2000: Lewis & Ginny Riley

Credit: Executive Office of the Governor

Family Name: The Riley Family

 Lewis and Ginny Riley, owners of Beaver Run Farms, have been farming for 40 years. Lewis is the fifth generation farmer of the family operation that involves five farms within a two-mile area east of Salisbury. Lewis started raising chickens commercially in 1959, and in 1962 built his first two new poultry houses. He and his son, Quint, sixth generation farmer, today raises 90,000 Perdue Cornish hens along with a herd of 60 crossbred beef cows, 35 sheep and 200 hogs. In addition to farming, Lewis served as Maryland Secretary of Agriculture from 1984 to 1998 and has had a long and interesting political career. He was elected to the Wicomico County Council in 1966, became president in 1970 and remained in county government for 12 years. He served as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates from 1979 until 1987 and the Maryland State Senate from 1987 until 1992. Served as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture from 1992 until 1994 and became Secretary of Agriculture from 1994 until 1997. Between 1997 and 2003 he took a break from public service career to care and spend time with his wife, then returned to public service as Secretary of Agriculture from 2003 until 2007. During his administration as Secretary of Agriculture, Maryland farmers enrolled more than 1.2 million acres in the state’s nutrient management program.

Ceremony Date: 2/1/01