In The Field Magazine - Polk May 2011

www.InTheFieldMagazine.com May 2011 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE 1

May 15 - June 15, 2011

®

Covering What’s Growing

Florida Cattlemen’s Association

PresidentJim strickland

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

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Eat Better. Love Life. Live Longer.

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Cover Story

From the Editor

Florida Cattlemen’s President, Jim Strickland

34

Sarah HoltVOL. 5 • ISSUE 9

www.InTheFieldMagazine.com May 2011 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE 1

May 15 - June 15, 2011

®

Covering What’s Growing

Florida Cattlemen’s Association

PRESIDENTJIM STRICKLAND

In The Field® Magazine is published monthly and is available through local Polk County businesses, restaurants and other local venues. It is also distributed by U.S. mail to a target market, which includes members of Polk County Farm Bureau, Florida Citrus Mutual and Polk County Cattlemen’s 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.

Polk’s AGRICULTURE Magazine®May

Publisher/OwnerKaren Berry

Editor-In-ChiefAl Berry

Senior Managing Editor/Associate

PublisherSarah Holt

Editor Patsy Berry

Office ManagerBob Hughens

Sales ManagerDanny Crampton

SalesTina Richmond

Danny CramptonW. Russell Hancock

Kay Mullis

Creative DirectorAmey Celoria

DesignerJuan Carlos Alvarez

Staff WritersSandy Kaster

James FrankowiakKayla LewisSean GreenMark CookGinny Mink

Contributing WritersDick Loupe

Bridget Carlisle

PhotographyKaren Berry

I looked at all the caged animals in the shelter...the cast-offs of human society. I saw in their eyes love and hope, fear and dread, sadness, and betrayal. And I was angry. “God,” I said, “this is terrible! Why don’t you do something?” God was silent for a moment, and then He spoke softly, “I have done something,” he replied. “I created you.”

-- Author UnknownThe plight of homeless animals is vast. There are an infinite

number of great pets searching for their “forever home.” Irrespon-sible breeding and uneducated buyers equal abandoned or exploited animals. Many don’t realize that a “free” puppy takes time and a financial commitment for care. This is where you can come in. If you are thinking of adding a new pet to your family, please consider adoption. The choice of pets is wide open! Pure and mixed breed animals alike are looking for someone to lavish with their uncondi-tional love.

If you have room in your home and the time to do so, you can foster a pet. While shelters do as much as they can, it can be a stress-ful environment for the pet. They can also receive individualized care in a foster home and become socialized so they can become a more well-adjusted pet. If you think a breed rescue can do it all, think again! They work hard but have limited space and resources, so they need help, too.

If you can’t adopt or foster, consider a donation to a shelter or rescue. Of course financial support is needed. The animals are provided veterinary care, grooming, flea treatments and often times a medical condition can constitute some big bills. Yes, there is usu-ally an adoption fee, but try adding up what has been spent on the animal and you will see that the adoption fee doesn’t begin to cover the total cost. Other things that can be donated are towels, toys, treats, crates, beds, food, blankets, cleaning supplies, office supplies, kitty litter, trash bags and numerous other items.

At In The Field magazine, we practice what we preach. All but one of the full time employees here have opened their homes to dogs looking for their forever homes. Ask any of us, we don’t regret it for a second.

It is up to us to make this world a better place for pets.

Until next month,

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

Sarah & Skye Karen & Hope Danny & Lucky Amey & Gandolph

7 Did You Know?

8Advertisers Index

10Grub Station

VIOGA Cuisine & Café Latte Coffee House Bistro

12Recipes

16Fishing Hot Spots

20Master Gardener

28Makayla Goble

40Florida Wildlife Ranch

46Woman in Agriculture

Brittany Quillen

48Florida Guavas


POLK COUNTY CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATIONPO Box 9005 • Drawer HS03

Bartow, FL 33831-9005

OFFICERS& BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President – Charles Clark (863) 412-8349 [email protected]

Vice President – Dave Tomkow (863) 665-5088 [email protected]

Secretary/Treasurer - Justin Bunch (863) 425-1121 [email protected]

Al Bellotto (863) 581-5515

Ray Clark, (863) 683-8196 [email protected]

L.B. Flanders, DVM (863) 644-5974

Dewey Fussell (863) 984-3782

Mike Fussell (863) 698-8314 [email protected]

David McCullers )863) 528-1195

Moby Persing (863) 528-4379

Ned Waters (863) 698-1597 [email protected]

J. B. Wynn (863) 581-3255 [email protected]

Alternate - Howard Yates, 2501 Arbuckle Lane, Frostproof, FL 33843-9647

Standing Committee Chairs:

Membership- J.B. Wynn

Events- Kevin Fussell (863) 412-5876

Rodeo- Fred Waters (863) 559-7808 [email protected]

Cattlewomen - President

Sherry Kitchen (863) 221-0230 [email protected]

Extension – Bridget Carlisle (863) 519-8677 [email protected]

Sheriff’s Dept. – Sgt. Howard Martin

At the end of April The Florida Cattlemen’s Association, along with the NCBA, filed suit against the EPA for its intent to regulate nutrients in Florida’s waters based on non-scientific criteria. These more stringent regulations will add greatly to the cost of staying in the cattle business. Little by little bureaucratic intervention is driv-ing up the cost of doing business in the United States. Granted pollution needs to be monitored and reduced where possible. These same types of regulations have driven up the costs of industrial production in the US to the point that many companies have moved to foreign countries to produce their products. Another EPA regulatory action wants to apply stringent controls of dust creation, to the point that you can’t drive down a dirt road without being in violation, much less plow a field to produce a crop. Agriculture is currently helping to balance our foreign trade. Let’s keep this vi-able segment of our economy functioning and producing products that are accepted world wide for their safety and value.

Put on your calendar the date of July 21, a Thursday night for the Summer Meet-ing dinner.

Charles ClarkCharles ClarkPolk County Cattlemen’s Association President

• The liver holds about one pint (13 percent) of the body’s blood supply at any given moment.

• The liver can regenerate itself.

• The heart of giraffe is two feet long, and can weigh as much as 24 pounds.

• On average, Elephants sleep for about two hours per day.

• Lobsters have blue blood.

• Shark’s teeth are literally as hard as steel.

• A mosquito has 47 teeth.

• Oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen make up 90% of the human body.

• National Hat Day is on January 15 and International Hat Day is on Novem-ber 25.

• A passenger known only by the surname of McBeth went for a trip on Cu-nard’s Caronia liner back in the 1940s. She remained a passenger on the ship for the next 14 years. She must have quite enjoyed it, and by the time she finally disembarked she had spent the equivalent of US $4million on cruise fares.

• Over the past 20 years, the frequency with which people walk for exercise has dropped by 42 percent, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

• A whole stick of butter has almost as much fat and cholesterol and double the amount of saturated fat as THREE popular quarter-pound burgers with cheese.

• Cotton dates from at least 7,000 years ago making it one of the world’s old-est known fibers.

• Archaeologists found 5,000 year old cotton fabric at Mohenjo Daro, an ancient town in the Indus River Valley of West Pakistan.

• There are 43 species of cotton.

• Roosters crow at dawn.

• On average, each person has 20 million hair follicles.

• Smoking is the leading cause of lung cancer, with more than 90 percent of lung cancers thought to be a result of smoking.


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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:

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Arrington Body Shop ............................ 53B&L Pool Resurfacing .......................... 49Broke & Poor Surplus ........................... 23Brownlee Citrus & Garden Center ........ 53Burns Flooring & Kitchen Design .......... 41C&J Equipment Sales ........................... 21Carlton & Carlton, PA .......................... 21Country View Realty & Development ... 47Dave’s Power Equipment ....................... 19Designed to Ignite ................................. 39Discount Metal Mart ............................ 29Ellison RBM ......................................... 53Express 1040 ......................................... 53Farm Credit of Central Florida .............. 37Fields-Huston Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac & GM ........................................ 3

Fred’s Market .......................................... 5Grove Equipment Service ...................... 23Gulf Coast Tractor & Equipment ............ 2Haines City Paint & Body ..................... 53Helena Chemical .................................. 27Hogan & Hogan Attorneys ................... 19I-4 Power Equipment ........................ 14-15International Market World .................. 31Jim Webber–Morgan Stanley Smith Barney ........................................ 53Lay’s Western Wear & Feed ................... 53Lightsey Cattle Co. ............................... 39Mana Crop Protection ............................ 9Mary Adsit Realty ................................ 39Mosaic ................................................. 31Polk County Cattlemen’s Association ...... 7

Precision Citrus Hedging & Topping ..... 45Prestige Homes ..................................... 39Red Rose Inn & Suites ...................... 32-33Roadrunner Veterinary Services ............. 29Seigler Funeral Home ............................ 49South Florida Baptist Hospital .............. 11Southeastern Septic ............................... 27Southside Farm & Pet Supply ................ 56Southwestern Produce ........................... 13Stingray Chevrolet ................................ 55The Bug Man ........................................ 39Truckmasters ........................................ 49Uncommon USA ................................... 43Wishnatzki Farms ................................. 25

Index of Advertisers

Columbus Alexander “Alec” Fulford, age 66, went home to be with the Lord on April 26, 2011. Alec was born in Sebring, Florida on August 7, 1944. He graduated from Okeechobee High School in 1962 and married his high school sweetheart, Mary Helen Williams on August 17, 1963. Alec went on to pursue his Animal Science degree at the Univer-sity of Florida where he was a member of the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. He also served on the University of Florida’s Livestock Judging Team.

Alec was a hard working man of family and faith. He was much loved by his large extended family and truly devoted to his wonderful wife and children. Alec was also a grateful believer in Jesus Christ, his Lord. As a lifelong rancher and member of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association, Alec was a dedicated advocate for the Florida cattle industry and a past president of the Polk County Cattlemen’s Association.

Alec is survived by his wife of 48 years, Mary Helen, their oldest daughter Latrelle Yungmann and husband, Mike, along with their three children, Blake, Madison and Daniel; his son, Randy Fulford and wife, Christina and their three daugh-ters, Taylor, Kaylen and Alexandrea; and youngest daughter, Cheryl Flood and husband, Edward Flood.

In Memory of

“Alec” Fulford

Columbus Alexander “Alec” FulfordAugust 7, 1944—April 26, 2011


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Myths and Facts About Gynecological Cancer: When is it Benign or Malignant?Wednesday, May 25, 6pm St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital Classrooms 1-3Tyler Kirby, MD

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What is Vigoa and why should you be interested in learning about it? First-of-all it is good for you. Secondly, it is a natural and healthy way of seasoning your food and last (but not, by any means, least), it adds amazing flavor to anything you decide to ‘splash’ it on.

