In The Field magazine Polk edition

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

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE MAY 2012 3W W W. I N T H E F I E L D M AG A Z I N E .C O M

Contents

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

POLK COUNTY

CATTLEMEN’SASSOCIATION

P.O. Box 9005 • Drawer HS03Bartow, FL 33831-9005

OFFICERS& BOARD OF DIRECTORS

President - Charles Clark(863) 412-8349

[email protected]

Vice President - Dave Tomkow(863) 665-5088

[email protected]

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

Al Bellotto - (863) 581-5515

Ray Clark - (863) [email protected]

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

Dewey Fussell - (863) 984-3782

Mike Fussell - (863) [email protected]

David McCullers - (863) 528-1195

Moby Persing - (863) 528-4379

Ned Waters - (863) [email protected]

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

Alternate - Howard Yates2501 Arbuckle LaneFrostproof, FL 33843-9647

Standing Committee Chairs:

Membership - J.B. Wynn

Events - Kevin Fussell (863) 412-5876

Rodeo - Fred Waters (863) [email protected]

Cattlewomen - President

Marjorie Wood (863) [email protected]

Extension - Bridget Carlisle (863) [email protected]

Sheriff’s Dept. - Sgt. Howard Martin

Cover StoryDusty Holley

Page 24

VOL. 6 • ISSUE 9

Dry Creek – My RosePage 5

Rain Barrels – An Old-fangled IdeaPage 10

Tampa Bay’s Fishing ReportPage 14

Returning The BlessingPage 16

Grub StationPage 18

Rocking Chair ChatterPage 22

Party Until The Cows Come HomePage 28

Ray CrawfordPage 30

Polk County Sheriff’s OfficePage 34

Is Trich Cutting Into Your Profits?Page 38

RecipesPage 44

®

This has been a busy month at Dry Creek. We are inproduction of our latest episode called, “My Rose.” It isdifferent than any other Dry Creek episode. For one, it is

the most dramatic episode. It deals with lost loves in your life.Everyone who has lived life just a little has dealt with losingsomeone dear to them.

Here’s a few more reasons we are so excited about “My Rose.”Danny Shirley and Confederate Railroad wrote the theme songand perform it. Blue Miller, formerly with The Gibson MillerBand, co-wrote it and also penned a new theme for Dry Creek.Blue is an award winning producer and has many movie scoresunder his belt. We, at Dry Creek, are very honored to have himdo this, It has really been a shot in the arm of Dry Creek.

Dry Creek airs on national TV on Blue Highways TV Saturdaynights at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Eastern. Blue Highways founder

Stan Hickcock, who started CMT after watching the day-lees ofMy Rose, is entering this episode in The Cable Awards in N.Y.Cin September. We feel very blessed and thankful to be consideredfor this prestigious award in the industry.

Dry Creek has come a long way but we still have a long way togo to bring back family programing with a heart. A program thatthe whole family can sit down together and watch. We are sothankful for everyone who has given their most valuable gift,their time to make it happen.

Go to Face Book and Dry Creek TV to watch a trailer of MyRose or to Drycreektv.com. In today’s busy world, slow down for30 minutes and hear that little voice inside you - everybodyknows where Dry Creek is.....”cause its inside each and everyoneof us.”

By Les McDowellPhotos courtesy of Linda Constant

UPDATE ON DRY CREEK PRODUCTION

My RoseMy Rose


From the Editor Index of Advertisers�ITFM Staff


No Farmers No Food! These words mean somuch and many times it seems that the general publictakes for granted that all we have to do is go to thegrocery and buy food. It’s that simple to most. Whenthey arrive at the grocery or produce stand, they expectthe food they want to be available.

Please realize, it takes work for this to happen. Thefarmers and ranchers put in hours that would amazemost 40 hour a week workers. To put food on theshelves for you to buy, the farmer and rancher puts inhours of blood sweat and tears. And please understand,no one takes care of the land like someone whodepends on that land for their livelihood.

When you are making your trek to buy food for yourfamily, be sure to look for food that is Fresh FromFlorida! That way, you can rest assured that you aregetting the freshest food grown right here in theSunshine State.

One thing in life is certain, change. It is an inevitablepart of our existence. In most circumstances, thischange is a great thing! Such as the change that justoccurred at In The Field magazine. We have moved!While that was a bit painful in more ways then one,we are now doing business from a new, more visiblelocation. We are excited about the move and lookforward to doing business as usual.

Come visit us at our new office located at1501 Alexander Street, Suite 102 in Plant City.

Until Next Month,

Sarah

Agro-CultureLiquid Fertilizers ........................29Alvin Futch ................................41Andy Thornal Company ............19Arrington Body Shop, Inc. .........38Carlton & Carlton, PA ..............45Cecil Breeding Farms .................48Chemical Containers..................36Circle “R”....................................2Circle Bar J Feed & Tack...........32Crescent Jewelers .........................3Discount Metals.........................40Ellison RBM Inc. .........................7Farm Credit ...............................41Fields Equipment Co. Inc...........13Florida Farm &Ranch Supply.............................31Florida’s Natural Growers. ..........3Fred’s Market.............................41Grove Equipment-JCB ...............29Grove Equipment-Mahindra ......17Helena Chemical-Tampa............40High Yield Industries .................45Hinton Farms Produce, Inc. .......36International Market World.........2Key Plex.....................................20Lightsey Cattle Co. ......................7Mosaic .......................................26Pathway BioLogic ......................42Peachee Construction.................35Plant Food Systems ......................9Polk CountyCattlemen’s Association ...............4Precision Safe & Lock..................9Rhino Linings ............................35Ring Power Corporation............26Roadrunner Veterinary Clinic ......7Savich & Lee / Stalnaker............33Seedway .....................................35Southeastern Septic, LLC ...........32Southside Farm & Pet Supply ....15Southwestern Produce................47Spurlow’s Outdoor Outfitters ....38Stephanie Humphrey..................13Stingray Chevrolet .....................21The Bug Man.............................31The Catering Company................3Wishnatzki Farms ......................23

We’ve Moved!

We have moved our main office to better serve you. Our new address is:1501 S. Alexander Street, Suite 102 • Plant City, Florida 33563

Our phone number is still the same - 813.759.6909

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 Crampton

Amie Facente

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Mona Jackson

PHOTOGRAPHY

Karen Berry Al BerryStephanie Humphrey

STAFF WRITERS

Al BerrySandy Kaster

James FrankwoiakSean GreenGinny Mink

Libby Hopkins

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Woody GoreLes McDowell

In The Field Magazine is published monthly and is available through local Polk Countybusinesses, restaurants, and many local venues. It is also distributed by U.S. mail to a targetmarket, which includes all of the Greenbelt Property owners, members of the Polk CountyCattlemen’s Association & Florida Citrus Mutual.Letters, comments and questions can be sent to P.O. Box 5377, Plant City, Florida 33563-0042or you are welcome to email them to: [email protected], or call 813-759-6909

Advertisers warrant & represent the descriptions of their products advertised are true in 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 faceshine upon you andbe gracious to you.–Numbers 6:25


Ellison RBM Inc.*Specializing in Secondary Roads*

5013 State Rd. 60 EastLake Wales, FL 33859-2422Office Tel: 863.679.5283 • Fax: 863.679.3244

• Grove, Ranch & Logging Roads • Built & Maintained• Broken Tile, Crushed Tile, Shell Rock • Fill & Rip Rap• Parking Pads, Grading• Excavating Services – Ponds & DitchesALL MATERIAL AVAILABLE FOR PICK-UPOR WE CAN DELIVER, SPREAD &COMPACT FOR YOU!

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You Too, Can Be A WinnerHey Readers, hidden some-where in the magazine is a NoFarmers, No Food logo. Huntfor the logo and once you findthe hidden logo you will be eli-gible for a drawing to win aFREE InTheField® T-Shirt.Send us your business card oran index card with your nameand telephone number, the

number of the page which youfound the logo and where onthat page you located the logoto:

InTheField® MagazineP.O. Box 5377

Plant City, FL 33566-0042

Winners will be notified byphone.

You Too, Can Be A Winner!Search for the logo below andenter now!

The recent incidence of a confirmed case of BSE in the US was quickly reported by all the

different media venues. It appeared that the same video used four years ago resurfaced as the

finding was released. It was later explained the lone animal in question was a downer cow sent to

a rendering plant and was not presented for slaughter. The Florida Cattlemen’s Association and

The Florida Beef Council, working in conjunction with The Cattlemen’s Beef Board and National

Cattlemen’s Beef Association, monitored this “crisis” closely to “respond to media and manage

the issue with distribution of factual information.” It was explained that the case was an atypical

mutant and did not arise from feeding practices. The above groups acted quickly to disseminate

accurate information and minimize damage to our export market. While futures retreated for a

day or so it looks like export markets will remain strong.

This is an example of one of the many benefits of belonging to your local and state Cattlemen’s

Association. They act on your behalf to promote and educate the population about your product

in a timely manner.

Charles ClarkCharles ClarkPolk County Cattlemen’s Association President



• The heaviest turkey ever raised weighed 86 pounds,about the size of an average third-grader.

• Eating about 20 tart cherries a day could reduceinflammatory pain and headache pain.

• About 25% of all iceberg lettuce is made into freshcut salads.

• There are over 500 different types of bananas. That means ifyou ate a different kind of banana everyday, it would takealmost a year and a half to eat every one!

• Pumpkins were once recommended for removing frecklesand curing snake bites!

• The peach is a member of the rose family and will havea sweet fragrance when ripe.

• Dried chile pepper wreaths are called “Ristras” - a symbol ofplenty and hope.

• Some examples of items that come from animals arefootballs, crayons, cosmetics, soap, perfume, paint and glue!

• A rabbitʼs sensitive ears can be turned in any direction to alertthem of danger.

• The donkeyʼs characteristic “Eee awe” sound is made by anintake of breath followed instantly by exhalation.

• Quinophobia is the fear of horses; alektorophobia is the fearof chickens; and taurophobia is the fear of bulls. There is noofficial term for the fear of cows or pigs.

• Because of the way a cowʼs legs bend, they are incapableof walking downstairs. However, they can walk upstairs.


When the Rain Barrel programrolled around last month atMacKay Gardens, we wondered

if the drought would keep people awayfrom attending a show on this subject. Butthere they were, our loyal audience, withtheir interested, optimistic faces.

And then the rains came. My rain gaugeread slightly over three inches accumulat-ed in two consecutive weather events. Thismeans that if I had six rain barrels con-nected together, all barrels would havebeen filled. A typical ½-inch rainfall willfill a 55-gallon food-grade rain barrel.

