Ag Producers of Hillsborough and Polk Counties Hurricane Relief Information

 Ag Producers -- Please see the relevant resources that may be available to assist with hurricane damage and recovery.

Report farm damages or crop/livestock losses to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) – Farm Service Agency (FSA), even if you are not currently enrolled in an FSA program. Information reported to the USDA FSA is used to determine eligibility for agricultural disaster declarations.

FSA  SERVICE CENTER OFFICE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FARM SERVICE AGENCY 201 S COLLINS ST STE 201 PLANT CITY, FL 33563 (800) 243-9912 (813) 752-1474 ext 2 (855) 563-2113 Fax Mailing Address: 201 S COLLINS ST,SUITE 201 PLANT CITY, FL 33563-5567

FSA  SERVICE CENTER OFFICE POLK COUNTY FARM SERVICE AGENCY 1700 HWY 17 S BARTOW, FL 33830 (800) 243-9912 (863) 533-2051 ext 2 (855) 475-8047 Fax Mailing Address: 1700 HWY 17 S STE 1 BARTOW, FL 33830-6630 Marcinda Kester County Executive Director (863) 533-2051 (855) 475-8047 fax marcinda.kester@usda.gov BRONWYN D BETHEA-ROWLAND Farm Loan Manager (813) 752-1474 x 2 bronwyn.bethearowland@usda.gov

Hillsborough County Damage Assessment - Hillsborough County property owners can use the form to report property loss or storm damages to the County by visiting HCFL.gov/DamageAssessment.

UF/IFAS Disaster Assessment Survey. This survey is used to estimate the state- and later county-level production losses for agricultural operations in Florida and results are communicated to state and federal agencies to inform their decision-making processes. Please report for the appropriate Hurricane

Hurricane Helene - go.ufl.edu/heleneagimpacts

Hurricane Milton - http://go.ufl.edu/MiltonAgImpacts

Use this USDA Tool to determine which program might apply to you Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool | Farmers.gov

Investigate agricultural disaster assistance programs that might be available through agencies such as:

•      USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA)

Farm Service Agency Emergency Loans Available – Click Here

•      USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS)

•      USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA)

•      Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS)

Emergency Livestock Assistance - To request critical assistance for your livestock and animals in urgent need, please access and complete the form then send to DAIOPSAssessment@FDACS.gov or call 863-993-5460 Form Link - https://forms.fdacs.gov/09027.pdf

FDACS Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program - Florida farmers, ranchers, and growers impacted by Hurricane Helene can now apply for interest-free loans through the Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program.

    Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program - Provides short-term, zero-interest working capital loans that are intended to “bridge the gap” between the time a disaster impacts a business and when a business has secured longer term recovery funding https://floridacommerce.my.site.com/RebuildFloridaBusinessLoanFund/s/

For more resources of Disaster Preparation, Response and Recovery, visit the following sources:

•      UF/IFAS Disaster Preparation & Recovery

•      Florida Extension Disaster Education Network

•      Florida Farm Bureau Helene Resources

•      Farm Bureau Hurricane Disaster Relief Fund - https://floridafarmbureau.org/hurricane-relief-fund-for- agriculture/

USDA FSA Ag Producer Damage Assesments

 

Producers,  

USDA Farm Service Agency offers a variety of programs to help farmers and ranchers that have been hard hit by natural disaster events. 

In order for the assistance to be available to producers, FSA must gather information to assess the agricultural damage due to Hurricane Milton. Please see the instructions below to report this information to the Plant City Service Center - Farm Service Agency Office.

*This preliminary information will be used by FSA to determine the amount of loss to each crop and determine the need for disaster assistance programs. Once the applications are open, FSA will contact those who have submitted an email to notify that they can apply.

