P.O. Box 948153
Maitland, FL 32794
www.ffva.com

NEWS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Ray Gilmer or Barbara Wunder 321-214-5200

FLORIDA FRUIT & VEGETABLE ASSOCIATION HONORS STATE REP. DWIGHT STANSEL

ORLANDO, Fla. (September 23, 2005) - Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) honored Florida State Represenative Dwight Stansel today as its Legislator of the Year at the association's 62nd Annual Convention near Orlando.

Stansel, a Democrat from Wellborn, Florida, was elected to the House in 1998 by voters in House District 11, which includes Suwannee, Lafayette, Gilchrist and parts of Alachua and Columbia counties in North Florida.

As Chairman of the House Agriculture Committee last year, Stansel sponsored or co-sponsored most of the major agricultural legislation and supported agriculture interests on several environmental issues. He also serves on the Ag and Environmental Appropriations Committee and on the Select Committee to Protect Private Property Rights.

"To his credit, Representative Stansel is the only Democrat to chair a committee in the House," said Butch Calhoun, FFVA's director, Governmental Affairs Division. "He's one of a dwindling number of farmers who are serving in the Legislature, and he's a nice, down-to-earth, good guy."

Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association is an agricultural trade organization representing Florida's producers of fruits, vegetables and other crops.

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