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Cultivating Tomorrow

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FloridAgriculture eNewsletter 2021

Matt Stephenson-Smith, Collier County Farm Bureau President

Meet Matt Stephenson-Smith, newly elected President of Collier County Farm Bureau’s Board of Directors. Matt is a proud fifth generation native Floridian who grew up in Central Florida where the Smith branch of his family tree operated a modest beef cattle and citrus operation in Center Hill. Upon graduating from Hernando High School in Brooksville, he remained local to attend classes and play baseball at Pasco-Hernando State College for a couple seasons before transferring to Santa Fe College in Gainesville to complete an AA degree in preparation to transfer to University of Florida.

While attending UF, Matt made a fateful decision that would change the course of his life forever. “It was the “Golden Era” at UF during which time “Head Ball Coach” Steve Spurrier’s Gators won the school’s first football national championship, and at the time I was a struggling English major also working full time as an O.R. clerk at North Florida Regional Hospital,” he recalls. “One Friday afternoon I received an urgent call from farm manger Elvie Engle with SixLs Farms during which he offered me a newly-created position supervising the loading area at Farm 7 on the southeast side of Naples.

He wanted my answer about 36 hours later that Sunday evening. I consider Elvie a mentor and friend, and I am blessed to have his influence in both my professional and personal life.” Matt accepted the position, gave his notice at the hospital, and after two weeks packed his Jeep and headed for Southwest Florida to live and work at Farm 7. SixLs Farms has in recent years rebranded itself Lipman Produce and was then and is now one of the nation’s largest privately-owned vegetable production companies. This would mark the beginning of his ongoing 23-year career in agriculture.

Matt held several other positions with Lipman from 1997-2002 including assistant vegetable crop foreman, irrigation foreman, and finally tomato crop foreman before leaving Lipman to begin the next nearly 16-year-long chapter of his career as greenhouse/safety manger with BHN Research/BHN Seed, the research and development division of Naples-based fresh market tomato and potato grower/packer/shipper Gargiulo, Inc. “One of my most demanding job responsibilities was coordinating with up to eight PhD plant breeders and pathologists from locations in California and Chile as well as Immokalee to organize, manage, and complete much of the tremendous volume of “blue collar” work required to successfully execute their numerous, intensive breeding and pathology programs. A major component of that work was growing healthy transplants for the greenhouse breeding benches and field trial plots, and then continuing to grow the containerized greenhouse breeding bench plants to maturity for evaluation, hybridization, fruit harvest, and ultimately seed extraction.”

Managing BHN’s IPM/spray program was also among Matt’s many job responsibilities, which is why in November 2017 he received a call from the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of OmniLytics, Inc. to inform him of the departure of OmniLytics’ previous AgriPhage sales representative. AgriPhage is a natural, biological bactericide certified for use in organic production in several vegetable and fruit crops including tomatoes and peppers. Matt had made the AgriPhage formulations for tomatoes and peppers an integral part of his IPM program for over a decade and had thereby achieved a level of expertise with AgriPhage, and no previous OmniLytics sales representative had ever been a grower who had used the product.

It was during that November 2017 phone conversation with OmniLytics’ COO that Matt’s recruitment to fill the vacant sales representative/account executive position began. Matt had enjoyed a long, successful tenure at BHN, and even though the opportunity was in a facet of the ag industry that would be new to him and would also require him to learn and hone a new skill set, Matt’s belief in and advocacy of AgriPhage and the OmniLytics organization made the unexpected opportunity seem like a near-perfect fit.

A brief period of recruitment, prayerful consideration, and successful negotiation inspired Matt to take a leap of faith and seize the opportunity to become OmniLytics’ AgriPhage sales representative/account executive in January 2018. Matt’s current sales territory includes Florida, Georgia, and Puerto Rico (Certis is OmniLytics’ AgriPhage distribution partner for the other lower 46 states), but Matt is always available to enthusiastically offer any assistance he can provide to an existing or prospective AgriPhage user anywhere.

