January 20, 2023
The Phosphate Innovation Initiative’s Water Conservation Science Center is dedicated to promoting environmental conservation through cutting-edge technology and innovation. One of the ways the industry is […]
December 9, 2022
The Phosphate Industry has been in Florida for more than one hundred years. Since its discovery by Captain J. Francis LeBaron in 1881, phosphate has been […]
November 17, 2022
What is phosphate - and who needs it? The answer? Everyone. Phosphate is an essential part of everyday life. It is highly sought after by farmers around the world and the majority of our nation’s phosphate products are made right here in Florida. There are currently 27 phosphate operation sites in Florida, yet only nine of them are currently active.
October 31, 2022
What is phosphate - and who needs it? The answer? Everyone. Phosphate is an essential part of everyday life. It is highly sought after by farmers around the world and the majority of our nation’s phosphate products are made right here in Florida. There are currently 27 phosphate operation sites in Florida, yet only nine of them are currently active.
September 23, 2022
What is phosphate - and who needs it? The answer? Everyone. Phosphate is an essential part of everyday life. It is highly sought after by farmers around the world and the majority of our nation’s phosphate products are made right here in Florida. There are currently 27 phosphate operation sites in Florida, yet only nine of them are currently active.
July 22, 2022
The phosphate industry has been an integral part of the evolution of Florida’s economy and way of life since deposits were first discovered in 1881. Before we knew how to mine phosphate, communities around the Peace River Valley like Polk, Hillsborough, Hardee, Manatee, and DeSoto County were vast plains home to only a few farms, cattle ranches and orange groves. Reliant on bone meal for fertilizer, farmers weren’t able to maximize the land’s agricultural potential. That was until engineer Captain J. Francis LeBaron discovered phosphate in Alachua county while surveying the Peace River in 1881. In the blink of an eye, Florida residents raced to get their hands on a piece of this land as they watched the Peace river transform from an isolated wilderness to Florida’s essential ingredient.