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