As the summer weather heats up in an election year, so does the political climate. I hope all of you as agriculture industry members and Florida residents will be vigilant about the upcoming primary and general elections by becoming engaged with the candidates and the issues.
Polk County Farm Bureau will continue to screen candidates in the coming months and identify agricultural supporters on the local and state level. Mark your calendars for our Political Forum and Annual Meeting beginning at 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 11, at the Stuart Center in Bartow.
Educating political candidates, the general public and our youth are key to the future sustainability of the industry. Polk County Farm Bureau is consistently proactive on these fronts.
Through the development of local youth ag education programs, we can cultivate future leaders for the industry. We are currently engaged with Polk County School Board representatives and community partners to promote further development of Ag Career Academy programs.
We will present our Young Farmer and Rancher scholarship(s) this month and will hold our annual Youth Speech Contest on Tuesday, August 28. For more information, call Carole McKenzie at the PCFB office at 863-533-0561, ext. 111, or email her at carolem@pcfb.org.
As you make summer vacation plans, be sure to take advantage of your Farm Bureau membership benefits. Significant savings on hotels, rental cars and theme park tickets are available to members. If you are not a member of the Farm Bureau, this is yet another reason to join. To join the PCFB, please go to www.pcfb.org or contact Carole McKenzie at the PCFB office — by phone at 863-533-0561, ext. 111, or by email at carolem@pcfb.org.
Sincerely,
LESLIE W. DUNSON, III
President
Polk County Farm Bureau