In The Field Hillsborough edition

2 INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2012 W 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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Contents

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

FeatureStory

Ed & Myrtle SwindlePPaaggee 7700

VOL. 9 • ISSUE 1

Business Up Front

Page 10

Something to

Squeal About

Page 12

Tampa Bay’s

Fishing Report

Page 14

Grub Station

Page 18

Rocking Chair

Chatter

Page 22

Integrative Pollination

Page 30

Hunting, Film

Production & Gator

Page 32

Wyoming Memories

Page 34

Feed Them Like

You Love Them

1

Dale McClellan

Page 45

Recipes

Page 50

Tumors and Tiaras

Page 54

Growing Leaders

Page 67

Community Farmer’s

Markets

Page 82

Around the World

Iraqi 4-H

Page 84

Country Folks 4-H

Page 86

®

Danny Aprile ..............................PresidentBill Burnett ..........................VicePresidentJemy Hinton ..............................Treasurer

Amanda Collins, Roy Davis, David Drawdy,Jim Dyer, James Frankowiak,

Stefan Katzaras, Greg Lehman,Kenneth Parker, Jake Raburn,

Alex Ritzheimer, Marty Tanner, James Tew,Patrick Thomas, Ron Wetherington, Michelle Williamson, Will Womack,

Ray Wood

DIRECTORS FOR 2012-2013

OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Judi Whitson, Executive Director813.685.9121

From the Editor Index of Advertisers�ITFM Staff


Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to thehonest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitudewill allow. ~Edward Sandford Martin

In 1621 the colonists shared an autumn feast with theWampanoag Indians. This day is acknowledged today asone of the first Thanksgiving celebrations. It wasn’t until1863 that the day was proclaimed a national holiday byPresident Abraham Lincoln.

This Thanksgiving Day, take the time to consider all thatyou have to be thankful for. This is a time to focus onwhat we have, not what we don’t. Slow down and taketime to appreciate things that are often overlooked. TheThanksgiving season isn’t about giving gifts. It is aboutenjoying food and fellowship. Include the farmer andrancher as they made it possible for you to gather yourfamily and friends together around the Thanksgiving tableby producing the safest most abundant food supply in theworld.

When shopping for your holiday fare, as every day, be sureto select Fresh From Florida products. It will help boostyour local economy and ensure your food is fresh!

Among my many blessings, I am thankful that In TheField magazine has been covering what is growing for afull eight years! This issue begins our ninth year of bring-ing you stories of farmers and ranchers who work tireless-ly to feed our country, state and nation. We look forwardto many more years in the agriculture industry.Happy Thanksgiving!

Until Next Month,

Sarah

Crescent Jewlers.....................................................30& 49Dad’s Towing....................................................................58DiscountMetals...............................................................39Dr. Barry GaffneyO.D. PA.............................................55Driscoll’s............................................................................53Earhart’s RunwayGrill ...................................................95East Coast Ag Products...................................................64Erwin Technical Center...................................................59Fancy Farms.....................................................................24Farm Bureau Insurance...................................................77Farm Bureau Insurance/Jeff Sumner..............................91FarmCredit ......................................................................11Felton’s ..............................................................................51Fishhawk Sporting Clays ................................................35Florida Dept. of Agriculture............................................74FloridaMineral& Salt....................................................93Florida Strawberry Growers Assoc................................61Forbes Road Produce ........................................................9Fred’sMarket ...................................................................15Gator Ford........................................................................93Gerald Keene Plumbing ..................................................40Grove Equipment Service................................................48Gulf Coast Tractor...........................................................96Halfacre Construction Company...................................63Harold’s Feed& Pet Supply...................................3& 37Harrell’s Nursery, Inc.......................................................91Haught Funeral Home....................................................69Helena Chemical-Tampa ................................................31Hillsboro State Bank........................................................61Hillsborough County Farm Bureau......................4& 72Hinton Farms Produce, Inc.............................................26I-4 Power Equipment ......................................................62Jane Baer Realty...............................................................49Johnson’s Barbeque..........................................................61Jon&Rosie’s Tree Farm.................................................90Key Plex............................................................................56Kinkaid Auction...............................................................33Loetscher Auto Parts .......................................................72Magnolia Hill...................................................................80Malissa Crawford............................................................36Mark Smith Excavating..................................................19Meryman Environmental, Inc........................................58Mosaic...............................................................................26Myers Cleaners.................................................................46O’Connor Enterprises........................................................2ParkesdaleMarket .............................................................5Pathway BioLogic............................................................89Plant City Tire&Auto Service, Inc...............................90Ring Power Corporation ................................................39Santa Clause .....................................................................64Savich&LeeWholesale .................................................16Seedway...............................................................................9Shrimp&Co Express .......................................................7South Florida Baptist Hospital .......................................83Southside Farm&Pet Supply........................................13Southwestern Produce.....................................................27StephanineHumprey.......................................................15Stingray Chevrolet............................................................43Super Service Tire&Auto..............................................66Sygenta..............................................................................21Tampa Bay Times............................................................66TheHayDepot................................................................36TheHungry Gator...........................................................53Timberlane Pet Hospital &Resort........................7& 60Tip To ToeDay Spa&Gifts..........................................48Trinkle, Redman, Swanson, Coton,Davis& Smith .................................................................81Walden Lake CarWash..................................................85WellsMemorial................................................................90Willie’s ...............................................................................17Woodside Dental..............................................................72

ABCPizza................................................................91Ag Technologies......................................................29Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers .............................24AmericanCancer Society.......................................90AquariusWater Refining.......................................90Astin Strawberry Exchange...................................91B Powerful Promos.................................................91Badcock....................................................................23Bill’s Transmissions.................................................81Bingham...................................................................42Bloomingdale Children’sHouse............................65BrandonAuto Services, Inc. ..................................36BrandonRegionHospital......................................40Brewington’s............................................................17Broke&Poor..........................................................46Brown’s Jewelers.............................................7&49Byrd&Barnhill, P.L...............................................17Cecil Breeding Farm...............................................20CF Industries, Inc....................................................78Chemical Containers, Inc......................................31Chuck’s Tire&Automotive.................................63

PUBLISHER/PHOTOGRAPHY

Karen Berry

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Al Berry

SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR/ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

Sarah Holt

EDITOR

Patsy Berry

OFFICE MANAGER

Bob Hughens

SALES MANAGER

Danny Crampton

SALES

Al BerryTina RichmondDanny CramptonCallie Jo Parker

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Mona Jackson

PHOTOGRAPHY

Karen BerryAl Berry

Stephanie Humphrey

STAFF WRITERS

Al BerrySandy Kaster

James FrankwoiakSean GreenGinny Mink

Libby HopkinsCallie Jo ParkerLindsey English

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Woody GoreLes McDowell

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

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

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

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

Index of Advertisers

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

InTheField® MagazineP.O. Box 5377

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

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

INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2012 7W 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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Dear Reader:

I hope you all have an enjoyable Thanksgiving. Inaddition to being a wonderful opportunity to enjoyfamily and share thanks for the countless good thingswe have, don’t forget the many items on your tablecame as a result of the hardworking family farms inthis country.

Congratulations to our newly elected local, county,state and national leaders. We look forward to working with them in the weeks and months ahead on behalf of agriculture and the Farm Bureau familieswe serve.

A special “thank you” to our Executive Director, Judi Whitson; the Florida State Fair Authority, 4-H/Hillsborough County Extension and our stateagriculture commodity organizations for another successful Ag-Venture. Presented by Ag in theClassroom, Ag-Venture is a special opportunity forthird graders here in Hillsborough County to learnabout agriculture and its importance to our local economy. Approximately 3,000 third-graders came to the Fairgrounds during the eight days of Ag-Ventureto touch, taste and see Florida Agriculture.

I would also like to welcome three new members to your Hillsborough County Farm Bureau Board ofDirectors: Alex Ritzheimer, who is active in the cattleindustry, Ron Wetherington a strawberry grower andmember of the Florida Farm Bureau board of directorsand Will Womack, a landscaper. They take over thepositions of outgoing board members GeorgeColeman, Joe Keel and Glenn Harrell, who have to retire due to term limits. My personal thanks toGeorge and Glenn for their dedicated service, and I look forward to the contributions of Alex, Ron and Will.

I hope many of you took time out to enjoy the FarmCity Festival November 10. While a great chance tovisit Ybor City, the first time it has served as the venue for this celebration, this is another chance for Agriculture to stand up and be noticed for itsimportance to our local economy.

Dale McClellan, a past president of the HillsboroughCounty Farm Bureau Board of Directors, recentlyreceived some well deserved recognition as he wasname Southeastern Farmer of the Year at the 2012Sunbelt Ag Expo at Moultrie, Georgia. Owner of M& B Dairy, Dale was recognized for his excellence in production and farm management, along with hisleadership in farm and community organizations.Those of us who have known Dale and worked withhim can readily attest to contributions to our industryand the community.

I close by reminding you of the many different benefitsyour Farm Bureau membership brings. You don’t haveto be a cattleman or farmer to join. If you supportwhat we stand for, we would encourage you to join.For more information on Farm Bureau, including howto join and the benefits of membership, please visitwwwwww..hhccffbb..oorrgg or call 813/685-9121

Thank you,

DannyDanny AprilePresident

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Board of DirectorsDanny Aprile, President; Bill Burnett, Vice-President; Jemy Hinton

Member-at-large; Amanda Collins, Roy Davis, David Drawdy, Jim Dyer, Jim Frankowiak, Stefan Katzaras, Greg Lehman, Kenneth Parker,Jake Raburn, Alex Ritzheimer, Marty Tanner, James Tew, Patrick Thomas, Ron Wetherington,

Michelle Williamson, Will Womack and Ray Wood, Judi Whitson, Executive Director

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


• Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday inNovember in the USA.• Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the second Monday inOctober in Canada.• The Plymouth Pilgrims were the first to celebrate Thanksgiving.They celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day in the fall of 1621.• The Wampanoag Indians were the people who taught thePilgrims how to cultivate the land.• The Pilgrim leader, Governor William Bradford, organized thefirst Thanksgiving feast in the year 1621 and invited theneighboring Wampanoag Indians to the 3 day feast.• The state of New York officially made Thanksgiving Dayan annual custom in 1817.• The annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade began in the 1920s.• Thanksgiving did not become an official national holiday untilmore than 200 years later, when in 1863 President Lincolnproclaimed the event.• It is tradition for US Presidents to issue a pardon to the WhiteHouse Thanksgiving Turkeys. Since about 1947 the NationalTurkey Federation has presented the President of the United Stateswith one (and in recent years - two) live turkey(s) in a ceremonyknown as the National Thanksgiving Turkey Presentation.


Education is a supremely importantaspect of one’s life. As the yearsprogress and people become parents

they are accosted with a vast array of edu-cational choices for their dearly loved chil-dren. The truth is, many are walking awayfrom the concept of public education,quite displeased about a large number ofproblematic areas therein. Given that deci-sion, most people think their only optionsrevolve around private school and homeschooling. However, there is actuallyanother quite intriguing option if one iswilling to investigate it. That option isMontessori school.

Juliette Johnson has been a Montessoriteacher for 45 years. She is currentlyemployed by Bloomingdale Children’sHouse, a Montessori school owned by herdaughter, Terjiana Montalvo. The story

behind this unique family endeavor is aninteresting one for sure.

Juliette reveals, “I grew up on a farm inupstate New York. What we had there isdifferent than down here, McIntoshapples, pears and Hubbard squash. Wehad pigs. I just grew up with everything,horses, you name it. My daughters grewup the same way and my granddaughterscan go in the woods where we live and gofishing in the creek. My granddaughtertakes her llamas back there, we use themon the trails.”

The llamas are a particularly interestingaspect of the family’s Montessori history.In fact, prior to opening BloomingdaleChildren’s House two years ago, theyowned Llamas and Learning on BoyetteRoad. Juliette explains that there wasabout 23 acres available to them at thatsite. They used ten acres to raise the llamasand miniature horses and the back 13 wasused as a place for nature trails. She adds,“The parents would go back on naturewalks with their children and go back onpicnic lunches in the woods.”

Today, their new site is located at theSacred Heart Catholic Church on SouthKings Avenue in Brandon. Its close prox-imity to Bloomingdale led them to choosethe current name. While they no longerhave the space for llamas to run free, theyhave not neglected their love of nature inthe least.

Juliette says, “Right now we have chick-ens, goats and rabbits that run free in a lit-tle courtyard. The kids collect the eggsfrom the roosting boxes in the morning.We have Flemish Giant rabbits, they willweigh like 20 pounds. We have the RhodeIsland Reds and Barred Rock chickens sothe kids can see the colored eggs. We alsohave little birds and fish inside so that thechildren can be exposed to all the animalsand have a helping hand. They see themevery day because they take care of them.”

Bloomingdale Children’s House servicesages six months to third grade. Their web-site adds, “Each of our classes has a lowteacher to child ratio and our environ-ments are designed to be pleasing to allchildren. Our outdoor environment is verymuch an extension of our indoor environ-

Business Up Front

EDUCATION’S OTHER OPTION – MONTESSORI SCHOOL

BLOOMINGDALE CHILDREN’S HOUSE

BByy GGiinnnnyy MMiinnkk


ment. We want children to be able to be "with" nature. Exploretheir surroundings, listening to the birds sing, find a caterpillarcrawling or just be able to feel the breeze. Children need to be out-doors and we strive to provide an outdoor environment that is justas inviting as our indoor environment.”

With regards to the teachers there, it is important to note that thisis indeed a family organization. Terjiana (who has AmericanMontessori Society and North American Montessori certifications)works with the infants and toddlers. Juliette is MontessoriEducational Programs International certified and teaches the 2s,3s, and 4s. Fiona Tarnowski (who is London Montessori Certified)is the Lead VPK teacher and Juliette’s husband, Tim, is PanAmerican Montessori certified and teaches Kindergarten – 3rdgrade. While the broad age ranges might seem a little unusual,their importance becomes crucial within a thorough understandingof the Montessori education philosophy.

Maria Montessori, the founder, was an Italian physician in the late1800s. In 1897 she realized that the children she was trying totreat could not be helped by hospitals but instead needed to betrained in schools. She wanted to use nature in schools in order tomeet the “real” needs of the students (www2.webster.edu). Julietteadds, “She designed beautiful equipment so children could work attheir own pace. Everything that she designed for the children ismade out of a different type of wood so the children can see thenature of the things as well.”

According to Webster University, “Montessori was also the first ineducation to have child-sized tables and chairs made for the stu-dents. She believed that the learning environment was just asimportant as the learning itself. Because of this belief her schoolswere often peaceful, orderly places, where the children valued theirspace for concentration and the process of learning.”

Obviously Maria Montessori was a pioneer in such an unheard ofeducational methodology and yet, her philosophy appeared towork quite well. Juliette was first introduced to the concept whenshe was in college studying child psychology. She says, “I thought,‘if I ever have children I’m going to look into Montessori school-ing.’” She did have children, and after attending a seminar held byDr. Helen Billings, she was sold on the Montessori design.

Juliette sees Montessori as an ideal educational environment forchildren. She concludes, “In a Montessori school it is hands-onand this is how little ones learn.” If you are equally sold on theidea for your own children or grandchildren, you should check outBloomingdale Children’s House. You can visit their website atwww.bloomingdalechildrenshouse.com or if you’d like to take atour, feel free to give them a call at (813) 685-0009. You can alsoreach them via email at bblloooommiinnggddaalleecchhiillddrreennsshhoouussee@@yyaahhoooo..ccoomm.


September 17, 2012marked the 31st annual swinedrawing, the first in the newEvelyn and Batista MadoniaSr. Agriculture Show Center.On this evening, hundreds ofeager students, parents, FFAadvisors and 4-H advisorslined the bright red chairswaiting for a specific numberto be drawn and name to beannounced.

This year, 260 studentsentered the drawing to showa pig. Nails were bitten andcheers were let out as the first50 names were announcedby Lauren Der, Plant CityHigh School AgricultureDepartment Head, and theanxiety only became moreintense as Area 5 State FFAVice-President, David Waldenannounced the final35 participants.

“We have new exhibitors andfirst time showers,” said SwineChairman, Lane Wetherington.“Sometimes you have repeatshowmen, and with the luckof the draw you have a newshowman, that’s this year’scase.”

The Florida StrawberryFestival swine show and salehave become a very importantpart of the FFA/YouthAgricultural Youth Programgiving students the chance toshowcase their work in their

projects. This program wascreated to encourage interestin agriculture, to exposestudents to leadership, todevelop character and toaward Hillsborough Countyyouth for their contributions.

Students who wish to showswine are required to maintaina 2.5 weighted grade pointaverage, as well as be a mem-ber of a FFA chapter or 4-Hclub. Members must be in thethird through 12th grade aswell as be a resident ofHillsborough County.By Monday, October 29, 2012every exhibitor was requiredto have his or her pig andhave them tagged at theFlorida Strawberry Festivalgrounds.

From that point, on these stu-dents will be devoted to theirprojects by caring for theirneeds and preparing them forthe show in March.

“New buildings opening willbe exciting to move into andhave the exhibitors use,” saidSwine Chairman, LaneWetherington.

