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Pecans – These Locally Grown Treats Will Be Ready Soon

by Dan Mullins

Late October in West Florida brings beautiful weather and the beginning of pecan harvest.  Though Florida’s number of pecan trees don’t compare to Georgia, Texas or other major pecan producing states, there are enough nuts locally produced to help satisfy the demand.

The pecan is an interesting crop.  It is native to the United States, with Northern Florida being the southern–most boundary of its range.  This is the largest of the hickories, with some trees reaching a height of over 100 feet and a spread of up to 75 feet. 

The latest report indicates that there are 8,652 acres of pecans being grown on 963 farms in Florida.  Of this acreage, 6,741 were reported as bearing orchards.  One third of this acreage is native production, while the remainder is made up of improved varieties.  Many pecans are also locally produced and harvested by homeowners who have from one to several trees growing in the landscape.

Top, Left to right -  Four locally grown pecan varieties: Elliott, Curtis, Stuart and Desirable.  Below: Unnamed pecans from several different seedling trees.

Florida pecan production fluctuates from year to year.  This crop is notorious for alternate bearing – a heavy production year is usually followed by one or two seasons of lower production as the trees recover and build up strength.  Hurricanes, other extreme weather events and pests also affect some years’ production.

The best Florida pecan crop on record was produced in 1999 with 3.7 million pounds.  Almost two million pounds were also produced in 2007.  The lowest years of production in recent history were 2004 and 2006.  Most local residents will recall that Hurricanes Ivan in 2004 and Dennis in 2005 affected pecan production and many other aspects of our lives.

Pecan breeding and selection has resulted in over 150 varieties or cultivars.  Characteristics of these different cultivars determine which ones are grown in a particular region.  Locally, recommended cultivars include ‘Elliott’, Curtis and Sumner because they have a combination of good yields, high quality and disease resistance.

 Newer cultivars that are highly recommended include ‘Lakota’, ‘Excel’, ‘Gafford’ and ‘Headquarters’.  Many of the western cultivars, especially those with native American names such as Pawnee, though they begin bearing at an early age, cannot be recommended due to having less disease resistance in the Southeast.

Watch for this year’s pecans to become available by early November.  They will be available through on-farm direct sales, in retail stores, at pecan accumulator locations and at pecan specialty markets and shops.

A new, seven page illustrated fact sheet is available from the University of Florida for anyone interested in more in-depth information about pecans.  The document, “Florida Crop/Pest Management Profile: Pecan”, was published in August, 2009 by the Department of Horticultural Sciences.  To download, print or view a copy, go to edis.ifas.ufl.edu/PI217.  Your local Florida Extension office can also provide a copy.

For more information or if you have a question, call Dan Mullins, Extension Commercial Horticulture Agent, The University of Florida/IFAS-Santa Rosa County Extension, at 850-623-3868, between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:30 pm weekdays.  Hearing impaired individuals may call Santa Rosa County Emergency Management Service at 983-5373 (TDD).

Extension Service programs are open to all people without regard to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations.  The use of trade names in this article is solely for the purpose of providing specific information.  It is not a guarantee, warranty, or endorsement of the product name(s) and does not signify that they are approved to the exclusion of others.

Heat, Flood, Drought and even Coyote Damage - It’s Been a Challenging Growing Season for Area Farmers

by Daniel E. Mullins

Every year brings new challenges for Northwest Florida farmers and so far, this one has been a doozy.  There have been extremes in temperature, soil moisture, costs of supplies, and pest damage from insects and diseases and even from deer and coyote.

Most vegetable crops and row crops were planted three to four weeks later than normal due to a cold, wet spring.  Severe flooding occurred in late March and early April destroying early planted seeds or seedlings and delaying the planting of other fields. 

Farmers like to get off to an early start and many vegetables are normally planted by mid-March in our area.  However, a check of weather records indicates that an exceptionally cold spring occurred.  Between mid-March and mid-April there were over 33 hours below 45 degrees F, with one of these cold nights occurring on April 15.  As a result, spring air and soil temperatures remained too cold for early planting, corresponding early harvest and better prices at market.

