Eat a mango, support a South Florida farmer | Opinion
June is recognized as National Mango Month. This sweet slice of tropical sunshine thrives in South Florida.
In the heart of Miami, you can find a mango tree tucked away in a neighbor’s backyard, growing on a street corner, or standing tall in a park.
There’s nothing better than biting into a ripe, homegrown mango in the summertime. When featured in any dessert, they steal the show, bring a tangy flavor to a salad, and can be counted on to brighten up a savory chutney or salsa.
Many don’t realize that less than two hours north of bustling Miami lies vast and abundant farmland flourishing with acres upon acres of mangoes, avocados, lychee, and other produce like lettuce, sweet corn, and green beans.
Take a drive up U.S. Highway 27 North, and on the eastern shore of Lake Okeechobee, you’ll find Erickson Farm, Inc., our fourth-generation family farm, which settled here in 1911 and has been farming ever since.
We are surrounded by other farmers in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), which is known for being among the most fertile farmland in the United States. However, as farmers, we can never take our soil, water, land or way of life for granted.
Not only do EAA farmers support our local and statewide economy, but more importantly, we ensure your grocery stores and local farmstands are stocked with fresh, wholesome and homegrown produce.
Having a strong domestic food supply is critical to ensuring our nation’s food security. EAA farmers are charged with the responsibility of harvesting the locally grown foods that feed America’s families, so we as a nation have less reliance on outsourcing our food security to foreign countries.
To do this, however, requires working farmland that we can rely on.
As farmers, we must work to protect and preserve the natural resources that sustain us and the food we grow for generations to come.
Throughout the EAA, farmers practice sustainable farming practices and implement Best Management Practices which have proven to be hugely successful in Everglades restoration efforts.
The EAA is the most regulated farming basin in America. For more than 25 years, EAA farmers have been exceeding the strictest water quality standards in the U.S.
In 2023, we achieved water quality goals for the Everglades with a 63% phosphorus reduction, more than double the 25% reduction goal set forth in the Everglades Forever Act.
Our land is part of our heritage and our livelihood, so more than anything we want to provide it with the greatest care possible. We remain committed to protecting and preserving it so that you can continue to enjoy fresh and delicious foods grown right here in South Florida.
This June, have yourself a mango, and remember to look for the “Fresh from Florida” label when you shop to support your local farmers so we can continue to feed our communities.
Krista Erickson is a fourth-generation farmer of Erickson Farm, Inc. in Canal Point in Palm Beach.
This story was originally published June 24, 2024 at 5:00 AM.