By Kathrine Alderman
Riverbend News
Though the tobacco-growing industry may not be as prolific as it once was, farmers such as Scott Prine and his family are keeping it alive, which is one reason they were selected as Farm Family of the Year for Lafayette County.
Scott Prine was born and raised in Day, Fla., and still lives there to this day. Prine is a third-generation farmer, taking over from his father, Jimmy Prine, who took over from his father, J.L. Prine. He grows tobacco and small grains. Generally, he also grows vegetables, but this is the first year in 17 years that he hasn't grown any, focusing mostly on tobacco. His wife, Alicia, teaches at Lafayette Elementary School, but helps him on the farm during the summer months when school is out. Scott and Alicia have three children: Cole, 21; Calyn, 15 and Greg, 5.
The yield and quality of tobacco that comes out of this area of North Florida is some of the very best around. So much so, that even graduate students with the Georgia-Florida tobacco tour from North Carolina, have journeyed down to see the tobacco that is grown in this area.
Years ago, there were a lot more tobacco farmers than there are today. Nowadays, tobacco farmers are few and far between; Prine and only one other farmer in Lafayette County even grow tobacco. In 1974, about 12-13,000 acres of tobacco were produced in the area, but, after a buyout in 2004, there are only about 1,200 to 1,500 acres left. Prine and the few people still working the tobacco fields are working hard to grow high-quality tobacco and produce a product they can be proud of.
Scott, himself, produces 100,000 pounds of tobacco every year.
“There is a lot of hard work in farming tobacco,” Prine says, “and it makes it even harder because tobacco season comes right in the hottest part of the summer.”
Though it's hot and hard work, it is what the Prines have done for generations, and they take pride in their work. This year's crop, for the whole area of Florida and Georgia, is probably one of the best crops in years to come out of the area; so we can see that their hard work is paying off.
Congratulations Scott and Alicia Prine!