Ag News Today

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Stephanie Farmer - owner

June 19 update
Lots of learning and brainstorming happening. I am currently working on a special Facebook page for supporters. Stay tuned

June 15 update
Special thank you to everyone who called, wrote ,walked the halls of Tallahassee and more.

I am brainstorming ideas and welcome yours for a meeting with 4-H as to how we can better communicate with each other when needs arise and better educate our government officials.

Counties are now reviewing their budgets who also help fund 4-H and FFA so we need to be alert.

June 10 2017

3 main questions I have been asked since the veto override did not happen.

1. How are our clubs affected now?
Local 4-H clubs are ok but your county agent won't have the back up and it could affect state and district type events if jobs are lost. UF is trying to juggle money around to avoid this until next Legislative season. It is a waiting game right now. BUT REMEMBER YOUR COUNTY COMMISSIONS START REVIEWING THEIR BUDGETS AFTER THE STATE BUDGET IS PASSED AND MOST HELP FUND 4-H TOO.

2. Adam will fix this when Governor?
PLEASE REMEMBER IF ADAM BECOMES GOVERNOR IT WON'T BE UNTIL 2019!!! In the mean time we have the 2017 County Budgets the 2018 State Budget and 2018 County budgets all of which affect 4-H in Florida.
3. What can we do now?
Right NOW we need to strategize then act as our Counties start reviewing their budgets after the State budget has passed and they fund 4-H too. I am working with others and gathering ideas. If you have an idea email me at agnewstoday@outlook.com and thank you for the thank you's they mean a lot.

June 9 2017 update
SAD NEWS Florida 4-H supporters.
We worked hard. We tried but I just watched the Senate Session. The Veto over ride for 4-H did NOT happen.I truly appreciate everything everyone did - the list is endless. The good news is 4-H is still around and UF is going to try to figure out how to handle the funding of our Regional and Specialized agents with the shortfall unknown at this time what UF will do as to keeping the positions. But, this is also a wakeup call that we need to be in the face educating our politicians more than we have. THE GOVERNOR GOT AWAY WITH CUTTING 4-H THIS YEAR...WHAT IS TO STOP HIM NEXT YEAR?!! But for now it is time to take a brief break then regroup and brainstorm methods as I and others have ideas. If you have ideas please let me know. 4-H is family and we work as a team. I will share what I learn later.. "The battle may be lost but the war is not over." As Stacey Warden one of the parents who walked the halls on Wednesday just told me, " We will continue to fight to educate people about the value of our program." Our attention now needs to fall upon as our County Commissions who also fund our 4-H programs look at their budgets. " Do take time to thank Senator Grimsley and Senator Stargel for trying. One thing about 4-H we know how to say thank you and you know they need to hear we appreciate them. Again please tell them thank you for trying. Senator Grimsley(850) 487-5026 or email using this linkhttps://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/s26
and Senator Stargel (850) 487-5022 or email her using this link. https://www.flsenate.gov/Senators/s22

Afternoon June 8 2017
GREAT BREAKING NEWS!!!!! 4-H supporters
CALL TO ACTION
by Senators Denise Grimsley and Kelli Stargel!

YOU MUST CALL FRIDAY MORNING!

From Senator Denise Grimsley!!!
Came in as I drove back from Tallahassee

This is her letter below:
The 4-H program needs your help ASAP! We are currently in a special legislative session regarding the state budget.
Yesterday, Senator Kelli Stargel and I asked Senate President Joe Negron to expand the call for special session to overturn the veto of $1 million for the 4-H program, which teaches leadership skills for Floridaâ��s next generation of agriculture leaders.
Itâ��s an amazing program that serves over 200,000 youth in our state and has a $13.8 million economic impact across Florida.
4-H is a longstanding agriculture program in Florida, and it deserves our support.
Special Session is scheduled to end tomorrow, and we need your help! Call House and Senate leaders today and ask them to please override the veto for 4-H funding.
Speaker Richard Corcoran 850-717-5000
President Joe Negron 850-487-5025
Please call today and ask to save 4-H education!
Sincerely,
Denise
SHARE AND ACT NOW!! iF you can't call go to my website for contact link with legislators emails. I'm pulled over but still traveling home.

