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The Voice of Agriculture
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The Voice of Agriculture
Summer | 2013The Offical Publication of the Dade County Farm Bureau
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dade-agriculture.org
Tommy Vick: 4th Generation Grower
Tommy Vick of V&B Farms is a young grower making strides in agriculture. One might say it’s in his blood. Tommy Vick comes from a long line of growers being a 4th generation farmer. The Vick family has an extensive history in Dade County, coming to South Florida in 1918. For example, the now massive Ryder Truck chain bought their first semi-truck when Tommy’s great grandfather, Wilfred Vick, contracted Jim Ryder to haul cabbage from the Vick farm to Miami. Tommy also shares a rich history in Dade County on his mother’s, Pam Vick, side of the family. Stephen P. Clark is his great uncle who was the Mayor of Dade County from 1970 until 1972 and from 1974 until April 1993. He was also mayor of Miami from 1967 until 1970, and
Dade County Farm Bureau1850 Old Dixie Highway
Homestead, Fl 33033www.dade-agriculture.org
Phone (305)246-5514 Fax (305)245-9170
again in 1993. The Stephen P. Clark Government Center, the county hall of Miami-Dade County, is named in his honor. The Vicks grew just about every vegetable that could be grown but were best known for growing red potatoes. That is, until 1990 when Fred Vick, Tommy’s father, and Fred’s brother, Mike Vick transitioned into the tree business. The family’s passion for their work has passed down to Tom as he has been growing since he was a child.
As a young boy, Tommy Vick first began by helping tend to the family’s 2-acre garden that consisted of various vegetables including carrots and potatoes. At 11 years old he helped his father with the family fruit stand. He also had jobs with other farmers around his hometown like Fred Daigle and the Borek family. He enjoyed growing so much, at age 15 he began planting on 5 (continued on page 4)
Features and Publisher’s Note
Publisher’s Note
The Voice of Agriculture is the quarterly publication of the Dade County Farm Bureau, Miami-Dade County’s oldest and largest agricultural organization. The Farm Bureau was established in 1942 to collectively solve agricultural issues in the regulatory, legislative, economic and social arena. For advertising or membership information please contact Debbie Brady at (305) 246-5514.
Commission Vice Chair Lynda Bell with DCFB Executive Director, Debbie Brady at the Summer Fruit Festival at Fruit and Spice Park on June 15, 2013.
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IssueIN THIS
1 Tommy Vick: 4th Generation Farmer
2 Features and Publisher’s Note
3 President’s Message4 Cover Story: Tommy Vick5 The Duque Family
Continues Summer Traditions
6 Congressman Garcia Meets with Growers
7 Hurricane Prep8 Redland Raised Cookbook
Preview 9 Florida Farm Bureau
Legislative Update14 Community Corner
President’s Message
This year I proudly promoted agriculture in my community by serving as the President on Dade County Farm Bureau board of directors. By staying current with issues that can hurt any facet of our diverse agricultural industry, I believe as an organization we helped inform and defend our agricultural community. The board of directors is made up of directors from every corner of the industry. Our diversity brings to light the different issues within the agricultural industry. Whether it is a row crop vegetable farm, tropical fruit, a fish or shrimp farm, a field nursery, greenhouse nursery, we all can be impacted by new regulation, foreign competition; the list is endless. Working together and giving our different opinions and input is the only way to come up with solutions to help our industry as a whole.
Dade County Farm Bureau had a strong presence at many events this year. Board members and staff attended Tallahassee to speak with legislators about different issues and bills concerning agriculture like the Agritourism bill, which was passed and signed. Our members attended roundtable discussions and Town Hall meetings to discuss immigration and the farm Bill with Congressman Joe Garcia. Dade County Farm
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Bureau was out in the community promoting agriculture and represented our growers at events to include: the Miami Dade County Ag, Horse and Cattle Show, the Homestead Centennial, and festivals at the Miami Dade County Fruit and Spice Park. In addition, our organization gave back to the community by partnering with FNGLA Miami-Dade Chapter, South Dade High Culinary students, Homestead Kiwanis, and Central Bible Baptist Church in the Toy-Giveaway held in December at the South Dade Skills Center. We worked together collecting toys and distributing them out to farm worker children. As the children head back to school, we will be distributing back packs filled with school supplies donated by the Central Bible Baptist Church at our Back to School Breakfast for teachers and administrators.
