INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. —The Indiana Livestock, Forage and Grain Forum held on Feb. 27 in Indianapolis was the backdrop for several state awards presented by commodity groups.

The Indiana Soybean Alliance and the Indiana Corn Growers Assoc. honored a group of peers with Beck’s Hybrids “Beyond the Fence” awards. The four award recipients honored for their outstanding contributions to Indiana agriculture are:

Marshall Martin Marshall, of West Lafayette, who received the Friend of Indiana Agriculture award for outstanding contributions to agriculture by a non-farmer. Martin is a professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University where he serves as the senior associate director of agricultural research programs and assistant dean for Purdue’s College of Agriculture.

Dris Abraham, of Battleground received the Community Betterment award, which recognizes a farmer for outstanding contributions to the community through philanthropic, service, volunteerism, donations and/or leadership projects. He is the chief operating officer for Historic Prophetstown. Abraham also shares his knowledge with U.S. military personnel who are preparing for service in Afghanistan where they will help rebuild local farms.

Jerry Goshert of New Paris received the Ag Media award for excellence in reporting about Indiana agriculture. Goshert is the editor of The Farmer’s Exchange and covers stories ranging from hand corn husking to modern technology.

Pat Redden, of Cambridge City received the Ag Education Outreach award for his outstanding contribution to Indiana agricultural education. Redden is the agricultural education instructor at Lincoln High School in Wayne County.

The Indiana Professional Dairy Producers presented the 2012 Young Dairy Producer of the Year to Kelly MacKinnon, of Thorntown. With her parents, she milks about 120 cows, mostly Holsteins. She works with the 4-H dairy project, coaching the judging team and helping facilitate the dairy heifer leasing option.

Leontien Oostdijck-VandeLaar, of Geneva was named the 2012 Dairy Producer of the Year. At her urging, her parents and brother moved from Holland in 2006 and built Four Leaf Clover Dairy. Leontien and her husband lead the operation, which milks 2,000 cows using Indiana’s first direct-load system pumping milk from the udder to tanker trucks.

The Indiana Beef Cattle Assoc. presented their awards at the group’s annual meeting the evening before the forum. The Friend of the Industry Award was given to Beck’s Hybrids for their constant support of the IBCA and the junior cattle group at the Hoosier Beef Congress. 

In honoring cattlemen who possess beef management skills and leadership abilities, Toby Jordan, of Rensselaer was awarded the IBCA Young Cattleman of the Year Award. Toby has been an active participant in regional grazing seminars, and the annual Beef Improvement Federation convention. 

The Outstanding Cattleman of the Year Award was present to Dr. Ron Lemenager, of Lafayette. Lemenager is a member of the animal sciences faculty at Purdue University with responsibilities in beef cattle nutrition and management research, teaching, and extension. He is a great role model for young students studying animal science and is a great friend and supporter of all segments of the industry. 

ICBA presented Virginia Davis with a Special Recognition Award given to acknowledge and honor over 25 years of service to the Indiana beef industry. In addition to participation at the county level, Virginia served for six years as Indiana’s representative on the Cattlemen’s Beef Board and is a past president of IBCA, the only woman to ever hold that position.

The 2012 Robert C. Peterson Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Kenny Ramsay, of Waveland. Ramsay spent a life involved in beef cattle beginning at a young age and was recognized both locally and nationally as influential in the Hereford breed. 

The large county affiliate award was given to the Morgan County Beef Cattle Assoc. for their efforts in promotion and community involvement. Morgan County sponsored a host of items and events including seminars by NRCS, an annual extension dinner, and a bull soundness evaluation, plus five $1000 scholarships were awarded to county high school seniors. 

The small county affiliate award was given to the North Central Beef Cattle Assoc. for their efforts in promoting beef. North Central Beef Cattle Assoc. hosted a number of promotional and educational programs which impacted over 1,500 people with a positive beef message.

Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman was recognized as a champion for Indiana agriculture as she will step down at the end of the year. In her comments she said, “I want to thank you, the farmers, for helping us sustain life as we know it.”