GAINESVILLE - The annual Greather Hall Chamber of Commerce Agribusiness Awards were presesnted at the Hall County Farm Bureau building Wednesday morning.<br>
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These awards are coordinated by the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce, the Hall County Extension Service, and the Hall County Farm Bureau.<br>
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Howard Cooper received the Friend of Agriculture Award; Mar-Jac Poultry, Agribusiness of the Year; and, Bob Whitmire, Farmer of the Year.<br>
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This year's Agriculture Hall of Fame inductees are: the late Dan Whitaker, an original organizer of the Hall County Farmers Market;<br>
Clyde Outz, retired Agriculture Educator and FFA instructor; and, Abit Massey, Executive Director of the Georgia Poultry Federation.<br>
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Hall County and Gainesville City School students were honored for the awards they received on the state level for the Ag Day Art & Essay Contests sponsored by the Georgia Department of Agriculture. <br>
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Heather McDonald, an 11th grader at Chestatee High School, was honored for winning second place for her entry in the Art Contest (grades 9-12). Sam Justus, a 5th grader at Lula Elementary, took first-place honors<br>
for his essay entry (grades 4-8). <br>
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Other students from Chestatee High School, Lula Elementary, and Fair Street Elementary were also honored for their "Honorable Mention" awards in art and essay in the state- sponsored contest.