The longest serving agriculture commissioner in the nation was honored by the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) at the annual meeting in Seattle on Monday.

AFBF president Bob Stallman presented the Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award to Tommy Irvin who has served as Georgia’s commissioner of agriculture since 1969. Irvin has 51 years in public service. He served in the Georgia House of Representatives for 10 years as a member of the Agriculture, Education and Appropriations Committees and has served as Georgia’s commissioner of agriculture for 41 years, the longest consecutive years of service by any State agriculture commissioner in the United States.

American Farm Bureau Federation 91st Annual Meeting Photo Album

Listen to Irvin’s remarks receiving the award here: