New Voice Speaks up for Florida Fruit and Vegetable Producers
April 16, 2021 There’s a vivid memory of my son, just a year old, wearing a gator hat snug on his head, buried in a two-gallon bucket between his legs underneath a blueberry bush. It was a hot day, and he wanted a snack.
Deep inside the bucket were blueberries I had worked so diligently to find. Only the biggest. About the size of a quarter. We know those to be the sweetest. And just as quickly as I had filled the bottom of the bucket, he had gobbled every last one of those blueberries.
As a Florida transplant, this was touching in so many ways, and though we had been to a U-Pick farm earlier in the season that year, this was a moment I knew would stay with me forever, sparking a deeper, more meaningful connection with Florida agriculture.
This is the world I want my son to grow up in. Where he visibly sees where his food comes from and its importance in a nutritious meal, understands the role agriculture plays in our state’s economy, and develops an appreciation for the work farmers do day in, day out to feed the world. As a mom, I know this is easier said than done.
Christina Morton’s son, Luke, enjoying fresh-picked Florida blueberries that she picked at a U-Pick, with family in the background.
Photo courtesy of Christina Morton
Fast forward several years later to 2020, and change found me at an unexpected moment. I left an amazing job during a global public health crisis for an incredible opportunity with Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) as its new director of communications.
Four months into my new role, after drinking from the proverbial “firehose,” I’m looking ahead at what’s to come for this incredible organization and its members, and I’m digging into some important issues and initiatives.
When reflecting on the work done here at FFVA, it can best be described as purpose-driven. At the end of the day, on a very basic level, we are helping Florida growers feed the world. But as you know, there is so much more to it than that.
If there was a silver lining to 2020, it was the increased awareness around the role growers and so many others play in bringing food from farm to consumers’ tables. Maintaining this momentum is critical, and the time is ripe to leverage this heightened attention around this important work.
In February, FFVA and Agriculture Communicators of Florida joined forces and hosted a tour with four social media influencers, taking them on a journey to highlight where their food comes from. As part of the tour, the influencers visited six producers and walked away with a new understanding and appreciation for the vibrant, nutritious fruits and vegetables that are fresh from Florida. We met with an amazing lineup of individuals representing the diversity of the men and women behind our food supply — military veterans, Ph.D. graduates, multi-generational growers, and more. This immersive, two-day tour would not have been possible without the help of so many in the industry coming together to educate, excite, and enlighten.*
In the coming weeks and months, FFVA will continue to focus on what matters most to members and highlight the importance of supporting Florida producers. Not surprisingly, several significant issues will remain front and center for FFVA, from COVID-19 and its many impacts on the industry to the need for a healthy, stable, and reliable workforce to relief from unfair trade practices.
There is no shortage of challenges facing today’s growers, but with that comes great opportunity. I’m excited to dig in and get to work.
*Author’s note: Thank you to the Florida Blueberry Growers Association, Florida Peaches, Fresh from Florida, and Wish Farms for sponsoring the 2021 influencer tour.
Florida Grower welcomes Christina Morton as the new regular Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association columnist. Morton takes up the reins from Lisa Lochridge, former columnist and long-term contributor.