Trio headed for Review Hall of Fame

LONDON, Ohio – Retired Ohio State leaders Sam Bone, Larry Shepherd and Don Pritchard will be enshrined in the Farm Science Review Hall of Fame during the 2003 event.

The trio will be honored at a luncheon Sept. 16 at the Review.

Combined, the three inductees have devoted nearly 100 years of service to the Review.

Bone, Shepherd. Sam Bone and Larry Shepherd are retired extension agronomists from Ohio State University who began their Farm Science Review careers in 1963, the first year the Review was held.

They worked closely together and were responsible for managing a 20-acre field at the old south plot.

During their time at the Review, the pair started soil excavation exhibits, set up agronomy demonstration plots, and helped to introduce no tillage and conservation tillage.

They were best known for their work with corn. “We had a large number of plots and we would try to demonstrate good corn production procedures and dates for planting. We even planted corn in February,” Shepherd said.

Craig Fendrick, manager of the Review, said that the two used to fight like cats and dogs but they got results.

“I can remember driving with the two in a car once, and we were going past cornfields. The corn looked like it had insect bites all over it and Sam and Larry started arguing about what might have caused it.

“I don’t remember where we were going but I know we ended up being late because they pulled the car over to go inspect the corn for themselves to see who was right.”

Retirement. Bone retired from Ohio State in 1980 after working for 25 years as an extension agronomist, but still remains active in Farm Science Review. He served as a past chairman of the program and policy review committee.

Shepherd retired from Ohio State in 1984 after working as an extension agronomist for 21 years in Ohio and seven at Michigan State University.

Both Bone and Shepherd reside in the Columbus area.

Both men agreed on their favorite part of Farm Science Review. “Working with people from the industry, OSU faculty, Ohio farmers and people from the agriculture industry was very rewarding,” Bone said. “When all of those people get together, good things usually happen.”

“They’re the Bobbsey Twins,” said Fendrick. “It’s because of them we have a saying, ‘Never put more than one agronomist in a room at the same time if you want to get an answer.'”

Don Pritchard. Don Pritchard is a past assistant extension director and faculty member of the dairy sciences department.

He began his career at Ohio State in 1970 and began his involvement with Farm Science Review in 1977 doing committee work. Pritchard served on every committee Farm Science Review has and chaired the program and policy committee and the publicity committee.

“Don has had more administrative jobs than anyone I can think of, and he’s never been on the payroll,” said Fendrick.

Pritchard was also instrumental in formulating the current agreement policy between exhibitors and the Review management.

Pritchard retired from Ohio State in 1993 after 23 years of extension work. He currently lives in Virginia.