Nominations sought for prestigious Organic Leadership Awards

WASHINGTON D.C. — The Organic Trade Assoc. (OTA) is accepting nominations for its annual prestigious Organic Leadership Awards, which recognize organic visionaries and entrepreneurs who have made a significant difference to organic agriculture, industry, and trade.

The OTA is seeking nominations for three awards: Growing the Organic Community, Organic Farmer of the Year, and Rising Star. Candidates must have demonstrated skills, innovation, personal commitment, leadership, and vision to grow organic agriculture or the organic sector. In addition, they must have achieved identifiable and lasting changes to promote and protect organic agriculture and trade, and have inspired others to advance the cause as well.

The awards will be presented in the fall at Annual Awards Celebration during Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore. All nominations and letters of endorsement must be submitted by April 30. Selection criteria and nomination forms are available at https://ota.com/about-ota/organic-leadership-awards

Indiana accepting 2019 Golden Hoosier Award nominations

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, in collaboration with the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration’s Division of Aging, has announced that nominations are being accepted for the 2019 Golden Hoosier award.

The award began in 2008 and annually honors Hoosier senior citizens for their lifetime of service and commitment to their communities. To be eligible for the Golden Hoosier Award, the nominee must currently be an Indiana resident, aged 65 or older, and have been a volunteer in the community for the past three years.

The ceremony honoring those selected will be held on June 24 at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center. The deadline for submitting applications is April 29, and you can access the electronic nomination form at www.in.gov/lg/2532.htm

Hall to be inducted into storied Saddle and Sirloin Club

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Robert Hall Jr. will be the 2019 inductee into the Saddle and Sirloin Club, widely considered the highest honor in the livestock industry. Hall has dedicated more than 70 years to animal agriculture and is the longtime owner and president of Central Kentucky’s Farmers Feed Mill and its Hallway Feeds brand.

This elite club of influential figures in the livestock industry was originally housed on the top floor of the Purebred Livestock Records Building in Chicago in the early 1900s. Livestock men would gather on the top floor over a sirloin steak or a saddle of lamb in the banquet, leading to the name “Saddle and Sirloin Club.”

Chosen by their peers, the club continues the heritage of its founders to pay homage to those who have made the greatest contributions to the livestock industry. Hall’s portrait will be added to the exclusive club gallery. The oil portrait collection is displayed in the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville.

Hall was instrumental in the formation and continued growth of the show as he served on the executive committee from 1974-2012. He will be honored in an induction program and portrait unveiling Nov. 17, during the North American International Livestock Exposition.

The selection committee received letters of recommendation from 94 individuals supporting Hall for the award. After growing up on a family farm in central Kentucky and graduating from the University of Kentucky (UK), he lived in New York and managed a purebred Angus Farm, served in the Army as a veterinary meat inspector, and was the beef cattle herdsman at UK’s Coldstream Farm.

He and his wife, Bonnie, purchased Farmers Feed Mill a small feed business in Lexington, Ky., in 1964. Farmers Feed Mill serviced the area’s dairy and beef cattle farms for nearly 30 years and eventually introduced the Hallway Feeds brand to supply Thoroughbred farms and racing stables with custom feeds. A longtime Suffolk sheep breeder, Hall served a term as president of the National Suffolk Sheep Assoc.

Known far and wide as “Mr. Bob,” Hall lives on the family farm in Scott County and is a regular presence at the feed mill with his son, Lee, and daughter, Julia, now running the day-to-day operation.

AgriNovus adds agbioscience leaders to board and council

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — AgriNovus Indiana has added two new members to its board of directors: Alan Tio, CEO, Kosciusko Economic Development Corp. and Chris Lowery, senior vice president, Workforce Alignment for Ivy Tech Community College.

Tio leads the community’s efforts to promote economic growth throughout Kosciusko County. KEDCo is the nonprofit full-service economic development organization serving the county. He received his bachelor’s degree in international studies from Miami University and a master’s degree in public affairs from Indiana University.

Lowery chairs the Career Coaching and Navigation Action Team for Gov. Eric Holcomb’s Workforce Cabinet and is chair of the Board of Trustees of the Sagamore Institute think tank. He received his master’s degree in management from Indiana Wesleyan University and a bachelor’s degree in public affairs from Indiana University.

AgReliant Genetics also joins AgriNovus as an Innovation Council member. The third-largest corn seed company in the United States and headquartered in Westfield, AgReliant has production locations in the Midwest and 13 research facilities across North America.

Holcomb makes appointments to Soil Conservation, Fair boards

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Gov. Eric Holcomb recently announced new appointments and reappointments to various state boards and commissions, including the state Soil Conservation and State Fair boards.

He appointed one new member to the Soil Conservation Board, with a term expiring Jan. 1, 2023. Amy Burris of Loogootee is a farmer at Burris Family Farms.

He also reappointed Martin Chattin of Decker, president of Chattin Brothers, Inc., and Robert Eddleman of Indianapolis, associate supervisor for the Marion County Soil & Water Conservation District. Their terms also expire on Jan. 1, 2023.

And Olgen Williams, former deputy mayor of the city of Indianapolis, was reappointed to the State Fair Board until Sept. 30, 2022.

QTI welcomes new layer sales and marketing manager

ELGIN, Ill. — Quality Technology International announces the appointment of Jeffrey Jordan as sales and marketing manager, focusing on the layer market segment.

Jordan will be providing sales and technical support for producers, veterinarians, and nutritionists. He will work with QTI’s Animal Health Team to manage existing and prospective customers.

Before joining QTI, he served as layer operations manager with Cal-Maine Foods, and also had served with Tyson Foods and Simmons Food. He earned a bachelor of science degree in animal science from the University of Arkansas.

Red Gold awards E.A. Reichart honor to grower Abbett

ELWOOD, Ind. — Red Gold, Inc. of Elwood presented Glenn Abbett of LaCrosse, Ind., a plaque naming him the winner of the E.A. Reichart Quality Achievement Award to honor him as Tomato Grower of the Year.

Abbett Farms was chosen from a select group of seven master growers, picked from 46 growers for Red Gold. Glenn Abbett also received his eighth Red Gold Master Grower award. Winners received specially designed plaques in recognition of their achievement in growing high-quality tomatoes, exhibiting industry leadership, and professionalism.

All growers for Red Gold have had training on good production practices, employee safety, and human resources. As a tomato grower for Red Gold, Abbett has excelled in stewardship and sustainable practices on his farm and participates in the Red Gold IPM program. This year’s production from Abbett Farms would account for more than 30 million cans of Red Gold whole, diced, stewed, and specialty tomato products.

PRESENTING THE AWARD to Glenn Abbett (center, standing) are Beau Reichart (left), chief operations officer, and Colt Reichart (right), director of marketing, Omni-Channel & Consumer Relations. Seated in front are Kevin Ketchmark and Kory Kalinke.

(Photo provided)

USPOULTRY picks new officers, bestows awards at Expo

TUCKER, Ga. — John Prestage, senior vice president of Prestage Farms of Clinton, N.C., was elected chair of the board of directors of U.S. Poultry & Egg Assoc. (USPOULTRY), during the International Poultry Expo. He previously served as vice chair.

Greg Hinton of Rose Acre Farms in Seymour, Ind., was named vice chair. A native of Indiana, he attended Indiana University and Purdue University. He has served the poultry industry in various capacities on boards and committees, including the Indiana State Egg Board, USA Poultry & Egg Export Council, International Egg Commission, United Egg Producers, Indiana Farm Bureau, and the American Farm Bureau.

He is currently vice president of sales for Rose Acre Farms and serves on the Executive Committee and Long-Range Planning Committee. He has been with the company for 39 years.

