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FLORIDA FARM BUREAU MEMBERS MEET AT CAPITOL
More than 250 Florida Farm Bureau members from across the Sunshine State convened at the state capitol Jan. 29-30 to meet with legislators during the annual Florida Farm Bureau Legislative Days in Tallahassee.
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EPA ADMINISTRATOR PRUITT STOPS IN FLORIDA
Florida Farm Bureau was well-represented on Friday, Feb. 2, at a roundtable discussion with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt. The event was held Friday morning at May Nursery in Quincy.
Business and industry leaders representing rural electric cooperatives, Chamber of Commerce representatives and agriculture were in attendance. FFBF President John Hoblick introduced Administrator Pruitt to the roundtable. Pruitt shared his vision and priorities for the EPA and touted early accomplishments, such as rescinding the onerous Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule. Several shared their appreciation of the course correction at the Agency under his leadership.
From there, Administrator Pruitt addressed a group of more than 100 and engaged in a Q&A session.
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THE NUMBER OF MILLENNIAL FARMERS IS INCREASING
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) the number of farmers under the age of 35 has increased 2.2 percent between 2007-2012; and according to a 2017 survey conducted by National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC), the majority of farmers did not grow up in an agricultural family.
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FARM BUREAU MEMBERS NAMED TO STATE FSA COMMITTEE
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue recently appointed Michelle Williamson of Dover, Mark Sodders of North Palm Beach and Mack Glass of Marianna to serve on the Florida USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) state committee.The state committee is responsible for the overseeing farm programs and county committee operations, resolving appeals from the agriculture community and helping to keep producers informed about FSA programs. Mike Adams of Jennings will also serve on the committee.
The USDA also appointed William Carte of Live Oak and Jeremy Rolling of Westville to the National Peanut Board. The appointees will serve three-year terms beginning Jan. 1, 2018, and ending Dec. 31, 2020.
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APPLY FOR HURRICANE RELIEF
Florida farmers and ranchers suffering from agricultural losses or expenses due to Hurricane Irma are encouraged to apply for Hurricane Irma relief. The online application is simple and anyone involved in production agriculture experiencing a loss from Hurricane Irma is eligible for relief.
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SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
Florida Farm Bureau is providing $2,000 in scholarships for women in agriculture to attend the Women’s Leadership Conference, April 5-7, 2018, at the Westshore Grand Hotel in Tampa.
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Western Palm Beach County Farm Bureau members proudly showed their support for a Thank a Farmer promotion that resulted in more than 3,000 shirts being distributed at the South Florida Fair.
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KATRINA MOSELEY, DISTRICT 3
Representing the Young Farmers and Ranchers on the State Women’s Committee is Katrina Moseley, a busy wife and mom of twin toddlers (Hadley and Christy) from Columbia County. Moseley and her husband, Troy, own a cow/calf and beef cattle operation in Fort White.
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I wouldn’t believe it myself if I hadn’t heard it directly from faculty members: People gathered in a room late last year told them that citrus greening sounds like a good thing, that it hints at healthy, environmentally friendly plants.
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USE OF THIRD PARTY INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAM LISTENING SESSIONS
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is holding four in-person listening sessions to solicit public comment to aid in the development of criteria for recognizing the use of third-party inspection and certification programs as a positive factor when determining APHIS inspection frequencies at facilities licensed or registered under the Animal Welfare Act.
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Kelly Fulford owns Southwest Cattle Company in Odessa. Rotational grazing, GPS-guided fertilizer application and fenced wetlands are just a few of Fulford’s practices that show she is a farmer who CARES.
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NATIONAL AFFAIRS
John Walt Boatright, National Affairs Coordinator speaks about Florida Farm Bureau’s primary federal policy issues.
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STATE LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS
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We are excited to introduce a new podcast delivery method for our state and national affairs updates. In an effort to try new delivery methods to keep our members informed of the latest agricultural issues, please let us know more about podcasts by taking the short 3 question survey! Take the survey by clicking here. |
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MEMBER BENEFIT
Grainger offers a special 10 percent discount and free shipping on online orders to Florida Farm Bureau Members and is a preferred
Farm Bureau supplier for maintenance, repair, operations and safety products.
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DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
AkerScout is a directed crop scouting application that farmers can use to help identify and prioritize crop damage and take care of issues needing immediate attention. Download for free on Android and iPhone. |
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Florida Farm Bureau Federation
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