Four Farm Bureau members honored by West Virginia Ag and Forestry Hall of Fame

BUCKHANNON, WV – Six individuals will be inducted into the West Virginia Ag and Forestry Hall of Fame (WVAFHF) for 2008, including four members of the West Virginia Farm Bureau. This honor is bestowed only on those who have lived in West Virginia, had a long tenured association with agriculture, forestry and family life, have made outstanding, direct contributions to those industries and demonstrated the highest standards of leadership and contribution on a local, state, national and international level.

The honorees are Rush Butcher of Nicholas County, James Kinsey of Taylor County, Sam Tuckwiller from Greenbrier County, French Armstrong of Upshur County, Robert Keiling of Raleigh County, and David McCurdy of Mason County.

Brookley Rush Butcher, of Summersville, is widely recognized as an exemplary Soil Conservation District Supervisor, as the dynamic leader of the Conservation Supervisors Legislative Committee that brought many improvements in erosion and sediment control legislation, as President of the Nicholas County Extension Committee and as a livestock farmer and Christmas tree grower.

A graduate of Berea College and a veteran of World War II, Rush’s life has also been one of great community involvement. He is a member of the United Methodist Church, and serves on his local church board; a member of the Ruritan Club, serving multiple times as President; and is the founder of the Heritage Dance Team, which through the Heritage Youth Camps has taught good citizenship and heritage dancing to thousands of West Virginia youth. Butcher has been a member of the West Virginia Farm Bureau since 1987.

James Kinsey, of Flemington, a graduate of Fairmont State College, is highly acclaimed for his work in the beef cattle industry, especially his breeding and selection of genetically superior Angus cattle. As a member of the West Virginia Cattlemen’s Association, he did much to improve management practices and production methods. On the state level, he was responsible for the daily operations of the West Virginia Beef Industry Council, and for 28 years held numerous positions with the Farm Credit System. He has also served as director of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Board, and for nearly a decade was a member of the USDA Cattlemen’s Promotion and Research Board, where he initiated several recognized programs. Kinsey is a member of the West Virginia Farm Bureau.

Sam Tuckwiller, of Lewisburg, is a graduate of West Virginia University, and is recognized for developing a nationally known beef cattle farm of more than 2,000 acres with approximately 300 Angus cows. Sam has served the West Virginia Farm Bureau as a member of the board of directors, a member of the Executive Committee, and as Chair of the West Virginia Farm Bureau Beef Cattle Committee. He served on the American Farm Bureau’s Beef Advisory Committee, and assisted in organizing the West Virginia Beef Industry Council. He was a long time director of the National Livestock and Meat Board, and has served in every office during his nearly five decades of membership with the Greenbrier County Farm Bureau.
A member of the United Methodist Church, he has held several church lay positions. Sam has chaired the Greenbrier County Board of Zoning Appeals, is a well known Ruritan member having served in all of the offices during his 4-decades membership, and has received numerous state and national Distinguished Service, Merit, and Outstanding Service awards.

French W. Armstrong, of French Creek, is a veteran of WW II and joined the West Virginia State Police in 1948. At about the same time, he started planting Christmas trees and acquiring timberland. As a member of the WV Christmas Tree Growers Association for more than three decades, he has served in a variety of offices including multiple terms as a member of the Board of Directors of both the state and national associations. He has served as a member of the West Virginia Forest Stewardship Committee since its inception; served as a County Commissioner; served on the Buckhannon Upshur Chamber of Commerce and the Upshur County Development Authority; and belongs to the Central Upshur Lions Club.  French has also served as a member of the West Virginia Farm Bureau board of directors.

Robert E. Keiling, of Beckley, has served in the forestry industry for more than five decades. After service in the U. S. Navy, he graduated from North Carolina State University and afterwards worked for the WV Conservation Commission, largely in fire protection in the Raleigh County area. Bob became an employee of the Tillinghast and Reed Consulting Forestry firm in Boone Co. Moving to the J. P. Hamer Lumber Company as Chief Forester, Bob was active in the WV Sawmill Operators Association, forerunner of the WV Forestry Association. He was President of the WV Forest Council, and was a noted participant in the Southern WV Forest Fire Protection Association. In 1981, he began to manage timberlands for the Beaver Coal Company and later organized his own consulting service. For many years, he was an instructor in the WV Forest Industries Camp and served on the review board that approved the WV Forest Practice Standards that preceded the US EPA timber harvesting sediment regulations by several years. Bob is active in the church, Boy Scouts and other civic endeavors.

David K. McCurdy, of West Columbia (Mason County), is known for his service as superintendent of the WV Division of Forestry forest tree nurseries, a position he has occupied for more than 40 years. A graduate of North Carolina State University, Dave started as a service forester, but soon moved to Parsons Forest Tree Nursery as superintendent. He raised millions of seedlings for various forest tree and Christmas tree operations until the historic flood of 1985 destroyed nearly two decades of work. He reopened the Clements Forest Tree Nursery in Mason County, which he still operates. Dave is highly regarded among the scientists working to recover the American chestnut as a timber tree.
He is a member of the Presbyterian Church; a long time member of the WV Christmas Growers Association; the Society of American Foresters; is a founding member of the Northeastern Area Nurserymen’s Association; and is a certified instructor for the U.S. Forest Service.   

The WVAFHF Enshrinement Banquet will be held June 21, at Jackson’s Mill. A reception begins at 5 p.m. at the Hall of Fame building, followed by dinner at 6 p.m. in the dining hall. Tickets are $30 each and can be purchased from Brenda Aldridge, WVU Extension Service, 304-293-5691; Sherry Barnette, W.Va. Forestry Association, 304-372-1955; Randy Dye, W.Va. Division of Forestry, 304-558-2788 or 304-558-3446; LeVera Gillum, WV Farm Bureau, 304-472-2080,ext. 302; Denise Hunnell, WVU Davis College, 304-293-2395; or Robin Gothard, WVDA, 304-558-3200, ext.1320.

Representing more than 17,000 members, the West Virginia Farm Bureau was founded in 1919 to provide leadership, education, information, training and economic services to county farm bureaus to enhance the quality of life for its membership. For more information, visit the West Virginia Farm Bureau website at www.wvfarm.org

>> WV Farm Bureau Media Releases