Dear Friends,
Florida agriculture never has an easy year, but this past one, with four major hurricanes and billions of dollars in damage to Florida’s farmlands, is nothing short of disastrous.
Hurricane Milton alone generated $2.5 billion in damages to infrastructure like barns and greenhouses and caused significant production losses. Some citrus farmers are wondering whether this is the last straw, after decades of citrus greening have decimated a crop that was once the pride and economic driver of the Treasure Coast.
Folks, we talk a lot about how important agriculture is to our economy and our whole way of life. It’s not just talk. Agriculture is big business in Florida, and a few more tourists won’t make up for its loss. It’s more than money, though. It’s our food supply. |
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We expect to find good, reliable products in our grocery stores. Well, vegetables and meat don’t come from supply depots. They come from farms and ranches. The damages to vegetable farming and ranching from this year’s storms are enormous. Farmers can’t harvest what’s been washed away. Cows can’t graze on a field that’s under water. A steady food supply depends on steady food production, and in Florida, ours has been badly shaken.
An endangered food supply is also a danger to our country’s security. Every crop we can’t grow in our country and have to import is another point of vulnerability.
So what can we do besides moan and worry? Well, good news. Our agricultural community is growing and developing in ways that few people outside of the ag community know about. Technology is key. And you can learn about it.
Our annual Farm City Luncheon, a celebration of the important relationship between farmers, consumers, community leaders, and everyone in between who contributes to the community’s safe, abundant food supply, is coming up on November 21. Here are the details. Hope to see you there.
Sincerely, |
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Thank You to Our Sponsors!
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| To learn more about the Martin County Farm Bureau, click on the logo below. |
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| To learn more about the One Martin, click on the logo below. |
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