In our Speaker’s Bureau programs, weteach water conservation and waterfrontprotection on a regular basis. A rain barrelcan save a homeowner at least 1,300gallons of water in the peak summermonths. The beauty of this means that youwill not only save water, you’ll savemoney, conserve energy and protectFlorida’s water supply. Landscape irriga-

tion accounts for about 50% of yourtotal household water usage. Can youbelieve that? So what we’re saying is thathalf of the potable water, which youcould be using for drinking or cooking,is being broadcast out the end of yoursprinkler nozzle. With our sandy soils,much of this goes right through or ends upas evaporation.

You may purchase a 55-gallon rain barrelfor a minimal charge, which will pay foritself in no time. The volume of watercollected depends on the duration of therain event and the size of your catchmentarea or roof. If you have no gutter anddownspout, as is the case with our home,you may situate the rain barrel under thevalley of the roof. In this manner, it will benecessary to cut out the top of the barrelcover and replace it with window screen.The screen will keep leaves and insects outof the barrel. If you do have a downspout,you will cut a hole in the barrel top of thesame configuration as your downspout

and place snugly in the barrel top.

The components of a rainwater collectionsystem are:

1. Catchment area

2. Conveyance system

3. Storage tank (rain barrel or cistern)

4. Filtration

5. Water distribution (spigot and/or hose)

*Optional - pond pump for use in storage tank

An awesome rainwater catchment systemand collection area is in use at MagnifyCredit Union in south Lakeland. Theyhave a very large catchment area routedinto the largest rain barrel I’ve ever seen,more like a cistern, really.

A catchment area is basically any area thatsheds or collects rainwater. A roof is themost commonly used rainwater collectionarea. Other catchment areas might employ

Master Gardener

Rain Barrels – An Old-fangled IdeaBy Debra Howell


driveways, sidewalks, swales and berms, which may be directedto a storage tank.

Select only food-grade (or new) barrels. If you buy used, inquirewhether it is food-grade or not, so as not to introduce harshchemicals into your rainwater. A used barrel may swell a bit likepickles, as they are commonly transported in 55-gallon drums.Take time to rinse your barrel to remove any remnants orresidue.

Next, install a 3/4-inch hose spigot. You'll need a 15/16-inchdrill, routing the hole 4 to 6 inches from the bottom of thebarrel. This provides for clearance to attach a hose or to fill abucket or watering can. You'll also wish to elevate the barrel oncinder blocks, bricks or other such items, to provide more clear-ance and utilize the properties of gravity. If you use more thanone layer of blocks, stack them in a crisscross fashion, makingsure the blocks are even and level.

Connect the downspout to your barrel. You may need to pur-chase a flexible downspout extender. The extender eliminatesthe need for exact measurements because it bends and stretchesas needed. Once you've completed your downspout connection,place it in the barrel.

You will most likely want to connect an overflow pipe to shuntoff excess water, or you may link together multiple barrels. Youcan link together as many barrels as space will allow, but it'sstill prudent to install overflow pipe on the last barrel.

You may use your rain barrel in areas of your yard wherespigot access is limited. Or you might locate it in close proxim-ity to your compost pile, in order to keep your compost moist.You can make a delightful compost tea in your rain barrel byfilling an old pillowcase with compost and letting it steepovernight in your barrel. This makes a fine natural fertilizer foryour landscape plants. My mother fancies what she calls "BeauTea." This is a lovely concoction which she brews from rainwa-ter and manure from our horse "Beau." It really works! (Ofcourse, everything works for her).

By contacting the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods ProgramCoordinator, Anne Yasalonis at the Polk County ExtensionOffice, you may find out more about proper construction andconnection of your rain barrel or cistern.

By using a rain barrel, you can reduce the amount of waterwhich settles around the foundation of your home, reduce theamount of water which you use which shows up on your waterbill, conserve energy and protect Florida's water supply. Youwill also divert rainwater from storm drains, decreasing theimpact of storm water runoff to lakes, ponds and other waterbodies.

Rain barrels and cisterns have been around for a long time --thousands of years! Harvesting rainwater will allow you, thehomeowner, to supplement irrigation at a minimal cost. Isn't ittime for you to enjoy the benefits of free water for your plant-ing beds, potted plants, vegetable and flower gardens? Perhapsthis old-fangled idea whose time has come will act as aninspiration for you to discover other Florida friendly ways toconserve around your home.

Aquaculture in Florida generatesover $40 million annually for ourstate’s economy. The principal crop

in Florida is tropical fish. Polk County ishome to 19 aquaculture farms accordingto the Polk Farm Bureau web site and thegrowth opportunity in this industry isunprecedented. Kathleen High School’sagriculture department is preparing stu-dents for careers in this growing field byoffering Aquaculture courses. The pro-gram is in its second year and enrollment isgrowing.

The Florida FFA Association recognizesthis growing agriculture field and hasdeveloped a career development event tochallenge students’ skills in aquaculture.The Aquaculture CDE was held SaturdayApril 21, at the University of Florida’sVeterinarian College. The event requiresstudents to learn over 80 fish species, 120aquatic plants, water quality parameters,diseases and parasites and productiontechniques, including tank designs and

management practices. Additionally, theteam is presented with a specific situationthey must address in a five to seven minuteteam presentation. Students are given theproblem, a reference and 30 minutes toprepare for the presentation. The eventrequires students to have a ton of scientificknowledge, technical skills, team workingskills and they must be able to think ontheir feet.

Kathleen FFA won the 2012 state contest.Team members were Breanna Langley,Diogenes Abreu, Kevin Benitez andEduardo Rivera, all students in the aqua-culture program. Kevin Benitez, a junior,said, “The contest was more challengingthan expected. In class we give presenta-

tions all the time and I think that definite-ly helped prepare us for the oral presenta-tion.” As part of their preparation, theteam toured local aquaculture farms andworked with Crystal Lake Middle School,who finished third in the middle schooldivision. Team members were Luke Tefoe,Cassie Toner, Kaley May and GarrisonRussell. The students will be recognized atthe Florida FFA State Convention inOrlando in June. •

Photo (from Left to right): Breanna Langley, Eduardo Rivera, Kevin Benitez, Diogenes Abreu

Kathleen FFATakes TopHonors inAquaculture



Amanda Furmage is from Ohio and currently a student atSoutheastern University in Lakeland, where she is a senior

majoring in Journalism/Public Relations.She serves as the layout editor of the SEU Times, the university’s

news magazine. After graduation, she hopes to work as awriter/copyeditor while improving her graphic design skills...

plus, she’s getting married this June.Congratulations to Amanda!


Many fishing conversations end upwith anglers discussing properfish handling techniques. In

addition, while everyone has their ownopinion, the question still remains what isthe best way to hold a fish while removinga hook or getting a photo. I hope that wewill gain some new insight into fish han-dling and the results from the often-abu-sive treatment. With today’s amplifiedemphasis on our environment, many arepracticing “catch and release.” While thisis a good thing, we must remember thatwhen mishandled from the beginning thegood intentions may nevertheless result ina fatality.

We have all witnessed television tourna-ment bass anglers one handedly lip a largefish, snatch it from the water with themouth gapped open wide, supporting itsentire weight by the lower lip. Almostevery angler has used this method at onetime or another, especially when gettingthat memorable photograph. Even saltwa-ter anglers use this method, especially withspecies like snook or small tarpon.However many briny deep species haveunusually large sets of choppers which cer-tainly tends to discourage such practices.

Emulation is often the highest form of flat-tery and young and upcoming, anglers arelooking to be like their fishing idols.Therefore, if for no other reason, we need

to change our methods of handling fish weintend to release.

We have lived in the past for too long andit is time we changed the way we handlefish, stop promoting the wrong methods,and start teaching our next generation ofanglers the proper methods of catch andrelease.

Some recent studies are finding that hold-ing and supporting fish by the lower lipwithout other means of support causesserious injuries often resulting in death.When using the jaw as a handle to move orsupport the fish’s weight in anything otherthan a horizontal position, you certainlyrisk serious damage to tissue or can evenbreak the jaw. We have all been here so letus imagine we are at the dentist with yourmouth stretched abnormally wide whilethey take x-rays. Now imagine the dentistdoing the same procedure but this time heis supporting your entire weight from yourbottom jaw. Afterwards, and provided youhad not killed the dentist, you will be eat-ing soft foods or may be not eating at all.Well the same thing applies to fish. Whilethey cannot kill us, they still end up withdamaged tissue, broken bones and oftenstarving to death.

If you are one of the environmentally con-scious anglers practicing catch and release,you have learned that it is vital to avoid

handling the fish whenever possible.A slimy film covers most fish which helpsprevent disease and needless netting orhandling removes this protective coating.

Holding a fish by the lower lip is in allprobability the best way to remove a hook.However, let us remember we do not needto force the jaws open so wide we causedamage, only wide enough to remove thehook.

Anglers around the world use variousmethods of landing fish. Many use theirhands, some use nets, while others usegripping devices. Gripping devices aresimilar to the lower lip method using yourthumb. However, it seems somewhateasier on the fish since it lifts them vertical-ly without the urge to force the mouthopen. Once lifted, quickly support the fishwith your free hand making sure it iswet. Landing nets have been around forcenturies but with more emphasis on catchand release, manufacturers are developing

by Captain Woody GoreNo More Jaw Breakers

Tampa Bay’sFishing Report


fish friendly nets, if there is such a thing. They have begunusing smaller mesh nylon nets coated with rubber that seems towork two fold. It is easier on the protective coating and retardshook fowling. All these are effective, but there is a true fishfriendly device invented years ago called a de-hooker, thatallows you to release fish without actually touching them.

De-hookers are simple to use. When the fish gets along side theboat, grab the leader placing it into the u-shaped portion of thede-hooker, sliding it down and into the throat of the hook, nowkeeping the leader taut by pulling on the hook and leader, liftthe fish above your hand holding the leader and gently shakethe de-hooker. The fish will fall off the hook.

After long battles, fish sometimes require extra time to com-pose themselves and regain their breath. If they need resuscitat-ing, do it gently. Dragging a fish through the water with itsmouth open only compounds the process by forcing water intothe stomach. However, gently allowing water to flow over thegills will quickly re-oxygenate most fish. Hold the fish uprightin the water gently moving it in a forward only motion.Aggressive backwards pulling may cause the delicate gills tobend unnaturally becoming bruised or broken.

The fish was an unwilling participant to begin with so remem-ber for the best chance of survival make certain it is ready to gobefore releasing. All this takes time, a realignment of thinking,habits and a willingness to change our attitude on how we treatthese creatures that bring us so much joy.

Give Me a Call & Let’s Go Fishing813-477-3817

If you want to catch fish, have a memorable adventure or perhapslearning some new fishing tips give me a call. I also specialize in groupor multi-boat charters. Tell me what you need and leave the rest to me.Fishing Florida for over 50 years I offer professionally guided fishing andteaching charters around Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, Clearwater,Bradenton, Sarasota, and Tarpon Springs. If you’re interested in booking atrip, please visit www.CaptainWoodyGore.comsend me an email at [email protected] or call me at: 813-477-3814.


