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2012 Agriculture Awards

2012 Agriculture Awards

Published: February 15, 2012

The best in 2011 McLean County agriculture was honored at the McLean County Chamber of Commerce annual Agriculture Awards Dinner, held Friday, February 10 at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel and Conference Center in Bloomington. Six awards were presented in an evening keynoted by agriculture writer and blogger Emily Webel.   

 

The first award of the evening went to Ed Kline of Leroy. The Outstanding Conservationist Award recognizes a person who has helped to advance the knowledge and practice of soil and water conservation. Kline is an active participant in a number of conservation initiatives, including the Conservation Security Program, the Conservation Reserve Program and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. He also facilitates soil and water conservation through the use of terraces, windbreaks and filter strips of native grasses. 
 
Karen Corrigan, Independent Agronomist at McGillicuddy Corrigan Agronomics, was honored with the Emerging Leader in Agriculture Award. Established in 2010, This award is designed to recognize a young professional engaged in non-production agriculture who has served to improve agriculture through civic and community activities. Corrigan is instrumental in promoting agriculture and service to future generations of agriculturalists as well as raising awareness to the general public though active participation in the FFA, the McLean County Farm Bureau and many other programs.

 

The Outstanding Young Farmer Award was presented to Darren Davis of McLean. This award recognizes a young farmer who has been actively involved in civic and community affairs in an effort to promote and improve agriculture. Davis took over and successfully managed his family’s farm after the death of his father and still found time to be actively involved with the McLean County Farm Bureau’s Impact and Young Leaders Committees. He is also active in his community and works closely with the Farm Bureau to promote agriculture education to non-farmers. 

 

Paul Duzan of Colfax was named McLean County Farmer of the Year for his active involvement in civic and community affairs in an effort to promote and improve agriculture. This is Duzan’s second McLean County Chamber of Commerce Agriculture Award, having been named 2000’s Outstanding Conservationist. Duzan is Vice President of Evergreen FS and a past president of the McLean County Pork Producers and has completed the GROWMARK Director Training Program. 

 

The Outstanding Person in Agribusiness Award recognizes a business person who has served to improve agriculture through civic and community activities. For 2011, this award went to Tom Kahle, Executive Vice President of Heartland Bank and Trust Company, where he has served since 2001. Kahle is an accredited farm manager and has been involved in many community organizations, including the McLean County Ag Club, the Prairielands Foundation and the Illinois State University Ag Alumni Association

 

Kerry Tudor, PhD, Professor of Agriculture Economics at Illinois State University, received the Outstanding Service to Agriculture Award which recognizes an individual from the McLean County area for contributions to the cause of agriculture in our community. Dr. Tudor has taught and mentored thousands of agriculture students during his 23 years at ISU and has received the departmental teaching award more than any other faculty member. In 2009, Dr. Tudor was recognized with the Senior Distinguished Educator Award from the American Association of State Colleges of Agriculture and Renewable Resources This prestigious award is reserved for a very select few professors who have demonstrated a career of teaching excellence, establishing Dr. Tudor as one of the premier teachers nationally.

 

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