Governor makes boards, commissions appointments
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Gov. Mitch Daniels has made recent appointments to Indiana state boards and commissions. These include some ag-related posts, such as the following:
State Fair Commission – The commission’s main role is to establish policies and procedures for the year-round operation of the Indiana State Fair grounds. The appointment was Matthew Rekeweg of Wabash, vice president of Halderman Farm Management. His term expires Sept. 30, 2012.

Horse Racing Commission – This commission prescribes the rules and conditions for horse racing at a recognized venue.

The reappointments included Alan Armstrong of Indianapolis, founder of A.J. Armstrong, Inc. real estate firm, whose term expires Sept. 1, 2011; and Jim Lauck, also of Indianapolis, attorney at Kroger, Gardis & Regas, whose term expires Sep. 1, 2012.

Recycling Marketing Development Board – The board may promote, fund and encourage programs facilitating the development and effective use of all sources of waste reduction, reuse and recycling in Indiana. The recent appointment was Beth Bugbee of Carmel, president of EcoPartners, Inc.  Her term expires July 1, 2012.

Bailey inducted into
OCTA Hall Of Fame
FRAZEYSBURG, Ohio — Lyle Bailey of Bailey’s Christmas Tree Farm in Trumbull County was inducted into the Ohio Christmas Tree Assoc. (OCTA) Hall of Fame for 2009 at the OCTA winter meeting.
Bailey’s grandfather bought the farm in 1900; in the mid-1970s, the Eagle Scouts were planting 1,200 pines on it as a reforestation project. It became a tree farm in 1982. In 2006 it was certified as a Century Farm.

In addition to being a past director of the OCTA, Bailey is a member of the Ohio Farm Bureau, Ohio Farmers Union, the National Christmas Tree Assoc. and Exotic Conifers and is past president of both the Northeast Ohio Christmas Tree Growers and the Northeast Ohio Forestry Assoc. He feels his greatest accomplishment was to help establish the Northeast Ohio Christmas Tree Growers Assoc.

Also during the meeting, Glenn Battles of Sugar Pines Farm in Geauga County won the Golden Light Bulb award and Dave Reese of Kaleidoscope Farms in Hancock County won the Photo Contest.
The board of directors also elected the following as the officers for the upcoming year: President Dave Reese, Vice President Bill Cackler of Cackler Family Farms (Delaware County), Secretary Mary Jan Perdulla of Pioneer Trails Tree Farm (Mahoning County) and Treasurer Avery Wilcox III of Wilcox Farms (Lorain County).
For more information on OCTA activities, call 740-828-3331.

Tennessee biofuels official honored with award
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Department of Agriculture biofuel administrator Randy Jennings received the National Biodiesel Board’s (NBB) Industry Partnership award. Jennings, along with Ronald Hayes from Missouri, received the award at the National Biodiesel Conference & Expo.

Both have worked in conjunction with the National Conference on Weights and Measures Fuels and Lubricants Committee, and with the American Society for Testing and Materials International to create and enforce standards for biodiesel fuel. They also worked on developing test methods for the specification and labeling requirements.

Other award recipients included female rock icon Melissa Etheridge and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

Based in Jefferson City, Mo., the NBB is the national trade association of the biodiesel industry. According to the NBB, last year’s 700 million gallon production of biodiesel reduced greenhouse gas emissions which totaled the equivalent of removing 980,000 vehicles from U.S. roads. For more information, visit www.biotenn.org or www.biodiesel.org

Carlson named First Fred Johnson Memorial Scholar
DENVER, Colo. — The academic career of an outstanding graduate student was recognized with a scholarship awarded in honor of one of the cattle industry’s greatest pioneers. The National Cattlemen’s Foundation honored the late Fred Johnson, of Summitville, Ohio, through the inaugural $2,000 graduate scholarship bearing his name.

Brandon Carlson is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Animal Sciences at Colorado State University, where he also received his master’s and B.S. degrees. He received his associate degree in animal science from Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colo. Carlson is studying meat science with an emphasis in food safety design and intervention strategies to reduce the level of microbiological contamination in cattle and the probability of a foodborne disease.

His family has been in the cattle industry for four generations in Byers, Colo.

Old National Bancorp’s Allen receives Swackhamer Award
HILLSBORO, Ind. — Old National Bancorp’s Jay Allen received the Indiana Bankers Assoc. Swackhamer Outstanding Agri-Banker Memorial Award.

The award, established in 1983, recognizes one exemplary agri-banker and serves as a memorial to the late Jim Swackhamer, a leader in the Indiana agri-banking industry.

The Swackhamer Award perpetuates Swackhamer’s high ideals and character. Allen serves as vice president, Commercial Lender in Northwest Indiana.  Prior to his current role, he served as banking center manager. Allen has been with Old National for 30 years and is currently at the Hillsboro Banking Center.

Award criteria include the nominee’s involvement in banking and community activities, contributions to agri-banking at the local, state and national levels and other miscellaneous considerations.