Other new officers are Treasurer Mike Levengood with Perdue Foods of Salisbury, Md.; Secretary Mikell Fries with Claxton Poultry of Claxton, Ga.; and Immediate Past Chair Tom Hensley of Fieldale Farms in Baldwin, Ga.

Various other awards were presented at the Expo. Mike Robach, retired from Cargill, was named USPOULTRY’s Workhorse of the Year. The prestigious honor is awarded annually in recognition of dedicated service and valuable leadership given to the association and poultry industry.

Robach is a graduate of Michigan State University and Virginia Tech. He started his career with Monsanto Co. and joined Cargill in January 2004 to lead the company’s corporate food safety and regulatory affairs programs.

Dr. Kenneth Anderson received the annual Charles Beard Research Excellence Award. He is a professor in the Prestage Department of Poultry Science at North Carolina State University. The award is named in honor of Dr. Charles Beard, former director of the Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory and former vice president of research at USPOULTRY.

Anderson was selected for this award based on his exceptional research on mass depopulation methods to reduce animal suffering in poultry. He earned his B.S. degree from Southern Illinois University and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Kansas State University.

The annual Lamplighter Award was presented to Dr. Bernie Beckman, director of technical services for Hy-Line North America, and Charlene Powell, vice president of human resources at Crider Foods.

Beckman earned his D.V.M. at Purdue University in 1992 and began his career at Hy-Line North America in the summer of 1992 as a technical service veterinarian. Powell is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Kentucky Poultry Federation “Friend of Poultry, Honorary Commissioner of Agriculture, Labor-Management Manager of the Year.” She is also a Kentucky Colonel.

Triple Cross Farms of Mayfield, Ky., was recognized as the South Central Region finalist for the annual Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award. Clint and Kelly Harris were nominated by Tyson Foods and the Kentucky Poultry Federation.

NewLeaf Symbiotics names Helms VP of marketing

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — Matt Helms has been hired as the new vice president of marketing at NewLeaf Symbiotics, a company dedicated to sustainable agriculture and singularly focused on naturally occurring microbes known as M-trophs.

Helms brings more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience in the crop protection industry. He worked at Monsanto for 18 years, where he most recently served as vice president of Global Ag Productivity Technology. He also held roles as VP of Global Business Development and VP of Global Crop Protection Marketing.

He earned a B.S. in agriculture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and an executive MBA at Washington University in St. Louis.

Ohio DNR names new chiefs for Forestry, Geological Survey

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two Ohio Department of Natural Resources (DNR) employees were recently promoted at the department, with Mike Angle named the new chief of the Division of Geological Survey, and Dan Balser named the new chief of the Division of Forestry.

Angle worked as the assistant chief of the Division of Geological Survey since 2012. Previously, he was the geologist supervisor for the Geologic Mapping and Industrial Minerals Group and mapping geologist for the regional geology section. He has authored more than 20 maps and more than a dozen articles and publications on various aspects of Ohio’s geology and hydrogeology.

Angle earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in geology from the University of Akron, with a specialty in glacial geology and hydrogeology.

Since 2011, Balser has served as assistant chief of the Division of Forestry, managing all administrative aspects of the division, including fiscal operations, human resources, the urban, service and forest health programs, and communications.

As chief, he will oversee operations at more than 200,000 acres of Ohio’s state forests and lead the work of promoting sustainable management of its 8 million forested acres. He earned a bachelor’s degree in natural resources, majoring in forest resource management, and a master’s degree in natural resources management, both from The Ohio State University.

BioAg World Congress honors Marrone with inaugural award

DELHI — Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. announced that Dr. Pamela Marrone, founder and CEO of MBI, was honored with the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award by BioAg World and Bionema, a leading biopesticide product testing and technology development company.

Nominated by her peers as “a remarkable individual who has made big contributions to the BioAg industry,” Marrone was lauded for her consistent achievement in advancing the BioAg industry, specifically in biopesticides. She founded her namesake company in 2006 to discover and develop effective and environmentally responsible, biologically based products for pest management and plant health.

