Jim Alderman of Alderman Farms is a testament to our state and county’s rich farming tradition and a steadfast advocate of the safeguards that are helping area growers like him provide fresh, organic produce. His farming career began in 1979 with a small strawberry and tomato u-pick operation. Today, he is the steward of 1,200 acres, where he grows an array of organic vegetables, including tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash, cucumber, eggplant, cabbage, and herbs.
“We pick it today, pack it this afternoon, and it’s in your store 24 hours later,” says Alderman, who was named the 2025 Farmer of the Year by the Florida Farm Bureau. “This award is an exclamation mark on my career and on our family’s farm. I’m truly humbled.”
Beyond the soil, Alderman plays a vital role in Tallahassee and Washington, D.C., serving on the Florida Farm Bureau’s labor and trade advisory committees and providing testimony on the challenges facing farmers.
PBI recently visited with him at his Boynton Beach farm to learn more.
PBI: What makes our area’s farmland so valuable?
Alderman: We have the climate, the water, and the soil [that] is the best type for growing vegetables: mineral-rich, sandy, and well-drained. In the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, we were the world’s capital producer of winter vegetables. It’s sad that we’ve lost so much land to development. Thankfully, some of it is protected by the Florida Agriculture Reserve [a 22,000-acre area designated for agricultural preservation].
What are the challenges of insects and diseases, especially for growing organic?
We don’t have cold winters to kill off pests and diseases. My son, Jim Jr., joined us 20 years ago after graduating with his agronomy degree and introduced an organic program using natural biological controls.
I remember the day when we released 2 million ladybugs onto our tomato fields. It was amazing to watch them land on the tomato plants and gobble up the aphids. So, we’re real protective about our beneficial insects.
What are your thoughts on the future of Florida farming?
It’s a great industry and asset to the state that creates jobs and revenue, which the Farm Bureau does a phenomenal job representing. Our former director of government affairs, John Walt Boatright, who is now with American Farm Bureau, is one of the finest young people you could ever meet. The lobbying that he does in Washington, D.C., is phenomenal. I was with his team [recently] helping lobby Congress for Florida farmers and farmers across the United States. Every legislator’s door was wide open. It was inspiring to see. Lobbying is like farming; you plant a seed and might have to wait two years for it to germinate, but it’s rewarding when it happens.
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