By Tanner Hood

Two farmers and an Extension trailblazer were inducted to the Alabama Agriculture Hall of Honor Feb. 28 in Auburn, while three industry leaders posthumously received Pioneer Awards.  

The Auburn Agricultural Alumni Club hosted the annual awards program, which honors leaders for significant contributions to Alabama agriculture, said club Past President Brian Hardin. 

“One of the great privileges of serving as president has been getting to know these men and their families while honoring their dedication to agriculture,” said Hardin, also the Alabama Farmers Federation’s External Affairs Department director. “These men have stood the test of time and are the face of resilience while having consistently found ways to support Alabama farmers.”

Cattle and poultry proponent Galen Grace was hailed in the agribusiness category. Soybean researcher Dr. John Henderson was honored for work in education/government, while the production category award went to catfish farmer Bill Kyser.

Originally from Walker County, Grace spent most of his professional career in the poultry and animal health industry following graduation from Auburn University (AU). He served in leadership for the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association, Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, Southeastern Livestock Exposition and more. Grace was the longtime, ringside voice of the Jr. Livestock Expo beef cattle show, a position he retired from in 2024. 

Henderson’s childhood in Tallapoosa County led him to AU, where he received a bachelor’s in animal science and a master’s in soil and plant science. After working out of state, Henderson returned to Auburn as an Extension agronomist. As soybeans became popular in the late 1960s, Henderson assembled the Extension “Bean Team” to help farmers and county specialists face new challenges. Henderson was known for realistic practices backed by research and personal experience. 

Kyser’s claim to catfish fame began in Hale County when his father built Alabama’s first commercial catfish ponds in 1967. Kyser’s interest drove him to AU, where he received the school’s first bachelor’s degree in fisheries and allied aquaculture. He returned to Greensboro, where Kyser Family Farms grew into a catfish industry leader with 750 acres of ponds and yearly production upward of 4 million pounds. Kyser previously served on the Federation state board and was 2014 Catfish Farmer of the Year. In addition, he has served on boards for the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, Catfish Farmers of America and First South Farm Credit.

Additionally, farmer Glenn Forrester and horticulturalist father-son duo Sidney and Glenn Meadows were honored with Pioneer Awards. 

After working in the agriculture industry for 20 years, AU graduate Forrester began working on his family’s Houston County farm in 1984. Forrester and his brothers diversified the farm into cattle, row crop, peanut, vegetable, catfish, sod and hay production. An Alabama Farm of Distinction, Forrester Farms is most known for its peanut seed production and distribution, which once served over 100 customers in six states. 

A native of Louisiana and a World War II veteran, Sidney Meadows enjoyed an extraordinary 40-year career in the nursery industry. His accomplishments include growing Flowerwood Nursery to new heights, serving as president of the Alabama Nursery & Landscape Association, serving on Southern Nursery Association’s board and helping found the International Plant Propagators Society Southern Region of North America. 

Glenn Meadows followed in his father’s footsteps, earning an agricultural education degree from AU and returning to Flowerwood Nursery. Glenn managed the nursery for 25 years, developing innovative systems for plant and weed control with improved harvesting and shipping techniques.