Rooted in Resilience: Brandt and Samantha Hendricks
March 2022 FloridAgriculture eNewsletter
Brandt and Samantha Hendricks represent counties in District 1 on the Florida Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers State Leadership Committee. Counties include Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Jackson, Washington, Bay, Calhoun and Gulf.
Brandt is a third generation farmer from Jay. His father and grandfather both served in leadership positions within Santa Rosa County Farm Bureau where Brandt has been a life-long member.
The University of Alabama graduate returned home after college to work on his family’s cotton and peanut farm, like his father and grandfather before him. The Hendricks also raise cattle for their cow/calf operation and grow hay.
Samantha was born and raised in Huntsville, Alabama and discovered her passion for agriculture while studying at Auburn University. She began her career with the Alabama Farmers’ Cooperative after graduating and met Brandt while on the job filming a project.
“We met in the middle of a cotton field thanks to Brandt’s dad,” she said. “Brandt was planting cotton seed and I was filming for work, the rest is history.” The newlyweds were married last April and are expecting their first child this summer.
Samantha won the Alabama Farmers Federation’s (ALFA) Excellence in Ag award in 2018 prior to becoming a Florida Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers member. She says that their favorite thing about being involved in Farm Bureau is “The relationships we have made and continue to build. Farm Bureau provides the platform we need to tell our story and advocate for agriculture.”
The Hendricks are excited to build their local EscaRosa Young Farmers and Ranchers Group. “Our goal is to share our passion for agriculture with our peers,” she said. “Our hopes are to leave the program better than we found it and encourage future leadership roles within the group.”
Brandt and Samantha are leaving a legacy for the next generation of young farmer and rancher leaders. “Being involved in production agriculture has a lot of unknowns,” they said. “We plant the seed and pray every day for it to put roots down and grow.”