 How to report agricultural damages to FSA:

Send an email to Marcinda Kester at Marcinda.Kester@usda.gov and Diana Williams Diana.K.Williams@usda.gov and cc your Extension agent Shawn Steed ststeed@ufl.edu with the following information:

 

1. Name of operation:

 

2. County operating in:   

 

3. Contact email:

 

4. Contact phone number:

 

5. Contact person:

 

6. Type of operation:

 

7. Describe damage and/or losses (Be specific. Include pictures and information such as the number of acres damaged, value of structures/equipment damaged, type of crop damaged, number of livestock loss or injured, amount of fence damage, amount of feed/hay lost, amount of fertilizer/supplies lost, etc):

UF/IFAS Hurricane Helene Agriculture Damage Assesment

 Dear Nursery and Sod Producers,

UF/IFAS is seeking impacts incurred by Hurricane Helene.  There is an online survey tool that will collect your input.  Please take the time to record your responses even if you had no damage.  That will go a long way to getting the true impact of this storm on the agricultural community of Florida.  We appreciate your time and responses.  Here is a link to the survey   https://go.ufl.edu/heleneagimpacts

Hurricane Loan Help for Florida Farmers

If you are a Florida farmer there may be assistance available to you in the form of a loan from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) which offers the Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program to support farmers and aquaculture producers affected by natural disasters. This program provides low-interest or interest-free loans to help restore, repair, or replace essential physical property, such as fences, equipment, and buildings, or to remove vegetative debris from the property.

Eligible applicants must own a bona fide farm operation on land classified as agricultural or lease sovereign submerged land. The farm or aquaculture facility must be located in a qualifying county affected by a declared disaster, such as Hurricane Helene. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and cannot have accepted financial assistance from other state or federal disaster relief programs. 

The maximum loan amount is $500,000, with a term of up to 10 years. Applicants can receive no more than one loan per application period and a maximum of five loans within any three-year period. Structures built with loan funds must comply with storm-hardening standards.

Here is a link to the FDACS site to see if you qualify and/or need more information. Agriculture and Aquaculture Producers Natural Disaster Recovery Loan Program / Agriculture Industry / Home - Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (fdacs.gov)

Florida Pesticide Certification Exam Changes

 

Extension will no longer offer pesticide exams in the near future.

UF/IFAS remains committed to best serving our stakeholders through education, training, and support. The primary provider for pesticide certification exam locations has been UF/IFAS through the county Extension network. All 67 county offices have historically offered free exams, either on paper or via a computer. Due to technological updates to Windows, internet networks, and the computers UF/IFAS uses for testing, there will be changes to the testing process going forward. Below is the timeline for these changes.

Effective January 1, 2025, paper exams will no longer be offered at UF/IFAS county Extension offices.

 

Exams will still be available using the following two options:

 1)    Computer exams at county Extension offices. Check the schedule and availability of your local extension office: https://pesticideexam.ifas.ufl.edu/public/testcenters.jsp

2) Testing with your own equipment using the Everblue testing portal (additional fees required).

 

Effective October 1, 2025 testing will no longer be available at UF/IFAS county Extension offices. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is in the process of selecting a testing vendor to take over at that point. Their stated plan is to have two options available for examinations:

 1.    Testing on a remote proctored platform. This would be similar (if not the same) as the current Everblue portal.

 2.    Testing at licensed testing centers around the state. These locations host a variety of other tests, like the GRE, SAT, and other professional certification exams.

 The vendor, locations and processes related to testing after October 1, 2025, are still to be determined, but will be communicated as soon as that information is available.

 For questions, contact the UF/IFAS Pesticide Information Office:

 Brett Wells Bultemeier

7922 NW 71^st Street 

PO Box 110710 

Gainesville, FL, 32653 

352-392-4721 

352-294-6941 Direct Line 

Pesticide Office Website 

Our Blog 

FNGLA Manasota Chapter Meeting + CEUS

The FNGLA Manasota Chapter will be hosting a meeting at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center located in Balm, FL on Thursday, August 1, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.  We will receive a tour of the research center, get environmental horticulture research updates, obtain CEUs, and feast on a tasty dinner. Attendance fee is $20.00 for members/$30.00 for non-members, and $10.00 for students.  This meeting is open to anyone in the green industry.  Click this link to register 

Here is the agenda:

