Tag Archive for farm bureau

Discussion Meet winner named at Florida Farm Bureau Annual Meeting

October 29, 2012 Farm Comments Off

Jeffery Hamrick Chosen Runner-Up

Kelvin Moreno of Miami-Dade County was named the 2012 Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet winner at Florida Farm Bureau’s 71st Annual Meeting in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Jeffery Hamrick of Madison County, Nick Larsen of Western Palm Beach County and Kelly Mosley of Clay County were the 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 that offers constructive criticism, cooperation and communication while analyzing agricultural problems and developing solutions.
Kelvin Moreno is the president of Florida Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers & Ranchers Group. He runs his family business, Moreno Ranches, registered seedstock Limousin and Brahman cattle operations, in both Miami-Dade and Highlands counties. He also manages Moreno Firms, which specializes in cattle brokerage and consulting services.
By winning the Discussion Meet, Kelvin will receive a $500 cash award, an ATV four-wheeler courtesy of Southern Farm Bureau Casualty and an expense-paid trip to the 2013 American Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in Nashville, Tenn., where he will represent Florida in the national YF&R competition.

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CARES event will celebrate environmental leadership

July 19, 2012 Farm Comments Off

Twenty-two Suwannee River Basin agriculturists will be recognized for their sustained efforts with a County Alliance for Responsible Stewardship (CARES) award during a dinner meeting on July 24. The event will be held at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center – Suwannee Valley Live Oak, beginning at 6 p.m.

Although rainfall patterns typical of the Florida summer have reappeared, the conservation and wise management of water resources remain important objectives for all people living in the Suwannee River Basin. Farmers and ranchers in the area continue to take a leading role in outstanding natural resource management.

CARES – the County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship – was founded by Florida Farm Bureau in 2001 and the Suwannee River Partnership to recognize superior natural resource conservation by agricultural producers. The fundamental component of the program is the voluntary action by farmers and ranchers to implement state-of-the-art natural resource management systems, or Best Management Systems (BMPs) on their properties. The effectiveness of these systems has been confirmed by outside experts.

According to the Suwannee River Water Management District, for example, the voluntary implementation of BMPs by agriculturists in the basin saves at least one billion gallons of water each growing season. A recent report by the South Florida Water Management District shows that such systems have slashed phosphorous concentrations in the area south of Lake Okeechobee by 71% in the past year.

In partnership with more than 60 public agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource and Conservation Service, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida’s water management districts, agricultural organizations, businesses and local government, CARES has become a model for the rest of the nation.

Florida farmers and ranchers depend upon the life-sustaining capacity of the natural resources they manage to maintain their livelihoods. More than 500 agriculturists statewide have received the CARES award in the past decade.

Florida Farm Bureau President John Hoblick will join Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam to present CARES awards at the dinner. The event, previously scheduled for June 28, was postponed because of flooding caused by Tropical Storm Debby.

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Florida Farm Bureau is the Sunshine State’s largest general agricultural organization with more than 140,000 member-families representing Farm Bureaus in 60 counties. Membership provides a multitude of benefits and you don’t have to be a farmer to be a member of Florida Farm Bureau.

Editors: The list below includes the CARES award recipients who will be recognized at the July 24 dinner meeting. Photos will be available the next day.

COUNTY FARM
Alachua The Holly Factory
Alachua Hitchcock and Sons, Inc. Santa Fe River Ranch
Alachua Boyd Farm
Bradford Dyal Family Farm
Columbia Willis Family
Columbia Ricky Philpot
Gilchrist Smith Farms of Bell, Inc.
Hamilton Hugh and Jan Hunter
Hamilton Murphy Bothers Farm
Jefferson Walker and Sons Farm Inc.
Layefette Jody and Laura Land
Madison L & H Family Farm
Madison Jimmy Harris and Sons Farms
Madison Windy Hill Farm
Madison Howard and Dorreen Curtis
Madison Margie Foust Mcleod
Madison Ben and Katherine Harris
Madison Brett and Christy Lameier
Madison Jimmy and Hilda Dixon
Madison Red Oak Ranch
Madison Washington Family Farm
Suwannee Sherriff’s Boy’s Ranch

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Farm Bureau Hosts County Legislative Session

June 23, 2011 Around Madison, Outdoors Comments Off
Rep. Leonard Bembry addresses local farmers, ranchers and business leaders.

Rep. Leonard Bembry addresses local farmers, ranchers and business leaders.

The local Madison County Farm Bureau recently sponsored a Post Session County Legislative Session at the local Ag Center, for local farmers and local business leaders and County leaders as well.  Rep. Leonard Bembry attended, as well as the Agricultural liaison from Congressman Steve Southerland.

Kevin Kelley of Branford, who works for Congressman Southerland, told the group of several key National issues facing farmers and ranchers this coming year.  Perhaps the most important issues facing Florida Farmers during the coming year, is passage of the National Farm Bill.   Even though Southerland does not represent Madison County, Kevin is a past employee of Farm Bureau and knows all about Washington politics.

