Daniel oversees rice production for Florida Crystals, a sugarcane company in south Florida.  The unique quality of the soil in this region lends itself to rice production as Daniel says rice is a great rotation crop for sugarcane. Rice farming here helps clean the water and also provides shelter and nesting grounds for many seasonal migrating birds. 

“Farmers do everything in our power to be good stewards and protect the land for generations to come,” says Daniel.  He and his fellow rice farmers are acutely aware of the importance they play in food production, from protecting natural resources like soil and water, to ensuring that American rice is safe for everyone who consumes it.  “I know most of the rice grown on Florida Crystals farms is consumed in South Florida so I’m looking out for my neighbors, keeping our food ‘local,’ and supporting American jobs.” 

Speaking of jobs, Daniel got his first farming job from his mother, a labor contractor, who “volunteered” him for farm work when he was a teenager.  “She did it to teach me a lesson that there were better opportunities out there, but I fell in love with farming and have made a career of it.”