in the field magazine hillsborough

2 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2012 W W W. I N T H E F I E L D M AG A Z I N E .C O M

813-689-1570Full Line of FeedsFull Line of FeedsFull Line of Feeds

Harold’s Feed & Pet SupplyHarold’s Feed & Pet Supply

813-689-1570

• Food Plot Mix• Food Plot Mix• Attractants• Attractants• Feeders• Feeders • and much more!• and much more!

Corner ofCorner of Martin L. King Blvd. & McIntosh Rd.Martin L. King Blvd. & McIntosh Rd.

Dover, FL 33527Dover, FL 33527

Open: M-F: 8 to 6 pmOpen: M-F: 8 to 6 pmSat: 8-5 pmSat: 8-5 pm

Closed SundayClosed Sunday

Open: M-F: 8 to 6 pmSat: 8-5 pm

Closed Sunday

• Food Plot Mix• Attractants• Feeders• and much more!

Corner ofMartin L. King Blvd. & McIntosh Rd.

Dover, FL 33527

Harold’s Feed & Pet Supply

Contents

4 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2012 WWW. INTHEF I E LDMAGAZ INE .COM

Cover StoryDarby HastingPage 54Cover photo by

Stephanie Humphrey

VOL. 8 • ISSUE 12

Business Up FrontPage 10

Going For The GoldPage 12

Tampa Bay’sFishing ReportPage 14

Rocking ChairChatterPage 22

An Impressive AndDiverse ResumePage 32

Not Your Everyday4-H Club0

Need Job Security?Page 43

Agro-Culture LiquidPicks Up The PacePage 44

Ray ClarkPage 46

RecipesPage 50

Spice Up Your LifePage 57

Seeing TheOld FloridaPage 60

Florida Friendly

LandscapePage 64

Bruce ShwedickPage 70

Dave & Aileen AyersPage 80

Ask-A-VetPage 84

An Unstoppable ForceBrooke CoatsPage 88

®

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2012 5W W W. I N T H E F I E L D M AG A Z I N E .C O M

From the Editor Index of Advertisers�ITFM Staff


I don’t often get in to discussions regarding politics.We have all heard that friends who want to stay friendsdon’t discuss politics. Sometimes it is essential to discusspolitics, just remember to state the facts and don’t get into heated discussions with those who have completelyopposite opinions. You probably aren’t going to changetheir minds anyway.

I recently found myself in a discussion with a friendregarding politics. We were, thankfully, on the same pagein regards to the candidate we were discussing. Mydecision had long been made in this regard. However, if ithadn’t been, if I had been on the fence, what my friendbrought to my attention would have definitely solidifiedmy vote.

I’m not here to tell you how to vote. But I would encour-age everyone to do their homework. Ask questions. Findout what the candidates can do for you, this great nation,your state, your county, all the way down to the commu-nity in which you live.

Most of all, I encourage you to take the extra step and govote. While this seems a given, many people think thingslike, my one vote won’t count. But if thousands, or evenhundreds feel the same way, it can absolutely make adifference in the outcome. Many men and women havefought and died so that we can live in the land of the free.We have opportunities that many countries don’t have.Exercise one of these and get off the couch and vote. Yourlivelihood could, and probably does depend on it.

Until Next Month,

Sarah

Chemical Dynamics...........................................................41CornfusionCornMaze.....................................................21Chuck’s Tire&Automotive ..............................................2Crescent Jewelers.....................................................49&84Dad’s Towing....................................................................58DiscountMetals...............................................................39Dr. Barry GaffneyO.D. PA.............................................74Driscoll’s............................................................................48Earhart’s RunwayGrill ...................................................95Elizabeth Belcher..............................................................72Erwin Technical Center...................................................26Farm Bureau Insurance...................................................86Farm Bureau Insurance/Jeff Sumner..............................85FarmCredit.........................................................................9Felton’s ..............................................................................51Fishhawk Sporting Clays ................................................35Florida Dept. of Agriculture............................................91FloridaMineral& Salt....................................................93Florida Strawberry Growers Assoc................................58FluidMeasurements ........................................................33Forbes Road Produce......................................................11Fred’sMarket ...................................................................62Gator Ford........................................................................52Gerald Keene Plumbing ..................................................59Glarner Farms..................................................................62Grove Equipment Service ..............................49, 61& 87Gulf Coast Tractor...........................................................96Halfacre Construction Company...................................41Harold’s Feed& Pet Supply............................3, 23& 36Harrell’s Nursery, Inc.......................................................90Haught Funeral Home....................................................68Helena Chemical-Tampa ................................................31Hillsboro State Bank........................................................90Hillsborough County Farm Bureau......................4& 75Hinton Farms Produce, Inc.............................................31Home Protection Pest Control .......................................69I-4 Power Equipment ......................................................63Jane Baer Realty...............................................................49Johnson’s Barbeque..........................................................36Jon&Rosie’s Tree Farm.................................................90Key Plex............................................................................42Kinkaid Auction...............................................................87Loetscher Auto Parts .......................................................77Malissa Crawford............................................................93Mark Smith Excavating..................................................19Meryman Environmental, Inc........................................52Mosaic...............................................................................24Myers Cleaners.................................................................53Odessa Rodeo&Festival..................................................5O’Connor Enterprises......................................................62Pathway BioLogic............................................................20Plant City Tire&Auto Service, Inc...............................90Ring Power Corporation ................................................36Savich&LeeWholesale .................................................16Seedway ............................................................................79Shrimp&Co Express .......................................................7South Florida Baptist Hospital .......................................83Southside Farm&Pet Supply........................................13Southwestern Produce.....................................................27StephanineHumprey.........................................................9Stingray Chevrolet............................................................47Super Service Tire&Auto..............................................66Tampa Bay Times............................................................17TheHayDepot................................................................19Timberlane Pet Hospital &Resort ..................................7Trinkle, Redman, Swanson, Coton,Davis& Smith .................................................................66Walden Lake CarWash.....................................................7Warner University............................................................70WellsMemorial................................................................90Wert’sWedling&Tank Service, Inc..............................77Willie’s ...............................................................................17Woodside Dental..............................................................79Zaxby’s..............................................................................81

ABCPizza................................................................90Ag Technologies......................................................29Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers .............................44AmericanCancer Society.......................................90Antioch Feed&Farm Supply...............................65AquariusWater Refining.......................................85Astin Strawberry Exchange...................................77B Powerful Promos.................................................77Badcock....................................................................23Bill’s Transmissions.................................................72Bingham...................................................................56Bloomingdale Children’sHouse............................34BrandonAuto Services, Inc. ..................................36BrandonRegionHospital......................................59Brewington’s............................................................75Broke&Poor..........................................................24Brown’s Jewelers ..........................................49&75Byrd&Barnhill, P.L...............................................17Cecil Breeding Farm...............................................30CF Industries, Inc....................................................82Certis........................................................................15Chemical Containers, Inc......................................39

PUBLISHER/PHOTOGRAPHY

Karen Berry

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Al Berry

SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR/ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Sarah Holt

EDITOR

Patsy Berry

OFFICE MANAGER

Bob Hughens

SALES MANAGER

Danny Crampton

SALES

Al BerryTina RichmondDanny CramptonCallie Jo Parker

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Mona Jackson

PHOTOGRAPHY

Karen BerryAl Berry

Stephanie Humphrey

STAFF WRITERS

Al BerrySandy Kaster

James FrankwoiakSean GreenGinny Mink

Libby HopkinsCallie Jo ParkerLindsey English

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Woody GoreLes McDowell

In The Field Magazine is published monthly and is available through local HillsboroughCounty businesses, restaurants, and many local venues. It is also distributed by U.S. mail toa target market, which includes all of the Greenbelt Property owners, members of theHillsborough County Farm Bureau and Strawberry Grower’s Association.

Letters, comments and questions can be sent to P.O. Box 5377, Plant City, Florida 33563-0042or you are welcome to email them to: iinnffoo@@iinntthheeffiieellddmmaaggaazziinnee..ccoomm or call 813-759-6909

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

The Lord make His face shine upon you andbe gracious to you.–Numbers 6:25

Index of Advertisers

You Too, CanBe A WinnerHey Readers, hidden somewhere inthe magazine is a No Farmers, NoFood logo. Hunt for the logo and onceyou find the hidden logo you will be eli-gible for a drawing to win a FREE NoFarmers No Food Sticker. Send usyour business card or an index cardwith your name and telephone number,the number of the page which youfound the logo and where on that pageyou located the logo to:

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Plant City, FL 33566-0042Winners will be notified by phone.

You Too Can Be A Winner!Search for the logo below and enter now!


88 IINNTTHHEEFFIIEELLDD MMAAGGAAZZIINNEE OOCCTTOOBBEERR 22001122 WW WW WW.. IINN TTHH EE FFII EE LL DD MM AAGG AA ZZ II NN EE ..CC OO MM

Dear Reader:

Election Day is just a short time away. We are so fortunate to be able to pick our leaders, a right thatunfortunately some take for granted. Please take thetime to learn about the candidates that are on the ballot along with the amendments we will be votingon. With advances in technology it is very easy toaccess election information at your computer. Manymen and women have made the ultimate sacrifice toprotect our rights.

Ag-Venture is coming up October 29 – November 8.That’s a special time for third graders in HillsboroughCounty to learn about the importance of agriculture,where the food they eat comes from and the impact ofagriculture in their daily lives. Held at the FloridaState Fairgrounds, arriving students tour five differentstations representing different aspects of agriculture.Hands-on participation is one of the most popularaspects of the visit.

I suggest you mark November 10 on your calendars as the day the Farm City Festival will be taking placein Ybor City. This is another chance for us to spreadthe word about agriculture among our urban friends.FCF is taking place at Ybor City for the first time.Visit (http://ybormarket.com/home) for more information.

This is hunting season. If you are a landowner wanting to allow selected hunters to hunt on yourlands, you may find it helpful to check with the stateand one approach to doing that involves theLandowner Assistance Program and AuthorizedHunter Identification (permission) Card. The link ishhttttpp::// //wwwwww..mmyyffwwcc..ccoomm//hhuunnttiinngg//mmoorree--hhuunntt--lliinnkkss// .

Farm Bureau members can also purchase “NoTrespassing” signs through our county office for anominal charge. Farm Bureau signs offer a reward of up to $500 paid by Florida Farm Bureau Federalfor information leading to the arrest and felonyconviction of persons responsible for theft from, or vandalism to, property of a Farm Bureau member.

We have several new members of our HillsboroughCounty Farm Bureau Board of Directors. They wereelected at our annual meeting. Each will be featured in future editions of IN THE FIELD.

For more information on Farm Bureau, including how to join and the benefits of membership, please visit wwwwww..hhccffbb..oorrgg or call 813/685-9121.

Thank you,

DannyDanny AprilePresident

IT’S TIME TO VOTE

Board of DirectorsDanny Aprile, President; Bill Burnett, Vice-President; Jemy Hinton, Treasurer; George Coleman, Secretary; Glenn Harrell,

Member-at-large; Amanda Collins, Roy Davis, David Drawdy, Jim Dyer, Jim Frankowiak, Stefan Katzaras, Joe Keel, Greg Lehman, Kenneth Parker,Jake Raburn, Marty Tanner, James Tew, Patrick Thomas, Michelle Williamson and Ray Wood

Judi Whitson, Executive Director

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


• A square piece of dry paper cannot be folded in half morethan 7 times.

• Air becomes liquid at about minus 190 degrees Celsius.• Liquid air looks like water with a bluish tint.• A scientific satellite needs only 250 watts of power, the

equivalent used by two-hour light bulbs, to operate.• The thin line of cloud that forms behind an aircraft at high

altitudes is called a contrail.• The word “biology” was coined in 1805 by

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck.• Water expands by about 9% as it freezes.• In a desert, a mirage is caused when air near the ground is

hotter than air higher up. As light from the sun passes fromcooler to warmer air, it speeds up and is refracted upward,creating the image of water.

• The typical bolt of lightning heats the atmosphere to 50,000degrees Fahrenheit.

• Saturday mail delivery in Canada was eliminated byCanada Post on February 1, 1969.

• The Mona Lisa has no eyebrows. It was the fashion inRenaissance Florence to shave them off.


Nobody wants to talk about it. Infact, we are often so embarrassedby the situation we refrain from

having people come visit. Yes, you guessedit, we’re talking about bugs, bugs invadingyour house and making you squirm. In anarticle by Nancy Thorn (2001) we findthat there are about 500 species of insectsthat can only be found in Florida (luckyus) and according to her, “Humans andinsects have long been at war here inFlorida.” If indeed you have been at warwith some of these critters, you mightwant to read on and learn about HomeProtection Pest Control.

Kathy Paul works with her husband, Steve,at their home-based business, HomeProtection Pest Control. Kathy shared herbackground with us. She says, “My grand-

parents were chicken farmers, they hadeggs. I just did that as a young girl. I’vebeen in Plant City all my life. My father,who is Glenn Ford, sold fertilizer to straw-berry growers all over HillsboroughCounty. He was quite well known for that.And, my son is an Ag teacher at Plant CityHigh School. He’s been there about tenyears, his name is Michael Paul.” Thusly,we discover that her roots run deep whenit comes to familiarity with Plant City andsmall town life.

She is a modest woman, saying, “I mayhave an uninteresting life. I traded hair-dressing for secretarial office managing. Ikeep the books for Steve for HomeProtection Pest Control. Steve is my hus-band. He was in FFA in high school allfour years and showed steers back then,

that was in the 1970s. He graduated in1972, has always had a garden. And,we’ve been married 38 years this year!”That’s an impressive feat in this day andage for sure.

So, they both know and love agricultureand they are both dedicated to makingPlant City the wonderful place that it is.Thusly, insect control is key. Kathy contin-ues, “Steve was in pest control for anothercompany. He wanted to do something wecould call our own. It seemed a good thingto do in Florida. Everybody has bugs atsometime!” She chuckles here and thengoes on, “So, he got his license and we justwent in business, pretty much on our own.We got a loan from my folks in Februaryof 2006 and been goin’ ever since and it’sbeen good. Every year we’ve grown a littlemore. We have two part-time employeesnow. One is Walter Warren and the otherboy’s name is Bud O’Callaghan.”

Hearing that small businesses are growingin an economy like this does a heart good.In addition, it makes one wonder, ‘what

Business Up Front

HOME PROTECTION PEST CONTROL:YOUR VARMINT ELIMINATING SOURCE

By Ginny Mink


are they doing differently?’ Kathyexplains, “We are running it out of ourhome, we’ve got two trucks and it’s allfrom here, not much overhead. That’s agood thing!” It certainly is as the start-upcosts in new ventures often put companiesunder in a relatively short span of time.The great thing for Kathy and Steve is thatthere are plenty of bugs to go around!

Kathy adds, “We are pet friendly and childfriendly. We try to be a personable compa-ny and treat you like a person, not a num-ber.” In fact, if you visit their website:wwwwww..hhoommeepprrootteeccttiioonnppcc..ccoomm you’ll dis-cover that their supplies are 100% safe foryour kids and pets and they promise to getto you within a ten minute window ofyour scheduled appointment. Specifically,“We take pest control very seriously andwe appreciate time taken from your busyschedule to allow us spraying time. And ifyou have to cancel, we can appreciate that,too. We aim to provide the very best pest

control customer service anywhere in thearea.”

Though they work from home, they arenot confined to the Plant City areaalone. Kathy says, “We service all ofHillsborough County but we do a littlework this side of Lakeland.” As vast astheir servicing area, so are their services.“We do roaches, ants and spiders. We treatfor fleas inside and out. We do bees, we geta beekeeper to remove the nests but ifthey’re in a wall you can’t save them. Wealso supply complete rodent exterminationservices, so if you get rats, mice, or evensquirrels in your home or business, we cantake care of this for you, too! We do yardsfor fire ants, carpenter ants and littlevarmints we can spray and treat.” If youare a victim of any of these little“varmints” you should definitely contactKathy and set up a consultation.

