Weekend Gardening: Blueberries Ripe For Picking
June 28, 2014
by Santa Rosa Extension
Blueberries are ripe for picking. So take the kids on an adventure and enjoy the freshness of local produce by visiting a u-pick farm. U-picks allow visitors to harvest their own fresh fruits and vegetables.
U-pick produce is grown in your own community and is crisp, sweet and loaded with flavor. With fewer than one million Americans now claiming farming as their primary occupation, farmers are a vanishing breed. Local farmers who sell direct to consumers cut out the middleman and get full retail price for their food – which means farm families can afford to stay on the farm, doing the work they love.
U-pick blueberry farms are scattered throughout the North Escambia area. Contact your local Extension Office for u-picks in your area.
Every farm is a bit different. Some have more relaxed rules, others more strict. But at all the farms, remind the kids that plants are living things to be cared for and respected, not abused. The farmer feeds his family and pays his bills from the well-being of these plants! So here are some general farm guidelines:
- Follow all rules posted by owners at their picking locations.
- Look for the check-in and check-out areas. Note whether you will be charged according to weight or volume.
- Health codes usually require no pets in the fields.
- Always call in advance to find out if the fruit/vegetables you want are available, to get directions, to check their opening and closing hours and to ask if children are allowed.
- Walk in the rows, don’t step on plants! Some farmers frown on stepping across rows, even if you do it carefully.
When you arrive at the farm, take some time to explain to your kids how to identify and pick ripe fruit. Select plump, full blueberries with a gray-blue color. A berry with any hint of red isn’t fully ripened. White and green colored blueberries will not ripen after they are picked. Unripe berries should be left on the bush because then they will turn into ripe berries for you to pick when you bring your friends back in a couple of weeks time.
The general rule when it comes to blueberries is “the bigger, the sweeter”. A fully ripe blueberry should easily come loose from the plant. If it takes any appreciable pressure to pick them, the berries aren’t fully ripe. It is best to pick blueberries by gently rolling each one from the cluster with the thumb into the palm of the hand. When picking is done this way, the berries that aren’t ripe will not come loose.
Once picked, don’t place the berries, still warm from the sun, in a closed bag or container. Leave the container open so moisture doesn’t form. Don’t wash the berries until just before using to prevent berries from becoming mushy. Chill berries soon after picking to increase shelf life. If refrigerated, fresh-picked blueberries will keep 10 to 14 days.
For more information, contact Santa Rosa County Extension at 850-623-3868.
Northview, Jay Students Attend Rural Electric Youth Tour In Washington
June 24, 2014
Two North Escambia area students were among 1,500 youth leaders from 41 states that enjoyed a week-long tour of Washington, DC.
Julie Hester of Northview High School and Tori Raught of Jay High School were winners of the Escambia River Electric Cooperative Youth Tour contest that is held annually for high school juniors in the EREC service area.
During the week, the students were able to see the World War II, Lincoln, Vietnam, Korean and FDR memorials; visit the Arlington National Cemetery, relax on the Potomac River during an evening boat cruise, and visit many other places of interest in Washington. Hester and Raught were also able to attend the play The Lion King at the Kennedy Center.
Both visited the Capitol where they learned more about how government works. During the Rural Electric Youth Day program, they had the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the history of rural electric cooperatives and the importance of cooperatives in the communities they serve.
Molino, Cottage Hill Churches Bid Goodbye To Gantzhorn
June 23, 2014
A farewell and appreciation reception was held Sunday in Molino for Pastor Alan Gantzhorn of Aldersgate United Methodist and Cottage Hill United Methodist churches.
Gantzhorn and his wife Jackie are being transferred to a church in Jackson, Ala., after nine years in Molino.
“It has been an honor to serve as your pastor for nine years,” Gantzhorn told his congregation. “You have showered your love on me and Jackie in so many ways. Our time serving at Aldersgate and Cottage Hill has richly blessed us. God has now chosen to put me to doing his work in another place; but Jackie and I will always treasure our time here and our beautiful memories of the people of this charge.”
During Sunday’s reception, church and community members expressed their appreciation to Gantzhorn for his service to both churches as well as the Molino and North Escambia communities.
Pictured top: Paston Alan Gantzhorn and his wife Jackie were presented with a farewell gift Sunday — a double rocking chair inscribed “The Lord your God is with you wherever you go” — from Aldersgate United Methodist Church. Pictured below: Gantzhord poses for a photo during a farewell reception Sunday afternoon in Molino. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Barrineau Park 4-H Members Provide Treats To Cantonment, Molino Firefighters
June 22, 2014
This year, the Barrineau Park 4-H Club is celebrating 100 years at the oldest continuous 4-H Club in Florida. To celebrate, club members are doing 100 hours of community service.
As part of that project, they recently visited the Molino and Cantonment fire stations and delivered cookies, cupcakes and “thank you” letters to the firefighters.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Weekend Gardening: Time To Prune Gardenias And Hydrangeas
June 22, 2014
By Santa Rosa County Extension
Hydrangeas and gardenias are two of our most beloved shrubs in the South. They are revered for their flowers and are planted in large drifts throughout Northwest Florida.
Gardenia shrubs are evergreen and produce shiny, dark green leaves. They are known for their waxy, creamy white flowers. The flower’s aroma, adored by many gardeners, is powerful and pleasant.
Hydrangeas are deciduous shrubs and produce coarse, light green leaves. Their large leaves will fall off after a freeze. Although you are left with bare sticks during the winter, the summer blooms are well worth the winter bareness. While there are many different types of hydrangeas, the mopheads are probably the most recognizable. Their large inflorescences are usually blue on acid soil, pink on alkaline soil and a dirty white on neutral pH soil.
Even though these shrubs are different in many aspects, the one thing they have in common is when they “set” their flower buds. Both shrubs develop flower buds on old (mature) wood of the previous year and open in early summer of the following year. Flower buds are formed at the terminal end of stems and, if not killed by cold or removed by inappropriate pruning, provide the showy floral display the next year.
The best time to prune gardenias and hydrangeas is after they finish flowering for the season. Pruning them at the incorrect time of the year, such as winter, will remove the flower buds.
Your pruning program should be purposeful. First, remove all diseased, weak and dead wood. It will be important to disinfect your pruning equipment after removing suspect branches. Pruning shears, loppers and saws can be dipped in a weak bleach solution to prevent spread of disease between plants.
Once all the problem branches have been removed, then think about thinning the plant. Shrubs are often thinned to reduce a top-heavy appearance or to open up a dense canopy. To thin, simply remove some of the oldest branches by pruning them down to the ground. Remove about a quarter to a third of the branches, selecting the oldest ones for elimination. When thinning, take care not to damage the nearby younger stems and foliage.
Next, cut back branches that are excessively long. Prune back to a lateral branch that is six to twelve inches below the desirable plant height, removing no more than a third of the stem. Cut each branch separately to different lengths with hand pruners. This will maintain a neat informal shrub with a natural shape. Plants sheared into various geometric shapes produce a formality not suitable for many modern, natural landscapes. Making pruning cuts down inside the canopy instead of on the outside edge will also hide unsightly pruning cuts.
Within the last several years, reflowering hydrangeas have found their way into the marketplace. Reflowering hydrangeas produce an initial flush of flowers followed by sporadic flowering or later flushes of flowers in the same growing season.
Endless Summer Hydrangea is a reflowering hydrangea. It is very forgiving and will not suffer if left unpruned or pruned at the wrong time. In fact, young, recently planted shrubs are best left alone. Unlike other hydrangeas, your Endless Summer® will bloom on both old and new wood, branches that grew last year and the new branches from this year. Another unique feature is that this hydrangea will continue to set buds and bloom throughout the season. Deadheading, or removing the spent flowers will encourage continual blooming.
Council On Aging Needs Fans, Air Conditioners For Seniors
June 18, 2014
The Council on Aging of West Florida is in need of donations to help senior clients stay cool during the hot summer months.
Many clients are in need of fans and air conditioners. Donations, which must be new in the box, can be dropped off at the Council on Aging Office at 875 Royce Street in Pensacola.
Online donations towards fans and air conditioners can also be made by calling (850) 432-1475.
Navy League Presents Scholarship To Northview Grad Braun
June 18, 2014
Recent Northview High School graduate and valedictorian Kasie Braun was presented the Russell D. Stewart Memorial Scholarship for $1,000 on Tuesday by Michael Dollen, second vice president of the Navy League. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Dr. Larry Walker: ECUA Employees Caught Lending A Helping Hand
June 18, 2014
Submitted by Dr. Larry Walker, ECUA Board Chairman Larry Walker
On Tuesday, I was driving on Lambert Bridge Road when I cam upon this scene — an ECUA sanitation truck stopped because an oncoming driver had slid his truck and trailer off the soft shoulder and into the ditch of the dirt road. ECUA employees Jamore Simmons and Reginald Evans attached a tow line and quickly had Mr. Edward Egerton of Oak Grove back in the road and on his way.
CrossFaith Church Ride Benefits Alzheimer’s Services
June 17, 2014
CrossFaith Church in Molino held a motorcycle ride last weekend to benefit local Alzheimer’s victims and their families. The ride began at Eagle’s Talon on Copter Road and ended at the Council on Aging of West Florida on Royce Street with a cookout, biker games and door prizes. Proceeds benefit Alzheimer’s Services. Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Dear Dad: Father’s Day Wishes
June 15, 2014
For Father’s Day, NorthEscambia.com invited our Facebook fans to share thoughts about their dad. Responses are below.
