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[Editor's
Note: This news release was issued by the Agricultural Institute to
media in Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale and Tampa/St.
Petersburg. A fact sheet about 4-H (as well as sheets about FFA and
Florida Ag in the Classroom), contact information for 4-H agents in the
area and highlights of agricultural education programs in each media
market were included with the information. For more information on the Ag
Institute, contact Megan at (352)378-8100 ext. 4184 or email aifhq@aol.com.]
Florida
Residents Seeking Agricultural Education
April
4, 2002
GAINESVILLE
– Florida
residents
recognize the
importance of agricultural education, but many don’t know where to go to
get it. The high priority
Florida’s public places on agricultural education for school-age
children and its desire to access such education became in the results of
a recent survey, which was conducted by the Florida Department of
Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and the Florida Farm Bureau
Federation. The survey targeted six urban Florida markets.
Individuals
were asked to rate the importance of agricultural education on a scale of
one to 10, with one being most important. The mean for Florida residents
was 2.9, indicating a strong importance placed on agricultural education. However, when asked if respondents are aware of any
agricultural education programs, only 22 percent of the participants
answered “yes.”
The
Agriculture Institute of Florida, a group of professional
communicators employed by Florida's agricultural
community, is
assisting three major groups that specialize in agricultural education get
information about their programs to the general public. The programs are
the UF/IFAS 4-H Youth Development Program (4-H), Future Farmers of America
(FFA) and Florida Ag in the Classroom, Inc. (FAITC).
“The
Institute’s mission is to facilitate communication with the public on
behalf of agriculture,” said Lisa Backman, president of the Institute
and executive director of Polk County Farm Bureau.
“We have compiled some success stories about agricultural
education programs taking place at the local levels, and we have profiled
the state’s 4-H, FFA and FAITC programs.”
For
more information on agricultural education in your area, please see the
information enclosed in this packet.
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