Farm Credit of Florida Honored with UF/IFAS Extension Advocate Award
Farm Credit of Florida has been named the recipient of the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Extension Advocate Award at the 2025 UF/IFAS Dinner of Distinction, recognizing its commitment to advancing agriculture through the land-grant and Extension mission.
The UF/IFAS Dinner of Distinction celebrates alumni, friends, and organizations whose partnership strengthens the university’s mission of teaching, research, and Extension. Each year, UF/IFAS honors those whose contributions of resources and expertise help advance communities across Florida and beyond.
Farm Credit of Florida’s support for UF/IFAS Extension activities is evident at the local level, where they sponsor agricultural short courses, 4-H programs, and educational opportunities for producers. “Farm Credit of Florida supports IFAS Extension activities at the local level year after year. We're sponsoring and providing meals for short courses, we’re sponsoring 4-H, we’re sponsoring educational opportunities for our producers. There's very few county agricultural-educational events that are not supported by Farm Credit of Florida,” said Dr. Joe Joyce, former chairman of the Farm Credit of Florida Board of Directors as well as the former Director of the IFAS Center for Leadership
This partnership is rooted in a shared goal: making farmers successful. As Dr. Joe Joyce explained, “Both (IFAS and Farm Credit of Florida) have the same goal—make farmers successful. IFAS does it through providing information and research in farming to stay in business. We provide funds to help implement those practices.”
The impact of UF/IFAS’s research and education is amplified by Farm Credit of Florida’s commitment to turning innovation into action. “The new processes, and techniques, and technologies that the students learn in their classrooms, in their laboratories, our members are taking out and putting into practice. They're testing it out. They're using it. They're making it real,” said John Gregory, President and CEO of Farm Credit of Florida.
Farm Credit of Florida’s dedication to supporting UF/IFAS Extension activities exemplifies the spirit of the Extension Advocate Award, which honors those who help translate science into practice for the benefit of Florida’s agricultural producers and communities.
About Farm Credit of Florida
Farm Credit of Florida is a customer‑owned cooperative financing farms, homes and land throughout Florida, providing reliable credit and related services to agricultural producers and rural communities.
About UF/IFAS Dinner of Distinction
The UF/IFAS Dinner of Distinction recognizes alumni, friends and organizations serving as partners in the land‑grant mission. Each year, UF/IFAS honors awardees for their commitment and generous contribution of resources and expertise to advance our communities, state, nation and world.