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Florida Supporters of Agriculture & It’s Youth Deserve an Award!

You Have Saved or Strengthened Programs and Jobs For Over 300,000 People This Year! By Stephanie Farmer-Associate Publisher

Wow! What a year and wake up call to those of us who love and support agriculture and it’s youth by becoming politically involved to save our programs! And, at this time of year when various awards and recognitions are being presented and distributed, YOU, the people of Florida, deserve a very special one.

Throughout the last 18-months, Farm & Ranch News, along with Horse & Pony News, have put out a call for the people of Florida on a local and state-wide level to write letters of support for Extension, 4-H, FFA, and Career & Tech programs.

We have done so as website alerts on the Farm & Ranch News website news ticker at www.farmandranchnews.com, articles with our online edition, email alerts from both of our publications, and in print. Sometimes, we have helped with issues behind the scenes as well. But the key component is that YOU wrote our government officials, they listened, and it was successful!

The following are just a few of the causes YOU have helped with this year.

Pasco County FFA

We reported in the fall of 2007 that some of the Pasco County FFA Chapters needed barns for their livestock projects. The School Board positively responded. They provided funds to get some barns started. Kathy Nawlin (orange shirt with lamb) with Zephyrhills Middle FFA, received hutches, until they could find more funding for her barn. As a result, Kathy’s kids are now learning from books and hands on experiences again! They can be seen a variety of shows showing sheep and goats and learning from their experiences from record keeping to health care.

Florida Extension & 4-H

In the summer of 2007, Sally Alford, co-publisher of Horse & Pony News, emailed me about Broward County 4-H possibly being cut as well as other 4-H offices facing some major cuts. Those proposed legislative cuts, due to the current property tax situation, would have impacted Extension & 4-H Statewide.

We immediately began working together by running a series of articles to make 4-H’ers aware that cuts might be coming and to start writing positive letters to government officials about what 4-H does for them and the community.

In February of 2008 we sent out an alert that letters of support were needed for Extension & 4-H as they were facing possible major cuts that could impact programs around the State. YOU rallied Extension & 4-H in an amazing way!

Letters were written by young and old. The agriculture industry responded, daily and weekly newspapers from around the State and other media rallied in support. As a result, University of Florida officials listened and the cuts were proportionate, therefore helping 4-H programs for over 242,000 youth as well as IFAS Extension jobs around the State. In fact, according to Florida Trend Magazine ,you sent so many physical letters that the president of UF had a stack about 2 feet high from supporters young and old! Makes you wonder what their email Inbox must have looked like!

4H Day At the

Capitol

This year, 4-H Day at the Capitol came at a critical time when the Legislature was working on their budget. The Extension Service and 4-H are funded in 3 major ways: federally, by the state legislature through the University of Florida, and the county commissions. The event was scheduled during FCAT week which could have resulted in low numbers at a critical time, as it is a mandatory test for students at public schools! We sent out an alert and the home-schooled and private schooled 4-H members and leaders showed up to the tune of almost 200 on that day showing that 4-H is alive, strong and diversified! Many public schooled 4-H members that couldn’t make the trip wrote letters and made banners which were behind brought by their fellow members.

Getting Proviso Signed

The Legislature wanted to help Extension & 4-H even more, and designed a proviso that, in a nutshell, said that funds earmarked for IFAS (Extension & 4-H) stay with IFAS. The next step was for Governor Crist to sign the proviso into law. An alert was sounded, you responded, Governor Crist listened and he signed!

Mulrennan FFA

Thinking we were done asking folks to write this year, Farm & Ranch News received an email from Tara Karlson, a Mulrennan FFA member asking for our help in saving their FFA Chapter. She had read in our paper how we had helped others and needed our help as their Chapter was being closed

Again, we asked folks to write to show support for their program and State Award winning teacher Susan Carpenter. The Tampa Tribune also became involved, as well as the ag industry and School Board Member April Griffin. As a result, their program was restored! Recently, I met one of the former members Louis Tudor of Mulrennan Middle School at Durant High School. He said, “I know you! You helped us with Mulrennan FFA. I no longer attend the school, but my sister now benefits from what we did and is an FFA member!”

