Heartland Magazine March 2013

A Way of Life.

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COVER STORY:Florida’s Nursery Industry

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March 2013 Heartland InThe Field Magazine 3

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HEARTLANDA Way of Life.

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Departments14 The21stCenturyLegacy ofAgriculture ByDr.DavidMKohl

16 Heartland’sFishingReport ByCapt.MarkKing

18 March’sHuntingSpotlight: WesleyGeorges

24 TurningOverRocksintheSinai ByPfc.LeviLambert

28 CitrusUpdate:ABalancingAct ByJustinSmith

32 WomanInAg:PattyMudge ByRobbiSumner

38 Farmer&Rancher:DanCulbert ByRobbiSumner

52 InSeasonNow:FloridaCabbage

54 FloridaCattlewomen’sRecipe: EasyBeefStroganoff

64 FFASpotlight: ClewistonHighSchoolFFA

70 FloridaLiteratureSeries: TheYearling ByBradyVogt

73 AgCalendar

MarchFeatures20 TurkeySeasonisComing!

22 ChoosingtheProperKnife ByTomClaycombIII

42 FloridaNurseryIndustry ByRonLambert,ContributingwriterRobbiSumner

56 TammeandJimmyFussell ByRobbiSumner

60 LarsonandKempferwin BeefQualityAssuranceAwards

62 BudGreen ByRobbiSumner

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PublisherRhonda [email protected]

Karen [email protected]

Executive EditorMorgan Taylor [email protected]

Business ManagerNadine GlissonLizette Sarria

Art DirectorsCarrie EvansOlivia Fryer

Graphics InternLauren Taylor

Staff WritersCindy CutrightRon LambertBrian NorrisJustin Smith Robbi Sumner

Contributing WritersTom Claycomb III Kellie DukeDr. David M. KohlRusty HartlineNell McAuleyBrady VogtMatt WarrenLindsey Wiggins

Social Media DirectorBrian Norris

PhotographySarah Cronk Sharon GlissonKathy GreggRussell HancockNell McAuleyBrian NorrisLauren TaylorHolly Taylor

Heartland in the Field Magazine is published monthly and is available through local businesses, restaurants and other local venues within Hardee, Highlands, DeSoto, Charlotte, Glades, Hendry and Okeechobee Counties. It is also distributed by U.S. mail to a target market, which includes members of the Farm Bureau and those with ag classification on their land. Letters, comments and questions can be sent to Heartland In the Field Magazine, P.O. Box 3183 Plant City, FL. 33563 or you are welcome to e-mail them to [email protected] or call 813-708-3661.

Advertisers warrant & represent the description of their products advertised are true in all respects. Heartland In the Field Magazine assumes no responsibility for claims made by their advertisers. All views expressed in all articles are those of the authors and not necessarily those of G Five Publications, Inc. Any use or duplication of material used in Heartland In the Field Magazine is prohibited without written consent from Berry Publications and G Five.

All contents Copyright 2013. No part of this work may be copied, transmitted, reproduced or reprinted without the express written consent of the publisher. Annual subscriptions to receive Heartland A Way of Life at your home or business is $25 annually. For advertising, subscriptions or editorial questions please call 813-708-3661 or email [email protected]. Heartland® A Way Of Life In The Field publication has been in print since 2009.

Spring is right around the corner, and my thoughts have turned to what flowers I’m going to put in our planter out front. I love to see the bright pinks, blues and greens as I pull into the driveway. Personally, I love hydrangeas! Soon, I will be going to our local nursery to pick out the plants that will brighten my day for the next few months.

What about you? Do you like to start from scratch with the seeds-till the soil and spend weeks watching them sprout? Or maybe you don’t exactly have a green thumb and would rather stick with plants that require little to no upkeep or you will kill them? I fall into the latter category! No matter what shade your thumb may be, there is guaranteed to be a nursery close by to help you out!

Providing over 204,700 jobs and total sales of over $15 billion, I would say the Nursery Industry has made an impact on our great state of Florida. This industry has quite a history, dating back to the early 1880’s. Ron Lambert of Buckhorn Nursery in Hardee County shares the history behind the nursery and landscape industry, beginning with two families, to what it has grown to become, a substantial economic provider to our state. You can also read some spotlights on a few of the nurseries in the Heartland area.

I don’t know about you, but there is just something about flowers that brighten my day. Delray Plants in Venus agrees and has started a program called Plants with Benefits. This program provides simple, yet informational message about the physical and psychological benefits of plants. You can read more about the program and this family-owned green company on page 50.

March also begins rodeo season! This month, we are featuring a couple from Arcadia very familiar with the rodeo scene, as that’s where they met. You can read about Tamme and Jimmy Fussell’s story on page 56. If after reading that article you want to attend a rodeo yourself, mark your calendar for the 85th Annual Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo on March 8th-10th. It is sure to be a good time!

There are also still many fairs going on this month so check out the Ag Calendar and don’t miss out! Maybe we’ll see you there!

We love to hear from our readers and if you have a story idea or an event you think we should be covering, please let us know! E-mail me at [email protected] or give me a call 863-381-8014. You can also join in on the conversation at facebook.com/HeartlandMagazine or twitter.com/HeartlandITFMag

Happy Planting and we’ll see y’all In the Field,

We’ll see y’all In the Field,

Morgan Taylor NorrisI’d love to hear from you! Please send any comments or questions to [email protected]

Editor’s Note



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Index of Advertisers


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49 A&K Development Company 45 Agro Culture 59 Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo 61 Arcadia Stockyard 75 Benchrest Shooters Supply36 Big “O” Bird Fest 53 Big T Tire 51 Center State Bank 9 Central States Enterprises 3 Creel Tractor 4 Dakin Dairy21 Dunkin’ Donuts/ Marathon Sebring72 Daniels Deceivers 79 DeSoto Dodge, Chrysler, Ford, Jeep 72 DeSoto Machine Shop 26 DeSoto Memorial Hospital 58 Eli’s Western Wear15 Farm Credit of Florida 37 Fields Equipment 31 Florida Fence Post 17 Florida Department of Ag 27 Glade and Grove Supply 19 Glisson’s Animal Supply 75 Goin’ Postal 59 Griffin’s Carpet Mart 49 Half Acre Construction 40 Hardee County Suncoast Spurs Chapter of NWTF 29 Helena Chemical 71 Hicks Oil 13 Highlands County Farm Bureau 77 Kelly Tractor11 KeyPlex75 Labelle Ranch Supply

65 Laye’s Tire Service 78 Lee & Associates, Commercial Real Estate Services55 Log Cabin BBQ & Seafood Restaurant 75 Marlin Marble 75 Michael G. Kirsch 45 Mosaic 51 Newton Crouch 2 Pathway Agriculture 28 Peace River Citrus76 Peace River Electric Company 26 River Pasture Metal Art 67 Seedway 67 Smith Farms37 Smiths Ranch and Garden 72 Spring Lake Hardware 72 Southern Excavation 18 Spurlows Outdoor 5 St. Lucie County Cattlemen’s Association Adams Ranch Ranch Rodeo75 Superior Muffler 31 Taylor Oil Company 72 The Andersons35 Trailer Exchange 7 Tree T-Pee75 Triangle Hardware67 Trinkle Redman Coton55 Tutto Fresco 63 Walpole Feed80 Watering Hole27 Wauchula State Bank67 Wicks Brown Williams CPA 75 Winfield Solutions

HigHlands

Morgan Norris [email protected]

Hardee & desoto

Robbi Sumner [email protected]

Manatee


CHarlotte


Ron Brown [email protected]

lee and Hendry

Cindy Cutright [email protected]

okeeCHobee, glades & st. luCie

Robbi Sumner [email protected]

Corporate, polk & HillsborougH

Danny Crampton [email protected]


Rhonda Glisson [email protected]

Sales Team



HARDEE COUNTY FARM BUREAU

1017 US Highway 17 NWauchula, FL. 33873

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

Phone:863. 773. 3117

Fax:863. 773. 2369

OFFICERS ANDEXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

President……David B. Royal

Vice President…Greg L. Shackelford

Sec./Treasurer……..Bo Rich

DIRECTORS FOR 2011-2012Joseph B. Cherry Corey Lambert Daniel H. Smith Steve A. Johnson

Bill Hodge David B. RoyalGreg L. Shackelford Bo Rich

Scott Henderson

Federation SecretaryRhonda Willis

Farm BureauInsurance

Special AgentsAgency Manager

N. Jay BryanAgents

George L. Wadsworth, Jr.1017 US Hwy 17 N.

Wauchula, FL 33873(863) 773-3117

HIGHLANDS COUNTYFARM BUREAU

6419 US Highway 27 S.Sebring, FL 33876

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

Phone:863. 385. 5141

Fax:863. 385. 5356

Web site:www.highlandsfarmbureau.com


President………Scott Kirouac

Vice President…Doug Miller

Secretary………..Carey Howerton

Treasurer……..Frank Youngman

DIRECTORS FOR 2011-2012Sam Bronson Steve Farr

Charles Guerndt Charles LanfierMike Milicevic Emma Reynolds

Lindsey Sebring Trey WhitehurstJeff Williams Marty Wohl

Federation SecretaryJanet Menges

Farm BureauInsurance

Special AgentsAgency ManagerChad D. McWaters

AgentsJoseph W. Bullington

6419 US Highway 27 S.Sebring, FL 33876

(863) 385-5141

Farm Bureau Insurance

Special AgentsAgency Manager Cameron N. Jolly

Agents Dawn A. Hines

Clint Brown1278 SE US Highway 31

Arcadia, FL 34266(863) 494-3636

CHARLOTTE/DESOTOCOUNTY FARM BUREAU

1278 SE US Highway 31Arcadia, FL 34266

Office Hours: Monday – Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Phone:863.494.3636

Charlotte Line:941.624.3981

Fax:863.494.4332


President…………....Jim Selph

Vice President……….Jeffrey Adams

Sec./Treasurer......Bryan K. Beswick

DIRECTORS FOR 2011-2012Jim Brewer John BurtscherMike Carter Steve Fussell

Lindsay HarringtonRichard E. Harvin Ann H. Ryals

Mac Turner Matt Harrison Ken Harrison

Federation Secretary Mary Jo Spicer


District 6 UpdateFrom the Desk of Andy Neuhofer

Florida Farm Bureau Federation’s commodity advisory committee members from around the state gathered in Gainesville on February 5th to be updated on issues and discuss the priority challenges that we face. After the initial welcome, invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance, President John Hoblick spoke to the group thanking them for their attendance, volunteering their time and reassuring them about the importance of their respective committees. He also proudly bragged on Florida Farm Bureau’s awards at the American Farm Bureau level and thanked the members for their work to make it possible to be recognized for our great achievements.

Assistant Director of Ag. Policy Jaime Jerrels substituted for Adam Basford, Director of State Legislative Affairs. She gave a report to the group about the status of our priority legislation and who was helping us with those bills. Janell Hendren, the new National Affairs Coordinator, gave the group an update on the Farm Bill and national issues.

Matt Erickson, an economist with the American Farm Bureau presented to the group with his thoughts about the state of our nation’s financial affairs, prices for oil, fuel and agricultural commodities.

Darrell Smith, Assistant Director of the Office of Ag. Water Policy with the Florida Dept. of Agriculture, told the group about the importance of Best Management Practices. He informed the group about the available BMP manuals for different commodities that have been approved by FDACS. Mr. Smith also discussed the importance of informing the general public on how agriculture is benefitting our state.

After lunch, the advisory committees worked in their respective groups to decide on their three top priority issues. Common themes of importance were legal labor, immigration reform, water quality, water availability and protecting property rights. The Citrus committee named applied research for greening as their number one issue. The Labor committee named the Affordable Health Care Act (Obama care) as their number one issue. Both issues need immediate attention as they will both devastate agriculture in the near future if resolutions are not reached. Many of these issues will have been brought to the attention of the advisory committees at American Farm Bureau as we have fifteen members representing Florida on various committees.

The keynote speaker was Jeff Manley of The Rock Ranch. The Rock Ranch is located in Georgia and is owned by the family who owns Chick-Fil-A. His great presentation about how agri-tourism has grown for their ranch was a great way to wrap up the day!

Quickly, two events are forthcoming. Farm Bureau Days in Tallahassee are fast approaching on March 18th and 19th. The Field to the Hill trip to Washington, D.C. is May 14th – 16th. If you are interested in attending either one of these events as a Farm Bureau member, please contact me at 352.318.2506.

Andy NeuhoferFlorida Farm Bureau District [email protected]


Many of you know that I travel to the far reaches of the United States, and in some instances other countries, to deliver educational experiences for young producers and others aspiring to be involved in the great industry of agriculture. Despite recent misconceptions on social media about future opportunities in the agriculture industry, there are many reasons to be optimistic, as an industry that is the foundation of the American economy and lifestyle. Here are my top ten reasons to be excited about agriculture, in no particular order.

