Farm Bureau Today on RFD-TV to feature Marcia Lightsey and Florida Cracker Cattle

Marcia Lightsey is one of Florida agriculture’s great ambassadors.  Lightsey, the 2009 winner of the Woman of the Year in Agriculture, will be featured on “Farm Bureau Today,” which airs nationally on RFD-TV. The Florida Report will premier Aug. 11 at 6:30 p.m., EDT.  It will repeat at 4 a.m. EDT on Thursday, Aug. 12 (More information can be found on-line at http://www.florida-agriculture.com/agwoman/lightsey.htm.)

Marcia Lightsey is in love with the cattle-ranching lifestyle, which she calls “healthy” and “exciting.”  She is passionate about living close to the land and working with her family in a family-run business, and she inspires enthusiasm in just about everyone she meets. She is a tireless advocate for agriculture and has long been active in beef promotion and agriculture education.

The program will also showcase Florida’s Cracker Cattle. These cattle were introduced to the state in the 1500s and are still grazing the landscape. Today, Florida Cracker cattle are prized as living, tangible links to Florida's agricultural heritage, and they’re making a place for themselves in Florida's future. (Watch the video on-line at http://www.florida-agriculture.com/videos/flash/Florida_Cracker_Cattle.htm.)

The Marketing Division of the Florida Department of Agriculture produces the program for Florida Farm Bureau as part of a shared outreach campaign to increase public awareness of agriculture, the state’s second-largest industry. The campaign focuses on the message, “Safe, Affordable and Abundant: Food for Thought from Florida’s Farmers.”

The Florida Farm Bureau Federation is the state’s largest general-interest agricultural association with about 140,000 member-families statewide. Headquartered in Gainesville, the Federation is an independent, nonprofit agricultural organization. More information about Florida Farm Bureau is available on the organization’s website, http://FloridaFarmBureau.org.