Texas Farm Bureau honors Jim Nance with Pioneer Award

SAN ANTONIO, Texas—For his many years of service and dedication, Jim Nance was recognized with the Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) staff Pioneer Award during TFB’s 80th Annual Meeting today.

“Jim Nance served the members, leaders and staff of Texas Farm Bureau for over 20 years,” TFB President Kenneth Dierschke said. “We’re proud to honor him with the Pioneer Award for his dedication to Texas Farm Bureau and to Texas agriculture.”

Nance joined the TFB staff in 1989 as a field representative in South Texas. In 1990, he was promoted to lead field representative for the southern half of Texas.

The Texas A&I University graduate was appointed director of Field Operations on Dec. 1, 1995 and moved to the TFB headquarters in Waco. Under Nance’s direction, the TFB fieldstaff numbers were increased following the voting delegates’ approval of the Project 2000 plan. Significant changes were made as a result that led to fieldstaff providing more assistance to county Farm Bureau (CFB) presidents and their boards.

An ardent advocate for strong county Farm Bureaus, Nance pushed for CFBs to carry out purpose activities in promoting agriculture. He pushed for county offices to develop and approve annual budgets that allowed funds to be used in promoting agriculture.

He was also responsible for implementing the TFB board-approved concept of Mobile Learning Barns. The project has allowed thousands of school-aged children and adults across the state to have a first-hand glimpse of Texas agriculture.

Nance’s greatest contribution to the grassroots farming organization has been his recruitment, hiring and mentoring of young agriculture professionals.

TFB’s Pioneer Award honors one outstanding Texas farmer or rancher in each of the organization’s 13 districts, as well as one staff member. Winners are chosen annually by a panel of their peers for their exceptional contributions to agriculture and Texas Farm Bureau.

Staff Pioneer Jim Nance