Polk Small Farms: Florida Land Steward Update 6/12/15

Florida Land Steward Update
June 12, 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 (Spring/Summer 2015 (Vol 4, No 2) and back issues -

News & Info Brief

CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE FROM USDA GULF OF MEXICO INITIATIVE
Apply by June 19
Farmers and ranchers in the Escambia River, Blackwater River and Middle Suwannee River watersheds can apply for financial assistance until June 19 to reduce soil erosion, improve water quality and develop wildlife habitat through USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Gulf of Mexico Initiative for fiscal year 2015. Parts of Suwannee, Madison and Lafayette counties are included in the Middle Suwannee River watershed, and five new focus areas have been added to where landowners can apply for financial assistance. Parts of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties are included in the Escambia and Blackwater river watersheds, where eight new focus areas have been added to where producers can apply for assistance.

Landowners can view maps to see if their property lies within one of the designated areas. Financial assistance is available through Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

Practices include: Installing grade-control structures to stabilize eroding gullies; implementing precision agriculture to reduce chemical application overlap and protect sensitive environmental areas; adopting residue and tillage management, cover crops and conservation crop rotations to reduce sheet and rill erosion and improve soil organic matter, which results in cleaner runoff and improved water quality; planting grass and trees to stabilize eroding areas; installing cross-fences and watering facilities to facilitate grazing distribution; controlling cattle access to streams to improve water quality and stream bank stability; planting and managing native plant species to improve wildlife habitat and assist with restoration of a multitude of declining species; promoting energy conservation by eliminating the need for annual mechanical removal of sediment from split ditches; implementing grazing management; installing heavy-use area protection pads. For more information about signing up for the initiative, contact your local NRCS office.

NEW USDA PORTAL ENABLES FARMERS, RANCHERS, LANDOWNERS TO REQUEST CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE ONLINE
Farmers, ranchers and private forest landowners can now do business with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) through a new online portal. The Conservation Client Gateway allows producers to work with conservation planners online to access Farm Bill programs, request assistance, and track payments for their conservation activities. Conservation Client Gateway enables farmers, ranchers and private landowners to securely:

·  Request NRCS technical and financial assistance;
·  Review and sign conservation plans and practice schedules;
·  Complete and sign an application for a conservation program;
·  Review, sign and submit contracts and appendices for conservation programs;
·  Document completed practices and request certification of completed practices;
·  Request and track payments for conservation programs; and
·  Store and retrieve technical and financial files, including documents and photographs.

Conservation Client Gateway is available to individual landowners and will soon be extended to business entities, such as Limited Liability Corporations. It is part of the agency’s ongoing Conservation Delivery Streamlining Initiative, which will feature additional capabilities in the future.

For more information about Conservation Client Gateway, visit: www.nrcs.usda.gov/clientgateway

2015 FLORIDA LAND STEWARD CALENDARS STILL AVAILABLE
A few left - send an email to cdemers@ufl.edu with your mailing address if you’d like a copy. First come first serve while supplies last.

FOREST STEWARDSHIP VIDEOS - VIEW AND SHARE!
All the latest videos are on the Florida Forest Stewardship Program home page:
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

