The upcoming 2022 election for Commissioner of Agriculture in Florida is already beginning to buzz with activity. There are currently four candidates vying for the position, Jana Taylor, Nikki Fried, Jeffrey Duane Porter, and Robert Reeder. Each candidate brings a unique set of experience and vision for the role of Commissioner for Agriculture.
Jana Taylor is an attorney, small businesswoman, and sixth-generation Florida farmer who is currently a member of the Florida Senate. Taylor has an expansive knowledge of natural resources, protecting the environment, and innovative strategies to solve problems while keeping costs down. She is an advocate for small businesses, family farmers, and the restoration of natural areas.
Nikki Fried, former lobbyist and current owner of a hemp and cannabis company, is running for Commissioner of Agriculture to push Florida’s agricultural industry into modern times. Fried is an advocate for sustainability, conserving water, and the expansion of green energy. She is also an assertive campaigner for fair labor practices, proper working wages and supports funding for agricultural programs such as the Fresh from Florida initiative.
Jeffrey Duane Porter is retired from the U.S. Navy and was elected to represent the public in the Florida House of Representatives from 2014 to 2018 before unsuccessfully running for Agriculture Commissioner in 2018. He has claimed to be an advocate for the public, small businesses, and the agricultural industry. This means he is pushing for regulation reforms and greater access to fresh, local food.
Robert Reeder is a marketing business owner with over 20 years of political and governmental experience. He is familiar with Florida’s policies and politics, as well as its natural resources, environmental, and agricultural needs. If chosen as Commissioner of Agriculture, Reeder speaks of reforming investing in innovation to modernize agricultural production.
Jana Taylor Campaign
Jana Taylor seeks to be a champion of farmers and rural communities by creating programs that focus on innovation and supporting existing initiatives such as the state’s Fresh From Florida brand, the Farm to Fuel program, and the Regional Conservation Partnership program, as well as legislation supporting the creation of farmers markets and locally-produced foods.
Taylor is also pushing for reforms in agricultural regulations and an increase in water planning for future growth and expansion. As an avid conservationist, Taylor believes that Florida’s resources should be used sustainably and has plans to promote more environmentally friendly practices as commissioner.
Taylor’s campaign is focused on making Agriculture a leader in the state’s economy and has several plans to help small businesses, family-owned farms and ranches, and to make sure that the produce and livestock are safe for consumers. It is her belief that Agriculture’s unique potential should be used to push the industry forward while expanding and creating jobs in the industry.
Finally, Taylor is an advocate for research and development in the agricultural sector and wants to create programs and incentives to promote innovation and creativity. Moreover, she plans to promote research and application serving Florida’s producers, the environment, and customers.
Nikki Fried Campaign
Nikki Fried is an advocate for environmentally sound agricultural regulations supporting sustainable farming practices and advocating for funding to support innovative technological tools which could assist in producing higher quality foods faster, more efficiently and at a reduced cost.
Moreover, Fried has made her campaign priority on alleviating rural poverty through increasing support for small, family farms and strengthening economic development in small and rural communities.
Fried has plans for promoting green energy initiatives in Florida’s agricultural sector as well, such as subsidizing solar power initiatives and expanding the opportunities for growing hemp and other nontraditional crops. Fried also seeks to fund improved research and development initiatives to provide support to farmers seeking to increase their yields and efficiency.
The primary message behind Fried’s campaign is that she believes in utilizing the Department of Agriculture to ensure that Florida’s citizens can secure a safe and secure food supply. Furthermore, her policies have been designed to encourage economic development, job creation, responding to climate change challenges and promoting healthy soil for future generations of farmers.
Prioritizing fairness and economic sustainability, Fried also seeks to provide increased access to fresh, local food for all Floridians, promote humane labor practices, and ensure that all of our food crop producers are adequately compensated for their efforts.
Jeffrey Duane Porter Campaign
Jeffrey Duane Porter is advocating for fair labor practices, job creation, and the expansion of locally-produced foods. Porter is also pushing for companies to invest in technologies that will help make the production process more efficient, cost effective and profitable. He also is sacrificing to make sure that farmers are not overburdened, while at the same time preserving the environment.
Porter also sees the importance of expanding access to fresh, healthy food for all Floridians, regardless of income level or special need, by advocating for the expansion of agricultural programs such as the Fresh from Florida initiative which allows communities and farmers to coordinate in order to make fresh, local food more widely available.
Porter backs agricultural reform that is sensible and manageable, so that more money from the sales goes back to the farmers instead of the bureaucrats. Furthermore, Porter is calling for an increase in the number of small farmers who are more apt to use sustainable farming practices. He believes that providing support for small farmers will have a ripple effect throughout the state, creating economic opportunity and restoring natural areas.
Finally, Porter also plans to create a system that provides transparency and increased access to accurate information about the industry, so that both producers and consumers can make informed decisions which are beneficial to all Floridians.
Robert Reeder Campaign
Robert Reeder is the owner of a marketing business that focuses on promoting innovative techniques and sustainable agricultural practices. His campaign is largely focused on promoting innovation and modernizing agricultural practices on Florida’s farms.
Reeder believes that innovation is key to the success of the agricultural sector and is advocating for technological advances that could improve food production, such as the use of drones, advanced sensors and other innovations. Reeder also plans to promote more efficient farms and the development of new varieties of crops to improve yields and safeguard against disruptions.
In addition, Reeder is pushing for increased research and development in the agricultural sector to create more sustainable and profitable production strategies. Reeder is looking to provide more funding for agricultural research, as well as make sure that farmers have access to the most up-to-date technologies and resources so that they can stay competitive in the global market.
Finally, Reeder is also looking to expand access to local, fresh food and increase marketing opportunities for farmers in an effort to support those involved in the agricultural industry while still providing the highest quality food products to Floridians.