First, growing emerging markets in the world are demanding more food, fiber and fuel. Jeff Simmons, one of my former students at Cornell University and president of Elanco Animal Health, provides evidence for this hypothesis in his research. Simply put, it is called the 50-100-70 Rule. By the year 2050, the word population will need 100 percent more food, fiber and fuel, and 70 percent will be produced by technology-enhanced efficiencies. As emerging nations’ standards of living rise, agricultural industries aligned with these nations have a splendid opportunity to capitalize on these trends. Producers also have an opportunity to be part of something bigger by fulfilling these demands to feed and clothe the nation and world.

Second, agriculture is five dimensional, providing food, fiber, fuel, products for the life sciences, and life experiences or agri-entertainment. Thinking outside the box will be a critical skill. It will be important to understand that one must think globally and then bring that relevance to your operation and apply it with the resources and talent available.

Third, there will be more opportunity in the next ten years than the last forty years. That being said, there will be more opportunity to fail as well because the stakes are higher, with more volatility at the extremes. This volatility will actually create opportunity. The key is to have a business positioned to proactively capitalize on opportunities. Timing is important in any business’ success.

The intergenerational transfer of farm businesses provides opportunities for young people in farm and non-farm families. Twenty-one percent of farm families have no next generation of farm management, providing the opportunity for young aspiring agriculturalists to align with an older generation producer outside the family. Both models can be successful for producers who are willing to give up control in order to continue the legacy of the farm and nurture the next generation.

The future of agriculture is very exciting because there is not “one size that fits all.” There will be a growing market in certain areas for the business model that provides local, natural, and organic products. Many of these businesses will be entrepreneurial, with a need for flexibility, efficiency, and systems management with strong business planning skills and execution. The traditional midsized farm that focuses on efficiency in agriculture with a modest living withdrawal supplemented by non-farm income will be prevalent as well. Of course, the large complex agribusiness with multiple owners and parties will require high business management acumen.

Agriculture can be very profitable. An examination of the top 20 percent of agricultural producers on farm record databases finds that the average return on assets every year since 1995 is above 10 percent. This group includes a wide range of commodities operating in all types of economic and weather cycles. However, on the downside, the low 20 percent showed a negative return, suggesting a widening gap of profitability between the “status quo” producers and those who strategize and implement best management practices.

Young producers have access to strong networks of support and education. The young producer educational programs offered by Farm Credit associations on business and financial topics are classic examples. Others in the industry are supportive on either a group or one-on-one basis by forming strategic alliances to provide educational experiences to improve the industry.

The 21st Century Legacy of AgricultureWritten By: Dr. David M. Kohl, compliments of Farm Credit of Florida

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Being able to network via technology using social media, and receive training via video conferencing or webcast, along with traditional face-to-face methods facilitates leadership. It also equips leaders not only for the business, but for community policy, decision making, and public relations at the local, state and national level. These opportunities are only limited to one’s time, imagination, and energy.

Speaking of technology, the convergence of biotechnology, engineering, and information technology will provide opportunities for the younger generation who have a good advantage in the adoption of new methods. The key will be to adopt practices and technology consistent with your resources and business philosophy.

Finally, being a young producer who is successful in the new era will require balance. That is, business success will be measured by return on assets, while lifestyle success is measured by “return on life” with proper allocation of “return on energy” in business and life. Many producers in face-to-face learning programs will tell me that the best crop they raise is their children or others they mentor.

These ten perspectives on the agricultural industry truly create an attractive environment to carry on the legacy of agriculture and the lifestyle it can provide.

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David Kohl received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Agricultural Economics from Cornell University. For 25 years, Kohl was Professor of Agricultural Finance and Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia. He was on special leave with the Royal Bank of Canada working on advanced initiatives for two years, and also assisted in the launch of the successful entrepreneurship program at Cornell University. Kohl is Professor Emeritus in the AAEC Department at Virginia

Tech and has traveled over 8 million miles throughout his professional career; has conducted more than 6,000 workshops and seminars for agricultural groups. He has published four books and over 1,000 articles on financial and business-related topics in journals, extension, and other popular publications. Kohl regularly writes for Ag Lender and Corn and Soybean Digest.

Kohl is currently President of AgriVisions, LLC, a knowledge-based consulting business providing cutting-edge programs to leading agricultural organizations worldwide. He is also a business coach and part owner of Homestead Creamery, a value added dairy business in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

If you would like to keep up with Kohl’s information and perspectives, you can find his weekly columns on the following websites:Ag Globe Trotter: www.farm-credit.com/ and Road Warrior of Agriculture: www.cornandsoybeandigest.com

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Roland Martin Marine Center is a full service marina including boat, motor, and tackle sales and boat and motor service by one of the top service crews in South Florida. Are you looking for a new or used Ranger boat or maybe you just need a new outboard to put on a boat you already have well than a new Evinrude E-Tec would put you right back out on the water. They have the hottest tackle on the market in the story with names like Gambler, Reaction Innovation, Charlie’s Worms, Duckett rods, Lews Reels, and Live Target Kopper. They also have all your boating needs from oils to anchors and everything in between. With two full time mechanics and a fully stocked parts room getting your boat back out on the water will be no problem. They also have minnows, worms, crickets, sodas, beer, and ice at all times. If you are looking for a one stop marina than Roland Martin Marine Center is the place to go. They are conveniently located just before the ramp in Clewiston on world famous Lake Okeechobee. Stop in and see my wife Diane in the parts department and she just might give away a few of my fishing spots.

THE FISHING ON LAKE OKEECHOBEE has been great the past few weeks and only seems to be getting better as we head into March. I have been fishing everyday since before Christmas and can only say

that Lake Okeechobee is fishing better then ever. The lake level is at 14.42 feet above sea level and still going down slowly. This is still a great level to get anywhere on the lake and not worry about hurting your boat.

The fishing with wild shiners has been crazy, catching twenty to over fifty bass per day is not uncommon and we have been catching some toads from seven to nine pounds.

I have been fishing the southwest end of the lake almost every day with areas like the West and East walls, and the shoal being some of the best areas to catch bass. If you want to catch a lot of bass and have your best chance to

catch one over seven pounds, then at this time I suggest using wild shiners. I have been using from five to ten dozen shiners a day and on some days running out with plenty of time to throw artificial lures.

The artificial bite has been a little slow but when you do find some bass, the fishing has been pretty good. There are still a good number of schooling bass around and I am not really sure why this time of the year, but if you see birds diving on bait then get close and start throwing a lipless crankbait, a spinnerbait, or what I have been throwing the all new EZ-Duz IT by Gambler Lures. It is a swimbait hook for the Big EZ swimbait with a spinner blade and it is adjustable to make it swim more toward the surface or deeper down in the water; it works great for schooling fish in stained water.

The bass have been schooling out in open water from Cochran’s Pass down to the Long Point area. There have also been some nice bass being caught flipping heavy mats with Gambler Why Not’s or BB Crickets on sunny days. If fishing areas that you can see beds, try throwing a Gambler Ace or the all new Fat Ace on the bed and hold on. Be sure and use a good quality braided line when fishing back in the grass or you will get your line and heart broke.

The crappie bite has been pretty good with the Clewiston channel, the rim canal, and the Kissimmee River being all good areas to catch some. If you are thinking about a guided trip on Lake Okeechobee for the 2013 season, then you will want to book soon as dates are almost all full. I am also booking now for the 2013 tarpon season in the Florida Keys, May and June are the prime months to catch a trophy tarpon over a hundred pounds. Until next report, good luck, tight lines and I hope to see everyone on the water soon.

Heartland’sFISHING REPORT

Captain Mark King is a full time guide and tournament angler guiding out of the world famous Roland Martin’s Marina and Resort in Clewiston Florida and also in the Florida Keys out of Marathon area. Mark is an IGFA Certified Captain, active member of the Florida Guide Association and the Florida Outdoor Writers Association. Captain Mark is sponsored by Ranger Boats, Evinrude Outboards, Roland Martin’s Marine Center, Power-Pole, Minn Kota trolling motors, Gambler Lures, Okuma Fishing, Mojo Sportsfishing, Smartshield Sun Protection Products, RMR Industries, Fuel Medic Ethanol Treatment, and Yeti coolers.

Mark can be contacted to book a guide trip, seminars, personal appearances, test rides in his Evinrude powered Ranger or to fish a tournament with him at 863-677-0983 or at www.markkingfishing.com and www.tarponinthekeys.com

John Wilson from Kansas City


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March’s Hunting Spotlight brought to you by

Spurlow’s Outdoor Outfitters

Submit your children’s hunting pictures for the Monthly Hunting Spotlight to [email protected]

Opening day of dove season Wesley Georges sure did a fine job of getting meat for dinner-Dove smothered with onions and mushroom gravy, served over rice. Johnny said, “Take a kid hunting and they will learn where food comes from.”

WeSley GeOrGeS

Johnny took his son Wesley along with Cole Brewer and Morgan McKenna hunting at Williams Farms in South Carolina. He said, “Take young people hunting. You will make memories for a lifetime.”

Wesley Georges of Arcadia is the 16-year-old son of Jonny Georges of Tree T-Pee. Wesley is a junior at Desoto High School where he is a member of the Varsity baseball team. He is also an active member at Pine Level United Methodist Church in Arcadia.

Wesley loves to hunt, play baseball and is interested in Jeeps and trucks like any good Heartland fella! He also enjoys farming and works with his dad when he has time.



Turkey Season is Coming!One of the most coveted and sought-after game species in Florida is the Osceola turkey, also known as the Florida turkey. This unique bird is one of five subspecies of wild turkey in North America.

The Osceola lives on the Florida peninsula and nowhere else in the world, making it extremely popular with out-of-state hunters. It’s similar to the eastern subspecies (found in the Panhandle) but tends to be a bit smaller and typically a darker shade with less white barring on the flight feathers of its wings.

The white bars on the Osceola are more narrow, with an irregular, broken pattern, and they don’t extend to the feather shaft. It’s the black bars of the Osceola that actually dominate the feather. In conjunction, secondary wing feathers also are darker. When the wings are folded across the back, the whitish triangular patch formed is less visible on the Osceola. Osceola feathers also show more iridescent green and red colors, with less bronze than the eastern.

Turkey Season:

Spring Turkey Daily bag limit: 1Season and possession limit: 2 for spring season

Zone A (Desoto, Charlotte, Lee, Highlands, Glades, Hendry, Okeechobee, St. Lucie)

Spring Turkey Season March 2-April 7 by all legal rifles, shotguns, muzzleloaders, crossbows, bows and pistols

Zones B(Manatee, Hardee, Highlands, Okeechobee, St. Lucie)

Youth Spring Turkey Hunt March 9-10 by all legal rifles, shotguns, muzzleloaders, crossbows, bows and pistols

Spring Turkey Season March 16- April 21 by all legal rifles, shotguns, muzzleloaders, crossbows, bows and pistols


The Two-Sided Sweet Talk Friction Call is produced from No.1 select hard maple. The density and tight grain of the hard maple allows Sweet Talk to emit a high-pitched raspy sound with very little effort. Flip the Sweet Talk over and the bottom soundboard doubles as an additional striking surface that emits a deeper tone that is perfect for soft calling. The one-piece purple heart flare tip striker produces a break over yelp with ease and purrs, putts and clucks that are worthy of any champion caller! The Sweet Talk friction call was designed in conjunction with Brenda Valentine and is manufactured in the U.S.A. by Commando Hunting Products.

The award-winning NWTF Women in the Outdoors Florida girls are set to hit the turkey woods this spring with their own Brenda Valentine “Sweet Talk” double-sided friction call.


w hen I was a kid, there weren’t but about five different knife brands

to choose from. Now go to your local Outdoor store and see how many styles and brands they offer. It’s unbelievable. It’s also unbelievable some of the weird stuff that sells!

Certain tools fit certain jobs better than others. You can dig a hole with a spoon but a shovel works better. The same applies with knives. To take care of your trophy, you need four different styles of knives. Do I always carry all four? No, not if I’m in the backcountry.

When buying a knife I look at two things. First, I have a handful of manufacturers that I like. Next, I look for certain designs. Just because it’s made by a good knife maker doesn’t mean that it’s a good design. I favor Havalon Knives, Knives of Alaska and Puma.

Let’s talk about knife hardnesses for a minute. The last few years it seems like there’s been a mad rush to design the hardest knife on the market. To me, they’ve gone overboard. Myself, I like one that is hard, like my Diamond Blade or Puma. They’re hard and will hold an edge but I can sharpen one in literally minutes on my Smith Abrasives fine diamond stone.

