NEMATODE FREE FOR 2018!

Morningwood Growers just passed their annual nematode inspection performed by the Florida Department of Agriculture. We are approved to continue shipping to all our continental states for another year.

So What?

Part of being a responsible plant grower and seller is following rules put in place for the greater good of our country as a whole. I've heard many friends and acquaintances complain about licensing requirements and "hoops" they need to jump through. I think differently. I've no problem at all with following rules set by those who know best and even less problem with the very reasonable fees charged by our regulatory agencies.

Why?

If you live in Florida, or any of the southern US, you may have run into the dreaded Fire Ant. This little bugger is impossible to eradicate, causes major damage in fields and around houses, and they attack with absolutely no provocation. The sting is like a tiny fire inside your skin. And that is followed up by a lovely and ridiculously itchy blister. Fire ants are not native to the US! They were imported from Brazil in a shipment of fruit.

Again, So What?

The fire ant is only one highly visible example of what can happen without regulation. A current threat to many farmers are nematodes. Nematodes are tiny worm like creatures that live in soil and some burrow deeply into plant tissue. These little buggers can cause crop failure which in turn effects all of us.

So, imagine Joe Charley says "Screw the Man!" and decides to grow, sell, and ship plants from Florida, whenever and however he sees fit. Joe grows "organic" plants in soil, and sends a box of these plants to Charley Joe in California, who grows half of California's citrus. Charley then places the potted plants she bought from Joe on her concrete patio, and enjoys them for a year.

Unbeknown to Charley, nematodes can travel through water. Charley has been watering her plants from Joe thoroughly and daily as instructed, creating highways for nematodes to travel from her cement porch, to her lawn, and eventually out to her orchard. Imagine her surprise when she looses an entire year of fruit to nematodes! Not only that, but imagine both her and her neighbor farmers surprise when they also loose their crops to nematodes. Charley is now looking at financial ruin, lawsuits from her neighbors, and state regulatory fines - all because Joe didn't want to be inspected.

Sucks For Them - Why Should I Care?

One scenario, is Charley traces the nematode infestation back to the plants she purchased from Joe.IN that case, Joe better have a good lawyer, who will certainly cost a great deal more than licensing and inspection would have in the first place.

But not so obviously, Joe will eventually pay for his tiny act of rebellion. Regardless of if you like fruit or produce, the impact from crop failure effects all of us. Crops are not only used for obvious purposes like food and juice. For instance, corn can be found in everything from hot dogs to computer chips. Citrus can be found in cleaners, organic pesticides, and more. Crop failure causes products shortages and increases in price. So, just maybe, Joe's failure to follow the rules costs everyone of us an extra $0.25 per bottle of citrus cleanser. Multiply that by the thousands of products containing citrus, and multiply that result by 325 Million Americans and - well, you would need to do the math. Hopefully by now you get the point.