■ TAKING CARE OF AGRICULTURE

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Did you know?South Fork High School is one of only 3 high schools in the country with an on-campus golf course utilized in their horticulture program.

The Business Development Board of Martin County (BDBMC) is a public-private partner-ship working to promote balanced and orderly economic growth in Martin County. As the official economic development organization for Martin County, the BDBMC is charged with the responsibility of supporting exist-

ing companies in their expansion and growth needs and attracting new companies to the community. BDBMC is the official partner of Enterprise Florida, Inc. (EFI), the state’s offi-cial economic development organization.

The BDBMC is funded in part by the Martin County Board of County Commissioners.

Promoting economic prosperity by supporting businessBusiness Development Board of Martin County

www.bdbmc.orglike us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/BDBMC

The agricultural indus-try has a long history in Martin County. Since the early 1930’s, farming, cit-rus and cattle have been economic drivers in the community. The first cit-rus processing plant was built in Indiantown in the 1960’s. At that time, Indi-antown was home to the

largest lemon grove in the world providing the first major lemon plant-ing in the Eastern United States.

Today, Indiantown and Western Martin County remain major providers of a wide array of agricul-tural products and diverse

agribusiness interests with over 77,000 acres of classi-fied agricultural land.

Florida Commissioner of Agri-culture, Adam Putnam, recently an-nounced that the “Fresh From Florida” retail program, which markets Florida agricultural products, has reached a new record of 12,357 retail stores in 26 countries carrying Fresh From Florida products. More than 4,000 of the partic-ipating retailers are outside of the Unit-ed States. In 2014, Florida agricultural exports totaled $4.2 billion. “Florida’s hardworking farmers, growers, ranch-ers and fishermen produce some of the highest quality products in the world,” Commissioner Putnam said. “Today those products are being promoted through the ‘Fresh From Florida’ brand in 12,357 retail locations in 26 countries around the world.”

Top international partners by store count:

Canada – 1,824 stores Scandinavia – 724 stores South Korea – 507 stores United Kingdom – 320 Stores Japan – 276 stores

The retail locations promote more than 40 different types of fresh fruits, vegetables, citrus and other products. From blueberries in Japan to grapefruit in Denmark and dozens of commodities in Canada and the U.S., the program strives to help Florida’s more than 47,000 farmers sell their products. Over the lifetime of the sixteen year program, this is the highest number of store outlets. Visit www.fresh fromflorida.com for more information.

Martin County is home to some of the finest agricultural companies in the world, producing farm fresh fruit and vegetables with a focus on environmentally friendly and sustainable practices.

Cal-Maine Foods: eggsFormerly Tampa Farms, the largest

producer and marketer of shell eggs in the United States. The company’s locations span over 16 states with over 100 facilities, including breeding, hatching, processing and packing sites, shell egg production, feed mills and distribution centers.

Pure-Grown Aquaculture: clams, shrimp and mangroves

PureGrown Aquaculture is the premier provider of Sunray Venus Clams, offering the most sophisticated clam purge system developed for commercial use. The “farm” also produces gulf white shrimp using a recirculating system of both traditional and proprietary technologies.

Sydnee Farms: basil, culinary herbsThis family owned and operated farm is

one of the county’s newer farming opera-tions. The farm currently produces basil and a small array of other culinary herbs.

Bay State Milling: flourOne of the largest milling companies in

the U.S., the company produces an array of products, including BakingEssentials for conventional baking, BakingEssentials Glu-ten Free, GrainEssential, OrganicEssentials and EthnicEssentials for grain based food products for ethnic markets. The Indian-town plant manufactures a full line of hard spring and hard winter flours, serving Cen-tral and South Florida and the Caribbean.

Cabbage Inc.: cabbage, spinach and spring mix

Founded in 1984, Cabbage Inc. processes and markets fresh cabbage to wholesale customers in the U.S. and produces an ar-ray of products, including spinach, spring mix, red, green and savoy cabbage and squash. The Indiantown location is home to a 30,000 square foot cooling facility to effectively establish and maintain the cold chain and avoid reduction of product qual-ity and shelf life.

Louis Dreyfus Commodities: orange juiceLouis Dreyfus Commodities is a world

leader in the processing of agricultural products and merchandising of a diverse range of commodities. In 2001, Louis Dreyfus Commodities purchased the for-mer Caulkins Citrus Plant in Indiantown, which is home to the company’s orange and grapefruit processing plant for cus-tomers in the U.S. and abroad.

Kai-Kai Farms: niche vegetables, strawberries

This family owned and operated com-pany produces a variety of over 50 veg-etables. Kai-Kai’s array of niche crops include beans, broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, lettuce, peas, radishes, squash and turnips. The owners are proud to provide their products for farm-to-table dining at fine establishments including The Breakers, Cafe Chardonnay, District Table & Bar and Ian’s Tropical Grill.

