New Brooks Tropicals' Web Site

Brooks Tropicals debuts a totally revamped website geared for easy use by the consumer. It will be quick and easy to find information on ripening, nutrition and how to store the tropical fruits and vegetables that Brooks Tropicals grows, packs and sells.

Brooks Tropicals Preserves Ancient Mayan Ruins

Miami Herald article by Tere Figueras Negrete

When Brooks Tropicals began work on a new headquarters for its papaya-growing operation in Belize, executives for the produce distributor in Homestead never imagined the project would thrust them into unfamiliar terrain: archaeology.

GROUNDBREAKING FOR NEW BELIZE HEADQUARTERS
Soon after the groundbreaking on the site of the new corporate offices in December, construction crews unearthed what looked like the foundation of a long-buried building -- and halted work for about two months to allow Brooks Tropicals to work with Belizean officials to excavate the site, located in the northernmost district of Corazal.

Government archaeologists soon discovered a cluster of ancient Mayan structures and the remains of three people buried in the traditional Mayan fashion, all believed to be between 1,500 and 1,800 years old.

ALLOWABLE ARTIFACTS TO BE INCORPORATED IN BUILDING
Brooks Tropicals now plans to incorporate some of the artifacts in an exhibit within the office complex, and incorporate one of the excavated structures -- believed to be a home built for a relatively well-to-do Mayan family -- into a community park on the Brooks property.

''It's a way for the local community to see how their ancestors lived,'' said Mary Ostlund, spokeswoman for Brooks Tropicals, which employs 1,200 in Belize.

The new building will serve as headquarters for the 1,700 acres of papaya groves, which Brooks Tropicals leases from local farmers. The site will include the grove operation offices and packing facilities for Brooks Tropicals, which bills itself as the largest papaya importer in North America.

Brooks Tropicals has been marketing papayas from Belize since 1988, and began growing the fruit in 1993.

The fruit is shipped to facilities in Homestead, where the company was founded in 1928. Brooks Tropicals also grows star fruit and avocadoes in Florida, as well as importing and distributing tropical fruits and vegetables from other growers.

The human remains have been turned over to the Institute of Archaeology. The excavation revealed the remains of a man and a woman buried in a crypt. Archaeologists have uncovered four rooms and ornate pottery. Two other structures have been partially excavated, but their original purposes are still unknown.

MYSTERIOUS REMAINS
A third crypt, holding the remains of a man, was found just outside the home.

Belizean law requires businesses to tread carefully when dealing with archaeological finds. Failing to allow archaeologists to survey sites -- and properly excavate any findings, whether deemed important or not -- can lead to hefty fines or prompt officials to shut down projects.

Some disputes have ended only after prolonged legal battles, said Jaime Awe, director of Belize's Institute of Archaeology, a branch of the National Institute of Culture and History.

''I wish more developers were as willing to work with us as Brooks,'' said Awe. 'Some look at us and say, `Oh no, here come the archaeologists.' ''

FOOTING THE BILL
Brooks Tropicals has footed the bill for the initial excavation, roughly $10,000, said Awe.

Ostlund said the company is financially committed to the project, including the construction of the community park and excavation of other possible Mayan ruins in the area. The headquarters should be completed by February. The community park will be finished by the end of next year, said Ostlund.

The Belizean countryside is dotted with countless similar sites. The ancient Mayans numbered more than a million in 600 AD, said Awe. The current population of Belize is around 300,000.
''We have more prehistoric buildings than modern ones,'' he said.


Read the Brooks Tropicals' press release for more details (this is a 2.2MB PDF file)

Canoe Race Won by Fruta Bomba Team

The canoe race featured at the Belize Agricultural Fair on April 27th was won by Fruta Bomba. Congratulations to the three member race team.

Fruta Bomba's Booth at Belize's Agriculture and Trade Fair

Fruta Bomba put together a fantastic booth for Belize's Agriculture and Trade Fair, April 27th -29th. Photos of papayas adorned the walls of the booth, while chunks of Caribbean Red and Caribbean Sunrise papayas were available for tasting.

