Emil Belibasis, Owner
4555 Lowe Lake Road
Wellborn, FL 32094

Beli Farms is located in Wellborn, Florida. We grow, pack and ship cluster tomatoes from about on acre of greenhouses grouped into three small ranges. Two of the ranges are fan and pad type and our most recent greenhouses are sawtooth type that are naturally ventilated with overhead retractable shade. We use lay-flat perlite bags for medium, using one row of bags per double row of crop. Recently, we installed a computerized environment controller and a weather station to better control the greenhouse environment. It controls fans, pads, heaters, curtains, shade, and irrigation.

Beli Farms started business in 1989 with a single 35' x 132' greenhouse. Back then we grew beefsteak tomatoes in an NFT-pipe system and belonged to a marketing cooperative that handled both packing and marketing for a large group of small growers. After about five years with the coop returning relatively low prices, we were forced to attempt our own marketing. Since then we have doubled in size and increased revenues in our operation.

For over four seasons, we have been using pest control practices that meet organic certification standards. Practices like improved environmental controls for disease control, use of insect screens, soaps, specialized equipment, and cultural practices for insect control, have resulted in the almost total elimination of pesticides in our operation.

Our single most important challenge is to increase yields from our current level of around 17-20 lbs. per plant to a more competitive level of 30 lbs. per plant without increasing costs per unit. To do this we need to address several key issues. They are:

• Labor management
• Low light levels during winter production
• Excess heat during spring production
• Botrytis/high humidity, and
• Inadequate cultural practices

Marketing our own product has advantages and disadvantages. What is good about it is that we can reap additional profits from packing, shipping and selling. It also makes us more aware of market changes, e.g. price fluctuations, supplies from other areas, new products/packaging. etc. The bad part about doing your own marketing, particularly for small grower is that it takes time away from other important activities and you may have your product discounted due to having small offerings.

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