February 2024
Florida Farm Bureau is excited to offer the second annual Ag Policy and Commodity Forum. The forum will take place Wednesday, March 27, 2024, in Gainesville, Florida.
The Ag Policy & Commodity Forum is one of two scheduled meetings that advisory committee members attend each year. The forum’s purpose is to provide an opportunity for committee members to gather and hear from a variety of speakers on relevant topics covering agriculture. Attendees include state advisory committee members and technical advisors, Florida Farm Bureau employees and invited guests.
“The Ag Policy & Commodity Forum is a great opportunity to network with fellow advisory committee members across commodities and issue areas, obtain up-to-date information affecting agriculture in our state and across the nation, and to help shape the policy that guides Florida Farm Bureau’s advocacy efforts,” said Geoffrey Patterson, Director of Ag Policy.
At the inaugural forum in 2023, attendees heard from Florida Farm Bureau Federation President Jeb S. Smith, Congresswoman Kat Cammack and State Representative Kaylee Tuck. Attendees received legislative updates and heard from Rusty Rumley with the National Ag Law Center, West Gregory with Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Office of Ag Water Policy, received a Farm Bill update from then-American Farm Bureau staff Andrew Walmsley and received a UF/IFAS update from Dean of Extension Dr. Andra Johnson.
The highlight for many was the working lunch with committee members where they discussed current issues that should be addressed during the next policy development meetings and identified existing policies that were priorities for implementation.
The 2024 forum will offer guest speakers that will provide a long-range outlook on the agricultural industry during the morning portion of the program, leaving the afternoon for advisory committees to meet and discuss current issues. The hope is for committees to use the information they learn and turn it into forward-thinking policy to steer the state and federal policy that governs our industry.
For more information about the forum, visit the Ag Policy & Commodity Forum website.