Polk County

Extension & 4-H

In January, we sounded an alert on an issue dealing with possible cuts to Polk County Extension, 4-H and the Youth Fair. Their County Commission positively responded to the people. But, during the summer, budget issues changed and they faced possible closure by October 2008. Farm & Ranch News activated our Polk County email alert loop with Etta Robinson. Horse & Pony News activated theirs, and with the help of Heather Nedley of Polk County Farm Bureau, made folks aware of what was happening with our online ticker, website and in print: The result, supporters visited the County Commission, wrote letters and called. Again, government listened, and as result they saved their program for this fiscal year. But, they need to keep watch for our alerts, as they have more advocating to do for this next fiscal year.

Tomlin FFA

Then we became aware that Tomlin FFA needed a new barn and were raising funds by growing strawberries, we wrote an article to bring awareness. The good news is that as a result of YOU, the School Board positively responded to their request to speed up the process and has said that after they approve their architectural drawings, they may build their barn, albeit they have to continue to raise the funds to do so. Sounds like we all will be buying more Tomlin FFA strawberries this season!

Wearing 4-H

Green

Due to all the trouble 4-H has had this year, I began giving talks as to how “4-H Needs To Be Seen”, with marketing and government tips in various parts of our state and out of state as well. Sometimes I speak alone or with others as in this picture at the Polk County Extension Office with Nicole Walker 4-H Agent, Beverly Lay 4-H Leader, and Heather Nedley of Farm Bureau.

Sally Alford, co-

publisher of Horse

& Pony News,

had the shirts changed from blue and red to green at the Florida 4-H Dog Project to support and help bring more community awareness of 4-H. She can be seen at many dog events selling these shirts to raise funds for the 4-H Dog Project Scholarship. As a result, Sally and I have noticed we are seeing more green, making 4-H more noticeable to the general public.

Currently, we have been asked to help Career & Tech Programs around Florida. The new Florida Education Law is designed so that school funding is based upon the number of teens that graduate and the number of students in AP classes. There is concern that this law has caused more closures of Career & Tech programs around our state, replacing them with AP classes. Recently, we sounded an alert on this subject and people are beginning to write, and need to keep doing so, as officials are starting to listen to the importance of Career & Tech programs.

Award for Florida

Supporters of

Agriculture and Its

Youth.

So, Floridians, YOU deserve an award! Extension, 4-H, FFA Advisors and Teachers cannot lobby for their jobs or programs, but you can and did! From the many different parts of the ag industry and various forms of the news media to individuals and youth.

YOU are proof that letter writing, phone calls and lobbying works, and that our government DOES listen! With the stroke of your pens and keyboards you have positively impacted literally thousands of individuals this year!

Farm & Ranch News and Horse & Pony News are like buglers in a battle. We can sound the bugle, but if no one responds nothing good can happen. Each and every one of YOU deserves an award for what you have done ,whether you are an agricultural organization, club, individual adult or youth.

Thank you for ALL your efforts this year and special thanks to our government officials at various levels for listening and positively responding!

Congratulations Supporters of Florida Agriculture!

YOU Helped Over 100,000 Florida 4-H and FFA Members Keep Their Programs This Year!

By Stephanie Farmer-Associate Publisher

When I told someone recently about the 100,000 4-H and FFA youth whose programs were saved this year, a big grin spread across his face. He looked at a fellow employee and said, “I had a part in helping those kids because I wrote letters and made calls!” And you know what? He is right!

As many know, Farm & Ranch News along with Horse & Pony News are just buglers and coaches. We “sound the alarm” when we find out about possible closure of 4-H and FFA programs, and help with tools on how to advocate; but if YOU, the people of Florida, from moms and dads to youth, business people and others didn’t make calls, write letters, go to meetings etc., our “call to action” would mean nothing.

Our advertisers deserve a special “thank you”; and those advertisers deserve our reader’s patronage. It is their advertising that enable us to help others. It takes a lot of time, gas, and travel to assist others around this state and nationally. Without our advertisers we wouldn’t be able to help anyone! They understand that we are more than a newspaper; that we are active advocates for the Extension Service, 4-H, FFA and Agriculture.

Your U.S. Senators, Congressmen, County Commissioners, and State Legislators are to be thanked. We are in what Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson calls “the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression”. Yet our government officials are willing to not only sit down and listen to the youth of our state explain the importance of 4-H and FFA, but also after hearing them, join forces to keep their programs funded.

