📣 Petition to Reinstate Full County Access to the Florida Strawberry Festival Swine Show & Sale

To the Florida Strawberry Festival Swine Committee and Festival Leadership:

We, the undersigned parents, youth exhibitors, agricultural educators, and community members, respectfully petition for the reinstatement of full Hillsborough County eligibility for the Florida Strawberry Festival Mosaic Swine Show & Sale.

For decades, this program has provided young people across all parts of the county with the opportunity to learn responsibility, develop agricultural knowledge, and proudly represent their schools and organizations. This show has helped raise future farmers, veterinarians, entrepreneurs, and community leaders.

🛑 However, this year, a decision was made to restrict eligibility by redrawing participation boundaries—with no official written announcement, explanation, or public process prior to the swine application being published.

 • We only found out about this boundary change when the swine application and updated rules and eligibility page were published.

 • There was no prior letter, email, or formal communication to families, FFA chapters, YLPA & 4‑H clubs.

 • Students and families found out through hear-say or social media—not from the committee responsible.

 • As a result, dedicated kids who have raised pigs, earned ribbons, and built reputations in this program were cut off without warning.

⚠️ This decision is:

 • Disheartening to students who have worked year-round preparing for this show

 • Unfair to past participants who earned their place and were given no chance to continue

 • Damaging to the integrity of a program that is supposed to build community—not divide it.

🐷 We respectfully ask the Strawberry Festival to:

 1) Reverse the new boundary policy and restore access for the entire county

 2) Publicly explain the rationale for any future eligibility decisions

 3) Involve stakeholders—FFA teachers, 4‑H & YLPA leaders, and families—before implementing changes

 4) Protect the fairness, transparency, and inclusivity this youth program has always stood for

This show belongs to the kids who work for it—not a select few. Let’s return to a standard that uplifts all hardworking agricultural youth in Hillsborough County.