ALACHUA – It’s that time of year again when the dark purple and golden grapes of Florida are ripe for the picking, just in time to bring a refreshing quencher to the dog days of summer.  For a few short weeks each year, Florida’s native muscadine grapes adorn vines in the wild and in area farms and vineyards. 

At the Loftus Family Farm in Alachua, the grape picking season officially opened a few weeks ago, but there are still some plump, juicy grapes waiting for the picking.  Other area u-pick grape operations are also underway as the fruits ripen.  Weather, as unpredictable as it is, has a significant impact on the health of grape vines and on how long it takes their fruit to ripen. 

The last chance to pick grapes at the Loftus Family Farm will be this Saturday and Sunday, September 10th and 11th between the hours of 7 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Some years, scorching temperatures will accelerate the ripening process, and this year’s crop is no different says Don Loftus, a local farmer and viticulturist.  Don Loftus, along with his son, Curtis Loftus, run the vineyard which opens each year.

The Supreme variety of muscadine grapes seem to be great performers each year, according to Loftus.

Perhaps mastering the technique of cultivating the grapes is knowing when they’re just right for picking. 

“The biggest problem is picking the Supremes too early,” Loftus explained.  As much as those plump purple grapes call out to be picked, they’re probably not ready yet.  “You want to wait until they’re really dark,” he said.

Unlike other fruits, muscadine grapes do not ripen significantly once picked.

Don Loftus got into the business of growing muscadine grapes more than 15 years ago when he started planning for his retirement.  Since retiring from the University of Florida, he has dedicated his time to the Loftus Family Farm, which includes the muscadine grape vineyard he has developed and grown from scratch.  Well into the throws of retirement, Loftus now realizes he left one full-time job for another, operating a vineyard and farm, which is why, in part, he has turned operations of running the business over to his son Curtis. 

In 2004, Loftus first started converting the field that once grew persimmons, which were also negatively affected by North Florida’s winter weather patterns, into 1.5 acres of grapes.  

The u-pick farm is one of a handful in the area and is open to the public.  The Loftus Family Farm specializes in the Ison and Supreme varieties of muscadine grapes, but is branching out into others as well.

Over the years, Loftus has added new varieties, such as the Delicious, a self-pollinating muscadine developed by the University of Florida.  He’s using the new varieties to replace others lost to natural causes and winter damage in prior years.  Each no variety requires a few years before the they are on a scale ready for picking, but this year.  Loftus compares the fruit to the Supremes, joking, “As their names suggests, they really are quite delicious and they have the same crunch and taste to them.” 

The ‘Delicious’ variety is also disease resistant and is among the top yielding muscadines.

Loftus said his son may be addition additional crops and offerings to the farm to extend the season for which the farm is open to the public.  The Loftus family has their hands full meticulously attending to the 14 rows of grape vines, each several hundred feet long and none of which are sprayed with potentially dangerous chemicals and pesticides. 

Indigenous to the southeast region of North America, muscadine grapes ripen in late summer.   Right about now is the last chance to pick grapes at the Loftus Family Farm where avid pickers are welcomed to their hands-on picking experience.

The vineyard has already become a popular spot among many people who are aware of the u-pick farm.  Loftus credits some of that success to the well-manicured rows of grapes and relaxing atmosphere at his family’s farm.  Loftus said many pickers like to eat the grapes as they are, some use them for producing wine and others for making jelly and sauces and freezing for later consumption. Florida’s $20 million-a-year grape industry is typically the second- or third-largest market for table grapes and wine in the country.

The address for the vineyard is 15585 NW 29 Street, Gainesville.  East of Alachua on NW 156th Avenue, the farm is at the midway point between State Road 121 and County Road 231.

Additional photos, health benefits, directions to the vineyard and uses for muscadine grapes and other information are available at LoftusFamilyFarm.com

#     #     #

E-mail editor@

alachuatoday.com

Alachua County ‒ With schools now open in Alachua County, school bus safety is vitally important to motorists and students. Motorists should also be aware that as of Jan. 1, 2021, the penalties for failure to stop for a school bus double. The penalty for failure to stop for a school bus goes from a minimum $100 to $200, and if a second offense is committed within five years, the person’s license will be suspended for up to one year.

The penalty for passing a school bus on the side where children enter and exit when the school bus displays a stop signal goes from a minimum of $200 to $400, and if a second offense is committed in five years, the person’s license can be suspended up to two years.

