Nov. 4, 2014
Gainesville, Fla.– Keiko Osumi of Alachua County was named the 2014 Young Farmers and Ranchers Discussion Meet winner at Florida Farm Bureau’s 73rd Annual Meeting in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Nick and Kiley Larsen of Western Palm Beach County, Rachel Morgan of Hamilton County, Trevor Murphy of Highlands County and Dean Cheshire of Alachua County were runners-up for this prestigious award.
The Discussion Meet contest is designed to simulate a committee meeting where discussion and active participation are expected from each participant. This competition is evaluated on an exchange of ideas and information on a pre-determined topic. The judges are looking for the contestant who offers constructive criticism, cooperation and communication while analyzing agricultural problems and developing solutions.
Keiko Osumi attended Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 2012. While at Cal Poly, she served as President of the College of Liberal Arts Student Council and as a National Officer for the Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow Organization.
Osumi is the 4th generation member of an American farming family, and is passionate about agricultural education. Currently, she participates in several community programs, including Alachua County Emerging Leaders, and serves on the Florida Weed Science Society Board of Directors. As Miss Gainesville, Keiko hopes to continue building support for her platform, “Cultivating the Future: Childhood Nutritional Education,” which aims to empower students to take an interest in how food is grown and make healthy food choices.
By winning the Discussion Meet, Osumi will receive a $500 cash award, an ATV four-wheeler courtesy of Southern Farm Bureau Casualty and an expense-paid trip to the 2015 American Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in San Diego, where she will represent Florida in the national YF&R competition.