The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) has announced the 2024 winner of the Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award. Costa Farms of Miami, one of the largest commercial plant growers in the U.S. is this year’s winner.
Courtesy of FDACS
The award has been presented annually since 1994 and spotlights environmentally innovative growers and ranchers who share a commitment to protecting and preserving Florida’s resources while producing world-class agricultural goods.
“I am pleased to recognize Costa Farms as this year’s Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award winner,” said Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson. “Horticulture plays a vital role in Florida’s agricultural landscape, contributing to our economy, food supply, and natural beauty. It is a thriving industry thanks to our favorable climate and innovative growers like Costa Farms.”
Costa Farms, family owned and operated for over 60 years, employs over 5,000 professional growers and support staff. They are certified members of More Profitable Sustainability, an industry-recognized standard that looks for ways to balance and minimize pesticides and nutrients into the environment in an ecofriendly way. They have over 34 acres of conservation easements, 16 acres of water storage and retention areas, and over 60 acres of wetlands on the National Wetland Inventory. Costa Farms has a water moisture program for plants that help conserve water and allows for less fertilizer flow out of the pots. The company reduces waste by reusing plant trays, dumping plant materials back into the soil and grinding discarded pallets into fine chips to be used in their potting mix.
Costa Farms will be recognized by Commissioner Simpson at the Fresh From Florida Breakfast in October at the annual Florida Farm Bureau meeting.