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A Look at Research Being Done to Understand Equine Genetics by MATT COBBLE Every living organism on this planet is built by a set of genes. Genes that people have been influencing (or, if you prefer, ‘encouraging strategic traits’) since Gregor Mendel first discovered them while hybridizing pea plants in the mid nineteenth century. And […]

Hannah Cline Ready for New Role to Fight for the Beef Industry by MARY TOOTHMAN Hannah Cline has her cowgirl boots on, a smile on her face, and her plans and goals set for 2019. The true-blue cowgirl is the Polk County Cattlemen’s Association’s new Sweetheart. The youngest child of Dan and Sheri Cline, she

New Professor Looks to Help Florida Grapefruit Industry by TIM CRAIG   A new hire for the University of Florida’s Indian River Research and Education Center should have an impact on the state’s ailing grapefruit industry as part of her research.   Sandra Guzman, an assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering, will lead the

On Saturday, February 16, the Polk County Cattlemen’s Association held their annual Trade Show and Ranch Rode in partnership with the UF/IFAS Extension of Polk County. Held at the Bartow Horse Arena, this event featured various booths, local artists, and craftsmen. Additionally, attendees were treated to a spectacular rodeo while cheering on their favorite local

Money Being Pumped Back into Florida Citrus by MATT COBBLE   NO ONE WHO works in agriculture is afraid of hard work. That being said, between three major hurricanes in as many years and the continuing struggle against citrus greening, the past few years have been especially hard. But there is good news on the

Local Program Uses Books to Unite Children and Rescued Horses by MATT NORMAN Have you ever considered the benefits of reading to a horse? Have you ever considered that it would actually benefit both the horse and the reader? A local group is seeing those benefits first hand. The Reading with Rescues program is giving

Florida Citrus Volumes Rebounding in 2019 by BRENDA EGGERT BRADER Last fall, the USDA released their 2019 Citrus Forecast and predicted a nice rebound year for the state’s citrus and grapefruit industries. So far early into the 2019 crop, those predictions look to be accurate. The USDA forecast for Florida’s all orange output was set

This Year’s Outlook, New Varieties, and the Future of Florida’s Strawberries by ERIKA ALDRICH Strawberries have been rising in the ranks of Florida crops over the years and have become one of the more prominent crops in The Sunshine State. Consequently, the strawberry outlook for 2018-2019 is shaping up to be a good one, and

Hoof Care Cautions & Tips for Your Equine by MARY TOOTHMAN Horse hoof care is vital to healthy, happy horses and impacts the horse’s ability to run, jump, do farm work, compete, ride trails, and interact with owners and other horses. Hooves must be tended to properly for overall good equine health. Environmental and weather

Get to Know the Face of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association by JULIE GMITTER While most Florida residents (and fruit lovers from around the country) are well aware of just how sweet, red, and juicy our Florida strawberries are, they may not be familiar with Jammer – the adorable talking, singing, animated strawberry! Jammer is