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Polk Youths Soraya Lopidas and Danielle Tamayo Honored for Dedication & Commitment by SHAYLYNN MARKS Two students from Central Florida are proving that passion, perseverance, and a willingness to try something new can plant the seeds of lasting success. Soraya Lopidas, a senior at Davenport High School, was named Polk County’s Career & Technical Education […]

by RYAN MILEJCZAK Sponsored by Farm Credit of Central Florida Florida is an agricultural powerhouse, growing a wide range of crops. One crop that is currently in its harvest prime is the blueberry.  While blueberry production in the U.S. got its start in the early 1900s, it wasn’t until the 1950s that Florida blueberry production

Plant City’s Gus Trent Is Putting Rodeo Within Reach for Inner-City Youth by REBEKAH PIERCE If there’s one symbol of rural America that has stood the test of time, it’s the rodeo. There are more than 600 rodeos sanctioned yearly in the United States by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association. For many, rodeo isn’t just

Polk County Ranchers See Cattle Market In Their Favor by REBEKAH PIERCE According to the USDA, the national cattle inventory is at the lowest it’s been in 64 years.  Currently, beef producers are experiencing what it truly means to be in a bull market (the irony of that particular verbiage certainly not lost on many

photos provided by Polk County Farm Bureau More than 4,900 students, 208 classrooms, and almost 60 schools attended this year’s Agri-Fest on March 3-7 and March 10-14. The event, which is in its 36th year, is made possible through a partnership with the Polk County School Board, the Polk Extension Office, and Polk County Farm

Newly Crowned Miss Florida Citrus Halle Burton Ready to Champion Ag by RYAN MILEJCZAK Miss Florida Citrus is a title with a history that stretches back more than 100 years. And as the competition enters its second century, the latest holder of the crown, Halle Burton, wants to help put a spotlight on the past,

Whitehead’s Blueberry Farm Turns Berries to Bucks With U-Pick by PAUL CATALA sponsored by Visit Central Florida Most farms grow crops. The Whiteheads grew an experience. What started as a survival strategy in the wake of devastating storms turned into a beloved u-pick tradition in Polk County. From the 1970s to the 1990s, John and

Polk County’s Youth Ambassadors Step Up to Spread Awareness by REBEKAH PIERCE Do you know what it takes to be the face of agriculture in Polk County? High school students in the inaugural Polk County Youth Fair Ambassador Program are discovering firsthand exactly how to do just that. This brand-new program was created to increase

by RYAN MILEJCZAK Sponsored by Farm Credit of Central Florida The orange is by far Florida’s most emblematic crop. It’s our official state fruit, appearing on license plates, in the names of our towns and cities, and much more.   It was the Spanish who first brought oranges to Florida in the 1500s. As legend holds,