A soft knife is easier to sharpen but the edge doesn’t last as long. A hard one is harder to sharpen but doesn’t get dull as fast. It’s not a right or wrong, just a matter of preference. If you’re in the backcountry you’ll probably want one that will not go dull on you in the middle of the job but by the same token, Smith Abrasives makes a little lightweight knife sharpening gizmo you can throw in your backpack to touch up a dull knife. Check out Havalon knives. They use a replaceable blade. They’re great. They’re lightweight and unbelievably sharp.

To mark the pattern you’ll need a clip point blade. If you’re saving the hide you’ll want a skinning knife. A skinning knife has a drop point so you don’t cut through the hide as easily. Can you skin with a regular blade? Sure, I’ve skinned over 100 deer with my foldup knife, a skinning knife just works better if you want to save the hide. Some hunting knives have a point but also have a rounded edge so you can mark the pattern and skin with the same knife.

There are a few different skinning knives on the market that I like. The best design that I have seen is on my Wayne Goddard Traditional Hunter knife made by Diamond Blade. The spine side on the tip is ground down somewhat to a point and works for cutting the pattern but the cutting edge still has a rounded edge for proper skinning.

Also check out the Havalon Piranta. It’s a lightweight foldup knife. If it gets dull, no problem, simply pull off the blade

CHOOSINGTHE PROPER

KNIVES

BY TOM CLAYCOMB III

PHOTOS BY SARAH CRONK

Before I tell you what I think the best knives are for the outdoorsman let me tell you my background so you know where I’ll be coming from. I worked for three of the top four Beef Packing companies for a number of years. I integrated what I learned there to fit into my Outdoor world. I don’t have a clue how many bear, antelope, deer, elk and moose that I’ve boned. The knives that I recommend will not be combat/survival knives, they’ll be the ones that fit best in the Outdoorsman’s world.


and replace it with another razor sharp one. They are quickly becoming a hit among outdoorsmen.

I tested the Xtreme series Model-V knife for Knives of Alaska on a Texas deer hunt in 2010. It has a point to mark the pattern, a semi rounded blade for skinning and is lightweight. I was afraid that without a handle that it would twist and I couldn’t control it but with the cord wrapped around the handle I found that it is easy to control.

In the old days we boned our game with a hunting knife but that doesn’t mean they were the proper knife. With a stiff blade you can’t get the bones as clean. By clean bones I mean that you have removed all the meat off the bones. For boning, I like a 6-inch semi-flexible blade. (Some good boners prefer 5-inch knives). Most good boners prefer Forschner’s but there are other acceptable boning knives. Just make sure you get one with the same shaped blade as a Forschner boning knife. Also check out the Havalon Baracuta. It folds up which makes it a lot safer to carry and is wickedly sharp.

Let’s briefly cover scabbards. I hunt in rough country. In a week of hard hunting I’ll fall eight times and one or two of those are hard so without a good scabbard I stand a good chance

of getting stabbed. I also want one that will hold up in a horse wreck. Just yesterday when we were packing out, a guy got thrown. One year my buddy rolled two horses and a mule off into the river just packing down the main trail to camp. Then when we got off the main trail it really got rough.

With the above said, here’s what I look for in a scabbard. First, I want a thick one so it doesn’t allow the blade to stick through and stab me. Next I want one that is extremely hard to lose a knife out of. The knife needs to set deep in the scabbard and snap tight. I want a good scabbard because I plan on keeping my knife all my life so I don’t want the leather to shell out in five years. A couple of my knives come with a hard plastic scabbard or a plastic insert in the leather. These seem durable and I think would hold up in a horse wreck. For my lock blade knife I look for one that will keep it from falling out.

The problem with boning knives is that they don’t come with scabbards. Forschner came out with a plastic clamshell scabbard that snaps over the blade and has rubber stoppers to hold the knife in place. I can throw one in my backpack and not worry about getting stabbed if I fall.

When I was a kid I used pocketknives to skin around the eyes and ears of all my unlucky trophies that I trapped. Now taxidermist use scalpels. That’s what I mean, every job requires a different cutting tool. If you’re skinning out a lot of heads and feet you’ll want a caping knife as well. The Havalon Piranta makes a great caping knife and has razor sharp replaceable blades and are the ticket.

I use my 6-inch boning knife to fillet everything from a 10 inch trout on up to salmon. Then what about electric fish filleting knives? So fish filleting would carry us into another category of knives which we don’t have time to get into.

A lot of which knife you carry may be due to sentimental value. What if your uncle that taught you how to hunt gives you his favorite hunting knife before he dies? What could be cooler than that? If you have a favorite knife that your dad or uncle gave you and I didn’t recommend it, so what? Carry it and be happy.

Let’s close on being cool. In hunting camp everyone shows off their knife don’t they? Why not spend a few more dollars and get a cool one? Then you can be King of the Camp….until you shoot a dink.

• I’ve never seen a blade made in China that was any good. Buy good knives.

• An 8-10” knife makes smoother cuts when slicing steaks or trimming fat.

• To sharpen today’s hard knives buy a Smith Abrasives fine diamond stone.

• I’m not a metallurgist so I can’t tell you the best type of metal you need in a knife. I’ve just tried to tell you the best shapes and knives that work for me.

• I’ve never been to a branding where any of the cowboys had a sharp knife to cut the bull calves. I gave some of the ranchers in eastern Colorado a Havalon Piranta to test and they loved them. You might want to try one of them at your next branding.

• On Amazon Kindle you can buy an 11 page article for $.99 on how to sharpen your knife. I titled it “Knife Sharpening”.


A Heartland Soldier’s Story Abroad TURNING OVER ROCKS

IN THE SINAIROCKY MOUNTAIN ROAD

BY PFC. LEVI LAMBERT


Last month’s home is nothing more than a tiny spec in our rear view mirror as we travel the narrow

two-lane highway towards the moun-tainous terrain of the Sinai. Just as the first day of school was sure to come for a young-in, so was our first day to leave the comfort of our beds inside the wire. Entering town presented new obstacles as the local traffic zipped left and right making a three-lane high-way out of the congestion. Stay alert, stay tight, and arrive alive, drive 55; a brief set of words come to mind from our First Sergeant earlier that day. To-wards the edge of town we exit, as the cab drivers turn left to start lap two of the race to overcharge the next tourist. Desert rocks relocate with each crunch of a tire. Our day’s journey continues at a slow; steady pace as we approach the canyon road. A hallway of erosion shaped skyscrapers shade the rocky sand covered road limiting the train of vehicles view to what was left behind and what is to come.

Streaks of light fill voids that warm the hidden valley road. Mirages turn real as gusty winds cause the palm trees to wave as we pass. Hours of anxious tension pass as we twist and turn between the high vantage points that form several choke points that put our boys from previous hostile deployments on edge while the newer soldiers gain experience on what to take note of and where to keep eyes

directed. Soon the tunnel of orange rock covered walls with a blue ceiling that encloses our convoy comes to an end. The world opens back up to show a panoramic view of the Gulf of Aqaba. A right turn takes us through a local military checkpoint towards our 3500 ft elevation destination. Not noticing our ascent, the hours creep by and our final checkpoint becomes clear. First glance leaves us to think the destination is unreachable by vehicle; a dead-end with a flat orangish cliff face that blocks the road. As the convoy nears the end, the illusion changes and the road continues around the blockade. The mercury rose to 24 degrees Celsius, which suits us even with layers of gear that cover vital body parts. We watch the sun reach the peak of its rise only to start its descent onto the mountaintop below. Home for the month lies along a mountain ridge over looking water that lies outside of our control. New challenges wait to be discovered.

Minute men to mountain men; we eagerly take control of high ground to allow the relieved crew ample daylight travel time. By 5 o’clock the sun is setting and the temperature is on its way to drop the mercury to an icy chill. Night shift takes over the post allowing day shift to take a 12-hour break. My respect has grown for soldiers who live and work in worse conditions after a month taking short showers in

water freezing temperatures. Dramatic temperature changes from highs of 70s and a lows in the 30s. During the night, doors rattle as the building shakes from high-speed gusts. Perhaps the Sunshine State’s temperamental weather followed me over the ocean. It was said it only rains twice a year and so far rain has fallen several times this month. Most rainy nights the wind carries the falling drops right through the door seals. Scheduled water deliveries allow for laundry day to take place. As if I am an exhibitor at pioneer days with a booth just down the way from the blacksmith shop, I scrub clothes with a bar of soap on a washboard while a bead of sweat hangs off my brow. Supply requests are prepared with care and anticipation that next week’s truck may not reach its destination.

Over the course of my time in the Northern sector of Egypt I enjoyed the view from above a cloud covered rocky ridge that lead to the gulf. Opportunities

to work close at hand with other contingents from several countries arose at our outpost, which is why cultural awareness has become an important part of training for our military. Enlightening would be a great one word description for my first trip outside of the wire. Time passes rapidly and soon enough the rear view mirror will reflect our Rocky Mountain outpost as we descend back to our southern beachfront home.


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by Justin Smith

It seems as though everyone is taking sides these days. Politically there is a growing separation between the right and the left. With almost every issue that is faced in today’s world there does not seem to be an in-between, either it is one way or another. You can love Twinkies or hate them, but there is a clear-cut side and not much in the way of middle ground. One side gets what they want and the other side gets almost nothing. Partisanship seems like a misty dream that everyone talks about but never comes to reality. The only time both sides of an issue seem to get anywhere is when

there is no real solution, just a short-term extension of the statuesque. Taking sides, right or left may seem very far from the world of growing oranges, but in reality we are facing many of the same concepts in the field as the legislators are on Capitol Hill.

Citrus has been in a constant state of change for several years. If nothing else, the current grower generation will leave behind a legacy of adaptation. But in this continual topsy-turvy environment it is imperative not to get too focused on any one thing. Many in the industry have been guilty of doing just that.

The day greening was officially announced as being present in the State of Florida was a very solemn day. Since then the fight has been on. The vast majority of the industry’s focus has been on finding a solution to the situation. Over the past several years, nutritional foliar sprays have been the big push. Once again we see an imbalance happening. The tree canopy has been getting everything it needs while the roots have been stagnant with the same old, same old. There is now a revitalized effort to maintain root health. What is the best mixture of chemical and fertilizer the underside of the tree needs, just the same as we have found the topside. When a balanced approach is followed, there is a much better overall picture of the situation.

Getting a little away from the field and into the business end of the spectrum is the debate of research and marketing. Following suit with all other debates this day in age, there seems to be a line drawn on this one. Since greenings devastating much through the state began, more and more money has been poured into research. Finances, which were originally intended for growing the demand for Florida citrus, are now spent on trying to maintain production. Unfortunately the industry has seen a constant decline in demand over the past several seasons. That was okay, financially, as long as production was declining. But isn’t our

CITRUS UPDATEBY JUSTIN SMITH

ABalancingAct


goal to stop decline and begin growth again? What good will it be to grow all the citrus, on every acre that can produce, in the state if no one wants it? Nobody would like to see the day return that discussions of dumping orange juice in the ocean returns. Then there is the flip side; if greening takes out every acre of citrus then there is no industry to promote.

Fortunately, farmers are a little more cooperative and understanding of each other’s ideas than our Washington counterparts. The leaders of this industry have two very strong traits. Number one is they listen to those who put them in place. Because most citrus leaders, no matter what their position, are growers themselves, they take into consideration everyone’s opinions and weigh them against the overall outlook. Second, they don’t mind changing what they are doing if it is for the best.

It is easy to look backwards and question, while the looking forward is much more difficult. Who knows what the next few years really hold for this industry or any other for that matter. If any of us did we would have bought a couple truckloads of those Twinkies about a year ago. The most important part is to work together and remember the middle ground. Also remember, just like voting, if you’re not willing to get out and do your part, then you have no right to criticize those who pour their personal time into leading this industry.




Patty MUDGE

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After spending twenty years on Pine Island as commercial fishermen, she and her husband Tim moved to LaBelle in 1996. “As members of the Lee County Fisherman’s Cooperative, we caught and sold mullet, trout, redfish, and blue crabs,” Patty shares. “Once the ban on nets happened, we had to find something else to do.” Tim also worked in construction during the last years he fished to build a cattle herd in order to buy land to ranch.

Patty’s interest in blueberries began with a 2003 conversation with a neighbor who was growing the fruit. “We were cutting and selling hay so I traded out some hay for twelve of his 25-gallon potted blueberry plants. A year later I bought 300 more, then 500 more. Some other neighbors sold their land and offered to sell me their plants and I ended up with 1,600 plants.” After a few years they decided to expand and planted four acres in the ground for a total of five acres.

