CANstructions, Including One From Tate High, Benefit Manna Food Pantries
October 20, 2012
Digital Now hosted a Student Art Gallery Friday night during Gallery Night in downtown Pensacola, including a CANstruction exhibit from the Tate High School Art Club. Numerous CANstructions — creations made from non-perishable food cans — were on display throughout downtown during the event. All of the food was donated to Manna Food Pantries.
Pictured top: Tate High School’s Canstruction exhibit Friday night during Gallery Night in downtown Pensacola. Courtesy photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Weekend Gardening: Strawberries
October 20, 2012
In many parts of the country, strawberries are a summer crop, but here in Florida they grow best during the cooler months of the year. Plant yours between October 15 and November 15 to enjoy tasty berries in the spring.
Temperatures between 50 and 80 degrees F and less than 14 hours of daylight are required for the development of flowers and fruit on most strawberry varieties. This combination of day length and temperature exists for much of the fall, winter and spring in Northwest Florida.
Strawberry plants are perennial; they can live for several years. However, because of their susceptibility to diseases, we normally grow them as annuals here in Florida. To be successful with strawberries, it’s important to plant the right variety, protect the flowers from freezing weather and manage pests.
The first step in successful strawberry production is choosing adapted varieties. Currently, the University of Florida suggests three varieties for the Florida home garden: ‘Camarosa’, ‘Sweet Charlie’, and ‘Festival’. All three varieties produce attractive, flavorful berries suitable for eating fresh or for freezing.
‘Camarosa’ has been the most productive variety in North Florida. It produces a blocky, dark red berry.
‘Festival’ is the number one variety in Florida. It has good red color and is a firm, conical shape berry with medium sweetness. It is an excellent choice for eating.
‘Sweet Charlie’ is a University of Florida variety. Although it is an older variety, consumers still like it. Its soft sweet fruit is an orange red color.
Strawberries grow best in a location receiving at least eight hours of direct sunlight per day. If a full sun location is not available, try to choose a spot that is sunny during the morning and early afternoon. The soil should be well drained and slightly acidic with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5.
Strawberries can also be planted in growing boxes, strawberry pots, barrels and other containers. For best results, fill your container with a high-quality potting media—do not use garden soil.
Strawberry flowers and fruit can be injured by air temperatures below 32 degrees F. However, if properly planted, the plant itself will not be damaged unless the temperature falls to the low 20’s. If a frost or freeze is predicted, cover the plants with a lightweight blanket. This will help prevent the flowers or fruits from getting damaged.
The key to successful pest management is to begin with healthy, disease-free transplants. If problems do arise, be sure to contact your local Extension Agent for advice and recommendations. Additional advice is available in an online publication located at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs403.
The first berries should be ready to pick roughly 90 to 110 days after planting. The harvest season usually stretches through May with fruit yield peaking around March.
Pick berries when at least three-fourths of their surface has turned red. The fruit quickly deteriorate once it becomes totally red. So, it is best to harvest regularly—every two to four days.
Once picked, the berries will not sweeten any further. Freshly picked strawberries generally keep for only a few days, so be sure to eat them soon after harvest. If you have a surplus of berries, you may freeze them.
Theresa Friday is the Residential Horticulture Extension Agent for Santa Rosa County.
Photos: Bratt Elementary Holds Fall Festival
October 19, 2012
The annual Fall Festival was held Thursday afternoon at Bratt Elementary School, featuring games, food and fun for the children.
For a photo gallery, click here.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
41st Year: Tate Showband Earns Bandmasters Superior Ratings
October 17, 2012
The tradition of excellence continued for the Tate High School Showband of the South last weekend at the Florida Bandmasters Association Music Performance Assessment at Ft. Walton Beach High School.
The band was adjudicated by a panel of expert judges in the areas of music, general effect, marching and maneuvering, and color guard. Under the leadership of Director Mike Philley and Associate Director Blake Garcia, the Tate Showband of the South received straight Superior ratings in all categories for the 41st consecutive year.
Camp Fire Kids Hold Trike-A-Thon For Children’s Hospital
October 16, 2012
The children at Camp Fire USA Century Youth Learning Center recently held their fourth annual Trike-A-Thon in support of St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. The children not only raised money; they also learned about trike safety and the importance of helping others.
Submitted photos by Pam Townson for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Concrete Crushing Strength Team To Appear In Molino
October 16, 2012
With feats like ripping a phone book in half, crushing walls of concrete with a blow from an arm or head, breaking handcuffs and running through 2×4 boards, the Strength Team will bring their inspirational message to a Molino church Wednesday night.
The Strength Team will perform their amazing feats of strength Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Highland Baptist Church. Admission is free; an offering will be received.
