The Greater Plant City Chamber of Commerce honored those who have made a positive, lasting impact in the agriculture community both in and beyond Hillsborough County through the annual Salute to Agriculture Contact Breakfast award ceremony, Wednesday, Aug. 10, at Hillsborough Community College.
The breakfast was sponsored by Farm Credit of Central Florida. This year’s selection included five winners: Agriculturalist of the Year Anthony and Debbie Gill; Ag Educator of the Year Melissa Sampson; Supporter of Youth in Agriculture Bill Morrow; and Agri-Business of the Year, BBI Produce Inc.
Agriculturalist of the Year: Anthony and Debbie Gill
After meeting in 1982, Anthony and Debbie Gill later married and settled on 200 acres of land in Fort Lonesome. Today, the Lonesome G Ranch is a cattle operation that covers over 26,000 acres of land in Florida.
In 2004, the Gill family lost their son, Justin. To continue to spread his love of cattle and agriculture, the family created the Justin Gill Memorial Scholarship at the Florida Strawberry Festival and the Justin Gill Beef Breed Show at the Hillsborough County Fair.
Besides operating the ranch, the Gill family has created The Southern Peach Company, a U-Pick for locally-grown peaches. The family decided to open the peach company after a desire to revitalize land formerly used for blueberries left behind by Anthony Gill’s father, Doc Gill.
“It just took off like fire,” Debbie Gill said. “Lots of families started coming out and getting out for the day and then coming back.”
The family will soon be expanding the peach operation into 20 additional acres.
“It’s our whole family,” Debbie Gill said. “It’s all of us, from me and Anthony to our kids and their kids. Everybody has a job. I think people appreciate it.”
The Gills were also co-founders of the Florida Agritourism Association, an organization dedicated to helping residents utilize and understand Florida’s agriculture. The family worked alongside Rep. Jake Raburn to sign a bill into the Florida House and were invited to see Gov. Rick Scott sign the final bill.
“Many people don’t know what agriculture really is,” Debbie Gill said. “They just have to be educated about it.”
The Gills were honored to receive the Agriculturalist of the Year award.
“We were just humbled and blessed that we were selected,” Debbie Gill said. “We were honored that others in the community thought that much of us that they would pick us. It’s a family effort. We’re daylight to dark. It’s just such an honor, a great honor.”
Ag Educator of the Year: Melissa Sampson
Melissa Sampson has just started her fifth year teaching at Simmons Career Center. A former Future Farmers of America member from seventh to 12th grade, Sampson describes FFA as her “sport” during her middle and high school years.
Now, the Durant High School graduate is passing on that love to students of her own.
Through a focus on raising livestock, Sampson has brought Simmons FFA students to competitions at the Hillsborough County Fair and the Florida Strawberry Festival. Participating in those events with her students have been some of her favorite moments as a teacher. To date, her FFA students have earned Grand Champion awards for both sheep and swine.
“I want them to keep making a name for themselves and to start doing more with cattle,” Sampson said. “For me, it gives the kids something to identify with and some responsibility. They can see the bigger picture in life.”
Sampson’s work with students has earned her recognition. She was recently honored with the 2016 Supervisor Award from the Hillsborough County Technical Center and Adult Association and has previously been named the Simmons Career Center Teacher of the Year.
She was surprised and honored to be named the Ag Educator of the Year for 2016.
“I was humbled,” Sampson said. “I just feel like I do what I’m supposed to be doing. I love my job. I love my kids.”
Supporter of Youth in Agriculture: Bill Morrow
Bill Morrow has been supporting youth in agriculture for over 25 years.
The CEO and president of Morrow Steel started off supporting his own family members who were involved in agriculture project through 4-H and FFA. Eventually, he began aiding as many kids as he could who asked for his support.
“I supported them with add-ons, and that led to helping as many kids as possible who sent me letters,” Morrow said.
He frequently purchases pigs and steers from local agriculture fairs. His Christian faith encourages him to give back as much as he can.
“We do it from our hearts. We give to kids we don’t even know,” Morrow said. “Our faith drives us to give back and be involved in the community. Faith drives the train.”
For Morrow, the priceless looks of appreciation on students’ faces are what makes his support worthwhile.
“The proudest moment for me is when they come and thank you for helping them,” he said. “They’re genuine, appreciative and grateful. You hear it, but you can see it.”
Morrow is a member and serves as deacon at First Baptist Church Plant City. He is a trustee for the Tampa Iron Worker’s Pension and Annuity Fund, a national trustee for Ironworkers International Labor and Management Board, a trustee and board member for South Florida Baptist Hospital and a board member for Sunshine Bank and BayCare.
He was honored to be named the Supporter of Youth in Agriculture for 2016 but said he doesn’t do it for the recognition.
“It’s very humbling,” Morrow said. “It’s an honor and a privilege, and we’re blessed we can do this. We don’t do what we do for recognition — we’re doing it for the kids.”
Agri-Business of the Year: BBI Produce Inc.
In 1990, Marvin and Linda Brown teamed up with Ronnie and Pam Young to form BBI Produce Inc.
Nine years prior, the couples had embarked on their first partnership: operating a strawberry plant nursery and farming cherry tomatoes. The pairs hit it off well, and a partnership — along with the “Berry Boss” brand — was born.
The Dover-based company uses innovations in packing and shipping strawberries to meet customer demands. The strawberries are grown on the company’s 700 acres, along with cantaloupes, watermelons, blueberries and other vegetables.
The company sees food safety and cultivation as two of the biggest issues facing agriculture today. At BBI Produce Inc., the company has incorporated a food safety manual development program that enforces standard operating
procedures.
“I would assume the biggest issue now is the need for our food to be produced in this country, instead of being imported in,” Ronnie Young said.
BBI Produce is a member of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association and a supporter of 4-H and FFA programs.
“We were just excited,” Ronnie Young said about accepting the award as the 2016 Agri-Business of the Year. “We felt a sense of accomplishment in the community.”
Contact Emily Topper at etopper@plantcityobserver.com.