Brown Farm, Suwannee County
Walter K. Brown and his family own and operate Brown Farm in O’Brien, Florida. The farm has been in the family for over 30 years and was started by Mr. Brown in 1982. They proudly produce chickens and hay. Mr. Brown has been implementing Best Management Practices (BMPs) on the farm for a decade now. BMPs are a set of guidelines that advise producers on how to manage the water, nutrient, and pesticides they are using to reduce agriculture’s impact on the state’s natural resources. Brown Farm has established a system that uses the waste from the chickens and places it in a compost barn to properly decompose and prevent runoff and leaching into nearby groundwater. Mr. Brown also takes the waste from the houses and exchanges it for sawdust, which is used as bedding for new chicks. Mr. Brown is actively involved in his local community, serving on the board of directors for the Suwannee County Farm Bureau. He is a helper and supporter of the Branford and Suwannee County FFA Chapters and conducts the state tractor operations event each year. Mr. Brown and his family attend Pinemount Baptist Church in McAlpin. When asked why he is a farmer who CARES, Brown responded, “if we do not protect our environment there will not be a future.”
