When you're looking for a good-quality hay source in Florida, don’t overlook perennial peanut hay.

Perennial peanut is similar in quality to alfalfa, but has its own benefits.

Namely longevity.

You see, producers here in Florida struggle with alfalfa, and most stands last just two to three years.

However, perennial peanut stands in our area last for decades. 

Depending on how it is managed, perennial peanut hay contains, on average, 13-18 percent crude protein.

There are several great varieties to choose from if you wish to plant some yourself. Florigraze, Arbrook, UF Tito and UF Peace are all good varieties for grazing or hay. 

Perennial peanut fields annually can produce up to 5 tons of hay per acre.

The only drawback is the cost to plant the fields.

Perennial peanut is planted by a process called sprigging. Rhizomes of perennial peanut are dug from the nursery field and planted in the new field using machinery to put the rhizome 1 to 2 inches below the soil surface. 

This process costs around $300 per acre.

To learn more about perennial peanut, you can attend the Perennial Peanut Field Day, which begins 9:30 a.m.  June 6 at the University of Florida's North Florida Research and Education Center in Marianna.

See http://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/phag/2015/05/08/perennial-peanut-field-day-june-6/ for more information. 

Jennifer Bearden is an agent at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: BEARDEN: The perennial peanut is Florida’s alfalfa

MILTON — Sandra Horne, a full-time artist from Crestview,  has been creating traditional fine art oil paintings professionally since 1972. 

Her work — which has won numerous awards, including Best of Show and People’s Choice — is praised and collected by many prominent art enthusiasts. 

Currently, it's on display at the Dragonfly Gallery in Milton, and at www.sandrahornefineart.com. There, you can find a range of her works, including still life paintings, portraits and landscapes.

Studying art has been a life-long adventure for the third-generation artist. She developed her own talents but also studied art at Wesleyan University and earned a degree in graphic design. 

These days, Horne stays active in several organizations, entering juried shows and teaching classes, as part of her dedication to art.

She said her goal is to glorify God, and hopes everyone will know God’s love for them and experience peace and joy from this knowledge. 

WANT TO GO?

Crestview artist Sandra Horne's work is on display at the Dragonfly Gallery, 5188 Escambia St., Milton. Call 981-1100 for hours and directions.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview artist's tools: paintbrush, canvas and raw talent

CRESTVIEW — Two featured performers in Saturday's 6th Annual Dance for Life decided to dance after watching television.

But their motivations were very different.

Zachary Mann, 10, and Maurice "Sully" Sullivan, 87, both of Crestview, are among some 30 Fred Astaire amateur and professional dancers performing in the Covenant Hospice benefit that begins 7 p.m. in Crestview High School's Auditorium.  

RESPONSBILITY, FOCUS

Zachary said he is excited about performing the Charleston, and a little swing, with his teacher, Hannah Kania.

He's practiced just about three weeks for Dance for Life with Kania, but that's all the time it takes to learn a typical dance routine and feel comfortable with it, she said.

Then again, "You never stop," she said. "You could work on a routine for a full year and perform it through that year, and you're just learning each time you perform."

Zachary, a Bob Sikes Elementary School student, was inspired to dance after watching a popular television program that pairs celebrities with professional dancers.

"One day, I started watching 'Dancing with the Stars,' and I said to my mom that I wanted to be like them," he said.

But wanting to dance at 6 years old wasn't enough for professional instructors to take him on.

Before he could learn the kinds of moves that Derek Hough, Tony Dovolani and Maksim Chmerkovskiy wow audiences with Monday and Tuesday nights, he needed to learn two key factors.

"It takes responsibility and focus" to dance, Zachary said, recalling what he said the Crestview dance studio's owner, David Colon, told him all those years ago. 

Fred Astaire accepted Zachary as a student last October, and he has learned the waltz, foxtrot, and cha-cha, too, his mother, Dawn Mann, said.

'SOLD RIGHT AWAY'

Sullivan, who began taking lessons at the Crestview dance studio last September, will waltz during Saturday's benefit.

Unlike Zachary, he doesn't remember what he was watching on TV that spurred him to dance. But back then, he knew one thing: In his case, it was "mindless" entertainment.

"I was sitting in my easy chair, and I was there about four hours watching TV, and I thought, 'This is a stupid way to live,'" Sullivan said. "So I got up and I came downtown, and I was looking for a dance studio. And I kind of thought I'd seen one on the corner here and, sure enough, I walked in the door and … well, I was sold right away." 

But his decision to dance also didn't automatically mean he could start off like a pro. Sullivan weighed 220 pounds and had difficulty just walking.

What a difference eight months has made.

"Through dancing, it's really improved his health (he's now 170 pounds)," Kania said. In addition, "He's gained 2 inches in height, 'cause it's made him stand taller and it's improved his balance dramatically. He can walk on his own now; just like sprinting across the floor almost."

And he has no plans to stop dancing, Sullivan said.

"I'm gonna keep right on," he said.

