Fresh Take
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Fresh Take
Empowering Small Farmers: Strategies for Success in Southwest Florida
Join us as we talk with Jessica Riles, UF/IFAS Agriculture and Sustainable Food Systems agent in Collier County, and chair of the Southwest Florida Small Farmer Network. Jessica shares her transition from local government to supporting small farmers, discussing the importance of community support, relationship-building, and how the Southwest Florida Small Farmer Network connects farmers with vital resources.
We also dive into the challenges small farmers face, like labor shortages and high land costs, and explore innovative solutions like the Southwest Florida Fresh initiative. Jessica highlights how strategic planning, marketing, and collaboration are empowering local farmers and strengthening sustainable food systems in the region.
Thursday September 26 Fall Southwest Florida Small Farmer Network Meeting
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Speaker 2:Hello and welcome listeners to another thought-provoking episode of Fresh Take. Today we're shining a light on the unsung heroes of our food system small farmers. Our episode will explore the unique challenges and incredible opportunities that small farmers face in Southwest Florida. Joining us today is Jessica Riles, the UF, ifas, agriculture and Sustainable Food Systems agent in Collier County and chair of the Southwest Florida Small Farmer Network, to share her experiences and insights on how small farmers can thrive. We'll explore essential business and marketing tactics that can help these vital players in our local food system grow and succeed. Jessica, we're so happy to have you here today. Thank you so much for having me, lana. Well, it's an absolute honor because you know, in the local food world, you know we hear names kind of thrown around sometimes and you're quite the celebrity. Well, thank you.
Speaker 2:And I, you know I say that in the best of ways, because I know so many people. Well, thank you planning and so on. So can you tell us your story about how you chose this specific career path?
Speaker 3:Well, thank you so much for having me in that very kind introduction. Yeah, I found myself in agriculture in a very roundabout way. I went to Florida Gulf Coast University and have a background in communication, and at the time they did not have a major for agriculture, or even a minor. They've started an agribusiness school there now, which is pretty neat. But so I worked in local government. I worked as a educator for the colloquium course, I worked at a large vegetable farm and also got my master's in public administration. So all of that kind of put together set me up for this job opportunity and extension, which has been truly amazing.
Speaker 3:As the agriculture and sustainable food systems agent, my job is really to connect farmers with education and science-based resources and pretty much answer any questions that they might have. So there's some really great work that's happening all over the state with UF, ifas and our research centers, and really just getting that information to people is what I do. So I like to say that I hold hands with the farmers and the university, so my role is really to help them with knowledge on food production, on farm, food safety, regulatory compliance there's a lot of steps that need to happen to get food to people's plate, you know, such as logistics and marketing and distribution and all of that, and so I can help them with navigating some of those regulations. And I also work with some of our larger farms and our cattle ranchers to educate the general public about the importance of agriculture in Collier County. We do this by doing some farm tours.
Speaker 3:And one thing that I am surprised by I guess I shouldn't be, but I was when I started this job was I do a lot of work in disaster response for the county for agriculture. So I work with our local emergency managements and do agricultural assessments for after the storms and report any field information to local and state agencies as well as our economics department up at UF. This is really important because we want to get an accurate snapshot of what happened during storms and after storms and in case we need some sort of disastrous assistance or state legislators need to petition the state or federal government for funding for farmers after a disaster, we're kind of the boots on the ground, helping to provide the data and the information. So every day my job is different. I think that's what makes it truly interesting and I get to learn and work with so many different people in the agricultural sector.
Speaker 2:Wow, I mean that's yeah, that sounds like a really comprehensive background that you have and it's. It's something that I think you know it's. This is such a niche area and working with small farmers specifically, and I'm really interested in learning about how the Southwest Florida Small Farmer Network came about.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so basically this has been a network that has gone on for quite a long time. We're on our 16th year actually and yeah, it's pretty amazing, there's a lot of former extension agents that started this. So basically back in 2008, we had an economic downturn and that really kind of shifted opinions, perspectives and purchasing of local food in our area.
