The History of the Michigan Farmers Hall of Fame
In May of 1982, Barry County farmer Bill Aukerman was listening to the radio on his tractor, a story about football players being inducted into their sport’s hall of fame. He found himself thinking that farm couples deserved to be honored similarly for their hard work and contributions to advancing Michigan agriculture.
Aukerman enlisted the help of (then) Congressman Howard Wolpe, family, friends and attorney. They established a board of directors and incorporated. They sold everything from memberships to buffalo chips to raise money for the cause. Letters were sent out to Michigan farming counties. That fall, 4 long-time Michigan farm couples were inducted into the fledgling Hall of Fame in a ceremony held at Prairieville Farm Days.
The Board wanted to design a permanent building for the Hall of Fame. Aukerman donated three acres of land on which a special barn and silo were built in 1986 to house the photos of inductees and other agriculture artifacts.
Several farm couples from across Michigan were inducted each year into the Hall of Fame. Farm Days were held at the site for many years, with hundreds of farmers camping there for the weekend to partake in activities. But funding and operations continued to be a challenge.
After 24 years with the project, Aukerman turned over leadership of the Hall of Fame to his son, John. However, that only delayed what seemed to be the eminent demise of the Michigan Farmers’ Hall of Fame. The last group of farm couples was inducted in 2010.
In late 2015, a Calhoun County couple, Harry and Sharon Pratley, heard of the Hall of Fame’s fate. Sharon, whose parents had been Hall of Fame inductees I was dismayed the Hall of Fame site was changing hands, which would leave the Hall of Fame inductee photos and information homeless. The Pratley’s took the information to the Fredonia Grange #1713 in Marshall and asked for help.
A crew of Grange volunteers cleaned up the photographs and frames. A preliminary board of directors was established and with the blessing of the Calhoun County Agriculture and Industrial Society (CCAIS), the photographs were hung in the Belcher Building at the Calhoun County Fairgrounds.
While the Michigan Farmers’ Hall of Fame was administratively re-established in 2016, new inductions did not take place until Labor Day Weekend of 2017, when Velmar & Margaret Green of Clinton County and Roger & Marcia Lewis of Hillsdale County were inducted as part of two days of farming-related festivities.
Transition Process
Harry and Sharon Pratley (left) of Battle Creek have enjoyed getting to know Bill and Maggie Aukerman of Delton during the process of transferring the Michigan Farmers’ Hall of Fame from Barry County to the Calhoun County Fairgrounds. The Aukermans will ride with the Pratley’s during the annual Fair Parade on Sunday and attend the 11 AM August 15, 2016 ribbon cutting ceremony for the newly-resurrected Michigan Farmers’ Hall of Fame.
Saving the Photos
Bonnie and Jack Rocco of Coldwater are shown working on the clean-up and restoration of over 200 photos of past inductees into the Michigan Farmers’ Hall of Fame.
Sealing the Deal
Claude Laing of Marshall spent hours at the Fredonia Grange Hall putting new backs on the Michigan Farmers’ Hall of Fame photos that are to hang in the Belcher Building at the Calhoun County Fairgrounds.
