Kyle Patterson represents counties in district 7 on the State Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Committee. Counties in his district include Orange, Brevard, Osceola, Indian River, Okeechobee, St. Lucie and Martin.

Patterson grew up in Christmas, a small town in Orange County. He became involved in agriculture at a young age by joining his local 4-H club. “I grew up in 4-H and FFA showing steers and heifers,” he said.

“I also worked at my grandfather’s horse stable.” Patterson started raising cattle when he was ten years old, showing at the local fair. “I started my herd when I was working cows with my grandfather and I took in an orphan calf and bottle-fed her,” he said.

The summer of his 15^th year Patterson worked for a local rancher and instead of paying him in monetary value, he gifted him a heifer calf, which he still has today. “She has had 15 calves and is still going strong,” Patterson mentioned.

Patterson developed a passion for raising and showing cattle and he started his own Simmental herd. Today, Patterson resides in Fort Pierce, FL. with his wife, Alisha, and their two children, Kole and Kinsley. Patterson currently serves on the board of directors for the St. Lucie County Farm Bureau.

“My wife and I have a registered Simmental herd and a commercial herd. We raise show cattle for the youth to show at their local fairs as well as prospect shows. I also help local ranchers manage their cattle herds,” he said.

Kyle and Alisha enjoy being members actively involved in Farm Bureau at the state and local level especially because it provides a platform for them to share their passion for agriculture. “I like being involved in Farm Bureau because they share the same Christian beliefs as I do,” he mentioned.

Every year during the local fair, a special “buyers dinner” takes place. Kyle explained that, “it is a way for me to educate buyers as well as show appreciation to them for supporting the youth.”

The Pattersons would like to instill in their children the same passion for agriculture that they share so that they always know where their food comes from and the hard work comes from the people who provide it.

Ryan and Sydney Armstrong represent District 6 on the State Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Committee. Counties in their district include Manatee, Sarasota, Hardee, DeSoto, Highlands, Charlotte and Lee.

The Armstrongs currently reside in Lake Placid in Highlands County. Both Ryan and Sydney come from agricultural backgrounds where their families have instilled in them a love for the land and have shaped them into the people they are today.

Sydney grew up in Jackson County and her love for agriculture comes from her papa with whom she spent summers picking and shelling peas and butter beans with. Heavily involved in Future Farmers of America (FFA), Sydney served as the Florida FFA State Officer from 2011-2012.

“Even though I have not worked in production agriculture, I have always had a job that was involved in agriculture,” she said. “Whether it was in college, or the positions I have held since, I have always loved being an advocate for Florida farmers.”

Ryan grew up on his great-grandfather’s farm in Brooksville in Hernando County. “Having grown up on a farm that has been in my family for seven generations, I cherish the values and lessons learned from the hard work it takes to work in agriculture,” he said.

Sydney began her involvement in Farm Bureau at the collegiate level where she served as the Collegiate Farm Bureau Secretary for two years. “My favorite thing about Farm Bureau is that it encompasses all types of agriculture and you meet so many amazing people, with the same values as your own,” she said.

The Armstrongs moved to Highlands County where they have resided for a year and a half. Both being new to the area, they attended their first Highlands County Farm Bureau (HCFB) Young Farmers and Ranchers meeting together.

“We knew we wanted to be involved in what Farm Bureau stands for and what it does for the community,” Sydney mentioned.

“My favorite thing is that it opens doors for young farmers and ranchers to be involved in state and federal policy,” Ryan stated. “I have enjoyed attending Tallahassee Days and Field to the Hill and have learned so much about advocacy.”

One of the largest events in Highlands County is the Annual Cracker Shoot held each April. “Where I’m from, clay shooting as a sport is not very prominent so this was new to me,” Sydney said. “I love that we have great support from our county board and they appreciate our involvement and help for events like this.”

Every fall, HCFB holds its annual meeting and the Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee volunteers to serve food and beverages. “My favorite part of it is that it highlights those in our community who are doing great things for agriculture,” Ryan said.

The couple is excited for what the future brings and can’t wait to see all of the young farmers and ranchers from across the state at the annual Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Conference next week in Daytona Beach.

Of all the commodities we produce in Florida, the most important is leaders. People like John Hoblick, Brant Schirard, Adam Basford and Staci Sims are essential to the success of the other 300 commodities.

The University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences invests so much in leadership development programs as a way to help every farmer, rancher, and forester. Not surprisingly, we need good leaders to help prepare other leaders. People like Christy Chiarelli.

Chiarelli started as director of the Wedgworth Leadership Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources on June 3.

Chiarelli arrived in Gainesville in 2006 as a junior after serving as a National FFA Officer from Mississippi. She already knew she wanted a career in agriculture. One of the seminal experiences of her undergraduate career was an internship with the Florida Farm Bureau. It’s when she met John Hoblick. And it’s when she met Adam Basford, who was her supervisor and is now your director of state legislative affairs.

After earning her master’s degree while working for the UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education, she served as a program adviser for Class VIII of the Wedgworth Leadership Institute. Sims, who is now the Florida Farm Bureau general counsel, was a member of that class, and she and Chiarelli forged a strong relationship that continues today.

