Florida’s First Congressional District recognized Jerry Davis as the Northwest Florida Agricultural Innovator of the Year.

Davis grew soybeans and wheat on his family’s farm as a child, and since then, his love of farming has grown into innovation in the agricultural arena.

At 20, Davis designed a seed conditioning planter to clean and bag seed for planting. In 1987, he became involved in the testing of a crop simulation model developed by scientists in the USDA’s Agricultural Research Services, Mississippi State and Clemson Universities.

In the late 1990s, Davis began expanding his farming operation from Santa Rosa County to Escambia County in Florida, and in Baldwin and Hale counties in Alabama.

Recently, Davis has partnered with the University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences to grown carinata, a plant that has the potential to help meet the renewable energy demands of the country.

Davis’s family, which include wife, Patty, and daughter, Caitlynn, are also active on the farm, which comprises of cotton, peanuts, wheat, corn, soybeans, vegetables, livestock and other crops.

Davis has served on many agricultural boards and committees to help serve the northwest Florida area.