In high school, and sometimes in youngeryears, people start developing affinitiesfor certain career fields. In general, the

majority of them end up changing majorsonce they hit the college years, but there area select few who take hold of the dreams oftheir youth. Greg West is a guy who knewwhat he wanted at a young age and not onlythat, he pursued it until it was in his grasp.Greg says, “I originally grew up in the stateof Iowa, raised in a very rural backgroundwith my three sisters and brother. It was anextremely rural area, mainly row crops andlivestock, cattle and hogs. Pigs were themain livestock where I grew up. Eventhough I grew up in a rural town of about900 people, I didn’t grow up on a farm. Mydad was a high school principal and then asuperintendent. He was very much involvedin education.”

While there’s no doubt his father’s careermust have had an impact on him, Gregpoints out another area of influence, “I wasvery blessed to go to a school where FFAand agriculture was a big part of the school.I would say my high school agricultureteacher was my main inspiration to contin-ue in agriculture and become a teacher.I was blessed to be part of a really goodFFA. From the time I was a freshman orsophomore, my dream was to become anFFA advisor and agriculture teacher. It wasa very natural transition for me. Iowa Statehas one of the top agriculture programs inthe nation. I got a degree in agriculturaleducation from Iowa State.”

Though he had achieved his goal of receiv-ing a degree that would enable him to teachhe explains, “When I graduated, the agri-culture economy in the Midwest was in direstraits. I ended up following my sister who

was already in Florida. So, in the late ‘80smy wife and I moved to Polk County andI originally taught at Boone Middle Schoolin Haines City. My intention was to teach ina high school program but I found thatwide-eyed new look in the middle schoolersand wound up getting attached to thatage group and still am 25 years later and I’llprobably continue to work with that agegroup.”

Greg now works at Crystal Lake MiddleSchool, “I’ve been here since the late 90s,”he says. “I’ve been here for 14 years now.My wife and I ended up buying some prop-erty near Lakeland. There wasn’t an Agprogram here; it had been closed years ear-lier. The principal asked me if I’d be inter-ested in coming here and opening back upand restarting the program. Crystal Lake islocated in more of a non-traditional, urbanarea. Most of our students are not farmkids. Very few actually live and work onfarms. There were certainly some hurdles; itwas actually kind of a challenge.”

Nothing good is accomplished without hardwork and Greg has learned the value ofinvesting in these non-traditional students.He explains, “We started off with an FFAChapter of 15-20 kids. We’ve built it to achapter of approximately 60 members. Ourbiggest emphasis, by far, is our aquacultureprogram, which is the raising of fish in acontrolled environment. We probably havethe most unique program of aquaculture,raising several different kinds of fish. Wealso raise blueberries. We have about threeacres of land attached to the school for agri-culture use.”

Given the focus on aquaculture, they raiseboth fresh and saltwater fish: redfish, cat-fish, bass, tilapia and gar. Their largest tank

is 12,000 gallons and designed for theirfreshwater fish. “Then we have three tanksthat are approximately 1200 gallons eachand we have ten tanks that are approxi-mately 220 gallons each,” Greg says. Theadditional tanks are for brackish water andthey house about 400 redfish. Greg saysthat the big tank is new this year and ishome to about 100 fish. He explains thesmall number thusly, “There’s some catfishthat are probably 20 pounds. Some of thefish in there are really large!”

Certainly Crystal Lake’s aquaculture pro-gram is impressive. Greg says, “Our mostproud moment is that we’ve had one of thetop aquaculture middle school teams in thestate for the last two years.” However, thereare other admirable aspects. They’ve hadthe top nursery and landscaping team inPolk County for the last four years in a row,and that team has also been among the topin the state, this year they finished in thirdplace. In 2010, Greg says, “The PolkCounty Farm Bureau named Crystal LakeMiddle School the Ag program of the year!”Greg gives several people credit for his suc-cess, “The principal, Chris Canning, isextremely supportive and active and isalways in the middle of our projects. I feelvery blessed that he’s allowed us to developa really good program here. The job here isseven days a week. I’m very blessed. I havetwo sons and I’ve been married for 27years. They’ve always been very supportiveof the fact that I’ve had to be at work atleast part of the day, everyday, includingholidays and birthdays. They’ve been veryunderstanding!” Indeed, Greg has lived ablessed life and no doubt his students havebeen blessed by him. •

By Ginny Mink



Upon receiving a phone call fromThe Greater Brandon Chamber ofCommerce President and CEO

Tammy Bracewell to recommend a restau-rant, I pay attention. When that restauranthappens to be in the far reaches of PolkCounty, way out of her own county, I startfilling up my gas tank.

“We go there all the time,” was enough toget me excited enough to investigate.

I can honestly remember gas being 29 cents-a-gallon (yes, I really am that old) so thattranslates to around $20 for a round trip ina non-electric car in the spring of 2012.

Taking everything into consideration, thatmust mean my girlfriend is really, sincere-ly crazy about The Crazy Fish Restaurantin Lake Wales.

As my intrepid food photographer and Iare intently scrutinizing our map, citingevery turn in unfamiliar areas, we com-pletely miss the road that would take us tothe unmistakably blue wood building,almost under the over-pass of Highway60, just on the outskirts of Lake Wales.

After a u-turn, we arrive back at a build-ing that looks like it dropped out of aBeach Boys (when they were young) video,looking out-of-place at the edge of a majorstate road. The restaurant sign is partiallyobscured by palm fronds and you can’thelp wondering where the surroundingsand disappeared and how far the nearestbody of water might be.

After opening the front door, there may beanother attack of déjà vu as you begin tofeel you have either entered the twilightzone or a Frankie Avalon-AnnetteFunicello (circa 1960) beach party movie.The décor, in all of its colorful splendor,could be described as beachy shabby chic.There are sea shells and orchid plantseverywhere and oh yes, varieties of crazilypainted and mounted fish (both real andreplicas). Tropical folk art resides withhanging Tiffany-esque lamps and starfish.Before you realize what is happening, the

genuineness and warmth of owners Jimand Jean Christensen envelope you as youare greeted and introduced to all the fami-ly members and friends who work togeth-er making Crazy Fish the 11-year wonderthat it is.

Daughter Ali is the day manager, while sonin-law Steve Maxwell is the chef whocooks up amazing cuisine in a miniscule11-foot kitchen. Grandkids, Colby andSkye are busy busing and seating cus-tomers. If not related, everyone else is aclose second family. Jim says, “In thiscrowd, I can just keep moving, that wayno one can give me a job.”

The bonds of love, respect and cama-raderie are easy to see, reaching out tomake strangers feel a welcome part of it all.

While being regaled with reminisces of theChristensen’s 18 years of living in Alaskaand swapping tall tales with my photogra-pher, another fisherman and globe-trotter,we somehow manage to get down to thebusiness of food.

This is when you realize you are sitting ata table in an award-winning restaurantwhere food is the main event and seafoodthe star.

Anyone can go to the bamboo-fronted bar andsee whole fresh fish being filleted with greatskill and prepared for serving. The display andvarieties of fresh fish can include Yellow FinTuna, Atlantic Salmon, Pompano, Swordfish,Chilean SeaBass,Wahoo,Cobia,Grouper,RedSnapper andMahiMahi. Shellfish served dailyare shrimp, clams, mussels, soft shell crab.Calamari and octopus are also menu staples.

We were served great tender, yet crispycoconut shrimp with a mango salsa. Lovedthe salsa and was intrigued to discover thatthere is a secret dedicated saucier (a chefresponsible for making sauces and main-stay ingredients) in the house creatingsome of the most delightfully surprisingand unusual accompaniments to each dish.

When expressing an interest in the sauces,a signature Key Lime dipping sauce was

brought for sampling. Mayonnaise, KeyLime juice, honey and red pepper flakesmeld to make something far superior toany tartar sauce.

Tender morsels of sautéed scallops, butter-flied shrimp, and calamari adorned myUltimate Seafood Salad that also had anoriginal lightly spicy sweet and sour saucethat served as a wonderful replacement forthe normal red-style shrimp sauce withhorseradish.

It is always good to know that produceis purchased and personally selected locallyguaranteeing quality and freshness.However, when told we were to try someof their specialty vegetable, deep-friedspinach with sea salt, I admittedly lookedaskance at the crackling dark green stuffon my plate.

“Try it you’ll like it,” goaded Jim. “Folkscome here just to eat this.” He, surprising-ly, made a believer out of me.

None of the quality of food could ade-quately prepare us for their four ounceblue crab cakes with more of that gor-geous lime dipping sauce. If I could givethose crab cakes a rating, it would be 10stars! They are almost completely bluecrab, not held together with fillers, justbursting with flavor. A treat I’ve never dis-covered elsewhere, taking me to a placebest described as crab nirvana.

They do have food for landlubbers that isundoubtedly very good but, really, whywould you want to when the seafood is sosuperlative?

Thanks to Tammy, my new resolution is toalways be sure my tank is filled withenough gas to be ready and able to imme-diately succumb when future over-whelm-ing and irresistible Crazy Fish crab cakeurges occur…or if I just need to be in ahappy place. •

Crazy Fish Bar & GrillPhone: (863) 676-6361

Hours: Open Mon. from 4 - 9 pm.Tues. – Sat. 11:30 am – 9 pm.

Closed Sun.www.crazyfishlakewales.com

Bar & Grillby Cheryl Kuck


Risa Langford is a fourth year agriculture student atKathleen Sr. She first took my class as a tenth grader anddid not appear to fit the traditional agriculture student

stereotype. Risa had long, dyed black hair with a pair of intimidat-ing hoop lip rings evenly spaced in her bottom lip. She seldom saida word, seeming content to be left alone, but she had a difficulttime hiding the fact that she was very intelligent. Once, I gave aparticularly difficult animal science test to both animal scienceclasses and out of about 50 students only one earned an “A.” Theone student was Risa. Not only did she earn an “A,” she got 100percent of the questions correct in addition to acing both bonusquestions. I did not fail to notice that we had a talented studenton our hands and I tried to get her interested in participating inFFA. When I asked Risa about her exceptional performance onthat particular test, she replied, “I am a good guesser.”

Soon after “the test,” Ms. Hall, the Kathleen FFA Advisor whocoaches the citrus team, needed another talented team member tocomplete her team that was preparing to compete in the FloridaFFA Citrus Career Development Event. I suggested to Risa that sheattend a practice and give citrus a shot. She and Ms. Hall hit it off.We both realized that Risa had a dry sense of humor as well as aquiet and competitive nature. She was an integral part of the KHS2010 state winning citrus team. Risa also excelled with herHampshire market hog projects at the state fair in both 2011 and2012. In 2012, she and her hog Orpheus, were awarded theReserve Grand Champion in the light weight division. The hogperformed excellent in showmanship as well, which is evidence ofthe tireless effort Risa spent training him — she could guide himall over campus with her crop.

