The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Lutz since 1964 and Pasco since 1981.
Proud to be independently owned.

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Nineteenth Street

Community gardening coming to Dade City

By

Two new community gardens will be coming soon to Dade City.

The University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Pasco County Extension Office will be establishing community gardens with the help of the City of Dade City, the Pasco County Commission and private donors.

Soon, gardeners will be using community gardening plots to grow vegetables in Dade City. (Courtesy of Eden Santiago-Gomez, Pasco Extension Office)

Members of the community will be able to grow their own produce in free garden plots, according to Whitney C. Elmore, Pasco County Extension director and urban horticulture agent.

The gardens will be located at Watson Park, which is at North and Main avenues, between 17th and 19th streets, and on the land surrounding the Stallings Building, at 15029 14th St.

The Dade City Watson Park Community Garden is being made possible with support from Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez, the Dade City Commission and UF/IFAS, Elmore said. This is a new land use agreement model piloted between the University of Florida and a municipality, she added.

The Stallings Building Urban Farm has been made possible through the recently passed Pasco County Urban Agriculture Ordinance, the cooperation of Pasco County Commission and the guidance of Assistant County Administrator Cathy Pearson, Elmore added.

Many private citizens and companies also donated items and equipment to make these new ventures possible, according to Eden Santiago-Gomez, community gardens program assistant at the extension office.

The Dade City Watson Park Community Garden will host more than 30 community plots of varying sizes, including wheelchair-accessible and senior-accessible raised beds. All plots and beds will be available to lease free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis to the surrounding community.

Nice, plump tomatoes may be among the vegetables grown soon in Dade City by gardeners using community garden plots. (Courtesy of University of Florida/IFAS)

Educator plots also will be available, so students on school field trips can engage and interact with all things gardening.

Lessons will be taught, on site, by the UF/IFAS Pasco County Extension faculty and staff on topics such as gardening 101, good bugs/bad bugs, gardening for nutrition, composting, rain water harvesting, fertilizers, eating on a budget, and making your own healthy snacks, Elmore added.

Garden tours also will be available to the public in the future by Pasco Master Gardeners and Horticulture staff.

A planting party will be held to commemorate the first community garden in Dade City. The party will be on Jan. 12, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the Dade City Watson Park Community Garden. The public is invited to share the afternoon with Dade City officials, local leaders and members of the community.

The Stallings Building Urban Farm will feature more than 50 8-foot-by-8-foot community plots and six raised wheelchair-accessible beds, all available for the community to lease, free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis. The rest of the area will be farmed by the UF/IFAS Pasco County Extension Office’s Community Gardens Program. All food grown in that area of the Urban Farm will be donated to local food pantries initially. At some point, the hope is to offer a monthly farm stand or possibly Community Supported Agriculture to benefit the local community, Santiago-Gomez said.

Numerous gardening techniques will be utilized at this site (from traditional row cropping to permaculture design techniques) as educational demonstrations for county residents during various classes, to be offered in the near future.

Both gardens are located in the low-income communities of Dade City, and are aimed at helping local community members learn to grow their own food.

This will give local community members access to fresh fruits and vegetables, in what is currently a food desert. Additionally, money saved on grocery bills, by growing much of the produce needed for a family, can be redirected to other areas of everyday life, Elmore said.

Citizens can sign up now for a free garden plot at either of these locations and start gardening. Please contact Eden Santiago-Gomez at or (352) 518-0156 to reserve your free plot.

Here’s a slate of upcoming classes aimed at helping people who want to learn more about how to propagate from seeds, and other gardening topics.

Propagating from Seeds #101
Where: Clayton Hall at Pasco County Fairgrounds, 36702 State Road 52 in Dade City
When: Jan. 6, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Cost: Free
Details: Learn some tricks of the trade to successfully germinate seeds and raise the seedlings to beautiful plants.
Registration is required. Call the UF/IFAS Pasco County Extension Office at (352) 518-0156 for details.        

Composting Workshop
Where: Centennial Park Branch Library, 5740 Moog Road in Holiday
When: Jan. 11, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost: $35 fee, includes instruction and one composting bin
Details: Learn how to recycle nutrients into plants and add organic matter to your soil. The workshop covers the do’s and don’ts of composting for Florida flowers and vegetables. Each Pasco household is eligible to receive one compost bin when at least one household member registers and attends this workshop.
Call the UF/IFAS Pasco County Extension Office at (352) 518-0156 for details.        

Vegetable Gardening Basics
Where: Stallings Building, 15029 14th St., in Dade City
When: Jan. 18, 2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Cost: Free
Details: Learn how to to choose a location for a garden, what makes good soil, when to plant different vegetables, and how to control common vegetable garden pests.
Registration is required. Call the UF/IFAS Pasco County Extension Office at (352) 518-0156 for details.        

Published December 27, 2017

Ybor City Saturday Market offers crafts, food and fun

By

Variety adds spice to the Ybor City Saturday Market.

Every Saturday, vendors fill their tables with goodies to eat and crafts to carry home.

New Tampa resident Reginald Beck offers freshly baked breads, including focaccia and scones, on Saturdays at his Fearless Bread booth at the Ybor City Market in Centennial Park.
(Fred Bellet)

Some — like Dave DeAngelis — show how they make the items they sell. He turns pine needles into decorative baskets.

“In 40 years, I’ve never made the same thing twice,” said DeAngelis, who has been coming to the Ybor market since it opened nearly 17 years ago. “I’m sort of a fixture here,” he said.

He learned his craft from a book he found in a store in Clearwater.

One recent Saturday morning, he took a break to nosh a scone he bought from Reginald Beck, a baker who lives in New Tampa.

Beck spread out an array of focaccia and scones as he prepared for the market to open.

He is a third-generation baker, and this was his second year selling at the Ybor City market.

“My mother’s favorite thing was baking,” said Beck, who also teaches baking classes.

He said some of his student tell him they’re afraid to bake.

Brianna Hall makes unique headbands for special occasions and holidays. Her inspiration was the iconic ears of Mickey Mouse at Disney World.

“What I specialize in is taking the fear out,” said Beck, whose company is named Fearless Bread.

The Ybor City Saturday Market is the largest continually operating outdoor market in the Tampa Bay area, according to its website.

Admission is free, and the market is open every Saturday year-round, though operating hours vary according to the season.

Dozens of vendors sell foods, sauces, baked goods, herbs and plants, honey, artwork, woodwork, candles and fine cigars.

Each Saturday at 9:30 a.m., Yoga by Loft hosts a yoga class in the Ybor City Museum Garden. And, on the third Saturday of the month, the Bay Area Greyhound Association has greyhounds available for adoption.

Directly behind Centennial Park, the Ybor City Museum is open from Wednesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $4 each, with children under age 5 admitted free.

Co-owner Debra Chatfield sets up her display for the Lutz Nuts Company at the Ybor City Market in Centennial Park.

Visitors come to the market from all over the Tampa Bay area, as well as from out-of-state and international locales.

Cruise ships docking at Channelside provide a fair share of tourists checking out the market.

Some vendors, who were born in Turkey, Cypress and Tunisia, add to the market’s international flavor.

“There’s a lot of unique people here,” said Debra Chatfield, co-owner of Lutz Nutz Company. She and her husband, Richard Chatfield, started their business about 14 years ago in their home.

They sell gourmet mixed nuts and granola, including the Bodacious Blend of nuts and Amazing Oatz.

“Everything is hand done,” Debra Chatfield said. “It’s truly artisan. I have to feel good about what I’m selling.”

Antonio Tugunns crafts flowers from palm fronds that he offers for sale at the Ybor City Market in Centennial Park. He learned his skills from his father.

A love for Disney World and the famous mouse ears gave Brianna Hall, 21, an idea. She makes decorative head bands for special events, holidays and any day that calls for a unique accessory.

“They’re my own expression,” said Hall, who also sells her items online at Etsy.

Jeannie Lewis started making soaps as a hobby at home in Valrico.

“Soon enough, my whole house was filled with soap,” she said. Now, it’s a business. She and her husband, Lee Lewis, set up displays at Ybor and at other markets, including in Mirabay and Valrico. In addition to soaps, they also sell pedicure sets, shaving kits and facial masks.

“I love coming out, selling it and meeting people,” she said.

A 5k race in Ybor brought Tyrone Mussio and his daughters, Tyra and Monique Mussio, to the area, and they checked out the market after they crossed the finish line.

They strolled through the market, stopping to sample cake from Sugs Rum Cake, operated by Sugar Kerr.

They took home a rum cake, and they plan to be back.

“We’re just amazed,” Tyrone Mussio said. “We love the atmosphere and the environment, and making it a family fun day.”

What: Ybor City Saturday Market
Where: Centennial Park at 1901 19th St., in Tampa
When: Every Saturday: May through September, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; October through April, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost: Free, and pet friendly
Information: Visit YborMarket.com, or email .

Published May 3, 2017