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MAY 2012
In this issue:
10 hot consumer trends in produce
It pays to know what consumers are looking
for, experiencing and embracing when they shop for fresh fruits and
vegetables ...
Labor update - America's food supply depends on
its workers
Ensuring an adequate agricultural workforce
continues to be one of the most pressing issues Florida growers face
...
Member profile - Lipman Produce
In the late 1940s, Max
Lipman began a long career in the produce business by selling produce
from a pushcart in New York
Trade associate member update - Dow
AgroSciences
Dow AgroSciences, founded in 1989 and based
in Indianapolis, is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical
Company ...
Timeline 2002
No other issue mattered more to most FFVA Members than country
of origin labeling ...
APRIL 2012
In this issue
2012 Legislative review
Against a backdrop of dwindling funds in the state,
Florida’s agriculture industry owes a big thank you to its friends
in the Legislature ...
Sunshine Sweet - Fresh from the Sunshine
State
The Florida Sweet Corn Exchange has launched a new program
this season that its members hope will highlight to consumers
...
Member profile - David Hill of Lakeshore
Growers
Fourteen years ago, David Hill and his wife, Lisa, had tough
choices to make ...
Trade associate member update - Rabo
AgriFinance
Rabo AgriFinance has a long history of serving farmers in the
United States ...
Timeline - 1944
America’s back-to-the-farm migration
is in full swing: the U.S. Department of Agriculture says
...
MARCH 2012
In this issue
Water-saving projects underway in strawberry
country
An 11-day freeze doesn’t happen often in Central Florida.
It did happen, though, two years ago in January ...
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services focusing on nutrition
Florida’s school children will soon be eating more fruits
and vegetables grown in their own state and learning more about Florida
agriculture ...
Member profile - Ric Freeman of P.H Freeman
& Sons
Ric Freeman is a third-generation citrus grower, harvester,
broker and juice manufacturer ...
Trade associate member update - Curran, Bayre
& Associates
One of the many challenges farmers face is finding people to
work in the fields. And once they do, federal labor regulations can be
complicated and worrisome ...
Timeline - August 1965
Conversation about the agriculture workforce between President
Lyndon Johnson and Florida Sen. Spessard Holland ...
FEBRUARY 2012
In this issue
Will there be a 2012 farm bill and if so, what
will it offer specialty crops?
After the failure of the deficit-reduction “super
committee” to reach an agreement on federal spending cuts, the
crafting of a new farm bill will once again be the responsibility of the
...
FFVA Emerging Leader Development Program in full
swing
With two sessions behind them, members of the first class of
FFVA’s Emerging Leader Development Program are already counting
the benefits ...
Member profile: Tony DiMare, 2011 FFVA
Distinguished Service Award recipient
Almost 80 years ago, the people of Boston enjoyed fresh produce
from a pushcart manned by brothers Dominic, Joseph and Anthony DiMare
...
Trade associate member update: ABC Research
Laboratories
Life moves quickly at ABC Research Laboratories. Formerly known
as ABC Research Corporation, the FFVA trade associate member is
...
Timeline - 1967
“Increases in food prices can be traced directly to the
inflationary spiral promoted by reckless government spending
policies,” ...
DECEMBER 2011/JANUARY 2012
In this issue
2012 legislative preview
The Florida legislative session will be an early one this year
with much of the focus on re-districting. There are, however
...
Ag BMPs mean success in preserving Florida's
natural resources
“Best management practices” means different things
for different industries ...
Growing with social
media
The first question any individual or company asks about social
media is ...
Member profile- Aaron
Troyer
Southwest Lee County-based Troyer Brothers Farm knows its
potatoes ...
Trade associate member update- Sensenig Law
Firm
It’s no secret that finding and keeping a dependable,
legal workforce is no picnic for American growers and harvesters ...
Timeline- 1983
Vegetable and soft fruit crops in Central Florida may have
suffered as badly as citrus crops in the Christmas freeze
...
NOVEMBER 2011
In this issue
Who will harvest the
food?
A dark cloud hovers over the future of America’s fruits and
vegetable producers as well as other agricultural sectors ...
It's a whole new winter
Growers face new regulations, but are offered updated tools
...
Member Profile - Ferris
Farms
Ferris Farms - an island of fresh Florida fruit ...
Trade associate member
update
STOPS – When you’re hurt, getting to the doctor
shouldn’t be a pain ...
Timeline - 1967
Ag Weather Service will provide forecasts and freeze
information ...
OCTOBER 2011
In this issue
FFVA 2011 - Convention
recap
Several hundred producers and allied
industry members gathered for FFVA’s 68th Annual Convention in
Palm Beach Sept. 18-21 ...
