At the Marion County Board of County Commissioners regularly scheduled meeting that was held on Tuesday, the commissioners declared the week of November 16 to November 23 as “Farm City Week.”
The board presented Lynn Nobles, Director of the UF/IFAS Extension – Marion County, with a proclamation recognizing the impact that agriculture and related fields have on Marion County.
Nobles stated, “Farm City Week is put on annually by the Florida Farm Bureau, the state’s largest agricultural organization, and is a time to give thanks for the valuable partnerships between urban and rural residents.”
Nobles added that agriculture is a huge part of Marion County’s identity, and she highlighted that the county is number one in Florida in the horse, sheep, and goat industries, and tenth in cattle.
According to estimates from the University of Florida, there are just over 37,500 agriculture or related industry jobs in Marion County, and agriculture brings in $2.06 billion, or 19.7% into the gross regional product.
In addition to Farm City Week, this week will also include the induction of new members into the Marion County Agriculture Hall of Fame.
Since 2003, the Marion County Agricultural Hall of Fame “has been recognizing individuals who have made tremendous achievements and contributions to the furtherance of agriculture in our community,” according to its webpage.
The 2022 Hall of Fame inductee, Terry Teuton, will be inducted during a banquet on Thursday, November 17. Nobles stated that Teuton is an “incredibly worthy nominee” who has focused his energy on agriculture and its role in Marion County. She added that Teuton “represents the best of us here in Marion County, and the lives that he has impacted are countless.”
For more information about Farm City Week or the Agricultural Hall of Fame, please call Marion County Extension Services at 352-671-8400.