Kathy explains the structure of their serv-ices, “We have quarterly service, everythree months, every six months andmonthly if necessary for extreme circum-stances. We have a regular ant and roachservice. We do German roaches, they’remasterful hiders, it’s a work in progress;you just have to keep after them.” Anyonewho has ever battled these “masterful

hiders” knows exactly what she means.Thusly, she offers a bit of advice as shecloses, “Spray base boards, pull out refrig-erators and spray behind appliances.” Thisis something they do every time they treatyour home.

Just to remind you, you can read all aboutHome Protection Pest Control on theirwebsite: wwwwww..hhoommeepprrootteeccttiioonnppcc..ccoomm andif you are interested in employing theirservices please give Kathy, or Steve, a callat (813) 757-6752.


FFAmembers around the state prepare for monthsto compete at the annual State FFA Convention.This year Tomlin Middle School took home two

major state titles, one of which is taking them all the way toIndianapolis, Indiana to the National FFA Convention.

Tomlin Middle School FFA members are known for their hardwork and determination, competing in various competitionsthroughout the year. In June they won both the ParliamentaryProcedure and Opening and Closing Ceremonies contests. For thefirst time in the history of the National FFA Organization, therewill be a middle school Parliamentary Procedure competitionat the National FFA Convention. This competition is slightlydifferent than at the state level, the Parliamentary Procedureteams are required to do a demonstration of the FFA Opening andClosing Ceremonies before they dive into their debate. Havingwon both state titles, Tomlin is one step ahead of the game!

This competition is an invitational sponsored not by the NationalFFA Organization, but the Society for Agriculture EducationParliamentarians. This is a trial run, which is how all of thenational competitions began. The competition will start with 18teams, breaking them down into three groups of six. After these

teams compete, they will take the top two of each group creatingthe six top teams for the final round. Each team is given13 minutes to complete the Opening Ceremony, ParliamentaryProcedure demonstration, and Closing Ceremony, and points arededucted if they exceed this time.

The national competition requires one more team member thanthe state level. Tomlin is blessed with enough talent to promoteone member in a moments notice. The National ParliamentaryProcedure team members are: Anna Conrad, Arie Fry, MeredithDel Castillo, Colten Smith, Ethan Parrillo, Clay Joyner, andParker Killebrew. The Tomlin advisors, Jason Steward and EmilyPetrilli, are working with the students each week to prepare forNational Convention. The Tomlin FFA members want to thanktheir teachers for the time and effort they put in to making thisteam successful, saying, “We have the best ag teachers ever!”

The National FFA Convention will be held in Indianapolis,Indiana on October 22 -27. Send thoughts and prayers onOctober 23 as Tomlin Middle School represents Florida in theNational Parliamentary Procedure contest. Good luck TomlinFFA, bring home the gold! •

GoingForTheGold!By Calli Jo Parker


If we get lucky, we get some nice dryerair this month as fall is just around thecorner. It seems like this is the time of

the year when I have to put a jacket backin the boat for the early morning ride toget bait, especially if the wind is blowing.

The water will start cooling down andthe fish should start getting a little moreexcited about being fish. The bite has beenexceptional during the last weeks ofSeptember and I expect it to continue rightthrough the Fall. You can expect goodcatches using live bait and artificial lures allover Tampa Bay.

If you’re interested in some exciting earlymorning action, tie on a new 16MRMirrOMullet Surface Walker or Top DogJr. from MirrOLure and walk-the-dogacross a calm morning grass flat. The antic-ipation will kill you waiting for the nextexplosive strike of a large Snook or thewater moving swirl of a stalking Redfish. Atopwater lure strike is more than exhilarat-ing… it’ll almost stop you heart.

From other articles, you’ve probablysurmised that when it comes to fishing,artificial lures are close to my heart. Thereis something magical about tricking a fishinto striking something that’s alien lookingat best. I often think the stranger the lurethe better chance of getting a strike. Overthe years I’ve used everything imaginable tocatch fish. Live baits, artificial lures, andplastic straws. I’ve even used a strip of oldwhite tee shirt to catch spotted sea troutand I’ve come to this conclusion… if it hasaction and looks wounded, something’sgoing to try and eat it.

Try your hand at something man-made onyour next fishing trip. You’ll be surprised athow many fish you’ll catch and how muchfun you’ll have doing it.

There are plenty of redfish, and snook areall over the area, hanging around the manylush grass flats and mangrove shorelines.As redfish move back into the Bay it’susually fairly easy to find them schooled upon the many grass flats covering the Bay.It’s also the time of the year when some ofthe big redfish start showing up. You neverknow whether you’re going to a catch onein the slot or one of the giants over 30 inch-es, so be prepared. These big reds often topthe scales at 12 to 14 pounds. The upperBay area is holding good numbers of fish,but you must pick your tide days carefullywhen fishing north of the CourtneyCampbell Causeway, especially by boat.The area gets extremely shallow on lowtide days.

Snook are closed on the Gulf Coast. Mostof the snook we caught average in the 22 to25 inch range. For those who like the nightlife associated with snook fishing, this is agreat time. They’re hanging under residen-tial docks watching the light line for aquick meal. Use a shallow diving artificiallure or free-line a big shrimp. Make sure touse a weighty leader like Seaguar 30-40 lb.,so you don't get cut off on the pilings.

As for the others, expect some good sizedmangrove snapper at the bridges with sometopping out around three pounds. Cobiaare showing up for us. It usually only takesa chum bag over the side to spark their

curiosity. If you hook-up, be ready withanother rod and bait as other cobias will befollowing the action. Mackerel, bluefish,jacks and ladyfish will be feeding on baitschools everywhere. If its glass minnowsthey’re after, try to match the hatch.

Never turn your fishing nose up at ladyfishand jacks, especially when kids areinvolved, they can certainly make or breaka trip. Most children are not interested infishing, however they are interested incatching and they don’t care what it is.When you take kids fishing make sure it’sall about them catching fish. You’ll getyour turn when you and your buds get out.

Give Me a Call & Let’s Go Fishing813-477-3817Captain Woody Gore is the areas top outdoorfishing guide. Guiding and fishing the Tampa,Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs,and Bradenton for over fifty years; he offersworld class fishing adventures and a lifetimeof memories.

Single or Multi-boat Group Charters are allthe same. With years of organizational experi-ence and access to the areas most experiencedcaptains, Woody can arrange and coordinateany outing or tournament. Just tell him whatyou need and it’s done. Visit his website at:WWWWWW..CCAAPPTTAAIINNWWOOOODDYYGGOORREE..CCOOMM or send an email to [email protected] or give him a call at 813-477-3814.

by Captain Woody Gore

Top Dog Jr.

MirrOMullet

IINNTTHHEEFFIIEELLDD MMAAGGAAZZIINNEE OOCCTTOOBBEERR 22001122 1155WW WW WW.. II NN TTHH EE FFII EE LL DD MMAA GG AA ZZ II NN EE ..CC OO MM

Top & Bottom Photos:May 26, 1959 Farmers Market

Inset Photo:4-H Clubs at the Farmers Market in 1946

Photos courtesy of the Plant City Photo Archive



Iguess I am the oldest board member of the Florida StrawberryFestival in tenure. Over the years I have watched the organiza-tion grow and expand. For the past couple of years, under the

management of Paul Davis, I would say the Festival is running likea fine tuned Ferrari.

Thinking back over the years, I remember Ercelle Smith was thecommittee chair of the Rooster Crowing and Cow Chip throwingcontests. While we no longer have those two events, I think PaulDavis came close in 2012 to replacing them with the appearanceof the actors of the TV reality show “Lizard Lick.” Maybe nextyear he will bring in the “Swamp Boys.”

If it’s the unusual that attracts people, what ever happened to theBearded Lady, the Alligator Man, Mermaid Woman, Violet andJune the Siamese Twins, and Sealo the Sealboy?

Other Fairs around the world find their unusual niche and pack inthe crowds. For instance, there’s the Possum Queen contest andFair in Litchfield, Connecticut, which is nothing more than atongue-in-cheek beauty pageant where beauty and talent havenothing to do with it, it’s all about bribing the judges. Other beau-ty queen contests include Miss Artificial Beauty, Miss Atom, MissMosquito Legs and Miss Dirt Bag Queen in Bozeman, Montana.

In 2007 the LaBron James Bubblicious Ultimate Bubble BlowingLeague Tour made an appearance at the Great Texas MosquitoFestival in Clute, Texas, looking for those that could blow thelargest bubble.

A new speed eating benchmark for eating dumplings in two min-utes was established at a Food Festival in New York. They also setthe dumpling eating Guinness World record. I wonder how muchfun it would be to attend the Dirt Bag Festival!

Now here’s one for you, “The Emma Crawford Coffin Festival”in Manitou Springs, Colorado. I don’t know just how much tobelieve about this Festival, but the story goes that sometime inthe 1800s Emma Crawford moved to Manitou Springs, only tosuccumb to tuberculosis before she could marry the love of her lifeJohn Hildebrand. In honoring her last wish, her fiancé and twelvemen carried Emma in her coffin to the top of Red Mountain, some

7,200 feet above sea level, where she wasburied. According to the town folks they had aheavy summer rain some 20 years later thatwashed her coffin down the mountain and intothe canyon in the middle of town.

In her honor, the weekend before Halloween,the citizens of Manitou Springs host some sortof morbid activity. The main event is an annualcoffin race. Each team enters a homemade cof-fin with four small tires no more than six inch-

es in diameter. Each team has a woman to play the part of“Emma,” while four men push their coffin craft down a 250-yardstretch of main-street. The teams are judged on speed and the cre-ative design of their coffin.

Then there’s the RC Cola and Moon Pie Festival in Bell Buckle,Tennessee. The main dish of the Festival is deep fried Moon Pies.The festivities conclude when the World’s Largest Moon Pie is cutand served by the Festival King and Queen with the assistanceof the Knights of the Moon Pie Round Table. Mmm, can youimagine being crowned the Moon Pie Queen, or RC Cola King?

Over in Monroeville, Alabama they have a Fruitcake Festival inNovember to usher in the fruitcake season. To me the fruitcakeranks number 25 on my top 25 list of cakes and pies. ObviouslyI am one of few, as Paradise Fruit in Plant City is the world’slargest when it comes to producing candied fruit for fruit cakes. Ithink the company makes the candied fruit for the “Claxton FruitCake.” Obviously somebody likes fruitcakes, or Paradise wouldnot be in business. They ship their candied fruit all over the world.

I had better back up! If my memory serves me right, there was onefruitcake that was pretty good. Billy Ray Kirby gave me a fruit-cake heavily submersed in Jamaican rum.

When I called to thank him he was in the kitchen. “Billy Ray,” Isaid, “Thank you for the fruitcake, I didn’t know you were sohandy in the kitchen. You must have a secret recipe!”

“Yep, I do,” he replied. “It’s from my great grand daddy that livedin the hills of north Georgia.”

“Tell me more about it,” I said.

“Well, this is the second batch I’m working on today.” He said,“First thing you add six eggs to the mix’n bowl, then chunk in thecup of dried flut. Mix on the tuner, throw in two quarts of flour.Gradually pour in the cow. Add two dried anything. If the frieddruit gets stuck in beaters, pry it loose with a screwdriver. Samplethe rum for the third time, and check it again for tonsistency.Next, sift two cups of salt, or something….who cares?? Check therum again. Now get the nutmeg and add one table. One morespoon of rum or something, and anything else you find left over.Grease the oven, and turn the crake pan to 350 degrees. Don’t for-

get to beat off the turner.Then you pour the oven intothe batter. Throw the bowlout the window. Lick the rumbottle top and put the screwythingy on top. Next throw thebowl out the window. Lickthe batter off the floor. Bake300 minutes at 40 degrees.Unscrew the top of the rum

bobble and finish it off. Put the top back on and flow to bed.”After that I said, “Thanks for the info, Billy Ray,” and hung up.

I have always said that the fruitcake has many value added usesthat would make it one of the most versatile desserts ever served.Consider the fruitcake as a doorstop, paper- weight, boat anchoror even a weight for workouts.

In addition, the Monroeville Fruitcake Festival it is also known asthe home of the “Fruitcake Lady,” whose real name is MarieRudisill. She became popular when she appeared on the Jay LenoShow on December 14, 2000. You can hear some of her interviewsfrom the Leno show on YouTube. The Fruitcake Lady died inHudson, Florida in 2006, at the age of 95!

Yes, we have a lot of strange fairs throughout the world, and I havementioned only a few. There is nothing strange about the FloridaStrawberry Festival. It is one of the nations best, and always openswith a lot of great entertainment. Keep next years date in mind:FLORIDA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL, February 28 thru March10, 2013. •


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The 19th edition of the Hillsborough County Fair takesplace Oct. 17 – 21 and it truly has something for every one,that includes The Firefighter Show, a new offering combin-

ing education and entertainment about fire safety, a traditionalmidway with rides for all ages, a range of entertainment, compe-titions and lots of food options.

The show’s five-day run has livestock shows each day, includingsheep jumping, cow clipping and rabbit costume competitions.Youth will compete for showmanship awards as they lead theiranimals into the show rings. A Swine Auction for 4H or FFAstudent-raised pigs is slated for Saturday evening, October 20,at 7 p.m.

The traditional Family Living Arts and Crafts competition willagain offer the opportunity for entrants to seek recognition in art,photography, baking, needlepoint, quilting and more. There’s a“Just for Kids” dimension of the competition for youngsters andall entries will be on display for attendees to view and enjoy.

Fairgoers will have an opportunity to meet the 2012 HarvestQueen and Junior Queen who will be present for beauty competi-tions involving babies, toddlers and children at the Children’sPageant set for Sunday, October 21. More information and entryforms are available on the fair’s website.

The Firefighter Show combines entertainment and education thatinvolves children and depicts or simulates firefighting, heroismand action. “What comes off as fun and entertainment today, maysave a life in the future,” says show organizers.

The fair also includes a Recycled Yard Art Competition and HayBale Decorating contest. Fair fare includes a 4H Foundation Bar-B-Que dinner Saturday, October 20, and there’s a Chili Cook-Offthe next day. Local cattle women will be sharing tasty beef recipes,as well as sponsoring a Kid’s Cooking Contest. “Lots of tradition-al fair food will also be available,” said Fair Executive DirectorTom Umiker. “That includes roast corn on the cob, mini-donutsand fried vegetables plus grilled hamburgers and hot dogsprepared by the Brandon Shriners.”

One popular offering of the fair – the annual Florida Nursery,Growers and Landscape Association Auction – is set for Saturday,October 20, starting at 1:30 p.m. “This is a great chance topurchase quality plants at wholesale prices,” said Shawn Steed ofthe FNGLA’s Tampa Chapter. Among the items available are land-scape shrubs, trees and ground covers, house plants, floweringannuals, perennials and herbs, hanging baskets, gardeningsupplies, fertilizer, dish gardens and the chance to talk to industryexperts. The event is co-sponsored by FNGLA, the Fair andUF/IFAS Hillsborough County Extension.

As with a traditional county fair, the entertainment is diverse andincludes the Bay Area Bandits Mounted Shooting Club show onthe 20th and a Speed Show under the auspices of the HillsboroughCounty Sheriff’s Mounted Posse takes place on the 21st. Arearanch hands get the chance to compete in the Friday and Saturdaynight Ranch Rodeo as their teams vie for cash prizes in Wild CowMilking, Bronc Riding, Mutton Busting and a lot more. TheDesert Moon Band will get rodeo fans in the mood with apre-rodeo performance.

Admission to the fair includes the opportunity to watch Horse,Horses, Horses with Heidi Herriott, the Firefighter Show and justabout everyone’s favorite, Robinson’s Racing Pigs. Midway ridesare provided by Arnold Amusements.

“We are pleased with the support of our sponsors and delightedto be able to offer this true slice of Americana at very familyfriendly pricing,” said Umiker.

