At this year’s National FFA Convention and Expo, Garcia was selected to serve as a national delegate, representing Florida FFA among hundreds of student leaders from across the country

Jackson County natives Macy Jordan and Renee Jordan met with members of Altrusa International of Marianna to share their powerful story of agriculture, family, and advocacy.

Jackson County’s agriculture community celebrates local farm leaders at the Farm City Banquet on Nov. 18, 2025. If you want to help celebrate those who were recognized please view the link to the photo gallery below.

The Ed Jowers Future of Agriculture Scholarship is awarded to a high school senior or recent graduate that pursuing an education in agriculture. Mr. Jowers’ understood the importance of raising up the next generation of Agriculturalist in an industry

The AgVocator Award was designed to recognize exemplary leadership, dedication, and service to agriculture in our region.  Tonight’s recipient is a man whose work has truly made an impact — Dr. Dan Gorbet.

I am proud to share that the 2025 Jackson County CARES recipients are Hill Cattle and Mill Creek Farms. They now join more than 900 land stewards across the state who proudly display a “This Farm CARES” sign at farm gate.

Jim McArthur was introduced to the agricultural industry through his father, Larry McArthur. Throughout Jim’s childhood, he helped his father with tasks around McArthur Farms. Jim had gone to college and was trained in Video Production. It wasn’t until 2009 that Jim became a full-time farmer. He saw an opportunity to become a farmer, having been raised in the agricultural industry by his parents, Larry and Pam McArthur.

In 2005, Joe Harbison and partners of Chipola Plantation LLC purchased 1,800 acres along the Chipola River from Prudential Timber Investments. At the time of purchase, approximately 530 acres of the mature pine plantations on the property had been recently harvested.

Nestled in Sneads, Florida, off Old Spanish Trail, lies Powell Tree Farm owned and operated by Mark and Kay Powell. Powell Tree Farm specializes in “choose and cut” evergreen Christmas trees.  Customers take their families to pick out their annual Christmas tree while also enjoying a fun day on the farm.

Bill Conrad is a 4th generation Jackson County farmer who farms north of Highway 2 in the Bascom Community.  Over the years, he has raised several traditional crops including peanuts, soybeans, corn, wheat, triticale, and pine trees.  For the past decade, however, he has shifted his focus to being a quality hay producer for livestock farms in the Tri-State area.

Unique to many of our farmer’s stories we share, Dustyn is a first-generation rancher. Growing up next to one of Jackson County’s largest cattle ranches, this Dustyn spent his formative years watching friends and family work cattle, bale hay and tag calves. He is a hard worker, the AI technician when it is time to breed, and is in charge of the tagging of newborn calves and dealing with health issues in the herd.

For John Mark Peacock, farming isn’t just a job, it’s a way of life that runs six generations deep. He grew up farming alongside his dad, learning the ropes the old-fashioned way on the family farm. In 2008, John Mark decided it was time to branch out on his own. He rented his first piece of land and planted his very first crop, marking the start of his own farming journey.

Dustin and Mark represent the third and fourth generations of their families in agriculture. Both grew up farming in Jackson County and shared a passion for agriculture long before officially joining forces.

Brothers Scott and Andy Calloway are 4th generation farmers in Jackson County.  Scott’s son Dustin represents the 5th generation. Growing up on the family farm, Scott and Andy worked alongside their father, Johnny Nathaniel Calloway, who raised 50 head of brood sows and grew corn. Those early experiences helped shape the farmers they are today.

At least four generations of the Williams family have farmed in Jackson County.  The Williams are a long line of hard-working people who provided for their families, respected the land under their care, and loved growing crops and livestock, so much so, that they sacrificed their own leisure time to carry on the family arming  tradition.

Members of the Jackson County agricultural community host Abbott for public issues roundable in Marianna on Thursday.

Farm families from Jackson County shared their experiences, products, and way of life with peanuts at the National Peanut Festival in Dothan in November.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services broke ground on a new agriculture inspection station on U.S. 231 in north Jackson County on Wednesday.

Joseph Smith IV from Sneads FFA is the runner up at the Florida Farm Bureau Youth Speech State Competition in Daytona Beach in October.

UF senior and animal sciences major Skyler Griffin is a Marianna native, and member of the university’s livestock judging team.