David Hill has spent nearly four decades in the agriculture industry as a fruit and vegetable farmer. Along with his wife Lisa, he founded Southern Hill Farms in Clermont, Fla., in 1999 and currently serves as president of the growing commercialfarming and agritourism operations.

In 2017, David and his sons, Michael and Kyle, partnered with Ryan Atwood to start H&A Farms, a year-round, grower owned and operated blueberry packing facility in Mount Dora, Fla. Over the course of his career, David managed farming operations and was the vice president for Long Farms in the 80s and 90s, where he found a love for farming, growing sweet corn, carrots and radishes on the Zellwood muck. He went on to build a successful landscape tree nursery on 120 acres in Clermont but later sought to diversify the business, laying the foundation for what would become Southern Hill Farms.

David’s most recent leadership in the industry includes service as vice chair of the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA), a full-service organization serving Florida’s grower-shipper community. A husband, father and grandfather, his greatest accomplishment is his family. Their love and support has allowed him to pursue a passion for and  commitment to Florida agriculture.