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Executive Chef Jason Cline, center, selects vegetables with Head Grower Michael Lenas and Tornello. Vegetables selected by Cline will be served only hours later in his restaurant, Bin 27 Bistro in Tampa.
DAYTONA BEACH – Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson will present awards to three agricultural operations in recognition of their leadership in protecting and enhancing the environment. The 2010 Commissioner’s Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Awards will be presented during the Florida Farm Bureau Federation’s annual meeting in Daytona Beach Friday, October 15. The awards program is now in its 17th year and has recognized a total of 52 winners.
“The Ag-Environmental Leadership Award program spotlights the innovative farming practices of our state’s growers and ranchers,” Bronson said. “Nominees for the award come from different parts of Florida’s agricultural industry, and all share a commitment to protecting and preserving Florida’s natural resources while continuing to provide food and other agricultural products for society.”
This year’s winners are: Saturiwa Conservation Area, in Elkton; 3 Boys Farm in Ruskin; and Arapaho Citrus Management, Inc., in Fort Pierce.
Nominations for the annual award are received by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The winners are then chosen by a selection committee made up of representatives from The Nature Conservancy, the state’s Water Management Districts, the Florida Farm Bureau, the Florida Cattlemen’s Association, the Florida Dairy Association, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Florida’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Florida Citrus Mutual, the Florida Forestry Association, and the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association.
3 Boys Farm
Robert Tornello, Owner of 3 Boys Farm and Tornello Nurseries.
A model of conservation, the 10-acre 3 Boys Farm in Ruskin has integrated alternative energy sources with high- and low-tech systems to produce a hyper-efficient, sustainable 21st century farm. While collecting rainwater in cisterns isn’t a new idea, the way in which the farm uses the water is. Owner Robert Tornello harvests it from the roofs of his greenhouses to use as a base for the hydroponic growing solution and in the greenhouse cooling systems. The hydroponic growing technique and greenhouse climate control system allows 3 Boys Farm to organically grow any vegetable or herb year round, a rare feat for a Florida farm. Using rainwater reduces his annual draw from the aquifer by over 10 million gallons.
Customers including upscale, ethnic and fusion restaurants rave about the quality and variety of the produce and the ability to cook with vegetables and herbs, grown to their exact specifications, picked just hours before.
As others were leaving traditional agriculture, Tornello felt it was time to return with a new vision. Combining old techniques with advanced technology he wanted to grow a wholesome crop with little impact on the environment. At 3 Boys Farm he has succeeded.
More photos and information about the Ag Environmental Leadership Award can be found at www.doacs.state.fl.us/press/2010/10082010.html
Basil growing hydroponically in soilless medium.
Tornello Nurseries is the largest wholesale bamboo nursery in the United States.
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