The Florida Heartland (also known as South Central Florida ) is a region of Florida located to the north and west of Lake Okeechobee , composed of six inland, predominantly rural counties— DeSoto , Glades , Hardee , Hendry , Highlands , and Okeechobee . In 2020, The US Census Bureau recorded the population of the Florida Heartland region at 251,927. The most populous county in the region is Highlands County (2022 population of 105,618). Highlands County also contains the region's two largest cities - Avon Park (2022 population of 10,046) and Sebring (2022 population of 11,379). Unlike the coastal areas to the east and west, the rural nature of the Florida Heartland is culturally similar to that of the Florida panhandle and the Deep South in general rather than the rest of South Florida. The Florida Heartland region was originally settled and inhabited by Americans of predominantly English ancestry during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. While located in Palm Beach County , the nearby rural cities of South Bay , Belle Glade and Pahokee as well as the census-designated place of Lake Harbor , located on the southeastern shore of Lake Okeechobee, are more associated with the Florida Heartland than the remainder of South Florida . The same could also apply to the Collier County communities of Immokalee , Ave Maria and Harker as well as to the Martin County community of Port Mayaca . Occasionally included are the southern Polk County communities of Fort Meade , Frostproof and River Ranch as well as Yeehaw Junction in Osceola County .
113-473: The region is primarily rural in nature, with the primary economic driver being agriculture . Important products grown in this area include tomatoes , beef , sugarcane , cucumbers and citrus products including oranges . In Hardee county, phosphate mining is also a substantial industry, particularly along the Peace River basin. As of the 2020 United States Census , there were 251,927 people living in
226-787: A lord of the manor with a Roman Catholic church and priest. Thanks to the exchange with the Al-Andalus where the Arab Agricultural Revolution was underway, European agriculture transformed, with improved techniques and the diffusion of crop plants, including the introduction of sugar, rice, cotton and fruit trees (such as the orange). After 1492, the Columbian exchange brought New World crops such as maize, potatoes, tomatoes, sweet potatoes , and manioc to Europe, and Old World crops such as wheat, barley, rice, and turnips , and livestock (including horses, cattle, sheep and goats) to
339-466: A combination of labor supply and labor demand trends have driven down the share of population employed in agriculture. During the 16th century in Europe, between 55 and 75% of the population was engaged in agriculture; by the 19th century, this had dropped to between 35 and 65%. In the same countries today, the figure is less than 10%. At the start of the 21st century, some one billion people, or over 1/3 of
452-513: A combined NS/Conrail system. The railroad fiercely argued against allowing the sale to go through, even arguing that monopoly concerns precluded a Conrail sale to either NS or CSX. Despite his history in organizing the NS merger while leading the Southern Railway, Crane was a strong advocate for Conrail's independence and proposed an alternative: privatizing Conrail through an initial public offering to
565-512: A contract with Wabtec for modernizing their fleet of CW44s. The modernized locomotives, nearly thirty in number as of June 2020, are being classified as CM44AC . In February 2024, CSX and Wabtec reached a new agreement, of which, involves the modernization of over 200 locomotives. This accounts for the rest of the active roster of CW44ACs & CW44AHs . The locomotives will be modernized through 2028. On April 30, 2019, CSX unveiled locomotives 911 and 1776, two ES44AH locomotives created to honor
678-576: A county are controlled directly by the local county government. In much of the Heartland and rural Florida, it is common for incorporated municipalities to contract county services in order to save costs and avoid redundancy. Each of the six counties has its own school board, with four of the county school systems consisting of one high school, one alternative school and no more than two middle schools. Highlands County has three high schools while Hendry County has two. The six school districts are all members of
791-582: A crash safe cab, a new electronic control stand, and Positive Train Control (PTC). In 2019, 25 SD70AC locomotives were rebuilt at the CSX Huntington Heavy Repair Facility, with rebuilt prime movers, in-cab electronic and comfort improvements, New York Air Brake CCB II airbrake systems, and new Mitsubishi drive controls. CSX has also partnered with Wabtec to rebuild GE locomotives at their Fort Worth facility with prime movers upgraded to
904-628: A fertilizer for crops. CSX CSX Transportation ( reporting mark CSXT ), known colloquially as simply CSX , is a Class I freight railroad company operating in the Eastern United States and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec . Operating about 21,000 route miles (34,000 km) of track, it is the leading subsidiary of CSX Corporation , a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida . CSX Corporation
1017-664: A hazardous industry, and farmers worldwide remain at high risk of work-related injuries, lung disease, noise-induced hearing loss , skin diseases, as well as certain cancers related to chemical use and prolonged sun exposure. On industrialized farms , injuries frequently involve the use of agricultural machinery , and a common cause of fatal agricultural injuries in developed countries is tractor rollovers . Pesticides and other chemicals used in farming can be hazardous to worker health , and workers exposed to pesticides may experience illness or have children with birth defects. As an industry in which families commonly share in work and live on
1130-444: A high use of inputs (water, fertilizer, pesticide and automation). It is practiced mainly in developed countries. From the twentieth century onwards, intensive agriculture increased crop productivity. It substituted synthetic fertilizers and pesticides for labor, but caused increased water pollution, and often involved farm subsidies. Soil degradation and diseases such as stem rust are major concerns globally; approximately 40% of
1243-476: A holding company. The Seaboard Coast Line Railroad had already held some of L&N's stock, but the new holding company began buying up as much as it could find and held nearly total control of shares by 1971. With this also came control of the Clinchfield Railroad and Georgia Railroad , both of which were nominally jointly owned by SCL and L&N. The resulting railroad conglomerate began operating under
SECTION 10
