KCA April Membership Newsletter

2025 - 2026 Board of Directors

Beth, Jane, Regina, Janice, Nathan, Brook, Angie

At our March meeting, we held elections for our next BOD to serve April 2025 - March 2026. We are excited for the new year ahead! Please let us know your ideas - we are here to keep Keystone the way it should be - agricultural and rural! Send us an email at info@keystonecivic.org

President - Jane Whitehurst

Vice President - Beth White

Secretary - Angie Murphy

Treasurer - Nathan Smith

Director - Regina Hernandez

Director/Past President - Brook Houck Director - Janice Streetman

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UPCOMING EVENTS:

🛣️ MAY 3 Saturday - 7 AM: Adopt a Road Cleanup - Keystone Park

🤝 MAY 22 Thursday - 6:30 PM): General Membership Meeting

🤝 JUNE 26 (Thursday - 6:30 PM): General Membership Meeting

LAND USE CALENDAR:

🌳 MAY 8 BOCC Meeting for Dibbs Text Amendments - 4/27 email with information

         WE NEED YOUR HELP! PLEASE WRITE TO BOCC AND OPPOSE!

🌳 MAY 13 BOCC Meeting Distinctive Stables Modification

🌳 MAY 20 Building Board meeting for Cosme Wall

🌳 MAY 27 Land Use Hearing for Cosme Wall Variance

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The 2025 Spring Fling was such a fun time for Keystone!

We appreciate the collaboration as always with the Keystone Park and Recreation Center and their awesome team, as well as a special

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!!

LOCAL WRAPS - OUR GUNN HIGHWAY SIGN SPONSORS!! THANK YOU, BILL!

BAYSHORE PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY AND ORTHO - OUR KID'S INFLATABLE SPONSORS!! THANK YOU, ERICA!!

VIGO ALESSI - OUR T-SHIRT SPONSORS!! THANK YOU, NANCY!!

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Editorial - Jane Whitehurst, KCA President

Dear Keystone Residents,

I could not get anything to grow in these planters until I came upon the beach sunflower.  You can see in the picture that they would benefit from being watered but they can take a beating.  The bees love them and since it is taking over the whole planter, I will move the other plants out.  They are getting so thick we don't have to weed the grass out.  These flowers love full sun.  Notice the dead looking grass.  It is Bermuda and it turns brown in the winter or in drought, but it won't die.   Bermuda is so tough we drive on it as a circle around the barn since I don't want any asphalt or concrete.  The green grass closer to the pasture fences is Bahia.  Not as durable but will stay green longer than the Bahia.  We have mostly Bahia in the pastures.  I think the horses like it better.  Also notice the grass growing in the bricks where it is definitely a weed.  

Florida is in a drought. Drought conditions range from mild to severe in

different regions of Florida. We need to conserve water. Not watering your

lawn is the best way to do this. The water in your well is not “your water.”

Well water is not exempt from restrictions because the well provides water from the same aquifers as wellfields associated with public supply sources. The only exemption from water restrictions is reclaimed water. Reclaimed water comes from a wastewater treatment plant instead of a body of water. It is recycled water that gets treated multiple times before being safe enough to use.

For those that need a reminder, please refer to this link:

https://hcfl.gov/residents/property-owners-and-renters/water-and-sewer/find-my-watering-days-and-times

Is it possible to go without watering your lawn all year long?

It was two years ago when a five-week-long drought started in the spring months and continued into the summer. The previous summer had also been dry. The temperature kept rising, and it became the hottest summer on record. We all were praying for the rain, even if it was just enough to cool the livestock and wildlife that don’t have access to air conditioning. All of us

Florida natives remember past summer rain patterns. You could set your clock to it. The cumulus nimbus clouds would begin to form in the late afternoon. The sea breeze would push the clouds toward the land, and it would rain almost every day. I am not a meteorologist, so I can’t tell you why we don’t have the same wonderful rain patterns, but I know I miss them. Last summer, the rainfall was much better, but we had quite a deficit in the water levels that we needed to make up. The temperatures were not quite as high as the summer before, but the humidity was worse. I am only using my memory to write this, but I promise you that anyone who works outside

cannot forget the summers that were extra hot, extra humid, or both. When the hurricanes came, they brought a lot of rain. That part was great, but can we please elevate our water table without having to rely on back-to-back hurricanes?