Recently, Risa became the leader of the first poultry team fromKathleen to participate in the state poultry judging CDE in wellover a decade. Team members quit, mostly due to scheduleconflicts with the contest date or the intense fear of presenting oralreasons. Risa, also terrified of presenting oral reasons, remainedand recruited three other students to join her team. We were nottaking an incomplete team all the way to Gainesville on aSaturday. Risa prepared herself and overcame the anxiety of deliv-ering oral reasons to a stranger about a class of laying hens andemerged as the high individual in the 2012, Florida State FFAPoultry CDE and led her team to a third place finish.

Risa is extremely interested in marine life and aspires to become abiologist. However, a career as a veterinarian is almost equallyalluring to her as she loves and respects animals of all shapes andsizes. Regardless of what career path she eventually chooses,she has the intellect and personality to be successful and have apositive impact on all those in her presence. •

RISALANGFORD

By Kyle Carlton

Kathleen FFA Highlight



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Afew months back I was sit’n in arocker on the back porch watch’nthe sunset below the Blue Ridge

Mountains at our place in Blairsville,Georgia when the phone rang. Patsy, mywife, answered it inside where she waswatching Lizard Lick on TV. It was LindaConnell. Linda and Jim have a nice placejust outside of Blairsville with a grand viewof the mountains, too.

“Patsy,” Linda said, “Would you and Allike to meet us around 8:30 tomorrowmorning for breakfast at the Hole-In-The-Wall restaurant around the square indowntown Blairsville?” Patsy replied,“Sounds like fun, we’ll see you there!”

We pulled up about the same time andwent inside. There was only one table left.This is a very popular restaurant for locals.I learned a long time ago if you want goodfood – eat where the locals eat.

We placed our orders and sipped on goodmountain made coffee served by a sweetlittle lady that had to be from Blairsville, asher accent was a dead give away. “Ya’llenjoy your coffee while they cook up everything good’n fresh, ya hear? I’ll be back ina jiffy to give you a refill.”

Seated at the next table were two nicelydressed couples. I figured right away theywere Yankees down here to check out thesouth. One lady had a fluffy hairdo thatended up with a bun on the top that was fitfor a ten-day tent revival, and the otherwith enough makeup up on to put TammyFaye Baker to shame.

The waitress brought them their order andsaid, “Now if there’s anything else ya’llneed just give me a hollar, ya-hear?”

The lady with the cup-cake makeuplooked at her plate and then jumped herhusband. “Now Robert, I told you to

order me a good southern breakfast, butjust what in the world is that white mushlooking stuff?”

“Honey, that’s what the southerners callgrits. Try it, you might like it,” he said.

Being neighborly, I spoke up and intro-duced myself, Patsy, Jim and Linda. “Niceto meet you people.”

“Do you live up here?” she asked.

“Yes, we are southerners from Florida, butwe have a home here in Blairsville, too.You know, I couldn’t help from over hear-ing your husband’s comment on the grits.(I figured this would be a good time to givethem an education on grits) He’s right!Grits are the next best thing to gourmetdining in the south.”

Jim picked on what I was doing and said,“Grits are known as manna from Heaven.Some Southern Baptist’s believes grits arewhat God fed the Israelites during theirtime in the Sinai desert.” Patsy and Lindaencouraged her to give it a try with a littlesalt and butter.

Being nice she said, “I think I could learnto cultivate a taste for it. Tell me, what aregrits made of?” she said.

Knowing I would most likely never seethem again I poured it on. “The truth ofthe matter is, grits come from a plant sim-ilar to a tomato. You can buy some gritplants at the local Ace Hardware just afew miles down the road. They sell’m bythe dozen – complete with grits fertilizer,stakes, string and plastic.”

“Stakes, string and plastic. What’s thatfor?” She asked.

“You take the stakes and put them next tothe growing grit plant, then run the stringfrom one end of plants to the other, loop-

ing it around each stake. Then when thegrit is ready to harvest you put the plasticon the ground below the plant and jerk thestring. The grits fall on the plastic and youscoop them up! Another way to pick gritsis to buy a grits picker. Ace Hardware hasthem to, but they are expensive. You’ll findthem in the fertilizer section of the store.Grits grow pretty fast, and you’ll have funwatch’n ‘em grow! Real simple. Anybodycan do it,” I said.

They seemed okay with my story and leftthe Hole In The Wall restaurant with a fullstomach and a smile on their face.

“You should be ashamed,” Patsy said.

“Not really,” I replied. “There are toomany northerners walking around in adaze not knowing anything about grits andhow great it is to be a southerner. If theyare moving south they need to get an edu-cation on southern living. You know, Icould have told her about archeologistsfinding, in an ancient city in Greece, thediary of a woman named MadamusiculinHerousis (Paula Dean to her friends) whowrote about serving grits to King Tut.”

I was brought up on grits, and still love’mtoday. Mama could work miracles withleft over grits. She would take the leftovergrits, spread them into the bottom of dish,cover them up, and place them in therefrigerator over night. The next morningshe would cut the grits into small one inchsquares. Dump them into cooking oil andlet them cook until they were goldenbrown. Talk about something good. Man,McDonald’s McNuggets can’t hold a can-dle to them.

Give me grits, some big homemade cathead biscuits, red eye gravy and sugarcured ham, and I’m as happy as a kid withan RC Cola and moon pie at the countrystore.


Let me close with my continuing education for northerners withthe TEN COMMANDMENTS OF GRITS:

1. THOU SHALT NOT EAT THY GRITS WITH A SPOON.2. THOU SHALT NOT PUT SYRUP ON THY GRITS.3. THOU SHALT NEVER PUT SUGAR ON THY GRITS.

4. THOU SHALT NEVER EAT CREAM OF WHEAT AND CALL IT GRITS.5. THOU SHALT USE ONLY BUTTER AND CHEESE AS TOPPINGS

FOR THY GRITS.6. THOU SHALT NOT EAT INSTANT GRITS.7. THOU SHALT NOT EAT INSTANT GRITS.8. THOU SHALT NOT EAT INSTANT GRITS.9. THOU SHALT NOT EAT INSTANT GRITS.10. THOU SHALT NOT EAT INSTANT GRITS.


The Florida Cattlemen’s Associationis a well known entity among thoseinvolved in agriculture. Recently

though, they have added a new member totheir ever-impressive team. Dusty Holley isthe new Field Services Director and he’s aman with quite an interesting story.

In a state where native is loosely applieddue to the number of transplants, it’sunusual to find someone with a long histo-ry herein. Dusty explains, “I’m actually aseventh generation Floridian on both sidesof my family. My mother’s family has beenhere since the 1820s. They came downduring the First Seminole War withAndrew Jackson and didn’t really leave.They homesteaded up in North Floridaand we had cattle all over the state. Theyhad a homestead in Osceola County by the1860s, but also one still in North Florida.During the battle of Olustee, the only sig-nificant land battle, the Yankees took overthe family’s plantation and used it as theirhospital. From then on, most of the men inthe family were serving in the cow cavalryand their job was to drive the cattle andsupply the Confederate army with beef.”

After the loss of the plantation, Dustyadds, “Some of the family that was still in

North Florida came down to the place wehave in Central Florida and that side of thefamily has been in Florida ever since. Wehave a pretty colorful history. That’s mymom’s side of the family. My dad’s side hasbeen in Central Florida for a long, longtime, at least seven generations, but I don’tknow as much about them. Obviously myfamily’s been very involved in the cattlebusiness in Florida for a long, long time.”

Flash forward about a hundred years andwe find, according to Dusty’s recollection,“In the ‘60s is when my grandfatherbought our place in Polk and moved fromOsceola to what I consider the homeranch. My generation is the first to growup our whole lives with the Polk Cityranch being our home. That tradition con-tinues. I have nieces and nephews who areeighth generation Floridians.”

Having already pointed out the fact thathis family has been involved in the cattlebusiness for quite some time, he elabo-rates, “I was pretty lucky, my grandfatherHolley, on my dad’s side, was a veryrespected herdsman in the purebred side,Brahman’s and Santa Gertrudis (it’s abreed developed by King Ranch in Texas).My granddaddy Sullivan, on my mom’s

side, is a very well respected commercialcattleman and was a highly respected game-warden for years. I got to see both sidesgrowing up, the purebred and commercial.”

When questioned about his family’s cur-rent operations he says, “Asking a cattle-man how much land or how many cows hehas is like asking him how much moneyhe’s got in the bank,” he laughs and thenreveals, “We own the ranch in Polk Cityand we own a farm in Georgia where wegrow cotton and peanuts. We also lease alot of land that we put cattle on.”

Given his family lineage, it is no surprisethat Dusty was actively involved in bothFFA and 4H as a young man. He says,“I showed purebred cattle across theSoutheast and was in 4H and then when Iwas in middle school and high school I gotvery involved in FFA. I was always anofficer, so eighth grade through my senioryear I was an officer in my chapter. Fromeighth grade through my senior year I wasalso Sub-district Chairman.”

As if all those achievements aren’t impres-sive enough, he continues, “My sopho-more, junior and senior year I was a PolkCounty Federation Officer and either

Ambition’s PortraitDusty Holley By Ginny Mink


District Secretary or District President. My junior year andsenior year, I was a National Delegate and then right after Igraduated I was Area IV State Vice President and State Secretary.That year I was Chairman of the Public Relations Committee atthe National level. I was an area winner for State StarGreenhand, a finalist for State Star Farmer. I won a bunch ofchapter and county awards. I was on a whole bunch of teams,pretty much everything you can do. I was very active in all thejudging teams and speaking contests.”

“Asking a cattleman how much land orhow many cows he has is like asking himhow much money he’s got in the bank.”

He spent a year after high school serving as a State FFA Officerand when that time was over he says, “I started at PolkCommunity College, which is now Polk State. At that time Iplanned on majoring in Ag education. So my A.A. is in education.I stayed at Polk Community College longer that you’re supposedto. I took a full load, I never failed a class, I never dropped aclass. I didn’t want to leave my granddaddy on the ranch aloneso I kept taking classes, but eventually they told me I had to grad-uate,” he chuckles and adds, “so I left a 60 credit institution with100 credits.”

Incredibly, while helping his granddaddy on the ranch and takinga full load of college courses, he says, “During that time I alsoday-worked for cattle ranches across the state. I’ve alwaysthought it was important to experience how people do differentthings on their ranches.” This is a man driven to work hard andexcel in the midst of trying times. Eventually though, he had tomove on. Thusly he went to the University of Florida.

