RIO GRANDE - It was a banner night for one family that has devoted itself to agriculture and sound land conservation practices for generations at the annual Gallia Soil and Water Conservation recognition banquet Thursday at Buckeye Hills Career Center.

Not only was veteran SWCD Supervisor Noel Massie honored as he completed his fourth term on the board of supervisors, but his son Rob, daughter-in-law Connie and their children were recognized as the SWCD's Outstanding Farm Family for 2006.

Noel Massie, who opted not to seek a fifth three-year term as supervisor, was recognized by the Raccoon Creek watershed improvement project for his efforts to launch a clean-up of the creek that began in 1997.

In the decade that has passed, 62 miles of the creek have been cleaned of acid drainage from nearby abandoned mines and the creek's lower section in Gallia County, close to Noel Massie's Green Township farm, has the cleanest water quality around, said Brett Laverty, the watershed project manager.

“He has been an advocate all of his life and he got the proverbial ball rolling,” Laverty said about Massie, who saw the water quality improvement effort he had championed for years come to fruition during his tenure as a supervisor.

“Without his vision, we would not have what we have now,” Laverty said.

Massie was also recognized in a congressional citation issued by U.S. Rep. Ted Strickland upon the completion of his term. The citation was presented by Strickland representative Judy Newman.

Later in the evening, Rob and Connie Massie and their children - Heath, Travis, Erica and Adam - were hailed for their dedication to agriculture and to the land.

In thanking the SWCD for the top farm family honor, Rob Massie said that while he and his wife have had to take other jobs in addition to running their Springfield Township farm, he prefers to devote his time solely to farming.

“My heart's in agriculture and in the farming business, and it's where I'd rather be than anywhere else,” he said.

Rob's brother Tim, now assistant principal at Gallia Academy High School, is the former FFA chapter advisor at GAHS and continues as secretary of the Gallia County Agricultural Society. Their mother Kathryn is the society's assistant treasurer. Like Tim, Rob is a former president of the society.

Rob and Connie Massie, cooperators with the SWCD since 1980, were hailed for continuing “to practice conservation on their farm by using minimum-till and no-till methods of planting grain crops and forages on highly erodible fields and using conservation-minded crop rotations,” according to the citation prepared by the SWCD.

In balloting prior to the banquet, Robert L. Woodward was elected to succeed Noel Massie as supervisor, while Joe L. Dailey was reelected to a new term as supervisor.

Also in the running for the posts were Bryan “BJ” Cox and Angela Stout Owens.

Named the Outstanding Cooperator for 2006 were William and Brenda Cade, whose Waterloo-area Seven Springs Farm has participated in several conservation practices, including five spring developments, five livestock tanks and 1,200 feet of pipeline in the year since they became cooperators.

The Cades plan to install other conservation-related improvements to the farm, named for the seven springs that have helped the Cades get through several droughts.

Michele Black of Green Township was named the 2006 Farm Woman of the Year. A Kentucky native, she and her husband, Dr. Dan Black, came to Gallia County in 1989, when she decided to become a full-fledged farmer.

She operates a 100-acre ranch where purebred show pigs, grazing beef, and cows and calves are raised. In addition to her farm activities, Black is active in the First Presbyterian Church, Ariel-Dater Performing Arts Centre and the Gallia County 4-H program.

The Distinguished Service Award was presented to Mike Allen of Gallipolis, “the best-dressed office supply salesman in Gallia County,” according to the citation, for assisting the SWCD in its office administrative needs.

A former retail clothing business owner, Allen later went to work for Mourning Office Supply, now Value Added Business Services. His sales territory covers four counties, including Gallia.

In other awards issued at the banquet, the 2006 Big Tree Contest winner, nominated by Josie, Seth and Lydia Jones, is a 112-foot Eastern Cottonwood owned by Merrill Evans on White Road. The award is co-sponsored by the SWCD and O.O. McIntyre Park District.

The 2006 education scholarship winner is James Patrick Saunders, son of Matt and Noreen Saunders of Gallipolis. Saunders is currently majoring in agribusiness and applied economics with a minor in animal sciences at Ohio State University.

The scholarship was accepted by his father.

The Educator Award went to Lynnita Edmonds, a veteran teacher at the Guiding Hand School, who was nominated by the local SWCD for Conservation Teacher of the Year for Ohio.

While Edmonds did not win, judges impressed with her efforts awarded her a first time-ever honorable mention “for her exceptional program targeting special needs students and their conservation education,” according to the citation.

Local soils judging winners recognized are:

Individual AG - Chaz Russell, Gallia Academy High School, first place; Tyler Handley, GAHS, second; Justin Saxon, River Valley High School, third.

Individual Urban - Chaz Russell, first; Tyler Handley, second; Ryan Eggleton, RVHS, third.

AG Team - Chaz Russell, Tyler Handley and Nicole Taylor, GAHS, 1163.

Urban Team - Chaz Russell, Tyler Handley and Kaitlin Angell, GAHS, 1713.

Hay award winners were:

Class I, Legume Hay - Courtney Saxon, Gallia Patriot Pride 4-H, first; Ann Saxon, Gallia Patriot Pride, second; Dwight Saxon, Gallia Patriot Pride, third.

Class II, Grass Hay - Evan Wood, Hope's Helping Hands 4-H, first; Haley Angell, French City 4-H, second; Cody Call, Gallia Guys & Gals 4-H, third.

Class III, Mixed Hay - Craig Romine, South Gallia FFA, first.

The overall hay winner was Evan Wood.

Nick Denbow of Green Elementary School was first place winner in the first grade coloring contest, with Morgan Watson of Green Elementary placing second.