Florida has over 9 million acres of agricultural land, and according to the Florida Farm Bureau, over 300,000 of those acres are in Polk County. On Wednesday, the Lakeland Chamber of Commerce hosted farm owners and agriculture experts to discuss the future of farming in the county. Industry leaders discussed challenges and ways to evolve farming methods.
Pasty Rogers, a small farm owner, was there and shared her experience. "There are challenges at every level," she said. "The regulations that I struggle with as a small farm, they struggle with them on the large farm, but there are resources out there to help us."
Rogers grows vegetables indoors using a method known as microgreening. She started this during the pandemic, and like many great ideas, it started with a question.
"If we only had rice and beans to eat, what could we grow ourselves that grows quickly and is nutrient dense," Rogers said. Her business, "My Tiny Greens," has grown from harvesting the greens for family members to now selling them to local businesses.
Read more at Spectrum News 9
