Park Ranger, Tony Ryan
An avid longtime farmer and lover of history, Tony Ryan has found his second home at Dudley Farm Historic State Park. Tony was born and raised in Priors Marston, England, growing up in a farming family planting crops and counting sheep for a good part of his life. That is until he met Fran. She was visiting England on a trip, and it wasn’t long before they fell in love and moved to Florida.
After various jobs, Tony heard of an opening at Dudley Farm around 2010. Never caring for “being surrounded by walls” and loving to work the soil, Tony knew that Dudley Farm Historic State Park was where he wanted to be, among the tractors, cows, seeds and historic buildings.
The peace, serenity, love of history and especially the soil keeps Tony happy and delighted that he found his Florida farm. Being able to participate in events such as the Fall Harvest and Cane Festival, talking to children about the vegetables that grow in the garden, or moving the cattle from pasture to pasture is what makes Tony love his job.
The next time you visit Dudley Farm Historic State Park, keep an eye out for this hard-working transplant from across the Atlantic. He would be happy to show you around.
