The opening general session at the American Farm Bureau annual meeting is always awards time and there were plenty presented on Sunday, starting with the Distinguished Service Awards which were presented this year to to Sen. Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and Dr. Abner Womack.
Sen. Lugar served in the U.S. Senate for 36 years and was a member of the Agriculture Committee throughout his tenure. “Throughout his Senate career, Sen. Lugar championed agricultural progress. He was a leader in support of the biofuels movement and a solid promoter of free and open trade,” said AFBF President Bob Stallman.
Dr. Abner Womack, professor emeritus and research professor of agriculture economics at the University of Missouri-Columbia, has made agriculture his life’s work. “Dr. Womack embodies a unique and giving spirit,” said Stallman. “He has experienced agriculture from many sides, including as a farmer, USDA employee, consultant to agribusiness and farming organizations and an advisor to college students.”
Most state Farm Bureaus received at least one award recognizing their excellence in membership achievement and implementation of outstanding programs. Several state Farm Bureaus were also recognized for outstanding financial support of the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, which also presented its seventh annual “Book of the Year” award to Laurie Krebs for “The Beeman.”