• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About Us
  • Videos
    • Featured Video
    • Foodie Friday
    • Monthly ReCap
  • Online E-Editions
    • This Week’s E-Editions
    • 2023
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
  • Social Media
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
  • Advertising
  • Local Jobs
  • Puzzles & Games
  • Circulation Request

The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

       

Click to join our weekly e-newsletter

  • Home
  • News
    • Land O’ Lakes
    • Lutz
    • Wesley Chapel/New Tampa
    • Zephyrhills/East Pasco
    • Business Digest
    • Senior Parks
    • Nature Notes
    • Featured Stories
    • Photos of the Week
    • Reasons To Smile
  • Sports
    • Land O’ Lakes
    • Lutz
    • Wesley Chapel/New Tampa
    • Zephyrhills and East Pasco
    • Check This Out
  • Education
  • Pets/Wildlife
  • Health
    • Health Events
    • Health News
  • What’s Happening
  • Sponsored Content
    • Closer Look
  • Homes
  • Obits
  • Public Notices
    • Browse Notices
    • Place Notices

Agriculture industry hopes for abundant year

January 4, 2011 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Tammy Sue Struble

Hans Geissler, founder of Morning Star Fishermen, an aquaponics training and research center located on 10 acres off Old Saint Joe Road, lost a lot of fish last year. Earlier in the year temperatures in the area took a nose dive and the agriculture industry was literally frozen.
“I’m not going to let it happen” again, Geissler exclaimed.

Hans Giessler, founder of Morning Star Fishermen and executive director, Barbara Arthur tend to crops at the aquaponics facility.

Now he has his green house covered with plastic and has made preventative measures with more insulation and filling cracks.
The nonprofit has more than 110,000 galloons of tank space and a solar-heated green house where tilapia are bred to feed a variety of plant species.
Morning Star’s main focus is education. Students come to learn how to create sustainable farming systems of their own. There are dormitories on site where people can live and study for up to three months. Morning Star offers courses lasting one day to 12 weeks.
In 2010, Geissler said he “Had more students than ever before.” He sees a movement of people wanting more and more to go back to the basics, “especially in this economy,” he stated.
Morning Star is run on a voluntary basis; for more information check his website at www.morningstarfishermen.org.
Tony Martin has been working at Shannon’s Produce in Zephyrhills for a little more than four years now. Hydroponic farming is becoming more popular with growers; Martin estimated that about 10 percent of the vegetables they get from wholesalers is grown hydroponically.
“A lot of peppers, tomatoes, and leaf lettuce are grown hydroponically,” he explained. In fact, Martin was recently planting swiss chard, parsley cilantro, kale, endive, dill and buttercruch lettuce hydroponically on the produce stand’s property.
“I think people are going to start eating healthier. The customers especially like the home grown swiss chard,” he said. They keep asking, and Tony keeps planting, increasing his rows every year for the past few years.
Martin also explained how recycling water helps keep from draining the groundwater; they us a lot of rainwater to irrigate their plants. It is helpful in reducing well water consumption or having to pay for county water.
In January 2010, the area felt a major cold spell, the worst since the 1989 freeze. Even the recent brush with cold air paled in comparison to early 2010.
“This is nothing like last winter!” George Neukom III, owner of Neukom’s Groves in Zephyrhills, said of the recent cold snap. “We hope we hope we don’t have another one like that. However, it is always a little scary to us citrus growers when we see a freeze coming.”
Although the Neukoms believe a little chill is just fine and, actually helps make the citrus a little sweeter.
For the citrus growers in our area of our last cold spell says George Neukom (George III’s father), “We were very fortunate.”

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email
  • Print

Like this:

Like Loading...

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Search

Sponsored Content

Avalon Applauds African American Club of Pasco

March 7, 2023 By Kelli Carmack

One of Avalon Park Wesley Chapel’s main missions is being a champion for culture. “Celebrating culture is a vital … [Read More...] about Avalon Applauds African American Club of Pasco

CMK Construction: Expertise Guaranteed

March 3, 2023 By Trevor Lloyd

When creativity strikes, it’s only natural to want to get the job done ourselves, and quickly, too. However, some … [Read More...] about CMK Construction: Expertise Guaranteed

More Posts from this Category

What’s Happening

03/20/2023 – Democratic Club

The East Pasco Democratic Club will meet on March 20 at 6:30 p.m., at the Genesis Community Center, 38112 15th Ave., in Zephyrhills, via ZOOM. The topic will be voting. Refreshments will be served. For information, visit the club on Facebook, email , or call 813-383-8315. All friends of the Democratic Party can attend. … [Read More...] about 03/20/2023 – Democratic Club

03/20/2023 – Yarn Arts Circle

The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will host “Knit Happens,” a Yarn Arts Circle, on March 20 from 10 a.m. to noon, for ages 16 and older. All portable fabric arts are welcome. Guests can bring their own project and meet others to chat about their creations; prior experience is recommended. Basic supplies will be available to start projects. The group will meet bi-weekly. For information, call 727-815-7126. … [Read More...] about 03/20/2023 – Yarn Arts Circle

03/21/2023 – Chess Club

The Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, will host a Chess Club on March 21 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., for all ages and abilities, in Adult Multipurpose Room C. Participants can use the chess sets provided or bring their own. For information, call 813-929-1214. … [Read More...] about 03/21/2023 – Chess Club

03/21/2023 – Teen Advisory Board

The Land O’ Lakes Library, 2818 Collier Parkway, will host the Teen Advisory Board on March 21 at 6 p.m., for teens who would like to discuss ideas and recommendations for programming at the library. Call 813-929-1214 for information. … [Read More...] about 03/21/2023 – Teen Advisory Board

03/22/2023 – Florida Landscaping

The New River Library, 34043 State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, will host “Florida-Friendly Landscaping 101” on March 22 at 2 p.m. Participants can learn how to create a successful home landscape by following the nine Florida-Friendly program principles. Register online at PascoLibraries.org. … [Read More...] about 03/22/2023 – Florida Landscaping

03/22/2023 to 03/24/2023 – Betmar Chorus

The Betmar Chorus will perform its annual Spring Concert on March 22 at 2 p.m., and on March 23 and March 24 at 7 p.m., at Betmar Acres, 37145 Lakewood Drive, Clubhouse 2, in Zephyrhills. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. The choir will perform a variety of show tunes, hymns, spirituals and classics. Tickets will be available at the door for $5. For information, all 810-837-0520. … [Read More...] about 03/22/2023 to 03/24/2023 – Betmar Chorus

More of What's Happening

Archives

 

 

Where to pick up The Laker and Lutz News

Copyright © 2023 Community News Publications Inc.

   
%d bloggers like this: