Wauchula in Hardee County is the center of Florida's inland citrus and vegetable belt, producing oranges, grapefruit, tomatoes, and peppers for markets across the country. Hardee County is one of the top citrus-producing counties in Florida, with hundreds of grove operations that rely on H-2A workers for picking, pruning, and grove maintenance. The Wauchula area also has significant vegetable production, particularly tomatoes and peppers, during the fall and spring seasons.
Citrus operations in Wauchula use Code 0016 at $3.595 per $100 of payroll. Vegetable operations use Code 0008 at $2.506. Grove maintenance and pruning operations use Code 0106 at $6.089. A citrus operation with $400,000 in annual payroll would pay approximately $14,380 per year in workers' comp premiums. Bright Coast Insurance provides same-day certificates for Wauchula H-2A employers and serves the entire Hardee County agricultural community.