In presenting the Innovator of the Year award at Tuesday's annual Blessing of the Crops, Harley Beck with Shea Tractor described the recipient as "not just a business success story, but a story of resilience, faith, family and the enduring spirit of agriculture in our community."
And after accepting the C.C. Murray Innovator of the Year honor, Del Ferguson, president of Hunter Cattle, praised his agricultural colleagues:
"I really want to say thank you to the farmers in this community who accepted us almost 25 years ago," he said. " … I just would like to say in my mind there's a (local) farmer's Hall of Fame of men that taught me the agricultural way of life. They encouraged me and told me things that can't be learned from Google or out of a dictionary.
"I'd like to thank Chap. I'd like to thank Wayne Brannen, Romaine Cartee, Evans Hooks, Charles Conner, Wade McElvin, Fred Blitch and Hank Knight. It's these men that have been an encouragement for me and who have helped us in everything we do."
Ferguson initially started the farm in 2004 as a way to raise grass-fed-only cattle for beef that would not contain any MSG, antibiotics or preservatives of any kind. The business was nearly taken down by the recession of 2008.
Ferguson's daughter Kristen Fretwell shared a story in 2024 about what happened next.
She said she was headed to a business meeting with her father one morning and a whole lot was riding on the meeting. She asked him how he was doing and he replied, "I feel freer than ever."
Stunned, Fretwell asked him how that could be. He told her that after living his life believing that he had to be in control, that he was the one to make everything work, he had finally understood that it was "God who was in control. And that feeling of faith made him free."
Hunter Cattle is now a thriving cattle and pig farm that processes its meat on site, as well. Its meat products have won numerous awards and is shipped to stores all over the southeast.
Along with the Blessing of the Crops prayers, the Chamber announced three Farmer Appreciation awards during the annual event. In addition to Del Ferguson's award, Ricky and Lehman Nevil received the Distinguished Farmer of the Year Award and Jaydon Luke was named the Emerging Farmer of the Year.
Emerging Farmer of the Year
John Scott with Bulloch Solutions presented the Emerging Farmer of the Year Award to Jaydon Luke, a senior at Statesboro High School.
"We are proud to recognize a young leader who represents the very best of the future of agriculture in our community.
"This year's Emerging Farmer of the Year is someone who understands that farming is more than a profession — it's a calling rooted in hard work, innovation and service.
"He has continued to evolve and advance his knowledge in agriculture both in the classroom and on the farm. He farms locally alongside his grandfather and has applied his agricultural mechanics training directly to their operation — repairing machinery and even building new equipment to keep the farm moving forward.
"His dedication to learning, his commitment to community, and his passion for agriculture embody the spirit of this award and the future of farming in Bulloch County."
After initially accepting the award and about to return to his place, Luke turned around and said a few words.
"I want to thank my grandparents and my uncles, especially my grandpa, Morris Briggs," Luke said. "He's been a big influence on my passion in agriculture and mechanical engineering. I'm planning on going to Georgia Tech and earning a master's degree in mechanical engineering. And, being a farmer, helping build a better future and make improvements in agriculture."
Distinguished Farmer of the Year
Brannen Smith with Morris Bank presented the Distinguished Farmer of the Year Award to Ricky and Lehman Nevil, who grow cotton and peanuts on Nevil Farms in Register.
"This award is a testament to the unwavering dedication, tireless efforts and outstanding contributions of an individual who embodies the spirit of excellence in agriculture," Smith said. "… In 1996, he was presented with an opportunity that required both courage and conviction: the chance to rent enough land to farm full-time. Starting with roughly 600 acres, he stepped out in faith and committed fully to agriculture.
"There were difficult seasons and uncertain times, but through perseverance, hard work, and faith, he has been blessed with the opportunity to sustain and grow a lifelong farming career.
"…(His) son has spent nearly his entire life working alongside his father in the fields and now plans to carry the operation forward into the next generation, farming alongside his dad and his own wife."
With his father Ricky unable to attend, Lehman Nevil accepted the award on behalf of his dad.
"It's truly a huge honor to be here today," he said. "We've just been so blessed over the years and we wouldn't be here today without the help of so many people and y'all know who you are. Thanks for the community for coming together today and for just being a huge ag community.
"I'm especially grateful that I'm able to follow in my dad's footsteps. It's been a huge blessing. Farming is not a job to me. It's just a way of life. It's not always easy, but it's always fulfilling."