Speaker 3:Dr Roy Beckford of Lee County, dr Rob Klusen of Sarasota and Robert Hallman down here in Collier County found that, you know, the trend was really towards local, sustainable, organic, sort of making a resurgence, since times were sort of getting leaner.
Speaker 3:So they noticed they were getting tons of requests at the Extension Office about small-scale farming and so they said well, you know, a lot of our large producers are very well connected with one another.
Speaker 3:They have industry representatives like the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, the Watermelon Association, the Florida Tomato Committee, farm Bureau, et cetera, and these are all really great organizations that understand you know some of the challenges and opportunities of that industry very well and they really provide a lot of support and even communicate some of the challenges and the needs of growers to decision makers. So they said, you know, maybe there's an opportunity to create a space like that for the small farmer network, which is really pretty disconnected to some of the larger agricultural industry. A lot of that has to do with because many new and aspiring farmers are coming into this field from maybe a background in business or IT or a school counselor and they maybe just are not as plugged in to some of the resources. So UF IFAS extension could really step up to that plate and provide and be the facilitator for a network.
Speaker 2:That's incredible. So how many counties does this network span and how many farmers do you think are involved in this?
Speaker 3:That's a great question. So the network spans from down here in Collier all the way up to Pasco County. So that is basically our southwest UF IFAS district. We don't really have a great number on exactly how many farmers are involved, because it's really a very grassroots, fluid kind of group and I think that kind of speaks to the sustainability of the group as well. So, yeah, we've been able to.
Speaker 3:We've got, you know, over 400 people on our mailing list. We get lately we've been getting around 45 to 50 people showing up to our meetings, but they range, you know, depending on the location and the topic and the makeup of the people that have come to the meetings in the past couple years. We usually get about a third farmers, a third aspiring farmers or food entrepreneurs and then, interestingly enough, about a third are folks in the agricultural industry, people from, you know FDACs or from school boards or other government regulations, people that are somehow involved in the food system and want to learn more about local food and tap into what some of our small farmers are doing. So it's a really varied group.
Speaker 2:Right, and I remember I was one of those people in that last group with fog, you know, showing up at that last meeting that you guys did last year and I just learned so much and I was so interested to see you know who was all going to be there and how. You know how the dynamic is between some of these small farmers, and so I think this is a really interesting group, you know, because we know how challenging it is to have a small farm and to really kind of face all the different obstacles that are now out there to really be able to set yourself up for success. So is there, you know, specific goals that, as the chair of this network, you have in mind for the people that are in this group. As far as it being, you know the short term goals versus the long term goals.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. And just a little info for folks out there Louis Rodriguez of Polk County, who is our small farms agent, just became the chair of the group. So we're really excited to have some new energy and some new ideas and some new blood coming into leadership for the group. So that's a very exciting thing. Oh, wonderful yeah. But basically you know the short-term goals really just to create a space for small and mid-sized farmers, share information, share resources, kind of keep them up to date to any regulation or policy issues, and oftentimes we invite representatives from FDACs or the local property appraiser or the local zoning planning groups to answer some questions that people might have. Because a lot of times a lot of these small farmers are also trying to do something a little bit unique, maybe in a peri-urban environment where the zoning laws maybe haven't caught up quite to what they're trying to do. So really just bringing people together and networking with one another. The long-term goals are really to create a network of growers that can rely on each other.
Speaker 3:Oftentimes we find that people are doing business deals when they come to these meetings. They're just kind of finding synergies with one another. So we want to encourage them and continue in that sort of business relationship. We also, from an extension perspective, we want to see knowledge gain. We want to see behavior change in people. So we don't want people coming to the meeting and learning something. That's really important, but did they implement any of the strategies or the methods that we talked about, you know, or that maybe we experienced firsthand in those meetings? That's going to be really important to demonstrate how well we can educate and support the local farm community.