#17328442485981356-461: A joint purchase with competitor Norfolk Southern Railway . In 2022, it acquired Pan Am Railways , extending its reach into northern New England . Norfolk Southern remains CSX's chief competitor; the two share a duopoly on transcontinental freight rail lines in the east half of the US. CSX is the result of a number of mergers among railroads operating in the eastern United States, the earliest among them
1469-447: A positive note, the gender gap in access to mobile internet in low- and middle-income countries fell from 25 percent to 16 percent between 2017 and 2021, and the gender gap in access to bank accounts narrowed from 9 to 6 percentage points. Women are as likely as men to adopt new technologies when the necessary enabling factors are put in place and they have equal access to complementary resources. Agriculture, specifically farming, remains
1582-510: A profit for the first time under the leadership of L. Stanley Crane in the wake of the Staggers Rail Act . The Reagan Administration wished to privatize Conrail now that it had shown it could stand on its own and placed it for sale in 1983. While CSX expressed interest, it ultimately did not place a bid for Conrail; Norfolk Southern did, however. When the government identified NS' bid as the winner, CSX realized it faced financial peril from
1695-404: A significant decrease in genetic diversity and resources among livestock breeds, leading to a corresponding decrease in disease resistance and local adaptations previously found among traditional breeds. Grassland based livestock production relies upon plant material such as shrubland , rangeland , and pastures for feeding ruminant animals. Outside nutrient inputs may be used, however manure
1808-485: A small area of forest is cleared by cutting and burning the trees. The cleared land is used for growing crops for a few years until the soil becomes too infertile, and the area is abandoned. Another patch of land is selected and the process is repeated. This type of farming is practiced mainly in areas with abundant rainfall where the forest regenerates quickly. This practice is used in Northeast India, Southeast Asia, and
1921-520: A total of 21 heritage locomotives would be painted over the coming months, with the locomotive number coinciding with the year the railroad was founded or the name began being used. In 1995, CSX started a new liability insurance requirement of $ 200 million to introduce their official policy, "no steam on its own wheels", banning the operation of steam locomotives and other antique rail equipment on their trackage due to safety concerns, and increased risk. In hump yards , trains are slowly pushed over
2034-552: A year, or requiring irrigation. In all of these environments perennial crops are grown (coffee, chocolate) and systems are practiced such as agroforestry . In temperate environments, where ecosystems were predominantly grassland or prairie , highly productive annual farming is the dominant agricultural system. Important categories of food crops include cereals, legumes, forage, fruits and vegetables. Natural fibers include cotton, wool , hemp , silk and flax . Specific crops are cultivated in distinct growing regions throughout
2147-470: A yearly summit to discuss safety. Overall production varies by country as listed. The twenty largest countries by agricultural output (in nominal terms) at peak level as of 2018, according to the IMF and CIA World Factbook . Cropping systems vary among farms depending on the available resources and constraints; geography and climate of the farm; government policy; economic, social and political pressures; and
2260-571: Is a hybrid of a Chilean and a North American species, developed by breeding in Europe and North America. The indigenous people of the Southwest and the Pacific Northwest practiced forest gardening and fire-stick farming . The natives controlled fire on a regional scale to create a low-intensity fire ecology that sustained a low-density agriculture in loose rotation; a sort of "wild" permaculture . A system of companion planting called
2373-646: Is an economic driver in the area, but far less so than most of the rest of the state. The lack of development and amenities results in fewer tourists visiting the area, and there are no oceanfront beaches to attract nearby residents. The largest tourist attraction in the Florida Heartland is the Sebring International Raceway , southeast of Sebring in Highlands County. There, the 12 Hours of Sebring , an American Le Mans Series race usually held in
SECTION 20
#17328442485982486-626: Is both a cause of and sensitive to environmental degradation , such as biodiversity loss , desertification , soil degradation , and climate change , all of which can cause decreases in crop yield. Genetically modified organisms are widely used, although some countries ban them . The word agriculture is a late Middle English adaptation of Latin agricultūra , from ager 'field' and cultūra ' cultivation ' or 'growing'. While agriculture usually refers to human activities, certain species of ant , termite and beetle have been cultivating crops for up to 60 million years. Agriculture
2599-444: Is defined with varying scopes, in its broadest sense using natural resources to "produce commodities which maintain life, including food, fiber, forest products, horticultural crops, and their related services". Thus defined, it includes arable farming , horticulture, animal husbandry and forestry , but horticulture and forestry are in practice often excluded. It may also be broadly decomposed into plant agriculture , which concerns
2712-550: Is designated as local O823. CSX operates Coke Express unit trains . They carry coke for steelmaking , power generation and other various uses, running between Pittsburgh and Chicago , and other places in the Rust Belt . CSX has rebuilt a significant number of locomotives. Some of their EMD GP38-2 , GP40-2 , and SD40-2 locomotives have been rebuilt to Dash 3 standards with updated Wabtec Electronically Controlled Air Brakes, air conditioning, automated starting controls,
2825-438: Is returned directly to the grassland as a major nutrient source. This system is particularly important in areas where crop production is not feasible because of climate or soil, representing 30–40 million pastoralists. Mixed production systems use grassland, fodder crops and grain feed crops as feed for ruminant and monogastric (one stomach; mainly chickens and pigs) livestock. Manure is typically recycled in mixed systems as
2938-620: The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) which formed in the 1820s. Many of the competing railroads along the east coast began merging from the 1950s onward as part of a broader trend of consolidation. An announcement from the New York Central (NYC) and Pennsylvania (PRR) railroads in November 1957 that they were considering combining set off discussions between the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and
