Farm Progress

This Extension educator earns high praise from his peers, as well as the Honorary Master Farmer award.

Tom J Bechman 1, Editor, Indiana Prairie Farmer

July 1, 2017

1 Min Read
EDUCATOR WITH PASSION: Others observe that Lonnie Mason has served agriculture with passion for 48 years.

Sometimes the best way to learn about someone is from what others say about them. That’s certainly true of Lonnie Mason, 2017 Honorary Master Farmer.

Honorary Master Farmers are typically not nominated. However, several people felt strongly that Mason was deserving of this recognition. Here is some of what they had to say.

“Many great educators and leaders have preceded Lonnie in earning this recognition, and county Extension educators have played an enormous role in positioning Indiana agriculture. Lonnie Mason is currently the ‘dean of county educators,’ and an exemplary of devoted service to the farming profession. … In a recent impact report Lonnie provided about allowing youth to have the ‘opportunity to dream and set lofty goals,’ Lonnie commented, ‘It is not what I have done, but what the 4-H program does to allow this opportunity to happen.’”
Michael Schutz, assistant director of Extension for Ag and Natural Resources, and Greg Bossaer, assistant program leader for Ag and Natural Resources

“It is my pleasure to nominate Lonnie Mason for the prestigious Master Farmer award. Lonnie Mason’s career as an Extension educator with Purdue Extension is approaching five decades. When I asked him why he had remained an educator so long, his answer was simply, ‘I never found a job that was better than what I do in Extension.’”
Fred Whitford, director of Purdue Pesticide Programs and author

“You don’t measure a man by height or stature. You measure him by his heart and accomplishments. Lonnie Mason is a great man in our community. Lonnie Mason is Purdue Extension!”
Joe Neher, former member of the Jefferson County Extension Board and member of the PCARET State Committee

About the Author(s)

Tom J Bechman 1

Editor, Indiana Prairie Farmer

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