| OCTOBER 1, 2010 -- Kansas State Grange Master, Roger Bostwick, announced, “It is with great honor and pleasure to present the National Agricultural Hall of Fame and Center with this year’s Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award.” Celebrating its 50th birthday, Executive Director and CEO Cathy Hahner was on hand to accept the award, which was presented at the 139th Kansas State Grange Convention held in Emporia, Kansas on Friday, September 24, 2010.
As affirmed in its Mission Statement, its purpose is to “educate society on the historical and present value of American agriculture and to honor leadership in agri-business and academia by providing education, information, experience and recognition.”
This is only the second time in the history of the award that the recipient is not an individual. In 1993, the award was granted to the Kansas State Board of Agriculture. Its individual recipients include Ray Teagarden, Past Master of the Kansas State Grange and Chairman of the National Grange Executive Committee, who was awarded partially due to his efforts in selecting the site for the Agricultural Hall of Fame. Other Hall of Fame inductees include former Senator Arthur Capper (1984), as well as Oliver Hudson Kelly (2006), Founder of the Grange.
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