Located in Muse just 6 miles north of LaBelle, Patty’s Patch Blueberry U-Pick now covers six acres, five of which are planted along with an additional acre of potted plants. Their last acre was planted in March 2012 and won’t be harvested until 2014.

BY ROBBI SUMNER

“We’ve always been able to turn our hobbies in to ways that we can make money,” says blueberry grower Patty Mudge.


“Our first commercial harvest was in 2006,” Patty shares. “A harvest is measured by pounds or flats. Our first year we sold about 1,800 pounds which was a good start, but in 2010 we had 23,000 pounds, last year we only had 11,800 pounds. We’re hoping that with good weather we will be back in 20,000-pound range this year. We sell to our distributor by the flat, and usually yield 4,000 or 5,000 flats.” Her berries are purchased by Southern Specialties in Pompano Beach and marketed under the Southern Selects label to Whole Foods, restaurants, hotels, and cruise lines.

As is the case for many crops, blueberry growers face numerous challenges. Because the Muse area tends to be wet, they had to construct ditches and a berm in order to pump water during rainy season. Blueberries require a low pH level, and since most water in Florida has a high pH level, Patty injects acid to maintain the desired level between 4.0 and 4.5. “We plant in pine bark mulch to help get pH into the soil, test our soil frequently, and take leaf samples to ensure the proper nutrients are getting to the plants,” says Patty.

Blueberry plants require sufficient chill hours (temperatures 45°F and lower) in the Fall in order to go semi-dormant and form buds. Most varieties need 200-300 chill hours and can get by with less but don’t perform as well. Says Patty, “We started with twelve varieties but

have culled down to growing six that do well here. The University of Florida is developing newer varieties that can do well with just 100 chill hours. We also supplement with hydrogen cyanamide (Dormex®) growth regulator, which consolidates blooms and helps plants to leaf out.”

After the plants flower, there is concern over weather conditions like high winds and freezes. Patty monitors the dew point and wind speed and temperature to determine whether or not their overhead freeze protection system is needed. Natural predators like birds, raccoons, possums, and hogs also have to be protected against. Patty has put up fencing, hung sparkly streamers and even played hawk screeches over loud speakers in an effort to scare off the varmints.

With the mild temperatures we’ve been experiencing, Patty anticipates her commercial harvest to begin the first or second week of March, and u-pick to begin the second or third week of April. “It all depends on the weather and the market,” she says.

In addition to the blueberries, Patty and Tim have a commercial cow-calf operation of approximately 220 head using Brangus cows and Angus bulls. They also grow Bahia, Tifton 9, and Jigs Bermuda hay. “Everything we do goes hand in hand together,” she says.

“We participate in Best Management Practices with FDACS and work to conserve the land that we use for farming and ranching.”

Patty is a member of the Florida Blueberry Growers Association, Fresh from Florida, and the LaBelle/Hendry County Chamber of Commerce. Tim is a member of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association and serves on the Board for the Hendry County Cattlemen.

Now married 42 years, Patty and Tim and have two adult children, Chad Mudge and Becky Black, and four grandchildren Tristan, Micah, Brooke and Brody. “Becky and her husband Jeremy help out a lot with the blueberries, especially during u-pick season,” says Patty. “Tristan and Micah help us pack berries during the commercial season.”

Patty also has four peach trees that provide fruit for personal consumption, but says that she’d love to have more, and possibly turn that interest in to a business some day. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, especially horseback riding with her grandchildren.

When blueberry u-pick season starts at Patty’s Patch, you’ll find her there seven days a week from 9:00am to 6:00pm. To check on this season’s progress, visit www.pattyspatch.com.

By Robbi Sumner


The All Florida Ag Show bills itself as “the only industry gathering dedicated to bringing together members of all agricultural sectors across the Sunshine State in one place to discuss issues, exchange ideas and learn about new techniques, products and services to bolster and better their operation.”

The show originated from an idea that a Highlands County Farm Bureau board member came back with from Florida Farm Bureau’s annual Field to the Hill trip in Washington, D.C. “Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack spoke to our group,” said Scott Kirouac, Highlands County Farm Bureau president. “He felt as time moved forward that it was more and more important that commodity groups work together to share common issues and problems.

“We approached the folks at Meister Media with the concept of a trade show that encompasses all forms of Florida agriculture instead of a typical show like a citrus show or a nursery show,” Kirouac added. “That’s what we did last year. It was our inaugural show.”

This year’s All Florida Ag Show will be held April 24-25 at the Highlands Today Center, formerly known as the Highlands County Fair Convention Center, in Sebring. The event will start on 9:30 a.m., April 24 with registration and breakfast at 8 a.m. The seminars conclude at noon on April 25.

“The 2013 All Florida Ag Show is shaping up to be a great follow-up to our inaugural event last year,” said Frank Giles, Meister Media Worldwide. “The show will feature a broad educational program that will be a good resource for growers across various segments of agriculture in our state.

“In addition, the show is a great place for farmers to network with other growers and agriculture’s support industry,” Giles added. “The tradeshow floor will be full of exhibitors of products and services growers need for successful production today.”

The All Florida Ag Show rewards early birds. Tickets for the show are $25 if you purchase them before Apr. 17.

With your early ticket purchase, your meals are included in that $25 price for both days. If you purchase your tickets after that date or at the door, the price is $35 with the option to purchase meal tickets for $10 per day.

“Last year, the BBQ catering company did a phenomenal job on the lunch,” Kirouac proclaimed. “Everybody was extremely pleased with the lunch they got, with the atmosphere and the ease of parking.”

A big advantage the folks at the All Florida Ag Show like to tout is the event location. Sebring and the Highlands County Fair Convention Center are easily accessible from all points of Florida.

“One of the things we heard from the exhibitors and attendees is that they loved the location with Sebring being pretty much geographically in the center of the state, which enabled them to travel here within a relatively short distance,” Kirouac said. “We’re an hour and fifteen minutes to an hour and

BY JOEY MAZZAFERRO, COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

Aiming For a Successful SequelThe All Florida Ag Show looks to expand

on its strong debut from last year’s inaugural event.


a half from the east coast or the west coast. We had a lot of people come from all over the state.”

Kirouac also sees Sebring as an ideal location for their show because of its small town feel and cost. “A lot of people were very receptive to the show because it was not a typical show in a big city like Orlando or Ft. Lauderdale where it would cost a lot to exhibit there.

“Exhibitors and attendees said this was a great show to come to, so easy to get in and out of and plenty of places to eat,” Kirouac added. “The hotels are nice and clean. Nothing but positive things from last year’s show that we hope to continue on this year.”

While last year’s inaugural show was a great success, there is still room for improvement. Kirouac mentioned that they will provide more exhibit space this year since they had to turn some exhibitors away last year.

“We are going to work on additional outside exhibitor space,” Kirouac said. “We would like to get some larger equipment vendors to display their larger pieces of equipment in an outdoor venue to go along with the indoor exhibitors.”

Another improvement Kirouac hopes to make is adding more variety with their scheduled speakers. “We want to include topics like labor and immigration, water, and emerging crop trend and technology that affect all of agriculture.”

Everything considered, last year’s inaugural event exceeded expectations and was deemed a big success. “The foundation that was laid last year by Highlands County Farm Bureau put together a top-notch program of speakers to talk about up-and-coming specialty crops like blueberries and peaches,” said Frankie Hall, Florida Farm Bureau director of Agricultural Policy. “Growers could walk away

from the conference last year with information they could use to enter a new viable market in Florida.”

Hall said the key to the All Florida Ag Show staying successful year after year will be their level of utilizing the work done by the land grant institutions in the state of Florida.

“The All Florida Ag Show can potentially provide an excellent venue for new and upcoming research on different varieties of crops that can be grown and marketed in Florida,” said Hall.

For more information on the All Florida Ag Show, access www.allfloridaag.com.

April 24-25, 2013Highlands County Fair

Convention CenterSebring, Florida


Workshops and events at the Port LaBelle Inn (Bed and Breakfast in LaBelle, Florida)

Registration and lodging Information available at: www.bigobirdingfestival.comE-mail for information: [email protected]: 863-675-0125 Fax: 863-675-6160

Keynotes, Classroom Presentations, Workshops, Field & Boat trips with Greg Miller “Big Year” , Mark and Selena Kiser, Dr. Paul Gray, Paddy Cunningham, David Goodwin, John J. Lopinot, Connie Langmann, Rae Ann Wessel plus other local talent.

The Big “O” Birding Extravaganza is a Glades/ Hendry County cooperative event in South Central Florida on the Southwest shores of Lake Okeechobee, the state’s largest lake. Glades and Hendry counties are becoming a Mecca for bird watching.

We’re home to more than 300 species of birds, including limpkins and migratory swallow-tailed kites, and painted buntings which pass through during October and April.

Nine Great Florida Birding Trail (http://floridabirdingtrail .com/ sites are within the region: Dinner Island Ranch and Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest both are Wildlife Management Areas, and Stormwater Treatment Area #5 (STA5) in Hendry County, and Fisheating Creek Wildlife Management Area—East & West in Glades County. Four new sites will be announced before March 2013. Expect to see ducks such as the Fulvous Whistling-Duck and the Mottled Duck; shorebirds like Black-necked Stilt; waders such as Roseate Spoonbill, Wood Stork and Least Bittern; and specialty raptors including Crested Caracara, Snail Kite, and Barred Owl. Plus, we’re always on a quest for that elusive Smooth-billed Ani. Come help us look!

Mark Your Calendars For The 12th Annual Big “O” Birding Festival

March 12-16, 2013Explorewithus!ExperienceBirdwatchingandPhotographyinruralSouthCentralFlorida!



FARMER & RANCHER DAN CULBERTBY ROBBI SUMNER

Growing up in South New Jersey, outside of Philadelphia, Dan Culbert witnessed at an early age farmland being taken over by housing developments. “My parents had a goat when I was a child, but that was my only exposure to livestock,” he shares. He was involved in 4-H with photography, archery, and

growing flowers and vegetables – his first real exposure to horticulture.

He went on to earn his Bachelor of Science degree from Rutgers University, with minors in Ag Teacher Education, Pest Management, and Horticulture Crop Production. After a few years of teaching Vocational Agriculture in New York and Florida, Dan decided to get a Masters degree in Agriculture and Extension Education from the University of Florida. “My Master’s research project was to define and describe why kids were leaving 4-H in southeastern Florida. At the time, no one was focused on that,” he explains. He was also hired by the University to develop a “Know Your Vegetables: Varieties and Problems” instructional manual. Initially published in 1981, the manual is still used today.

In addition to his experience as a Vocational Ag teacher, Dan also worked as a 4-H Agent in Trenton, NJ and Fort Lauderdale, FL and as a biologist at the UF Everglades Research and Education

Center. He was UF/IFAS County Extension Director and Horticulture Agent in Indian River County from 1993 to 2003. In March of 2003, Dan joined the Okeechobee County team as Extension Horticulture Agent and celebrates ten years of service in that capacity this month.

“Extension education programs can provide valuable information to people. Here in Okeechobee a lot of people grow vegetables and appreciate the information we have,” says Dan. His position entails a variety of responsibilities from community outreach, research, teaching, and even administering the Okeechobee Extension website.

According to Dan, one of the most common questions he is asked is “What should I spray to kill this problem?” and he shares that Extension no longer advocates chemicals for every situation, as spraying could cause other adverse consequences. His “Quicky, Three-Point Lesson” on lawn care includes to mow

Dan with celeriac, chayote, and Jerusalem artichoke

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Learning how to build a Biodigester in Costa Rica. Biodigesters reduce livestock waste into usable compost and produce methane gas which can be used to heat water or cook meals in remote areas.

Teaching 4-H Culinary Caper campers about the use and culture of culinary herbs

correctly, fertilize correctly, and water correctly. “Taking care of those things eliminates most pests,” he states. Making sure you’ve chosen an appropriate variety for your area is also important.

Dan has taught several Master Gardener classes as well as having implemented the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods Program – now called Florida Friendly Landscaping – a voluntary education program for home landscapes that includes principles similar to Best Management Practices for producers.

Dan encourages small scale vegetable production, believing there to be numerous opportunities for profitability if done correctly. He always asks the goal of a grower – is it for self production or to make money? “Our diverse population of Hispanic, Asian, and Indian cultures holds growth potential for many crops like peppers and tropical fruits.”

“I’ve been blessed to do international work,” Dan shared, having taken part in a training expedition to Costa Rica four years ago. “We studied tropical plants and shared sustainable agriculture practices. Having an international viewpoint is essential – we need to be open to new ideas and help develop markets for local products.”

