Free Online CEUs Available

Several opportunities exist to obtain Florida Department of Ag and Consumer Services pesticide license Continuing Education Units (CEUs) online. Typically, online CEUs are offered by reading articles on a topic covered in one of the many study manuals for exams. Along with reading the article, participants will have to complete a quiz. A score of 70% or better will be awarded a CEU in the selected category.

Currently, there are two locations for FREE CEUs on line. The first is through Citrus Industry Magazine at citrusindustry.net. Four General CORE Standard CEU articles with quizzes are available all year long for those requiring CORE CEUs. The articles expire after 1 year of being posted. So don't choose the oldest article.
The second is through UF-IFAS Extension Hillsborough County which hosts The Plant Producer Newsletter.  New CEU articles are added on the quarterly basis in the categories of Private Applicator and General CORE Standards. Access to The Plant Producer CEU articles is at http://hillsborough.ifas.ufl.edu/ornamental_production/CEUs.shtml.

Thrips Management for Strawberries Meeting in Dover, FL

Thrips Management in Strawberry

Grower meeting

Tuesday October 20, 2015

12:00-3:00

FSGA 13138 Lewis Gallagher Rd., Dover FL 33527

12:00-12:45        Grower Lunch Sponsored by DuPont

                  

12:45-1:25          “Thresholds, seasonal abundance and resistance monitoring for thrips in strawberries”

                             Dr. Joe Funderburk, Iris Strzyzewski, Danielle Sprague         Entomologists, UF, North Florida REC

1:25-1:45            “Species complex and management of thrips in strawberries”

                             Drs. Oscar Liburd, Janine Razze, Elena Rhodes

                                    Entomologists, UF, Gainesville

1:45-2:10            Break & opportunity to view thrips and other strawberry pests.

2:10-2:30            “DuPont crop protection products for strawberry”

                             Dr. James Taylor, DuPont

2:30-3:00            Questions, answers and discussion

Please RSVP by Oct. 14 for headcount for lunch to Alicia Whidden at 813-744-5519 ext. 54134 or awhidden@ufl.edu.  CEU and CCA credits applied for.

Hillsborough County Extension is a cooperative service of Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners and the University of Florida.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Employment Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations.  U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M., University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating.

‪#‎Kansas‬ State University is doing a study of the ‪#‎marketing‬ practices, effectiveness and economic ‪#‎impact‬ of ‪#‎Nurseries‬ and ‪#‎Garden‬ Centers.

They need your help by filling out the survey athttps://kstate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7PXxQRJ56RxLIUt…. 

You’ll be able to see the results and enter to win an Amazon gift card.

National Farm Safety Week

National Farm Safety Week starts today, September 20, 2015. We all need to do our part to protect ourselves, employees, and children in agricultural environments. #FarmSafety is everyone's job! Resources are available at http://bit.ly/NationalFarmSafety.

Pesticide Training Days

With September coming to a close, UF-IFAS Sumter County's  Commercial Horticulture Extension Program will be hosting a two day pesticide license training program starting on September 30th and ending on October 1st. The trainings include General CORE Standards, Private Applicator and Ag Row Crops. If you wish to attend, please RSVP using the following link: https://september2015pesttrainingdays.eventbrite.com or call the Extension Office at 352-569-6862.

Next Central Florida Peach Growers Roundtable

Central Florida Peach Growers Roundtable

September 17, 2015

Gulf Coast Research and Education Center

14625 CR 672

Wimuama, FL 33598

9:00am to 3:00pm

The next peach growers roundtable has been set for September 17, 2015 at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center located in Balm, FL starting at 9am. This program will include speakers from UF-IFAS Extension as well as UGA Extension who will speak about weed, insect, and disease management; variety selections available and cultural practices.To view the full agenda and RSVP please use the following shortened link: http://bit.ly/FallPeach2015.

