Bradford County Farm Bureau President Glen Ritch

Glenn RitchBradford County Farm Bureau (BCFB) President Glen Ritch has lived his whole life in rural north central Florida. Growing up, his family had a small cattle farm.

Bradford County Farm Bureau (BCFB) President Glen Ritch has lived his whole life in rural north central Florida. Growing up, his family had a small cattle farm.

At a young age, Ritch began to have an interest in his own cows. “When I was just 14 years old, my momma opened up a bank account for me and bought me 20 registered Angus cows,” Ritch stated.

Ritch and his wife, Kay, currently live in Starke and operate a small commercial cow farm.  Before Ritch was elected as president of BCFB, he served as the BCFB vice-president for one year.

Every year during Farm-City Week, the local FFA puts on a dinner at the Bradford County Fairgrounds. “We have great attendance every year,” Ritch stated. We have guest speakers, county officials and a 4-H auction that brings in a lot of money for our local youth.” Local businesses in Starke donate items and county commissioners and other workers always attend the event.

Farm Bureau members, local farmers and ranchers and volunteers will reach out to consumers in the community during February’s Food Check-Out Week in Bradford County.

A special effort is made during Food Check-Out Week to educate and offer tips on how consumers can get the best of their dollar, all the while buying healthy and nutritious foods. Volunteers will distribute educational literature at local grocery stores and pay the grocery bill for a lucky shopper.

Bradford County Farm Bureau Ag Facts
Number of Farms: 470
Land in Farms: 35,076
Number of Jobs Provided: 4,431
Revenue Generated: $380.6 million