Determined to earn a degree from his beloved University of Florida where he left “unfinished [academic] business” all those years ago, Matt applied for readmission to UF in late 2009, but this time had the wisdom to allow his then 14-year career in agriculture to inspire him to apply for readmission to the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS). CALS Dean Dr. Elaine Turner, then Associate Dean, conducted Matt’s Spring 2010 interview that garnered her approval of his readmission to UF CALS into either the Horticultural Science or Horticultural Production-Vegetable Row Crop programs, either of which would have required Matt to eventually return to Gainesville.

First, there was a very long list of program prerequisites populated with many math and science courses Matt needed to complete, so Dr. Turner graciously gave him her permission to “stay home” to gradually complete those prerequisite courses at local Southwest Florida institutions. This allowed Matt to remain with his family and gainfully employed at BHN while he slowly chipped-away at the prerequisite list one course and semester at a time.

Though his family endured a divorce in 2011, prioritizing his two young sons Matt managed to balance his parenting, work, and academic priorities to eventually complete his program prerequisites over the next few years. However, upon completion of his prerequisites Matt chose to remain in Naples to parent his sons instead of returning to Gainesville to begin his CALS on-campus program. This resulted in an academic hiatus that lasted over two years until another fortuitous encounter with Dr. Turner at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new lab and office wing at UF/IFAS SWFREC in Immokalee.

Though several years had passed since Matt’s Spring 2010 interview, Dr. Turner recognized him across a crowded auditorium, greeted him warmly, and asked for an academic progress report. Dr. Turner quickly processed the news of the divorce, completion of prerequisites, and resulting hiatus before skillfully combining traits of an academic advisor, psychologist, and motivational speaker to masterfully guide Matt to strongly consider pivoting to CALS’ only UF Online program.

The UF Online program required the additional prerequisites Chemistry II and Calculus, but the program’s online platform allowed Matt to remain in Naples to continue to be the parent his sons needed. Thanks in no small part to Dr. Turner’s guidance, Matt decided to pivot to the UF Online program to resume and complete his academic quest, but not before another year-long hiatus which began with the recovery from Hurricane Irma and ended with a transition to a new employer and job.

Finally, last May during the global pandemic that denied Matt and his fellow Spring 2020 graduates the opportunity to “walk” in the traditional on-campus commencement ceremony, he quietly graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Environmental Management in Agriculture and Natural Resources. “If you want something badly enough, and set your mind to achieve a goal, you will find the motivation and discipline to make the difficult, necessary sacrifices and do the work required to achieve that goal,” he said.

“That work will require if not demand your time, attention, and effort to achieve your desired level of success, and often those sacrifices and demands may seem to be more than you may be willing and able to give. You must be absolutely driven to endure, persevere, and grind through those challenges to achieve a goal if it is important enough to you. You get out of it what you put into it. My academic accomplishments are proof that if I can do it, anyone can do it.” Matt also aspires to become a Certified Crop Advisor (CCA), has already passed the International CCA exam in 2020, and hopes to also pass the Local CCA exam in 2021 to earn the certification.

Matt was nominated and elected to Collier County Farm Bureau’s Board of Directors during the Board’s September 2020 hybrid in-person/Zoom meeting, then it was announced the Board president and vice-president would both be vacating their respective seats, so about 10 minutes after being elected to the Board Matt was again nominated and elected to fill the vacated president’s seat. Matt “hit the ground running” in his new role as Collier County and all the county Farm Bureau boards throughout the state prepared for the October 22 Florida Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting which due to COVID-19 was held virtually for the first time in the organization’s history.

Matt was also chosen to serve as one of Collier County’s two voting delegates for the virtual annual meeting, so much of his time and attention in September and October was devoted to attending the Zoom meetings and e-ballot training sessions to prepare to participate in the virtual annual meeting and Florida Farm Bureau state vice president election which transpired smoothly and was a ringing success.

