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Help strengthen agriculture in our rural communities during County Leader Week, April 19-23, 2021. County Leader Week was launched three years ago as a way to honor the foundation of Farm Bureau – its members.

Florida Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers were nationally recognized and awarded over the weekend for their benevolence in 2020, as part of the American Farm Bureau Federation’s FUSION Conference. These awards are part of the Harvest for All campaign, where young farmers and ranchers across the nation provide…

Last year during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic consumers saw empty grocery shelves as nationwide people caught a glimpse of what life would be like without the availability of a safe and abundant food supply. Moving forward, our nation's farmers and ranchers are resilient and they persevered.

March 2021 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter By J. Scott Angle [email protected] @IFAS_VP I’m nearly halfway through fulfilling a pledge to visit all 67 UF/IFAS county Extension offices. One way I gauge the effectiveness of an office’s outreach—which is, after all, its mission—is whether I get to meet the county Farm Bureau president.

March 2021 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter Hire.Ag is Florida Farm Bureau Federation’s way to connect agriculture employers with certified individuals. With more than 20,200 AEST certified individuals in Florida, AEST is preparing the next generation of knowledgeable and skilled agriculturists. Agriculture and related industry employers across the state utilize the free job…

March 2021 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter Duval County Farm Bureau (DCFB) President Greg Tison is a North Florida native. He was born in Jacksonville and later moved to Clay County with his family when he was 12 years old. “My family raised cattle, livestock and had a family garden,” he said. Tison…

FloridAgriculture eNewsletter 2021 Donna Blommel, Pasco County Farm Bureau President Fourth generation farmer and Pasco County native Donna Blommel grew up in St. Joe, a small community outside of Dade City. Her parents, and maternal grandparents before them, grew citrus and other crops. The devastating freezes in the 1980s struck…

Farmers and landowners in four Florida counties – Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa and Walton – can now apply for additional relief in the wake of Hurricane Sally which made landfall along the Florida Panhandle in September of 2020. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services encourages producers to…

FloridAgriculture eNewsletter 2021 Matt Stephenson-Smith, Collier County Farm Bureau President Meet Matt Stephenson-Smith, newly elected President of Collier County Farm Bureau’s Board of Directors. Matt is a proud fifth generation native Floridian who grew up in Central Florida where the Smith branch of his family tree operated a modest beef…

FloridAgriculture eNewsletter January 2021 Many Florida employers and business owners can expect changes in the New Year regarding the new mandatory E-Verify law. Beginning on January 1, 2021, Florida’s new “Verification of Employment Eligibility” statute will require many employers to use the federal E-Verify system before hiring any new employees.

Jarad Plair of LaBelle has been selected to serve on the 2021-23 American Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers (YF&R) Leadership Committee. The national committee is comprised of 16 positions representing all regions of the U.S. An individual or couple between the ages of 18-35 can hold…

Researchers at UF/IFAS have a made a new discovery in their study of vanilla. A tool has been developed that unlocks the genetic traits that identify the vanilla variety that produces the fastest with the most consumer-friendly approved taste.