Florida Farm Bureau members will partake in the Field to the Hill trip to Washington, D.C., to lobby and speak to congressional delegates about issues of importance to Florida’s agriculture industry.
Jaime Jerrels, director of agriculture policy at the Florida Farm Bureau, discussed three federal priorities members will be lobbying for. Renegotiations of the North American Free Trade Agreement is high on their list. “Florida fruit and vegetable growers are in dire need of renegotiations to ensure free trade exists between Canada, Mexico and the United States,” Jerrels said.
Florida Farm Bureau members will also tackle the issue of estate tax repeal. Jerrels hopes they can make legislators realize the burden of estate tax when trying to pass down farmland from generation to generation.
The most important topic members will be covering, however, is immigration reform, since it directly affects the agricultural workforce.
There will be 80 Florida Farm Bureau members taking the trip. A key purpose of the trip is to allow members to share their personal stories with legislators in D.C., while still addressing crucial issues that affect the industry on a local level.
Field to the Hill will take place May 23–25.
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