Palm Trees and Perishables

Johnson says JGL Produce Company also uses the “Fresh from Florida” label as 90 percent of their produce comes from South and Central Florida growers.

“Because customers are always looking for local produce, we use the ‘Fresh from Florida’ label on our products, and some of our retailers request it,” explains Porter, who says most of Five Brothers Produce’s bounty is locally grown. “We’re also using a program called ‘Redland Raised,’ which is a label for produce grown in the Homestead area.”

In conjunction with Florida’s Depart-ment of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Miami-Dade County and local growers created the “Redland Raised” label to showcase and promote the consumption of fresh, local produce in Homestead-area supermarkets.

Wish Farms, a grower-shipper of strawberries, blueberries, and Kirby cucumbers in Plant City, conducted a consumer poll and discovered Florida residents positively identify with the phrase ‘Plant City Strawberries.’ Since learning of the recognition, president and CEO Gary Wishnatzki says, “We chose to prominently display ‘Plant City, FL’ at the top of our label.”

By displaying the location and an American flag, Wish Farms is able to easily differentiate its berries and combat increasing competition from Mexico during Florida’s strawberry season. “Shoppers from across the country are able to quickly identify our brand as a domestic product,” he adds.

In addition to the hoopla over locally-grown fruits and vegetables, organic farming is one of the fastest-growing segments of agriculture in the Sunshine State, according to studies by the University of Florida. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports the number of certified organic farms in Florida doubled between 2011 and 2013, growing from 153 to 315 farms.

“In the last few years, we’ve seen a substantial increase in demand for organic strawberries and blueberries from our customers,” says Wishnatzki. With the market steadily expanding, especially among young families, he says more retailers are interested in offering organic berries. “Across the board, retailers are allotting more shelf space for organic berries to meet increasing consumer demand.”

“There are definitely more people asking for organics,” agrees Kocsis, but price is still a barrier “since these products are about two-and-a-half times more expensive than other products.”

Although the Immokalee-based JGL Produce Company primarily sells conventional bell peppers, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, hot peppers, tomatoes and green beans, the receiver has plans to add organic items. “Organic produce and tropical commodity consumption is increasing each year, and JGL will eventually ship those products consistently as well,” says Johnson.