RUTH WEDGWORTH CHOSEN 1986 WOMAN OF THE YEAR IN AGRICULTURE

From The Harvester, Feb. 1987

RUTH WEDGWORTH CHOSEN 1986 WOMAN OF THE YEAR IN AGRICULTURE

The 1986 “Woman of the Year in Agriculture” is FFVA member Ruth Springer Wedgworth, an 84-year-old businesswoman, farmer, grandmother and civic leader from Belle Glade.

In ceremonies held Feb. 4 in connection with the opening of the Florida State Fair in Tampa, Commissioner of Agriculture Doyle Conner presented Mrs. Wedgworth with the award for her lifetime of contributions and dedication to Florida agriculture.

Conner noted the Mrs. Wedgworth was chosen for the honor from a long list of nominations by a panel of independent judges outside the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, which sponsors the annual award.

Conner said of the choice, “The judges could not have picked a better candidate for this award. It was initiated to recognize the vital role women have always played in agriculture, a role becoming even more visible in recent years. Ruth Wedgworth is a living example of what we had in mind.

Industry leader Ruth Wedgworth was named Woman of the Year in Agriculture in 1986.

She has earned the Distinguished Service Award from the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association, Woman of the Year Award from Progressive Farmer magazine, Citation of Leadership in Agriculture from Commissioner Conner, and an Award of Merit from Gamma Sigma Delta fraternity at the University of Florida for distinguished service to agriculture, among other honors.

Among many civic activities, the former Michigan native chaired the Belle Glade Bicentennial Committee, leading to selection of the community as a Bicentennial City; served on the select study group that drew up the Minimum Foundation Program for Florida schools; was honored by Gov. Millard Caldwell for service to migrant workers; served on the Palm Beach County School Board; is a charter member of the Wee Care day care center for migrant children; is active in the Women’s Club; was made an honorary member of the Belle Glade Lions Club; and is a member of the Administrative Board of the Community United Methodist Church of Belle Glade, where she has taught Sunday School.

In the field of agriculture, she was the first woman elected president of the Florida Horticultural Society; helped organize the Florida Celery Exchange; and was a charter member of the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative, of which her son, George, was the first and longtime president.

Throughout her busy career, her first concern was her family, especially after she had to assume the role of sole parent for three children after her husband, Herman H. Wedgworth, was killed in a construction accident in 1938.

Conner noted that Mrs. Wedgworth was far more than a figurehead. She often toiled in the fields alongside male crews, and made the key decisions regarding the family enterprises.

Herman Wedgworth pioneered the celery industry in South Florida after serving as a plant pathologist at the University of Florida Experiment Station near Belle Glade. Mrs. Wedgorth says her husband had confidence in her ability to carry on alone if necessary, and she tried hard to live up to his trust. The “Big W” brand appears on half a million packets of produce shipped out of South Florida every year.

Conner called her a “true leader and example for others in business, in agriculture, in the community, in religion and in her family,” adding, “When we single her out as Woman of the Year in Agriculture we could very well broaden that to Woman of the Year, period, although we in agriculture are proud to call her one of our own.”

Nominations for the award were made by various agricultural organizations throughout the state. Last year’s winner was Jo Ann Smith, first woman president of the National Cattlemen’s Association.