3051-622: The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) on a merger. Ultimately, the financially stronger C&O took control of the B&O in December 1962, though the two railroads kept their separate identities. The NYC and PRR ultimately formed Penn Central Transportation Company in 1968, which by 1970 was bankrupt. The combined C&O/B&O purchased stock in the Western Maryland Railway until it
3164-702: The Heartland Educational Consortium , located in Lake Placid , Florida. The Consortium is one of three educational consortia in the state, created by state legislature to provide support to small and rural school districts. South Florida State College , the largest post-secondary institution based within Florida's Heartland, is located in Avon Park and has campuses in Lake Placid , Bowling Green and Arcadia . Other community colleges that have campuses in
3277-494: The Indus Valley civilization . In China, from the 5th century BC, there was a nationwide granary system and widespread silk farming . Water-powered grain mills were in use by the 1st century BC, followed by irrigation. By the late 2nd century, heavy ploughs had been developed with iron ploughshares and mouldboards . These spread westwards across Eurasia. Asian rice was domesticated 8,200–13,500 years ago – depending on
3390-449: The Norfolk and Western Railway and Southern Railway unveiled their own plans for a merger. The Southern was opposed to the planned CSX merger, but soon came to terms with Chessie and SCL and dropped its objections. On November 1, 1980, following ICC approval, CSX Corporation officially came into being as the successor of Chessie System and Seaboard Coast Line Industries. In 1982, N&W and
3503-572: The Paleolithic , after 10,000 BC. Staple food crops were grains such as wheat and barley, alongside industrial crops such as flax and papyrus . In India , wheat, barley and jujube were domesticated by 9,000 BC, soon followed by sheep and goats. Cattle, sheep and goats were domesticated in Mehrgarh culture by 8,000–6,000 BC. Cotton was cultivated by the 5th–4th millennium BC. Archeological evidence indicates an animal-drawn plough from 2,500 BC in
Florida Heartland - Misplaced Pages Continue
3616-626: The Surface Transportation Board . The STB approved the purchase on April 14, 2022. As part of the acquisition, Norfolk Southern Railway will gain trackage rights over several CSX lines, and Pan Am Southern , 50 percent owned by Pan Am Railways, will be operated by the Berkshire and Eastern Railroad , a new Genesee & Wyoming subsidiary formed explicitly for this purpose. CSX completed the purchase on June 1, 2022. On June 28, 2023, CSX and Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) announced
3729-518: The Three Rivers Railway as a subsidiary and purchased several key P&LE lines through it. CSX did not want the entire railroad, so some lines and company assets were instead retained by the P&LE's parent company, which ultimately sold them off. The company introduced its current slogan, "How Tomorrow Moves", in 2008. In 2014, Canadian Pacific Railway approached CSX with an offer to merge
3842-504: The Tigris and Euphrates rivers and a canal system for irrigation. Ploughs appear in pictographs around 3,000 BC; seed-ploughs around 2,300 BC. Farmers grew wheat, barley, vegetables such as lentils and onions, and fruits including dates, grapes, and figs. Ancient Egyptian agriculture relied on the Nile River and its seasonal flooding. Farming started in the predynastic period at the end of
3955-613: The molecular clock estimate that is used – on the Pearl River in southern China with a single genetic origin from the wild rice Oryza rufipogon . In Greece and Rome , the major cereals were wheat, emmer, and barley, alongside vegetables including peas, beans, and olives. Sheep and goats were kept mainly for dairy products. In the Americas, crops domesticated in Mesoamerica (apart from teosinte) include squash, beans, and cacao . Cocoa
4068-536: The organic movement . Unsustainable farming practices in North America led to the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. Pastoralism involves managing domesticated animals. In nomadic pastoralism , herds of livestock are moved from place to place in search of pasture, fodder, and water. This type of farming is practiced in arid and semi-arid regions of Sahara , Central Asia and some parts of India. In shifting cultivation ,
4181-401: The 1990s, and Q740 in the 2000s. The Juice Train has previously been studied as a model of efficient rail transportation that can compete with trucks and other modes in the perishable-goods trade. In 2017, the train was abolished from north of Tampa, Florida , and now mixed freight trains deliver the cars to their respective destinations. It still operates between Bradenton and Tampa however, but
4294-451: The 50.4 miles (81.1 km) miles of line between Myrtlewood and Meridian. The agreement became effective 16 November, 2024. Initially, and for the next five years, CSX and CPKC will interchange across the line an average of two trains per day in each direction. In turn, the Board also required CSX to maintain its Selma, AL , gateway open and to provide one shipper access to the NS at Selma at
4407-516: The 50.4 miles (81.1 km) segment of the line between Myrtlewood and Meridian. MNBR will cease operations between Montgomery and Myrtlewood although it may continue to operate between Myrtlewood and Meridian, and continue to serve existing customers on that segment of the line. If the STB approves the purchase, it will provide a connection between the two companies' networks and allow CSX traffic destined for Mexico to be delivered directly to CPKC, eliminating
4520-528: The Amazon Basin. Subsistence farming is practiced to satisfy family or local needs alone, with little left over for transport elsewhere. It is intensively practiced in Monsoon Asia and South-East Asia. An estimated 2.5 billion subsistence farmers worked in 2018, cultivating about 60% of the earth's arable land . Intensive farming is cultivation to maximize productivity, with a low fallow ratio and
4633-547: The Americas. Irrigation , crop rotation , and fertilizers advanced from the 17th century with the British Agricultural Revolution , allowing global population to rise significantly. Since 1900, agriculture in developed nations, and to a lesser extent in the developing world, has seen large rises in productivity as mechanization replaces human labor, and assisted by synthetic fertilizers , pesticides, and selective breeding . The Haber-Bosch method allowed
Florida Heartland - Misplaced Pages Continue
