Baker County Farm Bureau, District 3

Baker County Farm Bureau President Robert Norman is part of a community effort supporting local farmers. Baker County Farm Bureau, along with Columbia, Clay, Duval, Nassau and Putnam/St. Johns Counties, have joined together to purchase $39,000 worth of food from local farmers and plan to distribute it to those in need.

“There are two kind of people in this world – those that worry about rain and those that go outside and work until it rains,” he said. “There is always a reason to not do something. Be the person that does it anyway.”

This relief effort is just one of the ways that Farm Bureau gives back.

Baker County Farm Bureau has 2,120 members and they promote agriculture in their community through the local FFA and 4H groups, along with partnering with UF/IFAS for annual events. “Every fall in conjunction with Farm-City Week, we partner with UF/IFAS to put food baskets together to hand out to families in need,” Norman said.

Every year around Labor Day, Baker County Farm Bureau joins with the Baker County FFA Alumni Association to host the “Swine in the Pines” festival. The one-day event promotes hog farming in the Southeastern United States.

Norman grew up in McClenny and currently lives on his family farm, Double N Farms, in Manning, FL with his wife of 37 years, Tammy, their two daughters and five grandchildren.

“I got involved with agriculture by growing chickens for Tyson,” he said.  “When they (Tyson) left Florida, I got involved with food distribution as a maintenance operations manager.”

The Normans are currently re-fencing their property and getting it ready for raising cows. He explained that his passion for agriculture lies in the process of raising crops, watching them grow and knowing that others are enjoying them.

Robert shared with us a favorite family recipe:

Robert’s Slow Cooked Pulled Pork

INGREDIENTS
– Capful of vegetable oil
– Capful of barbecue sauce
– ½ cup cider vinegar
– ½ cup chicken broth
– Handful of brown sugar
– Squirt of yellow mustard
– Tease of Worcestershire sauce
– Touch of chili powder
– Big onion chopped
– Crushed fresh garlic
– Pinch of thyme
– 4-5 lb. pork roast

DIRECTIONS
– Throw the oil in the bottom of the cooker and put the pig roast in next. Pour the barbecue sauce on and cover up the roast with the cider and chicken broth.
– Throw in the brown sugar and the squirt of yellow mustard. Toss in onion, chili powder, garlic and thyme.
– Cook for five to six hours.
Remove from the cooker and shred meat with big forks. It should fall apart!
– Throw back into the slow cooker and stir meat in juices, keeping it covered.