Honorary Award a Sweet Gesture for Longtime Vidalia Onion Grower

During the 2022 annual Georgia State FFA Convention, Walt Dasher of G&R Farms in Glennville, GA was awarded an honorary degree from the Georgia FFA Association. The award is given to those deserving for their demonstration of outstanding service to agricultural education and Georgia FFA.

Dasher, a third-generation Southeast Georgia farmer, has been a strong advocate for the FFA program and has been actively involved in supporting the next generations of farmers for nearly 10 years through Growing America’s Farmer’s (GAF).

GAF is a program Dasher created that matches deserving agricultural students looking to pursue degrees in agricultural production with scholarships. “It is an incredible honor to receive this degree from the Georgia State FFA Association,” Dasher says. “Their recognition of my efforts and resulting benefits to agriculture education is truly humbling.”

Since its inception in 2016, GAF has raised nearly $250,000 for FFA member scholarships in more than a dozen states. “I’ve seen first-hand the benefit these scholarships have on students who receive them, and I’m excited to see where their innovation leads us as the next generation of farm producers,” Dasher adds.

Katrina Jones of Georgia FFA remarked, “Walt Dasher is a great supporter of agricultural education and FFA. He has a passion for production agriculture, and through his efforts, he is providing opportunities for FFA members to pursue a careers in production agriculture. We are extremely grateful for his generosity and the positive impact he has in the lives of many FFA members.”