DOVER, Fla. — Last year’s hurricanes brought a lot of flooding that impacted farms across the state. In Dover, one plant nursery had to shut its doors, but now the owners are recovering by expanding their agriculture business.

Antonio Rodriguez went from farmworker to farm owner despite the challenges he faced after the hurricanes.

Rodriguez knows the value of hard work, as he has farmed for years.

After immigrating to the U.S. from Mexico in the early 2000s, he says his goal was to provide for his family.

“Sometimes we worked six months here in Florida and then we went to Michigan for six months,“ he said, picking all kinds of fruits and vegetables.

Rodriguez says moving from state to state came with its challenges.

“It was difficult because we had to take the children out from school and place them in a new one, and then we had to adjust to a new life with every move, but it’s something we had to do,” he said.

It also meant working long hours in the heat and cold.

But Rodriguez says those challenges lead him to where he is today. He is the proud owner of his own farm, AR Farm Crew.

“You feel a lot of emotions because we now know that anything is possible if you try.” He said it’s been a family effort to purchase the property.

It’s something they’re now hoping to expand after losing their nursery to flooding. He shared pictures of their first harvest two years ago.

For Rodriguez, it’s about being self-reliant.

“We started with investing money little by little, and we sold stuff and working, we just kept that cycle going," he said.

It’s a journey he hopes will inspire more immigrants who come to the country.

“You have to be committed and keep going. If one door closes, another one will open,” Rodriguez said.

His career path has come full circle, allowing him to continue working the land in a different role.

Right now, the family owns 10 acres and they produce jalapenos, strawberries, squash and more.