As president, I can’t take credit for all of these accomplishments. The Dade County Farm Bureau has many volunteers and we would not accomplish all that we do without their help. Ivonne Alexander, with her knowledge on water issues, help to keep us up-to-date on the latest news. Tom Rieder, Chairman of Public Relations, keeps our organization in the public eye with new innovative ideas. Together, Peter Schnebly and Tom Rieder visit legislators in Tallahassee and locally to keep our industry issues in the forefront of their agendas. We are fortunate to have Mark Wilson, State Director District 8, he keeps us all informed on FFB policy and office management. Tom Vick brings more than just produce to our events; he creates beautiful displays with them. Phil Marraccini spends his retirement volunteering for our organization and many others in the industry.
Our Board of Directors is very diverse and they bring their own leadership and creativity to the table. Their volunteer spirit is to be commended.
Thank you all for your contributions which helped make this year a successful one for our organization.
Sincerely,
George ButlerPresident
Tommy Vick
Tommy Vick in 10th grade with his first bean crop in 1998
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Cover Story
acres down the street from his home. It was at that time that he bought his first planter. Tommy joined the FFA at South Dade High School where he grew his first bean crop in 10th grade. He never imagined himself in any other line of work. “Planting a seed and watching it grow into a carrot, bean, corn or whatever it may be is something I’ve always liked,” said Tommy.
Tommy Vick has been growing commercially since 1998 while he was still in high school. Tommy is versatile with his craft; he doesn’t limit himself to a specific crop. He spends the rainy months of the summer growing several varieties of tropical fruits including avocados and mangoes and spends the fall and spring months growing and harvesting specialty vegetables. He also has expanded his resume by introducing organic production to his list of ever-growing endeavors. Much like his father, Tommy isn’t afraid to break the mold and grow something new. He has expanded with 20 acres of organic production and 100 acres of conventional production.
As far as the future is concerned, Tommy Vick sees himself expanding his production even more. Tommy Vick’s advice to young growers looking into the field, “do your homework.” The versatile grower also said,
“You need to know how to grow, manage your business and follow all the food safety regulations. It’s a lot of work for the up and coming growers.” It seems as though Tommy Vick has done his homework, with many projects in the works and more expanding to come, it doesn’t look like he will be slowing down any time soon.
The Duque Family Grove5
his sons an hourly wage for the assistance in harvesting the 5-acre grove. “It gives them a sense of responsibility. They are responsible for waking up early to begin their work. They help me out a great deal,” Manny said of his three boys. The boys work about 3 hours a day between June and August. By the time harvesting is over they will have harvested over 41,000 pounds of avocados. To avoid the summer heat the family team begins harvesting at 7a.m.
John Paul and Jacob have been working in the grove for six summers. Last year Jesse became the newest employee, adding an extra hand to help with the tedious work. The family bonds as they work their way from tree to tree, with their 3 faithful dogs following suit. Manny Duque grew up farming and enjoys nothing more than spending his time outside. The love of the outdoors is a quality he has passed on to his three boys, who spend their summer days outside learning the value of hard work in the grove instead of inside sleeping in or playing video games. “It has taught me a lot. I’ve learned to have a work ethic. Most of my friends at soccer practice tell me they don’t wake up until 1 p.m.,” said John Paul as he wiped the sweat from his forehead as the result of a morning’s hard work. The boys enjoy all the perks of summer break like family trips and leisure time, all while learning the value of hard work in the Florida summer heat.
Summer break was born with agrarian roots and agriculture has a deep history in the soils of the South Florida. Passing on this history and knowledge to our youth is what will keep the agricultural community thriving. The Duque family carries on the traditions of early America by working together as a family to help feed our ever-growing population.
This month students and parents will prepare to go back to school. It’s time to put away the beach towels and hit the mall to purchase supplies for the new school year. Students must get back into the routine consisting of early mornings, bus rides and classroom bells. But summer vacation hasn’t always been a privilege for American schoolchildren.
Many people assume that summer vacation came about because families and children had to tend to their farms. This is true, but it wasn’t during the summer months. In the early years of America, schools operated on one of two calendars. There were the urban areas and the rural areas. Rural schooling was divided into summer and winter terms, leaving kids free to pitch in with the spring planting and fall harvest seasons. Urban students, meanwhile, regularly endured as many as 48 weeks of study a year, with a small break per quarter. It was decided there would need to be a break for the urban schools since school was not mandatory at the time, the long school terms meant small attendance in the urban school districts. By the late 19th century, public-school officials decided there would need to be a break for both agrarian and urban districts so that the school districts would be in sync. Summer emerged as the obvious time for a break: it meshed with the agrarian calendar and alleviated physicians’ concerns that packing students into sweltering classrooms would promote the spread of disease. And so, Summer Break was born.
