CANFIELD — Agriculture has been a cornerstone of growth and development since Mahoning County was formed in 1846, and the Mahoning County Agriculture Hall of Fame is honoring those who have made a significant impact.

Inductees this year are Dorothy “Pearle” Hartley Burlingame, James Clay “JC” Hedge, Jesse and Roger Martig, Clifford A. Morrison, David C. Myers and Wade Wehr.

“These are all people who have had a significant impact on agriculture in Mahoning County,” fair Director Elwood Woolman said. “After all, we are all about agriculture.”

The induction ceremonies will take place 11 a.m. Wednesday on the Canfield Fair concourse stage located near the grandstand.

The Mahoning County Agricultural Society is the governing body of the Canfield Fair and fairgrounds.

Last year was the inaugural hall of fame that saw Darrel A. Bacon, Chester Bedell, Vernon E. Crouse, Elden R. Groves, J. Paul Good, William B. Phillips, David and Joanna Witmer and Paul D. Witmer inducted.

About this year’s inductees:

• Dorothy “Pearle” Hartley Burlingame has worn many hats as she has been active in and served the rural community in Mahoning County, northeast Ohio and well beyond.

In 1976, she and her husband Jerry purchased their dairy, beef and crop farm in Beaver Township from her parents who had bought the farm in 1948.

Pearle Burlingame was crowned 4-H queen at the Canfield Fair in 1962. Her future then took her to become a Peace Corps volunteer in the Ivory Coast, West Africa, where she used her agricultural background for two years teaching village women literacy, health and nutrition.

She was a volunteer in Mahoning County Farm Bureau, where she coordinated many service events. One of the more memorable events was a hay drive in 1985 in which local farmers sent hay to drought-stricken North Carolina farmers. In 1986, she became the director of Mahoning County Farm Bureau, a post she held for 26 years.

Activities are membership in Farm Bureau, Northeast Ohio Forestry Association, volunteer judge for Mahoning County 4-H and Canfield Fair home economics and food projects, Farm Bureau Women’s Club, and Go-fer Farm Bureau Council and a recipient of the 1993 Ohio 4-H Alumni Award. She was politically active locally, statewide and nationally on agricultural issues.

• James Clay “JC” Hedge was born April 25, 1888. Hedge served as the Mahoning County Extension agent from 1923 until 1957. His 33 years of service is the longest term of service of any extension agent to date.

During his service, American agriculture went through advancements from horses to tractors, and moved into hybrids, fertilizers and machinery advancements. People like Hedge helped to educate and lead the agricultural community of Mahoning County to be an integral part of these advancements.

Hedge served as the first president of the Ohio County Extension Agents Association. Hedge pioneered 4-H camping and established Camp Standing Rock in Mahoning County, Camp Craig in Medina County and Camp Whitewood in Ashtabula County.

Hedge held an undergraduate degree as well as his master’s degree from The Ohio State University. He was honored by the Ohio County Extension Agents Association for his 39 years of service.

• Jesse and Roger Martig farmed in partnership in Goshen Township. Jesse died in December 2001, but Roger still is an integral part of Martig farms, a prototype of survival in the farming industry.

Jesse and Roger always have opened their farm gates to school and 4-H field trips as well as hosting farm tours and events. As members of Farm Bureau Ruritans and many local, state and national organizations, Jesse and Roger always have been eager to share their time and talents in any way they could.

In the early 1950s, the brothers began milking cows and raising crops to support their families. As time progressed, so did the small family farm. New technology led to better equipment for planting and milking, enabling Roger and Jesse to develop a competitive business.

Martig Farms Inc. first began producing wild birdseed in the early 1980s by marketing Black Oil Sunflower Seeds, farm grown and packaged in the farm’s single warehouse facility. Their birdfeed market thrived and soon a specialized mixing facility and storage warehouse were added.

After Jesse’s death, his son Doug was involved in the day-to-day operation of the farm. Today, Roger Martig is joined by sons Earl, Sam, Marvin and John. The dairy operation is now milking 1,200 head with a total of 2,400 animals in the herd. The farm now raises crops on several thousand acres, and the birdfeed operation produces thousands of tons of seed annually.

Martig Farms Inc. has annual sales at $5 million and employs 20 to 50 employees.

• Clifford A. Morrison was manager of the Mahoning County experimental farm and research and development center from 1954 through 1985.

Morrison was an innovator as he carried out his job doing research on all phases of agriculture including beef, dairy, grain and orchard management. Morrison’s knowledge was shared throughout Ohio and neighboring states. His leadership helped farmers be more efficient, profitable stewards of their land.

He served as past president of the Canfield Ruritan Club to which he was a 25-year member. Morrison was the fiscal officer of the Mahoning Soil and Water District and for many years was found in the fruit, hay and grain building helping in any way he could. He received an honorary degree from The Ohio State University.

• David C. Myers was born to parents Paul and Verna Myers on Dec. 7, 1928, in Smith Township. Farm work came naturally to Myers and, at 13, he began taking the farm’s threshing machine to do custom threshing jobs at neighboring farms. Each morning, David and his sister Mary Jane had to milk cows before walking nearly 2 miles to the one-room schoolhouse in Beloit.

On April 12, 1951, David and Ruth Ann Shively married, and together they had four children; Clark, Kathy, Craig and Brenda. David and Ruth lived on a farm on Western Reserve Road where he milked cows and grain farmed. Along with milking cows, as a teenager Myers began raising ponies. He started with just a few mares and a stud. He kept every female colt and only sold the stud colts each year. Soon, the pony herd exceeded 200.

His ponies remain on the farm to this day, and their offspring are exhibited at the Canfield Fair each year.

Along with his ponies, beef, and hogs, Myers set out to increase crop production by purchasing larger tractors, one of the area’s first self-propelled combines with a cab and on-farm grain storage.

He also volunteered by serving many years on the county 4-H livestock committee. He served nine years on the Mahoning-Columbiana ASC committee; six of those years he was chairman. He spent eight years on the Western Reserve school board, and served 15 years on the board of the Farmers National Bank. He also served on the Canfield Fair board for 27 years. He’s been a member of East Goshen Friends Church, the Smith Grange, the Berlin Ellsworth Ruritan and the Sebring Masonic Lodge.

Myers has continued to work well into his 90s.

• Wade Wehr, born in 1904 on a farm on McCollum Road in Youngstown, was a lifelong farmer and agricultural leader. In 1926, Wehr graduated with a degree in agriculture from The Ohio State University. After graduation, Wehr worked in Putnam County training farmers in farm management and accounting. He started a Guernsey herd in 1929.

Prior to moving to his 83-acre Beaver Township farm in 1942, he farmed what is now the Wick Recreation Area. From his Guernsey dairy herd in both locations, he operated a retail milk route in Youngstown and later in the East Lewistown area until 1963. It was about this time when he was one of the first to install a bulk tank on the farm.

In 1958, the Wehrs were honored by the Cleveland Farmers Club as Mahoning County Farmer of the Year. The Wehrs won many dairy-related awards and recognitions.

Wehr was active in leadership roles for the Columbiana Mahoning Guernsey Breeders Association and the Ohio Guernsey Breeders Association.

Wehr was active in the Mount Olivet Church of Christ, served on the North Lima school board for nine years, was a member of the Grange and Farm Bureau and served on the advisory council for the OSU extension. Wehr was on the Farm Bureau Co-op (Landmark) board several terms.