Featured

Central Florida equine artist Mindy Z. Colton merges her love of horses and sculpture into an artistic blend of expression. When Mindy Z. Colton watches horses roam near her horse farm in Orlando, she doesn’t just see animals— she sees living artwork bursting through life. “I always thought horses were beautiful and had great spirits. […]

Winter Haven Native Paul Schulz Shares his Labor of Love Paul Schulz is an artist whose work does more than just depict a scene; it reveals the history and influences of the man himself. Not just pretty pictures, Schulz’s artwork is a labor of love that tells any number of stories.[emember_protected custom_msg=”Click here and register

Lots of ‘Fishy’ Business at Crystal Lake Middle School The Polk County Farm Bureau awarded the Outstanding Agriculture Program of the Year to a creative group of educators at Crystal Lake Middle School. The key to the C.L.M.S. Agriculture Education program’s success was changing from an exclusively traditional rural Central Florida Ag model— citrus, cattle,

The Rise of Nutrient Application Technology and the Market for Juice When the citrus industry first sprouted in the mid-1800s, there was limited understanding of citrus nutritional requirements. The nurserymen had a basic knowledge for the need of macronutrients like nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), for healthy grove development. These were mainly applied

Challenging Kids Through Ag Education In some ways Erica Morse has been preparing to be in agriculture education her whole life. Ag was a part of her family life and upbringing. Her dad worked for the Mosaic Company, and the family raised horses on their property. She also showed cattle growing up— just like she

Technologies that Conserve Water, Monitor Weather, and Aid in the Fight against Citrus Greening Technology that has been used to help humans defeat disease is now being used to cripple the Asian psyllid, which is the pest spreading the dreaded citrus greening disease. In the greenhouse, Dr. Nabil Killiny, an assistant professor of Entomology for

A Unique Horse Riding Experience at the Florida Agricultural Museum It’s prime riding season, and horseback riders looking for a unique experience can ride the trails at the Florida Agricultural Museum near St. Augustine. There Barn Manager Cheryl Carl offers guided trail riding with a small team of horses, one of them a 12-year-old Florida

Growers Looking to Diversify with Alternative Crops Some small farmers are looking to hydroponics to meet increased demand in direct-to-consumer markets. At this summer’s Florida Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference, hydroponics was a hot topic. “People can do it on a small scale and they don’t have to dig up their whole yard,” explains

The Grazing Management School will hold its Sixth Annual Event this October For two days in October, local cattle producers will be updated on the latest news in cattle grazing during the Sixth Annual Grazing Management School. The two-day session will take place at the Polk County Extension Service’s John Brenneman Auditorium in Bartow from

A New Eco-Friendly Venture Hopes to Make Big Impact on Florida’s Economy As the population grows, so also grows the need for food. In 2010, research showed that 1.5 billion pounds of shrimp was consumed, and the demand this deep sea delight continues to grow. Bringing ocean farming to land is one way to help