FloridAgriculture | 2002 | Florida Farm Bureau

The U. S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services held an open house in April to mark the opening of the new Sterile Insect Release Facility in Sarasota. This facility, a cooperative project supported by the two agencies, will serve as a vital arm in the biological control of destructive insects introduced into Florida.

The 2000 Economic Impact Study conducted by the University of Florida’s Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences in 2001 shows sales for Florida’s environmental horticulture industry at $9.9 billion, an increase of about 33 percent since the previous 1997 study results.
Grower sales, including nurseries, sod farms, cut flowers and florist greens, in 2000 rose to $2.25 billion, retail sales of horticultural goods climbed to $3.64 billion, sales from the landscape sector totaled $3.11 billion, and floral import sales accounted for $904 million. Industry sales translate to a value added economic impact of $6.4 billion, representing the net income contribution to Florida’s economy.
Among the top 13 nursery crop-producing counties in Florida, Miami-Dade County was the high roller with a $601 million value added impact to the area. Following in step was Orange County ($587 million), Palm Beach County ($558 million), Hillsborough County ($400 million), Broward County ($341 million), Volusia County ($219 million), Duval County ($209 million), Lee County ($192 million), Lake County ($162 million), Gadsden County ($103 million), Manatee County ($102 million), Alachua County ($55

Jenny Giddens of Arcadia has been crowned the 2002 Florida Watermelon Queen. She graduated from Charlotte Technical Center last month and plans to pursue additional education in dental hygiene.

Citrus trees on two residential properties in Brevard County were found to be infected with citrus canker in May. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have begun surveying the surrounding area to determine if any additional infection is in the area.
The infected trees were found by federal inspectors during routine survey. The trees are located in a residential area west of I-95, approximately 37 miles north of a previous find in Palm Bay.
The closest commercial citrus grove is located approximately 2.5 miles southeast of the infected property. An investigation into how the infection got into the area is underway.

The following young people have each received a $500 scholarship award for the 2002-2003 academic year from the Marion County Farm Bureau: Jason Myhre, Krista Renner, Janie Cannon, Amanda Perry, Harvey Knowles, Shaun Fulford, Derick Taylor, Rolly Sauls, Perry Cannon, Jennifer Lord, Dustin Taylor, Ned Cannon Jr., Lacy Dixon, Meagan Faison, William Rainbow, Matt Upton and Amber Sieler.

The Putnam/St. Johns Farm Bureau has awarded $500 college scholarships to Amy Pleaugh and Amanda Gray for the 2002-2003 academic year. Amanda also won the 2002 Putnam/St. Johns Farm Bureau Speech Contest.

In May Lafayette County Dairyman Everett Kerby hosted a tour for elementary school children as part of the county’s Agriculture in the Classroom program. Kerby is president of the Lafayette County Farm Bureau.

Caleb, left, and Dalton Reas grew the grand prize winner for the 2002 Arcadia Watermelon Festival with the help of their father, Steve. The winning melon weighed in at 139 1/2 pounds and was donated to the festival’s auction.