The Fair is located east of Brandon at State Road 60 and Sydney-Washer Road. Adult admission is $7, $5 for students (6-years-oldthrough high school) and children under age 5 are free. There isno charge for parking. Advance rodeo ticket purchases includefree gate admission on Friday or Saturday with your rodeoticket. Daily specials are posted on the fair website,wwwwww..hhiillllssbboorroouugghhccoouunnttyyffaaiirr..ccoomm, along with added informationon events, competitions and entertainment. •

By Jim Frankowiak


Foodhooks.........................................$22Baby Butter Beans............................$14Green Beans.......................................$14Pole Beans .........................................$14Speckled Butter Beans.....................$14Blackeye Peas....................................$14Butter Peas ........................................$14Conk Peas .........................................$22Crowder Peas ....................................$14Pinkeye Peas......................................$14White Acre Peas................................$14Sugar Snap Peas ...............................$15Zipper Peas........................................$14Green Peas .........................................$14

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

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

Blueberries 5# ...................................$15Blackberries 5# .................................$15Dark Sweet Cherries 5# ...................$18Mango Chunks 5# .............................$15Pineapple Chunks 5#........................$15Whole Strawberries 5# ....................$15Rhubarb 5# ........................................$13Peaches...............................................$15Green Peanuts ...................................$15

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WE’RE NOT JUST IN DRY CREEK ANY LONGER

Dry CreekDry Creek

Finally some relief from the hot weather, I can feel the cool-ness in the air. At our Dry Creek set in Parrish, horses anddogs seem to feel the onset of Fall in the breeze. At times

I've noticed the smell of smoke drifting across the ranch signal-ing the first campfires from the neighboring woods.

As Fall and Winter approach, I look back over Dry Creek’sgrowth this year. I see all the hard work everyone has done toget Dry Creek, the T.V. Series, to a national nomination level.The hundreds of volunteers who have given their most preciousgift, time, believing in the dream of Family Programing andwanting it returned to television.

At the end of October, Dry Creek will be making the trip toNYC and The Fax Cable Awards. BlueHighwaysTV, the net-work that runs Dry Creek nationally, submitted us for Best OfSeries/Family Friendly Programing. Just a few short weeksago we were contacted and told that Dry Creek had won anomination. We will be up against four other shows from majornetworks with major budgets. It was said we had beat out manymajor networks for this prestigious nomination.

Thanks to the good Lord for steering our little engine up thehills and around the dangerous curves. Our journey started lessthan two and a half years ago from the woods of ManateeCounty and has lead us to New York City. Make no mistake, itwasn't Les McDowell who got us here. Much prayer and thenmore prayer has guided us.

We might not have a Hollywood machine behind us, but thisalso means we don't have to answer to them. We say that notbeing smug, but believing the industry has turned their backs onshows the whole family can sit down too and watch together.

By Les McDowellPhotos courtesy of Linda Constant

Walt Disney used to say after he finished a project, “the nextproject we need to plus it.” That's what we at Dry Creek will bedoing this fall. We have a major set rebuild going on now. TheTennessee Screen Writers are helping us bring new ideas to ourstories. We have a long, long road ahead of us. Also many steephills and valleys to go through.

Well, with the coolness of the air I'd better get out there and getback to work. But before I do, I'd like to thank everyone who hasfollowed Dry Creek. Thanks to all the volunteers and most of allThank You Lord for taking us to NYC... we're not just in DryCreek any longer.

Watch Dry Creek on Verizon FIOS, Channel 246 Saturday nightsat 7:30 E.T. •

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Devon Parke just completed work-ing on a two-week leadership con-ference for Summit Ministries at

Manitou Springs, Colorado and beforethat was a volunteer at the RepublicanNational Convention in Tampa where sheworked the Convention Without Wallsapplication for smart phones, computersand Ipads and the list before that and upahead is just as jam-packed, but notunusual. Though she won’t be 21 untilnext month, Devon has packed a greatdeal of experience into her life already andher “bucket list” is just as ambitious.

A member of the notable Parke family,Devon is the daughter of Gary and Terriwho she considers “great role models andthey gave us the work ethic and the skills Icurrently use in everyday life.” She has anolder sister, Amanda, 23, 18-year-old sisterJordan and the youngest “but the tallest”of the Parke children, Joshua, 16.

She grew up in Plant City, “on the sameroad, same house for my whole life,” shesaid. “Funny thing is all my family livedown the same road. We have familyreunions every time we drive down theroad. I love the small town feel of PlantCity. Everyone knows everyone. Plus beingan agricultural community we all cometogether in hard times like freezes, it’s likehaving a very large extended family.”

Devon attended Grace Christian Schoolthrough the first grade “then we decidedwe would do homeschooling so we can bemore flexible and actually travel whenlearning about a subject. For example, I

remember my first time to Washington,D.C., we learned about how the govern-ment works and about our great nation’shistory during the school year and thenduring the summer we went there, actuallyexperiencing what we learned. Doing itthat way helps it to stick.”

In 2009, Devon graduated high schoolwith honors at the Florida ParentsEducation Association convention. Shethen attended Hillsborough CommunityCollege for a year and then transferred toa Bryan College satellite campus in PagosaSprings in south central Colorado, whereshe currently resides.

“I did 4-H for 12 years, serving as presi-dent of the local club, county and districtat the same time,” said Devon. “4-Htaught me how to do speeches, think onmy feet and increased my love for politicsthrough 4-H Legislature. I also was amember of Generation Joshua, which is acivic education group.”

“I took up sign language for three yearsand I brush up on it from time to time. Ihave also played the flute for 12 years. It’staught me patience and how to value musi-cians because it takes a lot of practice. Ising in my church choir, attend surf camp,mission trips and Vacation Bible School.

“Church is an important part of my life, ifI hadn’t been part of a church I would notbe who I am today. I attended a two weekconference at Summit Ministries in 2010and learned so much about faith and theimportance of defending it that prompted

me to transfer to Summit’s satellite campusin Pagosa Springs. I‘ve grown a lot in myfaith, love for my family and country, andhow to make a difference in the world.The impact of Summit has been so signifi-cant that I am now a staff member for thatsame two week summer conference Iattended in 2010. The Lord is so amazingwith how He works.”

Getting back to the RNC and politics,Devon feels “politics should be whateveryone wants to do as a citizen ofAmerica! It shouldn’t be something youhave to do, but something you want to do.

“I’m pretty sure I got my start in politicswhile I was still in the womb. Being part ofa major agriculture legacy, it wasn’t oddduring election season to be called up thata presidential candidate was coming to themarket to meet with the Parke family, sowe would wear our strawberry red and gorepresent our family, town and mostimportantly the agriculture industry.

“I think everyone in the Florida Cabinetknows me because I in some way helpedthem on their campaigns. I started holdingsigns on street corners at the age of 8,”said Parke. That’s a lesson she shares “withRepublican groups I speak to: You start‘em young and you keep’em forever.”

Working the Republican office during the08 and 2010 elections “was a great oppor-tunity and learning experience.” Devonhas interned for Congressman GusBilirakis at his Plant City office, served aspresident of her local teenage republican

AN IMPRESSIVE AND DIVERSERESUME – BUT SHE’S NOT YET 21By Jim Frankowiak


club and communications director of the state organization twoyears ago. Given the breadth of her political involvement and expe-rience she’s “had people in many other states call me for help. I alsotalk to Jeff Atwater (Florida Chief Financial Officer) pretty often.”

Devon has been a member of the Republican Executive Committeesince late 2009 and regularly attends Republican Party of Floridaquarterly meetings. She served as campaign manager for Tina Pike,who went on to win her race for State Committeewoman,and was hired by Dan Raulerson, State House Seat 58, ascampaign manager.

At the RNC, Devon was one of eight volunteers spreading infor-mation about the Convention Without Walls application. “Wehelped people navigate on the app, handle any questions andtweeted and Facebooked about the app and the convention itself.I got to meet many of the speakers and attendees, including AnnCoulter, Allen West, Herman Cain, John Voight, Nikki Haley anda brief picture of Paul Ryan.”

Not surprisingly, long term goals for Devon include politics.“I plan to be speaking on the RNC stage in four years. Not as apresidential or vice presidential candidate, but as a representativethat has made a difference.”

A double major (political science and military war history) Devonplans to complete her college education abroad, graduating fromOxford College in England hosted by Summit Ministries. “That’smy plan and I’m sticking to it unless God has something better inmind,” she said. Given the work ethic model she has with her par-ents and her record of achievement to date, betting against Devonwould not be wise. However, it would be a good bet to keep oureyes on Devon and what the future holds in store. •

After an absence of several years, The Odessa Rodeo and Festivalis “Back–In-The-Saddle Again” and will be bigger and better thanever. The event will be October 26 - 28 at their new location on thegrounds of Tampa Bay Downs on Race Track Road just South ofOdessa.

Sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association(PRCA) and the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association(WPRA), each performance includes Bareback and Saddle BroncRiding, Team Roping and Tie-Down Roping, Steer Wrestling,Women’s Barrel Racing, and the ever popular Bull Riding event.The 5-Star Drill Team will perform an “All American Salute” priorto each performance.

Contestants compete for over $20,000 in prize money and earnpoints to be invited to the Grand National Finals held eachDecember in Las Vegas. A minimum of ten contestants compete ineach of the seven events. Starting times are 7:00PM on Friday andSaturday, and 4:00PM on Sunday. A Kiddie Rodeo is held each dayjust prior to the opening ceremonies.

In addition to the Rodeo, the Festival Grounds will open at3:00PM on Friday and 10:00AM on Saturday and Sunday.Attractions include, live music and entertainment in the main tent,a carnival and kiddie play zone, food, beverage, and craft vendors,pony and camel rides, an all class truck show and chili cook-off onSaturday, a 10-class motorcycle ride out and show on Sunday, andspecial performances by the “Hole-In-the-Head Gang” daily in theOK Corral.

Nashville Recording Artist, Warren Silvers and his band will head-line following the Rodeo on Friday and Saturday, and Tampa Bayfavorites, The Black Honkeys, will close out on Sunday. Other per-formers include The Applebutter Express, Amanda Drake and theBarn Burners, Stormbringer, Thompson-Cook with Terry John, JonWebber, Jerri Walsh, the Suncoast String Band, square dancers, linedancers and cloggers.

Tickets are necessary to view the rodeo, but admission to the festi-val grounds and main attractions and events are free. Preferredseating tickets are $25, general admission tickets are $19. Childrenunder 10 receive a $3 discount on any ticket. A special “VIPExperience” ticket is available for $125 and includes valet parking,a meet and greet reception, gourmet buffet, open bar and entertain-ment in the SKYE Room, VIP seating for the rodeo and headlinerperformance, and a “Behind the Scenes Tour.” This year’s event issponsored by Russell’s Western Wear, Hard Rock Hotel andCasino, Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer, The Tampa Tribune, WQYK, FullThrottle Magazine, Waste Management, Coca Cola, Holiday InnExpress, and other local businesses.

The event is presented by ODESSAFEST, INC., a Florida Non-Profitand produced by Five-Star Event Services. Proceeds benefit severallocal area charitable organizations including Camp Rotary, thePinellas CARES Organization, the Upper Pinellas EducationalFoundation, Boy Scouts and Explorer Scouts of America, and others.

Additional information can be found and tickets may bepurchased by visiting the ODESSAFEST Web Site, at

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On the morning of September 8, 2012,students from across HillsboroughCounty lined the bus ramp of Durant

High School to weigh their steers and qualifyfor the 2013 Florida Strawberry FestivalSteer Show.

This year at the 41st Annual StrawberryFestival Steer weigh-in there were a total of104 steers. In order to qualify, all of the steersentered must weigh between 550 pounds and850 pounds, no more, no less. This year thelightest steer weighed in at exactly 550pounds and the heaviest at 832 pounds. Eachqualifying steer was checked, tattooed andear tagged following its weighing.

Each exhibitor participating in a steer projectwith the Florida Strawberry Festival must bea member of the FFA or a local 4-H club.They must be a Hillsborough County highschool student, with a weighted grade pointaverage of 2.5. This year there were a total of10 chapters and 4-H clubs with studentswhose steers qualified at the weigh-in. Theseyouth organizations include Plant City FFA,Durant FFA, Strawberry Crest FFA,Newsome FFA, East Bay FFA, BarringtonFFA, Florida Virtual School, Turkey Creek 4-H, Young Sprouts 4-H and Steppin’ StoneFarms.

The process of getting these 104 steers to thepoint of the initial weigh-in was very exten-sive for these students. For many, theirprocess began in early March, just after theStrawberry Festival ended, by arranging andpurchasing their steers from the wide selec-tion of Hillsborough County beef producers.

Each steer entered must have been bred andborn in Hillsborough County, Florida inorder for them to be eligible to be shown atthe 2013 Florida Strawberry Festival.

Over the past months each of these 104students devoted time out of his or her dayfor their projects by taming, halter breaking,walking, washing, and, for some, showingtheir animals at prospect cattle shows acrossthe state of Florida. From now until March 5,2013 exhibitors will continue working withtheir steers and monitoring their weights tobe sure they are gaining the required mini-mum of two pounds per day. Students willalso be keeping a record of all of their earn-ings and spending required to complete theStrawberry Festival livestock record book.

In the end, raising a steer is a long process.But many students and previous exhibitorsfind that the experience is worth the effort inthe end. The 2006 Grand Champion Steerexhibitor Lauren Der said, “Showing steerstaught me a lot about how to be a responsi-ble young adult. The money I made from mysteer and other Supervised AgriculturalExperience projects paid for my collegeeducation.”

Each of the 104 exhibitors this year have onegoal in mind; the show and sale at the 2013Florida Strawberry Festival, taking placeMarch 6 and 9. If you know or meet anysteer exhibitors, wish them luck and success.They have a long road ahead of them, but arewell on their way to making this year’s showa successful one. •

It’s all about the weight!by Lindsey M. English


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Crisp, fresh, Florida kohlrabi is nowentering its prime season. Whileavailable year-round, its peak sea-

son is during the cooler months, betweenOctober and April. Also called Germanturnip or cabbage turnip, kohlrabi is actu-ally not a type of turnip or a root veg-etable. Kohlrabi grows above the groundand is a member of the cruciferous familyof vegetables, which also includes broc-coli, cauliflower, collard greens, cabbage,and kale. This highly nutritious vegetabletastes like the broccoli heart but sweeterand juicier. Both the leaves and bulb areedible and can be eaten raw or cooked.Striking in appearance, this vegetable canbe purple, green, or white and has stalksgrowing upwards from the spherical bulb.

NUTRITIONAL PROFILEKohlrabi and the other cruciferous vegeta-bles are well known for being nutritionsuperstars. They contain multiple anti-can-cer, anti-viral, and anti-bacterial com-pounds. Eating more cruciferous vegeta-bles has been associated with a lower inci-dence of a variety of cancers, includingthose of the lung, colon, breast, ovariesand bladder. Current research studies showthat people who eat the most cruciferousvegetables have a lower risk of prostate,colorectal and lung cancers, even whencompared to those who regularly eat othervegetables.

Kohlrabi is bursting with vitamins andminerals while being low in calories.According to the United States Departmentof Agriculture (USDA) National NutrientDatabase for Standard Reference, one cupof raw kohlrabi (135 g) contains 36 calo-ries, 2.3 g protein, 0.14 g fat, 8.37 g carbo-hydrate, and 4.9 g of dietary fiber. It alsoprovides 140% of the Daily RecommendedValue (%DV) for vitamin C, 19% fordietary fiber, 14% for potassium, 10% forvitamin B6, and 9% for both copper andmanganese. Kohlrabi also contains signifi-

cant amounts of phosphorus, magnesium,calcium, iron, niacin, and riboflavin.

VITAMIN CVitamin C is important for a healthyimmune system, cancer prevention, healthyblood circulation and wound healing. Thisvitamin acts as a potent antioxidant in thebody, neutralizing harmful free radicals andpreventing its damaging effects in cells. Byfighting cell and tissue damage, Vitamin Cprotects against cancer and other diseases,such as the common cold. This vitamin alsohelps the body absorb more iron, and aids inthe development of strong bones and teeth.

Current research findings support thatVitamin C’s benefits come from consump-tion of whole fruits and vegetables. A highintake of produce, including cabbage, isassociated with a reduced risk of deathfrom all causes, including heart disease,stroke, and cancer. Taking supplementsdoes not seem to provide the same protec-tive benefits as eating raw or cookedkohlrabi.

