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Six individuals who have made outstanding contributions to agriculture and forestry in West Virginia will be honored with enshrinement into the historical West Virginia Agriculture and Forestry Hall of Fame. The enshrinees are Barton S. Baker, Bayward Butler, Edward C. Grose, Gerald William Waybright, James Ernest Deitz and Harry J. Gordon.

These individuals will be honored at the Hall of Fame’s annual banquet Saturday, July 18, at WVU Jackson’s Mill in Weston, W.Va. The event begins with a reception at 5 p.m. in the Agriculture and Forestry Hall of Fame Building, followed at 6 p.m. by the banquet in the Mount Vernon Dining Hall. The event is open to the public.

Tickets are $30 each and can be purchased from:

                        Brenda Aldridge, WVU Extension Service, 304-293-5691
                        Sherry Barnette, W.Va. Forestry Association, 304-372-1955
                        Patsy Carpenter, W.Va. Division of Forestry, 304-558-2788; 304-558-3446
                        LeVera Gillum, W.Va. Farm Bureau, 304-472-2080, Ext.302
                        Denise Hunnell, WVU Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer
                        Sciences, 304-293- 2395
                        Robin Gothard, WVDA, 304-558-3200, ext.1320

            Tickets must be purchased by July 1, 2009.

Enshrinement in the Hall of Fame is reserved for those individuals, businesses, organizations, institutions and foundations that have made outstanding contributions to the establishment, development, advancement and improvement of the agricultural, forestry and family life of West Virginia.
The following are brief bios of the enshrinees:

Dr. Barton S. Baker of Morgantown, W.Va., dedicated his career to the promotion and enhancement of West Virginia agriculture. His contribution to the industry include being a beef producer, teacher, researcher and service/outreach efforts through the West Virginia University (WVU) Davis College of Agriculture, Forestry and Consumer Sciences and WVU Cooperative Extension Service.    

Dr. Baker has been an invaluable educational and service resource to West Virginia producers, commodity groups and youth organizations throughout his tenure at WVU. He has published over 40 manuscripts and has made a significant contribution to West Virginia agriculture through his teaching and research programs in the education and training of undergraduate and graduate students, many of whom continue to serve West Virginia agriculture through extension and other state agencies and industry organizations.

Bayward Butler of Exchange, W.Va., has devoted his life to family, farming, education and community service. Upon his retirement in 1980 from public school teaching, Mr. Butler accepted new challenges and responsibilities to promote and advance the management of agriculture and other natural resources in Central West Virginia.

As Braxton County Farm Bureau president he has promoted agriculture and natural resources conservation throughout West Virginia. As Elk Soil Conservation District supervisor he has promoted improved management of all natural resources through active leadership of committees dealing with forestry, education and water quality. His work with the Elk Soil Conservation Council is exemplary of his continuing efforts to improve the quality of life for area residents.

Edward C. Grose of Terra Alta, W.Va., turned his 232 acres into 487 acres of a continued “practical research” institution named Montcroft Farms. A few cattle and a few acres of potatoes in the beginning became a manageable size registered Angus herd and 15 plus acres of certified seed potatoes. His farming practices have served as models for others.

He was instrumental in the development of agricultural marketing strategies and the formation of the W.Va. Direct Marketing Association. He is a leader in the potato industry and took his expertise nationally, representing West Virginia on the National Potato Board. He, with many WVU researchers, performed countless potato trials and his research initiatives have given him access to many northeast potato researchers which allowed him to learn the skills required to become a certified seed potato stock grower. This has helped many West Virginia producers who now have a source of reliable seed to plant.

James Ernest Deitz of Huntington, W.Va., developed an interest in the potential of growing Christmas trees on his family-owned 550 acres in Milton. In 1960, when his Stony Brook Tree Farm was organized and he joined the W.Va. Christmas Tree Growers Association (WVCTGA) he became a tireless promoter in an effort to provide quality, affordable Christmas trees accessible to all West Virginia families. He was also a researcher in his own right, developing better cultural practices and finding species that would grow into desirable Christmas trees. His leadership in the WVCTGA helped revitalize the association.

Harry J. Gordon of Circleville, W.Va., was one, if not the first wildlife manager hired by what was then called the W.Va. Conservation Commission, Game Section. He was assigned to the Gatewood Area, later known as the Potomac Wildlife Management Area – a large portion of the Monongahela National Forest consisting of several counties, including Spruce Knob. He has been credited for being responsible for the return of wild turkeys in the Allegheny Mountain portion of his area. He was instrumental in the building of the Shot Cherry Cabin – Forestry’s Spruce Knob headquarters. Thanks to Mr. Gordon, the one-room cabin grew to a full-sized lodge and is still used as their headquarters. He was also instrumental in the building of Spruce Knob Lake, where over 10,000 people were on hand for the dedication.

Gerald William Waybright of Washington, W.Va., held a lifelong interest to improve timber harvesting techniques. He worked for the West Virginia Division of Forestry from 1963 until his retirement in 2006. He became a relentless champion of improved timber harvesting practices and was a major player in counseling loggers to adopt the voluntary Best Management Practices (BMPs) and other forest management guidelines developed and promoted in the early 1970s prior to BMPs being required under the West Virginia Logging Sediment Control Act.

His leadership and promotion was a major asset in helping to achieve the W.Va. Society of American Foresters voting rights for forest technician members. He was also instrumental in the successful effort in obtaining legislation that permitted registration of forest technicians by the W.Va. Board of Registration for Foresters. He spearheaded  the Little Kanawha River Rural Conservation and Development project that resulted in a major publication, Keeping Mud out of West Virginia’s Creeks and Streams. The practices outlined in this publication were largely adopted in the rules and regulations developed to carry out the W.Va. Logging Sediment Control Act.

The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org.

“The Basis of All Wealth is Agriculture.”

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