4:00 pm: Arrive

4:15 pm: Tour GCREC Diagnostic Clinic, Dr. Natalia Peres, Professor of plant pathology, UF/IFAS, Gulf Coast REC

4:40 pm: Mites and thrips, Dr. Sriyanka Lahiri, Assistant Professor of entomology and nematology, UF/IFAS, Gulf Coast REC

5:00 pm: Parasitic nematodes, Dr. Johan Desaeger, Associate Professor of entomology and nematology, UF/IFAS, Gulf Coast REC

5:20 pm: Urban water uses, management, and recycling, Dr. Mary Lusk, Assistant Professor of soil and water sciences, UF/IFAS, Gulf Coast REC

5:30 pm: Dinner

5:45 pm: Remarks, Dr. Jack Rechcigl, Professor and Center Director, and Dr. Nathan Boyd, Professor and Associate Center Director

6:00 – 8:00 pm: CEU program - Pest Management Tools and New Varieties for Production and Utilization of Ornamental and Nursery Plants (2 CEUs)

6:00 pm: Management of invasive pest insects in nursery crop production, Dr. Lance Osborne, Professor of entomology, UF/IFAS, Mid-Florida REC

6:25 pm: UV light, chemical control, and biocontrol for thrips and mite management in specialty crops, Dr. Sriyanka Lahiri

6:45 pm: Chemical alternative methods for disease control, Dr. Natalia Peres

7:05 pm: Notes from the field; a pest update, Mr. Shawn Steed, Extension Agent IV, UF/IFAS Hillsborough County Extension Services

7:40 pm: New caladium, lantana, and porterweed introductions for nursery production and landscape use, Dr. Zhanao Deng, Professor of environmental horticulture, UF/IFAS, Gulf Coast REC  

CEUS; 1 Core (487, 482) + 1 O&T, Private, Ag Row, Demo and Res., Commercial L&O.

Any questions please call Shawn Steed at the Hillsborough County Extension Office 813-744-5519.

Thrips parvispinus - a Regulated Invasive Pest in Florida

Alert: Thrips parvispinus Threatens Nursery Crops

Photo L.S. Osborne 

I recently attended a presentation of a colleague at the Florida State Horticulture Society's Annual Meeting.  She was discussing the damage done to peppers in South Florida's pepper crop by pepper thrips, Thrips parvispinus.  It was fairly significant, looked remarkably like broad mite damage, and it wasn't easy to control.  This insect has a liking for a wide host range of crops we grow in central west Florida like mandevilla, gardenia, ixora, strawberry, hibiscus, and roses among others. What is also worrisome is that it is a regulated pest and can hold up sales of ornamental plants.  For more information on this pest please check out UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center's website.  There is a list of a description, host crops, and control measures. Thrips parvispinus - MREC - UF/IFAS - University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences - UF/IFAS (ufl.edu)

If you suspect thrips damage or symptoms, please have your pest identified.  I am happy to help visit your nursery (in Polk or Hillsborough Counties, FL) and assist in the identification. Just reach out via email or call me at the Extension Office.

Potting Machine for Sale

 

A Polk County grower has outgrown their potting machine and is offering it up for sale.

Stilt Pro rear load potting machine with hopper. Dimensions: 72” x 58” x 79”. Easy to use machine with an automatic collect and recycle feature that minimizes waste and clean up labor. Hopper holds up to one cubic yard of media and can be loaded with buckets up to 55” wide. Requires only single-person operation for maximum efficiency. Uses a mounted 110V single-phase motor. Retail price: $10,300.  Grower selling for $3500.00.  For more information call Ryan at 407-913-3478

Summer Ag Student Looking for a Summer Job

If you are a nursery grower or allied trade looking for some summer help, there is a student who is staying this summer in the Tampa area. She’s a forestry major but is involved in the horticulture club at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Please email Shawn (ststeed@ufl.edu) if you'd like more information.

Growing Better/Cheaper Container Plants with Substrate Stratification

 

What if someone told you that you could fill your pots halfway with a less expensive soilless substrate (large pine bark) in your container production system and get amazing benefits from it; better moisture control in the growing media container, better rooting, better fertilizer management, reduced wilting, and overall similar to better growth, all while saving costs?