FIBERKohlrabi and other cruciferous vegetablescontain a huge amount of dietary fiber. Asingle cup of raw kohlrabi provides over19% of the daily value for fiber. In fact,more than half of the carbohydrate con-tent in this vegetable is comprised of fiber.

Fiber can help lower cholesterol, assistwith digestion, and prevent constipation.It also promotes satiety while consumingfewer calories and can help maintainsteady blood sugar levels. According to theAmerican Institute for Cancer Research, adiet high in fiber may decrease the risk ofseveral types of cancer including colon,rectum, breast, and pancreas.

POTASSIUMOne cup of kohlrabi contains 14% of yourdaily needs for potassium. This mineral isessential for the function of every cell in

the body. As an electrolyte, it plays a keyrole in heart function, as well as in musclecontraction. Potassium is required forprotein and carbohydrate metabolism andis involved in acid-base balance in thebody. Too little potassium can lead to mus-cle cramping, abnormal heart rhythms andfeelings of weakness.

HOW TO SELECT AND STOREChoose the smaller bulbs of kohlrabi thatfeel firm and heavy for its size. The smallerbulbs tend to be sweeter and more flavor-ful than larger bulbs. Look for those withdark green leaves, which are edible as well.

Kohlrabi is best when eaten as fresh aspossible. It can also be stored in the refrig-erator for up to five days. This vegetablecan also be blanced and frozen for up toseveral months.

HOW TO ENJOYFresh Florida kohlrabi is delicious eatenraw or cooked. A very versatile vegetable,it can be enjoyed sliced into a salad orsteamed, boiled, baked, roasted or fried.The leaves can be lightly sautéed or eatenraw. More ways to enjoy kohlrabi include:

• Shredded in a coleslaw or as asandwich topper

• Marinated in oil and vinegar• Stir-fried in a vegetable stir-fry• Roasted in the oven with olive oil,salt and pepper

• Added to soups, stews, or casseroles

Enjoy fresh Florida kohlrabi today. Withits crisp delicious flavor and versatile uses,you can boost your health and expandyour palate by adding kohlrabi to yourplate.

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When you think about 4-H clubs,you usually think of horses andsome form of agriculture, right?

Would you ever think of fine art or pho-tography in 4-H clubs? Well, that’s whatLaura Linton thinks about when she youask her about her 4-H club. She is theleader for Frog Pond Center for the Arts 4-H in Gibsonton. She only has six studentsin her club and they range from age 14 to18 years old. They are a photography andfine arts 4-H club and Linton likes the factthat her club is unique. “I take the kidsthrough a design study for photographyand we have three different levels, a begin-ner, middle and advanced level and if theyreally excel, then they move into an inde-pendent study level,” Linton said. “We doboth wet and dry work.” Linton did startoff as a 4-H leader in master gardeningand even had some goats for a short time,but they didn’t seem to move her as muchas photography. She wanted her club to bedifferent from other clubs. The only agri-culture found in her club is in the photosher students take for their photographyprojects.

“We are strictly what you would call a spe-cial interest club,” Linton said. They stillfollow 4-H guidelines and they still com-pete against other clubs at 4-H competi-tions, just in photography. Linton sayseven though her club isn’t a traditionalclub, she still believes the 4-H programempowers her students to reach their fullpotential by working and learning in part-nership with caring adults. She feels thatthat through her art program, she preparesher students to step up to the challengesthey may face in their community and theworld. Studies have shown that students

who are involved in any 4-H program arenearly two times more likely to get bettergrades in school and attend college. Theyare 41 percent less likely to engage in riskybehaviors and 25 percent more likely topositively contribute to their families andcommunities.

Frog Pond 4-H has been in existence foreight years and Linton has seen all of herstudents gain more confidence and becomebetter leaders because of their photogra-phy. She gives them photo projects thatmake them work outside of their comfortzones. She makes them do self-portraits.Most of her students find it difficult totake a self-portrait because most of thetime they are not happy about how theylook in their photos. She teaches them howto overcome their fears. “I don’t wantthem to just shoot a photo in a mirror, theyhave to tell me a story about who thatperson is in the reflection,” Linton said.

Students who are involved with 4-H arecommitted to improving their communitiesand Linton says her students love to be apart of their community. They participatein the Hillsborough County Fair, theFlorida State Fair and the StrawberryFestival. “We help with all the fair andman the areas for other clubs,” Lintonsaid. “We also help clean up the areas afterthe fair is over.” Her students have taughtphotography classes at various libraries inthe Tampa Bay area in the past as well.They had an exhibit that was on display inSenator Ronda Storm’s office inTallahassee for the last three years. She hasseen unbelievable leadership skills developin her students and their photographyskills have become very diverse. “They

have to socialize with their peers as well asthe subjects they are shooting,” Lintonsaid. “They have to give direction and telltheir subject how to act and they havegained this confidence through the 4-Hprogram.”

Her students aren’t the only ones you havetaken something wonderful away from the4-H program. Linton herself has learned alot from 4-H. She feels blessed to be part ofa wonderful program that has given her somany wonderful students to teach. “Theyhave given me a whole new world and I getto play and have fun again,” Linton said,“I get to watch them grow and walk withthem through their journey of life.” TheFrog Pond Center for the Arts is located at10610 East Bay Road in Gibsonton. •

By Libby Hopkins


Harrison Ford started out as acarpenter, he had to have somekind of employment before he

made it big. So, prior to Indiana Jones andHan Solo, he built and repaired things.People are starting to realize that specifictrades are more financially beneficial andstable than typical college educations. Infact, according to CNN, the enrollment infor-profit-schools, which includes tradeschools, has jumped from 365,000 to 1.8million during the recession over the pastfew years (www.money.cnn.com). So, ifyou are one of the 12.7 million people inthe United States who is currently unem-ployed, it might be a good idea to checkout trade school, specifically ErwinTechnical Center.

James Rich is the Principal at Erwin andhe’s been there a little over four years. Hecomes from a family of farmers based outof Michigan. They raised soybeans, wheatand corn. However, his parents were thefirst to leave the family farming tradition.He says, “My mom ended up leaving thefarm to become a nurse and my dad leftthe farm to work in a paper mill. I thinkwhat changed it for them is that corporatefarming began to take over more than any-thing else. I think my grandparents, onboth sides, had 120 acres but when I wasgrowing up they were leasing them to big-ger farms. I miss the farm because it wasgreat to go hunting in the fall.”

While James spent many weekends on thefamily farm as a child, he did not return tothe farming life as an adult. Instead, hebecame an educator. He says, “I’m just abiology teacher that did well.” Certainlyattaining the position of principal is anaccomplishment. However, he admits thathe ran into a former automotive repairstudent while he was still an assistantprincipal, and discovered that the autotech was making $20,000 more a yearthan he was. Thusly, James is very awareof the benefits of technical school.

He explains, “Practical nursing is probablyalmost 35 percent of our total enrollment.We usually have three classes going at thesame time. Last year we graduated about135 practical nurses and of those gradu-ates, 92 percent passed the licensure examthe first time.” Obviously they are doingsomething right in order to have anover 90 percent passing rate! While thenursing program is their top enroller, theyalso see a large percentage involved in theindustrial programs like electricity or auto-motive.

The average age of students at Erwin is 35.Many of them have bachelor’s degrees, buthave experienced downsizing or layoffsand they are seeking job security. Thetrades offer a sense of security becausethese are positions that can’t be out-sourced, you don’t send your car to Chinato have it repaired, or call someone in theMiddle East to fix the plumbing in yourbathroom. James advises people to, “reallythink about what you want to do and,more importantly, think about getting ajob you can make a living wage in. Collegeis very expensive and it doesn’t work outfor everyone who starts.”

With regards to expenses, one will discov-er that Erwin is significantly less financial-ly burdensome than a considerable numberof private institutions. James says, “We’revery low cost compared to the privateschools, very affordable.” He tells a storyabout a newly hired practical nurse on theelevator at a local hospital. The youngwoman graduated from a private programin Hillsborough County and when asked

how much she’d spent on her education,the price was four times that of Erwin’s. Ofcourse, when that was revealed to theyoung lady, she cried. You would too, ifyou could have saved $12,000.

Erwin Technical Center is located onHillsborough Avenue and 22nd Street inTampa. James said one of the guys hegolfed with had driven by it for ten yearsand never realized it was a school. In fact,he explains, “People really don’t knowwhat we do. They don’t know that this isavailable, it’s a very well kept secret.” Notanymore! Truth be told, they are expand-ing their programs to include irrigation.That’s supposed to start in January.

One other really great thing about Erwin isthat you don’t necessarily have to pay forit all on your own. James expounds,“Financial aid is available for students; PellGrants for those who qualify. We takeBright Futures and Florida Pre Pay and wedo have some scholarships available aswell.” Therefore, that $20+ an hour jobcould be right around the corner for you.We definitely recommend that you checkout their programs, which include thehealth fields as well as industrial and auto-motive. You can find out the specifics ontheir website: wwwwww..eerrwwiinn..eedduu

By Ginny Mink

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Agro-Culture Liquid has demonstrat-ed the advantage of balanced cropnutrition in the challenging condi-

tions of the southeastern U.S. As an indus-try leader in supplying a full range of plantnutrients to its customers, Agro-Liquid hasearned a reputation for being able toaddress nutrient limitations of crops bydrawing from experiences on their exten-sive nutrient research farm to help growersmaximize yield and quality. An importantaspect that sets Agro-Culture Liquid

Fertilizers apart from other fertilizercompanies is a commitment to not onlysupplying a full range of nutrients, but alsoadding in company support to ensuremaximum benefit from the nutrient appli-cations.

Support from Agro-Liquid continues togrow in the southeast. The recent additionof Paulino Gutierrez is a step toward build-ing on momentum that has already beenestablished. Paulino has spent most of hiscareer in the ag industry and can quicklyidentify opportunities, as well as challenges,in an area. His “hands-on” approach tosupporting products with an active presencein the field is an attribute that will increasethe value of Agro-Liquid in his area. Paulinoresides in Sarasota, and as a result is acces-sible to many key crops and areas of thesoutheast. His support of Agro-Liquid’s areasellers will ensure that growers can count onthe company to supply their crop nutritionneeds.

Another addition to the staff in the south-east is Dr. Mike Read. He will provideagronomy support for fruits and vegetables.

Mike has worked with Agro-Culture Liquidproducts in various capacities for severalyears. Over his career, he has lived andworked in several countries with diverse cli-mates and cultural habits. This experiencehas equipped him to be able to adapt theflexibility of Agro-Liquid products to themanagement and available resources of thegrower. He resides in Venice, and, likePaulino, is a quick commute to many areacrops.

Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers is commit-ted to an increasing presence in the south-east. The company philosophy of maximiz-ing production from applied nutrients is agood fit with the challenges in the area. Theclimate and soils of the southeast createsome obstacles for growers that Agro-Liquid is equipped to meet head-on. Thededication to knowledgeable field supportand a complete menu of plant nutritionplaces Agro-Culture Liquid in a position ofgrowth in the area. Be sure to visit the web-site at www.agroliquid.com in order toverify their value to your operation. •

Agro-CultureLiquidFertilizersPicks UpThe Pace

By Galynn Beer


Fall has arrived in Florida. For many,this is the most enjoyable of ourFlorida seasons. Migratory birds have

already begun to nestle in for the winter. Awelcome decline in temperature andhumidity levels remind us that the carefreedays of summertime are winding to an end.Community spirit seems warmer this timeof year as if kindling the upcoming holi-days. Friends relax at local farmers marketsto share fresh food and good conversationand Fall festivals fill the air with live musicand the laughter of children. Of all theexperiences that can be associated withautumn, the migration of the Monarch but-terflies could well be the most memorable,if you’re willing to take a closer look.

The colors black and orange embellishOctober typifying the end of harvest and, inmany world cultures, the hallowing, orhonoring of the dead. These colors areespecially significant when they come onthe wings of a butterfly. Butterflies areancient symbols of death and rebirthbecause of the metamorphosis that charac-terize their lifecycle. The ancient Greekword for butterfly is psyche, which meanssoul, or mind. The Monarch butterfly(Danaus plexippus) in particular is oneof the worlds most revered of all butterflies.Monarch butterflies are the only butterflyin the world that engage in a long distance,round trip, migration to the grand finaleof their life for the welfare of futuregenerations.

As daylight shortens through mid-August,the last of the summer monarch generationenter into a non-reproductive phase knownas diapause and may live seven months ormore. There are three major Monarch popu-lations in North America; the two migratorypopulations are separated by the RockyMountains. Monarchs west of the RockyMountains migrate to the California coastwhile (most) monarchs east of the RockyMountains migrate to pine and oyamel firforests in central Mexico from as far north asCanada. The means by which the Monarchsnavigate the same route and location as theirancestors is not completely understood.Monarchs in northern latitudes begin themigration and more Monarchs join theswarm in the journey south.

With little exception,Monarch butterflies areexpected to migrate, thisbehavior is thought tohave manifest during thelast Pleistocene glacia-tions in North Americawhen Canada and mostof the Northern part ofthe United States wasblanketed with sheets ofice. It was common thenfor animals to migratenorth and south with thepatterns of vegetationzones and the monarchswere no exception. The tropical environ-ment in Florida however accommodatesdifferences in Monarch behavior that hasinspired passionate research to determineFlorida’s role in the migration. We have res-ident Monarchs in Florida that do notmigrate and populations drop significantlywith the addition of migratory birds func-tioning as predators.

Some migratory monarchs are thought tobranch into Florida and reproduce with theresident population.

Monarchs that migrate to Florida, orthrough it, seem to be more active in thewinter months than those that settle inMexico. In Florida, researchers have docu-mented several winter generations thatpeak between February and March and alull at the end of August. Those that settlein Mexico generally do not begin to repro-duce until they leave in February andMarch and lay eggs on early milkweedgrowth before they die along the route backup north. By the middle of this month weshould begin to see resident caterpillars incentral Florida again. At the end of themonth, Monarchs are expected to travelthrough Florida’s gulf coast on their way toMexico. St Marks National Wildlife Refugeis one of the best places to see migratingmonarchs in Florida and will host the 24thAnnual Monarch Butterfly Festival onOctober 27.

We have much to discover about Monarchmigration, researchers know that the sunplays a role in the migration; however, newresearch indicates the Monarch butterflymay use the earth's magnetic field for orien-tation. The antennae contain a protein thatis sensitive to the violet-blue part of thespectrum. In the presence of this spectrum,the protein can function as a chemicalcompass. Dr. Chip Taylor, ProfessorDepartment of Ecology and EvolutionaryBiology, University of Kansas, foundedMonarch watch to encourage education,research and conservation relativeto Monarch butterflies. The MonarchWATCH program provides citizen scienceopportunities for volunteers to help tagMonarch butterflies during the fall migra-tion. Once tagged, scientists and volunteerscan track the Monarch butterfly migration

Florida Tagging and monitoring is appropri-ate in late September and October and is notlimited to known migratory routes, in fact,greater variety in tagging locations is helpful.We have included links to both the MonarchWATCH program and St Marks NationalWildlife Refuge for those interested.

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By Sean GreenPhoto by April WietreckiA Closer Look

Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus)

The Florida FFA inducted Plant City’s RayClark in the Florida FFA Hall of Fame onOctober 1, 2012 at the FFA Leadershiptraining Center near Haines City.

Also inducted at this 6th Annual eventwere: Alfred Rankin Cox Jr. (deceased),Donald Charles Hurst (deceased), GaryDoyle Lee and Winton Oziel Whittle.

Harold “Ray” Clark was born on October18, 1949 in Plant City and grew up on afarm that produced bell peppers, strawber-ries, citrus, and cattle. He graduated fromKathleen High School in 1967, and attend-ed Polk Junior College for two yearsbefore continuing his education at theUniversity of Florida, where he obtained abachelor’s degree in Agriculture in 1972.Ray was immediately offered the post ofagriculture teacher at Plant City HighSchool, a job he was to perform for 36years, until his retirement in 2008. UnderRay’s leadership the Plant City FFA chap-ter became known as one of the best chap-ters in the state of Florida.

