Author Archives: Rachael Smith

Jeff Williams Highlands County Farm Bureau President Jeff Williams was elected as the new Highlands County Farm Bureau (HCFB) President at the county’s annual meeting last fall. He and his family own and operate W A Williams Citrus Nursery, Inc. in Highlands County. The third generation farmer comes from a…

June FloridAgriculture eNews [email protected] By Jack Payne Ten years ago, the UF/IFAS beef teaching unit’s structures were condemned as uninhabitable. Our pollinator research headquarters was an oversized closet. We were sifting through what the world had learned about HLB over the previous century and found astonishingly little. We didn’t have…

Farm Stand Address (Physical) City Social Media Notes Bob Roth’s New River Groves  5660 Griffin Road Davie Facebook Grow Some Produce – Offer Local Seasonal Produce Southern Fresh Farms  8500 Penzance Road Fort Myers Facebook Grow Hydroponic Produce Buckingham Farms 12931 Orange River Road Fort Myers Facebook Grow Hydroponic Produce…

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. Other Resources Florida Forestry Facts Goods from the Woods…

  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 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…

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…

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…

[email protected] @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…

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…

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…