So, here’s a quick synopsis of some of the 100,000 kids you helped this year and some of their thank you letters.

When Farm & Ranch News learned of some Federal issues involving 4-H programs, we made two trips to Washington, D.C. to investigate and help out. One trip was with our Youth Ambassador Jennifer Sullivan and later with my son Matthew.

A Marion County FFA member and Eleanor Hancock. When pink slips went out to all first-year teachers in their county, including ag teachers, we received a call for help. Supporters, wrote, called, went to meetings etc., resulting in all their ag teachers’ pink slips going in the garbage and some programs even strengthened. The county officials were very impressed at how positive everyone was as to the importance of ag programs.

Pasco County- When Extension faced a 71% cut and closure of 4-H due to budget constraints, Pasco County supporters from 4-H members to Master Gardeners and others acted. They packed meeting after meeting, wrote letters, called and were successful in keeping Extension and 4-H funded and strong! One supporter later wrote us, “Thank you for your hard work and dedication to 4-H!”

Hillsborough County- When Extension and 4-H faced a 40% cut, supporters “positively” educated their Commissioners. Members and supporters walked the halls of the County Commission with folders of facts and personal stories. Commissioners listened and responded with a 7% cut! One supporter wrote us her motto: “TEAM-Together Everyone Achieves More!”

Duval County- When one City Council member suggested they cut 4-H to save money, we received a call. Members and supporters positively educated their 19 City Council members with calls, letters, visits and attended meetings. Many didn’t realize the far-reaching positive aspects 4-H has on their youth. These supporters won the Councilmen’s support!

Hillsborough County -One day we learned that Rogers Middle FFA with over 150 ag students was to be closed. School Board Member April Griffin and Carol Kurdel checked into this issue and with the help of supporters, the program was restored! Farm & Ranch News received an Honorary Degree plaque from this chapter and a card signed by the students calling us their “newest best friend”.

Lake County- While covering an event we learned about Lake County 4-H facing closure and were asked to help. Again members packed meetings, made calls and saved 4-H in their county! One Commissioner explained to the crowd when their program was restored “that this was not an issue they took lightly as their budget was tight; but, they were restoring 4-H due to the advocacy of not only the adults, but the youth”.

Hernando Central FFA (one of only two FFA programs in the whole county). When one of their students called asking for our help as their livestock program was going to be shut down, we sent out a call for help. Supporters met with School Board members, and County Commissioners made phone calls and wrote letters. As a result, Hernando Central FFA was able to maintain their livestock program!

When a menagerie of issues began developing around the state regarding FFA, we called the Florida Cattlemen Association for help. President Bo Hobby said they would be glad to help and allowed us to bring some Marion County FFA members to Tallahassee during the Cattlemen’s Lobbying Day. These members met over 17 State Legislators, and the Cattlemen put their talking points on their list given to all the Legislators. Senator Ronda Storms told the Education Committee that some FFA members were walking the halls and everyone needed to take time out of their day and listen to the good points they were making, and they did! Bo told us that these members made a huge impression on Florida’s Legislators who were literally talking and discussing what they had learned from them.

Miami Dade- Probably the biggest challenge this year was Miami-Dade Extension and 4-H. Due to a county shortfall of over $400 million, massive cuts were being made with Extension and 4-H facing closure, as well as the Bob Graham Farm Village utilized by urban 4-Hers for livestock projects. Things looked bleak, but 4-H members called and asked for our help. I told them the bottom line was on October 1st. If their program was closed and they did nothing, they would always wonder “what if”. What they needed to do was take out “the what if” and if they won it was icing on the cake.

These incredible members met Commissioners, wrote, called, sat outside offices for almost 12 hours at a time just so they could speak at Commission meetings, attended town meetings and more. The result: they won, including the Bob Graham Farm Village! Over 90% of Extension and 4-H were funded!

Afterwards, we received a thank you note from one supporter who said, “Thanks for all the help and encouragement. I think before you came we were all ready to give up. God bless you!”

Farm & Ranch News was involved in several other issues involving Extension, 4-H, FFA and Agricultural issues in other counties. But, again, nothing positive could have happened without the blessings of our Lord and people like YOU writing, calling, and going to meetings. So, congratulations Florida supporters of Agriculture! YOU deserve an award for your tireless efforts! YOU helped save programs for over 100,000 Florida 4-H and FFA members!

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