His parliamentary procedure team consis-tently placed in the top three in the state,and many of his other teams also won statecontests. Ray trained 16 state FFA officers,including two presidents, and one of hisfive national officers held the highest postas president. Ray Clark’s reputation as aneducator and FFA advisor became so great

that middle school students who saw himat all the FFA functions couldn’t wait toget to high school so they could be in hisclasses.

In 1998 Ray was named as departmenthead and became responsible for managingan agriculture program with eight agricul-ture teachers. Despite the periodic budgetcuts and other challenges, he continued toget things done and produce outstandingstudents to help shape a strong and pros-perous future for Florida agriculture.

Ray’s leadership outside the school withmany professional and community organi-zations was noted. He was president of the

Hillsborough County Agriculture TeachersAssociation in 1982-83, and president ofthe Agriculture Teachers Owls Club in1985-86. He held many positions with thePolk County Fair, the Florida State Fair,and the Florida Strawberry Festival. Hecontinues to remain active in most of theseorganizations even though he is in fullretirement.

For all his service and many accomplish-ments, Ray Clark has been honored withmany awards, including the HonoraryState FFA Degree, the Honorary AmericanFFA degree, Plant City Ag educator of theyear, and a Lifetime Achievement Awardfrom the Hillsborough County Fair. Henow has more than 30 former studentsteaching agriculture. Ray is a “full blown”Gator, and a member of the Florida FFAAlumni and the University of FloridaAlumni Association.

Presently Ray is enjoying his retirementand spends time with his wife, Phyllis, hisson, daughter and their three grandchil-dren. A well deserved award to a tirelesspromoter of agricultural education andFFA.

Photos By Ron OʼConnor

INDUCTED IN FLORIDA FFAHALL OF FAME

Ray ClarkRay Clark

Ray Clark with hiswife and mother

Three Generations of Ag Teachers at Plant CityHigh School, beginning in 1952

L-R: Ray Clark, Ray Arrington, Wesley Joyner

Ray Clark and family46 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2012 W W W. I N T H E F I E L D M AG A Z I N E .C O M

Fluffy StuffedStrawberries

Florida Arugula andGoat Cheese Saladwith Citrus and Strawberry

Recipes Courtesy of the Florida Department of Agricluture

INGREDIENTS

1 pound strawberries8 ounces low-fat cream cheese, softened3 ounces low-fat yogurt1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

PREPARATION

Cut stems off the strawberries and carefullyscoop out 2/3 of the inside by using a knife orspoon, creating a “cup.” Be sure not to makeany holes. Cut off a piece off the bottom tip ofthe strawberries to allow them to stand up.

Beat cream cheese and yogurt until fluffy.Fold in vanilla extract. Working in batches,place cheese mixture into pastry bag or azip-lock bag with a small corner cut off.Fill strawberries with cheese mixture.

Garnish with mint and serve.

PREPARATION

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add arugula, lemonjuice and olive oil. Lightly toss the arugula to coatand season lightly with salt and pepper. To servesalad use four chilled plates. Add an even amountof the dressed arugula to the centre of each of thefour plates. Arrange an even amount of citrus andstrawberries in a decorative manor on each plate.Evenly distribute the crumbled goat cheese overthe top of each salad.

Serve arugula salad chilled.

INGREDIENTS

16 ounces arugula, rinsed and drained

1 dozen strawberries, rinsed, hulled and sliced

2 oranges, peeled and segmented

8 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

1 lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon olive oil

sea salt to taste

fresh ground pepper to taste

RECIPES


Specialty MeatsDucks, Capons, Fresh Ham,

Rabbits, Quail, Fresh &Smoked Turkey Wings

and Drumsticks, Beef andPork Kidneys, Hog Heads,

Hog Maws, Pork Skin,Tripe & Honeycomb Tripe,

and Alligator Meat.

• We Accept TECO Payments• Western Union Money Orders

49¢ each

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It’s another dream come true for the Florida StrawberryFestival as its Board of Directors, staff and community mem-bers observe the much anticipated ribbon cutting for the Astin

Farms and Ed & Myrtle Lou Swindle Family Pavilions. The newpavilion’s, along with the 30,000 square foot multi-purpose agri-cultural complex that was completed in 2011, have been a dreamin the making for more than 30 years. Friday, October 12, hun-dreds gathered to hear Commissioner Adam Putnam speak onbehalf of the Festival and the importance of youth in agriculturetoday.

To better serve our agricultural programs and the communities’needs, in 2011 the Florida Strawberry Festival board approved theconstruction of two open air pavilions that adorn the East andWest sides of the multi-purpose agricultural complex. The EastPavilion is named after the Astin Family, while the West Pavilionis named after the Swindle Family, both of whom are lifelong sup-porters of the agriculture industry and the Plant City Community.These generous donations not only benefit the Florida StrawberryFestival and the Plant City Community, but will have a life alter-ing impact on the thousands of individuals who attend and partic-ipate in agricultural events.

The two pavilions provide the complex with an additional 37,000square feet of open air space. During the Festival the pavilions willbe used to house livestock and plants and will also be available torent during the off-season.

You still have time to be a part of history and support our com-munity with the Agricultural Show Center brick campaign andseating section naming rights fundraiser. For more informationregarding the fundraising campaign, please contact CommitteeChairman, Rick Lott or KeeLee Tomlinson at the Festival Office.

Make plans now and mark your calendars for the 78th annualFlorida Strawberry Festival, February 28 – March 10, 2013where you can be one of the first to see the new agricultural

complex. Please follow the Florida Strawberry Festival atwwwwww..ffllssttrraawwbbeerrrryyffeessttiivvaall..ccoomm, Facebook and Twitter,

or call 813-752-9194 for further details.

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While this is probably true in many communities, new com-ers to the greater Plant City area discover early on thiscommunity unites in good times and times that are not so

good, supporting individuals, families and organizations. This isespecially evident in times of need.

Darby Hasting is a case in point. The oldest daughter of Dwight andGloria Hasting, Darby, a 16-year-old junior at Durant High School,has a long and noteworthy history of both involvement and achieve-ment in agriculture. This relationship and commitment is attributedto her father “whose interest with FFA competitions and showinglivestock were things he did growing up in Plant City,” said hermother, Gloria. “He has nurtured that desire in both of our daugh-ters and continues support it to the fullest,” she added.

Darby began in 4-H as an eight-year-old, showing chickens and rab-bits at the Florida Strawberry Festival. She then moved on toSouthdown Sheep, swine, commercial heifers and market steers.Coincidentally, she won an In The Field essay contest as a 6th grad-er after her name was drawn for an entry to show a swine at theStrawberry Festival and received Reserve Grand Champion honors.Darby has been an FFA member since 6th grade and has held theoffices of Chaplain, Treasurer and Vice President. She has been aHillsborough County Federation officer twice, holding the offices ofChaplain and Sentinel.

“Darby takes pride in whatever she does,” said her mother. “Darbygives 110 percent to everything that she does.” That includes multi-ple state titles with FFA in Career Development Events – LivestockJudging, Nursery & Landscape Judging, Ornamental HorticultureDemonstration, Prepared Public Speaking and Vegetable Judging.

She has won multiple awards with her animals, including GrandChampion Carcass for her Strawberry Festival steer this year,Premiere Exhibitor, also at the Festival, and many Grand Championand Reserve Championships with her sheep over the last eight years.

Darby’s 14-year-old sister, Cassidy, is a freshman at Durant andPresident of her FFA chapter. She too is very involved in showing herlivestock that includes Southdown sheep and commercial cattle.Cassidy also competes in Career Development Events through FFAlike Forestry Judging, Prepared Public Speaking, OrnamentalHorticulture Demonstrations, Livestock Judging and the FFA Creed.

The Hasting sisters’ path of growing involvement and achievement inthings agriculture stalled temporarily in June of 2011 when Darbywas struck by a significant health care challenge. The week of finalexams and the time before she was headed off to a state FFA compe-tition, Darby began to feel discomfort and puffiness, initially thoughtto be an allergic reaction. However, after her condition did notchange after several days, Darby’s parents sought medical treatment.Testing eventually determined she had a rare and incurable kidneydisease called Focal Segmental Glomeruloscleriosos, known as FSGS.It is a rare disease that attacks the kidney’s filtering system causing

Working TogetherIn Good And Bad Times

Agriculture, Family AndCommunity Are All BehindDarby HastingBy Jim Frankowiak


scarring of the filter. FSGS is one of thecauses of a condition known as NephroticSyndrome (NS).

There is no known cure for FSGS andeventually Darby may need a kidney trans-plant. “We knew when she was diagnosed,that our lives were going to change forev-er,” said Gloria. “She has a long roadahead of her with medication changes,treatment, dialysis and possibly a kidneytransplant. She is in a real good place rightnow. Her medication combination is doingits job. They are slowing down the scarringprocess of her kidney filtering system. Thiswill prolong any need of a transplant andhopefully during that time, medicalresearch will hit a home run and find acure for this disease.

“With a lot of hard work, Darby stillmaintains a 3.4 GPA at school. She lovessoccer and played competitively for Parksand Recreation for seven years, but is lim-ited on her amount of strenuous physicalactivities due to liquid limitations,” saidher mother.

Quit is not a word that seems to be permit-ted at the Hasting home. “Immediatelyafter we learned of Darby’s diagnosis webegan to educate ourselves and plan forthe future,” said Gloria. “I will never giveup,” emphasized Darby. “I encourageeveryone to always continue your life nomatter what gets in your way.”

As information spread of Darby’s situationthe response has been dramatic. “We knewour family and friends would be support-ive,” said Dwight, “but they have reallywowed us.” Birthday gifts have given wayto contributions to the fund the Hasting’sare building for Darby’s future health careneeds. Parties had been held benefitingDarby, and a lot more.

“The community of Plant City has beenbeyond wonderful,” said Gloria. “JulieHasting hosted a Benefit for Darby thispast May and doubled the amount wewere hoping to raise.” That event was heldat the Red Rose Inn, which donated theballroom and Carabba’s supplied entréefood at cost and Chili’s donated all of theappetizers. Many local stores stepped upand donated raffle items for the auction.“My close friends – Danny and KimGarrett, Brigitta Long, Tina Sanders,Nichole Danley, Kim and Bill Butler and ofcourse the Red Rose Inn,” said Julie. Intotal, that event, with many other dona-tions, raised over $20,000 for Darby’sfund. “This support from community and

family has been humbling,” said Gloria.Darby’s fund, as of this writing, is nearly$25,000, one-quarter of the way to thefamily’s goal.

But there’s more. “Unity in theCommunity asked that our family be pres-ent at a golf tournament fund-raiser whereDarby was presented a check for $5,000.Henry Falcone of Sweet Bay Supermarketand Stingray Chevrolet owner SteveHurley gave Darby the check along withtheir own personal donations and therehave been many, unexpected gifts atAgriculture gatherings throughout theyear,” said Gloria.

“Many classmates and fellow club mem-bers have really stepped up to support meat the various events that have been heldon my behalf,” said Darby. Keel & CurleyWinery just did a Mud Run BlueberryStomp with over 1,300 people in honor ofDarby and Evan Ranieri, an 18-month-oldalso with a kidney disease.

Equal donations to Darby and Evan inexcess of $4,000 are anticipated. “YoungSprouts 4-H Club here in Plant City isdoing a chapter pig at the HillsboroughCounty Fair and the proceeds are going toDarby’s account to assist with medicalexpenses and medicines,” said Gloria.

Young Sprouts leader, Sheri Ray, said theclub began its year with a Piggy BankParade and members were encouraged tomake a bank from a milk jug that will beplaced in local businesses throughout theyear, seeking donations for Darby, who,with her family, judged the contest. “Ourmembers have created major displays forthe State Fair the last two years that won1st place status and cash awards of $2,500which is how we have paid for our club pigproject for Darby,” said Ray.

“While we do have health insurance forDarby, it only covers a portion of herneeds. Our goal is to raise $100,000 tohave in her medical fund for future med-ical needs,” said Gloria. “It is our hope notto be put on a waiting list for a kidneywhen the time arises, due to a lack offunds. We are being proactive in preparingfor her future health care needs. Overall,we have and continue to be blessed in somany different ways,” said Gloria. Thefamily attends Van Dyke Church in Lutzand Darby is on their daily prayer chain.

The Hasting family has also becomeinvolved with Nephcure and its efforts toraise money and awareness and to meet

other families coping with NephroticSyndrome and FSGS. This is critical toraising funds for research and the ultimatecare for this terrible disease. The NephcureFoundation has announced its annualWalk at Largo December 8.

For more information, visit:hhttttpp::// //wwwwww..nneepphhccuurree..oorrgg//wwaallkk

An interesting side benefit to Darby as aresult of this situation has been finalizationof a career path. After Durant, she plans tomove to Ocala and live with relatives whileattending College of Central Florida whereshe wants to pursue a degree in radiology. “I always thought I wanted to work inhealth care,” she said, “and while under-going an ultrasound test I had the chanceto speak at length with the technician andher explanation of the process helped mefinalize my plans for my career. I lookforward to becoming a radiology technol-ogist and possibly advancing further in themedical field.” •

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In my never ending quest to lose weightand eat a healthier diet, I started lookinginto the health benefits of different spices

and herbs. I was amazed at my findings! Notonly do some of these spices and herbs smellwonderful, they are beneficial. Take the herbrosemary for example, it smells great and isused as an antibacterial, antioxidant, andantifungal. It is considered a brain and circu-latory stimulant. It can stimulate hair growthand can be used as an insect repellent as well.

Emily Wenzel is the President ofThe Florida Herb Society and her website is

Body and Mind Enrichment(www.bodyandmindenrichment.org).

Wenzel became interested in the health bene-fits of herbs and spices after she was diag-nosed with ulcerative colitis, which is aninflammation of the large intestine.

“I realized that there has to be a better wayother than what the doctors were tellingme,” Wenzel said. “Their feedback was takeall these pills or let us take part of your colonout.” She was faced with the challenge ofgoing from Western medicine to Easternmedicine and learning how to heal her bodywithout pills. She went to a Tampa Bay Herb

Society meeting and saw a woman mixingherbs together for to use as a salve; she washooked.

She began planting herb plants in her back-yard. “I try to add things into my cooking oreveryday life,” Wenzel said. “Cinnamon isreally good to boost up your metabolism.” Inthe winter months, she’ll use sage or ginger inher foods or teas because they warm thebody from the inside out. Another goodwarming herb is lemongrass. It has manyhealth benefits and healing propertiesbecause it contains many compounds, oils,minerals and vitamins that are known tohave anti-oxidant and disease preventingproperties. Peppermint can be used for com-mon respiratory ailments. It has an antihista-mine effect, coupled with the strong, coolingaction of menthol that makes it a usefuldecongestant. Lemon balm is a perennialherb from the mint family and it is used fordigestive problems, including upset stomach,bloating, gas and colic. Many people believelemon balm has calming effects, so they takeit for anxiety, sleep problems and restless-ness. It’s also used for Alzheimer’s diseaseand attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder.Turmeric is a spice that helps with dementia.I found this very interesting while I wasdoing my research because my grandmotherhas dementia.

Turmeric and its key component, curcumin,help ward off dementia and even help currentdementia patients. Alzheimer’s and dementiaoccur significantly less in elderly people ofIndia than America because turmeric is usedin Indian cooking. According to DukeUniversity, “turmeric extracts block the for-mation of beta-amyloid, which is responsiblefor the plaques that hinder brain function inAlzheimer’s disease.” Ginseng is also used tohelp with mild to moderate vascular demen-tia. Garlic, whether you love it or hate it, it isgood for you. As a staple of natural remediesand traditional medicine, garlic has anti-fun-gal, antibacterial and antiviral effects.Studies have shown that it can stop bloodclots from forming in your arteries. Thymecan be used fresh or dried. Its oil is antisepticand antibacterial. Recent studies show thymecan kill MRSA (Methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus Aureus) a type of staph infec-tion, which is resistant to other antibiotics.