November’s Collier County Farm Bureau Board meeting saw the Board’s attention return to its local Farm Bureau business including the decision to undertake an ambitious ag promotional/fundraising event that will take the form of Collier County Farm Bureau’s first watermelon festival and rodeo to be held at the Collier County Fairgrounds May 7-9, 2021. “I am very excited about our inaugural Collier County Farm Bureau Watermelon Festival and Rodeo, and our Board aspires for this festival and rodeo to become an annual event that will grow in scope and attendance over the coming years” Matt said.

The event is intended to promote local agriculture, notably the seasonal watermelon industry, promote new membership within Collier County Farm Bureau, and generate much needed revenue that will be used to award micro-grants to local teachers who include Florida agricultural literacy programs in their curriculums, provide scholarships to high school graduates aspiring to agricultural academic programs, sponsor/support local FFA and 4-H programs, and facilitate Collier County Farm Bureau’s future participation in FFBF programs and events including annual meetings, Field to the Hill, and Tallahassee Farm Bureau Days. “I am honored to have the opportunity to contribute to the establishment of what our Board hopes will be an increasingly popular and successful annual event,” he said.

During the Board’s December meeting a unanimous vote passed to award a micro-grant request to a local elementary school teacher to use towards purchase of materials for classroom and student personal safety including disinfectant sprays and wipes, hand sanitizer, gloves, and other personal protective equipment. The grant will be accompanied by an agricultural literacy program which will appropriately emphasize food-borne and other pathogens.

“The micro-grant is a small part of our organization’s larger, comprehensive effort to establish communication and a presence with local schools in order to reach local students,” he explained. “It is our goal to facilitate awareness of agriculture and increase agricultural literacy in a younger generation, support them in their academic endeavors, and foster their potential interests in future careers in the agricultural industry.”

Matt still calls the Naples area home since 1997, and is the father of two sons, Dylan (19) and Aidan (17). He has been a member of Grace Lutheran Church since 1999, currently serves as the Director of the church’s Board of Stewardship and is a member of the Church Council and Endowment Committee.

Matt still has Florida family in Brooksville and Center Hill as well as Ft. Myers and Jacksonville. He is a devoted fan of University of Florida athletics, and enjoys fishing whenever he has the opportunity.

He shared with us his favorite recipe, Fried Florida Redfish.

Fried Florida Redfish
Matt Stephenson-Smith, Collier County Farm Bureau

INGREDIENTS:

  • Fresh Florida Redfish filets
  • Eggs
  • Milk or light buttermilk
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Black pepper
  • Hot sauce of your choice
  • Bisquick
  • Frying oil
  • Bread crumbs, either plain, seasoned with seasonings above, Italian or seasoned Panko

DIRECTIONS:
Clean filets well, remove all bones and cut into chunks (larger than nuggets). If using plain breadcrumbs, create an egg mixture with eggs, milk, hot sauce and seasonings. Dip redfish into the marinade to generously cover the fish. Marinade for 12-24 hours.

Shake chunks in a large plastic food storage container with a tight-fitting lid containing a mixture of Bisquick and seasonings. Then, dip chunks once more in a whisked egg mixture before placing in a separate container with breadcrumbs. Shake well until the fish is coated thoroughly.

The chunks are then ready to be fried in the oil of your choice until golden brown and well drained to remove excess oil. You can even cook in air fryer, turning at least once halfway through.

 

Mandatory E-Verify Law Updates

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FloridAgriculture eNewsletter January 2021

Many Florida employers and business owners can expect changes in the New Year regarding the new mandatory E-Verify law. Beginning on January 1, 2021, Florida’s new “Verification of Employment Eligibility” statute will require many employers to use the federal E-Verify system before hiring any new employees. The new law will compare information from I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification forms, currently mandatory by all employers in the state of Florida, to other federal databases to confirm eligibility to work in the United States.

The new law will now require private employers to use the E-Verify system or alternatively, use the I-9 Form and maintain copies every three years. Private employers who do not comply will be at risk of losing their business licenses and possibly limit their ability to do business with the state.

