American Agriculturist Logo

This year’s honorees include farmers from Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Chris Torres, Editor, American Agriculturist

May 30, 2023

2 Min Read
American Agriculturist master farmer medallion

The 2023 Mid-Atlantic Master Farmers encompass all that’s unique about mid-Atlantic and Northeast agriculture.

The 90th class of Master Farmers includes:

  • Bill and Matthew Beam of Elverson, Pa., who grow 3,600 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat and grass hay, and raise 27 head of beef cattle

  • Bill and Jim Martin of Mooresfield, W.Va., who grow 1,600 acres of corn, soybeans and barley; 4,065 acres of pasture; and raise 4,800 head of beef cattle and 96,000 broiler pullets.

  • Robert Taylor of Inwood, W.Va., who grows 1,938 acres of corn, soybeans, apples and small fruit — and runs a farm market and restaurant.

Full profile stories and slideshows are being posted this week, starting today with a profile of Bill and Matthew Beam. Tomorrow’s story features Bill and Jim Martin, and Thursday’s story features Robert Taylor.

Coming to West Virginia!

This year’s crop of Master Farmers will be honored July 21 at the Mid-Atlantic Master Farmers Association annual banquet at the Cacapon Resort Park Lodge in Berkeley Springs, W.Va.

The Master Farmer annual tour on July 22 will visit four unique spots, including farms, in the Mountain State.

Banquet tickets are $85 each. Tour tickets, including lunch, are $85 each. A limited number of overnight rooms at Cacapon Resort Park Lodge are available. Make your room reservation by June 20 and ask for the Mid-Atlantic Master Farmers special “reserved block rate.”

For banquet and tour tickets, contact PennAg Industries Association at 717-651-5920 or email [email protected].

Annual tradition

Mid-Atlantic Master Farmers is America’s longest running and most prestigious agricultural honors program.

It sprouted in 1927 as part of a Master Farmers of America program to foster stewardship and leadership. At that point, the program was initiated by Pennsylvania Farmer magazine and USDA.

Today, the award is co-sponsored by American Agriculturist magazine and by Cooperative Extension programs in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia. Horizon Farm Credit and FS/Growmark are supportive partners.

It is the lifetime achievement award of agriculture that recognizes exemplary role models of outstanding management, land stewardship and community leadership.

The Mid-Atlantic Master Farmers Association puts on the annual banquet and tour in partnership with American Agriculturist/Farm Progress.

For more information on the Mid-Atlantic Master Farmer Association, visit midatlanticmasterfarmer.com.

Read more about:

Master Farmers

About the Author(s)

Chris Torres

Editor, American Agriculturist

Chris Torres, editor of American Agriculturist, previously worked at Lancaster Farming, where he started in 2006 as a staff writer and later became regional editor. Torres is a seven-time winner of the Keystone Press Awards, handed out by the Pennsylvania Press Association, and he is a Pennsylvania State University graduate.

Torres says he wants American Agriculturist to be farmers' "go-to product, continuing the legacy and high standard (former American Agriculturist editor) John Vogel has set." Torres succeeds Vogel, who retired after 47 years with Farm Progress and its related publications.

"The news business is a challenging job," Torres says. "It makes you think outside your small box, and you have to formulate what the reader wants to see from the overall product. It's rewarding to see a nice product in the end."

Torres' family is based in Lebanon County, Pa. His wife grew up on a small farm in Berks County, Pa., where they raised corn, soybeans, feeder cattle and more. Torres and his wife are parents to three young boys.

Subscribe to receive top agriculture news
Be informed daily with these free e-newsletters

You May Also Like