FloridaAgriculture E-News

A Publication for our Agricultural Producers

March 2013 | Issue 1 | Volume 1

F l o r i d a F a r m B u r e a u F e d e r a t i o n | w w w. F l o r i d a F a r m B u r e a u . o r g

Taylor County poultry producer earns international award

illy LaValle of Taylor County has been named Pilgrims Grower of the Month for February 2013. The award, presented by Pilgrims Pride Corporation, recognizes outstanding performance in chicken quality, feed conversion and sustainable farming practices, as well as the producers superior personal character. LaValle has been farming since 1975, the year he helped turn a family forestry operation into a food producing farm. He said there is a fundamental reason behind his ability to make a successful living as a poultry grower. I try to keep all the equipment maintained everything that affects light, heat and water, LaValle explained. Wes Abbott, Pilgrims service tech, said LaValle was nominated because of his excellent performance in growing birds. approximately seven weeks to achieve optimal growth. Along with poultry, he also produces cattle, hay and blueberries on his 600-acre farm. Abbott described the award recipient as a very kind-hearted man, very polite. Hes a very soft-spoken man and a pleasure to work with.

Continued on page 2

Everything he does around the farm is top-notch, from the chickens he provides to the feed conversion he attains. -Wes Abbott,

IN THIS ISSUE:

Farmer in the news............1 Strawberry research.......... 2 Ag Tag sales decline.......... 3 Citrus greening..................4

Pilgrims Pride Corporation LaValle grows 392,700 six-pound broiler chickens annually in three 40 x 500 houses. His flocks grow for
Billy LaValle was honored as Pilgrims Grower of the Month.

Continued from page 1 His ever-present modesty was apparent when a company representative informed him of the honor. I was just totally surprised when the lady called me from Colorado, LaValle said. I did not expect anything like that. An environmentally responsible and fiscally prudent farmer, he makes his own diesel fuel by recycling used cooking oil collected from area restaurants. LaValle adopted basic instructions in developing the alternative energy source. My county Extension agent had the manual for making it and I have just followed it, he said. LaValle is the first Florida farmer to receive the honor since 2011. He is a member of the Taylor County Farm Bureau board of directors.

Research aims to extend strawberry growing season

lorida strawberries are harvested between mid-November and the start of April, but new research has emerged that may allow the season to begin earlier and continue through the summer, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture scientists.

developments of new varieties, our season was extended in the beginning and has helped reduce input cost, said Michelle Williamson, a Florida strawberry grower. Williamson, who uses conventional growing practices, explained that an extension at the end of the season may not be applicable for Florida growers because many are pushed out of the market by Californias strawberry harvest.

Geneticist Kim Lewers, who is with the Genetic Improvement of Fruits and Vegetables Laboratory, is growing strawberry plants beneath canopy structures called low tunnels. The canopies consist of long sheets of plastic that But she pointed out that are held up by research is vital to growers. support hoops 30 Research into new varieties inches above the is always important, as well strawberry bed. as research into disease The structures are and pest management, intended to protect Williamson said. the fruit from rain and disease and also (Photo courtesy of USDA) According to Lewers, a high provide shade and tunnel is an additional option temperature control. for growers, but it can cause other problems because the air is more Because of past research and humid than in the smaller structures.

Low tunnels are beneficial because the humidity remains the same as the air outside of the tunnel. The verdict is still out on whether this growing technique will be valuable to Florida strawberry growers. But the research is continuing. Future results may help growers reduce costs and the time spent on each harvest. All of the strawberry plant material developed in Lewers research program is freely available to any grower.

Ag Tag sales hit a rough patch

flagging economy, an increase in license plate renewal fees and competition from other specialty license plates have resulted in a downturn in recent years in sales of the agriculture specialty license plate known as the Ag Tag. Though sales in 2012 included 15,733 Ag Tags, up from 15,623 in 2011, overall sales have been down about three percent since 2009. Weve worked hard to leverage Ag Tag dollars with grant money weve received and by partnering with other organizations, said Ken Barton, chairman of Florida Agriculture in the Classroom and executive director of the Florida Peanut Producers Association. The partnerships to which Barton refers are with the Coordinated School Health Partnership for its Gardening for Grades school garden program and with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for its Florida Agriculture Literacy Day elementary school reading program. Were reviewing messaging and advertising of the Ag Tag to determine the best way to reach

potential Ag Tag buyers, Barton said. Florida Agriculture in the Classroom receives proceeds from the sale of Ag Tags and uses the money to educate teachers and students in pre-kindergarten through 12th

providing curricula, materials, teacher workshops, grant money and programs like Agriculture Literacy Day which are free of charge to Florida teachers. To purchase an Ag Tag, visit your local tax collectors office or website or go to https://www.eztagfl.com/ag.htm. Twenty dollars of your purchase funds Florida Agriculture in the Classroom programs. To learn more about Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, review its 2012 Annual Report at www.agtag.org.

