Barton County Farm Bureau Association held its Annual Meeting on Aug. 17 at the Long Pumpkin Patch.

Seventy members and guests were present for the presentation of the 2019 Barton County Farm Family of the Year to Tom and Kay Burns. Tom’s first term as president of the Association was in 1986 and again in 1997 and 2006. The Burns’ family is very involved in the community and especially with groups or organizations related to agriculture.

Jerry and Lou Ann Morgenstern were honored as the 2019 Century Farm Honorees. To be eligible for this honor an individual must be operating and managing land that has been in the family for 100 years. Jerry’s great-great grandparents lived in Fond Du lac, Wis., in 1879. When they realized there wasn’t enough land available for them on their family farms Mathias Sausen, Jerry’s great-great-grandfather purchased a ticket on the train to Kansas. He purchased land in Barton County in 1884 and this same land has been farmed by the Morgenstern family since then.

Robert and James Debes were named the 2019 Natural Resource honorees. The brothers are true servants and stewards of the land. They recognize the importance of conservation of soil and water as they are essential for sustainable farming practices.

The formal business of the Association was conducted concluding with the election of new officers, Board of Directors and delegates to the Kansas Farm Bureau Annual meeting to be held in Manhattan in December. The board members for the 2019-2020 year are; Roger Long, who will serve as president; Darren Nicolet, vice president; and Sharon Hiss, treasurer. The following members complete the nine-member Board; Tom Burns, Jerry Morgenstern, Dara Prescott, Michael Stueder and newly elected members Kendra Brummer and Melissa Nelson-Baldwin. Jerry Esfeld, Barton County Coordinator, serves as secretary and Kyle Schartz serves as the Association’s PR representative.