He explains, “When I started at UF I was still Ag Ed, but thatlasted just a few weeks. I walked in my advisor’s office and heknew it before I did, that I was going to switch to animal science.He had the paperwork ready so I just signed my name andchanged majors. That started my studies in animal science. Irushed and was initiated into Alpha Gamma Rho, that’s a social,professional fraternity. You have to be involved in agriculture tobe a brother in Alpha Gamma Rho.” He then lists some othermembers, Adam Putnam, Doyle Conner and Charlie Bronson.His fraternal dedication is obvious, “I was an officer in AGR fortwo years.”

AGR is certainly an important aspect of his college experience,but there’s oh so much more. He continues, “I was on theUniversity of Florida’s Livestock and Meat Evaluation Team.I was also involved in Block and Bridle cattlemen’s. I worked inthe University of Florida’s meat lab, which is the USDA inspect-ed livestock processing facility, for a year. Then the rest of thetime I worked for Dr. Roger West, who is a native of Homeland,and a retired animal science professor and he has a cattle ranch.He’s also a past Florida Cattlemen’s Association President.”

Dusty got his BS in animal science with a beef industry optionand a minor in food and resource economics, which he explains,is basically Ag economics. He excelled at UF too, graduatingSumma Cum Laude and then he started graduate school. He says,“I studied ruminant nutrition which is nutrition of cattle, butreally anything with a four chamber stomach: goats, deer, sheep,camels and elephants,” he laughs. “But really I studied cows.”

... continue on page 27


Graduate school didn’t hinder Dusty’s extracurricular endeav-ors a bit. He says, “While in grad school I was the President ofthe Animal Science Graduate Student Association. I was anassistant coach of the livestock and meat evaluation teams. Iwas a T.A. in some of the animal science classes. I gave somelectures, helped teach some classes. I was also inducted intoFlorida Blue Key, which is the highest leadership honor at theUniversity of Florida.” Upon graduation, Dusty says he movedto South Georgia where he lived on the family farm there.While there he says, “I helped a former professor of minewho’s the Dean at ABAC (Abraham Baldwin AgriculturalCollege) facilitate a bio-fuels grant for the University ofGeorgia and ABAC.”

Somehow, in the midst of the bio-fuels grant work, Dusty trav-eled down a different road, one that led him into the politicalarena. He explains, “I got the opportunity to go to work inWashington, DC as a senior legislative assistant forCongressman Tim Mahoney. I did all of his agriculture com-mittee work. He was defeated at the end of the 110thCongress. I decided to find more employment in DC. It was thefirst time since the 70s that there was not a member ofCongress from Florida on the agriculture committee, so I wentto work for Congressman Larry Kissell from North Carolina’s8th District. I handled all his Ag committee work. I eventuallyrose to the position of senior policy advisor up until Februaryof this year. All in all I spent four years working in DC formembers of Congress/House Representatives.”

Thankfully, Dusty understood the ramifications of this ven-ture. He adds, “When I moved to DC I wanted to stay two tofive years. I thought it’d take at least two years to get in theswing, to become a player in the game. I didn’t want to staymore than five because then I’d just have to make a career outof it.” Politics is definitely a controversial career choice.Incredibly he explains, “The Florida Cattlemen’s came up withthis position and I went to interviews and they hired me tocome back home.”

This brings us full circle back to Dusty’s current position. “Istarted March 5. My title is Field Services Director. I’m JimHandley’s understudy. I’m here to do anything and everythingthat needs to be done. I handle things around the office. I trav-el the countryside meeting with our members, helping themwith anything they need whether it’s at the county associationlevel or individual level. Part of my job is member develop-ment, facilitating our quarterly meetings, the annual conven-tion, helping out the Board of Directors and Executive Board.I help secure money for the Cattlemen’s Association and theCattlemen’s Foundation. I help advocate for cattlemen at thestate level in Tallahassee and in Washington, DC.”

While it seems Dusty is a very career oriented man, he alsotakes time out for fun. He concludes, “I like to hunt and fish.I’m still very heavily involved in my family’s operations. We doranch rodeos, Sullivan Ranch Family Team. We just won theCentral Florida Fair’s Invitational Ranch Rodeo in Orlando,which qualifies us for the state rodeos. We were 3rd Place inthe Florida Qualifier for the Working Ranch Cowboy’sAssociation (WRCA). They host the world finals in Amarillo.”Dusty reveals that he’s single. He says, “I haven’t found any-one to put up with me long enough yet,” he laughs and adds,“I’m pretty picky though too.” Given his ambition and longlist of achievements, it’s only a matter of time before somelucky woman snatches him up. •


Holley at theCentral FloridaFair Ranch Rodeo

Marking Ears

WRCA RanchRodeo


When you think of the word,“agriculture,” you don’t associ-ate it with art or high fashion.

You envision farms, gardens, livestock andchickens. Platform Art of Lakeland isdetermined to change how we envisionagriculture. They see it as one big art party.Art in AgriCulture was the theme of their19th art party held April 28 of this year.The party was held in downtown Lakelandand went from the Orange Street Bridge toSt. Joseph’s Catholic Church on 210 WestLemon St., which is about five blocks. Theevent was a progressive art party of visualart, short films, fashion, sound and per-formance with a focus on Polk County’sagriculture heritage.

There is a belief that agriculture cannotexist in urban areas, but the event changedmany of the attendee’s minds. The partywas a celebration in conjunction with theunveiling of a ceramic tile mural that wasinstalled on the Orange Street Bridge con-necting the Lakeland Center with down-town Lakeland. The mural serves as acelebration of the county’s agricultural his-tory. In addition to the mural, a communi-ty garden on the corner of New YorkAvenue and Orange Street was dedicatedas well. After the dedication, Lady Godivaled the crowd back to St. Joseph’s CatholicChurch pavilion to party until the cowscame home. Partygoers were entertainedby square dancers and live music. Theywere treated to a “Green Acres” themedfashion show.

Platform Art was founded in 2003 afterformer executive director, Ann Wilson,took a trip to San Francisco and attend a

similar type of art party. She thought it wasfabulous and decided to start her own artparties in Lakeland. The elements of art,film, fashion, sound and performance arepresent at every party. The parties arenever held in the same place and they areusually held in urban areas that are vacant.They fill these unused buildings with lifefor a few days. Bev Hendricks, programcoordinator for Platform Art, said that’sthe fun part of the parties, you never knowwhere they will be held.

“We started having parties anywhere wecould find, any place we could get rent freeand available for a few days, so we couldmove in and move out,” Hendricks said.The goal of the parties is to get people toexperience art. “A lot of people are notinterested in going to a museum or a sym-phony,” Hendricks said, “It’s a way to getpeople to see art in a fun way.”

Cynthia Haffey, Executive Director ofPlatform Art, put together a focus group totalk about urban agriculture. The City ofLakeland approached Haffey about joiningforces with the art group to create a workof art that represents Polk County.

“We live in Polk County and agriculturehas an impact on the county and ourheritage,” Haffey said. The focus groupcame up with the idea to create the muraland garden, as well as having the artparty to celebrate the whole event. Theycommissioned Charlie Parker, a ceramicartist from St. Petersburg, to createthe mural. Parker enlisted artist, BeateMarston, to help him. “In planning thedesign for the bridge mural, I wanted it to

be something that the people of Lakelandcould recognize and relate to but thatwould also entice visitors to explore thecity and its surrounding,” Martston said.

Platform Art put out a call to artists in lateJanuary of this year to get them to submitagriculture themed pieces. One of theartists who answered this call was KellySturhahn. She is an art professor at FloridaSouthern College and she submitted multi-ple pieces. Although her work was notinspired by agriculture, it was inspired bynature. “Nature and the cycles of life seemto be at the heart of agriculture,” Sturhahnsaid. “As a theme, agriculture is quiteinteresting in that it can really tie into a lotof ideas that may be artistically expressedin any number of mediums.”

The art group continues to evolve and takeon new community projects. “We do thisbasically because we have a passion for thecultural arts and the community,” Haffeysaid. “We are now getting to the pointwhere we can leave something behind.”

For more information about Platform Art,you can visit them on the web at

www.platformart.org

Pictured Above:Art Party Flyer:“Platform Art Party #19 is a progressive art party ofvisual art, short film, sound and performance with afocus on Polk County’s agricultural heritage.”

Cow Head Art:“Artist Beate Marston created a series of masks, thisone makes reference to a quote attributed to MahatmaGandhi, that the cow is second mother to millions ofmankind because not only does she give milk but shealso makes agriculture possible.”

By Libby Hopkins



Florida Farm Bureau Senior Assistant Director of FieldServices Ray Crawford is retiring after almost 34 years ofdedicated service to the federation and its members.

“Ray’s retirement is a tremendous loss for our organization,”said Farm Bureau President John Hoblick who has known andworked with Ray since 1986.

“We have eight districts in Florida and each has a field manserving as an important link between Gainesville and countyFarm Bureaus,” said Hoblick. “Each field man has his ownunique strengths. Ray has always been a valued Farm Bureauemployee. I will miss his service. He has given many goodyears to the organization and the people it represents.”

“Ray has continually exhibited the ability to effectivelycommunicate our state programs to the county level, securingtheir enthusiastic involvement and support,” said Hoblick.“He has also been an excellent link between the counties in hisdistrict and Gainesville, helping us to understand the local FarmBureau issues, concerns and what we must do to help.”

“I know that I speak on behalf of all of us at the Federationwho wish Ray and Lynn a great retirement that will allow themto do the things they weren’t able to do because of Ray’sdedication to his work.”

For the last five years, Ray has served District 5, which com-prises Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lake, Pasco, Pinellas,Polk and Sumter counties. For the five years prior to that hewas statewide Director of Field Services, overseeing the fieldmen across Florida. Before the statewide position he wasassigned to District 5. His initial assignment with Farm Bureauwas District 8 along the southeastern coast of the state oftenreferred to as the Gold Coast.

“Time is Right for Another to HaveThis Wonderful Opportunity”By Jim Frankowiak

Ray was initially an Ag teacher his first seven years out of college.“I taught at DeLand Senior High School and was chairman of thefive-teacher Ag Department,” he said. Though he enjoyed his workat the high school, he recalls meeting Farm Bureau Field StafferDennis Emerson and “was really impressed with his enthusiasm forAgriculture and doing positive things to help the industry. I think ifgiven the opportunity, I’d like to do that,” he recalls. Ray’s goodfriend Joe Kight, who headed up the Young Farmer and Rancherprogram for Farm Bureau, called Ray some time later and suggest-ed that Ray apply for a field director position opening. He did andwas hired by then Field Services Director Whit Goolsby and hemoved to south Florida.

Ray and Lynn missed north central Florida and Ray told the FieldServices Director Al French, if there was a chance to move backnorth, he would like to be considered and he was, two years afterjoining Farm Bureau.

The Crawford’s moved to a 20-acre home near Bushnell and hebegan his initial run with District 5 until 2002 when he became FieldServices Director. The Crawford’s have two grown children, JenniferLynn and Chad.

