Larry and Jenny Black, a Polk County couple, had the pleasure of driving away from the Florida Farm Bureau’s 2008 Annual Meeting with a new Dodge Ram Quad Cab truck, courtesy of Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company. The Blacks won this special prize after having been selected as the winners of Florida Farm Bureau’s Young Farmer and Rancher Achievement Award competition. This contest was formerly known as the Outstanding Young Farmer and Rancher award.
They will also receive an all-expense paid trip to San Antonio, Texas in January to represent the Sunshine State in the national competition at the American Farm Bureau’s Annual Meeting. The winner there will receive a Dodge Ram 3500 Quad Cab 4×4 SLT pickup truck and an Arctic Cat 454 4×4 ATV.
Jeb Smith of Putnam/St. Johns County and Keith Shiver of Lafayette County were the runners-up for this prestigious award.
The Blacks received the honor during an afternoon session held on Thursday, Oct. 9 at the Peabody in Orlando. They are citrus growers and run a cooperative packing facility as well. Larry Black serves as the vice president of Polk County Farm Bureau.
The Achievement Award competition is designed to recognize those young farmers and ranchers that have excelled in their farming/ranching operations and honed their leadership abilities.
The contestants are evaluated on a combination of their growth and financial progress of their agricultural operation, as well as leadership within and outside of Farm Bureau. More specifically, the judges will be looking for excellence in management, growth and scope of the enterprise and self-initiative that has been displayed throughout the operation.
More information about Florida Farm Bureau is available at FloridaFarmBureau.org.