This blend of healthful herbs and spices is a mixture of the finest cold pressed extra virgin olive oil, kombu (seaweed eaten in Asian cuisine), fresh organic Canary Island garlic and herbs and spices that are non-irradiated (irradiation is the process of exposing food to ionizing radiation to destroy microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, or even insects that might be present in the food) or, in other words, organically grown. They are combined with pure gourmet Celtic sea salt that is slightly grey in color. It is unrefined kosher salt that is hand-harvested from clay-lined beds and fed by a pristine sea located just off the northern coastline of France.

This revolutionary discovery was created 200 years ago in the Canary Island home of Miriam Vigoa’s great-grandmother Rosa Perez. Like a lot of discoveries, it remained in relative obscurity for three generations, traveling across oceans, securely tucked within family cookbooks until 16 years ago.

That was the day when the nationalized-American entrepreneurial owner of an antique boutique and cof-fee shop had customers asking her and partner Kristi Linebaugh to add food to their coffee menu. Linebugh protested adding food because neither one of them could cook.

That very day Miriam Vigoa, the great- granddaugh-ter of Rosa Perez, opened her inheritance…the recipe of her childhood memories. Handing it to her partner, she said, “If our customers want food, we’ll give them food. You don’t have to know how to cook. This is the secret. If you splash it on anything, it will make whatever it is taste great.”

After-a-while, the antiques became decorations for their successful Winter Haven restaurant Café Latte Coffee House Bistro, where they began creating exciting fresh food using organic and gluten-free ingredients with great-grandmother’s original herbal oil recipe as the secret ingredient in every dish.

As the herbal olive oil became more and more sought-after, it was bottled and re-born as “VIGOA Cuisine with ‘Splash’ – Canary Island all natural herb-infused olive oil.” The original recipe set the standard and two flavors were added; Lime Splash with lime oil and Hot Splash with Habanera peppers.

“When people taste things cooked with Vigoa ‘Splash’ they say, ‘Oh my God’ the favor is so wonderful, so many times, we almost called it the OMG olive oil,” quips Miriam.

The Bistro’s inspired vegan and gluten-free menu has gotten testimonials from people who have difficulty digest-ing regular restaurant food. It’s good for diabetics, weight problems, Celiac’s (wheat and gluten issues), high, as well as, low blood pressure and is low in sodium content.

Leah Baz is in charge of the Bistro’s kitchen and is re-ferred to by the partners as “our right-hand” since they are now so involved with the promotional aspects of Vigoa. Her easy recipes for the healthy family are also a feature on the web site and new menus are presented in healthy receptions that you will be invited to attend at their Winter Haven cafe if you take advantage of the free sign-up by using the e-mail contact addresses on the Web site or by calling Leah at the café number.

Their eclectic vegan cuisine and excellent Spanish/Cuban-influenced coffees have earned them 13 people’s choice awards.

One bite of the appetizer using Original Splash on grilled toast tips with fresh spinach and artichoke humus in a mixture with Lime Splash for dipping and you know why the cozy bistro has won all those accolades.

Since all food is fresh and without preservatives, the menu changes based on availability. Items are delivered daily from an organic farm in Tampa.

The entré of brown and yellow rice ala Valenciana is served with free-range chicken marinated in Original Splash and an organic salad (also with the original olive oil recipe plus balsamic vinegar) is more than enough for two and is only $10.99.

The Bistro pizzas at $10.99 are very popular and can be ordered and picked up during hours the café is open, as can any of the customer’s menu favorites.

The pizza we were served was very interesting and looked, as well as, tasted divine. There were four generous slices of gluten-free pizza dough topped with roasted to-mato and spinach, Original Splash and melted feta cheese. In the center of the plate was an organic salad with edible flowers. In place of my usual cracked red pepper flakes, I added a little of the Hot Splash for an extra zing.

During breakfast hours there are wild and wonderful combinations like range-free organic eggs scrambled with Hot or Lime Splash or the veggie mama breakfast bagel (non-dairy) and a fresh, chewy and delicious breakfast cookie that contains all the necessary protein and vitamins to start your day.

One of the many things I like about Vigoa and their Bistro is that they are so proud of their ingredients they are unafraid to put them out on the web for all to see. They even show you how to become a food star in your own home by using “just a dash of Splash.”

The three women are a delightfully dynamic combi-nation, on a mission to spread the joy of healthy eating. With their warm and welcoming manner, it is understand-able that their Bistro is known as “Cheers without the alcohol.”

Since the “Splash” oils have become so popular, partners Vigoa and Linebaugh are constantly on-the-road demonstrating at food and food product shows. They have done more than 350 shows to date and are gaining a repu-tation as food business entertainment celebrities working with stars like Paula Deen and Rachael Ray.

Their Web site includes a list of scheduled appear-ances where the witty duo delivers humor along with their olive oil and has dedicated fans of healthy eating flocking to the shows.

Renowned columnist and Tampa Bay’s chili cook-off originator Steve Otto’s exclamation of “Yowza!” (as he sampled some Vigoa Hot Splash) perfectly expresses my feelings about the whole adventurous dining and learning experience.

Café Latte Coffee House Bistro200 Orchid Springs Drive, Winter Haven863-318-8777Hours: Mon. – Sat. 8:00 AM – 2:00 PMwww.vigoacuisine.comBeverages: A variety of coffees including Espresso and Café con Leche, Frozen Mocha, Tea, Juices. No alcohol.Price Range: From $4.99 to under $20Seating: Inside seats 27, outside veranda seats 25

by Cheryl KuckCafé Latte Coffee House Bistro


Perfectly Fresh. Perfectly Priced.

Southwestern Produce Company1510 Sydney Rd. • Plant City, FL

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

VEGETABLE SALEFri. & Sat. May 20th & 21st • 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.Fri. & Sat. June 17th & 18th • 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.Call in your order today, or just drop by and see us!

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

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

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

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

Blueberries 5# .................... $15Blackberries 5# ................... $15Raspberries 5# ................... $15Cranberries 5# ................... $15Mango Chunks 5# .............. $15Pineapple Chunks 5# ......... $15Dark Sweet Cherries 5# ...... $14Rhubarb 5# ........................ $10Green Peanuts ................... $13.

Fresh fromthe Farm to yourFreezer!

Eating at Home More?

Come See Us!

Recipes Courtesy of The Florida Department of Agriculture

Guava Pork Chops Ingredients 1 pound boneless pork loin chops1 teaspoon dried thyme salt and pepper to taste2 tablespoons butter1/2 cup cabernet sauvignon or any red wine1/4 cup honey1/4 cup water2 guavas peeled, seeded, sliced thin

PreparationSeason pork chops with thyme, salt and pepper. Melt butter in skillet and brown pork chops over medium high heat on both sides. Add cabernet sauvignon wine, honey, water and sliced guavas. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Serve with red potatoes, rice, or cous cous.

Yield4 servings

Guava Berry Pie Ingredients 1 1/2 cups cake flour1/4 cup butter, cold1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 cup water2 tablespoons corn starch1 cup sugar1 teaspoon nutmeg2 cups strawberries, sliced2 cups guava, peeled, seeded and chopped2 tablespoons heavy cream1 tablespoon sugar zest of 1 lemon

Preparation

Crust: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix together flour, butter and salt. Add water by drops to mixture until all water is used. Sepa-rate the crust mixture into two equal parts. Cover and refrigerate one part while working with the other part.

Filling: Mix together corn starch, sugar and nutmeg. Add prepared fruit and lemon zest and toss to coat. Set aside.

On lightly floured surface, with lightly floured rolling pin, roll out one half of the crust to fit a deep 9-inch pie pan. Carefully place bottom crust in pan and add reserved fruit filling. Take other half of crust out of refrigerator and on a lightly floured surface, roll out top of pie crust to fit. Place on pie pan and crimp bottom and top crusts together.

Lightly brush top of crust with cream and sprinkle with sugar. Cut air slits in crust and place in oven for 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden.

Yield 4 servings


FRESHWATER FISHING IN POLK COUNTY

SeaSon’S end–or is it?Hey everyone … it is hard to believe that it’s almost one year

ago that we started writing this article for In The Field. I hope you have enjoyed what we have been able to bring to you so far. Bass fish-ing this season has been the best I have seen in a number of years. I know this year started off cold and rainy, but January and February have come and gone, and not without its rewards. And March and April have been a blast. I have fished all around Polk County, and it has been great. As most of you already know by the amount of boats

I’ve seen, the Winter Haven chain has been a good producer since we have had enough water in the canals to be able to commute from lake to lake. Lake Kissimmee has continued to live up to its reputation as one of Florida’s best producers for most all of the sporting fish. I have had some of the best clients that a fishing guide could ever ask for. Here are a few pictures to show you just what I mean about this last season (which I consider runs from October of 2010 through April of 2011):

Maylan Andrews, a local from right here in Lake Wales, on 11/26/10

Blake Manders, fishing with his fam-ily from Ontario, Canada on 1/4/11

Ruth Bailey of Ingleside, Illinois on 2/22/11 (her biggest bass ever!)

Anna Hannig, from Germany on 2/24/11. This is the second customer from Germany catching a trophy-sized bass – 11 lb 13 oz.

Scott Benson, Jordan Kaiser & Clay Emmrich of the Wartburg College base-ball team in Waverly, Iowa on 3/1/11

Daris Stump from Morrisown, TN fishing for the 2nd time this year, with a 9 lb 11oz on 3/14/11.

Mike Hoyt from Tipp City, OH on March 6, 7, 8 of 2011. He fishes with me every Spring for three days with artificial bait.

Captain Dick LoupeSouthern Outdoorsman Guide Service

Katydid Fishing Products, LLCMore TacklePO Box 7870

Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855888-692-2208

www.bassfishingguide.comwww.katydidfishingproducts.com

www.moretackle.com

These are three long-time friends, Ronnie Blackwell, Zach Ward, and Chris Cromer from Davidson, NC fishing on March 17th-19th, 2011. While they were here they joined us in attending the Youth For Christ annual benefit banquet. Thanks guys for your support!

Sheila Daniel of Pineville, NC on March 22nd-24th 2011. This lady has been fishing with me every year, usually 3 days each time, for over ten years and, if memory serves me correctly, she never fails to catch at least one bass over 7 lbs every year! Guys, if you are looking for a spouse that likes to fish … Sheila’s single!!!

Travis Basset, of Rockford, IL looks on as his wife and daughter both catch bass on 3/29/11. This is his 3rd time bass fishing with me, his daughter’s 2nd time, and his wife’s 1st time. I wonder if he will let his wife come again after catching this monster bass!

