Page 7 - Palm City Spotlight - January '23

Palm City Spotlight, Page 7

businEss spotLiGht

Farm-City Luncheon 2022 together urban and rural
residents of Martin County
Dives Into Martin County to celebrate the important
Aquaculture relationships between
farmers, consumers, civic
leaders, and everyone in
One Martin’s Event Brings Together between who contribute
Business, Ag, Environment And Community to the community’s safe,
Aquaculture is big business in Florida, accounting for more abundant food supply.
than $200 million in annual revenue and making Florida one It is part of the national
of the top producers in the nation for this branch of agriculture. celebration of Farm
Guests at the 2022 One Martin Farm-City Luncheon on City Week, traditionally
Nov. 17 learned about the innovative ways that the Florida held the week before Pictured left to right: Rick
aquaculture community is farming the seas, its growing promise Thanksgiving to highlight Hartman and Reed Hartman
to address an increasing global demand for food, and its local the interdependence Pictured left to right: Brandon Tucker, Pam and Bobby
economic impact. between rural and urban citizens. Tucker, Maureen Cotter and Patricia Ditmars
Now in its fifth year, the One Martin’s Farm-City Luncheon, “People have an image of agriculture as fields of citrus groves
held in partnership with the Martin County Farm Bureau, brings or cattle grazing on the land, and that’s certainly an accurate

Pictured left to right: Bruce Book, MaryAnne Cruse, Paige
Cruse and Chuck Cruse

picture of a good portion of western Martin County,” said Rick
Hartman, president of One Martin, a nonprofit organization that
hosts the local Farm-City Luncheon each year. “But there’s
much more to farming than row crops and livestock. There’s
an entire aquaculture (fish farming) industry that provides
important food sources grown in water. It’s a big economic
driver in our region.”
Megan Davis, Ph.D., research professor with the Aquaculture
and Stock Enhancement Program at Florida Atlantic University’s
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute in Fort Pierce, described
HBOI’s ongoing work to develop sustainable production
techniques for farming fish, clams, oysters, shrimp, urchins,
algae, seaweed and sea veggies. “Our research work has
immediate and practical impacts on the food supply, health and
nutrition, and the environment,” Davis said. “It’s cool science
and it’s also the hope of the future.”
Butch Olsen, executive director of the Port Salerno
Commercial Fishing Dock Authority, and Paige Cruise, a
16-year-old passionate advocate for Florida agriculture, inspired
the sold-out luncheon audience with a renewed appreciation for
the agricultural community and how interdependent rural and
urban communities are. “Everything in our day, from the food
we eat to the clothes we wear and the homes we live in, comes
from the farm in some way,” Cruise said. “Agriculture is our
life blood.”
The Farm-City Luncheon menu was a model of farm-to-
table cuisine: beef from the iconic Adams Ranch, flounder and
sheepshead from the Port Salerno Commercial Fishing Dock
Authority, veggies from the Everglades Agricultural Area, and
potatoes from Agri-Gators. The event took place at Pirate’s
Cove Resort and Marina, a prominent part of the Historic Port
Salerno Waterfront District.
A fast-paced live auction by Ransom Hartman helped One
Martin to raise funds to continue its educational work.
One Martin is grateful for the sponsorship support of these
organizations: Ashley Capitol, Becker Tree Farm; Adams
Ranch; Three Lakes; Midbrook 1st Realty Corp.; Hartman
Real Estate; The Tucker Group; M Ranch; Star Farms;
O’Rourke Engineering and Planning; Velcon Engineering
and Planning; U.S. Sugar; HJA Design Studio; Shearwater
Marine and Industrial; Bull Hammock Ranch; Van Vonno
Consulting; McNicholas & Associates; Captec Engineering;
Market on Main; Agri-Gators; Wedgworth’s; Team Parks;
SLC Commercial; Camo Farms; Ralicki Wealth Management
& Trust Services; Ideas For Us; Proctor Construction Co.; The
MilCor Group, a division of Haley Ward, Inc.; Indiantown
Marina; Tarpon Blue; Meritage Homes; Lucido & Associates;
Family Lands Remembered; Sugar Cane Growers; Tellus; and
Caulkins Water Farm.
About One Martin
One Martin is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization dedicated to
creating a more informed citizenry and providing opportunities
for civil discussions on topics of importance to Martin County.
One Martin’s goal is to also encourage local government to
operate more ethically, efficiently and transparently. For more
See answer in this paper. information visit www.onemartin.org or follow us on Facebook
at www.facebook.com/OneMartinCounty.