January 2025
More than 75 Florida Farm Bureau members traveled to San Antonio, Texas to attend the 106th annual American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Convention. Many Florida members received national recognition for a variety of awards.
Young Farmers and Ranchers members Chad Haas (Volusia County), Marshal and Taylor Sewell (Levy County) and Brandt and Samantha Hendricks (Santa Rosa County) competed in the Discussion Meet, Excellence in Agriculture and Achievement in Agriculture. The Hendricks and Sewells were among the top ten finalists for their respective competitions. The Sewells were named the 2025 Excellence in Agriculture winners by AFBF.
The 2025 Farm Bureau Farm Dog of the Year was awarded to Sirius, a 6-year-old Maremma sheepdog owned by Alachua County members Jorge and Debbie Garcia-Bengochea.
Kevin Lussier of Alachua County was recognized for his service as the AFBF YF&R Committee Chair.
Sumter County Farm Bureau was selected as a winner of the AFBF County Activities of Excellence and invited to showcase their “988 It’s OK” Mental Health Initiative at the convention’s tradeshow.
Florida also received the Leader Award and the Women’s Leadership Committee received the Challenge Award. State Farm Bureaus are recognized with a Leader Award when each of their board members donates at least $50 to the Foundation for Agriculture. Challenge Awards are presented to Farm Bureau committees or other groups when 100% of that group donates at least $25 to the Foundation. Broward County Farm Bureau was recognized by the Foundation for Agriculture with the County Leaders Award for its 31 years of consecutive donations.
Florida delegates voted on policies to guide the organization’s work in 2025. Key topics ranged from electronic animal identification, web-based chemical labeling, and risk management disaster programs.
To view convention photos, click here.