Florida Ag Hall of Fame Welcomes Another to Its Ranks
September 29, 2021 
Congratulations to John L. Hundley of Hundley Farms Inc., the latest inductee to the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame.
Photo courtesy of Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame Foundation have announced John L. Hundley as the organization’s latest inductee.
Hundley, who will represent the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame’s Class of 2022, has been an active part of the state’s agricultural community for more than five decades. A native of Pahokee, he worked on his father’s farm before founding Hundley Farms Inc. with his wife Patsy.
The family operation began on 400 acres of leased land, growing sweet corn and radishes. Today, the operation consists of about 16,000 acres in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), Central Florida, and Bainbridge, GA, where they grow sugarcane, sweet corn, green beans, radishes, cabbage, field corn, rice, cattle, cotton, peanuts, soybeans, and assorted winter produce.
The family-fueled Hundley Farms team includes son John S. Hundley, their daughter and son-in-law, Krista and Eric Hopkins, as well as grandson Cooper Hopkins.
“I am honored to recognize Mr. Hundley and his work over more than five decades on his family farm, utilizing best management practices and conservation techniques to build a sustainable future for their farm and the community that his children, grandchildren, and others can enjoy for years to come,” Fried says.
Hundley Farms complies with South Florida Water Management District’s (SFWMD) best management practices and utilizes many conservation techniques. Hundley also been on the cutting edge of the movement to use mapping technology to maximize yields through proper crop rotation and land use and maintain a strong focus on food safety.
A longtime member of the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative, Hundley has been on its board of directors for 34 years and served as its chairman of the board for seven years. He has served on the governing board of the SFWMD and has been active in numerous other groups.
Among other accomplishments, Hundley is credited with leading the vertical integration of South Florida’s winter vegetable production and strengthening the unity of those farming within the EAA.
The Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled to be held at the Florida State Fair’s Agricultural Hall of Fame Banquet on Feb. 15, 2022, where Hundley will be recognized along with the Class of 2021 inductees given that last year’s banquet was cancelled due to COVID-19.