Should the federal government regulate Florida
waterways?
Florida fruit and vegetable producers face
two challenges when it comes to water: quantity and quality
...
Member profile: Green Railroad Organic Workshop
- Urban ag sprouts in Miami
In the middle of downtown Miami’s
noisy, traffic-choked warehouse district sits an unlikely oasis
...
FFVA trade associate member update - Florida
Coast Equipment
Todd Bachman is a busy man. As the newly
named president of Florida Coast Equipment, he spends his time
crisscrossing the state ...
Timeline 1980 - Ag Comissioner Doyle Conner
comments on current problems
A cruel twist of irony has put the
American farmer’s very existence in jeopardy as inflation plays
havoc with us all ...
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2011
In this issue
Agricultural lending: What's around the
corner?
FFVA recently had the opportunity to go
one on three with leaders from Farm Credit of Central Florida, ACA on
how the agricultural lending industry is faring in this tight economy
...
Transportation update: The state of the trucking
industry and how it affects Florida agriculture
Grower/shippers have always relied on
an adequate supply of trucks available to carry their commodities to
market. Recent developments have upset the balance
...
Member Profile: Brooks
Tropicals – A habit of turning adversity into
advantage
With the arrival of Greg Smith as its
new chief executive officer earlier this year, Brooks Tropicals took its
latest step in keeping the company forward-thinking and on the move
...
Trade associate update: Macro
Plastics
Macro Plastics has been producing high
quality bulk plastic containers since the early 1990s. Today, the
Fairfield, Cal.-based company serves growers, packers and others in
Florida and around the globe ...
Timeline: From The Harvester, January
1966
One of the quietest revolutions ever to occur in our nation
is evident in Florida agriculture not far from where fervent shouts of
manpower shortages are being issued ...
JULY/AUGUST 2011
In this issue
FFVA 2011 - 68th Annual Convention
dives into important issues
FFVA 2011, the 68th annual convention, is set for Sept.
18-21 at the Ritz-Carlton in Palm Beach.
What if Floridians understood the value of
agriculture?
In order to reach people with your
message, you need to speak their language.
FFVA producer member profile: Hundley
Farms
Success through embracing new ideas and
technology
FFVA trade associate member update: Southeast
Farm Press
One of the industry’s most respected regional
agriculture publications, Southeast Farm
Press came from a humble, one-man-in-charge
background.
Timeline - 1994: Crisis or
opportunity?
CBS News comes to Belle Glade
MAY/JUNE 2011
In this issue
Tumultuous legislative session
ends
The 2011 Florida legislative
session ended earlier this month, and it wasn’t a pretty
exit.
Busy tropical storm season
expected
Those in the business of predicting
tropical storm seasons are in agreement this year. They expect a busy
hurricane season.
Member profile - Ken Patterson of Island Groves,
Inc.
FFVA producer member Ken Patterson
grows blueberries and other fruit in two Florida
locations.
Trade associate member update - Helena Chemical
Co.
Helena Chemical Co. was founded in 1957
by Jerry Williams, a native of South Africa, who saw the agricultural
potential of states in the Mississippi Delta.
Timeline - 1974
The long-term challenge to American
agriculture, including Florida, is to get more bright, capable young
people to make farming their life’s work
APRIL 2011
In this
issue
Spotlight on Best Management
Practices
A recent study yielded some surprising results regarding the
public’s perception of the phrase Best Management
Practices.
Regulators gain understanding of Florida
ag on spring tour
Almost two dozen representatives from various state and federal
regulatory agencies joined a five-day trek across South Florida in March
to get an up-close look at a variety of agriculture operations.
Member profile - Bill
Braswell
For years, Bill Braswell was a successful pilot for Delta Airlines.
While he once made his living “up in the air,” now his
livelihood is planted firmly in the ground as a Florida blueberry
farmer.
Trade associate member update - Averett
Warmus Durkee Osburn Henning
Huge accounting firms have their place. But Jim Warmus knew in 1989 that
they weren’t his kind of place.
Timeline 2001
Looking back 10 years - Best Management Practices - All in a day's
work
MARCH 2011
In this issue
Florida legislative session will affect how growers do
business
From water to workers, Florida legislative session will affect
how growers do business ...
Exciting new research to benefit the fruit and vegetable
industry
When scientists understand the underpinnings of a fruit or
vegetable, it helps them to select and breed for quality and quantity
...
Member profile - Buddy McKinstry and Jem
Farms
Third generation farmer Buddy McKinstry carries on the Florida
sweet corn tradition ...
Trade associate member update - B.B.