The Duque avocado grove in the Redlands is an entirely family operated business. Manny Duque and his three sons John Paul, 17, Jacob, 17, and Jesse, 11 all help in the harvesting of the two avocado varieties: Donnies and Simmons. The Duque boys carry on the rich tradition behind summer break, using the time off to work the family farm. Manny Duque pays
Congressman Garcia Meets with Growers
Congressman Joe Garcia visited with members of the Dade County Farm Bureau on July 15, 2013 to discuss changes made to the current immigration and farm bills, as well as answer questions on other subjects. In a small conference room surrounded residents, Congressman Garcia spoke openly and frankly. “I feel bad for the Republicans,” he said. “The Senate immigration bill, as bad as it is, is good.”
Garcia referenced compromises made to the bill by Senators, such as the introduction of a policy similar that seeks to charge undocumented workers ten percent of their salary, according to Garcia, which they will be able to retrieve only by returning to their country of origin, where they will pass through the U.S. Embassy to receive their money. Garcia stated his belief that the policy is “completely ridiculous,” and mentioned a different “good and workable agreement” made between the Chamber of Commerce and the United Farm Workers that would allow half a million workers to enter the country every year.
Peter Schnebly, owner of Schnebly Winery, questioned the congressman whether or not there was the possibility of a logical border patrol option. Garcia responded by reminding his audience that physical borders are not always clear cut, and that to the people living in El Paso, Texas, finding the border would be “like finding the border between Florida City and Homestead; if you can spot it, show it to me.”
“For people who live on the border,” Garcia said, “they say that this is ridiculous, this stuff that’s going on. Yeah, you can lock it down, but again, why?”
Mark Wilson, owner of Greendale Nursery, suggested that with today’s technology, there’s little need for so much security at the border, mentioning the power of drones. Wilson stated, the U.S. Coast Guard uses drones to monitor watercraft on the high seas that might be carrying illegal substances — if it’s possible to monitor boats to this degree, then the question arises whether or not it’s possible to monitor individuals.
Garcia acknowledged that all of this is true and definitely something to look into, because “we’re always going to have to worry about terrorists, but the reality is a border guard is not going to stop them.” With three weeks left before the August break, Congressman Garcia claims that he is “still optimistic” and hopes that “we will be postured if the House does something next week.”
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By: By Julie Schaffter, South Dade News Leader
Hurricane Prep7
To prepare for a hurricane, you should take the following measures:
•To begin preparing, you should build an emergency kit and make a family communications plan.
• Learn the elevation level of your property and whether the land is flood-prone. This will help you know how your property will be affected when storm surge or tidal flooding are forecasted.
• Identify levees and dams in your area and determine whether they pose a hazard to you.
• Learn community hurricane evacuation routes and how to find higher ground. Determine where you would go and how you would get there if you needed to evacuate.
• Make plans to secure your property.
• Cover all of your home’s windows. Permanent storm shutters offer the best protection for windows. A second option is to board up windows with 5/8” marine plywood, cut to fit and ready to install. Tape does not prevent
windows from breaking.
• Install straps or additional clips to securely fasten your roof to the frame structure. This will reduce roof damage.
• Be sure trees and shrubs around your home are well trimmed so they are more wind resistant.
• Clear loose and clogged rain gutters and downspouts.
• Reinforce your garage doors; if wind enters a garage it can cause dangerous and expensive structural damage.
• Plan to bring in all outdoor furniture, decorations, garbage cans and anything else that is not tied down.
• Determine how and where to secure your boat.
• Install a generator for emergencies.
• Consider building a safe room.
Everyone needs to be prepared for the unexpected. Listen to your local news station and be prepared to evacuate. Follow instructions issued by local officials. Leave immediately if ordered. Consider your protection options to decide whether to stay or evacuate your home if you are not ordered to evacuate. View more pre-peration tips at www.noaa.gov.
Redland Raised Cookbook Preview8
These recipes and many more can be found in the Redland Raised: Local Fla-vor cookbook. The cookbook contains recipes that feature a variety of produce grown in Miami Dade County. Recipes were collected from locals in the com-munity. South Dade growers also con-tributed recipes, many of which have been passed down through generations. Charles La Pradd, Miami Dade County Ag Manager, developed the Redland Raised brand associated with the Fresh from Florida Marketing program in 2009 with the Florida Department of Agriculture.
Look for the Redland Raised Cookbook at the Dade County Farm Bureau office and other locations soon.
