Video Script: Dr. Martha Roberts

Woman of the Year in Agriculture Award

Video Script

• Title:Dr. Martha Roberts
• Type: Woman of the Year in Agriculture Award
• Length: 8:39
• Year: 2017

Martha Roberts: “I am so humble to receive the woman of the year in agriculture. But some people might look and say she’s not a farmer, she’s not growing the strawberries or the tomatoes… Agriculture is so broad today, and it doesn’t matter if you have a true love for agriculture you can find a way to be of service with talent and education you have.”

Narrator:  Dr. Martha Roberts is a scientist, leader and advocate of Florida agriculture. She has received numerous awards from the FDA, USDA and other industry associations. In 2003, she was inducted into the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame. Martha’s unique career has endeared her to Florida farmers for nearly 50 years. Reggie Brown’s family has farmed this ground near Gainesville since the 1920s and appreciates Martha’s drive to improve his industry.  

Reggie Brown: “You see the energizer bunny? Martha is the real energizer, constantly traveling and going, and interacting with groups in the interest of American Agriculture.”

Narrator:  From the beginning, Martha has been passionate about agriculture. She was born in Oxford, Mississippi and moved to Homestead, Florida at the age of 6 weeks. A year later, her father died and the family moved to Gainesville, Georgia to be with her grandparents. She grew up in North Georgia participating in 4H, FHA, and even named Fannin County’s Corn Queen. She studied biology and graduated summa cum laude from North Georgia College and continued her education at the University of Georgia, earning her masters’ in bacteriology and Ph.D. in microbiology.

Martha Roberts: “I had always wanted to be a scientist from early childhood, collecting bugs, bringing snakes in house and things like that much to the consternation to my parents and grandparents.”

Narrator:  Martha works with federal and state government agencies and laboratories across the country as a food safety consultant and is also a board member of the Center for Produce Safety. Her career began in the food lab of the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services as Martha Rhodes in 1968 as a temporary microbiologist and chemist. In time, she was promoted, eventually heading up the department’s laboratories. She published numerous scientific papers and in 1984, Martha was appointed Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture by Commissioner Doyle Connor, the first woman in the country to hold this position.

Martha Roberts: “I feel a real responsibility to help those young women coming along to let them know there’s nothing beyond your ability.”

Narrator: Over the years, she has inspired scores of other scientists. Dr. Lisa Conti is one of them. Dr. Conti is currently the department’s Deputy Commissioner and Chief Science Officer.

Dr. Lisa Conti: “Because she paved the way for us, you really do feel like you’re standing on the shoulder of giants, because she helped lift everybody up so that, thankfully, and I see this as a positive, it’s not a consideration now, your gender. She is definitely a go to person, you can contact her, she’s so gracious with her time.  And she gives you advice, just the level.  She gives you scientific assistance as well as life help. She’s just an all-around, well-rounded person.  She continues to be a mentor to me and a number of other people as well.”

Narrator:  Martha continues to work tirelessly consulting with government and industry on food safety programs as well as agriculture policy and environmental issues. Over the years, she has studied practical ways to prevent pests and disease, while balancing protection of land and water. She helped Florida become one of the first states in the nation to implement a government produce food safety program that protects our population from food borne illnesses.

Martha Roberts: “At the same time, this protection has to have some common sense. It has to economically feasible for farmers and producers to follow because I hope that we never, ever get to the situation where we are importing all of our fruits and vegetables in our food supply and regrettably we are getting closer and closer to that point and we have to fight that.”  

Narrator: Martha has been part of leadership groups in government and industry to spur Congress to pass the monumental Food Safety Modernization Act or FSMA in 2011. The law was called one of the most sweeping reforms of agriculture in our nation’s history. It ensures our food supply is safe by shifting from responding to contamination to preventing it.

Dr. Jack Payne: Martha makes government work.  Everyone in Florida Ag knows about the Food Safety Modernization Act, in part because of Martha.  She’s the kind of person who actually read all eighty-nine pages and digests it so we know what we need to know.  She also worked hard to make sure that Florida agriculture had a voice as it was being crafted.  That was crucial in making public policy in the most enlightened way.

Narrator: In her roles as scientist, state official and industry advocate, Martha has been a consensus builder throughout her career. Leadership positions include President of the Association of Food and Drug Officials, Chairman of the Conference for Food Protection and the FDA’s Food Advisory Committee.

Martha Roberts: “You know, if you summed up my entire career, it would be as a catalyst for solutions and bringing people together to try to make sure that we moved forward in the most productive and positive way to produce the safest food and fiber for our citizens.”  

Narrator: Martha admits she’s guilty of taking her work home with her. In 1991, she married a farmer and realtor, Andy Roberts, so agriculture is part of their lives and conversations. The two enjoy travel and spending quiet times alone around the house and yard…but they also look forward to those days when the place springs to life.

Andy Roberts: “You know, she’s just a wonderful wife, as you can see, a mother, grandmother. And the grandkids, they coined the phrase ‘Gommy’ and she really likes being a Gommy.”

Narrator: The Roberts have four children between them. Becky Bolles and husband Steve have a title insurance business, Drew Roberts is a contractor, and Kathy Gould is a Bureau Chief with the state retirement office. Martha’s son Alan Rhodes is a NASA engineer and scientific manager so it seems science runs in the family.

Narrator: As Martha looks to the future she marvels at the recent advances in agricultural sciences and plans to continue to serve Florida’s citizens and farmers for many years to come.

Martha Roberts: “It’s unbelievably exciting as to what our new knowledge of human genome and bacterial genomes and how we can hopefully even repair genetic damage to ensure that we can cure human disease, cure animal diseases.”

Reggie Brown: “Martha’s energy and passion, coupled with her scientific knowledge that makes her the absolute superstar of this generation for food safety in America. She has been at the forefront of every food safety issue for decades. She is respected, understood and appreciated throughout the entire country.”

Martha Roberts: “I’m stubborn enough to say I’m still going to be working until we get some of these problems resolved. We’ve got to keep agriculture strong, it is the stable base of our economy, and we need to work for solutions, not departure.”