During her three-decade-long career – during which she founded three companies that screened hundreds of thousands of microbes and developed multiple breakthrough products – she has worked to bring rigorous science and legitimacy to the biopesticide category. She was the founding chair of the Bioproducts Industry Alliance in 2000, which now has more than 100 members.

Indiana Pork honors meritorious service award winners

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indiana Pork recently presented three awards to individuals who have dedicated much time to advancing the pig industry.

Joe Baldwin, recipient of a Meritorious Service award, joined Maxwell Farms of Indiana in 2006. As operations manager, he oversees all aspects of Maxwell Farm's wean-to-finish operation in east-central Indiana with 15,000 sows and contract finishing space to market more than 800,000 hogs annually.

Baldwin is a native of Randolph County. He graduated from Purdue University School of Agriculture with a degree in animal science. He is immediate past president of the Indiana Pork Board of Directors and serves the National Pork Producers Council as a member of the Nominating Committee. He and his wife, Stephanie, own a small sheep and cattle operation on their 115-acre farm near Winchester.

Indiana Pork awarded its second Meritorious Service award to former state Rep. Bill Friend, who was first elected to House District 23 in 1992. During his tenure at the Statehouse, he served as the ranking member of the House Republican Leadership, Majority Floor Leader, and was the Republican Speaker Pro Tempore for the 119th General Assembly.

Throughout his tenure, he served on the Agriculture and Rural Development Committee and the Natural Resources Committee. As owner and operator of Friend Farms and President of Green Acres Ham LLC, he is a strong advocate for advancing rural communities across the state of Indiana.

During the 2005 session, Representative Friend authored legislation that collected money from Indiana's cigarette tax to be dedicated to the Clean Water Fund within the Department of Natural Resources DNR budget. This will ensure productivity of Indiana soil and reduce the cost to taxpayers for cleaning ditches and waterways.

Friend is a graduate of North Miami High School and the University of Indianapolis.

Jason Oyler of Double J Farms in Carroll County received the Contract Grower award. He and his father started raising pigs for Co-Alliance/Excel Co-op in 2001. Over the past 18 years he has grown his contract business to 20,000 spaces for Co-Alliance.

His farming operation includes many conservation practices and he is currently farming 2,400 acres in the Carroll County area. Oyler and his team excel on many levels, but his key focus is on being a good neighbor and using good environmental practices.

Indiana Pork also recognized retiring board member Valerie Duttlinger of Gentryville. The board elected Nick Maple, a hog farmer from Amboy, and Brian Martin, a hog farmer from Williamsport, as president and vice president, respectively.

ASA recognizes Illinois soy leader at annual awards banquet

ORLANDO, Fla. — The American Soybean Assoc. (ASA) recognized exceptional volunteers and leaders at its annual banquet in Orlando on March 1, awarding individuals for state association volunteerism, distinguished leadership achievements, and long-term, significant contributions to the soybean industry.

Among the 2019 recipients was ASA Distinguished Leadership award winner Ron Moore of Roseville, Ill. This award recognizes a soybean grower or association staff leader whose leadership has strengthened the national or state association, enhanced soy-related policy efforts, and increased farmer education or engagement.

Moore has served in many leadership roles, providing a voice for soybean farmers and advocating in their best interests. He is a past chair of the Illinois Soybean Assoc. (ISA) and past president of the ASA. He is a steadfast advocate and spokesperson for soy policy, frequently meeting with state and national lawmakers and administration officials, and testifying on Capitol Hill.

He is a strong advocate on issues like farm bill, trade, transportation and infrastructure, farm safety net, biofuel, and regulations. In recent years, he has been a guiding force in helping to strategically position and strengthen both the ISA and ASA.

Intelinair expands team with hires Tudor and Arthur

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Intelinair, Inc. announced the expansion of its team with the addition of Adrian Tudor as chief product officer. In this role, Tudor leads the overall product vision, strategy, design, and development for the next-gen agricultural artificial intelligence (AI) platform known as AgMRI.

