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Agenda
Address: 2725 S Binion Rd, Apopka, FL 32703
MREC Phone: (407) 884-2034
Registration
8:30 A.M. – 9:00 A.M.
Welcome
9:00 A.M. – 9:30 A.M.
Dr. Lisa House, Chair, UF/IFAS Food and Resource Economics Department
Dr. Scott Angle, UF/IFAS Senior Vice President for Agriculture and Natural Resources
State Agricultural Policy
9:20 A.M. – 10:30 A.M. (Chair, Dr. Scott Angle)
Florida Farm Bill – Senator Keith Truenow, Chair, Florida Senate Committee on Agriculture
FDACS Program Success Stories – Kathy Mears, FDACS Assistant Commissioner
2026 FL agriculture session updates - Tripp Hunter, Director of State Legislative Affairs, Florida Farm Bureau Federation
Break and Posters
10:30 A.M – 11:00 A.M.
Federal and State Policy
11:00 A.M. – 11:40 A.M. (Chair, Dr. Nathan Palardy)
US Farm Bill - John Walt Boatright, Director, Government Affairs, American Farm Bureau Federation
Ag and Rural Development - Jason Mahon, Deputy Secretary, Florida Department of Commerce
Overview of the Mid-Florida REC
11:45 A.M. – 12:00 P.M (Chair, Dr. Lisa House)
Dr. Kirsten Pelz-Stelinski, Center Director and Professor, UF/IFAS Mid-Florida Research and Education Center
Lunch and Posters
12:00 P.M. – 1:00 P.M.
Reconvene
1:00 P.M. – 1:15 P.M.
Trade Panel
1:15 P.M. – 2:15 P.M. (Chair, Dr. Suzanne Thornsbury)
One year of “America First” trade policy: What did we learn and what comes next?” - Dr. Kari Heerman, Senior Fellow & Director of Trade and Economic Statecraft, The Brookings Institution
United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) - Mike Joyner, President, Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA)
EU and Timber Regulations: What is going on and how does it affect us? – Dr. Tammy Cushing, Extension Forest Business Specialist, UF/IFAS School of Forest, Fisheries and Geomatics Sciences
Hot Topics I
2:15 P.M. – 2:35 P.M. (Chair, Dr. Kirsten Pelz-Stelinski)
Where is AI heading in Agriculture – Dr. Gabriel Youtsey, Chief Innovation Officer, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
Break and Posters
2:35 P.M. – 3:00 P.M.
Labor Panel
3:00 P.M. – 4:10 P.M. (Chair, Dr. Kimberly Morgan)
Farm Labor: Machines Migrants, Imports - Dr. Philip Martin, Professor Emeritus, Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC Davis Global Migration Center
H2A Updates - Jamie Fussell, Director of Labor Relations, Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association (FFVA)
Building Culture by Design: Development, Engagement & Safety - Joaquin Perez – Head of HR/Safety, Cherrylake Inc.
Hot Topics II
4:10 P.M. – 4:15 P.M. (Chair, Dr. Suzanne Thornsbury)
Update on UF/IFAS Assessment of Agricultural Losses Resulting from the Winter 2026 Freeze Events - Dr. Christa Court – Associate Professor, UF/IFAS Department of Food and Resource Economics & Director, UF/IFAS Economic Impact Analysis Program
Wrap-Up, Evaluations, and Poster Results
4:15 P.M. – 4:30 P.M.
Dr. Suzanne Thornsbury, Professor, UF Food and Resource Economics Department