VIA’s Larainne Stutts recognized as Outstanding Women’s Club President

GREEN COVE SPRINGS – Village Improvement Association President Larainne Stutts was recognized on Friday, April 17, with the Outstanding Club President Award at the General Federation of Women’s Club District 4 Meeting.

“In recognition of outstanding leadership as Club President and for exceptional dedication to promoting the mission and values of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC),” the district posted in a statement. “Your vision, commitment and tireless service have strengthened your club and advanced the spirit of General Federation of Women’s Clubs (GFWC). Your leadership stands as an inspiration to others and a testament to the power of service.”

Helping Hands for Heroes to combine programs for Clay veterans

JACKSONVILLE – Helping Hands for Heroes will host a Mission Launch Ceremony on April 30 in front of the USS Orleck Naval Museum, 610 E. Bay St., bringing its three mobile programs together to support at-risk or homeless veterans in Clay, Duval and St. Johns counties.

Ribbon-cutting is at 9:30 a.m. The event runs from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

Our Heroes Transport Unit is also the first nonprofit program of its kind in the region providing free transportation to medical appointments for at-risk or homeless veterans across these counties.

Tours of the mobile units will be available to see how the programs work firsthand. Healthy, nutritious meals from our Operation Nourish food truck will be served, highlighting how access to quality food supports recovery and long-term stability for at-risk or homeless veterans.

Programs being introduced:
• Hands for Restoration – mobile hygiene services, clothing, and restorative care
• Heroes Transport Unit – free transportation to medical appointments
• Operation Nourish – nutritious meals supporting health and wellness

Golden Years Gala Service Awards accepting sponsors, auction items

ORANGE PARK – To celebrate the contributions of senior adults, The Shepherd’s Center of Orange Park is accepting sponsors and silent auction items ahead of its Golden Years Gala Service Awards breakfast on May 13 at 8:30 a.m. at Sullivan Hall at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 7190 U.S. Highway 17, on Fleming Island.

The gala honors the county’s Woman and Man Volunteer of the Year and the Ernie Cohen Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Shepherd’s Center offers award-winning educational programing that promotes health and wellness.

To sponsor and donate auction items, contact Elizabeth Reed at (904) 463-2278.

UF/IFAS launches project farming, AgTech businesses

The University of Florida’s Food and Resource Economics Department is launching the Wayne T. Davis Agricultural and Rural Entrepreneurship program in Fall 2026 to help students build agriculture-focused businesses.

The new course sequence teaches agricultural business fundamentals in the fall and culminates in a spring “Shark Tank”-style pitch process where students present full business plans to industry mentors.

Funded by alumnus Wayne T. Davis, the program will equip students to innovate in areas ranging from automation, water use, food preparation, precision agriculture and more.

Growing a business is difficult. Growing an agriculture business can have its own unique challenges that can be daunting for a budding businessperson.

That’s why the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Department of Food and Resource Economics (FRE) is launching a new entrepreneurship program, specifically targeted for students who want to create agricultural businesses.

The Wayne T. Davis Agricultural and Rural Entrepreneurship program will kick off in the fall of 2026 with the course Principals of Agricultural Entrepreneurship, with a follow-up course in the spring of 2027. The class series will focus on the basics of entrepreneurship and business-planning, with a focus on agricultural issues, said Tori Rumenik, an FRE alumna and the program’s creative coordinator. The courses are open to both undergraduate and graduate students as joint classes. All majors across UF system can enroll.

“Agriculture is facing huge challenges, from automation demand to responsible water use, and UF really has the brightest minds in the nation where it comes to agriculture innovation,” she said. “We want to make it possible for them to take those big ideas and transform them into businesses after graduation, but we need to provide the toolkit to do so.”