September/October 2024 - 13

GROWER PROFILE
Workers harvest broccoli at Titan Farms. Titan began growing broccoli in the 2010s. Photos courtesy of Titan Farms.
In 2010, costs of transporting iced broccoli from
California to East Coast markets opened the door for
growers to enter the deal.
Because broccoli precedes and finishes after peppers,
broccoli has proven to be a strong crop for Titan. About
90% of Carr's pepper acreage is rotated with broccoli.
" It's good for our land and it's good for our production
window, " Carr said. " What it really did for our operation
was extend our harvest season. When we started farming
in 1999, we were about 20 weeks a year harvesting. By
adding the broccoli, we got 36 weeks of harvesting a year,
which was good for labor turnover and management. "
Before adding broccoli, Titan double-cropped its peppers
with watermelon and cantaloupe, but those crops didn't
fare as well in rotation.
Eggplant success
Carr began growing eggplant in north Florida. Seeing
a relative successfully growing eggplant encouraged
him. At one time, Carr was growing more eggplant
than peppers.
" I was growing two acres of Hungarian wax pepper and
squash and cucumbers, but eggplant was one of my best
crops, " he said. " I love to grow eggplant. "
Because growers need the right mixture of vegetable
crops, pepper and eggplant go well together, Carr
said. While a grower could grow only pepper, offering a
complementary crop helps market the primary crop and
fits well into Titan's system, he said.
Eggplant harvests longer than cucumbers and
squash and doesn't require multiple plantings, he said.
Cucumbers require a special packing line type, while
it can be difficult for growers to receive consistency
with squash. With labor the way it is, a grower might
have enough work for a crew on squash one week but
not the next.
" We look for crops that can be very predictable and
managed accordingly, " Carr said.
A more forgiving crop that's not as sensitive to Mother
Nature, eggplant can better withstand imbalances of
fertilizer or similar mistakes. A grower can correct ills
without devastating a crop or losing some big production
VEGETABLEGROWERSNEWS.COM | 13

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September/October 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September/October 2024

Editor's Letter
Accelerated deadline
Weeding out danger
East Coast diversification
Regenerating soil
Connecting innovation and education at the Great Lakes EXPO
Organic Grower
Veg Connections
Farm Market & Agritourism
Ag Labor Review
Classifieds
Advertiser Index
September/October 2024 - 1
September/October 2024 - 2
September/October 2024 - 3
September/October 2024 - Editor's Letter
September/October 2024 - 5
September/October 2024 - Accelerated deadline
September/October 2024 - 7
September/October 2024 - Weeding out danger
September/October 2024 - 9
September/October 2024 - 10
September/October 2024 - 11
September/October 2024 - East Coast diversification
September/October 2024 - 13
September/October 2024 - 14
September/October 2024 - 15
September/October 2024 - Regenerating soil
September/October 2024 - 17
September/October 2024 - Connecting innovation and education at the Great Lakes EXPO
September/October 2024 - 19
September/October 2024 - 20
September/October 2024 - 21
September/October 2024 - 22
September/October 2024 - Organic Grower
September/October 2024 - 24
September/October 2024 - 25
September/October 2024 - 26
September/October 2024 - 27
September/October 2024 - Veg Connections
September/October 2024 - 29
September/October 2024 - Farm Market & Agritourism
September/October 2024 - 31
September/October 2024 - Ag Labor Review
September/October 2024 - 33
September/October 2024 - Classifieds
September/October 2024 - Advertiser Index
September/October 2024 - 36
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/march-2023
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/buyersguide-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/january-2022
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/october-2021
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/august-2021
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/seedguide-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/buyersguide-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/january-2021
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/may-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/april-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/march-2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/february-2020
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https://www.nxtbook.com/greatamericanmediaservices/VGN/january-2020
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