8/25/17

Greenhouses for Sale in Plant City

Here is an opportunity I was notified of from a local real estate agent (Chase Wolf with Signature Realty). Click on the link below for more information.  


HUGELY UNIQUE PROPERTY for either an investor or a horticultural business. The property consists of a single wide mobile home fronting on Knights Loop with over an acre of land and seven large greenhouses. The mobile home will require work to be fully usable. However, it could serve as a residence, a caretaker/worker part time home, an office/showroom or any other combination of the aforementioned. The current owner did not do the work, as the layout/finish is highly dependent upon the use. The greenhouses are metal framed, have irrigation throughout, wood plant shelves and timber columns. Although they need some work to be fully usable, all of the infrastructure is in place. Could be an amazing plant nursery. An investor could also utilize this as a rental property. A short drive to I-4 exit 21, providing access to the Hard Rock, downtown Tampa and Orlando. Priced to sell...

http://www.kw.com/homes-for-sale/33565/FL/PLANT-CITY/4846-KNIGHTS-LOOP/3yd-MFRMLSFL-T2899164.html

8/17/17

Polk County Irrigated Land Report

Here is an interesting report from the USGS on irrigated land in Polk County.  It is a map based delineation of the crops that were growing in 2016 along with a detailed summary.  It is interesting to look at the total consumption of ground water along with other industries and it is also interesting to note that total usage has been declining for the county among all sources of withdrawls listed.
The results of this inventory in 2016 shows, an estimated 88,652 acres were irrigated within Polk County;83,995 acres were in citrus; 2,893 acres were in other non-citrus fruit crops (blueberries, grapes, peaches, and strawberries); 621 acres were in row crops (primarily beans and watermelons); 1,117 acres were in nursery (container and tree farms) and sod production; and 26 acres were in field crops including hay and pasture.
If you would like to take a look at this report, here is a link to the USGS document set.  https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20171082

8/11/17

Hort Talks in Manatee County

I am teaming up with Martha Glenn in Manatee County for a session on weeds.  We will be offering up to 4 CEUs in various categories (core and private) at the Manatee County Extension Office.  Here are the details and you can sign up with the link below.  My session is an update on our latest research with weed control.  Specifically, tropical plants and herbicides that can be used with them as well as control in the usual suspects.

Hort-Talks (4 hours of various CEUs)
Thursday, August 25th - Weeds, Weeds, Weeds - the legal but invasive kind.  9:00am - 1:00pm

$25 includes a mid-morning snack

Speakers include:

Dr. Paul Mitola, Field Training Coordinator, Florida Dept. of Agriculture and Consumer Services will present on Core safety topics

Shawn Steed, Environmental Horticulture Production Agent, Hillsborough/Polk Counties, will discuss Weeds and their Controls

Dr. James Cuda, Professor Biological Weed Control, UF/IFAS Entomology and Nematology Depart, will show us how to manage invasive weeds sustainably with a focus on biological control.

Here is the link to register.  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/commercial-hort-talks-tickets-31102747154?mc_cid=9eac086ba3&mc_eid=e616d8bed9