Upcoming Programming with CEUs Available

The multi-county commercial horticulture extension program will be hosting two programs that have been approved for Continuing Education Units (CEUs). The first is Citrus Slice schedule for July 9th from 5:30pm to 8:00pm at the Pasco County Extension Office in Clayton Hall. This program has been approved for 2 CEUs in Private and Ag Tree. Please RSVP with Cami Esmel McAvoy at 352-569-6872 by July 7th.

The second is an Exam Review for CORE General Standards and Private Applicator on July 16, 2015 from 8:30am to 2:00pm This program contains two classes which are $15/person to attend. The fees help cover the cost of materials and light snacks. Two CEUs are available for each class in their respective categories. Please RSVP online using the Eventbrite page at http://multicountycommhort.eventbrite.com/.

Next Coastal Springs FNGLA Meeting is June 9th

The next Coastal Springs FNGLA meeting is scheduled for June 9th at Hibernia Nursery in Webster, FL. Dr. Tom Yeager of UF-IFAS Environmental Horticulture Department will be demonstrating the new watering station that was installed this winter at the nursery. Watering stations are used to water in new transplanted material or water plant materials before shipping. This is just one of many Best Management Practices that has been added to the new FL Nursery BMP Manual that was released this past year. More information on BMPs can be found at the Florida Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services by following this link: http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Agricultural-Water-Policy/Enroll-in-BMPs/BMP-Rules-Manuals-and-Other-Documents.

March 2015 Coastal Springs FNGLA Meeting Set

Freeze Warning and Wind Chill Advisory February 18-19 2015

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Ruskin, FL has issued a Freeze Warning & Wind Chill Advisory for all of the Nature Coast (Citrus-Hernando-Sumter-Pasco) for February 18 evening to February 19 morning. Temperatures are predicted to be in the low 30s to upper 20s overnight with the wind chill. I have attached the UF-IFAS EDIS publication on Cold Protection in Blueberries as well as included the UF-IFAS Stonefruit Extension link (below) to assist you with cold protection decision making.

http://hos.ufl.edu/extension/stonefruit/frost-protection-orchards-0

As always, you can monitor real time weather using the Florida Automated Weather Network (FAWN) at http://fawn.ifas.ufl.edu/. FAWN has a cold protection tab which in includes the following items: cold protection tool kit (minimum overnight temperature - calculated), Evaporative Cooling Potential, Wet Bulb Based Irrigation Cut off, and Citrus Leaf Freezing Temperature.

All warnings have been added to the bottom of this email for your convenience.

Please take appropriate actions now to protect plant materials, crops, animals, and equipment.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Stay Warm!

Freeze Warning

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL

318 AM EST WED FEB 18 2015

FLZ043-142-148-248-182245-

/O.NEW.KTBW.FZ.W.0003.150219T0600Z-150219T1400Z/

/O.NEW.KTBW.HZ.A.0001.150220T0300Z-150220T1400Z/

SUMTER-COASTAL CITRUS-COASTAL HERNANDO-INLAND HERNANDO-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BUSHNELL...THE VILLAGES...

CRYSTAL RIVER...HOMOSASSA...HERNANDO BEACH...BAYPORT...

BROOKSVILLE...SPRING HILL

318 AM EST WED FEB 18 2015

...FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 9 AM EST THURSDAY...

...HARD FREEZE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH

FRIDAY MORNING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RUSKIN HAS ISSUED A FREEZE

WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 9 AM EST THURSDAY. A

HARD FREEZE WATCH HAS ALSO BEEN ISSUED AND IS IN EFFECT FROM

THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING.

* WEDNESDAY NIGHT TEMPERATURES...A FEW HOURS OF

  FREEZING TEMPERATURES BETWEEN 29 AND 32 DEGREES.

* THURSDAY NIGHT/FRIDAY MORNING TEMPERATURES...SEVERAL HOURS OF

  FREEZING TEMPERATURES BETWEEN 22 AND 26 DEGREES.

