Just as chefs learn to cook in classrooms that double as restaurants, farmers in the Tampa Bay region can learn eco-friendly agricultural practices at the Center for Integrated Agriculture – and residents reap the benefits.
Funded through the West Coast Resource Conservation & Development Council, the center offers hands-on training and even apprenticeships for beginning farmers who are serious about starting a successful business. The fruits of their learning are available through Gamble Creek Farm in Parrish and Geraldson Community Farm in northwest Bradenton.
The long-term goal, says Jacob Leech, agricultural operations manager, is giving local farmers the know-how to develop businesses that are both profitable and environmentally sustainable. “There’s a noticeable trend across the US that people want fresher food that’s healthier and has less environmental impact. They also recognize that dollars spent in their local economy support local businesses.”
Gamble Creek, a 26-acre property in Parrish, was originally purchased as a demonstration farm for Manatee Agricultural Reuse System (MARS) where comprehensive solutions for reclaimed water could be developed. Since then, its mission has expanded to focus on both economic and environmental sustainability with demonstration projects that include various growing methods and irrigation techniques.
That allows farmers to compare various farm methods – ranging from hydroponics and earthboxes to traditional in-ground farming – so they can develop detailed cost-benefit analyses for each technology.
At Geraldson Community Farm, named for one of the region’s pioneer families, eight acres of certified-organic land has been set aside as a separate demonstration project. “We don’t really know that organic food is healthier but it definitely has less impact on the surrounding environment compared to conventional farming,” Leech notes.
Although the center is located in Manatee County, it serves famers across the region, including Sarasota, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, he adds. “Some people come from even further for our training programs, and the first farmers in our food-buying club came from Ocala.”
Along with teaching farmers how to grow food with a minimum environmental impact, the center also focuses on helping local growers expand their markets. The number of small farms is growing at an incredible rate and the surge in demand for locally grown food has made small family farming more profitable. Nationally, the number of farmer’s markets that allow growers direct access to their customers has more than doubled in the last 10 years.
The number of CSAs – or community supported agriculture where members pre-pay growers for a share of the farm’s product – also has grown. Nearly 4,000 CSAs operate across the country, including several in the Tampa Bay region where Sweetwater Organic Community Farm has been in operation since 1995.
The CSA alternative offers advantages for both consumers and farmers, Leech notes, and both Manatee farms offer CSAs as well as farm stand and u-pick operations.
Additionally, a local food buying club that’s free to farmers connects its members with nearby farmers to offer more diverse products, like artisan cheeses, grass-fed beef and raw milk. Finally, Florida Farm Link (www.farmlink.org) connects farmers with consumers across the state as well as each other.
“We can provide beginning farmers who are serious about starting their own business with the training they need to be successful,” says Leech.
For more information, visit www.gamblecreekfarm.org. Other local farms and CSAs include:
The Sarasota County Extension has compiled a comprehensive list of farmers and farmers markets across west central Florida, it’s available online at http://sarasota.ifas.ufl.edu/AG/localfoodguide.pdf.
If you’d rather grow your own organic vegetables, contact your extension service or download the University of Florida guide at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh021. John Starnes (see Bay Soundings, Fall 2008) also offers classes at the south Tampa home where he grows most of his food.