Farm Visit Reflection – UF IFAS Citra Farm Facility

Date of Visit: April 17th, 2025
Location: UF IFAS Citra Farm, Marion County, Florida

This week, I had the opportunity to visit the UF IFAS Citra Farm facility, and it was an eye-opening experience that showcased the future of agriculture through both traditional and high-tech growing methods. The farm is a hub of innovation, where research and hands-on learning meet real-world farming practices.

Crops Grown and Technologies Observed

The farm had a wide variety of crops under both open field and protected agriculture systems. Some of the most interesting crops I observed included:

• Sugar Cane: Grown indoors, it stood tall in rows. I learned it’s one of Florida’s key commercial crops and requires high heat with greenhouse temperatures over 90 degrees F.

• Corn: Planted in large open greenhouse rooms, growing massively towards the top of the structure.

• Strawberries: These were growing under medium-height protective tunnels. The tunnels provided shade and environmental protection, helping to extend the growing season and minimize pest pressure.

Protected Agriculture Systems

The most fascinating part of the visit was exploring the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) setups:

• Greenhouses with Cooling Pads & Exhaust Fans: Inside, crops like coffee and passion fruit were growing. These greenhouses are climate-regulated with heating and cooling systems to maintain ideal temperature and humidity for tropical crops that wouldn’t normally thrive in Florida’s climate year-round.

• Shipping Container Farm: This was one of the highlights. The entire container had been converted into an optimized, insulated grow space for leafy crops with shallow root systems, like lettuce and herbs. It was a great example of space-efficient, year-round urban agriculture. Lights, nutrient delivery, temperature, and humidity were all digitally monitored and automated

Reflection

This farm visit was more than just a tour—it was a deep dive into the future of sustainable agriculture. Seeing how environmental controls, tunnel systems, and compact vertical farms are being used to grow high-quality produce really expanded my perspective on what farming can look like.

I left inspired, thinking about how agriculture doesn’t have to be limited by climate, space, or season—not with innovation and proper infrastructure. It made me excited for the role technology will continue to play in sustainable food systems.