Gude told me he needed to call me back. He was on the tractor just getting ready to make a practice bed run. As the boss he is certainly in a position to have a number of employees run the tractors. But that’s not Gude’s way.

“I have always been a hands on type of owner,” Gude said. “I love to ride the tractors, load my own and work the fields. I can’t imagine not doing a lot of it myself.”

With 300 acres to prep, plow, and plant, Gude can’t do every-thing and will have to rely on his dedicated employees for help.

“I have a great staff and they are really the backbone of this organization. We would have never been able to expand in the way we have without them.”

As this article comes off the press (September 15) Gude and his crew will be in the middle of the hardest month of the grow-ing season - prepping the fields. “We will work every day pretty much from the first of September to the first of October,” Gude said. “It is a hard, tough time for all of us but is a necessity.”

After the last growing of the spring the fields are planted with a cover crop, which adds and retains nutrients in the soil. In mid-August Gude will disc up the cover crop and the work begins first with the ordering of supplies and the process of getting the equipment set up to do the work. After the ground is cleared, it is leveled by machinery using precise laser GPS guidance systems that make sure it is done to spec.

Then the “fun” begins.Starting at daylight the rumble of the diesel tractors hum

across the quiet Dover community. Workers show up in multiple cars ready to begin the long hot process of making the beds that will hold the red edible gold that sustains the Plant City commu-nity through the winter months.

Using the same laser precision satellites that were used in the leveling process, the specifications are locking into the computer unit on the John Deere 7830 tractors. Gude determines where to begin and punches a button that enables the computer to take over the steering of the tractor and the first 300-foot bed is cut.

For the next month tractors follow Gude and the machin-ery will lay the plastic that covers the dirt beds that will prevent weeds from emerging once the berries are planted. Other aspects of the preparation season include testing the wells and irrigation, installing drip tape and making sure the fertilizer will be available once the berries reach the fertile soil.

“While it is hard work and time consuming it is enjoyable and I have to be right in the middle of it,” Gude said. “But you

won’t hear me complain. I love it.”The day I visited the farm to take some pictures Gude was

excited to show me how the process works. We drove from his house to the equipment barn and Gude fired up a tractor with bedding equipment attached to the back. He insisted I jump in the cab and go for a trial run with him. After he had cut the bed we turned the big tractor around to see the work jut completed. Like an artist who has just finished a painting Gude was jut as proud, looking down the perfectly and symmetrically straight strawberry bed.

To be successful in any business there has to be passion, and without a doubt Gude has that part covered.

In October the planting of the berries begins and the work-force will double in size. Gude’s starter berry plants come from nurseries across the country and Brandon Farms plants at least four different varieties of strawberries.

As the picking season approaches, Gude and his daughters always take to the fields to try and find the first ripe berry. The three celebrate their fortune, but Gude knows one ripe berry is a long way from turning a profit. Weather is a berry farmer’s big-gest threat, and Gude knows from December until the last cold front in February, there will be many sleepless nights.

“You can’t get too caught up in worrying about it but it does stay on your mind,” Gude said. “The amount of money to plant each acre increases every year and while technology has made protecting the berries easier over the years nothing can protect them all in the event of a major freeze. There is a lot at stake and a lot of peoples livelihood depends on getting these berries to the market.”

While the financial reward can be good, some years the ultimate satisfaction comes from seeing the hard work that is put into the farm. Brandon Farm’s berries are marketed under the name Gulf Sweet and are sold all over the United States and as far north as Canada.

“We sell to most the major grocery chains across the coun-try,” Gude said. “It’s a real rewarding thought to think someone in Canada, in the middle of January with two foot of snow on the ground, can go to their local retailer and pick up a package of our berries.”

“I love being in the produce section of the grocery store and some housewife stops and comments how pretty the berries look. I don’t ever tell them I grow them. I just smile and get satisfaction knowing later that night she will go home and wash and cut the berries and serve them to her family. That is what makes all the hard work worth it.”

by Mark Cook

Preparing for Strawberry Season

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Strawberry Farmers are Bullish on Plant City

Although Merrill Lynch may not be so bullish anymore due to our present economic uncertainty, the strawberry farms in the Plant City area are aggressively preparing for a new winter season. The optimism is evidenced by a greater than 10 percent expansion of acreage – much of which employs new freeze protection alternatives or is being developed farther from water use caution areas.

This additional acreage helps our community in many ways. Strawberries are one of the most capital-intensive crops, and it costs about $25,000 per acre just to prepare the land. New land development alone cost about $25 million this year. This expansion obviously creates local employment clearing and leveling, excavating drainage systems, creating tailwater recovery systems, installing pumps and underground irrigation lines, as well as all the legal, permitting, financing, and engi-neering work surrounding the process. In many cases, removal of unproductive citrus groves helps reduce the potential for disease migration to viable trees in neighboring groves. At the same time such crop conversion increases our county’s tax rev-enue. That’s right - the farm pays taxes based on crop value, so strawberries pay a higher tax rate than citrus or pasture land.

Turning marginally productive land into strawberry farms also infuses a lot of other cash into this community beyond the initial land development. By October about 11,000 acres in our immediate area will plant strawberries for this winter’s season – at an additional expense of about $10,000 per acre. That’s another $110 million dollars being spent in this com-munity over the next two months - just to put the crop in the ground. And that expense recurs (and usually increases) every year! Capital equipment, plastic, chemicals, tractor tires, drip irrigation tape, fuel, insurance, and accounting services – the local goods and services are endless. Farming is one of those high-risk businesses where almost all of your expenses occur many months before you see any revenue at all. And don’t overlook all the related local jobs making boxes and plastic containers, printing labels, servicing all those air conditioning units and trucks, and much more work that must be done in advance of the season.

