June 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

A question that is on the mind of many Florida farmers and ranchers is “How do I remain viable with the never-ending costs of inputs”?  Near the end of 2021, many conversations on and off the farm were centered on rising fertilizer costs and the availability of inputs necessary for production.  Now, just six months into 2022, record-breaking fuel prices have been added to the mix.

It is critical to note that increased prices of goods sold does not guarantee higher profit margins for any business.  With increased costs and lack of availability, farmers and ranchers are struggling to maintain existing profit margins and meet production goals.

Buck Carpenter, a sixth generation perennial peanut hay farmer and cattle rancher from Madison County, shared, “This inflated economy is severely impacting my family operation.  Last week, I purchased fertilizer at $2,000 per load compared to this same time last year when I paid only $800 per load.”

In addition, Florida agriculture relies heavily on refrigerated transportation to transport food products, such as milk and fresh vegetables, as well as heavy equipment to conduct work each growing season.  Fuel is a necessary cost for a farm enterprise.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, diesel prices have risen more than 37% in just 10 weeks since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, setting a new nominal record of $5.62 a gallon in May. What is being done to ease this burden on Americans and how are farmers and ranchers being taken into consideration?

The Biden Administration has lifted the summer sales of E15 for all grades of gasoline.  Retailers are now required to sell summer-blend gas from June 1 to Sept. 15 to help drive down prices at the pump.  However, projections from the U.S. Energy Information Administration still signal another increase in gas prices to $6.20 per gallon in August.

Under consideration is the release of one million barrels of diesel fuel from federal reserves to help drive prices back down and prevent outages in areas like the East Coast.  To many farmers like Carpenter, who drive diesel trucks and use diesel fuel for equipment, this could prove to be a positive, but short-term solution.

Carpenter said he regularly fuels three one-ton trucks and a fleet of working tractors.  He stated, “Increased inputs and fuel prices are impacting not only my bottom line but also our consumers who are the end users.  If fuel becomes less available that will lead to severe ramifications for consumers.  Releasing barrels of diesel from federal reserves will at least keep supply adequate.  From there, we can work on reducing prices by implementing immediate innovations, whether through agency cost-share programs or other methods.”

Carpenter went on to share a valuable piece of wisdom that he is applying to his efforts to combat these ongoing issues, “In these desperate times, we have to help each other prevail or we won’t have a future.  I am blessed to farm every day amidst all of the endless challenges.  Our farmers are relentless optimists and that is where I hang my hat.”

May 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

Cody and Courtney Darling
YF&R State Leadership Group, District 2

First generation perennial peanut farmers Cody and Courtney Darling have had an unconventional path on their journey to building a farming business and legacy.

The couple grew up with different backgrounds. One in farming, one without. Courtney grew up in the city of Tampa, where her only introduction to farming was at her school’s FFA chapter. Cody grew up in farming. His dad, a retired veterinarian, owned a 100-acre hay farm in Michigan and a 55-acre farm in Indiana. In addition to growing hay, Cody spent a majority of his life around horses.

Their passion for agriculture merged when their paths crossed at the University of Florida where they were both actively involved in many of numerous clubs with a mutual love for agronomy.

Their relationship blossomed during their overlapping time at North Florida Holsteins where Courtney was an intern and Cody was employed.

Shortly after graduating college, the couple were married, and moved to Gilchrist County where their farming career slowly took off after a few peanut jokes turned into a realization of peanuts as a livelihood.

“{Growing peanuts} first started out as a joke, and then we found property with perennial peanuts already planted on it” said Courtney. “We’re both into forages and I really got into it, even in my weed sciences program during college.”

Finding and purchasing land was an indication that the Darlings were heading in the right direction. In addition to their full-time jobs, the pair bought their first plot of land in 2017.

“Our farm started when we purchased peanut sprigs in Bell and we planted an acre by hand,” recalls Cody. “Every couple of years we would spread those. Toward the end of 2017 we bought 20 acres with peanuts already on it and cleared that land. I was working for Generation Farms at the time and gained a wide spread of knowledge about different row crops.”

What started with one-acre quickly grew to 20, and by the end of 2019 they owned nearly 70 acres of perennial peanuts. As homage to Cody’s childhood, the Darlings diversified their crops to perennial peanuts and hay.

“Growing up farming hay, alfalfa was my favorite crop,” said Cody. “If it wasn’t for Courtney, I wouldn’t have moved into perineal peanuts. It was her idea. It’s a high quality forage and there’s a high demand for it. As a farmer, it was an easy niche to get into.”