The Department of Economic Opportunity will no longer fund projects after January 1, 2021 that do not comply with the new law. Failure to provide the proper eligibility information may result in an employer having to repay all moneys received by the DEO.

No public contract can be entered into without an E-Verify certificate after January 1, 2021. For more information on Florida’s new mandatory E-Verify law, visit https://www.fisherphillips.com/resources-alerts-floridas-new-mandatory-e-verify-law-will.

 

Cultivating Tomorrow: County President Spotlight

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November FloridAgriculture e-Newsletter

Jared Smith
Flagler County Farm Bureau, District 4

Jared Smith may be the new Flagler County Farm Bureau President but he is certainly not new to the Florida Farm Bureau Family. Smith grew up in Hastings on his family’s sixth generation farm. His father and granddad both served Florida Farm Bureau on the state and local levels.

Upon graduating high school, Smith attended Abraham Baldwin Agriculture College where he graduated with a degree in general diversified agriculture in December 2017. “I graduated on a Thursday and by the following Monday, I was working as assistant farm manager at Greene’s Farms in Bunnell growing cabbage,” he said.

“When I first started I was running the harvest side of the operation,” he said. “I began to branch out and learn every aspect of the farm so I can plug in wherever I am needed.” Smith explained that his job at Greene’s Farms is very diverse.

“Some days I’m on the tractor watching the soil turn, sometimes I help with spraying,” he said. “I’m a plumber, a mechanic and an errand boy. Some days I will stand out there in the field making the decisions on harvest and then some days I just haul cabbage. I enjoy what I do because there is never a year that is exactly the same.”

Smith decided to follow in his family’s footsteps when he joined the Young Farmers and Ranchers Program when he was 19 years old. Smith was elected last month as Flagler County Farm Bureau President during the county’s annual meeting. He one of the youngest president to serve.

Prior to becoming president, he served on the Flagler County Farm Bureau Board of Directors. Smith met his fiancé, Kamryn, a Clay County Young Farmer and Rancher, at the FFB YF&R Conference in Daytona Beach in July of 2019. The two plan to be married next June.

Kamyrn has a strong FFA background and has a goal to be an Ag teacher. Both Kamyrn and Jared’s fathers are pastors and the two share the same lifelong beliefs and interests.

Smith grew up in 4-H where he learned leadership skills that “paved my way to where I am today,” he said. He enjoys working with young people and is passionate about encouraging youth to be involved in agriculture.

He explained that Flagler County Farm Bureau partners with youth organizations such as FFA and 4-H to sponsor projects year-round. Although the county fair was cancelled this year due to COVID-19, Flagler County Farm Bureau was still able to donate funds to the 4-H County Council and those showing livestock.

“I am particularly proud of the food donation we made to help members of our local community get back on their feet during the pandemic,” he said. “My hope is that our relationships with community organizations will only strengthen in the future.”

Smith wants to contribute to “cultivating tomorrow” by spreading the word of the FFB Young Farmers and Ranchers Program. “We are preparing our youth through programs like 4-H and FFA but we are also helping them prepare for their future,” said Smith.

“Sometimes there is an awkward period of time in between graduating from programs like 4-H and FFA and finding our place in the real world and the Young Farmers and Ranchers Program is the perfect place to plant your feet.” Smith plans to encourage participation in Flagler County Farm Bureau and the Young Farmers and Ranchers Program by emphasizing the impact one’s membership has in the grassroots organization.

“To be part of an organization like Farm Bureau where we have a true voice in the Ag industry is rewarding,” he said. “It is nice to have folks in Florida Farm Bureau who you know will advocate on behalf of Florida agriculture.”

