Five local residents are being added to the Kent County Agricultural Hall of Fame.
The Kent Agricultural Hall of Fame Association (KCAHFA) honours people who made contributions to agriculture or the rural community within or around CK.
This year's inductees include Janet Campbell, Edgar and Patricia VanRabaeys, Barry Robert Kearney, and Edward J. Tomecek.
Campbell, from the former Township of Harwich, is honoured for her work with 4H in Chatham-Kent. The KCAHFA noted that she focused on mentoring youth, supporting fellow volunteers, and strengthening agriculture-based programs.
The Vanrabaeys, from the Thamesville area, are recognized for standing up for producers and advocating for fairness within the agricultural industry.
"Their kindness, mentorship, and work ethic left a deep impression on local youth," said the KCAHFA.
The association recognized Tomecek, from the former Township of Chatham, for playing a significant role in maintaining the viability and future of the Ontario processing vegetable industry.
"It's very humbling to have recognition from growers who, over the years I've worked with, who have decided to nominate me," said Tomecek.
He told CK News Today that he helped farmers adapt to technology while growers transitioned from handpicked tomatoes to machine-harvested crops.
"I've always had a passion for the industry. I grew up on a vegetable farm in Kent County," Tomecek explained. "You wanted to be innovative, and at the same time you wanted to have the industry not only succeed but to be profitable and progress for future generations, and hopefully I've had a small part to play in that."
After spending 48 years working in the specialization of planting equipment to customize mass produced planting equipment needs to local farmers, Kearney is also being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
"It means a tremendous amount to me," said Kearney. "It's hard to think of the impact as you're going through it. We were trying to be ahead of some things that were going on and try to do things for farmers that were outside of the box, that the mainstream suppliers were doing, and it appears, you know, especially with this honour and that it's been recognized, that we did achieve that."
Kearney noted that he didn't achieve this recognition by himself, crediting his family and "good people" he worked with throughout his years.
The list of inductees was announced during the council meeting on June 8.
Since 1988, 223 people have been inducted into the Hall of Fame.