Hobbs
FFVA trade associate member BB Hobbs is an expert in the design
and construction of automated drip irrigation systems ...
Timeline - 1961
FFVA responds to "Harvest of Shame" ...
FEBRUARY
2011
In this
issue
I say
tomato, you hear piano
Why the agriculture industry needs to reshape its message
...
Growing
for the customer
Consumer-driven trends in Florida's produce industry
...
Member
profile - Wm. G. Roe & Sons, Inc.
There's no status quo at Wm. G. Roe ...
Trade associate member
update - Bank of Belle Glade
1960s small town flavor meets 21st century technology
...
Timeline 1970
Alcohol + gasoline = fuel ...
JANUARY 2011
In this issue:
2011 - Looking ahead
Everything comes down to money. The year ahead for Florida
agriculture is no exception.
Will our new leaders fight for the future of
Florida agriculture?
Florida’s newly
elected leaders don’t have to wonder about the agriculture
industry’s position on policies that will affect its future. They
have the book.
Member profile
Hinton Farms Produce grows, packs, cools and ships
fresh Florida
fruits and vegetables.
Trade Associate Update - Cooper, Simms, Nelson
& Mosely
Stability and service are the cornerstones to insurance agency's
success
Timeline 2001
Mr. Putnam goes to Washington -
from The Harvester, May/June 2001
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
2010
In this issue:
When cold weather hits
No Floridian wants to repeat last
winter’s extended freeze, especially if you’re a grower of
strawberries or vegetables ...
FFVA's year in review
The year 2010 began on a devastating note
for the Florida agriculture industry ...
Member profile - Marie
Bedner
When Marie Bedner was a little girl, she had a glimpse of her future
...
Trade associate member
update - Catalytic Generators LLC
How do you turn a roomful of green bananas
into pretty yellow ones ...
OCTOBER 2010
In this issue:
Farm Credit & Ag Institute of Florida
Candidates Forum brings together top Cabinet
candidates
Farm Credit & Ag Institute of Florida Candidates Forum
brings together top Cabinet candidates ...
Growers kick off fall season at FFVA
convention
About 300 members of the grower community and allied industries
gathered in Naples to network and hear the latest on agricultural issues
About 300 members of the grower community and allied industries gathered
in Naples to network and hear the latest on agricultural issues
...
Producer Member Profile - Jim Shine, Sugar Cane
Growers Cooperative of Florida
One of four newly appointed members of FFVA’s board of
directors, Jim Shine has had a knack for growing things even as a
teenager ...
Trade Associate member Update - Dow
AgroSciences
FFVA trade associate member Dow AgroSciences plays an important
role in making sure Florida crops grow strong and healthy
...
Timeline - 1967
The average American family of 3.3 persons ate $35 worth of food
per week during the spring of 1965 ...
SEPTEMBER 2010
In this issue:
Farm labor contractor training program
debuts
Everybody wins when crew leaders and farm labor contractors
understand regulations ...
Interactive website brings producers and buyers
of produce together at a local level
If you produce food, you need to find a market for it. If you
sell, serve or process food, you need to find sources ...
Walter Kates, agriculture work-force
‘go-to guy,’ retires
Walter Kates must have always wanted a career with challenges.
Why else would he have chosen to specialize in agricultural
labor?
Member profile - SunnyRidge
Farm
Stick a pin in a map of the world and there’s a very good
chance someone in the vicinity of that pin has enjoyed berries from the
growers of Central Florida-based SunnyRidge Farm
Trade associate member update - Triangle
Chemical Company
Triangle Chemical Company – “Consultative
sales” and active industry involvement make the difference
...
Timeline - 1948
From The First 25 Years - a History of the Florida Fruit &
Vegetable Association - 1948 ...
AUGUST 2010
In this issue:
Convention preview- FFVA
2010
It’s the eve of a new decade, and Florida’s
agriculture industry faces serious challenges ....
Florida ag benefits from online weather
tools
Challenges in the world of Florida farming are numerous and
age-old, but perhaps none has been around longer than the weather
...
Member profile - David
Neill
David Neill believes in telling people about the importance of
Florida agriculture ...
Getting into gear - Developing delivered
sales
In our last article, we discussed taking charge of the
transportation component of your sales process by converting FOB sales
to delivered ...
Timeline
1997
Lessons for the next medfly invasion ...
JUNE 2010
In this issue:
Florida candidates to answer ag industry
questions
Those in the Florida agriculture
industry who are wondering how this year’s elections may affect
them can hear it straight from the candidates themselves
...
Public Issues Education Center serves
agriculture and natural resources
The Center for Public Issues Education in Agriculture and
Natural Resources, or PIE Center for short, has an interesting and
difficult job to do. It finds answers. Then it passes the word along
...
