Florida Farm Bureau establishes Mason Smoak Memorial Scholarship

Florida Farm Bureau Federation has established a scholarship in memory of Mason G. Smoak, a Lake Placid citrus and cattle producer who died in a plane crash near Lake Placid June 20. The Mason G. Smoak Emerging Leader Award will benefit a participant in the University of Florida/IFAS Wedgworth Leadership Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources.

“Mason was a leader in the agriculture industry,” said John L. Hoblick, president of the Florida Farm Bureau Federation. “He was past president of Highlands County Farm Bureau and of the Florida Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Leadership Program. He was a strong supporter of the Wedgworth Institute, of which he was an alumnus.”

The Florida Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors will select recipients based on the recommendation of the president, in collaboration with Farm Bureau staff and the executive director of the Wedgworth Institute. The scholarship will be fully funded by Farm Bureau; individuals who wish to honor Mason Smoak are asked to donate to a separate fund, the Mason G. Smoak Memorial Fund at Heartland National Bank, 600 U.S. 27 North, Lake Placid, FL 33852.

“By establishing this scholarship, we will continue to honor Mason’s memory while supporting the Wedgworth Institute,” Hoblick said. Wedgworth fellows are mid-career professionals who participate in a two-year course of instruction and experiences, including an international tour. The Institute’s mission is to develop and refine the leadership capabilities of young leaders.

Smoak began his role in the family business of citrus and cattle following his graduation from the University of Florida. He managed the business with other family members while assuming leadership roles in the agriculture industry. In addition to his involvement in Farm Bureau, he was president of Highlands County Citrus Growers Association and chairman of the Heartland Agriculture Coalition. In 2005, Mason was awarded the Horizon Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Florida for his contributions to agriculture.

The Florida Farm Bureau Federation is the state’s largest general-interest agricultural association with about 140,000 member-families statewide. Headquartered in Gainesville, it is an independent, nonprofit agricultural organization.