Sunday, December 04, 2011
Several supporters of agriculture were recognized at a Sunday morning awards ceremony at the Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) Annual Meeting, held at the Palmer House in Chicago, December 3-6. IFB President Philip Nelson welcomed the crowd of more than 1000 with his opening address, followed by the announcement of the award recipients.
First on the agenda was the 2011 Eagle Award for Excellence, which honors individuals or organizations for excellence on issues, programs, or efforts important to Farm Bureau and to agriculture on a statewide or national level. Recognized for this honor were Dr. Michael Hutjens and Dave Seibert.
The Illinois Farm Bureau Charles B. Shuman Distinguished Service Award honors the memory and service of a Moultrie County farmer who was a revered Farm Bureau and agricultural leader on the local, state and national levels.
The award is a bronze replica of the life-size statue of a farmer and 1920's plow that frames the entrance to the Illinois Farm Bureau office. The phrase, "To Plow a Furrow, You Must Look Ahead," is inscribed on the award. There were three recipients this year, including Senator Todd Sieben, of Knox County for his support of agriculture while serving in the Illinois State Legislature;
Dr. Gary Minish, formerly of Southern Illinois University, for his contributions to SIU's College of Agricultural Sciences;
and Dr. Robert Easter, an educator and administrator at the University of Illinois, for 'making Illinois agriculture better.'
It's clear that all of these award recipients have all lent a hand to farming in one way or another. Congratulations and 'thank you' to all the winners for their contributions to agriculture.
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