 

2020 Friend of Farm Bureau Awards Announced

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December FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

Every cycle, American Farm Bureau partners with the states to evaluate and consider members of Congress who have supported our agricultural priorities, through their voting records and other means. The following 13 members of the Florida delegation were designated as Friends of Farm Bureau for the 116th Congress:

Sen. Marco Rubio

Rep. Neal Dunn (FL-02)

Rep. Ted Yoho (FL-03)

Rep. John Rutherford (FL-04)

Rep. Al Lawson (FL-05)

Rep. Stephanie Murphy (FL-07)

Rep. Bill Posey (Fl-08)

Rep. Darren Soto (FL-09)

Rep. Gus Bilirakis (FL-12)

Rep. Ross Spano (FL-15)

Rep. Vern Buchanan (FL-16)

Rep. Greg Steube (FL-17)

Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25)

Florida Farm Bureau looks forward to working with county leaders in the coming weeks to present these awards in person

Duval County Women Cook up Fresh Cuisine with Tallahassee Chef

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October FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

Jessica Bright McMullen is a chef who works closely with the farmers in the Tallahassee region, using seasonal, locally sourced ingredients whenever possible.

While in Tallahassee in December to attend Florida Farm Bureau Day, the Duval County Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee had a chance to learn more about Jessica’s commitment to those growers, particularly those who have joined together in the Red Hills Small Farm Alliance. The committee was invited to a reception at KitchenAble Cooking School, a charming cottage at Lake Ella. Jessica, the chef and owner of KitchenAble is the daughter of Duval County Farm Bureau members Greg and Joy Tison.

Jessica’s loyalty to locally grown food is rooted in her childhood, growing up on a small farm in Ayden, North Carolina. She learned early on to appreciate the role of agriculture in our state, and she loves to share her passion for cooking with home cooks.

The name of her cooking school, KitchenAble, identifies her mission statement — enabling students to have the knowledge and culinary skills they need to prepare meals in their home kitchens. She stresses finding the best quality ingredients instead of resorting to processed or packaged foods.

After initially visiting her cooking school at Lake Ella, the Duval County Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee enjoyed a private cooking class with Jessica.  The menu included a welcoming antipasto of roasted vegetables, sausage, cheese and crackers, followed by a hands-on class featuring a meal of focaccia bread, a classic Italian salad, fettuccini Alfredo and torta meringata al limone (lemon meringue cake).

Jessica’s recipes incorporated fresh herbs from her garden, eggs, honey, vegetables and fruit.  Throughout the cooking class, Jessica offered tips for using herbs to enhance her dishes. She offered other suggestions as well, such as using vanilla paste instead of vanilla extract for depth of flavor and sharing the secret to making really delicious coffee — using a French press and adding a pinch of salt — just to name a few.

Jessica’s passion for hosting was obvious from the time the Farm Bureau Ladies arrived.  No one is a stranger in her kitchen, and it is hands-on for everyone in the class. Jessica usually has just the right music playing to accompany the meal or dish being prepared.

The committee appreciated her knack for simplifying even complicated recipes. She walked us through making homemade pasta and let us mix, cut and prepare the dough, and other dishes. Her 13-year-old daughter, Madeline, was Jessica’s right-hand helper, pitching in and lending a hand to make the day fun as well as educational.

For our private lesson, Jessica slowed down to our pace and let us enjoy the day — cooking, learning, tasting and eating, especially eating.

It was good to see a young woman who has followed her passion to own a business, doing what she loves best with the support and teamwork of her family.

One of our committee members summarized the day by saying that the camaraderie of women working together to achieve a common goal reminded her of her grandmother, mother and sisters working together in her grandma’s kitchen preparing a meal. It was a fun, informative and delicious day!

 

If you are interested in scheduling a private cooking class with Chef Jessica, or joining one of her open classes, she can be reached at: KitchenAble Cooking School & Catering, Cottages of Lake Ella, 1635 North Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32303; (850) 264-2308.

www.KitchenAble.net

Be the Voice. Live the Legacy

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October FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

Rex Clonts, Seminole County Farm Bureau President

Fifth generation Floridian, Rex Clonts, comes from a long line of vegetable farmers in Central Florida. He and his wife, Denise, own and operate “BigDaddy’s Farm,” named after Rex’s grandfather, in Seminole County.

BigDaddy’s Farm raises over 80 different vegetables and flowers for their 300-member Community Organized Agriculture (CSA) as well as restaurant sales and other outlets in Central Florida. In addition, Rex and Denise are very excited about the success of their newest venture of growing diversified vegetables for the locally grown organic market.

“The look on our neighbors’ faces each week when they get their vegetable boxes is priceless,” he exclaimed. “It was raised in that field right over there.”

He spent his hot Florida summers working on his family’s farm and couldn’t wait to leave for college to begin a non-agriculture career.

“It didn’t take long for me to realize that my brightest opportunity was taking the farm to the next level, and the older I get, the more passionate I become about the future of Florida agriculture,” he said.

Clonts was elected as the Seminole County Farm Bureau (SCFB) President at the county’s annual meeting last fall and is proud to represent the local organization with more than 2,000 members.

“For over 20 years, Seminole County Farm Bureau has helped sponsor the annual Spring Ranch & Pasture Forum at the Yarborough Ranch in Geneva along with co-sponsors Florida Cattlemen’s Association, UF/IFAS and many others,” Clonts said. “It is held annually on the third Thursday of March; the event is open to the public and is the largest on-ranch educational forum in the state.”

Members of the Yarborough family, along with Central Florida Livestock Agents from UF/IFAS present a program of hands-on training and education in all aspects of cattle ranching including sessions tailored for youth interested in animal care and feeding.

Clonts explained that before COVID-19 derailed the SCFB plans for their county annual meeting, they had planned to hold a showcase of Seminole County agriculture with booths for local farms, nurseries, county Extension, the local forestry division as well as other allied businesses. The event has been rescheduled for the fall of 2021.

President Clonts shared with us that his favorite recipe is collard greens with Italian sausage. “It’s savory, hearty and simple,” he said. Yum!

 

 

 

 

Be the Voice. Live the Legacy: County President Profile

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FloridAgriculture eNewsletter September 2020

Glenn Whitworth, Jr., President
Palm Beach County Farm Bureau

Whitworth and his fiancé, Nicole, pictured at Stewart Bosley, Jr.’s farm, Henrietta Bridge Farm.

Palm Beach County Farm Bureau President Glenn Whitworth, Jr. has deep roots in South Florida agriculture. The seventh generation Floridian and third generation farmer has a goal to help change the modern food system into something that is much more logical, sustainable and educational for the consumer.

Whitworth’s grandfather began farming in the Fort Lauderdale area and gradually moved northwest with the county line.  In time, he finally settled in western Boynton Beach, Palm Beach County, Florida.

Whitworth Farms grew a variety of nightshade vegetables like green bell pepper, long hots, serranos, poblanos, finger hots, jalapenos and cubanelles, along with seasonal summer vegetables like tomatoes, squash, zucchini, watermelon and eggplant.

“I have always been involved in produce,” he said. “I started working in the fields when I was young-and all through high school.” After receiving a film degree, Whitworth returned to the family farm for work where he served in nearly every position from shipper and receiver to sales.

Unfortunately, after 70 years in business, Whitworth Farms was forced to close shop due to the effects of unfair trade practices with Mexico and chain store abuse.

“It became impossible for my family to make a profit,” he said. “Our farm was once yielding an average of 44,000 pounds of produce per acre off of a 640-acre farm. We were able to feed an entire community in just a day’s worth of production, and it was a great honor to be entrusted with this responsibility to the community.”

Today, the Whitworth family leases their land to other local farmers with hopes of being able to make a profit. Whitworth lives in Lake Worth and works for Joy 4 Greens, a  company which focuses on delivering produce that is high in quality and nutrition to the consumer through the use of meaningful and mutually beneficial relationships with local farms and a focus on sustainable, innovative and environmentally efficient farming practices.