These are just a few of the spices and herbs Ifound to be very interesting while I wasdoing my research. I plan on using more ofthem in my foods, even the rosemary. I’m nota huge fan of the herb but if it will help meget healthier, I’ll try it. Emily also had somegreat tips on her website which I may try outas well. She said to drink two glasses ofwater when you rise each day. One glass willfeed your mind, one will feed your body. Trya new fruit or vegetable, ask someone at themarket or in the produce section for ideas.Smile while leaving someone a messagebecause you can tell the difference in some-one’s voice and tone. Finally, seek change,even if it’s driving a new route or in my casenew eating habits.

For more information on the Florida HerbSociety, you can visit them on the web at

wwwwww..fflloorriiddaahheerrbbssoocciieettyy..oorrgg

By Libby Hopkins



Now is your chance! Warner University, after speaking with lead-ers in the agriculture industry, parents and students, is starting anAgricultural Studies Degree! The program will kick off in the Fallof 2013, but there are already Ag students enrolled, starting outthis year with their general education requirements.

To help with the program, The Brahma Island Family Day,hosted by the Lightsey Cattle Company will be held December 1.But it is so much more than a fundraiser. This is your chance toget an up close and personal tour of Brahma Island, home to 28protected species and a prime example of Florida agriculture’scommitment to sustaining our environment by being part of theconservation easement program.

When people think of Florida they often think of beaches andDisney World. This is your chance to see Florida as it used to be,a place of wild beauty, with a variety of animal species roamingthe land, huge oak trees reach skyward, forming a canopy ofhammocks with welcoming shade from the Florida sun. OldFlorida is palmetto thickets, alligators, bald eagles and snail kits.Old Florida is, simply put, stunning. And Brahma Island is oldFlorida.

Many involved in the agriculture industry are already on boardwith Warner University’s Ag Program. “The Florida SpecialtyCrop Foundation is pleased to participate in the inception of thenew Ag studies program at Warner University. We strive to sup-port young people who are pursuing a career in agriculture, andthis is a promising program to support that. It provides anotheravenue for high school graduates who want to become moreinvolved in agriculture, which is critical to this state and ourorganization. Warner University has done a tremendous job oframping of this program in a very short period of time. And theyfound a wonderful director for the program in Lauren Lewis, whois working so hard to make our industry aware of this program,”said Sonia Tighe, Executive Director of the Florida Specialty CropFoundation.

A prospective student wrote, “I am graduating from Lake PlacidHigh School (Highlands Co.) this coming June 2013. I noticed onyour website your new Ag program and am very interested. I havefriends that graduated from Warner and sing it's praises. I verymuch like the idea of a smaller school and the Christian values.

Also, very interesting to me is the way you plan to have Ag stu-dents involved in their major their freshman year to keep themmotivated through the basics of the first two years.”

During the event, the plans for the Agricultural Studies Programwill be on display, including a model of the facilities designed byarchitect Scott Crews, as well as the degree curriculum. “The sup-port and encouragement from the Florida agriculture industry forthe Agricultural Studies degree program has been humbling andoverwhelming. I have enjoyed meeting with industry leaders whoare dedicated to the future of the agriculture workforce and arewilling to partner with our new program. More so though, I amthrilled to welcome students on campus enrolling in the AgStudies major. The future of the program is promising, and I amblessed to be involved,” said Lauren Lewis, Director ofAgriculture Studies at Warner University.

There will also be children’s activities, live and silent auctions, anda presentation by the Commissioner of Agriculture, AdamPutnam and Carey Lightsey. In addition you will be served a deli-cious lunch!

Tickets can be purchased by contacting Lauren Lewis atllaauurreenn..lleewwiiss@@wwaarrnneerr..eedduu or 863-638-7116, or Doris Gukich, VPof Advancement, at ddoorriiss..gguukkiicchh@@wwaarrnneerr..eedduu or 863-638-7611.

Tickets are $200 per adult and includes admission for accompanied children under the age of 18. Make this a familyevent! It is certain to be educational as well as entertaining.

Seeing The Old FloridaWARNER UNIVERSITY


Do you want to make your neighbors green with envybecause of the beauty of your landscape? Here’show…the University of Florida’s Florida-Friendly

LandscapingTM (FFL) program provides recognition tohomeowners, businesses and governmental entities that useenvironmentally friendly gardening and landscape maintenancepractices. Florida-Friendly Yards incorporate the nine (9) FFLprinciples which include: Right Plant-Right Place, WaterEfficiently, Fertilize Appropriately, Mulch, Attract Wildlife,Manage Yard Pests Responsibly, Recycle, Reduce StormwaterRunoff and Protect the Waterfront.

There is no one cookie-cutter landscape design to achieveFlorida-Friendly Yard Recognition status, that you canreadily see by viewing the University of Florida’s FFLYard Recognition photo gallery:hhttttpp::// // ffyynn..iiffaass..uuffll..eedduu//hhoommeeoowwnneerrss// rreeccooggnniittiioonnss..hhttmm.Notice how different the landscapes are, some are manicured,some more natural and others are quite non-conventional.Landscape plants should be appropriate for our zone. Landscape maintenance is the criterion that determines if it isFlorida-Friendly. Exotic invasive plants should not be used. The IFAS Assessment of Non-Native Plants can be found at:hhttttpp::// //ppllaannttss..iiffaass..uuffll..eedduu//aasssseessssmmeenntt//ccoonncclluussiioonnss..hhttmmll. This assessment lists plants that have been determined to beinvasive and should not be part of your landscape.

All recognized landscapes are evaluated via checklist initially bythe homeowner, business or governmental entity by thoroughlycompleting the form. Homeowner yards are evaluated based ona checklist located at:

hhttttpp::// // ffyynn..iiffaass..uuffll..eedduu//mmaatteerriiaallss//FFYYNN__YYaarrdd__RReeccooggnniittiioonn__CChheecckklliisstt__22001100..ppddff. For newly constructed commercial, governmental,multi-family and single family construction, utilize the form at:hhttttpp::// // ffyynn..iiffaass..uuffll..eedduu//ppddff//BB__aanndd__DD__CChheecckklliisstt..ppddff.

Yard Advisors that are Urban Horticulture staff/agents andMaster Gardener volunteers review the completed checklist,schedule a meeting with the property owner, evaluate the landscape and provide their feedback on the same type checklist that was completed by the owner. Having all partieswalk the landscape together and discuss it provides a great educational opportunity. To receive Yard Recognition, the landscape must meet the minimum requirements and achieve a specific point score.

What’s in this for you? It’s a lovely sign that recognizes yourlandscape as a Florida-Friendly Recognized Yard and a land-scape that helps beautify your neighborhood and preserveFlorida’s natural resources. As always, follow the landscape orarchitectural control procedures in your deed restrictions beforemaking changes. For assistance with horticultural questions, call 813-744-5519 Extension 4, or visit us at the HillsboroughCounty Extension Service, 5339 County Road 579, Seffner, FL.More gardening information is available at:hhttttpp::// //hhiillllssbboorroouugghh..eexxtteennssiioonn..uuffll..eedduu and hhttttpp::// // eeddiiss..iiffaass..uuffll..eedduu.Remember to reuse, reduce and recycle.

Lynn Barber, Florida-Friendly LandscapingTM AgentHillsborough County and UF/IFAS Extension

Florida Citrus Mutual thanked the U.S Department ofAgriculture after the agency announced it awarded a $9 mil-lion grant to help support citrus research.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to advance research into citrusgreening so we can save our $9 billion industry,” said Michael W.Sparks, executive VP/CEO of Florida Citrus Mutual. “I must com-mend Secretary Vilsack for his leadership on this issue and under-standing that the key to beating this insidious disease lies in thelaboratory.”

Stopping citrus greening or HLB, a bacterial disease that attackstrees, is crucial to the future of Florida citrus. The disease isendemic to the state and has caused billions of dollars in lossesover the past five years.

“The effort to secure the grant was multi-state and showed thatwhen faced with a crisis California, Texas and Florida, historical-ly rival citrus producing states, can work together,” Sparks said.“This disease threatens the entire domestic citrus industry.”

The $9 million will come from the USDA’s Specialty CropResearch Initiative (SCRI), a Farm Bill program designed to pro-mote specialty crop research. The funding will support a five yearproject, submitted by the Citrus Research and DevelopmentFoundation (CRDF), exploring the use of biological controls toneutralize the Asian Citrus Psyllid, the small bug that vectors HLB.“This approach to psyllid management is a missing element of thecurrent research portfolio, one that is well-suited for a nationaleffort,” said Harold Browning, Chief Operating Officer of theCRDF. “Although identified earlier as a priority, it is only recentprogress in research on psyllid biology that allows this approach tomove forward at this time. The intermediate to long-term natureof this research is an excellent complement to the short-termresearch on suppressing the psyllids.”

The $9 million SCRI grant augments $2 million in funding theUSDA appropriated to the Agricultural Research Service (ARS)facility in Ft. Pierce earlier this year to study citrus greening.

Sparks also credited U.S. Senator Bill Nelson calling him a long-time proponent of citrus disease research. He said Senator Nelsonhas worked tirelessly to bring this issue to the attention of theUSDA and he remains committed to establishing a permanentcitrus research trust fund financed through a portion of the tariffon imported orange juice.

The Florida citrus industry creates a $9 billion annual economicimpact, employing nearly 76,000 people, and covering more than500,000 acres. Founded in 1948 and currently representing nearly8,000 grower members, Florida Citrus Mutual is the state’s largestcitrus grower organization.

For more information, visit wwwwww..ffllcciittrruussmmuuttuuaall..ccoomm

Florida Citrus Growers Thank USDA for $9 Million Research Grant


MMEELLVVIINN KKEENNNNEETTHH BBLLAANNDDFFOORRDD, 78 of Plant City, Florida andLower Burrell, Pennsylvania died September 26, 2012, at SouthFlorida Baptist Hospital. Born December 30, 1933 in NewKensington, Pennsylvania, he was the son of the late GordonBlandford and the late Wilma Nonemaker Blandford. He was thehusband of Dolores Smith Blandford.

AARRNNOOLLDD JJEEFFFFEERRSSOONN MMCCEEVVEERR,, JJRR.., 81 of Plant City, Floridadied September 24, 2012, at South Florida Baptist Hospital.Born August 11, 1931 in Plant City, he was the son of the lateArnold McEver, Sr., and the late Marie Wood McEver. He servedin the Army in Korea from 1954 until 1956. Arnold was a retiredconductor having worked for CSX and Amtrak during his career.

TTHHOOMMAASS CCOOLLLLIINNSS CCAAMMPPBBEELLLL, 91 of Riverview died September22, 2012, at Brandon Regional Hospital. Born April 21, 1921 inCincinnati, Ohio, he was the son of the late Thomas Campbelland the late Stella Whyte Campbell. He was the husband of thelate Ruth Junkerman Campbell. He served in the U.S. Army from1941 until 1945. Born February 7, 1945 in Leon Guanajuato,Mexico, he was the son of the late Juan Abundis and AntoniaResendez Abundis. He was the husband of Obdulia CarrizalesAbundiz. His services will be in McAllen, Texas at a later date.Final interment was in Roselawn Cemetery, McAllen, Texas.

JJAAYY CC.. TTRROOXXEELL fell asleep in God's arms on WednesdaySeptember 19, 2012 at 3:03 am. Jay was born in Flint Michiganon January 23, 1917 to Harley and Ilah Jay Troxel. He and his wifeEloise, retired to new Port Richey in 1982 and relocated to hisgrandmother's home in Lakeland in 1988. He was a member ofTrinity Christian Center, Lakeland and a previous member of TheFirst united Methodist Church, Lakeland.

BBEETTTTYY JJAANNEE DDEENNTT, 84 was born May 22, 1928 in Williamson,West Virginia, she was the daughter of the late Earl Graves andthe late Maxine Billups Graves. Betty was a nurse working atTampa General Hospital and South Florida Baptist Hospital, andwas a member of Plant City's First Baptist Church.

AANNNNAA LLEEEE HHAALLLL, 55 of Dover died on September 16, 2012, atSun City Center Hospice House in Ruskin, Florida. Born August4, 1957 in Baltimore, Maryland, she was the daughter of the lateWilliam Boggs and the late Cora Poplin Boggs. She was the wifeof Kenneth “Ken” Hall..

h



Photos By Al BerrySpecial thanks to Ed Verner for the flight!

The strawberry fields in Plant City and Dover are nowbeing planted for the succulent harvest we all love so

much. Here is a view we don’t often see of these fields,prepped and ready for plants.

A ViewFrom Above


In the Field frequently includes articles about livestock, but thismonth we have the distinct pleasure of introducing you to reptilesgalore! Bruce Shwedick, Director of Reptile Discovery Programs,

gave a presentation at the Lazy Days RV Campground and we werehis special guests (though the reptiles were probably more appreciat-ed than we were).

Bruce has been providing similar presentations to schools and collegecampuses across the country since 1974. He is fascinated by reptilesand is incredibly knowledgeable about their natural history, geogra-phy and conservation necessities. Bruce grew up in the Washington,DC area, as his father, who served in WWII, worked in the Pentagon. Bruce’s brother, Michael, was the first to develop an interest inreptiles, but Bruce wasn’t far behind. Bruce says, “In the eleventhgrade, my brother brought a copperhead to school. He got bit withone of its two fangs and spent three days in the hospital on the AirForce base.” This revelation leads him to explain anti-venom. Hecontinues, “Anti-venom was first produced in the US when they wereexperimenting on pigeons. However, Brazil was the first country toproduce anti-venom in mass quantities. They immunized horsesagainst pit vipers, rattlesnakes and coral snakes.”

Bruce’s first reptile introduction was a 30-year-old yellow-footed tor-toise from the Amazon rainforest. He explained that her shell is asthick as a pencil and that she eats mushrooms and other vegetationbut loves bananas. He demonstrated her love by having her followthe banana back and forth on the table she was on. He added,“Reptiles have the ability to learn and that means they can betrained.” Her biggest predator, according to Bruce, is the jaguar thatcan bite right through her shell!

Next up was a very aggressive and surprisingly quick, alligator snap-ping turtle. Bruce said, “Some people think that the alligator snap-ping turtle can live for up to 200 years. They think this because flintarrowheads have been found in their shells and musket ball bulletsembedded in their legs.” The alligator snapping turtle is found as farnorth as Southern Illinois, as far east as Georgia and as far west asTexas. Apparently, one weighed 200 pounds. Now that’s a big turtle!Yet, Bruce expounds, “The leatherback is the largest, it eats 100pounds of jellyfish a day. Many weigh over 700 pounds. There wasone found in Wales that weighed 2016 pounds!”

Bruce leaves the turtles (after putting them back in their respectivecrates) to dive into an area in which he has a special affinity, croco-dilians. In fact he says, “The reason I moved to Plant City is becausethere was an attraction here called Gator Jungle. It was also an alli-gator farm. There’s 800,000 pounds of alligator meat eaten bytourists here each year. There are over one million three hundredthousand alligators in Florida. There are few places in Florida thatdon’t have people and alligators.” He then jokes, “What do alligatorsand people have in common? We all like waterfront property!”

Returning to the educational aspect of the presentation Bruceexplains that the largest salt water crocodile ever captured alive wasin the Philippines and it was over 20 feet long. In addition, Brucesays, “I’ve been taking care of one of the biggest alligators ever cap-tured alive. He was captured by a harpoon, and pulled up with acable and a noose.” At the time of his capture, Bruce was the reptilecurator for Cypress Gardens and he was trying to bring in a newgator exhibit. Ultimately, Mighty Mike (the gator with a 23 inchhead) has toured the country and has even been displayed on theJumbotron in New York City!