The names of this year’sshowman are as follows:

SHEYENNE ALBRIGHTWHITNEY ALVARADOSOPHIE ATENCHEYENNE AUSTINGARY BAKER

JENN BAKERKIERSTEN BASSAARON BINGHAMCLAYTON BROCKBRODIE BROWNLETTY BURGINJACKSON BURKETYLER CAINCHESLEY CAMPBELLSARAH CARTERSHAWN CONNELLMADILYN CONRADCOOPER DELALLOSHYLEN DENMARKCOLTEN DRAWDYJEREMIAH FORDEMMA FUTCHEMILY GLAUSIERSTACI GOSSAGELINDSEY GRAVESELISE GRIFFINTORI GRIFFITHALYSSA GRIMESTAYLOR GRIMESASHLYN GUDEBRIANNA HARPAMBER HARWELLCHARLES HEIDELJAREK HERNANDEZJOEL HILBRANDSADRIENNE HORSTTYLER JENSENBRIEN JOHNSTONJENNA KEELYALEXIS KEYPARKER KILLEBREWALLISON KUMMELMANALLISON LANEBRADEN LEEKJOSHUA LEWISCHEYENNE LOPEZTARRA LOVELANCE LOWERERIN LYTLE

EMMA MCCONNELLTAYLOR MUELERLEILEDANIEL PAULMEAGAN PETITTADELINE PORTCLAYTON REASORSHAYDE ROBBINSTRAILE ROBBINSMAKAYLA RODRIQUEZJANNA ROYALRACHELLE SAPPRICHELLE SAPPMADISON SIMCOXHANNA SIMMONSTRISTAN SIMMONSMEGHAN SODDERSMARYBETH STEWARTJACE STINESBRENNA STURGISJACOB SWEATWILLIAM TISONTAYLOR TYSONRYLEE VANSTRONDERJONATHAN WALLCONNER WATSONSYDNEY WATSONJAYCE WAVELINDSEY WHITEGERALD WILLIAMS,GRACE WILLIAMSJENA WILLISCONNOR WOODSCORBETT WYATTBLAKE ZAJACMARISSA ZOLNA

The 2013 Florida StrawberryFestival Swine Show will takeplace on Thursday, February28 at 7:00 p.m. The sale ofthese swine will take place onthe following day, Friday,March 1 at 7:00 p.m.

By Lindsey McClain English

Something to Squeal About


Over the years I’ve written manyarticles about fishing how’s andwhere to catch fish. Personally, I’m

a dock, oyster bar and mangrove person. Ilove tossing artificial lures around docks,oysters and mangrove point with eddies.The dilemma comes when everyone else isfishing these same locations.

Does that mean I stop fishing these loca-tions? I don’t think so! I just need to makesure I fish them at the right time. Thatmeans I need to be there before others haverun all the fish off!

If you’ve spent any time on the water youknow there are days when the fish getstubborn and decide not to eat. It might bedue to weather conditions, or it could befishing pressure has them shut down.There are still some things you can do tocatch fish regardless of the weather or fish-ing pressure.

One of the worst to overcome is fishingpressure, because the fish tend to get high-ly selective, but you still have a couple ofoptions. Probably the best option is to getaway from the pressure. If the area you'refishing has a lot of anglers, get away andgo somewhere else. Simply move to theedge of the existing activity, or take off andfind another spot all to yourself. While thesecondary areas may not be quite asappealing with the numbers of fish, thefish in the new area just might be morewilling to bite.

Check out places that just look fishy. Theapparent places might be where a currentcomes around a point forming an eddy, afew scattered oyster beds, an old barnacle

covered dock that doesn’t appear to beused often, or a creek mouth. I teach folksto fish the right places, but these are thesame places I fish and look for when I’msearching for new locations.

Everyone is always looking for that magicfishing report. But once those fishingreports get out, the word spreads like awildfire and everyone goes to that area.I’ve seen this fishing pressure happen timeafter time in Tampa Bay. A school of red-fish will move onto a flat and in less thana week they are so beat up from beingfished every day, the school splits into sin-gles and doubles and seems to disappear. Irealize everyone wants to catch fish, buthaving 15 to 25 or more boats sitting on aschool of redfish every day is ridiculous.

Weather has its effects on fishing, hot dayswarm the shallow flats and backcountrydepleting the oxygen levels. Windy daysmuddy the water, rainy days cause a tanninstain runoff, and calm sunny days makethe water crystal clear. All of these condi-tions might call for a different presenta-tion, muddy and stained you might slowdown and clear you might speed up.Smaller might be better so either way it’salways good to remember to match thehatch. And always remember to keep trackof what they are feeding on because thereare times when fish get selective as towhich baits they want to eat. If you keepthe above ideas in mind, you'll know whatto do when those finicky feeding timesoccur.

LET’S GO FISHING!

SNOOK bite is going strong and with

cooling water temperatures they shouldbecome even more active. Cooler watermeans snook become more comfortableand not as lethargic, which should bright-en up the bite. Although we’ve maintainedsome decent snook action all summer,November usually turns out nicely. We’vebeen catching exciting amounts of fish onboth half and three-quarter day trips withmost averaging in the 25-29 inch rangeand several over 30 inches. Our big fish forOctober was a 36 incher.

REDFISH action was active in the lastmonth and should continue intoNovember. Good redfish action shouldcontinue with catches around oyster bars,mangroves and grass flats. We’re catchingplenty of slot sized reds with our big fishtipping the measuring stick at 34 inches.

SEA TROUT bites will continue gettingstronger right into and through the wintermonths, so be prepared for some decentwinter trout action on strong incomingand outgoing tides. Try fishing the grassflats with both artificial, live greenbacksand shrimp.

MACKEREL should still be hangingaround the Bay area feeding on bait schoolsthroughout the Bay and near the beaches. Ifyou’re interested in some extra excitement,and possibly a nice kingfish or two, checkout the mackerel bite.

MANGROVE SNAPPER are found onevery rock pile or structure around TampaBay and are fairly easy to catch. A smallknocker rig with a #1 or 1/0 hook shouldproduce a nice meal. They’re really partialto the small greenbacks and shrimp. When

by Captain Woody Gore

To Much Fishing Pressure


you find them and get a good bite going it seems like they wiseup shortly after you start catching them using one bait or theother. I always take both with me and when that happens I’llswitch around.

COBIA are often found around range markers, channel mark-ers and bridges during November. Toss them a pinfish, green-back or artificial eel bait and hold on.

Give Me a Call & Let’s Go Fishing813-477-3817Captain Woody Gore is the areas top outdoor fishing guide. Guidingand fishing the Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Tarpon Springs, andBradenton for over fifty years; he offers world class fishing adventuresand a lifetime of memories.

Single or Multi-boat Group Charters are all the same. With years oforganizational experience and access to the areas most experiencedcaptains, Woody can arrange and coordinate any outing or tourna-ment. Just tell him what you need and it’s done. Visit his website at:WWWWWW..CCAAPPTTAAIINNWWOOOODDYYGGOORREE..CCOOMM or send an email [email protected] or give him a call at 813-477-3814.

Flounder

Amy with Snook

If 75 percent of small businesses(whether or not they are restaurants)fail each year, the resulting question

would be, what makes a successful busi-ness? It is a question that has occupied mythoughts many times throughout my yearsas a small business owner and independentcontractor.

Research indicates the top five reasons forfailure are location, absentee ownership,poor management, poor staff training,poor customer service. All are things thatcan be addressed by something as simpleas paying attention to your customer-base,the environment in which you operate (thesurrounding community as your resource,as well as, inside the business doors), topeople you pay and to people who pay foryour services.

Sounds simple doesn’t it? Well, generallyspeaking, it is…with one small caveat. Youhave to love or be very interested in whatyou do because you do that more hours aday than you do anything else. If youdon’t, you should be doing something elsebecause loving what you do requirestime…a lot of it.

Let’s see how the research issues have beenaddressed and why the Sumatra BistroCafe & Bakery and Executive Chef &General Manager Michael A. Wahl haveraised the bar on the issue of attaining andmaintaining success.

Having visited the bistro location on thecorner of Oakfield Drive and busy inter-section of S. Lakewood Drive in years pastwhen it was a boutique and tanning salon,it did not seem a likely place for a neigh-borhood restaurant. There was no expec-tation of people strolling by, no parking onthe main street (parking is located behindthe building) and most road traffic was

headed for Westfield Mall. Yet, after threeyears, the Sumatra is thriving with a grow-ing base of regular customers.

A neighborhood restaurant has been creat-ed where there is no neighborhood.

The inviting bistro décor with a hand-painted mural of a European street sceneand outside pet friendly patio, puts one ina relaxed mood, thus preparing the mindand palate for the expectation of some-thing excellent, perhaps a little out of theordinary…and it is, remarkably so.

The space is intimate without seemingcrowded and most of the excellent staff of10 has been there since opening. Everyoneis gracious and, though not related to eachother, make you feel as though you havejust wandered into a happy family restau-rant.

Part of the success may be attributed tobeing primarily (except for Friday andSaturday) a breakfast and lunch restau-rant, located near the hospital, medicalservices, and business district. Breakfastmight be something a business person mayhave missed but is ready for by 11:00 or as‘just the spot’ for a business lunch.

The bistro is also ideal for the health con-scious who might be visiting the spa nextdoor, after a workout at the gym, or forthose with dietary restrictions, since fresh,organic, free-range, preservative free,gluten-free and locally grown food, as wellas, vegetarian dishes are served here. Theneeds of those with specific food allergiesare also met.

In his position as Executive Chef, Wahlunderstands the value of using the best andfreshest ingredients for which he personal-ly shops and hand picks. Vegetables are

grown locally in Plant City. Originallyfrom California, his menu reflects the light,fresh style of food preparation for whichthe golden state is known.

The menu is a veritable tribute to interna-tional cuisine, illustrating the chef’s famil-iarity with all manner of ethnic food withselections showing the influences of theU.S., Mexico, Italy, France, Germany,Greece, Thailand, and India.

My tasting included a beautifully present-ed lemon vinaigrette Salad Nicoise, aFrench composed salad, with green beans,hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, onion, capers,new potatoes and ahi-grade fresh tuna.

I also tasted a Thai lean chicken breastwrap with fresh greens, bean sprouts,cucumber, carrots and fresh feta cheesewith a side of house balsamic dressing fordipping or drizzling and a Herb Tuscanfrittata, sun-dried tomato topped with fetacheese crumbles.

Since I seldom have cravings for sweetfoods, dessert is not generally of primeimportance to me. That is, until I tasted ahouse specialty, Lemon Cello Italianliqueur white chocolate and mascarponesponge cake, served with an iced coffeecaramel mocha drink…a totally decadentpairing that was worth every single calorie.“Desserts are rotated to go with our spe-cial coffees. The Bistro Café is named forSumatra coffee and our coffee drinks areall made from Sumatra roasts and blends,”said Wahl.

A graduate of the Culinary Institute ofAmerica, Chef Wahl, a man who obvious-ly loves what he does, is studying to addthe title of board certified nutritionist tohis list of credentials and enjoys teachinghealthy cooking for special events andorganizations like the local YMCA.

As General Manager, he is involved withcommunity outreach for Delany CreekLodge, an assisted living residence for sen-ior citizens, Brandon Women’s Clinic andSpecial Op’s Warriors Foundation, provid-ing full scholarship grants, educational andfamily counseling to the surviving childrenof special operations personnel and assis-tance to wounded warriors personnel.

My first introduction to Wahl was during theBrandon Chamber of Commerce 2012 “Tasteof Brandon” (see story for June 2012 publica-tion online at www.inthefieldmagazine.com)where his view of the importance of organic,gluten-free and free-range dining options

By Cheryl Kuck


caught my attention. Out of the 25or more vendors I spoke with, hewas the only restaurateur to sendme a follow up e-mail. By taking histime to make contact I immediatelyknew he was an entrepreneurialbusinessman who would make hisbusiness grow and that made meinterested enough to make anappointment to see for myself.

During my visit he told me abouthis special monthly and holidayevents which have included aValentines Day showing of themovie “Julie and Julia” (based on aquest to cook all 524 recipes in JuliaChild's book Mastering the Art ofFrench Cooking) serving Child’sclassic recipes. Hispanic Heritagemonth featured a weekend of hauteSpanish cuisine and classic guitarmusic. A German Oktoberfest wasrecently held and attendees wereencouraged to wear lederhosen(German short leather pants). Onspooky Wednesday October 31there was a Halloween mystery the-atre and dinner, and forThanksgiving, a traditional dinnerwill be served including a GrandMarnier range-free turkey or order

a to go turkey, dessert or the fulldinner for six to eight people nolater than November 21.

Check out Sumatra on Facebookfor details on their New Year fivecourse gourmet dine and wine tast-ing event.

Wahl has turned Sumatra’s into oneof the area’s most interesting placesto eat or, as he says, “Sit and stay.We don’t care about turning tables.We just want customers to have awelcoming and enjoyable place tovisit where they can relax. We careabout the health of our clients andwe want them to have a delicious,satisfying and nutritional meal.”

The Sumatra Cafe and Bistro teamare recipients of the CMUS(Celebration Media U.S) Talk of theTown Customer Satisfaction Awardin the Food category.

My partner in gourmet excursionsasked if guys would want to gosomeplace with all that healthyfood. I told him that if the food isgreat, and it is, they are getting abonus that may be lifestyle alteringwithout even knowing it. •

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As a senior citizen I have a lot to be thankful for.First, I survived the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s. And now I amfighting to keep up with 2012. There are so many new electronicgadgets that will do just about every thing but flush the toilet.Plus, there is the belief that a cataclysmic or transformative eventwill occur on December 21 of this year. Not to mention the NewAge interpretation of this transition is that this date will be thetime in which our planet earth and all inhabitants may undergo apositive physical or spiritual transformation. Also, one of thescenarios suggests the end of the world, when the earth willcollide with a black hole or a passing asteroid.

Frankly I am not worried about any of that. As Jay Leno saidon one of his late night TV shows, we survived being born tomothers who smoked and drank while they were pregnant. Asinfants and children, we road in cars with no car seat, no boosterseat, no seat belt, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes.I remember drinking water from the garden hose, sharing an RCCola with my friends, and no one actually died from this. I lovedMama’s cupcakes, ate lots of white bread with real butter andbacon. Drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar, and I wasnever overweight ‘cause I was always outside playing.

There was a time when I would get with the boys and we wouldtalk about hunting and fishing. Now as a senior citizen we talkabout the medicine we are taking and the aches and pains wehave.

Being a senior citizen isn’t bad at all. We are more valuable thanany of the younger generation. We have silver in our hair, gold onour teeth, stones in our kidneys, and lead in our feet. Not tomention we are loaded with natural gas.

I went to the first pre-season Bucs games this year. On my left wasa vacant seat. I asked the man on the other side of the seat, wholooked to be in his 80s, if anyone was going to sit there.

“No,” the man replied. “The seat is empty, however it doesbelong to me. My wife was supposed to come with me to thegame, but she passed away. This will be the first pre-season gamewe haven’t been together since we have been married.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. That’s terrible,” I said. “But couldn’tyou find someone else… maybe a friend or relative, or even aneighbor to take the seat?”

The old man shook his head. “No, they’re all at her funeral.”

My father, Albert Berry, as a senior citizen had a pretty sharpmind right up to his death at age 88. He spent a lot of timefishing after retirement, and I went along on many of his trips.One day he overslept and hurriedly put his fishing tackle in thecar, dropped by and picked me up, and we headed for Trails Endon the Withlacoochee River. He let me drive after he realized thathe had left his billfold (which contained his fishing license) athome on the dresser.

We had a great day, and caught a lot of bluegills. As we werepulling into the boat landing I noticed a game warden on thedock. He saw the bluegills swimming in the live well, and said,“May I see your fishing license?”

Dad spoke up and said, “Well I got in a hurry and left my billfoldat the house. Actually officer, these are my pet fish.”

“What do you mean, pet fish?” the officer said.

“I take these bluegills out about every week and let them swimaround for a few minutes. Then I whistle and they jump rightback into the live well.”

“You don’t expect me to fall for that, do you?” he replied.

“It’s the truth,” dad replied.

“Okay, I’ve got to see this,” the officer said. So dad pitched all thefish back into the lake.

“Well?” said the game warden.

“Well what?” said dad.

“When are you going to whistle to call them back?”

“Call who back?”

“The Fish!”

“What fish?”

The game warden laughed and said, “Well that’s a first. You boysload your boat and get out of here.”

Thinking back over theyears. I remember mymother would threaten mewith a dose of Castor Oil ifI didn’t do the dishes orsweep off the walkway tothe house. For you young-sters who do not knowwhat Castor Oil is, I sug-gest you take a dose sometime.

How many remember Lydia Pinkhams pills, thought to be afertility pill that would make your newcomer a girl.

Then there was the wonder medi-cine, Hadacol, a patent medicinemarketed as a vitamin supplement.Its principal attraction, however,was that it contained 12 percentalcohol (listed on the tonic bottle'slabel as a "preservative"), whichmade it quite popular in the drycounties of the southern UnitedStates.