4746-752: The Atlantic Ocean through Lake Okeechobee. There is a proposal underway for a potential "Inland Port" to be located in the Florida Heartland. This inland port would be an extension of the Ports of West Palm Beach, Everglades and Miami which lack the current and available real estate to expand their facilities. There are three freight lines operating in the Florida Heartland, with approximately 190 miles of track: CSX Transportation , Seminole Gulf Railway , and South Central Florida Express . Amtrak service operates on CSX tracks, with stops in Sebring and Okeechobee. Tourism
4859-574: The B&O merged into the C&O. With the Western Maryland having already merged into the C&O, this left the C&O as the sole operating railroad under the Chessie System banner. Finally, on August 31, 1987, C&O/Chessie System merged into CSX Transportation, bringing all of the major CSX railroads under one banner. Government formed Conrail began to show promise in the early 1980s, showing
4972-741: The Conrail network on June 1, 1999. CSX now serves much of the Eastern United States , with a few routes into nearby Canadian cities. The two competitors were unwilling to give one company full control of busy industrial areas in Detroit , Philadelphia , and northern New Jersey (the Chemical Coast ). A compromise solution was reached by creating Conrail Shared Assets Operations , a jointly owned switching and terminal railroad which would operate in these areas on behalf of both CSX and NS. Virginia shortline Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad (RF&P)
5085-596: The FDL Advantage spec and new electronic controls such as the Wabtec Trip Optimizer Zero-to-Zero system. CSX has also obtained a few EMD F40PH -2s—nos. 9992, 9993, 9998, and 9999 (All locomotives except 9999 have been renumbered to CSX 1, 2, and 3 and were repainted into a heritage Baltimore and Ohio Railroad scheme)—that were retired from Amtrak for executive office car service and geometry trains . Another locomotive, ex- MARC GP40WH-2 no. 9969
5198-702: The Florida Heartland include the Indian River State College's Dixon Hendry Campus in Okeechobee , and the Fort Myers -based Florida SouthWestern State College with its Hendry/Glades Center in LaBelle . There are no exits from Interstate highways in the Florida Heartland. The only Interstate highway to pass through the Florida Heartland is Interstate 75, which passes briefly through extreme southwestern DeSoto County near Port Charlotte, however, there are no exits in
5311-558: The Florida Heartland region. The racial makeup of the region was: 65.6% White (150,302) 22.2% Hispanic (50,817) 9.8% Black (22,510) 1.2% Other/Pacific Islander (2,687) 0.7% Asian (1,701) 0.5% Native American (1,192) Each county in the region has its own government. Within each county, there are also incorporated cities and towns. Unlike some states in the northeastern and midwestern United States, Florida (as well as other southern states) does not have townships or boroughs within its counties. Unincorporated areas outside of city limits within
5424-592: The Heartland, the Okeechobee News (Okeechobee), and Highlands News-Sun (Sebring). Other daily newspapers that serve the Heartland include: There are no local television stations in the Florida Heartland. TV service originates in Fort Myers , Miami , Orlando , Tampa , and West Palm Beach . The following radio stations operate in the Heartland: WRMI , a Miami-based shortwave radio station, broadcasts from facilities near Okeechobee. The Okeechobee site
5537-581: The Hendry-Lee County line. U.S. Highways in the region: State Roads in the region include: There is no scheduled airline service in the Florida Heartland. The following General Aviation airports operate in the region: There are no seaports, as there is neither a seacoast nor navigable rivers, but the Okeechobee Waterway is a navigable canal which crosses the region, connecting the Gulf of Mexico to
5650-522: The M&B rate for five years, subject to reasonable cost escalation. It also includes conditions protecting employees affected by the line sale, and requires noise mitigation efforts regarding the CSX portion. A few days before CSX and CPKC officially took over the former M&B line, Schneider National , CSX's one of major intermodal partners and CPKC's main partner, announced that a new interline service connecting
5763-568: The Paleolithic Levant, 23,000 years ago, cereals cultivation of emmer , barley , and oats has been observed near the sea of Galilee. Rice was domesticated in China between 11,500 and 6,200 BC with the earliest known cultivation from 5,700 BC, followed by mung , soy and azuki beans. Sheep were domesticated in Mesopotamia between 13,000 and 11,000 years ago. Cattle were domesticated from
SECTION 50
#17328442485985876-496: The STB approved the CSX–NS application and set August 22, 1998, as the effective date of its decision. CSX acquired 42 percent of Conrail's assets, and NS received the remaining 58 percent. As a result of the transaction, CSX's rail operations grew to include some 3,800 miles (6,100 km) of the Conrail system (predominantly lines that had belonged to the former New York Central Railroad ). CSX began operating its trains on its portion of
5989-622: The Southeast (Florida and Georgia) with the Texas and Mexico markets via the route between Montgomery and Meridian will be launched beginning in December. CSX operated the Juice Train which consisted of Tropicana cars that carried fresh orange juice between Bradenton, Florida , and the Greenville section of Jersey City, New Jersey . The northbound train was originally designated on CSX as K650 during
6102-494: The Southern completed their merger and formed Norfolk Southern Railway , creating a competitor to CSX. One of the first issues the new railroad grappled with was the choice of name. Chessie and SCLI leadership agreed that, as a merger of equals, neither of the existing names could be used. A call for suggestions went out to employees of both railroads, who responded with a wide variety of initialisms combining C and S in some form. At
6215-496: The State of Virginia, which held partial ownership of the RF&P, was displeased with the merger agreement created by CSX. In particular the status of Potomac Yard , then a major classification yard in the RF&P system, was a matter of disagreement. The yard had potential for redevelopment, and as part of negotiations with the state, CSX ultimately agreed to decommission the rail yard by
6328-479: The Three Sisters was developed in North America. The three crops were winter squash , maize, and climbing beans. Indigenous Australians , long supposed to have been nomadic hunter-gatherers , practiced systematic burning, possibly to enhance natural productivity in fire-stick farming. Scholars have pointed out that hunter-gatherers need a productive environment to support gathering without cultivation. Because
