By Tacy Callies
In a state known for Northern transplants, fifth-generation Floridians aren’t frequently found — unless you work in agriculture. Chris and Tina Connell, owners of Pebbledale Farms, are proud to call themselves fifth-generation Floridians. Tina’s grandfather grew strawberries and peppers. Chris was raised in the phosphate mining business, and his grandfather was a citrus grower and rancher. The farm’s name is a nod to an old mining community in Florida that no longer exists.
Pebbledale Farms began in 2005 on 5 acres outside Mulberry purchased from Chris’s family. At the time, the couple already owned Ground Level, an environmental services company, and later Flatwood Natives, a tree nursery and habitat restoration business. But they wanted to add growing a consumable crop to their portfolio.
Over the years, while raising six children, the Connells slowly and steadily grew their 5-acre blueberry business to 225 acres of production. All acreage is now in Hardee County, with the farm’s headquarters in Ona. The children, ages 14 to 26, help out at the farm during peak periods, but the oldest daughter, Emily, and her husband, Dan Miller, work in the business full time.
Chris says the family members’ roles have evolved over the years, but that “Tina is the boss of all of us.” The matriarch laughs at his comment and says she has come full circle. While she used to be the main person in the field, now she is mostly in the office working on food safety, logistics, finances and administration. Emily works with her in these areas, while Dan manages day-to-day production. Chris focuses on developing new farm acreage. The family’s goal is to have 500 acres of blueberries in production.
KEYS TO SUCCESS
While some growers find success through diversification, Pebbledale Farms specializes exclusively in producing blueberries. Evolution is a key ingredient to the farm’s success, says Chris. “You have to be willing to evolve. There is always a new challenge.”
Sometimes those challenges are big-picture issues, like labor and competition. Other times, they are site specific. “There is no one-size-fits-all approach to production. Each block is different when it comes to bugs, soil, etc.” says Tina.
One key way the farm is evolving is by increasing its use of mechanical harvesting. The majority of the crop is still hand harvested, but last year the farm used a mechanical harvesting service from Georgia to pick for five weeks in April and May. With labor becoming increasingly more difficult to secure and afford, the Connells expect to use more mechanical harvesting this season.
“Our prices are going down, and our labor costs are going up,” says Tina. “Input costs are high, and fertilizer has doubled in price. When we started the business, input costs were $7,500 per acre. Now, we are looking at $40,000 per acre, and this doesn’t even include labor.”
“The economy is changing,” notes Chris. “We have to have volume to stay in the game.”
Along with evolution, Dan cites dedication of the family as another component to the farm’s success.
“I’m really proud of the family’s involvement and where we are now compared to where we started,” says Tina.
“Our family is a key ingredient,” agrees Chris. “Everyone has skin in the game. The success of our family depends on the success of the farm.”
Bret Boston, longtime friend and mentor to the Connells, says the secret to their success is fearlessness. “The thing with Chris and Tina is that if they are going to do something, they jump in with both feet,” says Boston, owner of Blue Oak Tree Farms and a former blueberry grower.
Boston says of Chris, “He is willing to take risks and is never afraid to go for it. He’s a smart guy, does his research and pays attention. If he sees an opportunity, he will jump and go for it. He’s not going to half-do something. This is why he has been so successful.”
COPING WITH CHALLENGES
One obstacle to success that must constantly be dealt with is the threat of pests and diseases.
Dan says the biggest production challenge he is managing is blueberry stem blight (Botryosphaeria dothidea), a fungal disease. “You have to cut it out or it will spread to the crown of the plant and kill it.”
He rates algal stem blotch as the No. 2 disease issue. It arrived in the fields after Hurricane Irma.
The most problematic pest at the farm is the southern red mite, followed by spider mites and flower thrips.
The farm maintains a special Canadian certification that allows its blueberries to be shipped to the country during an extended market window. The certification requires a certain number of sprays to keep fruit pest-free. An additional requirement for the certification is that whitefly traps on the farm be inspected every two weeks by the state of Florida.
Another challenge, since COVID-19, has been getting materials in a timely manner, says Emily. Planning ahead and ordering early has helped.
“We have never had to plan so far ahead to get what we need,” says Emily. It can be especially challenging to secure products when a new pest or disease pops up in the field that requires immediate treatment.
Few Florida crops, if any, are immune to the challenge of import pressure. While much of the blueberry pressure is from Mexico, Chris points out that Peru is coming on strong, and there are not a lot of regulations in the country. “Peru can produce 12 months of the year,” he says. “We have to evolve the farm to compete with price, and mechanical harvesting is one way to do this.”
ADVICE OFFERED
With nearly two decades of blueberry experience under their belts, the Connells have some advice for those just starting out in the business.
“If you get off on the wrong foot, there may be no way to recover, so research, research, research,” says Chris. This includes everything from varieties to the land, to area weather trends, to market prices to who you are going to sell to.
“Market timing is also important because South, Central and North Florida all differ,” adds Tina.
“Water availability is another big issue, especially in Hillsborough County, where it can be difficult to obtain water permits,” warns Chris.
While water is plentiful in Ona, another way the farm has evolved is by adding a reservoir in 2020. With help from a Southwest Florida Water Management District cost-share program, the Connells installed an 8-acre water reservoir.
“This allowed us to take two deep wells offline and convert to surface water use. Now, there’s less draw from the aquifer, and it’s good for the environment,” says Chris. “We completed the project to be proactive and good stewards of the land.”
IAN’S IMPACT
Hurricane Ian took a toll on Pebbledale Farms. Owners Tina and Chris Connell said the storm will have a big impact on the season, but they don’t know what the long-term effects will be yet.
“Young plants did the best,” says Chris. “Lower areas didn’t fare as well. High winds took anywhere from 50% to 90% of the leaves off the evergreen varieties.” The leaf loss is expected to result in less bloom and less fruit.
Over 30 inches of rain caused root saturation. “Our roads were flooded for four days. It took a week and a half to drain and dry out the fields,” Tina says. “We were fortunate that we could bring in heavy equipment for drainage from one of our other companies.”
After Hurricane Ian, approximately 20% of the farm’s plants required re-staking and re-mulching. This was accomplished immediately after the storm, and plants were drenched with fertilizer to build strength back up. Eight acres were a total loss.
Hurricane Nicole did not cause as severe damage as Ian, but some older plants had to be stood back up after falling over.
PEBBLEDALE FARMS PROFILE
Location: The blueberry farm has its roots outside Mulberry but is now headquartered in Ona, with all acreage in Hardee County.
Principals: Chris and Tina Connell, their daughter Emily and her husband Dan Miller
Founded: 2005
Blueberry production: 225 acres
Varieties: About 50% of production is Arcadia, due to the variety’s disease resistance, easy picking, high yield and ability to handle the area’s wetter conditions. Other varieties grown include Avante, Kestrel, Winter Bell and Sentinel. Plans are underway to test the newest varieties, Optimus and Albus.
Labor: Full-time crew of 15 and up to 300 H-2A workers at the height of the season
Member of: Florida Blueberry Growers Association, Florida Farm Bureau and Fresh From Florida
Markets: Most production is sold to a commercial broker, but 15 acres of the farm are dedicated to u-pick from the end of April to the beginning of May. Customers come primarily from the large Lakewood Ranch community.
Memorable Moment: “I remember delivering our first crop to the packinghouse. It was five lugs of fruit in the back of my Suburban,” says Tina Connell. “Years later, when we had four semi-loads go out in a single day, I got a little teary-eyed and thought to myself, ‘Wow, we are going to make it.’”