Clockwise from top left: George Berger Jr., Fred Bourland, Mark Cochran, Melvin Daniel, Charles Looney, Gary Sitzer
The Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame announced that it’s adding six new members this year.
The inductees have made a national impact on rice, soybeans, cattle and cotton and have helped steer the academic and research efforts that underpin Arkansas agriculture, Hall of Fame Chair Debbie Moreland said in a news release.
The inductees are:
- George Berger, who served as dean of the Arkansas State University College of Agriculture from 1971-1981 and founded the Eagle Seed business in his hometown of Weiner. Berger died in 2002.
- Fred Bourland of Blytheville, a cotton breeder who created more than 100 improved cotton varieties adapted to Arkansas.
- Mark Cochran of Fayetteville, retired vice president of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.
- Melvin Daniel, a long-time agriculture education instructor and FFA adviser. Daniel died in August.
- Charles Looney, a nationally recognized cattle geneticist who serves at the UA Southwest Experiment Station in Hope.
- Gary Sitzer of Weiner, a fourth-generation rice and soybean farmer who has been highly involved in research and policy work in support of Arkansas agriculture.
“I say this often to my friends, and it bears repeating; agriculture is one of the great success stories of our state,” Moreland said. “The Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame is pleased to bring recognition to these individuals who have impacted our state’s largest industry in such a positive way.”
An induction ceremony will be held at 11:30 a.m. on March 1 at the DoubleTree Hotel in downtown Little Rock.
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