Laying a Foundation for the Future

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Get to know the FFAA past, present, and future as we kick off our inaugural blog.

WELCOME to the new blog site for the Florida Fertilizer & Agrichemical Association, and welcome to our inaugural blog article!

We thought it would be good and appropriate to begin this new endeavor by starting at the beginning and laying a foundation for future articles. This, we think, is best served by providing a brief history of the FFAA— why the organization was launched 86 years ago and why and how it continues to serve today.

The motto of the FFAA, infused in our logo, is “Nourish • Protect • Engage.” Clearly and succinctly, our mission is “to promote the responsible use of plant protection and nutrient products in Florida.

FFAA’s objectives today echo the very concerns that drove the creation of the association in 1932 as the Florida Agricultural Research Institute. There was an ag research void at the time, and the state’s 11 leading fertilizer manufacturers came together to help fill it. The purpose of the institute was “to obtain, develop, compile and publish scientific and practical information regarding all forms of plant foods, their application to crops of all kinds, cultural practices, and everything pertaining to good husbandry, to the end that better crops can be raised with greater economy to the grower, and that plant foods may be used with greater intelligence.”

Pesticide companies joined the Winter Haven-based association in 1936.

As the years passed, the association’s focus shifted from conducting its own research on Florida commodities to securing support for state research through increased state and federal funding and corporate contributions.

Since 1932, the association has worked on issues such as fertilizer research, promoting best management practices, and advocating for science-based fertilizer and agrichemical regulations. These efforts have been designed to ensure U.S. consumers continue to reap the benefits of agriculture— safe, affordable, and abundant food and Florida production of biofuel, fiber, and foliage.

Today, the FFAA professionally represents the fertilizer, limestone, pesticide, and ag biotech manufacturers, dealers, and distributors doing business in Florida. The FFAA does its work principally in the legislative, regulatory, and public opinion arenas.

You can find our interesting “Who We Are” video at https://ffaa.org/about/.

The FFAA is led by a 17-member board of directors, currently headed by Chairman Mike Roberts, of Griffin Fertilizer of Frostproof. The association president is Mary Hartney; contact her by e-mail at [email protected]. The executive assistant is Amy Pappas. Her e-mail address is [email protected].

The FFAA office is in Bartow. The phone number is 863-686-4827 and the fax number is 863-682-8626. Find us online at www.ffaa.org, on Facebook at Florida Fertilizer & Agrichemical Association, and follow us on Twitter at FFAAtweets.

Again, welcome to the new blog site for the Florida Fertilizer & Agrichemical Association.

We’re happy to have this as a new public avenue for providing relevant and interesting information about our association, its members, the industries we represent, and the issues and causes we deeply care about.

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