Tomato and pepper producer beats the drum for Florida ag every chance he gets

Neill is co-owner and partner of Fort Pierce-based Big Red Tomato Packers and associated farms – Triangle Farms and Diamond Tomatoes on the west and east sides of Florida respectively. He believes that if those in the industry don’t make their voices heard, the future is dim.

“Sometimes it seems that our lawmakers have become urbanized at the state level and agriculture doesn’t have the representation it needs. Butch (Calhoun, FFVA director, Government Affairs) is critical to supporting ag in Tallahassee,” Neill said. “I support Butch and our political action committee up there. You have to try to have some influence with the lawmakers. They all think the food chain starts with Publix and Winn-Dixie. They forget there are people out here actually producing. The average consumer today does not realize the effort that goes into keeping the store shelves stocked.”

Neill serves as chair of FFVA’s political action committee, and one of his favorite opportunities to help out is by organizing the bi-annual PAC fundraising sporting clay shoot. Every other year, PAC supporters are invited to compete in the shoot, held at Quail Creek Plantation near Okeechobee. Proceeds support ag-friendly work in the state capital.

David Neill organizes the FFVA PAC fundraising sporting clays shoot every other year.

Neill and his partners also supply plants for school gardens and convey the message to students that farming is still very important, even though most people these days are far removed from that world. “We try to give them some understanding because the generation that lived and worked on the farm is disappearing. They’re the ones who came before the baby boomers. And at least the baby boomers are more aware than the generations who came after them. They haven’t got a clue.”

Neill runs the farms and packinghouse with his brother Richard and the family of his late brother Ken. He learned the business from his father, Roy, who left the tobacco fields of North Carolina for the farms of South Florida as a young man.  “Dad farmed all his working life. It’s all he ever did,” Neill said.

More than 30 years ago the Neill brothers and the Caruso family started out by renting a packinghouse and packing what they grew on 25 to 30 acres. “That place would not pass today’s food safety inspections,” he said. “The machine was made out of wood; you could fix it from one end to another with a hammer and saw and nails except for the dump. That part was metal.” Two years later, they created Big Red Tomato Packers at its present location, packing tomatoes and bell peppers.

Today, Big Red and the farms have no problems passing food safety inspections. They maintain a comprehensive food safety program with strict procedures for safe food growing and handling. The packinghouse has an “Excellent” food safety rating from AIB International, based on AIB’s Consolidated Standards for Fresh Produce and Fruit Packinghouses. All managers are certified for proper food safety procedures.

“Actually, we spend as much time now on rules and regulations and compliance and food safety as we do producing and packing tomatoes and peppers,” said Neill. “Food safety is a good thing. It’s critical to the sustainability of our industry, but it needs to be based on common sense. It seems like a lot of companies who sell products to help growers comply with regulations are trying to influence the rule-making process.”

He is also concerned about the implications of the Environmental Protection Agency’s proposed water standards for the state of Florida. “I think there’s a lack of concern about what it will do to smaller farmers. Federal agencies in general seem to have no concern for small and medium-sized operations – particularly the economic impact to these farms.”

Health care and labor costs concern Neill as well. “We don’t know exactly what is going to be brought to the table with health care reform. We’re trying to forecast that – I know FFVA is. Labor is – talk about challenges – but I can’t say enough about FFVA and Walter Kates and the H-2A program. It’s really been a pleasure working with Walter, and I’m glad he’s staying around that program when he retires because he sure was good at it.

“But how many burdens can they throw at us where we can still stay competitive?” Neill continued. “All you have to do is look around to know this was a tough year. I don’t see how you could start as a beginning farmer now unless you’ve got some real help and backing. The entry costs are so prohibitive,” said Neill.

But he isn’t the type to sit around and worry. He has a long track record of industry involvement. In addition to his contributions to FFVA efforts, he has been active in the Florida Tomato Committee and the Florida Tomato Exchange. He serves on the board of directors for the University of Florida IFAS research center in Fort Pierce and was a member of the USDA Fort Pierce research lab’s liaison committee, serving as chair for several years. 

Neill’s wife, Betty, and his partners also continue to be involved with local schools and their farm programs.

David Neill's father, Roy Neill, farmed most of his life.

Overall, he believes his farms and packinghouse and the industry itself will survive the many bumps in the road. “I think that for every challenge there’s an opportunity. If I didn’t look at it that way, I’d quit. When you see a challenge, you have to capitalize on it. Even with all the challenges, I think most farmers are a very optimistic breed. So with those challenges comes opportunity.”