Last week, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) announced Dr. Saundra TenBroeck as the 2023 Woman of the Year in Agriculture.
“I am honored to announce Dr. Saundra TenBroeck as Florida’s Woman of the Year in Agriculture,” said Simpson. “Dr. TenBroeck has influenced the lives of thousands of young people and adults through her work with the Florida cattle industry, FFA, 4-H, and various agricultural fairs throughout the state including the Florida State Fair. She is a true inspiration to the women in agriculture and a role model for the young people of Florida. We are so proud to honor her with this award and thank her for her lifetime of service to Florida.”
Dr. TenBroeck is the State Extension Horse Specialist and Associate Professor for the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Florida. Dr. TenBroeck has been involved in agriculture her entire life, often visiting her mother’s foster family growing up, who were third generation row crop and dairy farmers, and spending time with her father in rural South Carolina who was an avid hunter and bird-dog trainer. Her family started their equine venture with two brood mares and have since bred and raised twenty-four Quarter Horses in three homegrown generations over the last thirty-five years. Dr. TenBroeck has influenced the lives of thousands of young people and adults through her work with the Florida cattle industry, FFA, 4-H, and various agricultural fairs throughout the state. She graduated from Clemson University with a bachelor’s degree in in Animal Science and graduated from Texas A&M University with a master’s degree and doctorate degree in Physiology of Reproduction. Dr. TenBroeck serves on many committees, notably the UF Senate, American Youth Horse Council, Florida Cattlemen’s and Cattlewomen’s Associations, UF Equestrian Teams, UF Horse Judging, and 4-H Youth Regionals/Nationals.
Since 1985, women who have made outstanding contributions to Florida agriculture have been honored with the “Woman of the Year in Agriculture” award. This award, sponsored by FDACS in conjunction with the Florida State Fair Authority, is presented to the recipient during the Florida State Fair in Tampa.
Recipients of the “Woman of the Year in Agriculture” award have come from all parts of the industry, including cattle, vegetables, timber, citrus, row crops, equine, horticulture, tropical fruits, sugar cane, dairy, agricultural journalism, and agricultural education and outreach.