Dan also coaches some of the local vegetable judging teams and coordinates judging contests at the South Florida, Central Florida - Kissimmee Valley, and the Okeechobee County Fairs. “I’m on a quest to update the specimen list,” he says, explaining that our changing demography has also changed the products we see in our local produce sections. “That’s a large reason why judging contests are important - to teach students to become informed consumers. It exposes them to a wide variety of food items, and they often get taste them after the contests.” Dan introduced me to such vegetables as celeriac, chayote, and the Jerusalem artichoke.

Serving as website administrator for the Okeechobee Extension website which offers “Solutions for Your Life”, Dan says the site contains thousands of articles related to the art and science of horticulture, “some timely, some timeless.” The site has received over one million hits, and he often fields inquiries from afar regarding the broad range of topics covered. He also works with the media, submitting columns to local newspapers. “It’s all about sharing information. We boil down technical information and interpret it for consumer use.”

Dan is currently serving as President-Elect of the Florida Extension Agents Fraternity, Epsilon Sigma Phi, which provides professional development for Extension staff throughout Florida, and is Chairman-Elect of the Florida Association of Extension Professionals. He has been nominated for an Epsilon Sigma Phi Regional Distinguished Service Award, with the winners to be announced at the national convention to be held in Pittsburgh this fall.

Dan and his wife Miriam met at Rutgers and have been married since 1979. They have two children: 21-year old son Christian is a Sociology major at Florida Southern College and 22-year old daughter Juliana is a graduate student at the Pratt Institute in New York City studying digital archiving.

One of Dan’s personal goals is to improve his Spanish speaking ability. “It is just a reality in Florida that you need it to communicate in many places,” he says. A life-long stamp collector, Dan also enjoys reading about history and listens to books on tape during his daily commutes.




Florida’s Nursery IndustryBY RON LAMBERT, CONTRIBUTING WRITER ROBBI SUMNER

The nursery industry in Florida got off to a sort of contested start back in the early 1880’s in two locations, 300 miles apart; both were started about the same time. One of these was founded by Pliny Reasoner in a tiny village named Braidentown in Manatee County, Florida. At the time Florida only had 37 counties.


Pliny Reasoner traveled down to Florida from Princeton, Illinois in 1881. The story of this trip was kept in a daily diary where the 18-year-old youth kept descriptions of plant life he observed on his travels. He also asked citrus growers in the area around San Mateo about their citrus plantings. There, he learned of the advantages of budding citrus for improving the quality and performance of a citrus grove. He began collecting seed and plants from any source that he could locate. He planted tropical fruit of all types to learn more about these strange and mysterious crops. He planted pineapples, guavas, bananas

and citrus. In short, if he thought it could be a potential money crop or have potential as a tree or plant that could be sold to someone interested in growing a new fruit crop, he would try it out.

In 1885, Pliny’s brother Egbert came south to join in as a partner in Reasoner Brothers Nursery. In a short while, on a cruise through the area near Cape Sable, Pliny saw towering specimens of the royal palm growing on the hammocks of the lower west coast. He collected seed and small palms and as they grew, he chose a new name for the growing business, The Royal Palm Nursery.

Tragically, Pliny fell victim to yellow fever in 1888. This left the operation of the nursery in the hands of Egbert Reasoner. Over the next decade,

The Royal Palm Nursery gained customers far and wide. The freeze of 1895 did little damage to the stock of The Royal Palm and a huge demand developed for plants from this nursery. The business volume being done by The Royal Palm by mail order created a need for a post office in Oneco, FL to handle their shipping. By 1904, the Seaboard Air Line Railroad built a depot at Oneco to accommodate the increasing need for rail shipments from The Royal Palm as well as produce and citrus from the area. Most of this growth in the area was made possible through the vision of the Reasoner Brothers.

The operation had its ups and downs in the years of the Great Depression, but survived and continued to flourish as one of Manatee County’s leading businesses. By this time, Egbert’s son, Norman, led the operation. Norman carried on the tradition of seeking the highest standards of plants and trees that would bear the name Royal Palm or Reasoner Tropical Nursery. After a tour of duty in the U S Army in World War II, Norman’s son Bud returned to take his place in the business. After Norman passed away in 1957, Bud Reasoner led the company to a position as one of the countries most respected landscape design companies. Even though the Reasoner Nursery no longer exists in Manatee County, descendants of this pioneer family still live in Manatee County.


Through the pioneering efforts of the Reasoners, a number of nurseries were established in Manatee and Sarasota counties, many of which were started by former employees of the Reasoner family.

One final item of interest, the Reasoner name will be forever linked to the introduction of the Fosters pink grapefruit, the world’s first pink variety. This became the foundation of the Texas grapefruit industry. And the rest is a part of history.

The second nursery that played a pioneering role in the development of Florida’s horticulture industry is the Glen Saint Mary Nursery located in the small north Florida town of Glen St. Mary in western Duval County. George Lindley Taber started this company in 1882. It has been in continuous operation and ownership by the Taber family and is located on an absolutely beautiful tract of old Florida not far from the I -10 corridor west of Jacksonville.

Over the years, the Tabers established a reputation for providing quality nursery stock and selecting new varieties for introduction. Two of the most notable plants are known today as the George L Taber azalea, a unique pink cultivar with distinct pale green leaves. The other is the Glen Saint Mary pittosporum, a compact selection of pittosporum tobira. Both of these are still very popular today.

In addition to the ornamentals, George L. Taber also worked diligently with citrus, most notably the Satsuma, the one citrus selection most tolerant of colder temperatures. The Glen Saint Mary Nursery established the largest citrus nursery in the entire world in Polk County near Winter Haven. The area grew into an important nursery center and provided a wide choice of ornamental plants and fruit trees for a growing local, as well as out of state, market.

The pioneering efforts of these companies helped provide the foundation for Florida’s Nursery and Landscape Industry. The total impact from these combined businesses provided over 204,700 jobs in 2010 and total sales exceeding 15 billion dollars. There are of course many other companies and people who had an important role in the success of this vital segment of our state’s economy.

I would like to include a quote by George L. Taber from the pages of their catalog from 1949, “We have seen wars, booms and depressions, storms, floods, droughts, recessions, moratoriums and other less serious situations come and go over a period of 67 years. This catalog will, we trust, speak eloquently for us.” This simple statement from many years ago reflects the challenges of today and the spirit that keeps determined nursery owners moving ahead.

In the area that includes the coverage area of Heartland in the Field, there are quite a number of nursery operations that range in size from very small (3-5 employees) to very large with 200+ employees. Of course, most are smaller operations employing 10 or fewer people. To properly maintain a nursery operation, it requires at least one person for 1.5 acres of production. That is bordering upon a minimum work force needed to maintain production. Unlike northern operations, most nursery companies in the Heartland are not considered to be a seasonal business. Obviously, springtime is usually a busier time than the rest of the year.

Having been brought up in a nursery, I am well acquainted with many of the nursery operations in the surrounding area. I will not attempt to provide a listing of all of these companies, choosing instead to introduce a few of the companies with which I am most familiar.


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Countryside Growers1668 Ratliff Rd, Wauchula, FL 33873(863) 735-2461

Countryside Growers located out on Ratliff road in Hardee County is a very nice small operation with a good selection of excellent material. James and Pam Timmons own Countryside. This couple began their nursery in 1985 on about 1/2 of a city block on Florida Avenue in Wauchula. In 1987 they began a move to the present site. The present location is on 13 acres with a large shade house for winter protection. Their customers are primarily garden centers and landscape companies on Florida’s west coast. This family-owned operation has five employees maintaining a growing area of 7+ acres.

Heart of Florida Greenhouses7555 Crewsville Rd, Zolfo Springs, FL 33890 (863) 735-1199 www.heartplants.com

I chose for my second feature in this series, Heart of Florida Greenhouses owned by the Bryant family. Theo and Chris Bryant established this nursery in 1977 with a very simple one-acre shade house. At first, they were the entire crew.

As sales made expansion possible, they enlarged the operation to supply a growing demand for the quality foliage plants they were producing. During those early years, they also produced two fine sons, Austin and Henry. Both of who grew up on the place learning the values of working in a family business. Both Henry and Austin earned degrees in ornamental horticulture at the University of Florida. After graduation, they both came home to take their place in the day-to-day operation of a growing company. Austin’s wife Deanna also works in the business.

A few years ago, they made the decision to add a small tissue lab to grow some of their own starter plants. The total acreage that is in production is 14 acres with 13 employees. Their foliage plants are primarily shipped to out of state garden centers and florists. Henry’s wife Jennifer is a second grade teacher at Zolfo elementary school. This family business is an asset to our community as is this entire family.


Tree Locators, Inc.16162 U.S. 441, Okeechobee, FL 34972(863) 763-7736www.treelocators.com

Built on the philosophy of “Don’t Destroy Nature When You Can Recreate It,” Tree Locators, Inc. in Okeechobee has served the central and east coast of Florida area since 2001. Owners Al Boshell and Scott Durand combine their many years of knowledge and experience to offer a wide range of products and services for homeowners and commercial sites.

From waterfalls to character palms, Tree Locators has the products to provide a beautiful landscape that reflects the lifestyle of its customers. Their experienced landscape design team can help you select the plants and materials that are best-suited to your needs and goals based on climate, soil conditions, maintenance and aesthetic value.

They carry a large selection of natural stone that includes more than 100 varieties like Flagstone, Fieldstone, Boulders, Cobblers, River Flats, Steppers, Wall Stone, Veneers, Ledge Rock, Stone Edging, Pebbles and Bagged Rock. Manufactured stone pavers and veneers are also available, as is a selection of bagged goods ranging from Cypress mulches and Pine bark nuggets to Pine straw and rock.

The company owns its own equipment and has the years of expertise necessary to install what they sell. They can design and install an entire landscape project or just one standalone tree. The Tree Locators team can work to relocate an existing tree on your property or install new trees. They can prepare your site, install your chosen material, and water in your items.

Their five-acre nursery is filled with native plants, shrubs, trees of all kind, and exotics including hibiscus and Bird of Paradise. A retail garden center and gift shop offers everything from gardening gloves, pruners, and kneepads to wind chimes and an assortment of beautiful pottery.

Stop by Tree Locators, approximately 15 miles north of Okeechobee on Highway 441, and see what they can do for you!

Burnett Fruit StandThe other day I stopped in at one of Hardee County’s local landmarks to say hello to family friend who is one of a vanishing group. I have known Emory Burnett for probably 45 years or so. When he was way too young to vote and barely old enough to drive a automobile, America went to war. Mr. Emory enlisted in the United States Marine Corps. He and thousands of young men just like him were sent to take back the Pacific Islands from the Japanese. Yes, he is a veteran of World War II. He was one of the men for whom there was no other choice but to take the tiny island known as Iwo Jima back. We as Americans should realize that we owe a debt of gratitude to these brave men who are all but gone from this earth.

After he was discharged from the Marines, he worked as a block layer in home construction for a few years. Around 1960 he bought a few acres outside of Wauchula and began to farm a little on the side. Over the years, he raised a variety of crops on his farm. As he began to slow down due to age, he continued to plant strawberries for sale to a mix of customers, both local and winter visitors. There are folks from up north who have been returning year after year for fresh vegetables and strawberries from him.

This little farm market won’t ever make its owners wealthy, but it provides a glimpse back into a simpler, easygoing way of life that I hope never vanishes from our country. On my last visit, I picked up a nice basket of tomatoes, sweet onions, a bell pepper and fresh made cane syrup. I spent a few minutes visiting with Zelda, his wife in the fruit stand. She has been there working with him for many years. I then took a little walk down to where Mr. Emory was chopping out a few weeds in the cabbages. We spent a few minutes talking about the weather and the need for rain plus a little general conversation. Stop in sometime soon for some nice fresh vegetables and sweet strawberries. If they have some, get a bottle of cane syrup. The folks who know how to make it won’t live forever and it goes mighty well with a fresh pan of biscuits.


I truly grew up in and around the nursery business of central Florida. At the age of six months or less my picture was taken with Ed Brown, the manager, and later owner, of Goochland Nursery in Ft Meade, Florida. In 1950, my father began working at this young, but well regarded, nursery with a well-deserved reputation for service and quality. The time spent at Goochland Nursery provided my father with many lifelong friendships throughout the industry.

Another well-known nursery in the area is Reints Nursery. John Reints was a nurseryman who happened to be in the right place and time to have a part in the development of one of Florida’s first major tourist attractions. Reints Nursery provided plants and trees that helped turn Dick Pope’s Cypress Gardens in Winter Haven into a very well known tourist destination.

