H.C.R. 326

House concurrent resolution congratulating the 2005 Vermont Agricultural Hall of Fame inductees

Whereas, in the dairy barn, in the berry patch, across the cornfield, and through the apple orchard and maple grove, farming remains deeply woven into the fabric of the Green Mountain State, and

Whereas, the Vermont Farm Bureau honors individuals who have made an enduring contribution to the state’s agricultural heritage through its annual selection of persons for induction into the Vermont Agricultural Hall of Fame, and

Whereas, in 2005, four outstanding individuals were honored as new inductees, including Harold J. Howrigan Sr. of Fairfield, Dr. Donald Balch of Underhill, United States Senator James Jeffords, and, posthumously, former state Representative Stephanie Bourdeau of Hyde Park, and

Whereas, over the years, Harold J. Howrigan Sr. has served in many dairy industry leadership capacities on the state and federal levels, including chairing the St. Albans Cooperative Creamery’s board of directors for over 15 years, and has been one of Vermont’s premier maple sugar makers, and

Whereas, Dr. Donald Balch has devoted many years to improving the genetic composition of the Morgan horse whose long and proud history originated in Vermont and, in 1961, was designated by the General Assembly as the Vermont state animal, and

Whereas, U.S. Senator James Jeffords has been a stalwart agricultural advocate as a state senator, U.S. Congressman, and U.S. Senator, and he has worked tirelessly for four decades on behalf of Vermont’s farmers, and

Whereas, the Vermont Farm Bureau inducted posthumously into the Vermont Agricultural Hall of Fame former State Representative Stephanie Bourdeau who, as a legislator from Hyde Park, was a hard-working advocate and strong voice for her farming colleagues and their concerns, and

Whereas, each of these inductees developed a special relationship with Vermont’s agricultural community, now therefore be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives:

That the General Assembly congratulates the 2005 Vermont Agricultural Hall of Fame inductees, and be it further

Resolved:  That the secretary of state be directed to send a copy of this resolution to Harold J. Howrigan Sr. in Fairfield, to Dr. Donald Balch of Underhill, to Senator James M. Jeffords, to Andre Bourdeau in Hyde Park, and to the Vermont Farm Bureau in Richmond.

              Attested to:

Brian E. Dubie                                             Donald G. Milne

President of the Senate                              Clerk, House of Representatives