Volume 4 - Issue 3 23 | February | 2015 Florida’s West Coast Emerging Times . growing toward the future Class 4 tours ag operations to learn about specialty crops Class 4 spent time with Kevin Taylor (center) at Wm. P Hearne Produce to learn about cabbage production. Class 4 of FFVA’s Emerging Leader Develop- ral Growers, Wm. P. Hearne Produce, Lipman ment Program hit the road in January for a tour Produce and the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research of farming and packing operations in Hillsbor- and Education Center. ough, Polk and Manatee counties. It was the A highlight of the trip was the delivery of group’s third seminar in the yearlong program food to the RCMA center in Dover. The group and the first time class members had visited in had conducted a food drive in the weeks before the field with other FFVA members. the tour that netted large quantities of non-per- The group benefited from seeing a variety of ishable food, children’s books and clothing. operations up close as well as the opportunity “We appreciate the generosity of both FSGA to have frank discussions with FFVA producer and Farm Credit of Central Florida for provid- members about the challenges they face. ing lunches, and to Florida’s Natural Growers SUSTAINING SPONSOR Tour stops and hosts included the Florida Foundation for sponsoring the bus,” said Sonia Strawberry Growers Association, Florida Pacific Tighe, director of the program and the Florida Farm, DiMare Fresh, Wish Farms, Fancy Farms, Specialty Crop Foundation. Farm Credit, Wm. G. Roe & Sons, Florida’s Natu- 2 23 | February | 2015 Production trip starts at FSGA by Shine Taylor DuPont Crop Protection Our Florida production trip kicked off with the Florida Strawberry Growers Association in Dover. Our hosts were Executive Director Ken- neth Parker; Sue Harrell, director of marketing; and Alicia Whidden, extension faculty with the University of Florida. We were introduced to some of the re- search that is conducted in the field. Parker, a sixth-generation Floridian and a certified crop advisor with extensive knowledge of strawberry production, walked the plots with us and dis- cussed the breeding research while we watched Dr. Craig Chandler evaluate new cultivars. We learned how the UF breeding program works in coordination with the FSGA and were able FSGA Executive Director Kenneth Parker shows class members strawberries in the test plots located to see in the field some of the most popular on FSGA property. cultivars that are grown commercially in the Plant City area. We also discussed current issues, ers, aquatic producers, timber harvesters, including problems associated Botrytis fruit rot. Farm Credit borrowers agribusinesses, and agricultural and rural Unfortunately, with cooler, wetter conditions share in the profits utility cooperatives. The organization has perfect for Botrytis development, we were able a 10-member board of directors -- nine of to see the damage from this fungus firsthand. whom are borrowers, which gives great Harrell, also known as “Strawberry Sue,” insight on the agriculture industry. Agricul- discussed Sue’s Corner, a blog created to market ture loans are the bread and butter of this and promote Florida’s strawberries. Harrell organization; however, it does finance home discussed the challenges of marketing to a by Dustin Grooms loans as well. Farm Credit is a cooperative, so growing audience on the internet and how the Fancy Farms, Inc. borrowers are considered stockholders and FSGA is catering to that demographic, including share in the profits. interacting with food bloggers and chefs from During our production trip we were able Thomas discussed Farm Credit’s lending around the country to use Florida strawberries to see where many agricultural companies operation. They have a loan analysts located in their recipes. Harrell also has used traditional receive the loans for their new or thriving on the third and fourth floors of their Lake- media including some recent work in a national businesses: Farm Credit of Central Florida in land location along with other administrative magazine to promote Florida strawberries. Lakeland. We were met by Ron O’ Connor, di- jobs. Farm Credit of Central Florida has four We also discussed how to market in local and rector of marketing and governmental affairs, branches: Apopka, Brooksville, Lake Wales regional grocery chains and the challenges and and Regina Thomas, senior vice president/ and Plant City. Agricultural operating loans complexity of those decisions on our custom- chief business development officer. and real estate loans are the mainstay of the ers. Harrell’s discussion about her role with Farm Credit also sponsored lunch from business. They also work with the USDA to FSGA and marketing our unique product from Olive Garden, which we were able to enjoy help farmers get loans with multiple differ- Florida would be a theme we would hear on during the presentations. We