Meet the Grower: Charles Farmer

Grove Location:  Winter Haven, FL
Uncle Matt’s Grower Since: 2003
Crops: Red Navel oranges, lemons, limes and blueberries [starting March 2009]           
Acreage: 4 acres of citrus; 2 acres of blueberries

Charles Farmer has been growing citrus in Winter Haven, Florida for over 30 years.  He is considered a citrus nurseryman and expert “budder,” which means he is a grafting specialist by trade.  In 2003, Charles converted his citrus crops to organic and joined the Uncle Matt’s family of growers. This March, Uncle Matt’s will be selling Charles’ first crop of organic blueberries (and boy, are they huge!!!).  We caught up with Charles at his family home in Polk County, Florida. 

UM: What attracted you to becoming an organic grower?

Charles:  Water.

UM: Water?

Charles:  Yes, as crazy as it sounds. My grove is adjacent to my house and both the house and the grove run on well water coming from the Florida aquifer. I don’t trust man-made pesticides or miticides, or any other kind of chemical like that to not eventually drain down through the soil and contaminate the aquifer.  Essentially, I’m then pumping it back up and feeding it to my children and grandchildren. I’m not going to do that.

UM:  That’s a really good reason to go organic, but did it stop there?

Charles:  No, it didn’t.  Experts say all the fertilizer and pesticides that we put on our groves and lawns, as growers or homeowners, makes its way to the ocean and harms it.  I think we have an obligation to the earth to be environmentally safe and ensure the purity of our water supply. 

UM:  Why did you decide to partner with Uncle Matt’s?

Charles:  I’ve had a business relationship with Uncle Matt’s family going back 25 years.  I learned a lot from Matt’s grandfather and father on how to grow healthy citrus.  From the field to the table, our fruit crops are helpful to the body, not stressful to it.

UM:  What is something about you and the way you grow your crops that would like Uncle Matt’s customers to know?

Charles:  One of the most important things Uncle Matt’s grandfather taught me was, “Observe the trees; they’re talking to you.” Through observation of the leaves, the bud union, and growing environment, you can gauge the overall health of a tree.  A healthier tree [versus a sick one] is going to be able to better resist pests and disease with no outside help. Also, healthy trees equal better quality fruit.  So, although time-consuming, I spend a lot of time making sure my trees stay healthy.

UM: You only farm about six acres, do you see that as a liability or an asset?

Charles:  I think it’s an asset, for sure.  As a small grower, I can give more attention to each particular tree or row of trees.  I can walk my groves, looking for potential problems and, hopefully, heading them off before they become too big.

UM: Would you ever go back to conventional growing? Why or why not?

Charles:  No, I never would.  The biggest draw for me is basically health. Not just for me, but for my family.

UM: So, there’s an added sense of gratification growing organically?

Charles:  Oh, yeah, big time. Organic growing is both harder and easier: harder because it’s definitely more labor intensive than growing conventionally, but easier because I have the peace of mind that we’re producing a high-quality product that’s safe --- not just for the people I’m selling to but for the ground I’m taking care of.