FEATURE | c r o p s
Getting It Right With the Griffin Fertilizer Forum Promotes Crop Nutrient Stewardship story and photo by PAUL CATALA
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IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, CHILDREN are taught the 3 R’s — reading, writing and ‘rithmetic. But in agriculture, it’s the 4Rs that are important – the right source, right rate, right time and right place. • Right source: Match the fertilizer type to the specific crop. • Right rate: Match the amount of fertilizer needed for that specific crop. • Right time: Ensure nutrients and fertilizers are available when crops can best absorb them. • Right place: Apply nutrients and fertilizers where the crops have access to them. Known as the best way to promote crop nutrient stewardship, the 4Rs help balance the goals of the farmer, the industry and the government. They help improve on-farm economics, crop productivity and fertilizer efficiency while preserving and maintaining the surrounding environment. It’s the 4Rs that recently brought together some of Florida’s top names in agriculture to discuss and emphasize their importance. Among the reasons to implement the 4Rs are that managed fertilizers support cropping systems that provide economic, social and environmental benefits. Poorly managed nutrient applications can drive down profit, promote a loss of soil nutrients and reduce water and air quality. The 4R discussion at Griffin Fertilizer in Frostproof was hosted by Griffin Fertilizer Vice President Mike Roberts. He was joined by Michelle
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Miller, an Archer-based writer, ag influencer and public speaker known as “The Farm Babe”; Glenn and Mark Beck of Beck Brothers Citrus Inc. in Windermere; David Royal, a seventh-generation Floridian and nutrient stewardship program manager for The Nature Conservancy; Mary Hartney, president of the Florida Fertilizer & Agrochemical Association; and Robert Watson, fertilizer division sales representative for Ben Hill Griffin Inc. in Frostproof. Roberts, who’s been with Griffin for 10 years, says he met Miller through Facebook and invited her to join the forum. Miller explained how she became “The Farm Babe” with about 200,000 followers and whose ag-related columns reach
on social media reach 2 - 3 million viewers per month. She grew up on Wisconsin farms and started “The Farm Babe” ag advocacy website in 2014. “My goal is to take the science behind farming and food and make it digestible to the average consumer,” she says. “We’ve got to move our messages about agriculture forward, and that’s also a goal.” Spreading awareness of the 4Rs is one way to make that move, particularly in regard to becoming self-sufficient farmers, adds Glenn Beck, who recently became president of Florida Citrus Mutual. “You have to be willing to roll the dice; there’s no guarantees. I wish people would realize it all can’t come from somewhere else,” he adds. “That may be good for some things, but food shouldn’t be one of them.”
Ag is a work in progress. Florida farmers are often multi-generational. My goal is to continue that family heritage. I’ve got to take care of the land because the land takes care of me. — DAVID ROYAL, SEVENTH-GENERATION FLORIDIAN AND NUTRIENT STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
FloridaAgNews.com
