community, state, national and international level. A reasonable choice to provide this

voice for rural communities and provide individuals who have the attitude/will/desire to

participate in the leadership process is the AFBF. Farm Bureau reflects the future of

agriculture and rural communities in its membership, the younger members who are

embarking on their careers and looking towards leadership positions in the future (P.

Cockrell, personal communication, September 10, 2002).

 But why are those actively involved in agriculture not taking on leadership

responsibilities in the Florida Farm Bureau organization? Do they lack training, skills,

abilities, time or knowledge? Or do they not have a desire to lead? For those that do

accept leadership positions, will they be able to become effective and provide strong

leadership? Florida Farm Bureau realizes the need to provide leadership training for their

members, but what training should be offered? This study will provide data to assist in

answering these questions.

 McCaslin (1993) theorized that sustainable rural development has been and will

be realized only through programs, which focus on active involvement of human

resources rather than a passive approach. Florida Farm Bureau is taking this proactive

approach, realizing the need for leadership development and wanting to take the next step

in designing a leadership-training program for its county board members.

 An ideal leadership program reflects the diversity of the organization or

community. The shared experiences and networking that take place within the program

create a group of dedicated people who want to make a difference (Hustedde &

Woodward, 1996). Because of the complexity of today's organizations requires the use

of different leadership skills, and many organizations are concerned about the