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Heuermann began breeding hybrid corn on his family's farm in 1942 while attending the University of Nebraska. This venture took him from starting his own hybrid production company in 1962 to launching a company that now sells popcorn worldwide after officially "retiring" in 1990.
The banquet will begin with a 5:15 p.m. social hour followed by a 6 p.m. buffet dinner at the Nebraska East Union on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln East Campus. The banquet costs $20 per person and is open to the public. The deadline for reservations is April 17. To make reservations or for more information, contact Linda Arnold at (402) 472-3802.
Heuermann got his start as a college student after convincing his father to lend him $12 to buy foundation seed to plant two acres of hybrid seed corn. This caught the neighbors' attention, and he began producing hybrid seed for them as well. As demand for hybrid seed grew, Heuermann expanded production into hybrid wheat, sorghum, soybeans and other seeds, built a seed production plant at Phillips and started Prairie Valley Hybrids. The company was sold in 1979 to Stauffer Chemical Co., now owned by Novartis.
Heuermann worked for Stauffer until he retired in 1990. He began experimenting with popcorn production on his own in 1982. In 1992, his BKH Popcorn Inc. distributed its first popcorn product. BKH's products now are sold worldwide and it continues to be a family company.
Heuermann and his wife, Norma, contribute to numerous philanthropic causes and were named founding members of the President's Club of the University of Nebraska Foundation in 1984 for their support of applied agronomy research.
Heuermann was named the Premier Seed Grower in 1968 by the Nebraska Crop Improvement Association and served as president of the Nebraska Seedsman's Association. He was recognized as Nebraska Entrepreneur of the Year and named to the Nebraska Business Hall of Fame by the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce.
Nine to be inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Agricultural Achievement
The Nebraska Hall of Agricultural Achievement, formed in 1916, has nearly 200 members statewide dedicated to preserving and improving Nebraska agriculture. Each year, the group recognizes at least one honoree and elects new members. This year's new members are:
Don Adams, interim district director of UNL's West Central Research and Extension Center at North Platte, is widely known for his research and education programs on cow-calf production. Under his leadership, the Gundmundsen Sandhills Laboratory near Whitman, Neb., evolved into a nationally known research and demonstration facility.
Linda Boeckner, nutrition specialist and family and consumer science program coordinator at UNL's Panhandle Research and Extension Center at Scottsbluff, developed nationally recognized programs for youth and adults. Her concerns about the impact of aging on rural communities led to partnerships to address the nutritional, financial, health and services of this population.
Victor Bohuslavsky is executive director of the Nebraska Soybean Board and farms in the Brainard area. He's been active in soybean promotion since the 1980s. He is instrumental in promoting soy biodiesel, is active in the United Soybean Board and the America Soybean Association, and works internationally to promote soy products.
Roy Dinsdale of Palmer, chairman of Pinnacle Bankcorp Inc., has been a part of his family's farming and cattle feeding business all his life. The family's banking ventures began in small rural communities where they are characterized for their strong commitment and support of local and civic projects. Dinsdale serves on several boards, including the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Omaha National Bank and First National Bank in Grand Island. He also is a member of the NU Foundation's Presidents Club and Cornhusker Beef Council.
Daniel Duncan became director of the university's Agricultural Research and Development Center near Mead in 1991 and assumed added responsibilities as assistant director of the Agricultural Research Division in 2004. He was a partner in his family's farming/ranching enterprise until 1986. He is credited with leading the ARDC to become a world-class agricultural research facility and helped develop the university's Barta Brother Ranch.
Mary Pat Finn-Hoag, farm editor of the Norfolk Daily News, was raised on a purebred livestock farm on the Cedar-Wayne county line. Shortly after graduating from Wayne State College, she went to work for the Daily News where she's been the farm editor for 28 years. Known for her agricultural feature stories and in-depth reporting, she also covers 4-H and FFA events and annually publishes a 4-H special edition for the 23-county northeast Nebraska coverage area.
Derrel Martin, a professor of biological systems engineering at UNL, grew up at Benkelman. He has earned a national and international reputation in water and irrigation system management. His research, which focuses on greater efficiency while improving environmental consequences, has earned several million dollars in grants and contracts. An award-winning teacher, he also is skilled at creating partnerships to solve problems and enhance productivity. Milton Rogers, a life-long agriculturalist in Deuel County, owns and operates Milton Rogers Dryland Farms, a wheat and small grain enterprise. Since 2001, he has served as chairman of Nebraska's five-member Farm Service Agency State Committee. He contributes extensively to policy development and trade initiatives at state, national and international levels. He's served on the Nebraska Farm Bureau board and as chairman of Farmers Elevator Co. in Chappell. Roy Smith of Plattsmouth operated a grain and livestock enterprise in Cass County from 1968 until 2003. He is the grain market commentator for "Market Journal," UNL Extension's weekly program on NET and the Web, senior grain market analyst for Agriculture Online, a Successful Farming Web site, and is a regular contributor to the magazine. He has served on the Nebraska Soybean Association board of directors and serves on the USDA Futures and Options Pilot Project Advisory Committee.
Sandi Alswager Karstens
IANR News Service
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