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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

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,

All Florida Executive Director Travis Thompson Teaching Fourth-Graders About Conservation  by REBEKAH PIERCE When Aldo Leopold wrote about land management and conservation in his book, “A Sand County Almanac,” published more than 75 years ago, he likely didn’t particularly have Central Florida fourth-graders in mind as his target audience. And while his book, which has

Highlands County Youth Citrus Project Teaches Life Skills, Time Management by MAGGIE THARP A Highlands County 4-H club with a 26-year history is helping Highlands County youth practice growing high-quality citrus trees and teaching important life skills in the process. The Highlands County Youth Citrus Project was founded in 1999 by Tim Hurner, former director

Mixon Brothers Join Forces With Citrus Expert Leotti to Expand CUPS Efforts by MAGGIE THARP photos provided  Can Citrus Under Protective Screen offer relief for Florida citrus growers battling citrus greening? Mixon Family Farms is betting on it, bringing on board an industry expert and planning expansion of their current CUPS facility. Ed Leotti, a