Luis Gomez , Jr. — (pictured above) We would like to wish our dad a Happy Fathers Day. Although, we are all in separate places, from being with our individual families or going to college, we want you to know we love you deeply. If we haven’t learned anything else from you, we know that family is everything. Thanks for everything you’ve done. We understand it was a hassle because it’s so many but we appreciate it all. We love you pops. – Laneicia Gomez
Ben Campbell – We have learned from daddy to be the best hunters in the world! — Blakely and Gracyn Campbell- Mardic Eddins – We love you. Thank you for always taking us to the park, fishing, buying us things from the store, letting us ride around the yard in the truck. – Nevaeh and Brayden
Robert Leslie Howington — Dad is an amazing father of three girls. He taught us auto repair — sometimes over the phone. He taught us work ethic — without even trying. He taught us the value of a good reputation — people stop me in the grocery store to tell him how he made a difference in their lives. Robert Leslie Howington is a treasure not just on Father’s Day, but every day. – Leslie Gonzalez- Sgt Kenneth “Bobby” Butler Sr. – I’d like to say Happy Father’s Day to my husband, Sgt Kenneth “Bobby” Butler Sr who is currently deployed to Afghanistan from all of us, Kenny, Jaime, Netanya and Mickey. We love you and miss you. – Gwen Butler
- James Seale — My dad is James Seale and he has taught me many things but one if the most important things he has taught me is how to give love and accept it. – Gianni Seale
Benny Hilliard – My dad has taught me over the years how to fix just about anything, from cars, to house hold repairs and anything in between. Thanks for showing me how to be the man of my house hold dad. Happy Fathers Day and we love you! — Johnathon, Charlie, Daniel and Katina- Lloyd Jordan -- My daddy Lloyd Jordan born and raised raised in flomaton loved to fish hunt work and garden. He was the best dad anyone could ask for he loved hanging out and talking with his friends mostly and loved his family and wife. Even though we lost him last year he is gone but never forgotten ♡ you daddy. — Kasey Jordan
Alton Wilson, Sr. – My Daddy Alton Wilson Sr., was the best dad. He worked hard at Alger Sullivan Sawmill. Daddy raised 11 children and two grandchildren because my oldest sister died when they were 1 and 3 years old. There father at the time could not cope with the lost of my sister so daddy and mama step up and did. Daddy also help raise one of my nephew’s because his parents divorce. Daddy would bring home everyday from the mill a arm full of wood for burning in the wood stove for cooking. He was a very hard worker. And always said you work hard for what you get so you take care of it, and it will last you a lifetime. — Willene Bryan
Frank Zisa – I have learned from my dad to never give up on anything. My dad has aways been my night and shining armor, he always knows when to make me laugh. I love sitting with him and listening to his stories about his childhood. This man taught me the difference between right and wrong, and to be who I want to be. My Dad has done so much for me, he would even sit out in the heat waiting on me at my softball practices, and if I forgot my lunch at home, he would always bring it to me with no complaints. I will always be my Daddys little girl. — Katelyn Zisa
Johnny McKendrick — I would like to say happy Father’s Day to my dad! He is the most awesome guy all around. He’s a great Christian man, very hardworking, and knows how to make everyone laugh. He means the world to me! Happy Father’s Day pappy, love breezy. — Brianna McKendrick
Tommy Weaver -- My dad showed me so much. Fishing, shooting, farming, driving a tractor, being fair to others, respect. The list is long. He’s missed so much. He taught me laughter. He always was joking around. He was an upstanding man. He was the greatest pawpaw my children could have ever been blessed with. He loved them so much. He was the best husband to my mother. And to my brother who has Down syndrome , my dad showed patience n commitment. He was just the best dad we could have ever been blessed with. The greatest man. – Tara Smith
Mark Butler — He has taught me that I want to be a volunteer firefighter just like him and to ice skate. Love you dad, Blake.
Tim Godwin — My Dad ALWAYS makes time for me. He coaches my baseball team, plays in my wii, takes me to lunch, swims with me, watches me bowl, and makes his work schedule so we can do things together. I wish everyone had a Dad like mine! — Rebeccah Godwin
Huey Knowles — Daddy worked as a livestock manager for the Alabama Department of Corrections. In other words, he was a cowboy. He lost an eye in a shootout…I like to say he was a real life John Wayne! Not an actor, but the real deal. He is out hero. He will do anything for anyone. All around great guy. — Tracy Sullivan
Argent Kavanah Hare (March 28, 1942-February 2013) – his man taught me to be the person that people appreciated and knew he would give a stranger the shirt off his back. He was always there to help friends and family. Lead a Gospel group that sang all over our area and held signings at his home for everyone. RIP pops, Love and miss him daily! — James Hare
Reader submitted photos and stories for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge