What You Didn't Know About: Tourism and Agriculture in Highlands County

Tourism & Agriculture Day

On our Agriculture and Tourism Day, our Leadership Highlands team went to a variety of different places. Each stop taught us a little more about the agriculture and tourism field in our own county.

Our first stop was the Sebring Racetrack. There we observed an Indy car get prepped before its next big race. It’s amazing to think that racers come from all around the world to race and practice in Sebring, Florida of all places. We also learned about the history of the track and how it used to be an old Air Force base in World War II.

Our next trip was to Maxwell’s Packing House. Here we learned about Mr. Steve Maxwell’s family history, and how he started his citrus packing company. His first ever commercial shipment went all the way to Japan. It was interesting to hear the things he wished he would have done when he was younger; one of those things being “let others help you.”

After lunch, we went to Watkins Dairy right off of Hwy 64. There our team learned about how their cows are fed, grouped, and milked. They feed their cows a compound of many different grains to provide the best nutrients. They milk their cows with vacuum tubes which then get transported into a container where it is processed and sanitized.

Our last stop was at the Sun N’ Lake Golf Course. This golf course is very essential for Highlands County because it affects the economy tremendously. Every year thousands of golfers play these courses, especially when the northerners travel here. They have many different activities for men and women of all ages.

It was interesting to see so many businesses that greatly impact our small county. Without businesses like these, our county could not operate. Overall the Agriculture and Tourism Day was very educational and inspiring.