The Boynton family was recently recognized by the Western Palm Beach County Farm Bureau as the 2025 Pioneer Farm Family of the Year, awarded for their outstanding commitment to agriculture and the community.
The Boynton family has played a pivotal role in Florida agriculture for more than a century. Their story reflects resilience, innovation and leadership across five generations.
The pioneer families who ventured into the Glades area so many years ago brought their families to the area with the hope and dream that they could provide a better life and prosper. The Boynton story begins with Henry “Grady” Boynton and his wife Catherine Prine, who married in Polk County around 1910. Grady operated a citrus picking and hauling business and became known for his entrepreneurial spirit. To stand out, he painted his car with bold orange and green stripes, earning recognition as “the man with the striped car.”
During the Florida land boom of the 1920s, Grady invested heavily in real estate, becoming a paper millionaire before losing nearly everything in the 1926 collapse. The family retained one property — a spring-fed swimming pool on the Peace River, where they built a modest business renting swimsuits, selling food and maintaining the pool.
In 1928, after assisting in hurricane recovery near Lake Okeechobee, Grady was captivated by the region’s agricultural potential. By 1929, the family relocated to Canal Point, where Grady farmed vegetables and offered land-preparation services using modified Model T trucks.
A pivotal moment came during the Great Depression when Grady earned $40,000 from a cabbage crop, funding construction of the family’s innovative stilted home — nicknamed “The House That Cabbage Built.” Ever the inventor, Grady designed the house up on stilts and put vents in the floor and fans in the ceiling so the cool air would flow upward off the cool sand under the house. It was probably one of the first air-conditioning-like designs in the Glades.
Over time, Grady expanded operations, acquiring and developing hundreds of acres of farmland that remain in the family today.
Following World War II, Grady and his son Joe Tom introduced advanced irrigation systems and later shifted from vegetables to cattle ranching. In 1954, Joe Tom diversified into insurance, founding Seminole Life Insurance Company, which was later sold successfully. The family returned to farming during the sugar boom of the 1960s, helping establish the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative.
Wayne Boynton managed sugarcane operations for more than 40 years before merging with Wedgworth Farms. Today, Ben and Joanna Boynton, along with their children, maintain cattle herds and serve in leadership roles within the agricultural community.
For more than a century, and five generations, the Boynton family has been a cornerstone of Florida agriculture, particularly in western Palm Beach County.
In honor of their impact and contributions to the success of Glades farmers, the Western Palm Beach County Farm Bureau proudly presented the inaugural Pioneer Farm Family of the Year Award to the Boynton family.
For more information about the Western Palm Beach County Farm Bureau, contact Eva Webb at [email protected].
The Western Palm Beach County Farm Bureau is affiliated with the Florida Farm Bureau Federation, the state’s largest general interest agricultural organization, representing more than 132,000 member-families. The Florida Farm Bureau serves to enhance farm enterprises and improve rural communities. Learn more at www.floridafarmbureau.org.
