By LINDA CHION KENNEY
Nestled in the center of the Agricultural Hall of Fame building during the Florida State Fair was the outline of the Sunshine State itself, built with blocks and props representative of crops and agricultural commodities, grown and produced statewide.
This display traces back to an idea broached by Lynann Hudson, the fair’s director of agribusiness, who saw a similar display at another state’s fair and got the go-ahead to do the same for the Florida State Fair, which debuted in 1904.
Real and fake props brought to life the Florida commodities map at the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame Building at the 2024 Florida State Fair.
Hudson turned the matter over to her daughter, Raelyn Hudson, who followed through with plans and execution.
“We laid out the state of Florida and then, with [information from] Fresh From Florida and the Florida Department of Agriculture, we figured out where the majority of the commodities within the state of Florida are grown,” Raelyn Hudson said.
For example, peanuts, cotton and timber were placed in the state’s frame representing the Florida panhandle; up north, toward Georgia, carrots, crop vegetables and berries appeared. More south, nursery plants, watermelons, peppers, avocados and tropical fruits were shown. Showcased for central Florida were beef cattle, oranges and strawberries.
Altogether, this was just a sampling of all that was displayed in work that provided “an educational way for kids to see where their food comes from within the state of Florida,” Raelyn Hudson said.
Indeed, throughout the Agricultural Hall of Fame building throughout the fair’s run, education was front and center, with FFA, 4-H and AgVenture T-shirts commonplace, as students from throughout Hillsborough County volunteered their time to meet with the public and discuss what they know and are learning about agriculture in Florida.
Moreover, it was the time and place for active and veteran farmers to share their stories and words of inspiration with today’s youth, both for the kids who have no idea where their food comes from (other than from the supermarket) and for youngsters who envision themselves living on a farm and as an agricultural producer.
Next to the makeshift stage erected for “Thank a Farmer” interviews, stood a black board for fairgoers to post their own thankful sentiments to farmers. The interviews were conducted by Judi Whitson, Florida’s 2016 Woman of the Year in Agriculture, and included farmers such as Ryan Gill, whose family owns The Southern Peach Company in Lithia.
“Thank you for all you do and your long hours you put in. I love your yummy products,” reads one such card of thanks, to farmers overall. “God bless the farmers that put food on my table,” reads another. Noted a third, “thank you for our food, for your work, and for encouraging the next generation. Prayers for a good crop.”
Throughout the hall, there were booths for aquaculture, dairy, produce, beef, honey, peanuts, strawberries and more, as bronze medals hung on the wall representing the many who comprise the Florida Agriculture Hall of Fame. A special tribute to Florida Woman of the Year in Agriculture noted as well this year’s winner, UF/IFAS State Extension Horse Specialist Saundra TenBroeck, an associate professor in the department of animal sciences at the University of Florida.
New in the hall this year, the Hologram Theater features “Time Travel Through Florida Agriculture,” a presentation introduced by Wilton Simpson, the state’s commissioner of agriculture. He thanked the charter sponsors of the project, including the Florida Ag Hall of Fame Foundation, Florida Cattleman’s Association Foundation, Florida State Fair Foundation and the Florida Farm Bureau.
Back at the center display, Raelyn Hudson talked about her role in creating the unique visual concerning Florida commodities. Next to the large-scale outline of the state, along with real and representative props for the showcased commodities, were two large posters detailing the seasonal availability of Florida produce and seafood.
February and March, for example, are heavy production months for alligator, blue crab, clams, oysters, snapper, shrimp, Spanish mackerel, spiny lobster, stone crab claws, swordfish, tile fish, yellowfin tuna and more. Also in production in February and March, bell peppers, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, collard greens, eggplants, endive, escarole, grapefruit, lettuce, mushrooms, oranges, pineberries, potatoes, radishes, snap beans, squash, sweet corn, tangerines, tomato esand strawberries.
Linda Chion Kenney Photos
Raelyn Hudson, at the Florida commodities exhibit she crafted at the Florida State Fair.
To celebrate the berry harvest, the 2024 Florida Strawberry Festival is set to run Feb. 29 through March 10 at the Florida Strawberry Festival Grounds in Plant City, at 303 Berryfest Place.
As for what she learned putting the display together, “I didn’t realize that we grew so much carrots up north and zucchini and squash,” Raelyn Hudson said. “I thought your field crops were more centralized in Hillsborough County, with the tomatoes and the radishes and things like that. I learned that we grow stuff everywhere in Florida.”