all had our FFVA ent avenues of approach. Loans are priced other stops. white shirts on, and a few of us left with pasta on cost of funds with the sale of bonds in the Whidden talked about her role as an exten- sauce on them. At the end of lunch we met GSE bond market. sion agent to the growers and community. She Chief Executive Officer Reggie Holt and a few Farm Credit borrowers have long enjoyed has responsibilities for vegetables and small board members for a question-and-answer the benefits of doing business with local fruit, which in Hillsborough County vary widely. session. offices, where people know their business, Her information was very insightful and gave O’Connor gave an overview of the his- their community and their market, Thomas the class a good understanding of the impor- tory of Farm Credit, which provides more said. Farm Credit’s mission is to be the tance of what she does in the community and than $191 billion in loans and $260 billion in “Lender of Choice” for agriculture. the role of UF extension in Florida. assets to farmers, ranchers, rural homeown- 3 23 | February | 2015 A firsthand look at greenhouse production by Dan Bott Premier Citrus Management Skeeter Bethea was our host during our stop at DiMare Fresh Farms in Ruskin. The Di- Mare companies began with a pushcart filled with produce on the streets of Boston more than 80 years ago. Today, the DiMare family is in its third generation of farming on the east and west coasts. Their companies are leaders in developing new and improved practices. DiMare Fresh was created in 2003 through the integration of other DiMare companies to better leverage the companies’ vertical Skeeter Bethea (right) of DiMare Fresh talks about the challenges of greenhouse production of roma integration, supply chain, and expertise. The tomatoes. company operates in eight facilities in Califor- nia, Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Florida. DiMare is focused on enhancing the com- pany’s core commodities and specializes in a full line of tomatoes including rounds, romas, grapes, and vine-ripe tomatoes. They also produce a wide assortment of other items, including bell peppers, cucumbers, squash, onions, potatoes, avocados, lettuce, broccoli, celery, bananas, berries and citrus. DiMare is continually upgrading its facili- ties, systems, and equipment as new technol- ogy emerges. Bethea gave the class a tour of DiMare’s new greenhouse facility in Ruskin where the company is growing roma toma- toes. He also provided in-depth production insight into their current fertilizer and pest management practices and what could be the future of protected agriculture practices. A primary goal of DiMare has been to provide high-quality produce to customers from an environment that supports social responsibil- ity and sustainability initiatives. 4 23 | February | 2015 Upon arrival at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center class members were asked to put their taste buds to work on several different strawberry varieties (left). They then toured the strawberry tissue culture lab where several cultivars are in various stages of propagation. Center tour gives on nitrogen runoff sources from urban A very inventive areas into Tampa Bay. close look at research Our group then toured the research family operation facility, starting with the diagnostic clinic. The types of samples being submitted to the clinic clue faculty to disease outbreaks and current problems. Catalina Moyer gave us a tour of the strawberry tissue culture lab. The cultures are from filed by Paul Miller by Teddy McAvoy selections that will become new cultivars Pioneer Growers Co-op for propagation. Tissue culture produces plants that are clean of insects and dis- As we were finishing up our presenta- Upon our arrival at the UF/IFAS Gulf eases for nursery material. tion and lunch at Farm Credit, I pulled Coast Research and Education Center, We also had a field tour. The first stop out the agenda to see where we were Director Dr. Jack Rechcigl gave us an was a demonstration of protected agri- headed next. Wm. G. Roe & Sons in Winter overview of the research being conducted culture presented by Dr. Gary Vallad. The Haven was scheduled as the next stop, there. Several faculty members then main benefit of growing strawberries in a and we were set up to tour the citrus and introduced themselves and gave a descrip- protected structure is the ability to modify blueberry packing facilities. As we pulled tion their research programs. Dr. Samuel the environment to prevent disease and up to Wm. G. Roe & Sons, I noticed it was Hutton discussed his tomato breeding protect from frost. Tomas Hasing showed an older looking building that was rather program, designed to provide resistance to us the strawberry variety trials. Strawberry large, and not some state-of-the-art facility tomato yellow leaf curl virus, bacterial spot characteristics being selected are growth I had imagined.