Once the cold, wet spring passed vegetables and row crops were planted and began growing.  Then the excessive heat of early summer suddenly began.  This was one of a few occasions that I have observed air temperatures being so high that photosynthesis ceased for a period of time.  Beginning on June 18 and continuing for about a week, little or no growth and development of crops occurred.  The long term effects of such hot weather on our crops this year remains to be seen.     

Dealing with challenges such as plant diseases and insect outbreaks in crops is so common that certain of these pests are expected every year at some level.  This was again the case this spring, along with the annual economic loss from browsing by deer – another serious pest.  Crop loss due to feeding by deer has literally been taking a percentage of the crop over the past few years.  They have even expanded their diet recently to include cotton plants in addition to peanuts, soybeans and many other crops.

Now, add the coyote to the list of pests that are causing crop losses on area farms.  There are several ways that this intelligent, prolific species damages crops, but the best example is to watermelons. 

Damage is occurring now in some watermelon fields.  Generally coyotes locate the fields, bite open the melons, eat the flesh and leave the rind (see photo).  In many cases they only take a few bites, leaving the melon to rot.  They often feed in packs or families and quickly learn evasive tactics.  It is not unusual for an extra intelligent individual to chew the vine away from a fruit and then roll the melon to a safer, more concealed area for eating.

Along with all of these natural, environmental challenges there is also a shrinking profit margin for agricultural commodities partly due to the increased cost of fuel, fertilizer and other supplies.   For example, in 1965 the price for on-farm diesel fuel was 15 cents per gallon.  Seed corn was $12 per bushel at that time, but in March of last year it was $150 per bushel.  In general costs are twelve times what they were in 1965, while the price for the farmers’ crops have increased little, if any.

For more information or if you have a question, call Dan Mullins, Extension Commercial Horticulture Agent, The University of Florida/IFAS-Santa Rosa County Extension, at 850-623-3868, between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:30 pm weekdays.  Hearing impaired individuals may call Santa Rosa County Emergency Management Service at 983-5373 (TDD).

Bring Back Good Tasting Tomatoes – Part 2

By Daniel E. Mullins
 
Some claim that tomatoes don’t taste as good anymore.  Is this true, or are we experiencing the “good old days syndrome” as it applies to our favorite vegetable?

In an earlier article we discovered that it’s probably true that today’s commercial tomato varieties have a less desirable balance of specific sugars, acids and aromatic volatiles.  Good tomato taste however, appears to be much more complicated than just growing one of the older varieties.  The modern ways that we are growing, harvesting and storing them could be partly or mostly responsible for poor taste.

Is it in the Fertilizer?

Field trials and studies from New Jersey, as well as Israel and Italy indicate a lack of sodium and chlorine could be limiting good tomato taste.  In the past, sodium nitrate, known as Chilean nitrate, was the widely used nitrogen source for tomatoes.  It has now been mostly replaced with other sources of nitrogen such as urea and ammonium nitrate that do not provide sodium.

Commercial growers sometimes use potassium chloride, known as muriate of potash.  Though the main reason for its use is to supply potassium, chlorine is also provided to the soil.  Some fertilizers that are currently used however contain little or no chlorine.

Even those of us with little knowledge in chemistry know that a source of both sodium and chlorine is plain table salt or sea salt.  To determine if these ingredients will make a difference in tomato taste, a scientist at Rutgers is conducting experiments using a sea salt type product for a soil treatment.  As an alternative he states that sea water can also be used.

This is a one time treatment of tomato plants and must be carefully done in order to supply these two elements without causing damage.  The procedure is described in a paper from Rutgers entitled “Soil, Salt and Tomato Taste.”  It includes step by step instructions for those who would like to try this treatment.  If interested go to:  njfarmfresh.rutgers.edu/documents/TomatoSalt2009.pdf.

Other nutrient deficiencies that might affect tomato flavor are sulfur and boron.  Sulfur is most commonly lacking in sandy soils that are low in organic matter.  Good sources include compost and gypsum.  There are also other commercial products available.

Boron deficiencies in tomatoes are common and the lack of sufficient boron is known to decrease yield and fruit quality.  When needed boron is only applied in very small quantities.

