Excellence in Agriculture

Presented at the annual Breakfast with the Commissioner benefit at the Southern Farm Show.

By honoring an individual for this award, we seek to present North Carolina agribusiness as a viable and vibrant profession.

Award sponsored by:

2006 - Commissioner Steve Troxler, North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

2007 - Dr. William Collins, Agriculture Research Service at North Carolina State University

2008 - William Lamm, North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Wayne County

2009 - Frank Grainger, Fair Products, Inc.

2010 - Richard "Rick'' D. Smith, Independent Leaf Tobacco Company

2011 - Marvin Coghill, Standard Commercial Tobacco Company

2012 - Larry Wooten, North Carolina Farm Bureau

2013 - Dale Bone, Nash Produce

2014 - Jerome Vick, Vick Family Farms Partnership

2015 - Joseph Priest, Agriculture Research Service at NC State University

2016 - Dean Richard Linton, Ph.D., NC State University College of Agriculture & Life Sciences

2017 - Jimmy Gentry, North Carolina State Grange

2018 - Bobby Wellons, United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Marketing Service

2019 - Pender Sharp, Sharp Family Farms, Inc.

2020 - Alice Scott, Scott Farms, Inc.

2021 - Dr. Blake Brown, North Carolina State University College of Agriculture & Life Sciences

2022 - Dr. Sandy Maddox, University of Mount Olive, Louis G. Britt Agribusiness Center

2023 - Dr. Robert "Bob" Patterson, Professor of Crop Science, NC State University

2024 - Danny Kornegay, Kornegay Family Farms & Produce

2025 - Parker Phillips, Fair Products, Inc.