Grow with Care

Springtime is potato harvest season at Jones Potato Farm in north Manatee County.

But this past spring was also awards season for the Parrish farm, when it was named a 2016 recipient of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' Agricultural Environmental Leadership Award.

Since 1994, the award has recognized agricultural producers in the state that practice environmentally innovate farming techniques. Jones Potato Farm was honored for its precision farming and variable application methods, as well as its center-pivot irrigation system. Adopting those practices has reduced fertilizer use by 30% and water use by 60% at the farm.