AUGUST is membership recruitment month! I hope that current members will encourage others to join, and if you are not a member — you should be! Everyone involved in and around agriculture should become a part of this local grassroots organization that protects and promotes the agriculture industry in Polk County. Florida Farm Bureau has recently announced three new Member Benefits for Farm Bureau members. Intercontinental Hotel Group, La Quinta Inn & Suites, and Grasshopper Mowers have all partnered with Farm Bureau to offer discounts to our members. For more information on these benefits, please visit www.floridafarmbureau.org/member_benefits. For PCFB membership information, please contact Carole McKenzie at the PCFB office at (863) 533-0561, ext. 111, or email carolem@pcfb.org.
Our annual Youth Speech Contest will be held Tuesday, September 1, at 4 p.m. at the PCFB office in Bartow. It will be exciting to hear students’ thoughts on the 2015 topic: “How does Florida’s Right to Farm Act help farmers and ranchers when their rights are challenged?” Each year we have a talented field of contestants, and I’m sure this year will be no different.
On Saturday, September 19, the PCFB YF&R and Women’s Committee will host a Sporting Clay Shoot Fundraiser at Fish Hawk Sporting Clays. Proceeds from the event will be used to support additional YF&R Scholarships for high school seniors and for the Wild Game Food Bank, a local organization that coordinates the donation, processing and distribution of wild game harvests to feed those in need. Sponsorship opportunities are still available for this event. For more information, call Carole McKenzie at (863) 533-0561, ext. 111, or visit www.pcfb.org.
Our 73rd Annual Membership Meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 6, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the W.H. Stuart Center in Bartow. Our guest speaker, County Manager Jim Freeman, will present information on the state of the county. We hope you will plan to attend for what promises to be a very informative program. Formal invitations will be mailed to PCFB active members. Call the Bartow office (863) 533-0561 ext. 112, or email lorik@pcfb.org to rsvp or get more information. Our special thanks to The Mosaic Company and Peterson & Myers Law Firm for sponsoring this year’s Annual Membership Meeting event.
The Florida Farm Bureau Annual Meeting will be held October 29-31 in Ponte Vedra Beach. To register or get more information, visit http://www.floridafarmbureau.org/annual_meeting.
Finally, I would like to congratulate Michael Rogers for his appointment as the director of the Citrus Research and Education Center in Lake Alfred. Dr. Rogers demonstrated his commitment to the CREC during his nine-month tenure as interim director, and I am confident that he will continue to lead citrus research forward as we seek solutions to citrus greening and other industry issues.
Sincerely,
KYLE R. STORY
President, Polk County Farm Bureau
