Florida

On March 11th, Florida AgrAbility's advisory board convened at the Florida Farm Bureau's office in Gainesville for the annual members' meeting. Twenty stakeholders from a variety of industries, including assisted living, veteran organizations, rural communities, and UF/IFAS Extension shared their commitment to keep agriculture accessible and safe for all farmers and producers regardless of age or ability. Strengthened by common goals and partnerships, they worked to shape the future of the Florida AgrAbility program.

On March 20th -21st, Florida AgrAbility attended the 2026 UF/IFAS Bee College. Danny Bost and Justin Sims led the session on "Accessible Beekeeping: AgrAbility," where they introduced the Florida AgrAbility program and shared practical modifications to support accessible beekeeping. They also demonstrated an AI-based tool designed to help detect hive diseases, particularly benefiting clients with low vision.

Florida AgrAbility team members were also active in national agricultural events. Program representatives attended the Florida Farm Bureau Field to the Hill Fly-In in Washington, D.C., where they met with legislators to discuss issues impacting the agricultural industry. Additionally, Florida AgrAbility participated in the Young Farmers and Ranchers National Leadership Conference in Portland, Oregon, engaging with farmers and ranchers from across the country to exchange ideas and discuss challenges and opportunities facing agriculture nationwide.

Submitted by Tara Dorn