Janet Guthridge of Indianapolis, Indiana not only caught this trophy bass on 3/30/11, but her and her husband, Garry, also doubled up on a couple more bass. Although her picture is in the foreground, it still outweighed her husband’s bass!

A couple of issues ago were photos from Jeff Sheffer’s first trip with me in February. But he had to have more of it, so he came back on 4/14/11 with his father-in-law. I think he made a good impression, don’t you?

Now let’s talk about Specks (Crappie), Bluegill and Shellcracker. The Speck fishing is just about over for the season, but they are still catching some on the outside grass line on the Kissimmee Chain. Bluegill and Shellcracker have been doing great! The full moons we had in March and April, and this month on May 17, have been and will be the biggest producers for Shellcracker this year. I was talking to Kevin, one of the owners of Grape Hammock Fish Camp on the south end of Lake Kissimmee, and he said that, on the last two full moons, all you had to do was to pull up in the pads AND THEY WOULD JUST JUMP IN YOUR BOAT! No, just kidding, but that shows you just how good these little fellows were biting. Now, if you need to get crickets or wigglers, they have everything you need to make your trip a good one. You stop in and tell them I sent you. By the way, they have great cabins with new docks on the back canal in front of the cabins, and they are GREAT folks to vacation with.

Youth For Christ of Polk County just had their 2nd Annual Ron Hardy “The Bridgemaster” Memorial Benefit Bass Fishing Tourna-ment there on April 16 and it was a huge success. The guys really helped out in several ways, from letting them use their walkie-talkies and their huge outdoor cooker, to donating all of the ramp fees to this wonderful Christian cause. Several of the anglers, including me, took one of the boys that attends Youth For Christ’s Breakfast Boys Club in Winter Haven. They all seemed to have a good time and one of them, Greg, won a fishing reel donated by Bridgemaster Fishing Products (the fisherman’s candy store) for catching the smallest bass.

The tournament had a total of 39 boats and, with raffles, food sales, and ramp fees, raised a total of $2,529.00 – A big ‘THANK YOU’ to all who attended. First Place, with a total of 20.17 lbs,

and Big Bass, weighing 6.91 lbs, went to Eric Conant and Monte Goodman for total winnings of $1,302.00 – Congratulations! Several members of the Po Boys Bass Club have volunteered each year to conduct the weigh-in for Youth For Christ of Polk County. They are a great bunch of guys and do a terrific job. They’re looking to increase membership, so if you are interested you can get a copy of their schedule at Bridgemasters.

All in all, it’s been a great season, but it appears that now the hot weather is upon us. So remember, it’s the early bird that gets the worm that gets the biggest fish … or something like that.Best Fishes and God Bless,

Capt. Dick Loupe


Jack Payne, the University of Florida’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources, has announced Jacqueline Burns’ appointment as director of the Cit-rus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred.

“Jackie Burns is a tremendous leader and a pre-eminent researcher in her own right. I believe very strongly in her leadership abilities and her vision for the Citrus REC,” Payne said. “She knows what the state’s citrus growers need and want and works tirelessly to ensure that our scientists get the most pertinent, valuable information to them.”

Burns has served as the CREC’s interim director since early 2009, following the departure of Harold Browning, who had held the director position since 1997.

Burns said she welcomes the challenge of leading the center’s faculty and staff as they work to support virtually every aspect of the state’s citrus industry. She will also oversee UF’s citrus research and extension efforts statewide as IFAS citrus programs coordinator.

“I intend to work hard to be sure our scientists have no ob-stacles as they work to solve citrus issues and help keep Florida’s citrus industry the strongest in the world,” she said.

Burns received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in horticul-ture from the University of Arkansas in 1978 and 1981 and a doctorate in horticulture from The Pennsylvania State University in 1985. She has been with the center since 1987.

Her research focuses on the physiological processes related

to abscission and harvesting, and maintaining fresh citrus fruit qual-ity during handling, shipping and storage.

The Citrus REC, part of UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, has more than 30 faculty members and more than 200 techni-cal and support staff positions. It’s among the world’s largest public

research facilities devoted to a single commodity.Scientists and engineers at the center have made key scien-

tific discoveries and technological advancements pivotal to the industry’s success, and played a role in developing the technology for making frozen concentrate orange juice, which was patented in 1948.

Citrus REC scientists have worked to thwart citrus diseases from yellow spot at the beginning of the 20th century, to greening today. Its scientists have led the way toward high-tech agriculture, such as the use of satellite and computer technology to help growers manage groves.

Last year the Citrus REC introduced Sugar Belle, the first University of Florida-created citrus variety intended for commer-cial production.

And earlier this year, a UF-led team of international scien-tists announced the genome sequences for two citrus varieties—sweet orange and Clementine mandarin—a first for citrus. Both are expected to help scientists unravel the secrets behind citrus diseases, as well as aiding those working to improve fruit flavor and quality.

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The butterfly is the most popular of insects. They pollinate native and cultivated plants, and are deemed an “indica-tor species.” As such, any decline in their numbers may

indicate environmental changes, as they are among the first organisms to react to pollution.

Debra Howell:The Master Gardener

I asked my mom for any butterfly memo-ries which she might possess and it seems that when she was eight it was widely held that if you bit the head off a butterfly you would receive a new dress for your troubles, ostensibly matching the color of the poor doomed insect. Since the butterfly which happened by was a yellow Cloudless Sulphur, she fully expected, but never received a yellow dress. Her caveat here is that to this day, 91 years later, she still regrets the decapitation, but claims she gave it a proper burial.

Butterflies belong to the family Lepidop-tera, which is Greek for “scales on the wing”. Their segmented body is composed of a head, thorax and an abdomen.

Their life cycle is a complete metamor-phosis with four distinct stages: egg, larvae or caterpillar, pupae or chrysalis, and adult. How, you ask, do Monarchs make their lengthy migrations? This trip is facilitated by two or

three generations of insects. Monarchs from the west go to Baja, California. Those from the east coast go to Mexico. They migrate into Florida during fall and spring, but I always seem to have them in my yard. When you begin to culti-vate for butterflies, you will too!

To avoid any confusion in identifying butterflies, skippers and moths, just follow this simple code: butterflies have clubbed antennae, skippers have curved antennae and moths have plumose or feathered antennae.

Gardening for butterflies is so easy a child can do it. In fact, include children in your proj-ect and you’ll be amazed by their helpfulness and interest. After selecting and preparing a site that will be sunny for most of the day, you will need to provide food, shelter and water.

In the larval stage, the caterpillar feeds on leaves of the host plant on which it was de-posited as an egg. Consequently, you will need both nectar plants and larval host plants to be

The Allure of the Butterfly


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truly successful. I have Purple Passionflower Vine, Dutch-man’s Pipe and Mexican Milkweed as my larval host plants. The native milkweed is preferred, but sometimes difficult to find. The Passionflower will host Gulf Fritillary in the sun and Zebra Longwing in the shade. The Zebra Longwing is our state butterfly, and was elevated to this esteemed position by “Walking Lawton” and Rhea Chiles.

The Dutchman’s Pipe, which has most unusual blooms, is larval host to the voracious eater Pipevine Swallowtail. You’ll need several of these vines, as the larvae are eating ma-chines, and will munch a bunch of your plants.

I collect Mexican Milkweed from the pasture in which my friend lets me keep my horse. Monarchs and Queens will lay their eggs on these plants which will then be consumed by their larvae. These plants tend to have aphids, which I treat on a plant by plant basis. Remember, if you use lots of pesticides, you probably won’t have butterflies.

For nectar plants, you may choose Scarlet Sage, Senna, Drummond Phlox, Pentas, Verbena, Plumbago, Butterfly Bush, Horsemint, Purple Lantana or Lantana depressa (not Kamara), Partridge Pea, Firecracker, native Porterweed, Goldenrod, Coral Bean and Golden Dewdrop. You may also use Matchweed or the lowly Bidens alba (Beggar ticks), because they appeal to butterflies as much as something for which you spend your hard-earned money, but most folks consider them weeds.

One note here: If you can find no other larval food source, you may always use dill, fennel and parsley as sources for Swallowtail larvae.

Providing shelter enables butterflies to escape predators. To accomplish this, create vertical layering by using plants in different heights: ground covers, shrubs, dense bushes and small trees.

To provide water, use a shallow dish like a clay saucer and fill with coarse pine bark or stones, then fill with water. The butterflies are able to drink from between the stones or pine bark, extracting liquids and minerals through their proboscis. When you see butterflies grouped around a muddy area, they are “puddling” or drinking minerals from the soil. Most are males getting extra nutrition for mating.

You may say, “But I’m an empty nester who has down-sized and has very little yard.” Never fear! You may make a butterfly garden in a container by planting several types of nectar plants and a couple of larval host plants, with the taller plants in back and the shorter or weeping types in the front of the container. Bear in mind that container-grown plants may require water more often than plants in the ground.

Butterflies come in many different colors and sizes. But-terflies have wonderful names like Julia, Malachite, Phaon Crescent and American Painted Lady. When you see a Buck-eye on your flowering groundcover, or a feisty Red Admiral sipping from your hummingbird feeder, your gardening ef-forts will yield great satisfaction. This type of gardening is so easy that it may be accomplished in a very small area or even in a container. Planting a garden like this is a sure-fire way to achieve instant gratification with your landscape.

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Some of you old timers will remember when the Oldsmobile dealership was located in east Plant City almost across the street from Shuman’s Market. Hugh Platt and the boys would “wheel and deal” just to get another Olds on the road.

It’s hard to believe that the last Oldsmobile rolled off the Lansing, Michigan assembly line April 29, 2004. The Olds came up during the first year of World War II with the Hyra-Matic transmission. This was just what one-legged people jumped all over, because it was “clutchless” and “shiftless”. I heard Dr. Meriwether was the first doctor in the United States to write a prescription for this automobile. It seems Brandon Smith lost a leg when he fell out of a tree on Reynolds Street while watching the Strawberry Festival parade.

I was never fortunate enough to own an Olds, but as a junior in high school I did have a “Model-A” Ford. What a car! I learned a quick lesson when Earl Bone, a close class mate of mine, told me you could really get the girls’ attention if you would push in the clutch, race the motor and then flip the spark lever on the steering wheel all the way up. Crusin’ in front of the old 1914 Plant City High School in 1952 I gave it a try. With a loud bang it backfired and blew off the muffler.

Dad refused to pay for a new one, so I had to dig worms for Shorty Williams for two months so he could go fish’n at the Scout Pit in Coronet. I’ll bet I dug a wash pot full of worms to earn that $8.72 for a new muffler. Those were

the good old days when gas was twenty-five cents a gallon and fishing worms were cheap.

