Commercial agriculture in a variety of foods like oranges and rice replaced cotton and sugar production. Powers says African-Americans did not share in the success of farm diversification. Most of the former slaves continued to work in the cotton fields, but by the turn of the century, cotton represented only a small portion of the county s farm produce. Truck farming became a profitable business venture for local farmers. Also, farmers tried growing oranges using new scientific and technological methods.
Powers points out one particular grower.
One orange grower, Mrs. Abraham, actually hired Japanese workers to manage her 20 acres of groves.