Polk Small Farms

Sunday, November 22, 2015

The Cultivator Newsletter - November 2015

The Cultivator

Connecting farmers and food system innovators across Florida

Published Monthly by the UF/IFAS Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Extension Team

Issue No. 3

November 2015

Words of advice from Emil Belibasis, an experienced vegetable grower-

One of the speakers at the Mid-Florida Specialty Crops Conference, Emil Belibasis, owner of Beli Farms, shares some great pieces of advice especially for beginner and prospective farmers. --

Conference Pictures

See what happened at the Mid-Florida Speciality Crops Conference in Apopka - See more

In This Issue

Conference Pics!

Words of advice from an experienced grower

Upcoming Webinars

Upcoming Training in FL

News, Announcements and Publications

November 6, 2015

Apopka, FL

Thank you for a great regional conference!!

Stay tuned for updates on our third regional conference on April 1-2 in Lee County!

Quick Links

- Small Farms Program Website

- UF/IFAS Extension near you

- The Cultivator Newsletter

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Christmas Trees: Harvest your own

As a part of the Natural Resources program, I encourage residents to think about the impact their everyday choices have on our natural resources, both positively and negatively.

Transporting firewood, trees and other vegetation can serve as a vector for the spread of invasive exotic species; as a result, Florida prohibits the movement of firewood more than 50 miles from its place of harvest to reduce the spread of these hitchhikers. Christmas trees do not fall under this regulation and are regularly imported from the Carolinas, Virginia, and other Appalachian states to satisfy residents’ desires for a ‘real Christmas tree.’ Please note, there is nothing particularly bad about this arrangement; they have gorgeous trees and people love them.

I bring this up as a teachable moment for our office because right here in Polk County we have the opportunity to harvest a local tree, help a local State Forest reduce its fire fuel levels, save money (only $10/tree), reduce the risk of spreading invasive exotic pests and reduce your carbon footprint. The Lake Wales Ridge State Forest offers Sand Pine trees as a local alternative species for Christmas trees. This species has a fascinating life cycle that can lead to thickets of young trees when fire rotation is disturbed by too-few or too-frequent fires. To help reduce the fuel load, the trees are offered for $10 as Christmas trees to the public. I will be harvesting one of these trees to use as an in-office demonstration of local trees.

If you are interested in this project, please see the following ways you can help:

· Donating a used tree stand for fresh-cut trees (for trees between 4 and 7 feet tall)

· Donating a strand of LED Christmas Lights (since the tree will be unsupervised, we cannot use incandescent mini-lights)

· Contacting me if interested in going to harvest the tree or to help decorate it (likely Extension themed or ‘green’ ornaments)

· Share my Christmas Tree fact sheet I created (attached) and encourage people to check out a regional tree-farm or the Lake Wales State Forest for a local tree (flier attached)

Thanks for your time!

Thank you and have a great day,

Shannon Carnevale

Natural Resources and Conservation Agent

UF/IFAS Extension Polk County

(863) 519-1051

scarnevale@ufl.edu

http://polk.ifas.ufl.edu

2 food system surveys

Growth in the number of food businesses is increasing the demand for commercial kitchen space. Ashley Colpaart, a doctoral candidate at Colorado State University (CSU) is conducting research on commercial kitchens and food businesses to identify challenges and opportunities around commercial kitchen use. Your participation in this survey will provide us with valuable feedback to identify future opportunities for increasing access to kitchens.

The two surveys are aimed at:

1. Commercial kitchen owners/managers that rent or are interested in renting space in the future. These could be a:

· commissary (shared commercial rental)

· incubator or accelerator (provides business support)

· community (church, community center, food bank)

· co-packer

· institution (school, hospital, senior living)

· privately owned (restaurant, bakery)

2. Food Businesses defined by self-identified occupation and couple be a:

· baker

· caterer

· personal chef

· food truck or push-cart owner

· food artisan or value-added producer

· food or beverage manufacturer

· cottage foods producer (home)

· educator or cooking instructor

This surveys should take 5-10 minutes each and your answers are anonymous. There are no known risks or benefits to participating in this survey. Participation is voluntary. Choosing to fill out the on-line survey implies consent. If you change your mind and decide not to participate, you may withdraw your consent at any time without consequence.

Take the Commercial Kitchen survey here. Take the Food Business survey here.

