Barnes Farms in St. Johns County is preparing for its busiest season as the farm gears up to supply cabbage for St. Patrick’s Day, according to a March 1 announcement.
St. Patrick’s Day has become a major event for cabbage growers in the United States, with the vegetable being central to holiday meals due to its affordability and historical significance among Irish American communities. Farmers and ranchers work year-round to make these traditions possible.
Barnes Farms, which has been family owned and operated for 65 years, produces about 40 million pounds of cabbage annually across 800 acres, with each head planted, cut, and packed by hand. The farm was founded in the 1960s by Clyde Barnes and is now managed by multiple generations of his family including Jim Barnes, his wife Rebekah Barnes, and cousin Dixie Mericle. “It has been such a privilege to be here with my family,” Mericle said.
In the two weeks before St. Patrick’s Day, Barnes Farms becomes especially active as it ships out around 200 semi-truck loads of cabbage destined for holiday tables nationwide—a period referred to as the “St. Patty’s Day Push.” “Cabbage is being cut extensively so they can get it in restaurants and grocery stores before St. Patrick’s Day,” Mericle said.
The surge leading up to the holiday accounts for roughly one-fifth of Barnes Farms’ annual output—about seven million pounds of cabbage—and concludes with an on-farm celebration involving costumes, decorations, food, and commemorative t-shirts that have been made annually for at least fifteen years. “It is a lot of work and long hours, but it’s also a time for us to come together as a family, celebrate and show our appreciation to all our employees that make it possible,” Rebekah Barnes said.
The Florida Farm Bureau Federation supports farms like Barnes through advocacy efforts aimed at increasing farmers’ income while improving rural living standards; it represents over 132,000 members across sixty county organizations according to its official website. The federation secures funding through member dues and donations supporting programs such as disaster relief according to its official website, promotes local food production through membership campaigns according to its official website, presents agricultural service awards since 1966 according to its official website, affiliates with national organizations like the American Farm Bureau Federation according to its official website, provides educational resources along with policy support according to its official website, partners on conservation initiatives according to its official website, and aims overall at increasing net income for farmers while enhancing rural life quality according to its official website.
