Pinkerton honored with farm award
The newly named Butler County Farm to Table Dinner was held March 7 at the General Butler Vagabonds center in Lyndora.
Formerly called the Farm-City Banquet, the event brings together various segments of the community and recognizes the importance of agriculture.
The dinner is sponsored by AgChoice Farm Credit, the Butler County Conservation District, Butler County Farm Bureau, Butler County Tourism office, the Penn State Extension and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.
An annual highlight of the gathering is the presentation of awards, including the Bullshipper Award, honoring someone who has worked to improve farm and community relations.
Honored this year was former Butler County commissioner and business man Dale Pinkerton.Pinkerton was recognized as a longtime supporter of Butler County agriculture. He has served on the county 4-H development committee and was instrumental in coordinating 4-H 100th anniversary events. He has been recognized as a Friend of 4-H.He has supported its programs by purchasing animals at their livestock auctions.Pinkerton also has supported various agricultural programs, agencies such as the Penn State Extension office and Butler County Conservation District, and events such as the Farm- City Banquet and county farm tour.
Honored this year by the Conservation District was Sheryl Kelly.Since 2000, she has served as environmental planning specialist and recycling and waste management coordinator for Butler County.Kelly has worked with municipal officials throughout the county on recycling and waste management issues and has been successful in applying for grants, conducting public education efforts and carrying out recycling events.She maintains a website, writes newsletters and assists the public with related issues.Kelly participates in the Conservation District's annual Envirothon and has volunteered to work at the farm tour. She also attends Conservation District meetings and provides assistance when needed.
Recognized this year was the Butler Farm Show Junior Board. It consists of nine young people between 16 and 23 who assist the show board.The group has completed landscaping projects and planting at the show grounds and constructed planter boxes. It handles the memorial bench program honoring individuals. To help support its activities, the group sold shirts.Junior board members learn the behind the scenes work it takes to run the farm show.Among board members who attended the dinner were Matt Powers, Rachel Laughlin and Mitchell Kerr.
Trent Fox was recognized this year.The Butler County Conservation District presents the award to honor someone who takes a substantial role in protecting and restoring soil and water resources through the use of conservation practices.Fox farms 736 acres in Winfield Township. He practices crop rotation, cross slope farming, residue management and no till and strip till farming. He plants all his crops directly into prior crop residue, sod or cover crops without tillage. These practices reduce erosion.
Brothers Jay H. and Earl R. Webb were presented with this honor recognizing farmers who follow a conservation plan and use conservation practices.The Webbs own and operate a dairy farm in Clay Township near West Sunbury. Their conservation practices include conservation cropping, cover crops, crop residue management and use of grassed waterways.The Webbs have recently enrolled in the Butler County Ag Preservation Program and want their property to remain farmland in perpetuity for future generations.
The dinner speaker was Jennifer Howard Lemmon, food resource coordinator for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank. Her program was titled, “Butler County Farmers Helping to Feed Butler County Residents.”<i>Ron Fodor is manager of the Butler County Conservation District.</i>