Chiarelli also made many Farm Bureau friends as a UF/IFAS advancement officer, which helped her raise $1.7 million for the institute she now leads. She’ll continue to rely on her Farm Bureau network to help her scout the state for rising talent who can become better equipped to lead their industries with Wedgworth training.

John, Brant (your vice president), Adam, and Staci say they still draw on lessons learned and relationships forged in 22 months (longer than most master’s degree programs) in Wedgworth.

President Hoblick says Wedgworth has been a “huge part of my foundation for leadership of the Florida Farm Bureau Federation.” He also offers this endorsement: “The basic principles of leadership that do not get printed in textbooks come alive with this program. It’s a hands-on, practical approach in real-life situations that this program puts you through – and that’s big.”

Chiarelli is dedicated to helping you succeed. You can help her succeed by nominating someone for Class XI of the Wedgworth Leadership Institute by July 15. Visit www.wedgworthleadership.com or call Christy at 352-392-1038 for details.

She speaks the language of leadership. She learned it through two Gator degrees in agricultural education and communication within the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. She further honed it in strengthening the connections between UF/IFAS and its supporters while raising millions of dollars for the science that drives Florida farming success.

Chiarelli also speaks the language of the ranch, the field and the grove. As a girl she helped her grandfather with his cows. She also bought and sold her own livestock, including market lambs and Brahman cattle. She spent years in FFA, rising to president of the Mississippi FFA Association and then getting elected as the Southern Region National FFA Vice President.

A change in Wedgworth leadership is a big deal. It has only happened one other time in the organization’s 40-year history. It’s a job Chiarelli has spent all that time preparing for, getting help along the way from FFA advisors, UF/IFAS faculty, the Farm Bureau and others.

It’s never too early to start looking for the next generation of talent. We’ll be keeping an eye on UF/IFAS College of Agricultural and Life Sciences students who intern with the Farm Bureau. Chiarelli may pass the leadership torch to one of them some day.

[email protected]
@JackPayneIFAS

Jack Payne is the University of Florida’s senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources and leader of the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Researchers Discover Ingredient to Fight Johne’s Disease
A new protein, 35 kDa membrane peptide, may be used as an ingredient in vaccinating cattle against Johne’s disease. The protein is on the surface of the bacterium Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), which causes Johne’s disease.

USDA Agricultural Research Service scientists discovered that the protein helps the bacterium invade epithelial cells lining the cow’s small intestine, thickening it and blocking the uptake of nutrients from feed or forage.

The research could open the door to a new way of preventing Johne’s disease without interference with bovine tuberculosis tests. Read more about the study.

Jones Laffin, an Albany-GA based ingredient science and research company, has developed an innovative solution to address citrus greening. Through a long-term partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the firm has created a pea protein that will restore the sweet taste of Florida oranges, when mixed with the bitter juice from “greening” oranges.

According to a recent statement by CEO Alvin Jones, “Our team’s latest endeavor to utilize the polymer restructuring technology with pea protein has resulted in a very timely solution to the citrus greening disease which has spread across Florida, infecting virtually 100 percent of commercial orange groves.”

Additional information about the company can be found at www.joneslaffin.com. For questions, email at [email protected].

Water Management district budgets start October 1, 2017 so it’s a good time to decide if their agricultural cost-share programs are applicable and beneficial to your operation.  These programs typically incentivize water conservation and quality enhancement projects and some have eligibility requirements.

South Florida Water Management District
Contact:  Stacey Adams, 561-682-2577

Programs, Preliminary Budget, and Goals:  Conservation and alternative supplies:  $4.5M – stormwater; $3.5M – alternative supply (e.g. tailwater recovery); $1.0M – conservation projects.

Process:  District-wide applications this winter; funding by summer.

St. Johns River Water Management District
Contact:  Suzanne Archer, 407-215-1450

District-wide Ag Cost-Share:  Conservation and quality improvement technologies – $1.5M

Tri-County Ag Area (Flagler, Putnam, and St. Johns Counties): Primarily quality projects – $1.5M

Agriculture Springs Initiative Program (Silver Springs Spring-shed):  Water conservation and/or nutrient reduction – $1.4M

Process:  Anticipate District-wide proposals due in May; TCAA proposals due in June.

Suwannee River Water Management District  
Contacts: Ben Glass,  386-362-1001
Justin Garland, 800-226-1066

Programs, Preliminary Budget, and Goals:  Irrigation efficiency and nutrient management – $2.5M

Process:  SRWMD anticipates cost-sharing will start late fall / winter. 

Southwest Florida Water Management District
Contacts: (FARMS) Program:  Chris Zajac, 813-985-748, ext. 4413
Mini-FARMS:  Jessica Stempien, 813-985-7481, ext. 2125
Patricia Hobson, 941-377-3722, ext. 6516

Programs, Preliminary Budget, and Goals:  FARMS primarily funds water conservation, up to 75% of costs.  Mini-FARMS assists farms less than 100 acres conserve water and install quality BMPs, up to 75% of costs, capped at $5,000.00.   Preliminary budget:  FARMS – $6 million; Mini-FARMS – $100k.

Process:  Apply year-round.

Northwest Florida Water Management District
Contact:  Angela Chelette, 850-539-2650

Program Goals: Jackson Blue Springs; efficiency and nutrient reduction – $1.0M

Contact Charles Shinn for additional information at 352-374-1522.