I remember White’s CentralPharmacy in Plant City, now thelocation of the Camellia Rose Tea

room. Over the years the pharmacy became know as “WherePaul White Stays,” namely because they were open from 7 a.m. till11p.m. six days a week. They had a soda fountain where theyserved a cherry smash with a pretzel hung over the straw for anickel. Around the block was Barwick’s Drug Store. They had asoda fountain too, and made the best chocolate malt in town fora quarter. My sister, Nettie Mae, once told me the soda fountainwas invented to introduce the customer with an upset stomach tobicarbonate of soda. They would drink a glass of the bubbly min-eral water, burp, and feel as good as new.

Back then life was simple, the top six discipline problems inschool were talking, chewing gum, making noise, running thehalls, getting out of turn in line and not putting paper in thewastebasket. Today it’s drug and alcohol abuse, pregnancy,suicide, rape, robbery and guns in the school.

I have been thinking about all the big changes we seniors haveseen in our lifetimes. Men on the moon, landing on Mars, the iPadand iPod! As a senior citizen we are faced with the fact that we’re17 around the neck, 42 around the waist, and 109 around the golfcourse. The little old gray haired lady you help across the street isyour wife. We have too much room in the house and not enoughin the medicine cabinet. Our pacemaker makes the garage door goup when you see a pretty girl walk by the house.

Yes, life was different when I was growing up. We got marriedfirst, and then slept together. Back then a meaningful relationshipwas when your uncle would take you to the movies.

All and all, I take today’s life. It’s hard to beat indoor plumbingand life-saving pharmaceuticals. To be honest, if I’d been mycurrent age back in those good old days, I’d be dead right now. •



Newsome’s Agriculture department and FFA program isexcited to kick off another year. The livestock showexhibitors have doubled at Newsome. Students learn

responsibility, communication, and marketing skills while raisingthese animal projects.

This year at the Hillsborough County Fair Newsome had severalexhibitors show swine, sheep, goats, and cattle. Newsome FFAexcelled in the swine show. Lauren VanDame won first in her classwith the chapter hog. Courtney Prebich also took home a firstplace ribbon on her hog. Shelby Miles received second place on herhog. Cassidy Stubbs received third place on her hog and JessicaAndrlik received seventh place on her hog project. Lauren VanDame was also called back for swine showmanship and she did anexcellent job exhibiting the chapter hog. This was her first timeshowing a pig. In addition to all of the high placings on theNewsome hogs, students excelled in marketing their swine proj-ects. The Newsome chapter hog brought $5.25/lb, which was oneof the top premiums for the night. The Newsome FFA chapterwould like to extend a special thank you and appreciation toRamm Transport for purchasing this hog. The proceeds from thehog will be used for FFA banquet awards and FFA leadershipevents for this year at Newsome. We would also like to extendappreciation and thanks to the following companies who support-ed other student swine projects. They are Publix supermarkets,Mosaic Inc., Ramm Transport, Big Timber Cattle, WareCreekImages, and Crystal McClelland. Even the Newsome FFA Alumnipurchased a hog this year and supported the youth at the countyfair.

Briana Tribble and Katherine Miller showed Nigerain Dwarf goatsat the fair and they did an exceptional job at placing and show-manship. This year they competed in the goat costume contest anddid a fairytale theme. Caitlin Cinnamon and Kendall Reed compet-ed in the lamb show and did an outstanding job placing third andfifth in their classes.

Shelby St. Amant, Lauren Van Dame, Lindsey White, andSavannah Priestap showed beef cattle this year at the county fair.Shelby St. Amant and Savannah Priestap received first place ontheir animal projects. Lauren and Lindsey White both receivedthird on their heifer projects. Newsome FFA is very proud of ourbeef exhibitors and congratulates them on a job well done.

The Newsome FFA program continues to grow every year.Newsome FFA has three FFA advisors, which includes WoodySummerlin, Kenneth Hiscock, and Kelley Ware. They are veryproud of all of the livestock exhibitors and the efforts in raisingtheir animal projects. Newsome FFA continues to promote premierleadership, personal growth, and career success. Newsome FFAwould also like to thank all the parents, alumni, and business sup-porters that contribute to the program and encourage everyone toshop at these businesses that are truly making an impact in thesestudents’ lives.

Newsome FFA TakesTop Honors AtHillsborough County Fair

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

White Corn.........................................$13Yellow Corn ........................................$13Cream White Corn 4#........................$6Cream Yellow Corn 4#.......................$6Collard Greens...................................$13Mustard Greens..................................$13Turnip Greens ....................................$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# .................................$15Dark Sweet Cherries 5# ...................$18Mango Chunks 5# .............................$15Pineapple Chunks 5#........................$15Whole Strawberries 5# ....................$15Cranberries 5#...................................$15Rhubarb 5# ........................................$13Peaches...............................................$15Green Peanuts ...................................$15

*** All Items Are 8 lbs. Unless Otherwise Noted.***

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 NOVEMBER 2012 27W W W. I N T H E F I E L D M AG A Z I N E .C O M

GEORGIA PECANSHALVES & PIECES

1 lb bag . . . . . . . . . . . $92.5 lbs bag . . . . . $22.255 lbs bag . . . . . . . . . $4410 lbs bag . . . . . . . . $87

Dry CreekDry Creek

It's been busy around the Dry Creek set this month. Our setis getting a major rebuild. With the sounds of hammersechoing and saws ringing, my thoughts travel back to my

Dad. He was a carpenter and as I watch the crew I can't helpbut to see Dad.

We worked on many projects together. I mostly held the tapemeasure on a line for him. He figured and cut and hammeredand I got tools for him, also a board here or there. I look backat these times we spent together and with a tear recall our lastproject together.

Why I Built A Stagecoach

Everybody that passes by asks the same old question,why would anyone build a horse drawn stagecoach?

After they stop laughing some I invite them to sit a spell.

Its all due to a man I most admire.He's short of words and his talent is working in wood.

Like his creator his occupation was a carpenter.He's also known for keep'n his word.

One day he built a stagecoach that seemedto appear from scraps of wood.

He hammered night and day and finally rolleda shiny stagecoach out.

Folks came from miles around to admire his work.Then one day while a passin' by I noticed

something was a missin'.Then I came to realize that the stage had up and gone.

After all the man who built it had the right tosend it down the road.

By Les McDowellPhoto by Les McDowell

Years went by and I promised himI'd help him build another one.

I knew the time had come to start the jobbefore to many years slipped away.

I hammered night and day to make the runnin' gearNow what was needed was the coach box on top.For that, the plans called for a master carpenter.

That was the man I most admired.

We'd spend hours talkin', laughin' and workin' side by sideand really got to know each other.The more time we spent together,the more I marveled at this man.

When his work was done I tinkered around and finished the job.

Wait before you go...Let me tell you who the man is I admire the most

You see its my Dad.

And why then did I build this big Ole Stagecoach with my Dad?It was a labor of love between a father and his son.

So when you see that Stagecoach roll across the scene on DryCreek, you'll know the real meaning of it. I guess building theStagecoach wasn't Dad and I's last project together... Even thoughhe is no longer here, because of that Stagecoach he's right herehelping me build Dry Creek.

Watch Dry Creek on BlueHighwaysTV, Channel 246on Verizon Sat nites at 7:30. Go to DDrryyCCrreeeekkTTVV..CCoomm

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Researchers with the University ofFlorida’s Institute of Food and AgriculturalSciences are part of a team awarded $1.7million for the first year of a national croppollination research and outreach project.The U.S. Department of Agricultureawarded the grant to Michigan StateUniversity. Over the five-year life of the$9.1 million grant, UF/IFAS entomologyresearcher Jamie Ellis said he expects UFwill receive about $700,000.

The project will focus on improvingspecialty crop yields and profit by support-ing both wild and managed bees, and it ispart of the USDA’s $101 million initiativeon behalf of the nation’s specialty cropproducers.

In Florida’s case, the specialty crops to bestudied include watermelon and blueber-ries, Ellis said.

There are more than 310 bee species inFlorida, including native and “managed”species, the latter including honeybees.

During the project, researchers will identi-fy factors that affect bee abundance, eval-uate farm and habitat management prac-tices so growers can best enhance bee pop-ulations, and develop and test native beepopulations that could become managed inthe future. They will then ensure that thefindings are shared with specialty cropgrowers.

Farmers often rent honeybee colonies andhave them brought in during key periodsto pollinate crops. But their availabilitycan be limited, Ellis said, so one area theresearchers hope to study is whether nativespecies can be used in an integrativemanner to increase the pollination andyield of Florida’s specialty crops.

“We hope the results from this project willallow us to tell farmers what they can doto increase the pollination contributionsmade by native bees in their area,” he said.“That will include telling farmers whatnative wildflowers can be planted neartheir crops to attract and enhance nativebee pollinator populations.”

Finding alternative pollinators could becritical for growers, Ellis said, especially asColony Collapse Disorder continues tothreaten honeybee populations around theUnited States.

“There are over 310 bee species in Florida,and only one of those is the honeybee,”he said. “Many of the other bee specieslikely contribute significantly to the pro-duction of specialty crops in Florida. Ourstudy aims to maximize the contributionsmade by these other bee species.” •

By Mickie Anderson

UF/IFAS Scientists Part of Team Set to Study

Integrative Pollinationof the Nation’s Specialty Crops


Hunting is a well loved sport amongmany people, especially thosewithin our publication’s reach.

While it is easy to appreciate the yummi-ness of game meat, it is often difficult tostomach the methodology in which thatmeat is achieved, not so much the shoot-ing, or spearing, or whatever method ispreferred, but the actual “processing” ofthe meat, you know, the skinning and gut-ting part. Of course, some people so lovethe hunting aspect the rest doesn’t seem tobother them much. However, for those ofus who just want to eat the glorious prod-ucts of such ventures, we’ve good newsbecause The Hungry Gator Meat Markethas entered the Plant City domain andwild game (especially gator) is their area ofexpertise!

Shane Smith and Glen Grizzaffe have cre-ated this wonderful new presence. Wespoke with Shane and got all the personaland business history therein. He explains,“I grew up on a cotton farm in Mississippi.My dad was a high school principal andbasketball coach. We grew up in YazzoCity and it’s right dead in the center ofMississippi. When I was seven years old Istarted working for a cotton farmer pack-ing cotton, which means when the cottonpickers came and dumped their loads intothe cotton trailer (picture an extremelylarge horse trailer with no top) I wouldpack it. Me and the sons of the farmer andsome other boys would literally jump on

the top of it and smoosh it down and levelit out so that the farmers could get as muchcotton as possible into the trailer beforethey hauled it off to the cotton gin. Nowdays they have a module builder, it’s amachine that packs the cotton so little kidsdon’t have to jump around on cotton any-more.”

It is always interesting to learn about theagricultural products and procedures ofother states. Thusly, Shane continues,“The older I got I still worked on the farm.At age ten or eleven I started driving a trac-tor in a hayfield. Then, in my teenageyears, I’d drive a tractor planting and thena cotton picker picking cotton ‘til abouthalf way through high school. That wasthe early 90s.”

He switches gears here and explains theroots that blossomed into this new ven-ture. “I’m a big outdoorsman, I love tohunt. My granddaddy made his livingmaking turkey calls and I wanted to findout a way to make a living hunting,because that’s what I loved the most. So, Istarted working as a hunting guide at ahunting outfitter on the Mississippi River.People would buy a deer hunt there and Iwould take them out deer hunting and thatescalated. I started taking a video camerawith me and I started taking video of myclients hunting.” Perhaps a meat marketand video taping hunting trips isn’t con-necting in your mind yet, just wait!

Shane begins to pull the concepts together,“When I graduated high school, I went tothe University of Southern Mississippi. Idecided to major in film productionbecause I was really only interested inhunting and videoing my friends and fam-ily hunting. So, I tried to make a majorthat was in the outdoors and if I got a filmproduction degree then maybe I could geta job with someone who had an outdoorTV show.” You have to admit, it’s an inter-esting thought process at least, and appar-ently one that worked. He continues, “Ifinally got a job for a company calledPrimos Hunting Calls, they hired me to beon their video crew. Primos is a big callcompany and they had two TV shows andI was one of the personalities on the TVshow. So, basically I got to travel aroundand hunt and video for their TV show. Iwas with them for seven years and after Ileft them I came down here on a gatorhunt.” Ah, the gator hunt that changed hislife’s direction!

Obviously Shane couldn’t go on a gatorhunt without filming the excitement there-in. He elaborates, “I was filming and I metthe guy who was running the gator hunt,his name is Glen Grizzaffe, and me andhim hit if off and he was neck deep in thegator business, hunting gators, processinggators, everything to do with it. We part-nered up to really market and sell gatormeat. Really, in the beginning that’s all wewere going to do, process and sell gatormeat to local restaurants, food distributors

By Ginny Mink


and whoever else wanted it. So, we decid-ed to also offer all types of wild game pro-cessing. We process alligator, deer, hog.The facility we moved into was already setup to do the retail side of the meat so itseemed a no-brainer to offer a full line ofretail meats and so we also offer beef,chicken and pork.” Herein lies the birth ofThe Hungry Gator Meat Market in down-town Plant City.

Shane explains, “We specialize and areknown for our gator meat. The gator is thebread and butter of our business here. Wesell a lot of gator meat up north to restau-rants. We also supply a lot of the restau-rants in this area with gator meat, as well.

All our gator meat is all natural, wild-caught, gator. We’re not buying any farmraised. So we buy from other hunters.When we package our meat it’s just a purenatural meat product.” Gator, as a finishedmeat product, will run you about $11 apound, but Shane adds that his blend ofgator sausage has been a real hit and hecan hardly make it fast enough to meet thedemand. It’s $5.25/lb.

The Hungry Gator also sells produce, freshfish, shrimp and some exotic meats likebuffalo and venison. Shane says, “We’realso known for our high quality beef prod-ucts. We only offer the upper choice andprime beef and it’s all fresh.” When he

talks about his business he concludes, “It’sgoing great! Every day it gets busier. Deerseason’s open so I’ve really been getting ina lot of deer. Like us on Facebook. It’s TheHungry Gator Meat Market. We post picsfrom our gator hunts, we’re not just tryingto sell you stuff on there.”

However, if you are interested in checkingout what they are selling, they’re openTuesday-Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm.

206 S. Evers StreetDowntown Plant City

813-752-6328


Iam not a hunter. Never have been, never willbe. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good piece ofvenison as much as the next girl, fried, grilled,

fried, did I mention fried? I like it any way youcook it. I’ve just never had the urge to go hunt-ing myself, unlike my sister who will shoot any-thing that stands still too long. It’s not the killingpart or covering your scent in deer urine or theunflattering camo, I’d just rather be on the fryingend of a deer rather than the gutting end.

I say all this to say that when my dad suggestedthat he and I take a sportsmen trip to Wyoming,I just knew this vacation would entail me behindthe barrel of a rifle, in much too cold weather,blasting away at some animal 10 times the size ofme. Much to my surprise, he suggested a fly-fish-ing expedition and road trip in northernWyoming. What I lack in love for hunting, Imake up for in fishing. So at the first mention ofa fishing trip, he had me hook, line and sinker.

In late September, we took off for Jackson Holeand after a long day of travel and an even longerconversation with a TSA agent who swore wemust be from South Carolina with accents likethat, we arrived in The Cowboy State.

Wyoming is gorgeous. It may not have the charmof a Plant City strawberry field in early spring orthe mystique of my papa’s orange grove in themiddle of bloom, but Wyoming has an allure thatis all her own. The way the aspens turn yellowjust to welcome fall visitors and the snow hiber-nates on top of the Tetons, it is truly a reflectionof God’s beauty. If you’ve never seen Wyoming,you should. And may I suggest, if at all possible,you should see it with your dad.

You see, this weeklong excursion across the stateof Wyoming was no fishing trip. Yes, we wet ourline fly-fishing, and yes, my dad landed his hookin the middle of the fishing guide’s hand, and yes,we caught a few Spotted Snake River Trout. Butthis trip was bigger than a mess of fish. And foryou fishermen, you know how big a mess is.

We fished the Snake River in Jackson Hole, setour watches by Old Faithful in Yellowstone, ateRocky Mountain oysters in Cody, went to a clas-sic car show in the parking lot of a Kmart inSheridan (which only had four entries, by theway), planted our feet in Montana, just to saywe’d been there, and rode a very bumpy helicop-

Wyoming MemoriesBy Erica Der


ter around Mt. Rushmore. While theseadventures will always be special to me,they are not the reasons this trip means somuch.

When I picture our little rental car withtoo many McDonald’s cups in the back-seat and a sea of sunflower seeds on thefloor, I can hear the laughter. Laughterwhen my dad told me about going hunt-ing in the Ocala forest as a kid, and hisbelief that the only reason he didn’t killanything was because his gun ran out ofcorks. Or the time he and some buddiesgot kicked out of a place called Hell’s HalfAcre during an antelope hunt gone wrong,but that’s another story for another time.Or the one about when my papa made

him drive half way across the state ofWyoming, just to attend a Rotary Clubmeeting so he could get his attendancepoint. And as the stories unfolded, so didthe laughter.

Other stories he told made me simply sitback and listen. There was his senior yearof high school, when he was laying irriga-tion in an orange grove and wonderingwhat he was going to do with his life,when my grandmother walked down therows of trees and asked him simply if hewanted to run a small feed store. Runningoff little feed experience, but a great dealof hard work, he and his buddy MelvinLee kept the little store afloat by tradingoff work schedules and going double ses-sion at Plant City High School. My dad isthe best example of working hard andhaving something to show for it. He hadno idea at the time what Southside FarmSupply would mean to our family, he justknew he needed a job.