June 8 2017
ALERT! 4-h and UF IFAS Supporters. CALL and or email.NOW .no time for regular mail these key legislators and ask
them to find funding .It's in your hands as to how many of us respond. It takes lots of water to make a landslide...not a trickle.And I'm told we must must be persistent and grow our numbers. We have been a trickle.And. by honing down to these will be easier to be a flood. But you must respond now, tonight or early Friday morning.
THESE NAMES NOT PULLED OUT OF HAT. THESE ARE WHAT I WAS TOLD....
Senator Grimsley recommended
Senate President Negron 8504875025 negron.joe.web@flsenate.gov
Senator LatVala appropriations chair 8504875016 latvala.jack.web@flsenate.gov
Senator Galvno higher education chair 8504875021 galvano.bill.web@flsanate.gov
These recommended by house
House...to email them go to my find your legislators link on my site as emails are directly done through house site.
Speaker of the House Richard Corcoran 8507175000
Carlos Trujillo chair 8507175105
Ray Rodriguez majority leader 8507175076
The Governor Rick Scott 8504887146 rick.scott@eog.myflorida.gov
Www.agnewstoday@outlook.com
Share and call or email now!!!!!! No time to waste!!!!

Evening June 7 2017

Senate did NOT Override veto. After about 28 exhausted youth and parents went home to take care of their livestock and one family to work at the dairy while others went to 4-H camp I stayed to
See Senate session. While UF did get a veto over ride for $7 million it was NOT for 4-H and UF IFAS Funding. Afterwards I sat down with Senator Grimsley who is running for Commissioner of agriculture and Senator Tom Lee in hall. Both were extremely disappointed . we brainstormed . I stayed overnight to brainstorm more and catch the House in session.

BREAKING NEWS!!!! JUNE 6 2017
4-H and UF/IFAS Supporters
We are making headway!!!
Just in.....
Senate President Negro..“I also expect that the Senate will consider a proposal to override the veto of some university and higher education funding that represent major priorities of Senators.”

This is great news! They are listening to our requests! But we aren't done!

I know you have already called ( and I'm hearing they are getting a ton of calls, emails and letters - great job everyone!) but that was asking if they would...now they are thinking about doing it!

You MUST call and email AGAIN saying:
YES please consider a proposal to override the veto of some university and higher education funding and support 4-H and UF/IFAS

This decision is to be made by the Governor, Speaker of the House and Senate President! Their contact info is below!

Go to my website for contact info. There are a lot of steps ...first we asked for emergency funding.... Now we MUST write AGAIN saying we support the override veto so 4-H and UF/IFAS funding can be restored.

I am still headed to the capital steps at 9 AM if anyone wants to join us. Come anytime tomorrow June 7th Wednesday . A group of green is developing for tomorrow ...let's make it a physical sea of green with calls and emails too! With God's help we CAN do this!

I know I've asked for a lot of letters but hang in there!

June 4 2017 update

4-H SUPPORTERS!
It’s NOT over yet. Write to save 4-H faculty funding as well as UF/IFAS Research funding.
Before starting this article, I said a prayer for guidance, wisdom and the ability to communicate clearly as this is an important topic.

On Friday June 2nd 2017 Governor Rick Scott vetoed funding for 4-H faculty, sending a shudder through
4-H supporters Statewide.
Click here for the veto list - St. Pete Times
The 4-H and UF/IFAS funding vetoes are on line 143 page 3 Project 1,3,6,7,10,12,14
We need to ask the Speaker of the House, Senate President, Governor and our Legislators for an EMERGENCY PROVISION for funding the requirements of 4-H and UF/ IFAS
Starting at point 7 I have contact info, sample letter and more or click here for quick link - but please read full article below first.

Here are detailed answers for questions I have been asked from around the State

1. Is this a new funding request or existing funding being vetoed? EXISTING funding for 4-H faculty was vetoed.

2.Will the funding veto affect 4-H clubs on the County level? The short answer is, “Yes” as the veto was for support faculty. Here is a visual and details.

Visual of the 4-H funding veto

Local 4-H clubs are supported
like a three legged stool.
The seat represents local 4-H clubs.
The three legs represent
1. Local 4-H agents - who work directly with clubs
2. 4-H Regional Support Agents ( RSA) - They support County 4-H agents statewide with education, volunteer training, events and more.
3. 4-H Specialized Agents - 4-H Specialized Agents. They are often UF professors and provide content, put on educational events and more. An example of a 4-H Specialized Agent is a UF/IFAS forestry and natural resources professor who uses part of her time developing forestry 4-H programs and curriculum.

Governor Rick Scott vetoed funding of two legs - Regional Support Agents ( RSA) and Specialized Agents. Leaving local County 4-H agents on their own.

All three support 4-H youth. IT would be extremely difficult, especially for new 4-H agents to keep up on changes such as youth protection policy, train volunteers, and hold County and District events without State level support if they don’t have the support staff. The vetoed amount was $1 million.

