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4-H

Youths get a chance to learn about farm safety

November 3, 2021 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Youths gathered recently to learn more about farm safety, in a special Youth Farm Safety Day on Oct. 18, organized by the Pasco County CattleWomen’s Association. (Courtesy of Casie Holloway)

The Pasco County CattleWomen’s Association organized a Youth Farm Safety Day on Oct. 18, to gives youths a chance to learn about various aspects of farm safety.

Ninety-five youths from across Pasco County who are actively engaged in agricultural operations had a chance to learn more about safety relating to eight specific areas: animals, hand tools, wild animals, knives and machetes, tractors, lawn equipment, all-terrain vehicles and personal protection, according to Casie Holloway, president of the Pasco Cattlewomen’s Association.

Holloway provided information to The Laker/Lutz News regarding the CattleWomen’s special day.

Participating youths are involved in agricultural pursuits in a variety of ways, including FFA, 4-H, or by living on a farm or a ranch, according to Holloway’s submission.

The event was held at Bird Island Lake Ranch, in Dade City.

The Pasco County CattleWomen’s Association is grateful for supporters who made the event possible, Holloway noted.

The sponsors were Famous Tate Appliances; Pasco County Farm Bureau; Pasco County Cattlemen’s Association; Lowman Law Firm; Florida Wildlife Commission; and Everglades Tractor, in Odessa.

Published November 03, 2021

A large group of young people gathered recently to learn farm safety relating to several specific topics. The special day was organized by the Pasco County CattleWomen’s Association and was supported by a number of sponsors.

Attention gardeners: Pasco Extension has a plot for you

September 14, 2021 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

The UF/IFAS Pasco County Extension is offering free garden plots and opportunities to grow your skills at community gardens in Dade City, Land O’ Lakes, San Antonio, Zephyrhills and Shady Hills.

You can create your own garden bounty, with a free community garden plot offered through the UF/IFAS Pasco County Extension. (Courtesy of UF/IFAS Pasco County Extension)

Pasco Extension pairs applicants for the free plots with the appropriate garden locations.

A new Wesley Chapel location also will be opening soon.

A community garden plot offers the opportunity to:

  • Grow and harvest your own food
  • Work with compost
  • Gain gardening experience in classes and seminars that are offered on site
  • Learn from experts

Plots are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

For East Side Community Gardens, call 352-521-1255, or email .

For West Side Community Gardens, call 813-996-2411, ext. 2458,  or email .

The Pasco County Cooperative Extension Service provides practical, educational programs in environmental horticulture; sustainable agriculture; 4-H and youth development; and, family and consumer sciences.

To find out more, including how to volunteer, call 352-518-0156, or visit bit.ly/2I7gTs5.

Published September 15, 2021

New specialty plate to support Florida 4-H

October 13, 2020 By Mary Rathman

Vouchers for a new specialty license plate bearing the iconic 4-H clover will be available for purchase at all county tax collector offices and license plate agencies in Florida, starting Oct. 16.

The license plate will go into production once 3,000 pre-sale vouchers have been sold. Florida 4-H has two years to reach the pre-sale goal. The voucher, which includes the $25 specialty plate fee plus processing fees, is a total of $33.

A new 4-H specialty tag will help to support the youth development program designed for ages 5 to 18. (Courtesy of University of Florida, UF/IFAS Communications)

One-hundred percent of the $25 specialty license plate fee will go directly toward statewide leadership programs such as 4-H University and 4-H Legislature, the Florida 4-H camping program and 4-H youth competitive teams, Michael Gutter, associate dean of the UF/IFAS Extension and 4-H state program leader, said in a UF/IFAS news release.

“Here is a chance to show off your 4-H pride while also supporting today’s and tomorrow’s youth,” Gutter said.

“We are calling on all 4-H members, supporters and alumni to help us reach our goal of 3,000 vouchers sold so we can see the 4-H plate on vehicles across Florida,” he added.

The youth development program is part of the land-grant university system and Cooperative Extension System.

The program provides hands-on educational activities and experiences for youth ages 5 to 18, with the objective of developing youth as individuals, and as responsible and productive citizens.

In Florida, 4-H is administered by University of Florida/IFAS Extension and Florida A&M University, and serves approximately 200,000 youth annually.

Published October 14, 2020

New youth website from USDA

May 8, 2019 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) celebrated National Ag Day, which highlights agriculture’s crucial role in everyday life, and honors the farmers, foresters, scientists, producers and many others who contribute to America’s harvest.

