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The Voice of Agriculture
Fall | 2013The Official Publication of the Dade County Farm Bureau
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dade-agriculture.org
History Speaks for Itself: The Accursio Family
Every year, the Dade County Farm Bureau honors a family who has made an impact in the agricultural community. This year, the family of choice is the Accursios.The Accursio family has a rich history within our community and continues to make strides in the agricultural industry with their diversity and innovation. Sam Accursio Sr. was 17 years old and the head of a household of 9 when the Accursio family came from Boston, Masachusetts to Florida City, Florida in 1943. They moved into an apartment above a bar that is now known as Rosita’s Restaurant. The family had little money, but they worked extremely hard to make a name for themselves.
Dade County Farm Bureau1850 Old Dixie Highway
Homestead, Fl 33033www.dade-agriculture.org
Phone (305)246-5514 Fax (305)245-9170
One day, Sam’s neighbor told him that he must meet her beautiful, crimson haired, granddaughter, Phyllis. She came from the Bronx in New York City. She was 14 years old when they met. They fell in love and two years after meeting, they married in 1950 when she was 16. He was 7 years her senior. The couple had 5 children: Jimmy, Sammy, Susie, Patti, and Mary, all when grown would carry on his legacy.
Sam started farming because he had a passion for it. With little money, but a lot of determination, he began farming in 1948 growing squash on five acres of land.Sam was a taxi driver by day, but when he finished his day job he would work the farm the rest of the afternoon and into the night.
He worked to make enough money to buy seed and he borrowed equipment from other (Continued on page 4)
By: Sonia Colon
Features and Publisher’s Note
Publisher’s Note
The Voice of Agriculture is the quarterly publication of the Dade County Farm Bureau, Miami-Dade County’s oldest and largest agricultural organization. The Farm Bureau was established in 1942 to collectively solve agricultural issues in the regulatory, legislative, economic and social arena. For advertising or membership information please contact Debbie Brady at (305) 246-5514.
Chief Alan Baker and Chief Brian Castor joined DCFB in the Veterans Day Parade on a truck sponsored by Grand Prize Chevrolet.
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IssueIN THIS
1 The Accursio Family Story2 Features and Publisher’s
Note3 President’s Message4 Cover Story: The Accursio
Family5 Gould’s Elementary School
Garden6 Proposed Incorporation
Map by Friends of Redlands
7 Incorporation White Paper8 Ray Timmons Team Player
Award 9 Florida Farm Bureau Annual
Meeting14 Community Corner
President’s Message
To All of Our Members,
The fall season is here which means the fields of South Dade are bustling with activity. Growers are busy planting and harvesting the vegetables that will feed Florida and the rest of the country during the winter months. In recent years, our relationship with our county and state government has greatly improved concerning our needs in agriculture. We have so much to be thankful for but in some ways, we remain concerned with regards to changing government regulation. Food Safety Compliance, immigration reform, food security, and the Farm Bill are still pending our Legislators decisions. We need you all to stay informed and use your voices.
In the Redland area, commercial agriculture remains our #1 industry. It provides $2.7 billion of annual income, 85% of which circulates back into our county. It produces 20,000 + jobs and all of this is farmed on only 65,000 acres of land. For years, growers have promoted best management practices, food safety, and encouraged private property rights. Zoning that encourages farming and limited development has always been a key concern of the farming community.
We as an Agricultural Industry would like Miami
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Dade County to better understand our needs. DCFB continues to work to communicate to lawmakers that the Redland area needs codes that make sense for agriculture. Do not hold us to standards that are better suited to industrial manufacturing in buildings outside of the UDB. Recently, Friends of the Redland contacted Dade County Farm Bureau and invited us to several meetings pertaining to “Annexation or Incorporation”. I have formed a committee for this important issue and will keep our members informed through email, mail, and fax. In this newsletter you can view a map proposed by the Friends of the Redland. There is also a white paper stating Dade County Farm Bureau’s position regarding incorporation. At this point in time, our committee feels that another layer of county government is not a desirable option for our industry or residents. The committee is meeting with Florida City and City of Homestead to explore annexation options. Perhaps, Redland is a pretty nice place to live and work just the way it is.
I recently received a letter from FDOT informing us of proposed improvements on Krome Avenue, from SW 296th Street North to SW 136th Street. A hearing will be held on Wednesday, December 11, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the John D. Campbell Center, 18710 SW 288th Street, Homestead, FL 33030. Starting Wednesday, November 20 proposed improvements can be viewed at the center. Dade County Farm Bureau will be viewing the proposal and meeting with County Agricultural Manager, Charles LaPradd to discuss the proposed improvements and how they might affect agriculture as well as existing businesses. We already know that there are some potential negative issues pertaining to food safety and security to agribusinesses and residents along the corridor. I intend to follow this project closely and Dade County Farm Bureau will keep you informed.
