The Voice of Agriculture (December 2014)

8/10/2019 The Voice of Agriculture (December 2014)

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The Voice of AgricultureDecember | 2014The Official Publication of the Dade County Farm Bureau

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dade-agriculture.org

Finocchario and Talarico Families Honored at DCFB Annual Meeting

Every year, Dade County Farm Bureau chooses a family to honor at theirAnnual Meeting who has made an impact in the agricultural community.The Finocchario and Talarico families have worked together for 47 yearsbuilding their business, F&T Farms.

Gaetano Guy Talarico was born on April 12, 1941 in Magisano PCatanzoaro,

Italy. He was a carpenter in Italy before he moved to Middletown, New Yorkin March 1960. Guy farmed in New York with his brother-in-law and father-in-law, Leo and Joseph Nicotra.

Dade County Farm Bureau

1850 Old Dixie HighwayHomestead, Fl 33033

www.dade-agriculture.orgPhone (305)246-5514 Fax (305)245-9170

Orazio Russ Finocchairo was bornJuly 28, 1934 in Fiu me FreddoSicilia, Italy. Russ worked on thefarm with his father in Italy. Russmoved to New York in the summerof 1949. He farmed in New Yorkwith his uncle, Tony Alspina. TonyAlspina and the Nicotras werefarming together in Chester, NewYork when Guy and Russ met. TheTalarico and Finochiarro familiesfarmed in Chester during the

summers and Florida during thewinters from 1951. In 1966, theymoved to Florida.

In 1967 F& T Farms began. Initially,Russ and Guy only grew yellowsquash. Now they grow zucchini,cranberry beans, pole beans,string beans, grape tomatoes, bellpeppers and jalapenos.

The farm is now run primarily bytheir sons Leo Talarico and Sal

Finocchario. Leo and Sal wereboth born in New York but grewup in Homestead. Since their

By: Sonia Colon


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Features and Publishers Note

Publishers Note

The Voice of Agriculture is the quarterly publication of the Dade CountyFarm Bureau, Miami-Dade Countys oldest and largest agriculturalorganization. The Farm Bureau was established in 1942 to collectivelysolve agricultural issues in the regulatory, legislative, economic andsocial arena. For advertising or membership information pleasecontact Debbie Brady at (305) 246-5514.

SOC South joined DCFB in the Veterans Day Parade on a truck sponsored by Grand Prize Chevrolet.

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IssueIN THIS

1 Farm Families of the Year

2 Features and Publisher s

Note

3 Presidents Message

4 Cover Story

5 US Secretary of Ag Visit

6 Farm City Week

7 Congressman Ted Yoho

Homestead Farm Tour

8 Young Rancher Excels

Statewide

9 Florida Farm Bureau Annual

Meeting

14 Community Corner


3/16

Presidents Message

This is the season to be thankful and appreciatethe good in men. As we watch our news andread our headlines we are sure of one thing,that this world is changing. Many growers havetaken their businesses to other countries whilekeeping a home base here in the US. I had the

pleasure to visit Costa Rica with a businesspartner and get a true sense of appreciation forthe global trade opportunities that can happen.While we all in the agricultural industry fightregulation, water issues and immigration, othercountries just want to produce. We are notall equal in the production and harvesting ofcommodities. Next time you are in your localmarket look at your labels, try and find Freshfrom Florida or grown in the USA. This is likegoing on a scavenger hunt! Ask your children tohelp you and make a game, this will educate ourfuture consumers to buy locally grown produce.

In January our newly elected legislators will bebusy working for you. There will be a few thatwill not be returning and will be missed. It isimperative that if you have issues or concernsthat you contact them directly or contactDebbie Brady, Executive Director here at DadeCounty Farm Bureau [email protected] are the voice of agriculture and we wantyour voice heard. On January 8 we will beattending the WRAC meeting at South FloridaWater Management District at 9:00 a.m. If you

