Bureau of Education and Communication 2008-2009

Division of Marketing and Development
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

The Bureau of Education and Communication is responsible for educating and informing consumers through news releases, brochures, and other publications, exhibits and displays, graphics presentations, the Internet, broadcast, and other media. Bureau productions are integral to many projects that are part of the Florida Agricultural Promotional Campaign (FAPC), a program that assists the state’s agricultural producers in expanding markets and promoting and selling Florida-grown products. In addition to its role within the Division of Marketing and Development, the bureau also produces numerous projects for other divisions throughout the Department.

During fiscal year 2008-2009, the bureau issued more than 140 press releases to inform the public about various regulatory and promotional activities of the Department. The bureau also responds to inquiries from the public and mails out publications upon request. Approximately 4,000 publications were mailed in response to nearly individual requests received via the Division of Marketing and Development’s web site www.Florida-Agriculture.com.

Florida Market Bulletin

The online Florida Market Bulletin provides a forum by which Florida residents can advertise to buy or sell agriculture-related items. During the 2008-2009 fiscal year, 3,983 classified ads were published online.

Video and Radio

The bureau produces and disseminates audio and video productions such as television and radio public service announcements, radio programming, agricultural producer assistance videos, informational/promotional videos, documentaries, and training videos. Major projects produced during the fiscal year included:

Two 30-minute episodes of “The Florida Report” that explain the Department’s agricultural support functions and highlight the practices of various farming operations around the state. Produced in conjunction with the Florida Farm Bureau, these reports aired on RFD-TV, a satellite network that primarily serves rural and farming communities nationwide.
An informational/promotional video about the FFA state officers.
An informational video about Florida’s “Woman of the Year in Agriculture,” outlining the lifelong contributions to the state’s agricultural industry by the 2008 award recipient, Patsy Nathe of Dade City.
Two documentary videos about the winners of the 2008 Commissioner’s Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Awards, detailing the progressive environmental practices of Carroll Brothers Nursery in Clearwater, and Brock Family Farm in Monticello.
An informational video about Florida’s unique “Cracker Cattle” breed and its role in the development of the state’s agricultural industry. The video is part of a permanent historical display, “Florida Cattle Ranching: Five Centuries of Tradition,” administered by the Florida Department of State.
Three television public service announcements showing the value of agriculture as a stable source of revenue and jobs during current challenging economic times.
Two television public service announcements about Florida’s wildfire season; one advising residents to use caution when burning yard trash, and one urging residents to be watchful for possible arson activity.
A weekly agricultural radio news program produced in conjunction with Southeast AgNet.
Radio spots promoting “Fresh from Florida” agricultural products that aired on various Florida university sports networks.
A video promoting the Florida State Employees Charitable Contribution Campaign.
An informational video about native Florida wildflowers which outlines the benefits of using native seeds for large commercial and civic projects as well as small home projects.

Graphics

The bureau is responsible for the design, illustration, and production of printed brochures, reports, booklets, posters, billboards, ads, and other marketing, promotional and educational materials pertaining to agricultural marketing programs and other activities of the Department. The bureau’s graphics section was involved in the production of more than 300 projects during the fiscal year. Major graphics productions included:

2008 Department Annual Report. This 178-page report provides an overview of the Department’s activities during fiscal year 2007-2008 in supporting Florida agriculture, promoting Florida agricultural products, ensuring a safe and wholesome food supply, conserving the natural environment, safeguarding consumers, responding to emergencies, and promoting employee excellence.
“Florida Agricultural Statistical Directory 2008,” which is produced in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This 150-page book provides a statistical examination of Florida’s food, fiber and forestry industries. In addition to agricultural statistics and specialized data, the directory contains price histories and production levels of various commodities, a listing of agricultural groups and associations in Florida, and a listing of producer assistance services offered by the Department.
Commissioner’s Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Awards 2008 program booklet, detailing the progressive environmental practices of the four farming operations that received this year’s award.
“Woman of the Year in Agriculture Award” 2008 program booklet, detailing the award recipient’s contributions to the state’s agricultural community.
A series of brochures promoting fresh Florida produce items.
“Xtreme Cuisine” educational cooking guide for children.
Numerous informational and promotional brochures, magazine ads, posters, displays, and other miscellaneous graphics projects.

Web Development

The Bureau of Education and Communication designed and maintains the Division of Marketing and Development’s two web sites, www.Florida-Agriculture.com and www.FL-Seafood.com. During fiscal year 2008-2009, the sites received over 673,000 visits which yielded more than 2.64 million page views.

The sites contain information and materials that help Florida farmers more effectively market their commodities. These marketing tools include trade leads, current market prices, information about the Florida Agricultural Promotional Campaign, agricultural statistics, license and bond requirements, agricultural classified ads, point-of-purchase marketing and promotional materials, and an extensive list of agricultural links for research purposes.

The web sites also foster the notion that the more consumers know about the many agricultural commodities grown in Florida, the more they will choose to buy products that are “Fresh from Florida.” The sites inform consumers about the wholesomeness, variety, and availability of Florida agricultural products by providing: recipes for meals using Florida-grown ingredients; nutritional data; seasonal availability information; food handling and safety tips; and locations and contact information for Florida’s community farmers’ markets, U-pick farms, seafood markets, agricultural fairs and expositions, and wineries and vineyards.

In addition to the division’s two primary web sites, the bureau also developed and maintains other web sites that promote the “Fresh from Florida” message including www.FreshFromFlorida.org, www.FreshFromFloridaKids.com, www.TheFloridaChef.com and www.WildFloridaShrimp.com.

The bureau develops and maintains other web sites in cooperation with agricultural organizations that have partnered with the Division of Marketing and Development to promote Florida agricultural products. These web sites include: www.FloridaWildflowers.com for the Florida Wildflower Seed and Plant Growers Association Inc.; www.WildflowerTag.com for the Florida Wildflower Advisory Council; www.PropaneFL.com for the Florida Propane Safety, Education and Research Council; www.Florida-Farmers.com for the Florida Farm Bureau Federation; www.GreenPlantsForGreenBuildings.org for the Green Plants for Green Buildings, Professional Landcare Network; and www.FIFNC.com for the Florida Interagency Food and Nutrition Committee.

The bureau also produced four issues of the Department’s Intranet-based employee newsletter, Open Lines.