Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has recognized Ray Cruze of Roosevelt Academy as the recipient of the 2026 Growing the Future Award for his decades of dedication to agricultural education.
Cruze has led the school’s Land Lab program for more than 30 years, providing hands-on agricultural training to students in grades 6 through 12, including Exceptional Student Education students. The program offers instruction in greenhouse floriculture, aquaponics, hydroponic vegetable production, nursery crops, and Florida native and pollinator plants.
Students gain real-world experience by working in commercial-grade greenhouse and nursery facilities while also helping maintain the operation. The program is designed to teach technical agricultural skills along with responsibility, teamwork, and work ethic.
Cruze also established community partnerships to expand Roosevelt Farms, a student-run farm that sells and donates plants and produce throughout the Lake Wales community, while also helping support families in need.
SOURCE: Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