Recently, they have downsized their hay operation to 40 acres and have dedicated seven acres to a feed peanut crop. They are growing two acres of Valencia peanuts and five acres of Virginia peanuts. Virginia peanuts are harvested while they are still green and are used for boiled peanuts.

As the Darlings grew their farm business, they leaned on other farmers to help and understood the importance of networking with other young farmers. They decided to start a Young Farmers & Ranchers Group in Gilchrist County as a way to share ideas and network with fellow farm families. They leaned on an Alachua County Young Farmers & Ranchers Group board member for guidance.

The couple has since moved to Suwannee County, after Cody received a promotion to serve as the regional agronomist for Black Gold Farms. Since moving to Suwannee County, the Darlings have been focused on starting and growing a new YF&R group.

“There are young people to be a part of the group, but it’s been hard because COVID got in the way, said Cody. “It’s a very struggling experience, but that’s often part of it in this day and age.”

Despite the struggles of building a new group, the Darlings have not given up. They continue to build relationships with new friends and are developing stronger leadership skills by participating in the state Young Farmers & Ranchers Leadership Group.

“There are only a certain amount of people who love to farm and we happen to be one of the few,” said Cody. “I think that is what keeps us going and how we’re rooted in resilience. There’s not many people out there who can nor want to do what it takes to farm.”

Courtney added how important it is to her and Cody to leave a legacy for their children.

“That’s what gets me through the tough times,” added Courtney. “Some days it’s hard but it has a lot of reward and it will be worth it.”

May 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

The Florida Farm Bureau’s state board of directors approved a $24,500 scholarship a year (for two years) to provide a student the opportunity to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Studies at Warner University.

This scholarship will provide a student enrolled in the agriculture program the opportunity to gain hands-on agricultural experience by managing various aspects of the Swindle Ag Complex on campus. The student’s management experience will include a citrus test plot, raised vegetable beds, chicken coops, welding and more.

“We are delighted to help students achieve their dreams as they pursue their agricultural career,” said Florida Farm Bureau President Jeb S. Smith. “It is a Farm Bureau tradition to support the next generation of agrarian leaders.”

Florida Farm Bureau has granted $40,000 in scholarships towards students’ tuition at Warner University over the past few years. The organization has been a regular supporter of the Apples of Gold Women’s Scholarship Fund and has donated $25,000 toward the construction of the Swindle Agriculture Complex in 2015.

The first recipient of this scholarship and management position is Payton Ogburn from Frostproof, Fla. After interviewing multiple students and reading through letters of recommendations and resumes, the committee at Warner chose Payton because of his sharp analytical skills and hard work ethic, in addition to maintaining his grades.

“Warner University appreciates the partnership that Florida Farm Bureau has entered into with us,” says Leigh Ann Wynn, Asst. Vice President of Advancement at Warner. “Payton has already hit the ground running with his new position and the financial assistance is a real blessing to him.”

Warner University is a private Christian college that has awarded student scholarships totaling more than $6.1 million, which has reduced their tuition fee by 35%.

May 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

By J. Scott Angle 

[email protected] 

@IFAS_VP  

On her desk in Farm Bureau headquarters, Staci Sims keeps what she calls “The Little Green Book.” It’s a who’s who of Florida agriculture, and anyone in it will drop what they’re doing and take her call when she conjures the name “Wedgworth.”

The actual title is the “Alumni Association of the Wedgworth Leadership Institute Membership Directory.” It’s the network, in paper form, that Sims was inducted into when she completed the two-year Wedgworth Leadership Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources.

She leans on it to do her job as legal counsel, connecting her and the Farm Bureau with leaders in Florida’s agricultural industry, including farmers, ranchers, commodity associations as well as environmental groups and government agencies. The network is an important way she knows someone is listening when she speaks as the Voice of Agriculture and a useful way to listen to the rest of the industry.

For Sims, Wedgworth programming provided insight on issues facing the industry, but more importantly, understanding of perspectives and social issues affecting our local, state, federal and international communities.

It’s an understanding she uses regularly as she advocates for 134,000 members who can’t legislate from their farms and ranches.

Curt Williams, assistant director of government and community affairs at the Farm Bureau, didn’t need to be sold on the program. He’d heard Sims and the many other Farm Bureau staffers who are alumni evangelize about the program.

It was only a question of confidence: Could he fully commit to developing himself into an even more effective leader on your behalf while upholding existing commitments to Farm Bureau, family and family farm?

