Cracking a tough nut

Steve Cordle
ECB Publishing, Inc.

As we go through the pandemic, many aspects of our daily lives have changed. Despite the changes and the "new normal" that has been inflicted on us, there is one holdover from the "old normal": we still need to eat. Therefore, more than ever, we must value our local food systems and the diversity of crops and other products our farmers and ranchers continue to grow and produce. Often, we forget that the local farmers are a business needing support like the restaurants, clothing stores, boutiques and other establishments that populate the local landscape. Here in North Florida, the climate supports many crops. Crops grown in the region include blueberries, strawberries, grapes, apples, pears, peaches, pecans and plums, all of which tend to do very well in North Florida, and their producers need our support.

Among the farmers in North Florida are Cole and Josie Bridges living on their 306-acre pecan farm where they grow pecans and run a calf/cow operation. Right now, fall is nut harvesting time and the Bridges are hard at work gathering this year's crop. Most of the nuts fall to the ground naturally; for those nuts that don't fall, a shaker might be used to get the nuts out of the tree. A tractor-pulled sweeper then comes across the ground and cleans around the tree's base by blowing the pecans out to one side. A stick crew will go through to pick up the sticks so that they don't get caught in the harvesters.
Much of the land that the Bridges farm uses has been in Josie's family for decades. This year's crop looks good so far as the quantity of nuts goes, but the price is lower than farmers would like.

Competition from Mexico keeps prices down and adverse effects from a tariff war with China have created a situation wherein prices are depressed. The low prices are a boon to consumers as they lower their food bill, but if you're a farmer and your livelihood depends on the crop you produce, the low prices are a problem. China implemented a tariff on American nuts in retaliation for a similar action taken by the Trump administration. In 2019, some American nut farmers asked Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to make more specialty crops, such as grapes and walnuts, eligible for a trade relief program that gives some farmers direct payments to offset a loss of their income. The trade relief is designed to help them cope with China's retaliatory tariffs on certain U.S. products starting in 2017. In the spring of 2019, China announced another round of retaliatory tariffs. Help to offset the Chinese action came from Canada and Mexico when both nations announced they were removing their retaliatory tariffs against the U.S., a win for the agriculture industry.

As we spend our money in Jefferson County to support our local businesses, let's not forget the farmers and all that they contribute to our community.