TALLAHASSEE, Fla. \u2014 More than 400 grassroots members spent a day in Tallahassee to meet with elected officials at the state level during Farm Bureau Day. The day featured a legislative breakfast briefing, where members heard from key policymakers representing\u00a0the Florida House and Senate and\u00a0UF\/IFAS\u00a0leadership. The day\u00a0concluded with a Taste of Florida Agriculture reception\u00a0that celebrated Florida\u2019s farmers and ranchers.<\/p>\n
Members\u00a0shared\u00a0their story and\u00a0discussed\u00a0key\u00a0policy issues\u00a0that are important to them\u00a0with their state\u00a0legislators.\u00a0Priorities discussed\u00a0included\u00a0the Florida Farm Bill,\u00a0the preservation of farmers\u2019 access to essential agricultural\u00a0tools, wildlife management and crop protection\u00a0laws\u00a0and\u00a0securing funding for projects and programs that strengthen Florida\u2019s food supply.<\/p>\n
\u201cFarm Bureau Day gives elected officials a firsthand look at the breadth of Florida agriculture and the role it plays in our state\u2019s economy,\u201d said Tripp Hunter, Florida Farm Bureau\u2019s Director of State Legislative Affairs. \u201cOur grassroots members were in Tallahassee to directly engage with policymakers on issues that impact their\u00a0farms, Florida\u2019s natural resources and the long-term security of our food supply.\u201d<\/p>\n
The annual advocacy day concluded with the\u00a0Taste of Florida Agriculture reception, a partnership between Florida Farm Bureau and\u00a0the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.\u00a0Guests\u00a0sampled\u00a0locally grown\u00a0Florida foods, visited\u00a0with farm families, networked\u00a0with public\u00a0officials\u00a0and learned\u00a0about the diversity of Florida agriculture. Florida Farm Bureau President Jeb S. Smith and Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson welcomed\u00a0more than 1,000\u00a0guests to the public reception.<\/p>\n