Shinn Groves, Indian River County
Charles Shinn III and his family own and operate Shinn Groves in Vero Beach, Florida. The farm has been in the family for over 80 years and was started by his great grandfather Charles Shinn, in the 1930’s. They proudly produce cattle, citrus and peaches. Mr. Shinn has been implementing Best Management Practices (BMPs) on the farm since the 1980s. 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. Shinn Groves uses a microjet irrigation system to emit the precise amount of water to the citrus & peach trees. Variable Rate Technology (VRT) is used throughout the grove to apply fertilizer and crop protection tools to the trees. This variable rate liquid applicator uses tree size to determine the amount of sprayers to turn on and off when driving through the grove. Mr. Shinn is actively involved in his local community. He is a member of Florida Citrus Mutual and is actively involved with the Florida Farm Bureau. He and his family attend their local church regularly. When asked why he is a farmer who CARES, Shinn responded, “without a healthy environment, we are unable to have a healthy farm. We were raised in scouting where we learned to leave something better than we found it.”
