The same year, 1964, the Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) makes its first appearance in the Sunshine State.
When left unchecked, the pest can wreak havoc with fruit and vegetable crops, wiping out up to half of an area’s planted fields. University scientists initiate a quarantine to contain the destructive insect.
In 1965, another location joins the extensive network of farmers’ markets in the state: the Trenton Farmers Market opens its doors just 30 miles west of the University of Florida.
The Florida Watermelon Association is founded in 1968 in Immokalee to unite growers across the state and promote Florida-grown watermelons.
Grading long hot peppers, circa 1965.
Photograph courtesy of Marie Bedner, Bedner’s Farm Fresh Market.
In 1969 Florida’s legislature reorganizes the Commissioner of Agriculture and establishes the Division of Consumer Services and the Division of Forestry. To include its new responsibilities, the Legislature renames the department “Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.” The same year, Winn-Dixie’s retail reach has grown to 715 stores throughout the South.
1970s
An Epic Freeze
In 1971, Florida citrus growers harvest the first crop to exceed 200 million boxes of fruit. The Florida Tomato Committee is established three years later in 1974, and Wayne Hawkins is hired as the organization’s manager.
The committee regulates the handling of tomatoes grown in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, Osceola, and Brevard counties and funds research, development and marketing projects.
Florida experiences a record-breaking freeze on January 18, 1977.
“I remember that freeze,” reflects Edward Myrick, president of Edward L. Myrick Produce, Inc., headquartered at the Pompano State Farmers Market. “We had a big thermometer at the market, and at 6:00 pm that day, it read 32 degrees.”
