GETTING TO KNOW FFVA 2006 CONVENTION CO-CHAIRS DREW AND LISA DUDA

Life is exciting for Drew Duda right now. For one thing, he and his lovely and accomplished wife, Lisa, will be co-chairing the 2006 FFVA Annual Convention.

"We were asked to chair, and it was just perfect timing," said Lisa. "Our daughter's in college and our son is driving now, so we can do this!" The convention takes place September 16-19 at the Ritz-Carlton, Naples.

But that's not all going on with the Dudas. Drew, who had been a division vice president in charge of DUDA's Florida sugarcane and vegetable operation, was recently appointed as chief operating officer for DUDA products - a subsidiary involved in beverages and frozen, canned vegetables and citrus concentrate products.

The Duda family is one of the most respected in the industry. Above, Andrew Duda, Jr. (son of founder Andrew Duda) addressed an FFVA convention in the 1950s.

Drew grew up in Florida agriculture as a member of the well-known Duda family, always knowing his professional direction. He remembers the first time his father, "Put him to work". "I think I was about 11 or 12.

My dad had taken on the responsibility for starting a new part of our business, which was our turf grass or sod operation," Drew said. "He took me out there one morning amongst all the other folks out working in the field and said, 'Here, let me show you how to stack a pallet of sod,' and told me he'd come back for me later.

So here I am, a little 12-year-old kid, out there not really knowing what he's doing. And, of course, a pallet of sod is supposed to look nice, square and symmetrical so it'll stack straight on the truck, and you're supposed to count all the pieces and all the layers to make sure you're not short-changing the customer. Well, it was hot out there and I wasn't really used to doing that kind of thing and so by the time I gave up, it was more reminiscent of an igloo," Drew said.

Igloos notwithstanding, Drew continued to learn innumerable lessons by associating with and working among family members and employees. Even before he worked his way up to a paying job, he was taught the value of work, education and personal growth. "If you aspire to anything, then you want to apply yourself mentally as well as physically," he said.

He remembers how he came to know and respect workers, management and others by not only working side-by-side with them, but also through recreational and social activities. "As a child, I knew many of the people I later worked with from being at the hunting camp or playing golf with them at company functions. I was lucky enough to be invited along as a youngster, so that let me establish relations and a rapport with people. You watch them grow and they watch you grow. It's a wonderful experience," he added.

Drew Duda spoke at the United Produce Expo & Conference in 2005.

Drew graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in food and resource economics. He married Lisa, who has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since her college days, earning a degree in fine arts. They're the proud parents of Megan, 18 and Tyler, 16.

DEVELOPMENT A MAIN ISSUE FOR FLORIDA AG

Drew is concerned with several issues that affect the Florida agriculture industry, but development tops the list, since it encompasses many of those other issues. "The spread of citrus canker plus other challenges we face right now make you question the viability of the certain parts of the industry," he said, "Surviving as an agricultural operation can get difficult."

With rising land values and a higher cost of doing business, Drew feels that if a grower isn't really experienced and well entrenched with a good land base, it's hard to deal with these kinds of setbacks and stay in the game. "I wonder how a young person who wants to get started in this business can really make a go of it in this day and time," he said.

The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, the site of FFVA's 63rd Annual Convention, offers newly remodeled rooms with the latest amenities.

CONVENTION OFFERS CAMARADERIE

One of the ways the industry can help that young farmer, however, is through networking and education, Drew believes. That's one reason he's pretty enthusiastic about the upcoming convention.

"We have so many unique individuals involved in this business, and it's great to get together and talk about the concerns we have - and also to get re-acquainted and catch up on kids and grandkids," he said. "It's the camaraderie, more than anything. And it's just so gratifying to know that we have such a great, diverse industry. We have a terrific story to tell, because we feed our families and, of course, our country. There's no better way to make a living!"

Join Lisa and Drew at FFVA 2006. For more information, a schedule and online registration, go to www.ffva.com/convention. We hope to see you there!