Cultivating Tomorrow: Washington County Farm Bureau President George Fisher

Cultivating Tomorrow: Washington County Farm Bureau President George Fisher

April 2021 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter

Washington County Farm Bureau (WCFB) President George Fisher is a second generation cattle and hay farmer, currently raising the third generation. He and his wife of 26 years, Stacey, and their two sons, Michael and Matthew, co-own and operate Arrowhead Beef located near Chipley in the Florida Panhandle. Fisher also has a daughter, Vanessa, who lives in Hoover, AL, a suburb of Birmingham.

Fisher began his agriculture career in 2000 when he began overseeing his father’s operation and expanding it.  Fisher explained that his cattle are raised in what is known as “herd-life harmony,” meaning that they never undergo stress and live an idyllic farm life.

Arrowhead Beef produces grass-fed beef from both Parthenais and marbled Wagyu cattle. Beef processing and aging are performed in a local USDA-inspected facility also owned by Fisher.

Arrowhead Beef is one of only two farm operations in the state of Florida that legitimately raise, butcher and distribute their own meats. Fisher transformed his family’s original 1976 farm of 80 acres into a 1,110 acre true cradle-to-grave operation.

Fisher became president of WCFB two years ago when he succeeded long-time WCFB president Bruce Christmas. The county floats at around 1,450 – 1,500 members.

WCFB promotes agriculture year-round hosting annual dinners/breakfasts at the County Youth Fair, partnering with the Tourist Development Council to set up a booth presence at local events, hosting the County Annual Meeting each fall and most importantly, attending Farm Bureau’s annual legislative event in Tallahassee, Farm Bureau Days.

“Our county Annual Meeting is held the third week of August at the Washington County Ag Center,” Fisher explained. “Unfortunately, we were not able to host last year because of COVID-19 but we are moving forward with plans to have the meeting this year.”

The meeting brings in great attendance and members fellowship over a meal, guest speaker and annual business is completed. WCFB plans to continue recognizing a Farm Family of the Year at future annual meetings in the new Ag Center which was rebuilt after suffering damages from flooding due to Hurricane Sally last year.

The annual Tallahassee trip is something near and dear to Fisher. “I try to get as many people as possible to travel to Tallahassee for Farm Bureau Days,” he said. “There is nothing more important than our members being able to speak their voice for Washington County agriculture at the state level.”

Fisher is Cultivating Tomorrow within his community with plans to spotlight WCFB members on the county’s social media channels and the monthly Bulletin. His hope is that by promoting members and local businesses, in return, will shine a positive light on Washington County agriculture.

He shared a family recipe for Oven Baked Steaks below:

Oven Baked Steaks

INGREDIENTS:
1 head of garlic, peeled and separated
Fresh rosemary, 2-3 sprigs
Steak, your choice of cut, Ribeye or Strip works well
2 tablespoons of  butter, more if you like

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place steaks along with 3-4 cloves of garlic and rosemary in a plastic bag and seal. Let the flavors penetrate the meat for about 3-4 hours.

Heat a cast iron skillet until it is sizzling hot, add butter and the remaining garlic, add steaks and sear for about 2-3 minutes per side.

Place the cast iron skillet in the preheated oven and cook for 5-10 minutes for medium rare. Additional time if you prefer your meat cooked more done. Remove steaks and let them rest for about 5 minutes, slice and enjoy!