Excellence in Agriculture Award

(Gainesville, Fla.)— Carlton and Laura Lee Taylor of Polk County have been chosen as the top winners of Florida Farm Bureau’s Excellence in Agriculture competition. This competition is open to 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 finalists in the competition included John and Emily Eubanks of Alachua County and Earl and Ashley Jones of Gilchrist County.
 
The Taylors live in Lakeland and have a cow-calf operation in addition to leasing land to vegetable farmers. Carlton, a sales representative for beef cattle and dairy herd health products, is also involved with his family’s citrus, cattle and ornamental nursery operations. Laura Lee is assistant director of the Lakeland Economic Development Council.
 
The winner was  announced during the President’s Celebration and Awards Ceremony at Florida Farm Bureau’s 2009 Annual Meeting at the Hilton Oceanview Resort in Daytona Beach Oct. 29. Contestants were 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. In addition to other prizes, the Taylors receive an expense-paid trip to the American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Meeting in January where they will compete in the national award program.
 
Florida Farm Bureau Federation celebrates 68 years of service to agriculture this year. It is the largest independent agricultural organization in the state with approximately 140,000 member-families, statewide. There are 60 county Farm Bureaus in Florida, where agriculture accounts for $72 billion in annual economic impacts across the state. For more information on the annual meeting, visit http://FloridaFarmBureau.org.