12/03/02
By SHARON MORGAN
For more than 25 years, Ron Jester has been a crusader for safety, and he has been recognized at the county, state, regional and national levels. Most recently, Jester received the 2002 Distinguished Service to Agriculture award from the Sussex County Farm Bureau (SCFB.) The organization’s annual fall meeting and banquet took place Nov. 9 at the Fire Hall in Bridgeville, Del., and the award was presented by SCFB President Burton Messick.
Jester was born and raised in Laurel, Del., where he and his wife, Elaine, still reside. In 1969, he graduated from the University of Delaware with a bachelor’s degree in ag engineering, and went on to earn a master’s from Purdue University in 1971.
Jester joined the University of Delaware’s Cooperative Extension program in 1975, and currently serves as its Extension safety specialist.
“Ron has dedicated his career to educating the community and farmers about the importance of safety,” the SCFB president said. “Over the years, he has published several articles on farm safety and injury prevention.”
Jester has worked with farmers on everything from the safe operation of ag equipment to pesticide safety for both farmers and applicators. He has presented programs on safety to students and adults, with topics including bike and pedestrian safety.
Jester has won numerous awards, including the Delaware Safe Kids Leadership Award, the Delaware State Grange Community Citizen Award; and the Merit Award from the Farm Bureau for his contributions to ag safety and health programs in the Northeast. Last year, Jester was named Safety Professional of the Year by the American Society of Safety Engineers.
Currently, Jester serves as executive director of the Delmarva Safety Association, working with industry on a variety of safety-related issues.
The SCFB presented its prestigious “Farm Family of the Year” award to the LeRoy Messick family of Seaford.
Both LeRoy Messick and his wife, Evelyn, grew up on poultry farms. The couple has grown roasters with Perdue Farms for at least 25 years, and now, their son, Allen, who is part of the family business known as Messick Farms, is following in their footsteps. Allen’s brother, Kirk, worked on the farm for a time, but now has two businesses of his own — Messick Electric, and a home construction business known as Messick and Johnson.
Crops grown on Messick Farm include corn, soybeans and wheat.
Mr. and Mrs. Messick enjoy sharing their love of agriculture and their time with young people. They have served as volunteer 4- H leaders for 32 years, first with the State Line 4-H Club and now as Sussex County 4-H leaders.
Mrs. Messick serves on the Delaware Farm Bureau State Women’s Committee, and both LeRoy and Allen serve on the Farm Bureau Board.
For 27 years, LeRoy Messick worked at duPont, while continuing to farm. He retired from the company in 1985.
Mr. and Mrs. Messick attend Wesley United Methodist Church near Seaford.
In their spare time, the couple enjoys attending farm shows from Pennsylvania to Washington State.
They are avid collectors of an assortment of relics from the past. One of Messick’s passions is tractors. He restored the first new tractor his father ever purchased — a 195I Oliver. Messick won a plaque when he displayed it at the 1996 Apple Scrapple Festival in Bridgeville. He also has restored a 1953 Golden Jubilee Ford tractor.
Dusti Vanderwende of Greenwood was named Sussex County Farm Bureau Ambassador. Like her winning counterparts in Kent and New Castle counties, she read her essay on how agriculture has changed since Sept. 11, 2001. The teenager will vie for the title of DFB Ambassador to be named at the State Farm Bureau banquet on Dec. 5.
Vanderwende was introduced by the chairperson of the SCFB Women’s Committee, Laura Hill.
“Dusti is the daughter of Doug and Debbie Vanderwende. She grew up on her family’s grain and poultry farm, where she also raised sheep,” Mrs. Hill said.
Vanderwende is a senior at Woodbridge High School, where she is active in several organizations including the FFA, Dublin Hill 4-H Club, National Honor Society, the French Club and Key Club. She also is an athlete, and takes part in field hockey, track and softball
“Even with all of her activities, Dusti is ranked first in her graduating class,” Mrs. Hill said.
The SCFB also celebrated another year of growth, once again exceeding its membership quota. For that accomplishment, President Burton Messick was presented with a jacket by DFB President, Robert Baker.
Also at its fall banquet, SCFB presented “best rate of gain” awards to 4-Hers and FFA members who raised sheep, swine, meat goats and beef cattle as market animal projects for this year’s Delaware State Fair. The animals were weighed in the spring and again prior to the start of the fair. Sussex county recipients of the “best rate of gain” awards were: Kelly Rieley and John Passwaters for sheep; and, for market hogs, Clayton Perry.