County Fair Tradition

When Ada Perryman, 9, led her steer, a Hereford-Brangus cross named Copper, around the show ring earlier this year, she took her place in a family tradition that reaches back four generations.

Since the 19th century, Ada’s family has raised crops and livestock in central Florida. And a centerpiece to their farming lifestyle has been the county fair — that magical place where the aromas of popcorn and funnel cakes customarily mingle with the natural, earthy smells emanating from the livestock barn.

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Summer Safety

Dogs love to be with their humans. In summer that might be at the beach, hiking through the park, or outside working around the farm. Wherever you are with your canine companion, it’s important to recognize the signs of heat stress and take steps to prevent it.

“Owners that are in tune with their dogs will notice that something is off; maybe their dog is not being as responsive as normal,” says veterinarian Dr. Katyryna Fleer, medical director for VIP Petcare and Tractor Supply’s PetVet program. “Definitely, excess panting is one of the first signs you’ll see.”

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Restored By Nature

Lisa Mason Ziegler cringes every time she sees flowers on a wedding cake. That’s because they most likely originated in South America, where some 80 percent of the cut-flower industry is based and where flowers are likely doused in herbicides and pesticides as they grow, then dipped in mildew-preventive chemicals before being boxed and shipped to U.S. shores.

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Fly Control

Biting insects not only are tremendously irritating to your horse during warm months, but some are capable of spreading diseases such as West Nile virus, eastern and western equine encephalomyelitis, and equine infectious anemia

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