Florida Farm Bureau

Last updated

Florida Farm Bureau
FormationNovember 15, 1941;83 years ago (1941-11-15) [1]
Founder American Farm Bureau Federation [1]
Type Non-profit 501(c)(5)
Registration no.59-0642950
Legal statusactive
Purposeprovide a unified voice for Florida farmers and advocate for them [1]
Headquarters5700 SW 34th Avenue, Gainesville, Florida
Coordinates 29°35′53″N82°22′02″W / 29.5980°N 82.3673°W / 29.5980; -82.3673
President
Jeb Smith
Website https://floridafarmbureau.org/
Formerly called
Florida Citrus Growers, Inc. [1]

The Florida Farm Bureau (FFB) a/k/a Florida Farm Bureau Federation is the largest non-profit (but not tax deductible), Florida organization that states it is dedicated to supporting Florida farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. Its' goals are to increase the net income of farmers and ranchers, improve the quality of rural life, and be the leading voice for agriculture in Florida. [2] It is a member of American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) which represents the FFB nationally. [1]

Contents

History

The farmers that survived the Great Depression were generally broke. In the late 1930s, the price of grapefruit was 5¢ per box and the shippers dictated when they would accept citrus for transit. In an attempt to regain some control, six influential growers founded Florida Citrus Growers, Inc. That effort proved ineffective, so they wrote to the American Farm Bureau Federation for help. The AFBF was founded in Chicago by farmers from 30 states who gathered in 1919. An AFBF representative was dispatched to Florida, and he attended the next Florida Citrus Growers meeting, explaining how the Farm Bureau organization works. A meeting was scheduled for all farmers in Orlando and the AFBF President "Cap'n Ed" O'Neal presented the plan. The entity, Florida Citrus Growers was replaced by the Florida Farm Bureau Federation, an AFBF affiliate. Their charter contained these goals: [1]

The first FFB convention was held in November 1941, attended by approximately 100 farmers who elected FFB's first president. A goal of signing 500 members was established before the FFB would be recognized by the AFBF. Almost 200 joined that day. Dade County was the first county farm bureau formed four months later. At the first anniversary in Miami, there were Farm Bureaus in 17 counties with membership of 1,180. Women got involved with the Social and Education Committee, later called the Farm Bureau Women's Committee. The women worked to improve education, establish lockers for frozen food in their communities, expand rural electrification, telephone and health care. FFB's goals in 1945 still have relevance today: refund of gasoline tax for off-road use; poultry disease research; advertising for Florida citrus; Cooperative Extension Service support; protection of fresh water resources. Insurance coverage was offered to farmers in northern Florida. [1]

The five-story, 227,417-square-foot (21,127.7 m2) FFB corporate office building in Gainesville, Florida is visible from Interstate 75. It was constructed in 1973 and has a full-service cafeteria and meeting room. [3] It is three miles from the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) at the University of Florida. There were approximately 53 "home office" employees at that location. [4] It also contains the state headquarters of the Florida Future Farmers of America organization. [3]

Membership

There are Farm Bureaus in 60 of the 67 counties of Florida, which FFB says constitutes their "grassroots" structure. [2] The organization claims over 133,000 member-families, but the total number of farms in Florida is 44,703, according to the 2022 Census of Agriculture. The purchase of Farm Bureau Insurance requires continued membership in Florida Farm Bureau, $50/year. The company website states, "As a member benefit, Florida Farm Bureau offers both its farmer and rancher and consumer members an array of insurance services through Florida Farm Bureau Insurance." [5] Since there are three times as many member-families as farms, the majority of Farm Bureau members are consumer members who may or may not care about farm issues.

Member Benefits

Weather

The Florida Automated Weather Network (FAWN) is a weather station network depicting conditions on agricultural (rural) land throughout the state. The 42 weather stations are automated and report data to the internet 96 times each day. It was funded by the Florida legislature through IFAS in 1998 with the support of Florida Farm Bureau. The locations are mostly on public property: forest observation, research centers, county facilities. All are mounted on a 10 metres (32.8 ft) tower with a concrete base and guy wires. [6] [7]

Policy

The Florida Farm Bureau states that their policies originate from recommendations by members at their (county) level. [8] A local member has an idea (proposal) that is researched, vetted with the appropriate state advisory committee and is rejected or becomes a resolution. The resolution is sent to the Ag Policy Division for review, then to the FFBF Oversight Committee for conflicts. A question exists: if a resolution is rejected because it is in conflict with existing policy, how would existing policy ever change?