6441-786: The United Nations (FAO) posits that the roles and responsibilities of women in agriculture may be changing – for example, from subsistence farming to wage employment, and from contributing household members to primary producers in the context of male-out-migration. In general, women account for a greater share of agricultural employment at lower levels of economic development, as inadequate education, limited access to basic infrastructure and markets, high unpaid work burden and poor rural employment opportunities outside agriculture severely limit women's opportunities for off-farm work. Women who work in agricultural production tend to do so under highly unfavorable conditions. They tend to be concentrated in
6554-517: The United States is roughly 1.7 times more productive than it was in 1948. Agriculture employed 873 million people in 2021, or 27% of the global workforce, compared with 1 027 million (or 40%) in 2000. The share of agriculture in global GDP was stable at around 4% since 2000–2023. Despite increases in agricultural production and productivity, between 702 and 828 million people were affected by hunger in 2021. Food insecurity and malnutrition can be
6667-530: The annual work-related death toll among agricultural employees is at least 170,000, twice the average rate of other jobs. In addition, incidences of death, injury and illness related to agricultural activities often go unreported. The organization has developed the Safety and Health in Agriculture Convention, 2001 , which covers the range of risks in the agriculture occupation, the prevention of these risks and
6780-553: The available work force, were employed in agriculture. This constitutes approximately 70% of the global employment of children, and in many countries constitutes the largest percentage of women of any industry. The service sector overtook the agricultural sector as the largest global employer in 2007. In many developed countries, immigrants help fill labor shortages in high-value agriculture activities that are difficult to mechanize. Foreign farm workers from mostly Eastern Europe, North Africa and South Asia constituted around one-third of
6893-471: The car is owned by a leasing company or private car owner. Chessie's public relations staff drafted a number of possible logos for the new railroad, but continued to strike out until it was suggested to combine the letters "C" and "S" in the shape of an X. Despite the merger in 1980, CSX was a paper railroad (meaning no CSX painted locomotives or rolling stock) until 1986. In that year, Seaboard System changed its name to CSX Transportation. On April 30, 1987,
SECTION 60
#17328442485987006-580: The central west coast and eastern central, early farmers cultivated yams, native millet, and bush onions, possibly in permanent settlements. In the Middle Ages , compared to the Roman period , agriculture in Western Europe became more focused on self-sufficiency . The agricultural population under feudalism was typically organized into manors consisting of several hundred or more acres of land presided over by
7119-444: The competitors struck a deal to split Conrail between them. On June 23, 1997, CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) filed a joint application with the Surface Transportation Board for authority to purchase, divide, and operate the assets of the 11,000-mile (18,000 km) Conrail, which had been created in 1976 by bringing together several ailing Northeastern railway systems into a government-owned corporation . On June 6, 1998,
7232-530: The county. The Florida's Turnpike passes through the northeastern corner of Okeechobee County, and includes the Fort Drum service plaza, however, there are no exits along that segment. U.S. Route 27 and U.S. Route 17 are the only major four-lane highways within the Florida Heartland region. U.S. 27 runs from the southeastern corner of the region at the Hendry-Palm Beach county line just east of Clewiston to
7345-468: The cultivation of useful plants, and animal agriculture , the production of agricultural animals. The development of agriculture enabled the human population to grow many times larger than could be sustained by hunting and gathering . Agriculture began independently in different parts of the globe, and included a diverse range of taxa , in at least 11 separate centers of origin . Wild grains were collected and eaten from at least 105,000 years ago. In
7458-656: The domestication of squash (Cucurbita) and other plants. Coca was domesticated in the Andes, as were the peanut, tomato, tobacco, and pineapple . Cotton was domesticated in Peru by 3,600 BC. Animals including llamas , alpacas , and guinea pigs were domesticated there. In North America , the indigenous people of the East domesticated crops such as sunflower , tobacco, squash and Chenopodium . Wild foods including wild rice and maple sugar were harvested. The domesticated strawberry
7571-432: The farm itself, entire families can be at risk for injuries, illness, and death. Ages 0–6 may be an especially vulnerable population in agriculture; common causes of fatal injuries among young farm workers include drowning, machinery and motor accidents, including with all-terrain vehicles. The International Labor Organization considers agriculture "one of the most hazardous of all economic sectors". It estimates that
7684-425: The first responders and veterans respectively. Another special unit, ES44AH 3194, was unveiled on August 22, 2019, in honor of the law enforcement. On September 13, 2022, CSX unveiled SD70AC 4568 painted in honor of Operation Lifesaver's 50th anniversary. In May 2023, CSX unveiled their heritage unit program, beginning with ES44AH No. 1827 being painted for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad . CSX then stated that
7797-430: The forests of New Guinea have few food plants, early humans may have used "selective burning" to increase the productivity of the wild karuka fruit trees to support the hunter-gatherer way of life. The Gunditjmara and other groups developed eel farming and fish trapping systems from some 5,000 years ago. There is evidence of 'intensification' across the whole continent over that period. In two regions of Australia,
7910-418: The general public. Crane's solution was ultimately adopted in 1987, keeping Conrail independent. This was not the end of CSX and NS interest in Conrail, and attempts by both competitors resumed in the 1990s. This time, CSX struck first, announcing a surprise deal to purchase Conrail in October 1996. NS promptly made an offer of its own and began a bidding war with CSX that was only resolved in January 1997 when
8023-422: The greater use of pesticides and fertilizers. Multiple cropping , in which several crops are grown sequentially in one year, and intercropping , when several crops are grown at the same time, are other kinds of annual cropping systems known as polycultures . In subtropical and arid environments, the timing and extent of agriculture may be limited by rainfall, either not allowing multiple annual crops in
