George Moyer, a retired Berks County farmer, was presented the Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award at Pennsylvania Farm Bureau's Annual Meeting in Hershey.

The award is presented to a person whose dedicated work and service has contributed to the advancement of Pennsylvania agriculture. 

The judges cited Moyer's more than six decades of commitment to agriculture and Farm Bureau. He earned the reputation of being a farmer who communicated directly with politicians and community leaders to address and resolve problems.

"Farm Bureau members encouraged me to participate in legislative conferences in Washington, D.C., and Harrisburg because they said I did a good job explaining to lawmakers how farmers felt about certain agricultural issues and how lawmakers could help farmers resolve problems, such as dealing with outdated regulations involving farm vehicles and equipment," Moyer says. "My family and I have always focused on running a good, honest business, and I've always strived to improve farms I've purchased over the years, whether it was repairing buildings, improving the fields through tillage work or contour strips, or using no-till practices and cover crops. I'm also proud of all the new members I've signed up to join Farm Bureau."  

Moyer was named a Mid-Atlantic Master Farmer in 1979 and held numerous positions during his career, including serving on the Governor's Agriculture Research Funding Board as a member of Farm Bureau's board of directors; as vice president of Berks County Farm Bureau; and as a member of the Berks County Cooperative Extension board for 18 years, where he held a variety of roles including board president.

Moyer is also credited with playing a major role in having former Rep. Tim Holden, D-Pa., be a major advocate for agriculture in Washington where he was a key member of the House Agriculture Committee.

"Prior to his running for Congress, I invited Holden to work for a day on my dairy farm, where he milked cows beginning at 5 a.m., cleaned out the milking parlor and then cleaned off his shoes before coming in my house for breakfast. I believe this brief experience helped Tim understand the type of hard work farmers perform on a daily basis," Moyer says.                                                                                                               

Source: Pennsylvania Farm Bureau