As part of the effort, the USDA launched a new Youth and Agriculture website, USDA.gov/youth, to connect young people and youth-serving organizations with department-wide resources that engage, empower and educate the next generation of agricultural leaders.

Connecting with America’s youth “is a tremendous opportunity to show that careers in farming, the agricultural sciences, and veterinary medicine are rewarding, essential and profitable,” said Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky, in a release.

The USDA Youth and Agriculture website features three key components of agriculture-focused youth engagement: classroom studies, experiential learning and leadership training.

Educators can find ways to include agriculture in the classroom and beyond.

Young people can learn about USDA summer outreach programs, youth loans for business projects, and outdoor volunteering.

Community leaders can get tips on starting leadership development clubs and education programs.

The site also highlights USDA partners, such as 4-H, the National FFA Organization (Future Farmers of America), Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS), Agriculture Future of America (AFA), and many others working with the USDA to connect young people with opportunities in agriculture.

For those interested in careers, the website provides information on internships and scholarships; USDA employment; and, information on agriculture career fields, such as forestry, robotics engineering, biochemistry, and food sciences.

Follow the conversation on USDA, youth in agriculture, and National Ag Day online at USDA.gov/youth, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Published May 08, 2019

Local 4-H members receive recognition

November 14, 2018 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Two local members of Pasco County’s 4-H were honored by the Pasco County Commission last month for their achievements in the 4-H organization.

Commissioners passed a resolution on Oct. 9 recognizing Montana Rose Smith and Kata Muellerleile for their statewide leadership positions in 4-H.

Montana Rose Smith and Kata Muellerleile, members of Pasco County’s 4-H, were honored by the Pasco County Commission for being named to statewide leadership positions in the youth organization. They are shown here with members of the Pasco County Commission and Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Paula O’ Neil. (Courtesy of Richard K. Riley)

The resolution notes that nine young adults in Pasco County have been elected to statewide leadership positions over the past 20 years.

The resolution singled out Smith, who has been elected the 2018-2019 4-H State Council president by her peers and fellow 4-H members.

It also singled out Muellerleile, who has been elected the 2018-2019 4-H State Council reporter.

In congratulating the young women for the honors, Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley said: “Girls, to say the least, we’re very proud of you. You’re our homegrown leaders that are going to be out there for 4-H. A lot of people, a lot of your peers will be watching you and hoping you do the job they expect you to do, and I’m sure both of you will.”

Muellerleile told commissioners “4-H holds such a special part in our hearts and lives because if it wasn’t for 4-H and Montana, herself, I would not be able to stand in front of you today.”

She added, “4-H is just so special to us and has changed our lives in many, many ways that we never thought could happen.”

Smith added, “4-H has definitely been a huge part of my life and has definitely helped me to develop who I am today. I used to be a shy little 9-year-old who just wanted to show my dairy goats. But, now I want to be on stage, behind the podium, talking and kind of guiding our youth across the state.”

Published November 14, 2018

Diggin’ in the dirt at the library

October 14, 2015 By Kathy Steele

Judy Curran enjoys seeing people having fun outdoors.

So, when the chance came her way to get library patrons — young and old, digging in the dirt — she seized the opportunity to put her passion for gardening into motion.

“I get so much peace and joy from it,” said Curran, the youth services provider at the New River Branch Library in Zephyrhills. “It’s my hobby, and I want to share that,” she said.

A Pasco County work policy made it possible.

Marigolds fill the foreground as Judy Curran checks the variety of plants, vegetables and flowers planted in the community garden of the New River Branch Library. Curran, and about a dozen adults and children, tend the garden. (Fred Bellet/Photos)
Marigolds fill the foreground as Judy Curran checks the variety of plants, vegetables and flowers planted in the community garden of the New River Branch Library. Curran, and about a dozen adults and children, tend the garden.
(Fred Bellet/Photos)

A few years ago, employees were encouraged to choose a project that excited them. They could then devote 10 percent of their work hours to making it happen.

This “10 percent initiative” of the county was Curran’s signal to step forward and organize a community garden at the New River branch. It is the only community garden in Pasco sponsored by a library.

Curran put a flier on the bulletin board and got the kind of feedback she needed.

Nearly a year ago, the first sprouts in the garden were small, and so were her first volunteers.

Daisy Scouts planted herbs in a handful of rain barrels that were cut into two halves. The barrels – painted by the Scouts – flank the parking lot and walkway leading to the library’s entrance.

