Florida corn farmer's 'field of dreams' strives to help country be food self-sufficient
BELLE GLADE, Fla. - Derek Orsenigo has been on the farm for as long as he can remember.
"I got to live every little boy's dream. As young as five, I can remember actually doing chores around the farm," he recalls.
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Following in his father Paul's footsteps, his path was never in question.
"He took me everywhere, every weekend. Any free time? I was with him in his truck. I knew it was what I always wanted to do."
Paul Orsenigo founded his farm, Grower's Management. He carried on the legacy of his father, Joe, who was a well-known weed scientist helping farmers around Florida.
"It became part of my DNA, or blood," says Paul.
They farm about 2000 acres and their primary crop is Florida sweet corn. Corn is a strong anchor for Florida agriculture. It's an over $100 million industry every year.
Every season, Grower's Management produces about ten million ears of corn. Fields are planted in January and harvested after 75 days.
Much of their crop will stay in Florida, ending up on shelves at major grocers like Publix and Walmart.
"Pride's a big part of what we do. To be able to say that we produced something in Florida, and it's a fresh, safe, marketable crop, and you know where it came from. When it's purchased, people are supporting the local businesses and local farms. It's a great thing for the state and for operations like ours," says Derek.
Unfortunately, operations like theirs are disappearing. A new University of Florida study says the state is losing about 120 acres of farmland a day.
The Orsenigos can see progress on their doorstep. The land right next to theirs has already been sold to a developer.
"When it's in your backyard, so to speak, you can almost just feel the pressure of development and wondering what the future's going to look like," says Derek.
They say land costs, labor challenges, and regulations are making their jobs harder. Many farms just can't take it.
"Florida growers are being put in a squeeze, and just the squeeze is becoming tighter," says Derek.
But they say they aren't going anywhere and the fight's worth fighting.
"There's a lot of challenges. But we've got that responsibility to continue being good stewards of the land and continuing to help the country be food self-sufficient. It's a really critical issue going into the future," says Paul.
