June 2026 President's Message

Quote of the Month: “A Man Plans His Way, but the Lord Directs His Path.” – Proverbs 16:9

This quote reminds us that even with our best laid plans, God is ultimately the one who is in control. We might have a clear vision of how we would like to accomplish something, but very seldom does our path coincide with our vision. As this year is winding down and as my service in this capacity comes to an end, I am amazed at how true this Proverb is as it relates to my path. As I wrote in my first President’s message, I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be a cattleman, but my vision as to how that was going to come to fruition wasn’t clear, so I just started working toward it and God #LedTheWay. I am fortunate to have been able to work in the industry that I love and provide a modest living for my family while getting to do what I enjoy doing. It was never in my plans to be the President of the Florida Cattlemen’s Association, but obviously God’s plans were very different than mine, so here we are.

As another convention at Marco Island quickly approaches, my thoughts are about all the people that I have had a chance to get to know and how thankful I am for how supportive everyone has been. The staff and the hundreds of volunteers that work so hard to help make this grass roots organization a HUGE success is a testament to how dedicated our members are, and how bright the future is for our industry and the FCA.

One of the highlights of this year for me has been adding Bible Studies to our Quarterly meetings. The fellowship and encouragement that came from spending time together in God’s Word has been a true blessing. As we gather in Marco Island, I hope you’ll join us for the new Wednesday morning Bible Study during Convention.

FCA in Action

During the last several months UF/IFAS has been searching for a new Animal Science Department Chair. Several FCA members, along with other industry stakeholders, and many UF/IFAS faculty and staff were very engaged in the process, and after many interviews with potential candidates, UF/IFAS made their decision. Congratulations Dr. Dean Pringle for being selected to #LeadTheWay as the Chairman of the University of Florida Animal Science Department. The Florida Cattlemen’s Association is looking forward to working with you and the other members of the department soon and for many years to come.

April and May were also busy months as I attended Levy, Volusia, and Marion County Association meetings, Volusia County Cracker Day, the 75th University of Florida Beef Cattle Short Course, the Florida Agricultural Crimes Intelligence Unit meeting, the Feeding Florida Roundtable and tour of Ft. McCoy Meats. Also, along with other FCA leadership, I attended the NCBA Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C., where we met with all the Congressmen and Congresswomen from Florida and shared our legislative initiatives with them. I can’t state how important it is for our members to stay engaged with our lawmakers, to help ensure that our way of life stays protected, so that the next generation can continue the legacy.

Once again, thank you for allowing me the honor of #LeadingTheWay for the Florida Cattlemen’s Association, it has been a blessing. I’ll see you in Marco!

Sincerely,

Rick Moyer

#LeadTheWay