(Coral Springs, Fla.) – The 2009 Florida Farm Bureau State Women’s Leadership Conference kicks off Friday at the Coral Springs Marriott Hotel. This conference offers a power-packed agenda that will empower and challenge Farm Bureau women. The program includes farm tours with unique and interesting stops, timely workshops and enlightening presentations.
More than 70 women are traveling from across the state to attend this action-packed event. Friday, each county Farm Bureau women’s chair is invited to a luncheon followed by a leadership training session.
Saturday morning, conference attendees will have the opportunity to select from three specialized workshops geared toward enhancing communication at the county level. After the workshops the ladies will board busses to travel to Broward, Dade and Palm Beach counties to learn more about South Florida’s unique agricultural enterprises.
During Saturday evening’s dinner reception, the Women’s Fund awards will be presented to the counties that met or exceeded quota. The Women’s Fund focuses on health issues, especially those that affect women’s health. Over the years, Farm Bureau members have raised and donated more than $200,000. County Farm Bureaus are asked to contribute 10 cents per member for this cause. This voluntary quota enables Farm Bureau to purchase medical equipment and other items related to health and well-being. The project continues to exemplify the Florida farmer as a caring person.
In addition to the awards presentation, Florida Rep. Denise Grimsley is scheduled to address the group.
Women bolster the effectiveness of Florida Farm Bureau through Farm-City activities, Ag in the Classroom programs, food affordability and safety, nutrition programs, youth contests and fund-raisers for women’s health. The Florida Farm Bureau Federation is the state’s largest general-interest agricultural association with about 138,000 member-families statewide. Headquartered in Gainesville, the Federation is an independent, nonprofit agricultural organization. More information about Florida Farm Bureau is available on the organization’s Web site, http://FloridaFarmBureau.org.
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