As a grassroots organization, Florida Farm Bureau has the opportunity to make a difference during every election cycle.

Whether it is at the local, state, or federal level, Farm Bureau can improve the future of Florida agriculture throughout the political process.

More than 300 young farmers attended the 2019 annual Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Conference themed “Ready. Set. Grow.” The conference, held July 12-14, included informative breakout sessions on current agricultural issues, networking opportunities with current members and more.

Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers are members between the ages of 18 and 35, who volunteer their time and resources to speak out on behalf of farm families in their local communities.

In an effort to encourage our members to be involved in the legislative process, we asked conference attendees to take a quick, 12-question digital survey and the results were impressive. The following questions and results that caught our attention were:

• 93% of our members said it is extremely important to be politically influential.
• 75% said that for us to improve in the political process, we need to elect more farmers to the Legislature.
• 60% would run for office if they felt they could make a difference.
• 60% would make a small monthly contribution to a Farm Bureau PAC.

Thank you to all of our members who participated in this survey and attended the conference. Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

This survey showed us that our members are willing to be politically active and engaged in the process. Our entire organization initiates our legislative priorities and gives Florida Farm Bureau its influence as the Voice of Agriculture in our state.