Other Growing Practices

Tomato plants that are loaded with fruit require a lot of water from the soil.  The soil should be kept uniformly moist, not fluctuating from very dry to extremely wet.  On the other hand excessive irrigation, along with too much nitrogen can result in rots, fruit cracking and poor flavor due to a dilution of sugars or acids in the fruit. 

Pick ‘Em When They Are Red – Really Red!

Aside from varieties grown, the stage of ripeness at harvest is possibly the most important factor in obtaining flavorful tomatoes.  If possible, they should be left on the plants until they are dead ripe – a deep red color, but before extreme softness and decay sets in.

Avoid Practices that Reverse Good Tomato Flavor

Resist the urge to place tomatoes in a sunny window to finish ripening.  It’s the plants that need sun, not the ripening tomatoes.  Just place them at room temperature on a countertop until they are ready.  Also, don’t refrigerate tomatoes unless it is absolutely necessary.

So, How Do We Get Good Tomatoes?

The short answer:  Buy from a local farmer or grow them yourself.  As discussed in Part One, the old timey varieties with a reputation for excellent flavor are more difficult to grow in our Gulf Coast region.  However, as one grower recently told me, “I grow the old, heritage varieties and am willing to have some of my plants die in order to have a few left that bear really good tasting fruit.”

The Heirloom Tomato All Stars from Rutgers Taste Tests

Large fruited:
Cherokee Purple                  

Cherry-size fruit:       
Green Zebra
Mortgage Lifter
Snow White
Hawaiian Pineapple
Isis Candy
Prudents Purple 
Yellow Pear

Medium-size fruit:     
Eva Purple Ball
Arkansas Traveler
Box Car Willie
Lemon Boy
Costoluto Genovese
Ramapo (hybrid)
Brandywine Red 

Reclaiming Florida’s Lost Opportunity

By Greg Forster & Bob McClure

The Florida Legislature has the opportunity this session to expand the Corporate Tax Credit Scholarship Program as well as expand and protect the Florida Virtual School.  While not replacements for the state’s lost Opportunity Scholarship Program, the first would provide thousands more low-income children with the chance to attend a school that best meets their needs, and the latter would provide more students with access to a wider variety of courses and/or choice in instructional delivery method.

A 2008 empirical study co-sponsored by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, the Foundation for Excellence in Education, and The James Madison Institute examined the impact of ending the Opportunity Scholarship Program, which offered vouchers so that children assigned to chronically underperforming schools could transfer to another public or private school of their choice.

The vouchers were a key component of Florida’s A+ Accountability Program, which grades each public school based on its performance. Until the Florida Supreme Court’s 2006 ruling, if a school received two failing grades in any four consecutive years, its students were eligible for vouchers.

The A+ vouchers were famous in education circles for yielding improvements in failing public schools. Four separate sets of studies, including researchers at Harvard, Princeton, Cornell, the Manhattan Institute, and the Urban Institute, have found that the A+ program produced especially dramatic improvements in 2002-03, the first year when vouchers were offered to a substantial number of students.

Many people are surprised to hear that vouchers improve public schools. But empowering parents to choose their children’s schools allows them to hold schools accountable and creates healthy competition among schools. That’s why the research nationwide consistently shows that vouchers improve public schools, and no empirical study has ever found that vouchers made public schools worse.

Surprisingly, though, until the Friedman et al. study, nobody seems to have conducted empirical research on the effects of Florida’s A+ vouchers since 2002-03.

What the 2008 study found was that the impact of the A+ program changed from year to year in ways that corresponded to the status of vouchers. Before vouchers were widely available, the A+ program produced moderate improvements in failing public schools.

When vouchers became widely available in 2002-03, it produced dramatic improvements. In subsequent years, voucher participation rates declined, and the positive impact of the program was less dramatic. Finally, with no vouchers in 2006-07, the benefits of the A+ program were reduced again – to lower than where they were even before the dramatic gains of 2002-03.

This should put to rest any doubts about whether the competitive incentives from vouchers were an important part of the program’s success in improving public schools. All the alternative possibilities – such as a response to the stigma of the failing grade – were equally present in every year, while the status of vouchers changed from year to year. The impact of the program also changed, sometimes dramatically, from year to year – and the changes track the changes in the status of vouchers.

