What is the Mid-Columbia Agriculture Hall of Fame?
The Mid-Columbia Agriculture Hall of Fame was formed in Year 2000 to recognize and honor distinguished individuals that have made significant contributions to the agricultural community in the Greater Franklin County region and its immediate surrounding areas; although nominees from neighboring areas of Franklin County region, including Benton County and the Western half of Walla Walla County are often considered for this prestigious award.
The Pasco Chamber Board has proudly created a Selection Committee comprised of quality individuals representative of our agriculture industry and has chartered them with the honorable task of reviewing all nomination submittal. Induction candidates are selected based on their outstanding performance in the agriculture industry and their bountiful support of the local and rural communities. Candidates are recognized by their peers for not only their dedication, generosity, and selflessness, but also their demonstrated achievements, noteworthy expertise, and creative innovations that often provide a legacy of impactful results and lasting benefit to the overall enhancement of the local agricultural industry and community at large. Farmers, growers, ranchers, and owners/employees of agribusiness firms are all eligible for nomination as either individuals and/or families.
The Pasco Chamber Board has proudly created a Selection Committee comprised of quality individuals representative of our agriculture industry and has chartered them with the honorable task of reviewing all nomination submittal. Induction candidates are selected based on their outstanding performance in the agriculture industry and their bountiful support of the local and rural communities. Candidates are recognized by their peers for not only their dedication, generosity, and selflessness, but also their demonstrated achievements, noteworthy expertise, and creative innovations that often provide a legacy of impactful results and lasting benefit to the overall enhancement of the local agricultural industry and community at large. Farmers, growers, ranchers, and owners/employees of agribusiness firms are all eligible for nomination as either individuals and/or families.
The 2025 Ag Hall of Fame
The 2025 Mid-Columbia Agriculture Hall of Fame is almost here! We are excited to once again award each of the chosen nominees and recognize their contributions to agriculture in the Mid-Columbia region.
The 2025 inductees have been chosen and will be officially announced in December.
Mark the time and date below, and we hope to see you there!
The 2025 inductees have been chosen and will be officially announced in December.
Mark the time and date below, and we hope to see you there!
2025 Committee Members
Download this form to nominate someone for the 2025 Ag Hall of Fame
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Thank you to the 2025 Sponsors
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Meet the Inductees of last year's 2024 Ag Hall of Fame!
The 2025 inductees will be announced soon.
The 2024 inductees to the Mid-Columbia Agriculture Hall of Fame will be honored at a dinner and installation gala at the Pasco Red Lion on Thursday, January 18, 2024, presented by the Pasco Chamber of Commerce and the Port of Pasco.
This is the 23rd year Hall of Fame honors have been awarded to Mid-Columbia farmers, families and agribusiness leaders in Franklin County and neighboring Mid-Columbia counties. The new inductees are being recognized for their outstanding contributions to agriculture and agribusiness in four categories. These are the categories and the inductees for 2024:
The Mid-Columbia Ag Hall of Fame Pioneer Award honors individuals who have had a significant influence on the development of agriculture and unselfishly served their communities. This year, we honor Walt & Tonie Neff.
Walt & Tonie have the privilege of seeing five generations work on the family ranch on the Pasco-Kahlotus Highway primarily growing wheat. When Walt was school-aged, he hated school, but he loved to drive tractors and was caught multiple times daydreaming about this passion. Walt & Tonie met via mutual friends dancing at the Stakeout in Kennewick and married 3 months later on Valentine’d Day 1972. Tonie was the foundation of the farm, making sure that all workers during harvest were well fed and taken care of. Meals were not served in the field, but all were welcomed in the family home for good home-cooking and some rest. Harvest is a sun-up to sundown proposition over many days, except on Sunday. “If you worked on Sunday, you’d have to pay for it someway on Monday,” Walt is known to say.
The Neff’s have been extremely involved in the community, serving as the President of the Pasco Chamber of Commerce, Volunteer Fireman for nearly 50 years, and served on the board and/or president of the following organizations: Franklin County Cattleman’s Association, Franklin County Cowbell Association, Franklin County Association of Wheat Growers, National Association of Wheat Growers, Washington Wheat Foundation and founding member of the Mid-Columbia Ag Hall of Fame.
The Agriculture Advisor Award is given to an individual who has had a significant impact in ag-advancement and educational programs and similar organizations influencing the industry through leadership, guidance and community involvement. This year the honor goes to Tina Bush.
Tina Bush has been helping kids with 4-H and FFA swine projects for 30 years at the Benton Franklin Fair, the last 20 years as the role of Swine Superintendent. Tina was recognized by the Benton Franklin Fair Board as volunteer of the year in 2018.