On a lighter note, the holidays are here! We are harvesting locally grown vegetables and DCFB is promoting Redland Raised on our Facebook and other social media. Make sure you ask your grocer for locally grown produce!
Sincerely,
George ButlerPresident
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The Accursio Family4
Cover Storyfarmers around town. In 1952, his hard work paid off. After buying 30 acres of land, Sam Sr. became a full time farmer. Farming became a family affair for the Accursios. Phyllis Accursio was a full-time mother and farmer’s wife. It was not uncommon for her to prepare meals for her husband and take them to whatever field he was working. On occasion, Phyllis even helped her husband in the field. Her children recall their mother’s beautiful bright red hair flowing in the wind while driving the tractor through the field. Their five children would contribute by washing squash for a nickel after school.
As his business expanded, Sam Accursio became known as the “Pickle King.” He had a passion for the vegetable and would correct anyone who tried to call them cucumbers. “Not cucumbers. Pickles!” his daughter, Susie Ebersole-Accursio recalled. He had contracts for his pickles with very large companies including: Vlasic, Heinz, and Roddenberry. Growing pickles was something that was not mastered easily by all growers. It’s a delicate vegetable that needs very specific conditions to grow and is susceptible to fungus and root issues.
Sam Accursio’s son, Sammy, learned many things from his father. He and his brother Jimmy would help their father with work on the farm after school. Tragically, Jimmy passed away when he was 18 years old. His initials “JCA” and the number 30, his number on the football team, can be found on all Accursio Farms business cards, their letterhead, and in the Accursio Farms office. Sam Accursio Jr. went on to run the family business after his father’s passing in 1995. He has continued the legacy that his father started and has the same strong passion for farming. Sam currently grows on 2,000 acres per year and runs a state of the art packing house that contributes significantly to the winter vegetables coming out of the state of Florida. He struggles with some of the same issues his father struggled with like the Free Trade Agreement, but he also faces new challenges like immigration.
“Immigration was not an issue when my dad was farming, now it is a major issue. Immigrants are the backbone of agriculture in the United States and without them, harvesting will be a huge struggle,” Sam said. The Accursio family became a 3rd generation farming family when Sam’s son, who recently graduated from University of Alabama at Birmingham, came home to begin a career in agriculture alongside his father.
On November 9, 2012, the family opened their business, “Sam & Philly’s” U-Pick and Market, affectionately named after their parents, Sam and Phyllis. It is located at 16790 SW 177th Avenue (Krome Avenue and SW 168th Street.) You can’t miss it. It’s a beautiful red barn with old classic charm. One can’t help but feel like a part of the family as you enter into this charming market. It is filled with delicious local vegetables, fruit, honey, jams and baked goods. It’s beautifully decorated with handmade cornhusk wreathes, bales of hay and handmade shelves. On the outside of the barn you will find a U-pick field.
The market was the idea of Sam and Phyllis’s daughter, Susie Ebersole-Accursio.The idea had been in her mind for 20 years and last year, with the help of her brother Sam, who is also her partner, and her husband Tim, the dream was realized. It was a full family effort to open the market. Susie had asked her brother about opening the market three years ago, but it wasn’t until 2 years ago, while sitting in their mother’s room, that he said, “I’m ready to do the retail market.” Sam has used his knowledge of growing to help his sister and brother-in-law run the market.
It all started with a man and his passion for agriculture and it seems the passion for farming runs in the Accursio family. Susie said, “We have been blessed with the gift of owning land. We truly feel that it is just that, a blessing. All throughout scripture, God talks about giving His people land; their inheritance for the covenant God made with them. It was an honor then and an honor now.”
Gould’s Elementary School Garden
By: Sonia Colon
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Ask a first-grader if he likes carrots, and chances are you’ll get a confident “yuck.” Do it again after he’s had an opportunity to grow carrots at school, and he’ll probably change his mind. This school year Gould’s Elementary integrated agriculture into the school curriculum by starting a school garden. They proudly named their garden the Gould’s Sunshine Garden. With the help of Principal, Raul Garcia; teacher, Jessie Beauvoir; Coach, Kathleen Moore; and Media Specialist, Pilar Masson the dream of a school garden at Gould’s Elementary became a reality. The school applied for the Lowe’s Tool Box for Education grant and was awarded $3,325 to build their garden.
In August, the Gould’s Elementary students planted vegetables and herbs, with the help of their teachers. Implementing agriculture into lesson plans teaches students many things. These lessons connect students with the land and the seasons, and help them discover where food really comes from. Too many kids have little or no idea where the food they eat comes from. A school garden teaches students food is not grown in the grocery store. Also, they allow teachers to teach a lot of the things they have to teach anyway including decomposition, plant life cycles, insects, weather, erosion, etc. Only this way, they get to do it outside in a hands-on, experiential way.
