The Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame will increase its ranks by six today with new members instrumental in rice research, agriculture education, timber management, farm advocacy, agribusiness and row-crop production.
Their inductions, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at the Embassy Suites hotel in Little Rock, will grow the hall's membership to 176 since its first class in 1987.
The inductees were chosen for "what they've done with the state and how they've had a positive impact on agriculture," said Butch Calhoun of Des Arc, chairman of the selection committee.
The induction was initially scheduled for March 2021, but safety concerns surrounding covid-19 resulted in three delays.
"We sure missed not having it last year," Calhoun said. "It weighed pretty hard on all of us, but now we are full steam ahead."
The inductees are:
RICK CARTWRIGHT
Rick Cartwright wore many hats during his time with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
Since joining in 1992, he gained international recognition as a rice pathologist and held various leadership roles, including recent stints as interim head of the entomology department and director for the Cooperative Extension Service. He retired June 30, 2020.
These days Cartwright, 67, said he and his wife Lynette spend most days spending time with family and working on their house in Fayetteville.
"Me and plants get along well, but my wife has the better green thumb," he said. "She's really good at plant culture and I do a lot of the outside stuff."
JOE DON GREENWOOD
Joe Don Greenwood, 70, a longtime educator, tomato farmer and community volunteer, got students involved in agriculture and led Hermitage High School teams to eight national competitions in forestry or livestock judging.
His students also won 41 state championships in livestock, forestry, parliamentary procedure, horsemanship, public speaking and land judging.
"The motivation is not necessarily winning, the motivation is seeing a mature person come out of the program," said Greenwood. "To know what work is, know the value of education and bettering themselves, being a productive citizen. Those things are more important than all the contests."
He grew up on a small Hermitage farm, milking cows and picking cotton, and eventually earned a business degree at UA-Monticello before going to basic training in Louisiana. Greenwood later earned a degree in agriculture education from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville and taught at Sparkman for two years before returning to Bradley County.
As an agriculture teacher, he nurtured students' interest in animals, trees and plants, getting them involved in competitions across the country. He also helped students outside of the classroom, offering barn space for those who needed space for their animals or farm jobs to those who needed extra cash.
RUSSELL ROY REYNOLDS
The contributions Russell Roy Reynolds made to forestry and the state's timber industry loom large.
His research, widely cited today, was foundational for sustainable forestry and influenced mills to transport logs using trucks, a new concept in the early 1930s.
As demand for raw materials started draining forests in eastern North America, resulting in the near collapse of the lumber industry, the Southern Forest Experiment State and the Crossett Lumber Company agreed to open the Crossett Experimental Forest.
Reynolds, of Crossett, spent 35 years leading the experimental forest's science program conducting research on southern pine silviculture and was the author or co-author of some 175 publications during his career.
"He had an extremely hard work ethic and incredible talent for numbers," said Ken McDonald, Reynolds' grandson.
Reynolds retired from the forest service in 1969 but remained active in the forestry field, providing tours and contributing to research publications. He earned several awards, including being named Progressive Farmer Man of the Year in 1963.
Reynolds died August 1986. He was 79.
RANDY VEACH
Third-generation farmer, Randy Veach, of Manila, devoted his life to farmer and rancher advocacy, serving as Arkansas Farm Bureau president for 11 years.
Whether meeting with state lawmakers, federal policy makers, foreign governments or local farmers, Veach said "I was always working as hard as I can for Arkansas."
His passion for agriculture started on his own farm that he worked with his sons on land cleared by his father and grandfather.
"I was picking cotton by hand when I was six years old," said Veach, 71. This instilled a work ethic that stayed with him through his career.
He served as a board member for the Arkansas Farm Bureau for 20 years, including five years as vice president under friend and mentor Stanley Reed.
In addition to the Arkansas Farm Bureau, he served on several state and federal boards and committees, including the American Farm Bureau and Agricultural Trade Advisory Committee for Tobacco, Cotton and Peanuts.
MARK WALDRIP
Mark Waldrip, a fourth-generation farmer from Moro, created one of the top seed companies in the south.
Waldrip said he started selling seeds as a way to add value to his family farm. He sold to a handful of surrounding farmers in 1985 under the name East Arkansas Seeds. As sales grew, he expanded the business and bought Cullum Seeds, which would eventually become Armor Seed.
Armor Seed grew from $5 million in sales to more than $100 million and is a supplier in 25 states. It was acquired in 2017 by Winfield United, a subsidiary of Land O' Lakes.
ANDREW WARGO III
Andrew Wargo III, an engineer by trade, managed the Baxter Land Company's farm operations for more than 50 years, navigating the ins and outs of row crops, catfish and a cotton gin. Before that, he was a pilot and flight instructor in Mississippi.
"I have a lot to be thankful for," said Wargo, 79, of Watson.
After stints as a commercial pilot and instructor for ROTC cadets, Wargo moved to eastern Arkansas and got a job teaching agriculture at Desha Central, where he would eventually become principal and superintendent. He later was approached by Bill Baxter, who was on the school board, about a job opportunity managing his farm operations.
"With my engineering degree, I was able to address a lot of problems as they came up," he said.
He is retired but remains involved on several state and regional boards and committees.