by REBEKAH PIERCE
Sponsored by Visit Central Florida
First, he was stealing bases. Now, he’s growing greens. In both aspects of his professional life, Dee Strange-Gordon is proving his ability to work hard and make history.
Strange-Gordon, who played first with the Los Angeles Dodgers before doing stints with the Miami Marlins, Seattle Mariners, and other teams, has switched gears in retirement, exercising his green thumb instead of swinging a bat.
Black Sheep Farms started in 2021, the brainchild of Strange-Gordon, who wanted to leave something tangible behind for his children. Strange-Gordon first envisioned the venture as a traditional farm, but his innovative mindset (he also has a history of investing in tech) quickly steered him in a new direction.
He didn’t find that direction by accident.
“I was originally wanting to do aquaponics, but it didn’t work out,” he says. “I took a couple of weeks while I was playing baseball—my wife had just had my son—to take my time and think of something real that we could capitalize on in the future for our family.”
Hydroponics turned out to be that something, an attractive option to Strange-Gordon as he realized the stress of a changing environment. Citrus greening was what first opened his eyes, “knowing that these crops are being damaged, people can’t grow outside as they used to.”
Black Sheep Farms focused on greens first: lettuce, collard greens, romaine, and kale.
But no sheep at Black Sheep Farms, despite the name. Instead, it’s a moniker that carries personal weight for Strange-Gordon, and is deeply rooted in his journey and identity.
“I didn’t have a lot of support, you know what I’m saying? Nobody was saying, ‘That’s my favorite player ever.’ I had to work for the things I got. That made me the black sheep in certain situations.”
He brings that tenacity into every aspect of his new venture. “When the odds are stacked against you, it’s easy to be a black sheep. It really comes from being picked last and grinding my way to the top. You start as the black sheep, but you become the GOAT.”
Strange-Gordon may not think of himself as the GOAT in the MLB world, but he’s certainly solidifying that as his reputation when it comes to giving back in Central Florida. From farm to table to community initiatives, he’s doing his part to form a powerful legacy.
“It just happens organically, honestly,” he says. “We always like to say, instead of getting ready, just be ready.”
In addition to creating thriving farm-to-table relationships, Strange-Gordon has directed much of the farm’s produce directly to schools, hospitals, and other local organizations.
“We’re not selling as much to restaurants,” he explains. “We’re pretty much giving it away to schools and hospitals to make sure the kids are good, to make sure they go home with something.”
Much of his charitable work has been done with the Highlands County Boys and Girls Club, for which he is chairman of the board.
“We have dinners with them for Christmas, back-to-school giveaways, Thanksgiving. We make sure we hand out free food for them and their families.”
Now, Black Sheep Farms is preparing for expansion with a brand-new vision. He’s building a 20,000 square foot expansion to the farm (expected to be completed in 2026) to boost the farm’s production capacity and branch out to other types of produce, like tomatoes and strawberries. This will expand their research capacity, too, allowing them to do even more for the local community.
Strange-Gordon has enjoyed major success with Black Sheep Farms, but he’ll be the first to admit that it wasn’t always easy. There’s a steep learning curve to starting a business, he says, one that he didn’t expect as a veteran of the baseball diamond.
“When I played baseball, it was easy. You go do your job right, do it well and you get paid. Business isn’t like that. You can do a great job, do it well, and no one can see. You can still not make anything.”
When asked about the most rewarding part of his journey, Strange-Gordon reflects, “Seeing the people around me understand what we’re doing. I know that sounds crazy, but seeing the people around me understand what’s going on. The importance of what we’re doing.”
And in that, Strange-Gordon might just be the GOAT that Central Florida’s communities need.