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The 2020 and 2021 Master Agriculturist Awards Program was held Aug. 11.

Fran O'Leary, Wisconsin Agriculturist Editor

August 16, 2021

1 Min Read
2020 and 2021 Wisconsin Master Agriculturists holding plaques
2020 AND 2021 MASTERS: Earning the Master Agriculturist honor this year are Wisconsin farmers (back left) Brian Brown, Belleville; John Judd, Mount Horeb; Brian Forrest, Stratford; and Jack Herricks, Cashton. The 2020 Master Agriculturists are (front left) Jeff Hendrickson, Belleville; Eric Rygg, Eau Claire; Kent Wendorf, Viroqua; and Charlie Crave, Waterloo. Missing from the photo are George, Tom and Mark Crave of Waterloo. Harlen Persinger

The Wisconsin Agriculturist — in partnership with Growmark FS; Twohig, Rietbrock, Schneider and Halbach S.C. of Chilton; and Compeer Financial — presented the 2020 and 2021 Master Agriculturist awards to top achievers in farming, community service and leadership.

Recipients of the 2020 award are Kent Wendorf, Viroqua; Jeff Hendrickson, Belleville; Eric Rygg, Eau Claire; and Charlie, George, Tom and Mark Crave, Waterloo.

The 2021 award recipients are Brian Brown, Belleville; Jack Herricks, Cashton; Brian Forrest, Stratford; and John Judd, Mount Horeb.

The farmers were honored on Aug. 11 at La Sure’s Hall in Oshkosh, Wis. The winners were selected for their proven ability and accomplishments as progressive farmers, as well as for the time, effort and leadership they contribute to community, church and agricultural organizations.

Author and professor Jackie Dougan Jackson, a native of Beloit, was the keynote speaker. She spoke about her experiences growing up on a dairy farm in Beloit and hosting Wisconsin Farm Progress Days at her family’s farm in 1961. Attorney George Twohig also spoke about the importance of farming and family. There were more than 100 guests in attendance.

The Master Agriculturist award is given to honor not only the selected individuals, but also their families.

The Master Agriculturist program is the oldest farm awards program in the state, and is one of the longest-running career-achievement honors programs in U.S. agriculture. The award dates to 1930, when Wisconsin Agriculturist first started honoring top Wisconsin farmers for their hard work, dedication, success in farming and exemplary leadership.

Nomination forms are already available for the 2022 awards. To obtain a form, call 920-346-2285, email [email protected], or write to: Master Agriculturist, Wisconsin Agriculturist, 112 S. Prairie St., P.O. Box 236, Brandon, WI 53919. The deadline for nominations for the 2022 awards is Dec. 6.

About the Author(s)

Fran O'Leary

Wisconsin Agriculturist Editor

Even though Fran was born and raised on a farm in Illinois, she has spent most of her life in Wisconsin. She moved to the state when she was 18 years old and later graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater with a bachelor's degree in journalism.

Fran has 25 years of experience writing, editing and taking pictures. Before becoming editor of the Wisconsin Agriculturist in 2003, she worked at Johnson Hill Press in Fort Atkinson as a writer and editor of farm business publications and at the Janesville Gazette in Janesville as farm editor and feature writer. Later, she signed on as a public relations associate at Bader Rutter in Brookfield, and served as managing editor and farm editor at The Reporter, a daily newspaper in Fond du Lac.

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