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are a grower and have experienced problems with the high water table duringthe past two years you are encouraged to attend and speak during the publiccomment period. During the past two years this organization has met withagencies and legislators to keep the flood protection that was approved byCongress to protect agricultural lands in South Dade County. Tom MacVicar,MacVicar Consulting has been a champion for the agricultural industry. His manyyears of experience and expertise have brought us to this point. Unfortunatelywe now are going to have to prove some of the facts of subsurface water tablesthat have ruined production agriculture for some avocado, tropical fruit andvegetable growers. Growers suffered millions of dollars in crop loss last seasonand from this season we have to make our voice heard.In October we had our annual meeting and would like to welcome our newboard of directors to the Farm Bureau Family. In November our WomensCommittee collected donations to give 40 turkey dinners to farm workerfamilies. In December we will hold our 8th annual toy drive and giveaway. Toyswill be donated to the children of farmworkers. This is a time of giving and Iwould like to thank each one of our Board of Directors for the time they give allyear to this organization. I would also like to thank the staff and agents of DadeCounty Farm Bureau for their dedication to this organization too. On December31, Ray Timmons, Agency Manager will be retiring after 43 years of service hereat Dade County Farm Bureau and we all wish him the best in his golden years.

Sincerely,

George ButlerPresident


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The Finocchiaro and Talarico Families4

Cover Storyfathers were business partners the boys grew up asbest friends but considered themselves family.

As kids, Leo and Sal would go to the farm with theirdads and help out where they were needed.

We would go to the farm with our dads as early asI can remember. We had to help out. We would helppick zucchini with our mothers and stack and loadbeans, said Sal.

The two attended to South Dade Senior High andwere active in the FFA. As teenagers Leo and Salboth decided that they would persue a career inagriculture.

In 1987, before they graduated high school, Leo andSal were named full partners at F&T Farms. In 1989Sal and Leo formed S&L Beans which was createdto lessen the liability for Guy and Russ with F&TFarms when they decided to step back from dailyoperations.

Currently F&T Farms is growing 2,000 acres of severalvegetables including yellow squash, green beans,grape tomatoes and zucchini.

Weve been together our whole lives and wevealways had a good relationship. We and our dadshave always had a really good working relationshipand its all been good, said Sal.

As for the future of F&T Farms, Sal Finocchiaro andLeo Talarico are focused on the present and workinghard to grow their business even further, and they

credit their fathers with providing insight andencouragement.


5/16

US Secretary of Agriculture Visit

By: Sonia Colon

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During an Oct. 2 stop in Homestead, U.S. Secretary ofAgriculture Tom Vilsack announced the release of $118million to strengthen markets for specialty crops. The fundswill support fruits, vegetables, tree nuts and nursery products.Released through a grant program, the marketing dollars willhelp pay for such projects as food safety research and methodsof increasing consumer access to fruits and vegetables.

For example, the Florida Department of Agriculture andConsumer Services will receive $4.5 million from the programto improve the market viability of locally grown specialtycrops in a partnership with Miami-Dade County.

Vilsack visited the area by invitation of Congressman JoeGarcia. He first participated in a farm tour with communityleaders at the UF/IFAS Chapman Field research facility.

Later, a meeting and round table discussion was held atHomesteads UF/IFAS Miami-Dade County CooperativeExtension Office where he provided brief remarks regardingUSDAs mission, responsibilities, and commitment to the

growers and consumers of South Dade.

The agriculture leader praised the passage of the recentfarm bill and the money it provides for program initiatives,thanking Congressman Joe Garcia for his support. Since mytenure began, USDA has spent $43.7 billion in the state ofFlorida, Vilsack said.

Growers who attended had an opportunity to ask him

questions involving many issues plaguing agriculturalproducers, ranging from water issues to food safety rules andregulations to the importation of vegetables and fruits.There is an extraordinary diversity in Florida agriculture,Vilsack remarked. I want the 99.9 percent of America thatdoes not farm to understand and appreciate what they havewith American agriculture. Its a big deal that were a countrythat grows what we need.

We have delegated our responsibility to feed our families tosomeone else and we wouldnt have that freedom without theproductivity of American agriculture, he added.

And we only spend 10 percent of our paychecks on food.Anywhere else in the developed world that figure is 25 to 30percent.


6/16

Farm City Week6

Dade County Farm Bureau celebrated Farm-CityWeek in downtown Miami. Farm City Week is anobservance that highlights the relationships be-

tween farm producers and urban residents. Coun-ty Ag Manager, Charles LaPradd organized a Farm-ers Market at the Stephen P. ClarkCenter in downtown Miami.

The Farm City Week Farmers Mar-ket featured local growers on handwith fruits, vegetables, honey andplants as well as educational dis-plays from the Florida Departmentof Agriculture & Consumer Servic-

es, Dade County Farm Bureau andthe Miami-Dade County Cooperative ExtensionOffice.