Fresh Shrimp USA: shrimpIn early 2014, Fresh Shrimp USA se-

lected Indiantown as its home for their shrimp production. The company has a unique water aquaculture system that will be housed within enclosed facilities to maintain perfect growing conditions year round. The company anticipates its first shrimp harvest this summer.

Star Farms: sugar cane, sod and cornStar Farms expanded operations in

early 2014 with the acquisition of approx-imately 3,000 acres of agricultural land for sugar cane production. The company has a history in Florida with over 12,000 acres of farming producing citrus, sugar cane, sod, vegetables and cattle ranching.

Consolidated Citrus: citrus, sweet

corn, sugar cane and sodThe largest citrus grower in the U.S.,

Consolidated Citrus operates more than a dozen separate grove locations throughout South Florida. The groves include approximately forty thousand tree planted acres, half of which are in Indiantown. King Ranch, principal own-er of Consolidated Citrus, has a diversi-fied portfolio of agribusinesses including cattle ranching, feed lot operations and farming. The company’s commitment to sustainable practices includes a recent substantial investment of conversion to linear water supply for water quality and irrigation.

Pero Farms: peppers, green beans, cucumber, squash

Pero Family Farms has been an ag-ricultural producer since the early 1900’s. The company produces mini sweet peppers, green beans, cucumber, squash, and stoplight peppers in organic and conventional varieties.

Agri-Gators: potatoes and sweet corn

Agri-Gators was formed in the 1990’s and boasts approximately 800 acres of potatoes and 500 acres of sweet corn in Palm City. The company’s products are shipped throughout the U.S. and Canada.

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Exten-sion Martin County offers an array of horticulture programs and services. The extension office is part of a nationwide network providing non-biased, research based information to citizens and serves as a bridge between the research labs of the university and the local community by providing educational opportunities for adults and youth.

Staffed by Master Gardener Volunteers it also administers the Martin County Master Gardener program which in-cludes training and continuous educa-tion for horticulture volunteers. The goals of the Master Gardener program are to increase the availability of horti-cultural information for the community at large and to improve the quality of life for the residents through horticultural volunteer activities.

These volunteers operate two help desks located in Stuart and Indiantown. The volunteers are available to assist residents and business owners with finding new Florida-friendly plantings, starting a garden, planting trees, iden-tifying plants and pests, and managing

their landscapes in a sustainable manner. Master Gardeners provide one-on-one consultations and can analyze plant, soil and insect samples. This assistance is also provided to local landscapers and growers in partnership with extension agents from UF/IFAS.

The Florida Yard and Neighborhoods Program offers information on horticul-ture, regional plant life and yard main-tenance. This program consists of an installed vegetable garden area, includ-ing hyrdroponics, hydro-Stackers, aero-ponics, floating gardens and several other unique sustainable gardening techniques. Led by Fred Burkey, a Martin County na-tive and second generation flower grower and horticulturist, the FYN program pro-vides onsite demonstrations at the Stu-art facility beginning in late September through April, in addition to year-round individual growing assistance, lectures and presentations. If you are interested in learning to establish a small farming program in your home, yard or as a for-profit business, contact Fred Burkey at the extension office for more information.

Visit martin.ifas.ufl.edu for more in-formation or call 772-288-5654.

Fresh From Florida products in record number of stores worldwide

■ GROWN IN MARTIN COUNTY

Business briefs

Footprint of agriculture in Martin County

Economic impact of agricultural and related industries in Martin County

• 25,536 jobs (20.1% total) • $1.10 billion in revenues• 16.5% contribution to gross regional product

It is estimated that for every $1 invested in agricultural research and exten-sion, there is a return of $20 to the community. Source: UF/IFAS

AGRICULTURE ACREAGE AT A GLANCE

Company Product Acres

Agri-Gators Potatoes 1,913

Bay State Milling Flour 22

Cabbage Inc. Cabbage, Spinach, Spring Lettuce Mix 1,400

Cal-Maine Foods Eggs 97

Consolidated Citrus/King Ranch Citrus, Sweet Corn, Sugar Cane, Sod 20,000 +/-

Fresh Shrimp USA Shrimp, Mangroves 40

Kai Kai Farms Niche Vegetables/Strawberries 40

Louis Dreyfus Commodities Juice Processing Plant 83

Maran Groves Citrus 1,239

Pero Family Farms Peppers, Melon, Cucumbers, Squash, Green Beans

2,285

PureGrown Aquaculture Clams, Shrimp, Mangroves 40

St. Lucie River Company, LLC Cane, Sod 5,824

Star Farms Sugar Cane, Sod, Corn 7,745

Sydnee Farms Basil 70

AGRICULTUREEDITION