8136-441: The input of nutrients (fertilizer or manure ) and some manual pest control . Annual cultivation is the next phase of intensity in which there is no fallow period. This requires even greater nutrient and pest control inputs. Further industrialization led to the use of monocultures , when one cultivar is planted on a large acreage. Because of the low biodiversity , nutrient use is uniform and pests tend to build up, necessitating
8249-533: The intention to purchase Meridian and Bigbee Railroad (MNBR). The MNBR creates a connection 168 miles (270 km) between CSX in Burkville, Alabama near Montgomery , and Meridian, Mississippi , where it joins the Meridian Speedway heading west. Under the proposed agreement, CSX will resume operations between Montgomery and Myrtlewood, terminating the lease currently in place with MNBR, while CPKC will acquire
8362-399: The line and sparked an interest in purchasing it outright. An initial attempt to buy out the P&LE in partnership with an employee buyout by P&LE employees in 1988 failed when negotiations between CSX and the other railroad's unions could not come to an agreement. CSX instead purchased the P&LE main line outright in 1991, leasing it back to the P&LE. The next year, CSX formed
8475-469: The lower yield associated with organic farming and its impact on global food security . Recent mainstream technological developments include genetically modified food . By 2015, the agricultural output of China was the largest in the world, followed by the European Union, India and the United States. Economists measure the total factor productivity of agriculture, according to which agriculture in
8588-582: The name "Family Lines". Despite this wave of mergers, one more was yet to come - the combination of Chessie System and the Family Lines. To this end, the CSX Corporation was organized on November 14, 1978, as a future vehicle for such a merger. Chessie and SCL Industries formally applied for ICC approval of their merger plans in January 1979, causing a rapid reaction from the region's other railroads. By April,
8701-610: The need for a third intermediate railroad to move such traffic. Currently, CSX traffic bound for Mexico is exchanged with the Union Pacific Railroad in New Orleans , who then takes it to the cross-border gateway in Laredo, Texas , where it is delivered to CPKC. In October 2024, the STB approved CSX's resumption of operations on the 93.7 miles (150.8 km) leased from M&B between Burkville and Myrtlewood and CPKC's purchase of
8814-666: The northern boundary of the Heartland region at the Highlands-Polk county line. U.S. Route 17 runs from the DeSoto-Charlotte County line north to the Hardee-Polk county line. Other four-lane highways within the Heartland region include Florida State Road 70, which runs from Okeechobee east to the Okeechobee-St. Lucie County line, and Florida State Road 80, which runs from Whidden Corner several miles west of Clewiston west to
8927-437: The philosophy and culture of the farmer. Shifting cultivation (or slash and burn ) is a system in which forests are burnt, releasing nutrients to support cultivation of annual and then perennial crops for a period of several years. Then the plot is left fallow to regrow forest, and the farmer moves to a new plot, returning after many more years (10–20). This fallow period is shortened if population density grows, requiring
9040-414: The poorest countries, where alternative livelihoods are not available, and they maintain the intensity of their work in conditions of climate-induced weather shocks and in situations of conflict. Women are less likely to participate as entrepreneurs and independent farmers and are engaged in the production of less lucrative crops. The gender gap in land productivity between female- and male managed farms of
9153-440: The production of fish for human consumption in confined operations, is one of the fastest growing sectors of food production, growing at an average of 9% a year between 1975 and 2007. During the second half of the 20th century, producers using selective breeding focused on creating livestock breeds and crossbreeds that increased production, while mostly disregarding the need to preserve genetic diversity . This trend has led to
9266-477: The result of conflict, climate extremes and variability and economic swings. It can also be caused by a country's structural characteristics such as income status and natural resource endowments as well as its political economy. Pesticide use in agriculture went up 62% between 2000 and 2021, with the Americas accounting for half the use in 2021. The International Fund for Agricultural Development posits that an increase in smallholder agriculture may be part of
9379-844: The role that individuals and organizations engaged in agriculture should play. In the United States, agriculture has been identified by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health as a priority industry sector in the National Occupational Research Agenda to identify and provide intervention strategies for occupational health and safety issues. In the European Union, the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work has issued guidelines on implementing health and safety directives in agriculture, livestock farming, horticulture, and forestry. The Agricultural Safety and Health Council of America (ASHCA) also holds
9492-474: The salaried agricultural workforce in Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal in 2013. In the United States of America, more than half of all hired farmworkers (roughly 450,000 workers) were immigrants in 2019, although the number of new immigrants arriving in the country to work in agriculture has fallen by 75 percent in recent years and rising wages indicate this has led to a major labor shortage on U.S. farms. Around
9605-439: The same size is 24 percent. On average, women earn 18.4 percent less than men in wage employment in agriculture; this means that women receive 82 cents for every dollar earned by men. Progress has been slow in closing gaps in women's access to irrigation and in ownership of livestock, too. Women in agriculture still have significantly less access than men to inputs, including improved seeds, fertilizers and mechanized equipment. On
9718-509: The same time, the two companies' lawyers needed a name to use as part of their proceedings with the ICC. "CSC" was chosen but belonged to a trucking company in Virginia . "CSM" (for "Chessie-Seaboard Merger") was also taken. Needing some sort of identifier for the new railroad, the lawyers decided to use "CSX", and the name stuck, despite only being intended as a placeholder. In the public announcement, it