The State Annual Meeting is held in October, where a representative from each county Farm Bureau votes on each resolution. An implementation plan is developed for approved resolutions and executed. If the resolution has national implications, it is forwarded to the American Farm Bureau Federation. [9]

There are sixteen state advisory committees, each headed by a volunteer leader: Apiculture, Aquaculture, Beef, Budget & Economy, Citrus, Dairy, Environmental Horticulture, Equine, Forestry,Fruit/Vegetable, Labor, Oversight, Peanut/Cotton, Sugar, Trade and Water/Natural Resources. [10]

CARES

CARES is an acronym for COUNTY ALLIANCE FOR RESPONSIBLE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP The program was started to recognize ranchers and farmers who take the time and effort to protect the state's natural resources. This is accomplished by utilizing Best Management Practices. A farm/ranch must be nominated and subsequently approved by a state agency after a minimum of two years of operation in one of the following programs: water quality, soil & water conservation, natural resource conservation, pesticide/nutrient management or waste management/recycling. [11] [12]

Lobbying

FFB staff work year-round to establish and maintain relationships with the Florida Commissioner of Agriculture and key people in the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Water management districts, regulators, state commodity organizations, legislators and their staff. County farm bureau staff know their county commissioners and local government officials. IFAS states that FFB is a "potent political force" from local to national levels. [7] According to their 2023 tax filings, all in-house lobbying expenditures were $2,000 or less, [13] with a total of $40,332. [13] Payments to affiliates were $1,302,821 [13] with other fee payments of $439,101. [13]

A 2012 investigation by The Nation detailed the large-scale federal and state political operations of the AFBF, and alleged the Bureau recruited political candidates (mostly Republicans) to affect legislative elections and appointments to state committees. [14]

The AFBF supported the Fighting Hunger Incentive Act of 2014 (H.R. 4719; 113th Congress), a bill that would amend the federal tax laws to permanently extend and expand certain expired provisions that provided a bigger tax deduction for businesses that donated food to charitable organizations. [15] The Farm Bureau argued that without the tax write-off, "it is cheaper in most cases for these types of businesses to throw their food away than it is to donate the food". [16]

The AFBF has lobbied for increases in federal subsidies for crop insurance, which "is a small, but significant piece of Farm Bureau insurance companies' portfolio. In 2011, they collected over $300 million in crop insurance premiums", The Nation wrote in 2012. [14]

Climate change

The AFBF has long opposed regulation or taxation of greenhouse gases and climate policy, justifying its actions by denying the scientific consensus on climate change. "For decades, the Farm Bureau has derailed climate action, deploying its political apparatus and 6 million members in a forceful alliance with conservative groups and the fossil fuel industry," Inside Climate News wrote in 2018. [17]

In 2003, AFBF economists joined the Heartland and Hudson Institutes in publishing a paper that "called state or federal regulation of greenhouse gases 'unnecessary, enormously expensive, and particularly injurious to the agricultural community.'" [17]

In 2010, the AFBF's official position was that "there is no generally agreed upon scientific assessment of the exact impact or extent of carbon emissions from human activities, their impact on past decades of warming or how they will affect future climate changes". [18] The climate change session at the Farm Bureau's national meeting that year was entitled "Global Warming: A Red Hot Lie?" It featured Christopher C. Horner, [19] a climate change denier and lawyer for the libertarian Competitive Enterprise Institute, a largely industry-backed group that strongly opposes limits on greenhouse gases. [20] At the meeting, delegates unanimously approved a resolution that "strongly supports any legislative action that would suspend EPA's authority to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act". [21] Right before the meeting, the Union of Concerned Scientists sent the group a letter pointing out that its climate change position runs counter to that of every major scientific organization and urged it to support action on climate change. U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said that farmers have more to gain from cap and trade than they stand to lose. [21]

By 2019, the AFBF had ceased to publicly deny climate change, but remained opposed to non-market-based solutions, including opposing taxes on carbon uses or emissions. Politico called it a "longtime, powerful foe of federal action on climate." [22]

2012 Farm Bill

The AFBF was heavily involved in lobbying for the 2012 farm bill, [14] which included $9 billion in federal subsidies for crop insurance. [23]

Animal welfare

In 2022, the AFBF joined the National Pork Producers Council in petitioning the Supreme Court of the United States to overturn California's Prevention of Cruelty to Farm Animals Act in National Pork Producers Council v. Ross . [24] [25]

WOTUS

In 2023, AFBF was one of several organizations to legally challenge the new Waters of the United States rule. [26]

Insurance

Casualty

After World War II ended, leaders from state farm bureaus in Florida, Arkansas, Texas and Mississippi met with the goal of better insurance rates and service for their members. On September 30, 1947, the for-profit Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company (SFBCIC) began business in Jackson, Mississippi. Each state farm bureau shared equally in the ownership of SFBCIC's stock company and would share the profits. Louisiana and South Carolina joined within a few years; Colorado in 2005. [27] Texas later opted out to form their own company. [28]

In 2023, SFBCIC had profits of $72.51 million on revenues of $732.3 million; SFBLIC had profits of $72.51 million on revenues of $732.3 million. Florida Farm Bureau reported 2023 revenue of about $100 million and an investment portfolio worth more than $1 billion, while executive compensation was in the high six figures.

