Nov. 1. 2013

Gainesville, Fla. – Three central Florida farm operations have earned a prestigious statewide award for natural resource conservation. The award announcement was made at Florida Farm Bureau’s 2013 Annual Meeting in Ponte Vedra Beach on Oct. 25.
Each of the enterprises received the Agriculture-Environmental Leadership Award from Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam. Farmton Tree Farm in Volusia and Brevard counties, a forestry business, Ferris Farms of Floral City, a fruit farm, and Kissimmee Park Properties, a St. Cloud ranch, received the honor because of the owners’ superior systems of natural resource management.
The implementation of state-of-the-art techniques on these properties conserves water resources and protects water quality in the acreage around them.
Putnam said the award winners “represent the best of the best in developing and implementing techniques to safeguard the environment and conserve natural resources.” They do so “while continuing to provide top-notch agricultural products,” Putnam added.