2011 Florida Ag Expo Finds Room For Growth
November 14, 2011 
As interest from today’s growers increases on how to get more out of their crops, so does the Florida Ag Expo.
An attendance of more than 800 came out for the 2011 Florida Ag Expo held last week at the UF/IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) in Balm. The sixth annual Expo, presented by Florida Grower, UF/IFAS, the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, the Florida Tomato Committee, and the Florida Strawberry Growers Association, featured an agenda that covered hot topics and addressed the top issues of the day for the state’s vegetable and small fruit growers.
Florida Ag Commissioner Adam Putnam was on hand to deliver the keynote address to a packed auditorium, which was expanded to seat twice as many attendees than previous events. Putnam praised the industry for keeping its footing despite the many obstacles to success. “We do our best work in challenging times,” he said.
The importance of the nation’s land grant system and the work it has produced and continues to inspire was recognized. Putnam, as well as UF/IFAS Senior VP Jack Payne, noted the acclaimed Tasti-Lee tomato, which was developed at the GCREC and is now a big hit in the produce aisle, as a sampling of just one of the many game-changing innovations happening in American agriculture.
In a reference to the world population recently hitting the 7 billion mark, Putnam put into perspective that figure as well as the role that agriculture plays in that equation. “Our farmers and ranchers are on the front lines of global security,” he said. “The world can’t feed itself.”
Following the opening remarks, the stakeholders’ roundtable discussing new food safety regulations took center stage. The roundtable participants included a producer, a buyer, and an official from the state’s ag department. Each offered their unique perspective on food safety crises and queried an FDA representative connected to the conversation via telconference about the new Food Safety Modernization Act.
Rounding out the morning session was a panel of growers (Kenny Foy, Turner Farms; Tony Piedimonte, Hearne Produce; David Spivey, Spivey Farms; Bill Braswell, Florida Blueberry Growers Association; and Dr. Nancy Roe, Farming Systems Research) who specialize in different segments of the Florida marketplace. Each discussed challenges unique to their market. However, issues such as labor, water, food safety, and new fumigation regulations, were common concerns for each.
The afternoon educational short course session covered the gamut of subject including labor, food safety, economic impacts, pest and weed control strategies, water management, freeze protection, and more. The sessions were enhanced by field tours, which allowed attendees to get a firsthand look at research trials going on in the fields and greenhouses at the GCREC.
In addition to the short course and field tours, the Expo played host to more than 70 industry suppliers who were on hand to showcase products and equipment. Unique to this Expo was the expanded tradeshow area, which reached from the main building to outside under a covered structure. The change in layout was made to accommodate more vendors and provide better networking space.
Gerry Bogdon, Florida Grower’s associate publisher, says this year’s Expo hit all the marks: from attendance, to the quality of the program, the perfect weather, plus positive feedback from attendees and vendors alike. “The Florida Ag Expo has grown into the event to learn, see, and do,” he says.