My dad lost his father when he was eightyears old. He didn’t have a dad to look toand learn how to be a father. So how heknows how to be the best dad in theworld, I’m not quite sure. But he is. Andwhile I have always known this, I wasreminded of his greatness in the middle ofour talks on the plains of Wyoming.

Someday, good Lord willing and the creekdon’t rise, when I have kids of my own, Iwill tell them about the time their grand-pa and I drove clear across the state ofWyoming, just for the heck of it. And I’llremind them, whenever you go hunting,always be sure to bring enough corks. •


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Florida kale is one of the most nutritiousfoods that exists. Its dark green leavesare exploding with vitamins, minerals,

antioxidants, and important anti-cancercompounds. This low calorie leafy vegetableis a member of the Brassica family, whichalso includes cabbage, broccoli, Brusselssprouts, collard greens, and cauliflower.Fresh Florida kale is a cool-weather crop andat its peak between November and April.Kale is also available frozen year round.According to the University of FloridaExtension Office, kale is grown in one out often Florida gardens.

NUTRITIONAL PROFILEWith plenty of antioxidant and anticancercompounds, kale is as much medicine asfood. Kale contains health promoting com-pounds that prevent carcinogen formation,inhibit tumor growth, and enhance detoxifi-cation of free radicals in the body.

According to the American Institute forCancer Research, a diet rich in dark greenleafy vegetables lowers risk for cancers of thelung, colon, breast, ovaries and bladder.Current research studies show that peoplewho eat the most cruciferous vegetables havea much lower risk of prostate, colorectal andlung cancers, even when compared to thosewho regularly eat other vegetables.

Kale is extremely nutrient-dense. In additionto its cancer-fighting properties, kale is con-sidered an excellent source of vitamins A, C,and K and manganese, and a very goodsource of fiber, calcium, copper, tryptophan,potassium, and vitamin B6 and a good sourceof iron, magnesium, protein, phosphorus,and omega 3 fatty acids.

According to the United States Departmentof Agriculture (USDA) National NutrientDatabase for Standard Reference, one cup ofboiled cooked kale (130 g) contains 36 calo-ries, 4.01 g protein, 0.68 g fat, 9.33 g carbo-hydrate, and 5.3 g of dietary fiber. One cupof kale also provides a whopping 1328 per-cent of the Daily Recommended Value(%DV) for vitamin K, 354% for vitamin A,89% for vitamin C, 27% for manganese,10.4% for dietary fiber, 10% for copper,9.3% for calcium, 5.4% for omega-3 fattyacids, and plentiful amounts of the B vita-mins and important minerals includingpotassium, iron, and magnesium. All of thissums up to an incredible amount of vitaminsand minerals for very few calories.

PHYTONUTRIENTSBeneficial compounds found in kale and othervegetables, phytonutrients are potent promot-ers of good health. Some of these such as glu-cosinolates and sulforaphane, boost the liver’sdetoxifying enzymes and help neutralize harm-ful substances. In animal studies, these com-pounds seem to slow or halt the growthof cancer cells in the breast and colon.Other compounds such as carotenoids andflavonoids act as powerful antioxidants. Theyprotect the body from oxidative stress, whichcan lead to chronic health problems such ascancer, lung disease, and atherosclerosis (thebuilding of plaque on artery walls).

VITAMIN KKale is one of the richest sources of vitaminK that exists, containing over 1300% ofyour daily requirement in just a single serv-ing. Just a few bites of this powerful veg-etable would meet your daily requirementsfor this vitamin! Vitamin K is an essentialcomponent for proper blood clotting in thebody. This vitamin also helps your bodytransport calcium and metabolizes the min-eral into your skeleton. Several researchstudies have found that vitamin K boostsbone mineral density and reduces fracturerates in people with osteoporosis.

MANGANESEFlorida kale is considered an excellent sourceof manganese, an important mineral thatplays a role in a variety of physiologicalfunctions throughout the body. Manganeseis needed for glucose, protein, lipid, and cho-lesterol metabolism from the foods we con-sume, as well as for pancreatic function anddevelopment. The mineral is important innormal skeletal growth and development,prevention of sterility, and synthesis of thy-roid hormone. One cup of boiled kale pro-vides over a quarter of your daily require-ment for manganese.

CALCIUMGreat news for the lactose-intolerant andthose who don’t like milk or dairy--- you canmeet all of your daily calcium needs throughkale, other vegetables, and calcium-fortifiedfoods. Kale is an excellent non-dairy sourceof calcium, providing 22.6% of your dailyrequirements in one cup of cooked vegetable.Calcium is important in the maintaining thestrength and density of bones. Additionally,this mineral has been shown to prevent boneloss and reduce symptoms of pre-menstrualsyndrome. Adequate calcium intake is neededto prevent calcium stores being leached out ofbones. Calcium also plays an important rolein muscle contraction, nerve conduction, andcell membrane function.

HOW TO SELECT AND STOREChoose kale that has fresh, deeply coloredleaves free of wilting, yellowing, or holes.Smaller leaves are more tender and mild thanlarger leaves. The stems should look hardyand moist. Store kale in a ventilated plasticbag in the refrigerator for up to five days.Cooked greens also freeze well for up to sixmonths in an airtight container or freezerbag.

HOW TO ENJOYWash well to remove all sand and grit imme-diately before use. Kale can be eaten raw,steamed, or sauteed. To preserve kale’s manynutrients, cook the vegetable quickly andlightly. It can easily be added to salad, soup,vegetable stir-fries, or eggs. More ways toenjoy this delicious vegetable include:

• Braise with collards, apples and onions,then drizzle with balsamic vinegar

• Lightly steam with garlic and herbs• Sautee lightly with olive oil and herbs• Boil with smoked or salted meat, suchas smoked turkey wings or ham hocks

• Combine with feta cheese and pasta• Toss with olive oil, spread into a singlelayer on a baking sheet for a healthiersubstitute for potato chips

• Stir-fry with chicken and soy sauce• Juice in a juicer with apples and ginger

Fresh Florida kale is at their peak today.Enjoy more of these leafy greens in all oftheir nutritious glory!

SELECTED REFERENCEShttp://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/

http:// www.floridata.comhttp://www.whfoods.com

http://www.florida-agriculture.com

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


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Glyceryl Monostearate, Phosphoric Acid, Propylene Glycol,Corn Gluten, Wheat Gluten, and Glandular Meal, wouldyou eat these products? Can you pronounce some of these

products? The odds are probably not, but our pets eat these andmore un-pronounceable products every day in their dog food andtreats. We give our pets treats because we love them or becausethey’ve done a good deed, but most of their store bought treats arefilled with ingredients that can make them sick.

A lot of pet food companies use additives like the ones I’ve men-tioned along with binders like corn and wheat gluten. Thesebinders are an inexpensive by-product of human food processingthat offers very little nutritional value and serve mainly to bindfood together. They also can conceal hidden contaminants. Aftergrains are harvested, they must be stored and the longer they sitin storage, the more they run the risk of being contaminated byinsects, mites and mold. Grain infestations are so common thatdamage by insects after crops are harvested is sometimes greaterthan the damage done during the growing season itself. Thesedead grain insects can easily end up in commercial dog food andtreats. They are also the prime suspect in canine allergies such asatopic dermatitis. Symptoms of this condition can include chron-ic itching, excessive licking or chewing of the paws, hair loss andbacterial infections in the ears. A recent study of atopic dermati-tis conducted at Wright State University in Ohio has concluded,“storage mite sensitivity in dogs may be as important, if not moreimportant, than dust mite sensitivity.”

Bonnie Boyer and Connie Lawter of Land O’ Lakes, have had arun in or two with pet allergies. Their beagle, Hoss, had foodallergies that caused him to break out in an itchy rash and loosehis hair. They wanted to be able to give Hoss healthier foodoptions and since Lawter had baking experience, Boyer said,“You know what, we need to make some healthy treats!” TwoGirls and a Beagle was born and Hoss became the CEO.

Their goal is to provide their client’s pets with natural, healthyand wholesome treats and gourmet goodies. They offer made toorder treats, gourmet cakes and special ocassion baskets. Youwon’t find aditives you can’t pronounce or gluten in their treats.

What you will find is whole wheat flour, oats, pumpkin, rawhoney, and sweet potatoes to name a few. “We’ve done a lot ofresearch on our ingredients and the medicinal use of them,” Boyersaid. “We design and copyright our own recipes and we do notuse any pre-made mixes.” All of their treats are made to look likepeople food. Boyer said they did this because of Hoss.

“Whatever I was eating, Hoss wanted to eat it, too, so we makehis food look like our food.” Their banana nut biscotti looks likea real biscotti. Their sweet potato muffin looks like a real muffin.All of the ingredients that go in their treats are purchased fromlocal produce farmers. “That’s the only way will will purchase ourproducts,” Boyer said. They are strong believers in buying localand supporting local as well.

“We love working with local dog rescues and doing local petevents,” Lawter said. “We are always open to making up a giftbasket of our treats for a donation or raffle item.” The girls usu-ally cook for 12-16 hours before an event and then vacuum sealthe treats to make sure they are fresh. “Our treats have a shelf lifeof two weeks in the refigerator and six months in the freezer,”Lawter said. “You can leave them out on the counter, but it’s bestthat they stay in the refrigerator since they have no presevatives,they will mold if they are left out.” They know this because theyhave tested every treat to see how long they will last.

They also make cat treats. They have a tuna cracker, a cheese puffand a catnip bite. “We have tasted all of the products we havemade because we wouldn’t give our clients anything we wouldn’teat, but we did not sample the catnip bite because we weren’t surewhat catnip would do to us!” Boyers said with a laugh. They willtailor any of their treats to fit the needs of your pet. “We just wantpeople and their pets to be happy,” Lawter said, “We want themto feed them like you love them.” Lawter and Boyer hope to havea store open by August of 2013.

For more information on the different treats Two Girls and aBeagle offer, you can vist their Facebook page or email them at

ttwwooggiirrllssaannddaaddoogg22001122@@ggmmaaiill..ccoomm You can also contact them at 813-907-2428.

Feed Them Like You Love ThemBy Libby Hopkins

Left: “Bonnie Boyer (left) and Connie Lawter (right) are the owners ofTwo Girls and a Beagle. Hoss (center) is the CEO of the company.They make all natural gourmet pet treats.”


4422 IINNTTHHEEFFIIEELLDD MMAAGGAAZZIINNEE NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR 22001122 WW WW WW.. II NNTT HH EEFF II EE LL DD MMAA GG AA ZZ II NN EE ..CC OO MM

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

Dairy farmer and milk and fruit juiceprocessor Dale McClellan ofThonotosassa, Fla., has been selected

as the 2012 overall winner of the SwisherSweets/Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer ofthe Year award.

McClellan was named as the overall winnerduring the Willie B. Withers Luncheon heldon the opening day of the 2012 Sunbelt AgExpo farm show. McClellan was chosen asFarmer of the Year over nine other statewinners who were finalists for the award.

The Farmer of the Year award recognizesexcellence in agricultural production andfarm management, along with leadership infarm and community organizations. Theaward also honors family contributions inproducing safe and abundant supplies offood, fiber and shelter products for U.S. con-sumers.

J. Thomas Ryan, president of SwisherInternational, Inc., of Jacksonville, FL,praised McClellan for his farming accom-plishments. “Dale and his family representthe best of American agriculture,” said Ryan.“He is an innovative farmer, an environmen-tal steward and a person who gives back toothers through his leadership in farm andcommunity organizations. He and his wifeMary have raised three fine sons who all holdkey management positions in the family’sfarm and milk and fruit juice processing busi-nesses.”

Swisher International has been the award’smajor sponsor since it was first established.“It is an honor for our company and ourSwisher Sweets cigar brand to recognize thisoutstanding farm family and the families ofthe other nine state winners for their manyaccomplishments,” Ryan added.

At his dairy farm near Lecanto, McClellanmilks about 700 cows three times each day.These cows produce a rolling herd average ofsome 23,000 pounds of milk per cow peryear. His farm includes 1,272 acres with 952acres of rented land and 320 acres of ownedland. Cow comfort is a priority at his dairy.He grows much of his own feed includingbermudagrass, oats and corn silage. He recy-cles dairy waste by separating solids forapplication on non-irrigated land and byapplying the liquid to his cropland throughhis irrigation systems.

Dale McClellan also was instrumental inestablishing a milk-marketing cooperative,Premier Milk, based in Ocala.

M & B Products is McClellan’s milk andfruit juice processing facility and is based inTampa. His processing plant is known forfat-free, sugar-reduced chocolate milk sold toschools throughout Florida.

Dairy farming is a family tradition forMcClellan. Both his mother and father camefrom dairy farming families. McClellan wasraised on a Tampa dairy farm owned by his

grandparents. He milked cows at the dairy toearn money during high school. His grand-parents also owned a milk processing plantthat went broke and closed during 1979.McClellan was able to purchase cows fromhis grandparent’s farm. His persistenceresulted in the re-opening of the farm’s pro-cessing plant in 1987. He now employs 140people at the processing plant. He equippedthe plant with new equipment and modernrefrigeration. M & B has also pioneered inits innovations in milk and juice flavoring,packaging, and vitamin and calcium fortifi-cation.

When he established his dairy farm in 2003at Lecanto, McClellan faced strong localopposition. He was able to overcome thisopposition by patiently meeting with theneighbors to his farm, answering their ques-tions, and persuading them that his farmwould be a positive influence on the localenvironment and the local economy. Hisefforts paid off. McClellan’s dairy farm isnow widely respected and has earned severallocal awards for its contribution to the econ-omy of Citrus County.

“I thank Swisher International, the SunbeltExpo, and the other award sponsors for thisaward,” said McClellan. “It is indeed anhonor for our family, especially after meetingthe other state winners and their families, andlearning of their many accomplishments infarming and in service to their communities.”

Photos By Ron O’Connor, Farm Credit

Florida Dairy Farmer

Dale McClellanNamed SwisherSweets/SunbeltExpo Southeastern Farmerof theYear for 2012

Florida Dairy Farmer

Dale McClellanNamed SwisherSweets/SunbeltExpo Southeastern Farmerof theYear for 2012

continued on page 47...


Hopefully some of you were able to make itout to St Marks National Wildlife Refuge forthe Monarch migration. If not, there is noneed to sing the blues when you can watchthem. It’s no secret that the blues havealways been associated with the Deep South,not just in music, but there is a pretty amaz-ing subfamily of butterflies that they call TheBlues. Polyommatinae is a subfamily ofLycaenidae, or gossamer-winged butterflies.Lycaenidae is the second largest family ofbutterflies, second only to the Brush-footedbutterflies. Gossamer is a very delicate sheerfabric or light cobweb, from which thesebutterflies derive their name. These true but-terflies are distinguished for their featherywings; a closer look will reveal some of thisbutterflies extraordinary characteristics.

Have you ever wondered what it would belike to have insect friends that would stick byyou, cover your back, and divert your ene-mies from bringing you harm? Well, theLycaenidae do just that, with one of the mosteffective group of insects known to man, theant. About half of the gossamer winged but-terfly species worldwide have an associationwith ants in one way or another. Some havea hostile relationship in which the caterpillarwill prey on ant brood. Most of the Blues(Polyommatinae) are opportunistically car-nivorous but have a mutualistic relationshipwith ants. Caterpillars of the Blues have aspecial organ that produces a sugary proteinrich solution that attracts and feeds the ants,in return the ants protect the caterpillar frompredators and parasitoids. Some caterpillarsare even capable of producing low pitchedsounds by stridulating a scraper and file sim-ilar to the way a cricket chirps. The soundsmade by the caterpillar are thought to be adefense mechanism but some researcherssuggest it’s a means of communicating withants.

Adults have equally interesting characteris-tics. We think of adult butterflies as beingimportant pollinators, and they are. Mostadults visit flowers for nectar but some mem-bers of the Lycaenidae subfamily, such as theharvester butterfly, feed on wooly aphid hon-eydew, the hairstreaks feed on both honey-dew and bird droppings. Adults do not relyon the ants for protection so much as theirmarkings. Many adults have antenna shapedtails and a spot on the base of the tail that

mimics a head. This deception tricks preda-tors into attacking from the front. With theelement of surprise removed from the preda-tor’s strategy, the butterfly has a greaterchance of escape.

The Blues are a delicate indicator species andpopulations are easily diminished with envi-ronmental changes, in fact one species, theMiami Blue (Cyclargus thomasi bethunebak-eri) is the only subspecies of Cyclargusthomasi found in the United States and isfound only in Florida. Needless to say, it isone of Florida’s most endangered insects.Some sources suggest it may even be therarest insect in the United States. As ofSeptember 2012, a single extant populationsupporting less than 100 individuals remainsin an isolated colony site within BahiaHonda State Park in the lower Florida Keys.

Before urbanization and the loss of coastalhabitat jeopardized this species it rangedfrom Hillsborough, Volusia and Monroecounties south through the Florida Keys andthe Dry Tortugas. Some scientist suggest thatbutterfly species that are associated withants, such as the Blues, are more susceptibleto environmental changes and are predis-posed to extinction more so than species that

are not dependent on ants. Species such asthe Blues require not only the correct hostplants, but also particular ant species manyof which are considered pest ants in urbanenvironments and controlled with toxins.

