Meetings By Industry: Agriculture

Home to about 554 agriculture companies responsible for more than 12,400 jobs, Palm Beach County is a leader in agribusiness, sustainable agriculture, agricultural technology, and agricultural education.
If your company wants to be at the forefront of the agriculture industry, host your next meeting in The Palm Beaches. Our destination welcomes meeting groups with a portfolio of hotels and resorts, a state-of-the-art Convention Center, a centrally located international airport, hassle-free ground transportation, and a large agribusiness sector.

Fast Facts

• The economic impact of the agricultural industry is estimated to exceed $2 billion annually
• Palm Beach County is one of the ten largest county agricultural industries in the United States
• Palm Beach County leads the nation in the production of sugarcane, fresh sweet corn, and sweet bell peppers
• Our county is the State’s leader in the production of rice, lettuce, radishes, Chinese vegetables, specialty leaf, and celery
• 36% of Palm Beach County’s land mass is dedicated to agriculture
• The Glades Region is a strategic location in the county with plenty of land to grow
• Palm Beach County is home to the Kubota Agriplex (at the South Florida Fairgrounds), a multi-purpose event location that offers 51,000 of usable square feet of exhibit space and one of the premier agricultural facilities in Florida
• Agricultural infrastructures in Palm Beach County include one sugar refinery, three sugar manufacturing mills, a major hydroponic tomato growing operation, a major sugar and molasses port shipping facility, world-famous equestrian infrastructures and stadiums, an agricultural by-product electrical cogeneration plant, and more

Noteworthy Agribusiness Companies

• Florida Crystals: a sugarcane company committed to regenerative agriculture across more than 190,000 acres
• Tellus Products: a sustainable packaging company that produces plant-based tableware
• Glades Formulating Corporation: an independent formulator opened in 1965 and focused on developing the newest technologies in the plant health and nutrition spaces
• Hugh Branch: one of the largest wholesale distributors of sweet corn in the United States and a family-owned and operated company
• Hundley Farms: a family-owned and operated agricultural-based organization that utilizes innovative, eco-friendly processes to produce quality, non-GMO products
• Pioneer Growers Cooperative: one of the largest distributors of sweet corn in the world, and a producer of more than 6,000 acres of green beans, radishes, celery, and cabbage
• Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida: a vertically integrated agricultural enterprise that produces sugar from cane fields in South Florida and exports it throughout America and around the globe
• TKM Farms: a family-owned company and the largest lettuce grower east of the Mississippi River
• Wedgworth’s, Inc.: one of the largest manufacturers and distributors of fertilizer products in Florida and across the southeastern U.S., and a company that also farms and ranches 20,000 acres in south Florida

The Glades Region

Comprising the cities of Belle Glade, Pahokee, and South Bay, the Glades Region is a strategic area for our agricultural sector.
Belle Glade, the largest of the three cities, is situated on the southern shores of Lake Okeechobee. Its motto is, “Her Soil is Her Fortune,” as its soil is perfect for growing sugarcane, vegetables, ornamental landscaping, and sod.
Located directly on the shores of Lake Okeechobee, Pahokee is known as Palm Beach County’s “Other” Coast. Like the rest of the Glades, Pahokee is built upon nature’s richest organic soil, which makes the town a perfect area for agricultural purposes.
Known as “The Crossroads of South Florida,” South Bay is well-suited for any industry thanks to the availability of labor, low taxes, willing government, and strong infrastructure.
 

Agriculture Research & Education

The Everglades Research & Education Center (EREC) near Belle Glade is an agricultural and environmental research and education unit of the University of Florida’s, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS). Its mission is to conduct research and extension programs in South Florida that will explore and promote profitable and sustainable agricultural systems. These systems aim at protecting our soil, water, and natural resources, contributing to an improved quality of life for Florida citizens.
The EREC is supported by the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners, the University of Florida, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
 

CONTACT THE MEETING & CONVENTION SALES TEAM

Getting to The Palm Beaches

Palm Beach International Airport (PBI) offers over 200 daily flight arrivals and departures from 13 airlines: Air Canada, Allegiant Airlines, American Airlines, Avelo Airlines, Bahamasair, Breeze Airways, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, and United Airlines.
The Palm Beaches are served by two other major South Florida airports: Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Miami International Airport (MIA). The Palm Beaches’ southernmost cities, such as Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, and Boca Raton, are only about 30 minutes from FLL and within an hour of MIA.
 
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