LEWISBURG, WV (07/01/2010)(readMedia)– The Butler Farm and patriarch/matriarch Bill and JoAnn Butler of Inwood, WV, have been selected as the 2010 Farming Heritage Award recipient. The award is sponsored by the State Fair of West Virginia and the West Virginia Farm Bureau and presented to a worthy family who has demonstrated a commitment to a rural lifestyle, been involved in their community, and served as role models to others in the state of West Virginia.
Four generations of the Butler Family have toiled the fields and orchards of the 1,500 acre Apple/Beef Cattle Farm and Sportsman Hunting Preserve located in Southern Berkeley County. Currently Bill Butler and son Todd Butler care for this land entrusted to them.Their beautiful farm is seen by many folks as a quiet oasis and a living history of a farm family that models the characteristics of what the Farming Heritage Award is all about. The farm appears pristine with its original farmhouse, barns and cattle gates . Yet, it is modern in its operational endeavors. The well maintained farmhouse, fences and buildings with beautiful fields and orchards make a bold statement that the Butler Family is dedicated to farming and are maintaining the farm for generations to come.
The Butler Family has a legacy of community service, being a role model in their involvement in Berkeley County Farm Bureau, 4-H, FFA, Lion’s, Fairs and Festivals, WVU Extension Service, their church and their community.
The Butler Family will participate in the Heritage Award Ceremony held on Thursday, August 19, “Governor’s Day” at the State Fair. Their award will be presented by State Fair President John Wilson and West Virginia Farm Bureau President Charles Wilfong. The Honorable Governor Joe Manchin, III and the Honorable Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass will address the group and participate in the awards ceremony. Also included in the award package is a day at the Fair including overnight accommodations, free admission, and preferred parking, as well as an engraved Natural Stone award for indoor or outdoor display.
For more information on the Farming Heritage Award, as well as information on the 2010 State Fair of West Virginia, please visit www.statefairofwv.com.
The State Fair of West Virginia, with an $8.9 million dollar economic impact on Greenbrier County, is a 501 © 3 non-profit corporation committed to the traditions of agriculture, family entertainment, and education. For more information, please visit www.statefairofwv.com.
