More than 80 participants from farm businesses all across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions attended this year’s annual Mid-Atlantic Master Farmers Association (MAMFA) Celebration, hosted in Adams County.
The MAMFA program is the nation’s longest running and most prestigious agricultural honors initiative, first established in 1927 by Pennsylvania Farmer Magazine and USDA, and created to champion stewardship, innovation and leadership in agriculture. This year’s award was co-sponsored by American Agriculturist Magazine and by Cooperative Extension programs in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia.
The Gettysburg venue for this year’s ceremonies was deliberately chosen to coincide with the nation’s 250th anniversary, and to mark “the return to Pennsylvania, the birthplace of American independence and agricultural innovation”. While venue selection and planning for a subsequent year’s celebration begins immediately after the current year’s program has concluded, the planners for the Gettysburg event had to begin significantly earlier than usual, as the committee had to plan around multiple local competing events, such as Bikers Week, the Wine Festival, summer tourism and historic 250th celebrations, etc.
“I was thrilled and honored to have welcomed Master Farmers from our 5-state area to the recent Master Farmer Banquet and Tour”, says President Kay Hollabaugh of Hollabaugh Bros in Biglerville, Pa. who led the planning efforts. “I am continually amazed at the strength, perseverance and intelligence required to be a Master Farmer! It is, indeed, a prestigious award!”
The Celebrations began on July 17th with a formal banquet at the Beyond the Battle Museum, which was attended by about 80 participants, and was then followed by an all-day farm tour on July 18th, visiting some of Adams County’s most historic and significant farms.
According to Hollobaugh, the farm tour attendance was better than expected and required two tour busses to carry the 70 participants.
The farm tour included:
Hanover Shoe Farms, a world-renowned Standardbred horse breeding farm, located in Hanover (https://hanoverpa.com); Ag Com, Inc., a family-run supplier of agricultural supplies, located in New Oxford (https://www.agcominc.com/); Hillandale Farms, one of the largest U.S. egg producers and distributers located in Gettysburg (https://www.hillandalefarms.com); Rice Fruit Company, a family-run food distribution business, located in Gardners (https://ricefruit.com); and Hollabaugh Bros, a four-generation family-owned fruit and vegetable farm, located in Biglerville (https://hollabaughbros.com). Stops also included the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Conewago Chapel.
A Master Farmer is typically considered to be one who is known for being “a superb producer, a progressive business person, an excellent land steward and a proven servant-leader in the community.” To qualify for the designation of Master Farmer, candidates are nominated by various organizations or individuals and submitted for consideration to a three-judge panel which scores each candidate based on select criteria.
The 2026 class included the following honorees:
* Mark and Seth Boyer, Ridgetop Orchards, Fishertown, Pa. , based on this thriving fruit orchard’ generational expertise and sustainable practices.
* Richard Shuman, Shuman Farms, Bloomsburg, Pa., based on the innovation and stewardship that this diversified beef, dairy and crop enterprise was built on.
* Jim Harbach, Schrack Farms, Loganton, Pa. The co-owner of this progressive dairy and crop operation is rooted in community and land care.
According to the sponsors, the 2026 class “embodies the resilience, diversity and excellence that define farming across the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.”
Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture, Russell Redding, himself a native of Adams County, and a former Pennsylvania FFA member, joined the event to honor the recipients and remarked:
“For 99 years, the Master Farmer award has recognized excellence in agricultural production but also recognizes something much greater: leadership, stewardship, innovation, business excellence, and serve to the community. Those are the qualities that define not only successful farmers, but strong communities and a strong agricultural industry. Adams County is blessed with Master Farmers and a rich history, abundant natural, agricultural, and economic resources. Our tours this year provided an opportunity to experience how each operation is managed, how they have innovated to meet producers’ and consumers’ needs and expectations while pursuing excellence. Each of their stories was inspiring and made Adams County proud.”
For more information on MAMFA, visit: https://mamfa.org.
Featured image: Master Farmer award recipients with members of the MF committee (Pictures courtesy of Kay Hollabough)
