Deadline extended to nominate farmers for Agricultural Hall of Fame

State residents have until Aug. 31 to prepare nominations

August 13, 2012

ANNAPOLIS — The deadline for nominating farmers and farm families for the Governor’s Agriculture Hall of Fame has been extended to Aug. 31 to give Maryland residents more time to prepare nominations.

The hall honors the leaders of Maryland’s thriving agricultural community and pays tribute to those who have dedicated their lives to Maryland agriculture.

Any farm family that derives its income principally from farming is eligible for the award. Since 1991, when the Hall of Fame was established, 42 farm families from 22 counties have been honored for their high standards of conduct; personal values; contributions to their community; and performance, leadership, innovation and achievement in agriculture.

Nomination forms are available from the Maryland Department of Agriculture or local cooperative Extension offices, which serve as local nominating committee coordinators. Applicants must work with their county Extension office in preparing the application.

Each local nominating committee, which is made up of the county extension educator, county farm bureau president, county fair representative and county soil conservation district chairman, reviews a pool of candidates from its county and forwards a selection to the governor’s selection committee.

Nominations from the committees are due by Aug. 31, and will be reviewed by the committee. The committee includes the dean of the University of Maryland’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the president of the Maryland Farm Bureau, and members of the agricultural community. The induction ceremony will be held during the Maryland Agricultural Dinner, scheduled for Feb. 7.

For a nomination form or further information, call 410-841-5770, contact the local Extension office at 301-791-1404, or go to www.mda.maryland.gov.

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