Wood’s Tree Farm, Hillsborough County
Ray Wood, owner and farm manager of Wood’s Tree Farm planted the farm in 2003. Mr. Wood started his farm to provide a new challenge during retirement. He began selling to customers in 2006, with 15 acres and has expanded to across the western Hillsborough County. Mr. Wood has participated in the Southwest Florida Water Management District and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ MiniFARMS Program, a cost share program for growers who have less than 100 acres under irrigation. Through this program, Mr. Wood, was able to successfully implement the utilization of frost cloth in his fields for freeze protection, rather than running an overhead sprinkler system. All of Mr. Wood’s farms are on low-volume or drip irrigation, which conserves a considerable amount of water. Mr. Wood stays heavily involved in his community as a member of the South Florida Baptist Hospital Foundation Board, a chairman on his church’s membership and strategic planning committees, a member of the Tampa Bay Wholesale Growers Association, and Treasurer of the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau.