Should you have any questions about this survey, please contact Ashley Colpaart at Ashley@thefoodcorridor.com or Advisor Marisa Bunning at Marisa.Bunning@colostate.edu. If you have any questions about your rights as a volunteer in this research, contact the CSU IRB at RICRO_IRB@mail.colostate.edu; 970-491-1553.

Thank you in advance for your time.

Ashley Colpaart, MS RD

Graduate Student

Department of Food Science & Human Nutrition

Colorado State University

Those who have the privilege to know, have the duty to act. -Albert Einstein

2015 Small Ruminant Production Conference, Ocala FL

Good morning,

Please help us get the word out to our sheep and goat producers:

Don't forget to register TODAY for Friday's event!

‪‎UF/‎IFAS ‎Extension Marion County and the Central Florida Livestock Agent's Group invites you to our 2015 ‪Small ‎Ruminant Production Conference. This program will focus on ‪‎goat and ‎sheep health, nutrition, production efficiency and management of your herd or flock. Topics will include:

• Caseous Lymphadenitis in Sheep and Goats

• Fundamentals of Reproductive Anatomy and Physiology

• Estimating Forage Yields

• Genetic Selection

• Weed Assessment

• Stockpiling and Line Grazing

• Overseeding in Small Paddocks

• Selenium Supplementation

• Sheep/Goat Management Calendar

• Diversifying the Goat and Sheep Farm

• Carcass Preparation

**See the attached agenda for more details**.

Registration includes informational materials, lunch and refreshments. For more information, please call 352-671-8400.

Or go online to:

http://www.eventbrite.com/e/2015-small-ruminant-production-conference-tickets-18317898327

If you are Extension faculty or student please call the office so we can give you a discounted price of $25.00.

Have a great day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jonael H. Bosques

UF/IFAS Extension Marion County

Small Farms Agent

2232 NE Jacksonville Rd., Ocala, FL 34470

352-671-8400

Visit our Facebook page.

An Equal Opportunity Institution.

Closer (sulfoxaflor) cancellation order issued by EPA

Yesterday the EPA issued a cancellation order for Closer (sulfoxaflor). The link below provides more information on that cancellation. The cancellation means that the product can no longer be sold at this time. However, if growers still have this product on hand, they are permitted to apply the product previously purchased according to the label directions on the container. It is unknown at this time when sulfoxaflor may be reregistered.

http://www2.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/sulfoxaflor-final-cancellation-order

____________________________________________________

Michael E. Rogers

Center Director and Assoc. Prof. Entomology

Citrus Research & Education Center

University of Florida

700 Experiment Station Road, Lake Alfred, FL 33850

email: mrgrs@ufl.edu

Office: 863-956-5897

Job Opportunity

I wanted to forward the job opportunity below so that you might post it in your next email.

In Community,

Anna Prizzia

UF Campus Food Systems Coordinator

FIELD MANAGER This is a full-time position beginning December 2015. A year and a half minimum commitment. 2 weeks off in the summer, food share, sick days and holidays. Salary: $28k-30k/year.

Skills required:

o Experience in the growing of certified organic vegetables. Familiarity with the certification process, harvesting and packing, soils management, laying plastic, planting, spraying, and cultivating

o Experience following a crop plan, fertilization plan, cover-cropping, weed, pest and pathogen control etc.

o Ability to think mechanically, think critically, make good decisions, solve problems, and perform repairs and maintance.

o Experience operating and caring for farm equipment; tractors, forklifts, trucks, cultivators, planters, irrigation systems, etc.

o Possess basic computer skills, basic construction skills, valid drivers licence, ability to

Florida Land Steward Update 11/13/15

Florida Land Steward Update
November 13, 2015

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.

