mffb header final
In This Issue
FBACT Program
Ag Literacy Day
Ag-Venture Recap
Youth Speech Contest Winners

 

FREE 

Baseball Game Tickets

For

Farm Bureau Members

 

Present your Farm Bureau membership card to the UF, FSU or UCF box office and receive up to 4 free tickets to any home baseball game during the 2011 season.

 

 LIMITED QUANTITIES AVAILABLE.    

Some restrictions

    apply.  Please contact the specific university box office for information.

fbtrans

Marion County Farm Bureau

 
5800 SW 20th Street

  Ocala, FL 34474

 (352) 237-2124 

Quick Links
News You Can UseMarch 2011

Dear Friend of the Marion County Farm Bureau,

 

It is that time of year when organizations from across the state make their way to our beautiful State Capitol to meet with legislators to discuss issues and ask for support on various legislation.   Florida Farm Bureau and it's vast number of county board members and supporters from all over the great state of Florida made their way to Tallahassee to do the same on Tuesday, March 22nd.    Locally, Russ Randall, President of the Marion County Farm Bureau; Jeff Vermillion, Treasurer for the Florida Farm Bureau and Marion County Farm Bureau Board Member; Todd Dailey, Secretary for the Marion County Farm Bureau; Tom Cothron, Agency Manager for the Marion County Farm Bureau and myself made the trip this year to represent the 4,500 members from Marion County.   

 

While in Tallahassee, we received a warm welcome from our legislative delegation and had the opportunity to ask for their support on several key legislative issues affecting the agriculture industry in Marion County and around the state (click here to view the legislative issues that were discussed).   

 

In this issue of our "News You Can Use" you will find out how you can be plugged into receiving legislative alerts on key issues from the Florida Farm Bureau.   I urge you as Farm Bureau members to sign up to receive FBACT alerts.   These alerts will  keep you up to date on important issues that affect us locally and will give you the opportunity via the click of your mouse to respond to legislators regarding these key issues.    

 

Sincerely,

 

Traci Mason

Federation Activity Coordinator

Marion County Farm Bureau  

 

Picture with Senator DeanJeff

Pictured above left: Marion County Farm Bureau Members with Senator Charles Dean 

Pictured above right: Senate President, Mike Haridopolos and Marion County Farm Bureau members. 

Florida Farm Bureau FBACT program

The Florida Farm Bureau's FBACT grassroots program was established to protect and further agricultural interests through the active participation of Farm Bureau members in government relations activities at the federal, state and local levels.

 

Members of FBACT receive legislative updates and "FBACT Alerts" via e-mail.  Each "FBACT Alert" will include a link to the Florida Farm Bureau website. There, you will complete several easy steps and your message will be sent directly to your elected official. Talking points and/or sample letters included in the alerts will help make this process quick, simple and effective. 

 

To learn more about the Florida Farm Bureau FBACT program and to sign up to receive alerts - click here.

 

Volunteer Readers Needed For Ag Literacy Day

The eighth annual Florida Agriculture Literacy DayAg Literacy Day Book Cover 2011 is scheduled for April 26, 2011 and Florida agriculture industry volunteers are invited to read a new children's book being written in honor of the event.    If you are interested in volunteering to read on Ag Literacy Day, please contact our Ag Literacy Day chair in Marion County, Christine Damron by April 8th at

(352) 427-3034 or ocd81@embarqmail.com.

Ag-Venture at the Southeastern Youth Fair a Huge Success!
 

Beef Station   

 

A huge THANK YOU to the many volunteers who helped to make our Ag-Venture tent and school tours program a huge success this year.    

  

More than 450 Marion County Second graders experienced the area's major agriculture commodities at the annual Ag-Venture tours that take place during the Southeastern Youth Fair.   Students and teachers explored interactive exhibits and attended hands-on workshops during the two day event on citrus, beef cattle, beekeeping, dairy, equine, forestry and poultry.

 

At Ag-Venture, students turn heavy whipping cream into butter, learn about the beef, poultry & equine industries, sample fresh citrus, learn about forestry by-products and the importance of bees to our food. 

               

The 2011 Ag-Venture program was organized and funded by the Marion County Farm Bureau.  Ag-Venture is a cooperative effort between the Marion County Farm Bureau, Southeastern Youth Fair and the local agriculture industry.

  

To view the article that ran in the Ocala Star Banner about the Ag-Venture program click here.

 

For more details on this annual event to promote Marion County agriculture, contact Traci Mason at 352-237-2124 or traci.mason@ffbic.com.

Youth Speech Contest Winners

The Marion County Farm Bureau would like to recognize ourSpeech Contest Winner 2011

 2011 Youth Speech Contest winners. 

  

 Congratulations to each of you

 for your outstanding efforts.  

 

Winner: Grant Wisniewski

Runners Up:   Lauren Lamperski, Ciara Pierce and Sam Ergle

 

The Marion County Youth Speech Contest

runs in conjunction with the Southeastern Youth Fair.   The winner from this year's contest will go on to compete in the Florida Farm Bureau Field District competition later this year.