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New Sheriff’s K9 to be Named Matrix The Polk County Sheriff’s Office is getting a new four-legged recruit: Matrix. The dog, probably a German Shepherd, is being purchased with $8,000 donated by The Mosaic Company, a phosphate mining company based in Plymouth, Minnesota. Suitably, the name is derived from a mining term for phosphate ore, […]

Florida is full of agricultural wonders, so in this edition, we asked five different and unique ag operations how 2013 went for their business, and how they project next year is going to pan out. [emember_protected custom_msg=”Click here and register now to read the rest of the article!”] The Apiary The Tree Farm The Equestrian

How Robert Harper Captures Natural Florida Seventy-two-year-old Robert Harper likes a challenge. In his lifetime he’s bailed hay, sold watermelons, raised beef cattle, and grown citrus. Formerly a Central Florida developer, the Lakeland Realtor is now growing peaches and painting. “It’s probably the most relaxing thing I do. I don’t get to do it as

Morgan Turney’s Art and Future Ambissions Lake Region High School senior Morgan Turney loves to sketch, dance, sculpt, and take photographs. “I really like the expression of art through colors,” the 17-year-old Auburndale girl says.[emember_protected custom_msg=”Click here and register now to read the rest of the article!”] Her love for art was apparent from her

Preserving the Future of Citrus through Environmental Stewardship The 21st century dawned on a citrus industry that was more determined than ever to preserve and sustain its cultural heritage, natural environment and ecosystems for future generations. Citrus growers continually contribute to this cause in numerous ways. 800,000 acres of Florida are used for the production

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