- Florida Land Steward Newsletter (Summer/Fall 2015 (Vol 4, No 3) and back issues -

News & Info Brief

JOIN US FOR A FOREST HEALTH UPDATE WORKSHOP ON DECEMBER 10, BROADCAST FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA TO PARTICIPATING UF/IFAS EXTENSION OFFICES
Insects and diseases are natural components of the forest. Some of these insects and diseases can become pests when they inhibit tree regeneration and growth on a large scale. In addition to native pests, invasive exotic pests are a growing challenge, with new species being introduced every year. Experts from the University of Florida and Florida Forest Service will provide an update on current forest health issues and priorities across Florida with emphasis on proactive management and available assistance. Free event. December 10, 2015; 1-4 pm EST. See the flier for details and confirmed host locations:
Forest Stewardship Polycom Workshop: Forest Health Update

TAX TIPS FOR FOREST LANDOWNERS FOR THE 2015 TAX YEAR
Federal income tax laws can influence a private woodland owner's financial decisions about land management. Yet, special favorable tax provisions on timber that are intended to encourage private forest management and stewardship are commonly unknown. To help woodland owners in filing their 2015 tax returns, this publication, by Dr. Linda Wang, USDA Forest Service National Timber Tax Specialist, explains the federal income tax laws on timber. The information is not legal or accounting advice. It is current as of September 30, 2015. This publication and other related resources are available at http://www.timbertax.org

USDA HELPS RESTORE, MANAGE LONGLEAF PINE FORESTS ON PRIVATE LANDS
Longleaf Provides Critical Wildlife Habitat, Valuable Timber
USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is providing $10.6 million to aid forest managers restoring longleaf pine ecosystems on private lands in nine states, including $1,278,000 for Florida. Longleaf pine forests nearly vanished, but a coordinated conservation effort, led by USDA and other conservation partners, is helping this unique ecosystem of the Southeast recover.

"USDA is committed to working with land managers to help restore and expand this critical ecosystem, and together we have restored nearly a quarter of a million acres since 2009," said Russell Morgan, NRCS state conservationist in Florida. "Longleaf forests provide vital habitat to a variety of species as well as valuable timber. We look forward to seeing what we can accomplish together in this next round of the initiative."

During the past two centuries, development, timbering and fire suppression reduced the ecosystem's range by almost 97 percent. Longleaf forests once dominated the coastal plains of the Southeast, and 29 threatened and endangered species – including the gopher tortoise and black pine snake – depend on these forests for survival.

NRCS' Longleaf Pine Initiative, now in its sixth year, has helped restore more than 240,000 acres of longleaf forests. NRCS provides technical and financial assistance to help landowners and land managers plant longleaf as well as manage longleaf forests through practices like prescribed burning. Longleaf trees are resistant to fire, and prescribed burning mimics a natural process that once enabled them to thrive. Additionally, fire gives life to a fresh understory of plants that provides food for wildlife. Longleaf forests benefit both wildlife and land managers. Longleaf pine trees, while slower growing than other pines like loblolly, provide highly valuable timber. Longleaf pine straw has also become a popular landscaping material.

Assistance is available to land managers in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. Interested landowners are encouraged to contact their local USDA service center.

USDA NRCS PROGRAMS HELP FLORIDA FARMERS, RANCHERS CONERVE NATURAL RESOURCES
Application deadline for financial assistance Dec. 18
Florida farmers and ranchers can apply until Dec. 18, 2015, for financial and technical assistance from USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs for fiscal year 2016 funding. Although applications are accepted on a continuous basis for all programs, funding selections are typically made once a year.

Through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), 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 Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) provides financial and technical assistance to conserve agricultural lands and wetlands. Agricultural Land Easements help farmers and ranchers keep their land in agriculture. Eligible partners are Indian tribes, state and local governments and non-governmental organizations that have farmland or grassland protection programs. Wetland Reserve Easements offer technical and financial assistance directly to private landowners and Indian tribes to restore, protect and enhance wetlands through the purchase of a wetland easement.

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.

FOREST STEWARDSHIP VIDEOS - VIEW AND SHARE!
Enjoy and share these videos about a variety of stewardship topics: the Forest Stewardship Program, forests and water, thinning your pine stand, invasive species, greenbelt property tax assessment. All these videos are on the Florida Forest Stewardship Program home page – check them out: http://sfrc.ufl.edu/forest_stewardship

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 through UF/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