In general the Blues can be found all year inFlorida flying low in open woodland. TheCassius Blue (Leptotes cassius) has the great-est populations in the southern peninsular ofFlorida. Its intolerance of cold weather pre-vents it from surviving winters in northernFlorida but is abundant here in centralFlorida. The Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus cer-aunus) can be found in all 67 counties inFlorida all year long

The Miami Blue (Cyclargus thomasibethunebakeri) produces multiple genera-tions (February through November) andadults are found all year long in the FloridaKeys. The McGuire Center for LepidopteraResearch at the University of Florida hasimplemented a highly successful captive rear-ing program to attempt recovery of thisspecies. In 2003 the program began with lessthan 100 eggs collected from the wild andsince then has reared thousands of pupae forrelease at select sites. The successful releasewas thwarted by the 2005 hurricanes butpersistence has resulted in the recovery of theBahia Honda colony. More colonies werediscovered on other islands in the FloridaKeys, more surveys and conservation beneeded to prevent a Miami Blue extinction.

By Sean GreenPhoto by April WietreckiA Closer Look

Florida Blues (Polyommatinae)


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The new Farmer of the Year was selected for the honor bythree judges who visited his farm and the farms of the othernine state winners during early August of this year. Thejudges included Charles Snipes, a retired MississippiExtension weed scientist who is president and research scien-tist with Stoneville R&D, Inc., from Greenville, Miss.; JohnMcKissick, a longtime University of Georgia Extension agri-cultural economist from Athens, Ga., and farmer BrianKirksey of Amity, Ark., who was selected as the overall win-ner of the award in 2008.

Charles Snipes, the senior judge for this year, praisedMcClellan for enhancing the public’s perception of produc-tion agriculture. Snipes also praised McClellan’s adoption ofnew farming technology, his environmental stewardship andhis ability to turn a profit, even when facing strong publicopposition to his farm. “He also has a great family-run farm,with all family members providing major contributions tothe success of his operations,” adds Snipes.

Since the award began in 1990, McClellan is the seventhoverall winner to come from Florida. In the 23-year historyof the award, Florida has had more overall winners than anyother state. This is the 35th anniversary year for the SunbeltExpo. The farm show was first held during 1978 inMoultrie, Ga.

As the Southeastern Farmer of the Year, McClellan willreceive a $15,000 cash award plus $2,500 as a state winnerfrom Swisher international. He will also receive the use of atractor of his choice for a year from Massey Ferguson NorthAmerica and gift certificates totaling $1,000 from theSouthern States cooperative. From Dow AgroSciences,McClellan will receive the choice of either $2,000 inPhytoGen cottonseed or a $1,000 donation to a designatedcharity. From Ivey’s Outdoor and Farm Supply, he willreceive a Columbia Cathedral Peak Vest and a ColumbiaSteen Mountain Tech Full-Zip Jacket.

Other state winners this year include Sam Givhan of Safford,Ala., Heath Long of Tichnor, Ark., Barry Martin ofHawkinsville, Ga., Jim Sidebottom of Greensburg, Ky., BillSpain of Booneville, Miss., Gary Blake of North Wilkesboro,N.C., Monty Rast of Cameron, S.C., Steve Dixon of EstillSprings, Tenn., and Maxwell Watkins of Sutherland, Va. •

...continued from page 44

They say time flies when you are having fun, and it has. It’s hard tobelieve that the years have flown by and we are celebrating the eighthbirthday of In The Field Magazine.

In The Field started as an idea that I know God placed on my heart in 2004and through the years He has surrounded me with people that have helpedthe publication get where it is today. Our advertisers and contributorscontinue to make it possible for us to grow each and every year, enabling usto have educational, interesting and timely editorial content. If you havepurchased advertising space, sent in an idea, picked up a magazine at one ofour many distribution points, or gotten it in your mailbox, you have becomea part of our team! We have received many hand written letters, cards, emailsand phone calls from you, our readers, sharing your thoughts and compli-ments, giving us your ideas on stories and reading it each every month.

The Hillsborough County Farm Bureau is a huge part of In The FieldMagazine. They have been extremely supportive over the years and it makesus proud to partner with such an incredible organization. Farm Bureau hasbeen at it for 70 years now, and they continue to work in making a differencein the agriculture community. I encourage you to consider becoming amember if you are not already. To find out about the benefits they offer, callthe Hillsborough County Farm Bureau at 813-685-9121. Thank you to theExecutive Committee and the Directors, with a very special thank you toJudi Whitson.

To everyone at In The Field…….”THANK YOU” for everything that you doon a daily basis. Sarah Holt, Managing Editor/Associate Publisher; BobHughens, Office Manager; Danny Crampton, Sales Manager; TinaRichmond, Sales; Mona Jackson, Art Director; Gordon Johnston,Circulation; and to all of our contributing writers! The next two people Iwant to thank are my parents, Al and Patsy Berry. I find myself extremely for-tunate to have parents that continue to be supportive and are a huge part ofwhat this magazine has become. Thank You Al and Patsy Berry.

I have always said this – and will continue to do so: “We are proud tocontinue to create a bond with those that are not directly involved in agricul-ture in order to build a better understanding of our industry. We believe whatwe continue to put in print on a monthly basis….”NO FARMERS NOFOOD.” Without our farmers and ranchers, Florida can’t grow.

Be blessed and follow your dreams,

KarenKaren Berry - ITFM Publisher

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.– Philippians 4:13



Strawberries are thought to have been cul-tivated in ancient Rome. Strawberries aswe know them today were originally

grown in Europe, however, varieties also can befound in Chile, Russia, and the U.S. The firstknown American species of strawberries wascultivated about 1835. The berries seem to bestrewn among the leaves of the plant, and werefirst called strewberries in the late 18th century.Later the namewas changed to strawberry, pos-sibly from the practice of English childrenthreading the berries on pieces of straw for saleor from the 19th century practice of laying strawaround the strawberry plants to protect them

from bad weather. Other stories noted that farm-ers would bring the strawberries to market onbeds of straw to protect them during traveling.

Alpine strawberries are believed to havemedicinal use. The leaves, roots and fruitswere used as a skin tonic. The berries wereeaten to relieve diarrhea and an upset stom-ach. Leaves and roots were eaten for gout. Inaddition, a paste made from the strawberrieswas used for sunburn and skin blemishes, andthe juice of the fruit would be used to whitenteeth. •

StrawberryHistory

Skillet Beefwith Red Potatoes and Greens

Florida Salad

Recipes Courtesy of the Florida Department of Agricluture

INGREDIENTS

3⁄4 lb Round beef steakNon-stick cooking spray4 red-skinned potatoes, halved1 cup finely chopped onion2 cups (16-oz. can) beef broth, low-sodium2 cloves, minced or 1⁄4 teaspoon garlic powder1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper1 teaspoon chili powder2 large carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips2 bunches (1 lb total) mustard greens, kale, orturnip greens, stems removed, chopped

PREPARATION

Thinly slice beef across the grain. Spray skilletwith nonstick cooking spray. Preheat pan. Addmeat; cook, stirring for 5 minutes to brown. Addpotatoes, onion, broth, and spices. Cook covered,over medium heat for 20 minutes. Stir in carrots,lay greens over top, cover, and cook until carrotsare tender, about 15 minutes.

PREPARATION

Toss all ingredients together in a large salad bowl.Serve with the dressing of your choice.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup romaine lettuce, torn

1/2 cup escarole, roughly chopped

1/2 cup endive, roughly chopped

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 avocado, peeled and sliced

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced

4 radishes, sliced

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 tangelo, peeled and sectioned

1/2 cup kale, roughly chopped

1/2 cup strawberries, sliced

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, whole

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The Hillsborough County Fair hosts an annual swine show andsale. Each year young agriculturists compete to see who theGrand and Reserve Grand Champions will be. On October 19

at 7pm the show took place. After many hours of waiting in the heat,the judge finally made his decision. Kailey Stollard and Jake Stineswere the happiest kids in the show ring. Stollard won GrandChampion with her pig and Stines was right behind her winningReserve Grand Champion.

Both of these kids are actively involved in the agricultural industry.Stollard has been seen in numerous livestock shows in the area. Shehas a passion for livestock and has achieved many goals in showing.Stines, in a much younger phase of his life, is a member of the SydneyStampede 4-H group. Through his endeavors in 4-H, he has been ableto show livestock and prove that it’s possible to be an agriculturist atany age.

On Saturday October 20, at 7:15 p.m., the annual swine sale began.Buyers from all over the county came to support the youth of ourcommunity. This year there was an excellent turn out. Numbers wereflying, and bids ran all the way up into the double digits. The major-ity of the exhibitors use the money from the sale for their collegetuitions, furthering their education in the agriculture industry. It isimportant as a community to invest in our youth and inspire them tobrighten their futures.

Stollard and Stines are just a mere glimpse of the passion our youthhold. God has truly blessed our community. Not only do we havegifted 4-H and FFA members, but also an entire town supporting

each and every one of them. Franklin D. Roosevelt once said,“We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can buildour youth for the future.” It is simple swine shows and sales like thesewhere our community has perfected this concept for generations, andwill for many generations to come. •

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FAIR SWINE SHOW

Kailey & JakeBy Calli Jo Parker


One year may seem a short period of timeto most, but in that twelve month span aslew of unexpected things can occur. For

instance, the 2011 Harvest Queen can meet withterrible tragedy (or potential tragedy) and end upfearing for her very life. That might sound a lit-tle excessive, but when last we spoke withMorgan Boykin she was on top of the world andthen whamo! She was diagnosed with a tumor.

She shares her story with us here. “In January Iwas diagnosed with a parotid tumor and I had tohave surgery at Moffitt to have it removed. Theparotid gland is a gland in your cheeks thatproduces saliva. I had a lump come up in May,up between my jaw and behind my ear. At thetime, it was really small but over time it got big-ger. Around November it was big enough to seeit. I found out two days before Christmas that itwas a tumor. January 20 I had surgery to have itremoved.” Morgan is a senior in high school andthat was definitely not the Christmas surprise shewas hoping for.

She explains, “It’s common in white males overthe age of 40, so it was crazy rare for me to getit. All the nerves in your face go through thatgland so it’s a very fragile surgery, one wrongthing and my face could look like I had a stroke.”In fact, after the four hour surgery was complet-ed, her doctor informed her that she woulddefinitely have some facial paralysis for up toeight months. However, Morgan’s faith and theprayers of those who treasure her seem to havehad quite an effect. She says, “After beingin recovery for two hours, my cheek startedtwitching. My nerve was coming back. Doctorsand nurses were shocked that I had movement inmy cheek. The Lord is good, and He was lookingafter me.”

Of course, as we mentioned in the beginning ofthis article, this was just a potential tragedy.Morgan says, “Everything came back benign,there is a chance of recurrence but that’s rare. Itprobably took me a month to fully get recovered.I’ve slowly been getting back into my full activi-ty.” While the experience was a scary one, sherecalls some of the brighter moments. “When Iwas going through my surgery the County FairBoard was right by my side. Mrs. Evelyn Stewart,she was the one who put the Harvest QueenPageant on, the Pageant Director, she was one ofthe first ones to be in my room after the surgeryand her first words to me were, ‘We wanted tocome check on our Queen.’ That meant so muchto me, that they were some of the first people inmy room meant the world to me. The County

By Ginny Mink

Morgan Boykin’sPotential Tragedy


Fair has sent me so many cards and phonecalls and visits to me. They sent me texts,they provided food for me in my recoveryand their prayers alone (when they didn’thave to) just shows how much love theboard has and that’s a blessing. Mr. MykeMorris has sent me numerous cards andcds and was constantly checking up onme. He was a big support along with theHillsborough County Board.”

When asked to switch gears to happiermemories and thereby recall her experi-ences as the 2011 Hillsborough CountyHarvest Queen, Morgan says, “Honestly,I don’t know where to begin. It’s beensuch an honor and a blessing to serveas basically an ambassador for theHillsborough County Fair andHillsborough County. The fair has givenme so many opportunities. I got to attendso many banquets and award ceremoniesand I actually got to attend the Ag Hall ofFame Dinner. Since I’ve been so involvedwith agriculture since my freshman year,that was something I’ve always wanted togo to and being Harvest Queen I got to.That was one of the highlights, being ableto attend that and represent the fair at thedinner. I got to attend the 4th of JulyParade; there’s many different things youattend from County Fair Board meetingsto banquet dinners to all sorts of things.Overall it has been just a blessing. I’vemade so many friends. I’ve come into con-tact with so many people and have somany mentors in my life now.”

Like all good things though, Morgan’sreign had to come to an end and she haspassed the crown on. We asked her aboutthat. She explained, “It was awesome, thenew Queen is Kallee Cook, she’s going tohave a great time and this is going to open

so many doors for her. It was definitelysad to have to give my title away, but itwas time for someone else to have achance.” We asked her if she had anywords of wisdom for the new Queen andshe shared, “Cherish every momentbecause a year goes by in nothin’! So,enjoy every moment and cherish it whileyou have it.”

Morgan will graduate from high schoolthis year and she plans to attend theUniversity of South Florida to achieve adegree in radiology. Like she told us lasttime, she reiterated her lifelong goal, “Myabsolute dream is to be with the profes-sional bull riders so I really want to worktowards that goal.” Then, before we part-ed ways she wanted to make sure weshared her appreciation. She said, “I justwant to thank everyone for their thoughtsand prayers and everything they con-tributed for me while I was going throughmy surgery.” We pray she will remain inexcellent health and reach the magnitudeof her goals, she’s a good kid. •


TheHillsborough County Fair was held October 17 through the21. Like any other fair, there were carnival rides, lots of food,people and laughter. However, no fair is complete without a

queen. Luckily the Hillsborough County Fair is blessed with twobeautiful young ladies to serve as Queens. Kallee Cook and HaleyRiley were chosen to represent the fair as the 2012 Senior and JuniorHarvest Queens.

The pageant was held on October 13 the week before the fair opened.It was split into two competitions, the Junior Harvest Queen for ages13-15, and the Senior for ages 16-19. In the Junior division, the girlshad to wear an evening gown and answer an on stage questionexplaining one characteristic about themselves. The Senior girls werea bit more involved. They were asked to wear two outfits, businesscasual and an evening gown. In their business casual outfit, before thepageant, the girls went through a four minute interview. On stagethey introduced themselves and modeled in their evening gowns.

After they were crowned the girls had no idea how busy thenext week would be for them. Kallee and Haley made appearances atnearly every event held at the fair. At each livestock show, the rodeo,the baby and kids pageant, they truly served their community andimpacted the youth at the fair. The girls will crown the new HarvestQueens next year at the pageant. There, Kallee will be awarded a$1,000 scholarship to the school of her choice.

Kallee Cook is an 18-year-old Durant High School graduate. Shecurrently attends Hillsborough Community College but will transferto Santa Fe College in January. Kallee has a strong agricultural back-ground, having been in the FFA all throughout high school, but willpursue a degree to become an Ultrasound Technician. Kallee has astrong passion for helping the lives around her. Harvest Queen is justone step closer to her goal of becoming an Ultrasound Technician andhelping mothers in her community.

Haley Riley is a 14-year-old eighth grader at Tomlin Middle School.Haley is a member of the Tomlin FFA chapter and an active youngagriculturist. While Haley is in a much younger stage in her life, shestrives to share her love of agriculture with those around her. She canbe seen at local FFA Career Development Events and other occasionsinforming her community about the importance of agriculture. Haleyis an exceptional FFA member, not only advocating agriculture andleadership, but living it as well.

Each year numerous teenage girls compete for the title of theHillsborough County Harvest Queen. The fair is looking for girls likeKallee and Haley, beautiful, intelligent, well spoken, and more timesthan not, familiar with the agriculture industry. The fair is never letdown and are truly thankful for the wonderful job Kallee and Haleyhave done. •

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FAIR HARVEST QUEENS

Kallee & HaleyBy Calli Jo Parker


The Hillsborough County Fair Steer Show, also known as theJustin Gill Memorial, is an annual steer show that the youthin our community competitively take part in. On October 21

seven classes of steers and exhibitors anxiously awaited for theirdivision to begin. The show consisted of mostly young StrawberryFestival steers competing to see where they place before the big showin March. It turns out that two Strawberry Festival steers took GrandChampion and Reserve Grand Champion at the show.

Haley Smith, a senior at Durant High School, was the owner of theGrand Champion steer. Haley is an outstanding FFA member atDurant. She is very active, competing in numerous CareerDevelopment Events, livestock shows, and even served as the DurantFFA Sweetheart. Aly Joyner, a junior at Strawberry Crest HighSchool, won Reserve Grand Champion with her steer. Aly comes

from a long line of active agriculturists. She has been in the FFA formany years serving her community. She, too, competes in manyCareer Development Events, along with showing livestock around thestate. Both girls are dedicated leaders reaping the rewards of theirhard work.

At this show Haley’s steer weighed in at 870 pounds, with Aly’sslightly larger steer weighed in at 950 pounds. For the StrawberryFestival, the steers must gain at least two pounds each day from theday of the original weigh in which is held each September. It is a dailychore to properly feed the steer to achieve this weight gain. Whetherit’s hot, cold, rainy, or sunny, these girls wake up every day to makesure their animals are fed.

