Frank farmer earns respect from both fans and critics

With credentials and candor, Roy Davis gets attention. He might even be rewarded for standing up to government.

By SHANNON COLAVECCHIO-VAN SICKLER
© St. Petersburg Times
published March 7, 2003

DOVER -- Growing up in Hillsborough County, Roy Davis was always the smallest kid in class. That never stopped him from speaking his mind, especially to the bullies who mistakenly dubbed him an easy target.

"Back then, I was just trying to survive," he said. "I wasn't really political."

Fifty-plus years later, Davis is still speaking out to survive.

Only now, the landscape farmer says the bullies are various governments and "environmental whackos" -- his nickname for "those liberal" conservation groups such as the Sierra Club and Audubon Society -- whose policies and proposals threaten the livelihood of farmers across Florida.

"Farmers by nature are not political until someone throws a rock in their yard," said Davis, owner of Tampa Wholesale Nursery in Dover. "But you know, I'm not your typical farmer."

His moxie has earned Davis recognition from the county's citizens advisory committee, which is recommending Davis for this year's Moral Courage Award.

Created in 1992 at the urging of Commissioner Jan Platt, the award recognizes Hillsborough County residents who stand up to government with "exceptional ethical behavior and moral courage."

Whether it's lobbying commissioners on behalf of high school students, or railing against water restrictions that make nursery owners cringe, Davis has become the unofficial champion for farmers over three decades.

A leader in numerous agriculture organizations and government committees over the years, Davis has built a reputation for being outspoken and tenacious. He's also an expert in the agriculture industry, garnering respect even from detractors.

"Roy is never afraid to go against the tide," said Brian Blair, a member of the citizens advisory committee, which reviews nominations and chooses the finalist. "And if there's any event having to do with agriculture, he's there."

When the county's Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program resisted a proposal to let Durant High School's agriculture students use 400 acres as an outdoor classroom for raising cattle and studying plants and other habitats, Davis went right to parks department leaders and county commissioners.

In August, the parks and recreation department reached an agreement with the school district, with hopes of restoring the former agriculture land under students' watch.

When a local farmer wanted to secure county permission for digging a tailwater recovery pond -- to recycle water from the pond for irrigation rather than use water from deep wells that penetrate the aquifer -- he went to Davis for help.

Davis, a 70-year-old grandfather with a salt-and-pepper beard and strong hands leathered by the sun, seeks no accolades for his activism.

"Somebody has to do it," said Davis, who has been working in nurseries since high school. "Only 2 percent of the nation gets its income from agriculture, but the other 98 percent want their produce waiting when they get to Publix. Well, it won't get there unless someone makes sure these conservation groups don't get crazy things passed into law."

Seffner cattle farmer Cam Oberting, who serves with Davis on the county's citizens environmental action committee, is a self-proclaimed "hot head" who says she often disagrees with Davis.

"He feels farmers should not have to adhere to the rules he opposes, and I don't think I should be exempt just because I'm a farmer," she said. "But I respect his opinion, and he gets things done by being outspoken."

In the early 1960s, a few years after leaving the Air Force, Davis bought 20 acres in Dover and started his nursery. Today, Tampa Wholesale Nursery covers 120 acres.

As his business grew, so did Davis' involvement in committees and agriculture groups. The 1953 University of Florida graduate now serves on so many boards, his two sons, Steven and Michael, oversee much of Tampa Wholesale's daily operations.

In the 1960s, he joined the Tampa Bay chapter of the Florida Nurserymen and Growers Association, and has since held just about every post, including president.

In the early 1970s, Davis helped found the Tampa Bay Wholesale Growers Association, and around the same time helped establish the group's annual horticulture trade show, now one of the nation's largest.

Long active in the Hillsborough County chapter of the Florida Farm Bureau, Davis served as president of the Hillsborough County board of directors from 1990. He served until 1995, and was elected president again in 2000.

A Republican, he also served more than 10 years on the Hillsborough County Parks Board, and is a member of the citizens environmental action committee and the Thonotosassa Steering Committee. With that resume, and a manner that is as frank as it is friendly, Davis commands the attention of even his political opposites.

"I just try to put a little reason out there," he said. "If you're sincere and you feel right by your standards, people will listen."

Shannon Colavecchio-Van Sickler can be reached at 661-2443 or svansickler@sptimes.com .