Planting begins late in September or early October, and yes, every plant must be placed in the ground by hand - 18,000 or more per acre. That’s about 200 million strawberry plants - no wonder we’re the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World! And hand planting is just the beginning. When harvest begins around Thanksgiving, each of those 200 million plants must be hand picked every three days for the entire four-month season. That’s the equivalent of over 400 million plants being hand picked every week until April! During normal warm weather, plants continuously produce new blooms, which mature in about 35 days - making continual timely harvesting essential.

Skilled pickers must select only the ripe fruit on each pass, place it properly in the retail package, and remove any dis-eased or low-grade fruit from the field. How many people does it take to pick 400 million strawberry plants a week? Local farms employ over 16,000 workers with a total season payroll of over $165 million. How many industries in Plant City have that kind of payroll? Actually half the cost of strawberries is labor! But also remember, these workers are employed for six months or more and therefore live in our community much of the year. That obviously means they spend a good portion of that income locally on food, fuel, clothing, and other goods and services – providing even greater financial benefits to area businesses. And for every worker in the strawberry field, there are at least three domestic jobs upstream and downstream which are dependent on our farm production. That’s 64,000 jobs that rely on our local strawberry industry! And every one of those jobs generates tax revenue and other benefits to our struggling economy.

The strawberry industry is proud to play such an impor-tant role in helping the economy of the Plant City area grow while less fortunate areas are experiencing economic chal-lenges. We are blessed to have the combination of ideal soil, a nearly perfect winter microclimate, and the support of this marvelous community for well over 100 years. God bless the farmers!

by Ted Campbell, Executive Director, Florida Strawberry Growers Association

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Agritech 2011, hosted by the Florida Strawberry Growers Associa-tion, was held August 16 – 17, at the John R. Trinkle building on the Plant City campus of Hillsborough Com-munity College.

The 29th Annual Educational Semiar and Trade Show allows grow-ers to earn valuable CEUs, fellowship with other growers and representa-tives and enjoy great food.

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The Plant City Chamber of Com-merce/Farm Credit of Central Florida An-nual Salute to Agriculture Breakfast was held at the ballroom of the Red Rose Inn and Suites in Plant City, August 10. This event honors area farmers and agriculture supporters in Hillsborough County.

After the breakfast buffet, John Mod-row, Area 5, FFA State Vice President gave the invocation, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance given by Kelsey Boseman, dis-trict FFA Secretary and Strawberry Crest High School FFA President.

MC Nate Kilton recognized the Ag-riculture Committee consisting of Debbie Simpson, Farm Credit of Central Florida, Jim Jeffries, retired Hillsborough County Agribusiness Supervisor, Dan Walden, Florida Strawberry Festival Director, Hugh Gramling, Executive Director of the Tampa Bay Wholesale Growers Associa-tion, Stephen Gran, Hillsborough County Ag Industry Development Program, Wes-ley Joyner, First Community Bank, and Pam Walden, Supervisor of Agribusiness for Hillsborough County

Hosting the Ag Awards presentation was Reggie Holt President and CEO of Farm Credit of Central Florida.

Tony Lopez, Jr. presented the “Young Agriculturist of the Year” to Clifford J. Gude, Jr, better known as “Joey.” Joey started growing strawberries when he married the late Trenda Jones, the daugh-ter of the late Eddie Jones. Now, 22 years later, he is farming over 300 acres, and is very involved in community affairs, which include the Florida Strawberry Festival, Hillsborough County Fair, and with local war veterans.

Pam Walden made the presentation of the “Ag Educator of the Year” to Susan Mayo, Ag instructor and Career Techni-cal instructor at Strawberry Crest High School. Susan is going on 22 years of teaching middle and high school agri-culture. Since educating her principal and students about agriculture and the FFA, Strawberry Crest has had back-to-back Agriculture Issues state winning teams. This year they will compete on the national level. Her guidance has led Strawberry Crest to be a national finalist

in Risk Management, and has taken their Ornamental Horticulture Demonstration team, as well as their Parliamentary Proce-dure team to the state level.

Paul Davis, general manager of the Florida Strawberry Festival, received the “2011 Supporter of Youth in Agriculture” award. Since becoming manager of the Strawberry Festival, Paul has worked to in-crease FFA scholarships, and consistently gives add-ons to numerous students show-ing at the Festival. Davis believes that our youth are our most precious resource and encourages education through agricultural organizations as it provides students with the value of hard work and dedication as well as investment in their future. Dan Walden presented Paul Davis’ with this award.

Wesley presented the “Agri-Business of the Year” to Patterson Companies. Founded in 1985, when they were know as Sam Patterson Truck Brokers, they now have 15 regional offices and over 100 employees. The current President and CEO is Steve Howard who assumed his position with the company in 2006. They have shown their appreciation for the Plant City Ag market by their support in many different areas such as; Chamber of Commerce, Florida Strawberry Growers Association, Southeastern Produce Coun-cil, Redlands Christian Migrant Associa-tion, South Florida Baptist Hospital and many others.

The “Agriculturist of the Year” went to Carl and Dee Dee Grooms. While making the presentation, Stephen Gran emphasized that they were instrumental in the creation of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association in 1982. Carl and Dee Dee are striving to keep a legacy of farming alive for their children and grandchildren. Each year they help local 4H Clubs with a U-Pick scholarship fund-raiser on their farm. Dee Dee is known for marketing Florida strawberries with her recipes and educating others through her travels, farm tours and daily farm work.

The Plant City Chamber’s Salute to Agriculture Breakfast is a joint venture between the Chamber and Farm Credit of Central Florida.

by Al Berryphotos by Ron O’Connor

Plant City Chamber of Commerce Salutes Agriculture

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Wow! Another year has passed and in celebration of our Triumphs, Challenges, Growth and Future, we, the “Eastern Region Team,” celebrated this year’s annual meeting in Long Boat Key, FL. We have brought back great memories, more knowledge and a better understanding of where we stand as a company. We learned a lot about ourselves and our company and how we are tremendously blessed to be able to work for a company that allows us to get out of the office and gives us an opportunity to know ourselves and one another as a team in a beachfront atmosphere. A great big “Thanks” goes to our company and also a huge “Thank You” goes to the Hilton Long Boat Key Staff.Brain Teaser: How do you get an elephant in the refrigerator?