Director of Reptile Discovery Programs

Bruce ShwedickBy Ginny Mink

HisReptilesCould EatYour Steer


This leads into the presentation of a Chinese alligatornamed Chopstick. Chopstick is eight years old andrare, as there are less than 100 left in the wild. Bruceexplains, “The marsh lands in eastern China turnedout to be a great place to grow rice so the people con-sidered them an agricultural pest and killed themwhenever they found them. Chinese alligators aresmall, they only grow to 6-7 feet long.” Many zoosare actually getting rid of their alligator populationsto expand areas for their bigger residents, like ele-phants. According to Bruce, there are 23 differentkinds of crocodiles and six or seven of them are stillsome of the world’s most endangered species.

Next, Bruce introduced his audience to Carlos theiguana from Hispaniola, he’s a rhinoceros iguana.Bruce elaborates, “Rhinoceros iguanas are strong,fast, powerful, robust and he has scales on his nosethat look like a rhino horn. I began to train him andhe’s stopped running from me and trying to hit mewith his tail. His favorite treat is banana peel, he’llfollow me anywhere. This is called operant condition-ing training.” Indeed, Carlos gladly followed Bruce,eager for a bite of peel.

The finale of the presentation consisted of snakes.Bruce explained that there are 3100 different kinds ofsnakes and that Ireland and Hawaii are two islandsthat don’t have any. He offered additional tidbits oftrivia. Australia has the deadliest sea snakes, the milksnake from Honduras looks like a coral snake andtherefore you should recall the following: “If redtouches yellow, kill a fellow; red touches black,venom lack.” Of course, you’d be better off not mess-ing with any red, yellow and black snakes because abite from a coral snake can kill you in as a little asfour hours and there’s a shortage of coral snake anti-venom currently.

Bruce continued to inundate us with an insaneamount of knowledge. It would be in your best inter-est to look into having him come and speak to yourorganization, he knows some really cool stuff. Theicing on this highly educational experience though,was the introduction of Banana Girl, an 18 year old,17 foot, 7 inch, albino Burmese python (or rockpython) weighing in at 125 pounds. She stretched thelength of both display tables and upon completion ofhis presentation we were all allowed to come touchher. What an experience!

So, if you are into cold-blooded creatures, or if youare looking for some educational entertainment foryour kids, your employees or your other groupinvolvements, you should definitely check out:

wwwwww..rreeppttiilleeddiissccoovveerryy..ccoommBruce does birthday parties, too! Trust us, he’s incredible and his

reptiles are even better.

Two faculty members with theUniversity of Florida’s Institute ofFood and Agricultural Sciences have

won a prestigious U.S. Department ofAgriculture award for their work creatinga graduate-level course that combines thethree-part mission of land-grant universi-ties: Extension, teaching and research.

Karla Shelnutt, an Extension nutrition spe-cialist and assistant professor in family,youth and community sciences, and GailKauwell, a professor in food science andhuman nutrition, will accept the USDA’sNational Institute of Food and AgriculturePartnership Award for InnovativePrograms and Projects October 11 inWashington, D.C.

The pair collaborated to create a yearlongcourse, “Nutrition Education ProgramPlanning, Development, Implementationand Evaluation.” Under their guidance, thestudents plan, develop and implementresearch-based nutrition education pro-grams, materials and media aimed atbuilding and supporting healthful behav-iors among consumers.

The most comprehensive project that thestudents complete each year is a nutritioneducation curriculum. Each curriculumincorporates experiential learning activi-ties focusing on the USDA’s food guidancesystem, physical activities, healthy snacks,and evaluation tools among other compo-nents, and each lesson meets the Sunshine

State Standards for academics. The stu-dents also train county Extension facultyon how to implement the curriculum andcollect evaluation data.

The students’ coursework led to the devel-opment of three nutrition-related curriculaused in classrooms around the state and 4-H and other Extension programs: YouthUnderstanding MyPlate (YUM), YouthUnderstanding MyPlate ExplorationEdition (YUM-EE) and Get HealthyTogether.

“We’re thrilled about this recognition fortwo of our talented faculty members whohave worked so hard on this project,” saidJack Payne, UF senior vice president foragriculture and natural resources. “It’s awonderful example of IFAS’ extension,teaching and research missions comingtogether to create something of great valueto children’s futures.”

The program’s impact has been vast: 16graduate students completed the course;25 UF/IFAS Extension faculty membersand volunteers have been trained to imple-ment the YUM-EE curriculum, which willbe used in sixth through eighth grades in2013; 99 UF/IFAS Extension faculty mem-bers and volunteers trained in the YUMcurriculum, which has been implementedin 11 counties with plans for 9 more bySeptember 2013, and 39 UF/IFASExtension faculty members and volunteerstrained in the Get Healthy Together cur-

riculum, which focuses on developinghealthy eating habits among 7- to 10-year-old children and their caregivers.

Shelnutt and Kauwell have worked togeth-er before, and paired up again in responseto new accreditation standards for UF’sdietetic program. The UF/IFAS program isbelieved to be the only accredited dieteticinternship program that has a concentra-tion in Extension, which provides dieteticinterns with the knowledge and hands-onskills to communicate nutrition informa-tion to different audiences using a varietyof formats.

The graduate students gain valuable expe-rience from the program – creating educa-tional materials and teaching everyonefrom pre-schoolers to adult Extensionagents, Shelnutt said.

Teaching the adults is the toughest part ofthe course, she said, and the pair spends alot of time coaching students on how tobest present themselves and their material.“It’s really intimidating for them,”Shelnutt said.

But after all the coaching and revisions andpractice, the Extension agents who partici-pate in the training enjoy it, Kauwell said.“They love the students, they love theirideas – they have such original ideas andby the end, they know how to presentthem in a way that’s really great,” she said.

UF/IFAS Team Wins NIFA Partnership AwardFor Innovative Graduate Course By Mickie Anderson


74 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2012 W W W. I N T H E F I E L D M A G A Z I N E .C O M

Strawberry FactProvided by the University of Florida GulfCoast Research and Education Center

Meet Alex Lucas, your 2012 FloridaSenior Beef Ambassador. Attendingthe Florida Cattlemen’s Convention

in Marco Island last June, Lucas was intro-duced to the ambassadorship that changed herlife. At the convention fellow Cattlemen’smembers encouraged Alex to try out for theState Beef Ambassador competition.

Three short weeks later, Lucas was well pre-pared to win. Throughout the competition shehad to participate in a mock media interview, amock consumer demonstration, and an issueresponse and presentation. After all of her hardwork and determination Lucas was named the2012 Florida Senior Beef Ambassador, but thestory doesn’t stop here.

A student at the University of Florida majoringin Food Animal Science, and an active memberof the Gator Collegiate Cattlewomen, Lucasnow has to study and prepare for the NationalBeef Ambassador Competition. This will beheld in California on September 28 -31. There

she will have to do three youth presentations,two consumer demonstrations, and a mediainterview.

After completing this competition Lucas will begiven the opportunity to show her true passionfor the Beef Cattle Industry. She will tour thestate visiting agriculture and non-agriculturegroups informing them of the importance theBeef Cattle Industry in their lives. Lucas will beraising awareness all over the state until nextJune when she passes down her title. Lucasencourages others to learn about the Beef CattleIndustry and seek out new information andprogression in the agricultural industry.

This community is so blessed with talentedyouth who are passionate about agriculture.Agriculture is a necessity of life, one that thisyoung Beef Ambassador does not take forgranted.

Contact Alex Lucas atAAlleexxLLuuccaass5500@@ggmmaaiill..ccoomm

with any events, interviews, or questions!

Florida is the nation’s winter strawberry capital. Of all the freshstrawberries produced in the UnitedStates, 15 percent are grown inFlorida. Over 90 percent of thestate’s strawberries are produced inHillsborough County, primarily inthe Plant City and Dover area.Strawberries have been cultivatedcommercially in this area for over100 years. Florida strawberries aregrown as an annual crop on raised,

plastic-covered beds. Land is typically prepared in Septemberand plants are set in October.Berries are harvested from mid-November through March.Strawberries are picked and packed in the field by hand. The trays of berries are then sent to shipping facilities where they are loaded on refrigerated trucksfor delivery across the country.

A PASSIONFOR BEEF

AlexLucas

By Calli Jo Parker


4892 Sun City Center Blvd.Sun City Center, FL 33573

P O Drawer LPlant City, FL 33564

12880 E US Highway 92Dover, FL 33527


Butterflies are still abundant here in Florida. If youwill be participating in the monarch tagging pro-gram you will need a butterfly net to safely capturethe monarch you want to tag. This month we willconstruct a butterfly net that can be made frominexpensive materials, some of which you mayalready have around the house.

Materials Needed:• Handle: (mine is 1” diameterwooden dowel)• Net frame (mine is a plastic embroideryhoop, at least 12” diameterrecommended)

• Netting (mine is 1.5 yd of nylon,cotton weave is more durable,need enough for a 24” – 30” deep net)

• Strong Glue (to secure the hoop tothe handle, I used Gorilla Glue)

• Twine (to secure the hoop to the handle)

Naturally Amazing Activities

Butterfly NetBy Sean Green

Step 2Drape the netting over theembroidery hoop outer ringSecure the netting to theembroidery hoop with theinner ring (glue for extrahold)

Step 3Glue the embroideryhoop into the groovethat was cut into thehandle

Step 4Secure the embroidery hoopto the handle with twinewith a figure 8 patternand the net is finished

Step 1Create a notch inthe handle just bigenough to hold theadjustment end ofthe embroidery hoop

Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc. is offering $500 schoolgarden mini-grants to teachers in five central Florida counties begin-ning September 1, thanks to a grant from The Mosaic CompanyFoundation.

General education and agri-science teachers in pre-kindergartenthrough 12th grade in DeSoto, Hardee, Hillsborough, Manatee andPolk counties are eligible to apply using an online application systemon Florida Agriculture in the Classroom’s website atwwwwww..ffllaaggiinntthheeccllaassssrroooomm..ccoomm.

The funds can be used for new or existing school gardens to pay foritems needed to plant and maintain fruit, vegetable and ornamentalplant gardens. Mosaic’s grant to Florida Agriculture in theClassroom is part of $2.79 million recently donated to 37 non-profitcommunity organizations serving counties in the company’s CentralFlorida operating area. Grants were awarded to organizations implementing initiatives focused on hunger relief, agriculturalresearch and development, water conservation and stewardship, and community enrichment.

“We are pleased to support this hands-on program that enables stu-dents to personally experience and learn about the importance offarming and our food supply,” said Gary N. "Bo" Davis, Mosaic’ssenior vice president of Phosphate Operations and a board memberof The Mosaic Company Foundation.”

Mosaic is committed to investing at least one percent of its annualprofits into its communities globally, making community investments

in several grant rounds each year, Davis said. Over the past yearMosaic and its Foundation have donated more than $8.4 millionto community organizations focused on Central Florida. To readmore about Mosaic’s focus on food, water and local communityinvestments and its online grant system, visit:wwwwww..mmoossaaiiccccoo..ccoomm//ccoommmmuunniittyy//ccoommmmuunniittyy..hhttmm

“Florida Agriculture in the Classroom appreciates the chance towork with a partner like Mosaic to provide teachers with resourcesthey need to educate students about where their food, fiber and fuelcomes from,” said Jennifer Sills, chairwoman of FAITC.

Florida Agriculture in the Classroom is a non-profit organizationbased in Gainesville that educates students about Florida agricultureby providing pre-kindergarten through 12th grade teachers with curricula, materials, grant money and other programs. Its primarysource of funding comes from sales of the agriculture specialtylicense plate called the “Ag Tag.”

About The Mosaic Company and The Mosaic Company FoundationThe Mosaic Company is the world’s leading producer and marketer of concentrated phosphate and potash, two essential crop nutrients. Driven byits mission to help the world grow the food it needs, Mosaic is committed tostrengthening global food security and protecting critical water resources. The Mosaic Company and The Mosaic Company Foundation make investments in and partner with best-of-class leaders in the focus areas offood, water and local community investments. More information aboutMosaic is available at wwwwww..mmoossaaiiccccoo..ccoomm.

The goal is simply to attach netting to a loop and the loop to ahandle. There are many way to do this depending on the toolsand resources you have available. The following instructions willsuffice for an inexpensive net that is quick and easy to make.

MOSAIC Contribution Funds Mini-Grants for School Gardensin DeSoto, Hardee, Hillsborough, Manatee and Polk Counties

The Hillsborough County Farm Bureau cele-brated their proud tradition at their annualmeeting held October 4th at the TrinkleCenter on the Campus of the HillsboroughCommunity College in Plant City.

This marks 70 years of service to agriculturefor the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau,one of the largest federations in Floridawith well over 4,500 members. The organi-zation is the voice of agriculture inHillsborough County and keeps membersinformed of things that may affect theindustry.

Speakers at this year’s event includedCounty Commissioner Al Higginbotham,who presented a BOCC Commendation tothe Hillsborough County Farm Bureau.Craig Register of Farm Credit of CentralFlorida was on hand, as was Erika Der, whoread a letter from the Commissioner ofAgriculture, Adam Putnam and Ray Woodpresented The Friend of Agriculture Awardto Rich Glorioso.

What is Farm Bureau? The HillsboroughCounty Farm Bureau web site, atwww.hcfarmbureau.org , lists the following:Farm Bureau Federation is a free, independ-ent, non-governmental, voluntary grass-roots organization for farm and ranch fami-lies and anyone interested in Agriculture,united for the purpose of analyzing theirproblems; and by formulation action, seeks

to achieve educational improvement, eco-nomic opportunity and social advancement,thereby promoting the national welfare.Farm Bureau Federation is local, statewide,national, and international in its scope andinfluence. It is non-partisan, non-sectarian,and non-secretive in character.

It is an organization that makes it possiblefor the voice of the people to be heardwhere it will count. It has a reputation forfairness in State Legislatures and theCongress of the United States.

It is a family organization. Membership isdetermined on the basis of families, not ofmale members, or female members, but ofwhole families; father, mother, and children.Farm Bureau Federation believes in theAmerican capitalistic, private, competitiveenterprise system in which property is pri-vately owned, privately managed, and oper-ated for profit and individual satisfaction.

We believe in a competitive business envi-ronment in which supply and demand arethe primary determinants of market prices,the use of production resources and the dis-tribution of output. We believe in the rightof every person to choose their own occu-pations; to be rewarded according to theircontribution to society, to save, invest,spend, or convey to their heirs, their earningas they choose.

70 Years of Service to AgriculturePhotos by Al Berry


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Agriculture is the basis of how we live. It provides us withthe necessities to help us grow and prosper. However, oftenwe take for granted the help agriculture brings to our

hearts. God has given us a tremendous opportunity to share withothers our faith in Him and our faith in agriculture. We neverknow what relationships this industry is going to bless us with.However, we can always be certain they will be tightly boundthrough faith and agriculture.

Dave and Aileen Ayers are from Caledonia, New York, a placewhere agriculture prospers in many ways. For this couple it ishorse breeding. Dave and Aileen spend their days raising, training,and selling Haflinger horses. They are used for farm work, car-riage driving and riding. The Ayers’ specialize in the drivingHaflingers, specifically selling to the Amish community, and havefor roughly 26 years. The Amish farmers use them as draft hors-es. Since the Amish community does not use modern technologyeven in their agricultural endeavors, they use the Haflinger horsesto plow their fields. Dave lends his horses to the youth in hiscommunity to show at horse shows. He showed at the FloridaState Fair for the first time this year. You can also find Dave atnumerous community events with his horses and buggy.

Horses have been a part of Dave’s life since he can remember. HisGrandfather raised Belgian horses to use on the family farm. It issafe to say that Dave’s first love was a small pony he received asa Christmas gift when he was 4 years old. That was until he methis wife and love of his life Aileen in school many years later.Aileen was a “townie” and Dave was a recognizable country boy.She was very active in church musicals, and he was named theNew York FFA State Star Farmer in 1956. As different as theywere, their love grew and they became the perfect team. Davecredits all of his success in the horse business to Aileen. “Her sup-port at home is the reason I could travel and be so successful,”Dave says. Aileen was a school teacher for 41 years, often times

Dave and the kids would travel to horse shows while Aileen wasworking, but she was always supportive of everything they didand encouraged her family every step of the way.

