The North Dakota Agricultural Hall of Fame Committee has selected two inductees to the North Dakota Agricultural Hall of Fame for 2011.
They are Gregg Halverson of Forest River, ND and the late Howard Olson of Fargo, ND.
Gregg Halverson is the Past Chairman of Northern Plains Potato Growers Association and is president and CEO of Black Gold Farms, the world's largest producer of fresh crop chipping potatoes, a family-owned potato growing and marketing organization headquartered in Grand Forks, ND.
Mr. Halverson was born and raised near Forest River, ND, and graduated from Midway High School in 1967 and NDSU with a degree in agriculture in 1971.
He has been employed in the family operation since high school.
Potatoes were first grown by the Halverson family in 1928 by his grandfather.
Gregg founded "Black Gold Farms"while a student at Midway High School.
He owned and managed a nationally recognized Registered Angus cattle herd and Black Gold Farms showed champion breeding stock across the United States and Canada.
Black Gold Farms specializes in potato production with eleven production locations spread from North Dakota to several other states growing about 17,000 acres of potatoes plus a number of other crops.
Mr. Halverson's community service includes past president of the ND Angus Association as well as Northwest Farm Managers Association.
Gregg is the 2010 recipient of the Agribusiness Award from the NDSU Alumni Association.
He has received the Alpha Gamma Rho Outstanding Alumnus Award, the North Dakota Outstanding Young Farmer award and the Meritorious Service Award from the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association and the Industry Award from the World Potato Congress.
Black Gold introduced the first successful bulk handling and transport system of chip potatoes to the Peoples Republic of China.
Mr. Halverson has been involved in the Research Committee of the Northern Plains Potato Growers Association and the Environmental Affairs Committee of the National Potato Council.
Howard Olson was instrumental in the development of the current Williston Experiment Station and in the establishment and development of the Carrington Experiment Station.
Mr. Olson grew up on a farm near Sheldon, ND, graduated from Sheldon High School in 1938, and from NDAC (NDSU) in 1948 with a B.S. degree in Agricultural Engineering.
He completed his education with a Master of Science Degree in Agricultural Engineering from Utah State University in 1950.
During WWII he served in the Navy and later was one of three North Dakotans who served on the cruiser USS Fargo.
Howard has made many contributions to research in ND crop production and irrigation.
Water development has been a major interest throughout his career.
Mr. Olson developed the Williston station with an insight for production agriculture in an arid region that serves western North Dakota today.
In the late 1950's he was asked to develop a bare section of land near Carrington, ND, into an irrigation research site for potatoes, grains and livestock.
The station has demonstrated not only the latest research and irrigated production, but horticulture and tree belt plantings.
It has also served as a model of farmstead planning and has become a showplace facility heavily visited by state, national and international individuals, groups and organizations.
The station also developed a livestock research unit and opened a satellite research site at Oakes, ND.
Much of North Dakota's irrigated acreage came into being after results from the Carrington and Oakes sites became public information.
After his retirement he further represented the needs of NDSU and North Dakota Agriculture to the ND Legislature for several sessions.
Mr. Olson's awards include the Water Master Award from the ND Irrigation Districts Association, the Upper Missouri Water Users Association Honor Award, the Alpha Zeta Agriculturist of the Year Award, the NDSU Honored Alumnus Award, the GNDA Agricultural Award, the Mr. Irrigation of North Dakota Award in recognition of a lifetime of service to community, state and nation by the Garrison Diversion Conservancy District and the Honorary Doctor of Science Degree from NDSU.
Source: NPPGA News
