October, 2016 - Central Florida Ag News

How public refrigerated warehousing operations help during emergency situations

THERE’S A GOOD CHANCE that some of the food items originally bound for the public school lunchrooms in peninsular Florida were recently diverted for a higher-priority purpose. There’s nothing to worry about, though. The lunchroom cupboards aren’t going bare. There are plenty of commodities in the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) pipeline to replace it …

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Inspired to teach ag to others

Polk County Farm Bureau honors Paul Reed as the year’s outstanding agriculture teacher PAUL REED’S LOVE for his agriculture program during high school translated into an agriculture teaching career that spanned more than three decades. Today, the recently retired Haines City High School teacher is the Polk County Farm Bureau’s 2016 Outstanding Ag Teacher of …

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Tips for the fall: Lawn and garden management for late October and early November

AS THE COOLER MONTHS of the year approach, it’s important to ensure that your lawn and garden are ready to withstand any obstacle Mother Nature might throw at them. Here at Doty Farm and Garden Supply, Inc., we are dedicated to helping your plants, lawns, and trees get the protection they need.

Hurricane Matthew spares Florida citrus

HURRICANE MATTHEW gave the state of Florida quite a scare during the first week of October. It held the potential to inflict great devastation on the state’s inhabitants and infrastructure. It was especially troubling to Florida’s agricultural industry, with the citrus industry having a lot to lose.

Recipe Spotlight: There’s citrus you can pair with that

ONE OF THE JOYS of living in Central Florida is just-picked citrus. We had citrus in the Great White North but it was an imported treat. Grapefruit was often picked too early and made no friends because it was still sour. Florida also has plenty of other fruits that can pair with citrus to expand …

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Ag Time with Abby: Farm highlight at Roosevelt Academy

OVER THE PAST few years, schools around Polk County have been adding new components to their agriculture programs. One growing addition I keep seeing is aquaculture and aquaponics.

Citrus feature: What’s in a number?

Citrus growers are committed to replanting and all-in on the numbers game against greening SOME CITRUS EXPERTS are expecting the smallest crop in 53 years this year, as the industry continues to battle citrus greening disease and other challenges, such as post-bloom fruit drop (PFD). Though the numbers look grim, there are positive signs for …

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PCFB President’s Column: Farm Bureau says goodbye — for now — to Will Putnam

THE LAST FEW WEEKS have been difficult for our Polk County Farm Bureau family as we said goodbye for now to an industry leader and our friend, Will Putnam. Will was a member of the Polk County Farm Bureau board for 24 years, serving as president in 2000-2002, and in so very many capacities throughout …

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October 2016