By Clint Thompson
The general session at this year’s Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo shined the spotlight on timely topics important to all types of growers.
Farm Bill
One of those topics was the farm bill, a key piece of legislation that may not be finalized by the end of this year, according to Tori Rumenik, director of commodity services and supply chain for the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA).
“It really depends on how the election goes. We’ve got Sen. (Debbie) Stabenow (D-MI), who’s really motivated to get this done, and we’ve got Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-PA), who’s really motivated to get this done. But you can’t take out that political piece of which party is going to go which way,” Rumenik said. “Realistically, I think we’re probably looking at next year for anything to get done. But in my heart, I hope that we get it this year, because we’ve got a lot of good stuff in there.”
Rumenik added that organizations like the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance are working to have fruit and vegetables better represented in the next farm bill. Currently, specialty crops represent only 5% of farm bill spending. Rumenik argued that with about half of the U.S. farm gate value coming from specialty crops, and with nutritional guidelines that fruits and vegetables make up half of the plate in our daily meals, it makes sense these crops are better represented in the farm bill.
Legislative Panel
Another legislative component of the general session was the agricultural policy discussion led by Florida Senator Jay Collins (FL-14) and Florida Representative Danny Alvarez (FL-69). They discussed agriculture’s impact on legislative issues. The two legislators answered questions from attendees. A few growers expressed concerns about the difficulties of obtaining capital needed to start or sustain a farming operation.
“That’s going to be something we’re going to have to sit and talk through with a lot of people. We’re going to have to bring economists, we’re going to have to bring banks in, and we’re going to have to talk about the impact; how this works,” Collins said. “More importantly, we’re going to have to have growers and farmers coming in and saying, ‘Look, this is the problem. If we don’t do this, this is the outcome. You’re going to lose this many farms over the next year, three years, five years.’ You have to paint that picture.”
Consumer Connections
Specialty crop production is no longer a venture designed for specific months out of the year. Profitability hinges on a grower’s willingness to adapt and produce profits year-round. Two growers addressed this during the Expo.
David Hill of Southern Hill Farms, who serves as FFVA chairman, told how he was willing to adapt and adopted a direct-to-consumer marketing strategy. He implemented agritourism on his farm that includes you-pick crops, corn mazes and pumpkin patches. He, along with Dustin Grooms with Fancy Farms, discussed the value of direct-to-consumer marketing.
“We needed to diversify because the net return of commercial blueberries in Florida is going down each year,” Hill said. “I did it kicking and screaming. Our first season adding agritourism was in 2014. I liked it. I liked the feel of it, and I liked talking to people. We allowed that aspect of our business to grow.”