FROM THE PRESIDENT
SALUTING FARMERS WITH CARES ONE OF A FARMER’S DAILY GOALS is to conserve
natural resources. The family livelihood depends upon it. The land and water the Lord has provided are the fundamental ingredients for producing food and making a living. Farmers know this truth firsthand. Their care of resources has allowed many families to grow crops and raise animals on the same acreage for generations. For nearly 20 years, Florida Farm Bureau has highlighted outstanding conservation practices with a special initiative. The County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship (CARES) program recognizes farmers and ranchers who have implemented strategies that preserve and protect natural resources on their properties. Many of these agriculturists have provided a major benefit for their communities by improving land and water quality. The CARES program is designed to reward farm producers for successful natural resource management. At public events throughout the year a CARES award is presented
4
FLORIDAGRICULTURE | APRIL/MAY 2019
to individuals and families selected as nominees for their outstanding accomplishments. The effectiveness of each recipient’s conservation work is verified by state experts. As of early this year, more than 800 families have received the CARES award. We anticipate that by the end of this year, the program will have recognized more than 1,000. During the 2018 Florida Farm Bureau Annual Meeting last October, we signed a renewal of our memorandum of understanding with the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The university and our state agriculture department are our primary partners in this program. With their help, we will continue CARES into the next century. I am grateful that UF/IFAS Senior Vice President Jack Payne and Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried have both expressed their enthusiastic support for it. We maintain the original purpose of the CARES
John L. Hoblick, Florida Farm Bureau President
initiative by promoting public awareness of the conservation accomplishments of our farm families. We want all Floridians to know the natural resource benefits these families provide for our state. We will soon introduce another group of CARES award recipients who live in the Suwannee River Basin and adjacent areas. On May 2 all of our guests can participate in an awards ceremony at the UF/IFAS North Florida Research and Education Center near Live Oak. Each awardee will receive a CARES plaque on stage. There will also be opportunities to sample Florida-grown foods and visit with farmers and their families. The event will begin at 6 p.m. I invite you to join us at one of the best fellowship events of the year.