Learning to "drive the truck" - Developing
delivered sales
This article is not really about truck drivers school, but
rather it is about “driving the truck” by taking charge of
the transportation component of your sales process ...
Member Profile - Drew
Duda
Drew Duda knows his way around the agriculture business.
Beginning as a young teenager, he spent time in the fields, learning
from the bottom up ...
Trade Associate Member Update - Treatt USA,
Inc.
The next time you taste a cool fruit beverage, lather up with a
fragrant soap or smooth on something wonderful-smelling, think of FFVA
trade associate member Treatt USA, Inc. ...
Timeline -
1948
What can we learn from the 1947-48 season?
MAY 2010
In this issue
Legislative Recap - Thank you,
Legislators
From the peril and frustration of another
legislative session in Tallahassee,
Florida
farmers emerged in positive territory. It was a good session for
the agriculture industry ...
Bayer CropScience, Specialty Crop Foundation
team up for parents' pesticide awareness
training
Since we were children, we’ve been
taught the importance of washing our hands. It’s even more
important to people who have been working in our farms and come in
contact with chemicals such as pesticides – especially when they
greet their kids after the workday is finished
...
Producer
member profile - VirtualOne
A national industry initiative to put into place case-level
traceability is underway, and an FFVA member has responded by developing
new labeling technology ...
Trade Associate Member update -
PrimusLabs.com
Because food safety
has never been more important, fruit and vegetable producers depend on
the services of PrimusLabs.com ...
Timeline - 1968
Florida’s most productive golden goose –
agribusiness – is being starved to death, former state Sen. Ed
Price told a recent meeting of the Florida Agricultural Council
...
APRIL 2010
In this issue
New H-2A rules point to the need for immigration
reform
As if the rules for the H-2A guest-worker
program weren’t unwieldy enough, users of the program now must
wade through new final regulations they must follow in recruiting legal
foreign workers ...
Educating regulators - An FFVA spring
tradition
"The many regulations have made me aware
of the many hoops that farmers must leap through. As a regulator, I can
sympathize and certainly do my best to form a good working relationship
with the ag community..."
Producer member profile - Wayne
Glover
Blueberries and blue barrels - an
ex-teacher's retirement adventure ....
Trade Associate Member update -
Decofrut
Back in the 1980s, European importers and
Chilean grape exporters needed an impartial party to help them resolve
disagreements that developed between the two over certain
shipments ...
Timeline - 1971
Home gardeners may take a lesson from
responsible members of Florida’s agri-industry when it comes to
preserving and improving the environment ...
MARCH 2010
In this issue
A guide to the 2010
Florida Legislative Session
The 2010 Florida legislative session isn’t much
different than a trip to the supermarket. The goal of both is a balance
between what we want and what we can afford. The finest cuts of meat?
Tracts of land for conservation? The trick is to blend wants, needs and
resources ...
EPA gets an earful on its
Florida water quality standards
At a series of hearings across the state,
officials with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency got a pretty
clear idea of what many in Florida think of the agency’s proposed water
quality standards for the state’s lakes, rivers, streams and
canals ...
Producer member profile -
Steve Machell of Gulf Coast Produce, Inc.
2010 has barely started and it’s
already been a challenge to Plant
Citystrawberry growers, including one of
FFVA’s newest members of its board of directors
....
Trade associate member update -
AgraQuest
With an increasing emphasis on sustainability and environmental
concerns, today's growers are looking for ways to keep pests and disease
at bay while using as few chemical products as necessary
...
Timeline -
1994
If only it were as easy as “point and click” to
raise a crop. Still, students in Dade
County
are learning about farming through computer programs donated by
FFVA ...
FEBRUARY 2010
In this issue
Florida ag's January disaster
As 2010 dawned, many of Florida's fruit and
vegetable growers were working hard in mid-harvest. A month later, the
New Year's celebrations with fireworks and football bowl games seem like
a distant memory ...
Member Profile: Wishnatzki Farms
As if the January freezes weren’t enough to
keep him busy, FFVA producer member, Gary Wishnatzki launched Wish
Farms, a new consumer brand last month ...
Trade Associate Member Update: RSC Equipment Rental,
Inc.
“In our industry, a backhoe is a
backhoe,” says Matt Smith, regional vice president of RSC
Equipment Rental, Inc. “Everybody has a backhoe. Everybody can buy
a backhoe. But ..."
Timeline: 1974
To read the newspapers, one might get the idea
that Florida’s fire ant problem is something quite new. Not so
…
Pre-2010 issues