Soybean Farmers Present Beyond the Fence Awards

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (January 18, 2010) — Four Hoosiers recently received “Beyond the Fence Awards” for their outstanding support and promotion of Indiana agriculture in 2009. The awards, sponsored by the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA), were presented at the Indiana Livestock, Forage and Grain Forum held in Indianapolis on January 15 at the Indiana Convention Center. 

ISA President Doug Morrow, Marion, Ind., said the awards are important to all farmers because they recognize farmers and industry for taking that extra step to help non-farm public understand modern agriculture. 

“Most people don’t understand how we farm today, and these awards are a way to say thanks to people who go beyond the fence to help educate the non-farm public,” said Morrow. “It is very important to agriculture that we continue to show consumers how and why we farm the way we do today.”

This year’s awards were presented to:

• Stacy Herr, Richmond, Ind., Purdue Cooperative Extension Service (CES) Ag Educator in Wayne County, for Outstanding Support to Indiana Farmers. Herr has been a champion at helping community leaders and the non-farm public understand modern farming based on sound science.

• Loran and Kathy Wilson, Orleans, Ind., for Outstanding Neighbor Relations by a Farmer. The Wilsons, beef producers, recognize that the best way to teach the non-farm public about farming is to get them on the farm. Last year they hosted an open house so their neighbors could learn a little about what goes on at their farm.

• Bob Krouse, CEO of Midwest Poultry Services, Mentone, Ind., for Outstanding Community Relations by a Farmer. As one of the largest egg producers in the Midwest, Krouse’s work not only impacts his community by providing hundreds of jobs, but his company also donates millions of eggs to the local food bank each year. Krouse also worked with the local Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) station to produce a video on egg production for schools to use when field trip funding was cut from school budgets.

• Shelby County Ag Promotion Committee for Outstanding Program to Support Indiana Agriculture. Each March, this group hosts the Taste of Shelby County and has more than 400 people, including chamber of commerce members and local government officials from both the county and city, come together to learn about agriculture in the county. The event raises money for scholarships, farm safety days for county 4th graders, and numerous other agriculture education programs.

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For a print quality photo of Stacy Herr, go to: http:/www.indianasoybean.com/herr.jpg

Stacy Herr, Richmond, Ind., Purdue Cooperative Extension Service (CES) Ag Educator in Wayne County, received the Beyond the Fence Award for Outstanding Support to Indiana Farmers. Pictured with Herr are representatives from the Indiana Soybean Alliance, which sponsored the award. From left are ISA Vice President Lynn Teel, Herr and ISA President Doug Morrow.

For a print quality photo of Bob Krouse, go to http:/www.indianasoybean.com/Krouse.jpg

Bob Krouse, CEO of Midwest Poultry Services, Mentone, Ind., received the Beyond the Fence Award for Outstanding Community Relations by a Farmer at the Indiana Livestock, Forage and Grain Forum on January 15. Pictured with Krouse are representatives from the Indiana Soybean Alliance, which sponsored the award. From left are ISA Vice President Lynn Teel, Krouse and ISA President Doug Morrow.

For a print quality photo of Shelby Co. Ag Promotion Committee members, go to: http:/www.indianasoybean.com/Shelby.jpg

Shelby County Ag Promotion Committee received the Beyond the Fence Award for Outstanding Program to Support Indiana Agriculture. Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) sponsored the award which was presented at the Indiana Livestock, Forage and Grain Forum in Indianapolis on January 15. Pictured from left are ISA President Doug Morrow, Shelby County Extension Educator Scott Gabbard, Shelby County Ag Promotion Committee President Jeremy Weaver, and ISA Vice President Lynn Teel.

For a print quality photo of Loran and Kathy Wilson, go to: http:/www.indianasoybean.com/wilson.jpg

Loran Wilson, Orleans, Ind., received the Beyond the the Fence Award for Outstanding Neighbor Relations by a Farmer. Pictured with Wilson and his wife, Kathy, are representatives from the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA), which sponsored the award. From left are ISA Vice President Lynn Teel, Kathy Wilson, Loran Wilson and ISA President Doug Morrow.

All photos are courtesy of Indiana Soybean Alliance.

The Indiana Soybean Alliance works to enhance the viability of Indiana soybean farmers through the effective and efficient investment of soybean checkoff funds and the development of sound policies that protect and promote the interest of Indiana soybean farmers. The ISA is working to build new markets for soybeans through the promotion of biodiesel, livestock, international marketing, new soybean uses, aquaculture, and research. ISA is led by an elected farmer board that directs investments of the soybean checkoff funds on behalf of more than 28,000 Indiana soybean farmers and promotes policies on behalf of the ISA’s 950 dues-paying members.

For more information, contact Megan Kuhn at 317-614-0377 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

This communication was funded with Indiana soybean checkoff dollars.