The time has come for Fayette County residents to reflect on their agricultural heritage.
During this reflection time I want you to think of an individual that you have known that has many accomplishments in the agricultural industry. This accomplished individual may be a local farmer, agricultural business person, agricultural teacher, agricultural engineer, or an agricultural entrepreneur. These individuals have made contributions to the agricultural industry in Fayette County, the state level, the national level or even the international level of the agricultural industry.
The Ag Hall of Fame, which is located in the Agricultural Center on the south edge of the Fayette County fairgrounds, is now entering the 15th year of existence. At this point there have been 48 individuals inducted to the Fayette County Ag Hall of Fame. The people who are represented in that cabinet are former seed breeders, livestock producers, crop producers, agricultural education personnel, agricultural business people, agricultural extension personnel, and designers of agricultural equipment for both livestock and crop production – just to illustrate the diversity of the inductees and their agricultural accomplishments.
In 2016 the committee selected two outstanding recipients of the award: William Barton “Bart” Montgomery and David B. Gerber. As the Fayette County agricultural educator, I was impressed by the deep commitment these two gentlemen had and continue to have in the agricultural industry.
Both of the 2016 inductees have a deep connection to the Ohio State University Extension Program. Bart is the son of the very first Ohio State University Extension Agent in Fayette County and his wife Laurel was the daughter of the first Ohio State University Extension Agent in Highland County. David was a county extension agent in Putnam County for 10 years and then served the next 30 years of his career as the Ohio State University Extension swine specialist. After working on the farm, then attending Ohio State University and serving in the Army as a food inspector, Bart returned to Montcrest Farm to farm and raise his family. He was involved in many local organizations, such as the Farm Bureau, Producers Livestock Association, Seldon Gange, and the Fayette County Landmark Coop, and served as a 4-H advisor for over 25 years. David developed “Pork Profits TV” with WOSU-TV and WBGU-TV for pork producers/consumers and videos for 4-H club members: Fitting-Showing and Care of Pig Projects. David and his wife lived in Fayette County for many years, where he was very active in growing fruits and vegetables to sell at the local farmers’ market.
It is time once again to nominate an outstanding individual for their accomplishments, contributions or involvement in the world of agriculture. Nominee applications for the Ag Hall of Fame are available at the Extension Office anytime throughout the year or on the Extension website, www.fayette.osu.edu, or email [email protected] to have an application sent to you. The application states the necessary information needed about a nominee. Once an application has been submitted for consideration by the committee, it will continue to be considered each year.
Applications to be considered for the 2017 Fayette County Agricultural Hall of Fame are available and are due back to the Extension Office by Sept. 9. The committee will be meeting on Sept. 16 to discuss the current nominations and set a date for the 2017 annual banquet. If you have any questions or you would be interested in serving on the Ag Hall of Fame committee, please feel free to contact Ken Ford at 740-335-1150 or at [email protected] .