There are numerous prospect shows still to come before the big showin March. FFA members and young agriculturists in our communityenter as many shows as they can before the Festival to be certain theyand their steers are prepared. The Hillsborough County Fair SteerShow was a great success. It will be interesting to see if the results arethe same in March. It is safe to say that it was a nice little preview ofwhat may happen at the 2013 Florida Strawberry Festival Steer Showand Sale. •

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FAIR STEER SHOW

Haley & AlyBy Calli Jo Parker

The school year has begun and the lasttwo months have flown by. Over the

last few weeks I have had the opportunityto learn about the diverse agricultureindustry in Florida, helped put on twoleadership events, visited 14 differentschools to inspire a love for agricultureand the FFA in their students, all the whileinteracting with over 6,000 students fromacross the state, and finally attend nation-al convention in Indianapolis.

In mid September my teamand I had the opportunityto participate in an intern-ship with the FloridaDepartment of Agricultureand Consumer Services.Over the course of five dayswe visited the various divi-

sions of the department includingAquaculture, Ag Marketing, Food Safety,and the Florida Forest Service. This experi-ence gave me a deeper insight into the spec-trum of the department’s responsibility. Wealso got a hands on look at harvesting oys-ters in Apalachicola Bay, the proper way toset a controlled burn in Lake Talquin StateForest, and inspected the Tallahassee Wal-Mart Supercenter for any food safety viola-

tions. This was aonce in a lifetimeexperience to seehow agriculture andour governmentwork together for thepeople.

Also, over the pasttwo months I haveparticipated in twodifferent leadershipevents with my team.The first event,Chapter President’s

Conference, is designed for the presidentand vice president of each chapter to teachthem the principles of leadership they needto lead, not only their chapter, but also theirofficer team. Next was Chapter OfficerLeadership. This conference was one thatmy team and I put on five different times inthree locations around the state to over2300 students. At this event we gave chap-ter officers the tools necessary to lead theirchapters this year. This is the largest leader-ship event my team and I will put on thisyear.

Finally, my team and I just returned fromthe National FFA convention inIndianapolis, Indiana, where we served asdelegates for the state of Florida. Ourresponsibilities included serving on delegatecommittees, attending sessions, and electingthe new National Officer Team. Otherhighlights from the week included theFlorida FFA RFD-TV segment and seeingthe 2010-2011 Florida FFA State Presidentbe inducted into his new office as NationalFFA President.

As always if you have any questions, com-ments or concerns you can reach me [email protected]. Be sure to checkout flaffa.org, like us on Facebook, and fol-low us @floridaffa on Twitter.

David WaldenArea 5 State Vice President

Spreading the Lovefor Agriculture



An old Plant City FFA tradition was brought back onOctober 2 of this year. The Plant City FFA Pig’ N’ the Pokewas a thing of the past until it was brought back by the

Plant City FFA Alumni and the chapter officers as a way for PlantCity’s agriculture students, FFA members, families, friends andmembers of the community to socialize and grow their love foragriculture and the FFA.

The last Pig’ N’ the Poke took place in 2008. Over 180 guests,including distinguished members of the east Hillsborough Countyagricultural community attended this year.

After the opening ceremony, conducted by the Plant City Sr. FFAofficers, many events took place. Attendees dined on barbequeprovided by the FFA Alumni, as well as covered dishes provided byparent and students. Members and agriculture students competedin a talent competition where The Peacemakers, consisting ofColton Conrad and Ben Luchka, won with their performance of“Free Bird.” Following the talent contest, a desert contest washeld, and Tanah Tyoe won with her pumpkin cookies.

This year’s Pig’ N’ the Poke was very beneficial to the Plant CityFFA Alumni, as well as the Plant City FFA Chapters, initiatingnumerous students and their parents to join and become moreinvolved.

“For this being the first time in four years we are very pleased withthe turnout of this year’s Pig’ N’ the Poke,” said Plant City Sr. FFAPresident Justin Gajewski. “I am sure that this will be just the firstof many more successful Pig’ N’ the Poke’s to come.”

Once just a thing of the past, the Pig’ N’ the Poke is a tradition thatis sure to continue in the future. •

Old TraditionsBECOME NEW AGAIN

By Lindsey M. English


“The convention hall will come toorder, we are now holding this,the First General Session of the85th National FFA Conventionand Expo,” were the words given

by 2011-2012 National FFAPresident Ryan Best.

The National FFA Convention and Expo isthe organization’s premier gathering, dur-ing which all FFA competitive events andprograms are recognized nationally. Theevent brings FFA members together tolearn, be inspired and celebrate theiraccomplishments in the organization. Thisyear’s theme was “to grow.”

The FFA is a national organization thatreaches from Alaska to Puerto Rico andfrom the State of Maine to Hawaii. It pro-vides leadership, personal growth andcareer success training through agricultur-al education to 557,318 students in gradeseven through 12 who belong to one of

7,498 local FFA Chapters throughout theUnited States, Puerto Rico and the VirginIslands.

More than 55,000 student members andadvisors from throughout the UnitedStates, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islandsattended the convention and expo.

This year’s convention and expo was heldin Indianapolis, IN. Indianapolis andIndiana have long been known as the“Cross Roads of America,” largely becauseof the central location to the United Statespopulations. Similarly, it’s a “crossroad ofagriculture,” home to some of the finestfarm land, livestock and crop diversity,agribusiness, youth development and justabout all things agriculture, seemingly aperfect place to host the convention.

Indianapolis residents were very welcom-ing to the FFA members from across thecountry. Streets were closed off and named“FFA Way,” signs posted around the city

read “Indy welcomes FFA” and streetswere marked with FFA’s official colors:National Blue and Corn Gold.

Hillsborough County had many FFA chap-ters demonstrate their talents and knowl-edge at the convention. Strawberry Crest’sElton Hinton FFA Chapter competed inCreed and Agriculture Issues, Durant Sr.FFA in Extemporaneous Speaking, BrandonFFA competed in Dairy Evaluation andTomlin Middle FFA competed in the firstever National Middle School ParliamentaryProcedures and Opening and ClosingCeremonies competitions. In addition, RayClark, a former advisor of Plant City FFA,was awarded the Honorary American FFADegree.

Throughout the duration of the conven-tion, nine general sessions brought tens ofthousands of FFA members together at asingle time under a single roof during thefour-day event at the Bankers LifeFieldhouse and the Lucas Oil Stadium.

THE 85TH NATIONAL FFA CONVENTION AND EXPO

Growing Leaders, Growing AgricultureBy Lindsey M. English


Students and their advisors had the opportunity to flowthrough the aisles of the expo, an event that showcasesnearly 400 corporations, businesses, organizations andcolleges.

During the many sessions and workshops, teachers andstudents were able to meet and listen to many differentkey note speakers. Figure skating star Scott Hamiltonwas the opening speaker for the convention. Otherkeynote speakers included Dr. Lowell Catlett, a national-ly renowned agriculture professor, former NBA starWalter Bond and native Hoosier Josh Bleill, a formerMarine-turned-motivational-speaker after losing bothlegs while serving in Iraq.

This year’s convention marked the launching of a pro-gram to help eliminate hunger with a million-meal rally.More than 10,000 FFA members, teachers, alumni andvolunteers worked hard to pack one million meals duringthe “Rally to Fight Hunger.” Half of the meals createdwere distributed to the Indianapolis area contributing to“Feeding the World-Starting at Home,” and the otherhalf were shipped overseas in coordination with KidsAgainst Hunger, a humanitarian food-aid organization.“No one is better positioned to address hunger than FFAmembers who are tomorrow’s leaders in providing foodand nutrition for a growing planet,” said National FFAOrganization CEO Dwight Armstrong.

The 2012 National FFA Convention and Expo culminat-ed Saturday with the election of a new, six-memberNational FFA Officer team to help lead the organizationfor the next year.

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President, Ryan Best of New Mexico;

Secretary, Jason Troendle of Minnesota;

Central Region Vice President, Alicia Hodnik

of Wisconsin; Eastern Region Vice President,

Kenneth Quick of New York; Southern Region Vice

President, Cain Thurmond of Georgia and Western

Region Vice President, Seth Pratt of Idaho,

passed the gavel to the new

22001122--22001133 NNaattiioonnaall OOffffiicceerr tteeaamm

President, Clay Sapp of Florida; Secretary, Kalie Hall of

Georgia, Central Region Vice President, Brennan

Castello of Nebraska; Eastern Region Vice President,

Joenelle Futrell of Kentucky; Southern

Region Vice President, Willey Bailey of Alabama

and Western Region Vice President,

Lindsey Anderson of California. •

JJuuaanniittaa BB.. ""NNiittaa"" MMuurrrraayy,, 94 of Plant City diedOctober 24, 2012. She was born December 11,1917. She was preceded in death in 1985 by the“love of her life” William Charles Murray after 49years of marriage.

JJaammeess ““BBoo”” FFoorrttnneerr,, 81 of Plant City died October23, 2012. Bo was born March 26, 1931 to the LateFrank and Mary Tatum Fortner in Springhead,Florida. He is survived by his loving wife LeDell,She and Bo celebrated their 60th weddinganniversary in March of this year.

BBaassiilliiaa SSaannttaannaa JJiimmeenneezz, 75 of Plant City, diedOctober 22, 2012, at Saint Joseph Hospital inTampa. Born September 13, 1937 in Fajardo,Puerto Rico, she was the daughter of the lateAgustin Jimenez Davila and the late Lydia RiveraSantana. She was the wife of Rafael Santana.

FFaayy EElliizzaabbeetthh BBllaannttoonn, 83 of Thonotosassa, diedOctober 22, 2012. Born October 23, 1928 inBirmingham, Alabama to the late Claude andBeulah Wade Hancock. Elizabeth was preceded

in death by her beloved husband Dalton inAugust of this year.

DDaanneellllee LLyynnnn WWhhiittttaakkeerr, 55 of Tampa, diedOctober 22, 2012, at Melech House in TempleTerrace. Born September 15, 1957 in Dayton, Ohio,she was the daughter of the late Dana Whittakerand the late Donna Killing Whittaker.

DDoorriiss MMoozzeellllee DDuuBBooiiss, 98 of Plant City diedOctober 19; She is survived by her sons GeraldDuBois and his wife Edra, Donald DuBois and hiswife Regis. Other survivors include 14 grandchil-dren 9 great grandchildren and 1 great greatgrandchild, Sisters Estelle Evans and MildredCoker and a Brother Sanford Delk.

PPaauull RRoooosseevveelltt WWiilllliiaammss,, 76 of Tampa died FridayOctober 19, 2012 surrounded by his loving family.He was the son of the Late John Henry and AnnieBell Brock Williams. He is survived by his belovedwife Sheila Williams, Son Paul Williams andDaughter Kelly Cory.

MMaarryy DD LLaappmmaann, 90 of Sarasota died October 17,2012, at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Born July28, 1922 in Watersbury, Connecticut, she was thedaughter of the late Thomas Daly and the lateMary Holmes. Surviving niece Donna Griffith ofChatham, CT.

RRoonnaalldd GG.. EEvvaannss, 86 of Plant City died October16, 2012, at South Florida Baptist Hospital. BornMarch 21, 1926 in Brooklyn, New York, he was theson of the late George Evans and the late HelenEvans. Surviving daughter, Cheryl Johns ofRiverhead, NY.

LLaammaarr ""EEdd"" VVaarrnn, 90 of Plant City entered intorest on October 14, 2012, at his home. BornAugust 19, 1922 in Brandon, Florida, he was theson of the late P.H. Varn and the late Olive WoodVarn. He was the husband of Martha JoannHolbrook Varn for 62 years.



They met on a blind date in 1947 arranged by Ed’sfriend Donny McClelland. He was a footballplayer at Plant City High School and Myrtle Lou

was in the band at Turkey Creek, and that date markedthe beginning of a very long relationship. Married in1950, the Swindle’s have two sons, Larry, 59, andRodney, 56, plus four grandchildren and seven greatgrandchildren.

A native of Davenport, Ed and his family moved to thePlant City area when he was two, located on the northMcIntosh Road area north of I-4 and that’s also hometo Larry, who is president of the ESI Group, a compa-ny Ed founded in 1960, and his family and other rela-tives. Rodney and his family live near Marianna innorth Florida where the family has a 9,000-acre timberoperation, which he oversees.

The Swindle family has been successful and “veryblessed,” according to Myrtle and that’s one of the rea-sons they feel it is so “important to give back to thecommunities that have been good to us.” But that’s justpart of the story. Ed recalls a time when he was withthe U.S. Marine Corps at Camp LeJeune in NorthCarolina when “two weeks to go before payday and wehad $1.50.” Thanks to good friends they made itthrough “just fine, but we learned how to be cautiousand careful. We didn’t have much money in those earlyyears, but we did have a budget and Myrtle Lou and Iagreed we would try very hard to save 10 percent ofwhat we made and to never buy anything until wecould pay cash for it all.”

Following his service in the Marines, Ed joined AberInsulation, a Texas-based industrial insulation compa-ny considered one of the biggest in the nation in the1950s. He stayed with the company until 1960 whenplans for Aber to open a local office did not material-ize. “That was a good company with great peoplewhere I learned a whole lot about working with powerplants and meeting their insulation and metal protec-tion needs.”

The Importanceof Giving BackBy Jim Frankowiak

A little later this month,

Ed & Myrtle LouSwindle

will be celebratinga wedding anniversary,it will be their 62nd and theyears just keep getting

better.

Photos by Ron OʼConnor, Farm Credit


One of the keys to working with utilities, which Ed and his com-pany have done since the very beginning in 1960, is providing alevel of service and satisfaction that involves not only new con-struction but service as well. “You have to have good people andI am pleased to say we have some of the best. Some of our staffmembers have been with us for 35 years and we are beginning towork with the fourth generation members of some families,” hesaid. TECO is a good example of a long term relationship. “Wehad our first job with TECO in 1962, and I am pleased and proudto say we are still working for them after all of these years.”

Originally Energy Service Insulation, Inc., the company is nowknown as ESI Group, Inc., a general, mechanical, scaffold,asbestos and lead abatement and insulation and sheet metal con-tractor. ESI Group offers all of its services to customers, enablingcustomers to obtain all of their services from a single contractorinstead of having to deal with multiple contractors. The compa-ny’s primary customer base includes power generation facilities inFlorida and throughout the Southeast. In addition to both fossil

and nuclear power plants, ESI group serves chemical plants,petrochemical refineries and pulp and paper producers. Projectsinvolve teams ranging in size from 150 to as many as 450 staffers.Ed was a Director on the National Maintenance Committee(NMAPC) for 18 years. The committee dealt with major utilities,auto manufacturers and other large-sized companies. He has alsobeen active in a national utility maintenance group that hasworked with utilities, contractors and unions so that all couldbenefit by working together in a collaborative effort.

Business has been good for the Swindle family and has enabledthem to acquire and run their north Florida timber operation.Myrtle Lou, who was born at Pierce in Polk County and relocat-ed with her family to Hillsborough County at a young age, saysthe family “has always been involved in agriculture. My familyhad what was known as a truck farming operation, producingstrawberries, peppers, squash, egg plant and other crops.”Though Ed and Myrtle Lou are no longer actively involved infarming locally, she is the primary lawn mower at their home onMcIntosh Road. Both Ed and Myrtle Lou are quick to note theirself-sufficiency, including the construction of their home andthose of nearby family members. But it’s not all work. “We enjoyhunting and being able to hunt with our grandchildren and greatgrandchildren, which is very special for us,” said Myrtle Lou.

Ed and Myrtle Lou recently returned from an elk hunting trip toNew Mexico with plans to return in pursuit of mule deer. Theyalso enjoy hunting with family members in north Florida. “Edhas done well in New Mexico,” said Myrtle Lou, who lovesturkey hunting “and she’s good at it, too,” said Ed.

“We grew up in an era where you really had to do things for your-self and that has carried over and with our sons,” said Ed. Anordained deacon, Ed and Myrtle Lou have been active membersof First Baptist Church of Dover since December of 1945. Thatincludes several decades as Director of the pre-school nursery forEd and Myrtle Lou’s work with four-year-olds. “Some have saidvery young children are unable to appreciate love, but theyrespond and it’s not make believe. They cry when they are sad andlaugh when they are happy, something we can’t always do asadults.”

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“Let’s face it,” says Ed. “Our only salvation is the young people and we haveto show them love and affection from early on. They will respond.” Ed, a longtime Hillsborough County Sheriff Honorary Deputy, reports Sheriff David Geetalks of non-involved youth who get in trouble with the legal system “costingtaxpayers $1.4 million on average over their lifetime. That’s another reason towork to have our youth involved in productive activities.” The Swindle’s havelong supported youth and various agriculture programs including 4-H andFFA, where their sons were very active growing up. Larry has been presidentof an FFA alumni group active locally and at the national level.

There have been a number of honors over the years and they include the PlantCity Chamber of Commerce Good Egg Award, the Chamber’s Citizen of theYear honor in 2010, Plant City High School Class of 1950 honor for Supportof Medical Needs. Ed also served as an FFA Federation Director for eightyears and he received an Honorary State FFA Degree in 2010. Farm Credit ofCentral Florida cited the family this year for Supporting youth and agricul-ture and the Hillsborough County Fair presented the Swindle’s with its FarmFamily Award for 2012.

