Environmental News & Issues

By Sarah A. Henderson - March 2009 (posted with permission of Senior Times Magazine)

Making hay while the sun shines, or in other words, taking advantage of an opportunity before it is gone, is exactly what the Florida Farm Bureau's C.A.R.E.S. program is all about. Environmental preservation is crucial to agricultural preservation, and farmers across the state of Florida are being recognized by the bureau's C.A.R.E.S. program for their land-friendly farming practices.

C.A.R.E.S., also known as the County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship, has recognized over 400 Florida farmers since the program began in 2001 and continues today to advocate farming practices that protect, conserve and preserve Florida's precious natural resources used in agriculture.
"The program is about protecting the environment while simultaneously keeping the land productive," said Andrew Walmsley, the bureau's assistant director of agricultural policy. "The farmers we recognize are using the best practices science allows.

"It makes sense to care for the environment, especially for agriculture. We can't continue to be productive if we don't have an environment."

According to the C.A.R.E.S. Web site, the program recognizes producers who use Best Management Practices, or BMPs, which conserve Florida's natural resources and protect the land with the use of environmentally safe farming practices. The C.A.R.E.S. program began in the Suwannee River area, but has spread to farms in the Santa Fe and Indian rivers' basins. With help from the Florida Department of Agricultural, other public agricultural associations, individual farmers and local communities, the program can definitely make an impact on environmental protection and awareness, Walmsley said.

"It sounds cliché," he said, "but you hear about farmers being the first environmentalists. I think it's true."

Scott Tucker, a Florida farmer recognized by the C.A.R.E.S. program last October, is grateful for his acknowledgment and hopes he and other C.A.R.E.S. farmers leave "a legacy of conservation" long after they are gone.

"I very much appreciate the recognition of our efforts," he said. "In the media, a lot of time you hear about bad stuff, especially with farming. It's nice to hear about the good stuff, too."

With over 800 acres of farmland spread across western Alachua and eastern Gilchrist counties, Tucker knows the value of ensuring land and nutrient preservation.

"We just try to do what's best for the land so we don't run into any problems down the road," he said.

Tucker practices numerous environmental conservation tactics on his farmland, including underground and drip irrigation, plant-tissue sampling and conservation tillage, which all preserve the soil's natural nutrients and cut down on the need for fertilization, he said.

Tobacco, hay, watermelon and grass seed are among the crops harvested on Tucker's land. Farmers, he said, are the best stewards of the land.

Once farmers are recognized by the C.A.R.E.S. program, Walmsley said they receive a certificate, an invitation to a dinner banquet and a gate sign, which they can hang to show their recognition by the bureau. The gate sign, in particular, can encourage other neighboring farmers to practice sustainable agriculture.

"It sure feels good to be recognized for doing the right thing," Tucker said. With his identification by the C.A.R.E.S. program as an environmentally concerned farmer, one could say Tucker reaps what he sows.

Sarah Henderson is a student in UF's College of Journalism. She may be contacted through the editor: editor@towerpublications.com