Miami-Dade Countys Agricultural industry ranksamong the top three industries for the Countyand second in the State of Florida and is one of themost diverse in the country. Our tropical climateprovides us with a year-round growing season, as

well as the ability to produce an extremely widerange of crops.

Farmers and ranchers rely on essential partner-ships with urban communities to supply, sell and

deliver finished products acrossthe country and around theworld. Consumer purchases, inturn, make sustainable farm en-terprise possible.

Foods, fibers and renewable fu-els are available to us becauseof the daily relationships among

farmers and ranchers, proces-sors, brokers, truckers, shippers, advertisers, whole-salers and retailers. The collective efforts by thesemembers of our society provide a wholesome dietfor everyone. In addition, farms and ranches con-serve freshwater resources, wildlife habitat andgreenspace.

Miami-Dade CountysAgricultural industryranks among the top

three industries for theCounty


7/16

Congressman Ted Yoho Visits Homestead for Farm Tour7

Congressman Ted Yoho visited the Homesteadarea for a farm tour and a tour of the Port of Mi-ami. Congressman Ted Yoho represents NorthCentral Floridas 3rd Congressional districtwhich includes Alachua, Union, Gilchrist, Brad-ford, Marion, Clay, Suwannee, Dixie, Lafayette,Columbia, Levy, Madison, and Hamilton Coun-ties. He was elected to the 113th Congress in

November 2012. Congressman Ted Yoho is theonly Florida member on the House Agricul-ture committee. He has a close connection toagriculture. Prior to being elected Congress-man, Ted Yoho was a large animal veterinarianfor 30 years. He cared for the animals of manyfarmers and ranchers during that time. He ap-preciates growers and their way of life.

The farm tour was hosted by Dade CountyFarm Bureau and Miami Dade County Ag

Manager, Charles LaPradd. The congressmanmet with Steve Greer, agriscience teacher,and the agriscience students of South DadeHigh School. The students showed Ted Yohoall the different crops they were growing andshared their future aspirations of working inthe agricultural industry.

The congressman also met with many grow-

ers and heard their thoughts and concerns. Hevisited Sam and Phillys U-Pick and Market, Brooks

Tropical, DiMare, and Schneblys Redland Wineryand Brewery. At the end of his tour, Yoho gavethis statement:

Florida agriculture is vitally important to theeconomic health of our state. Our farmers and

ranchers produce some of the best food and beefin the world. Increasing the global demand forour agricultural products is very important to me.I believe we should be doing all we can at thefederal and state level to support those who notonly put food on our table, but also put food onthe tables of families around the world.

I really enjoyed meeting local farmers and hear-ing their thoughts and concerns. I will be sure totake what I have learned from these visits to the

House Agriculture Committee so we can createagriculture policy that is best for America.


8/16

Young Rancher Excels Statewide8

Kelvin Moreno of Dade County Farm Bureau was named thewinner of Florida Farm Bureaus Excellence in Agriculturecompetition. This competition is open to farmers and ranch-ers between the ages of 18 and 35 who do not derive themajority of their income from an owned farm operation.

The winner was announced during the Presidents AwardsBanquet at Florida Farm Bureaus 2014 Annual Meetingin Ponte Vedra Beach on Oct. 29. Finalists in the competi-tion also included Tamara Wood of Pasco County and KevinWright of Suwannee County.

Contestants were judged on the basis of their involvementin agriculture, leadership ability, participation in Farm Bureauand community service. In addition to other prizes, Morenoreceived an expense-paid trip to the American Farm BureauFederation Annual Meeting in San Diego Jan. 11-14, wherehe will compete in the national awards program.

Kelvin Moreno is a fifth generation beef cattleman andfarmer. His familys agriculture roots date back to their timein Cuba. When his parents moved to the United States, theystretched those Cuban roots to Florida, laying the foundation

that made Kelvin the agriculturalist that he is today. Kelvinserves as the President and Managing Director of MorenoFirms, Inc which offers a variety of client services. Kelvin is agraduate of the University of Florida College of Agriculturaland Life Sciences.

