Ep #3: Callie Walker on Citrus Black Spot

Thanks for tuning in to another episode of Plant Industry News. On this episode hear from Dr. Trevor Smith about DPI's farm bill funding opportunities, our new deputy commissioner Deborah Tannenbaum and one of our very own, Richard Gaskalla, being inducted to the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame.

Our special guest on this episode is the Bureau Chief of Pest Eradication and Control and the Director of the Citrus Health Response Program (CHRP), Callie Walker. Callie discusses Citrus Black Spot disease, its affects on the Florida citrus industry and what FDACS-DPI and CHRP are doing in relation to it. As a seventh generation Floridian, Callie has a lifetime of experience when it comes to the Florida citrus industry and her insight into the issue of CBS is educational and enlightening.

Follow the link below to learn more about Citrus Black Spot.
https://crec.ifas.ufl.edu/extension/black_spot/citrus_black_spot.shtml

February was an exciting month for DPI as our Entomology and Apiary sections both had booths at the Florida State Fair in Tampa. Every year DPI has a booth in Insect Encounters where fair goers can pet or even hold an insect on display. Carolyn Duever won the parking spot contest this month by having the closest guess to the number of candy pieces in the Jar of Hearts. Finally we had three major employment changes this month including Brandi Simmons, Assistant Bureau of the Apiary section in the Bureau of Plant and Apiary Inspection, Christine Zamora, Export Specialist for the Bureau of Plant and Apiary Inspection, and Steve Hildebrandt, Special Projects Coordinator in the Office of Administration. To learn more about each individual mentioned, tune in to this episode!

Follow us on social media @FDACSDPI. As always, you can find updated versions of our latest publications and papers on our website at https://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Plant-Industry.

Subscribe and rate us! If you have any questions or suggestions for topics feel free to submit them to DPI-blog@freshfromflorida.com and we will reference them in the next episode.