CLIFFORD GWINN

OWNER, GWINN BROTHERS FARM, SUWANNEE COUNTY

The Gwinn brothers were born in Suwannee County and raised on a farm there. Over several decades, they expanded their operations to more than 1,000 acres of crops, including watermelons, soybeans, peanuts, corn and peas, along with beef cattle. Their grains go toward chicken feed in the country, and most of their peanuts go into Hershey’s chocolate bars. All the while, the brothers are leaders in best management practices and conservation strategies for farming, even mentoring other producers in improving water quality, reducing soil erosion, enhancing wildlife habitat and boosting animal and plant health. The Gwinns use GPS systems in their tractors — a precision agriculture technology technique — for more efficient planting, nutrient application and pesticide application.