{"id":27923,"date":"2024-01-08T14:00:50","date_gmt":"2024-01-08T19:00:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/?p=27923"},"modified":"2024-01-08T09:55:33","modified_gmt":"2024-01-08T14:55:33","slug":"governor-moore-to-induct-willard-family-into-agriculture-hall-of-fame","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/press-release\/2024\/01\/08\/governor-moore-to-induct-willard-family-into-agriculture-hall-of-fame\/","title":{"rendered":"Governor Moore to Induct Willard Family into Agriculture Hall of Fame"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Governor\u200b<\/span><\/p>\n

Family from Montgomery County to Receive State\u2019s Most Prestigious Agriculture Award<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 8, 2024)<\/strong> \u2014 Governor Wes Moore <\/strong>and Maryland Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks<\/strong> today announced the Willard Family of Montgomery County<\/strong> as the 2023 inductees into the Governor\u2019s Agriculture Hall of Fame<\/strong>.\u00a0 They will be honored at the 54th anniversary of the Taste of Maryland Agriculture event, which will be held on Thursday, February 1, 2024<\/strong> at Maryland Live! Casino and Hotel.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAgriculture is Maryland\u2019s largest commercial industry, contributing billions to our State\u2019s economy,\u201d said Governor Moore<\/strong>. \u201cThe Willard family stands as a pillar of the ag community, demonstrating what it takes to be a successful farm family.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Created by former Governor William Donald Schaefer in 1991, the Governor\u2019s Agriculture Hall of Fame honors agricultural leaders who exemplify high standards of achievement and commitment to the industry and their communities. Nominations are accepted at local University of Maryland Extension offices.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is an honor to welcome the Willard Family into the Governor\u2019s Agriculture Hall of Fame,\u201d said Secretary Atticks<\/strong>. \u201cThe legacy of this farm family is truly admirable, from their conservation practices to their strong business sense. I\u2019m looking forward to welcoming them to the Governor\u2019s Ag Hall of Fame this February!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Taste of Maryland Agriculture Celebration<\/strong>, sponsored by the Maryland Agriculture Council<\/strong><\/a>,<\/strong> is the state\u2019s premier agricultural event, bringing industry leaders together with state and national legislators. Nearly 900 attendees are expected to gather to celebrate during this year\u2019s event.<\/span><\/p>\n

The event will feature a bounty of Maryland agricultural products served throughout the evening, with food\u00a0 and tastings from the state\u2019s beer and cidery supporters. In addition to the induction of the Governor\u2019s Agricultural Hall of Fame family, 11 outstanding programs will receive Maryland Agriculture Council Educational Grants during the program.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tickets are $100 per person and reservations must be postmarked by January 12 to be included in the program. Late reservation tickets are $130.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Reservations may be made by credit card with Eventbrite: https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/2024-taste-of-maryland-agriculture-tickets-733008156127?aff=oddtdtcreator<\/a> or go to https:\/\/mdagcouncil.com<\/a> for mail-in forms.<\/span><\/p>\n

For more information, call Maryland Ag Council Executive Director Susan Summers<\/strong> at 240-446-3601.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Willard family is the 55th inductee in the Governor\u2019s Agriculture Hall of Fame. More information on each hall of fame family is available on the department\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

About the Willard Family<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Maryland Farmer, Farmer Hall of Fame, Willard Farm, Agriculture, Poolesville<\/p><\/div>\n

In 1871, Dewalt J. Willard and Charles F. M. Willard purchased 675.5 acres near the Potomac River in Poolesville, marking the beginning of a family legacy that spans more than 150 years. Through diversification and proximity to the C&O Canal, the Willard family’s original farm, purchased for $10,581, remains intact today.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Harry Willard’s forward-thinking in 1905 birthed a custom farming operation that thrived through various ventures, from a John Deere Dealership to a feed mill. Despite the Great Depression, the Willard farm endured, and subsequent generations actively participated. Embracing transformative technologies in the mid-1960s, the Willard family adopted the “no-till planter” and paraquat early on, positioning themselves at the forefront of innovation. Grass waterways, field edge filter strips, and cover crops reflect their commitment to environmental stewardship.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2021, Willard Farms achieved the National First Place Award in the dryland soft red winter wheat category, with a remarkable yield of 141.41 dry bushels per acre. Established in 1970, Willard Agri-Service pioneered fluid fertilizer, offering efficient solutions to plant fertility needs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Today, the company stands as a beacon of precision agriculture, offering farmers access to the HighQ decision support system. Individual members of the Willard family and Willard Agri-Service have garnered numerous accolades, including Mid-Atlantic Master Farmer, Maryland Grain Producers Man of the Year, and the Agricultural Retailers Association Lifetime Achievement Award. The Willard farming operation, initiated in 1871, remains vibrant today under the leadership of Scot Poffenberger, Billy Willard Jr., and Joe Sayer, with approximately 900 acres of corn, 600 acres of full-season beans, 400 acres of sorghum, and 600 acres of wheat.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Willard Family expresses gratitude to its customers and dedicated employees for their integral role in the enduring success of the family legacy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Quotes from the Nominators<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe Willard Family have a long and storied history of conservation excellence and serve as exemplary stewards of the lands that they both own and operate across the region. They are both initiators and innovators when it comes to adopting new technologies and practices that help to promote the conservation of soil and water resources while balancing the environmental benefits with the economic viability of their farming enterprises\u201d, said District Manager for the Montgomery Soil Conservation District John Zawitoski. \u201cThe District congratulates the Willard Family for being recognized for this prestigious honor as this year\u2019s Governor\u2019s Agricultural Hall of Fame inductee.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are excited to be part of honoring the Willard family for their amazing accomplishments and life-long service to Maryland agriculture,\u201d said Executive Director of the Maryland Agriculture Council Susan Summers. \u201cThey truly deserve this prestigious award, and we are happy to host this event to highlight such an amazing family who has transformed the agricultural industry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

# # #<\/span><\/p>\n

Follow Maryland Department of Agriculture on Facebook\u00a0@MdAgDept<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u200b Family from Montgomery County to Receive State\u2019s Most Prestigious Agriculture Award ANNAPOLIS, MD (January 8, 2024) \u2014 Governor Wes Moore and Maryland Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks today announced the Willard Family of Montgomery County as the 2023 inductees into the Governor\u2019s Agriculture Hall of Fame.\u00a0 They will be honored at the 54th anniversary of  Read the Rest…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":222,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27923","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27923","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/222"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27923"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27923\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27926,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27923\/revisions\/27926"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27923"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27923"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/mda\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27923"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}