Where PASSION becomes action
March 3, 2025 | 2 min to read
Sue Harrell, director of marketing for the Florida Strawberry Growers Association, shares her journey in the family strawberry business alongside her husband, a fourth-generation grower. Known as “Strawberry Sue,” she has been pivotal in promoting Florida strawberries through cooking demonstrations and a comprehensive cookbook. One of her notable achievements is creating Jammer, the association's mascot, which educates children about strawberry cultivation and health benefits, emphasizing the importance of farmers in food production.
Sue Harrell: He Grows It, I Market It!
Director of Marketing
Florida Strawberry Growers Association
My husband is a fourth-generation strawberry grower, so it’s his family’s legacy to grow strawberries in Florida. Since we got married, I have been involved in the growing, the shipping, the sales and now the marketing part of the business. I have been the director of marketing for the Florida Strawberry Growers Association for over 16 years.
Early in my career, I was fortunate enough to work for Driscoll’s as its East Coast district manager, mentored by Ken Marano, who was then president of the company. We all became a big family, and I’ll remember him forever for giving me the chance.
I am also known as “Strawberry Sue,” a name I love. It’s a privilege to represent such an amazing industry. During our season, which is late November through April, I am the face of the industry in many cooking demonstrations on TV. I love creating new dishes showing the use of Florida strawberries, including in recipes that are savory or the main dish, not just the desserts. I also helped produce a beautiful hard-cover cookbook, which also includes the history of the Florida strawberry industry.
My biggest accomplishment has been the creation of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association mascot, Jammer, and an educational program around this 3D animated, singing and dancing strawberry. It is so great to see the smiles on the children’s faces. After watching the video only once, they can answer every question on how we grow, when we are in season and health benefits of eating Florida strawberries!
Educating our future consumers on where their food comes from is so important and they need to know how important a farmer is. I enjoy working with the teachers and also supporting the FFA and young agricultural students because they are the future.
2 of 9 article in Produce Business February 2025
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