Manatee’s farming community helping keep store shelves stocked during COVID-19 pandemic
While Manatee County’s No. 1 economic engine, tourism, has suffered during the novel coronavirus pandemic, some segments of the No. 2 economic sector, agriculture, are roaring.
“Yes, things are full steam ahead at Tropicana. We’re working diligently to ensure we meet increased consumer demand for our products during this unprecedented time. This includes hiring more front-line employees to help make, move and sell Tropicana,” a spokeswoman for one of Bradenton’s largest employers said in an email.
The spokeswoman said PepsiCo, Tropicana’s owner, was planning to hire 6,000 people nationwide, including some in Bradenton, “for everything from operations, to general labor, to skilled trade.
“We are seeing an increase in demand for our products and are working diligently to ensure we meet this demand during this unprecedented time.”
Mike Sparks, executive vice president of Florida Citrus Mutual, confirmed that orange growers are seeing a big spike in demand for their product this year.
In Parrish, Jones Potato Farm is also seeing a big ramp-up in demand for spuds grown on 1,800 acres.
“It’s incredibly busy. We are in the middle of the harvest and the demand is way more than we expected,” said Leslie Jones. “We are working seven days a week trying to get the product to Sam’s Club, Walmart, Publix, Costco, Kroger and others.”
The harvest started off normally on Feb. 3, but as March arrived and concern about COVID-19 grew, the phones started ringing from brokers Jones Potato Farm doesn’t usually hear from, seeking replenishment for supermarket shelves, she said.
“The speed of the need has grown exponentially,” Jones said.
While ordering fell off from restaurants, many of which were forced to close, or shift to curbside service, demand from supermarkets more than compensated, she said.
“We will need to hire some more people for our green bean harvest which starts in a couple of weeks,” Allen Jones said.
Bob Spencer, president of West Coast Tomato in Palmetto, said business has fallen off due to the slackening of demand from restaurants.
“We are taking it one day at a time. The major concern is keeping people healthy. We have to have an economy and it is our hope and prayer that the economy gets going. We are playing it one day at a time,” Spencer said.
Kenny Foy of Utopia Tomato says his crop won’t be ready for harvest until late April, and he expects labor will be an issue.
“They have to take care of their health first,” Foy said of workers. In addition, some families will have to stay home to take care of children who are out of school.
Jim Strickland of Strickland Ranch and Blackbeard’s Ranch said they have seen a surge in demand for beef products, and notes that consumers have cleared shelves of beef products almost as much as the have toilet paper.
Among the unsung heroes during the pandemic are the baggers, stockers and cashiers who show up for work and help make food products available to consumers, he said.
“We couldn’t do it without them,” he said.
During the pandemic, Blackbeard’s and Strickland Ranch have modified their business plan to, for the first time, deliver 10 to 12-pound cuts of meat to customers, he said.
USDA prime ribeyes, tenderloins and New York strips will be among the offerings. Delivery information will be posted on blackbeardsranch.com and Blackbeard’s Ranch Facebook page in a couple of days, Strickland said.
“When the world comes back around after the pandemic passes we may not be doing this anymore,” he said.
Mike Sparks says sales of citrus are up so much because of the health value of orange juice.
“When we went into this year, we had a historic high level of inventories. The big three juice produces are all going 24-7. The packing lines are going at warp speed,” Sparks said.
Morrell Trammell of Hart Groves said the harvest is still underway on his company’s 1,200 acres.. Most of those picking the oranges are working under the H-2A visa program.
“Big prayers that this thing goes away soon,” Trammell said of the pandemic.
Manatee County has fewer citrus growers than in the past. SMR Farms, once one of Manatee County’s largest citrus growers, got out of the citrus business in 2019 as new neighborhoods were started in former agricultural areas.
Buddy Keen, farm manager for L3 Partnership in Duette, said his operation once had 1,000 acres in citrus, but got out of the business because of greening and canker diseases.
This story was originally published March 25, 2020 at 3:28 PM with the headline "Manatee’s farming community helping keep store shelves stocked during COVID-19 pandemic."