grade about where food, fiber and fuel come from. It does so by

Renew Your Ag Tag and

Growing Instru for Florida Stuctions dents

Apply Agricultur e in the Classroom lessons Begin with seed ling stage continue to mat and urity (K-12th grade) Reapply lessons at frequent interva for optimum grow ls th and knowledge Adaptable to ind oor an outdoor conditiond s

Watch Me

Grow!

Its more important than ever to teach our youth the value of Floridas agriculture products.
Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc.

Buy an Ag Tag
$20 of your purchase helps educate our kids!
For more information, call (352) 846-1391, visit www.agtag.org or contact your local tax collectors office.

Follow us on Facebook to stay informed on current agriculture topics and trends, learn about new member benefits and see snapshots of Farm Bureau volunteers and staff working diligently around the Sunshine State to keep agriculture a thriving part of the economy.

www.Facebook.com/FlaFarmBureau

Scientists attack citrus greening disease

Calendar of Events
March 8-9, University of
Florida Bee College, Marineland. Visit http://beecollege. eventbrite.com for more information.

.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists at research laboratories throughout the country are working on combating the Huanglongbing (HLB) disease, a scourge or citrus greening disease, that has wreaked havoc on Floridas citrus industry.

current trees survive include advances in antibiotics and heat therapies. Scientists have narrowed 40 different antibiotics into a group of nine likely tools, four of which are naturally occurring. Innovative heat therapies are also being evaluated. Heat therapy will be good for younger trees, explained Arnold. If we can kill the bacterial infection before it is widespread, it would prove to be an effective treatment for growers.

March 18-19, Farm Bureaus

legislative days, Tallahassee. For more information, contact Christine Scovotto at christine. scovotto@ffbf.org.

April 5-8, AFBF National

Womens Leadership Conference, Las Vegas, NV. For more information, contact Elaine Bristol at elaineb@fb.org.

Symptoms of HLB (Huanglongbing), also know as citrus greening disease. (Photo by Tim Gottwald, courtesy of USDA)

Dr. Calvin Arnold, Ph.D., Laboratory Director of the USDA-ARS Horticultural Research Laboratory in Ft. Pierce, is dedicated to finding a solution to eliminating HLB. Our scientists are turning every stone possible to help growers survive this deadly bacterial disease, explained Arnold. Arnold has a team of 27 scientists and 65% of them are dedicated to conducting research on HLB. They are exploring both immediate and longterm solutions to boost the confidence level of growers. We want growers to be confident in the future of the industry so they will plant trees, said Arnold. Currently there are more trees going out of production than there are coming into production, which could prove detrimental to the infrastructure of the industry. Immediate treatments that will help

The Ambersweet orange was released in Florida in 1989. (Photo courtesy of USDA)

study the amino acid composition of juice from oranges on HLB-diseased and non-diseased trees. These findings may allow growers to have an early indicator of the HLB pathogen in groves. Additional long-term solutions include building the resistance level of cultivars through genetic modification, and controlling the Asian Citrus Phyllid, the insect that transmits the disease. Through the use of science and technology, passion and dedication, citrus greening will remain at the forefront of researchers around the world. For more information on citrus greening research and to access various studies, visit ars.usda.gov.

Studies on the HLB infection and its bacterial influence on the off-flavor of the juice are being evaluated. Lead scientist and horticulturist, Elizabeth Baldwin, in Fort Pierce, is evaluating the effects of HLB on the taste of orange juice produced from diseased trees. Baldwin and her colleagues evaluated a variety of fruit with and without HLB symptoms over two growing seasons and are much closer to finding the compound that is producing off-flavored juice. Another study conducted by the ARS sister arm in California found that amino acids in orange juice may help detect HLB. Scientists used nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to

Published by: FFBF Public Relations Division P.O. Box 147030 Gainesville, FL 32614-7030 E-mail: gb.crawford@ffbf.org mary.ficek@ffbf.org joey.mazzaferro@ffbf.org rachael.smith@ffbf.org