By Barbara Wunder, FFVA communications manager

There was never any waffling, career-wise, for Ronnie Young. Since his youth, Young steered straight toward agricultural success. Now a member of FFVA’s board of directors, Young is in his 30th year growing, selling and shipping the Florida strawberries everybody loves.

He comes from an agricultural family. Young’s grandfather grew strawberries and vegetables in the Dover area. Young and his brother grew up around the berries, helping out when they could break away from schoolwork. They also raised cattle and hay.

An unfortunate incident thrust Young straight into production work. “After we got out of high school and started college, my grandfather had a stroke. Sol we helped my grandmother gather the berry crop he had planted. I’ve been growing strawberries ever since,” he said.

Young earned an associate’s degree from Hillsborough Community college and promptly went to work full time on the family acreage. Today, he works alongside his wife, Pam, and his 26-year old son, Adam, also an HCC grad, who manages production. A 27-year-old daughter, Kristen, works and attends classes at the University of Florida. Kristen is also involved in agriculture, currently working on DNA research characterizing resistance to squash silverleaf disorder in vegetables.

Strawberry grower/shipper Ronnie Young is a new member of FFVA's Board of Directors.

The family purchased the farming operation Young runs, 3-Star Farms, 21 years ago. The sales end of the business, BBI Produce, was named after “Berry Boss,” the label under which Young packs the strawberries. Marvin Brown is his business partner.

With an eye toward vertical integration, Young and Brown designed the business to be integrated all the way to the chain store. “We grow it, ship it, sell it, have total control of our product,” Young said. They sell mainly to chain stores but also do a small amount of food service and broker business. BBI employees Chris Smith and Larry Scarborough take care of selling the product.

Together, BBI, 3-Star and the company’s other nearby farms employ about 80 full-time employees. “And of course during the busy season, we have a few hundred seasonal workers in the fields and in the packinghouse.” BBI even makes its own boxes for shipping the berries to the stores.

ENJOYING THE OUTDOORS

Asked what he likes best about what he does, Young said it’s simply the joy of growing a product everyone loves. “I really enjoy the growing end of it - being out in the field. Office work is necessary, but being in the field is the enjoyable part,” Young said.

Young's operation, 3-Star Farms manufactures its own boxes for shipping berries.

Of course, nothing worth doing is without hurdles. Having an adequate supply of legal workers is Young’s primary worry when harvest time comes around. Close behind is the loss of the fumigant methyl bromide, which has been phased out because of environmental concerns. “Also, the things every other business faces in Florida - taxes, insurance and everything that comes with it. But I think solving the labor issue is probably the most important issue our industry faces – that and the methyl bromide issues,” said Young, adding that groups such as FFVA are crucial because it brings growers together to work on important issues. "As a past president of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association I know that we all have to work together to make our voices heard."

When he has a moment free, Young enjoys the important and simple blessings of life. “Pam and I relax by going to the beach. We love to spend time with our kids and just taking it easy with our two dogs,” Young said. “The simple pleasures are usually the best ones.”