Ak-Sar-Ben honors area farm families

Omaha, Neb. -- The Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben Foundation and the Nebraska Farm Bureau along with the Nebraska Fair Managers Association announces the 148 honorees from 65 counties for the 2014 Pioneer Farm Family and Heritage Farm Family Awards. In order to qualify for the Pioneer Farm distinction, members of the same family must have owned a parcel of land consecutively for at least 100 years; while the Heritage Farm recognizes families that have owned a parcel of land consecutively for 150 years.

Since its inception, 59 years ago, more than 8,100 families have been granted the Pioneer Farm Award from across the state. This is the first year for the Heritage Farm Award. Each honoree receives an engraved plaque and gatepost marker as permanent recognition of this milestone. The awards are presented during the annual county fair in which the land is located.

The following is a listing of the recipients by county:

Pioneer

Farm Honorees

Frontier County -- Steve Hall, Brad Hall and Trista Jesch, Curtis; Nick and Amy Brown, Curtis; Robert and Vonnie Tiller Family Trust, McCook.

Furnas County -- Douglas and Betty Garey, Beaver City; Francis Gibson Baily, Oxford.

Hitchcock County -- William R. Brown, Trenton.

Founded in 1895, the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben Foundation is the premier philanthropic organization for the region's top corporate and civic leaders. Focused on youth, scholarships, agriculture, volunteerism, pro- business and economic growth, Ak-Sar-Ben provides $400,000 in scholarships annually, carrying out their mission of leveraging collective business leadership to build a more prosperous Heartland.