Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame Welcomes 4 to the Fore
September 24, 2018 The Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame Foundation, along with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), has revealed the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame inductees for 2019. The organization’s mission is to honor men and women who have made lasting contributions to the sector and for mentoring the next generations of growers in the state. It has been honoring industry influencers since 1980.
The Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame Class of 2019 includes:
Richard Gaskalla spent more than four decades defending Florida agriculture from invasive pests and diseases. He began his career at the FDACS’ Division of Plant Industry and was promoted to director in 1988. Gaskalla was on the forefront of researching and implementing techniques to protect and preserve Florida’s citrus industry by directing the Citrus Canker Eradication Program and partnering with the USDA and UF/IFAS to establish and implement the Citrus Health Response Program.
Richard Gaskalla
Gaskalla has earned numerous industry accolades, including the USDA’s Administrators Award; Florida Nursery, Growers and Landscape Association’s Friend of the Industry Award; and the Commissioner of Agriculture’s Distinguished Achievement Award.
Mike Stuart has dedicated his career to improving and supporting Florida’s produce industry by cultivating grower-shipper relationships, securing federal investment in fruit and vegetable programs, and shaping trade policies. Stuart began as a produce clerk in California before taking a position with Western Growers Association, where he served produce growers in California and Arizona for 13 years. In 1992, Stuart began his 26-year tenure as Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association (FFVA) President, serving as a highly respected leader, ambassador and spokesperson for Florida’s specialty crop industry. He recently announced plans to retire as FFVA’s leader.
Mike Stuart
At the federal level, Stuart helped craft critical fruit and vegetable investment programs as co-chair of the Specialty Crop Farm Bill Alliance, and he held several government advisory positions to ensure trade agreements reflected the interests of the specialty crop industry.
Don Bennink has spent a distinguished career revolutionizing the dairy industry by spearheading innovative genetic research and practices. The hallmark of Bennink’s career is his research in animal genetics and reproduction, which led to the development of his own system of genetic selection and genomic testing.
Don Bennink
Bennink moved to Bell, FL, in 1980 where he established North Florida Holsteins. He became a regarded advocate for improving the Holstein breed, and in 2001, he began using tunnel-ventilation barns to make cows more comfortable and productive. He has earned numerous awards and honors, including the World Dairy Expo’s Dairyman of the Year.
Sam Killebrew revolutionized the agriculture industry with his patented invention of the bulk fertilizer hauler in 1952. The piece of equipment, known as “The Killebrew,” eliminated the manual handling of fertilizer, including bagging, opening, and dumping into spreaders.
Sam Killebrew
He invented additional tools to reduce costs and streamline farming practices, including dry and liquid fertilizer spreaders, logging trailers, city refuse units and bulk citrus high-lifts. Killebrew has been inducted into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame and the Southwestern Fertilizer Conference Hall of Fame.
The induction ceremony will be held at the Florida State Fair’s Agricultural Hall of Fame Banquet on Feb. 12, 2019. More information is available at FloridaAgHallofFame.org.
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