By DAVE BLOWER JR.
Farm World Editor

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — During a brief ceremony on Purdue Day at the Indiana State Fair last week, the Purdue University Cooperate Extension Service honored a pair of Hoosier women with the inaugural Women in Agriculture awards.

The awards are categorized to recognize Achievement and Leadership.

The Leadership award was given to Belinda Puetz of Hamilton County, Ind. Puetz is the marketing manager for CountryMark – Indiana’s only American-owned oil refining and marketing company.

Kristi Kretzmeier of Benton County, Ind. was awarded the Achievement honor for her efforts with her family’s 4,000-acre corn, soybean and beef farm.

“The winners of these awards were selected from a pool of well-deserving nominations,” explained Stacy Clupper, an extension educator from Blackford County, Ind. “We look for nominees who have gone above and beyond in their dedication to Indiana agriculture.”

Kretzmeier has been involved in agriculture for more than 40 years – beginning with her family’s farm near Rochester, Ind. She was a 10-year 4-H member and an active member of FFA. In 1991, she married her husband, John, and they set out to start their own farm.

“We’re not typical in that we started our farm on our own with only about 180 acres,” Kretzmeier said. “We don’t have any family that we farm with. Other than the kids’ activities, farming is what we do. It’s just the two of us with very little help.”

The Kretzmeiers have three children: Kenzie, Clay and Carson.
Puetz came to CountryMark after working as the communications manager for the Indiana Soybean Alliance for many years.
Always interested in telling the story of Indiana agriculture, she is a Purdue graduate with a degree in ag communications. She was named the Outstanding Purdue Senior in Ag Communications in 1991.

“It feels good to look back at the past 20 years and think about some of the projects that I’ve been involved with,” Puetz said. “I hope what Purdue has established with this award will be a great inspiration to younger women. Hopefully it will encourage them to get involved in agriculture.”

Puetz and her husband, Greg, have two children: Megan and Logan.

The award includes an original, handmade pottery piece and complimentary registration and lodging for the 2010 Women in Agriculture conference.