Friday's Afternoon Update

Will Short Gorham | 9/2/2011

Farmers, flavors take root in Florida

A small but growing group of niche farmers, mainly from the Caribbean, make up the Southwest Broward Vegetable Growers Association. The group of about 90 farmers spends time growing some of the same crops they raised in their homelands — okra, thyme, peppers, pumpkins, pigeon peas. Some farmers do it for the respite, to get away from the stress of their everyday jobs. For others, this is their only income. On the Growers Association lands in Davie, they cultivate a living memory of the islands they left behind as they pick, pack and ship their produce throughout Florida and up the East Coast. [Source: Miami Herald]

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In Case You Missed It Florida's Ritzy Rehabs Florida -- Palm Beach County in particular -- is home to a thriving recovery industry that increasingly caters to wealthy substance abusers. In recent years, treatment centers have developed more programs targeting a specific clientele — for example, programs for lawyers, doctors and other professionals. » Read more about Florida's Ritzy Rehabs

Watch for red flags that led to central and south Florida scams

Bernard Madoff became a household name after he was arrested for his multi-billion-dollar Ponzi scheme. But plenty of other scam artists soon replaced the imprisoned Madoff. "People need to be on guard," said Franklin Widmann, director of securities for the Florida Office of Financial Regulation. His agency is warning that there appear to be more scam artists peddling fake investments in the Sunshine State. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

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Volusia business is off to the races, hoping to win $1 million

Kacie Howard, a small-business owner in Daytona Beach, has a million reasons to root for NASCAR driver Tony Stewart when he competes in the AdvoCare 500 this weekend in Atlanta. Howard, who owns HuckleBerry Pets Inc., is one of two finalists in a nationwide contest sponsored by Office Depot. Which means she wins $1 million if Stewart wins the race. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

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» FRIDAY PREVIEW: Coming next week to FloridaTrend.com:

• Private Business Clubs in Florida: Today's clubs cater to both genders and have a range of amenities.
• Ron Sachs: Firebrand, Rebranded: Sixteen years ago, Republicans were placing bets on Ron Sachs' professional demise. Today, they're hiring him.
• Community Service -- Serving Youth: Darden Executives support a new Boys & Girls Club facility in Eatonville.
• Specialty Healthcare: A roundup of recent innovations at Florida specialty hospitals.

» You'll find all these stories first on the Daily and Afternoon Pulse e-mails.

Floridian of the Year 2011 We're seeking your nominations It's that time of year again, when the editorial staff at Florida Trend scours the state to choose the Floridian of the Year. We're accepting nominations, too: Do you know of a person (or thing) who made a big impact in Florida in 2011? Here's some criteria: » This is not a lifetime achievement award but rather an appreciation of the effect this person had on Florida during the 2011 calendar year. » This Floridian's impact on the state can be positive - or not so positive. Their works should have affected a lot of people, businesses and communities. » You can add your nomination to our nominations page or if you would rather submit a nomination privately, click here to e-mail the editorial team directly.