Avocado Nut Bread
Ingredients2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt1/3 cup vegetable oil
Instructions
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together. Set aside. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, vegetable oil and vanilla until light and fluffy. Fold in mashed avocado and blend slightly. Fold in flour mixture and water alternately. Fold in nuts. Blend well but do not overbeat. Pour into greased loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for approxi-mately 55-60 minutes or until tested done. Cool 10 minutes, then re-move loaf to a wire cake rack to cool completely. Submitted by Leila Werner
1 teaspoon vanilla 1/3 cup water 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar2 large eggs1 cup ripe avocado, mashed1/2 cup pecans, chopped
FFB Legislative Update9
Updated 6/14/13
Bills **SB 1106 – Senator Alan Hays (R-Umatilla) HB 927 – Representative Holly Raschein (R-Key Largo)
Background Today, fewer than two percent of Americans live on a farm. However, consumers are more interested than ever in learning where their food comes from. Agritourism is an excellent opportunity to provide meaningful connections between agriculture and the public. Most farms depend on outside income to stay in business, and additional revenues agritourism may provide a farm can significantly increase its sustainability. Unfortunately, Florida’s farmers and ranchers are currently faced with barriers that can prevent them from starting an agritourism business: uneven regulation at the local level and the high degree of liability.
Legislative Summary SB 1106 & HB 927 will help break down these barriers facing agritourism by preventing overregulation by local governments, limiting liability for agritourism operators and by redefining agritourism to explicitly link it to bona fide agriculture.
Limits Local Overregulation “…a local government may not adopt an ordinance, regulation, rule or policy that prohibits, restricts, regulates,
or otherwise limits an agritourism activity on land classified as agricultural…”
Limits Liability Agritourism operators are not liable for injuries, etc. resulting from inherent risks of agritourism. Inherent risks are “dangers or conditions…such as surface and subsurface conditions of land, vegetation…the
behavior of wild or domestic animals, and the ordinary dangers of structures or equipment…” Does not cover gross negligence. Requires the posting of a warning sign.
Redefines Agritourism An agritourism activity is “any activity consistent with a bona fide farm or ranch that allows members of the
general public…to view or enjoy agricultural-related activities….” This “tightened up” definition is designed to prevent concern over reducing regulations on events that may not
be truly related to agriculture.
Farm Bureau Policy #113 We support defining agritourism in the Florida Statutes. Agritourism should be used as a benefit to agriculture and an educational opportunity for the general public.
Bill Progress SB 1106 passed the Senate on April 11, 2013. SB 1106 was substituted for HB 927 and passed the House on April 30, 2013. SB 1106 was signed by Governor Scott on June 14, 2013.
Support Local10
Support Local 11
Support Local 12
Community Corner 14
Events Calendar
August 13, 2013Back to School Breakfast
Dade County Farm Bureau Office
August 19, 2013Miami Dade Public Schools
First Day of School
August 23-24, 2013Florida Farm Bureau District 8
Summer MeetingThe Islander Resort
September 19, 2013Chamber’s Political HOB NOB
Meet and talk with candidates for City of Homestead political offices.
Visit dade-agriculture.org for allcalender events
Pictured are the new FNGLA Dade Chapterofficers at the 2013 FNGLA Installation Banquet and Casino Night.
On July 20, 2013 the Tropical Everglades Visitor Center celebrated its 25th Anniversary.
Board of Directors 15
George Butler, III, PresidentIvonne Alexander, President Elect
Phil Marraccini, SecretaryKelvin Moreno, Treasurer
Gary BirdRobbie Bishop
Teena BorekKern Carpenter
Leonard CavallaroAngela DelliVeneri
Larry Dunagan, Past PresidentRobert Epling
Sal FinocchiaroJerry Frye
Steve GreerDavid Hanck
Steve HovelandDavid Kaplan
Bill LosnerRobert MartensRobert McMillan
Steven MeeksRobert Moehling
Alice Pena, Past PresidentHerb PiersonTom Rieder
Diego RodriguezPeter Schnebly
Erik TietigTom Vick
Mark Wilson, State DirectorGeorge Cooper, Director EmeritusJohn Fredrick, Director Emeritus
Kenneth Graves, Director EmeritusVito Strano, Director Emeritus
Dade County Farm Bureau
Member Services Staff
Ray N. Timmons, Agency Manager Debbie Brady, Executive Director Hal Arve, Jr., Agent Ray Timmons Jr, Agent Dawn L. Baird, Agent Hilda G. Davila, CSR Judith M. Fernandez, Office Manager Eddy Munoz, Agent Ronald D. Herbert, Agent Donna Alfaro, Receptionist Elena Serna, CSR Sonia Colon, Executive Assistant
Important Contact Information
Major Events in Month 2010: Dates and times are subject to change Please check our website for latest information
Dade County Farm Bureau1850 Old Dixie Highway
Homestead, Florida 33033