Speaker 2:And I love the emphasis on relationship building because I think what you mentioned as far as establishing these long-term connections, like that's key, I think, to being able to first of all gain the confidence that you know you're capable of continuing on a successful path as a small farmer and learning from other people that are doing it and doing it right, but also just having that support, I just think is so, so critical. So, absolutely that piece you mentioned about you know trying to figure out the knowledge gained from these meetings and you know, I'm just wondering, is there a way that you measure that kind of impact? I know that.
Speaker 2:Last, time you had distributed surveys to collect. You know what kind of connections were made. Is there other ways that you're trying to figure out? You know how the knowledge is being applied.
Speaker 3:Yeah, great question. So surveys are? You know the way that we do things, for sure in Extension, but even for us on the individual level in our prospective counties. You know we have so many great relationships with the growers in our counties and so when we can follow them over time and provide resources for them over time you know all of the extension agents in this program have wonderful success stories. You know that they work with growers closely to document. So sometimes it's, you know, getting the survey back and saying what did you learn. Sometimes it's following up a couple months after and saying did you implement anything? And sometimes it's like a phone call and a text to be like, hey, you know, that thing we talked about, you know, a couple months ago. What did you ever end up doing with that? And that's all really important data points that we can demonstrate.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, that makes a lot of sense and I think you know that relationship also of being able to figure out the best communication methods, right with communicating with some of these farmers, is also really instrumental and it sounds like you have kind of figured out the different loopholes to connecting with some people, whether that's texts or call or email, and finding out what works best for everyone, because I do think in the farming world we have people from so many different age groups and that is just really a key element to continuing that kind of relationship. But in terms of the challenges that you know we touched on a little earlier, are there other challenges aside from you know, these small farmers working in silos that you think you know this group really faces and is trying to figure out how to get over?
Speaker 3:Yeah, and a lot of the large and small farmers face very similar issues. Particularly with the small farmers it is a very sad fact that many of them are not able to make a whole lot of money selling fruits and vegetables, for example. So, like that, direct to market chain or, you know, direct to consumer, you can get a higher price for your items and there are some really unique opportunities that people can venture into, like value added and agritourism. But you know there's also extra layers of regulation and planning and business strategy that comes along with that and that's things that we can assess people with as well. But in terms of, you know, challenges that farmers see in Florida, pest and disease is huge. Labor is something I hear across the board. It's just really difficult to find labor and help.
Speaker 3:A lot of our large producers are able to tap into the H-2A program, which has really been a very useful program, but for small farmers that's kind of out of reach and I've talked to one or two that have looked into it.
Speaker 3:Maybe I can try and use the H-2A program and it's just it's very cumbersome and it's not very it's not set up for small scale.
Speaker 3:Certainly, land prices are a big challenge, particularly as the small growers that are selling directly to the consumer are trying to get closer to city centers and trying to be more visible. And that comes with, you know, increased land prices and, like I had mentioned before, increased challenges with local regulations that maybe just haven't adapted a little bit more to what farming might be in current times and in urban spaces. Of course, in Florida we're dealing with hurricanes and freezes and wildfires and flooding and all of that, and flooding and all of that Food safety has been an emerging trend in farming over the past 10 or so years. Lack of financing, economies of scale. You know, again, you're not making a whole lot of money selling vegetables, but the advantage that our large agricultural producers have is they're dealing with economies of scale. They might get a 5-10% profit increase but they're working at such a large level that they can make a decent living. And that becomes a little bit more difficult when you're dealing with a small business.
Speaker 2:Right, right, and the list. I mean, the list is quite long and you mentioned, you mentioned H-2A, which is something I actually have never heard of. Can you elaborate on what that is?
Speaker 3:program from places, let's say, in South America, for example. They come into the farm works, usually with an agency to arrange transportation and housing and basically, you know, living necessities, so that these folks are able to work on the farm for the season. It's a temporary situation and they usually go back to their respective countries after the season is over, but they do get the opportunity to come back if they'd like. So it's mostly how most of our fruits and vegetables are harvested in the United States.
