Jillian Haggerty
•9/17/2026
BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (WINK) — Gas prices are going up and local farmers are feeling the impact.
For farmers, fuel is a major part of keeping their operations running, from equipment in the fields to irrigation and delivery trucks. WINK News spoke with one Southwest Florida farmer about how those rising costs are affecting his operation.
For local farmers, the fall season is coming into view. The pumpkins are growing, the corn is tall and after a dry summer, the rain has finally come.
But too much rain isn't the only thing farmers are watching. Michael Clevenger, CEO of Farmer Mike's Produce and You-Pick, says diesel is a cost built into nearly everything they do, from running tractors to pumping water for their crops.
"The biggest impact that we've seen here on the farm over the past say 90 days or so is the impact of the fuel prices," Clevenger said.
"Everything that a farmer touches involves fuel, whether it's a tractor, farming side, every plant that we plant requires water. It requires care. That requires a diesel engine to run the irrigation," Clevenger said.
And it doesn't stop on the farm. Farmer Mike's also has a distribution business with dozens of trucks moving products throughout the week.
"We have a distribution side to our business, Farmer Mike's Food Service. That side of the business, we're putting 15 to 20 trucks on the road seven days a week, every one of those trucks requires fuel," Clevenger said.
Clevenger says those higher fuel costs are already showing up in the cost of moving produce and he expects that could eventually reach the retail level. He anticipates a 15% to 20% increase in costs at the retail level.
That's why farmers like Clevenger say they're looking for ways to absorb as much of that increase as they can while still preparing for the busiest part of their season.
"Maybe offer our products at a little bit cheaper than the local retailers this season as a way to kind of give back to the community that supports us all year, especially this time of year with our fall festival," Clevenger said.
Even though Clevenger expects to have a busy season, they are going to have to keep an eye on diesel prices and hope they go down soon.