One interesting question is why the voucher participation rates declined after 2002-03. It is worth noting that the A+ program is the only school choice program in the country – out of 21 total – to show a long-term decline in participation rates.

The clear culprit is the artificial obstacles to participation that were created by the Florida Department of Education in administering the program. The department gave parents only two weeks after school grades were announced to apply for vouchers or lose their eligibility forever. Making matters worse, the announcements were not made on a predictable schedule.

Any voucher program built on a “failing schools” model is going to have difficulty keeping eligible parents informed. But in Florida, thanks to the unreasonable way in which the department administered the program, it is likely that most eligible parents didn’t even know they were eligible until it was too late for them to apply.

No school choice program anywhere else imposes participation barriers like the ones imposed in Florida. Policy makers should take note: Don’t let the guardians of public education’s status quo be the ones in control of parents’ access to vouchers.

The results of this analysis, finding that the loss of vouchers is a stinging blow to students in Florida’s failing public schools, show all the more clearly the outrage of the court’s decision to strike them down. The decision in that case was riddled with errors of fact, fallacies of logic, and internal contradictions.

The judges clearly had no regard for either the facts or the law. Now we have the data showing the results of their arrogance: lost opportunity for students in failing public schools. Florida’s voters and policy makers should heed this evidence and take steps to restore that opportunity in whatever form, whether it be corporate scholarships or virtual classes.

Bob McClure is President/CEO of The James Madison Institute, a nonpartisan policy center based in Tallahassee. 

 

 

 

 

 

Greg Forster is a Senior Fellow of the Milton & Rose D. Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice.

Bring Back Good Tasting Tomatoes

by Dan Mullins,

Good tasting tomatoes have gone the way of lazy afternoons on the porch swing.  Some complain that they have not enjoyed a truly tangy, sweet and juicy tomato since the 1970s.  Instead, consumers are calling those that are found at certain times in grocery stores bad names such as "cardboard" or "plastic tomatoes."  Obviously, few topics stir as much passion as the desire for good tasting tomatoes.

So if they were so much better in the olden days, what happened?  Where did the good taste go?  Are different kinds of tomatoes being produced?  Are they being grown differently or are they simply not allowed thorough ripening before harvest.  Some researchers and plant breeders are studying this phenomenon and interesting theories and maybe even facts are emerging.  I have become engrossed in the subject and anxious to report the results of my study so far.  My report will be in two parts, because the subject of good tasting tomatoes deserves more than that provided by a single article.

Part One - Have Tomato Varieties Changed That Much?

Life would be simpler for tomato lovers if rediscovering that wonderful flavor could be accomplished by simply bringing back the old varieties.  It is apparently more complicated than that.  It's true that breeding for better shipping more disease resistant varieties has been responsible for harder, less flavorful tomatoes over the past two decades, but there have been other changes.  Further investigations are needed to determine if changes in fertilization, soil types, ripeness when picked and other factors have also had their effects.

The search for a truly flavorful tomato variety alone is enough of a challenge.  The New Jersey legislature has been so interested in bringing back the true "Jersey Tomato" that until recently Rutgers University received a small stipend each year specifically dedicated to this quest.

The Jersey tomato is renowned for having a sweet/tart taste.  This is due to a near perfect balance of sugars (for sweetness) and acids (for tartness) in addition to certain aromatic volatiles.  While trying to rediscover this taste, researchers found it in two older varieties - "Ramapo" and "Rutgers."  "Ramapo" was released by Dr. Bernard Pollack of Rutgers University in 1968 and it soon became a favorite of gardeners and local commercial growers.  Despite its popularity, commercial seed companies eventually stopped offering it in favor of higher yielding more modern varieties.  In 2008, forty years after its introduction, Ramapo seed was re-released and has been well received by both home gardeners and commercial growers.

Work at Rutgers has also resulted in the field testing of 145 different heirloom tomato varieties in search of great flavor.  After years of seed collection, growing and taste testing, Rutgers has published a list of Heirloom "Tomato All-Stars."  The list includes well known old varieties such as Brandywine, Cherokee Purple and Mortgage Lifter as well as some lesser known ones like Eva Purple Ball, Box Car Willie and Arkansas Traveler.