Farm Bureau is truly the “Voice of Agriculture”,
and we are indeed proud of this designation, – Hamrick

The highlight of the evening was Rep. Leonard Bembry, who gave an update from this past Florida Legislative Session in Tallahassee.  Bembry has been a champion of all Farm Bureau legislative issues, and is a highly respected state legislator of all County Farm Bureaus all across Florida.  As a conservative Democrat, he took the lead on practically all Farm Bureau priority issues, and we are forever grateful for his leadership as well as his friendship.

This Madison County Farm Bureau Legislative Meeting has been sponsored by the local Young Farmer and Rancher Committee for nearly 10 years.  Chairman of this committee is Willie Agner, Jr. was absent this year due to having back ailments.  The meeting went on as planned with County President Jeffery Hamrick taking charge.  Jeffery is also a local Young Farmer.

Perhaps the most important aspect of Farm Bureau is being involved in the State and Federal Legislative Programs.  In May, Madison had two members attend the Annual Field to the Hill Meeting, along with over 80 other Farm Bureau members from all across the state of Florida.  Maria and Jennifer Greene attended and meet with Congressman Crenshaw, and both of the  area’s US Senators.

If anyone would like to be involved in the Farm Bureau Legislative process, all you need do is contact the local Farm Bureau.  Farm Bureau is truly the “Voice of Agriculture”, and we are indeed proud of this designation, added President Hamrick.

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Madison County Farm Bureau Annual Farm Tour

March 31, 2011 Outdoors Comments Off
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The Madison County Farm Bureau recently took their Annual Farm Tour, and this year, the group went west to the Wiregrass Area of South Alabama.  They also toured a huge cattle operation in the northern part of Jackson County Florida.  Southern Cattle Company runs over 4,000 head of mama cows, and they also sell bulls to the general public at various Bull Sales held during the year.
A certain highlight of this year’s tour was a visit to perhaps the largest worm farm in the southeast.  This facility was located near Slocomb, Alabama.  While the tour group was at the farm, they were actually harvesting the crop, and placing them into cups to be sold at bait shops all over the southeast.
The owners told the group that they feed over 800 tons of corn every year to maintain the worm population at the farm.
Farm Bureau members from Madison, Suwannee, Hamilton, Taylor and Lafayette County participated in this year’s tour.  They even had a staff member of the Suwannee River Water Management District.
Another interesting stop was at Ogelsby Nursery, located in Calhoun County.  This facility does tissue culture propagation to grow plants.  That means they grow the tiny plants in test tubes in a sterile environment.  They then plant their “new little plants” in their greenhouses, located on their property.
The Houston County Farmers Federation hosted a great dinner at the National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds.
The Farm Bureau ladies from Alabama gave the tour folks a goody bag filled with information on peanuts and other material.
Farm Bureau has been conducting this tour for over 10 years, and every year gets better and better than the previous tours.  Perhaps the best thing that comes from these tours is the one- on- one conversation that our farmers have with farmers from other parts of the country.

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The Madison County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee Attend The Annual State Women’s Conference

March 31, 2011 Outdoors Comments Off
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by Tall Timbers.
Florida Farm Bureau President, John Hoblick was also on the program and in his presentation, challenged the Farm Bureau Women to keep up their effective and hard work on many Farm Bureau programs and projects.
Madison County Farm Bureau had more Farm Bureau women to attend this Meeting than any other county Farm Bureau in Florida.  Eleven folks attended this excellent meeting.
Another key program idea that was discussed was Ag In the Classroom, of which the Madison County Farm Bureau is involved with.  Ag Education for school children is extremely important to Madison Farm Bureau’s Women’s Program.

The Madison County Farm Bureau Women’s Committee recently attended the Annual State Women’s Conference which was held this year at the Hotel Duval in Tallahassee.
Usually, this Annual Conference is held in the Southern part of Florida, but this year, the meeting was held in North Florida.
Nearly one hundred and twenty-five farm women from all over the state attended the event.  A certain highlight of the meeting was a tour of several interesting forestry-based operations in Gadsden and Leon Counties.  Perhaps the most interesting stop on the tour was the Coastal Plywood plant just north of Havana.  The ladies got to see up close just how plywood is manufactured.   Coastal Plywood is one of the most modern facilities in the country, and there are many forestry owners in North Florida that sell their timber to the Coastal plant.
Another stop for the ladies was a huge ornamental nursery located near Havana.  The May Nursery is a total family-owned operation that has been in operation for over 50 years.  The May family is also heavily involved with Farm Bureau, and have been for many years.  At May Nursery, the primary varieties grown are woody ornamentals, and most of their production is shipped to Atlanta and up the eastern seaboard to as far as Canada.
The last stop on the tour which also included dinner was the Tall Timbers Research center, located north of Tallahassee.  This facility has done tremendous work with growing forestry products, but enhancing wildlife predication as well.  Wild quail production has definitely benefited from the research done by Tall Timbers.

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