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It appears that Plant City’s livestock can be seen anywhere from the show ring to the cover of a magazine. Wheezer Walls, the pretty porker from the 2011 Florida Strawberry Festival, is now famous as she graces the cover of the Florida Federation of Fairs “Fairs and Expo” Directory.

Each year, the Florida Federation of Fairs encourages its members to submit photographs from their annual event that depict what their fair is all about. Here at the Florida Strawberry Festival we find our youth to be our most valuable resource and strive to provide them with resources to invest in their future. At the 76th an-nual event, local agriculture students and their swine were given a chance to shine. Students spent many months of hard work, dedication, and unconditional love raising their precious pigs. Wheezer, the playful piggy, and her owner Shane are a wonderful example of how the Festival strives to enrich the lives of its youth.

Shane Walls was a 13-year-old eighth grader at Turkey Creek Middle School during the 2010-11 school year, when he showed his 305 lb. pig Wheezer, at the

Florida Strawberry Festival. The pig was originally named Louise (in honor of his great grandmother who passed away the year before), however, Louise frequently made wheezing sounds, thus came the nickname “Wheezer.” Shane is now starting his freshman year at Durant High School. He has been a member of the FFA since the sixth grade and has been fortu-nate enough to have been drawn to show a Festival pig every year for the past three years. Shane will be turning in his 2012 Strawberry Festival pig application soon, and if his luck continues, he looks forward to showing again next March.

The Florida Strawberry Festival would like to congratulate Shane on his statewide recognition with the Florida Federation of Fairs. We are looking for-ward to another exciting year ahead as we will be “Growing Sweet Memories” at the 77th Annual Florida Strawberry Festival, March 1 – March 11, 2012.

For more information on all the Florida Strawberry Festival events, log on to www.flstrawberryfestival.com or call the main office at 813-752-9194.

Florida Strawberry Festival Makes Cover of Florida Federation of Fairs Directory

Martha Sue Hawkins Skinner, her husband Richard and their sons Mark and Ken received a visit from Florida Agri-culture Commissioner Adam Putnam on August 25. He was there to present them with the Century Pioneer Family Farm, given to families who have maintained at least 100 years of continuous family farm ownership.

Hawkins Corner Nursery is a family owned and operated business located in the at 3611 James L. Redman Parkway in Plant City.

The Century Pioneer Family Farm Program was initiated in 1985 by the Flor-ida Department of Agriculture and Con-sumer Services. In addition to receiving a certificate, Century Pioneer Family Farms also receive a sign that can be posted on the property denoting its significance.

For more information on the Century Pioneer Family Farm Program visit the Florida Department of Agriculture Web site at www.florida-agriculture.com .

Hawkins Corner Nursery a Century Pioneer Farm


Many of us ascribe to the “If it’s free it’s for me,” motto of life particularly in these rather harrowing economic times. No doubt the concept of “free” is made even more appealing, at least to people in Plant City, when it’s attached to Johnson’s Barbeque. Yes, you read that correctly, free Johnson’s Barbeque! Certainly a good deal of you, are immediately asking, “When and where?”

Hillsborough Community College’s (HCC’s) Plant City campus is hosting an open house and chance to meet the new HCC District President, Ken Atwater. The event will be held on October 22 from 10 am to 1 pm. This is a chance, according to the Advisory Council Chair, Ed Verner, to “come and see the campus that makes Plant City a college town. Families with teen-aged children can come and begin the process of making that big college decision. Employers can sample the academic and workforce train-ing programs offered at the campus.” (Don’t forget, free Johnson’s Barbeque.)

Perhaps you are won-dering how all this came about? Well, Fred John-son was in attendance at “Atwater’s combined Inauguration and Presidential Showcase event in March at Tampa’s Hyatt Regency, and when they met, Johnson made the offer.” Like any barbeque enjoying human being, especially one who has had the distinct pleasure of eating at Fred’s Market Restaurant, Atwater “knew the value of Johnson’s offer as soon as he heard it and accepted immediately.”

Felix Haynes, the Plant City campus President has been assigned to plan the event. Since he “had just organized a new, 50 member Community Advisory Council made up of a cross-section of Plant City citizens, (he) asked the Council to take on the event as their first project.” Haynes says, “We’re inviting the whole town to come to the Trinkle Center on Saturday, October 22, from 10-1 to enjoy Johnson’s Barbeque, to meet Ken Atwater, and to see the campus and its academic programs. Folks who want to make a day of it can go first to the Plant City Chamber’s Plantacious Event, which starts at 7 am, and then come on over to HCC.”

The first hour and a half will allow visitors to interact with faculty and staff at over a dozen booths. “Some booths will offer live demonstrations of typical classes. HCC alumni, who

have taken one course at the college, will be asked to sign in at the Alumni Booth. The first 400 alumni will receive a free HCC lapel pin. A continuous feed slide show with pictures of campus students and activities since its founding in 1970 will run all day in the building and a Memory Lane containing campus pictures loaned by Plant City’s own Photo Archives and History Center will be available for viewing.” While parents are getting the chance to talk to the campus representatives their children can visit the interspersed face and mask painting booths there as well.

In addition, patrons can tour the campus and check out the $1.5 million worth of renovations. Part of that $1.5 million

was spent on the “Environmental Sci-ence, Biology, Veterinary Technology, Advanced Water Treatment, and Sprinklefitting labora-tories,” as well as the teaching gardens and greenhouses that HCC shares with UF as part of their partnership. As many people know, the Institute of Food and Ag-ricultural Sciences (IFAS)

of UF offers classes on the HCC Plant City campus. However, the value of this

program may not be com-pletely understood by local residents.