His Wedgworth classmates helped him answer it in short order. They experienced the same struggle of commitment. They, too soon saw that the long-term payoff of Wedgworth participation, for themselves and for their industries, outweighed the costs of being away from their jobs and families.

Williams learned enough about himself through Wedgworth that he’s been inspired to be more involved in leadership positions.

Wedgworth has changed his focus to how important it is to be involved and to never fall prey to someone-else-will-do-it thinking.

The question isn’t “Am I worthy?” Sims concurs. It’s, “How can I serve?”

Wedgworth helps participants answer that through two years of multi-day sessions every other month at which they study contentious issues and meet the principals at the heart of those issues. They not only take a deep dive into the facts of issues confronting agriculture, but they get practice and experience in interacting with people with whom they may disagree.

Such practice in empathy and understanding the point of view of someone who’s on the other side of an issue is essential to the search for common ground and preventing stalemates that Florida agriculture cannot afford.

Wedgworth celebrates 30 years of programming this year, and Class XI graduates in July. Applications will open in late spring 2023. For more information about the program, contact Christy Chiarelli at [email protected].

Farm Bureau has sent a staffer and sometimes a board member almost every one of those years. Don’t doubt whether you’re worthy. Just ask yourself, like Sims, how you can serve.

Already the Wedgworth experience has prompted Williams to become a leader in local civic organizations, his church and on the advisory board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

He’s scheduled to graduate this summer with more finely honed leadership skills to serve you. With the addition of his and 29 more names, the Little Green Book will get a little bigger.

J. Scott Angle is the University of Florida’s Senior Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources and leader of the UF Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS).

May 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

Highlands County Farm Bureau is a highly respected organization throughout its local communities because of the exemplary efforts taken to care for those in need.  What started out as one simple idea has now made an enormous impact on local families in Sebring and the surrounding areas.

During the Highlands County Fair Livestock Auction this past February, Highlands County Farm Bureau announced a challenge to local businesses.  For every hog donated, they would cover all processing fees and donate the meat to families in need. Seven whole hogs were donated and sent to processing to be made into sausage.  Alan Jay Fleet Sales, Glades Electric Cooperative, Howard Fertilizer, Howerton Services, and M E Stephens & Sons Fruit Co. were among the local businesses who partnered on this worthy cause.

On March 18 Highlands County Farm Bureau, Heartland Food Bank & Feeding Tampa Bay hosted a food drop at the Highlands Community Church in Sebring.  700 pounds of sausage were given to local families in need in addition to other pantry staples.

Highlands County Farm Bureau is committed to giving back to its local communities and this effort is just one more example of their desire to serve others in meaningful ways.

Farmers Recognized for Environmental Stewardship

Eight farm families in the Suwannee River and Santa Fe River Basins will receive a coveted statewide award for their outstanding achievements in preserving land and water resources.

WHAT:  Recognition dinner and event for recipients of Florida Farm Bureau’s County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship (CARES) Award

WHO:  Eight farm families from the following counties:

Carl Allison, Allison Farms, Columbia County

Mark Elixson, Elixson Farms, Union County

Jim Fleming, Tropic Traditions, Inc., Alachua County

Rusty Huckabee, Huckabee Farms, Suwannee County

Wayne Lane, Lane Farms, Madison County

John Levi Vann, Vann Family Farms, Lafayette County

Van Whitehurst, Whitehurst Cattle Company, Levy County

BJ Wilkerson, Wilkerson Farms, Gilchrist County

WHEN:  Thursday, May 5, 2022 at 6 p.m.

WHERE:  UF/IFAS NFRC-Suwannee Valley, 8202 CR 417, Live Oak, Florida, 32060

May 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

The Florida Farm Bureau’s state board of directors approved a $24,500 scholarship a year (for two years) to provide a student the opportunity to pursue a Bachelor’s in Agricultural Studies at Warner University.

“We are delighted to help students achieve their dreams as they pursue their agricultural career,” said Florida Farm Bureau President Jeb S. Smith. “It is a Farm Bureau tradition to support the next generation of agrarian leaders.”

This scholarship will help provide a student enrolled in the Ag program the opportunity to gain hands-on agricultural experience by managing the various aspects of the Swindle Ag complex on campus, including a citrus test plot, raised vegetable beds, chicken coops, welding and more.

Florida Farm Bureau has granted $40,000 in scholarships towards students’ tuition at Warner University over the past few years. It has been a regular supporter of the Apples of Gold women’s scholarship fund and the organization donated $25,000 towards the construction of the college’s Swindle Agriculture Complex in 2015.