Before we start throwing stones at tomato breeders, let's consider the complexity of the industry.  For the past twenty or thirty years the concern has been tomato size, color, yield, firmness and resistance to disease.  According to Dr. Jay Scott, a tomato expert with the University of Florida, "to do flavor and get all of the other characteristics is very difficult."

There is a lot about tomato flavor that researchers don't yet know.  Three factors are involved - sugars, acids and aromatic volatiles.  There are literally hundreds of volatiles in the chemistry of tomatoes and about 17 of them are known to be important to good tomato taste.

Note to Florida Tomato Growers:  All of the tomato varieties mentioned above are very difficult to produce under conditions found in the Deep South.  Most were developed as open pollinated varieties with little or no resistance to now common diseases in the area such as tomato spotted wilt, fusarium wilt and tomato leaf curl virus.

Some day maybe we can have both - disease resistant tomatoes that also have that old time flavor.  Large buyers and marketers still determine the varieties of tomatoes that are marketed, but consumers can have influence with their purchasing power.

More about good tasting tomatoes can be found at: http://njfarmfresh.rutgers.edu/JerseyTomato.html

Watch for Part Two:  We will compare the tomato growing methods of yesteryear with those used today. 

For one thing, we are using a different source of nitrogen these days. 

For another, sodium and chlorine might be the missing ingredients. 

Learn how one horticultural researcher is even applying sea salt to his plants to add flavor.

For more information or if you have a question, call Dan Mullins, Extension Commercial Horticulture Agent, The University of Florida/IFAS-Santa Rosa County Extension, at 850-623-3868, between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:30 pm weekdays.  Hearing-impaired individuals may call Santa Rosa County Emergency Management Service at 983-5373 (TDD).

Marketing – The Biggest Challenge for Fruit & Vegetable Growers

by Dan Mullins

The message from many local consumers of fresh fruits and vegetables is clear.  They prefer to purchase locally grown produce.  Local fresh market producers are hearing the message and are gearing up to meet this demand.  They are also exploring ways to better reach customers with their products.

The biggest challenge for the local farmer is not the growing of fresh fruits and vegetables, but ironically it is the harvest and marketing of the products.  One would think that if the demand or need for products is present and there are people who can fill it, then there should be no problem in getting the two together.  Not so, the marketing of fruits and vegetables is more complicated than that.

Since fresh produce is so perishable, it must be moved quickly from the producer to the consumer in order to maintain high quality.  This means frequent harvest and transport to an outlet unless all is sold at the farm.  Some options for a farmer selling fresh produce include:  direct on-farm sales, U-pick, roadside sales, farmer's market, community or public markets, retail outlets, chefs and restaurants, cooperative marketing, internet, mail order, community supported agriculture or subscription farming and institutional sales.

The most labor intensive part of the operation is harvesting.  With a few exceptions, the majority of fresh market crops such as tomatoes, peppers, okra and squash are still picked by hand.  Finding people who will do this hard labor on a part time basis and at early hours is often difficult.

Once the produce is picked it is then promptly moved to the marketing outlet.  How and where the products are sold is generally prearranged, and the wise farmer developed a marketing strategy even prior to planting the crop.

Many factors are involved in developing a marketing plan and ultimately where the consumer can find fresh local produce.  These factors include the kind of fruits or vegetables grown, the price obtainable from various outlets, the volume of produce that can be sold at the various outlets, distance to the market and labor required to sell the harvested product.

Other than the problem of getting produce picked, there appears to be two major hurdles for the small, specialty grower of fruits and vegetables.  First, there is the cost of hauling produce to market.  There was a time in the past, when the cost of moving produce was not a serious consideration.  This is certainly not the case today.  There are many instances where, even within a single county, growers will not travel to some of the more populated areas because of the distance involved.  Instead, they might choose to stay closer to home even if it takes longer to sell their products.

The small grower must also deal with the time or labor cost when selling at the roadside and at public markets.  I know of several cases where the farmer decided against selling at a public market because they could not spare the time or because it would have required the hiring of an additional employee.