According to Jack Payne, the Senior Vice President for Agri-culture and Natural Resources at UF, “IFAS research has resulted in hundreds of new plant cultivars and inventions. Our folic acid research helped bring about significant drops in neural tube birth defects around the globe, such as spina bifida. We’ve patented biofuel-production technology and our automated weather network helps reduce irrigation by an average 41.6 billion gallons each year.” He adds, “One thing is for sure, we’re here to make Florida better. You can expect great things from IFAS.” Obvious-ly we can expect great things from HCC as well! Saturday’s event looks to be an exciting opportunity to really get to know HCC and its UF partnership (just look for their booth).

“At 11:30 all booths will close and Dr. Atwater will speak for a few minutes. After the program the food line will be opened and everyone will be able to enjoy Johnson’s Barbeque.” Don’t forget to take the opportunity to shop the Bookstore Booth for HCC monogrammed items, including t-shirts. This is an awe-some chance to enjoy food, fun and fellowship, so come on out!

A Free Barbeque and Educational Smorgasbord:HCC’s Open House with Ken Atwater, HCC District President

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

Muscadine Grapes

Fresh Florida muscadine and bunch grapes are in their peak season right now. These juicy, sweet-tart, bite-sized berries are good for eating raw, as well as making wine or jam. Other popular uses include grape jelly in peanut butter sandwiches, raisins, and grape juice. According to the University of Florida Extension Office, muscadine grapes are native to Florida and the southeastern U.S. has the greatest genetic diversity of grapes in the world. Additionally, Florida grapes produce millions of dol-lars in revenue.

Bunch grapes have fewer chromosomes and are harvested in large clusters of up to 100 grapes. Muscadine grapes have more chromosomes and produce fruit in clusters of two to ten berries. Muscadine varieties are also more disease-resistant, particularly to Pierce’s disease. Florida’s wineries are growing in number, and many use the muscadine grape for both red and white wines.

Nutritional ProfileThis sweet, juicy fruit is considered a very good source of

vitamin C, and a good source of vitamin A, dietary fiber, ribofla-vin, and potassium. The outer peel is entirely edible and contains most of the fiber in the fruit. According to the United States De-partment of Agriculture (USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, one cup of fresh grapes (92 g) contains 61.6 calories, 0.58 g of protein, 0.32 g of fat, 61.6 g of carbohydrate, and 2.9 g of fiber. It also provides 33% of the Daily Recom-mended Value (% DV) for manganese, 6.1% for Vitamin C, 5.3% for thiamin, 5% for potassium, and 5% for niacin.

Full of disease-fighting antioxidantsFlorida grapes are bursting with antioxidants including vita-

min C, manganese, carotenoids, resveratrol, and other phytonu-trients. The highest concentration of these beneficial compounds is found in the skin and seeds, and muscadine grapes may have more than other grape varieties. Antioxidants help protect the body’s cell membranes from harmful free radical damage and lower markers of oxidative stress. Very importantly, the antioxi-dant and anti-inflammatory properties of grapes offer protection against cancer.

Resveratrol is a special phytonutrient that is believed to play a role in longevity. This compound has been positively linked to

inhibiting cancer, heart disease, and viral infections. Found in muscadine and other grape varieties, resveratrol may also have anti-microbial and anti-hypertensive properties.

Antioxidants protect cell membranes from potential oxygen damage and inflammation. This decreases the risk for athero-sclerosis and heart disease. Grapes, as well as grape juice and red wine, have been shown to play a role in reducing high blood pressure, reducing total and LDL cholesterol levels, decrease in-flammation, and decrease clumping of platelets (which may help prevent blood clots).

Grapes are considered an excellent source of manganese, an antioxidant that plays many important roles in the body. It helps keep bones strong, maintain normal blood sugar levels and proper functioning of the thyroid gland. Manganese also helps the body utilize other nutrients such as vitamin C, thiamin, choline, and biotin.

How to Select and StoreChoose plump, firm grapes that feel heavy for their size and

are still attached to the stem. Look for richly colored skin that is free of blemishes. Store grapes in a shallow container in the refrigerator. Rinse under cool running water before eating or preparing.

How to enjoyMuscadine grapes are delicious and juicy eaten out of hand.

They can be juiced or cooked into jelly or jam. Add grapes to cereal, yogurt, or salad or use them to garnish and top cakes and desserts.

Enjoy Florida’s delicious grapes today. In every juicy, sweet-tart bite is a load of great nutrition. For a list of u-pick and wineries, go to Florida Grape Growers’ Association: www.fgga.org/index.html.

Selected Referenceshttp://www.whfoods.com http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag208http://www.fgga.org/index.htmlhttp://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org

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In the middle of August Dry Creek got into production. We are filming the second season that will run nation wide on Dish Network, Channel 240 and Direct TV, channel 608, on Blue Highway TV in major cities across America and on Verizon.

The first episode is called The Time Bandit. It deals with how time robs us. Dry Creek takes place in the 1880s but its almost scary how our forefathers went through many of todays same trying times. It brings me to a conversation I had with an Amish man many years ago. He said, “things change but people don’t.”

Back to The Time Bandit episode, it looks at the life of the railroad President of Dry Creek who gets fired because a younger man will do the work for less. As the writer of Dry Creek this story was really my story. Living my life in today’s financial times as a baby boomer, I was in the railroad presidents boots. Radio was my profession but they didn’t want me anymore. I was to young to retire and to old to hire.

In our Time Bandit episode the railroad President defines his job as who he is. With so many years broadcasting on the radio I also looked at my job on morning radio as who I was. I find in today’s present unemployment crises millions of folks are going through the same thing.

There is a happy ending to our story. The ex railroad presi-dent reinvents himself and does what he always wanted to do. As for Les McDowell, well I did the same thing. I’m filming episodes of Dry Creek and have a new family, My Dry Creek family.

I’ve learned a lot from this episode of Dry Creek. There is a time bandit loose. I see him every time I look in the mirror. Then I remember what dad always said, “Enjoy every second of your life. Don’t let time steal it from you.”

