US: Florida’s Jones Potato Farm receives state award for environmental leadership

Jones Potato Farm recently became the third Manatee County farming operation to receive the Florida Ag Commissioner’s Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award since it was first presented in 1994. The previous Manatee County recipients were Pacific Tomato Growers of Palmetto in 1999 and Schroeder-Manatee Ranch of Lakewood Ranch in 1995. Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam presented the awards at the Florida Farm Bureau state convention in Orlando. The awards recognize agricultural producers who practice environmentally innovative techniques. Other recipients this year were Alliance Dairies of Trenton and Cherry Lake Tree Farm of Groveland. Jones Potato Farm was nominated for the award by the Nature Conservancy. “The Nature Conservancy has been working with Alan Jones and Jones Farm since 2013 and we continue to be impressed by their dedication to implementing best practices for water, soil, fertilization and nutrient management,” Florida Nutrient Stewardship director David Royal said in a press release. More