Speaker 2:Wow, that's really great. Thank you for touching on that. And I'm wondering, you know, since the start of the Southwest Florida Small Farmer Network, now that it's in its 16th year, have you seen the dynamic change between small farmers in this region?
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's a good question and I think it's something that we're trying to get our hands around a little bit more. We're definitely building momentum of the network and it is growing over the years, so that's very exciting to see. We are working on doing some more follow-ups with people to again try and capture some of this stuff, because it's happening, we know it's happening, we just haven't written it down, we haven't gotten all of those stories yet. So, and the big thing is again, with implementation of the practices, that's for us an extension, kind of the best way that we can demonstrate the impact not only just of the network but between farmers. Covid-19 offered some unique opportunities for growers to interact with each other and, you know, build some boxes that they could send direct to consumers, and so, again, we just try and provide the space in hopes that they can continue their relationships.
Speaker 2:Right, and I, you know, I asked that question because I know how long it takes to really establish key relationships and oftentimes in this, you know, in this world is the food industry we have some of these short term projects whereby you know you're expected to establish relationships but in fact, you know, 10 plus years is really how, how long it takes to have, you know, trust really to develop. So it's something that I, you know, I'm so curious about in terms of if there are tactics or strategies that you've implemented to encourage small producers to really learn from each other.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and that is a great question. So I think for us, it is really about staying farmer focused. We have to be flexible to change to their needs, and that is something that we're always doing as extension agents. We're always doing a needs assessment what's working, what's not working, what are you dealing with? What can we help with?
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 3:And so we want to make space to include other people in the food system to attend these meetings and to participate, because they're a really important component. I love to see you know food banks and food distributors and retail outlets you know at these meetings because it's an important link to what they're doing. But I think it's really important for us to keep that farmer focused and really make sure that we are providing resources for them in this network.
Speaker 2:I'm wondering if you can, you know, shed light on examples of different events that you guys have held. What have those looked like? Who has been, you know, there to present, you know what have been the highlights of those kinds of events?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I mean pretty much just keeping consistent meetings. We try to have about two meetings a year to highlight some of the work that we're doing in extension and provide resources for the growers. So it really has not been much more than that. Quite a few of us went to the recent conference in fog and were able to network and talk with some folks, but other than, you know, presenting what we've collected in data at conferences. Really it's just keeping consistent meetings, keeping the lines of communication open with growers. So there's definitely room for improvement there. But I feel I always say this to the group I feel like we're sustainable because we're kind of a low stakes, you know, grassroots, low pressure kind of group. It's like if you want to show up and you know the topic interests, you show up and let's talk. And really that's what this is all about is just getting folks plugged in and then from there there's really endless possibilities of how people can collaborate and work together.
Speaker 2:And speaking of that, you know collaboration and efforts to kind of streamline some of these things. I want to touch on a marketing effort that's really seemed to take off and benefited a lot of these small farmers the Southwest Florida Fresh brand. That has come about as something you know for growers in Southwest Florida to create a digital platform to market their products. So could you tell us a little bit more about how that program works and how it came about?
Speaker 3:Sure. So back in 2017, we had Hurricane Irma that came through our region in Southwest Florida and had some really devastating impacts on the farming community. The Southwest Florida Regional Planning Margaret Worsley up there got a grant to look at the sustainability of small and mid-sized producers in Southwest Florida. Well, I was a brand new extension agent and I didn't know anyone. And I got a phone call from Mr Gene McAvoy, who many of you know and is a local legend here in extension and in the farming community, and he said you know, jessica, you're a new agent. This would be a really good opportunity for you to meet some of the growers, do a needs assessment, really figure out you know how you can help these small growers. And I said, okay, but I am not doing it without Eugene because nobody knows who.
Speaker 1:I am.
