Murphy Citrus Nursery, Inc., Taylor County
Billy and Valerie Murphy own and operate Murphy Citrus Nursery, Inc., in Perry, Florida. The nursery originated in 2007 and produces citrus nursery trees including juice oranges, navels, grapefruit, lemons, and satsumas. Murphy Citrus Nursery, Inc. has now expanded its operation to include growing trees for North Florida and South Georgia groves as well as homeowners. It is a family-run business with all members of the family having an active role in the prosperity of the farm. Murphy Citrus Nursery, Inc. has implemented BMPS for several years prior to their registration in 2016. 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. Some of the BMPs that have been implemented include installing a drip system to make better use of water and to reduce the amount of fertilizer being applied. Other citrus BMPs include installing and maintaining appropriate vegetated buffers, properly monitoring and maintaining irrigation system and utilizing Mobile Irrigation Lab if available. These practices ensure that their land will remain productive and viable for future generations. Murphy and his wife are involved in their community as Sunday school teachers at their church. Billy also contributes to the Farm Bureau as the president of the Taylor County Farm Bureau. When asked why he believes it is important to protect our environment, Murphy responded, “Our environment is where we live and grow the crops required for our food. It is very important that we protect it to ensure that farmers can continue to use the land as effectively and efficiently as possible. Without clean water and usable land our way of life would take a dramatic change for the worse.”
