Farm Numbers Increase Says Census
CLEWISTON, FL. -- The number of farms in the United States has grown 4% and the operators of those farms have become more diverse in the past five years.
The 2007 Census counted 2,204,792 farms in the United States, a net increase of 75,810 farms. Nearly 300,000 new farms have begun operation since the last census in 2002. Compared to all farms nationwide, these new farms tend to have more diversified production, fewer acres, lower sales and younger operators who also work off-farm.
In the past five years, U.S. farm operators have become more demographically diverse. The 2007 Census counted nearly 30% more women as principal farm operators. The count of Hispanic operators grew by 10%, and the counts of American Indian, Asian and Black farm operators increased as well.
Florida's $7.8 billion in total farm sales in 2007 were dominated by crops, from citrus and vegetables to nursery and greenhouse production, with a combined value of $6.2 billion. Livestock, poultry and related products contributed more than $1.5 billion to the total.
http://www.agcensus.usda.gov
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Friday, February 06, 2009
Florida Highway Patrol Check Points
Traffic Stops Possible In Hendry, Glades and Lee
The Florida Highway Patrol will be conducting driver license and vehicle inspection checkpoints at the following locations during the month of Februarv 2009.
Lee County: Sunshine north of Lee Blvd
North River Road east of the Hendry County Line
South Road east of U.S. 41
Bell Blvd. north of State Road 82
Hart Drive north of State Road 78
Pine ridge & Kelly Road
Hendy County: Cowboy Way west of State Road 29
State Road 80 east of Labelle
County Road 78 west of State Road 29
Glades County: State Road 78 west of U.S. 27
State Road 29 & County Road 74
State Road 78 east of U.S. 27
Recognizing the danger presented to the public by defective vehicle equipment, troopers will concentrate their efforts on vehicles being operated with defects such as bad brakes, worn tires and defective lighting equipment. In addition, attention will be directed to drivers who would violate the driver license laws of Florida.
The Patrol has found these checkpoints to be an effective means of enforcing the equipment and driver license laws of Florida while ensuring the protection of all motorists.
The Florida Highway Patrol will be conducting driver license and vehicle inspection checkpoints at the following locations during the month of Februarv 2009.
Lee County: Sunshine north of Lee Blvd
North River Road east of the Hendry County Line
South Road east of U.S. 41
Bell Blvd. north of State Road 82
Hart Drive north of State Road 78
Pine ridge & Kelly Road
Hendy County: Cowboy Way west of State Road 29
State Road 80 east of Labelle
County Road 78 west of State Road 29
Glades County: State Road 78 west of U.S. 27
State Road 29 & County Road 74
State Road 78 east of U.S. 27
Recognizing the danger presented to the public by defective vehicle equipment, troopers will concentrate their efforts on vehicles being operated with defects such as bad brakes, worn tires and defective lighting equipment. In addition, attention will be directed to drivers who would violate the driver license laws of Florida.
The Patrol has found these checkpoints to be an effective means of enforcing the equipment and driver license laws of Florida while ensuring the protection of all motorists.
Hendry County Fair Opens Tonight
Annual 8-Day County Fair Opens In Clewiston
CLEWISTON, FL. -- The Hendry County Fair and Livestock Show opens Friday night in Clewiston. An event celebrating small county agriculture in rural Hendry county.
Held yearly, this year in February, in America's Sweetest Town, Clewiston. Clewiston is Hendry county's largest municipality, and is proud to host the annual event. Enjoy the parade, livestock show, beauty pageants, exhibits, and midway entertainment this year.
In 2009 the Hendry Fair begins on Friday February 6 running for 9 days.
Webpage: Hendry County Fair
The Hendry County Fair Events --
Friday
- 6:00 p.m - Opening
- 11: p.m. - Close For Day
- 2:00 p.m. - Fair Parade through Clewiston
- 3:00 p.m. - Fair opens
- 7:30 p.m. - Miss Hendry County Pageant
- 11:00 p.m. - Fair Closes for day
- 6:00 p.m. - Fair Opens
- 11:00 p.m. - Fair Closes for day
- 6:00 p.m. - Fair Opens
- 7:30 p.m. - Jr. Miss Hendry County Pageant and Entertainment
- 11:00 p.m. - Fair Closes
- 6:00 p.m. - Fair Opens
- 7:00 p.m. - Livestock Show and Entertainment
- 8:00 p.m. - Little Mr. and Miss Todler
- 11:00 p.m. - Fair Closes for day
- 6:00 p.m. - Fair Opens
- 7:00 p.m. - Hog Show and Entertainment
- 11:00 p.m. - Fair Closes for day
- 6:00 p.m. - Fair Opens
- 11:00 p.m. - Fair Closes for day
- 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. - Livestock Buyer's Dinner
- 6:00 p.m. - Fair Opens
- 7:00 p.m. - Livestock Auction
- 11:00 p.m. - Exhibition Building Closes - "Midnight Madness" on Midway
- 2:00 a.m - Fair Closes for day
- 3:00 p.m. - Fair Opens
- 7:00 p.m. - Bull Bash Bonanza
- 11:00 p.m. - Fair Closes
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Belle Glade Soldier Graduates
Pvt. Tristan Earle - At Fort Jackson, S.C.
