By Clint Thompson
Education remains the key component in convincing American consumers of the value of supporting local farmers. It is an approach that is currently being underutilized, according to one Florida vegetable producer.
“Most farmers, including myself, get caught up with kicking the tires and trying to make things work. But at the end of the day, you have to take the time and engage,” says Chuck Obern with C&B Farms, located south of Clewiston, Florida.
INVOLVED IN EDUCATION
Obern believes everyone involved in agriculture needs to be a part of the educational process.
“We need to somehow engage with the American consumer and somehow pass the word on about what is happening and share some statistics,” Obern says. “Americans now buy over 60% of their fresh produce from other countries. That’s a huge number. During the pandemic, I was utterly flabbergasted that 90% of our pharmaceuticals came from China. To me, that’s ridiculous.”
Obern has certainly done his part in educating the American consumer. C&B Farms has hosted farm city tours, which allowed Obern to engage with the non-farming public. He has also entertained congressional staffers, which allowed for important conversations to be had with the country’s decision makers.
“You need to take the time to be able to engage during those kinds of things, because obviously, it’s the government that’s making most of these decisions. You must be able to communicate with these people,” Obern says.
He also suggests greater dissemination of information through social media channels. Even with his limited knowledge of how popular sites like TikTok function, Obern understands the powerful impact they can have in relaying information to the masses. He has experienced it on his farm.
“It’s amazing how many people watch all that stuff. It’s a powerful media among certain people. I think it’s just something that we need to do more of and hopefully get some viewership,” Obern says. “For example, this new E-Verify law, it’s a huge deal. A lot of my employees come up to me and they show me the E-Verify videos that are being posted on Hispanic TikTok. It’ll blow your mind as to what people are saying and what information or misinformation is being put out there.
“There’s a lot of undocumented people that are apparently getting their information through TikTok — of all things. I was just amazed at how many of my workers showed me different Tik Toks showing their viewpoint. That’s where they’re getting their information from.”
INCREASING IMPORT PRESSURE
Lack of local support for domestic producers will force some growers to go out of business. It is difficult to remain sustainable amid an era of rising input expenses coupled with an ever-growing reliance on food from other countries.
As one Georgia producer told AgNet Media, “Just because it’s cheaper, doesn’t make it better.”
“Medicine is super important, but there’s nothing more important than food. When we’re importing 60%, more than half of all of the produce that we consume, that’s scary,” Obern says. “What’s going to happen if those countries decide, nope, we’re not going to export to the United States?”
Imports from Mexico have intensified in recent years, according to University of Florida associate professor Zhengfei Guan. The top fruits imported from Mexico in 2022 included avocado, raspberry, strawberry, citrus, blueberry and watermelon. The top vegetable imports were led by tomatoes at $2.5 billion or 4 billion pounds, followed by peppers and cucumbers.
Obern has seen the impact firsthand in South Florida, which is one of the central hubs of U.S. vegetable production.
“When I first got to Immokalee in 1980, there were a lot more growers, a lot more robust industry, and that was pre-NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). We were competing amongst ourselves but weren’t competing against other regions. The whole scenario changed after NAFTA. It’s a shame,” Obern says. “Those growers that stayed in the game are big growers. It’s disappointing to see so many growers get out of business.”
ADAPTING TO CHANGE
Obern has kept his head above water the past two decades through the rising tides of various challenges. One was the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. When restaurants shut down across the country, it hurt farmers like Obern who supply fresh produce. He adjusted and adapted to the changing agricultural landscape by providing produce boxes.
“Everything got shut down, all the stores, and everybody started freaking out. We packed product, took it to town and sat on the back of the truck. People would come by, and we’d give them boxes of produce. They didn’t have to open their window, just popped their trunk. We’d set it in the back of the trunk, no exchange,” Obern says. “We also developed a produce box that we would ship through FedEx or UPS. That went well during the pandemic.”
The direct-to-consumer concept that worked well when people were confined to their homes is a thing of the past. Consumers have since reverted back to their old shopping ways and are now experiencing the convenience of curbside pickup. But the pandemic provided Obern with an idea that he hopes will become a lasting reality.
“I still hold out hope that our box deal is the ideal way of getting products to people who live in the food deserts that don’t have access to fruits and vegetables. I’m holding out hope that the government would embrace an outfit like us to deliver directly from the farm to the consumer,” he says.
Obern has also adapted the crops he has produced over the years. His farming operation focuses more on “wet” vegetables, anything green-oriented; compared to “dry” vegetables like peppers and tomatoes.
“We made a change about 10 years ago and got away from the dry vegetables, which you compete mostly with Mexico, to wet vegetables, which Mexico does have plenty, but it’s a little more of a challenge for them to ship out to get into the Southeast,” Obern says.
Obern also credits his sustainability to developing strong relationships with chain stores like Walmart and Publix. They account for 40% to 45% of his business.
“That’s one of our salvations. I can compete a little better because they would have to bring it in from out west. We have a little bit of an advantage with transportation. I would say that’s one of the things we’ve done well. We’re trying to concentrate more on Southeast business rather than go to other places where your competitive advantage is less,” Obern says. “With chain store support and changing from dry vegetables to wet vegetables, it’s helped us survive.
Unfortunately, a lot of people who are either traditional growers or don’t have those options, they sometimes get to a competitive disadvantage.”
Among the 55 crops Obern grows, he still produces a few dry vegetables like eggplant and a variety of peppers but nowhere near the volume he was accustomed to.
SOURCING LABOR
Like all growers in the specialty crop sector, Obern’s main challenge now is with labor, in particular, the H-2A program. It has stringent regulations and convoluted language that can be challenging for the average producer to abide by.
“If you use H-2A, it’s a huge undertaking. Most smaller farmers can’t understand it, can’t fill out the forms and can’t follow all the rules. They’re left at a huge disadvantage,” Obern says. “You have labor inspections all the time. Between all the regulations, you’re supposed to be able to farm. Depending on your size and how many people you have working for you, it becomes a real burden. You must be aware of all of the rules.”
Using H-2A also meant Obern had to learn how to communicate with his workforce. Since his labor force is almost 100% Hispanic, Obern learned how to speak Spanish.
“I learned on the job. I worked for other people before I started farming. I knew I’d better learn Spanish,” Obern adds.
STAYING SUSTAINABLE
Obern has experienced growth in more than three decades of producing vegetables. His farming operation started with 10 acres and now includes 2,600 acres of various commodities. It started with a mindset of growing certain crops and has adjusted to producing others. Obern’s willingness to adapt to the changing agricultural landscape has helped him stay sustainable. It is up to the American consumer to help him and fellow growers remain that way.