“I have loved my job and honestly feel I could work forever, but it’stime for someone younger to have the opportunity to do this,” hesaid. “I do plan to stay involved with the Sumter County FarmBureau and would like to serve on the board if given the opportuni-ty,” said Crawford. “I also will continue to work with the SumterCounty Ag Alliance. That’s a group formed by Dale McClellan andLarry Rooks several years ago. It presents the different aspects ofagriculture in the area and presents a unified voice,” he said. “I alsointend to continue serving the Extension Advisory Council.”

Ray’s departure is not without some regrets. “I heard somewherethat an estimated 80 percent of the people don’t have fun with theirjobs. That’s really too bad. I have thoroughly enjoyed my work andhave been blessed to have fun all of these years,” he said.

“I am going to truly miss the interaction I have had with peopleworking on projects that impact Agriculture in a positive way,” hesaid. “I have enjoyed working with our elected officials and helpingthem understand the importance of agriculture so they can maketruly informed decisions. And I am going to miss those special peo-ple in each of the counties I served who gladly and continuallystepped up to do the important things that had to get done to helpAgriculture. There are a ton of them.”

Ray’s fans are legion. One of them is Ron O’Connor, Director ofMarketing and Governmental Affairs for Farm Credit of CentralFlorida. “Ray and I have been friends and colleagues for about 20years. He is a tireless promoter of Farm Bureau and Florida agricul-ture. In fact, he attends so many meetings I am certain he has beencloned! But truthfully, if you need something done, Ray Crawfordwill not only accomplish the task, he will do it with a smile and youcan rest assured it will be done right.”

“It has been said, everyone makes a positive impression; some whenthey enter a room, others when they leave. Ray Crawford is one ofthose people who illuminates a room with his positive attitude,warm, friendly demeanor, and the ability to make strangers friendsin the blink of an eye. He will be sorely missed, but deserves to havea long and happy retirement.”

State Farm Bureau Director Ron Wetherington, who representsHillsborough, Manatee and Pinellas counties, echoed those com-ments. “I admire Ray’s skills as a field man and the mentoring has


provided for his younger colleagues,” saidWetherington. “I will miss him, but hetruly deserves his retirement. I have knownRay for more than 25 years and count himas a great friend. He has always gonebeyond the call of duty and he has donethat with a smile and excellent rapportwith everyone he comes in contact with.”

“Many people don’t know that Ray hasnominated at least five, if not more, win-ners of the Outstanding Agriculturist ofthe Year honors at the Southeast Ag Expo.He knows his business and he knows itvery well,” said Wetherington.

“Ray has been a great inspiration to meand many others,” said HillsboroughCounty Farm Bureau President DannyAprile. “He is the person that influencedme the most to take the president’s posi-tion here in Hillsborough County. He hasbeen a great friend and the best field manever, always doing his job to the fullest.”

“To put it simply, it doesn’t get any betterthan Ray. His shoes are going to be hard tofill. I wish Ray and Lynn the best years oftheir lives in retirement,” said Aprile.

Judi Whitson, Executive Director ofHillsborough County Farm Bureau, readi-ly attests to Ray’s mentoring skills. “WhenI started with Farm Bureau many yearsago, I don’t know what I would have donewithout Ray,” she said. “He basically tookme under his wing and taught me what Ineeded to know about the organization

and the industry. Ray gave me the toolsto succeed. He has always been an inspira-tion for me and a shingling light foragriculture.”

“Ray has been a tremendous supporter ofour Youth Programs here at the FloridaState Fair,” noted Vina Jean Banks,Director of Agribusiness for the FloridaState Fair Authority. “He has served onour Youth Steer Committee for many,many years and he is a true asset to thecommittee. From helping to work thesteers at our steer work day in the heat ofAugust to assisting at the Fair during theshow, Ray is always willing to help in anycapacity we may ask. Even though he isretiring from Florida Farm Bureau we sin-cerely hope he is not retiring from theFlorida State Fair! We wish him a wonder-ful retirement,” said Banks.

In addition to continued involvement withagriculture, there are a number of otherplans Ray has for his retirement. “There’squite a bit of farm equipment at my placethat needs some TLC. I have a 1988Mustang that I am restoring and if I do agood enough job on it, I will get to workon totally rebuilding my 1950 Chevroletpickup,” said Crawford. Ray also organ-izes monthly horseback rides and will con-tinue to do so. “We get anywhere from 15to 27 riders and have a good time. I alsoplan to work my horses, raise calves andspend time with my 10-year-old grandson,

Evan Bass, plus some hunting and otheroutdoor activities.”

Ray has been known to have some secretsover the years and one of them involves amotorcycle which we believe will becomepart of his increased outdoor activities.

One other consideration that has been ofthe utmost importance over the years hasbeen the support of Ray’s wife. “Lynn hassupported me throughout my entire career.None of what I have been able to do wouldhave happened without her backing,” saidCrawford. “When I decided to return tothe field after working in Gainesville forfive years, that was a big decision withsome serious financial considerations.Lynn told me the move would make herone happy person. She has always under-stood my passion and fully supported meand for that I am most grateful.”

Thanks Ray for a great run and the verybest to you and Lynn in the future. •

ROY DAVIS WITH RAY

RAY WITH FRIENDS

DR. MARSHALL AND RAY


Ph: (813) 620-3006 • 6902 Causeway Blvd, Tampa • www.Fencing-Farm-Ranch.com

GALVANIZING

The American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) hasestablished classes of zinc coating for steel wire. There arefour types of galvanizing on most common field, horse,

goat and chain link fence that we stock. Commerical or regulargalvanizing is the least protected. It is not a good fit in the stateof Florida (We do not stock this wire) Class I has a light zinccoating. It can be a good fit in some parts of the country or wherelong term use is not the purpose. Class 3 wire has two and a halftimes more zinc coating than Class I. It is the preferred coating inmost installments because of the extended life. Class 4 is mostcommon in chain link fence. Wire gauge is also a determiningfactor in wire corrosion.

The chart below shows wire size, climate conditions, gauge sizeand the number of years of service for Class I and Class 3 wire.

TENSILE STRENGTHThere are three tensile strengths in ranch wire stocked in moststores, low tensile (low carbon) with a 60,000 pound PSI, medi-um tensile has a 125,000 PSI. High ensile wire has a 175,000PSI. When installed properly, high tensile wire will stay tight foryears, using fewer posts and less labor. We stock all three tensilestrengths.

KNOTSThere are basically three types of knots in farm fence.

Hinge joint is the most commonin farm fencing. The knot isformed by wrapping the verticalstay wire around the line wireat each intersection. The hingejoint is the most economicalknot. All of the field fence thatwe stock has a hinge joint.

The S Knot design uses a separate piece ofwire to attach the line wire to solid stay wire.Our non-climb and sheep and goat wire usethis knot.

The Fixed knot (Staylock) adds a third knotwire that is twisted around the vertical andhorizontal wires under pressure, locking themtight. This knot provides far greater verticaland horizontal holding strength. In the futurewe will stock fixed joint field fence. Theadvantage of this wire is that it keeps the sameshape after intense hitting by animals. It also will have a class 3coating for longer life. Fixed knot fencing is more expensive thanstandard field fence, but with post spacing 20 – 25 feet on center(instead of 8 – 10 feet) the installed price runs about 20 percentless versus a conventional field fence and you’ve got a superiorfence that is easier to install and maintain for less money. We willhave this wire in inventory after July 4.

When buying farm fence always look at the tag to see if you aregetting Class I or Class 3 wire, and what is the tensile strength ofthe wire. If the tag is missing, it might have been pulled.Sometimes wire is purchased because of the manufacture. Lookat the tag-make sure it is Class 3 wire high tensile is even better.Painting the top of wire does not give the wire more galvanizing.You might be surprised at what you’ve been buying.

CLIMATIC CONDITION

Wire Size Dry HumidClass

911

12 1/2

14 1/2

11511117

330303023

18665

313131310

1322

11/2

3666

41/2

Coastal and Industrial

WIRE FENCE1047-330’ Field Fence 14ga CL3.............$115.001047-330’ Field Fence 12½ga CL1............139.001047-330’ Field Fence

12½ga CL3 LOW CARBON ............$139.001047-330’ Field Fence

12½ga CL3 HIGH TENSILE ............$155.00Barb Wire 15½ CL3 Gauge .......................$35.00Barb Wire 12½ GA CL3 ............................$65.00Barb Wire 15½ GA 3” spacing .................$49.00100’x4’ CL3 no climb horse wire ............$125.00100’x5’ CL3 no climb horse wire ............$149.00200’x4’ CL1 no climb horse wire ............$199.00200’x4’ CL3 no climb horse wire ............$229.00100’x4’ CL1 4 X 4 goat wire ....................$75.00330’x4’ CL1 4 X 4 goat wire ..................$239.005’x16’ Horse Panel 6GA 2x4....................$59.0050”x16’ 10 Line Panel 4GA .....................$22.0039” Field Fence 12½ga 330’...................$112.00Barbless Wire 12½ga 1320’.....................$54.00Barbless Wire 14ga 1320’........................$35.00Smooth Wire 9ga 140’ .............................$11.95Smooth Wire 12½ga 210’ ........................$12.50Fence Stays 100 pair 42” ........................$46.00Staples 1¼-1½-1¾ 50#............................$49.00In the future, please continue to follow us on the

web and look for our specials on Facebook.


OnThursday, April 26, 2012, PolkCounty Sheriff’s Office SpecialOperation deputies were recognized

by the Polk County Farm Bureau and itsmembers for the agency’s dedication to PolkCounty’s Agricultural community.

The annual event is an opportunity forFarm Bureau members to interact with thedeputies who respond to calls for serviceon their ranches and farms. The PolkCounty Farm Bureau is “one of the largestcounty federations in the state, with wellover 4,500 members.”

Polk County’s agriculture industriesincludes citrus, blueberries, honey, sod,forage crops, aquaculture, and both beefand dairy cattle. And PCSO deputies haveresponded to calls for service at each typeof farm, grove or ranch.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office SpecialOperations Division includes Agricultural,Environmental, Marine and Aviationdeputies. These specialized units providelaw enforcement services throughout thecounty and most frequently, on agricultur-al properties.

Agricultural continues to be one of thelargest industries in Polk County.

According to the Polk County FarmBureau, there are 626,634 acres ofagricultural land in Polk County, with3,114 farms; which is 52 per cent ofPolk’s approximately 2000 square miles.Polk agriculture has an estimated $2.8billion annual economic impact.

Keeping that investment safe is a priorityfor PCSO Agricultural deputies. During2011, deputies responded to 2,681 callsfor service; over seven calls each day ofthe year.