Now some of you are wondering why this couple from Caledonia,New York has anything to do with Hillsborough County and theagricultural industry here in Florida. Well, these snow birdshappen to spend their winter months in a small town full ofagricultural prosperity that goes by the name of Plant City,Florida. As was previously mentioned, we never know whatrelationships the agricultural industry will introduce.

Twenty years ago, when Dave and Aileen were first starting theirhorse business, they sold two of their horses to a farm in Deland,Florida. As they got older they decided Florida was just the placefor them to spend their brutal winter months. Often times theybring their Haflinger horses down with them to their secondhome. They had their first foal born in Florida in February of2012. They enjoyed showing their new baby to their neighborsand teaching them about the Haflinger breed. Dave and Aileen saythat “Floridiana” is now a very spoiled young filly, whom theylove spending time with.

While living in Florida Dave and Aileen attend Welcome BaptistChurch. They comment on how wonderful and friendly the peo-ple are. It is truly amazing to see how much we have in commonwith our neighbors from the north. God has a way of placingpeople in our paths to teach us and help us grow. This specialcouple proves just how diverse American agriculture is, as well asits faithful workforce. Dave and Aileen love Florida agriculture.Dave says, “Our time in Florida is always too short. We so enjoythe diversity of fruit growing and ranching as well as the friendli-ness of the folks around Plant City. I’d like to be more active inthe agriculture in Florida, but Aileen says I’m supposed to beretired.”

By Calli Jo Parker

Dr. Christy Layton,DVM

Q:WWhhyy ddooeess mmyyddoogg eeaatt ggrraassss??

A:That is a question I hear a lot. Therehas been a lot of speculation aboutthis habit - none of which has been

proven to my knowledge. Theories include (butare not limited to): boredom, dietary deficiency,stimulation of vomiting, carry-over from whendogs were wild, etc.

First, let me say that while a dog is classed asa carnivore by its genus, they are by naturescavengers and opportunists. Unlike obligatecarnivores, such as the cat family with its

shorter small intestine, dogs can adapt to awide-ranging diet. This means they are notdependent on meat-specific protein or a veryhigh level of protein in order to fulfill theirbasic dietary requirements. Dogs can easilydigest a variety of foods, including vegetablesand grains, and can consume a large propor-tion of these in their diet while remaininghealthy. So, with that information, you cansee one of the reasons dogs may eat plantmaterial, they are hungry or they feel that aparticular plant/grass is especially tasty.

Another common reason it seems that dogseat grass is that they feel nauseous.Sometimes the grass will aid in allowingthem to vomit and sometimes it works as a“digestive aid” and decreases the nausea.The nausea can be due to a gastrointestinaldisease such as inflammatory bowel disease,intestinal parasites, cancer, small intestinalbacterial overgrowth, and various other dis-eases. The reason the nausea causes them toeat the grass is unknown.

Things to do if you are concerned with yourpet’s addiction to grass are: Have a completeexamination performed by your veterinarian

to look for signs of illness in your pet. Haveyour veterinarian look for intestinal parasitesin your pet’s stool (this should be done everysix months anyway as many parasites arezoonotic – passed from pet to human andcause significant disease in humans, especial-ly children or immune compromised adults).Discuss your pet’s diet (type, amount fed &frequency) with your veterinarian and makesure it is appropriate for your particulardog. Also, remember that there are someplants that are toxic to dogs, so make surewhatever plant/grass your dog prefers tograze on is safe for them to eat. •

Ask-A-Vet

What’s Your Question?

Call: 813.754.PETS (7387)1704 Walden Village Ct. • Plant City, FL 33566

Please feel free to email any of your questions to: [email protected]

and your question may be answered in next month’s issue.



There is a lot you can do in eight seconds. You can hug some-one, smile at a stranger, merge into traffic, or you can have theride of your life on bucking bull. That’s what Brooke Coats of

Riverview lived for every two weeks when she would ride at TheCrosstown Arena Rodeo. She wanted to be able to stay on the bullfor eight seconds. Her parents, Keith and Susan Coats, could notbelieve their daughter wanted to become a professional bull rider.They kept telling her “no way,” but Brooke was an unstoppableforce. She wasn’t like the rest of the girls at Riverview High School.She could dress up and wear a pair of high heels like them, but shecould also lift more weights then some of the guys at her school. Sheloved being outdoors and she loved agriculture. She was on the swimand tennis team at her school. She was also a wrestlerette for thewrestling team and the only reason she joined them was because shewanted to learn how to wrestle. The wrestling coach wasn’t toothrilled with Brooke because wrestlerettes are suppose to be there tosupport the wrestlers, not want to wrestle them. She was even a partof the girl’s flag football team. Anything that tested endurance, shewanted to be a part of it.

“She was a beautiful girl but she was tough,” Keith Coats said. “ Shecould be all girly with her mom and then the next day she wouldwant to go snake hunting with me.” Her mom Susan grew up on afarm in Pennsylvania and Brooke always wished she had grown upon one, too, because she love animals. “She talked about going to theUniversity of Tennessee to become a veterinarian if she didn’t becomea professional bull rider,” Susan Coats said.

No one in the Coats family was ever involved in rodeos. Her parentswhere shocked when she said she wanted to become a bull rider. Herbrother thought she was crazy for wanting to be a part of such a dan-gerous sport. She didn’t care, it was becoming her passion and shewanted to learn all she could to become the best. Brooke met a girlwho rode bulls and she asked her to teach her how to ride. ForBrooke, there was no turning back, she was hooked.

She started practicing every Monday night and couldn’t wait for achance to ride in a rodeo. Her parents finally gave in and agreed tolet her ride and they even put a balance barrel in the front yard forher to use for practice. “I asked her why she liked it so much andwanted to ride because the bull was big and she could get stompedon,” Keith said. “She told me that I wouldn’t understand what it waslike for her to be out there on the bull.”

At first, some of the other male riders thought she wanted to ride tobe a “show off.” Brooke quickly changed their minds when they sawa bull punch a hole in her leg and she got up off the ground unphasedand gave them a big smile and a thumb up sign. At that point she wasone of them. “Getting hurt never bothered her, no matter how manytimes she fell off,” Keith said. “ She love riding and wasn’t scared by

An UnstoppableForce

Brooke CoatsBy Libby Hopkins

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE OCTOBER 2012 89WWW. INTHEF I E LDMAGAZ INE .COM

any of it.” Every time Brooke fell off a bull, she’d getup with a big smile on her face. She was even smilingwhen she got up from being thrown and kicked in thechest by the same bull that put a hole in her leg. Shewalked across the arena and then collapsed. An off-duty paramedic who was at the rodeo attended toBrooke as she and her parents waited for the ambu-lance to arrive. “It seemed like it took forever for theambulance to get there,” Keith said. She was in sur-gery as soon as she got to the hospital. By 10 p.m. shewas gone.

“She had on all the right equipment you can have,”Susan said. “She wanted to get back at the bull forstepping on her leg, that’s why she picked him, it wasjust a freak accident.” The bull that kicked Brookewas sold the day after she died. The owner of the bullhas held a few fundraisers for the Coats family to helpwith expenses. Brooke has been gone for over a yearbut her family is still dealing with the shock of losingtheir beautiful daughter. They keep her spirit alive byholding an annul golf benefit at the Temple TerraceGolf and County Club in Temple Terrace. They stillgo to rodeos, too. “There was something she lovedabout riding that we will never understand,” Keithsaid, “ She wasn’t afraid to die because she had nofear of anything, she was tough.”

ABOVE: BROOKE WITH PIGMY RATTLESNAKE,BELOW: BROOKE’S HAT THAT SHE WORE AND

THE PINK BRACELETS HER PARENTS HAD

MADE IN HER HONOR

3315 ENGLISH RD.,PLANT CITY,FL 33567 • WINFRED M.HARRELL - OWNER

In Business Since 1962• Specializing in Azaleas and a wide

selection of Woody Ornaments

• Delivery available in Florida& sales throughout the Southeastern

United States.

•WHOLESALE ONLY

813-752-0931Fax: 813-754-7427


Keeping valuable greenhouse cropssafe from whiteflies and thrips maybecome easier for producers,

thanks to a new study on banker plantsfrom the University of Florida and U.S.Department of Agriculture.

A trend in biological pest control, bankerplants provide food and shelter to naturalenemies of target pests, giving the enemiesa home base so they can provide continu-ous pest control.

In a study posted online this week by thejournal Biological Control, researcherstested three ornamental pepper varieties ashost plants for the well-known predatorymite Amblyseius swirskii. The mite dra-matically reduced silverleaf whitefly popu-lations, as well as chilli thrips and Westernflower thrips, on greenhouse-raised greenbean plants and pepper plants.

This approach could work for other green-house-grown vegetables, fruits, herbs andornamentals, said Lance Osborne, an ento-mology professor with UF’s Institute ofFood and Agricultural Sciences.

The ornamental peppers tested wereMasquerade, Red Missile and ExplosiveEmber, all performed about equally well,he said.

“The banker plant seed is commerciallyavailable, and so is the mite,” saidOsborne, at UF’s Mid-Florida Researchand Education Center in Apopka. “Thepeppers are easy to grow. Once they startto flower you put the mites on them andthen it’s off to the races.”

In the study, researchers began by estab-lishing colonies of A. swirskii mites on theornamental pepper banker plants, andsimultaneously infested greenhouse-raised

green bean plants with silverleaf whiteflies,chilli thrips or a combination of chillithrips and Western flower thrips. Afterbanker plants were moved into the green-houses, the mites were free to disperse tothe beans. Two weeks later, overall popula-tions of the silverleaf whitefly werereduced to less than one percent of thoseon control plants, overall thrips popula-tions were reduced to about five percent ofthose on control plants.

The study was part of a larger banker-plant project funded by the USDA’sAgricultural Research Service via itsFloriculture and Nursery ResearchInitiative. The research team includedOsborne, Cindy McKenzie, a USDA ento-mologist based in Fort Pierce, andYingfang Xiao, Pasco Avery and JianjunChen of UF/IFAS.

Protecting Greenhouse Crops By Tom Nordlie

Whitefly-on-Green-Bean

Banker Plant

The adult silverleaf whitefliescongregate on a green bean plant inthis photo. The destructive pest canbe managed in greenhouse croppingsystems by using ornamental peppers

as banker plants to supportpopulations of the predatory mite

Amblyseius swirskii.UF/IFAS photo by Lance Osborne

An ornamental pepper plant standsout amid a sea of poinsettias in thisphoto. Researchers with UF/IFASand the USDA are studying the

peppers for their efficacy as bankerplants to support populations of thepredatory mite Amblyseius swirskii,which controls silverleaf whiteflies

and thrips in greenhouses.UF/IFAS photo by Chris Fooshee


ANIMALS & NEEDS

ANIMAL & BIRDCAGESAdd living microbes to improve your soil, equip-ment serving the fur-bearing and exotic bird indus-try. Cages built to order. Wire by roll or foot.813-752-2230 • www.ammermans.comSwap July 15, 2012 and Nov. 25, 2012

CHICKEN MANURE FOR SALEDry and available immediately! Call Tim Fordor Danny Thibodeau 863-439-3232

DOVE HUNTSLithia area limited number of membershipsstill available. Call Fish Hawk Sporting Clays.813-689-0490.

BUILDING SUPPLIES

DECKING BRDS. & TILL SIDINGCall Ted 813-752-3378

DOUBLE INSULATED THERMO PANEStarting at $55. Call Ted 813-752-3378

WINDOW SCREENSWe make window screens of all sizes available indifferent frame colors. Call Ted 813-752-3378

TILL 4 X 8 SHEETB-grade $17.95. Call Ted 813-752-3378

NEW DOORS CLOSEOUT SPECIAL!!!$75 to $295. Call Ted today 813-752-3378

MOBILE HOME TUBSMetal brand new in box 54” Mobile Home Tubs.Call Ted 813-752-3378 $135.00

FARM EQUIPMENT

JOHN DEERE 350C BULLDOZER6 way blade, good undercarriage$7500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722

FERGUSON T020 TRACTORGas model, Good condition. $2,750Call Alvie 813-759-8722

HEAVY DUTY SHOP BUILT 14FT TRAILERNew tires & wheels$750 Call Alvie 813-759-8722

MASSSEY HARRIS FERGUSON NO. 16 PACERWith belly mower$1950 Call Alvie 813-759-8722

KUBOTA L345 TRACTOR34hp, 2wd. $4,250 Call Alvie (813)759-8722

KIOTI LB 19144 x 4$2950 Call Alvie 813-759-8722

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

KUBOTA L275With shuttle shift. Ready to work!$3,500. Call 813-759-8722

KUBOTA M750072hp on 48 inch centers$5950 Call Alvie 813-759-8722

MASSEY FERGUSONGC2300 4 X 4 hydro stat transmission,2702 hrs. $4,750 Call Alvie 813-759-8722

2010 MASSEY FERGUSON261540hp, low hours.Only $8900Call 863-409-0349

JOHN DEERE 755Sold as is $2500.Call 863-409-0349

USED EQUIPMENTMowers, disk, box blades & diskplows. Call Alvie TODAY!813-759-8722

DUETZ TRACTORDuetz 30hp tractor withloader $5000.Call 863-409-3349

CUB CADETCub Cadet sold as is.Make and offer.Call 863-409-0349

MILL CREEKSPREADERPTO driven.Call 863-409-0349

SITREX TEDDER RAKE$4500.Call 409-0349

TORO DIESEL72 inch, 500 hours.Call 863-409-0349

2005 CHALLENGER MT655B220hp, tech star cvt transmis-sion, 4473 hrs, dual rears.$80,000Call Travis 863-205-2689

FOR SALE

18KT GOLD TANZANITE RINGBeautiful piece of jewelry. 1.05kt round nice bluegem with diamonds. Would make nice Christmasgift - never been worn. Appraisal papers included.Size 7-1/2 $1,200 Call 863-370-8891

$$HUGE PLANT SALE$$$4.00 and under for all, 3 gallon & 1 galloncontainers. We have a wide selection to choosefrom! Roses, hibiscus, viburnum, crotons, azalea'sjasmine and many more varieties.Call 813-447-6242 or 813-659-2645.

14KT GOLD AMMOLITE RINGMulti-colored fossil gem with unique mounting.Great for gifting. Size 8 $250 or best offer.Call 863-370-8891

JOBS

CONTRIBUTING WRITERWrite about events in your community.Immediate openings in Hillsborough andPolk Counties. Paid per article.Responsibilities include covering communityevents and taking pictures. Email your resumeto [email protected]

INDEPENDENT ACCOUNT MANAGERIn The Field Magazine is looking forindependent account managers to joinour team! Please [email protected] call 813-759-6909.

LAWN EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES

RUBBER MULCHAll colors, buy 10 bags, get 1 FREE!$8.99 a bag. Call Ted 813-752-3378

TSG50 WOODS3pt. stump grinder. Clearance Sale!$3,381. Call Alvie 813-759-8722

REAL ESTATE

FOR SALE – 45 ACRES VACANT LAND(Pasco County) 45 acres are comprised of gentlyrolling hills with big trees & solid ground. A greatsetting for residential development. To the east of theproperty is a 60 acre parcel (Lake Gilbert) that addssignificant aesthetic value to the 45 acres.Zoning: AR (Agricultural-Rural)Call Heidi Cecil for more information 863-899-9620

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

45 ACRES45 acres mol, former Plant City Nursery, Doverarea. Two M/H hook-up’s. 3, 6 and 8 inch wellswith 4 and 6 inch mainlines through outproperty. Asking $699,500. Call Kilgore RealEstate 813-689-5881

11.7 ACRES11.7 acres WUP approved for blueberries.400’ frontage culvert and fence. Hwy 674Fort Lonesome. 813-728-9132

FOR LEASEEstablished fish camp, mobile home, RV park withfull hookups in eastern Polk County. Located on arenowned bass fishing lake within the KissimmeeChain of Lakes. 14 acres of beautiful oakhammocks with canal and recreation hall.Call 863-692-1013

Classifieds Tel: 813.759.6909 [email protected]


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