Farm Bureau Today on RFD-TV to feature Carroll Brothers Nursery in Clearwater and Florida wildflowers

Pinellas County Farm Bureau President Richard Carroll, his father, Harmon, and his brother, Bob, grow 10 varieties of gardenias at operate Carroll Brothers Nursery in Clearwater. These beautiful and fragrant plants are the only crop the 10-acre wholesale nursery produces. The family business, the largest producer of grafted gardenias east of the Mississippi, will be featured on “Farm Bureau Today,” which airs nationally on RFD-TV. The Florida Report will premier Aug. 12 at 6:30 p.m., EDT.  It will repeat at 4:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 13 and at 3:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, Aug. 15.  (Watch the video on-line at http://www.florida-agriculture.com/videos/scripts/script_agen_carroll.ht....)

The nursery, which in its early days drew most of its irrigation water from wells, now uses reuse water from the Pinellas County water system. The nursery was one of the first in Florida to sign up with the state’s Best Management Practices for container nurseries. It has participated in programs by the Florida West Coast Resources Conservation and Development Council and the Natural Resources Conservation Service to help growers who irrigate with reuse water to adopt innovative practices and equipment. By using less water, fertilizers, pesticides and energy, Carroll Brothers is demonstrative that sustainable agriculture can grow and thrive in Florida, even in urban areas.

The program will also examine how gardeners are using native Florida wildflowers to create gardens and low-input landscapes. The gardens showcase the beauty of the flowers, provide a free source of flowers for use in arrangements, and can be used to create ‘fragrance gardens.” Homeowners with small plots of land are able to add long-term color to their properties and reduce mowing. (Watch the video on-line at http://www.florida-agriculture.com/videos/scripts/script_native.htm.)

The Marketing Division of the Florida Department of Agriculture produces the program for Florida Farm Bureau as part of a shared outreach campaign to increase public awareness of agriculture, the state’s second-largest industry. The campaign focuses on the message, “Safe, Affordable and Abundant: Food for Thought from Florida’s Farmers.”