So long for now, You’ll find me in Dry Creek.......everybody knows where Dry Creek is, cause it’s inside each and every one of us.

by Dry Creek America’s First Frontier creator Les Mc Dowellphotos by Linda Constant

Dry Creek, The Time Bandit

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Continued from page 1197 Country is helping sponsor the event and Pepsi is making

signs for them. In fact, the 97 Country Road Show will be there on opening day and prior to that they’re holding a “listener ap-preciation dinner on September 29.” This is gonna be big, people, and you definitely don’t want to miss it. After all, when are you going to get another opportunity to walk through a seven to eight foot high corn maze?

Ted said, “The corn maze is kinda exciting, kinda neat. It’s the first in Polk County and might be the first in Central Flori-da.” Currently there are only six corn mazes in the entire state. Ted added, “The only problem with the maze is the weather because it’s farming. Any time you farm you’re at nature’s mercy, but generally October is a drier month.”

Given the economy, “the sod industry tanked,” said Donna, and since that’s a main source of income for the Smiths and the four families living off the farm, they’ve had to get really creative to keep everybody working. So, while you’re at their October shindig, make sure you venture onto the hayride there. The hay-ride will take you “through the different sods, the olive trees and millet field.” Yes, olive trees, yet another ingenious “gamble” the Smiths are participating in.

They planted the olive trees in June but, “like blueberries, it takes three years before they produce.” Ted explains that their purpose is “for extra virgin olive oil. We’re not sure if they’re gonna work or not because there’s no other groves around,” the area. Yet, they went ahead and planted five acres of about 4,000 trees “on a trellis system. They’ll be in a hedge when mature.” According to Donna, “We did all the work by hand. We had to stick the bamboo stakes in by hand, that’s 4,000 bamboo stakes! We tied the trellis up with little wires by hand. We did our own irrigation and had to poke the holes in by hand. It was a lot of work!” Ultimately they planted three different kinds, two of which are “air pollinators so they don’t need bees.”

Olive trees are yet another part of ancient human history.

Good thing the Smiths like stuff that gives us the opportunity to learn something. Probably many of us first learned about olive trees in Sunday school because they are very much an Old Testament plant. Aside from Scriptural references, the truth is that “man has been cultivating the olive tree for over 8,000 years. Olive branches figure heavily in many religions, as they did in the cultures of ancient Greece and Rome throughout the Medi-terranean. Olives are the world’s most important oil-producing crop and have been since 6000 BC. So important is the olive that, in early Greek and Hebrew cultures, it was a capital crime to destroy an olive tree, even one owned by an enemy. The first olive trees in Florida were planted at New Smyrna in 1770, just one year after the first olive plantings in California were made at Mis-sion San Diego. In the U.S., there are oil-producing olive groves in California, Arizona, Texas and Florida (and now there’s one in Lakeland). They (the olive trees) can live a thousand years or longer,” (www.olivetreegrowers.com).

So, what do corn mazes and olive trees have in common? You can find them both on the Smiths’ farm. Make sure you check it out!

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The Plant City Garden Club is hosting its third GardenFest on September 24. Looking for ideas on what to plant this fall? Need to purchase plants for your flower beds? You will not want to miss the third annual GardenFest for Plant City.

The event will be from 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. at the Train Depot, 102 N. Palmer Street, Plant City. There will be a host of vendors offering a variety of plants from orchids to trees and much more, garden art and accessories for your gardens and outdoor living areas.

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The Plant City Daybreak Rotary Club will be on hand with hamburgers and hot dogs for sale.

“This event has been very popular the past two years. We are pleased to have added new vendors for greater variety of plants. You will not want to miss it,” said Eileen Reed, Plant City Gar-den Club President.

Dear In the Field Readers,It’s crazy how fast time can fly. I can’t tell you enough how

grateful that I am to be able to serve the 15,000 Florida FFA members. As we travel from city to city I am finding that you have to enjoy the little things in life if you want to stay sane in life and in the FFA program. I can’t tell you enough the impor-tance of living in the now. We always find ourselves looking to the future and not enjoying what we are doing now. Set goals to keep yourself on track and this year will surly be one to remember.

The International Leadership Seminar for State Officers (ILSSO) is a once in a lifetime opportunity that is organized by the National FFA Global Programs. The other members of my team and I are embarking in January on a trip to China. This opportunity will allow me to learn about agriculture on a global scale and become more culturally aware of the diversity in world-wide agriculture.

While in China we will be able to travel to cattle farms where they raise over 80,000 head of cattle for market and

attend Northwest A&F University, one of China’s greatest agricultural colleges. The Bunge Plant is where we will be able to learn about the grains and oils that are produced all across China. This plus much more will go on while we are in China for two weeks.

This opportunity for a trip to china wouldn’t be possible without people like you in our community. Supporters like you allow the state officers to attend this conference to gain knowl-edge on agriculture at a global scale. If you could help me in any way to attend this experience I would greatly appreciate it. Please contact me at [email protected]. I thank you in advance for your support!

John Modrow, Jr.FFA Area V State Vice President

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Jamee Townsend was named the State Star FFA Finalist at FFA State Convention on Thursday, June 16, 2011. Her supervised agriculture experience project consisted of a show heifer, show steer, citrus, fruit and vegetable production. Throughout the years Jamee increased responsibilities on the family farm such as working in the strawberry fields, stirring poles for beans and freeze protection for the cold winter night.

Jamee is a very active young lady. Besides being an officer and leader in the FFA, Ja-mee plays varsity volleyball for SCHS, club volleyball, which takes her all over the state and even around the country, and was selected 2011 SCHS Calendar Girl. She also takes time out of her busy days to involve herself in community service activities.

The Florida FFA Association recently selected 20 student members as finalists in the “Stars over Florida” award recognition program. More than 200 applicants were con-sidered during the selection process. The Stars recognition program recognizes students with outstanding Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) programs in six different categories. Each candidate was interviewed by a team of FFA, industry and Agriculture Education representatives to determine the Star Finalist in each area for her outstanding accomplishments in FFA and the community.

