Central Florida Farms

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Why should you buy from us?

     The short answer is that we care about what we do, it is our passion. We care about what is shipped, how it's shipped, the over all quality of items and the items we have to offer. We care about how we operate and who our customers are. We offer customer support in growing plants and all other things that we offer and to whom we sell. No one is ever thought of as a "number" hidden behind a dollar sign and/or email address. 

     The long answer: Our goal and intention here at Central Florida Farms is not just to provide palm collectors and plant enthusiasts with the newest, most unique and even a few common varieties of plants that we are able to obtain and distribute, but also to help educate the world about what is actually going on in the world of horticulture and urban forestry. Also education in keeping your garden growing green, red, blue or yellow (in some cases). Plant health and at least a beautiful 'looking' world can never hurt anything. As I learn, so will any interested visitors to this site. There is much more than just going to a website or a near by garden center, choosing a plant and placing it in your world. Seems like that would be all there is to it and I wish it was actually that easy. Over the last couple years I've learned a lot about life... the good, the bad and the extremely ugly. I've learned how to overcome the deep pits that can open up in front of a man without notice. Along that road I've managed to learn much about horticulture, the fun parts, a few overlooked basic principles, some advanced information and worst parts... the depressing news about new incurable diseases effecting many naturally established trees and woody ornamentals and the ever invading pests into America that are probably the cause. Please check the Pest Alert pages frequently to see what you might be able to do to help fight the enemies of plant lovers. Florida has the most new and unknown problems with pests. This may be due to the fact that there is an entire section of devoted people working day and night at the University of Florida and they are on the look for anything new. They are also bent on learning and teaching how they arrived (mainly imported from other countries through the main ports undetected by dockworkers) and spread so fast and how to try and keep these things at bay while the experts search for the answers to seemingly impossible odds. Since we are a work in progress, all web pages may not be updated yet. I apologize if they are not. but keep checking and soon as possible they will be. 

    We grow 90% of all our palms from seed and our tropicals are either home raised pups, seed raised plants (some pollinated here) or tissue culture cultivars or species from a reputable company. No palm can be tissue cultured (to the date of this letter) and all come from seed or offset. Mostly from seeds as palm pups (or sports/offshoots) are usually embedded into the mother plant and separating them could harm or kill the mother plant and the offshoots. Some types of palms are able to produce pups that are not embedded and those are separated at a young age and placed in their own container or area to be raised. Since I am a most enthused plant hobbyist, we take time to know just what causes them to grow better or worse, the soil types they are best suited for and the best management practices of their well-being. You will not have to fear or wonder if you will receive an unhealthy plant, an incorrectly named species or an item that is under described on our selections. Since we are a small family organization, you will receive quality plants from people who actually care about what they're doing and not just the bottom line. There are many other companies who see the industry as merely a portal to financial gains. If their only motive is money, they usually will not last long as I have already witnessed this since we began this venture in late 2000. Some will last and that's fine. But because we love what we do, what we have to offer will always be among the best that is available, no matter what it is unless we state otherwise in our communications. We might even have a few items that are exclusive to all others. This of course the exclusivity cant last forever as plants go to the tissue culture companies and become wide spread within a couple years. At least you will know that they are coming from place that is pest, disease free and will always receive quality items in a timely manner combined with our communications which is a lot of what I love about this. I am always looking for something new, either for my own collection or for trade. Please ask any questions about plants and I will always answer with the best of my knowledge and as quickly as possible. I have been involved with plants since I was a kid and have been learning ever since. It is one of my passions and am proud to present quality plants to you! Like mentioned above, if you see some information that is incorrect, PLEASE take the time to let me know. I will not be offended and am always learning.

What can you Expect?

     You can expect to be treated with respect and courtesy that everyone deserves, the best quality plants we have available arriving at your door in the best condition, in the times stated on our website along with as soon as possible communications. You can reach us by email clicking the link here: contact-us@centralfloridafarms.com or by phone at: 386-299-3605 if you have questions or concerns. You can expect the best of whatever we have to offer from a family company that wants to engage in spreading life.

Why Do We Do It?

     Loving life & nature has always been my passion and pleasure since I can remember and my wife shares this common bond with me. I have raised fish, plants and various animals (domestic and farm types) since I was allowed by my parents and I was fortunate enough to have help in my bent from my family. Thankfully my parents instilled in me the values of life, honesty and diligence at an early age. I was in FFA in Jr./Sr. High school and aced that with flying colors. I believe people always do their best if they are interested in whatever they're doing. I ranked #1 in one of the Ornamental Horticulture Competitions for my county and was active on many other agriculture teams including soils and meat markets. I also took the media classes in high school and after high school graduated near the top of my class from an Audio Recording school in Orlando after high school. I have learned much about what I'm doing from books, teachers, from my own personal experience, nursery owners, my family and most of all from trial and error. I am a member of the ISA (international Society of Arboriculture) and FNGLA (Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association) and attend the training classes/courses when I have resources and time. I am always learning and always will be. Another one of my hobbies (probably because of my Dad) is photography and videography. Over 80% of the photos used on our website (that grows as I have access to particular viewing privileges) were photographed by myself or my wife. There have been many other companies who have taken our photos (along with my text being plagiarized in public view) without permission and continue to use them against my wishes, especially on ebay. I just except it as a compliment now.