Now I’m a senior citizen and what it cost me to fill up my “Model-A” back then I can hardly get one gallon of gas today. I think the Amish

are the only ones that are not upset about high gas prices. If prices continue to rise it will be cheaper to buy a new car than to fill your tank.

My dad always told me to keep it under 55 miles-per-hour and I would save gas. That’s impossible on the interstate today. If I’m doing the speed limit, I’m in the way. Look for the next new gas pumps to have two slots in them. One for your credit card and another for your

401k! Some people look at the price of gas

differently. Winfred Dempsey, who keeps our yard cut in Blairsville, Georgia, sent me an e-mail of a study he made on gas price comparison. Winfred said it’s all in how you look at it. Actually gas is a good buy even at today’s price. What if you bought Lipton Ice Tea 16oz. for $1.19? That equals $9.52 a gallon. Twenty ounces of Gatorade for $1.59 = $10.17 a gallon. A quart of milk for $1.59 =

$6.32 a gallon. STP Brake Fluid 12 ounces for $3.15 = $33.60 a gallon. Vicks Nyquil 6 ounces for $8.35 = $178.13 a gallon. Whiteout, 7 ounces for $1.38 = $254.17 per gallon. Winfred said the next time you’re at the gas pump you had better be glad your car doesn’t run on Nyquil or Whiteout.

Well, that’s enough on gas. As they say, anything worth taking seriously is worth making fun of. No matter how much it cost, and no matter how bad it gets, I’m still rich at the Dollar Store.

When you become a senior citizen things seem to look different and the 10 percent senior discount at Zaxby’s makes you realize how much ground you’ve covered over the years. At my age now I am warned to slow down by a doctor instead of a policeman.

Gee, I remember when there was no TV, computers or cell phones. I wonder what today’s younger generation will tell their children they had to do without? I can recall in those early days we had our own lingo and it was nothing like today. Hey dude! Keep cool, and rap for music. No way, not for me. I can’t understand those new words.

When I was growing up things made sense. Like, let’s hit pay dirt, get it on, eat high off the hog, bustin’ a gut, moonlighting, back to the salt mines, better half, and soul mate.

We’d get hooked, tied, hitched, and have a bunch of small fries, half pints and live on cloud nine, because it was just what the doctor ordered.

Yes sir, I have gathered a lot of mileage over the years. I am

getting older than dirt, and most certainly from the old school, am an old fogey, a geezer and an old fart. I pull my droopy pants up, and wear my cap with the bill on the front. I still open doors for women. To me the first game of the football season is a religious holiday. I plan to just continue on and walk the walk, break out, percolate and call the next play as best I can with all the knowledge I have somehow gathered along the way.

Who was it that said “High Oh Silver,” “Good evening, Mr. & Mrs. America and all the ships at sea?” “Good night David, Good Night Chet.” If you can answer those questions you have an AARP card.

In spite of all those wonderful memories we live in good times today no matter how many problems seem to slip up on us. For instance, heart ailments took a tremendous toll in the 40s and 50s. Clark Gable died at the age of 59. Singer Billie Holiday and actor Ward Bond all would have had a much longer life had they had access to open-heart surgery, but that didn’t come along until the 60s.

Things continue to change, and one day the funeral homes will tell how a person died. GE will put a light in their freezers, and women will understand why men are never depressed. After all, new shoes never cut, blister, or mangle our feet. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase, and a man can do his nails with a pocket knife. I have also learned there are two theories to arguing with a woman and neither works.

In closing let me remind you that sometimes I stop to think, and forget to start again.


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Taking a $200 grant from the Farm Bureau in 1995 to start a small garden at Roosevelt Academy, teacher Ray Cruze had no idea how large things would grow. Literally grow.

Sixteen years later, what began as a small garden planted for his students to learn about agriculture, has now turned into five greenhouses, 10,000 feet of row crop production and a hydro-ponic system capable of sustaining 3,500 plants.

“No one could foresee how big things could get, but through lots of hard work and dedication with our staff and stu-dents we are proud of what we have accomplished,” Cruze said. “We live in such a fast food society today I believe in teaching our kids how things are grown from ground to the table and to help them understand the importance of food quality.”

Principal Debra Edwards loves to see the smiles on the kid’s faces. “They really take a lot of pride in what they do with the garden,” Edwards said. “We are a choice school so it is always interesting to see the reactions of the parents and kids when we take them on a tour of the campus. Many have said they can’t believe how much the place looks like Disney. We are really proud of that. It really sheds a good light and image on Roosevelt.”

Sixty students each semester keep what is known as Roos-evelt Farms up and running. From monitoring the soil pH levels, applying fertilizers and checking for fungus or other disease it

is all done by the students. Currently the farm is producing over 5,000 vegetable and herb plants, 1000 bean plants along with 800 tomato and pepper plants.

After harvesting, which the students also do, the vegetables are sold locally to places like the Lake Wales Care Center. Pro-ceeds net the school around $3,000 each growing season.

Principal Edwards says these skills will go a long way in the children’s future. “Our goal is for each child to leave here with a skill they can take into the working world and put it to use,” Edwards said. “Building life skills is part of what we want to accomplish. I love seeing the confidence they gain when their gar-den is successful and how proud they are of the work they do.”

Cruze, who is the schools Horticulture Science teacher, was one of four teachers statewide to receive a 2011 excellence in Teaching about Agriculture Award. With many accolades achieved awards mean little to Cruze. The student’s success is his reward.

“Most teachers don’t teach for individual awards,” Cruze said. “I love to see a kid who has never been around farming to take the time to learn and see their eyes light up as they become successful in their growing. These are the things which keep me coming to work everyday.”

by Mark Cook

RooseveltFarm


Persistence is the word that comes to mind when talking with Makayla Goble about her steer and the 2011 Polk County Youth Fair in which her steer won the title of Steer Weight Gain on January 27. Makayla is 16 and a student at Lake Gibson Se-nior High School in Lakeland. She has experience with showing both steers and heifers. Her love of the cattle industry has taken her to numerous shows throughout the area, and has caused her to win one of the hardest fought awards in steer showing. It is a prestigious award that starts long before the first steer is called into the show ring.

“It’s a big process,” Makayla said. “When you weigh in they want to see if your steer has changed drastically. You want to keep them on a regimen to feed them everyday.” Six scoops a day, to be exact, was what Makayla had to feed her Charolais-Maine-Anjou cross, named Brown Sugar for his golden, light tan coat. “I was going to call him ‘Teddy Bear’ but I couldn’t do that,” Makayla said with a smile. She said that he had a good tempera-ment, was easy to train, and did well in the show ring.

Winning the Steer Weight Gain award requires discipline and diligence. As Makayla said, “They mostly did this award based on the poundage they gained.” She said that they first weighed Brown Sugar on July 31 and he weighed 610 pounds. Makayla said that he had to gain four pounds a day from July to the day of the show in January, where he weighed in at 1316 pounds. But

even getting an animal with four stomachs to gain four pounds a day can be tricky, especially if the food isn’t just right or if the weather isn’t perfect. “I had to pick a feed that he liked,” Makayla said, “but he got finicky about that. I had to feed him six scoops a day but we had a hard time.” She went on to say that during the summer months, when the heat index rose, Brown Sugar’s appetite declined. Makayla then had to find a solution that would require even more work and patience. “Washing him off in the summer helped us in getting his weight up,” she said.

Makayla is the daughter of Verbon and Barb Goble. She credits her interest in steers from attending the Polk County Youth Fairs and having a cousin who also shows. “Well, I’d been to the youth fair quite a bit and I got interested in the beef indus-try, and plus my cousin shows so I’d been around cows quite a bit.”

While it is true that the first word that comes to mind when discussing the award with Makayla is persistence, it is not without it’s enjoyment. Makayla loves showing steers and is in preparation to show another one in a few weeks. She says that her favorite part of showing steers is, “In the ring when you’re entering them, and trying to catch the judges eyes with the way you’re working them.” Of course for Makayla it would be the little details of being in the ring that she would enjoy most. After all, it is easy when she makes persistence look so fun.

by Kayla Lewis

Makayla Goble Winner of Steer Weight Gain at Polk County Youth Fair

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Polk County Cattleman’s Association has chosen Miss Shel-by Freeman to represent their Industry as the 2011 Polk County Cattleman’s Sweetheart.

Shelby is a graduating senior currently dual enrolled at Lake Gibson High School in North Lakeland and as a freshman at Polk State College while maintaining a 3.6 GPA.

Shelby has enjoyed a long career in “Beef Industry” activities. She currently holds:

• 2010-2011 FFA President at Lake Gibson High School

• 2010-2011 Polk County Federation President

• 2010-2011 Polk County FFA District 8, Sub-District 2 Chairman

• 2010 Polk County Jr. Cattlemen Secre-tary

• Polk County Cattlewoman member for five years

• 2011 Polk County Cattlemen’s SweetheartShelby maintains a small Maine Anjou cow/calf

operation in North Lakeland and has participated and assisted in an Embryo Flushing/Transfer Operation during the summer of 2009 with a registered Black Angus herd.

Shelby’s presences has been felt at the Polk County Youth Fair and Florida State Fair for several years. Her accomplish-ments have been many:

• Grand Champion Steer in 2005 & 2009;

• Grand Champion Steer at the 2006 Florida Fat Steer Show;

• Reserve Grand Champion Steer in 2010 & 2011 at PCYF;

• Reserve Grand Champion Steer at the 2011 Florida Fat Steer show;

•Grand Champion Maine Anjou Heifer 2011 PCYF;• Polk County Cattlewomen’s 2010 Premiere

Exhibitor Award;• 2011 Senior Showmanship Winner PCYF

Along with a winning career in Cattle Shows, Shelby has exhibited leadership talents with a long history of involvement with Polk County FFA too numerous to mention. She also partici-pated in many Agricultural Education Clinics at the University of Florida.

Shelby rounded out her high school career with involvement in Softball, Volleyball, Christian

Athletes, French Club, Lionettes, Tribal Counsel, Relay For Life, and 2011 Lake Gibson High School

Homecoming Queen Candidate. She can be found volunteer-ing at Polk County School Board activities all over Polk County including elementary classrooms.

Shelby will travel to Marco Island in June to represent Polk County and via for the state title of “Florida Cattlemen’s Sweet-heart.”

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JUNE 4, 10, 17 & 25RALPH ALLOCCO& SECOND WINDPerforming in the Red Rose Dining Room

JUNE 11 & 24JOHNNY ALSTON’SMOTOWN

ROCK & ROLL

REVUEA dynamite crowdpleaser! P.J. Leary’sLas Vegas Soundsperform before andafter the show.