Jamee Townsend Shines as State Star Finalistby Ashton Houston

Strawberry Crest High School

The National FFA Organization recently selected, from a pool of more than 650 candidates nationwide, the Strawberry Crest FFA Chapter of Dover as a 3 Star winner in the National FFA Chapter Award program. The FFA Chapter has been invited to attend the 84th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, October 20, where they will be recognized for this honor.

In just the second year of its FFA charter, Strawberry Crest FFA will be receiving the National Three Star Chapter Award for their outstanding achievements in chapter development, student development, and community development. The three-star rat-ing is the highest level of accomplishment a chapter may achieve.

This award program is sponsored by John Deere as a special project of the National FFA Chapter program and recognizes FFA Chapters for developing and conducting a detailed Program of Activities. Each activity provides opportunities for members to excel in one of three areas: student, chapter, or community de-velopment. Every year, chapters are recognized as having earned a one, two, or three-star rating on their application.

Strawberry Crest FFA community service included many

different activities. FFA members visited Shriner’s Hospital for Children, where they delivered teddy bears to patients. On a more local scale the members participated in a canned food drive for Plant City. Members collected canned foods and donated them to the Plant City Food Bank. Each of these programs assisted the community while teaching each member leadership skills and built career skills. Many fundraiser were held throughout the year to raise money for Relay for Life.

For chapter and student development, SCHS FFA held a Leadership Lock In, started many public relations campaigns, started Doggie day-care, a course hosted by Strawberry Crest Vet classes so teacher’s can bring their pets for a day of dog pam-pering and grooming. Students also attended Ag on the Hill in Tallahassee to learn about Florida government and participated in Ag Literacy Day. FFA members and officers attended many leadership events throughout the state and beyond. These events were just a few of the many things that aided in earning the three star chapter award.

Strawberry Crest FFA Receives National Rankingby Kelsey Bozeman

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Durant FFA “Tools for School”

The Durant FFA Chapter officers started the school year off with their first community project by filling and donating 20 back-packs to a local elementary school. The FFA officers raised money to purchase the backpacks and the supplies, which included paper, crayons, pencils, glue and rulers. The officers enjoyed delivering the school supplies to Trapnell Elementary and presenting them to the school’s Principal, Mr. Black. He was very appreciative of the student’s efforts and said he knew the children would be surprised to receive such a nice gift to start the school year off right. The Durant FFA officers hope to hold more fund raising efforts during the year so they can expand their “tools for school” project for next year.

Durant FFA Chapter Receives National Ranking

The National FFA Organization recently selected, from a pool of more than 650 candidates nationwide, the Durant Senior FFA Chapter as a 3-star winner in the National FFA Chapter Award program. The chapter members have been invited to attend the 84th National FFA Convention in Indianapolis, October 19-22, where they will be recognized for this honor.

The award program is sponsored by John Deere as a spe-cial project of the National FFA Foundation. The National FFA Chapter Award program recognizes FFA chapters for developing and conducting a detailed Program of Activities. Each activity provides opportunities for members to excel in one of the three areas: student, chapter, or community development. Every year, chapters are recognized as having earned a one, two or three-star rating on their application. The three-star rating is the highest level of accomplishment a chapter may achieve. The Durant FFA Chapter members and Advisors would like to thank their school and community for helping make this award possible.

Durant High School at the State FFA Convention Dyson Spare Part, Inc. is currently

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One of my earliest recollections of discovering the en-chantment of insects was on a Boy Scout camping trip. No more than 12 years old, and always anxious to explore, I agreed to race my troop mates to a small tower of granite boulders that overlooked our campsite to explore a little. Fall-en pine trees scattered the perimeter of the boulders making it easy to imagine an ancient fortress that fell at the hands of forgotten beasts. These pines that once stood as sentinels over the desert valley now lay peacefully at rest, blanketed with lush green moss under a shroud of younger forest. The bark of the old log was cool to the touch, even in the heat of a sum-mer’s day and fragile enough to collapse with little more than a nudge. Rolling a section of the log to the side exposed an as-tonishing creature. Its head looked like some of the larger spiders I had seen in the can-yons of California, but this was no spider. It had large scorpion like pincers that drew our attention first, but this one did not have the characteristic stinger of a scorpion, I would have recognized that. This critters abdo-men looked more like that of a termite from which a long needle-like tail protruded. Al-though intimidating, I wanted to find out what this thing was, so I carefully tickled it into my sierra cup and covered it with a neckerchief and eagerly raced back to the scoutmaster to identify this beast.

The only whip scorpion found in the United States is the giant whip scorpion, Mastigoproctus giganteus giganteus, also known as the ‘vinegaroon’. Both common names de-scribe its distinctive whip like tail from which it sprays highly concentrated acetic acid (85%), almost five times the con-centration of acetic acid found in the strongest of vinegars. Vinegaroons were one of the first animals to pioneer the de-velopment of chemical ecology in the Carboniferous period about 350 million years ago and to this date produce the high-est concentration of acid found in any known biochemical defense response. Worldwide, whip scorpions can be found in the tropics and subtropics, but are more predominant in dessert environments. Our species, Mastigoproctus giganteus, can also be found in grassland, scrub, pine forests and barrier islands of the southern United States and Mexico. Florida’s

rainy season will keep this species active on our sandy soils until about November when the drier periods will force them underground. Whip scorpions find refuge under logs, rocks, or other dark cool places during the day and come out at night to hunt other insects such as termites, slugs, crickets, and they are especially fond of our unsavory Florida woods roach Eury-cotis floridensis, better known as the palmetto bug.