“To me that adds charm,” Curran said. “It’s obvious kids painted these barrels.”

Over time, these first plantings gave way to dwarf fire bushes that now drop their roots into the soil of the rain barrels, and attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

Judy Curran, youth services provider at New River Branch Library, shows off bouquets of lantana.
Judy Curran, youth services provider at New River Branch Library, shows off bouquets of lantana.

And the garden grew again, but this time as a memorial to a friend of the library – Samuel Smith. The teenager died in 2011. He came to the library nearly every day after school.

“He was a volunteer and helped with troubled kids,” Curran said.  “It was heartbreaking when that happened.”

One weekend, his friends planted a flowering garden that blooms with lantana, firecracker bushes, ginger plants and 4 o’ clocks.

Nearby, community gardeners tend raised beds filled with pepper squash, oregano, sorghum and carrots, and a cluster of marigolds. A Japanese plum tree and a peach tree stand tall as stand-alones planted inside more half-size rain barrels.

About a dozen people tend these garden beds. There are individuals, a mother and daughter, and friends.

There is no fee, and Curran hopes to enlist more gardeners.

“I want it to be all inclusive,” she said. “I want families to come and 4-H gardeners. I don’t want anyone to think ‘Oh, I can’t do that’.”

A spider inhabiting a Japanese plum tree fends off an invading insect.
A spider inhabiting a Japanese plum tree fends off an invading insect.

Three plastic swimming pools filled with dirt, rest next to the raised beds, ready for children to try out their green thumbs.

“I have a lot of seeds,” Curran said. “They can come in and plant seeds, and see what happens.”

Curran said books and gardening go together naturally.

“It’s about sharing information,” she said.

Seeds and plants also are shared at plant exchanges.

At the rear of the library, two cisterns catch rainwater.

“That was all the water we used during the dry season,” she said. “We’re trying to go as natural as possible.”

In the future, a compost tumbler is on the wish list.

A mound of mulch is piled next to the garden beds.

A small grant helped seed the garden, and pay for lumber. County employees built the raised beds, including one high enough for disabled gardeners to use. Master gardeners and the Pasco County Cooperative Extension provide expertise and teach classes at the library.

A small sign identifies Nancy G., as the community gardener for one of several raised beds at the community garden at the New River Branch Library.
A small sign identifies Nancy G., as the community gardener for one of several raised beds at the community garden at the New River Branch Library.

“It’s a very cooperative effort between the library, the county’s cooperative extension, master gardeners and the facilities department,” Curran said.

Curran herself is not a master gardener, but gardening is a tradition in her family. She worked side by side in gardens with her father and grandfather.

“I want people to see that they can grow their own food,” she said. “Everywhere I’ve lived, I’ve always had a vegetable garden. There’s a lot you can grow in small spaces.”

The library hosts community garden meetings every third Thursday of the month. The next meeting is Oct. 15 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

For more information, call New River at (813) 788-6375, or email Curran at .

Published October 14, 2015

It’s a family affair at Wilson’s Tractor & Supply

September 17, 2014 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Bruce and Jennifer Wilson, owners of Wilson’s Tractor and Supply Co., have an admirable goal – to one day turn their family business over to their two sons, Bruce Jr. and Aaron.

The Wilson Family
The Wilson Family

The couple wants their sons to know the value of hard work and to appreciate the rewards of customer satisfaction. They look forward to their boys carrying on the stellar reputation of the Wilson name, and to one day be able to support their families with the family business.

Self-employed for most of his adult life, Bruce owned other businesses — even moving his family to Georgia for a short time — before returning to his hometown of Dade City in 2002 to open Wilson’s Tractor and Supply Co. Mowers, leaf blowers, and weed eaters line the walls of the store, showing that Wilson’s carries much more than tractors. If your mower needs a new blade or tune-up, one of the staff will gladly help unload it out of your vehicle and into the service area.

Growing up in the business and now working alongside his dad, 20-year-old Bruce Jr. specializes in selling and repairing lawn equipment and tractors. He also makes sure that everything that leaves the store is in tip-top shape, ready to meet the needs of the customer. It is this level of detail and perfection that drives the entire Wilson family.

When not at Pasco High School as a vocational teacher, Jennifer Wilson is the company’s bookkeeper and unofficial door greeter at the store. In her “spare” time, Jennifer is chauffeur to her younger son, 13-year-old Aaron, and his group of friends who have recently discovered the art of yo-yoing.

