• 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
  • Reddit
  • 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

WAVE Wellness Center — Tampa Bay’s Most Advanced Upper Cervical Spinal Care

September 5, 2023 By Mary Rathman

Tampa Bay welcomes WAVE Wellness Center, a state-of-the-art spinal care clinic founded by Dr. Ryan LaChance. WAVE … [Read More...] about WAVE Wellness Center — Tampa Bay’s Most Advanced Upper Cervical Spinal Care

Only a Few Homes Remain — It’s Your Final Chance to Build Your Home in Del Webb Bexley

August 29, 2023 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Time is running out on your chance to live at Del Webb Bexley. We’ve built the ideal active adult community to suit your … [Read More...] about Only a Few Homes Remain — It’s Your Final Chance to Build Your Home in Del Webb Bexley

More Posts from this Category

What’s Happening

09/23/2023 – ‘Pioneer Reunion’

A gathering of Lutz folks, “You Know You Are From Lutz,” is scheduled for Sept. 23 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the Old Lutz School House. Guests should bring a chair, a covered dish and a drink (no alcohol). Paper plates and plasticware will be provided. … [Read More...] about 09/23/2023 – ‘Pioneer Reunion’

09/23/2023 – Bavarian Band

The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will host the Deutschmeister Blas Band on Sept. 23 at 2 p.m., in celebration of Oktoberfest. Band members dress in authentic Lederhosen and Bavarian clothing. The ensemble includes clarinets, trumpets, a baritone trombone, accordion and drums. Admission is free. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. … [Read More...] about 09/23/2023 – Bavarian Band

09/23/2023 – Binoculars and Birds

The Starkey Ranch Theatre Library Cultural Center, 12118 Lake Blanche Drive in Odessa, will host “Binoculars and Birds in the Park” on Sept. 23 at 9 a.m., at Cunningham Park, for all ages. Participants can learn how to use binoculars to identify local bird species from J. Mike Kell of the West Pasco Audubon Society. Bring a notepad and pen/pencil to record findings, as well as water and any other items (sunglasses, hats, sunscreen) needed for the activity. A signed safety waiver is required for everyone, which will be provided at the start of the program. For information, call 727-815-7126. … [Read More...] about 09/23/2023 – Binoculars and Birds

09/23/2023 – Boating Course

America’s Boating Club of Tampa will offer a weekend course on Sept. 23 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sept. 24 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Tampa FOP Building, 6912 N. Florida Ave. Saturday’s class will include registration, classroom lectures and simulator exercises. Sunday will include lectures, simulator exercises and Florida State Boating Laws. There also will be a course review on Sunday and a proctored exam. The weekend course is free for active or retired military and first responders. For information, call 813-810-6914. To register, visit TampaPS.org. … [Read More...] about 09/23/2023 – Boating Course

09/23/2023 – Fall Family Fest

The Tampa Bay Mom’s Group will present a Fall Family Festival on Sept. 23 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Water Works Park, 1701 N. Highland Ave., in Tampa. The event will include interactive exhibits, vendors, family resources, games, food trucks, character visits, entertainment, giveaways, and more. The first 100 moms will receive a swag bag. Admission is free. … [Read More...] about 09/23/2023 – Fall Family Fest

09/23/2023 – Girl Scouts Fest

The Girl Scouts of West Central Florida will host its annual Girl Scouts Fest on Sept. 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Florida State Fairgrounds. The event is open to all ages and their families. Participants can explore the four program pillars: entrepreneurship, life skills, outdoors and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). The living history museum, Cracker Country, also will be open and girls will have opportunities to earn Girl Scout badges and patches. There will be more than 50 hands-on activities, including making stress balls, a hockey match, making homemade butter, a photo booth, and more. Admission is $5 per person and includes all activities, a Girl Scout Fest patch and tickets to the Florida Botanical Gardens. Parking is $10 per vehicle. Pre-registration can be done online at EventBrite.com, or at the event. … [Read More...] about 09/23/2023 – Girl Scouts Fest

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: