Happy Trails To A Great Researcher, Better Friend [Opinion]
April 22, 2016 There is an old saying about a person knowing a little about a lot of things, but not a lot about anything. In some ways, I’d say this is true of many editors — or at least for this editor. This job requires us to chase stories on a lot of subjects. Then we are off to the next thing that needs attention.
For this reason, I have “go-to” people in the markets we cover to provide me the expertise I lack. I seek their advice on story topics and to keep up with things happening on the ground. And, most of my “go-to” people I count as friends. That seems to come natural in an industry like agriculture.
Thank you, Dr. Boman.
One of my earliest “go-to” people in Florida was Brian Boman, a Professor at the UF/IFAS Indian River Research and Education Center in Ft. Pierce. Brian is retiring this summer, so I wanted to send out congratulations to him and thank him for his partnership with this magazine over the years.
I first met Brian soon after I started my job as Editor of Florida Grower® magazine at a planning meeting for the Florida Citrus ShowSM (formerly the Indian River Citrus Seminar). It was clear Brian was going to be a great resource as I learned the ropes of Florida agriculture. During the meeting, he was full of ideas of what would make for good educational topics during the show. And, he was full of good humor and stories. I knew right away this was going to be a guy I liked in this industry.
Our Florida Citrus Show has grown into one of the premier events in the state. For the past two years, we have broken records for attendance at the annual gathering in Ft. Pierce. A lot of that has to do with Brian’s dedication to making the show a success and his expert insights on what will make for a great educational program.
Certainly, if you grow citrus in Florida, Brian’s work has touched your groves. You know the saying, “He wrote the book on that?” Well, when it comes to BMPs, Brian kind of did. It all started when he began working with Indian River citrus growers to reduce nutrient runoff after a massive fish kill in the Indian River Lagoon, resulting from an algal bloom in 1998.
Brian worked with growers to examine their nutrient and water use and how practices could be modified to not only lessen environmental impacts, but also increase growers’ profitability. He’d liked to say, “Maximum yield does not always mean maximum profit.”
Brian worked with all the stakeholders involved to build consensus around what ultimately would become the citrus BMPs. The program was a success and BMPs began to spread across the state to other crops. The resulting environmental benefits to Florida are incalculable. And, much of it began with Brian’s work.
As if BMPs were not enough to keep him busy, he has a humanitarian’s heart. Soon after the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010, Brian was flying down to the island to help farmers rebuild their lives. And, not only rebuild, but to do so in a sustainable way. He has traveled to many other places across the globe to help farmers become more productive. These also are places where people need help that a lot of us might be afraid to travel to.
So my friend — congratulations on retirement. I know you will stay busy and your work will likely continue, retired or not. Have fun, and I hope you are as happy as that Saturday afternoon lion in the Ngorongoro Crater (an inside joke that should make Brian laugh out loud).
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