September 2019 - 6

CURIOSITY
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
vegetable garden and carry it all the way
to harvest. My mother loved to freeze and
can. That struck me as something fun to
do and interesting to do, challenging. "
He was drawn further in at college,
where he worked at a nursery.
The job didn't pay much, but he
enjoyed it so much that he moved
from Washington, D.C.'s American
University to the University of
Florida's Institute for Food and
Agriculture Sciences (UF/IFAS)
to study agriculture. He worked
for other growers at first, and his
first independent effort as a grower
occurred in 1986 with 10 acres
outside of Immokalee, Florida.
Today, he grows 30 different
vegetables and herbs on 1,500 acres
in central Florida, including green
beans, eggplant, baby bok choy, green
cabbage, peppers, greens, radishes,
basil, cilantro and other herbs. Some of
the crops are organic, others are grown
conventionally. All the crops are sold
or committed before they are planted,
Obern said. Retail customers include
Publix, Winn-Dixie and Walmart.
His son and daughter-in-law, Charles
" Boots " Obern and Miranda Obern,
are the operation's vice president and
CFO, respectively.
Obern has stayed curious over the
Some of the operations at C&B Farms: A harvest, left, and re-using irrigation water, right. Photos: Charles " Boots " Obern
years, collaborating on trials with
researchers at Rutgers University, UF/
IFAS, Rupp Seeds and the USDA.
Eva Webb, a district field
representative for the Florida Farm
Bureau Federation, nominated Obern
for the farmer of the year because
of his dedication, curiosity and
innovative farming methods.
" He did not come from a farming
background but has a passion for the land
and research, which he has generously
shared with others, " she said. " He began
with very few resources, but through
sheer determination and great effort,
created a farming legacy to pass on to his
children who share his love of farming. "
The art of organic
In 2006, Obern got into custom organic
growing, and today close to one-third of
his farm is farmed organically.
But it hasn't been a pleasure cruise.
" Organics is not what the media
likes to portray, " he said. " The risk of
growing in organics is high because
you don't have the tools like you have
in conventional production to combat
weeds and pests. "
Not only is the risk higher, but the
Thank you for joining our
OPEN HOUSE
Veronica F1
Mid-season green
Romanesco. A
favorite at
farmers markets.
Nutty flavor; great
texture.
HR: Foc
Burgundy F1
Eye-catching
purple
sprouting
broccoli. Very
uniform floret
production with
rich purple
color.
Buscaro F1
Red Cabbage.
Round, wellwrapped
heads on
tall, upright
stalks. Easy to cut.
Short core; good
color.
Caraflex F1
Sweetheart
Cabbage. Thin,
crisp leaves are
tender and sweet!
Presents well as a
mini. Good
storage.
HR: Foc
Bejo Organic Home Garden Brassica
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Organic breeding programs which are regionally and locally focused.
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See the Bejo assortment at bejoseeds.com, and the full lineup of 120 organic varieties at
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6 | VegetableGrowersNews.com
costs are also higher. Weeding has to be
done manually, either with mechanical
cultivation tools or by hand. Fertility
is expensive, especially in a growing
region known for its weak soils.
" Our soils are not rich, so we have to
add the majority of the inputs back into
the soil for every crop, " he said. C&B
Farm composts bedding from a nearby
horse racetrack.
While organics are expensive to grow,
risky and for a limited niche of the
market, Obern said there are benefits.
" It makes you be a better farmer,
because you have to be much more
► See you next year!
Marte F1
High quality,
uniform sprouts.
Concentrated
production for
mechanical
harvest.
Vigorous tall
plants.
HR: Foc
Chelsey Lenczyk
Sales and Product Development-Packet and Catalogue Trade
26 7-838-0078 c.lenczyk@bejoseeds.com
Bejo Seeds, Inc.
4188 Pre Emption Rd, Geneva, NY 14456
315-789-4155
main office:
1972 Silver Spur Pl, Oceano, CA 93445
805-473-2199
info@bejoseeds.com
Burney F1
Excellent heat
resistant broccoli
variety. For the
summer slot in
the northeast:
Good broccoli in
July!
HR: Foc
IR: XNL;Ac
Kolibri F1
Kohlrabi. Purple
exterior; white
interior. Excellent
quality. High yields.
Can mature to
large size.
IR: XNL

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September 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2019