In spite of all of these challenges, we look forward to lots of fresh produce during the upcoming spring and summer.  Watch for it at public markets, at certain farms, at roadside markets and in some retail stores.

Most of the Northwest Florida warm season vegetable crops are being planted in March this year.  Tomatoes, peppers, sweet corn, beans, melons, peas, cucumbers, okra and squash are well on their way and barring a late frost or freeze, will begin showing up at markets in May and June.

Meanwhile there are some earlier planted cool season crops that are available now.  These include mustard greens, turnips, broccoli, cauliflower, collards, cabbage, onions and strawberries.  Irish potatoes and English peas begin showing up in April.

Don’t Die from Embarrassment

by Vicki Miller

Cancer. Colons. Neither is a topic family and friends enthusiastically put at the top of their lists of things to discuss, and getting screened for colon cancer is not joyfully put at the top of most of our “to do” lists.  The topic might not be comfortable, and in fact, can be embarrassing to talk about.  But, embarrassment is a poor excuse for putting off something that could save your life.  If you are 50 or older, or even earlier if you have a family history of colon cancer, or meet other criteria, don’t put off talking about your risk and get screened.  It might save your life or that of someone you love.

Ten years ago, Congress passed the first resolution marking March as National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.  In the ten years that have passed, we have had promising news regarding this often preventable disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), incidences have dropped by 2.2 percent in women and 2.8 percent in men. Moreover mortality has dropped by 4.3 percent.

While these numbers may seem small, they amount to thousands of lives saved and experts believe it can be attributed to the increase in screening and early detection. Colorectal cancer is unique from most other cancers-- when screening for the disease doctors can catch it before it turns into cancer. Most colorectal cancer develops from polyps which are grape-like growths on the lining of the colon and rectum.   Screening can help detect and remove polyps before they become cancerous.  

These colorectal cancer screening tests have the ability to help save even more lives, but only about half of adults over 50 are having one of the recommended screening tests as it continues to be the second leading cancer killer amongst men and women combined.

It is estimated that in 2008 10,920 people were diagnosed with colorectal cancer in Florida, and 3,420 died from the disease. Men and women at average risk should be screened for colorectal cancer when they turn 50 and those with a family history should be screened earlier. 

Screening is the best way to prevent and detect colorectal cancer, but research has shown that a healthy lifestyle can also be crucial in the prevention of this disease. Maintain a healthy weight and exercise most days of the week.  If you don’t smoke, don’t start, and if you do smoke, stop.

If you are diagnosed with colorectal cancer, talk to your health care professional about your treatment options.  When caught in its earliest, most treatable stages, colorectal cancer has a 90 percent survival rate. 

National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month is the perfect time for you to start a dialogue with your doctor about your risk, screening options and steps you can take to prevent this disease. It is also a great time to talk to your family, friends and loved ones about reducing their risk and getting screened.

For more information about colorectal cancer prevention and early detection, visit the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s Web site at www.preventcancer.org.   

If you would like additional information on cancer prevention, please visit the Prevent Cancer Foundation’s website at www.preventcancer.org.

Mrs. Vicki Miller is the spouse of Congressman Jeff Miller and is a member of the Congressional Families Cancer Prevention Program of the Prevent Cancer Foundation

Insurer’s Exit Leaves Florida on the Brink

By Eli Lehrer

State Farm’s decision to quit providing homeowners insurance in Florida shows that the state’s insurance market simply can’t survive in its current form. Moreover, the company’s exit won’t merely leave thousands of Florida homeowners scrambling for a reliable insurer, but it also will add to the financial risk that Florida would face if costly storm damage were to occur.

Indeed, unless Governor Crist and the Legislature swiftly make several painful but necessary changes to Florida’s current insurance system, State Farm’s retreat places the entire state in grave fiscal peril.

That’s because inaction means that Florida’s taxpayers will become practically the only major underwriter for coastal property owners, whose homes are among the priciest and most exposed to storms. That could literally mean bankruptcy for a state that’s already dealing with a budget crisis.

Whatever State Farm’s faults as a company, it at least could back its promises with actual assets -- about $60 billion worth. Moreover, it charged less than many of its competitors while providing insurance for about one-fifth of all Florida homes. 