Calls for service range from trespassing,theft, to missing persons, and animalcruelty cases. Utilizing boats, aircraft, orall-terrain vehicles, Special Ops deputiesprovide additional support to criminalinvestigations when searches of largeproperty or bodies of water is necessary

The partnerships we’ve created withinthe agricultural community enabledeputies to work one-on-one withfarmers and ranchers providing proactivelaw enforcement services. We know howcritical it is to protect a nearly $3 billionindustry and we work hard every day todo just that!

by Sheriff Grady Judd

Polk CountySheriff’s OfficeSpecial Operations





Florida dragonfruit is stunninglybeautiful and deliciously sweet andcreamy. This fruit has either pink or

yellow skin and either a pink or whiteflesh. Both are similar in taste, althoughthe white variety can be sweeter. Dragonfruit, also known as pitaya, pitahya, orstrawberry pear, is actually the fruit of afragrant night-blooming cactus.

Pitaya are produced in tropical and sub-tropical climates around the world, includ-ing Florida, Hawaii, Caribbean, Asia,Vietnam and Australia. According to theUniversity of Florida Extension Office,pitaya plants live for an average of 20years and established plants may produceover 200 pounds of fruit in a year.

NUTRITIONAL PROFILEDragon fruit is an excellent nutritionalsource of dietary fiber, vitamins, andantioxidants, and is naturally free of fat,sodium, and cholesterol. One average 3.5”dragon fruit (100 g) contains 52 calories,0.5 g of protein, 0.1 g of fat, 13g of carbo-hydrate, and 0.3 g of fiber. It also provides19 mg of phosphorus, 6 mg of calcium,25 mg of vitamin C, as well as many othernutrients. Pitaya is high in riboflavin,vitamin A, calcium, iron, and niacin, aswell as powerful health-boosting antioxi-dants. The seeds are high in polyunsatu-rated fats, the beneficial type of fat for ahealthy heart.

VITAMIN CDragon fruit are high in several antioxi-dants, including vitamins A and C.Vitamin C supports the body’s immunesystem in fighting infections and viruses.Additionally, this vitamin helps keep capil-laries, gums, and skin healthy and supple.The vitamin C in pitaya also enhances iron

absorption from other foods, whichreduces the risk of anemia. It even plays arole in preventing cardiovascular diseaseand eye disease.

VITAMIN AVitamin A is essential for optimal eyehealth and can help prevent night-blind-ness. It also plays a role in immunity bysupporting the white blood cells in fight-ing infections. Vitamin A is also involvedin hearing, taste, and normal fetal devel-opment.

FIBERResearch has shown that dietary fiber hasa protective effect against cardiovasculardiseases, by lowering blood cholesterollevels and slowing the progression of heartdisease in high-risk individuals. Fiber alsopromotes bowel regularity and increasessatiety levels, which can aid in weight con-trol.

PHOSPHORUSFlorida dragon fruit is notably high inphosphorus, which plays a crucial role inthe formation of bones and teeth.Phosphorus is also involved in the proteinsynthesis of repair of tissues, as well asgrowth and maintenance. It is also impor-tant in the way the body uses the nutrientswe consume from food. Additionally, itplays an important role in maintaining aregular heartbeat and assisting in musclecontraction and nerve conduction.

HOW TO SELECT AND STORELook for pitaya that is deeply colored, freeof bruises and discoloration. Choose onethat feels heavy for its weight, without softspots. The fruit can be stored for up to fivedays at room temperature or for several

weeks in the refrigerator. Dragon fruit canalso be frozen, but since the texture will bealtered, reserve it for sorbet or sauce.

HOW TO ENJOYDragon fruit is delicious eaten out-of–hand. Peel the outer skin and slice thefruit, or cut the fruit in half and scoop outthe creamy flesh with a spoon. The seedsare edible. Other ways to enjoy dragonfruit include:

• Freeze the pulp to make sorbetor ice cream

• Mash the pulp to make jelly, yogurt,juice, or sauce

• Slice and toss into a fruit orvegetable salad

• Use the pulp in baked cakes or pastries• Blend with other fruits for a

refreshing smoothie

Enjoy this beautiful, fragrant fruit duringFlorida’s peak pitaya season. Eat it out ofhand and enjoy the creamy sweetness ofone of the world’s most beautiful fruits.

Selected Referenceshttp://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs303

http://www.tropcialfruitgrowers.com

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

Beautiful and Nutritious


Trichomoniasis, or “trich,” is a sexually transmitted disease ofcattle caused by a protozoan parasite, Tritichomonas foetus.

It is estimated that the economic losses to the U.S. beef industryfrom reduced conception rates, lowered weaning weights andincreased culling due to this disease exceed $100 million annual-ly. Bulls infected by T. foetus show no outward signs of infection.Bulls act as a reservoir for this organism and are the primarytransmitter of the disease. The trich organism interferes with aninfected cow or heifer’s ability to stay bred and, therefore, isresponsible for varying degrees of reproductive inefficiency.Because there are no outward signs of the illness, it often goesundetected for a great length of time resulting in further spread ofthe infection. The effects of the disease are seen in devastatinglosses due to poor calf crops and prolonged calving seasons.

For example, in infected herds with a short defined breeding sea-son, the calf crop can be decreased by 50%. Herds with longerbreeding seasons will experience even longer calving seasonsresulting in a reduced calf crop and reduced weaning weights.

T. foetus lives in the reproductive tract of the cow and in thesheath of the bull’s penis. The typical means of transmission is aninfected bull exposing unexposed cows. But the disease can alsospread through the purchase of infected, open cows and mixingof clean herds with infected cattle through broken fences. Theinfection does not interfere with conception but rather results indeath of the embryo in the first half of gestation (15 to 80 days).Cows may remain infertile and may build up immunity (for twoto six months) but immunity is usually short lived. While rare,some cows that are infected may carry the fetus to full termand deliver a normal calf. These cows are of concern because theycan serve as a source of infection to bulls during subsequentbreeding seasons.

Typically the only detectable symptom of trich in the herd is anincrease in open or “late” cows at pregnancy checking. Othersigns are reduced calving rates and a calf crop that is extendedover three to six months. Bulls will not show symptoms.

Diagnosis is made through sampling of the preputial fluid takenfrom the sheath of the bull’s penis or uterine/vaginal fluid from the

cow. The organism may be observed by direct microscopic exam-ination of the fresh samples, by examination of culturemedia inoculated with infected material, or by the detection ofT. foetus DNA through the PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) testmethod. Microscopic examination and culture tests are onlymildly to moderately accurate. The PCR test is considered tobe the most accurate and is required by some states as the methodof testing. At this time, there is not an approved treatment orvaccination to use on bulls. Identification of infected bulls iscritical. Control and prevention involves testing and then cullingand replacing infected bulls.

A vaccine is available to help cows clean up faster from an infec-tion and rebreed, but it doesn’t prevent trich from infecting theherd. Often it’s the open and late cows that are carrying thedisease, so they, too, need to be culled and replaced.

The most effective way to control Trich is to prevent the introduc-tion of the organism into a herd. Prevention is essential in manag-ing trichomoniasis infections. Measures include:

• Testing all new bulls prior to entry into the herd.• Preventing unwanted bulls from entering throughdamaged fence lines.

• Keeping young bulls rather than older ones.• Testing all bulls prior to each breeding season.• Purchase only virgin bulls.• Do not share or lease bulls.• Do not purchase older cows and add them to yourherd without the necessary precautions.

• Cull open cows.• Maintain a defined breeding season to identifyreproductive problems.

• Pregnancy test all cows and heifers 120 days afterthe breeding season and cull open females.

• Vaccination, but vaccine alone will not prevent thedisease from getting into the herd.

• If you are shipping bulls out-of-state contact yourveterinarian to find out the policy for shipping bulls tothe particular state. As many states have changed oradopted new rules on the movement of bulls into theirstate due to Trichomoniasis. This is necessary even ifthe bulls are to be used on your females residing, oroperations belonging to you, in another state.

The cost of prevention is far more affordable than the lossescaused by this devastating disease. Contact your veterinarian orExtension office for more information. •

Is Trich Cutting IntoYour Profits?By Bridget Carlisle


Invasive species have become the subjectof growing concern as environmentalawareness is awakened through the

media. While some invasive species, suchas the Mediterranean Fruit fly, havebecome eradicated throughout Florida, agreat deal of effort is necessary to keep thethreat at bay. Most will agree that the bestmeasure of protection is to understand thethreat before it becomes a crisis, only thencan we respond with a spirit of reason anda tactile solution. Fortunately, our ownUniversity of Florida Institute of Food andAgriculture Science (IFAS) is participatingin the observation and trials of a speciesthat has already made its way into the topten threats to the United States AgricultureIndustry. The Brown Marmorated StinkBug (Halyomorpha halys) is a native ofChina, Japan, Korea and Taiwan and hasalready established itself as a yearlong pestin United States orchards. This insect wasfirst confirmed in Allentown, PA in 1998and as of November of 2011 has spread to34 states. Though not yet established inFlorida, this invasive insect has alreadycost the US Agriculture Industry billions.

As with any invasive species, the problemis that this stink bug has no natural ene-mies in the United States. The obvioussolution at first glance would be to attractnatural enemies, however, a natural enemyis no more indigenous than the invasivespecies we are trying to suppress in the firstplace and it too could have a negativeimpact on Florida’s beneficial insects.Although pesticides are a popular quick fixfor the control of native species, the optionis problematic when it comes to invasivespecies. In Florida, registered pesticides are

regulated by both Federal and State laws.It is not likely that a new invasive specieswould be specified on a pesticide labelwithout prior field testing from a qualifiedsource. Furthermore, stink bugs in generalhave a high resistance to most pesticidesand alternative management practices arenecessary to protect Florida crops.Fortunately, with this species, Florida istaking the initiative to understand thethreat before danger is at hand. A new fieldguide entitled “Identifying Stink Bugs andOther True Bugs of Florida” is in theworks, headed up by University ofFlorida’s Dr. Amanda Hodges and gradu-ate student Ashley Poplin. The guide willinclude information on emerging invasivespecies such as the Brown MarmoratedStink Bug (BMSB) as well as beneficialspecies that are indigenous to Florida. Theguide is expected to be available online atno charge this Fall.

The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug(Halyomorpha halys) belongs to the insectfamily Pentatomidae, meaning five sec-tions. This family of insects is commonlyreferenced as a shield bug because its shapeand wing structure resembles that of amedieval shield. Several native stink bugsand shield bugs are sometimes misidenti-fied as the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug,our native brown stink bug (Euschistusservus) looks nearly identical. Some of thedistinctions to look for in an adult BrownMarmorated Stink bug are white stripes onthe antenna, our native brown stink bughas solid brown antenna. The abdomen ofBMSB extends beyond the wings and has adistinctive black and white triangular pat-tern of bands. Look for smooth shoulders

on their thorax and a series of dots rightbehind the head of this species and you’rereally close to a positive identification.

