Polk Small Farms: Florida Land Steward Update 8/19/16

Florida Land Steward Update
August 19, 2016

Have Land? Get a Plan and Stay Connected. Florida Land Steward is your source of assistance, information, events and resources.

News, information and upcoming events below.
Please share this update with your neighbors, colleagues and others that may be interested.

*- Link to the current quarterly Florida Land Steward Newsletter (Summer-Fall 2016 (Vol 5, No 3) and back issues -*

News & Info Brief

SUMMER ISSUE OF FWC'S FLORIDA WILDLIFE LEGACY NEWSLETTER NOW AVAILABLE
In this issue: Science Translation and the Conservation Narrative, New State Wildlife Grants Projects Announced, Out into the Night in Search of Florida's Bats, Please Welcome FWLI's Newest Team Members!, Blue Ribbon Panel's Recommendations & the Recovering America's Wildlife Act, Where is it now? Revisiting the Breaker's Reef Mooring Buoy Project, Crossing the Finish Line! A List of Recently Completed State Wildlife Grants Projects. Current Issue linked here.

WHAT'S UP WITH MICROPLASTICS?
The month of September has been declared Microplastic Awareness Month. What does this have do with anything? Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic less than 5 mm in size that are being found in large quantities in our local water bodies, impacting marine organisms and most likely us too. Everything we do is connected to the water. A statewide team of University of Florida IFAS Extension agents is tackling this huge issue and they need our help. Learn more about microplastics and how you can help minimize their release into water: http://stjohns.ifas.ufl.edu/sea/microplastics/index.html. Facebookers, see, like and share the project at https://www.facebook.com/MicroplasticAwarenessProject

FLORIDA PRESCRIBED FIRE COUNCIL MEETINGS SCHEDULED
Central Florida Prescribed Fire Council Meeting: September 23, 2016, Osceola Heritage Park, 1875 Silver Spur Ln., Kissimmee, FL 34744. Registration link

North Florida Prescribed Fire Council Meeting: October 12, 2016, Theatre Tallahassee, 1861 Thomasville Rd., Tallahassee, FL 32303. Registration info to be posted.

More about Florida Prescribed Fire Councils here

USDA NRCS ASSISTANCE HELPS FLORIDA FARMERS, RANCHERS CONSERVE NATURAL RESOURCES
Application deadline for financial assistance October 21, 2016
Florida farmers, ranchers and forest owners can apply until Oct. 21 for financial and technical assistance from USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for fiscal year 2017 funding. Although applications are accepted on a continuous basis for all programs, funding selections are typically made once a year.

Through EQIP, agricultural landowners may receive financial and technical assistance to improve soil, water, air, plants, animals and related resources. Eligible land includes cropland, rangeland, pastureland, private non-industrial forestland and other farm or ranch lands. The application deadline also applies to the following EQIP-funded initiatives: Organic Producer Initiative, Seasonal High Tunnels, Energy Initiative, Pollinator Initiative, Everglades Initiative, Longleaf Pine Initiative, National Water Quality Initiative, Working Lands for Wildlife, Gulf of Mexico Initiative, Strikeforce

Begin by visiting your local NRCS field office and requesting help developing a conservation plan. Our experts provide this free service to help you use your natural resources more efficiently. To learn about technical and financial assistance available from NRCS, go to Getting Started with NRCS.

USDA NRCS EQIP ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FOR FLORIDA FARMERS, RANCHERS CONSERVE NATURAL RESOURCES
Application deadline for financial assistance October 21, 2016
Florida farmers, ranchers and forest owners can apply until Oct. 21 for financial and technical assistance from USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for fiscal year 2017 funding. Although applications are accepted on a continuous basis for all programs, funding selections are typically made once a year.

NORTHWEST FLORIDA LANDOWNERS - JOIN THE NEW FACEBOOK GROUP FOR FLORIDA LAND STEWARDS OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA
"Like" the Facebook Page for Florida Land Stewards of Northwest Florida at
https://www.facebook.com/FloridaLandStewardsofNWFlorida/

Join the Facebook Group for Florida Land Stewards of Northwest Florida at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/FloridaLandStewardsofNWFlorida/

Interact directly with other landowners in Northwest Florida to discuss and share your successes and failures with your land restoration, longleaf planting, pollinator habitat, and other conservation practices. Share what has worked for you or what you would have done differently. Ask for advice about federal and state programs, how to get forestry assistance with a burn, safe herbicide use, tree selection, habitat questions, best chainsaw for cutting trees, recommended sources for trees and seeds, or planting crew recommendations. And best of all, you can post before and after photos of your property in a photo album to showcase your success! I know it inspires me to see what other landowners have accomplished. This group does require a Facebook account.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact Marcia at NaturalEnquirer@gmail.com.