The Dade County Farm Bureau Womens Com-mittee partnered with the Title One Programin an effort to donate turkeys to the families of

both the Everglades Migrant Camp and the Red-land Migrant Camp. Forty families recieved aturkey with sides for their Thanksgiving dinners.Members of the Womens Committee, staff fromthe Title One Program and Harvest Queen, Am-ber Walker all particapted in the handing out ofturkeys just a few days before Thanksgiving.

2nd Annual Turkey Donation


9/16

Annual Meeting9

Dade County Farm BureauAnnual Meeting

The Dade County Farm Bureau

72nd Annual Membership meet-

ing was held on October 7, 2014.

Board of Directors President,

George Butler, welcomed guests

and the Finocchario and Talarico

Families was introduced as Farm

Family of the Year by Larry Duna-

gan. The election of ofcers took

place, six new board members

were elected to serve for the 2015

year. Representative Holly Ra-

schien and Congressman Joe Gar-

cia spoke at the event and were

awarded for their constant sup-

port of the agricultural industry by

Florida Farm Bureau and Ameri-

can Farm Bureau.

The Dade County Farm Bureau has received a coveted award forits achievements in the past year. The local organization earnedtop honors at the 2014 Florida Farm Bureau Annual Meeting forlegislative and policy implementation, organization and man-agement, public relations, education, agriculture promotion andleadership development.

Farm Bureau members support the production of food, fiber andrenewable fuels in their communities. They also volunteer theirservice in various civic and charitable projects.Dade County Farm Bureau President George Butler said the awardrecognizes that the members work together as a team, devotingtime and diligent effort to achieving common goals. Our volun-teers have helped us to win this recognition, George said. I ap-preciate their service on behalf of our farm families and our largercommunity.

The DCFB Womens Committee also received the Women in Ex-cellence Award for all the volunteer efforts and dedication to thecommittee.

Dade County Farm Bureau could not have received any of thesegreat honors without the help of their members and staff. Thankyou to our insurance and federation staff. Thank you to all mem-bers for being a part of our organization. We also want to recog-nize all of the volunteers who take the time to participate with usat events.

The DCFB Board of Directors during the in-stallation of officers at the Annual Meeting.


10/16

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Find a full List of local farmers markets at www.dade-agriculture.org


14/16

Community Corner14

Events CalendarDecember 09, 2014

DCFB/FNGLA Holiday PartySchnebly Residence

December 16, 20148th Annual Toy GiveawaySouth Dade Skills Center

January 10-11 2015Redland Heritage Festival

Fruit and Spice Park

February 6, 2015Women in Agriculture LuncheonSchneblys Winery and Brewery

11:30am-1:00pm

February 5, 2015

Dade AGRI-Council Farm Tour andLuncheon

Redland Golf and Country Club

Visit dade-agriculture.org for allcalender events

(Above) Congratulations to Ron Hebert who retired this year af-ter working for Dade County Farm Bureau for 34 years!

(Below) More photos from the Turkey Donation


15/16

Board of Directors15

George Butler, III, PresidentIvonne Alexander, President Elect

Phil Marraccini, SecretaryRobert Moehling, Treasurer

Sam Accursio Jr.Robbie BishopTeena Borek

Thomas BullisKern Carpenter

Leonard CavallaroJeffrey DeMott

Angela DelliVeneriLarry Dunagan, Past President

Robert EplingSal Finocchiaro

Jerry FryeSteve Greer

David HanckCarol Harris

Steve HovelandDavid Kaplan

Bill LosnerDale Machesic

Robert MartensRobert McMillan

Steven MeeksAaron PalmateerMargie Pikarsky

Tom RiederDiego RodriguezPeter Schnebly

Pedro SiFuentesErik Tietig

Mark Wilson, State DirectorGeorge Cooper, Director EmeritusJohn Fredrick, Director Emeritus

Kenneth Graves,Director EmeritusVito Strano,Director Emeritus

Dade County Farm BureauMember Services Staff

Ray N. Timmons,Agency Manager Debbie Brady, Executive Director Hal Arve, Jr.,Agent Donna Alfaro, Receptionist Dawn L. Baird,Agent Hilda G. Davila, CSR

Judith M. Fernandez, Office Manager Eddy Munoz,Agent Ronald D. Herbert,Agent Ray Timmons Jr,Agent

Elena Serna, CSR Sonia Colon, Executive Assistant


16/16

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The Voice of Agriculture (December 2014)

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