A growing number of farmers making a living in South Florida are capitalizing on the farm-to-table trend. Some are taking their fruits and veggies to markets, others are opening the doors of their fields for people to pick their own.
Jerry Sanchez grew up planting seeds and harvesting vegetables in the farms of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
On his way to the farms in Florida, he passed in front of the schools in Leisure City and watched the children carrying their books and bags.
“I would think all these kids were lucky, so I would say, ‘One day, when I grow up, I am going to get my kids to school,’ ” said Sanchez, 42, who didn’t have a chance to finish high school. “And I did.”
He now owns a farm in South Miami-Dade and runs Jerry’s Here, which sells the farm’s fresh vegetables and fruits to an expanding list of farmers’ markets throughout South Florida.
On weekends, Sanchez, his wife Natalia and their three children — along with nieces, nephews and cousins — fan out to farmers markets, selling their tomatoes, strawberries, peppers, zucchini, eggplant, corn and onions from their Krome Avenue farm. On Saturday, they’re at the Coral Gables and Delray Beach markets, on Sunday, the Pinecrest Gardens market. On Monday and Thursdays, they’re at the market at Ocean Reef. On Tuesday, they’re at Palmetto Elementary and Miami Children’s Hospital on Wednesday.
The Sanchezes are one of a growing number of farmers making a living in South Florida, capitalizing on the farm-to-table trend. While the Sanchezes take their fruits and veggies to markets, others open the doors of their strawberry fields or vegetable gardens for people to pick their own.
As children, Kathy Magee and Charles Burr Jr. helped their father, Charles Burr, grow his strawberries, even if that meant waking up at 2 a.m. to irrigate the fruits to save them from freezing.
Magee, 61, and Burr Jr., 69, started helping their mother, Mary, 90, at Burr’s Berry Farm in Goulds after their father died in 2001. Last year, they adopted the hydroponic system, growing the strawberries in vertical structures, and they opened the farm for u-pick.
“We want to encourage our people to know where our food comes from because it’s coming from farther and farther away, from out of the country, and there are very few local farms left,” said Magee, who lives in Orlando with her husband, David, and drives the farm every strawberry season from December to May.
For Miguel Brito, 21, a visual designer who recently went u-picking for the first time with his father and sister, the best part was finding a perfect strawberry.
“I found this one,” said Brito, proudly holding up a round and red strawberry. “I found it from a distance and it was just dangling. I checked both sides and then snip, in my basket. I’m going take it home, wash it, eat it fresh and save it for a shake or a smoothie.”
The Burrs also have u-pick for carrots, onions, beats and turnips. They also grow mangoes, lychee, tomatoes, peppers, avocados, cucumbers and sunflowers.
Burr Jr. grows the strawberries with farmer Antonio Diaz, while Magee works in the stand, making milkshakes and canning the homemade jams, jellies and salsa.
Mary also helps the customers and makes most of the business decisions.
South Florida farmers cash in on farm-to-table movement
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South Florida farmers cash in on farm-to-table movement
