Washington Elementary student Morgan Loveday, age 10, was one of four statewide award winners of the 2012 ‘Ag is Cool’ contest. Pictured, from left, are Washington Elementary Assistant Principal Jared Denney, President of the Gallia County Farm Bureau Paul Shoemaker, Dan Loveday (Morgan’s dad), Washington Elementary Principal Helen Morgan, Elizabeth Loveday (Morgan’s mom), John Loveday (Morgan’s grandpa), Morgan Loveday, Ohio State Fair Commissioner John Spreng, Ruth Loveday (Morgan’s grandma), Jackson Loveday, Madison Loveday, Ohio Farm Bureau Vice President of Communications Patricia Petzel, and Deputy Director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture Janelle Mead.

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GALLIPOLIS — A Washington Elementary student received high honors and a glamorous oversized check during an assembly held in her honor late last week. Morgan Loveday was one of four statewide award winners in the ‘Ag is Cool’ essay contest sponsored by the Ohio Farm Bureau Association, The Ohio State Fair and the Ohio Department of Agriculture.

All of the sponsoring agencies were represented at the Friday morning assembly during which Loveday, age 10, was awarded $500 for her short essay describing why agriculture is cool.

Loveday said, with evident pride, that she was raised on a farm, just like her dad and grandpa, where she and her family raise beef cattle. Her essay outlined, among other things, a day at the Ohio State Fair. When asked about her favorite part of the trip that inspired her award-winning essay, she referenced the famous Ohio State Fair dairy display.

“The ‘butter cow’ was really cool,” said Loveday.

The ‘butter cow’ is indeed a sculpture of a cow made entirely of butter, a tradition at the Ohio State Fair since the 1920s.

Kim Harless, of the Jackson-Vinton Farm Bureau, said that Loveday has been active in other agricultural events in the region including the Gallia County Ag Awareness Day.

“We are just very pleased that someone from southeast Ohio won this award and is representing our area,” said Harless. “We hope that more kids in the region take advantage of this program in the future.

The other student award winners hailed from Shelby, Union and Deleware counties. A teacher’s lesson plan award of $2,500 went to a teacher in Hilliard, Ohio.

“We are really proud of her,” added Harless. “What an honor.”