School bus safety tips for motorists:

• Motorists are required to stop when approaching a school bus that is stopped with its red lights flashing and stop arms extended. (See the different situations in the diagram)
• All drivers moving in either direction on a two-way street must stop for a school bus displaying a stop signal and must remain stopped until the road is clear of children and the school bus stop arm is withdrawn. (see diagram, two-lane)
• On a highway divided by a paved median, all drivers moving in either direction must stop for a school bus displaying a stop signal and must remain stopped until the road is clear of children and the school bus stop arm is withdrawn. (see diagram, multi-lane)
• The only time traffic approaching an oncoming school bus does not need to stop is if there is a raised barrier such as a concrete divider or at least five feet of unpaved space separating the lanes of traffic. (see diagram, divided highway)
• On a highway divided by a raised barrier or an unpaved median at least five feet wide, drivers moving in the opposite direction do not have to stop for the bus (painted lines or pavement markings are not considered barriers). However, these motorists should slow down and watch for students loading or unloading from the bus. (see diagram, divided highway)

#     #     #

Email editor@

alachuatoday.com

HIGH SPRINGS ‒ While it is a little early to tell, a unique new exhibit that opened at the Good News Arts Gallery in High Springs may be showcasing the works of a future Picasso or Van Gogh. Instead of featuring an established artist, this exhibit introduced the art work compilation of students who attended the Good News Arts Summer Arts Camp from June 6 to July 22. The exhibit featured the art work of nearly 100 students who attended the High Springs camp.

The Summer Arts Camp was created by Jessica Caldas, director and owner of Good News Arts Gallery. The gallery, in conjunction with the City of High Springs Parks and Recreation Department, established the camp to introduce students in K-12 to a variety of artistic mediums while working with a group of their peers. Each week a different medium was chosen to expose the students to a variety of art and dance.

“We had 130 kids register for the camp and a weekly attendance of 80-100. But the project was a group effort by a lot of people and organizations,” Caldas said. “Since our gallery is fairly small, we needed a bigger space for the multiple classes and the City of High Springs loaned us the old school building at the High Springs Museum.”

Caldas said the Children’s Trust of Alachua County covered much of the funding by creating scholarships to help keep costs down. Enrollment/registration fees for all families was $5 per child and the camp was free for youth who lived in Alachua County and whose family is at or below 200 percent of the 2020 federal poverty threshold, or a child with an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) or with family receiving SNAP benefits. For youth whose families did not meet these requirements, the camp cost $93 per week including lunch and snacks.

The local Winn Dixie helped fill the gap on food and snacks for meals during the camp. The High Springs Fire Department organized a water playday and helped with field trips as well. The High Springs Police Department worked to provide School Resource Officers (SROs) for the children's safety and ran special programming like boxing and breathing exercises as well as accompanying the students on class field trips.

All the supplies were provided by organization as well as individuals and patrons who supported the program. “We received support and funding from all over the community including Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe, Satchel's Pizza, The Great Outdoors, The Pink Flamingo, The Barber Group, East End Eatery, The High Springs Woman's Club, Deeper Purpose Community Church, Kona Ice and others,” said Caldas. “We could not have accomplished this program without all the support to provide our community children an opportunity to explore their creative side.”

All classes were taught by volunteer local artists and Counselors and Artists in Training (CAITs), which was staffed by high school students. The program was not just about encouraging kids to learn about art and express their creativity, the experience included an exhibit for students to showcase their work and gain confidence in their abilities.

On Saturday, Aug. 6, the gallery held the opening reception to display the students’ work. Young artists brought their parents to the gallery to proudly show off their art. The exhibit will remain up until Aug. 20 at the Good News Arts Gallery located at 18555 Main Street in High Springs. The gallery is open on Friday and Saturday from 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. as well as some Wednesdays and Thursdays.

#     #    #

email rcarson@

alachuatoday.com

ALACHUA COUNTY ‒ An historical marker will soon be installed in the city of Alachua. The Alachua/Newnansville Subcommittee of the Alachua County Community Remembrance Project, chaired by City of Alachua Commissioner Shirley Green Brown, requested to install a marker within the County right-of-way on County Road Northwest 121^st Terrace, at the intersection of State Road 235. The marker will memorialize the lives of lynching victims who lived around the former town of Newnansville and the present-day city of Alachua. The Alachua County Public Works Department recently approved the location to install the new historical marker.

The marker for the Alachua/Newnansville site is currently being created by EJI in Montgomery, Alabama, and will be installed with a ceremony once the County receives the marker.

During the site selection process by the Alachua/Newnansville Subcommittee, the committee noticed that the proposed marker would be located near the hard-to-find historic Newnansville African American Cemetery. During the meetings with Public Works staff, Commissioner Brown and Reverend Debra Sermons asked if the County could help by installing wayfinding signs to the cemetery.

Wayfinding signs help the public find their way to important community features. Supervisor of the Traffic Maintenance Division in the Public Works Department John Nazal and his team designed, manufactured, and installed the signs in accordance with Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Device standards. On July 12, members of the Alachua/Newnansville Subcommittee and the Newnansville African American Cemetery Association held a small ceremony to unveil the new wayfinding signs installed by the County.

Similar historical markers have been placed throughout the County as part of the Truth and Reconciliation process started by the Alachua County Commission in June 2018. The process was prompted by research completed by the Alachua County Historical Commission (ACHC) in response to the national Equal Justice Initiative’s (EJI) lynching research in Alachua County.

#    #     #

Email editor@

alachuatoday.com