Only the state itself, through Florida Citizens Property Insurance Corporation, sells more homeowners insurance in Florida. Partly because State Farm is a mutual company operating on a not-for-profit basis, it also wrote lots of coastal coverage that shareholder-owned companies tended to avoid.

Without State Farm, Florida easily could face a fiscal train wreck. No similarly-strong private company exists to take up the slack. In the wake of the ill-conceived property insurance “reforms” of January 2007, every sizeable out-of-state provider of homeowners insurance has either entirely withdrawn from the state or severely curtailed its business. The only companies writing significant numbers of new policies are Florida-only companies with fewer real assets. 

Unlike State Farm, which purchased plenty of reinsurance (insurance for insurance companies), many of these in-state companies and Citizens rely almost entirely on the state government’s own reinsurance entity, the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund.

But the Cat Fund doesn’t have sufficient real assets to back up its promises. Rather than making investments, as private reinsurance companies do, the Cat Fund plans to finance its payouts by selling enormous amounts of bonds after a major storm hit, with the debt to be repaid via surcharges on insurance premiums for homes and vehicles.

Under the current law, the state could assume liabilities totaling $32 billion. However, because no state has ever sold more than $11 billion worth of bonds all at one time, the Cat Fund simply cannot keep its promises – especially in today’s troubled credit market.

As a result, a costly storm or series of storms almost certainly would cause the collapse of Citizens, the Cat Fund, and many nominally “private” companies. Yet because the State of Florida guarantees the solvency of all these entities, Floridians would end up footing the bill.

Moreover, because Florida has no personal income tax and has a statewide cap on property tax rates, the government has no practical way to collect the tax revenue needed to clean up the mess.  If Congress doesn’t have the appetite to bail out Florida —and there’s a good chance that it won’t -- the state might well have to take a trip to bankruptcy court.   

When the Legislature convenes in March, lawmakers need to consider some tough measures to pull Florida back from the brink. They should let the rates rise significantly for both Citizens and other insurers operating in the state – a step that will require real political courage. They should also act to reduce the size of the Cat Fund and encourage Floridians to do more to reinforce their homes against hurricanes.

Indeed, with whatever resources it can muster in tight times, the Legislature should strive to increase funding for the “My Safe Florida Home” program, which helps Floridians make their residences less vulnerable to costly storm damage.

Meanwhile, State Farm’s exit from the Florida market makes it clear that Floridians – especially those who live near the coasts -- will have to pay higher insurance rates. The alternative, however, is much, much worse.

Eli Lehrer is an Adjunct Scholar of the James Madison Institute, a non-partisan policy center based in Tallahassee, and a Senior Fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute.

Know When, Where to Look for Local Produce

by Dan Mullins

How was this grown?  Where was it grown and who grew it?  More and more consumers are no longer taking their food supply for granted, having these and other related questions.

Though Americans continue to enjoy a relatively cheap, safe and abundant conventional food supply, there are recent concerns about the future availability and safety.  Since modern lifestyles don’t allow most consumers to grow their own as in times past, the next best alternative might be purchasing locally grown meats, fruits and vegetables.

“Locally grown” is sometimes defined as produce that is grown within fifty miles of the point of purchase.  There are also other classifications that help the consumer to know where, how and by whom the products are being produced.  In Santa Rosa County there is the “Santa Rosa Fresh” designation, meaning that the product was produced in the County.  “Panhandle Fresh” for that produced in this region and “Florida Fresh” of course, means that it was grown somewhere in the State.  Alabama and some other states have similar marketing programs that help to inform consumers.

With locally grown produce enjoying an increase in demand, consumers often complain that it is sometimes difficult to find.  Marketing, which includes connecting consumers with producers, is ironically the most challenging aspect of the local food distribution system.  Most local produce is grown on small farms, where the emphasis has been on production and not marketing.

Locally grown fruits and vegetables are seasonal so local consumers should learn what produce is available at which time of the year.  This narrows the search to fewer kinds that are available during a given season.  There are cool season crops that are found from mid-fall through late spring.  These include cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, radish, carrots, mustard, onions and turnips. 