When I drive around and see green grass yards during the dry season, I think

about how much water it is taking to maintain that green. Especially when

the grass is emerald in the fall. So much green grass for what? A beautiful

lawn, for many people, is a thing of pride. Grass lawns started in northern

Europe centuries ago, mostly for the aristocrats. Before the lawnmower was

invented, the livestock would keep the grass down, or servants would use

sickles.

If you are from the northeast, you may be used to beautiful fescues or blue

grass. These types of grass will not grow in Florida. Florida grass species

include Bermuda, Bahia, and St. Augustine.

They have been modified to endure drought, humidity, and bugs. The more

you water and fertilize, the quicker grass will grow. When you cut and water

your Florida grass too often, you increase the amount of thatch. Thatch is

organic matter made from leaves, dead grass, mowed grass, manure, etc.

Don’t water your grass in the winter. Let the thatch decompose. Air needs

to get to the bottom of the grass to send up new grass. Watering in the

winter will also increase the mold, which will kill your grass. The bugs will

love the moisture, as will dollar weeds. The best thing you can do is leave

the grass alone in the fall, winter, and spring.

As someone who has 10 acres of grass, I know a bit of what I am talking

about. We have no irrigation to our pastures, so I rely solely on the rain.

During that dry, hot summer I referred to earlier, I was panicking that I would

lose all the grass in my pasture. I did not. The only place where I lost grass

was where the horses pulled the grass up by the roots. In areas where the

horses didn’t congregate; the grass came back beautifully. After the rain

began, there was no difference between my neglected grass and my

neighbor’s grass that was watered continuously. There is nothing better for

your grass than rain. Notice how much greener the lawn turns with

rainwater than with groundwater. I learned about this from a very intelligent

man in Keystone, but I will save that for another article. Lightning is also

very important for the grass due to nitrogen fixation, which again is for

another article.

For those farms with livestock in pastures year-round, they must irrigate.

Unless they supplement hay, which can get costly. Land that is used for

agriculture does not have the same water restrictions. Two more points

here. 1. Don’t get a horse just to help mow your lawn. Horses and sheep cut

the grass too short. Get cows; they do a beautiful job mowing your lawn

and they will perfectly round the bottom of your oak tree canopies. 2. In

Hillsborough County, greenbelt exemptions for cows on your property are

higher than horses, giving you a lower property tax.

HORSES, HOWEVER, ARE WAY MORE FUN TO RIDE THAN COWS.

Grass adds nothing to the environment unless you have animals grazing. It

is better than asphalt or concrete but does nothing for animals and plants. In

the United States, the settlers would have native plants and ground cover,

and homeowners would pull blades of grass up instead of daffodils. Grass

was the weed. A weed is simply a plant that is growing in an area that you

don’t want it to grow. Plain and simple. In grass lawns, the weeds are all

wildflowers (daisies and such), and the grass is the plant. Grass becomes

the weed when it is growing in a planter with your flowers and bushes.

The xeriscape yard in Florida didn’t take off as well as many native plant

advocates might have hoped. They ended up being higher maintenance due

to constant weed pulling.

Grass lawns do have their place, and getting rid of your grass would not

make sense. They are great for walking on, playing badminton games, or

watching the deer graze. The question is, can you reduce the amount of

grass you have? Plant some native plants on your property for the good

insects and birds. Plant more oak trees to provide shade and oxygen.

Limit the use of fertilizer (agriculture plants excluded) because it runs into

our lakes and causes too much growth, which leads to a lack of oxygen in the

water. Follow the Hillsborough County water restrictions and kindly spread

the word.