Illinois Agri-Women Announce 2018 Award Winners
Illinois Agri-Women recognized three women who continue to make significant contributions to Illinois agriculture each and every day. The 2018 award winners were recognized at the 2018 Illinois State Fair Ag Day on Tuesday, August 14. They include Ruth Hambleton – Illinois Agri-Women Hall of Fame, Susan Wall – Illinois Agri-Women Outstanding Illinois Woman Farmer and Mallory Tolley – Illinois Agri-Women Outstanding Agribusiness Woman.
Ruth Hambleton, is being recognized as an Illinois Agri-Women Hall of Fame winner for her passion, dedication, and devotion to Annie’s Project, the nationally recognized educational program geared towards women involved in production agriculture. Hambleton is the founder of Annie’s Project which has grown from an Illinois initiative into a vibrant nationwide program.
Annie’s project has over 15,000 women alumni from across the United States, and even Turkey. Since its inception, Annie’s Project has also added a second-level course, “Managing for Today and Tomorrow,” which focuses on business, estate, retirement, and succession planning.
Hambleton is past president of Illinois Agri-Women, president of the Annie’s Project Board of Directors, a former 4-H leader, a member of the AAW 2018 Convention Planning Committee, and an instructor at SIU-Carbondale teaching a farm management course.
Susan Wall, is the Outstanding Illinois Woman Farmer. She works with her husband, Don, on their farm near Sorento. They farm about 1,000 acres of corn and soybeans, raise beef cattle, and also have a hay business. They have worked together for more than 44 years enduring floods, droughts, tornadoes, and the death of animals.
All three of their children were active in 4-H and FFA and as adults are in agricultural-related fields. Susan also helps at the Marcoot Jersey Creamery when she is needed.
Wall has given back to the agricultural community by serving as past president of Illinois Agri-Women. She recently accepted the challenge of being the Convention Chairman for the American Agri-Women Convention in Springfield on November 15-17, 2018.
Mallory Tolley is the Outstanding Agribusiness Woman. She began teaching high school agriculture in 2010. She recently completed her second year teaching and serving as FFA advisor at Knoxville High School. She entered with great visions of how the agriculture program could be expanded and improved. In just two years, she has revived and brought new excitement to the students, the school, and the community.
Tolley has sought funds and approval to add classroom tools, including a plasma cutting machine, expanding the curriculum, and providing students with new opportunities. Noticing many students with potential to achieve awards and degrees through the FFA organization, she encourages students to keep proper records, and provides guidance as students explore ways to develop projects.
In an effort to teach students the value of giving and community, Tolley creates ways for students to serve. For one project, students planted flowers in large pots and delivered to area businesses in the spring. In the fall, students collected pots and the project is repeated annually. In another effort, she and her students spent many hours improving the landscape at the Knox County Fairgrounds, including planting flowers and caring for them throughout the summer. She further incorporated the community by organizing an alumni chapter and initiating an annual FFA Banquet for students, parents, and community members who support Knoxville FFA.
Tolley’s passion for agriculture has always run deep. She excels in this role as she finds ways to instill the same passion she has in others.
