FIELD AND GROVE MAGAZINE
Profiling Southwest Florida’s Agribusiness Community

By Cindy Cutright  

Vegetable seed distribution is vital to an industry that helps feed our nation, adds hundreds of millions of dollars to Florida's economy and sets our region of the state apart. The process is an arduous one because so much depends upon seed companies getting it right. 

After a vegetable variety is tapped for marketing by the company that bred it (i.e. Sakata or Seminis), the seeds are grown and cultivated outside the United States in several other countries around the world including China, Chile and the Netherlands. This is the most economical way to produce the seed, which helps keep costs down for the seed distributor and by extension, the vegetable farmer. 

Once harvested, the seeds are returned to the states to be "milled, cleaned up, treated and then packed into saleable units," explained Paul Sawyer, a seed consultant with Siegers Seed Company. "We (Siegers) then forecast and buy from these companies what we need to supply the end user, which is the grower." 

But before the seed is shipped to the distributor, it must be packaged one of two ways. The packaging method used is determined by whether the vegetables are grown from wet seeds (tomatoes, watermelons etc.) or dry seeds (beans, sweet corn). Once received in-house, the majority of the wet seed is then shipped to transplant houses where it’s planted and nurtured until the young individual plants the seed produces can be transplanted in prepared fields. 

Nothing is left to chance. Since the quality of seed used to 'put out a crop' is so critical to the success of southern Florida's vegetable growers, Siegers also conducts its own screening trials. A trial may utilize anywhere from "one-half to five acres depending on the comfort level of the farmer," Sawyer explained, "because production costs are so high for these farmers, they have to make the most of their valuable land." 

And Siegers helps them do just that by widely distributing seeds to growers that produce the area’s bread and butter vegetable crops including tomatoes, bell peppers, specialty peppers, squash, cucumbers, string beans, sweet corn and watermelons. 

Sawyer, who received a degree in Biology from the University of Maine, has been associated with Siegers since the company's move into our local marketplace in the mid 90's. Established in 1917, Siegers concentrated its efforts in other parts of the country until 1995 "when the company saw gaps in seed distribution in the southeast," Sawyer said. "Now, Siegers sells seed up and down the eastern seaboard." 

And Sieger's growth in our area is evident when one considers that the company's LaBelle office currently oversees sales and distribution in seven other states besides Florida: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee.  

Sawyer, who also serves as president of the Florida Watermelon Association, is unabashedly proud of his occupation and says he loves working in agriculture. "No two days are ever the same and I've met a lot of fascinating people," he remarked, before going on to say that many of his customers have become dear friends. Sawyer takes pride in being involved with an industry that "helps feed the world. I can't imagine doing anything else." 

But like many who are so closely tied to our area's agriculture, Sawyer says he laments the lack of knowledge most people have when it comes to how the food they eat is produced. "I have friends on Fort Myers Beach who have never been east of I-75. They have no idea what we grow out here."  

By Cindy Cutright   Fri, Mar 06, 2009

Gene McAvoy is a pleasant, industrious and no-nonsense kind of a guy. That he's dedicated to educating people about agriculture is not surprising because McAvoy is the Hendry County Extension Director specializing in vegetable and ornamental horticulture.

McAvoy received a Bachelor's and later a Master's degree from Rutgers University and did a stint in the Peace Corp's International Agriculture Program in West Africa. He later served on Rutger's faculty teaching seed and vegetable production and then returned to South Africa a few years later.

A New Jersey native, McAvoy freely admits he has no desire to live anywhere that is not designated a tropical climate.  He became acclimated to warmer climes while working in Jamaica. And it was in Jamica that an anti-American regime came to power provoking threats against McAvoy and his family members. Once threatened, they returned to the states having spent seven years in Jamaica.

McAvoy and his family eventually settled in Hendry County. "I knew about the Immokalee area," he said, "and when I was offered a position here I took it." Quick to tout the area's (and the state's) agricultural talking points, McAvoy said, "A lot of people don't realize that agriculture is the second largest industry in the state. And it's much more sustainable than building."

McAvoy serves on the Gulf Citrus Growers Association's Long Term Planning Committee and as such he seems to constantly be taking the area's collective agricultural pulse. "What we've seen are shifts in eastern Lee County and the middle of Collier into Hendry County. Agriculture is moving inland and slightly north," he reports, "Hendry County has seen tremendous growth in agriculture in the last decade."

As an extension agent for the University of Florida, McAvoy says it's his job, in essence, to keep the front door of the University open to the producers and the community. He views his position as a "conduit working in both directions'' between the growers and UF. By supplying growers with the most up to date information ascertained at the university level, he helps the growers' farming operations. McAvoy also relays information back to the university, providing UF "fodder for future research programs," he stated. "It's important to communicate."

McAvoy is clearly proud of the extension's staff. "Our employees have 15 to 20 years experience. That provides a lot of accumulated expertise." And his devotion to agriculture and those who produce is palatable.

When asked what he believes is the biggest obstacle growers face today, he said pointedly, "Regulations." Plain and simple. "How can a grower comply with all the regulations? There is an alphabet soup of acronyms that must be dealt with."

McAvoy did a study of growers and found most are spending approximately 13% of their time filling out forms and large producers spend perhaps as much as 30 %. "You're not making money doing that," he reminds us all. McAvoy also said that, "competing with other countries is also difficult for US growers because while they are so heavily regulated, farmers in other countries are not. This situation," he lamented, "is really hurting the vegetable grower."

There may be some uncertainty in our economic future, but having Gene McAvoy in our area's agricultural corner is a sure thing on which growers can depend.

