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CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) The North Dakota Agriculture Hall of Fame Committee has selected the nominees to be inducted into the North Dakota Agriculture Hall of Fame in 2013. They are Bill Gross of Cleveland, ND and Dick & Theresa Tokach of Mandan, ND.
Bill Gross, of Cleveland, N.D., is the founder and CEO of Farm Rescue, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping farmers who have experienced a major illness, injury or natural disaster. The organization began in 2006 and gives families a chance to continue their livelihood during unexpected crises, by providing the necessary equipment and manpower to plant or harvest their crop, free of charge. Gross grew up near Cleveland, N.D.; he attended college at the University of North Dakota and began his career as a pilot for Pan American World Airways. Gross kept thinking of the changing demographics of rural America and it troubled him; he vowed to himself to help farmers back home. He started with one sponsored tractor and air-seeder, using his vacation days from UPS to help farm families, along with soliciting donations and recruiting volunteers to grow the organization. The nonprofit organization plants and harvests crops in five states with hundreds of volunteers. More than 200 families have been helped in North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Montana and Iowa, since the inception of Farm Rescue. Bill says the best part about Farm Rescue is that: “It has created an avenue for individuals and businesses to help farm families during times of crises.” He continues to serve as the President of Farm Rescue and Chairman of the Board in a volunteer capacity, while conducting his full-time job as a Boeing 747 Captain, flying worldwide for UPS Airlines.
Dick & Theresa Tokach, of Mandan, N.D. are retired ranchers, who own and operated the Tokach Angus Ranch near St. Anthony, ND. The ranch is now operated by two of their sons and their families. Dick retired as a Morton County Commissioner and was the recipient of the 2012 North Dakota Association of Counties Excellence in County Government Award. He is a past President of the N.D. Angus Association and a member of the American Angus Association. He served as President of the N.D. Stockmen’s Association and Chairman of the N.D. Beef Commission. His contributions on the national level include serving on the Executive Committee of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and a member of the National Beef Promotion and Research Board. He was named the Agriculturalist of the Year by the Saddle & Sirloin Club of NDSU in 1993 and was given the Top Hand Award by the N.D. Stockmen’s Association.
Theresa recently completed two terms on the N.D. Agricultural Products Utilization Committee. In 1998 she was named the Country Woman of the Year by the Farm & Ranch Guide. She was active in the District, State and National CattleWomen, having served as Chairman of the National Beef Cook-Off Committee and as Secretary to the National President. Theresa served on the state Farm Bureau Women’s Committee and as first chairman of the Morton County Ag Days Committee. She also served on the N.D. Beef Commission and the N.D. Angus Auxiliary as their President. She served a six year term on the National Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion & Research Board.
The Tokach’s were early adopters of performance testing and detailed records to improve genetic selection, as well as early adopters of artificial insemination. A.I. has been utilized in their breeding program since 1977. They have also marketed their purebred cattle through an annual production sale for the last 37 years. Together the couple received the FFA Honorary State Farmer’s Award and the Soil Conservation Award.
The recognition ceremony will be held Saturday, March 9, 2013 at 1:45pm. This will be held in the North Dakota Winter Show Event Center Arena prior to the PRCA Rodeo.
The 76th North Dakota Winter Show is scheduled for March 5-10, 2013. For more information you can contact the NDWS office at 1-800-437-0218, or view their website at www.northdakotawintershow.com.