9831-446: The second week of March, drew a "paying crowd" of more than 169,000 in 2006. Many seasonal residents (sometimes referred to as "snowbirds") live in the area during the winter months only, as temperatures in south Florida stay very moderate during that time of year. Lake Okeechobee and Lake Istokpoga in Highlands County attract fishers to the area. Area code 863 is used throughout the region. There are two daily newspapers published in
9944-488: The solution to concerns about food prices and overall food security , given the favorable experience of Vietnam. Agriculture provides about one-quarter of all global employment, more than half in sub-Saharan Africa and almost 60 percent in low-income countries. As countries develop, other jobs have historically pulled workers away from agriculture, and labor-saving innovations increase agricultural productivity by reducing labor requirements per unit of output. Over time,
10057-442: The steel industry in the 1980s crippled the railroad. As local traffic dried up, conditions reached the point that the B&O was running as many as 20 trains per day on the P&LE main line versus just one run by the line's owner. When P&LE employees went on strike to protest a change in ownership of the railroad, the company cut maintenance and reduced its main line to one track to cut costs. This adversely affected CSX usage of
10170-400: The synthesis of ammonium nitrate fertilizer on an industrial scale, greatly increasing crop yields and sustaining a further increase in global population. Modern agriculture has raised or encountered ecological, political, and economic issues including water pollution , biofuels , genetically modified organisms , tariffs and farm subsidies , leading to alternative approaches such as
10283-511: The time a deal was reached in October 1991 whereby CSX and the State of Virginia each purchased part of the RF&P. From the 1930s, the B&O had used part of the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad (P&LE) main line from McKeesport, Pennsylvania , to West Pittsburg via a trackage rights agreement. The P&LE remained healthy enough to escape inclusion in Conrail, but a severe downturn in
10396-655: The transition from hunter-gatherer to agricultural societies indicate an initial period of intensification and increasing sedentism ; examples are the Natufian culture in the Levant , and the Early Chinese Neolithic in China. Then, wild stands that had previously been harvested started to be planted, and gradually came to be domesticated. In Eurasia, the Sumerians started to live in villages from about 8,000 BC, relying on
10509-593: The two companies, but CSX declined, and in 2015 Canadian Pacific made an attempt to purchase and merge with Norfolk Southern , but NS declined to do so as well. In 2017, CSX announced Hunter Harrison would become its new chief executive officer; a settlement with activist investor Paul Hilal and Mantle Ridge. CSX added five new directors to their board, including Harrison and Mantle Ridge founder Paul Hilal. Mantle Ridge owns 4.9% of CSX. Harrison quickly moved to convert CSX rail operations to precision railroading . On December 14, 2017, CSX announced that Hunter Harrison
10622-656: The wild aurochs in the areas of modern Turkey and Pakistan some 10,500 years ago. Pig production emerged in Eurasia, including Europe, East Asia and Southwest Asia, where wild boar were first domesticated about 10,500 years ago. In the Andes of South America, the potato was domesticated between 10,000 and 7,000 years ago, along with beans, coca , llamas , alpacas , and guinea pigs . Sugarcane and some root vegetables were domesticated in New Guinea around 9,000 years ago. Sorghum
10735-744: The world consist of fewer than 2 hectares (4.9 acres), and take up only around 12% of all agricultural land. Farms and farming greatly influence rural economics and greatly shape rural society , affecting both the direct agricultural workforce and broader businesses that support the farms and farming populations. The major agricultural products can be broadly grouped into foods , fibers , fuels , and raw materials (such as rubber ). Food classes include cereals ( grains ), vegetables , fruits , cooking oils , meat , milk , eggs , and fungi . Global agricultural production amounts to approximately 11 billion tonnes of food, 32 million tonnes of natural fibers and 4 billion m of wood. However, around 14% of
10848-774: The world's agricultural land is seriously degraded. In recent years there has been a backlash against the environmental effects of conventional agriculture, resulting in the organic , regenerative , and sustainable agriculture movements. One of the major forces behind this movement has been the European Union , which first certified organic food in 1991 and began reform of its Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in 2005 to phase out commodity-linked farm subsidies, also known as decoupling . The growth of organic farming has renewed research in alternative technologies such as integrated pest management , selective breeding, and controlled-environment agriculture . There are concerns about
10961-664: The world's food is lost from production before reaching the retail level. Modern agronomy , plant breeding , agrochemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers , and technological developments have sharply increased crop yields , but also contributed to ecological and environmental damage . Selective breeding and modern practices in animal husbandry have similarly increased the output of meat, but have raised concerns about animal welfare and environmental damage. Environmental issues include contributions to climate change , depletion of aquifers , deforestation , antibiotic resistance , and other agricultural pollution . Agriculture
11074-481: The world, women make up a large share of the population employed in agriculture. This share is growing in all developing regions except East and Southeast Asia where women already make up about 50 percent of the agricultural workforce. Women make up 47 percent of the agricultural workforce in sub-Saharan Africa, a rate that has not changed significantly in the past few decades. However, the Food and Agriculture Organization of
11187-495: The world. In the 20th century, industrial agriculture based on large-scale monocultures came to dominate agricultural output. As of 2021 , small farms produce about one-third of the world's food, but large farms are prevalent. The largest 1% of farms in the world are greater than 50 hectares (120 acres) and operate more than 70% of the world's farmland. Nearly 40% of agricultural land is found on farms larger than 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres). However, five of every six farms in