Speaker 3:So, you know, we really kind of we had a number of meetings and workshops and we did surveys and farm visits to really kind of understand how we keep farmers sustainable and when we talk, when we kind of saw how we keep farmers sustainable and when we kind of saw that when we were talking about sustainability, we were talking about profitability, so keeping them in business, and a number of things came out of that grant and that white paper. Some of it was farm food safety, some of it was consumer education and one of the things growers really wanted to see was something to highlight our local foods here in Southwest Florida. So kind of think of the Fresh From Florida campaign where it's highlighting and identifying Florida grown foods. They were like you know, maybe we can do something like that here and really connect our consumers and our producers. So this was very much a grower led initiative.
Speaker 3:I love that, yeah, and really it's been another sort of grassroots effort where, you know, folks are signing themselves up on the website and listing their farm, what they're selling, where they can be found, and it's a great resource, just because when we get phone calls we say, you know, go to this website, check it out, see where you can find farmers markets, and so we've had a lot of collaboration over the years. The Regional Planning Council, the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council, has really stayed strong and continued to apply for grants and involved UF IFAS extension, so it's been a really good partnership that has benefited the growers.
Speaker 2:That's so cool and I think you know that's something that we should see all across Florida, you know, as something that we can do to highlight our local growers. And I'm curious is it like a label or sticker that Southwest Florida Fresh has on products that people can see in markets, or is it mainly the website that is used to market some of these producers?
Speaker 3:At this point it's mainly the website, but we do have marketing stickers that producers can use. So it's up to the grower how they want to display that item. They can use a banner. I've seen it on their trucks, on like their produce trucks going to markets. I've seen banners. I've seen some folks that have it at their farm stand or in like their refrigerator units at the farm stand. We've got some like window clings. So you know, it's just a way for them to highlight yes, this food was grown here. And a page you know that we can send people to that has up-to-date information about who is out there and what they're growing.
Speaker 2:Yes, and I want to highlight this resource that is on the website southwestfloridafreshcom and that's swflfreshcom, that there's this eat local map that really showcases all the different producers that are listed on this website, and it has so many, so many different types of producers, from seafood to citrus, to eggs and mushrooms. So my other question is has there been any kind of criteria established for what producers in this region you know how they can be eligible to register for this Dr?
Speaker 3:So any grower in the Southwest Florida area can list themselves on the website.
Speaker 3:They just go over to the producer tab and say register. Here At this point we are focusing on farmers. The vision and the goal of the brand was always to include restaurants and breweries and other types of items that are incorporating local products, items that are incorporating local products, but that's a whole nother layer of verification that we are not ready for, at least with our agricultural producers. Our extension agents in those respective counties know those folks and interact with them and we can easily verify that they have a farm. It becomes a little bit more difficult when you're adding restaurants and things like that to the mix, but that is, you know, the ultimate goal and where we would like to see it go. Asma Odey at the Regional Planning Council has been working the past couple years to, you know, continue keeping things on track and keeping the website updated and, you know, communicating with growers and producers and we've got enough eyes on the ground where we feel really comfortable about, you know, people registering themselves and just saying what kind of products they have and that's really incredible.
Speaker 2:And I think you know the question that I posed I also want to pose for the Southwest Florida Small Farmer Network, which is, if folks want to be a part of that group, is there any steps that they have to take to be able to join that, or is it kind of a free for all? You show up to these meetings and can be a part of that?
Speaker 3:Yeah, so we ask people to just contact their local county extension agent in your respective county. We do have an event, a Eventbrite, right now, because we have a meeting coming up on let me pull it up here the 20, September 26th at Stock and Vine up in Hillsborough County. So you know, if you're living in the Tampa area or you're living in Lee County, you know, reach out to your respective county extension agent and they can connect you with the ways to register. We just ask for registration because we'd like to provide lunch, so we like to get an idea of how many people want to attend.
Speaker 2:Awesome and is there a you know, a call to action that you want to put out there for people to, you know, feel encouraged or inspired to either replicate a network like this in their area, or even just to support their local producers?