Don’t let the whip scorpions intimating appearance keep you from appreciating this insect. They are one of the safest and most fascinating insects you are likely to find and typi-cally live seven or more years. They are slow to develop, after hatching the young attach themselves to top of their mother and remain for one molting period of about a month, there-

after molting only once per year for the next three years. During the first molting period, the mother captures prey and shares food with the young in an under-ground maternal den. Once the young molt, they leave their mater-nal den and the moth-er’s life cycle is com-plete. Whip scorpions do not have venom, nor do they have any real means of inflicting a se-rious bite wound. The large pincers are used for grasping and crush-

ing prey and are unlikely to cause more damage that a craw-fish. The front legs grow very long and are used to find their way around in the dark functioning much like a cats whiskers, but are also used to keep predators at a safe distance.

Although this species is abundant, it is not an easy find. I was very lucky to find one during the day. Looking for them at night is not any easier. They are not attracted to light like many other insects. Unlike true scorpions, whip scorpions do not glow under UV light and they are nearly impossible to see even in low light. The reclusive nature of this species makes it a rare find and consequently has limited our knowledge of its biology. Any opportunity to study this species should be cherished, field study for this species is a challenge even for professional entomologists. Should you find one and decide to keep it, I encourage you to gather as much information as possible to keep it healthy in captivity and contribute to the body of knowledge we already have. Finding such insects is a fringe benefit of Florida living.

A Closer Look: Giant Whip Scorpion

By Sean Green

A Closer Look: Giant Whip Scorpion (Mastigoproctus Giganteus Giganteus)

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Naturally Amazing ActivitiesVINEGAR

by Sean Green

This month’s article on the Whip Scorpion highlighted a powerful natural compound, acetic acid, the primary ingredient in household vinegar. Household vinegar is wa-tered down acetic acid, but even in its watered down state it can do some pretty amazing things. This month we have listed some of the many cool things that can be done with vinegar. The most important thing to remember is that vin-egar is an acid, and can be harmful if used carelessly. Please conduct these activities with a responsible adult.

Rubber Chicken Bones:Vinegar is considered a mild acid, but it is strong

enough to dissolve away the calcium in the bone. Once the calcium is dissolved, there is nothing to keep the bone hard - all that is left is the soft bone tissue. With some effort you can really get the bone to bend. Like our bones, chicken bones have a mineral called calcium in them to make them hard. Now you know why your mom is always trying to get you to drink milk - the calcium in milk goes to our bones to make our bones stronger.

Naked Eggs:Eggs shells are made of calcium carbonate, the same

reaction that makes the chicken bone like rubber will strip the egg shell off a chicken egg leaving only the internal membrane of the egg. The acetic acid in vinegar separates the calcium from the carbonate in the eggshell. The calcium floats around without anything to connect to and the car-bonate makes the bubbles you see, (carbon dioxide). Fill a bowl with enough vinegar to cover raw eggs. You will notice bubbles coming from the egg. This is the beginning of the reaction. It’s actually the carbon dioxide being released that is causing the bubbles. Cover the container and store the eggs in the refrigerator overnight. Over a 24 hour period you will notice the shell has begun to dissolve. Carefully dump the old vinegar and pour in fresh vinegar for another 24 hr pe-riod, repeating the process until the entire eggshell has dissolved.

Sunburn Relief:It’s not just an old wives tale.

Vinegar really does relieve sunburn pain and damage. Scientists are only beginning to understand why it works. Research has demonstrated that vinegar acts as a local NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-in-flammatory drug) similar to Advil or Motrin and not only helps the pain, but also prevents the sunburn from progressing to further damage.

Sunburn damage is a chemical process that continues long after you’re out of the sun. It’s best to avoid the damage, but if you get sunburned, soak in warm tub with a few cups of vinegar to help soothe the sunburn. You can also dab (not rub) vinegar directly to the sunburn.

Wart Removal:Vinegar does not kill human papilloma virus (HPV),

the virus that causes warts, but the acetic acid in the vinegar will break down the skin weakened by the virus causing the wart itself to fall away from the healthy skin. The fastest method is to soak a small cotton ball in vinegar and adhere to the wart with a band aid each night until the wart and its core fall away.

There are literally hundreds of uses for vinegar rang-ing from simple cleaning techniques to profound health benefits. Easily found with an Internet search, vinegar can rocket empty soda bottles into the air and increasingly rock-et society into an awareness that is sometimes forgotten or ignored as our contemporary technology hurdles us farther away from the wisdom we gained when our existence was closer to nature. I have only mentioned a few things that are not so commonly known and encourage you to discover some interesting facts on your own, all the while keeping in mind that a critter not much bigger than your thumb has evolved to master the use of acetic acid for its own purpose, we would do well to master the use of what is naturally abundant as the rest of nature has.

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DBL INSULATEDThermo Pane. Starting at $55.00 Call Ted 813-752-3378

SURPLUS WINDOWS DOUBLE INSULATED Starting at $55.00 • Call Ted 813-752-3378

MOBILE HOME SIZES WINDOW SCREENSWe make window screens all sizes available in dif-ferent frame colors. Call Ted 813-752-3378

T1LL 4x8 sheet B-grade $14.95. Call Ted 813-752-3378

1984 KUBOTA B62002 wd, w/4 ft. Finish Mower. $3,000 • 863-698-2967

NEW DOORSCloseout special!!!!! $75.00 to $295.00 Call Ted today. 813-752-3378

2003 MASSEY FERGUSON 43552wd, 85 pto hp, shuttle shift. $11,500. Call Alvie 813-759-8722

BLAISVILLE GEORGIA MLS#191458Prepare to love this well kept 2 bdrm. cabin with a Seasonal mtn. view. This enticing 1-1/2 story provides gas Fireplace. Loft, wood flooring, main-level laundry. Cen-tral air, Ceiling fans. Nottley River privileges, covered porch, simple, no-fuss landscape. Fish-ing. Call Jane Baer w/ Jane Baer Realty. 1-800-820-7829

MASSEY FERGUSON 2300L4X4 w/ loader, 277 hours, 22.5 hp. $7,000. Call Robby 863-537-1345

•••FOR SALE•••Fertilized Bahia Hay. 4X5 rolls $25 ea.800 rolls available. Call for pick up863-287-3091 or 863-294-1650

BAD BOY AOSZero turn, 60”cut, 35hp, Cat diesel engine, 215 hrs. $6,950. Call Alvie 813-759-8722.