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EAST FLORIDA (Madison County, east and south)
June 16, 23, 30		Annie's Project: Risk Management Education for Farm and Ranch Women, 4:30 to 7:30 pm, Alachua or Marion County Extension Offices. $50 fee. See link for details. To register & for more information call: UF/IFAS Extension Alachua County at 352-955-2402 or UF/IFAS Extension Marion County at 352-671-8400.
June 16-18		Conference on Laurel Wilt Disease and Natural Ecosystems: Impacts, Mitigation and the Future (link), Coral Springs Marriott, 11775 Heron Bay Blvd. Coral Springs, FL. A timely opportunity to learn the most recent state of knowledge regarding laurel wilt, its biology, impacts in native ecosystems and efforts to mitigate for its devastating effects. Foresters, SAF CFEs approved. See link above for details. For a brief introduction to laurel wilt, see this video to learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x7vgFWLHkY
June 17, 27 July 1, 8, 15, 22		Annie's Project: Risk Management Education for Farm and Ranch Women, The six-week course is offered from 5:30-9 p.m. Wednesdays beginning June 17 at the Extension office, 6700 Clark Road, Sarasota, and costs $50 per participant. A light meal will be served at 5:30 p.m. For more information or to register, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/annies-project-for-todays-farm-women-tickets-16701527719?ref=ecal or call 941-861-9900.
June 18		Invasive Plant ID Workshop, 9:30 am to 3:00 pm, FWC Marine Laboratory, 11350 SW 153rd Court; Cedar Key, FL 32625. Sponsored by Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC) and North Central Florida CISMA through a Kathy Craddock Burks Education Grant. Free. Details and registration here
June 19		Invasive Plant ID Workshop, 9:30 am to 3:00 pm, UF/IFAS Extension Columbia County, 971 W Duval Street; Lake City, FL 32055. Sponsored by Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC) and North Central Florida CISMA through a Kathy Craddock Burks Education Grant. Free. Details and registration here
August 6		Certified Pile Burner Course, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, West Central Florida Agriculture Center (Sumter County Fairgrounds) Bushnell, FL. $50 fee includes lunch and materials. Contact DarLinda Duteau at (352) 569-6865 or dduteau@ufl.edu for more information.
August 20		Forest Stewardship / Lake County CISMA Workshop: Invasive Exotic Species and Management (pdf link), 9 am to 3 pm ET, UF/IFAS Lake County Extension Auditorium, 1951 Woodlea Rd, Tavares, FL 32778. Provided by Florida Forest Stewardship Program and Lake County Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area. FDACS Pesticide CEUs and SAF CFEs pending. $15 fee includes lunch and materials. Register on-line at https://fsp-workshop082015.eventbrite.com/. You can also reserve a space by contacting Lake County Extension (352) 343-4101 ext. 2.
WEST FLORIDA (Jefferson County and west)
June 13	FAMU Spring Farm Festival, 9 am to 3 pm, FAMU Research & Extension Center, 4259 Bainbridge Hwy, Quincy, FL. Farm tours, vegetable and herb gardening, canning, feral swine management, farm to school, kids zone and more. $5 adults, $2 children 17 and under. Children 5 and under free. For more information contact 850-599-3546 or extension@famu.edu
June 18	Forestry Seminar, 9:45 am to 2:00 pm CT, UF/IFAS Walton County Extension Office. Attend to learn about the latest on forest herbicides and alternative forest management options such as pine straw, silvopasture. $5 includes lunch. RSVP by June 15 by calling (850) 892–8172 or email haneyc@ufl.edu
August 29	FAMU Grape Harvest Festival, FAMU Center for Viticulture and Small Fruit Research, 6505 Mahan Dr, Tallahassee, FL 32317. Grape wine samples, pick your own grapes, 5K run, live entertainment and more. For more information contact 850-599-3546 or extension@famu.edu
WEBINARS, ONLINE TRAINING
June 16			Southern Fire Exchange Webinar: LANDFIRE Biophysical Settings Review (link), 1-2 pm ET, See link for details.
June 17			Webinar: Environmental Benefits of Organic Agriculture: Biodiversity (link), 2 pm ET, See link for details.
June 23			Webinar: NRCS and Wildlife Habitat in Urban Environments: Linking Farm, School, and Community Agriculture (link), 2 pm ET, See link for details.
June 24			Webinar: How to Implement Rotational Grazing in Equine Facilities (link), 2 pm ET, See link for details.
July 8			Webinar: Forage Management for Livestock Production (link), 2 pm ET, See link for details.
August 3-14 August 18-21			S130/190 Basic Wildland Firefighter Training, Presented in a hybrid format, online and in person in Gainesville and Ordway Swisher Biological Station. See link above for details and registration.