November 2024
Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson of Pasco County, Rod and Brenda Gayle Land of Lafayette County and Jerry Davis of Santa Rosa County were recognized with Florida Farm Bureaus highest service award for their service to agriculture.
The Distinguished Service Award honors Florida agriculturists for their overall contributions to farming at the local or state level. The award was presented at the Florida Farm Bureau State Annual Meeting at the President’s Awards Banquet on October 30.
Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson
Commissioner Simpson has been an active member of Pasco County Farm Bureau, serving as the president for 10 years. He served on the state Farm Bureau state board of directors, and his work in the Florida Senate and as the Commissioner of Agriculture has helped strengthen agriculture statewide. Simpson was awarded the Florida Farm Bureau Champion of Agriculture in 2014, 2015 and in 2021 and was named the Florida Farm Bureau Legislator of the Year in 2013.
Rod & Brenda Gayle Land
Rod and Brenda Gayle Land, Land Dairy Inc., of Lafayette County have been active members of Farm Bureau for more than 40 years. The farm couple were among the founding members of the County Alliance for Responsible Stewardship (CARES) event in Live Oak. CARES recognizes farm families for their sustainability practices in conserving the state’s natural resources.
In addition to his county Farm Bureau and state board involvement, Rod was actively a voice for the dairy industry by serving on local, state and national committees. Brenda Gayle served on the state Women’s Leadership Committee for 12 years and was instrumental in sharing agriculture’s story with a non-farm audience and developing programs to teach young people on where their food comes from. The couple continue to be strong advocates for agriculture.
Jerry Davis
Davis has been a Farm Bureau member for more than 30 years, serving as the Santa Rosa County president for 21 years. During his time as president, Davis instituted a scholarship program for young people to pursue agriculture as a career. He established an educational farm tour for Escambia and Santa Rosa County legislators to bring awareness to the farming community and its impact to the local economy. Davis has advocated for the cotton industry by serving on numerous state and national boards, including the Florida and Southeastern Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation, helping to eradicate the boll weevil. He continues to be a strong advocate agriculture. Distinguished Service Award honors Florida agriculturists for their overall contributions to farming at the local or state level. The award is given at the Florida Farm Bureau Annual Meeting.