Name: Brandon White
  Email: brandon1.white@ufl.edu
  Phone: (352) 343-4101 ext. 2729
  Location: Lake County
  Counties covered: Orange, Lake

Bio

I was born and raised in Florida where I currently live in Ocoee with my wife, two girls, and soon-to-arrive son. Not having grown up in agriculture, I have been in it to some capacity for over a decade since I changed my major to landscape design and management in my junior year of college. For me, agriculture is one of those things I am just drawn to. I like plants, I like food, I appreciate good landscapes, I like the earthiness of the industry, I like the people, I like the science. I am confident many reading this can relate. Extension, for me, is a good mix of all those things. And that is why I am thrilled to be in this new role and I am looking forward to the many opportunities I know will be presented to help producers flourish at what they do.

For the past 3 years I worked at the UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka as a Biological Scientist. That time served as an invaluable learning experience working firsthand with the Farm Crew and intimately involved with horticultural research. It also helped familiarize me with the UF/IFAS system and the many great resources and people that make up UF/IFAS and the role that it plays in the industry and state. I am proud to be a part of that mission, serving the industry to enhance the quality of life for those who live here and abroad. Extension plays a crucial role as the bridge between the university and the industry and community. I have long valued how extension comes alongside producers to meet them where they are and provide that honest, science-based assistance to solving the challenges of agriculture. I love to learn and know I have a lot of learning to do in this new role and am eager to do so. With that, I hope to share the knowledge and experience I have been fortunate to have obtained so that I can be as useful as possible in service to my community. I would say my interest in agriculture as a career really started when I got a job working at the Small Fruit and Viticulture Center of Florida A&M when I was working on my undergraduate degree. From there I ended up in Baton Rouge at LSU where I got a Master’s in soil fertility and plant nutrition. I never dreamed I would end up studying soil at such great length, but I am grateful I did; it has provided a very useful insight to crop production and led to a greater interest in proper soil health as a great starting place for healthy and productive crops. I am looking forward to getting out on the farms and meeting growers. Extension is about relationships – learning from each other and leveraging the knowledge and resources available to move everyone in the best direction possible. And that- I am excited to do!

So, whether it’s a pest issue, a need for a course in a particular subject area, or anything in between please let me know how I can be of service to you.