The garden is thriving. The students are harvesting green beans and cucumbers. They are also growing peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, sweet chard, strawberries and pumpkins. Pilar Masson believes the garden is crucial for her students. She said, “to quote Benjamin Franklin: tell me and I forget, teach me and I remember, involve me and I learn.”
Redland Incorporation and Annexation6
Map of proposed Redland Incorporation area presented by Friends of the Redland.
Commercial Agriculture Annexation/Incorporation Impact Study 7
Redland is a unique area sitting in the subtropics of Miami-Dade County. A perfect combination of a long grow-ing season with mild climate on well drained soil, suited to the cultivation of traditional American row crops and also tropical vegetables, fruits, and horticulture that is found nowhere else in the Country. Nearby, Homestead and Florida City provide ancillary businesses that supplies most of the needs essential to farming.
Redland is rich in heritage with some of the farming families beginning farming in the area over 100 years ago. When Henry Flagler brought his railroad to Homestead in 1904, he felt that Redland was an area relatively free of frost and rich in farmland that assured vegetables and fruit to be shipped to the markets in the north. The area has prospered for the most part under the Metropolitan Miami-Dade County form of government that has been cooperative with growers and also permits planned developments in areas that would be a natural extension of the Miami-Dade County Master Plan.
Commercial agriculture has grown from humble beginnings to multimillion dollar businesses that provide the majority of vegetables, fruits, and nursery products during the winter months to the Eastern United States. Mi-ami-Dade County agriculture is the number 2 economic engine in the County. It provides $2.7 Billion of annual income, 85% of which remains in the County. It produces 20,000 + jobs and all of this is done on only 65,000 acres of farmland. The growers have always been the stewards of the land. For years, promoting best management practices, food safety, and encouraging private property rights and zoning that encourages farming and limited development has always been a key concern of the farming community.
We are now at a crossroads of possibly changing the form of government that some feel would be more appro-priate to a county that has over 2.5 million people with a diverse population and demographics. In that agricul-ture is the second largest economic producer and one of the largest employers, commercial agriculture must be of major concern to those proposing incorporation or annexation of Redland. Proponents of Annexation Incorporation must be able to explain continued economic prosperity and current employment levels under any Incorporation or Annexation of Redland.
The current incorporation effort must properly address the needs and concerns of viable agriculture and ancil-lary businesses. The Florida Right to Farm Act (FS 823.14) and the Florida Greenbelt Law (FS 193.461) are laws that encourage continued agriculture in the area and limit county and municipal government from enacting laws and fees that could adversely affect agriculture.
For incorporation or annexation to work, it will have to be financially viable. The tax base of the properties in the Redland area is much lower than other parts of the county, which leaves a big question, is it viable? Incorpora-tion/Annexation will require an area to adopt its own master plan. It will require municipal buildings, elected of-ficials, business licenses, occupational licenses, zoning issues, and new water use issues. This potentially creates another layer of government that is not totally independent, but must conform to county and state laws, while maintaining quality of life and financial benefit.
Commercial growers through the Dade County Farm Bureau have had meetings with county, state, and federal agencies to fight for the rights for growers in Dade County. The small farmers have benefitted from commercial agriculture fighting for private property rights, water issues, immigration issues, zoning, and real estate taxes. The mom and pop farms have also benefitted from Agri-tourism and The University of Florida Agricultural Ex-tension Station in Redland that provides the latest information from growing orchids to growing corn. All are a result of commercial agriculture in the Redland, which must be addressed; in all aspects, to prudently address any Incorporation or Annexation efforts.
Racey Timmons: Team Player Award8
Dade County Farm Bureau nominated Ray Timmons for the Florida Farm Bureau Team Player Award. Racey, as he is know to those around the office and community, has been with the organization for 40+ years. He is the rock of the foundation. So many days he comes into the office with a smile, a cup of coffee and the phrase, “Mornin, Mornin, Mornin!” He has an open door policy for CSR’s, Agents, Federation Staff, Adjust-ers and members. No problem is too big or small for Racey. His knowledge is worth every penny and respectfully given. Judy Fernandez, Office Manager and CSR for Ray Timmons for the past six years said, “Racey has developed relationships and cares genuinely for his costumers. He keeps track of their insurable needs and constant market changes.”
This past year Dade County Farm Bureau celebrated the 35th Annual BBQ and Fund Raiser. Racey has gladly volunteered his time for each BBQ for the past 35 years. He is there from start to finish while volunteers prepare a feast for over 1000 guests. For the past several years he has helped cook the prime-rib served at the Florida Farm Bureau District 8 sum-mer meetings in the Florida Keys.
