Education & Outreach
Florida Farm Bureau provides an array of resources to help educators and consumers learn more about agriculture. Our membership programs provide opportunities for farm families to support agriculture in our state. From helping teachers to growing tomorrow’s leaders to helping the rural and urban communities connect, Farm Bureau volunteers are instrumental in keeping agriculture strong.
To become a volunteer, contact your local county Farm Bureau.
For Teachers
Florida Farm Bureau provides teachers with multiple resources to help educate students about agriculture. We collaborate with the Florida Agriculture in the Classroom program. Through this program, educators have access to a variety of supplemental statewide classroom materials for grades K-12 along with downloadable activities. Our volunteer leaders also participate in Ag Literacy Day, an interactive reading exercise for students across the country.
To find out what resources are available for teachers in your community, contact your local County Farm Bureau.
FFBF Classroom Mini-GrantsThe Women’s Leadership Committee provides multiple $250 mini-grants to certified Florida educators who are engaged in classroom instruction at the pre-K to 12th grade levels. The mini-grant program supports agricultural education in the classroom.
Grading Rubric
Classroom Mini-Grant Checklist
Classroom Mini-Grants Helpful Hints
Classroom Mini-Grant Report
Ag in the ClassroomAg in the Classroom was created to help school children and teachers learn about agriculture, where their food comes from and the important contributions Florida farmers make to their communities and state.
Student ContestsFlorida Farm Bureau promotes a clearer understanding of the many aspects of agriculture to our youth through various student contests. These contests include students at the secondary- to post-secondary grades. For more information, click here.
AEST Industry Certifications
Agriculture Education Services & Technology, Inc. (AEST), a Florida Farm Bureau subsidiary, is supplying the agriculture industry with a certified workforce. AEST certificants are highly skilled and highly trained in unique areas of agriculture. AEST certifications provide employers with a trusted credential that can be used to make sound employment decisions. Agriculture employers and AEST certificants can connect through the AEST job board, Hire.Ag. To learn more about AEST certifications, visit AEST.Ag.
Associate Certifications
Agriculture
Agriculture Systems
Specialist Certifications
Agricultural Biotechnology
Agricultural Communications
Agricultural Mechanics
Agritechnology
Animal Science
Forestry
Natural Resources
Unmanned Aircraft Systems in Agriculture
Scholarships
Florida Farm Bureau provides several scholarships throughout the year to help foster learning. More than $150,000 has been awarded toward educational opportunities for young people since 1998.
Young Farmers & Ranchers Leadership Conference ScholarshipFlorida Farm Bureau provides young agriculturists the opportunity to learn and network with peers at its annual Young Farmers & Ranchers Leadership Conference.
Ag in the Classroom Mini-Grant ScholarshipFlorida Farm Bureau is committed to supporting agricultural education in classrooms across the Sunshine state. Through our mini-grant program, we provide multiple grants to certified Florida educators who are engaged in classroom instruction at the pre-K to 12th grade level. Contact your local County Farm Bureau for more information.
Women’s Leadership Conference ScholarshipFlorida Farm Bureau provides women the opportunity to learn and network with peers at its annual State Women’s Committee Conference in March. To apply for a scholarship to attend the premier networking conference for women, contact your local County Farm Bureau.
Agriculture Facts
-There are approximately 47,000 commercial farms in Florida
-The average Florida farm size is 201 acres
-Florida agriculture provided a total of 1.35 million jobs in 2010
-Florida produces nearly 300 different commodities, making it one of the most diverse production agriculture states in the nation
-Florida agriculture generates an economic impact of $148 billion
-Florida accounts for 45% of the total U.S. citrus production
-Florida ranks second among the states in the value of vegetable production
-Florida is the world leader in phosphate rock production
-Florida ranks first among the states in the production of greenhouse and nursery products
-In 2010, Florida ranked third among the states in agricultural exports with $3.1 billion
-More than 140 countries imported Florida agricultural commodities in 2010
Source websites http://www.nass.usda.gov/ http://www.florida-agriculture.com
