Chamber Agribusiness Committee seeking nominations for Ag Leader and Advocate awards

Press release

The time has come to celebrate the area’s history of agriculture, the many years of break-throughs in ag research and the continuing agriculture education through partnerships with Montana State University–Northern and Montana State University’s Northern Agricultural Research Center.

The Havre Area Chamber of Commerce Agribusiness Committee will join the research center July 1 to celebrate NARC’s 100th anniversary. The center was established at the former Fort Assinniboine southwest of Havre in 1915.

This year’s event will include many activities of NARC’s normal field day, but also will include the Chamber’s Ag Appreciation Banquet. The committee will again recognize an Outstanding Ag Leader and an Outstanding Ag Advocate.

Outstanding Agriculture Advocate

This honor is to recognize a person involved in or retired from business, education or government and who has demonstrated advocacy for Montana’s agricultural industry in north central Montana.

Examples of qualifications for this award should include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Length of service to Montana agriculture

• Role the individual has played as an agricultural advocate

• Scope of the individual’s agricultural involvement including organizational membership and leadership, advocacy activities organized and completed, publications completed, educational programs coordinated, and involvement in community service projects

• Professional accomplishments and recognition on local, state and national levels

• Current involvement in agriculture advocacy.

The Outstanding Agriculture Advocate award is for a person not primarily involved in agricultural production and who has devoted extraordinary efforts to promote the agricultural industry from “outside.” Advocates can be educators, business persons, retired agriculture producers, public officials or public employees, or similar fields. The 2013 winner was Jerry Waltari.

Outstanding Agriculture Leader:

This honor is to recognize a person actively involved in agricultural production and who has demonstrated leadership for Montana’s agricultural industry in north-central Montana.

Examples of qualifications for this award should include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Accomplishments as an agricultural producer

• Role the individual has played in Montana agriculture as a leader

• Scope of the individual’s agricultural involvement including organizational membership and leadership, agricultural development activities organized and completed, publications, educational programs and involvement in community service projects

• Professional accomplishments and recognition on local, state and national levels

• Current involvement in agriculture leadership

The Outstanding Agriculture Leader Award is for an agricultural producer still actively engaged in agriculture production in north-central Montana. Leadership runs the gamut from production to organizational activities. The 2013 Leader Award went to Jon and Clair Stoner.

Nomination forms for both awards may be picked up at the Chamber office, 130 5th Ave. or call the Chamber at 265-4383 to have a nomination form emailed or faxed.

Deadline to submit a nomination is May 27.