Speaker 3:Yeah, you know farming is so very important in the state of Florida. We are an ag-heavy state and we're a state that supports agriculture, but we need to all put in the effort to support our local farmers. So, in whatever role that might be and whatever size those growers might be, so any way that we can engage agricultural producers, support them. You know, whether that's in the role of extension, bringing the growers together, helping them with education Maybe, as a consumer, it is looking for the Fresh from Florida label or looking at a local branding initiative that you can seek out to support growers. The big thing is that we want to see farming continue in the state of Florida and any chance that we get to provide resources, education and facilitate these spaces for people is really, really important.
Speaker 3:We talk about real, specific and technical things at this meeting, but even if you are not involved necessarily in farming, you can still learn a lot about the importance of agriculture and why we need to continue supporting agriculture in our state.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Thank you so much for sharing that, and before we wrap up our episode today, I do want to give you a moment to share any kind of you know case studies or personal stories that you would like to highlight, that kind of showcase the impact that this network has had. I know that you touched on this at the Fog Organic Food and Farming Summit back in April, and I'd like to give you a moment to share any kind of story that you think really could resonate with our listeners today.
Speaker 3:Sure. So one that comes to mind is Russell Hollander. He's with Care to Grow Mushrooms, russell Hollander, he's with Care to Grow Mushrooms. And back in about 2017, 2018, I was a brand new extension agent putting on one of these small farmer network meetings. Russell showed up and we had the meeting at a seated table small farm, one of their small farms here in Collier County, and he said, oh, I want to start this mushroom farm and I have have the vision for it and I have, you know, the skills for it. I'm just trying to get more information about, you know, maybe some different regulations or marketing or things like that. And he just, he just kept at it. He kept plugged in. He connected with David Outerbridge up in Lee County, who's part of our, our group, and they started some really interesting mushroom programs and he has a thriving business. He's selling specialty mushrooms, powders, tinctures. He's popped into a market that you know you can't necessarily walk into the grocery store and find. You know what he's selling and he's certainly found a great market for it.
Speaker 3:So, and the greatest thing for us is that it's a two-way street. You know, we learned so much from these growers that it is so important for them to show up to these meetings because they teach other farmers, they teach you know us, we get to educate them. It's a very collaborative environment. So that's one success story. Another one is Janelle Francis. Up in Port Charlotte. She's part of Fancy Farms. This is a woman that also just started coming to our meetings just to network, to learn and talk, and she has a thriving microgreens business and she works with local chefs and hotels and she's really been able to transition into farming full time, which is, you know, the dream that we want to help people. Support is how can they make their dreams a reality? Absolutely, it's been an honor to work alongside these farmers, these aspiring farmers, the established farmers and my colleagues here in extension.
Speaker 2:Wow, I really love those stories and I fun fact. My dream is to have a mushroom farm one day. So that actually just inspired my my own, you know self to to maybe continue that pursuit.
Speaker 1:But very good. Thank you oh.
Speaker 2:It's, it's happening. So I am now I'm on a mission, but you know, we've also had the pleasure today to learn from you really about the critical role you know smart small farmers play in our communities and how strategic business and marketing tactics can really significantly bolster their efforts. Strategic business and marketing tactics can really significantly bolster their efforts, and so we really want to take a moment to thank you, jessica, for sharing your wisdom and your passion with us today.
Speaker 3:Thank you so much for providing the platform and inviting me to be on and talk today. I appreciate it.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much, and for our listeners as you go about your day, remember the importance of supporting your local farmers, whether it's by shopping local or simply spreading the word about the amazing work these farmers are doing. Every bit of support helps build a more resilient and sustainable food system. Thank you for tuning in and for being a part of this important conversation. Stay connected, stay inspired and continue to support local agriculture Until next time.
Speaker 1:We hope you enjoyed today's episode. Stay connected, stay inspired and continue to support local agriculture. Until next time, a tax-deductible donation or become a sponsor. Learn more about our work and how you can become a sponsor from our website, wwwboginfoorg.