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Many Master Farmer Families Still Active in Agriculture

See who has been a Master Farmer, and nominate someone now!

Tom Bechman 1, Editor, Indiana Prairie Farm

January 29, 2013

2 Min Read

This is the second installment of a rundown of past honorees in the Indiana Prairie Farmer Master Farmer program in the modern era. The Purdue University College of Agriculture co-sponsors the program now. This year's ceremony will be Tuesday night, June 25 at the Clinton County Fairgrounds. It will also double as the evening program for the Indiana Farm Management Tour, slated for Clinton County on June 25 and June 26.

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There is still time to nominate someone for the award. Nominations must come from the public – editors can't nominate candidates. Find the nomination form by clicking on 'Master Farmer' on the left side of the home page. The form and six letters of nomination should be mailed to Indiana Prairie Farmer, P.O. Box 247, Franklin, Ind. The nomination submission must be postmarked by Feb. 15.

Here are awardees from 1976 through 1985. If you know one of these people has passed away and he or she is not marked deceased, please let us know at [email protected].

For 1976: John Keithley, Ralph Kennedy, Gilbert H. Schmidt (deceased), David C. Salomon, Cecil P. Westerhouse (deceased).

For 1977: Marjorie Colglazier (deceased), Kenneth Culp, Robert Morgan, Harold L. Myers, Maurice B. Woodward.

For 1978: William Congleton, Frank C. Forster (deceased), John V. Maloney; George W. Pickering (deceased), Jerry D. Roberts.

For 1979: Lawrence (Sonny) Beck, Donald W. Brown (deceased), Roger F. Doerstler (deceased), Thomas E. Howell (deceased), and Jack W. Torr (deceased). 

For 1980: Lloyd A. Arthur (deceased), Charles A. Kirlin, O. William Mann; Thomas E. Murray; Raymond E. Musselman (deceased).

For 1981: O.T. (Ted) Blank, Gary Clark, Arthur Colbert (deceased), Burch R. Harlan, Ralph E. Mautz.

For 1982: Beryl (Jake) Grimme, Sylvan W. Ice, Robert G. Persinger, Dale Smith, Donald H. Strietelmeier

For 1983: William Howard Adler (deceased), Phil Boring, Tom Simons, Bill Smiley, Howard E. Springer

For 1984: Pete Clark, John Hardin, Jr., Jim Martin (deceased), Philip A. Maxwell (deceased), and Harold Wilson (deceased).

For 1985: Herman Bullard (deceased), C. Ray Lamb, Warren Harlan (deceased), Richard L. Welty and Don Villwock.

Again, please let us know if one of these persons is incorrectly marked so we can update our records.

About the Author(s)

Tom Bechman 1

Editor, Indiana Prairie Farm

Tom Bechman is an important cog in the Farm Progress machinery. In addition to serving as editor of Indiana Prairie Farmer, Tom is nationally known for his coverage of Midwest agronomy, conservation, no-till farming, farm management, farm safety, high-tech farming and personal property tax relief. His byline appears monthly in many of the 18 state and regional farm magazines published by Farm Progress.

"I consider it my responsibility and opportunity as a farm magazine editor to supply useful information that will help today's farm families survive and thrive," the veteran editor says.

Tom graduated from Whiteland (Ind.) High School, earned his B.S. in animal science and agricultural education from Purdue University in 1975 and an M.S. in dairy nutrition two years later. He first joined the magazine as a field editor in 1981 after four years as a vocational agriculture teacher.

Tom enjoys interacting with farm families, university specialists and industry leaders, gathering and sifting through loads of information available in agriculture today. "Whenever I find a new idea or a new thought that could either improve someone's life or their income, I consider it a personal challenge to discover how to present it in the most useful form, " he says.

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