Charlie and Kelli Hofer earn Florida Farm Bureau’s Young Farmer & Rancher Excellence in Agriculture Award

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Rachel Kudelko (352) 378-8100, ext. 1030
Kathy Richardson (325) 374-1533

(Gainesville, Fla.) – Charlie and Kelli Hofer, a Marion County couple, have been chosen as the top winners of Florida Farm Bureau’s Excellence in Agriculture competition. The honor is bestowed upon farmers and ranchers who are under the age of 35 and do not derive the majority of their income from an owned farm operation. The Hofers received the honor during an afternoon session at Florida Farm Bureau’s 2007 Annual Meeting at the Daytona Beach Hilton Resort on Oct. 11. They collected $1,200 for their efforts. Contestants are judged on the basis of their involvement in agriculture, their leadership ability, and their participation in Farm Bureau and in the life of their home community.

Charlie is a nutrition consultant for Cargill, specializing in dairy cattle, beef cattle and equine feeding programs. He is also president of the Marion County Farm Bureau and chairs the county organization’s Young Farmer & Rancher Committee and Membership Committee. Among many community and industry volunteer duties, he has served on the Marketing Committee of the American Feed Industry Association and as a Peer Group Facilitator for the South Florida Dairy Producers. Kelli is employed at Central Florida Community College as a High School/College Coordinator. She also serves on the school’s Equine Advisory Committee. She is the District III representative on the Florida Farm Bureau state Women’s Leadership Committee and chairs the Marion County Farm Bureau’s Agriculture in the Classroom Committee and the Women’s Committee. Among many other volunteer civic activities, Kelli is a founding board member of Emerging Leaders Ocala and a board member of Leadership Ocala/Marion Alumni. She also coordinates the Marion County Cattlemen’s Sweetheart competition for the Florida Cattlemen’s Association. Charlie received a B.S. degree in agriculture from the university of Florida; Kelli received a B.S. degree in education from Florida State University.

The Florida Farm Bureau Federation is the state’s largest general-interest agricultural association with about 140,000 member-families statewide. Headquartered in Gainesville, the Federation is an independent, non-profit agricultural organization. More information about Florida Farm Bureau is available on the organization’s Web site, floridafarmbureau.org.