McAvoy was an excellent educator and spokesperson for agriculture during his 25-year career with the UF/IFAS Extension service. He joined the Hendry County Extension office in 1997 as the vegetable/horticulture agent. In 2004, he broke new ground as one of UF/IFAS’ first regional specialized Extension agents. In this role, McAvoy was responsible for developing and implementing educational programs for vegetable producers in five counties in southwest Florida.
In 2005, McAvoy also took on the role of Hendry County Extension director. He maintained these dual responsibilities until he retired in 2019. On his retirement, he was granted the title Extension agent emeritus by the University of Florida.
Less than a month into his retirement, he was invited to become the associate director for stakeholder relations at the UF/IFAS Southwest Florida Research and Education Center. He served the agricultural community of Southwest Florida in this capacity until July 2022.
McAvoy is well-known for his South Florida Pest and Disease Hotline, which he published biweekly during the vegetable production season until his retirement. The hotline provides growers with up-to-date information on pest and disease occurrence on over 140,000 acres of South Florida vegetables. He also publishes the Pest of the Month Column in Florida Grower Magazine, which highlights a different pest or disease affecting Florida vegetable crops.
He is active on Facebook and Twitter @SWFLVegMan, providing timely information that helps the fruit and vegetable industry understand how to succeed in this dynamic and ever-changing business.
Over the years, McAvoy became the voice of agriculture in Southwest Florida. He was widely sought out by local, state, and national media to speak about events impacting South Florida agriculture. He has been interviewed by numerous media outlets, including the New York Times, NPR, ABC, CNN, CBS, NBC and multiple local radio and television outlets.
McAvoy has received multiple awards during his years of service, including induction into the National Association of County Agricultural Agents Hall of Fame. He has also been recognized by the Florida Farm Bureau and the University of Florida.
He has been actively involved with many other organizations as well, including the Joint Council of Extension Professionals, the Florida Association of County Agricultural Agents, Florida Farm Bureau, Hendry County Cattlemen’s Association and the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association.
McAvoy and his wife, Donna, live on their ranch outside LaBelle. He now owns and operates his own agricultural consulting firm.
John Oscar “J.O.” Schlechter is a humble pioneer who has dedicated his life to the agricultural industry, his family, and most importantly, his relationship with Jesus Christ.
After graduating from the University of Florida in 1958, Mr. Schlechter began his lifelong career as a farmer. He bought Everglades Farm Equipment from his father in 1971, making it a fourth-generation business. His love and marriage to Eleanor has stood strong for 68 years, along with their proud four sons, eight grandchildren, and six great grandchildren.
Mr. Schlechter has served on several boards aimed at supporting agriculture like the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative board for 10 years and the Pioneer Growers Cooperative board for 35 years, as well as the Florida Celery Exchange board for 10 years.
Mr. Schlechter has dedicated his time to serving his community and making a meaningful difference in the lives around him. He served for 15 years on the Glades Day School board and coached multiple Little League teams for 10 years or more. For more than 50 years, he has been a deacon at The First Baptist Church of Belle Glade, while serving as a Sunday school teacher and organizing a food pantry to feed the community.
Mr. Schlechter’s lifetime of service and hard work has been recognized by many organizations. He was named Ag Man of The Year by the Belle Glade Chamber of Commerce, while he and Eleanor were jointly honored with the Citizen of the Year award by the same organization, as well as the Farmer of The Year award from Western Palm Beach County Farm Bureau. Through his lifetime of service and hard work, Mr. Schlechter continues to make a profound impact on agriculture, his loved ones, and his community.
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