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The Statewide Florida Land Steward Partnership FB page is connected to this effort and is at http://www.facebook.com/FloridaLandStewardPartnership

SOMETHING BUGGING YOUR TREES?
Do you have pests or a disease in your trees? Leaves or needles wilting, and you don't know why? Sawdust falling out of your trees, and you don't know how to save them? There is help: ask your question at the free Forest Health Diagnostic Forum: http://sfrc.ufl.edu/treehealth/forum/.

GOT AN INVASIVE SPECIES PROBLEM?
Go to floridainvasives.org for information, assistance and partnership opportunities.

LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ON A PARTICULAR TOPIC?
Check the vast array of extension publications available at the University of Florida IFAS on the EDIS publication site: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ Wow, there's a publication about that?

HAVE AN EVENT OR RELATED NEWS TO SHARE?
Drop a line to Chris Demers, cdemers@ufl.edu

More news and info at the Florida Land Steward Blog

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EAST FLORIDA (Madison County, east and south)
August 19	Feral Swine Workshop, 9:30 am ET, UF/IFAS Marion County Extension Office, 2242 N.E. Jacksonville RD, Ocala, FL. Local farmers, ranchers and forestland owners are invited. Guest speaker Cailey Thomas, USDA/APHIS and Mark Cunningham, DVM. Hosted by FAMU Cooperative Extension and The Florida Black Farmers and Agriculturalist Association. Contact FAMU Extension, (850) 599-3546. Workshop is free and lunch is provided.
August 22	Southwest FL Small Farmers Network Meeting (link), UF/IFAS Gulf Coast REC, Wimauma, FL. See link above for more information and registration or contact UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County at (941)861-9900.
August 24	Ag Conservation Workgroup for Hernando and Pasco Counties, 9 am ET, San Antonio USDA Service Center, Conference Rm, 30435 Commerce Dr., Suite 103, San Antonio, FL 33576. Local farmers, ranchers and forestland owners are invited to a workgroup with USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service to identify resource concerns in Hernando and Pasco counties. Contact Dan Oliver, 352-588-5211 Ext. 3.
August 27	Urban Farms and Value Added Marketing Workshop (link), 1-4 pm, UF/IFAS Extension Orange County Education Center, Magnolia Classroom, 6021 S. Conway Rd, Orlando, FL 32812. Join us to learn about the opportunities and challenges in the implementation of sustainable urban farms and value added marketing. $25 person See link above for details or call (407) 254-9200.
August 29	Polk County Ag Conservation Workgroup, 2-3 pm ET, UF/IFAS Polk County Cooperative Extension Service Office, Brenneman Auditorium, 1702 Hwy 17 South (Spessard Holland Parkway) Bartow, FL 33830. Local farmers, ranchers and forestland owners are invited to participate in a workgroup with USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service to identify resource concerns in Polk County. Contact Ed Sheehan, ( 863) 533-2015 Ext 3.
August 30 - September 1	Florida Forestry Association 2016 Annual Meeting: "Working Forests Work" (link), Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort, Amelia Island, FL. See link for details or call (850) 222-5646.
September 7	Ag Conservation Workgroup for Hillsborough, Pinellas Counties, 3 pm ET at Florida Strawberry Grower Association, 13138 Lewis Gallagher Road, Dover, FL 33527. Local farmers and ranchers are invited to a workgroup with USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service to identify and prioritize conservation efforts in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties Sept. 7, Contact Lisa Harper, (813) 752-1474 Ext.-3.
September 8-9	Grass Identification Workshop (link), UF/IFAS Range Cattle REC, 3401 Experiment Station, Ona, FL 33865. Provided by the Wildlife Society. Cost is $25 for FLWS members, $50 for nonmembers. See link for details and registration or contact Erin Myers, erin.myers@fltws.org, (239) 370-6302.
September 8-10	Florida Local Food Summit (link), East End Market, Orlando, FL. Provided by Florida Organic Growers, East End Market and Local Roots Distribution. See link above for details.
October 4-6	Private Lands Partners Day: The Northern Everglades - The Land, Water and People (link), Chateau Elan Hotel and Conference Center, Sebring, FL. Hosted by The Partners for Conservation, this event brings together landowners and partners from across the nation to interact with conservation agency leadership from across the country, share stories of partnership, and visit ranches that are models for successful public-private partnerships. See link above for more information.
October 6	Forest Stewardship Tree / Forest Plant ID Field Day (link), 9 am to 3 pm ET, Morningside Nature Center, Gainesville, FL. Join us to learn some strategies to help you identify trees, shrubs and herbaceous species. We will cover some basic skills and put them to work in woods, identifying a sample of sandhill, flatwoods and swamp species in the field. Cost is $10 per person, lunch and materials included. Please register on-line at https://fsp-workshop100616.eventbrite.com/. You can also reserve a space by contacting Chris Demers, cdemers@ufl.edu, (352) 846-2375.