Life

Investment corporations were established in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Texas by each respective state's farm bureau before Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company of Mississippi was chartered October 31, 1946 and business commenced December 18, 1946. [29] The company now operates in 11 states (including Florida) and has over 1.3 million policies. It is a for-profit business and a capital stock life insurance company. [30] Florida Farm Bureau recommends life insurance and financial products to its members through the for-profit Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company, [5] of which Florida Farm Bureau is financially affiliated as stock owner. [28]

Annuity

The Southern Farm Bureau Annuity Insurance Company is co-owned by 10 state Farm Bureaus: Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Florida Farm Bureau Holding Corporation. Controlling interest in each of these holding or investment corporations is owned by the relevant state Farm Bureau.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "History of Florida Farm Bureau". floridafarmbureau.org. Florida Farm Bureau. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  2. 1 2 "About Us". floridafarmbureau.org. Florida Farm Bureau. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  3. 1 2 "Florida Farm Bureau 5700 SW 34th St". avisonyoung.us. Avison Young. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Florida Farm Bureau Federation Employee Directory". leadiq.com. LeadIQ, Inc. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  5. 1 2 "Farm Bureau Insurance". floridafarmbureau.org. Florida Farm Bureau. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Florida Automated Weather Network". nationalmesonet.us. National Mesonet Program. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  7. 1 2 "Florida Farm Bureau". ifas.ufl.edu. IFAS University of Florida. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  8. ↑ "A Guide to Florida Farm Bureau Policy Development". floridafarmbureau.org. Florida Farm Bureau. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Policy Development Manual" (PDF). floridafarmbureau.org. Florida Farm Bureau. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Get Involved". floridafarmbureau.org. Florida Farm Bureau. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  11. ↑ "This Farm Cares". thisfarmcares.org. Florida Farm Bureau. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
  12. ↑ "CARES nomination form 2025" (PDF). floridafarmbureau.org. Florida Farm Bureau. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Florida Farm Bureau Federation Inc". propublica.org. ProPublica. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  14. 1 2 3 Shearn, Ian T. (July 16, 2012). "Whose Side Is the American Farm Bureau On?". The Nation. ISSN   0027-8378. Archived from the original on August 17, 2022. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
  15. ↑ "CBO - H.R. 4719". Congressional Budget Office. June 5, 2014. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved July 15, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Fighting Hunger Incentive Act will increase food bank donations". Farm Bureau News. June 10, 2014. Archived from the original on July 25, 2014. Retrieved July 16, 2014.
  17. 1 2 Gustin, Georgina (October 24, 2018). "How the Farm Bureau's Climate Agenda Is Failing Its Farmers". Inside Climate News. Archived from the original on October 15, 2022. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Scientists Ask Farm Bureau to Recognize Climate Change". www.newswise.com. Archived from the original on October 15, 2022. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  19. ↑ Winter, Allison (January 12, 2010). "Farm Bureau Fires Back Against Climate Bill's 'Power Grab'". The New York Times . Archived from the original on March 13, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2010.
  20. ↑ "Challenges to Both Left and Right on Global Warming". The New York Times. November 13, 2007. Archived from the original on November 16, 2016. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  21. 1 2 Winter, Allison (January 13, 2010). "Farm Bureau wants Congress to stop EPA on greenhouse gases". Energy and Environment News. Retrieved January 13, 2010.
  22. ↑ "How a closed-door meeting shows farmers are waking up on climate change". Politico. December 9, 2019. Archived from the original on December 9, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  23. ↑ Crop Insurance a Boon to Farmers – And Insurers, too, Published June 18, 2012. Archived June 8, 2019.
  24. ↑ "Supreme Court to Review California Prop 12". The National Law Review. Archived from the original on September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  25. ↑ "Supreme Court to consider California rules regarding treatment of pigs". Washington Post. Archived from the original on March 30, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  26. ↑ Beach, Jeff (January 19, 2023). "Farm Bureau, other ag groups sue over new WOTUS definition". Agweek. Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  27. ↑ "History". sfbcic.com. Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  28. 1 2 "About Us > History". sfbcic.com. Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
  29. ↑ "HISTORY OF THE COMPANY" (PDF). ms.gov. Mississippi Insurance Department. Retrieved July 8, 2025.
  30. ↑ "Our mission". sfbli.com. Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Company. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.