In its native range, adults emerge in lateApril and May, mate, and deposit yellow-ish spined eggs on the underside of leavesin clusters of 20 to 30 through August. Itslong list of host plants seems to grow withmore research but common host plantsinclude apples, peaches, figs, and citrus aswell as seeds. In its native environment,farmers manage the pest by plantingsunflowers and carrots as a trap cropbordering the crop they want to protect. Inaddition, pheromones of a closely relatedspecies, the brown-winged green bug(Plautia stali) are the foundation ofJapanese commercial traps. Entomologistsat the USDA Agriculture Research Services(ARS) are developing a similar pheromonebased trap. USDA- Animal and PlantHealth Inspection Service (APHIS) on theother hand is evaluating primary predatorsof the Marmorated Stink Bug. The fourparasitic species are harmless to humansbut devastate the Brown MarmoratedStink Bug. Currently, these predators arebeing evaluated in quarantined labs todetermine if they would present a dangerto beneficial insects. Some experts claimthat these species are too specialized to bea threat, however, field studies will beneeded to provide a more accurate modelof their effectiveness in the field. So far, labresults indicate more than 80% parasitismof Brown Marmolated Stink Bug eggs.Wasps can be released as early as 2013 ifscientists demonstrate that it can be donewithout harm to beneficial insects. •

Brown Marmorated

Stink Bug(Halyomorpha halys)

By Sean Green

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American cultural anthropologist, Margaret Mead, oncesaid, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the

only thing that ever has.” The Polk County Dairy Club may havenot changed the world, but they have made a difference in theircommunity.

They have been a 4-H club for over 50 years. At one time, it hadthe most members over all because there were 35 dairies in thecounty when the club started. Most kids back then belonged tothe neighborhood 4-H club and then teamed up with the county4-H to do events at the Florida State Fair and the 4-H DairyShow. Over time and economic difficulties, there is only one dairyleft in Polk County and the Dairy Club has fewer members. Onlythree families involved with the club show dairy animals. Theseset backs have not stopped the club from being an active part oftheir community, nor have they lost any of their 4-H pride.

Freda Pirkle-Carey is the leader of the Polk County Dairy Cluband she knows she is preparing the members of her club to makea positive impact in their community, as well as the world. Shegrew up in 4-H and was a member of the club when she wasyounger.

“My favorite part of the club was showing animals at events,”Pirkle-Carey said. She said she’s also pretty good at judging theevents and she shares her knowledge with her club so they canexcel when showing their animals or doing other events at 4-Hcompetitions. She said a lot of the members sell their animals atthe shows and put the money away for college. The members whodon’t show animals compete in the Quiz Bowl. They have to havea strong knowledge of the dairy industry to answer numerousquestions during the bowl. Her caring support helps to inspire themembers of her club work collaboratively and take the lead ontheir own projects. They learn to achieve their goals with confi-dence and stand up for themselves.

“Some of the community service projects we participate in is giv-ing guided tours at the dairy and helping with the Farm Day eventat the local high school,” Pirkle-Carey said.

The Farm Day event is an FFA event at the high school but theclub takes part in the event so they can show some of their dairycalves.

Studies have shown that teens that are involved in 4-H arenearly two times more likely to get better grades in school andattend college. They are 41 percent less likely to engage in riskybehaviors and 25 percent of the teens positively contribute totheir families and communities. Doing well in school is somethingthat is very important to Pirkle-Carey. The majority of themembers in her club excel in their studies and some are eventaking college courses while still in high school.

“I want to see them continue on with their education and becomesuccessful,” Pirkle-Carey said. She also enjoys seeing the leader-ship skills and self-confidence develop in the members of her club.“They can handle their animal and talk to the public at the sametime,” Pirkle-Carey said. “They have an incredible work ethicand they learn time management.” She said they also learn howto support each other and value teamwork. Another value Pirkle-Carey instills in her members is to support the local business inthe Polk community. She said that the kids buy their feed fromlocal suppliers and use local veterinarians for their animals. Theyare forming relationships with them and they want to put moneyback in their community.

Pirkle-Carey believes that 4-H makes its members well roundedand offers them experiences like no other. “The average person inthe club is 3-4 generations removed from the farm and these kidsget a farm experience even though they may have never lived ona farm,” Pirkle-Carey said.

4-H reaches everywhere in our country, it can be found in urbanneighborhoods or rural farming communities. With a networkof more than six million youth, 540,00 volunteers, 3,500professionals, and more than 60 million alumni, 4-H has helpedshape youth to move our county and world forward in ways likeno other youth organization. •

For more information on 4-H, you can visit them on the web atwww.4-h.org

4-H Pridefor Over50 Years

By Libby Hopkins

FloridaFruit Parfait

BlueberryBreakfast CasseroleRecipes Courtesy of the Florida Department of Agricluture

INGREDIENTS1/2 cup vanilla nonfat yogurt1/2 mango1/4 cup blueberries1 teaspoon roasted pecans

PREPARATION

Put yogurt into a shallow glass or tumbler. Addfruit and pecans on top. Freeze for 5-10 minutesand serve very cold.

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut bread into1-inch cubes. Cut cream cheese into small cubes.

Lightly spray a 9x9x2-inch baking dish. Place halfof the bread cubes in the dish. Evenly place thecream cheese cubes and 1 cup of the blueberriesover the bread. Add the remaining bread cubesand blueberries to the top of the casserole.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine eggs, milk,maple syrup and butter. Slowly pour egg mixtureover bread. Cover casserole with foil and bake forapproximately 45 minutes.

Insert a tooth pick in the center of the casserole.When the toothpick comes out clean, remove thefoil so the casserole can brown on top. Let coolslightly and serve warm with extra maple syrupon the side.

INGREDIENTS2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried8 largeeggs, beaten1/4 cup maple syrup1 loaf bread (any kind)1 1/2 cups low-fat milk4 ounces low-fat cream cheese (cold so it can

be cubed)1/4 cup butter, meltedcooking pan spray

RECIPES



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

FARM EQUIPMENT

2008 MASSEY FERGUSON1533LC, 33hp with loader, cab, ac,1367hrs. $16,950 Call Alvie 813-759-8722

MASSEY FERGUSON 245Diesel tractor. Good condition.$5,500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722

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

MASSEY FERGUSON TRACTOR1980 Massey Ferguson 230. 34pto hp,power steering. $4,500Call Alvie 813-759-8722

HEAVY DUTY TRAILER14’ Shop built, heavy duty trailer, 2 axel withramps. $750 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

NEW HOLLAND TC29TRACTOR/LOADER29 pto hp, 268 hrs, $13,000 (UT6406).Ask for David 813-623-3673

2005 MASSEY FERGUSON 5465Farm Tractor. 100 hp, 3 mec hyd remotes.Ecab with air. 1583 hours.Call Mike 813-478-0723

2006 MASSEY FERGUSON 5460Farm Tractor. 95 hp, 18.4-30 rear tires.13.6-24 front tires, ecab w/air, 1050 hrs.Call Mike 813-478-0723

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

1984 MASSEY FERGUSON240 tractor, 42 pto hp, 2wd, works great!$5,950. Call Alvie 813-759-8722

GRAVELY 1740Zero turn mower 40” cut.$1,650 Call Alvie (813)759-8722

BUSH HOG HS 1736Zero turn mower. Approx. 2 years old.36" cut $1,950 Call Alvie 813-759-8722

MAHINDRA 4530W/ loader, 4x4, skid steer bucket. Shuttle shift,44hp. $14,500 Call Alvie 813-759-8722

FOR SALEWESTERN SADDLE FOR SALEBarely used. Saddle, bridle and blanket.$600 or b/o. Call 813-363-5967

CHICKEN MANURE FOR SALEDry and available immediately!Call Tim Ford or Danny Thibodeau863-439-3232

TRAILER FOR SALE44x12 single wide trailer in WintersMobile Home Park. Zephyrhills 5k orbest offer. Call (813)967-4515

LAWN EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES

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

NEW HUSTLER SPORT ZERO TURN48" cut, 16hp. Honda engine. Special Price!$3,500 with 3yr. warranty. Call Alvie813-759-8722

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

REAL ESTATEBEAUTIFUL PLANT CITY 1 ACRE LOTWith well. Private one street subdivision frontage290 x 145 depth. 4521 Highland Creek Drive.$45,900. Call Today! 813-655-6769

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 ofthe property is a 60 acre parcel (Lake Gilbert) thatadds significant aesthetic value to the 45 acres.Zoning: AR (Agricultural-Rural) Please call HeidiCecil 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

BLAIRSVILLE, GEORGIA MLS#212769Private home with 3BR, 2.5 baths, unfinishedbasement, nice kitchen, Sunroom, back deckfor cooking out, nestled in the trees, coolenough that there is no AC. Lots of outbuild-ings. A must see! 2.47 acres wooded, lowmaintenance. $180,000. Call Jane Baer w/Jane Baer Realty 1-800-820-7829

BLAIRSVILLE, GEORGIA MLS#190298Beautiful RV lot with cement pad, deckingincludes the 5th wheel. Less than 2 years old!River’s Edge RV Park offers a large club-house, stocked lake for fishing, heated andcooled laundry and shower facilities. $69,000Call Jane Baer w/ Jane Baer Realty1-800-820-7829

A SLICE OF HEAVEN2.03 acres lot on Hare Mtn. Estates inFranklin NC. Breath-taking views. Purchased10/08 for $73,400. Yours today for $32,900GREAT INVESTMENT! Call 813-655-6769

WANTEDSNAKEBITE??Your Help needed for a medical project. I needCoral Snakes for a venom project supplying amajor Pharmaceutical Company producingantivenom for North American Coral Snakebite victims. There is currently no antivenombeing produced. This is not a request for youto capture or handle a coral snake. This is arequest for you to call me if you encounterone in a spot that will allow me to come andcollect it. They are showing up in pool skim-mers, in garages, in barns, under wood debris,on patios and porches. They are active earlymorning and late evening throughout thesummer. If you encounter one keep all Childrenand pets away from the snake. Thank you foryour consideration. Jack Facente/AGRITOXINS Labs. 407-922-1160email: [email protected]

Classifieds Tel: 813.759.6909 [email protected]


Fordhooks..........................................$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........................................$14

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

Cut 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# .................................$15Cranberries 5#...................................$15Mango Chunks 5# .............................$15Pineapple Chunks 5#........................$15Whole Strawberries 5# ....................$15Rhubarb 5# ........................................$13Green Peanuts ...................................$15

PECANSHALVES or PIECES1 lb bag..............................$102.5 lbs bag........................$255 lbs bag ..........................$4910 lbs bag.........................$97

WALK-INS WELCOMECall – or go on-line to place your order today and we’ll have it ready for you to pick up!

www.SouthwesternProduce.comINTHEFIELD MAGAZINE MAY 2012 47W W W. I N T H E F I E L D M AG A Z I N E .C O M

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In The Field magazine Polk edition