Greetings! In partnership with the Polk County Extension Office, we held our bi-annual Polk County Ag Tour on September 23. Themed “Rural-Urban Ag Connections in Polk County” the tour provided attendees with insight into the benefits of living and recreating in a county that has strong ties to traditional agricultural production and also introduced agriculture production in non-traditional urban environments. Attendees learned about local beef, honey, and blueberry production; visited the RISE Institute’s student-run Urban Farm in downtown Lakeland; got a sneak peek at the agriculture stations at the new Florida Children’s Museum; visited an exotic tropical plant farm and food forest; and learned about planned agriculture education expansions in the county. Our special thanks to all of our tour hosts.
Lightsey Cattle Company The RISE Institute Urban Farm Bee Haven
Catapult Lakeland Braswell Blueberry Farm The Florida Children’s Museum
Downtown Lakeland Farmers Market Central Florida Youth in Ag Sow Exotics
We held our virtual 80th Annual Membership Meeting and Political Forum on October 6 and appreciate all those who participated. Our special thanks to the political candidates who attended to share their platforms with our members. We also want to thank the following sponsors:
Ag America Lending
Central Florida Development Council
Crosby & Associates
Cutrale Citrus Juices USA
The Mosaic Company
During the business portion of our Annual Meeting, the following board members were re-elected to additional three-year terms:
Nelson Kirkland
Michael Matteson
Christian Spinosa
John Strang
Kevin Updike
Newly elected to the board of directors for three-year terms are:
Brett Costine
Rob Teston
Finally, we want to recognize Brett Costine, our outgoing Young Farmer and Rancher Chair, for his great service in the past two years. Thank you, Brett!
Sincerely,
Leigh Ann Wynn
President