JUNE 18THEMYSTICSThe Mystics willperform their hits,including theirnumber one“Hushabye.”P.J. Leary’sLas Vegas Soundsperform before and after the show.

JULY 1BOBBYPALERMOBobby Palermo brings youa night full of humor,impersonations and highenergy audience interaction.Bobby has received numer-ous National Awards andhas been selected TampaBay’s Entertainer of theYear – 2 years in row!Destiny will open and close the show.

JULY 2, 8, 16, 29 & 30RALPH ALLOCCO& SECOND WINDPerforming in the Red Rose Dining Room

JULY 9 & 29JOHNNY ALSTON’SMOTOWN


JULY 15COVER TO COVERThe trio covers the top hits from yesterday totoday! Also, P.J. Leary’s Las Vegas Soundsperform before and after the show.

JULY 22RICHIEMERRITTRichie Merritt, formallyof the Marcels, will beperforming in the RedRose Dining Room.

AUGUST 5COVER TO COVERThe trio covers the top hits from yesterday totoday! Also, P.J. Leary’s Las Vegas Soundsperform before and after the show.

AUGUST 6, 12, 19 & 27RALPH ALLOCCO& SECOND WINDPerforming in the Red Rose Dining Room

AUGUST 13 & 26JOHNNY ALSTON’SMOTOWN


Please call for ticket pricesShow Guests - inquire about our special room rates when staying overnight after a show!

RRose_AprSpread:Layout 1 5/6/11 11:35 AM Page 2

A fourth generation cattle rancher, “Strick” as he is well known to many, and his wife, Renee’ Toussaint Strickland, call Myakka home, but their business interests and personal likes find them at home at many different locations around the world. Jim’s son, JJ, an alumnus of Texas A & M, is a Captain in the 3rd Special Forces Group, currently stationed in Afghanistan.

Rene owns TNT Title Searching, providing a range of ser-vices to a number of governmental entities within Florida. She also manages Strickland Ranch and Exports, which special-izes in the exportation of livestock and agricultural products worldwide. Most recently, Renee was named manager of the Parrish Equestrian Center, an equestrian facility recently acquired on 200 acres just east of Parrish. The property has a clubhouse, 100 horse stalls, several show rings and other amenities. The Strickland’s are finalizing specific plans for the future of the operation, “but it will have an equestrian focus since Renee has long been involved in a variety of horse-related pursuits from rodeoing and polo to fox hunting,” said Jim, who in addition to his cattle ranch expertise is also an agricul-tural appraiser.

Jim grew up “in the saddle” and enjoyed his upbringing as a cowboy since it gave him a deep appreciation and under-standing for the industry from a very early age. He and his father ran cattle on leased land stretching over five counties. Tragedy struck Jim and his mother, Eleanor, when he was 18. His father, Hiram, passed away and Jim took over the opera-tion of his family’s cattle and citrus business.

Renee’s father was the manager of Babcock Ranch, one of the largest ranches in Florida, containing over 90,000 acres that, at that time, had thousands of mama cows. She grew up riding and working on the ranch with her father.

Today, Renee and Jim have a commercial Brangus herd and a small herd of “cracker cattle” on their ranch in south-west Florida.

Strickland has a long and distinguished career of service to agriculture, cattle ranching and the community. In addition to his current position with FCA, he is the National Cattle-men’s Beef Association Board member for Florida, a Farm Bureau board member, Farm Bureau Beef Advisory Committee member and member of the Farm Bureau international trade task force. Jim also sits on the Manatee Agriculture Museum board and he is a member of the advisory board of the Uni-versity of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Ona Range Cattle Research facility. He is a Baptist and is an emeritus director of the Manatee River Fair Board.

Renee is currently the Secretary/Treasurer of the Livestock Exporters association of the U.S. and also chairman of the Florida Cattlemen’ Association Foreign Trade subcommittee.

Strickland notes that the accomplishments and direction of any FCA president relies “a lot on planning and determin-ing your appointments well before your year in office begins.” In that regard he sat down very early on with his vice presi-dent and FCA’s president-elect Don Quincey of Chiefland and “together we outlined what we wanted to achieve over the next

two years and this was manifest in our appointments. Don, who is smarter than me, endorsed and supported all of this. I must emphasize that much, if not all, of these ideas came from many people to help assure our as-sociation will meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.”

Recognizing the benefit of continuity in programming, Strickland sought and received two year commitments from his executive board and committee chairs. “This type of suc-cession planning is in the best interest of the association and its members. I am fortunate that Don and I have worked as a team,” said Strickland.

Continuing with his commitment to collaboration, Jim enlisted the help of the UF/IFAS Public Information and Edu-cation Center (PIE) to foster continuation of the association’s legacy. “I sincerely appreciate and applaud the hard work and achievement of past association leaders,” said Strickland. “I wanted to be sure that our next steps reflected what our leader-ship and members wanted from us.” He is particularly grate-ful to PIE’s Dr. Tracy Irani and Christy Chiaralli. Strickland also involved the FCA Membership and Public Relations com-mittees, as well as the Florida Cattlewomen to help determine association assets, problems and member needs.

“With PIE’s help we did a survey through our magazine and online. I am pleased with the level of participation we had since the survey findings had to reflect levels of participa-tion that we could project over the entire membership so our efforts would be on target.” It was during the process that Strickland realized “cowboys and computers do mix” when he determined the FCA website has on average 5,000 new visitors each month, not counting member visits.

Florida Cattlemen’s Association President Jim Strickland will tell you straightaway, “the association is what it is not because of who is president, but because of the many devoted and smart people who have, are and will work hard to make it happen.”

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“This told me our members and others keep abreast of the association via our website, and we had to recognize that in our outreach,” he said. This led to a revamping of the website, a bi-weekly email for quick updating of members on important news and important information they should have in both words and pictures, as well as video. “I am also the first FCA president with my own Facebook page and I owe my thanks for this to both Hillary Webb, a past Florida FFA president and Erin Best. Hillary is an invaluable help with my Facebook presence and Erin has made our website enhancements possible.” In case you are wondering, Strick has over 2,000 Facebook “friends” and that number is growing.

“Keeping website information fresh and continually updat-ing our members via email is critical,” said Strickland. “Our team is doing this and that is precisely what we need as we lever-age the strong history of FCA into the future.”

Case in point would be Strickland’s recent testimony on be-half of the FCA and NCBA with respect to the state of the beef industry before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture, Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry. His remarks reflected national issues, including conservation and the environment, trade, research, energy, taxes, transportation and marketing as they relate to the industry and its future.

“Shortly after my testimony was given, the FCA social media team had content available on the FCA website and others were offering feeds of video via YouTube and Facebook. That is amazing, but precisely what we need to have our message com-municated effectively to those we represent and those who can assist us as we plan for the future.”

Strickland also takes pride in the achievements of FCA with

respect to youth. “We have the proven best youth organization. It is vibrant, encouraging and successful thanks to the hard work of its leadership. We swept the awards at Denver,” he noted. “And that’s because we have the best, most devoted people in whatever committee or program we have taken on.”

“I am like any other FCA president. We have all taken what is good and tried to make it better. And that is all of us, FCA, our youth and the women of our association. Working together we are building upon the legacy of those who have come before us.”

“Let us never forget that cattle ranching had its beginnings in Florida and through all of our efforts at FCA, the industry will continue with a strong and vibrant future.”

For more information on the Florida Cattlemen’s Associa-tion visit www.floridacattlemen.org.

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2011 CONVENTION SCHEDULE

11

MONDAY, JUNE 20, 2011 8a.m-10:00p.m Trade Show Exhibitor Move In 1:00 p.m. Sweetheart Contestant Meeting/Media Training 6p.m.-8p.m YCC Tour Participation Reception

TUESDAY, JUNE 21, 2011 8:00 a.m.-4:00p.m. Registration 8:00-12 p.m. Trade Show Exhibitors Move In 8:00 a.m. Sweetheart Power Point Presentations Open to everyone 8:30-12:30 p.m. FCA Executive Committee Meeting & Luncheon 9:00 a.m. FCW Executive Committee Meeting & Luncheon 8:00 a.m. Sweetheart Power Point Presentations 10:00 a.m. Florida Grazing Lands Coalition Meeting 10:00 a.m. Seedstock Meeting 11:00 a.m. State Fair Committee Meeting 12:00 p.m Jr. Member Photography Entries Due 1:00 p.m. SILENT AUCTION OPENS 1:00 p.m. Opening General Session/ Committee Meetings (OPEN TO ALL FCA, FCW, & JFCA MEMBERS) Call to Order: Jim Strickland, President, Myakka City; Invocation/Pledge Allegiance to the Flag: Don Quincey, President-Elect, Chiefland 1:45 -5 p.m. Committee Meetings: Agricultural Research & Education Animal Health & Inspection Environmental, Private Lands Mgmt. Marketing, Grading & Food Policy Public Relations 1:45-2:45 p.m. Youth Committee Meeting (County adult and Junior member delegates) 2:00 p..m. FCW Welcoming Reception 2:00 p.m. Allied Meeting (Mandatory - All Trade Show Exhibitors) 2:30 p.m. Historical Board 3:00 p.m. Membership Committee Mtg 3:00 p.m. Jr. FCA's Educational Seminar (Beef Ambassadors &

Junior Members) 4:30 p.m. Allied Members' Trade Show Opening Reception Courtesy of Allied Trade Show Exhibitors Host: Brent Lawrence Allied Chairman 5:30-8:00 p.m. Trade Show Opens - Cash Bars in Show Area 7:30 p..m. Youth Quiz Bowl

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22, 2011 7:00 a.m. FCA Exec. Board, County Presidents & State Directors Breakfast 7:00 a.m. Youth Contests Finals 8:00 a.m. - 4:00pm Registration 8:00am-5pm Silent Auction 8:30 a.m. FCA Board of Directors' Meeting Call to Order: Jim Strickland, President, Myakka City; Invocation/Pledge Allegiance to the flag: Don Quincey, President-Elect, Chiefland; FCW Report: Wendy Petteway, President, Florida CattleWomen, Inc., Zolfo Springs; Tallahassee Report: Sam Ard, Dir. Of

Gov. Affairs, Tallahassee; Florida Beef Council Report, Roger Butler; NCBA President Report; ANCW President Report; FCA Sweetheart Report, Kelly Davis 9:00-11:30 a.m. FCW Board of Directors/ General Membership Meeting 10:00 a.m. Junior Team Marketing Contest 12:00 noon Youth Appreciation Luncheon Invocation Presentation of Outstanding CattleWoman Florida Cattleman & Livestock Journal Premier Awards Florida State Fair Awards JFCA Awards Introduction of Sweethearts: Sweetheart Chairman: Kim Strickland 1:30-4 p.m. Trade Show Open 4:00 p.m. Youth Leadership Seminar 5:00 p.m. Cattlemen’s Reception 6:00 p.m. Cattlemen's Supper 7:00 p.m. Presentation of Sweethearts: Kim Strickland 7:30 p.m. Sweetheart Coronation: Commissioner of Agriculture, Adam Putnam 7:45 p.m. Honorary Directors / CowMan / CowWoman; Presentations: FCA President Jim Strickland and Commissioner of Agriculture, Adam Putnam 8:00 p.m. Bull Auction - Tommy Barnes, Auctioneer 9:00 p.m. Junior Dance 9:00 p.m. Dance

THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2011 7:00 a.m. FCA Past Presidents/Executive Committee Breakfast 7:00 a.m. FCW Membership Breakfast 8:00-12:00pm Registration (Registration Closes at Noon) 8:00-10 a.m. Silent Auction (Bids Close 10am) 8:30 a.m. General Membership Meeting Call to Order: Jim Strickland, Myakka City; Invocation/ Pledge of Allegiance: Don Quincey, President-Elect, Chiefland Election of FCA Officers for 2011-2012 Speakers: TBA Researcher of the Year Report 11:00-3 p.m. Silent Auction Item Pickup 11:45 a.m. Golf Departures for Tournament 11:30am FCW Officers, Past Presidents and Chairs Luncheon 1:00 p.m. Volleyball Tournament 6:00 p.m. President's Reception 7:00 p.m. Banquet (Dress: Evening Attire) Special Drawings & Awards; President’s and President- Elect's Remarks; Guest Speaker - TBA 9:00 p.m. Dance 9:00 p.m. Junior Dance

Not all sponsors and events were available at press time. Schedule and meeting times subject to change

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“We want to continue to operate the ranch as we have since 2006 with income derived from the sale of animals, hay and Bahia seed,” said Florida Wildlife Ranch partner Dr. Stephen Wehrmann in reference to the application recently filed with Polk County government. “We seek to engage in basic, simple agritourism farm tours to supplement ranch income,” he added. This application seeks a text amendment to the county’s Land Development Code, which would clarify agritourism applications not only for Florida Wildlife Ranch, but any applicant seeking to engage in agritourism in the county. It is anticipated the applica-tion will be acted upon by this summer.

Small farms are under tremendous economic pressure to survive. More than 5,000 small farms have been lost since 1995. Approximately 10,000 acres per year are lost to urban develop-ment. The high cost of farm land, escalating taxes and opera-tional costs and mounting development pressures make it dif-ficult for traditional cattle ranches and farms to make ends meet.

“Agritourism allows small farms to generate some additional income and diversify their income sources, green, open space is maintained, wildlife habitats are preserved. Rural jobs are a plus for the local economy. As former Ag Commissioner Bronson has said, the more people are exposed to farm life, the more likely they will support Ag issues. The value of educating and exposing the public to rural activities and agricultural practices cannot be overestimated,” Wehrmann added.

Broadly defined, agritourism involves any agriculturally based operation or activity that brings visitors to a farm or ranch. Agritourism may be a relatively new term, but the concept is as old as agriculture itself. Some traditional activities would include hunting and fishing leases, u-pick farms, ranch tours, horseback riding, and hay rides. It has different definitions in different parts of the world, and some places include staying at a bed and breakfast on a farm, learning about wine and cheese-making, and navigating a corn maze.

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Florida Wildlife Ranch, located in the Green Swamp north of Lakeland, is a 260 acre licensed game ranch. It consists of 200 acres of pastures and 50 acres of hayfields. It is owned by Dr. Wehrmann, a veterinarian who resides and owns a veterinary hospital in Pinellas County, and Lex Salisbury, who operates Giraffe Ranch in Pasco County. Visitors to that operation may view exotic and indigenous animals on a ranch north of Dade City. The partners’ plans for Safari Wild, a more intense wildlife attraction, were denied by Florida’s Department of Community Affairs in 2010.

“Our ranch under our revised plans would be a model for low impact, environmentally friendly and responsible land use,” said Wehrmann. “Our mission would be to educate people about the Green Swamp and the importance of the surrounding aquifer with a specific commitment to allow Polk County children on site for field trips so they could learn about our animals, eco-friendly ranching, and conservation,” he said. The operation would also provide opportunities for internships and mentoring of students in exotic livestock care, medicine and husbandry fields. It is also estimated that the operation would provide approximately 30

jobs in an economically depressed, rural area.Though at first glance, the Wildlife Ranch operation looks

like many nearby cattle operations, the varieties of species at the ranch are unique. In addition to 40 head of registered Dexter cattle, 15 Watusi cattle, 10 Haflinger horses, water buffalo, cam-els and zebra, the ranch has several species of antelope and deer. Among them are kudu, waterbuck, eland, impala, springbok, and gazelles. Deer species include axis, fallow and barasingha. The animals are grouped together in large, open pastures based on compatibility and nutritional requirements. “The setup is very similar to a traditional cow-calf operation,” said Dr. Wehrmann. “We are building our herds and developing some good breeding stock.”

Running the ranch is truly a family affair. Dr. Wehrmann and his wife, Susan, help run the day to day operations and do the feeding and tend to the ranch every weekend. “It’s our little slice of heaven. People who visit the ranch always comment on the beauty and solitude of the property and the magnificent ani-mals coexisting in large natural settings.”

Florida Wildlife Ranch Seeks Code Amendment to Offer Agritourismby Jim Frankowiak


The Florida Cattlemen’s Association (FCA) and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) recently teamed to file a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “Water Quality Standards for the State of Florida’s Lakes and Flowing Waters” rule, commonly referred to as Numeric Nutri-ent Criteria (NNC). According to Tamara Theis, NCBA Chief Environmental Counsel, the cattlemen are asking the U.S. District Court to set aside and hold unlawful the ruling “because they are arbitrary, capricious, go beyond EPA’s statutory authority and are in violation of the Administrative Procedures Act.” The cattle-men are also asking the court to stop EPA from further action due to the “irreparable harm Florida agricultural producers will suffer if the agency’s actions are not stopped.”

A “numeric standard” defines the maximum allowable nutri-ent (e.g., nitrogen and/or phosphorus) concentration in a water body. Nutrient level concentrations that exceed the numeric standard could be harmful to the water body, and reaching these concentrations may cause the water body to become “impaired.” Florida currently has a “narrative standard” for nutrients, mean-ing that the amount of phosphorus and nitrogen cannot disturb the flora or fauna. Environmental groups sued EPA in federal court, claiming that DEP had failed to adequately control nutri-ents. The court agreed and EPA commenced rulemaking, even though DEP was near completion of its own numeric nutrient criteria rule.

As a result, in November of 2010, the EPA signed into rule the “Water Quality Standards for the State of Florida’s Lakes and Flowing Waters” for Florida’s inland waters. Parts of the rule were effective as of February, 2011. The remainder of the rule is effective as of March 6, 2012. The rule replaces Florida’s exist-ing narrative nutrient criteria with a numeric value for nutrient

criterion. The final standards set numeric limits on the amount of nutrient pollution allowed in Florida’s inland waters.

There are legal and scientific challenges to EPA’s numeric nutrient criteria rule. The ruling has created a great deal of controversy among stakeholders throughout the state, including local governments, utilities, businesses, agricultural producers, and others who are concerned that compliance with the proposed criteria may be impossible to achieve and may cause significant economic damages.

The economic impacts and compliance costs of implement-ing the EPA’s numeric nutrient criteria will be significant for Florida’s agricultural industry. According to EPA estimates, the annual cost for compliance in Florida agriculture is $34.8 million. The Florida Department of Agriculture (FDACS) and University of Florida/IFAS estimate that number to range from $271 to $974 million.

Because of EPA’s action, agricultural producers are en-couraged to implement the FDACS adopted Best Management Practices (BMP’s) for water quality and quantity. Regardless of EPA’s numeric nutrient water quality criteria, current state law gives a presumption of compliance with water quality standards to agricultural producers who enroll in and implement FDACS adopted BMP’s. Producers that implement BMP’s demonstrate agriculture’s commitment to water resource protection and help maintain support for this non-regulatory approach to meeting water quality and conservation goals.

For additional information on EPA’s numeric nutrient water quality criteria view the UF/IFAS publication #SL316 at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss528.

FDACS BMPs visit www.floridaagwaterpolicy.com or call (850) 617-1727.

Cattlemen Oppose EPA’s Numeric Nutrient Criteria by Bridget Carlisle, Livestock Extension Agent II

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Six IFAS Faculty Named UF Research Foundation Professors for 2011

Six Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences faculty members are among the 33 named UF Research Foundation Professors for 2011-2014.

They are: Rafael Muñoz-Carpena, associate professor in agricultural and biological engineering; Natália Peres, associ-ate professor in plant pathology, Gulf Coast REC; Fred Gmit-ter, professor in horticultural sciences, Citrus REC; James Marois, professor in plant pathology, North Florida REC; George Casella, distinguished professor in statistics, and James Jawitz, associate professor in soil and water science.

The recognition goes to faculty members who have a distinguished record of research and a strong research agenda that is likely to lead to continuing distinction in their fields.

The UFRF Professors were recommended by their college deans based on nominations from their department chairs,

personal statements and evaluations of their recent research accomplishments as evidenced by publications in scholarly journals, external funding, honors and awards, development of intellectual property and other measures appropriate to their fields of expertise.

“These nominating documents invariably use phrases like ‘cutting edge,’ ‘innovative,’ and ‘most productive’ to describe these researchers’ work,” said Win Phillips, UF’s vice presi-dent for research. “They — and hundreds of others like them — are the reason we have been able to move into the top tier of research universities nationally.”

The three-year award includes a $5,000 annual salary supplement and a one-time $3,000 grant.

The professorships are funded from the university’s share of royalty and licensing income on UF-generated products.

by Jim Frankowiak


These Winter Haven FFA members planted tabebuia trees (aka trumpet tree) at Lake Hartridge Park on April 6 to help prepare the City of Winter Haven to celebrate its centennial. The tree planting event was coordinated through the city’s landscaping division and provided the tools and water for the trees. The students were able to get hands-on experience in transplanting trees by digging the holes, taking the trees from the containers, and properly positioning them while filling the holes with water and soil. The kids not only learned

lessons about tree planting but also about employability skills. The city personnel were so impressed with our students’ enthusiasm, abil-ity and behavior that they asked if any of them might want to come to work for them one day. The FFA members who volunteered their time to participate in this worthwhile event are Travis Weldon, Trev-or McKenzie, Erin Dugger, Danielle Abrams, Brittany Woodward, Dana Towles, Cheyenne Chancy, Justin Ferio, and Tyler Westgate.