Winter Haven Nursery on Lake Shipp Drive near Eloise, Florida was another one in that area. Mr. Dave Stabler, a very good nurseryman and exceptional gentleman who served as the second president of the Florida Nursery Growers Association, owned Winter Haven Nursery. I recall trips there on Saturdays or during the summer to graft gardenias. This was a skill my father learned that provided some much needed extra income at

a time when a few extra dollars meant something. Of equal importance was the chance to meet new people within the industry. Over the years, I have met many people whose names were well known not only in Florida but also all over the country where plant enthusiasts gather. We had a great friend in the person of Mr. Jack Holmes of Tampa. He was a very well known landscape architect and nurseryman who was

recognized world wide for his knowledge in his field. He was a natural promoter and did much to bring new introductions into the area. His company installed many of the original trees at Busch Gardens when it was just getting of the ground. He also planned the original landscape at Tampa International Airport.

I remember well visits down to Homestead, FL in the 1960s to visit the Ingram family, the pioneering family of the Dade County nursery industry. This family is still well known in the area today.

I could continue to share many more memories on this subject that has provided a very rewarding way of life that spans my entire memory. It is still a challenging and worthwhile way of life that offers a decent living and wonderful friendships.



Delray PlantsDelray Plants was started in 1968, by late founder Jake Koornneef, and is celebrating its 45th year of this family-owned business. Owned by Randy and Marian Gilde and Ed Koornneef, Delray Plants, located in Venus, FL, has grown into one of the largest production and shipping facilities for mass-produced indoor and landscape tropical foliage in the United States. More importantly, they have accomplished this while developing agricultural and business practices that reflect their deep commitment to environmental protection, social responsibility, and the production of superior quality plants.

With over 300 acres in production, Delray Plants employs 400 full-time employees. They have four full-time staff in Human Resources who always use the “Best Hiring” practices and strive to maintain an ideal work environment. With an impressive safety program, Delray always strives to improve and implement many new efficiency systems. They actively work with Florida State Senators and U.S. Congressmen with regard to immigration reform and other agricultural concerns. The company also prides themselves in maintaining long-term key personnel; the average tenure of their key managers is 15

years with several having many years of experience within the industry prior to coming to Delray.

Additionally, in an effort to run a green company, everything is recycled from cardboard to vegetative waste. They take pride in their Veriflora certification. Delray Plants is the first potted foliage producer and the fifth potted ornamental plant producer in North America to attain sustainability certification under the Veriflora program. Delray Plants’ decision to become certified was instigated by the company’s ongoing commitment to run a green company. Achieving and maintaining Veriflora certification allows them to publically demonstrate the highest level of commitment to their employees, partners and the industry.

Delray Plants’ commitment is to their customers as well, with programs designed to continually educate the consumer on the many benefits of plants. Their goal is to help consumers understand that plants are necessary for our well being. One such program, Plants with Benefits (trademark pending) is a program that provides simple yet informational messages about the physical and psychological benefits of plants.

Delray Plants works closely with their community and have partnered with many local businesses including: 27 Electric, C&C Plumbing, Glades Electric, Hicks Oil Company, Mid-Florida Port, Coker Fuel, Ridge Equipment, Bentz, Central Security, Fred’s Supplies, LaGrow Irrigation, Germaine Surveying, Singletary Concrete, D&B Golf, Holiday Inn Express, W&W Lumber, Napa Motor Parts, Polston Engineering, Montz Construction, Pugh Utilities, Reliable Sanitation and Home & Office Equipment and many more.

For more info on Delray Plants follow them on any of the links below:

www.delrayplants.com

www.facebook.com/delrayplants

www.youtube.com/delrayplants

www.twitter.com/delrayplants

www.pinterest.com/delrayplants



When we think of cabbage, we think of the delicious coleslaw that goes so well with barbecue. But long ago, cabbage was used for vastly different purposes. Pickled cabbage or sauerkraut was used in the 17th century by Dutch sailors to prevent scurvy during long voyages. And much further back in time, the ancient Greeks and Romans cultivated it for medicinal purposes, supposedly curing everything from hangovers to colic.

The first cabbage is thought to have been wild, growing in Britain and continental Europe. Some varieties were cultivated before 1,000 BC. Cabbages later spread from Europe into Mesopotamia and Egypt, and then followed the trade routes to Asia and the Americas. By the 18th century, it was being planted by Native Americans and colonists alike.

Cabbage is closely related to other cole crops such as broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts. Florida cabbage is generally grown for the fresh market.

The growing season varies by location. The Hastings area, near St. Augustine, is the main cabbage producing region in the state. Manatee County also is an important producing county and cabbage is grown in South Florida as well.

Planting dates range from August to March. Planting in North Florida usually happens between August and February, Central Florida between September and February, and in South Florida, between September and January. Harvesting is done between late October and mid-June, with the most active period between January and April.

Cabbage is a great source of Vitamin C. A half cup provides 45 percent of the daily recommended amount. It also contains Vitamin K and several of the B vitamins. Plus, being a cruciferous vegetable, it may reduce the risk of some cancers, especially colorectal cancer.

Be sure to buy a nice fresh head of cabbage, which may be stored in plastic wrap in the refrigerator. Do not slice it until you’re ready to use it to preserve freshness. It can be eaten steamed, baked, boiled or stuffed

as well as raw in salads and coleslaw. Remember that about one pound of cabbage – about one head – will yield four or five cups of raw, shredded cabbage.

It’s also a great addition to soups, stews and stir fry dishes. A tip for boiling is to wash it and cut it into large wedges. Add it to boiling water and continue to cook uncovered about eight minutes. Don’t overcook it, as that will result in the familiar “cabbagey” odor we don’t particularly like. (The odor comes from the release of sulfur in the leaves.)

For food safety’s sake, keep cabbage that is going to be eaten raw away from raw meat, poultry or seafood and don’t slice the cabbage with a knife that just sliced raw meat unless the knife has been thoroughly washed.

Here are a couple of ways to enjoy your Florida cabbage:

FLORIDACabbage

In Season Nowwww.ffva.com twitter/ FlaFruitandVeg Facebook: Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association


Simple coleslawFrom USDA Household Commodity Fact Sheet/adapted from RecipeZaar.com

Serves 6

• 6 cups cabbage, shredded• 1 carrot, cleaned, peeled and shredded• 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise• ½ cup cider vinegar or white vinegar• ¼ cup sugar• 1 teaspoon mustard or dry mustard seed• 2 teaspoons celery seed• ¼ teaspoon salt

Place the shredded cabbage and carrots in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, add mayo, vinegar, sugar, mustard, celery seed and salt. Mix the cabbage and carrots well with the dressing.

Chill for at least one hour before serving.

Bubbly Baked CabbageFrom USDA Household Commodity Fact Sheet/adapted from Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, Homecooking.about.com

Serves 8

• 6 cups cabbage, shredded• 3 ounces tomato paste• ¾ cup water• ¼ teaspoon salt• 1/8 teaspoon pepper• 2 teaspoons sugar• 1 cup low-fat cheddar cheese, grated• ½ cup bread crumbs• 4 tablespoons butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Fill a large pot half full of water and bring to a boil.Add cabbage to the pot and cook two minutes. Drain cabbage and return to pot.In a separate saucepan, combine tomato paste, water, salt, pepper and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring until smooth.Pout tomato mixture over cabbage. Toss to coat. Pour into a casserole dish.Top with cheddar cheese and bread crumbs. Put butter/margarine on top.Bake for 15 minutes and serve hot.


REC

IPE

OF

THE

MO

NTH

Easy Beef Stroganoff Total recipe time: 25 minutes

Makes 4 servings

Instructions:Stack beef steaks; cut lengthwise in half, then crosswise into 1-inch wide strips. Toss with garlic.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1/2 of beef; stir-fry 1 minute or until outside surface of beef is no longer pink. (Do not overcook.) Remove. Repeat with remaining beef. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in same skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add mushrooms; cook and stir 2 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat. Add gravy mix and 1 cup cold water; blend well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 1 minute or until sauce is thickened, stirring frequently. Stir in beef; heat through. Serve over noodles. Pass sour cream.

Ingredients:1 pound beef round tip steaks, cut 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick

1 clove garlic, minced

4 teaspoons vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced

1 package (3/4 ounce) brown gravy mix

4 cups uncooked wide egg noodles, cooked

1/4 cup dairy sour cream

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It’s not uncommon for people who grow up in neighboring towns to meet and fall in love, but you don’t usually expect them to meet while attending an event out of state.

Tamme Miller grew up in Wauchula and met Jimmy Fussell of Arcadia while competing at a rodeo in Athens, Georgia. Their mutual love of rodeo not only brought them together initially, but continues to play an important role in their now 28-year marriage.

The couple has two sons, twenty four-year old Jamie who is in his first year of law school at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, and twenty-year old Corey who is a sophomore at Panola College in Carthage, Texas. Jamie earned his Bachelor’s degree in Food and Resource Economics from the University of Florida. Corey’s

success in the Florida High School Rodeo Association helped him to earn a rodeo scholarship for college.Jimmy used to ride Bareback broncs and qualified for the Southeastern Circuit Finals “18 or 19 times,” winning the Finals in 1985. “In 1987, I just missed qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo by $157, then broke my hand. We were starting our family then and I never made it back to that level of competition,” he shares. He now enjoys tie-down and team roping, although he says he mainly competes in order to get their young horses trained for others to take on. “I’ve run barrels since I was young,” shares Tamme. “My sister Kim (Thomas) got me started.” Kim is now a well-known horse trainer in Oklahoma. Tamme has won the Barrel Racing event at several of the bigger rodeos

in Florida including Davie, Arcadia, and Hollywood, qualified for the Southeastern Circuit Finals twice, and has qualified for the National Barrel Horse Association World Show. In addition to her successes in the arena, Tamme runs a successful breeding program that began with her American Quarter Horse stallion Fire Easy, whose sire was the legendary Fire Water Flit.

She currently has seven brood mares with bloodlines that trace to Good Timin Hank, Smart Little Lena, Dash for Cash, Doc Bar and other well known Quarter horses. Some of the babies are sold as weanlings; others are kept and trained by Jimmy and Tamme, then sold when they are older. “All of our colts are started on the ranch and work cows before I put a barrel pattern on them,” says Tamme.

Tamme and Jimmy FussellBY ROBBI SUMNER


When he’s not helping with the horses or their commercial beef cattle operation, Jimmy can usually be found at their meat shop. “My grandfather started Fussell’s Meats in 1943,” shares Jimmy, who now runs the slaughterhouse, processing, and retail market that has become an Arcadia tradition. “We don’t have a meat case. Everything we sell is cut to order,” he explains. In addition to processing animals like deer, hogs, and alligators that are brought in by hunters, Fussell’s also processes hogs and steers for several of the area County Fair livestock sales including DeSoto, Hardee, Manatee, Glades, Okeechobee and others. They make their own hamburger using ground chuck or higher grade beef and have customers that travel distances from Palm Beach County and Ocala to purchase meat. “They’ll come and buy a month’s worth at a time,” says Tamme. The Fussells are also working towards U.S.D.A. approval needed to process private label grass fed beef, and to market their own label of sausage.

Jimmy is a long-time volunteer and serves on the Executive Board of the Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo Association, whose next rodeo will be held March 8th – 10th. “Everyone pitches in on certain areas like the house and grounds, but I’m specifically

responsible for the livestock and what goes on in the arena. We work hard to give the crowd what they want and put on a top-notch show for spectators and contestants,” he says. Established in 1952, the non-profit association is the oldest rodeo organization in Florida.

Serving as Chairman of the Arcadia Youth Rodeo Association, Jimmy says “I’m a sucker for a kid!” Tamme serves on the Board of the association which was created in 2008 as a youth division of the adult rodeo. AYRA now has over 140 members between the ages of 4 and 18, who come from all over the state to compete at six rodeos and their Finals. With over 300 entries at each rodeo, it’s said to be the biggest youth rodeo east of the Mississippi. Says Jimmy, “My goal is to help promote success with these kids. That means competing with the right attitude. So much of rodeo is a mental game, competing against yourself. You don’t know the true joy of winning unless you’ve lost and know how to handle it.” Tamme and Jimmy also help kids with barrel racing and roping lessons at their house a couple of nights a week.

They also compete on local Ranch Rodeo teams, and qualified for the Working Ranch Cowboys Association in Amarillo two years ago with fellow team members Jamie, Corey, nephew

Robert Fussell, Stevie John and Jason McKendree. The JTF Cattle & Performance team including Jimmy, Tamme, Luke Cantu, Brandon Dieter, and Matt Martell placed first at the Okeechobee Cattlemen’s Ranch Rodeo held last Labor Day weekend.

Tamme was a founding member of the Florida Chapter of the Women’s Pro Rodeo Association, and served on the WPRA Executive Board from 2007 to 2011. “This was during the end of the lawsuit that the WPRA had against the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association over how events were to be sanctioned, and I really wanted to be a part of the rebuilding process,” she shared. She has also served as President of the Sunshine Barrel Racers Association and is a member of the DeSoto Cattlewomen’s Association. Jimmy is a member of the DeSoto County and Florida Cattlemen’s Associations, and served as the DeSoto President for several years. He belongs to the Elks Lodge 1524, who named him Citizen of the Year in 2012. He and Tamme are both members of Calgary Baptist Church, and attend Cowboy Church when they are at rodeos.

“Rodeo has been an instrumental part of our lives,” says Jimmy. “It

teaches you about personal competition, and that having

the right attitude is the most important part of life.”


It’s the “Granddaddy of them all!” The 85th Annual Arcadia All-Florida Championship Rodeo will be held this year March 8th, 9th and 10th at the rodeo arena just off Highway 17 in Arcadia. The Arcadia Rodeo Association is once again proud to present this PRCA sanctioned event featuring some of the world’s best bull, bronc and bareback riding, roping, barrel racing and steer wrestling. For the little wranglers, they will have the calf scramble and mutton bustin. Jimmy Riffle and the Gator Boys will be there and Nashville recording artist Chris Macarthur and the Florida Cracker Boys band will perform all three days.

Each day gates open at 11:00am, the Shoot Out Performance begins at 1:00pm and the Rodeo begins at 2:00. Don’t miss the Rodeo Parade on Saturday on Oak Street starting at 10:00 am.

For more information, visit arcadiarodeo.com or call 800-749-7633. Ticket Prices are as follows: $17.00 for Reserved Seats ($15.00 in advance, $10.00 for children 11 and under), $20.00 for Premium Seats, $25.00 for Premium Plus Seats. All ticket prices are person/per day. Group Rates are available to groups of 40 or more. Tickets are sold on a first come, first served basis and there are no refunds or exchanges. The rodeo will go on rain or shine!

Come see rodeo at its finest during the 85th All-Florida Championship Rodeo, March 8th thru the 10th!

Arcadia RodeoPHOTOS BY KATHY GREGG

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At the NCBA Cattle Industry Convention in Tampa, two Central Florida producers were honored with the Beef Checkoff’s annual national Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) award and Dairy Beef Quality Assurance (DBQA) award. The awards were created to recognize outstanding beef and dairy producers from across the country who incorporate BQA principles as part of the day-to-day activities on their operations.

Woody Larson, Family Tree Enterprises, Okeechobee – Dairy Beef Quality Assurance

Family Tree Enterprises LLLP consists of three dairies: Basinger Farm, Gracewood Farm, and Lafayette Dairy, LLC and a commercial beef cow/calf operation, The Dixie Ranch, with 4,600 adult cows and 3,000 replacement females on 3,100 acres.

Family Tree Enterprises places emphasis on herd health and reducing cattle stress. Their herd health program takes a preventative approach emphasizing hygiene, vaccine and cow comfort over antibiotic use. The dairy also has written protocols for vaccinations and procedures.

Larson said in his application, “BQA has been important from the start. Our veterinarian and I have been the main educators as we continually train our people at the various farms. In addition, we have outside trainers come on-site and we encourage our herdsmen to attend specialized workshops, such the Florida Beef Council-sponsored Dairy BQA trainings for Spanish-speaking employees. Other innovations in our business include reworking our cattle handling facilities by installing some used rubber belting on the fences and chutes to help prevent bruising and injury.”

Billy and Reed Kempfer, Kempfer Cattle Company, St. Cloud – Beef Quality Assurance

Kempfer Cattle Company is a commercial cow/calf and seed stock operation. The ranch has been in business since 1895 and the sixth generation is now growing up and beginning to help work the land. The commercial operation consists of a 3-way cross of Brahman, Angus and Shorthorn cattle with Charolais bulls used for a terminal cross. A minimum of ¼ Brahman blood is maintained in all

cows to aid in maximizing production as they are less affected by flood, drought, heat and parasites. The ranch currently runs 2,500 commercial cows with 280 replacement heifers. An additional 300 replacement are raised annually for sale. The registered Brahman herd consists of 125 head.

The Kempfers believe that animal husbandry is top priority; mistreatment is completely unacceptable. “If we don’t take care of them, they cannot take care of us. We take pride in the compliments given by the feedlots and grazers on the health and dispositions of our calves. Healthy, calm cattle simply perform better.”

All cattle handling employees have been through BQA training, as well as cattle handling seminars.

Larson and Kempfer win Beef Quality Assurance Awards


With an estimated attendance of over 6,500 people, the Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show held in Tampa February 6th – 9th was declared a huge success by organizers and attendees alike.

Producers and allied members from across the U.S. and abroad gathered for a week of education, networking and entertainment. The convention featured opportunities for cattle producers to learn about new trends and the latest technologies during the 20th anniversary of Cattlemen’s College and throughout the week at the NCBA Trade Show, which drew large crowds to more than 230 exhibitor booths. Well known personalities like Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy whose extraordinary lives were chronicled in The Blind Side, and cowboy poet Baxter Black also made appearances and held book signings.

“This is truly the largest gathering of cattlemen and women in the country and it has been encouraging to feel the optimism about the future of the beef industry,” said NCBA President J.D. Alexander.

To commemorate the event and acknowledge the economic impact of cattle ranching in Florida, Governor Rick Scott and his cabinet signed a resolution declaring February 2013 as Florida Cattle Ranching Month. Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam was on hand at the convention to welcome attendees of the Opening General Session with his remarks.

The week was made even busier with February 7th marking the opening of the State Fair. In addition to the regular festivities, the “Florida Cattle Ranching: Five Centuries of Tradition” exhibit opened in its new permanent home at the Fairgrounds. According to Florida Cattlemen’s Association President Woody Larson, “the exhibit will serve to educate thousands of students in years ahead about the history and importance of cattle ranching in Florida.”

Friday night convention attendees enjoyed the revelry of musical performances by the Beach Boys and the Bellamy Brothers. The convention wrapped up Saturday, February 9th with the NCBA board of directors and membership meetings where Scott George, a dairy and beef producer from Cody, Wyoming was elected to succeed J.D. Alexander as NCBA President.

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association

Convention Wrap-up


Born January 8, 1923, Julius “Bud” Green of Moore Haven grew up in a Florida that most of us can only read about. One of twelve children born to James M. Green and Dolly Pauline Foracre Green, Bud has lived a life that many would consider hard. Having done everything from packing vegetables and working cows to owning and running a restaurant, Bud recounts his life with mostly smiles.

“My mom’s grandparents settled in the area that is now Nassau County, Florida in the 1700s. My dad’s family was cotton farmers from up around Waycross, Georgia. Many of them moved to the nearby area of Baker County, Florida,” shares Bud. “My dad didn’t want to farm though, so he became a carpenter.”

Bud recalls spending time as a child in Wauchula. “There weren’t many roads back then. I remember riding the train from Jacksonville.” When his father took a job at the State prison, the family moved to Tallahassee for a few years.

Bud went on to live with members of his mom’s family in northeast Florida, and eventually moved back to Wauchula to help her raise his younger brothers and sisters.

“We’d go to Belle Glade to work the beans, celery, and corn crops. When I was 16, the packinghouse foreman Mr. Moore, introduced me to W.P. Hill who was looking for help to work his cattle. I hired on for one month and that lasted about five years, until I was drafted in 1944.” In 1940, Bud married Beulah Mae Phillips and the couple had two daughters.

Bud served over a year in the Army Infantry before being discharged. He suffered devastating injuries to his left shoulder and lung during training exercises and was unable to fight on the front lines, although he spent a good deal of time in Army hospitals abroad before returning to the U.S. where he served as a trainer at Fort McClellan, Alabama.

Unfortunately, Bud returned home to learn that his marriage to Beulah was over. He moved to Moore Haven to be with his sister Pauline and her family, and was re-hired by Mr. Hill to take care of his cattle. “I always had a good horse and would be up before the dawn to feed, then go out and doctor the cows for ticks and the calves for screw worms. It was hard work and I usually had to change horses at lunch time. Mr. Hill leased a lot of land from Coastline Railroad and eventually had to sell his cattle, as the property became used for timber.”

Bud and Pauline ended up going into business together, running a restaurant in town. “I would cook, run the cash register, whatever needed to be done,” says Bud. One day, while working at the restaurant, Bud saw a group of teens walking home from school. One girl in particular caught his eye. “That’s the kind of girl I’d like to marry,” he recalls thinking. As luck would have it, that girl ended up at the restaurant later and Pauline introduced the two.

BY ROBBI SUMNER

Bud Green“I thank God for the years and for taking care of me.”


The object of his eye was Opal Raulerson. After dating for about a year-and-half, and after her graduation, the two were married June 28, 1947. Bud and Opal went on to own the restaurant known as “Bud and Opal’s” but sold it in the late 1950s. “We started as a café on Main Street then moved to the highway. We didn’t sell alcohol – I’ve never believed in that,” he shared. They sold the restaurant in order for Opal to have more time to raise a family.

Selling the restaurant gave Bud time for a new venture. “A friend of mine named Alvin Ward, Sr. worked for Julian Dickson’s dairy in Clewiston,” says Bud. “When Mr. Dickson sold out we decided to start a dairy up here.” Bud’s younger brother Ralph also helped with getting the operation up and running. Green’s Dairy operated for about nine years, when Bud decided to focus on commercial beef cattle, which he did for the next forty

years, and still has a few today. Bud and Opal owned several lots in town, as well as property on the south side of the river, and also leased property to run the cattle on. It was as if he’d come full circle from working someone else’s cattle to working his own.

Opal passed away in March 2011. “I always put my wife first in everything,” says Bud, his continuing love for her apparent. The couple raised three children: Julius, Jr., Julia “Marie”, and James “Edwin.” Julius and Edwin live in Moore Haven, and Marie now lives in Lake Placid.

Bud recently celebrated his 90th birthday surrounded by family members and friends. “There’s times I wish I was 20 again. I worked hard, but enjoyed it. I’ve always believed in right and wrong, and read the Bible every morning, still trying to figure out some things in life.”


First year teachers and co-FFA Advisors Jennie Goffe and Janyel Smith share not only their knowledge but their enthusiasm for agriculture as well. While Miss Goffe is from Charlotte County and Miss Smith from Manatee, the two met while attending the University of Florida. Goffe participated in 4-H and FFA during her youth and says she had “an amazing advisor in Mr. Teddy Lynn.” Smith says her advisor at Braden River, Deb Barry, “seemed to love her job everyday,” so both women had strong career role models. Goffe teaches the certification program for Ag Tech, focusing on the more traditional ag classes, while Smith teaches Plant Bio Tech, which involves more science-based classes.

Their 115 member Clewiston High FFA Chapter is led this year by the officer team of President Kavien Robinson, Vice President Jhander Garcia, Secretary Destiny

Murphy, Treasurer Nathan Adams, Parliamentarian Shaina Penny, Reporter Alan Smith, Sentinel Raul Frenes, Chaplain Micah Murphy, and Student Advisor Victor Ramos. Members include students from 9th to 12th grade, although freshmen are not able to serve as Chapter officers.

The Chapter fields several judging teams including Forestry, Meats, Vegetables, and Land Judging. The Forestry team of Alan Rudd, Kameron Young, Bradley Lytle and Logan Fletcher won their District contest in the Fall. The Meats Evaluation team of Destiny Murphy, Micah Murphy, Shaina Penny, Ryan Nesbitt and Caleb Curry are also busy preparing for their State contest.

While this summer will mark the first time this officer group has attended the State FFA convention, they were fortunate to attend the National convention in Indianapolis last fall,

Clewiston High School FFABY ROBBI SUMNER

FFA

SPO

TLIG

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sharing that it was a real eye opener and quite a motivating experience. For many the trip was their first time to fly on an airplane! They participated in many activities there, including the Rally to Fight Hunger putting together meals for less fortunate, the Day of Service where they spent an afternoon cleaning up a local park, and the Career Show where several colleges and prospective employers were represented.

Their “central pasture” is located on about five acres near the school grounds, and provides room for members to keep show hogs, heifers, and other projects. Another 480 acres located off Highway 833 serves as the “land lab” and is where they keep their herd of about sixty mostly Angus and crossbred cattle. The students in the Advanced Concepts senior-level class are driven by school bus to that location, and are in the process of re-building the cow pens and studying artificial insemination. With help from U.S. Sugar, they also grow about 200 acres of sugar cane.

Back at school the Chapter also has a greenhouse and garden. Each student gets a twelve-foot section to plant, care for, and harvest such crops as corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce,

and mustard greens. Their shop has welding equipment, cutting torches, saws and other tools necessary for woodworking and metal projects. Last year members made several barbeque grills that were given away as thanks to people who had helped the Chapter.