FOR SALE - 2001 MAHINDRA TRACTOR4 Wheel Drive with a Loader & Digger on the back. $16,000 OBO. Call 813-689-4441

FOR SALE - DOUBLE-ROW BEDPRESS AND SINGLE-ROW PLASTIC MACHINEDouble-Row Bedpress for Strawberries/Vegeta-bles $3,500. Single Row Plastic Machine $1,500. Both in good condition. Cal 813-967-2820

FOR SALE OR LEASE 2.66 ACRE NURSERYN. Lakeland with 1,000 sq ft frame house, 2 sheds, irrigation throughout. Call Bruce 863-698-0019

NEW HOLLAND TC29 TRACTOR / LOADER 29 pto hp, 268hrs. $13,000 (UT6406) Ask for David 813-623-3673

CONTRIBUTING WRITERWrite about events in your community. Imme-diate openings in Hillsborough and Polk Coun-ties. Paid per article. Responsibilities include covering community events and taking pictures. Email your resume to [email protected]

•••••ESTATE SALE•••••Large dbl. wide mobile home, partially fur-nished, 2/bath, 2/bdrm, large kitchen, huge living room, laundry room, front screened in porch, covered dbl. carport, utility room. Lo-cated in Country Meadows Adult Park in Plant City. Asking $24,000. Call Al at 813-763-2220.

KUBOTA L260027hp, 2wd, 2334 hours $2,750. Call Alvie 813-759-8722

BOLENS G154DIESEL TRACTOR15hp, 4x4, 3pt. lift. $2,500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722

ACCOUNT MANAGERSales, account management. Immediate open-ings in Hillsborough and Polk Counties. Email your resume to [email protected]

KUBOTA B5200 TRACTOR2wd, 13hp diesel. $1,950. Call Alvie 813-759-8722

DISCOUNT EqUINE SERVICE BUNDLECoggins, vaccination, teeth float. Call 813-752-0224 or 813-951-0118

ANIMAL & BIRD CAGESEquipment serving the fur-bearing & exotic bird industry. Cages built to order. Wire by roll or foot. 813-752-2230 www.ammermans.com Swap Nov 27, 2011, July 15, 2012, Nov. 25, 2012

NORTH GEORGIA MOUNTAINS MLS# 209797Beautiful Country set-ting updated 2008-2009, whirlpool tub, Lots of wide usable porches, views of pasture & mountains, open Floor plan, master bedroom with huge master bath. Lots of windows and doors. Call Jane Baer w/ Jane Baer Real-ty.1-800-820-7829

COMPRESSED ALFALFA BLOCKS700+lbs $110.00 & 1300+lbs bales $210.00. Call 813-737-5263. Ask about delivery.

C L A S S I F I E D S

TO PLACE YOUR CLASSIFIEDADS CALL

813-759-6909info@inthefieldmagazine.comwww.inthefieldmagazine.com

2002 FISH HAWK BOMBARDIER BOAT

16’7” Fiber-glass boat with 2007 Trailer, 90hp Johnson Outboard. Center console, Bimini, live well, two-step ladder. $6,300 Call 813-758-3864

94 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE September 2011 www.InTheFieldMagazine.com www.InTheFieldMagazine.com September 2011 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE 95www.keelandcurleywinery.com

Come Experience the Napa Valley of Tampa Bay

Our Tasting Room & Gift Shop is Open Daily Until 6pm

Sample All 12 Wines for Just $5

Friday Evening After Hours Wine BarDinner Served 5pm to 10pm

Happy Hour 6pm to 7pmLive Music 6:30pm to 10:30pm

$5 Cover Charge

Host Your Next Special Moment at Keel & Curley!

Wedding Ceremonies & ReceptionsBridal & Baby Showers

Anniversary & Birthday PartiesCorporate Events

813.752.91005202 W. Thonotosassa Rd.

Plant City

Don't Get Hit...

Call L.I.T.!With copper prices on the rise, you can’t afford not to protect your investment! Our security cages are custom built for your HVAC by a professional HVAC contractor to include a completely enclosed cage system with interlocking panels and a double collar lock sytem that provides you with the ultimate security but still provides easy service access to your HVAC system. We also offer pressure-sensitive alarm systems that provide added security to your system.

Call Brian today for a free quote!813-601-2671 | 1215 Mercer Loop | Plant City, FL 33567

Get Protection with Our Cages

We are your hometown energy efficiency experts! 40% of your home’s energy efficiency loss comes from your attic. We offer a full line of energy efficiency products to help reduce your home’s monthly energy costs. Including Green Guard approved products such as Owens Corning Pro Pink Complete Insulation that comes with a lifetime warranty against natural settling. We also offer whole house ventilation systems, insulation removal, Radiant Barrier, open and closed cell spray foam insulation, concrete block foam fill and batted insulation. With energy costs on the rise, you can’t afford not to call us!

Brian 813-601-2671

Call Lewis Insulation Technology Today–

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Brian Lewis

Now offering duct cleaning services for your home or office. Full line of duct cleaning, sealing, and sanitizing services available. 7yr mold and mildew guarantee on encapsulated duct systems. Ask us about our mold preventative systems. Call today and breathe easy tomorrow! Ask for Brian.

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96 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE September 2011 www.InTheFieldMagazine.com

DR. LARRY BRITT, DVMLarge Animal Vet Services

General PracticeSpecializing in Equine Dentistry

SPECIAL PRICING4-H & FFA Student Project Animals

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

ROUTINE & EMERGENCY CAREFor other large farm animals (no cats or dogs)

SERVICES INCLUDE:• Digital Radiographs• Emergencies• Equine Dentistry• In-House Lab Work• Preventative Care• Reproductive Services• Ultrasound

FARMS and/or GROUPSCall for Discount Pricing!

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