"Growing the Future" Award Official Rules
1. DESCRIPTION
The goal of this award is to highlight leaders and innovators in the Florida Farm to School community who are making an impact. Individuals and/or organizations who display the goals of increasing awareness of the Florida Farm to School initiative and have successfully engaged with the initiative in Florida. They serve as an inspiration to others in the state to begin or further their journey with the Florida Farm to School Initiative.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO NOMINATE. GROWING THE FUTURE AWARD NOMINATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED AT 12:01 A.M. [ET] ON NOVEMBER 1, 2025, AND END AT 11:59 P.M. [ET] ON JANUARY 31, 2026 (GROWING THE FUTURE AWARD PERIOD). THE SPONSOR OF THIS RECOGNITION PROGRAM IS THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES (FDACS, DEPARTMENT, OR SPONSOR).
2. ELIGIBILITY
Nominations for Growing the Future Award (recognition program) are open to legal residents of the state of Florida who are involved in the Florida Farm to School Initiative. Nominators do not have to be from Florida.
The nominee must be 18 or older and a Florida resident.
Nominations for the Growing the Future Award will only be accepted on the FarmtoSchoolFL.com website. Ineligibility is determined at the Sponsor’s sole discretion.
3. HOW TO ENTER
Entries will be accepted online at FarmToSchoolFL.com. To enter online, visit the Conference website during the Nomination Period by logging on to FarmToSchoolFL.com. Follow the on-screen instructions and complete the entry form by providing all of the information and required materials for entry into the Recognition Program. Once all information and/or materials are complete, nominators must submit the entry by clicking the “Submit” button. Clicking the “Submit” button will provide one (1) entry into the Recognition Program.
All submitted nominations and material (“Material”) becomes the sole property of the Sponsor. Material includes to the extent applicable, (a) any information and material (e.g., photo) submitted by Nominator in connection with the Recognition Program; (b) Nominator’s name, likeness, voice, and image; and (c) all photographs, recordings, audiovisual materials, writings, statements, and quotations of or by Nominators and furnished to the Sponsor by Nominators.
Nominators agree that the Sponsor has no obligation to post the Nominators Submission on their websites or other media. Nominators understand that their name and other Materials may be posted on websites or other media in connection with the Recognition Program.
All information provided by the Nominator may be published or otherwise used by the Sponsor and becomes a public record subject to the requirements in Chapter 119, Florida Statutes.
4. SUBMISSION JUDGING CRITERIA
The Sponsor will independently evaluate and judge all nominations received and select a winner before February 31, 2025. All judging will be in the Sponsor’s sole and absolute discretion and the Sponsor’s decisions are final and binding on all matters relating to the Recognition Program.
5. PRIZES
The Winners will receive prizes as featured on FarmToSchoolFL.com. Prizes are subject to change without notice at the Sponsor’s sole discretion. Prize winners will be responsible for any and all federal, state, and/or local taxes resulting from acceptance of the prize. Prize winners cannot assign or transfer the prize to another person. No cash or prize substitution is allowed except at the discretion of the Sponsor. The Sponsor intends to award all prizes. If prizes are awarded but are unclaimed or forfeited by prize winner(s), prizes may be re-awarded in the Sponsor’s sole discretion. Other restrictions may apply. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Limit one prize per person, per household.
6. WINNER SELECTION AND NOTIFICATION
Growing the Future Award winner will be selected by the Sponsor and notified directly by e-mail or phone by February 31, 2025, at the e-mail address included on the nominations form that was submitted.
7. CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION/RELEASES
This Farm to School Award Contest (hereinafter referred to as “Recognition Program”) is void where prohibited or restricted by law. All federal, Florida and local laws and regulations apply. The Sponsor reserves the right to change these Recognition Program rules at any time. Notice shall be given to nominators at the e-mail address shown on the entry form within 24 hours of the change. By participating, Nominators and Nominees agree to be bound by these official rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which shall be final in all respects. By submitting information to Sponsor, entering and/or participating in this Recognition Program and/or by accepting any prize offered to them, Nominators and Nominees agree to release the Sponsor; their employees, agents, volunteers, representatives, divisions and advertising and promotional agencies, partners and prize suppliers; each of their respective officers, directors, agents, representatives and employees; and the State of Florida, representatives and contractors (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from any and all actions, claims, injury, loss or damage arising in any manner, directly or indirectly, from participation in this Recognition Program and/or acceptance or use of any prize offered or accepted. Nominators and Nominees authorize the Released Parties to use their name, voice, likeness, biographical data, city and state of residence and entry materials in programming or promotional material, worldwide in perpetuity, or on a winner’s list, if applicable, without further compensation unless prohibited by law. The Sponsor is not obligated to use any of the above-mentioned information or materials but may do so and may edit such information or materials, at the Sponsor’s sole discretion, without further obligation or compensation. The Released Parties shall not be liable for: (i) late, lost, delayed, stolen, misdirected, postage-due, incomplete, unreadable, inaccurate, unverifiable, garbled or unintelligible entries, communications or affidavits, regardless of the method of transmission; (ii) telephone system, telephone or computer hardware, software or other technical or computer malfunctions, lost connections, disconnections, delays or transmission errors; (iii) data corruption, theft, destruction, unauthorized access to or alteration of entry or other materials; (iv) any injuries, losses or damages of any kind caused by the Recognition Program, prize or resulting from acceptance, possession or use of a prize, or from participation in the Recognition Program; or (v) any printing, typographical, administrative or technological errors in any materials associated with the Recognition Program. The Sponsor disclaims, and Nominator/Nominee waives, any liability for damage to any computer system resulting from participating in, or accessing or downloading information in connection with this Recognition Program, and reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to cancel, modify or suspend the Recognition Program should a virus, bug, computer problem, unauthorized intervention or other causes corrupt the administration, security or proper operations of the Recognition Program. The Sponsor may prohibit Nominators and Nominees from participating in the Recognition Program or winning a prize if, in their sole discretion, they determine Nominators and Nominees are attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Recognition Program by cheating, hacking, deception, or any other unfair playing practices of intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other Nominators/Nominees or the Sponsor representatives. This Recognition Program will be governed by the laws of the state of Florida. Any and all disputes or claims arising in connection with this Recognition Program must be resolved by a hearing officer of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services pursuant to Paragraph 10. The determination of the hearing officer will be final and no appeal shall be afforded. Nothing herein shall be interpreted to alter or expand the limited waiver of the Department’s sovereign immunity pursuant to section 768.28, Florida Statutes. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE THE WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE RECOGNITION PROGRAM MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND WILL RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION FROM PARTICIPATION IN THE RECOGNITION PROGRAM. SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, THE SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK REMEDIES AND DAMAGES (INCLUDING ATTORNEY FEES) TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.
8. PRIVACY POLICY
Any information and materials supplied to the Sponsor will be subject to the Florida Public Records Law, Chapter 119, Florida Statutes. The privacy policy for the Recognition Program website is available at https://www.fdacs.gov/Privacy-Policy.
9. THE SPONSOR’S ADDRESS:
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, 600 S Calhoun Street, H2, Tallahassee, Florida 32399.
10. DISPUTES:
As a condition of participating in this Recognition Program, Nominators and Nominees agree that any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Recognition Program, any prize awarded, or the determination of winners, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, exclusively by informal hearing before an independent hearing officer appointed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Further, in any such dispute or proceeding, under no circumstances will Contestant be permitted to obtain monetary awards for, and hereby waives all rights to claim actual, punitive, incidental or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorney’s fees. . The informal hearing shall be conducted at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, headquartered in Leon County, Florida. The determination by the hearing officer shall be final and no appeal shall be afforded.
11. GOVERNING LAW AND JURISDICTION:
This promotion is governed by Florida and federal law. Void where prohibited by law. All issues and questions concerning construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of the Nominator/Nominee and the Sponsor in connection with this Recognition Program, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the state of Florida, and any and all matters or proceedings which are not subject to an informal hearing shall take place in Leon County, Florida.