3.  Is there anything we can do? YES!
Right NOW, supporters MUST to write in MASS asking the State to “make an emergency provision for the funding requirements of 4-H”. Funding chances increase the more people write.There is no guarantee but we can ask. Contact MUST be made this week to the Speaker of the House - President of the Senate – Governor and local legislators. I have contact info, sample letter and more starting with point # 7 but please read this full article before writing because we must all be on the same "page" to be effective. There is strength in numbers and this must be a GROUP effort.

4.   Why add UF/ IFAS to our discussion? 4-H is a part of UF/IFAS and UF/IFAS is a part of 4-H, we work as a team supporting each other. They also had a big funding veto hit.

5. Give more detail as to how UF/IFAS supports my club ?
  Besides all your county 4-H agent does, take a moment and think – have you ever been to a 4-H livestock cattle, horse etc. event? IFAS Specialized 4-H agents helped put that together. How about a plant ID educational event? IFAS specialized 4-H agents again. Has your 4-H youth had questions when they developed their speech on let’s say E. coli for County Events like my own son did? An IFAS specialized agent answered my son’s questions and educated him making sure his speech was accurate. Where did your local 4-H agent learn about youth safety? RSA agent. Whether we as 4-Hers know it or not we have been touched by 4-H RSAs and Specialized Agents who again are UF professors and researchers in their specific fields. Being part of 4-H gives you direct access to UF professors. We need to support them as they support us

6. How was UF/IFAS impacted? Here are the areas the Governor vetoed UF/IFAS research. UF/IFAS horticulture research was hit twice with the Horticulture Research Science and Education funding veto of $1.45 million PLUS the Tropical Research, Education Center $750,000, Tropical Aquaculture Lab $778,987 and Geomatics “the oldest program of its kind in the south-eastern United States. fundamental to all areas of study such as Surveying, Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry, Cartography, Geographic Information Systems, Property or Cadastral Studies and Global Positioning who support our growers Statewide had a funding veto of $636,120 .

7.       What do I say and write? POSITIVE statements! No negative nor derogatory comments. Those don’t help a cause. Our goal is to educate WHY they should make an emergency provision for funding requirements of 4-H and UF/IFAS.

Here is a sample letter - but please put in your own words – although you might want to copy the line about emergency provision for funding requirements of 4-H and UF/IFAS

Dear -----

On Friday, the Governor vetoed funding for 4-H a program that supports over 200,000 youth around the State of Florida and several very important UF/ IFAS research programs such as Geomatics, Horticulture and Aquaculture labs.

I am asking that you will consider a proposal to override the veto of some university and higher education funding and support 4-H and UF/IFAS. Here is why 4-H faculty and IFAS research are important (explain with a personal 4-H story maybe how a 4-H event helped your child learn, how County Events helped overcome speech fears there is so much here we could share with photos if you have one)

8.   How do I contact?  Three-fold process – remember being positive and any correspondence is part of public record.
a.       Call
b.       Email
c. Click print - put a 4-H logo on the outside of the envelope and mail. In the past, I have had politicians say they never got a call nor email on a topic. Regular mail ensures EVERYONE knows they were contacted esp. if they arrive in bags as I has happened

9. Who do I contact? It is important you contact ALL of these. Just type one letter and use for each one. Below are addresses and link to contact your local legislator too.
Remember ANY correspondence is part of public record
a.       Speaker of the House
Florida Representative Richard Corcoran
The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL   32399-1300
richard.corcoran@myfloridahouse.gov
Phone: (850) 717-5000

b.      Senate President
Senator Joe Negron
                   404 S. Monroe Street
                   Tallahassee, FL 32399-1100
                    Phone: (850) 487-5229
Click this link to email him

c.       Governor Rick Scott
Office of the Governor Rick Scott
State of Florida
The Capitol
400 S. Monroe St
Tallahassee, FL 32399-001
Rick.Scott@eog.myflorida.com
850-488-7146

d.      Your local Senator and Legislator
1. Florida House of Representatives Click this link

2. Florida   Senator Click this link

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING 4-H AND UF/IFAS

FFA had a funding veto as well as 4-H

While researching the Governor's vetoes I came across that
Over $3 million was vetoed for funding Florida FFA's program for Next Generation Agricultural Education Students. It's purpose was to expand the delivery of Future Farmers of America programs to middle and high school students from Next Generation Agriculture Education Programs. Located line 110 page 2 project 40 and 41
From what I understand , since this is new funding FFA will work on this next Legislative year.

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