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WEED AlErt:MikAniA MicrAnthA DEtEctED in South FloriDA

The Division of Plant Industry at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services issued a request to Floridians to be on the look out for Mikania micrantha, an invasive weed recently identi-fied in Florida.

Mikania micrantha, also known as climbing hempweed, is considered noxious, or harmful, by international standards. It thrives in warm and humid environments and can grow almost one-half meter per week. As a rapidly growing climbing vine, it can smother and overwhelm other small plants and even large trees.

Recently detected in the Redlands area of Miami-Dade County, the weed is a significant threat to agricultural and envi-ronmental areas. This plant is present on roadsides and woodlots, in several nurseries and in numerous residential landscapes. Left uncontrolled, it can cover areas in only a few months and quickly spread to agricultural and natural areas.

Due to early detection of the weed, it is possible to slow the spread and potential destruction to Florida’s agricultural and natural areas. The Division of Plant Indus-try formed a task force with representatives from agriculture and environmental agen-cies on the state and federal level, as well as non-profit organizations, to address survey, management, research and outreach efforts.

The Division of Plant Industry also en-tered into a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to engage

the public in efforts to stop the spread of this destructive weed. The Division produced an online video to educate the public on how to identify and manage Mikania micrantha. In addition, they distributed informational materials to properties in high-risk areas. The Division of Plant Industry requests individuals who believe they have identified the plant in their area to call 1-888-397-1517.

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egg layers for the US are produced in North Lakeland and at one time they were the number one export out of Tampa.”

Not only does Brittany hope to one day run the farm, but she also wants to educate kids on “aquaculture to show them a different kind of agriculture,” and so 4H, FFA, home school and preschool groups come out to visit their farm. The FFA Federa-tion Officers come every year, too. Recently UF brought, “veteri-nary students, marine biologists and professors from all over the world to the farm. They had a conference and broke them into groups to visit different aquaculture businesses,” she explains.

Contrary to popular belief due to her success, Brittany didn’t always want to be a fish farmer. “Before Dad bought the fish farm, I wanted to be an attorney, but this is better. He taught me to brush my teeth and wear shoes, I only do one,” she says with a

smile as she holds up her bare feet. One glance to the left and you realize the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Ray’s feet are bare, too. He shrugs, “you’re always getting them wet out here.”

Brittany Quillen is not your typical 24 year old, having started her career at the ripe old age of 13 when her father retired from 25 years as a truck driver and used his retirement money to purchase three acres of land intent on starting a fish farm. They contacted a fish breeder with 30 years of experience and he became their mentor, in fact he still works with them. Four years after the initial purchase, Ray, Brittany’s dad, bought the 20 acre spread where their farm, Urban Tropical, is now located.

Brittany says she does “ev-erything from taxes to bringing in fish,” on the farm and her dad admits, “We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her. She’s saved us a lot of money in research and business relation-ships.” Obviously her talents have not gone unnoticed. Appar-ently, the Florida Tropical Fish Farm Association (FTFFA), in which they are both members, is hoping to get her on their Board of Directors. They’ve been having her sit in on meetings and have been introducing her to the owners of other farms. While she wants to help the association and benefit the other farms, she is concerned with time constraints (she’s only 24 after all and must make room for fishing trips on her day off, not to mention the care of the house she bought last year).

Urban Tropical raises ornamental fish. Their focus is on angel fish, tetras, barbs and fancy plecostomus. They “spawn some species of fish that no other commercial farms are doing in large quantities like the HY511 Tetra,” Brittany explains. All of their fish are egg layers, which makes for a more intense farming process and requires more scientific procedures. The fish have to be sexed and the pH constantly

monitored. Most farms only sell mix-colored angel fish but now, according to Brittany, Urban Tropical can do “straight-color fish, silver, gold and black. You create a new market with each color you can produce.” The market must be pretty good consider-

ing the fact that they sold 2.5 million fish last year and 1 million of those were angel fish. Ray adds that, “ornamental aquaculture can produce more money per acre than any other crop.”

Given the fact that they have 472 pairs of angel breed-ers, 106 outdoor ponds, 500 indoor 220 gallon vats and 38 indoor 1000 gallon tubs on their 20 acres, there’s no doubt the money making potential is there. However, it’s not all

easy. Brittany says, “This is a crop that’s hard to produce because we’re bringing in non-native species, they get diseases, parasites, bacteria, bugs, plus we have to deal with predators, birds and otters. Predators spread disease from pond to pond and farm to farm. It’s hard to raise tropical fish when Florida isn’t always tropical weather.” Which is a point noted by Washington’s Under Secretary of Agriculture who visited their farm in March. He’d never been to a fish farm but visited a few in the area, “due to se-vere ornamental fish farm devastation that started in ’09 because the freezes killed tons of fish.”

Urban Tropical is a whole-sale fish farm. They’ve used the same distributors based in Tampa and Miami for years. Every week Brittany sends those distributors an avail-ability list and when they order they’re shipped a 300 pack of fish that they break up and send to customers like Wal-Mart. “Some of our fish go to Brazil and Holland,” Brittany said and Ray adds some interesting bits of trivia. “The majority of

by Ginny Mink

WomanIN AGRICULTURE

Brittany Quillen

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

GuavasConsidered a “superfruit” for its impressive nutrition profile, gua-

vas are a tropical fruit with a mild, sweet flavor. Guavas may have thick or thin skins, depending upon the variety. Skin color is light green to yellow and the flesh may be white, yellow, pink or red. The fruit is usually oval in shape with small edible seeds inside. Fresh guava is delicious out of hand, but is also commonly used in juice, jams, jellies, paste, marmalade, desserts, and pastries. In the United States, com-mercial guava production is found in Florida, California, and Hawaii. Though harvested in Florida year-round, the peak season is during the summer months. You may start to see them in farmers markets and grocery stores this month.

Nutritional ProfileAccording to the United States Department of Agriculture

(USDA) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, a 100g portion of fresh guava (about 1.5 medium fruits) contains 68 calories, 2.55g of protein, 0.95 g of fat, 14.3 g of carbohydrate, and 5.4 g of fiber. It provides a whopping 396% of the Daily Reference Intake for vitamin C, 21% for vitamin A, 14% for dietary fiber, 12.5% for folate, 9% for potassium, and significant amounts of magnesium, manga-nese, phosphorus, calcium, B vitamins and iron. That’s a big mouth-ful of nutrients in this tropical treat!

Vitamin CGuava is an excellent source of the antioxidant vitamin C, provid-

ing roughly four times the amount in an average orange. One serving of this fruit provides almost 400% of your daily needs! Most of the vitamin is concentrated in the outer rind. Scientific studies have shown that regular consumption of fruits rich in vitamin C helps the body fight off infectious agents, resulting in fewer colds, or colds of shorter duration. This antioxidant also neutralizes harmful free radicals from the body. Antioxidants may reduce the risk of some diseases, includ-ing several forms of cancer. Additionally, vitamin C is essential for col-lagen synthesis in the body. Collagen is the main structural protein in the body required for maintaining the integrity of blood vessels, skin, organs, and bones.

Dietary FiberOne serving of guava provides 14% of your daily fiber needs,

which helps keep your digestive system running smoothly. The fiber also helps to protect the membrane of the colon from cancer and other conditions by speeding up transit time through the gut. Fiber can also help lower cholesterol, assist with digestion, and prevent constipation. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, a diet high in fiber may decrease the risk of several types of cancer including co-lon, rectum, breast, and pancreas. A single serving of fresh guava pro-vides 14% of the daily value for fiber, which has been shown to reduce high cholesterol levels, which in turn helps prevent atherosclerosis. Fi-ber can also help maintain steady blood sugar levels.

Vitamin AGuava is also a very good source of vitamin A and beta carotene.

Vitamin A also acts as an antioxidant and is essential for optimum health. This vitamin plays an important role in maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Guava, and other foods rich in vitamin A, may also be beneficial for lung health. Researchers at Kansas State University discovered that carcinogens in cigarette smoke may deplete the body’s stores of vitamin A, and increase the likelihood of develop-ing emphysema and lung cancer. They also discovered that a diet rich in vitamin A can reduce the risk of emphysema in smokers.

How to Select and StoreChoose fresh guava with smooth, intact skin free of cuts, bruises

or patches. Ripe guavas have a fragrant aroma that may be strong or mild and pleasant. The shells of ripe fruit should yield to gentle pres-sure. Unripe guavas can be ripened at room temperature until they yield to gentle pressure. Ripe guavas can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days. Guava may also be stored in the freezer for up to a year.

Guava is commonly found as a paste, juice, or nectar, which is used in recipes for desserts, syrups, sauces, or beverages. It can be used in pies, cakes, pastries, puddings, sauce, ice cream, sorbet, jam, mar-malade, chutney, relish, and other products.

Enjoy GuavasWhile guavas are sweet and delicious eaten out of hand, other

serving ideas include:• Cut guava in half. Remove seeds and fill the guava shells with

cottage cheese. • Toss guava chunks into a fruit salad• Use guava chunks in a crisp or cobbler. • Make guava shortcake (in the same way as strawberry short-

cake) • Use guava sauce to top pudding, cake, or ice cream. • Add guava juice or nectar to punch or carbonated water. • Use guava juice to make sorbet or popsicles.• Stew guava and serve with cream cheese.With so many ways to enjoy this delicious fruit, eat more fresh

Florida guavas as they come into season this month. These locally grown treats are sweet and juicy, low in calories, and a wealth of vita-mins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Selected Referenceshttp://www.whfoods.comhttp://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/guava.html

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Insectary plants are plants that attract beneficial insects. Creating a section of land dedicated to attracting beneficial insects will provide nectar and pollen resources for the natural enemies of pest insects and add the benefit of having additional pollinators work your garden or fields. According to a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) study, beneficial insects were as much as ten times more abundant and the mortality of scale insects doubled in insectary plantings. Furthermore, the findings demonstrated that once established, the population of beneficial insects near the insectary plantings did not diminish significantly even when the plants were removed mechanically.