And most recently, the family was recognized for its livestock pavilion contri-bution at the Florida Strawberry Festival grounds. The new facility will sup-port youth programs during the annual festival. The near million dollar pavil-ion encompasses 25,000-square feet and is adjacent to the MadoniaAgricultural Center.

The Plant City community at large has also benefited from the Swindle fam-ily’s commitment to “giving back.” Their foundation was instrumental infunding construction of the Swindle Diagnostic Clinic adjacent to SouthFlorida Baptist Hospital and there have been similar community contribu-tions in north Florida.

“The Lord has definitely blessed our family,” said Myrtle Lou. “Part of ourappreciation is giving back to the community in ways that help those whohave helped us,” said Ed.

Perhaps the words of Ed and Myrtle Lou’s Great Grandchild Anna BethConrad best sums things up: “My Gran and Mema are two of the greatestpeople I have ever known not just because they are my grandparents, butbecause of the huge imprint they have placed on our community. My Grangathers us as a family each year at Christmas and always speaks to us as ourpatriarch. His message is loud and clear and resonates with me as it keeps ourfamily strong and guides us on our daily walk though life: Love your family,love God, thank Him for your blessings and appreciate what you have. Shareyour blessings with others and help to be a blessing to them. Do what youcan to lay a foundation for the family you have and make this a good placefor those who are yet to come.”

“Our family is so incredibly lucky to have two amazingindividuals to look up to, learn from and lead us.”

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Homeowners, landscape profession-als and naturalists need to be onthe lookout for a devastating

disease that has been confirmed inHillsborough County in 2012. The dis-ease, known as Laurel wilt, affects trees inthe Laurel family, most notably the redbayand the avocado. The disease was firstdetected in Georgia in 2002 and hassteadily spread north to South Carolinaand south to Florida.

TTHHEE DDIISSEEAASSEE The disease, caused by a fungus (Raffaeleasp.), is introduced into host trees by a non-native beetle, the redbay ambrosia beetle(Xyleborus glabratus). The beetles aredark brown to black, cylinder shaped andabout 2mm in length, or smaller than agrain of rice. Fungal spores are transport-ed on the beetle’s mouthparts and thenintroduced into the tree by the beetle. Thebeetle bores into trees and creates tunnelsor galleries in the sapwood. The fungusthen grows in the galleries and serves asfood for the beetles and their larvae. Thefungus gets its’ nutrition from the tree.The fungus, moves into the water andnutrient system of the tree and plugs upand prevents the flow of water, causing thetree to wilt and eventually die.

FFOOLLIIAARR SSYYMMPPTTOOMMSS• Leaves and young stems droop and wilt.• Leaf color change from light green to dark purplish-green, bluish-green to greenish-brown or reddening.

• Initially foliage may be affected in only part of the crown, but eventually the entire crown wilts.

• Dead leaves hanging on tree; some

avocado species drop dead leaves.• Stem and limb dieback.

TTRRUUNNKK AANNDD MMAAJJOORR LLIIMMBB SSYYMMPPTTOOMMSS• Trunk and major limbs may show driedsap, a white crystalline powder-like material.

• Removal of the bark to the sapwood may show dark (black to brown) streaking running parallel to the grain of the wood. This streaking indicates fungal infection. Sapwood should normally bewhite to yellowish with no dark streaking or staining.

• The presence of small dark holes in thesapwood indicates boring beetles.

• Small strings of compacted saw dust may protrude from bore holes in heavy

infestations.

RREECCOOMMMMEENNDDAATTIIOONNSSCurrently, homeowners and landscapeprofessionals are advised to report anysuspicious redbay, avocado or other tree inthe laurel family to the Division of PlantIndustry at 1-888-397-1517. Reportinghelps scientists and regulatory agenciestrack the movement of this disease.Redbay and other host trees should not be

moved or sold as firewood, mulch, BBQsmoke wood or for any other purpose.When planting or moving live host trees,insect and disease free containerized treesshould only be purchased from registerednurseries.

Homeowners and landscape professionalsmay collect a sample for confirmation ofthe disease. Samples are sent overnight tothe Division of Plant Industry. For infor-mation on how to collect a sample scrolldown to How to Collect a Sample on theDivision of Plant Industry website below.Once a tree has been diagnosed as beingpositive for Laurel wilt, it should beremoved immediately and disposed ofproperly. Disposal may involve contactingyour local waste disposal service to have itpicked up and destroyed or buried.According to Mike Thomas of theDivision of Plant Industry, tree trimmingscan be bagged and sealed for disposal bythe waste disposal service.

The best alternative is to cut the tree to theground and have it chipped. It is impor-tant to chip all portions of the tree as thisdestroys the beetle’s habitat. Chips shouldbe disposed of at a local landfill that willdestroy or bury the chips. Or the chips canbe placed on top of the stump and com-pletely covered with a tarp and allowed tocompost. The tarp helps prevent any

Wiltby Susan Haddock Commercial Horticulture/Integrated PestManagement/Small Farms Agent,UF/IFAS Hillsborough County Extension

Comparison of beetle to a penny; b) top view and c) side view of a single adult; Photo - Mike Thomas, DPI

Threatens Trees in the Laurel Family, Including Redbay and Avocado

Affected Redbay; Photo - Dan Culbert, UF/IFAS

Protruding sawdust Photo - Dan Culbert, UF/IFAS INTHEFIELD MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2012 75W W W. I N T H E F I E L D M AG A Z I N E .C O M

Florida tomato farmers mayincrease their yields by addingsulfur to their soil before plant-

ing, according to a University ofFlorida study published in the cur-rent issue of the journalHortTechnology.

Adding 25 pounds of elemental sul-fur per acre boosted yields by 1.7tons per acre in the study, saidBielinski Santos, an associate profes-sor with UF’s Institute of Food andAgricultural Sciences and part of theresearch team responsible for thepaper.

Sulfur is an important major nutrientand one of the ways it reaches agri-cultural fields is via atmospheric dep-osition. However, in recent years theamount of sulfur in the atmospherehas declined, due to tougher clean-air standards. So some farmland maynot have the same sulfur content itonce did.

“Growers should be aware that sul-fur-related deficiencies are now morecommon than a few years ago in veg-etables and small fruit crops,” saidSantos, who is based at UF’s GulfCoast Research and EducationCenter in Balm.

There are no field tests available forsoil sulfur content, Santos said. So herecommends adding a sulfur amend-ment to soil once each year.

In the study, scientists grew tomatoeson sandy soil at the Balm center.Treatments were set up using sulfuramendments ranging from 25pounds to 200 pounds per acre. Theresults showed that soil amendedwith 25 pounds per acre yielded 1.7tons more marketable fruit per acre,compared to a control plot with nosulfur amendment.

Adding more sulfur had little addi-tional benefit, Santos said. The 25pounds per acre falls within UF/IFASrecommendations for Florida veg-etable production.

Santos said that possible sulfursources include gypsum, elementalsulfur and sulfate-based fertilizer.

He added that a UF/IFAS researchteam has conducted similar experi-ments with strawberries and foundsimilar results. That study will bepublished in the coming months.•

By Tom Nordlie

Sulfur AmendmentsMay Boost Tomato Yields,UF Researchers Report

Above: Dark staining of sapwood,Below: Live beetles and egg chambersPhoto - Dan Culbert, UF/IFAS


beetles not destroyed in the chipping process fromescaping. The composting process may be accelerat-ed with the addition of topsoil, manure, fertilizerand water.

Burning the cut tree material is also an option, butnot recommended due to burn restrictions, the needto obtain burn permits and the danger of an uncon-trolled burn.

The fungus can be transmitted on handsaws but notpower saws. It is important to disinfect pruningequipment between trees and after each use. Toolsshould be soaked for five to ten minutes in 25%chlorine bleach (3 parts water and 1 part bleach) or50% rubbing alcohol (70% isopropyl with equalpart of water).

PPRREEVVEENNTTAATTIIVVEE MMEEAASSUURREESSHigh value landscape trees may be treated preventa-tively with systemic fungicides. Propiconazole (tradename Alamo®) has shown some success protectinghigh value trees. The diluted fungicide is dispensedinto the tree using a passive uptake or microinjectorsystem. Homeowners should contract a licensedlandscape company or arborist with a pesticide cer-tification to perform this work. Currently, there areno recommended fungicide treatments for avocadotrees in the urban landscape.

The best defense is to keep trees as healthy as possi-ble in the first place. Reduce tree stress by plantingin appropriate locations and irrigate as water restric-tions allow during times of drought. •

More InformationFlorida Department of Agriculture and Consumer

Services, Division of Plant Industry, Laurel Wilt website: hhttttpp::// //wwwwww..ffrreesshhffrroommfflloorrii

ddaa..ccoomm//ppii// eennpppp//ppaatthhoollooggyy// llaauurreell__wwiilltt__ddiisseeaassee..hhttmmll

Laurel Wilt: A Threat to Redbay, Avocado and RelatedTrees in Urban and Rural landscapes

hhttttpp::// // eeddiiss..iiffaass..uuffll..eedduu//hhss339911

2012 Sheriff David Gee’sCharity Sporting Clay ShootAsignificant amount ofmoneywas raised thatwill benefited the followingcharities: SpecialOperationWarrior Foundation,OperationHelpingHand

andTheHaleyHouseFund. Thanks again to all who attendedandour corporate sponsors for themaking the event a success.

IINNTTHHEEFFIIEELLDD MMAAGGAAZZIINNEE NNOOVVEEMMBBEERR 22001122 7799 WW WW WW.. II NNTT HH EE FFII EE LL DD MMAAGG AA ZZ II NN EE ..CC OO MM

There were 250 shootersregistered forthe event and itwas a sell out.

The event was held at Tampa BaySporting Clays located at 10415 Ehren

Cutoff in Land'O Lakes, FL.

All who attended were treated to a breakfast and lunch.

There were approximately 15 vendors who also lended

their support.

There were also manyprizes that were raffledoff the day of the event.

We look forward to seeing you next year.

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

P O Drawer LPlant City, FL 33564

12880 E US Highway 92Dover, FL 33527



•• HHIILLLLSSBBOOUURROOUUGGHH FFAARRMMEERRSS MMAARRKKEETTSS ••

SSWWEEEETTWWAATTEERR SSUUNNDDAAYY OORRGGAANNIICC MMAARRKKEETTSweetwater Community Farm, 6942 W. Comanche AvenueTampa, Florida • Open-air / seasonal • November throughMay Sundays, Noon to 4:00 p.m. Contact Information: Andrea Harms, Market Manager 6942 Comanche Avenue Tampa, FL 33634Telephone: (813) 887-4066 • www.sweetwater-organic.org

TTAAMMPPAA DDOOWWNNTTOOWWNN MMAARRKKEETTLykes Gaslight Square Park400 and 500 Block Franklin Street and200 and 300 Madison Street, Tampa, Florida 33602Open: Mid-October through Mid-MayFridays, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.Contact Information: Ms. Tiffany Ferrecchia601 North Ashley Drive, Suite 1100Tampa, Florida 33602 • Telephone: (813) 649-8747Email: [email protected]

TTAAMMPPAA WWHHOOLLEESSAALLEE PPRROODDUUCCEE MMAARRKKEETT2801 East Hillsborough Avenue Tampa, FloridaOpen year-round: Monday through Saturday from 3:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.Contact Information: Peter Filippello2801 East Hillsborough Avenue Tampa, Florida 33610Telephone: (813) 237-3314

YYBBOORR CCIITTYY SSAATTUURRDDAAYY MMAARRKKEETTCentennial Park at the corner of Eighth Avenue and 19th Street, Ybor City Tampa, FloridaYear-round, Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Contact Information: Lynn SchultzP.O. Box 5294, Tampa, Florida 33675-5294 Telephone: (813) 241-2442Email: [email protected] Web: www.ybormarket.com

•• MMAANNAATTEEEE FFAARRMMEERRSS MMAARRKKEETTSS ••

DDOOWWNNTTOOWWNN BBRRAADDEENNTTOONN FFAARRMMEERRSS’’ MMAARRKKEETTOld Main Street (12th Street West) Bradenton, Florida October through May • Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.Contact Information: Susan Blake, Market Manager 101 Old Main St. - City Hall Bradenton, Florida 34205Telephone: (941) 544-8077 Fax: (941) 932-9552Email: [email protected]

LLAAKKEEWWOOOODD RRAANNCCHH FFAARRMMEERRSS’’ MMAARRKKEETTMain Street, Lakewood Ranch, Florida Street-side MarketOpen November through May Saturdays, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Contact Information:Bob Fernandez, Market Manager 301 North Hillcrest Drive Clearwater, Florida 33755 Telephone: (727) 461-7674 Email: [email protected]

•• PPAASSCCOO FFAARRMMEERRSS MMAARRKKEETTSS ••

DDOOWWNNTTOOWWNN NNOORRTTHH PPOORRTT RRIICCHHEEYY MMAARRKKEETTHistoric District, Railroad SquareNebraska Avenue, one block east of GrandNew Port Richey, FloridaOpen: Year-Round, Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.Contact Information: Carlene Hanlon6231 Grand Boulevard, New Port Richey, FL 34652Telephone: (727) 842-8066 • Fax: (727) 264-0460Emails: [email protected] [email protected] • www.nprmainstreet.com

FFLLOORRIIDDAA EESSTTAATTEESS WWIINNEERRYY MMAARRKKEETT25241 State Road 52, Land O’ Lakes, FL 34639Second and fourth Saturday of each month 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. • Contact Information: Ron Hunt25241 State Road 52, Land O’ Lakes, FL 34639-7172Telephone: (813)996-2113Email: [email protected] • www.floridaestateswines.com

•• PPIINNEELLLLAASS FFAARRMMEERRSS MMAARRKKEETTSS ••

DDOOWWNNTTOOWWNN CCLLEEAARRWWAATTEERR FFAARRMMEERRSS’’ MMAARRKKEETTDowntown on Cleveland Street (500 block) Clearwater, FL • Mid-October through May-Wednesdays, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Contact Information:Bob or Pat Fernandez, P.O. Box 1017, Clearwater, FL 33757Telephone: (727) 461-7674 • Email: [email protected]

DDUUNNEEDDIINN GGRREEEENN MMAARRKKEETTPioneer Park, corner of Main Street and Douglas AvenueDunedin, FloridaMid-October through April • Fridays, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.Contact Information: Richard Kendler, Market Manager200 Woodette Drive, No. 803, Dunedin, FL 34698Telephone: (727) 733-4215Email: [email protected]GGUULLFFPPOORRTT TTUUEESSDDAAYY FFRREESSHH MMAARRKKEETTBeach Boulevard, near 29th Avenue South Gulfport, FL Open year round • Tuesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.Contact Information: Daniel Hodge4920 29th Avenue South, Gulfport, FL 33707Telephone: (727) 366-4086 • Email: [email protected]: www.gulfportma.com/Freshmarket.html

LLAARRGGOO’’SS DDOOWWNNTTOOWWNN MMAARRKKEETTUlmer Park • 301 West Bay Drive, Largo, FL 33771Open November through April Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Contact Information: Kinsit CooleyP.O. Box 296, Largo, FL 33779Telephone: (727) 587-6740 • Fax: (727) 586-7406Email: [email protected] • Web: www.largoevents.comMMAARRKKEETT IINN TTHHEE PPAARRKKHeritage Village, 11909 - 125th Street Largo, FL 33774November through mid-April Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.Contact Information: Richard Kendler, Market Manager200 Woodette Drive, No. 803, Dunedin, FL 34698Telephone: (727) 733-4215Email: [email protected]

OOLLDDSSMMAARR DDOOWWNNTTOOWWNN FFRREESSHH MMAARRKKEETT100 State Street West next to City HallNovember through AprilWednesdays, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Contact Information: Richard Kendler200 Woodette Drive, No. 803, Dunedin, FL 34698Telephone: (727) 733-4215Email: [email protected]

SSAAFFEETTYY HHAARRBBOORR FFAARRMMEERRSS’’ MMAARRKKEETT400 Main Street - Downtown Safety John Wilson ParkSafety Harbor, Florida • Mid-October through MayThursdays, 8:00 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Contact Information: Bob Fernandez301 N. Hillcrest Drive Clearwater, FL 33755 Telephone: (727) 461-7674 • Email: [email protected]

SSTT.. PPEETTEERRSSBBUURRGG SSAATTUURRDDAAYY MMOORRNNIINNGG MMAARRKKEETTFirst Avenue South and First Street St. Petersburg, FLOctober through May • Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.Contact Information: Gail Eggman104 Fareham Place, North • St. Petersburg, Florida 33701Telephone: (727) 455-4921 Email: [email protected]

•• PPOOLLKK FFAARRMMEERRSS MMAARRKKEETTSS ••

AAUUBBUURRNNDDAALLEE FFAARRMMEERRSS’’ MMAARRKKEETTDowntown - 119 West Park Street Auburndale, FLNovember through April • Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.Contact Information: Larry Helms119 West Park Street Auburndale, FL 33823 Telephone: (863) 965-5545 • Fax: (863) 965-6319Email: [email protected] www.auburndalefl.com

HHAAIINNEESS CCIITTYY FFAARRMMEERRSS’’ MMAARRKKEETTRailroad Park - Downtown(Sixth Street and Jones Avenue) Haines City, FLYear-round, Wednesdays, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Contact Information: Tommy Cassel, Market Manager P.O. Box 1507, Haines City, FL 33845 Telephone: (863) 421-3700 • Fax: (863) 421-3701Email: [email protected] http://www.ci.haines-city.fl.us

LLAAKKEELLAANNDD DDOOWWNNTTOOWWNN FFAARRMMEERRSS’’ CCUURRBB MMAARRKKEETT200 North Kentucky Avenue, Lakeland, FLOpen September to July • Wednesdays 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. • Saturdays 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Contact Information: Mr. Jim Luna228 South Massachusetts Avenue Lakeland, FL 33801Telephone: (863) 687-8910 • Fax: (863) 683-2783Email: [email protected]/curbmarket

•• SSAARRAASSOOTTAA FFAARRMMEERRSS MMAARRKKEETT ••

PPHHIILLLLIIPPPPII EESSTTAATTEE FFAARRMMEERRSS’’ MMAARRKKEETTSSPhillippi Estate Park5500 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, FLOpen November - April, Wednesday 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.Contact Information: Tim Brown, c/o Phillippi Estate Park,5500 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota, Florida 34231Telephone: (941) 266-6691 • Fax: (941) 373-7080Email: [email protected]

SSAARRAASSOOTTAA DDOOWWNNTTOOWWNN FFAARRMMEERRSS’’ MMAARRKKEETTDowntown Sarasota - Corner of Lemon Avenue and Main Street Sarasota, FloridaYear-round • Saturdays, 7:00 a.m. to noonContact Information: Leann Aldridge, Market Manager1365 Fruitville Road, Sarasota, FL 34236Telephone: (941) 951-2656Email: [email protected]

CCOOMMMMUUNNIITTYY FFAARRMMEERRSS MMAARRKKEETTSSFor More Information Contact:Agriculture Industry Development Program HillsboroughCounty Economic Development Department P.O. Box 1110, Tampa, Florida 33601-1110Phone: (813) 272-5909 Fax: (813) 276-2638http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/econdev/agriculture/

Listings in this directory are not paid advertisements andare provided as a free service. A listing in this directorydoes not imply an endorsement by Hillsborough CountyBoard of County Commissioners, the EconomicDevelopment Department, or the Agriculture EconomicDevelopment Council.

Sources: Hillsborough County Agriculture IndustryDevelopment Program and the FL Department ofAgriculture & Consumer Services.

Community Farmers Markets

Information courtesy ofwww.hillsboroughcounty.org


Watch the news and undoubtedlyyou’ll hear a plethora of nega-tive conversation about coun-

tries in the Middle East. Therefore, thisarticle is certain to peak your attention aswe had the opportunity to interview a manfrom Iraq. No doubt that concept is a littleodd given the fact we’re an agriculturalmagazine, but when you discover whatMohammed S. Lafta is doing, you’llunderstand our reasoning.

Mary Kerstetter was an Ag worker forUSAID in Iraq. As a former Pennsylvanian4H member and 4H leader she saw a needfor the program there. When she met Mr.Lafta a new purpose came to life. He says,“We started in 2010, in mid 2010, likeJune, we started with a 4H club inMahmudiah. It’s 30 kilometers south ofBaghdad. We started with 29 members, 50percent boys, 50 percent girls, half andhalf.”

Anyone having started a 4H club is awareof the fact they usually don’t garner suchhigh initial enrollment. This was of coursea tell tale sign of the kind of success Mr.Lafta, Chairman of the Iraqi 4H, wasabout to experience. He continues, “Thesemembers called the club Alamal, which inEnglish means Hope. So after that, 4HGROW! We did three clubs in Baghdad.We started many other clubs in manyprovinces in Iraq, in South, mid-Iraq andNorth Iraq.”

Eventually Mary left and Mr. Lafta was onhis own. All the people involved work on avoluntary basis and are connected to theIraqi National Center for Youth Clubs.Iraq is the 81 international country that

does 4H. Many coun-tries are joining 4H indeveloping nations.

Most of our readers arefamiliar with 4H butMr. Lafta’s group hassome interesting addi-tional aspects. Heshared them all with us.“Some of these clubsare interested in ani-mals, some how tolearn computer, sheepand dairy clubs. We offer computer cours-es, music lectures, art gallery visits, visitingthe dentist, sheep breeding, first aid cours-es and attendance in town council meet-ings.”

While that might not sound hugely differ-ent from what we do here, the kicker is thisrevelation, “We worked with the widowsand orphans. They are supported fromINMA Organization.” Working with wid-ows and orphans is a radical step in a pre-dominantly Muslim country. He explains,“We established this club in a very danger-ous area of Iraq.”

In fact, due to some of the communityservice projects the club has been involvedin, Al-Qaeda has targeted him on theirwebsites. They say he’s an agent ofAmerica and that he’s there to brainwashtheir children. He says he’s told them,“This is for Iraq from Iraq to Iraq. It’s anAmerican idea but it’s for Iraq.”Apparently they have paid him visits at hishome insisting that he teach the kids howto draw guns and tanks.

For a man accused of brainwashing chil-dren, he tells a story that proves everythingbut. He says, “Najat, 13 years old, couldnot read or write. I refused to put her inthe club. On the second meeting I saw herstanding outside where we were meeting. Isaid, ‘Najat, I cannot let you join becauseyou cannot read or write,’ but she’s reallystrong. She said, ‘Ok, I promise you I readand write.’ And in just six months she canread and write and use computer. The TVstation came. She’s on government TV!”

Mr. Lafta has many such success storiesabout the children he reaches via Iraqi 4H.By the way, in the two years it has been inexistence it has grown to more than 60clubs with about 3,000 kids involved. 4Hclovers dot the country from top to bot-tom. It is apparent that this was a muchneeded move for their country. Kids arelearning to participate in community serv-ice projects which is something Mr. Laftasaid was completely foreign to them. Theypainted their schools, inside and out andthey planted trees on their school grounds.Mr. Lafta was here in the states to attendthe National 4H Conference. He attended

By Ginny Mink

4H Around the World

Iraqi 4H


the Orlando based meeting with all the 4H Agents in the nationalong with Joann Cobe from Kenya. They were the first twointernational leaders to attend this conference.

In closing Mr. Lafta discusses the financial issues he faces.Actually, he’s quite humble, “I need support, but I did not askfor money. I ask training. I hope the Iraqi government under-stands what we did to start this program. When I come back toIraq I will try to meet with the Minister of Agriculture or ofYouth or of Sport.”

Remember, we told you that all those involved are volunteers.If you think you might be interested in offering some supportyou can check out their website: www.incyc4h.org (but it’s inArabic) or just contact Georgene Bender at the IFAS Center inPlant City at (813) 757-2184.

Mr. Lafta, Program Director Iraq 4-Hand Dr. Lisa Laxuman,

4-H National Headquarters Director


Noone is immune from the grass-is-greener disease. It seems that nomatter what we do, we suspect

that someone else has it better whetherit be in his/her career or family. Thisdiscontent can have negative effects ofcourse, but it also spurs us on to try newthings. Sometimes these new venturesprove fruitful and other times they serve toremind us we have it pretty good in ourown pastures. Kathy Surface found thelatter out when she tried to leave heragricultural roots.

She explains, “My parents ran a farm andI still live on a farm. I’ve always been partof it. I don’t know what I’d be withoutagriculture. I was raised right here inHillsborough County, my parents had acattle ranch, my mother still has a cattleranch and I still work on the family farm.When I was in high school I thought therewas a lot better way to make a living so Iwent to college, but after four years andgetting a degree in political science, Irealized it wasn’t a better lifestyle. I lookedaround at what everybody was doing andI found there wasn’t anything I enjoyeddoing more than working on the ranch.Agriculture offers you space and the

opportunity to learn life-long skills of deal-ing with livestock and learning how to carefor something other than yourself.”So basically, Kathy learned that thoughpolitical science could have produced afinancially stable career it couldn’t provideher with the joys of ranch life. There’ssomething to be said about the agricultur-ally focused lifestyle versus the daily grindand Kathy learned that real quick.

She continues, “I got married to my hus-band, I knew I wanted our children to havethe same benefits I had growing up, notbeing in the rat-race, how to be self suffi-cient and use their imaginations, becauseall problems can’t be solved by a bookwhen you’re on the farm and I didn’t wantthem to be influenced so much by the elec-tronic age. Because of that I wanted mykids to show. I never showed as a kid, so Istarted talking to my sister and she told methat Karen Green had a 4H group and theyshowed livestock. So, I went and I wasenthralled. I was just a parent going withan eight year old. That next fall, the StateFair was starting up an achievementprogram and I said, ‘that’s perfect!’ We allstarted working on that in the club. Sincemy son did so well in the poultry division,

I became the project leader. Karen wasgoing to retire, so in 1999, I became theorganizational leader of Country Folks 4Hand I’ve been it ever since. We are theoldest continuous 4H group in the county!My kids put me into 4H and that’s howI’ve ended up here.” Certainly she neverthought she’d be in the position she’s innow, but it is obvious that this is an aspectof the agricultural lifestyle that she reallyloves.

Kathy tells us a little about her club, “Thekids in my group can do anything but theyhave to have one thing in common andthat’s a love of talking about livestock ani-mals because I want to teach about live-stock. I’ve had kids do crafts and plantsbut I primarily teach cows, pigs, chickens,rabbits, sheep and dairy goats. I do not dosewing or crafts of any kind.” Essentially,Kathy’s 4H kids are there to showlivestock. If they have interests in otherarenas she says that they have to findsomeone else to educate them thereinbecause livestock is the only thing she trulyfocuses on in her club. She adds, “I amblessed with a very easy going group ofpeople. My parents stay right with theirkids.”

By Ginny Mink

FindingContentmentin Your OwnPasture

CountryFolks 4H


Given the limited focus of the Country Folks 4H club, it seemsexpected that they would do well at the different competitions.Kathy says, “I’ve had individual kids do extremely well. I’vehad a child in that ring every year, in the champion of champi-ons. Since I’ve been an organizational leader, I’ve had at leastone kid in there. I’ve gone to Nationals with poultry twice andI took one as an individual and one as a state winning team.I’ve been blessed with very good kids. I’m just a regular momwho teaches stuff. If you’ve got a kid that wants to do this stuff,I’ll teach him to the best of my ability.” Kathy’s background incattle ranching is without a doubt the drive behind her passionfor livestock and it has aided her members in the ring for sure.

Though Kathy thought she could find a better venue to focusher life on, returning to agriculture has made all the difference.She says, “It’s the gift it leaves for years to come. If you can geta kid to touch agriculture, to really do something with it, it willstay with them all their lives, no matter what they do. It’sastonishing the impact it has, people will talk about what theylearned and how it affected them, the feeling of pride, it’s veryunique.”

Kathy’s group contains eight children, but that’s enough for herbecause she’s a very hands-on leader and wants to be able todevote large amounts of time to individual children. Currentlythey are preparing for the state fair. Keep your ears out for theirfuture successes. She closes by saying, “Over the years I’ve metsome very great children and they’ve turned into wonderfulpeople and it’s a wonderful organization!” •

We are the oldest continuous4H group in the county!


The cornucopia, or horn of plenty, is an ancientsymbol of abundance and nourishment. In Greekand Roman mythology it is associated with theharvest, prosperity and spiritual abundance.The cornucopia is typically a large horn shapedcontainer overflowing with various kinds of fruitsand vegetables, flowers, nuts, or any harvestbounty. This month we will celebrate the harvestand abundance (in whatever abundance you aregifted with). An edible cornucopia, like our gifts ofabundance, is not necessarily something that ismanifest with a formula, but rather a gift thatresults from the spirit of abundance.

Materials Needed:

Large Sugar Cones – This is the horn of theproject, everything else is what you fill thehorn with

• Nuts (suggestion)• Dehydrated Fruits (suggestion)• Baby Corn (Suggestion)• Candy Corn (suggestion)• Berries (suggestion)• Grapes (suggestion)• Raisins (suggestion)• Popcorn (suggestion)

Naturally Amazing Activities

Edible CornucopiaBy Sean Green

• Mini Marshmallows (suggestion)• Mint Leaves (suggestion)

The idea here is to be creative, use what you have,anything you have. It does not take much to makethis project a grand success, great stuff can befound in the bottom of what would otherwise beconsidered “empty” boxes of cereal or othersnacks. I have provided suggestions above andtend to encourage raw or natural foods overprocessed foods and sugary treats, but I have toadmit, some sugary foods are fun and I haveincluded some in my suggestions.

Fill your sugar cone with an abundance of treats.Be creative with it, there is no harm in going crazywith decorating the outside of the horn withchocolate, and sprinkles or chopped nuts. Thereare also many small leafy foods that make this bothattractive and tasty, consider mint leaves, parsley,licorice leaves or any number of other herbs. Babycorn is fantastic for an authentic looking miniaturecornucopia.

Whatever you decide to fill your horn with, themost important step is the acknowledgement andgratitude for the abundance you have been givenand sharing it with others. Have Fun! •

Photo by Mandy Heaston (Gormetmom)Photo is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

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The Trinkle Center at the Plant CityCampus of Hillsborough CommunityCollege was the site of a special

“Blueberry Short Course” on TuesdayOctober 20.

US Congressman Dennis Ross, representingthe 12th district of Florida gave the welcom-ing address.

The Florida Blueberry Growers Associationheld a 25-minute business meeting, conduct-ed by Bill Braswell, President of theAssociation.

The short course covered such issues as labor,diseases, principles of chemical weed man-agement, and a blueberry cultivar update by

Dr. James Olmstead, from the HorticulturalSciences Dept., IFAS, University of Florida.

After a lunch break time was given to attendthe trade show that featured more than50-trade exhibits. At 1:30 the short courseresumed with a review of the 2012 three dayBlueberry Festival held in Brooksville in Mayof this year.

Dr. Oscar Liburd, entomologist, Departmentof Entomology and Nematology, Universityof Florida spoke on the spotted wingdrosophila and what his department is doingat the University to combat the pest.

Silvia Marino, a graduate student with theHorticultural Sciences Department, IFAS, atthe University of Florida, gave an interesting

comparison of the tissue culture and soft-wood cutting derived from southern highbush blueberry plants during the two yearsfollowing blueberry planting.

The final speaker was also a graduate studentwith Horticultural Sciences, IFAS, at theUniversity of Florida. His topic was the effectof time and intensity of summer pruningon flower bud initiation and vegetativere-growth of the southern high bush blue-berry plant.

It was noted during the short course that theblueberry industry is expanding around theglobe. They predict blueberry growers needto increase production 40 percent by 2015in order to keep up with world demand.

ANIMALS & NEEDS

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

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

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

BUILDING SUPPLIES

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

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

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

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

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

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

FARM EQUIPMENT

2008 MT 465B4 wd, cab, economy pro. 16 hrs.Call Mike 813-478-0723

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

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

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

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

2011 MASSEY FERGUSON 26354 wd, 62 pto hp. $26,500Call Mike 813-478-0723

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

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

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

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

2009 AGCO CHALLENGER MT 465B MWRTractor. Cab, a/c, 2 remotes, 3 pt. hitch.Call Mike 813-478-0723

NEW HOLLAND TC182001, 525 actual hours, 4X4.$4,950 Call Alvie 813-759-8722

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

SNAPPER PRO 50Zero turn mower, 36" cut,kawasaki engine, 43 hrs. $3,250Call Alvie 813-759-8722

FOR SALE

TOP GRADE TANZANITE RING 18KT GOLDBeautiful piece of jewelry. 1.05kt round nice bluegem with channel side diamonds. Would make niceChristmas gift - never been worn. Size 7-1/2$1,100 Call 863-370-8891 Fabulous Price!

14KT GOLD AMMOLITE RINGUnique Multi-colored fossil gem with uniquemounting. Great for gifting. Size 8 $250 orbest offer. Call 863-370-8891

JOBS

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

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

LAWN EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES

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

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

REAL ESTATE

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

FARM LAND FOR LEASE85 acres, South County on Gulf City Road.Long term lease possible.Contact Dennis Carlton at (813) 620-8312

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

BEAUTIFUL LAKEFRONT HOMETsala Apopka Chain (Citrus Co.) 3 bed / 2.5 bath /2 car garage, 1,966sf living / 2,923sf under roof,Brick Home w/100ft waterfront, Boathouse w/lift,Perfect for vacationing or make it your foreverhome! $335,000 oboCall for more details 352-637-3758

LAKELAND 20+ACRESIllness forces sale. Was 900K now 325K.Potential income 54K annually.Call for details. Estate Brokers USA.Lee 813-986-9141

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

MOUNTAIN HOMELocated in Blairsville Georgia!Private home with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths,unfurnished basement, nice kitchen, sunroom,back deck for cooking out. Nestled in the trees,cool enough that there is no AC.Lots of outbuildings. A must see!MLS#212679, $180,000.2.47 acres wooded, low maintenance.Call Jane Baer with Jane Baer Realty1-800-820-7829

Classifieds Tel: 813.759.6909 [email protected]


Merry Christmas

In The Field Hillsborough edition

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