October 4, 2018
Three finalists have been selected to compete for Florida Farm Bureau’s 2018 Excellence in Agriculture Award and will compete at the Florida Farm Bureau Annual Meeting in October.
This year’s finalists are: Katrina Moseley, Columbia County, Morgan Norris, Charlotte County and Jake and Melissa Raburn, Hillsborough County.
The Excellence in Agriculture award recognizes members of Florida Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers program who excel in their involvement in agriculture, accomplishments as leaders, Farm Bureau activities and community service.
“We are proud of our young farmers and ranchers who are passionate about contributing to Farm Bureau,” said Florida Farm Bureau President John Hoblick. “They are truly making a positive impact on behalf of Florida agriculture.”
Excellence in Agriculture Award applicants do not derive a majority of their incomes from normal farm production risk. Each finalist will make a presentation and answer questions in front of a three-judge panel during the Farm Bureau’s Annual Meeting at the Renaissance World Golf Village Resort in St. Augustine Oct. 24, at 1:30 p.m.
The winner will receive a John Deere XUV 560E courtesy of Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Company and an expense-paid trip to compete for the national title at the 2019 American Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention held Jan. 11-16, in New Orleans, La.
About the Finalists:
Katrina Moseley is passionate about agricultural outreach in her local community and state and is active in promoting agriculture’s story through social media. Moseley believes the most important issues facing agriculture are education, labor reform and the aging farmer. Moseley uses social media to help tell a factual story of agriculture through engaging posts. Moseley and her husband, Troy, reside in Ft. White with their twin daughters.
Morgan Norris is president of her own full-service agricultural marketing firm, Front Porch Marketing, Inc. She has a passion for telling agriculture’s story for her clients. She is motivated by her passion for agriculture and volunteers for various leadership positions at the local and state level to advocate for farmers and ranchers. Morgan believes the most important issues facing agriculture are trade, farm policy and public perception of farm production. Norris has been involved in her local county’s Ag Venture program for four years where she has helped educate more than 1,500 students and teachers about agriculture. She and her husband, Brian, reside in Port Charlotte with their two daughters.
Jake and Melissa Raburn grew up in agriculture and are passionate about advocating for farmers and ranchers at the local, state and national level. They manage the day-to-day operations of the family’s farm, Hinton Farms Produce. The Raburns believe the most important issues facing agriculture are farm labor, water policy and lowering the entry cost for new farmers. The Raburns believe in educating today’s youth about the importance of farming. Through a national virtual field trip, they were able to show more than 40,000 students from across America a look inside their family farm. As a member of the state legislature, Jake was able to advocate on behalf of farm issues on a daily basis at the state Capitol. The Raburns reside in Lithia with their four children.