***

EAST FLORIDA (Madison County, east and south)
November 15	Marion County Farm City Festival (link), Marion County 4-H Farm, 5151 SE 58th Ave (Baseline Rd), Ocala, FL. Farmers market, fun stuff for kids, livestock, farm equipment, food, live music, and more. See link for details.
November 17	Forest Stewardship / Everglades CISMA Workshop: Invasive Exotic Species and Management (link), 9 am to 3 pm ET, UF/IFAS Everglades Research and Education Center, 3200 East Palm Beach Road, Belle Glade, FL 33430-4702 . Provided by Florida Forest Stewardship Program and Everglades Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area. FDACS Pesticide CEU approved: 1 Stds/Core, 3 Prvt App, 3 Ag Row Crop, 3 Nat Area Weeds, 3 ROW, 1 Ltd Wildlife Trapper. $10 fee includes lunch and materials. Registration at http://fsp-workshop111715.eventbrite.com/ or contact Palm Beach County Extension Office at (561) 233-1759.
November 20	Lake County Farm Tour, starting at 8 am, UF/IFAS Lake County Ag Center. We will board buses for a tour of northeast Lake County agriculture with four farm stops and a stop for lunch. Be prepared to walk with appropriate foot wear. Buses will leave promptly at 8:30 am. Details and registration is at 2015lakecountyfarmtour.eventbrite.com/. Register by Nov. 10. For more information contact Lake County Extension at (352) 343-4101.
November 21	Agriculture Conservation Workshop: C.R.O.P. - Comprehensive Rural Opportunities Program (link), 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM ET, Duval County Public Schools Annex, 275 US 301 N,Baldwin, FL 32234. Farmers and landowners interested in conservation efforts, funding, and lending opportunities available. U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), University of Florida extension service and others will be on hand to discuss different conservation efforts and business opportunities. Provided by USDA NRCS. Event is free but please register. Lunch, sponsored by Wealth Watchers, will be served. See link above for details and registration or reserve a space by calling Wealth Watchers at (904) 265-4736.
December 1-3	Wildland Fire Chainsaw Training (link), 9 am to 5 pm each day, Ordway Swisher Biological Station, Melrose, FL. Provided by Natural Areas Training Academy. Cost is $150. See link above for details.
December 3	Forest Stewardship Tour at Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve in Yankeetown, FL (pdf link), 9:00 am to 2 pm ET, Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve, 1001 Old Rock Road, Yankeetown, FL 34498 . Join us for this unique tour of a municipal Forest Stewardship property managed to provide a place for citizens to appreciate the beauty of Florida's Nature Coast wetlands. With streams, lakes, salt marshes, pine and hardwood forests, the Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve is a unique piece of old Florida. $10 fee covers lunch and materials. Don't miss this unique opportunity. Register on-line at https://fsp-tour1203215.eventbrite.com/ or reserve a space by contacting Chris Demers, (352) 846-2375, cdemers@ufl.edu
December 8	Forest Stewardship Workshop: Longleaf Pine Forest Restoration and Management (link), 9 am to 3 pm ET, Prairie Creek Lodge, 7204 SE County Road 234, Gainesville, FL 32641. Provided by the Florida Forest Stewardship Program, Society of American Foresters Suwannee Chapter, and Alachua Conservation Trust. Join us to explore the role of biomass chipping in longleaf restoration projects, longleaf forest management, and available assistance programs. $10 fee includes lunch and materials. Registration at http://fsp-workshop120815.eventbrite.com/ or contact Chris Demers, (352) 846-2375, cdemers@ufl.edu.
WEST FLORIDA (Jefferson County and west)

WEBINARS, POLYCOM WORKSHOPS, REGIONAL EVENTS
November 18, December 16	Wildlife Wednesdays Webinar Series, 12:15 to 1 pm. Free and open to the public. Provided by UF/IFAS Polk County Extension. Information and registration at http://www.polknr.eventbrite.com
November 17	Webinar: Grazing System Designs for Non-traditional Livestock, 2 pm ET, See link for details.
November 17-18	Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Workshop, Gwinnet Environmental & Heritage Center, Buford, GA. Provided by the USDA Forest Service Southeastern Climate Hub. Landowners, land managers, foresters, and agency staff are invited to learn about adaptive strategies that make workiing lands more resilient and able to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Free. Registration and more details at link above.
November 18	Webinar: Matching Appropriate Seed to Conservation Practices (link), 2 pm ET, See link for details.
December 10	Forest Stewardship Polycom Workshop: Forest Health Update, 1-4 pm ET at Alachua, Columbia, Duval, Gadsden, Jackson, Lake, Santa Rosa, and Walton County Extension Offices. Get the latest on the insects and diseases affecting Florida's forests and available assistance. See above for details and registration.