Wish Farms ups Its Strawberry Growing Game in Florida
December 10, 2020 
Strawberry plantings seem to stretch forever at G&D Farms in Duette, FL. The flagship growing operation for Wish Farms is expanding. Photo courtesy of Wish Farms
Plant City, FL-based berry stalwart Wish Farms is adding more acreage to its Central Florida strawberry family of growers. The company’s G&D Farms operation in Duette is expanding its reach, thanks to a sizable land purchase.
The transaction adds just more than 800 acres of land, around 600 of which will be designated for farming. The remainder is natural wetlands, which will be left undisturbed for biodiversity and environmental sustainability.
G&D Farms is Wish Farms’ flagship growing operation that began in 1987. Before the land addition, it was already widely considered to be the largest contiguous strawberry farm in the world.
“This expansion is very exciting for our team,” Farm Manager Chris Parks says. “Not only is the land directly adjacent to our current farm, but we can immediately start farming organically. The ground hasn’t been utilized for many years, so we can bypass the regulated waiting period. It gives us a lot of flexibility with rotation, ensuring that we are good stewards of the land.”
Wish Farms is farming 55 acres of it this coming season, with a gradual ramp up of usage in each season following.
While the farm is more than 90% of the ‘Sweet Sensation’ variety, the company is always on the hunt for the next best tasting strawberry. Several rows are dedicated to 100 new variety and seedling trials. Nearly seven acres have been planted with the highly anticipated white strawberry. Wish Farms has branded them Pink-A-Boo Pineberries.
“There will be strong demand for Pink-A-Boos in the coming years, and this land will allow us to expand that program without having to reduce our red strawberry acreage,” says Owner Gary Wishnatzki.
According to Wish Farms management, G&D also is employing some innovative techniques that help reduce its usage of non-organic pesticides. The releasing of predator Persimilis Mites (Phytoseiulus persimilis) started as an organic method to control two-spotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae).
“The same effective organic method has worked really well for our non-organic crop,” Parks adds. “This season, we started experimenting with drones that scout and release. If it works, it could be a major boost to our farm’s efficiency.”
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