The first recipient to be chosen for this scholarship and manager position is Payton Ogburn from Frostproof, Fla. After interviewing multiple students and reading through letters of recommendations and resumes, the committee at Warner chose Payton for his ability to think on the spot and work hard to get the job done, all while keeping up his grades.

“Warner University appreciates the partnership that Florida Farm Bureau has entered into with us,” says Leigh Ann Wynn, Asst. Vice President of Advancement at Warner. “Payton has already hit the ground running with his new position and the financial assistance is a real blessing to him.”

Warner University is a private, Christian college that has offer each year, Warner University awards student scholarships totaling more than $6.1 million, reducing their tuition fee by 35%.

Florida Farm Bureau Federation, the state’s largest general agricultural organization, represents more than 134,000 member-families. We serve to enhance farm enterprise and improve rural communities.

Jim Farley is a multi-generational cattle rancher from Clay County. He learned at a young age how to transform an essential job into a thriving and fulfilling career. Shortly after receiving his degree in Ranch Management from Texas Christian University and marrying the love of his life in 1969, Farley Cattle Company was born. During their 53 years of marriage, Jim and Jean have worked together to build a successful cattle, hay and timber business that spans more than 7,000 acres in North Florida.

Agriculture is part of Farley’s family heritage. Growing up in a ranching family, he has witnessed a change of times since he was a young boy. A volatile market and fencing laws enforced throughout the 1960’s made it difficult for family ranches to remain in business. Fortunately, Farley’s aspiration to start a ranching business was not deterred and he was able to begin his venture after college.

Farley’s favorite part about being a cattle rancher is the ability to work alongside his family.  His sons, Jody and Josh, joined the family business once they were old enough to rope and ride horses.

Each family member plays a critical role in day-to-day ranch operations. Jean serves as the ranch’s bookkeeper and office manager. Jody sells veterinary supplies and owns a business that processes and ships cattle. Prior to working full-time for the family ranch, he led a successful career for the Division of Florida Forestry for 16 years. The youngest son, Josh, manages the ranch full-time. In addition, he runs a cattle brokerage business and grows seed and hay.

Farley is an advocate for loving what you do.  His career has been dedicated to growing a successful business with hopes that his sons desire to take it over.  His only request for his sons is to be happy with the path they choose. Farley firmly believes happiness is key to a long-term career and one that you won’t want to retire from.

These days, he enjoys saddling up to work alongside not only his sons, but also his grandchildren.  The bond they share is so special and Farley desires to teach them about cattle, life and even Farm Bureau.

Farley has been an active member of Florida Farm Bureau throughout his career.  He has served on the Clay County Farm Bureau Board of Directors as well as the Florida Cattleman’s Association and the Clay County Cattleman’s Association Board of Directors.  From advocating with local members to helping to volunteer at the county fair, he cares deeply about the organizations that have given so much to his family.

Florida Farm Bureau has been Farley’s lifeline, especially when times have been hard. He is grateful for the leadership given from Farm Bureau leaders at the local, state and federal levels.  He and his sons have spent time advocating for Farm Bureau policy and issues impacting their livelihood.  Farley also recognizes the strength in grassroots efforts to protect the rural way of life.

Farley has spent his career dedicated to caring for the land.  He believes in taking care of local natural resources since they offer so much to his cattle, hay and timber business.  Farley is intentional about his impact on the environment and was recognized in 2017 for his efforts by Florida Farm Bureau’s County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship (CARES) program.  Farley believes if you take care of the land and its resources, it will take care of you.

The COVID-19 pandemic taught him that without family, your business can go awry quickly.  As a seasoned cattle rancher, Farley has learned many lessons throughout the years and offers advice to those around him.

To Farley, resilience means being able to exist in agriculture and handling the highs and lows, the valleys with the mountains.  He believes if you love something enough, you should always be tough enough to overcome adversity. Although not every day on the ranch is easy and the market is unpredictable, remain rooted in appreciation when good times are plentiful.  Farley most important thought to remember is that it’s all about loving what you do and who you do it for. For him, it’s all about family.

April 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

The UF/IFAS NFREC – Suwannee Valley hosted a free event on March 29, 2022 on fertilization strategies and pasture management. The group toured cool season plots and saw four varieties of bahiagrass while hearing from Columbia County Extension Agent Paulette Tomlinson and  Professor of Forage Breeding and Genetics, Dr. Ann Blount.

Following the tour, the group participated in a roundtable discussion, topics included: soil testing, establishing pastures, types of forages and testing hay, grazing management, pasture weeds and insects and managing fertilizer use with the rising costs.