Decorations included real papaya trees.

A tape about who we are was shown.

Two hundred applications were taken.

The booth was always busy.

The fair was very busy.

Final Judgement Reversed by Third District Court of Appeal

From an opinion filed 4/18/07
Third District Court of Appeal
State of Florida, January Term, A.D. 2007

Brooks Tropicals, Inc., Appellant,
vs.
Alcides Acosta, Appellee.

J.R. Brooks & Sons, Inc. n/k/a Brooks Tropicals, Inc. (“Brooks”) appeals
from a final judgment in Alcides Acosta’s favor on claims of breach of contract,
fraud in the inducement, fraud, and breach of fiduciary duty relating to settlement
of a Benlate related products liability law suit brought some twelve years earlier in
which Acosta and Brooks were co-plaintiffs. Because there is no evidence to
support any of these claims and because they are all barred by applicable statutes of limitation, we reverse.

For the entire decision go to: http://www.3dca.flcourts.org/Opinions/3D06-0250.pdf

Brooks Exhibits at the International Association Of Culinary Professionals

The International Association of Culinary Professionals is an organization of food writers and editors, cookbook writers and editors, chefs, restaurant owners, nutritionists and companies like Brooks that deliver food in all its various forms to consumers.

Brooks exhibited their brand new booth highlighting Caribbean Sunrise and Caribbean Red papayas at this organization's latest conference in Chicago on April 13th. The booth attracted a lot of interest. Papayas as well as other tropical fruits and vegetables are high on the interest list of the writers, editors and chefs in attendance.

Mayan Ruins Found on Brooks Tropicals Site

by Brian Gaylord

Workers excavating land in Corozal, Belize, in preparation for building headquarters for Homestead, FL-based Brooks Tropicals Inc. have unearthed Mayan artifacts dating back more than 1,500 years.

The discovery occurred about a month ago with workers first finding a wall of a structure. Work was halted, and the Belize Institute of Archaeology was called to the site.
Brooks Tropicals has paid for the excavation to date and will continue to fund the archaeological dig and the preservation of the artifacts, according to Mary Ostlund, director of marketing at Brooks.

These Mayan ruins lie in a rural area of Belize where Fruita Bomba grows, packs and ships Caribbean Red and Caribbean Sunrise papayas for Brooks Tropicals, the largest U.S. importer of papayas. The discovery has delayed construction of Brooks' new base of operations in Belize, Ms. Ostlund said.

The foundations of three early Classical-period Mayan structures were uncovered. One is believed to be an upper middle-class residence. Buried in polished stone crypts beneath the house some 20-30 centimeters underground were a male and female believed to be 1,500 to 1,800 years old. Outside the residence, another male not believed related to the others also was buried.

The crypts were in a back room that had been cut into the earth and lined by stones approximately 12 inches by 12 inches. The stones were precisely cut and plastered, indicating the wealth of the residents. Each side of the crypts was six stones high, and the tops were six stones wide. The crypts were filled with fine soil.

As per Mayan tradition in the region, a vessel was placed with the remains, possibly to aid the dead through the underworld. In this finding, the female had a bowl placed over her head, and the male had a large plate -- possibly a family heirloom -- over his face. Mayans usually placed the vessels under the head. A small jade button also was found. The other skeleton was buried with much less ceremony outside the house.

The house is approximately 26 feet by 65 feet, which is relatively large for the period. Four rooms have been uncovered so far. The size of the house and the ornate pottery found in the house indicate that the family -- though likely not royalty -- certainly lived and worked within royal circles, Ms. Ostlund said.

The area where the bodies were found appears to be an open-air plaza, one of five or six plazas that the area had. There usually were five to eight structures in a plaza, Ms. Ostlund said.
While the artifacts will go to the Belize Institute of Archaeology, Brooks will be allowed to display some of the artifacts at the site. Ms. Ostlund said that the find offers a view of "neighbors from 2,000 years ago" and an "understanding of their heritage."