Woody Larson, Dennis Wedgworth and Jack Vogel to be inducted during ceremony in February in Tampa.
Three new inductees into the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame[1] were announced this month.
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson[2] along with the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame Foundation announced this month that Woody Larson, Dennis Wedgworth and Jack Vogel will be inducted into the institution in 2026. The Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame was established in 1980 to honor Floridians who have made contributions to the agricultural industry in the state through mentoring youth and represent the future of the agricultural industry.
“Florida agriculture is stronger today because of leaders like Woody Larson, Dennis Wedgworth, and Jack Vogel,” said Simpson. “Each of these inductees represents the very best of our industry — visionary leadership, service to community, and a lifelong commitment to ensuring agriculture remains at the heart of Florida’s economy and way of life.”
The three will be inducted during a ceremony at the Florida State Fair’s Agricultural Hall of Fame Banquet on Feb. 10 at the Entertainment Hall in Tampa.
Larson is a longtime dairy and cattle farmer in Florida. He, along with his wife Grace, have built a business that’s expanded into beef and conservation enterprises. Larson is the General Manager of Larson Dairy Inc. and he is credited with creating milk programs that generated about $9 million in research for youth programs among other contributions.
Wedgworth has been steeped in the agricultural industry for about 50 years and worked for the U.S. Sugar Corp. at one point and then joined his family’s fertilizer company in 1977. He helped guide the company into the state’s largest fertilizer blender which produces about 350,000 tons each year. He also helped develop software and launched the company Summit Nutrients helping to mold Florida’s plant nutrition industry among other contributions.
Vogel has been enmeshed in Florida’s forestry industry for half a century. He’s been a member of the Florida Forestry Association[3] for most of his career and served twice as President of that organization’s board. He’s the only person to do that. He was also the co-founder of Natural Resource Planning Services and contributed to conservation of lands by incorporating easements. He’s also served in the Florida Department of Environmental Protection as well as other state organizations among other contributions to the state’s agricultural industry.
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References
- ^ Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame (floridaaghalloffame.org)
- ^ Wilton Simpson (www.fdacs.gov)
- ^ Florida Forestry Association (flforestry.org)