He will drive continued enhancements to AgMRI to help farmers boost the efficiency, productivity, and profitability of their farming operations. He has more than 20 years of experience with machine learning, analytics, and mobile technology.

Pat Arthur has also joined Inteliair’s team as director of marketing to support the continued sales growth of AgMRI. He is responsible for marketing AgMRI to farmers and retailers. His depth of experience across the ag industry will help ensure more farmers and retailers understand these benefits.

Arthur has more than 20 years of experience in ag marketing, communications, sales, and agronomy and has held a variety of management roles in the seed industry, advertising agencies, and ag retail.

National Pork elects new officers and board members

ORLANDO, Fla. — The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) elected new officers and members to its board of directors at its annual March business meeting, the National Pork Industry Forum.

Elected as president was David Herring, a hog farmer from Lillington, N.C. He is vice president of Hog Slat, which supplies equipment to pork operations, and of TDM Farms. TDM is a sow farrow-to-finish operation, with farms in North Carolina, Illinois, and Indiana.

Herring takes over from Jim Heimerl, a producer from Johnstown, Ohio, who becomes NPPC immediate past president and chair of the organization's Trade Committee.

Howard AV Roth, a hog farmer from Wauzeka, Wis., was elevated to president-elect. Jen Sorenson, communications director for Iowa Select Farms, was elected by the NPPC board of directors to be vice president.

Lori Stevermer of Easton, Minn., and Russell Vering of Howells, Neb., were elected as new members of the board for a three-year term. Mark Cooper of Des Moines, Iowa, was elected to a three-year term and will serve as the board's Packer and Processor Industry Council representative.

OFA announces new governing council and Policy Committee

KUTZTOWN, Pa. — The Organic Farmers Assoc. (OFA) is a national membership body of American organic farmers with a mission to provide a strong and unified national voice for domestic certified organic producers.

Members of the OFA are represented by a governing council, Advisory Committee, and Policy Committee. Recently, new representatives were elected to the governing council and Policy Committee for 2019. They will serve two-year terms, up to three consecutive terms. Newly elected members began their terms at the annual meeting on March 13 in Washington, D.C.

Newly elected voting members of the 19-member governing council are Judith Redmond of Guinda, Calif.; Dave Bishop of PrairiErth Farm, Atlanta, Ill.; Mike Kelly of Johnson Creek, Wis.; Nathaniel Powell-Palm of Bozeman, Mont.; Loretta Adderson of Keysville, Ga.; and Maryrose Livingston of Marathon, N.Y.

New Policy Committee voting members are Kenneth Kimes of Aptos, Calif.; Nate Lewis of Olympia, Wash.; DeEtta Bilek of Aldrich, Minn.; Michael Adsit of Plymouth Orchards, Plymouth, Mich.; Laura Freeman of Mt. Folly Farm, Winchester, Ky.; and Luke Gianforte of Cazenovia, N.Y.

Chosen in a non-voting advisory capacity for the Committee was Midwest Region Organization Representative Mallory Krieger, Farmer Training Program manager with The Land Connection of Champaign, Ill.

DNR Fish & Wildlife awards top-performing employees

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Each year, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Division of Fish & Wildlife awards its top-performing employees for their contributions to conservation, mentoring, and teamwork. 2019 winners were Josh Griffin, Andrew Fairchild, Olivia Vaught, and the walleye crew.

Griffin was awarded the Fish & Wildlife Mentor Award. He serves as the private lands program manager. He played an integral role in developing programs such as the Indiana Community Hunting Access Program and the Grasslands for Gamebirds and Songbirds Initiative.

Fairchild was awarded the Fish & Wildlife Conservation Cornerstone Award. He is a member of the Roush Lake Fish & Wildlife Area team. He stepped up when positions were left vacant and helped train new employees. He aided management by being flexible, sometimes working the shooting range during holidays.

Vaught was named the Fish & Wildlife Conservation Champion. During her three years as the assistant deer biologist, she has provided outstanding service to wildlife and the public. In 2018, Vaught helped establish CWD surveillance programs, took on a leadership role with the Conservation Appreciation event committee, and authored several sections of the new comprehensive deer report.

This year’s Director Team of the Year Award went to the walleye crew. Walleye broodstock collection is an annual event at Brookville Lake that supports the statewide walleye and saugeye stocking program. The team aims to collect 35 million walleye eggs, which normally takes at least 15 consecutive days with four crews. This year, staff managed to take just under 38 million eggs in only eight days.

AgGrad announces first 30 Under 30 Class for agriculture

BOISE, Idaho — AgGrad announced winners of the first AgGrad 30 Under 30 Awards, a program created to celebrate the young professionals shaping the future of agriculture.

Fourteen judges selected winners from peer and self nominations based on contributions in their career, community, and the industry at large. Winners are featured on AgGrad's social media channels and in a special print and online publication.

AgGrad 30 Under 30 2019 Winners in this region include:

•In the Production category, Griffin Huelsman, in farm management at Mulberry Orchard/Gajdzik Farms

•In the Innovation & Technology category, Bo Harstine, director of research with Select Sires, Inc.; and Lynn Wischmeyer-Moore, innovation specialist with Nestle

•In the Entrepreneurship category, Colin Hurd, founder CEO of Smart Ag; Matthew Rooda, CEO of SwineTech, Inc.; and Steven Brockshus, founder and CEO of FarmlandFinder

•In the Education & Advocacy category, Elizabeth Burns-Thompson in Corporate Affairs for Renewable Energy Group

•In the Agribusiness category, Andrew Lauver, Industry Relations manager for North America – Syngenta; Lucas Fuess, director of Market Intelligence for HighGround Dairy; Mackenzie Dierks, sustainable ag consultant with KCoe Isom; and Meg Becker, marketing specialist with Cargill Animal Nutrition

AgGrad was established in 2015 with the mission of “helping young professionals find their place in modern agriculture.” The company provides a job board, blog posts, career profiles, “AgGrad Live” (a Facebook Live show), daily Snapchat stories, and a weekly podcast called the “Future of Agriculture.” All are provided at zero cost to students and young professionals and supported by participating agribusinesses.

For more information, visit 30under30.ag

Naig honors Oshels with Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award

DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig presented the Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award to Rick and Beth Oshel, livestock farmers in Clarke County.

The Oshels pasture their cattle in a rotational system. Since they moved to the farm in 1987, the family has invested in terraces, waterways and have built seven ponds with the goal of improving water quality. As leaders in their community, the couple support many youth organizations and serve in numerous leadership roles.

The Oshels were nominated by a neighbor and friend, Darwin Downing.

The Wergin Good Farm Neighbor award is made possible thanks to financial support of the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers. It recognizes Iowa livestock farmers who take pride in caring for the environment, their livestock, and being good neighbors. It is named in memory of Gary Wergin, a longtime WHO Radio farm broadcaster who helped create the award.

DNR director announces Natural Areas and Preserves chief

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Director Mary Mertz named Jeff Johnson as chief of the DNR Division of Natural Areas and Preserves on March 20. Johnson brings nearly 25 years of experience working for the department.

He began his career with DNR as a seasonal maintenance worker for the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves after college. Since then he has served in a variety of roles, from naturalist to park manager at Hocking Hills State Park. No matter his assignment, he has maintained his commitment to protect Ohio’s rich ecological history.

Johnson takes on the task of guiding the division through a rebuilding process and returning it and its programs to national prominence. He will also oversee the return of the Scenic Rivers Program as an integral part of the division. He will also increase the state's efforts on managing invasive species.

Johnson holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Ohio University. He resides with his wife on a small farm in Fairfield County.