USPS Publication Number 16300
T h i s C om mu n it y Ne w s p a p e r i s a p u bl i c a t ion of E s c a m b i a-S a nt a Ro s a B a r A s s o c i a t ion
Se r v i ng t he Fi r st Jud icia l Ci rcu it Section A, Page 1
Vol. 22, No. 13
V isit T he S ummation W eekly O nline : SummationWeekly.com
March 30, 2022
1 Section, 10 Pages
SANTA ROSA COUNT Y AGRI-PLEX PUTS COUNTY ON MAP AS REGIONAL AGRICULTURAL HUB by Morgan Cole
W
hat began as a small county fair featuring rides, livestock shows and rodeos has grown into a regional agricultural hub. The completion of the final phase of the Santa Rosa County AGRI-PLEX project is putting the county on the map as an agrarian destination for farmers, ranchers and children alike.
After several years of planning and construction, the Santa Rosa County (SRC) AGRIPLEX in Milton, FL is officially open for business. The completion of a new exhibit hall finishes off the final piece of the AGRI-PLEX project which also houses the June Ates Arena, a livestock barn and 25 acres of land for the Santa Rosa County Fair. The project has been in the works for more than seven years, starting with the June Ates arena that was first built back in 2013. “The AGRI-PLEX maintains awareness of the importance of agriculture within our region and specifically in Santa Rosa County through the promotion of agricultural events monthly and other large-scale events throughout the year,” Outreach and Community Liaison for Santa Rosa County Grants and Special Projects Department, Kyle Holley explained. After two long years of permitting and construction delays as a result of the COVID19 pandemic, the completion of the 36,000-acre AGRI-PLEX development marks an important milestone for both the County and members of the community. Today, the AGRIPLEX serves as a multi-use facility for a variety of agricultural clubs, farming and education programs, community events, “homesteader” conventions, livestock shows, youth rodeos and more. The newlycompleted exhibit hall adds 2,400-square-feet of climatecontrolled event space and now houses the administrative offices at the facility. “Many of the events that we are attracting need use of both the administrative space and indoor climate-controlled exhibit space in order to grow their events.The AGRI-PLEX and newly completed exhibit hall are capable of hosting just about any type of large
event from weddings, family reunions, conventions and livestock shows to concerts, tractor pulls, chuckwagon competitions, car shows and more,” Holley explained. While the exhibit hall was under construction, the AGRIPLEX took on the role of increasing public exposure to the rich agricultural culture in the community. The livestock barn was utilized for education projects where middle and high school-aged children were able to participate in 100-day livestock projects by caring and overseeing a cow or pig in order to get it to a proper “showing weight” to be auctioned off at the spring fair. The livestock barn is currently used for youth livestock shows which double as stall areas to also support equine events at the Arena. Groups such as Future Farmers of America (FFA) and 4-H frequently use the barns and Arena for livestock weighins and registrations in anticipation of area shows. “Youth 4-H and FFA livestock projects are measured for growth over a specified or preset amount of time, so a clinical approach to tracking the growth rates of the various animal breeds is required. The livestock barns provide the space and time needed for these types of projects,” Holley explained. Throughout the year, the AGRI-PLEX is available to the community for public use and the facility hosts a number of events and activities such as the Santa Rosa County Fair, trainings for the local Sheriff’s department, State DOT job fairs, SRC Emergency Management and State Emergency Management for emergency hurricane preparedness and response training activities and barrel racing competitions. In addition to the numerous
The SEYRA is a thriving program and one of its founding families actually moved here because of the robust equine community found in Santa Rosa County. Horse owners are often attracted to our area because of the climate, soil types and numerous riding possibilities found within the county.”
agricultural and communitybased events hosted at the facility throughout the year, the AGRI-PLEX’s June Ates Arena also serves as the permanent home to the Southeastern Youth Rodeo Association (SEYRA). Established by two local families in 2019 who were drawn to the area for its thriving equine community and ranching lifestyle, the SEYRA provides youth, ages 3 to 18, access to numerous rodeo programs that previously didn’t exist in the area. Throughout Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Tennessee, the SEYRA is the only youth rodeo of its kind in our region. Its 230 members participate in programs like bull riding, pole bending, goat tying, bareback riding and more. “The SEYRA is a thriving program and one of its founding families actually moved here because of the robust equine community found in Santa Rosa County. Horse owners are often attracted to our area because of the climate, soil types and numerous riding possibilities found within the county,” Holley explained. “We are most proud that the new facility has helped incubate a new youth rodeo association that is giving traditional all-American families a great way to teach their kids the ranching skills that this County was built with. The SEYRA serves as a valuable part of the AGRI-PLEX team.” The Association rents the facilities from the County to host their youth events and provides management support for the facility as well as guidance for future improvements. The SEYRA continues to thrive in its new permanent home at the AGRI-PLEX Arena and according to Holley, the Association looks forward to expanding its membership base to eventually become one of the largest youth rodeos in the region. The overall strategy behind the development of the AGRI-PLEX
is to support agriculture education and to preserve Northwest Florida’s farming and ranching heritage. The newly completed facility is not only benefiting the existing community of farmers and ranchers, it’s also attracting new residents bringing small farms and ranches into the areas around our military bases, where they are further protected from the encroachment of high density residential developments. “When the State and local government is committed to supporting the military presence in the region, it also protects the farming and ranching lifestyles. Sometimes we say ‘horses and helicopters go together,’ meaning, if a helicopter has to land for a mechanical failure indicator, it’s better for them to land in a pasture than a crowded neighborhood,” Holley explained. Managed and operated by the nearly 30-year-old Santa Rosa County Fair Association (SRCFA), the AGRI-PLEX is owned by Santa Rosa County and is built on County land. The SRCFA is a private 501c3 non-profit organization run by a volunteer-based board of directors. Although the SRCFA does not receive any annual funding from the County like many other non-profits of its kind, the Association has a management agreement with the County to provide programming for scheduling events, maintaining and promoting the facility. The SRCFA also maintains working relationships with Santa Rosa County Emergency Management and Emergency Managers at the State level since the facility is also ideal for staging emergency response supplies. As one of the oldest agricultural states in the South, both its tradition and State statutes support agricultural fairs in each county. The AGRI-PLEX project was funded by a combination of County District 2 Reserve Dollars and State Legislative dollars through the
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The arena was funded by the County reserve dollars and completed as part of Phase 1 of the project and the State grant dollars funded Phase 2, which included the fairgrounds, exhibit hall and livestock barns. “After coordinating schedules and work plans in Santa Rosa County, it made sense for the SRCFA to take up the charge of developing the funding request and managing the overall project,” Holley explained. Under Florida State Statute 288, any form of Florida government or qualified fair association can apply for funding and appropriations can be made for the construction of agriculture education and promotion facilities, according to Holley. “A county fair is intended to bring the public closer to the importance of agriculture, products and its people. The various exhibitions hosted at the facility, including the livestock exhibits, provide the primary programming for the overall fair event. The rides and food really are the fundraising component of the activity supporting the exhibits and the exhibitors in the current year and providing for scholarships, premiums and awards paid to youth,” Holley said. The AGRI-PLEX serves as an invaluable resource for maintaining awareness of the importance of agriculture within our region, specifically in Santa Rosa County. The facility continues to thrive as an epicenter for important agricultural programs and activities both locally and regionally, while helping contribute to the local economy and the overall culture of Northwest Florida’s farming and ranching community. For information on the AGRIPLEX project, upcoming events details on facility rental, visit srcfair.com or follow @SRCFair on Facebook. •
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