May 6, 2015
On Thursday, May 7, fourteen farm families in the Suwannee River Basin will receive a coveted statewide award for their outstanding achievements in preserving land and water resources.
The event will be held at the UF/IFAS Suwannee Valley Agricultural Extension Center (formerly the North Florida Research and Education Center), in Live Oak, beginning at 5:00 p.m.
The following farms have earned top recognition under the County Alliancefor Responsible Environmental Stewardship (CARES) program and will be recognized: Alachua County: Marlowe Farms and Vernon & Gail Vinzant Farm; Bradford County: Valley View Farms; Columbia County: Overkill Hill Farms LLC and Taylor Hay Farm; Gilchrist County: Hilliard Brothers; Levy County: Starnes Farms and Wilbur and Candy Dean; Suwannee County: JP Cobb, Mize Farms, Scott & Maria Randell and Rockn C Farms; Union County: Smith & SMS Sod Co., Inc. and AB Whitehead & Family.
Created by Florida Farm Bureau Federation more than a decade ago, this program involves an alliance of more than 60 state and federal agencies, county commissions, water management districts, businesses and organizations as well as many individuals.