BELLE GLADE, FL. -- Army Pvt. Tristan M. Earle has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.
During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field training exercises.
Earle is the son of Patricia Earle of Davis Drive, Belle Glade, Fla.
BELLE GLADE, FL. -- Army Pvt. Tristan M. Earle has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Jackson, Columbia, S.C.
During the nine weeks of training, the soldier studied the Army mission, history, tradition and core values, physical fitness, and received instruction and practice in basic combat skills, military weapons, chemical warfare and bayonet training, drill and ceremony, marching, rifle marksmanship, armed and unarmed combat, map reading, field tactics, military courtesy, military justice system, basic first aid, foot marches, and field training exercises.
Earle is the son of Patricia Earle of Davis Drive, Belle Glade, Fla.
Monday, February 02, 2009
Hendry's Last English Radio Gone
WAFC-FM Radio Switches To Spanish Language
CLEWISTON, FL. -- Since 1980 Robbie Castellanos and Jim Johnson have been running Hendry and Glades county's radio stations, head-quartered in Clewiston. Florida. Broadcasting country music in English on their FM station and in Spanish on the AM station, WAFC FM is now all Spanish, simulcasting it's AM programming "Radio Fiesta."
CLEWISTON, FL. -- Since 1980 Robbie Castellanos and Jim Johnson have been running Hendry and Glades county's radio stations, head-quartered in Clewiston. Florida. Broadcasting country music in English on their FM station and in Spanish on the AM station, WAFC FM is now all Spanish, simulcasting it's AM programming "Radio Fiesta."
Photo: Robbie Castellanos, CEO Glades Media Group
The Glades Media Group, owners of the original stations in Clewiston, now operate seven radio stations in South Florida, "providing advertisers with a coast-to-coast platform," according to their advertising.
The Spanish stations have over the years provided Castallanos and Johnson with their profit center. With declining radio listeners nationwide, and most likely in our local area as well, and the growing numbers of Latinos, it looks like WAFC will cater to the Spanish listener.
From the Glades Media Group website, a pitch to advertisers, "Now that the Hispanic population has officially overtaken black Americans as the nation's largest minority group, the Glades Media Group is in the perfect position to help you reach them. The Hispanic population has grown almost four times faster than the rest of the country..."
Robbie Castellanos, CEO of Glades Media Company, announced that radio station WAFC-FM / 99.5 has changed programming format from Contemporary Country to Regional Mexican; the format changed took place February 1. He explained that the national economic recession coupled with the local uncertainties associated with the sale of USSC to South Florida Water Management has seriously stifled local economic growth.
Castellanos, said “Advertising is our revenue stream and right now advertising everywhere, in all media, is in recession but none any worse than here in the Glades,” he said.
Glades Media Company has owned and operated WAFC-FM since 1980; during the entire 28 years it has featured country music and many other very popular community programs.
Castellanos says, "It has been our greatest pleasure to have served the Glades area for all these years. I know we have many loyal listeners who are deeply disappointed; I can only hope that they will understand the circumstances surrounding the change. "
Castellanos went on to explain, "Every day the news is the same, thousands of good people laid off from work—that has not happened to our companies, we haven’t laid off anyone and we don’t want to start. I need every one of my employees to maintain our successful position. "
He explained that Glades Media also owns two other country music stations in Okeechobee, WOKC 1570 and FM 100.9. Glades Media Company’s primary business though is in Hispanic broadcasting where they own and operate six stations broadcasting a variety of Hispanic programming.
"That portion of our business is fine with only a reasonable decline in business, we believe the move of WAFC-FM 99.5 to a Regional Mexican format can only help our station group to prosper during these uncertain economic times."
WAFC-FM To Move To Palm Beach County
"The current economic conditions have prompted this immediate change, but change was already scheduled on the horizon. Plans were in place for WAFC-FM to be moved to Palm Beach Gardens to become that community’s first FM radio station. The Federal Communications Commission approved the city of license change more than a year ago but tower location issues delayed the move. Once the final move is complete, WAFC-FM / 99.5 would become a Hispanic station intended to strengthen Glades’ market influence into the Latin community in the West Palm Beach where they already operate two Hispanic stations," explains Castellanos
For right now, 99.5 FM will primarily simulcast (rebroadcast) the programming of Glades’ local Regional Mexican station WAFC-AM, Radio Fiesta 590 which has been a Spanish station since 1989. Castellanos added, “590 has been one of our most successful stations for 20 years, this change will only make it more popular”.
Glades Media Co. has recently been granted by the FCC a FM translator frequency; the new station broadcasting on 100.5 FM signed-on January 26, 2009. FM 100.5 will also simulcast the programming of WAFC-AM, Radio Fiesta – 590; its broadcast service area covers Moore Haven to Canal Point and all the communities on the south lake shore. Once WAFC-FM / 99.5 is moved to Palm Beach Gardens the lake area’s Hispanic communities will be served by both WAFC-AM at 590 and by FM 100.5.
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