Rural Recharge

Our guest joining us today is David O'Farrell of Ocala Stud, located in Marion County. Mr. O'Farrell manages and owns with his family Ocala Stud, where they train and breed world renowned Thoroughbreds. He serves as the Thoroughbred Owners and breeders Association Board of Trustees chair, as a steward at The Jockey Club and is a member of Breeder's Cup Limited. Since 1958 Ocala Stud has bred, rais...

Our guest joining us today is Mr. Curt Williams. Mr. Williams serves as the Director of Government and Community Affairs for Florida Farm Bureau. Our conversation today will detail how Mr. Williams serves our members of the Florida Farm Bureau Federation and advances the Voice of Ag.   Visit  FloridaFarmBureau.org to learn how you can get involved in Florida Agriculture.

Our guest joining us today is Dr. Michael Dukes, Director of the UF/IFAS Center for Land Use Efficiency. Among the many projects and causes that Dr. Dukes is a part of, he specializes on water use efficiency in irrigation systems. Dr. Dukes and his team are saving millions of gallons of water per year through their systems, all backed by research.   Visit  FloridaFarmBureau.org to learn how you ca...

Our guest joining us today is Jared Lanier. Mr. Lanier serves as the Director of Field Services for Florida Farm Bureau. Our conversation today will detail how Mr. Lanier and the Field Services staff advance the Voice Of Ag in their roles at Florida Farm Bureau Federation.   Visit  FloridaFarmBureau.org to learn how you can get involved in Florida Agriculture.

Our guest joining us today is Mrs. Victoria Hunter, a generational nursery grower with FernTrust Incorporated and seasoned member of the Florida Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors. Victoria is also the Chair of the Women's Leadership Committee and dedicated to the success of the Voice of Agriculture.   Visit  FloridaFarmBureau.org to learn how you can get involved in Florida Agriculture.

Our guest joining us today are Mrs. Staci Sims and Mrs. Liza Bradford. Mrs. Sims serves as the COO of Florida Farm Bureau, and Mrs. Liza Bradford serves as the CFO of Florida Farm Bureau. Our conversation today will detail how they advance the Voice Of Ag in their roles at Florida Farm Bureau Federation.   Visit  FloridaFarmBureau.org to learn how you can get involved in Florida Agriculture.

Our guest today is Mr. Zippy Duvall, a farmer from Georgia, a family man and has served as president of the American Farm Bureau Federation since 2016. He is a third-generation farmer. Prior to being elected AFBF president, he was president of the Georgia Farm Bureau and served on the AFBF board of directors. In 1987, he also served on the AFBF board as Young Farmer Committee chair. He has helped...

Our guest joining us today is Mr. Scott Kirouac, a longtime friend of Florida Farm Bureau and a strong advocate for agriculture. Mr. Kirouac serves on the Highlands County Farm Bureau Board of Directors and received a Distinguished Service Award in 2023. Scott Kirouac successfully founded and runs a non-profit organization called "Ag Angels".  Visit  FloridaFarmBureau.org to learn how you can get...

Our guest joining us today is Mr. Jim Alderman, an organic vegetable farmer in South Florida. Mr. Alderman is unique in that most of his farm is certified organic and most of the produce stays local within the state of Florida. Mr. Alderman is a long-time friend of Farm Bureau and our 2025 Florida Farm Bureau Farmer of the Year.   Visit FloridaFarmBureau.org to learn how you can get involved in Fl...

Our guest joining us today is Mr. Ryan Jenkins, a 4th generation row crop farmer from the edge of Florida in Santa Rosa County. If you've run across any of Jenkins' Farm social media you can see how important this industry and way of life is to Mr. Jenkins. In 2020 he won the Florida Farm Bureau Federation Volunteer Communicator Award, and he is still going strong being a Voice of Ag. Ryan, thank...

Our guest joining us today is Ms. Carrie Baker, a Ph. D. Candidate at the University of Florida Department of Agricultural Education and Communication. Ms. Baker is part of a fourth generation farming family, specializing in cattle and row crops. The topic of mental health in the farming community is personal to Carrie and she hopes to see her family and Florida Agriculture thrive for years to com...

Kelly Aue, Suwannee River Partnerships Outreach Coordinator, joins President Jeb Smith on the newest episode of Rural Recharge. The Suwannee River Partnership works to address water quantity and quality issues in the Suwannee and Santa Fe river basin. Kelly's role in accomplishing that goal includes managing funding partners, stakeholder groups, and comunicating through various means to the public...

