Nov. 1, 2013
Gainesville, Fla. – At the Florida Farm Bureau Federation’s Youth Speech Contest finals on Oct. 24, Bridget Sullivan of University High School in Orange County took top honors, as judges selected her over seven other competitors. The event was held at the organization’s annual meeting in Ponte Vedra Beach.
This year’s topic was “Over the past 500 years, how has technology influenced Florida agriculture?” The contestants were judged on content and delivery, and were given five minutes of talking time.
Sullivan argued that technological advancement has been a great influence by decreasing the amount of time and labor needed to harvest crops. She explained that technology changed Florida agriculture from “something done to survive” into “an enterprise that thrives.”
The contest is meant to promote a stronger interest and clearer understanding of the many aspects of agriculture among our youth. Each year the Youth Speech Contest begins at the county level. The winner of county contest competes in district contests and the eight district winners then make their presentations at the Florida Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting.