Florida Strawberry Members

Welcome to the home of the freshest, most delicious strawberries in the world. Enjoy fresh Florida strawberries, available December through April.

2014 Agritech Trade Show

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The theme for Agritech 2014 is saltwater fishing!
The theme for Agritech 2014 is saltwater fishing!

The 32nd annual Agritech is hosted by the Florida Strawberry Growers Association.

As a vendor you will meet with growers and industry representatives, and enjoy great food. Booths are available on a first-come first-serve basis. This is one event of the year where we have almost 90 percent of the industry in one room. And don’t forget about the booth design competition!

Click here to download the 2014 Agritech registration form.

Fishing for up to date information? Join us at Agritech 32 and catch the latest information needed to tackle this years crop.

This event will be one of the best events of the year hosted by the Florida Strawberry Growers Association. You will be able to earn valuable CEU’S, fellowship with other growers and industry representatives, and enjoy great food.  Topics are being lined up now.

*Exhibitors Registration due by July 10, 2014 to be listed in the event program.

Restaurants Feature Strawberries

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Two local restaurants took advantage of the bountiful and delicious local harvest of winter strawberries to create special menus featuring everything from strawberry ice cream to strawberry and brie-filled ravioli.

Ulele restaurant served craft beer and strawberry ice cream in January. Executive Chef Eric Lackey was excited to receive fresh-from-the-field berries to include in his creations.

The Florida Strawberry Growers Association Partnered with Pelagia Trattoria at the Renaissance Hotel to promote the local crop in February.

Every guest checking into the hotel on Valentine’s weekend received chocolate dipped strawberries! And, guests who dined at the restaurant on Valentine’s night received two beautiful long-stemmed, chocolate-dipped berries after dinner!

Pelagia and Chef Brett Gardiner also created a special strawberry menu, where every course and dessert was made using fresh strawberries.

7 or More Servings Reduces Risk of Death by 42%

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header_safeNew Study Shows Eating 7 or More Servings Reduces Risk of Death by 42%

A new peer reviewed study out of the University College of London showed that people who ate seven or more servings [of fruits and vegetables] per day reduced their risk of death by 42%. Consuming that many servings reduced the risk of death by cancer by 25% and heart disease by 31%. This was not a small study – the scientists studied the eating habits of over 65,000 people from 2001 to 2013.

Read more from the Alliance for Food and Farming here.

Learn more about the study by University College London here.

USDA: Dirty Dozen Not So Dirty

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USDA Logo
United States Department of Agriculture

People all hear about the “Dirty Dozen,” but media seldom relates the good news that the USDA continues to find all fruits and vegetables well within the safe threshold for pesticide residues.  On this issue, Dr. Oz is still dead wrong.

Fighting disparagement of safe, healthy produce

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released its annual Pesticide Data Program report. The government findings were consistent with those from previous years: “Residues do not pose a food safety concern.”

Also consistent with previous years, there was no coverage at all from mainstream media about this positive government report concerning the safety of our food.

What is even more concerning than this lack of “good news” coverage is what consumers regularly do hear about produce safety.

Last week Dr. Oz ran another story which inaccurately made this claim about a popular produce item: “…toxic pesticides have seeped in by the time it reaches the supermarket. And washing them does not help.”

– See more at: Fighting disparagement of safe, healthy produce

Best Flat Competition Results

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2014 Florida Strawberry Festival FSGA Booth
2014 FSGA Ambassadors, Morgan Sistrunk, Alssa Shepherd, Aly Joyner

Strawberry farmers in Florida have a long history of supporting our local community.  Every March, in conjunction with the Florida Strawberry Festival, our growers participate in an event we call the “Best Flat Competition.”  Growers bring their best berries to be judged on flavor, size, color, and other key attributes.

Winning boxes are auctioned to raise scholarship money for very deserving local students.  We have generated more than $400,000 in scholarships over the past 31 years with the help of this competition.

The Florida Strawberry Growers Association has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships since 1983. Scholarship applications are ready for pick up or download beginning in June each year and are usually due by the middle of September that same year.

The Florida Strawberry Growers Association offers scholarships to encourage young men and women to continue their education beyond high school. The committee will determine the amount of the scholarship, but none will be less than $500.00.

Eligible students must be an enrolled college undergraduate or a high school graduate and submit a letter of intent to attend college. You can find more information on our scholarship program here.

2014 BEST FLAT COMPETITION

February 28, 2014 – Swine Sale
1st Place Grower – Fancy Farms, Inc. $900.00
Handler – Wish Farms
Buyer – Wish Farms
2nd Place Grower – Mike Lott Farms $700.00
Handler – C & D Fruit & Vegetable
Buyer – Highland Package Solutions
3rd Place Grower –  Simmons Farms $500.00
Handler – Wish Farms
Buyer –  Wish Farms
Total Swine Sale $2,100.00

March 2, 2014 – Plant Sale
1st Place Grower – Fancy Farms, Inc. $500.00
Handler – Wish Farms
Buyer – Wish Farms
2nd Place Grower – Mike Lott Farm $550.00
Handler – C & D Fruit & Vegetable
Buyer – Rick Lott
3rd Place Grower – Simmons Farms $250.00
Handler – Wish Farms
Buyer – Wish Farms
Total Plant Sale $1,300.00

March 8, 2014 – Steer Sale
1st Place Grower – Simmons Farms $1,000.00
Handler – Wish Farms
Buyer – Wish Farms
2nd Place Grower – Daniel Gutierrez Farm $500.00
Handler – Gulf Coast Produce
Buyer – Crop Protection Services
3rd Place Grower – Mike Lott Farm $1,000.00
Handler – C & D Fruit & Vegetable
Buyer – Mike Lott Farm
Total Steer Sale $2,500.00
Total 2014 Sales $5,900.00

About Florida Winter Strawberries

In 1980, a few strawberry growers began meeting in their homes to discuss the best way to organize a group that would represent the interests of the Florida strawberry industry. On February 11, 1982, the Florida Strawberry Growers Association (FSGA) was born. Hillsborough County is recognized as the Winter Strawberry Capital of the World and the home of some of the sweetest, reddest and juiciest strawberries around.

Get Connected

Florida Strawberry Growers Association
P.O. Box: 2550
Plant City, FL 33564
Telephone: 813-752-6822
Fax: 813-752-216

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