With a wedding on hold due to COVID-19, Whitworth and his fiancé, Nicole, had to re-schedule their special day for the near future.

Whitworth has been involved in the Palm Beach County Farm Bureau for five years, serving two years as President. He previously served as a member of the Florida Farm Bureau Trade Advisory Committee as well.

One of his favorite agricultural events is the Sundy Feed Store exhibit at the South Florida Fair. “The program has been instrumental to Palm Beach County because it attracts people from all over the county and beyond who come to the fair and meet local farmers that provide their food,” Whitworth said.

“The Sundy Feed Store teaches visitors about agricultural commodities in Palm Beach County from exotic fruits and veggies to honey. It offers an insight into how livestock is taken care of, and the difference between milking cows and beef cows.  Fair attendees can even visit with newly born baby cows and their mothers.” he said.

At the back end of the Sundy Feed store, you can buy produce, farmer’s market style. Proceeds go towards area youth scholarships. “It’s great for people of all ages,” he said. “I find that the visitors really enjoy meeting the farmers in the area and are fascinated by the fun facts!”

Favorite recipe: Egg Stuffed Poblano Pepper

Ingredients

  • 1 poblano pepper
  • 1 egg
  • Salt and pepper
  • Olive oil
  • Cheese and salsa optional

Directions

Cut the poblano pepper in half lengthwise, clear out seeds, rub with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place oven on 350 degrees, crack an egg into the poblano pepper. Bake in a foil lined baking sheet for 5-8 minutes for a runny egg. If you prefer scrambled eggs, bake for 12 minutes. Add salsa and cheese to spice it up.  It’s a great healthy meal or snack!
 

Be the Voice. Live the Legacy | Reed Hartman, Martin County Farm Bureau President

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FloridAgriculture eNews, August 2020

Martin County Farm Bureau (MCFB) President Reed Hartman has had a connection to American agriculture as long as he can remember. “When I was little, I remember my dad taking me to different agricultural events and my first job was walking beans and baling hay on a farm in central Illinois,” he said. Hartman comes from a long line of Floridians who have lived in present-day Martin County for over 100 years.

A career change by his parents prompted them to move from Florida to Southern Indiana, which is where Hartman was born. The family later moved to Bloomington, Illinois, where Hartman spent most of childhood before returning to his Florida roots in 2002.

Today, Hartman and his wife Elizabeth live in Stuart with their two children, Lilly-Kate, 7 and Hunter, 5. In a partnership with his father, Rick, Hartman owns C-23 Cattle Company where he runs a 200+ head of cattle for a cow-calf operation. Hartman also runs his own real estate and auction business and holds a contractor’s license.

Hartman served on the Florida Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers State Leadership Group from 2012-2014, serving as president in 2014. Previous County President Rob Taylor and retired District 7 Field Rep. Tom Hill inspired Hartman to join.

“The relationships I formed and connections I made with other young agriculturalists across our state was such a valuable experience,” he said. “My time on the Florida Farm Bureau State Board of Directors provided an unforgettable educational experience and served as a great opportunity to hear other perspectives on issues affecting agriculture in Florida.”

His dedication to agriculture in his community lead Hartman to being elected as MCFB president in April of 2019 during the county Farm Bureau’s annual meeting. Every year during the fall, MCFB holds their annual Farm-City Week Luncheon.

Hartman explained that MCFB partners with One Martin, a group of large landowners and agricultural producers in Martin County to host the luncheon where local beef, swamp cabbage and vegetables are served.

“The event is a huge success, last year we had 180 people in attendance including local business owners and Commissioner Nikki Fried as our guest speaker,” Hartman stated.

The theme for Florida Farm Bureau’s 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting is “Be the Voice, Live the Legacy.” When asked about a legacy he would like to leave behind Hartman responded, “I hope my children remember me for being a man who was not perfect but does his best to live with integrity in everything I do.”

