Hardin County Agriculture Hall of Fame
The Purpose of the Hardin County Agriculture Hall of Fame is to recognize and honor outstanding contributions to agriculture by Hardin County people. Annual awards will be made to men or women who have been instrumental to the success and excellence of agriculture, either as a farmer or in an agriculturally related field. We desire to honor and give public recognition to those who have brought distinction to themselves, have made outstanding contributions to their professions, and whose community involvement has served as a stimulus to others.
Award Categories – Nominations may be made as individuals, husband and wife, or a partnership. Select the appropriate category, and include all the necessary information on one application form.
Number of Awards – Up to four awards may be given each year, with at least one living person (if one is acceptable) and at least one posthumous award (if one is acceptable). At the discretion of the committee, one “Pioneer in Agriculture” award may be made in addition to the other awards listed above. The number of awards presented each year will be determined by the committee. Nominees without merit will not be named for an award.
Recipients must have made their major contribution to agriculture primarily as a result of being born, growing up, living in or beginning their career in Hardin County, Ohio.
Hall of Fame Nominees may be submitted by any individual or organization in Hardin County by completing the nomination form. One additional page (8½ by 11) paper may be used, if needed. Other additional pages or information will not be considered. For consideration this year, nomination forms must be returned to The OSU Extension Office, 1021 W. Lima St, Suite 103, Kenton, Ohio, 43326 no later than 45 days prior to the Award Banquet, scheduled on the first Tuesday of December.
Selection – Award winners will be selected by the entire committee by ballot.
Recognition of the awards – A review of achievements will be presented at the annual banquet as each nominee is inducted, along with local media coverage related to the banquet. The honoree’s picture, along with a plaque, will be displayed in the Hardin County Courthouse. The awards may also be displayed during special county events, such as the Hardin County Fair.
An Agriculture Hall of Fame Banquet will be held each year to induct new members into the Hardin County Agriculture Hall of Fame. The date and time will be established as an annual event, the first Tuesday evening in December at 6:30 p.m.
The Hall of Fame Committee is responsible for gathering nominations for the annual awards and selecting the winners. The initial committee will be appointed. The successive committee will include several people who will serve by virtue of their position. These include the current Agricultural and Natural Resources Extension Educator, the president or a designated representative of the Hardin County Farm Bureau, and the Hardin County Grange Deputy or their designee. The remainder of the committee will be composed of six people who will serve staggered three-year terms. The committee will select two new members each year, to serve three-year terms. New committee members will be named at the annual banquet. To ensure broad county representation, the committee will strive to appoint new members to represent each of the county’s six school districts. A chairman will be selected from among the committee members to call and to preside over needed meetings of the committee. A secretary will be selected from the group to record the business of the committee and take care of needed communications. A treasurer will be selected by the group from among the committee members to manage the funds collected, and to pay expenses of recognition activities. The Hall of Fame committee will be organized into sub-committees to accomplish the objectives. There will be subcommittees for nominations, publicity, funding, and the banquet.
The committee may make changes to the Operating Guidelines and Policies of the Hardin County Agriculture Hall of Fame, as it deems necessary, with a majority decision of the committee. Revised - August 2013
Ag Hall of Fame Nomination Form (fillable PDF)
Hardin County Ag Hall of Fame Committee
Mr. Mark Badertscher - (Extension)
Mr. Robert Wood - (Grange)
Mr. Kerry Oberlitner - (Farm Bureau)
Mrs. Genny Haun (Kenton)
Mr. Zac McCullough (Ridgemont)
Mrs. Ruth Oates (Riverdale)
Mr. Robert McBride (Hardin Northern)
Mr. Gary Harpster (Upper Scioto Valley)
Mr. Steve Poling (Ada)
Hardin County Agricultrue Hall of Fame (List of Inductees)
2003
Herbert A. Barrett*
Thomas E. Wilcox, Jr.
Walter H. Oates*
Tighe Brothers, Tom* & Frank*
2004
Max* and Sharon* Heilman
Robert McBride
Boyce E. Bradford*
Paul Daniels*
2005
Lorain A.Basinger*
Clifton Kerns (C.K.) Elliott*
Giles D. Koehler*
Karl P. McNeal*
2006
O.C. Powell* & Sons, Ed* and Donald*
Donald L.* and Carolyn G.* Putnam
Dr. Edwin Roy Rodabaugh*
(Mrs.) Burr Parsons Wagner*
2007
Lewis Christian Ankerman* (Pioneer in Agriculture)
Charles D. (Chuck) Dix*
Edward Oxley Elliott*
Edison L. Klingler
Howard N. Watkins, Jr.*
2008
Jesse C. Curtis, Jr. *
Joseph L. Dickelman* (Pioneer in Agriculture)
Robert E. Jump*
Eugene & Mariann Royer
Mary Lou Pfeiffer Saunway *
2009
Melvin Boecher*
Jerry Layman
Lewis Rader *
Harry M. Steiner *
2010
Leroy V. Boger*
Paul E. Dirkson*
H. Arden Searson*
Waldo E.Scott*
2011
James W. Barnes*
Lloyd H. Dickinson*
Paul E. Heilman*
Marvin L. Ford, Jr. *
2012
Stephen Baertsche
Lauren Eibling Sr.*
Jennings Stambaugh* (Pioneer in Agriculture)
2013
Franklin Garmon*
Laurie J. Laird
Rex & Joan Sullinger
Bernard* & Virginia* Williams
2014
Edward Althauser*
Eugene Haudenschield*
Dr. Bruce McCullough, DVM
J. Ray Parrott*
2015
Clinton Archie McNutt* Family
Tom Sprang*
Robert White
Merritt* & Hazel* Wilson
2016
Stephanie Jolliff
Wright McCullough*
Dr. Bruce McPheron
Mark Rose*
2017
Merritt Corbin*
Joe Cornely
Jim Lyle
2018
Jan Layman
Paul* & Sanford* McCurdy (Pioneers in Agriculture)
Gary & Dr. Carol Oates, DVM
Gary Shick
2019
Dean* & Barbara* Dulin
Madelyn Lowery
Fred Rarey
Mark Watkins
2021
Ronald E. Cronley
John Knedler
*Ira Carl Marshall
Jerry McBride
Dave Russell
2022
Gerald E.Althauser
J. Roger Crates
William Griffith
*Dr. William Martin Miller
*Thomas E. Wilcox Sr.
*Deceased
Thank you to the sponsors who helped make the 2021 Hardin County Agriculture Hall of Fame Banquet a success.
Ace Hardware
Ag Credit
Bob McBride
Curtis Family Trust
Edison Klingler
Edward Althauser Family
Hardin Co. Dairy Service Unit
HSLC
Jan & Cindy Layman
Jerry & Pam Layman
Kerry Oberlitner
Liberty National Bank
Mark Badertscher
Mid-Ohio Energy
OSU Extension
Ralston Farms
Rogers Agency
Ron & Ruth Oates