     If you read any information on our site that is amiss, please let me know and we'll discuss it and update as needed. After holding many diverse jobs in my younger days and a few very good positions later in life, I became restless about working for others. Having very little time for my family, many interests and the lack of employment security that the world has to offer I was forced to find something that fit my life. This is it and I have no plans to ever retire from doing it until I am in the grave. That's the plan anyway. I love being able to spend time with my family and be able to support them at the same time. I strongly believe that giving my time to my family is one of the most important things in this life and as a husband & father, it is my responsibility to provide a stable income and life. This company is one way that provides us this privilege. I have been told by some and have read many other instructors say to find only one thing and do it well, but my Father has said do what you like and put your whole heart into it. So that's what I'm trying to do now. I'm bringing a couple of my passions and hobbies to you, for you to enjoy as much as I do. I hope that we can be of service and will answer any and all emails. Please read the important section below to have emails answered or they may not be able to be answered.

A little about how we came to be ...

     We started this company as an expanded hobby about 7 years ago after being laid off from a full time position as Traffic Manager / Operations Manager / Un-official - official Station Manager for WNTO-TV 26. They were bought out by Univision (Entravision) and I was not able to find work in that field in a soon enough period of time. So my wife prayed and told me to try doing what I love to do best. Music is my first loved hobby but that's a very difficult thing to find steady income from, so I chose the plant life. I have been a plant grower/enthusiast since I was a kid. My grandmother (Dad's mother) always had a wide variety of plants around her home in Daytona Beach and taught me how to grow what ever she had. We lived 2 houses down (two blocks from the beach) on the same street and I grew up there until I was 10. My grandmother grew all kinds of herbs and mint, peppers, many vegetables, bananas, loquats, and various flowers, shrubs & trees. Whatever she had, she had it there on purpose. She showed me how to germinate seeds and root cuttings from various plants. I think what really got me was how cool and easy germinating plants was and how easy it was to root certain plants from a stem cutting in such a short amount of time. She also always had a jar of lentil beans that she'd sprout to place on salads. She showed me to just place in the seeds, fill it up with water, place a net over the top wrapped in a rubber band and dump out the water. In a few days, the sprouts were ready to eat. I wish that she was alive today to see the aroids and bananas that are available! She was one that never wasted anything and taught me the importance of a compost by throwing all her vegetable type post-prepped food and used coffee grounds into her garden. She also raised pure bred Persian cats as a hobby and it was always sad to us kids when she sold the kittens. My dad was also into plants (as a master hobby landscape artist) and we always had ladyfingers to eat if they didn't get wiped out from a freeze. That only happened a couple times that I remember. Since we were only 2 blocks from the beach, the bananas were grown in the back of the house and received very little salt spray. I know they must've received some since the screens on the windows would be salty. We had Japanese loquat trees and so did the neighbor lady (Mr. Croll, her trees were HUGE, larger than ours being in full sun) that lived in-between our houses. So it fascinated me that I was able to eat 'snacks' right from the tree. There were always more than we all could eat. Mainly it was me, my sister and our friends that ate the plums. Ms. Croll was also heavy into gardening but more into the aesthetics (not vegetables) and worked harder at that than anyone I knew (and still even today) at the time at gardening. She was constantly weeding or mowing or something. We were not allowed to walk across the grass to my grandparents home. I didn't understand why then but now, I can appreciate her reasons. Ms. Croll was clinically deaf, but could speak well and also taught me about her plants. Since just about everyone around me growing up was into the plants, I became interested at how many different types there were and they way they looked. 

     I have heard some say and read others write this quote, "pick one thing and do it well". I do not subscribe to that idea, rather I try to follow what my Father says, "everything that I choose to do, I will do it wholeheartedly" and do it the best I know how. My efforts have been exhausted if it's something I am interested in doing. (Since I originally wrote that previous statement in 2003, I have learned that maybe I can't do it all. At least not by myself. I learned this the hard way of course, (but I will still try my best as always). I guess I got the idea of doing everything myself from my dad since he has always done everything for himself. He is a master automotive mechanic, master carpenter, master gardener, a master engineer of whatever needs to be thought up and achieved, etc. He recently retired from Volusia County and at the ceremony for his leaving he was approached with a very good offer (well above his normal salary) to stay on and re-organize Fleet Management. He was also approached by the City of Palm coast and Flagler County with a similar offer for the same reasons. He's a man of integrity and is admired by the people who know him. I am not anywhere near his level and am certainly no carpenter. Barely can I even build a birdhouse. I was forced to learn basic auto mechanics when I was young since I had 1966 Mustang with a 289 - 3 speed on the floor. Had to rebuild the engine twice, restore the body of the car once, replace the entire front end once, do the brakes many times, but the car lasted me over 10 years and well over (no exaggeration) 500 thousand miles. I delivered pizzas in it for a year & a half and that put a lot of wear and tear on it. It was race around Deland daily for all that time while being manager of the restaurant. Was hectic, but it was fun and I wouldn't have done anything different. So I thought I could do it all myself with this company, but learned this last year of 2007 I could not. Which I will write about in full detail at a later time.

Important Please Read

     Since there are many out there in cyber space that like to send viruses via email and other junk mail, it is easy for your email to get lost in the spam control systems. So in order to receive a reply to your email (we might not even open the email if it doesn't look like its from a customer), please make sure that you place this or a similar phrase in the email heading, "CFF - Plant Order Question:  (insert your question subject here)" and your emails will be answered as soon as possible. Our life has become a little more than complicated and busy since our 2 children arrived and the complications with our son's health, we need a day off and Sundays are those days. Sometimes we will take a weekend, so if your emails are not answered on the weekend, they will be answered as soon as possible unless we are out of town, but that is rare. If you have any problems with our service or plants, please give us the opportunity to make it right for you. We WILL make things right as much as is humanly possible. We live to please!

Thank you for choosing Central Florida Farms and we look forward to meeting you!

David Mattocks

The rest of the clan

Angel | Hannah | Corban | Parents | Hurricanes 2004

The Story of Corban - (Click the pic)

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Central Florida Farms.Com
Adding Life to Yours!

As always, if you do not see what you are looking for, please email us and we will do our best to fill the order.

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