Tina is currently a member of the Benton Franklin Market Stock Association and is past president of the parent teacher group at Finley Elementary and is fondly referred to as the “popcorn Lady”. Tina has been recognized numerous times as support service member of the year for Benton Fire District #1. The Finley Chapter of the FFA awarded Tina with an Honorary Chapter Farmer Award in 2019. Tina is a hard-working person who possesses a self-sacrificing nature and strives to set a good example for others to follow.
The Rising Star Award acknowledges a young individual in the agriculture industry who demonstrates a commitment to community involvement with a dedication to enhance agriculture. This year the honor goes to Tim Waters.
Tim specializes in Integrated Pest Management of potato, onion, carrot, dry bean and other production vegetables in the Columbia Basin. With a dream of being a wildlife biologist in college, Tim was exposed to agriculture field visits with his advisor at WSU. Tim became interested in figuring out how to solve farmer’s problems and discovered the impact to remedy pest management problems.
Tim published over 200 articles, secured over $2 million in grant funds for research and has been recognized with the WSU CAHNRS Faculty Excellence in Extension Award and member of the team that received the USDA Western Region Excellence in Multistate Research Award.
The Stewardship Award is presented to someone who has served the community and displayed leadership in agriculture over a long period. Vic Reeve will receive the honor for 2024.
Vic was destined for a life in agriculture. Grandparents on both sides of his family were homesteaders. As a dryland wheat farmer Vic was, and remains, a fervent supporter of Washington Association of Wheat Growers, serving on several committees and president of Franklin County Wheat Growers Association. He was the first in Franklin County to use ‘no till’ drill, which was met with much skepticism in those early days. In 2004, Vic’s career shifted to the Franklin county Noxious Weed Control Board, becoming an inspector and mastering communications to build strong relationships with the farmers and the weed control board. Vic carried his success to Benton County Noxious Weed Control Board as Coordinator and retired in 2019.
Vic was engaged in community service as member/president of WA State Weed Board, Franklin & WA Association of Wheat Growers, Franklin County Conservation District as well as chairman of North Franklin Miss Float committee to name a few.
The Visionary Award is a special honor that is conferred through a consensus of the Ag Hall of Fame Committee members. This year, retired Congressman Doc Hastings will be bestowed with this honor.
During his career as an elected official, Doc Hastings enjoyed the support of the agricultural community honored with numerous awards from farming interest groups, especially with his time on the House Committee on Natural Resources that he chaired . The committee considers legislation about American energy production, mineral lands and mining, fisheries and wildlife, public lands, oceans, Native Americans, irrigation and reclamation. He guided legislation as chair of that committee protecting the lower Snake River Dams from removal efforts by environmental extremists.
Doc was instrumental educating the executive branch on the importance of the Lower Snake River Dams under George W. Bush’s administration and welcomed the President to speak at Ice Harbor Dam in 2003, the last time a sitting president of the United States visited the region.
The Agriculture Hall of Fame Gala will be held on Thursday, January 18, 2024, at the Pasco Red Lion, starting with a social hour at 5:00 p.m. A full-course dinner will feature local produce and local wines. For reservations and information, call the Pasco Chamber at (509) 547-9755 or drop by the office at 1110 Osprey Pointe Boulevard, Suite 101, in Pasco. You can visit the chamber online at www.pascochamber.org.
This is the 23rd year Hall of Fame honors have been awarded to Mid-Columbia farmers, families and agribusiness leaders in Franklin County and neighboring Mid-Columbia counties. The new inductees are being recognized for their outstanding contributions to agriculture and agribusiness in four categories. These are the categories and the inductees for 2024:
The Mid-Columbia Ag Hall of Fame Pioneer Award honors individuals who have had a significant influence on the development of agriculture and unselfishly served their communities. This year, we honor Walt & Tonie Neff.
Walt & Tonie have the privilege of seeing five generations work on the family ranch on the Pasco-Kahlotus Highway primarily growing wheat. When Walt was school-aged, he hated school, but he loved to drive tractors and was caught multiple times daydreaming about this passion. Walt & Tonie met via mutual friends dancing at the Stakeout in Kennewick and married 3 months later on Valentine’d Day 1972. Tonie was the foundation of the farm, making sure that all workers during harvest were well fed and taken care of. Meals were not served in the field, but all were welcomed in the family home for good home-cooking and some rest. Harvest is a sun-up to sundown proposition over many days, except on Sunday. “If you worked on Sunday, you’d have to pay for it someway on Monday,” Walt is known to say.