April 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

John Dooner
YF&R State Leadership Group, District 2

Born and raised in Gadsden County, 7^th generation Floridian, John Dooner, does not recall a time in his life when he was not exposed to growing, managing or deriving something from the land.

Dooner hails from a long-line of agriculturalists. His maternal grandfather and great-grandfather, both whom he never met, were shade tobacco growers, a crop that once influenced the entire community of Gadsden County. His great-grandparents moved to Florida from Savannah, Ga., and made a living in the turpentine business.

Dooner’s father, Michael, started the family’s timber consulting firm, Southern Forestry Consultants, in the 1980s. Today, the father and son team manage roughly 2 million acres in Northwest Florida, Southwest Georgia and Northeast Alabama.

“As long as I can remember, I’ve been walking the woods with my dad, and it’s really what instilled the passion in me to generate something from the land,” he said. The Dooners’ have a highly diverse client base. Historically, their focus has been the “non-industrial private landowner” and the properties they manage range anywhere from 40 to 10,000 acres.

Dooner explained that forestry consultants assist their clients with balancing multiple land management objectives. “We are typically growing a crop of timber on behalf of the landowner and representing, them or acting as their agent, when they are ready to sell the timber,” he said.

He explained that while frequently, landowners want to generate revenue from their crop, others like to use their land for recreational purposes like fishing or hunting or enjoy the ecological benefits such as conserving wildlife and unique species.

“It is very rare that we are focusing on one objective at a time,” he said. “It requires us to be true foresters and put our skill set to use.” Dooner said that while farming for other landowners is his daily employment, he and his family also run their own timber operation.

Farm Bureau leadership runs in the family and he grew up learning about Florida Farm Bureau from his father’s involvement. Michael Dooner is a member of the Gadsden County Farm Bureau (GCFB) Board of Directors as well as a member of the FFB State Board of Directors, currently serving as treasurer.

John serves on the GCFB Board of Directors, serves as chair of the GCFB Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee and serves as the District 2 Leadership Chair on the State YF&R Group. He is excited about his role as chair of the GCFB YF&R, explaining that his goal is to make it a more sustainable and effective group.

Dooner enjoys traveling and history and is particularly fond of his Gadsden County heritage. Every year, the GCFB holds an event in conjunction with Farm City-Week at the Shade Tobacco Museum in Havana.

GCFB members and former shade tobacco growers and their families gather for a meal and to bring awareness to the necessary partnerships between urban and rural residents while paying homage and telling stories about the county’s rich shade tobacco history. Local county officials, media and law enforcement are also invited to the event.

“Our heritage is shade tobacco,” he said. “It is a very unique crop that was only grown in three Florida counties, Gadsden being the focal point of production. It’s unique because it was grown under cheese cloth shade, producing a higher quality leaf, which was used to wrap out portions of Cuban cigars.”

The livelihood of the entire Gadsden County community from the growers to supporting industries like grocers, clothing and hardware stores depended on the shade tobacco crop from the late 1800s to the 1960s.

Dooner explained that the county’s rolling topography limited the variety of crops farmers could grow. “The attractive thing about shade tobacco was that it was so valuable on just a ten acre field,” he said. “You could generate enough revenue to make it a feasible operation and in its hay day it was worth more than gold.”

Unfortunately, the development of synthetic wrapper in the 1970s and the inability to compete with cheap and available labor in Central America coupled with the arrival of diseases quickly eradicated the industry.

Dooner stated that it was a tough time for the entire community as producers and business owners were left to start from scratch. Most of the producers pivoted their operations to ornamental nursery, tomatoes and timber.

As an active member of FFB’s YF&R program, Dooner works daily to bridge the gap between  urban and agricultural communities. One way he does this is through the use of his social media channels. “I try to take opportunities to educate about agriculture and give examples of all the good things we do in Ag,” he said.

He is passionate about sharing agriculture’s story with the right people – people who don’t necessarily know or understand the many positive ecological and economic benefits of production agriculture. Dooner believes that the right communication can play a pivotal role in shaping the future of Florida agriculture.

“Farmers and ranchers have proven to be resilient throughout the course of time,” Dooner said. “I think outside of agriculture when I think about resilience. There is an enormous amount of pressure on our state’s resources as we continue to see thousands of people move to Florida every day.

The only way to deal with the unprecedented growth in our state is to recognize the benefits of our Ag land and put a value on them. The population boom is concerning, but I think we can put a positive spin on it and looks at it as an opportunity in agriculture to create value that has not historically existed. As the original stewards of the land, what is more compelling than that?”