Kevin Lussier, AFBF Young Farmers & Ranchers Chair, joins President Jeb S. Smith on the newest episode of Rural Recharge. Lussier owns and operates Hawthorne Dairy in Alachua County. In 2021, Lussier and his wife, Shelby, were the Florida Farm Bureau Achievement in Agriculture state winners. In this episode, Lussier shares his journey to becoming a dairy farmer, his involvement with the Florida Fa...

Our guests for today are a father-son duo, Mr. Woody and Mr. Jacob Larson, owners of Larson Dairy Inc. in Okeechobee, Florida. The farm has a rich story of sustainability, recently partnering with Brightmark Energy Inc. on a renewable natural gas project. The Larsons are innovators in the Florida dairy industry, embracing technology and cutting-edge management practices.    Visit  FloridaFarmBurea...

We are excited to have another dual-guest episode this month. May is Beef Month and resident Florida Beef expert Deanne Maples joins us as well as the 2023-2024 Florida Cattlemen's Association Sweet heart, Whitnie Yoder. We hope you enjoy this great episode on the importance of beef marketing. Visit FloridaFarmBureau.org to learn how you can get involved in Florida agriculture.  

This episode's guest stars Pat Durden, Florida Cattlemen's Association President. Durden has worked hard to ensure Floridians are aware of the important role farmers and ranchers play in protecting the land and conserving our state's natural resources. His slogan during his tenure as the FCA president is "Cows Keep Florida Green", which emphasizes the vital role cattle play in greenspace.  Join us...

Today's episode is a conversation with Danny Johns, owner and manager of Blue Sky Farms, LLC in Hastings, Florida. Mr. Johns is a potato grower and shares with President Smith the family history of his farm, his thoughts on the outlook of Florida agriculture, and innovations that he has incorporated as a potato grower. We're excited to publish this episode of the Rural Recharge for National Ag Day...

Today's episode is a conversation with Dr. Saundra TenBroeck, the 2023 Woman of the Year in Agriculture. Dr. TenBroeck shares her life story and clearly displays the passion she has for her work. She has a long list of accomplishments and a decided example for the young people following in her footsteps. We look forward to congratulating Dr. TenBroeck at the annual Woman of the Year in Agriculture...

Today's episode is a conversation with Jason Watts, Florida Farm Bureau Farmer of the Year and his wife Amanda. Their family at Florida Best Farms, Inc. grows blueberries in Polk County, Florida along with muscadine grapes and beef cattle. Mr. Watts gives a complete overview of their family farm along with history, wisdom and a positive outlook for the future of agriculture in Florida. We look for...

In this episode, President Smith sits down with Stephen Monroe for a lighthearted episode focused on Florida's legacy, Cracker Cattle preservation and a little storytelling and cowboy poetry. We hope you enjoy this fun, year-end episode of the Rural Recharge.    Visit  FloridaFarmBureau.org to learn how you can get involved in Florida agriculture.

In this episode, we hear from a couple that does it all, from agriculture, podcasting, to art. 8th generation cowboy, Brad Phares and his wife Sam, share roots that run deep in Florida's agriculture history. Stay tuned for a fun episode and special reading of cowboy poetry written by Brad Phares.   Chech out Between The Beaches Podcast, hosted by Brad Phares.  Spotify - Between The Beaches Podcast...

Join us as we celebrate Florida Forestry Week, October 22-28, in this episode. FFBF President Jeb Smith sat down with Lynetta Griner and Eric Handley of Usher Land and Timber for a conversation about the importance of Florida forestry, conservation practices, and the legacy that Griner and Handley hope to leave behind. Visit  FloridaFarmBureau.org  to learn how you can get involved in Florida agri...

Real conversations with real farmers. In this episode, meet Wade and Karen Purvis, a vegetable farmer and educator in Immokalee, Fla. They share their family's passion for farming and how important it is to understand that a strong domestic food supply is a national security issue. They are growing Florida agriculture forward by sustainably growing fresh food for a growing population.   Visit  Flo...

Kelly Mosley and daughter, Maggie, join us to tell their story about Amazing Grace Family Farms. The Crop Maze began through an inspiring session at a Young Farmers and Ranchers conference and grew to statewide prominence. Listen in to learn more about storytelling through agritourism.   Show Resources: Agritourism Safety - Integrating Safety into Agritourism (safeagritourism.org) Agritourism : Fr...

Dr. J. Scott Angle discusses an array of topics including AI's role in agriculture, conservation and farming and feeding a global population. Visit  FloridaFarmBureau.org to learn how you can get involved and support Florida agriculture.