Florida Ag Expo, Gulf Coast Research And Education Center Marking Milestones
September 22, 2015 
The Florida Ag Expo, held at the UF.IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center, is going on a decade of educating the industry while drawing a solid attendance.
Photo by Paul Rusnak
The Florida Ag Expo will celebrate its 10th anniversary on Nov.4 at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) in Balm. In addition to the Expo, the Center also is marking a milestone in 2015, celebrating its 90th year of service to growers in the Gulf Coast region.
While the current state-of-the-art facility located in Balm has been in operation for the past 10 years, the Center had locations in Bradenton and Dover in the past.
Some of the iconic crop varieties have come out of the GCREC program over the years. In 1943, the UF/IFAS tomato breeding program was established and grabbed international acclaim for bringing many improved tomato varieties to market.
More recently, Fla 8153 (AKA, Tasti-Lee) was developed at the Center by Jay Scott. The branded fresh market tomato has become wildly popular with consumers due to its high lycopene levels and good flavor.
GCREC has been closely tied with strawberry genetic improvements, which have been a priority at the University for more than 66 years. Currently, 85% of Florida’s 11,000 strawberry acres are occupied by varieties developed at GCREC.
Grower Cooperation
Growers opening up their land and working cooperatively with researchers from UF/IFAS has been a hallmark of the institution’s success. GCREC has a strong base of grower stakeholders. The DiMare family has been financial and cooperative supporters of the Center.
“We as growers are very fortunate to have a first-class and state-of-the-art facility in GCREC located in close proximity to our farms in the Central Gulf Coast,” says Tony DiMare, president of DiMare Fresh. “The Center has some of the top researchers in the industry working on our behalf to help find solutions to the multitude of issues we face today. We depend on the Center and the researchers to help us stay competitive and sustainable for the future of Florida agriculture.”
Do you plan on attending the 2015 Florida Ag Expo?
- Yes (67%, 10 Votes)
- No (33%, 5 Votes)
Total Voters: 15
Loading ...Tom O’Brien, owner of C&D Fruit and Vegetable Company, agrees on the Center’s vital role.
“We rely on GCREC on a weekly basis, and we work very well together,” he says. “We and the researchers bounce ideas off each other. The Center is necessary for the survival of Florida agriculture.”
Jack Rechcigl, the director of GCREC, credits grower cooperation for saving the Center and for help in constructing the new facility in Balm. When their location in Bradenton was deemed too old to continue operations and it was suggested the Center be closed, local growers called on UF/IFAS to build a new facility because research was vital to their survival.
In addition, growers have been instrumental in the success of the Florida Ag Expo.
“Ten years ago, the UF/IFAS vice president and I were approached by two prominent tomato growers — Tony DiMare and Jay Taylor — who told us they had recently attended an excellent vegetable expo in Mexico and wondered if we cold have such an event in Balm,” Rechcigl says. “We thought it was a great idea and immediately started planning on putting it together. The unique thing about the Expo is it is a true partnership between UF/IFAS (GCREC), Florida Grower® magazine, FFVA, Tomato Committee, FSGA, and ag chemical suppliers.
“To everyones’ delight, the event continues to grow in popularity, and we are extremely pleased that the event appears to fit a niche and serve our vegetable and berry growers.”