BOISE—Five people received governor’s awards for excellence in agriculture Feb. 17 during the annual Larry Branen Idaho Ag Summit.
Three others were recognized for their contributions to Idaho’s farming industry during the event, which attracts about 200 agricultural industry leaders, legislators and farm group members.
Special awards presented on behalf of Idaho’s ag industry were given to two retiring University of Idaho faculty members who have contributed to Idaho agriculture for many years.
Ag Summit Executive Director Rick Waitley said those awards are given out sparingly and “only when there’s a retirement that impacts all of Idaho agriculture.”
The awards went to Donn Thill, associate dean of research for UI’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, and Cherryl Sodorff, CALS’ director of administrative services.
Thill, who has been a faculty member and professor of weed science at the university for 35 years, has helped a total of 49 graduate students complete their degrees, authored 102 academic journal publications and received more than $9.5 million in grants.
Sodorff is a member of the CALS leadership team. Idaho State Department of Agriculture Director Celia Gould, who presented the awards, said “her knowledge of the fiscal and budget needs for CALS is ... highly valuable to the CALS management team.”
Rep. Steve Miller, a Republican farmer and rancher in Camas County, received the Pat Takasugi Leadership Award for his contributions to the growth and development of Idaho agriculture.
Miller has served on multiple soil conservation district boards, organic boards and county commissions.
Idaho Barley Commission Administrator Kelly Olson received a governor’s award for marketing innovation.
Gould said she considers Olson “the grand dame of marketing in Idaho” and pointed out Olson created the ISDA’s marketing division. “Each and every one of you here have benefited from that,” Gould said.
Duane Grant, who owns a diversified farm in Rupert, received the governor’s award for education and advocacy.
Gould said Grant, chairman of the Snake River Sugar Co. and a member of the Sugar Industry Biotechnology Council, has been a leader in speaking about the benefits of biotechnology.
“If we don’t tell the story, nobody tells it,” Grant said. “We are the 1 percent and we have to tell our story to the 99 percent.”
Retired legislator and farmer John “Bert” Stevenson of Rupert received the governor’s award for lifetime achievement. Stevenson served eight terms in the Idaho House of Representatives.
“He did more good for the agricultural community and water users of this state than most of us will ever know,” Gould said.
Idaho Cattle Association President Jared Brackett received the governor’s award for technical innovation for his efforts to protect sage grouse habitat and other wildlife on his ranch in Twin Falls.
Kent Mann, owner of M/M Feedlot in Parma, received the governor’s award for his environmental stewardship efforts, which include using solar panels to heat water used in the pasteurization process for milk fed to calves.
Source: www.capitalpress.com