Rural Recharge

Gould and his wife, Carol, care for the land as well as they grow a commodity. Their attention to resource preservation at their Washington County farm has made it a model operation.

He recently talked about their work in an interview with G.B. Crawford.

Brian Lapointe, a research professor at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, has devoted his scientific career to studying water quality issues for more than three decades. Lapointe has presented his findings before the Florida Legislature and numerous local and state executive agencies. He recently talked about his work in an interview with G.B. Crawford.

Sarah Carte, Chair of our State Women’s Leadership Committee shares about Food Check-Out Week and how it's celebrated across the state.

G.B. Crawford: As anyone who lives in Florida knows firsthand, weather conditions have varied from mild to awful during the past year. Long-term climate trends influence local weather in all locations. State Climatologist David Zierden explains what he and his colleagues have determined from their studies of climate data and what they imply for the future.

For this winter, Floridians can expect to live under the influence of the El Nino phenomenon, a naturally-occurring event that is linked to warming temperatures in the central and east-central Pacific Ocean near the Equator.

 David Zierden: The typical climate pattern associated with El Nino is that Florida and the northern Gulf Coast get much more storminess. And because of the storminess and cloud cover, we generally have cool to moderate temperatures. Basically, we’re looking at increased rainfall, a higher frequency of these winter storms and cooler or more moderate temperatures.

 Crawford: In recent years scientists have recorded overall elevated temperatures in Florida. In the northern counties, for example, the average evening temperature in the summer months has ranged two degrees higher than normal. David Zierden says this trend is continuing.

Zierden: If you look at monthly average temperatures in Florida, we’ve gone three-and-a-half years with only two months of below-average temperatures. Every other month has been warmer than normal. And during that same time, we have seen five months of record hot temperatures. We’ve definitely seen a warming trend in the past four years in this state.

 Crawford: Zierden and other scientists caution that the steady increase in average temperatures is a likely indication that major hurricanes in the future may be even more destructive than Irma or Michael.

 Zierden: It is much more probable that the intensity will increase. We will have stronger storms and the strongest ones will be incrementally stronger. There is a possibility that what we have seen this year is part of that happening.

 Crawford: Zierden’s work with farmers for more than 20 years has convinced him that agriculture can thrive in Florida despite hurricanes, drought or any other damaging weather forces.

 Zierden: I think our agricultural systems are adaptable. There are new varieties and different commodities that can be grown. There is a lot that can be done to both adapt and mitigate against the worst effects of a changing climate.

 This is G.B. Crawford for Florida Farm Bureau’s Newsline.

Alex: Florida Farm Bureau’s Annual Meeting is scheduled later this month, Jason Davison Florida Farm Bureau’s Director of Field Services explains the importance of Annual Meeting

Jason: The Florida Farm Bureau annual meeting is a time for our members to come together and to chart the future and particularly the next year of our organization and it gives us the roadmap for our staff for the following year.

Alex: Davison goes on to explains how the policy process takes place at Annual Meeting

Jason: This is a vital point of being a grassroots organization. Our policy is developed at the local level and is presented to be ratified by the delegates of the convention.

Alex: Davison stresses the importance of attending the Annual Meeting and its impact on members.

Jason:  It is important to attend annual meeting because you want to be a part of the voice of this organization. It also gives and opportunity for you to hear what is going on with agriculture around the state. This is a good time to celebrate our successes and plan for what we can do better in the future.

Alex: In addition to policy matters, some other activities are planned for members who attend including educational breakout sessions, a member appreciation event and a motivational keynote speaker.

Jason: Our Keynote speaker will be on Thursday and that will be Eric McElvenny who when through a pretty traumatic experience of losing his leg and he will be giving a motivational speech on his story on how he picked up and moved forward. This will be a perfect time to reflect particularly after the hurricanes of hurricane Irma and most recently hurricane Michael. There are difficult times but we will pick up and move forward.

Annual Meeting is scheduled for October 24-26 at the Renaissance World Golf Village in St. Augustine. This is Alex Lucas for Florida Farm Bureau Newsline.

G.B. Crawford: The North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, has created serious challenges for Florida vegetable growers. Implemented in 1994, the trade pact was intended to stimulate the flow of goods and services across the borders of the United States, Canada and Mexico. But since its adoption, Florida farmers have lost substantial portions of the U.S. vegetable market.

John VanSickle: a food and resource economist at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, said the results have been exemplified by what has happened with tomatoes. 

John VanSickle: “You can see it in tomatoes better than in others because it is such an important crop in terms of volume and value in Florida agriculture. Our crop is…less than half the value it was when we go back prior to NAFTA being implemented.”  

Crawford: VanSickle explained that a glaring omission in the agreement has cost Florida farmers dearly. 

VanSickle: “Labor has become a critical point. It’s the part of the agreement that got left out. As long as Mexico can employ the labor in Mexico for about 10 percent of the value that we have to put into play in the U.S., it’s going to be very difficult for us to compete.” 

Crawford: The lack of a reliable, functional guest worker program magnifies the impact of the differential labor cost, Van Sickle said. Unless this issue can be addressed, the trend of market share losses will continue. 

VanSickle: “Immigration just adds to the difficulty we’ve got. Because as we close our borders to immigration, it’s also going to increase the cost of our labor that we use in the production system.” 

This is G.B. Crawford for Florida Farm Bureau’s Newsline.

Rachael: For years, the Everglades Agricultural Area has drawn much controversy over the environmental concerns regarding water quality in South Florida. Stuck in the middle of that controversy is agriculture. Florida Farm Bureau’s Gary Ritter shares some of the challenges that farmers and ranchers are facing in the EAA.

Gary: “The challenges today’s EAA farmers and ranchers face are linked hand in hand to the storied history of the Everglades, their partnership in Everglades Restoration and population growth.

This all started back in 1994 Florida Passed the Everglades Forever Act mandating EAA farmers meet a 25% reduction in phosphorus through the implementation of on-farm BMPs.  For the past 25 years, EAA farmers have met or exceeded their 25% reduction goal averaging 55% reductions during that time period and this past year a 70% reduction.

Rachael: What are some of the techniques that farmers and ranchers have in place to help in the Everglades Restoration?

Gary: Farmers use Best Management Practices in three categories: Water Management, Nutrient Management and Sediment Controls.  Let’s take a look at all three.

Water conservation and management practices are implemented to retain runoff by optimizing on-site storage, based on rainfall levels. 

Nutrient management through soil testing includes uniform applications of fertilizer with soil amendments at the plant root zones while maintaining setbacks from waterways.

Sediment controls reduce erosion of canal banks and swales by maintaining vegetative buffers.    In addition crop rotations and rice production has helped improve soil loss in the EAA area.

Rachael: Gary helps dispel some of the myths regarding the phosphorus levels of the Everglades.

Gary: The myths are generally from a misinformed public that believes water from EAA farms is back-pumped into Lake Okeechobee and somehow winds up in the coastal estuaries.   Actually, farmers in the EAA treat water from Lake Okeechobee sending it south into the water conservation areas. 

Rachael: How important is it to understand other contributors to the health of the Everglades?

Gary: Farmers have been a partner in the restoration effort for decades.  However, success truly means all of south Florida has to be united and engaged with our farmers…this means citizens and industry along with the state of Florida and the Federal Government.”

G.B. Crawford: Every five years Congress enacts legislation that sets national agricultural policy. This legislation is known as the Farm Bill. Florida Farm Bureau President John Hoblick explains why the Farm Bill is an important policy statement.

John Hoblick: “The foundation and the basis of the Farm Bill originally was to help give farmers assurance that they indeed would make a profit for their crops and also ensure that this country would have food going forward into the future to sustain this country’s nutritional needs.”

Crawford: Hoblick noted that the bill also provides supplemental assistance for families that are food insecure.

Hoblick: “For the general public, the Farm Bill has a big impact, too. That’s the nutritional side of this bill that helps actually feed those that are impoverished and cannot afford food.”

Crawford: The process of crafting this legislation is always a challenge. But farmers and ranchers hope the Congress can adopt a new bill soon so they can plan their production in the next five years. Hoblick said national lawmakers have a big job facing them.

Hoblick: “There are a lot of complicated things that go into a Farm Bill, so it is not just as easy as turning on and off a light switch. However, just two weeks ago we had a Farm Bill hit the Congressional floor. It was quite honestly defeated by not only all of the Democrats voting no, but also the Freedom Caucus of the Republican Party. The primary reason was tied to an immigration arm of that – and a valid point that needs to be addressed.

We have until September to try and get a good Farm Bill in place. That means Congress is going to have to scramble in the next few weeks and months to really put this package together.”

Crawford: This is G.B. Crawford for Florida Farm Bureau’s Newsline.

For more information on the Farm Bill, click here.