News Release:

Veteran Farm Bureau leaders honored with Distinguished Service Awards

Two retired leaders of the state’s largest farm organization were recognized Nov. 27 for their service at the 2007 Virginia Farm Bureau Federation Annual Convention in Chantilly. Emmett “Dick” Odle of Nickelsville and Marvin Everett of Capron were named the 2007 VFBF Distinguished Service Award winners at the VFBF Annual Convention in Chantilly.

Odle was honored with the Distinguished Service to Virginia Agriculture Award. He has been serving his neighbors and the agriculture community since he returned home from serving in the U.S. Army in 1950 and began raising burley tobacco and beef cattle. He still farms, having retired in 2002 from 16 years of representing farmers in his Southwest Virginia district on the VFBF board of directors. Odle also is a past president and director of Scott County Farm Bureau and served on the VFBF Burley Tobacco Advisory Committee.

Odle managed the Scott Farmers Cooperative, now the local Southern States Cooperative store, for 19 years. He served on the Southwest Virginia 4-H Center board from 1987 to 1988 and on the Farmers Home Administration Board twice, from 1956 to 1960 and 1972 to 1975. He also served on the Scott County Board of Supervisors from 1960 to 1964 and on the Scott County Farm Service Agency Committee for more than 20 years.

“Selfless leaders like Dick are the backbone of our rural communities,” said Wayne F. Pryor, VFBF president. “Without folks like Dick willing to step up and serve their fellow farmers, our industry and his community would not be as strong as it is today.”

Everett was honored with the Distinguished Service to Farm Bureau Award. A veteran of the U.S. Army during the Korean War, he too started farming upon returning from military service in 1953. While raising peanuts, cotton and other crops, he also started Everett Trucking Inc., a local transportation firm. In addition to representing Southeast Virginia Farm Bureau members on the VFBF board from 1990 to 2007, he is a past president of the Southampton County Farm Bureau. He also served on several VFBF advisory committees and the American Farm Bureau Federation Peanut Advisory Committee. Everett served on the board of the Virginia Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom from 1996 to 1999, the Virginia Farmers Market Board from 1992 to 1995 and the Virginia Peanut Commission from 1984 to 1987. He is a founder of the Virginia Peanut Farmers Cooperative and a past president of the Peanut Growers Cooperative Marketing Association. He also served on the Virginia Boll Weevil Foundation Board and on the J.R. Horsley Soil & Water Conservation Board.

“Marvin has been a role model for many Farm Bureau leaders over the years,” Pryor said, “but if you ask him, I’d bet he’d say he is most proud of how his family has followed him into farming. At one time or another all of his children have participated in the family farm operations, and now his grandson, Lewis, is working their cotton fields.”

With 148,000 members in 88 county Farm Bureaus, VFBF is Virginia’s largest farm organization. Farm Bureau is a non-governmental, nonpartisan, voluntary organization that supports its members through legislative lobbying, leadership programs, commodity marketing and risk management services, insurance products and other benefits.