August 2024 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter
Jared Freeman’s passion for agriculture and love for animals sparked at an early age. He spent countless hours in the pasture with his grandfather growing up, and that time together was pivotal in Freeman’s path in life. He was an active member of 4-H and FFA and participated in as many contests and Career Development Events as he could.
As Freeman grew older, his love for agriculture only grew stronger and he knew he wanted to pursue a career in the industry. He attended Sante Fe College for his associates degree and transferred to the University of Florida where he received his bachelor of science in animal biology. After graduating college in 2013, Freeman began his career as a veterinarian technician and is currently the practice manager at a clinic in Gainesville.
Although the clinic keeps him busy, Freeman visits his family farm in Union County a few times each week to help his mother and grandfather with the beef cattle, goats and honeybees. Although the farm has always been recreational for his grandfather, Freeman is working to build income for the farm by growing their beef cattle and goat operations.
Representing Alachua County on the State Young Farmers & Ranchers Leadership Group, Freeman has been given many unique opportunities to network with others from across the state.
“Getting to meet people who share a similar interest but aren’t in the same commodity has been really neat,” said Freeman. “I’ve met so many people on my journey that I’ve been able to exchange ideas with and learn from.”
Freeman has thoroughly enjoyed diversifying his agricultural knowledge through farm tours and learning from other Farm Bureau members. His first farm tour was at the 2023 YF&R Leadership Conference, and he has enjoyed learning about agriculture in other parts of Florida.
One of the most impactful networking opportunities Freeman has had was his time spent in Tallahassee for Farm Bureau Day in January. He enjoyed learning about the legislative process and how that applies to agriculture.
“Getting to interact with legislators gave me a new level of excitement,” said Freeman. “I never really knew that was a direction that agriculture could go. Spending time with legislators sparked a new interest in me and I’m looking forward to similar opportunities in Washington, D.C.”
Freeman is continuously helping others realize their tie to agriculture. Being on the state leadership team has shown him how to strengthen his personal ties and he enjoys helping others do the same.
“When I got to the University of Florida, I realized not everyone grew up the way that I did,” said Freeman. “I’m staying tied to agriculture by helping others realize what their tie is, no matter what part of life they’re in.”
Kevin Lussi
Benjamin Putnam comes from a family of agriculturalists in rural Polk County. He is a sixth-generation farmer and grew up working cattle with his uncle, fixing irrigation in the citrus grove, and helping around the farm where needed. His involvement on the family farm helped instill in him a passion for agriculture. 
Throughout the conference, participants engaged in a series of breakout sessions and farm tours. The session topics ranged from integrating AI in pest management, estate planning, the importance of personal branding, a legislative update on the 2023 farm bill and more. The conference featured keynote speakers Cody and Erika Archie, owners of Bar 7 Ranch in Gatesville, Texas. The couple spoke on the importance of being the voice of agriculture and meeting people where they are to share the story of agriculture.