Aaron watched a yo-yo demonstration during a visit to Disney and became enthralled with the artistry of the sport. After meeting several internationally acclaimed masters and learning several tricks, Aaron is focused on starting a yo-yo club at Centennial Middle School, where he is in the seventh grade.

Future Farmers of America and 4-H are clubs important to the Wilson family. While a student at Pasco High School, Bruce, Jr. was active in the school’s FFA Club. Aaron is continuing that legacy through his own leadership roles in the club, including raising a steer (aptly named Beefy) for the Pasco County Fair. Aaron is financing his current steer project with profits earned through previous projects with his 4-H group. The family also raises chickens and turkeys.

Rounding out the Wilson team is Fred “The Tractor Man” Roenicke. Fred is as iconic in Dade City as the green and yellow paint on the tractors he sells. Fred has more than 45 years experience selling tractors and other farm equipment. His knowledge about the tractor business, combined with his love of the local area, makes Fred a perfect employee for this family business.

What does the family do for fun when they’re not at the store?

“When you own your own business, you don’t have time for your own personal fun. You want your business to succeed and you want your customers to be happy,” said Jennifer. “But we do enjoy the hunting season.”

Time in the woods, away from the business, helps motivate this family to do even more and allows them to return to the town they grew up in, refreshed and ready to get back to work.

Wilson’s Tractor & Supply Co. is located at 12410 U.S. 301 in Dade City. It can be found online at WilsonTractorSupplyCo.com, by calling (352) 567-5002 or email .

– Jenny Timms

This story is a feature of the advertising department. 

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05/23/2022 – Republican Club

The Central Pasco Republican Club will meet on May 23 at Copperstone Executive Suites, 3632 Land O’ Lakes Blvd. The guest speaker will be Pasco County School Board member Megan Harding, who will present a rundown on the state of education in Pasco County, and what the school board can and cannot do in today’s world. A social will begin at 6 p.m., followed by the meeting at 6:30 p.m. For information, call 813-996-3011. … [Read More...] about 05/23/2022 – Republican Club

05/26/2022 – Food distribution

Farm Share, the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, Pasco Sheriff Charities, the Pasco County NAACP, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay will partner for a free food distribution on May 26 starting at 9 a.m., at the Boys & Girls Club of Lacoochee, 38724 Mudcat Grant Blvd., in Dade City. Food will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis, while supplies last. The event is a drive-thru, rain or shine. … [Read More...] about 05/26/2022 – Food distribution

05/28/2022 – Memorial Day Concert

The “Let’s Do Good Memorial Day Concert” is scheduled for May 28 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, 5401 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., to benefit the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Tunnel to Towers provides mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children, and builds custom-designed smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. The foundation is committed to eradicating veteran homelessness and aiding the victims of major U.S. disasters. The event will include vendors, gifts, a Forget-Me-Not Garden, and more. Entertainment will be provided by Fred Chandler, Charles Goodwin, Cruz Er Mac, Mike Henderson, and Travis White. Special guests include Congressman Gus Bilirakis and State Sen. Danny Burgess. Rain date is Sept. 10. … [Read More...] about 05/28/2022 – Memorial Day Concert

05/28/2022 – Seafood Festival-CANCELLED

The North Tampa Bay Chamber’s Summer Seafood Festival is scheduled for May 28 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Tampa Premium Outlets, 2300 Grand Cypress Drive in Lutz, between the outlets and At Home. There will be seafood, crab races, a kids zone, live bands, craft beer, a local market, a Nautical Art Show, and a crab claw-eating contest. For information, call 727-674-1464. … [Read More...] about 05/28/2022 – Seafood Festival-CANCELLED

06/04/2022 – D-Day reenactment

The Zephyrhills Museum of Military History, 39444 South Ave., in Zephyrhills, will present “D-Day, Invasion of Normandy” on June 4 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be an opening ceremony at 11 a.m. The event will include skydivers, reenactors, World War II veterans, and WWII vehicles/aircraft on display. Visit zmmh.org/events, for additional information. … [Read More...] about 06/04/2022 – D-Day reenactment

06/11/2022 – Community cleanup

Save the date: A Dade City Community Cleanup is scheduled for June 11 from 8 a.m. to noon. The city will provide two garbage trucks and one roll-off to dispose of household waste. Residents will be able to drop off unwanted items at three locations. Volunteers also are needed and can register online at DadeCityFl.com. More information will be forthcoming. … [Read More...] about 06/11/2022 – Community cleanup

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