When I met with the Clewiston FFA advisors and officers, they were busy planning for National FFA Week, to be held February 16th – 23rd. Among the activities planned were making a presentation to first grade elementary students; preparing a teacher appreciation lunch; a member lunch where each would have their hands died the appropriate color to correspond to their anticipated award level – green for Greenhands, red for Chapter Degrees, blue for State Degrees; re-mulching flower beds around campus; and working a concession stand along with Alumni members at the Weeks Sugarland Equipment Auction.

“We have a very active Alumni group,” shares Miss Goffe. “The money raised at the auction concession helps to fund scholarships. All of our graduating members can get a scholarship if they qualify based on grades and participation in activities.”

Other community involvement projects for Chapter members have included designing and selling pink t-shirts to raise money for breast cancer awareness and hosting two teams in the Relay for Life event scheduled for the first weekend in April. They also participated in the two-hour “High Heel-athon” to raise money for a local memorial scholarship.

This year the Chapter raised two hogs that were purchased from Lyons Show Pigs and sold as fundraisers. Dustin Loper showed one at the South Florida Fair and received a blue ribbon. The second was being prepped for the Clewiston show, to be shown by Bradley Lytle. Micah Murphy will be showing the Chapter heifer at the livestock show in LaBelle.

While next year’s Chapter will miss some of its senior leaders like Kavien and Destiny, the underclassmen are ready to step up. Micah and Shaina will be juniors and say they hope to return as officers to continue the efforts of the Chapter. With Goffe and Smith at the helm, I’m sure they’ll continue to stay busy and enjoy their agricultural education and leadership opportunities.

Local FFA students are not only demonstrating their skills with livestock, but are demonstrating their knowledge in the world of horticulture as shown by their success at the South Florida Fair.UF/IFAS Extension Horticulture Agent Dan Culbert is proud to report that Okeechobee teams took one first place and two second place team awards, and local students earned top individual honors in both the Junior and Senior categories.

In the senior high division, Okeechobee Junior FFA member Kristen Dryden earned the highest score in the contest; her score of 846 indicates that she was able to correctly identify 90% of the 156 different specimens of Florida vegetable varieties, pests, and seed that were presented at this year’s competition in West Palm Beach. The contest also involves judging four classes of vegetables on quality and consumer appeal.

Dryden was one of the four members of the second place senior team from the Okeechobee Freshman FFA chapter; her teammates were John McGehee, Jacob McGehee and Willie Pattison. John was also the third high individual

in the contest. However, their scores were not high enough to edge out the Orlando Colonial FFA “A” team, which have earned top team honors for the past three years. Okeechobee Senior FFA member Travis Register competed as an individual, and earned fourth place high individual honors.

In the junior category for middle schools and junior high school students, Okeechobee’s Yearling Middle School took top team honors with team members Maria Carillo, Morgan Buxton and Meghan Kuschel. Carillo was second high junior individual and Buxton took third place high individual in the event.

High Point individual in the junior division was Osceola Middle School’s

Hunter Sills. Hunter’s teammates were Joel Davis, Hunter Wagner, and Donnie Watson. This team took the second place team award; Davis was 4th high individual, Wagner was 7th, and Watson was 8th high individual.

Overall there were 42 participants from 11 teams from Orange, Highlands, Palm Beach and Okeechobee counties. Many of these students will also compete at the Osceola County Fair for another invitational contest and at the Okeechobee County Fair contest in March. All of this is in preparation for the State FFA Vegetable Identification and Judging Career Development Event, to be held on the UF campus in April.

okeechobee ffa

Knows their Vegetables Daniel F. Culbert, Extension Horticulture Agent

Okeechobee High School FFA team Osceola Middle School FFA team Yearling Middle School FFA team


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JuniorFloridaCattlemen’sAssociationContestResults

COLT PAPY2nd place Speech Contest

(11-14 yr old division)

WALLY MARTIN4th place Speech Contest(15 - 19 yr old division)

CAROLINE DAILY3rd place Speech Contest(15 - 19 yr old divison)

CHRISTIAN RODRIGUEZ3rd place Speech Contest(11 - 14 Year old division)

JFCA Contestants after the awards ceremony

TEAM MARKETING TEAM1st Place (Lake County), Members - Cara, Clay and Luke

Senior Division Winners of the Livestock Judging Contest

QUIZ BOWL2nd Place (Hillsborough County)

Members - Blake Harrell, Anna Conrad, Courtney Wingate and Lane Harrell

Junior Division Winners of the Livestock Judging Contest


The seven FFA chapters in Highlands County celebrated National FFA Week in a variety of ways. National FFA Week was February 16-23, 2013 and this year’s theme was Grow. It celebrated more than 80 years of FFA traditions while eagerly anticipating the organization’s future. More than 550,000 members nationwide participated in National FFA Week activities at local, state and national levels. These members come from rural, suburban and urban environments and are interested in the diversity of careers within agriculture.

FFA members are the innovators and leaders of tomorrow. Through agricultural education and hands-on learning, they are preparing for the more than 300 career opportunities in the food, fiber and natural resources industry.

National FFA Week is sponsored by Tractor Supply Company as a special project of the National FFA Foundation and annually encompasses February 22, George Washington’s birthday.FFA members celebrated National FFA Week by participating in the following activities at schools around the county including: Students guessing amount of FFA mints in a container during lunches, FFA Facts on morning announcements everyday, Teacher Kiss-A-Donkey Contest, Teacher Appreciation Breakfast and Attending the Sebring Chamber Luncheon

Students at Sebring High School also had some activities that they wanted the whole school to participate in and they wanted to do one charity event. In spirit of all the teachers dropping weight, they held a clothes drive and their goal

was to collect 1,000 pounds of clothes. The top three participants received a Walmart gift card. They also planned for each day of the week to include: Monday Twin Day, Tuesday Spirit Day or FFA Colors, Wednesday FFA Official Dress Day, Thursday Western Wear Day and Friday was FFA T-Shirt Day. Also on Thursday, students could pay $1.00 to wear a hat to school and those monies raised will go to help FFA members attend State Convention in June.

FFA Members also cut Public Service Announcements to run throughout the week on the local radio station and two students appeared on Barry Foster’s morning talk radio program.

Finally, Sebring Mayor, George Hensley proclaimed FFA Week at the February City Council Meeting on February 19.

L-R) Shelby Ball,(President Avon Park Sr.) Megan Stein(Sebring Sr.President)andBrittanyPalmerton(SebringSr.VicePresident)recordingPublicServiceAnnouncements(PSA’S)forNationalFFAWeek,February16-23,2013.

MeganStein&BrittanyPalmertonappearedonBarryFoster’sTalkProgramonMonday,Feb.18thtodiscussNationalFFAWeekactivities.

Highlands County FFA ChaptersCelebrate 2013 National FFA Week

February16-23


T he story begins with the “Scribner A”. In the early decades of the 1900’s, Charles Scribner’s Sons began to use a Company Seal and the letter “A” on the

copyright page of new titles to signify the book was indeed a First Edition or First Printing. The Scribner stable at that time included F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Thomas Wolfe.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings was a New York journalist moved to Cross Creek in Alachua County, Florida. “Hammock Country” it was named. She had some success with two books that spoke to the people and the geography of the land, “Golden Apples” and “South Moon Under.” In 1939, Charles Scribner’s Sons published “The Yearling.” It was a resounding success. Truly, the First Printing illustrations, the dust wrapper, the size, were rather ordinary, and did not enhance one’s imagination of the story and the setting, or draw the eye to a special book, to be bought, carried home, looked at and read. The half-page “Decorations” were by Edward Shenton, who was a Scribner regular and had illustrated “Tender is the Night” and “The Green Hills of Africa.” The engravings that were used were black and white, consistent with the designs of the times, favored by many W.P.A. artists and muralists. A better drawing of the group features perhaps an ivory-billed woodpecker in flight. Shenton was no slouch. He illustrated many other books including two of the “Rivers of America” series and coincidentally, a book by Marjory Stoneman Douglas, “Freedom River: Florida 1845” (Scribner. 1953). The First Edition was sold in bookshops and department stores for $2.50.

Because of the interest in “The Yearling”, Scribner’s Maxwell Perkins, chiefly known for his editing skills, set upon a strategy to join the story to the skillful hand of N. C. Wyeth. Wyeth was

most known for his magazine contributions and for having illustrated new printings of “The Classics”, “Kidnapped”, “The Deerslayer” and “Treasure Island” “Pew groping blind in the moonlight was more than just a scene. It was a feeling”.Wyeth came by train to Cross Creek with Maxwell Perkins, visited with Mrs. Rawlings, who was at first reluctant to engage him, and returned to Chad’s Ford in Pennsylvania to begin work.

Wyeth prepared the hard board with gesso, a smooth mixture of chalk and glue. Sunlight caused a translucent effect from the thinned oil painted on the smooth white surface. Wyeth drew thirteen panels that were used to thus illustrate “The Yearling” a second time. The book, because of Wyeth’s illustrations in color, was awarded The Pulitzer Prize in 1939 for his renderings of the pioneers and places of “Hammock Country”. That same year, John Steinbeck received The Pulitzer Prize for Literature for “The Grapes of Wrath.”

PUBLISHING HISTORY OF “THE YEARLING”

A Series on Florida Literature

BY BRADY VOGT


A Limited Edition (770 Copies) was released with the thirteen panels plus two additional plates and a facsimile / copy of letter from Wyeth. The aqua colored cloth was wrapped in a stiff paper, three quarter sized dust jacket, for some reason called a chemise. A cardboard slipcase concluded the presentation. For the public, a Trade Edition in a pictorial dust jacket was sold at $3.50. Both editions, both “Firsts” were marked with the Scribner Seal and Scribner A, because they were the first printings of what were, through the publishing process, essentially different products.

The original Wyeth oil paintings for “The Yearling” are in museums and the libraries of the fabulously lucky. Hammock country; Summer heat and mosquitoes and rain; Winter damp and rattlesnakes and a bear called “Old Slewfoot;” “Fodderwing;” Pine and palmetto prairies and fast moving shallow water under oaks and hollies thickly draped with Spanish moss; The porch on the cabin; The vegetable patch and the fawn; Sitting in the general store and fighting in the front of it.

In 1946, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer featured Gregory Peck, Jane Wyman, and Claude Jarman, Jr. in the film production of “The Yearling”. Eight of the thirteen color panels created by N.C. Wyeth were used as models for scenes in the movie. Mrs. Rawlings said, “The most effective shots in the film were exact reproductions of Wyeth’s paintings”. Indeed, in the Wyeth biography by David Michaelis, it is recalled that she said, “they copied exactly several of his paintings. That is, as exactly as physical properties and human beings could copy the greater art of his brush”.

The original First Printing of “The Yearling” was followed by twenty more printings by 1940. It was available as a Book of the Month Club. The Pulitzer Prize Edition was reprinted but

was reproduced in several lesser printings, a lesser paper, a lesser quality of color, toned, muted and dull compared with the originals. The book has also been published by Grosset and Dunlop (barons of the cheap reprint), The Easton Press and Franklin Library (all using Shenton or Wyeth drawings).

For the historian, for the collector of Florida literature, “The Yearling” is a must have on the shelf. One may visit Advanced Book Exchange (abe.com) for an availability of the various copies that are offered for sale. IN NEAR FINE condition (which is a bookseller’s dialect for “just about like new”), a summary follows of what one might expect to pay.

First Trade in Dust Jacket (Shenton) No Flaws ..................................................................$45.00 to $150.00

First Trade signed by MKR. No Flaws ................................................................. 450.00 to $950.00

Pulitzer Prize Edition Ltd. signed by MKR and NCW ............................... $1500.00 to $4000.00

Pulitzer Prize Trade signed by MKR or NCW .................................... $750.00 to $2500.00

Pulitzer Prize Trade Edition ...................................$85.00 to $250.00

I guess I have a few copies of “The Yearling”, different “printings”. However, the book I want more than any other, is “The Last Stand” or “Lookit All Those Indians” signed by George Custer, with an “A” on the copyright page.


Sebring Middle School FFA livestock judging team placed first at the 2013 Annual Winter Okeechobee FFA Alumni Livestock Judging Contest. The team consists of Eli Collins, Tyler Murphy, Jacob Todd, and Lance High. They have worked really hard and are excited about competing in the state FFA Livestock Judging Contest at the Florida Strawberry Festival on Saturday, March 9th, 2013. Congrats on your win in Okeechobee and good luck at the state contest!

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MARCH 9TH-10TH 48thAnnualSpeckledPerchFestivalandParade,Okeechobee

MARCH 9TH & 10TH FortMyersShrimpFestival&Parade,LynnHillMemorialPark

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APRIL 26TH-27TH 7thAnnualWomenintheOutdoors,QuailCreekPlantationOkeechobee

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• Review each day with all workers the activities that will take place around power lines.

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