Industry Leaders Honored At The Texas Produce Hall Of Fame Banquet

McAllen, TX — Five leaders of the Texas produce industry were added to theranks of the industry’s finest on April 16th at the 2012 Texas Produce Hall of Fame Banquet, held at the McAllen Country Club in McAllen, Texas. The Produce Hall of Fame was established in 1988 in an effort to recognize the contributions of past and present leaders in the Texas produce industry who have made exceptional contributions and have provided motivation and guidance vital to the long-term success of the trade.

The three living candidates inducted into the Hall of Fame were: Dan Seitz of Valley FruitCompany, Dorothy Valdez of Val Verde Vegetable Company, and Charlie Dains of C&V Supply. The industry also was honored to present a Posthumous Award to Wayne Bonham an independent farmer who made a significant contribution to the growth of the Texas citrus industry.

In addition, Jerry Kachtik with The Kroger Company was honored with the Scott ToothakerAward for his dedication and service throughout his career. The Scott Toothaker Award was established in 1989 for those individuals who are not directly involved in production agriculture, but who have made special contributions to the Texas produce industry.

“The Hall of Fame is considered one of the most treasured events that the Texas ProduceAssociation holds each year”, said Ed Bertaud, with IFCO and TPA’s acting Chairman. “Its goals are two-fold: to pay tribute to those who have made significant contributions to the success of the produce industry in Texas and to encourage future generations to carry it forward.”

TPA to offer Two Agriculture Scholarships

The proceeds from the Texas Produce Hall of Fame Banquet will allow the Texas ProduceAssociation to offer the “William E. Weeks” Agriculture Scholarship again this year.

Encouraging and supporting the youth of our State to obtain an education in the field of agriculture is important to the future of our industry – so, through the generous support of families and affiliates in the produce industry.

This agricultural scholarship amount is $1,500 and will be awarded annually to a high schoolsenior who plans to enroll full time (minimum of 12 semester hours) in a Texas college/university and major in a produce related field. College/university students already working on a degree, which can be applied to the produce industry, are also eligible to apply for the Hall of Fame scholarship. An applicant may plan to initially enroll, or may already be enrolled, in a Texas junior, community, or local college with the intent of transferring toanother Texas college/university to obtain a bachelor’s degree in an agricultural related field. High school applicants must have maintained a minimum “B” average and college applicants must have a minimum 2.5 grade point average.

If you would like an application, please visit our website at www.TexasProduceAssociation.com or call Nicole Southwell at 956-581-8632.

Source: Texas Produce Association