There are lists of Florida insectary plants suitable for specific species peppered throughout the internet. Generally, low growing herbs such as thyme, rosemary, mint and parsley provide a habitat for insects such as ground beetles. Daisies, chamomile, and mints will entice predatory wasps, hoverflies and robber flies (yay!) and nearly all aromatic plants in the Apiaceae family are good choices. Having the right plants is only a beginning. If you have children, they can help design your insectary by creating bundles of paper straws for the bees, hornets, and wasps to nest in, keep them somewhere dry. Wooden blocks with holes drilled in them serve the same purpose and don’t have to be replaced as often. Bird houses can be made or bought and scattered through the insectary like scarecrows. Rocks and sticks should be placed near the bee and wasp area for basking. There should be variety within the insectary, sandy, vegetation free areas will be preferred by the robber flies while wooden panels set parallel to the ground will become home to bumble bees, and hornets. There should also be gentle slopes within the habitat that stay well drained.

The Sarasota County Extension Office has produced an excellent guide to insectary plants, a very minimal list from that source is included below. Your insectary will of course include plants that will meet your needs. Remember that many of the beneficial insects will remain even after the plants have died off. There is no harm in experimenting with a variety of plants throughout the year and witnessing the dynamic drama of nature. Do not fear failure, balance is nearly infallible when we keep our poisons out of the mix. Most importantly, enjoy the show. This project has much to offer anyone that is truly interested in learning firsthand the behavioral patterns of our native insects that make ecology work.

SuggeSted MaterialS:• Bundle of paper straws

• Wooden blocks with drilled holes

• Bird houses

• Assorted sizes of rocks

•Wooden panels

As springtime blossoms into summertime with a potpourri of flowering plants, the familiar chorus of emerging insects fills the air with the drama of ecology. Nature does not play favor-ites when it comes to predator and prey interactions. In the insect world, life is a vicious game of supply and demand and at no other time of the year is this balance more significant than sum-mertime. Our warm tropical summers create ideal conditions for insect populations to ex-plode. We regard an insect as a pest, from a subjective perspective defined by its potential to disrupt hu-man interests. When our food, shelter, or health is threatened, we demonize the species and eliminate it at all costs, often with unreasoned consideration and sometimes devastat-ing results. More often than not, our own misun-derstanding or disregard of ecologic function is at least partially responsible for creating the pest prob-lems we seek to eliminate. This month, we will take a closer look at a fascinating opportu-nistic feeder, the Bee-Like Robber Fly (Laphria).

True flies belong to an order of insects known as Diptera and are distinguished by having only two wings rather than four wings common in other insects that contain the word “fly” such as Dragonfly, Butterfly, Firefly, etc. Their second sets of wings have developed into small ball like organs called halters located just under the base of their wings and are believed to act as flight stabilizers. Included in the order of Diptera is the Asilidae fam-ily, commonly known as the Robber Fly. With over 7,000 species known worldwide, this family of insects is one of the largest and most abundant groups of insects in existence, more than 100 spe-cies of which have populations in Florida. Robber flies all share characteristically thick legs, bearded face (mystax), and three simple eyes set in a dimple between their larger compound eyes. The Bee-Like Robber Flies (Laphria) could easily be mistaken for a bumble bee were it not for key behavioral characteristics sepa-rating the two. If you see what appears to be a bumble bee sitting on a leaf, it’s probably a robber fly. Bumble bees do not stay still for long, and certainly not perched on a leaf. Robber flies will claim a perching zone that is in an ideal location to ambush po-tential prey, typically in open, sunny locations. They attack their prey by diving down on it, grasping it with their legs, and in mid-

flight injecting them with saliva that contains a neurotoxin. The prey is immobilized and liquefied so the robber fly can return to its perch to drink its meal through its straw like mouth.

Robber flies are known for their predatory behavior and are fun to watch if you find their perching site. Because they have such an enormous appetite and will feed on nearly anything that flies in front of it, robber flies are formidable contributors to main-

taining a natural balance. They will attack grass-hoppers, spiders, and even dragonflies. Long bristles of mystax beard their face protecting them from sting-ing insects like bees and wasps, which for some spe-cies are the preferred diet of Laphria. Much of their prey, however consist of plant feeding insects, and are therefore quite a wel-come visitor to crops. The robber fly is an opportunis-tic feeder and will feed on whatever is most abundant. According to studies, 85 percent of their diet con-

sists of other Diptera (flies), Coleoptera (Beetles), Hymenoptera (wasps & bees), Homoptera (scale insects, cicada, leafhoppers), and Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies)

Asilidae prefer sunny, dry, sandy areas that have enough veg-etation to support the greatest population of insects from which to feed. Females will deposit masses of white eggs on grasses or protective crevices within the soil or decaying wood. Once hatched, the larvae live in the soil and feed on the buried eggs of grasshoppers or the larvae of wood boring or soft bodied in-sects. The larvae pupate in the soil, emerging after as long as a three year development cycle. The Bee-Like Robber Fly (Laphira) is probably the less common find and a real treat to watch. Other species are just as effective as Laphira, but the bee mimic just looks way cooler and is large enough to see clearly. Should you find one, don’t try to capture it with your bare hands. From what I have read they have a pretty nasty bite. Ideally attracting a few of these barbarians of the insect world to your yard or farm would balance your efforts to keep intruders to a minimum. The Laph-ria have an appetite for Hymenoptera (Wasps & Bees) and are a welcome attendee for those desiring to eliminate nesting paper wasps. If you have an apiary, it will not be a favorable arrange-ment if you want live bees.

A Closer Look: Bee-like robber Fly (laphria)

By Sean GreenPhoto Credit April Wietrecki

a Closer look: Bee-like robber Fly (laphria)

Naturally Amazing ActivitiesCreate an InseCtary

by Sean Green

Predator insect insectary Plant

Lacewings, Aphidius, Ladybugs Achillea filipendulina

Pirate Bugs, Beneficial Mites Helianthus annulus

Parasitic Wasps, Hoverflies, Tachnid Flies Petroselinum crispum

Pirate Bugs, Aphidius SunflowersSource: http://sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu/AG/Farmscaping%20Small%20Farms.pdf


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Have you noticed a surge in interest in canning fruits and vegetables?

UF/IFAS Polk County Extension will host two classes with Dr. Mary Keith of UF/IFAS Hillsborough County Extension for demonstration of proper canning. May 20 will feature how to properly can using a pressure cooker for vegetables and meats and a September 7 class will demonstrate proper canning using a water bath process for sweet spreads and pickles.

Each class is limited to 35 participants and those with small farms will have preference to the first 30 seats. FDACS Regulatory information for small farms compliance with canning food for sale will also be provided.

All classes will show complete processing procedures, use of equipment and answer all your questions. Directions, recipes and resource lists will be available to take home. Pressure canner dials can be tested, bring yours. You’ll go home ready to start canning!

Developing Potential Polk Small FarmsPressure Canning Demonstration: Home Canning of Vegetables

Class DetailsWhen: Friday, May 20, 2011, 9 AM-1PM and Wednesday, September 7, 2011, 9 AM-1PMWhere: Polk County Extension Service, 1702 S Hwy 17 S., Bartow, Fl 33831Cost: $10Register: On the calendar page of \http://polksmallfarms.comContact: Mary Beth Henry at 863-519-8677 or [email protected]: May 20 Preserve vegetables, meats and seafood safely at home! Whether you raise or catch your own or buy from someone else, you can preserve these foods at their peak of freshness to enjoy later. This class will teach you: how to can vegetables, how to can meats and seafood, what equipment you need, types, pros and cons of canners, how to use a pressure canner, what can/cannot be altered safely in a recipe, plus, what’s important for safety.

Conservation Incentive:Help for Organic Producers Announced

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Dave White announced another funding opportunity for certified organic producers and those transitioning to organic production to implement resource conservation practices on their agricultural operations.

While applications are accepted on a continuous basis, the cutoff date for this application period is set for May 20, 2011.

“Organic growers continue to express interest in program support to implement conservation practices that help us to win the future,” White said. “This additional opportunity will allow more producers to get assistance in protecting the natural resources on their land and creating conditions that help foster organic production.”

Fiscal year 2011 marks the third year of USDA’s Organic Ini-tiative. Up to $50 million is available this year to help producers plan and implement conservation practices that address natu-ral resource concerns in ways that are consistent with organic production. For example, conservation practices include planting cover crops, establishing integrated pest management plans, con-structing seasonal high tunnels, or implementing nutrient man-agement systems consistent with organic certification standards.

Eligible producers include those certified through USDA’s National Organic Program, those transitioning to certified

organic production, and those who meet organic standards but are exempt from certification because their gross annual organic sales are less than $5,000.

Organic Initiative funding is provided through NRCS’ Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), a voluntary conservation program that promotes agricultural production and environmental quality as compatible national goals. The 2008 Farm Bill provided assistance specifically for organic farm opera-tions and those converting to organic production.

Under EQIP Organic Initiative contracts, NRCS provides financial payments and technical assistance to help producers implement conservation measures in keeping with organic pro-duction. Beginning, limited resource, and socially disadvantaged producers may obtain additional assistance.

The 2008 Farm Bill limits EQIP payments for organic operations to $20,000 per year per person or legal entity, with a maximum total of $80,000 over six years.

Producers interested in applying for EQIP Organic Initiative funding must submit applications through their local NRCS Ser-vice Center, which can be located on the internet at http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov/locator/app.

Additional information on NRCS and our programs is avail-able on our website at www.fl.nrcs.usda.gov.


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1974 MASSEY FERGUSON 135Diesel Power Steering. $3,750.Call Alvie 813-759-8722

MASSEY FERGUSON 245 WITH LOADER42hp, recent engine overhaul, $7,650 Call Alvie813-759-8722

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***FOR SALE*** CHICKEN MANUREDelivery & Spreading Available. Call Tim Ford or Danny Thibodeau. 813-439-3232

FOR LEASE 275 ACRE VEGETABLE FARM Located in Arcadia Fl. Strategic geographical location, large volume well, Excellent drain-age, graded farm lanes, over 6,000’ buried Pipe, packing house, offices & truck scales nearby. Organically farmed – no herbicide or chemical carry over. Long term lease (5 yrs. +) available. Call 269-268-8119

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LUNDY’S FISH CAMP AUBURNDALE2 bed, 1 bath mobile home; updated throughout. Sunroom, carport, new metal roof and laundry room. Asking $14,500. Call 863-450-1151.

FOR SALE BLUEBERRY PLANTS5 year old blueberry plants for sale. $2.00 per plant. Call Mark at 813-928-6953.

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WANTED 7’ MOWERPull type, pto, rhino, bush hog or servis. Call 863-453-5325 or 863-368-1301.

T/A LARGE BALESWe have large bales T/A from Michigan for $11.00. Call 813-737-5263. Ask about delivery.

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

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.

HORSE BOARDINGStalls and individual turnout, lighted arena and round pen. Owners on property. $300 full care. Call 813-610-4416

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In The Field Magazine - Polk May 2011

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