The main objective of the Friends of Forestry event is to spotlight the use of renewable resources and communicate to the general public the economic and environmental benefits of using paper versus plastic bags.
Download the Friends of Forestry toolkit here.
Advantages of Paper Bags vs. Plastic Bags
Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services – Florida Forest Service
The main objective for using this social media campaign is to maximize the educational reach of a county Young Farmers & Ranchers (YF&R) program while creating a conversational platform through social media which promotes local Florida commodities while they are in season. County YF&R programs are encouraged to use the hashtags provided. For seasonal agricultural products, this toolkit provides a method for users to highlight Florida products in season throughout the year.
Download the #NowInSeason toolkit here.
Social Media Tips to Help Boost Post Performance
The main objective for the Harvest For All event is to help provide food for those in need by organizing a gleaning or a donation of non-marketable produce. You can also include a food collection or donation during your #GrowingOurLeaders educational events. There are also national competitions based on participation in Harvest for All programs.
Download the Harvest for All toolkit here.
FloridAgriculture eNews | May 2020
Giving back is a tradition of County Farm Bureaus, even amid a pandemic. Multiple county Farm Bureaus have donated to community food banks, helped link farmers and ranchers to local citizens to distribute fresh produce and coordinated various food and peanut butter drives.
Marion County Farm Bureau has donated $15,374 in COVID-19 relief to the First Step Food Bank, Inc., in Marion County. The food bank works with various food banks and pantries to distribute items to local citizens. Marion County Farm Bureau also donated $1,000 to the Victory2020 Gardens Project sponsored by the Marion County 4-H Office. The project provides virtual gardening tips and modules from UF/IFAS Extension in Columbia and Marion Counties.
Baker, Clay, Columbia, Duval, Nassau and Putnam-St. Johns County Farm Bureaus contributed $39,000 to purchase from area farmers affected by COVID-19 in North Florida. Lake County Farm Bureau presented a $10,000 check to Irene O’Malley of Lake Cares Food Pantry to support citizens in need of food assistance.
These are just a few examples of how county Farm Bureaus have given back during COVID-19.
FloridAgriculture eNews | May 2020
By: Landon Hoffman, Legislative Affairs, Assistant Director
With the 2020 legislative session behind us, Florida Farm Bureau can now begin preparations for candidate interviews. As with every election cycle, Florida Farm Bureau, our members and our state’s strong agricultural community have the ability to make an impact in the Florida Legislature. Each election year provides new opportunities to support candidates we believe will advocate on behalf of Florida’s farmers and ranchers. With less than 2% of Floridians now directly involved with agriculture, it is essential that experts, producers and growers engage politically and stay involved with campaigns and the political and legislative processes.
It is important to realize that even though our nation is in a state of emergency due to COVID-19, we will still have elections in November. In the Florida House, there will be 23 open seats, while in the Florida Senate, there will be seven. Florida Farm Bureau’s State Legislative Affairs team will hold candidate interviews with the Florida Agricultural Coalition, as well as participate in a similar process with the Florida Chamber of Commerce.
Supporting and promoting good, quality leaders that will help strengthen and grow Florida agriculture is a priority of Florida Farm Bureau’s members and leaders.
As the elections get closer, we look forward to keeping our members updated on the political landscape in Florida this year. If you have any policy or political questions, please contact our State Legislative Affairs office in Tallahassee.
@JackPayneIFAS
By Jack Payne
Late last year I called Kenneth Parker to ask a favor. I thought a lot about it before I dialed, because I knew his answer would be yes. It always is.
I needed a new Florida delegate to a national grassroots council that converges on Washington, D.C. to go to bat for land-grant universities. At first Kenneth said he did not know what I was talking about, but that the other two Florida delegates sounded like good company, so count him in.
That is typical Kenneth Parker for you. As Farm Bureau members, you may know him best as former president of the Hillsborough County Farm Bureau and a regular at the annual convention. But Kenneth transcends a single association or commodity. He basically does whatever he can for Florida agriculture.
He brings to that service an appreciation for the science that underpins your
success. For years, Kenneth has worked to strengthen the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and help us understand industry needs.
Just a month or two before he accepted my request to serve as a Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching (CARET) delegate, he had agreed to lead one of our stakeholder advisory groups, the Florida Agricultural Council, as its new president. In 2018, he said yes when we asked him to join SHARE Council, which helps garner philanthropic support for UF/IFAS.
Kenneth established early in his tenure as the executive director of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association his continuing support of the association’s commitment to covering the first few years’ salary for a UF/IFAS strawberry breeder with an expertise in genomics.
That allowed us to essentially have Dr. Seonghee Lee audition for the job. He is since become indispensable to Vance Whitaker’s strawberry breeding team.
Kenneth stood up for me at times when I had to make tough decisions. I have publicly acknowledged him in the past, like in 2014 when UF/IFAS honored FSGA as its industry partner of the year.
As I approach retirement, and I reflect on the contributions of our many supporters, Kenneth stands out. Because he did so much, and because he did it with such kindness and gentleness, Kenneth made me want to do my job better.
