Marion County celebrates Farm City Week, inducts longtime IFAS agent into Ag Hall of Fame

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Posted November 17, 2021 | By Matthew R. Cretul, Sr.
matthew@ocalagazette.com

The Marion County Board of County Commissioners declared the week of November 17 – 24, 2021 as “Farm City Week” at their regularly scheduled meeting on Nov 16.

The board presented Lynn Nobles, the director of the UF/IFAS Extension – Marion County with a proclamation recognizing the impact agriculture and related fields have on Marion County.

Farm City Week is put on annually by 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.

Agriculture is a large part of the county’s identity, says Noble. Marion County is number one in Florida in the horse industry, the sheep industry, and the goat industry. and tenth in cattle.

Noble also pointed out there are nearly 4,000 farms in Marion County. And out of those, 3,200 of them are smaller (usually horse) farms from one to 50 acres.

Those farms provide not just food, but also jobs to the area.

According to University of Florida estimates, there are just over 37,500 jobs in agriculture in Marion County, or in related fields, and ag brings in $2.06 billion, or 19.7% into the gross regional product.

In addition to Farm City Week, this week is also when members are inducted into the Marion County Agriculture Hall of Fame.

Started in 2003, the Marion County Ag 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 2021 inductee, Mark Shuffitt, will be posthumously inducted during a banquet on Thurs. Nov 18.

Nobles said Shuffitt is an incredibly worthy nominee who focused his energy on agriculture and its role in Marion County.

“Mark spent a lot of time going out to each of the farms visiting with the industry people. I think he is a very well deserving person,” Nobles said. “Plus, he was active in Cattleman’s [the Florida Cattlemen’s Association], and the different organizations like that. He was a very, very good man that put a lot of heart into agriculture and the community.”

Not only was he active in annual events such as the Southeastern Youth Fair, but Nobles noted that he also founded a group of extension agents who work primarily with the equine industry. The group, Central Florida Livestock Agents Group (CFLAG), hosts a yearly equine institute.

Also being honored at the banquet on Thurs along with the 2021 inductee Mark Shuffitt are 2020 fellow inductees Jerry Arthur and Lugusta “Gus” Gray. Their induction comes a year later as COVID prevented a banquet last year.