By DOUG GRAVES
Ohio Correspondent

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Four Ohioans who have committed their lives to promoting, advocating and working for Ohio’s agriculture industry will be honored on Aug. 7 by the Ohio Agriculture Council (OAC) when they are inducted into the Ohio Agriculture Hall of Fame.
Those to be honored during a special breakfast ceremony during this year’s Ohio State Fair will be Irv Bell of Zanesville, John Foltz of Columbus, Andrew Stevens of Ostrander and the late Roy Wallace of Pemberville. This 44th annual event will be held in the Rhodes Youth Center at the Ohio Expo Center.

“Without a doubt, this year’s class of inductees represents extraordinary leadership from Ohio’s agriculture industry, said Elizabeth Harsh, president of the OAC. “Individually, they have made unparalleled contributions that have improved our industry. Collectively, they have had a profound impact on the past, present and future of agriculture in our state and across the country.”

Irv Bell

Bell and his family own and operate Bell Farms Ag,  LLC in Zanesville, an 850-head sow farm. The family also tends to 1,600 acres of grain. Bell’s efforts include addressing major farm industry issues, risk management, farmland preservation and the changing future of animal agriculture and national strategic planning.
Bell was a 36-year member of the Muskingum County Farm Bureau and he held leadership positions in a number of state and national commodity groups.

His farm has supported 4-H and FFA by providing affordable animals for youth projects. He played an integral role in the planning and development of the Nationwide/Ohio Farm Bureau Federation 4-H Youth Center on the campus of Ohio State University.

John Foltz
Foltz is a Fairfield County native and retired as deputy undersecretary of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture and agency administrator. A graduate of Ohio State University, Foltz served positions with the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

Foltz’s agriculture commitment extends to youth education. He held a number of volunteer leadership roles with the Boy Scouts of America, 4H and FFA. Foltz and his wife, Anne, successfully led the $15.5 million campaign to construct the 4H Center at Ohio State University, the first “green” building on the OSU campus.

Andrew Stevens
Stevens devoted a half-century of service to Ohio’s agriculture industry, including nearly three decades in editorial positions with Ohio Farmer. In 1992 he founded American Small Farm magazine. Stevens also served as a dairy farmer, vocational education teacher and instructor for the Farm Business Planning Association.

Stevens also held volunteer leadership positions with a number of agriculture trade associations and commodity groups. He has received many state and national awards in journalism, agriculture and community service, including the Oscar in Agriculture for agriculture writing and the Distinguished Service Award from the National Soil and Water Conservation Society.

Roy Wallace
In early 2008 Ohio’s beef industry felt a loss after the death of Roy Wallace. Wallace was a genetic breeding pioneer who spent more than 40 years in service to the cattlemen of Ohio and the nation through his career with COBA/Select Sires, Inc., where he began his work in 1967 as a beef field representative.

Wallace was a founder of the National Beef Improvement Federation (BIF), a group that has played a critical fole in shaping how genetics have improved the beef industry. Wallace served in an advisory capacity to several breed organizations in the area of sire evaluation and was a sought-after speaker for his expertise.
Wallace was a devoted supporter of OSU and the Ohio State Fair. His accomplishments include being honored in 2004 with induction in the OSU Animal Sciences Hall of Fame. He was also named to BEEF magazine’s Top 40, a significant honor given to the top 40 leaders nationwide who have made major contributions to the beef industry.

For more information or to obtain tickets to the ceremony, call 614-890-2832 or e-mail to info@ohioagcouncil.org