Two local farmers were honored by the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce last night at the 41st annual Agri-Industry Banquet. The banquet was opened by guest speaker, Dr. Scott Boston, president and CEO of Passavant Area Hospital.
The Agri-Industry Hall of Fame award was presented at the banquet. The Hall of Fame was created in 1995 to honor those men and women who have given a lifetime of service to the agricultural industry through personal and professional efforts. This year, Gary Hadden and Jay Harris were inducted into the Ag Hall of Fame.
Hadden has been a part of the local ag industry in the area in various capacities since 1998. Harris has been active at the Morgan County Fair since a young age and has been a member of the fair board for the last 12 years. He’s also been a part of several other area ag-related organizations and owns and operates the family business JO Harris Sales.
The induction ceremony ended the evening at 9PM at Hamilton’s. The annual dinner is a celebration of local farmers and businesses that support the local agriculture industry.