Those in the Florida agriculture
industry who are wondering how this year’s elections may affect
them can hear it straight from the candidates themselves at the Ninth
Quadrennial Candidates Forum on Sept. 24 at the Orange County Convention
Center in Orlando.
For more than 30 years, the five Farm Credit Associations of Florida
and the Agriculture Institute of Florida have brought together primary
winners vying for Florida’s top
offices – including governor, chief financial officer, attorney
general and agriculture commissioner – for a luncheon where
candidates explain their views on top issues. Producers are invited to
ask questions of the candidates.
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"One of the reasons we do this is that it will generate
publicity that hopefully the general public will see and come away with
a positive attitude toward agriculture. People need to understand the
importance of it economically and for our health and
nutrition.”
-Ron O'Connor, Florida Farm Credit
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This marks the second time the event will be held in
conjunction with the Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape
Association’s Florida Nursery & Allied Trade Show .
In 2006, the last time the event was held, candidates participating
were Jeff Kottcamp, Republican gubernatorial candidate Charlie
Crist’s choice for lieutenant governor; Bill McCollum, the
Republican running for attorney general; Senate President Republican Tom
Lee and banking executive Alex Sink, who were vying for chief financial
officer; and Charles Bronson and attorney Eric Copeland, both in the
race for the ag commissioner’s post. McCollum, Sink and Bronson
won their elections.
The candidates addressed several issues affecting agriculture,
including private property rights, the greenbelt tax assessment, sales
tax exemptions on ag electricity and production, and opportunities in
alternative fuels.
In addition to those same topics, candidates this year are likely to
field questions on water quality, various regulatory topics and issues
related to the economy.
The race for Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services is
especially important, not only to those in agriculture but to the public
at large. “We want to make sure of who we want to support for ag
commissioner but also understand that we can’t elect that person
by ourselves,” said Ron O’Connor, vice president of
marketing for Farm Credit of Florida. “That’s because
it’s the commissioner of agriculture and consumer services.
So one of the reasons we do this is that it will generate publicity that
hopefully the general public will see and come away with a positive
attitude toward agriculture. People need to understand the importance of
it economically and for our health and nutrition.”
Industry members should contact their candidates and impress upon
them the importance of their participation in the event, O’Connor
said. “It is of utmost importance for anyone in any sector of
agriculture to write to the candidates to encourage them to come and
present their ag platforms. This gives us the opportunity to impress
upon the candidates the importance and the magnitude of Florida agriculture.”
Cost to attend is $75 per person; corporate table sponsorships also
are available. For information, call (863) 675-2144. To be included on
AIF's invitation mailing list, contact info@aginstitute.org.
More information will be available as the date approaches through
Candidates Forum Committee Chairman Ron O’Connor or Ag Institute
President Betsy McGill. O’Connor can be reached at (863) 682-4117
ext. 403 or by e-mail. McGill is at (863)
675-2144.
The primary election is Aug. 24. To learn more about the candidates,
go to the Department of Elections website.
Note: Farm Credit is a customer-owned business lending funds to
growers, ranchers, farmers, and rural homeowners. The five associations
hold approximately $2 billion in outstanding loans to more than 6,000
Member/Borrowers in Florida. The Agriculture Institute of
Florida is a group of agricultural
communicators representing nearly all of Florida’s commodity groups and
agricultural corporations.