Public Meeting on Agricultural Inspection and Livestock Transportation Laws in the Florida Panhandle – February 9

by | Jan 23, 2026 | Beef Cattle, Dairy, Educational Training, Goats, Horse, Livestock, Seminar, Sheep, Swine

 

UF/IFAS Extension Holmes County and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) will host a public meeting on agricultural inspection.

Date: Monday, February 9, 2026, at

Time: 6:00 p.m. CST at the

Location: Holmes County Agricultural Center

(George Gainer Governmental Efficiency Center)

1169 E. Highway 90, Bonifay, FL.

This meeting is free and open to the public.

The meeting will focus on laws and regulations governing the transportation of livestock and horses within Florida and across state lines, with an emphasis on compliance, animal health, and biosecurity. Producers, livestock haulers, equine owners, veterinarians, and members of the public are encouraged to attend.

Mark E. Burke, Northwest Florida Regional Commander and Law Enforcement Captain with the FDACS Office of Agricultural Law Enforcement, will serve as lead presenter. Captain Burke will provide an overview of current inspection requirements, common compliance issues, and what producers and transporters should expect during agricultural law inspections. This will include in-state travel and travel across state lines.

In addition, the meeting will include information about the FDACS Agricultural Law Enforcement Inspection Station under construction along US Highway 231 at the Alabama–Florida state line. This new inspection station is intended to strengthen animal health protections, support lawful commerce, and enhance disease prevention efforts in the Florida Panhandle by improving monitoring of agricultural shipments moving through the region. Attendees will learn how the station will operate and what it will mean for local and regional agricultural producers once it becomes operational.

The event is hosted by UF/IFAS Extension – Holmes County. For more information, please contact Kalyn Waters at Holmes County UF/IFAS Extension at 850-547-1108.

Kalyn Waters
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