The leader and founder of The Strength Team, Mike Hagen, has dedicated over 20 years of his life to this kind of work. He has spoken to hundreds of thousands of people and performed at thousands of school and church assemblies. He has been featured on CNN, ESPN, and the popular television show “Walker Texas Ranger” with Chuck Norris.
Suffering From Allergies? Don’t Blame The Goldenrod
October 15, 2012
The bright yellow flowers of the goldenrod are everywhere in the North Escambia area, taking the blame from allergy sufferers. But one of fall’s most colorful plants actually gets a bad rap, according to the University of Florida Extension Service.
The true culprit for all those sneezes and sniffles is ragweed, according to Environmental Horticulture Agent Alicia Lamborn.
Goldenrod plants are bright and showy, producing large, heavy pollen grains that are carried off by bees, butterflies and other pollinators rather than by the wind. Ragweed bares greenish yellow flowers in small heads which produce copious amounts of pollen, carried by the wind rather than insects.
Ragweed flowers are not showy which means these plants are often easier to recognize by their stems and leaves. Ragweed has branching purplish stems that are rough and hairy, and leaves which are smooth, but deeply divided into lobed portions.
Pictured: Goldenrods bloom alongside a dirt road in Bratt. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Photos: Escambia County Farm Tour
October 14, 2012
The 2012 Escambia County Farm Tour took to the roads of North Escambia Friday as well county, city, state and federal officials joined leaders from the community on a tour of agricultural locations across the area.
Ride along on the farm tour in a photo gallery by clicking here.
The tour started at Doug Corbin’s Farm on West Nine Mile Road when participants learned about beekeeping, honey varieties , honey and hive products and more.
In Molino, the tour visited with Green Cedars Farm owners Roger and Pam Elliot. Their farm raises chicken, eggs, turkeys, lamb and pastured pork. A short distance away on Gibson Road in Molino, participants learned about hay and cattle farming at Gizmo Angus Farms.
The tour also visited Boyd Sigafoose Farm in Bratt, where they learned all about peanuts and the peanut market. Participants also visited the Yoder Family Dairy in Bratt.
Pictured top: The Escambia County Farm Tour at the Gizmo Angus Farm in Molino (top), Green Cedars Farm in Molino (inset) and Sigafoose Farm in Bratt (below) as peanuts are harvest. NorthEscambia.com photos and submitted photos by Josh McElhaney for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Photos: Open House At Roy Hyatt Environmental Center
October 14, 2012
The Roy Hyatt Environmental Center’s annual Open House was held Saturday in Cantonment.
Visitors had a chance to meet the center’s resident reptiles, Eastern screech owls, hop aboard the one of a kind bird bus for a bird watching experience and take a stroll in the butterfly garden.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The open house also included the chance to hike though 120 acres of nature trails, visit a one room school replica and a dog trot house. And there were plenty activities for the children.
The Roy Hyatt Environmental Center on Tobias Road is part of the Escambia County School District. The instructional program currently includes field trips for second and fifth graders.
Pictured top: A visitor gets up close and personal with a snake during the annual Open House Saturday at the Roy Hyatt Environmental Center in Cantonment. Pictured: Inside a dog trot house at the Center. Pictured below: Visitors learn about screech owls. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
From The Coast To Byrneville: 1,300 Volunteer For Day Of Caring
October 13, 2012
Over 1,300 volunteers fanned out across Escambia County Friday to help with over 100 projects at 60 agencies and schools as part of the United Way’s 20th Annual Day of Caring.
“Day of Caring not only gave us the opportunity to give back to the community, it was a great team-building experience for us,” said Jon Neely of Buffalo Rock. His team helped clear the debris from YMCA of Northwest Florida’s fence line. “We don’t get face-to-face time with each other every day at work. By volunteering as a group, we were able to get to know each other better.”
At Byrneville Elementary School, volunteers from Pall Corporation volunteered to clean up the school grounds.
For a photo gallery, click here.
“We really appreciate all that they did for us at Byrneville,” Principal Dee Wolfe-Sullivan said.
“We are blown away by the generosity and dedication of these volunteers,” said Andrea Krieger, President/CEO of United Way of Escambia County. “Their willingness to step away from their jobs for a day and invest time and resources through volunteerism will have an invaluable impact on our community.”
During a morning kickoff celebration, United Way also announced the kick-off of the 2012-2013 annual fundraising campaign. Last year, more than 10,000 caring individuals contributed to a successful campaign that raised support for over 140 agencies. These agencies received direct designations of $351,750 and another $1.1 million was awarded from the community chest to 45 programs at 34 agencies.
Pictured: United Way Day of Caring volunteers from Pall Corporation hard at work Friday at Byrneville Elementary School. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.