Hello, members and friends.
Florida legislative committee weeks are well underway, and the 2026 regular legislative session will be convened on January 13. Farm Bureau Day in Tallahassee has been scheduled for January 27, 2026, and Polk members will be attending to meet with our delegation and others at the capital to represent the interests of farmers and ranchers. Members can get regular updates throughout the session by registering to receive Florida Farm Bureau AgWatch bulletins via the Advocacy link at www.floridafarmbureau.org.
Students, don’t forget to submit your essays for the Polk Young Farmer and Rancher Committee Farm-City Week Essay Contest. The contest is open to 4-H and FFA students in 9th – 12th grades. This year’s essay topic is “Think about how agriculture influences the way people live, work and interact. How is your community – whether rural, urban, or somewhere in between – shaped by agriculture? ” The winner will receive recognition in our publications and a $500 cash prize. Applications are due to saraht@pcfb.org by Friday, January 2 at 5 p.m. Get the application on the Polk County Farm Bureau or Polk Young Farmer and Rancher Facebook pages or contact Sarah Waldman at saraht@pcfb.org.
The Will Putnam Young Farmer and Rancher Scholarships are being administered through the Polk Education Foundation, and the application process is now open. Up to five scholarships of $1,000 will be awarded to graduating high school seniors pursuing a career in agriculture. To apply, visit www.polkeducationfoundation.org.
The 2026 Agri-Fest dates have been announced, and the event will take place March 2– 6 and March 9 – 13. We look forward to another great event educating Polk County fourth-graders about agriculture!
Also, please remember to support our local youth at the 2026 Polk County Youth Fair, January 23 – January 31. For more information and a schedule of youth fair events, visit www.pcyf.net.
Finally, we are encouraging readers to participate in a brief survey on their experiences with Central Florida Ag News. For over 15 years, we have enjoyed Central Florida Media Group’s publication of our monthly agriculture community magazine. This partnership was born from Publisher Nelson Kirkland’s passion to tell our story, and they have done just that in remarkable fashion. We are asking readers to take the brief survey by visiting https://survey.zohopublic.com/zs/YpDtKe. Readers can expect to hear more about this valuable partnership in the coming months as we celebrate another year of Central Florida Ag News telling our agriculture community story.
On behalf of the board of directors of Polk County Farm Bureau, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year!
Sincerely,
Christian Spinosa
President