Large-scale Organic Vegetable Production in Florida

Florida is an important winter production area for fresh-market organic fruits and vegetables with 153 certified organic farms totaling 31,783 acres in 2011. Small farms are defined by the USDA as farms with sales of less than US$250,000/year representing over 90% of the number of certified organic farms. Thus, there are 15 large-scale (10%) organic farms mostly locate in south Florida due to the favorable weather conditions during the winter. The majority of these farms grow conventional and organic fruits and vegetables. The most common organic vegetable crops produced are tomatoes (round, roma-type, cherry, grape and heirlooms), peppers, strawberries, eggplants, squash, cucumber, cabbage, beets, celery, kale, collards, and herbs. Traditional small-scale organic production depends on small, diverse plantings and complex management decisions to lower pest pressure and enhance soil fertility. In contrast, large-scale organic farms use polyethylene mulch, mowing, crop rotation with a cover crop such as sesbania and sorghum-sudangrass during the summer to decrease weeds, and a fertility program based on commercial, organic fertilizers. The main challenges of large-scale organic producers include the high cost of weed, disease, and insect controls, high labor requirement, and lower yields compared to conventional vegetable production systems.