The Gladiola Capital and Much, Much More: Delray Beach’s Agricultural History

Delray Beach started as Linton, a farming community settled by Michiganders eager to help turn South Florida into a winter garden at the turn of the last century. Their vision soon carried the town to renown as a producer of fruits, vegetables, and, most famously, gladiolas flowers. While agriculture has changed and become a smaller part of Delray Beach's economy, growers nevertheless continue to turn out crops west of town. This lecture will explore that long history of agriculture, placing it in the context of South Florida's history as a garden spot and the larger currents of agricultural production in the U.S. and abroad.

Biography of Evan P. Bennett, Ph.D. is a historian of the American South whose research focuses on the intersections of rural, environmental, and labor history. He has just completed writing a book on the environmental history of Tampa Bay. He is the author of “When Tobacco Was King: Families, Farm Labor, and Federal Policy in the Piedmont,” (University Press of Florida, 2014). He is also co-editor of “Beyond Forty Acres and a Mule: African American Landowning Families Since Reconstruction,” (University Press of Florida, 2012). 

Cost:

Member - $30 or $100 for any combination of four FAU Lecture Series events. Bundle purchases are non-refundable.

Non-Member and Guest - $35

*Photos courtesy of the Delray Beach Historical Society