That is what the science of substrate stratification is pointing to.  Usually, soil moisture settles at the bottom of the pot and never really dries out while at the surface you have a very dry zone where the roots are establishing.  By layering a larger particle size (like large bark) on the bottom with a finer particle size media (peat and fine bark mix) on the top, the moisture balance is somewhat flipped and evens out over the entire pot keeping moisture levels more balanced in the pot.  Aside from the cost savings you also gain the production benefits mentioned above as well.

Here is a good video link to more information on the transformative and evolving science of substrate stratification that is coming out of Dr. Jeb Fields and other labs looking at rethinking the way we have been growing container plants for years. https://youtu.be/imA-BgHzluk?si=ZPFUPsIjsAppAbpk.  If you’d rather read about the research here is a link to a study on the same topic. https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/8/1454

Private Applicator and Core Test Prep and CEU Opportunity

UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County is hosting a Core and Private Pesticide Exam Training Course on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at 9:00 am at the Extension Office Location in Seffner, FL.  The cost is $60.00 for the class.

The Core training is needed by all license types and the Private Exam Prep portion of the class will help you review to pass the Private Applicator Exam.  With both tests passed you will be able to apply restricted use pesticides on your property or that of your employers as well as teach ag employees the mandatory EPA Worker Protection Standards.

If you already have a Private Applicator License, then this class will give you 2 Core CEUs and 2 Private CEUs for renewal of your license.  Here is a link to register. Private License Prep Class Link  We will provide a private testing time for the next day for those who would like to take the exam quickly after the class.

Here is a glance at the agenda:

09:00 a.m. Welcome, coffee & snacks

09:15 a.m. General Standards/Core Exam Preparation Class

11:30 p.m. Lunch (to be provided)

12:15 p.m. Private/Ag Row Crop Applicator Exam Preparation Class

02:30 p.m. Review

04:30 p.m. Adjourn

If you have any questions please give Shawn a ring 813-744-5519.

FNGLA Meeting with Veransa Compost

The utility of compost in the landscape is well known and UF IFAS is doing research to see if there are cost and quality benefits of substituting compost as a replacement for peat.

FNGLA Tampa Chapter would like to invite you to meet one of our local composting operations Veransa for a meet and greet lunch at their facility on May 9th from 11-2 pm with lunch at the UF/IFAS Extension Office in Seffner.  See what Veransa is doing in turning green waste into very high-quality compost.  Please register with the following link.  

https://profile.fngla.org/events/event-details/?id=b7a01a34-63fb-ee11-a73c-6045bd80fb0f

Using Compost as a Potting Media Replacement

UF/IFAS needs your expertise again.  Please take about 30 seconds of your time and help Dr. Mica McMillian gather information for a grant that will help growers utilize compost as a replacement for peat.  She would like to know what components you are currently using.  Super short and very helpful.  Thank you for your help!  Here is the link to the survey.  

Delivery Driver for Nursery Wanted

 Delivery driver needed for wholesale nursery located in Plant City, Florida.  CDL is required.

 Please direct all inquiries to:  Rick Worrell, 813-754-4751.

Tree Conference in Gainesville

For those of you who may be interested, there is a tree conference in Gainesville 2/28/24.  Here is the information for registration and agenda in the link below.

The University of Florida and The Davey Tree Expert Company are excited to offer the following day of talks on some of the cutting-edge research we are currently working on. The event will be held on Wednesday, February 28th. Registration is now open for in person or virtual attendance. We hope to see you there and please distribute to anyone you think would be interested!

 

Conference Website: https://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/uf-and-davey-tree-care-conference/ "

Very Quick Soil Survey

UF/IFAS is needing your expertise again.  Please just take about 30 seconds of your time and help Dr. Mica McMillian gather information for a grant that will help growers utilize compost as a replacement for peat.  She would like to know what components you are currently using.  Super short and very helpful.  Thank you for your help!  Here is the link to the survey.