The annual Farm City Banquet was held Nov. 15 at Butler County Community College. The banquet is an annual event when county farmers spend an evening with local Rotarians and Conservation District groups.

The event is sponsored by the Butler Rotary, Penn State Cooperative Extension, and the Butler County Conservation District.

The featured speaker for the banquet was Susan Crowell, editor of Farm and Dairy newspaper.

During the banquet, several awards were presented. They included:

Awarded to Kathy Hartzell of Slippery Rock. Some of her accomplishments include:Butler 4-H Club memberGraduate of Penn State with a degree in dairy productionPast member of the Butler County Extension Executive CommitteePast member of the Butler County 4-H Development CommitteeMember of the Butler County Dairy Promotion CommitteeMember of the Butler County Farm Tour CommitteeExecutive Account Officer for AgChoice Farm Credit's Butler office.The Bulshipper Award is given for volunteer work that promotes good relations between rural and urban communities.

Awarded to the Lange Family Farm in Slippery Rock.A partnership between Joe and Martha Lange and their son Steve, the family made a switch in 2001 from dairy production to raising beef cattle. Today there are 150 head of cattle, mostly black angus. Calves are born and raised on the farm. Hay, corn, soybeans and wheat are grown to provide feed for the livestock.Also, Martha operates a seasonal market on the farm where she sells pumpkins, gourds, Indian corn and a variety of winter squashes.The award is presented to a farmer who has followed a conservation plan to implement conservation practices on the land.

Awarded to Kathryn Helfer, owner of Hays and Hatzell Realty in Butler.Helfer has served on boards for the Butler County Association of Realtors, Butler County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, the Community Development Corporation, Butler County and the North Suburban Builders Association, and the Butler County Conservation District.She is also a member of the Butler Rotary Club and the Butler Soroptomist Club.The award is given for her many years of public service in Butler County.

Awarded to Will Taylor from the Jennings Environmental Education Center.Taylor uses his degree in resource management to create educational programs for middle school, high school and college students.Taylor plans and schedules these programs for about 10,000 students per year.Taylor has also published a book entitled "Accepting the Challenge" dealing with the history, cause and solutions to abandoned mine drainage.

Awarded to the Circle Round 4-H Club.The club worked with the state Game Commission to construct blue bird nesting houses. Members learned how to monitor these homes and they wrote short stories about their projects.Amanda and Bethany Scheboth used their experiences to complete wildlife ecologist projects. Both entered their projects and received awards at the Butler Farm Show.Also honored were organizational leader Carol Weaver and project leader Dawn Scheboth.