11300-621: The world. Production is listed in millions of metric tons, based on FAO estimates. Animal husbandry is the breeding and raising of animals for meat, milk, eggs , or wool , and for work and transport. Working animals , including horses, mules , oxen , water buffalo , camels, llamas, alpacas, donkeys, and dogs, have for centuries been used to help cultivate fields, harvest crops, wrangle other animals, and transport farm products to buyers. Livestock production systems can be defined based on feed source, as grassland-based, mixed, and landless. As of 2010 , 30% of Earth's ice- and water-free area
11413-444: Was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization , whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to live in the cities. While humans started gathering grains at least 105,000 years ago, nascent farmers only began planting them around 11,500 years ago. Sheep, goats, pigs, and cattle were domesticated around 10,000 years ago. Plants were independently cultivated in at least 11 regions of
11526-574: Was able to take full control in February 1967, bringing a third railroad into the combined entity, which in 1973 became formally known as the Chessie System after the C&O's historic cat mascot Chessie. While the railroads in Appalachia were merging, southern railroads (and historical competitors) Seaboard Air Line Railroad and Atlantic Coast Line Railroad decided to pursue a merger in 1960, which
11639-618: Was acquired by CSX in February 1990. The RF&P had historically been jointly owned by a number of connecting railroads through a holding company and operated as a bridge line . All of these owners except the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Southern Railway eventually became part of CSX, and the PRR stake was given up during the bankruptcy of Penn Central. This purchase added a new connection between Alexandria and Richmond , linking former B&O lines with those of C&O and Seaboard. However,
11752-504: Was acquired for the same purpose. With the arrival of Hunter Harrison , CSX began to store many locomotives. Following Harrison's death, his replacement James Foote largely continued his policies. The company had over 900 locomotives in storage in January 2018. CSX ordered ten SD70ACe-T4s in August 2018, which were delivered in July the following year. They are classified as ST70AHs. CSX also has
11865-843: Was authorized by the Interstate Commerce Commission in late 1963 and finally completed in 1967, forming the Seaboard Coast Line Railroad . The combined company absorbed the Piedmont and Northern Railway in 1969. In the Midwest, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad (L&N) went on an acquisition spree, splitting the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad (C&EI) with the Missouri Pacific Railroad in 1969. This
11978-621: Was domesticated by the Mayo Chinchipe of the upper Amazon around 3,000 BC. The turkey was probably domesticated in Mexico or the American Southwest. The Aztecs developed irrigation systems, formed terraced hillsides, fertilized their soil, and developed chinampas or artificial islands. The Mayas used extensive canal and raised field systems to farm swampland from 400 BC. In South America agriculture may have begun about 9000 BC with
12091-548: Was domesticated in the Sahel region of Africa by 7,000 years ago. Cotton was domesticated in Peru by 5,600 years ago, and was independently domesticated in Eurasia. In Mesoamerica , wild teosinte was bred into maize (corn) from 10,000 to 6,000 years ago. The horse was domesticated in the Eurasian Steppes around 3500 BC. Scholars have offered multiple hypotheses to explain the historical origins of agriculture. Studies of
12204-754: Was followed in 1971 with the acquisition of the Monon Railroad , which had complained bitterly about the C&EI split. The L&N also purchased a portion of the Tennessee Central Railway in 1969. While still independent, the L&N had long standing links to the Atlantic Coast Line, and other railroads in the region began to worry about a combined L&N/SCL system. In 1969, the Seaboard Coast Line created Seaboard Coast Line Industries as
12317-458: Was formed in 1980 from the merger of Chessie System and Seaboard Coast Line Industries , two holding companies that controlled railroads operating in the Eastern United States . Initially only a holding company, the subsidiaries that made up CSX Corporation completed merging in 1987. CSX Transportation formally came into existence in 1986, as the successor of Seaboard System Railroad . In 1999, CSX Transportation acquired about half of Conrail in
12430-734: Was on medical leave. Two days after the announcement, Harrison died, one day after being hospitalized for complications of an ongoing illness. CSX initially saw a 10% drop in its stock price, but turned around to hit a new 52-week high less than a month later (January 2018). Harrison's successors have continued the shift to precision railroading, with most hump yards converted to flat yards, low volume shipping lanes eliminated and reductions in rolling stock and work force. On November 30, 2020, CSX Transportation's parent company CSX Corporation announced on social media that they had come to an agreement with Pan Am Systems to purchase New England based Class II Pan Am Railways , pending regulatory approval from
12543-835: Was previously the longtime home of Family Radio 's WYFR from 1977 to 2013. The Sebring, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area , which includes all of Highlands County , is the only MSA within the Florida Heartland region. With a 2023 estimated population of 107,614 the Sebring MSA has the smallest population of Florida's 22 Metropolitan Statistical Areas. Additionally, the Census Bureau has identified four Micropolitan Statistical Areas : 27°11′39″N 81°22′13″W / 27.1941°N 81.3702°W / 27.1941; -81.3702 Agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture , and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture
12656-452: Was said that "CSX is singularly appropriate. C can stand for Chessie, S for Seaboard and X, the multiplication symbol, means that together we are so much more." However, an August 9, 2016, article on the Railway Age website stated that " ... the 'X' was for 'Consolidated' ". A fourth letter had to be added to CSX when used as a reporting mark because reporting marks that end in X mean that
12769-584: Was used for producing livestock, with the sector employing approximately 1.3 billion people. Between the 1960s and the 2000s, there was a significant increase in livestock production, both by numbers and by carcass weight, especially among beef, pigs and chickens, the latter of which had production increased by almost a factor of 10. Non-meat animals, such as milk cows and egg-producing chickens, also showed significant production increases. Global cattle, sheep and goat populations are expected to continue to increase sharply through 2050. Aquaculture or fish farming,
#597402