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11.01.05

By CAROL KINSLEY

New Castle County Farm Bureau, at its annual banquet in Townsend, Del., on Oct. 10, presented its 2005 Distinguish Service to Agriculture award to Charles A. “Chuck” Hoober. After receiving a marketing degree from Messiah College near Harrisburg, Pa., Hoober returned to work in and learn the family’s ag equipment and service business at Hoober Inc.’s Intercourse store. He is the third generation of Hoobers involved in the operation of the family business started in 1941. In 1989, he came to New Castle County as manager of the Middletown store of Hoober Equipment Co.
Hoober’s support of agriculture goes beyond the operation of the equipment business. His willingness to support other activities by providing a location to hold events such as Day on the Farm, the Mid-Summer Livestock Show, and the Antique Tractor Pull allows these events to be successful. Some involve considerable time and effort of store employees who prepare for the event. Hoober supports the youth of agriculture in 4-H and FFA by supporting scholarships, livestock auctions of youth exhibitors, and fund raising activities of many organizations. He is a member of Maryland Farm Bureau and serves on the Board of Directors of Cecil County Farm Bureau.
Chuck and his wife, Diane, have been married 18 years and have three children: Eric, 13; Rachel, 10; and Marisa, 5. They reside in Elkton, Md.
The George P. Staats family was chosen NCC’s Farm Family of the Year.
George Staats grew up right next door to his present home between Smyrna and Townsend. His father, Perkins Staats, purchased a farm there in the mid-1940s.
As with most farm families, George helped his father as he was growing up and continued working on the farm after finishing school. In 1962, his father had to discontinue farming due to illness, so George purchased the home farm of 250 acres and the beef cows. His operation grew over the next several years and stabilized at approximately 1,200 acres. In 1972, he had the opportunity to purchase Imperial Farms which included a hog operation. However, due to poor market conditions in the late 1990s, the hog operation was discontinued. By 2000, the operation had grown to 4,500 acres of corn, wheat and soybeans.
Like his father before him, George’s son, Ray, grew up in farming and chose agriculture for a career. In 2003, at the age of 65, George turned the management and operation of the farming enterprise over to Ray. With help from his father, Ray now farms 2,700 acres.
George and his wife, Ethel, have been married for 46 years and also have a daughter, Terry Lynn. Ray and his wife, Katrina, have one son and three daughters.
George has been a Farm Bureau member for 38 years and recently left the Board of Directors for the FFA Foundation after serving 30 years. He is a member of the U.S. Trotting Association and serves on the Delaware Harness Racing Commission. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church of Smyrna.
In a speech on the impact of agriculture, Kelsey Lovett, NCC’s in-coming Youth Ambassador, outlined several opportunities for farmers to educate non-farmers on how much agriculture impacts their daily lives.
William and Alicia Blevin tied in the rate of gain contest with their hogs, both of which gained 1.859 pounds per day. The youngsters are members of Clever Clovers 4-H. Robbie Emerson took the FFA honor with his hog.
Brandon Gouge, a 4-Her, was recognized for the rate of gain of his goat.
In the sheep category, Will Powers won 4-H; Katie Powers, FFA. Katie Powers also won for her steer, a 4-H project; and FFAer Fran Gott, for his steer.