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HERE’S A GLIMPSE OF WHAT’S HAPPENING IN YOUR AG COMMUNITY. To view more events like the ones you see here, visit our website at www.FloridaAgNews.com and click on our AgriCalendar.
JULY-AUGUST
July 26
LAKELAND DOWNTOWN FARMERS CURB MARKET
The Lakeland farmers market is open every Saturday (except Au- gust), from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the street at the intersection of E. Pine Street and N. Kentucky Avenue. Enjoy produce from farmers plus resale produce, artisans and street food, music and more. For more information, contact Becky Abel, LDDA Coordinator at (863) 687- 8910 or visit www.downtownfarmerscurbmarket.org.
July 30
HAINES CITY FARMERS’ MARKET
Stop by Railroad Park in down- town Haines City and check out all the great local produce and products available, held every Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call (863) 421-3700.
July 31
WINTER HAVEN FARMERS’ MARKET
Enjoy the sunshine and get fresh produce! Head down to the farmers’ market, held weekly
on Thursdays, from 8-5 p.m.
For more information, contact Audrey McIntosh at (863) 291- 5870.
August 1-2
FLORIDA SMALL FARMS AND ALTERNATIVE
ENTERPRISES CONFERENCE
Online registration for this year’s Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference is open now. Join the UF/IFAS Extension and Florida A&M University College of Agriculture and Food Sci- ences at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee. For more information or to register, go to http://www. conference.ifas.ufl.edu/smallfarms/index.html.
August 7
LIMPOGRASS RELEASE EVENT
This free event will include remarks from the Florida Cattleman’s Association, a description of the new lim- pograss cultivars, and a tour of Limpograss Fields. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; lunch is included. For more informa- tion, call (863) 735-1314. Register for this event at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/limpograss-release- event-tickets-11797132541
August 22
POMEGRANATES AFTER 4 YEARS
The Florida Pomegranate Association invites you to attend “Pomegran- ates After 4 Years” at the McTeer Farms. McTeers' pomegranate field will be open to the public 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pomegranate grower Emory McTeer will be onsite to talk to you about his 40 Pome- granate Girkanetes fruit varieties of pomegranates, and how he cares for them. Dr. Bill Castle, as well as staff members from GCREC, will be available to answer questions. If you are interested in pomegran- ate growing, this is a must-attend event. For more information, or to register, visit http://www.fpa2014fieldday.eventbrite.com/
SEPTEMBER PREVIEW:
September 25
FARM CREDIT/AG INSTITUTES CANDIDATE’S FORUM
This is an event that has attracted over 300 of the state's agricultural leaders in the past; come hear the gubernatorial candidate’s agri- cultural platforms. For more information, contact Ron O’Connor at marketing@farmcreditcfl.com.
HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS IN THE PUBLIC REFRIGERATED WAREHOUSING INDUSTRY
The highway billboards with the mon- strous hurricane off Florida’s west coast almost screams at passing motorists when they warn “GET A PLAN” in huge letters.
Almost a month and a half into the At- lantic tropical storm season it’s still good advice for anyone— resident and business owner alike— who isn’t ready.
Were you ready the last time hurricanes swept through Central Florida? That was 10 years ago, when not one but three major storms— Charley, Frances, and Jeanne— hit Polk County in quick succession.
Did you or people you know lose elec- tricity for a significant period of time? Without the benefit of generator power, did you, relatives, or friends have to throw out food that spoiled without proper refrigera- tion? If so, imagine that situation multiplied
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by the thousands. Imagine the economic losses, legal and insurance wranglings, and pure waste a food public refrigerated ware- housing (PRW) operation would endure if it wasn’t prepared for a hit by a Hurricane Katrina. The stakes are much too high in this industry to operate without a loss-of- power backup plan.
In Florida, or anywhere a hurricane can strike, any PRW business worth its salt will have a thorough set of emergency operat- ing procedures in place and, out of cour- tesy, will communicate those procedures in summary form to its customers. At Adams Cold Storage, our storm contingency plan includes a procedure to keep food prod- ucts at proper temperature for as long as possible; a priority-customer arrangement with our power utility; and stand-by agree-
ments with electrical, refrigeration, and building contractors to make repairs in the event of any on-site damage.
PRW emergency plans carry a hefty price tag, but it’s a price we must be will- ing to pay to preserve
our customers’ valuable products and protect our
good name within the in- dustry.
by BEN ADAMS, JR.
What about protecting what you have in the fridge or freezer— products you’ve already purchased with your hard-earned money? It’ll cost you at least the price of a good portable generator and the gasoline and oil to run it. With any luck, you’ll never have to use it.
BIO: Ben Adams, Jr. is an owner and president of Adams Cold Storage LLC in Auburndale. He has been directly involved in citrus production, warehousing and distribution, as well as state and community support, since 1980. His facility incorporates 200,000 square feet of multi-tem- perature warehousing, with an extensive expan- sion project currently under way.
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