I will bet Judi Whitson in your Hillsborough County Farm Bureau office would say the same thing. So would the instructors in Plant City. So would the plant breeders in Wimauma. Soon enough, I expect, so will his peers at SHARE, CARET and the Florida Ag Council.
That means they will all do a better job for you.
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.
FloridAgriculture eNews | May 2020
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced businesses deemed non-essential to shut down, disruptions in the food supply chain created a domino effect across agriculture. Florida farmers and ranchers faced severe challenges because key markets and distribution channels were closed.
The heart and determination of Florida Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers is unmatched to any young group of millennials. These qualities appeared in a response to the crisis. The instinct and passion of one Hardee County Young Farmer and Rancher, Kalan Royal, kicked in.
It all started after Royal received a phone call from fellow YF&R member Samantha Dailey of Marion County asking if he knew of any farms that were selling directly to the public. Wheels were set in motion to develop a grassroots direct to consumer product list.
“Knowing the struggles that American farmers and ranchers already faced pre-COVID-19 with trying to get their products sold and remain in business another year to keep the population fed as they compete against unfair competition from foreign producers, I knew I had to get as many farms on this list as possible,” said Royal. “The state’s farmers and ranchers now were in need of help more than ever in getting their products sold.”
“I kept researching and gathering as much information as I could get my hands on to help out those who give so much of themselves to provide food for this country,” added Royal. “As a result of Samantha prompting me to create a list and valuable input from FFB District 8 Field Representative Eva Webb, we were able to come up with an extensive list to help both consumers as well as farmers and ranchers.”
The grassroots farm to consumer list contains more than 250 farms and produce stands across the Sunshine State that are selling fresh produce and meats direct to consumers and is available on the FFB website.
Since the YF&R list has been created, a number of farm to consumer lists have been made available to the public, including the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Florida Farm to You initiative that connects consumers directly to farms. Producers are able to submit available products via the website and consumers can search by county for various commodities.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Farmers to Families Food Box program was also recently put into motion to assist agriculture and families in need.
Farmers interested in getting their products listed on various websites can visit the Florida Farm Bureau COVID-19 Resource page for available links.
April 2020 FloridAgriculture e-Newsletter
By Jack Payne
[email protected]
@JackPayneIFAS
The Coronavirus doesn’t stop the need to feed. In fact, the run on supermarkets as I wrote this in mid-March demonstrates how demand for food spikes during a crisis.
This is a moment (maybe a months-long “moment”) for agriculture and agricultural science to shine. We have a wealth of experience as few other sectors do in navigating a crisis — natural disasters, climate variability, market fluctuations, freezes, diseases, pests and other threats.
Just as the food supply you deliver is not interrupted by the Coronavirus, neither is the science you rely upon to inform your decisions.
The women and men of UF/IFAS showed extraordinary effort in taking early action to keep the Coronavirus from sidelining science. Their beat-the-clock hustle ensured the continuity of agricultural science before restrictions on travel, public gatherings or even showing up at the office could threaten to shut down their work to sustain Florida agriculture.
One of the most extraordinary responses was the darn-near-instant transformation of teaching. Our instructors, administration and instructional technology professionals took classes attended by 6,000 students in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and put them all completely online in days. This keeps students on track to graduate on time and prevents gaps in the education they’ll need to be productive 21st century citizens.
These are 6,000 potential future employees. At the very least, they’re 6,000 present and future customers who will be ag ambassadors who can tell friends, family, co-workers, fellow worshippers and strangers where their food comes from.
Lauren Diepenbrock feared that as the movement of people seemingly became more restricted by the hour that her research team would be locked out of an experimental grove by the emergency. So she summoned them to report to the Citrus Research and Education Center by 7 a.m. and got 600 Valencia trees planted in a single day.
She said, “This is work we’ve promised the federal government we’d do to help our growers.” Citrus growers were in crisis long before the Coronavirus, so her research on HLB is too important to face delays caused by Coronavirus. Even a public health emergency didn’t shake her commitment to her pledge to the federal government – or to you.
Vanessa Campoverde showed the same hustle in Extension. When infections began to impact air travel, she jumped in the car and drove six hours from Miami to Live Oak for an important training she needed to help Miami-area producers. She also rushed to squeeze in Spanish-language training for workers who needed to keep their pesticide licenses from expiring during a potential shutdown.
Like so many other things right now, the way we’re delivering agricultural science may look and feel different. Some things don’t change at all, like our commitment to you. We’re still working for you so you can work to feed an anxious world.
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.
April 2020 e-Newsletter Session Update
The Florida Legislature wrapped up the only remaining business for the 2020 Legislative Session: passing a budget. Unanimous votes in each chamber sent the largest budget ever to the desk of Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Some general highlights of the $93.2 billion budget include more than $600 million in funding to improve water quality and Everglades projects, $500 million toward teacher pay raises, $100 million for the Florida Forever conservation program and $300 million to respond to the impacts of COVID-19.
Obviously, the effects of COVID-19 will have dramatic impacts on the state’s economy and could force the Legislature to revise the budget in a special session or dip into the $3.8 billion the state has in reserves.
Agriculture Budget Items Close Strong
UF/IFAS
At one point during session, it looked as if UF/IFAS would receive no funding for any of their budget requests as well as lose funding for several recurring projects that were funded in previous years. But last-minute funding that was added when the Appropriations Chairs met over the weekend.
At the end of the day, the most important request for additional workload dollars was funded at $3.8 million, with $1.7 of that being recurring. These funds allow UF/IFAS to carry out the essential research and Extension services that agriculture depends on.
The cuts to the existing programs were also restored, meaning that what began as a potential setback year became a significant step forward for UF/IFAS.
FDACS
As we reported last week, budget items for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) ended up much better than where they started. The Fresh From Florida program will be fully funded at $5.9 million. The initial House proposal included a $3.7 million cut. The Rural and Family Lands Program will receive $8.7 million this year after being zeroed out in 2019. The Office of Ag Water Policy also received funding for eight additional staff that will be integral to implementing provisions of SB 712 requiring BMP verifications.
Other areas of the FDACS budget were sufficiently funded. Throughout session, there were several proposals to modify the department significantly and how it was funded, but in the end, they were not adopted.
Ask Gov. DeSantis to Sign SB 712: The Clean Waterways Act
This week, we sent out a “Call to Action” urging Gov. DeSantis to sign SB 712, the Clean Waterways Act. This legislation, as mentioned before, was a priority for Farm Bureau this year because it implements a comprehensive, science-based approach to restoring and protecting Florida’s water resources. If you have not done so already, please participate in sending Gov. DeSantis a letter urging him to sign this legislation into law. You can do so at the link below:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/4jg4clJtSqNOj45I6Yf3MQ
COVID-19 Response
Leadership in the State of Florida is laser-focused on preventing the spread of and mitigating the impacts of Coronavirus, or COVID-19.
Gov. DeSantis has declared a state of emergency, urging all Floridians to avoid gatherings and practice social distancing. As a result, many businesses are closed or working remotely.
Among the many actions taken to mitigate this crisis and assist Floridians in navigating the new normal, Gov. DeSantis issued Executive Order 20-52, which authorized the Florida Department of Transportation to relieve hours of service requirements and the size and weight restrictions for divisible loads on any vehicles transporting emergency equipment, services, supplies and necessary agricultural commodities.
President Designate Releases Video
On Tuesday, March 17, Senate President-Designate Wilton Simpson released a message to Floridians on the importance of Florida agriculture during the COVID-19 pandemic. President-Designate Simpson commended the farmers, ranchers and growers who have remained focused on feeding Floridians and Americans during this time.
Please take a moment to view and share the video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/1aPoLAriLLA
Wrap-up
At the close of the 2020 session, it’s clear that it has been a successful one for Florida Farm Bureau and our partners in the agricultural community. Protecting the BMP program through additional credibility and additional research was a big victory in SB 712. That bill also effectively stopped a “Rights of Nature” movement that could have significantly increased frivolous lawsuits filed against Florida farms. We also worked to ensure that ag employers could verify employment eligibility through the I-9 process as well as the E-Verify system, helping to relieve additional burdens on our employers.
Successful outcomes in these areas were essential, and we appreciate the Legislature and our members for their hard work to make it happen.
We will continue to keep you updated over the coming weeks as the Governor takes action on bills and the budget and as we look forward to the election cycle.
Tom Rieder
Dade County Farm Bureau President
Born and raised in Miami, Dade County Farm Bureau President Tom Rieder has made a name for himself in South Florida agriculture realty.
In 1971, he began his career in vacant land sales and by 1974 he was operating his own business. Today, Rieder Realty sells vacant agricultural and environmentally sensitive properties to the USDA, Water Management Districts and other Florida counties, primarily from Orlando, south.
A forty-nine-year veteran in the ag real estate world, Rieder has developed a love for Florida lands. “At one time I had an office in Polk County where we sold mainly citrus and cattle lands,” he said.
“One of my favorite things about Farm Bureau is the people,” he said. “I like working with people who are close to the land.” As a commercial multi-engine instrument pilot, Rieder has the ability to transport himself all over the state to meet property owners and he also uses his skills for aerial photography.
An avid fisherman and outdoorsman, Rieder enjoys hunting, camping and hiking.
Rieder lives in Pinecrest, an area in between Miami and Homestead, with his wife of nearly 50 years, Susie. Together the Rieders have three children and four grandchildren.
A Farm Bureau member for 20 years, Rieder has spent the last eight serving on the Dade County Farm Bureau Board of Directors and his currently in his first year as president.
He explained that the biggest event of the year is the Dade County Farm Bureau BBQ. Held each spring, the event attracts members of the community who dine on a homemade meal while recognizing outstanding volunteers and the Farm Family of the Year.
“The farmers do the cooking with vegetables from our fields. It’s a great time for people to come together,” Rieder stated.
Unfortunately, this year’s BBQ has been postponed due to the public health emergency.
Rieder enjoys Susie’s Italian cooking and said that “her sweet and sour meatballs are my favorite! It’s also hard to beat a good steak.”