'A LOT OF FUN'

One-hundred percent of Dance for Life's proceeds benefit Covenant Hospice, Colon said. The not-for-profit organization provides services to patients and loved ones throughout terminal illnesses.

Dance for Life helps fund certain Covenant programs — bereavement services, children’s support programs, spiritual support services and charity care — in Okaloosa and Walton counties.

"We just fell in love with the people, with the volunteers (at Covenant)," Colon said. "They really worked so hard and we saw their dedication and we wanted to be part of it."

For his part, Colon will provide 14 Crestview area dancers, and he said more than 20 dancers from other Fred Astaire studios will perform this weekend.

"Come see the show," he said. "It's a great show for all ages. It's a lot of fun."

And, most importantly, "We've been able to help raise over $25,000 in the past six years for Covenant Hospice," he said.

—

THIS WEEKEND

WHAT:  6th Annual Dance for Life, benefiting Covenant Hospice

WHEN: 7 p.m.Saturday, May 16

WHERE: Crestview High School's Auditorium

COST: Advance tickets: $15, general admission; $30, VIP admission —  includes premier reserved seating for the show and a post-event cocktail party. VIP. Call 682-1455 to order.

Tickets at the door: $20, general admission; $35,

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Here's how TV inspired Crestview's Zachary Mann & Maurice Sullivan to dance. (VIDEO)

It’s the time of the year to think about fresh vegetables from local producers.

Vegetables are beginning to appear in farmers markets, and you can’t beat produce grown locally for flavor. It hasn’t gotten too hot yet, so you can still find a few cooler-season crops such as lettuce, kale, bok choy and carrots.

Also available this time of the year will be peas, onions and strawberries, as well as year-round offerings like eggs, honey and cottage food items such as jams, jellies and breads.

If you’re somehow not enticed by any of these, it won’t be long before warm-weather crops begin to come in. Soon, you’ll find tomatoes and peppers, cucumbers, beans, peas, summer squash and sweet corn on the tables at our local markets.

There are several to choose from, but the extension service works most closely with farmers markets in Crestview and Fort Walton Beach.

Crestview's market is at the corner of Stillwell Boulevard and Industrial Drive, and is open 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

Fort Walton Beach's market —  open the same hours and days —  is located on Lewis Turner Boulevard beside the courthouse annex.

Evan Anderson is an agent at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: ANDERSON: Vegetables available at a farmers market near you

As you save and invest for retirement, what are your ultimate goals? Do you plan on traveling the world? Purchasing a vacation home? Pursuing your hobbies?

People often think and plan for these costs. Yet, too often, many of us overlook what could be a major expense during our retirement years: health care.

By preparing for these costs, you can help yourself enjoy the retirement lifestyle you’ve envisioned.

Many of us may ignore the impact of health care costs because we assume Medicare will pay for everything.

But that’s not the case. In estimating health care costs during retirement, you may find that $4,000 to $6,000 per year per person for traditional medical expenses is a good starting point, although the amount varies by individual. Furthermore, this figure excludes the costs of long-term care, which can be considerable.

To illustrate: The national average for home health aide services is nearly $45,000 per year, and a private room in a nursing home is nearly $84,000 per year, according to a recent survey by Genworth, a financial security company.

So what can you do to help cope with these costs? Here are a few suggestions:

•Estimate your costs. Try to estimate what your out-of-pocket health care costs might be, based on your health, your age at retirement, whatever supplemental insurance you may carry and other factors.

•Know key dates. Things can change in your life, but try to identify, as closely as possible, the age at which you plan to retire. This will help you spot any coverage gaps before you become eligible for Medicare at age 65. Also, be aware of the seven-month window for enrolling in Medicare, beginning three months before your 65th birthday.

•Review your insurance options. Medicare-approved insurance companies offer some other parts to Medicare, including Part D, which covers prescription drugs; Medigap, which covers gaps in Parts A and B (in-hospital expenses, doctor services, outpatient care and some preventive services); and Part C (also known as Medicare Advantage, which is designed to replace Parts A, B, Medigap and, potentially, part D). You have several options for Part D, Medigap and Medicare Advantage, each with varying coverage and costs, so choose the plans that best fit your needs. (To learn more about Medicare and supplemental insurance, go to www.medicare.gov.)

•Develop a long-term care strategy. To meet long-term care costs, you could self-insure or purchase insurance coverage. To learn about long-term care insurance solutions, contact your financial advisor.

•Invest for growth and rising income. Health care costs typically rise as you move further into retirement, so make sure that a reasonable portion of your assets is allocated to investments with the potential for growth and rising income.

•Think about health care directives. If you were to become incapacitated, you might be unable to make health care decisions — and these decisions may affect not only your quality of life but also your financial situation, and that of your family.

Talk to your legal adviser about establishing a health care directive, which allows you to name someone to make choices on your behalf.

Health care costs during your retirement may be unavoidable. But by anticipating these costs, you can put yourself in a position to deal with them — and that’s a healthy place to be.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones financial adviser.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: SHANKLIN: Prepare for health care costs during retirement