By Staff   Tue, Mar 10, 2009

Collier County's University of Florida Extension Service, located at 14700 Immokalee Road, is offering a great entrepreneurial course aptly named 'Urban Farming 101'.

The course is designed to educate farmers (or would be farmers) that have five acres or less with which to work.

A number of insightful topics will be covered in class during the four weeks.

Week one (April 7) will focus on getting started and methods associated with both organic and traditional farming. Week two (April 14) will cover a whole range of topics including vegetable and fruit production systems, plant growth characteristics, crop rotation and more. Week three's session (April 21) will cover pest management and diseases as well as storing and marketing the produce. The final class (April 28) will include a class field trip.

The course is slated to begin April 7 and will continue through April 28 with each session beginning at 6 p.m. The course costs $25 per person and the fee covers work materials.

For more information about this unique course, call (239) 353-4244.

By Staff   Wed, Mar 04, 2009

Farmers who want to sell fresh produce directly to our Florida schools have found a friend in Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson. The new "Farm to School" program is designed to put district food service officials in touch with local farmers who can provide the produce.

Millions of tax payer dollars are spent yearly purchasing fresh produce for use in our Florida schools. 

This program helps funnel more of those funds to small local farmers, and also helps promote healthy eating habits among students. 

Bronson stated that the program supports local economies, reduces transportation costs and helps preserve Florida farms.

Farmers are encouraged to visit a new web site for more information: www.florida-agriculture.com/farmtoschool. The web site provides a list of schools with contact information and the items they are interested in purchasing, along with a list of farmers and the food products they provide.

This past month I had the distinct honor of interviewing three individuals who demonstrate more than just a modicum of professionalism and an uncompromising dedication to agriculture. It's reassuring to think that these three gentlemen represent the caliber of people that are minding our food chain.

They are:

Paul Sawyer, an engaging and easy going seed consultant for Siegers Seed Company. Paul was kind enough to take the time to explain - in detail - just what is involved in seed distribution and how important this step is to the laborious process of growing vegetables bound for tables around the country. Read more about Paul and Siegers in our cover story.

Gene McAvoy, who has lead one of the most interesting (and at times dangerous) lives in the pursuit of helping people grow food half a world away. He serves as Hendry County's Extension Director in a job Gene seems to perform tirelessly. He is our 'In Profile' subject this month.

Huey Howard, a wonderful success story if I ever heard one. Huey is a highly respected member of Southwest Florida's agriculture community and will be featured, along with other members of his family, in next month's cattle issue. 

All three are inexplicitly bound to the soil in a way that I, as an avid consumer of food, find reassuring. Yet a common theme ran through each of the interviews I had with these men; and it is just this: people seem to have little - if any - true appreciation for where the very food comes from that sustains them and their families. Paul wondered aloud during our interview just how many outside the ag community knew that Palm Beach County boasted 35,000 acres of sweet corn. I would guess very few. Gene talked about there being so much more to this part of Florida than golf courses and who wouldn't agree with that?

Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. And so I have come to believe that a citrus grove, dotted by thousands of oranges contrasted against the dark green of the trees, is prettier than the signature hole of any championship golf course. I also think that a mega sugar cane field can appear as vast and imposing as a calm lake at sunset; and that, yes, a field of vegetables about to be harvested, captured in just the right light, can actually take your breath away.

Wed, Mar 04, 2009

It's no wonder Hydroponics farms are all the rage. You can learn how to start a successful hydroponics business by attending a workshop in Live Oak at the UF North Florida Research and Education Center March 16 through 18. The 'hands-on' sessions, held in the university's greenhouses, will give attendees the feel of working with hydroponics plants. Go to http://smallfarms.ifas.ufl.edu.

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This promises to be an event you don't want to miss. The Miami International Agriculture and Cattle Show will be held March 20 through 22 at the Ronald Regan Equestrian Center. Several Beef Cattle Shows are planned as well as an ABBA sanctioned Brahman show. A Peruvian Horse Show and a South Florida Reining Horse Association demonstration will also be held. Get the whole scoop and directions by going to www.miamicattleshow.com.

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Here's a cool event that watermelon growers won't want to miss. The Florida Watermelon Association will hold its annual convention March 27 through 29 in Sarasota. Exhibits and a host of social events will be featured. Find out more about it by emailing patty@flwa.com or going to www.flfwa.com.  

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The Third Annual Florida Wildflower Festival will be held March 28 in Deland. Writer and lecturer, Herb Hiller will speak and Florida beekeeping and honey making will be featured. Festival attendees can browse through a farmer's market and enjoy entertainment all day. For more information visit www.floridawildflowerfestival.com.

Sun, Mar 01, 2009

Who knew Florida strawberries are related to the rose? The staff certainly didn't, but apparently that's why they have such a wonderful, distinctive fragrance. This month's recipe was chosen in honor of the annual Strawberry Festival, recently held in Plant City, and the Florida growers that produce these sweet treats.

Stuffed Strawberries

(with homemade vanilla whip cream)

20 FLORIDA Strawberries

  8 ounces of heavy whipping cream

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1 vanilla bean, seeded

  2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Wash and cut tops off strawberries. Make a small hollow in each berry. Whip the heavy whipping cream with vanilla extract and a seeded vanilla bean until soft peaks form. Add sugar and blend gently. Use a pastry bag with a small tip to pipe the vanilla cream into the small hollow in each strawberry.

Yield: six servings

Our thanks to the Florida Department of Agriculture for this great desert recipe.

Publisher's Note: If I were to guess, I'd say there are more than a few calories in this recipe. However, I should also mention that strawberries are a good source of fiber and potassium. So if you can do without the whip cream go ahead and eat them plain because nothing beats a Florida strawberry, stuffed or not.