October 27	Forest Stewardship / Tree Farm Tour at Kenyon and Weeks Farms, Clay County, mark your calendar, more details to be posted.
November 1-2	Treasure Coast Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference (link), Ft. Pierce, FL. See link above for more information or contact Jose Perez at joseperezoro@ufl.edu, (352) 294-1692.
WEST FLORIDA (Jefferson County and west)
August 25, September 15	Principles of Pasture Productivity Workshop Series (link), 6:30 pm CT, UF/IFAS Calhoun County Extension Office, Blountstown, FL. Provided by UF/IFAS, this series will help livestock producers gain a better understanding of pasture productivity. There is a $25 registration fee for the entire series or $10 per session. Light refreshments and printed program materials will be provided. See link above for details and registration or contact Calhoun County Extension Office at (850) 674-8323.
August 27	FAMU Grape Harvest Festival, 8 am - 4 pm ET, FAMU Center for Viticulture and Small Fruit Research, 6505 Mahan Dr, Tallahassee, FL 32317.
September 13	Principles of Pasture Productivity Workshop Series (link), 6:30 pm CT, UF/IFAS Washington County Extension Office, Chipley, FL. Provided by UF/IFAS, this series will help livestock producers gain a better understanding of pasture productivity. There is a $25 registration fee for the entire series or $10 per session. Light refreshments and printed program materials will be provided. See link above for details and registration or contact Washington County Extension Office at (850) 638-6180.
September 15	Invasive Exotic Species and Control Workshop (link), 9 am to 3 pm ET, Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve Training Center, 108 Island Drive Eastpoint, FL 32328. Provided by Apalachicola Regional Stewardship Alliance and Florida Forest Stewardship Program. $10 fee covers materials and lunch. FDACS Pesticide applicator CEUs approved: 2.0 General Standards/Core 487, 2.0 General Standards Core 482, 3.0 Private Applicator, 2.0 Ag Row Crop, 3.0 Forestry, 3.0 Natural Areas Weed Mgmt, 3.0 ROW, 1.0 Limited Wildlife Trapper. SAF CFEs also approved: 2.0 Cat 1 and 2.0 Cat 2.. Please register on-line at http://www.gulfalliancetraining.org/detail.aspx?Id=118 or you can reserve a space by contacting Anita Grove at the Reserve at (850) 670-7708, Anita.Grove@dep.state.fl.us
September 27	Forest Stewardship Workshop: Use Prescribed Fire Safely and Effectively (link), 8:30 am to 3 pm CT, Blackwater State Forest Bear Lake Pavilion, Munson, FL. This program will provide an overview of the uses of fire in natural resource management and the proper planning necessary for a successful prescribed burn. A burn demonstration will be planned and executed if conditions allow. $10 fee covers lunch and materials. Register on-line at https://fsp-workshop092716.eventbrite.com/. You can also reserve a space by contacting Bethany at the UF/IFAS Santa Rosa County Extension Office at (850) 675-6654.
October 11	Panhandle Fruit & Vegetable Conference (link), Jackson County Agricultural Complex, Marianna, FL. To register online click here or contact Jose Perez at joseperezoro@ufl.edu, (352) 294-1692
October 14	Florida Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year Tour and Awards Ceremony, Leon County, at the Register Family Partnership Tree Farm near Woodville, FL, outside of Tallahassee. Mark your calendar. More details to come.
October 25-28	Prescribed Fire for Wildlife (link), Tall Timbers Research Station, Tallahassee, FL. Provided by the Florida Wildlife Society, Tall Timbers, and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Details to be posted at link above or contact Jim Schortemeyer, schortfire@aol.com, (239) 455-5847.
WEBINARS, REGIONAL EVENTS
August 24	Monthly Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area (CISMA) Webinar, 1:30 to 2:30 pm ET, every 4th Wednesday. Join the webinar for CISMA updates, news and the latest on invasive species in Florida. Connect at https://ufifas.adobeconnect.com/fisp/
Aug 25, Sep 22, Oct 27, Nov 17, Dec 15	Your Legacy, Your Land Monthly Webinar Series (link), provided by American Forest Foundation. See link for details.
September 13	Natural Resources Webinar: Soil Health Impact on Pest Management (link), 2 pm ET, see link for details and to join.
September 21, October 19, November 16	Wildlife Wednesday Webinar (link), 12:15 - 1:00 pm ET, provided by Pinellas and Polk UF/IFAS Extension. See link above for details and registration.
October 25-26	Forest inSight Conference East (link), Oconee Civic Center, Watkinsville, GA. The conference will present and demonstrate how genetic and silviculture decisions can optimize production efficiency and profits. See link above for details and registration.
November 1-4	11th Biennial Longleaf Conference - Growing a Legacy: A Working Forest for the Long Run, Savannah Marriott Riverfront Hotel, Savannah, GA. For details about the conference and to register go to www.ncsu-feop.org/LLA/.