* IMPACTS...TENDER VEGETATION...PEOPLE...AND PETS SENSITIVE TO

  THE COLD SHOULD BE PROTECTED.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FREEZE WARNING IS ISSUED FOR 2 OR MORE HOURS OF TEMPERATURES

BETWEEN 27 AND 32 OVER A WIDESPREAD AREA.

RESIDENTS SHOULD COVER OR MOVE INDOORS ANY COLD SENSITIVE

PLANTS...AND BRING PETS INDOORS THIS EVENING.

A HARD FREEZE WATCH MEANS SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE POSSIBLE.

THESE CONDITIONS COULD KILL CROPS AND OTHER SENSITIVE VEGETATION.

&&

$$

FLZ249-182115-

INLAND PASCO-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...DADE CITY...ZEPHYRHILLS

333 AM EST WED FEB 18 2015

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM

EST THURSDAY...

...HARD FREEZE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH

FRIDAY MORNING...

.TODAY...COOLER. MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 50S. NORTHWEST

WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.

.TONIGHT...COLDER. MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS IN THE LOWER 30S. NORTHWEST

WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS TO AROUND 25 MPH. LOWEST WIND CHILL

READINGS 27 TO 32 EARLY IN THE MORNING.

.THURSDAY...BREEZY. MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE LOWER 50S.

NORTHWEST WINDS 10 TO 20 MPH. LOWEST WIND CHILL READINGS 25 TO

30 EARLY IN THE MORNING.

.THURSDAY NIGHT...CLEAR. LOWS IN THE MID 20S. NORTH WINDS 5 TO

10 MPH. LOWEST WIND CHILL READINGS 18 TO 23 AFTER MIDNIGHT.

.FRIDAY...SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE MID 50S. NORTHEAST WINDS 10 TO

15 MPH. LOWEST WIND CHILL READINGS 17 TO 22 EARLY IN THE MORNING.

.FRIDAY NIGHT...NOT AS COOL. MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS AROUND 40.

.SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT...WARMER. PARTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS IN THE

LOWER 70S. LOWS IN THE MID 50S.

.SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS IN THE UPPER

70S. LOWS IN THE MID 50S.

.TUESDAY...PARTLY SUNNY WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS. HIGHS

AROUND 70. CHANCE OF RAIN 20 PERCENT.

FLZ043-182115-

SUMTER-

INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BUSHNELL...THE VILLAGES

333 AM EST WED FEB 18 2015

...WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM

EST THURSDAY...

...FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM TO 9 AM EST THURSDAY...

...HARD FREEZE WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH

FRIDAY MORNING...

.TODAY...COOLER. MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 50S. NORTHWEST

WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH.

.TONIGHT...COLDER. MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS IN THE LOWER 30S. NORTHWEST

WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH. LOWEST WIND CHILL READINGS 24 TO 29 EARLY IN

THE MORNING.

.THURSDAY...MOSTLY SUNNY. HIGHS AROUND 50. NORTHWEST WINDS 10 TO

15 MPH. LOWEST WIND CHILL READINGS 22 TO 27 EARLY IN THE MORNING.

.THURSDAY NIGHT...CLEAR. LOWS IN THE MID 20S. NORTH WINDS 5 TO

10 MPH. LOWEST WIND CHILL READINGS 17 TO 22 EARLY IN THE MORNING.

.FRIDAY...SUNNY. HIGHS IN THE MID 50S. NORTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 10

MPH. LOWEST WIND CHILL READINGS 16 TO 21 EARLY IN THE MORNING.

.FRIDAY NIGHT...NOT AS COOL. MOSTLY CLEAR. LOWS AROUND 40.

.SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT...WARMER. PARTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS AROUND

70. LOWS IN THE MID 50S.

.SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY...PARTLY CLOUDY. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 70S.

LOWS IN THE UPPER 50S.

.MONDAY NIGHT...PARTLY CLOUDY. LOWS IN THE LOWER 50S.

.TUESDAY...PARTLY SUNNY WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS. HIGHS AROUND 70.

CHANCE OF RAIN 30 PERCENT.

$$