Beginning in February, bunching and multiplying onions can be found, while local large, bulb type onions mature in late April or early May.  Beginning in early March, strawberries are available for about three months.  Fresh Irish potatoes and a few English and snap peas are available in April and May along with many of the above mentioned crops.

During late May and early June local blueberries and blackberries start maturing and will be available for several weeks.  The blackberry season is usually over by late June, while blueberries bear several weeks longer.

The warm season vegetable availability begins in April with summer squash and snap beans.  As spring progresses crops such as pole beans, lima or butter beans, cucumbers, sweet corn, okra and southern peas begin to appear at markets.  The earliest watermelons and cantaloupes are usually found during the first or second week of June unless we experience an exceptionally cold spring. 

The tomato is the most eagerly awaited locally produced vegetable.  Since it requires about eleven weeks from transplanting to the vine ripe stage, begin watching for some in late May.  Supplies will last for several weeks until high night temperatures cause pollination and fruit set to cease in early summer.  Peppers and eggplants begin showing up at about the same time as tomatoes.

Even when in season, locally grown produce tends to sell fast so watch for its arrival at local outlets.  Check the schedule of public and privately owned farmers’ markets and get there early during days of operation.  Some area retail grocery stores and supermarkets have also begun offering locally grown produce.  Watch for media announcements and advertisements.

For more information or if you have a question, call Dan Mullins, Extension Commercial Horticulture Agent, The University of Florida/IFAS-Santa Rosa County Extension, at 850-623-3868, between the hours of 8:00 am and 4:30 pm weekdays.  Hearing-impaired individuals may call Santa Rosa County Emergency Management Service at 983-5373 (TDD).

Extension Service programs are open to all people without regard to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations.  The use of trade names in this article is solely for the purpose of providing specific information.  It is not a guarantee, warranty, or endorsement of the product name(s) and does not signify that they are approved to the exclusion of others.

Organic Pecans Succeed in Texas Study

by Daniel E. Mullins

U.S. growers account for about 90% of the world's pecans.  They produce approximately 200 million pounds of these tasty and healthful nuts each year. Most are produced under what is termed "conventional culture", which includes the use of synthetic fertilizer, insecticide and fungicide applications.

Until recently, serious organic production of pecans was not considered as an option, but recent studies in Texas might be changing this perception. Five years ago scientists with the USDA Agricultural Research Service divided a 27 year old pecan orchard for their studies.  The orchard was twenty acres in size and half of the 800 trees were maintained using conventional practices, while the other half was transitioned to an organic system of production. 

The ARS organic management system was based upon increasing soil organic matter, balancing the nutrients and biology of the soil and using organic pesticides only when needed.  One of the scientists theorized that improving the trees' health using these practices would naturally enable them to become more resistant to insect and disease attack. 

Records of the pecan production under both systems have been kept and evaluated since 2002.  To the surprise of most observers, the organically treated test site yielded more pecans than the conventionally managed orchard during all five years.  In 2005, the best ARS treatment yielded 18 more pounds of nuts per tree when compared to the conventional orchard. 

The organically grown pecans in this study not only produced the most, but they also brought a much higher price than the conventionally produced nuts.  "Standard" pecans generally sold for about $2.00 per pound, while the organic pecans brought at least $1.50 per pound more.

The investigators then averaged the yields per tree for both systems during this time period - 25 pounds for the conventional production system and 44 pounds for organic production.  These figures were then used to calculate the number of pounds harvested from each acre of trees and then multiplied by the price obtained per pound.

The surprising results:  The pecans harvested from the certified organic orchard generated $5,290 per acre while the conventional management system generated about $1,750.  The greater return in this study shows that adopting an organic system and obtaining certification has the potential for providing additional income for pecan growers. 

Obviously, there is still much to learn about organic pecan production, and our growing conditions are not the same as those in Texas.  This interesting study does however challenge us to think in new ways concerning the production and marketing of pecans.

This entire report is available online and is recommended reading for both growers and pecan consumers.  Go to the USDA Agricultural Research Service and then type "pecans" in their search engine.  Open the article entitled "Organic Pecans:  Another Option for Growers."