Local Farm Bureau Fieldman Honored by University of Florida

The University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ North Florida Research and Education Center in Suwannee Valley (NFREC-SV) recently awarded the 2004 NFREC Hall of Fame award to Florida Farm Bureau fieldman, Dan Buchanan.  The ceremony, which was held at NFREC-SV’s Twilight Field Day on May 25, 2004, honored Buchanan for his contributions to the Center and North Florida agriculture.

Buchanan, who has been with the Florida Farm Bureau for over 25 years, is a District II fieldman. District II covers Gadsden, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Suwannee, Taylor, and Wakulla counties.  Buchanan has also served on the NFREC-SV Advisory Committee for about four years.  After winning the award, Buchanan said it was, “Totally, totally awesome, I had no idea.  You know I do this because I love it; and this was totally, totally a surprise.”  Although it was a surprise to Buchanan, his contributions to the Center and agriculture are no secret.

In his efforts to promote agriculture and agriculture issues to adults and students in District II, Buchanan is very energetic and focused.  “I think that the kind of impact he has made is in the educational arena, not only for the adults, but for the youth as well,” said Karen Hancock, the program assistant at NFREC-SV.  “He wants kids, the future farmers of our community, to know where their food came from and how it impacts us not only personally, but also economically, and he’s very much interested in furthering that so that we have farmers for the future.”

Buchanan has used the Center as a backdrop to promote and educate adults and students through programs like Ag in the Classroom and Farm City Days. Buchanan is one of the Center’s best supporters and is very vocal in his of support of NFREC-SV and their programs.  “Dan has been able to network the resources of the NFREC-Suwannee Valley into the rural communities he serves, resulting in an increased awareness of the educational programs of the Center,” said Bob Hochmuth, the NFREC-SV Multi-County Agent.

Buchanan, who is a University of Florida graduate, is the youngest of four brothers who were raised by their parents on a Madison County farm.  Buchanan currently lives in Madison with his wife, Joyce.  He and his wife have two children, a son, Geoffrey, and a daughter, Sara.