As for the community, he supports many organizations such as little league football and church. His family is very impor-tant to him, but he considers Dade County Farm Bureau his family as well.
Dade County Farm Bureau was honored at the Farm Worker Celebration. Federal, state and lo-cal institutions honored Dade County Farm Bu-reau at the South Dade Skills Center on Novem-ber 22, 2013. DCFB was honored the Legacy of Excellence award for the many decades of hard work representing the interests of all those in the agricultural industry and for being the voice of agricultural when it comes to legislative is-sues.
Farm Worker Celebration
Annual Meeting9
Dade County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting
The Dade County Farm Bureau 71st Annual Membership meet-ing was held on October 16, 2013. Board of Directors Presi-dent, George Butler, welcomed guests and the Accursio Family was introduced as Farm Family of the Year by Ray Timmons. The election of officers took place with all those in office to serve again for the 2014 year. Repre-sentative Holly Raschien and Ka-tie Edwards spoke at the event and were awarded the Friends of Agriculture award by Florida Farm Bureau Legislative Affairs Director, Adam Basford.
Since 1941 Florida Farm Bureau has helped strengthen family farms and communities. Celebrating the 72nd year, the Florida Farm Bureau Federation hosted the 72nd Annual Meeting at the Sawgrass Marriott Resort in Ponte Vedra Beach on October 23-25, 2013. The event host-ed fellow Farm Bureau leaders to recognize and honor the volunteers who make our organization strong. This year’s theme was “Many Voic-es…One Vision.” It helps to remind us that Florida agriculture is more diverse than ever and is working harder to meet consumers’ demand for every kind of food choice one can imagine. At the annual meeting, those diverse voices come together to speak for all of agriculture and ensure that we and our state remain on a path to productivity, profit-ability and success.
County Farm Bureaus are recognized for their hard work at this annual event. Dade County Farm Bureau went home with the highest honor a county Farm Bureau can receive: The President’s Award. The Presi-dent’s Award is based on criteria including membership quota, public relations efforts, legislative involvement, and education outreach. The DCFB Women’s Committee received the Women in Excellence Award for all the volunteer efforts and dedication to the committee. Mike Dill from the South Dade News Leader took home the the Newsperson of the Year Award. Ray Timmons, DCFB Agency Manager, won the Team Player award for the district and state.
Dade County Farm Bureau could not have received any of these great honors without the help of their members and staff. Thank you to our insurance and federation staff. Thank you to all members for being a part of our organization. We also want to recognize all of the volun-teers who take the time to participate with us at events.
The DCFB Board of Directors during the installation of officers at the An-nual Meeting.
Support Local10
Support Local 11
Support Local 12
Community Corner 14
Volunteers are an integral part of our organization. Thank you very much to all those who volunteer their time for not only DCFB but the agricultural community. Volunteers are the backbone of nonprofit organizations and without our volunteers our organization would not be able to participate in events and charitable efforts. If you are interested in volunteering with our organization please contact us at (305)246-5514.
Board of Directors 15
George Butler, III, PresidentIvonne Alexander, President Elect
Phil Marraccini, SecretaryKelvin Moreno, Treasurer
Gary BirdRobbie Bishop
Teena BorekKern Carpenter
Leonard CavallaroAngela DelliVeneri
Larry Dunagan, Past PresidentRobert Epling
Sal FinocchiaroJerry Frye
Steve GreerDavid HanckCarol Harris
Jenn Helms-ShelleySteve Hoveland
David KaplanBill Losner
Robert MartensRobert McMillan
Steven MeeksRobert Moehling
Alice Pena, Past PresidentHerb PiersonTom Rieder
Diego RodriguezPeter Schnebly
Erik TietigTom Vick
Mark Wilson, State DirectorGeorge Cooper, Director EmeritusJohn Fredrick, Director Emeritus
Kenneth Graves, Director EmeritusVito Strano, Director Emeritus
Dade County Farm BureauMember Services Staff
Ray N. Timmons, Agency Manager Debbie Brady, Executive Director Hal Arve, Jr., Agent Donna Alfaro, Receptionist Dawn L. Baird, Agent Hilda G. Davila, CSR Judith M. Fernandez, Office Manager Eddy Munoz, Agent Ronald D. Herbert, Agent Ray Timmons Jr, Agent Elena Serna, CSR Sonia Colon, Executive Assistant
Important Contact Information
Major Events in Month 2010: Dates and times are subject to change Please check our website for latest information
Dade County Farm Bureau1850 Old Dixie Highway
Homestead, Florida 33033