The Neff’s have been extremely involved in the community, serving as the President of the Pasco Chamber of Commerce, Volunteer Fireman for nearly 50 years, and served on the board and/or president of the following organizations: Franklin County Cattleman’s Association, Franklin County Cowbell Association, Franklin County Association of Wheat Growers, National Association of Wheat Growers, Washington Wheat Foundation and founding member of the Mid-Columbia Ag Hall of Fame.
The Agriculture Advisor Award is given to an individual who has had a significant impact in ag-advancement and educational programs and similar organizations influencing the industry through leadership, guidance and community involvement. This year the honor goes to Tina Bush.
Tina Bush has been helping kids with 4-H and FFA swine projects for 30 years at the Benton Franklin Fair, the last 20 years as the role of Swine Superintendent. Tina was recognized by the Benton Franklin Fair Board as volunteer of the year in 2018.
Tina is currently a member of the Benton Franklin Market Stock Association and is past president of the parent teacher group at Finley Elementary and is fondly referred to as the “popcorn Lady”. Tina has been recognized numerous times as support service member of the year for Benton Fire District #1. The Finley Chapter of the FFA awarded Tina with an Honorary Chapter Farmer Award in 2019. Tina is a hard-working person who possesses a self-sacrificing nature and strives to set a good example for others to follow.
The Rising Star Award acknowledges a young individual in the agriculture industry who demonstrates a commitment to community involvement with a dedication to enhance agriculture. This year the honor goes to Tim Waters.
Tim specializes in Integrated Pest Management of potato, onion, carrot, dry bean and other production vegetables in the Columbia Basin. With a dream of being a wildlife biologist in college, Tim was exposed to agriculture field visits with his advisor at WSU. Tim became interested in figuring out how to solve farmer’s problems and discovered the impact to remedy pest management problems.
Tim published over 200 articles, secured over $2 million in grant funds for research and has been recognized with the WSU CAHNRS Faculty Excellence in Extension Award and member of the team that received the USDA Western Region Excellence in Multistate Research Award.
The Stewardship Award is presented to someone who has served the community and displayed leadership in agriculture over a long period. Vic Reeve will receive the honor for 2024.
Vic was destined for a life in agriculture. Grandparents on both sides of his family were homesteaders. As a dryland wheat farmer Vic was, and remains, a fervent supporter of Washington Association of Wheat Growers, serving on several committees and president of Franklin County Wheat Growers Association. He was the first in Franklin County to use ‘no till’ drill, which was met with much skepticism in those early days. In 2004, Vic’s career shifted to the Franklin county Noxious Weed Control Board, becoming an inspector and mastering communications to build strong relationships with the farmers and the weed control board. Vic carried his success to Benton County Noxious Weed Control Board as Coordinator and retired in 2019.
Vic was engaged in community service as member/president of WA State Weed Board, Franklin & WA Association of Wheat Growers, Franklin County Conservation District as well as chairman of North Franklin Miss Float committee to name a few.
The Visionary Award is a special honor that is conferred through a consensus of the Ag Hall of Fame Committee members. This year, retired Congressman Doc Hastings will be bestowed with this honor.
During his career as an elected official, Doc Hastings enjoyed the support of the agricultural community honored with numerous awards from farming interest groups, especially with his time on the House Committee on Natural Resources that he chaired . The committee considers legislation about American energy production, mineral lands and mining, fisheries and wildlife, public lands, oceans, Native Americans, irrigation and reclamation. He guided legislation as chair of that committee protecting the lower Snake River Dams from removal efforts by environmental extremists.
Doc was instrumental educating the executive branch on the importance of the Lower Snake River Dams under George W. Bush’s administration and welcomed the President to speak at Ice Harbor Dam in 2003, the last time a sitting president of the United States visited the region.
The Agriculture Hall of Fame Gala will be held on Thursday, January 18, 2024, at the Pasco Red Lion, starting with a social hour at 5:00 p.m. A full-course dinner will feature local produce and local wines. For reservations and information, call the Pasco Chamber at (509) 547-9755 or drop by the office at 1110 Osprey Pointe Boulevard, Suite 101, in Pasco. You can visit the chamber online at www.pascochamber.org.
Watch the 2024 Mid-Columbia Ag Hall of Fame Gala!
Watch the segments of the awards individually below
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Meet the 2024 Inductees:
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Meet the 2023 Inductees:
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2024 Ag Hall of Fame Photos
2023 Ag Hall of Fame Photos |
2022 Ag Hall of Fame Photos |
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