 

Looking Back

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June FloridAgriculture eNews


[email protected]

By Jack Payne

Jack Payne

Ten years ago, the UF/IFAS beef teaching unit’s structures were condemned as uninhabitable. Our pollinator research headquarters was an oversized closet. We were sifting through what the world had learned about HLB over the previous century and found astonishingly little. We didn’t have the space to gather our Extension corps under one roof for trainings. Our teaching forest headquarters was a pile of ashes.

UF/IFAS was never broken. But there was room for improvement when I got here in 2010. The decade since has been one of remarkable progress for the research and innovation arm of your business.

The UF/IFAS Extension Straughn Professional Development Center came first. With its opening, we no longer had to cram agents into conference rooms, incur ballroom rental expenses, or strategize how to find hundreds of parking spaces in the campus core. We opened an auditorium-sized training center worthy of the men and women who serve you most directly. Just as important, there are more Extension agents to train than there were 10 years ago.

The opening of the Honey Bee Research and Extension Lab propelled us to becoming one of the nation’s leading centers on pollinator expertise. That will make a huge difference for years to come for those of you who grow watermelons, blueberries, squash, cucumbers, cantaloupe and many seed crops.

We rebuilt the Beef Teaching Unit so that it’s now equipped to provide training for agriculture teachers, Extension agents, ranchers and 4-H volunteer leaders. Its dormitory immerses future cattle professionals in the experience of caring for animals, not just reading about them. We rebuilt the Austin Cary Forest Roland T. Stern Learning Center, too, thanks in part to Farm Bureau support.

Check presentation toward the rebuilding of the Austin Cary Forest Learning Center on behalf of the Florida Farm Bureau. UF/IFAS Photo by Tyler Jones.

I would argue that we learned more about HLB in the past decade than the rest of the world did in the previous century. Our breakthroughs in nutrition and other management strategies have kept infected groves profitable while we continue to develop citrus varieties that show promise of HLB tolerance.

Speaking of varieties, we added six scientists to our already elite plant breeding team. The team has released 271 cultivars over the past decade. Those are opportunities to grow fruits, vegetables, turf and ornamentals that just weren’t there in 2010.

In fact, during a recent campus lecture, Farm Bureau member Brittany Lee was asked how to save the Florida blueberry industry. UF/IFAS blueberry breeder Patricio Muñoz was in the audience, and Lee looked at him and said, “The solution is Patricio.”

We invested in equipment, land and facilities in Suwannee Valley to turn what had been a demonstration farm into a branch of the North Florida Research and Education Center. Research has accelerated so fast that there’s a waiting list for use of its 400-plus acres.

You can’t be all things to all people, but in a state with 300 commodities you have to try. No matter what your crop is, chances are UF/IFAS is serving you better today than 10 years ago. Chances are, too, that my successor will see room for improvement, and I expect he will someday be able to talk about how much better UF/IFAS is than it was in 2020.

Jack Payne is the University of Florida’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and leader of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Farm Bureau Counties Give Back

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FloridAgriculture eNews | May 2020

Giving back is a tradition of County Farm Bureaus, even amid a pandemic. Multiple county Farm Bureaus have donated to community food banks, helped link farmers and ranchers to local citizens to distribute fresh produce and coordinated various food and peanut butter drives.

Marion County Farm Bureau has donated $15,374 in COVID-19 relief to the First Step Food Bank, Inc., in Marion County. The food bank works with various food banks and pantries to distribute items to local citizens. Marion County Farm Bureau also donated $1,000 to the Victory2020 Gardens Project sponsored by the Marion County 4-H Office. The project provides virtual gardening tips and modules from UF/IFAS Extension in Columbia and Marion Counties.

Baker, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Nassau and Putnam-St. Johns County Farm Bureaus contributed $39,000 to purchase from area farmers affected by COVID-19 in North Florida.  Lake County Farm Bureau presented a $10,000 check to Irene O’Malley of Lake Cares Food Pantry to support citizens in need of food assistance.

These are just a few examples of how county Farm Bureaus have given back during COVID-19.