This week, state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame Foundation announced John Hundley as the 2022 Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame inductee.
The induction ceremony will be held at the Florida State Fair’s Agricultural Hall of Fame Banquet on February 15, 2022, where Hundley will be recognized along with the class of 2021 inductees given last year’s banquet was canceled due to COVID-19.
“The impact of agriculture on our state’s history, culture, and economy cannot be overstated. From providing an economic impact of nearly $150 billion, to being stewards of the land, to putting food on the tables of families across the state, nation, and world – our farmers positively impact the lives of Floridians every day,” said Fried. “I am honored to recognize Mr. Hundley and his work over more than five decades on his family farm, utilizing best management practices and conservation techniques to build a sustainable future for their farm and the community that his children, grandchildren, and others can enjoy for years to come. I am also thankful that the class of 2021 will have the opportunity to be formally inducted at this year’s banquet as we recognize the contributions of leaders in agriculture who keep Florida growing.”
Hundley has been an active part of Florida’s agricultural community for more than five decades. A native of Pahokee, he worked on his father’s farm before founding Hundley Farms, Inc., with his wife, Patsy. The enterprise began on 400 acres of leased land, growing sweet corn and radishes. Today the operation consists of about 16,000 acres in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), central Florida, and Bainbridge, GA, where they grow sugarcane, sweet corn, green beans, radishes, cabbage, field corn, rice, cattle, cotton, peanuts, soybeans and assorted winter produce. The Hundley Farms team now includes their son, John Scott Hundley, their daughter and son-in-law, Krista and Eric Hopkins, and grandson Cooper Hopkins.
Hundley Farms complies with South Florida Water Management District’s best management practices and utilizes many conservation techniques to ensure that their farm will be sustainable for future generations. Hundley wants to ensure that his children and grandchildren have the opportunity to farm for many years to come. They have also been on the cutting edge of the movement to use mapping technology to maximize yields through proper crop rotation and land use and maintain a strong focus on food safety.
A longtime member of the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative, Hundley has been on its board of directors for 34 years and served as its chairman of the board for seven years. He has served on the governing board of the South Florida Water Management District and has been active in numerous other groups, including the Pioneer Growers Cooperative, Florida Sugar and Molasses Exchange, Tellus Products, Farm Credit, Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association and the Florida Farm Bureau.
Among other accomplishments, Hundley is credited with leading the vertical integration of South Florida’s winter vegetable production and strengthening the unity of those farming within the EAA.
Hundley has previously been named the Swisher Sweets Florida Farmer of the Year, the Palm Beach County Farm Bureau EAA Farm Family of the Year, the Florida Growers Association Grower of the Year and the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches Leader of the Year.
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