LISBON, Ohio — The late Dr. Donald K. Myers, also known affectionately around the state as “Dr. Alfalfa,” will be enshrined in the Columbiana County Agriculture Hall of Fame for his contributions to agriculture in Columbiana County, across Ohio and nationally.
The ceremonies will be held during the Columbiana County Fair, July 30 at 10:30 a.m. in the Arts & Crafts Building.
The Myers family will also be honored, and Myers’ framed portrait and biographical sketch will be unveiled. The biographies of the previous inductees are permanently displayed in the Arts & Crafts Building.
The Hall of Fame is a joint effort of the Columbiana County Historical Association, the Columbiana County Agricultural Society and the Columbiana County Farm Bureau. The awards are presented posthumously.
DON MYERS – 1934-2020
Forever a scientist and an educator, Myers started his career path as a Columbiana County Extension educator and never forgot his roots here, often recalling the advice of the late Floyd Lower as the words that most guided his career: Stay close to the people.
A native of Wayne County, Ohio, Myers attended Ohio State University — at the insistent urging of his vo-ag teacher at Northwestern High School, another Columbiana County Ag Hall of Famer, Harold Windram — and Michigan State University, earning bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees in agronomy and crop sciences.
Myers was employed by Ohio State University, ultimately as a state Extension specialist and agronomy teaching and research professor. He worked with farmers around the Buckeye State and beyond to improve soil fertility, management practices and profitability. His expertise in forage production had a tremendous impact on agriculture and livestock production through increased efficiency and productivity.
Myers also helped pioneer a revolutionary, new agricultural practice that minimized erosion, called no-till — raising crops without plowing, which farmers thought was lazy and ludicrous. He played a key role in developing research test plots, established in Wooster in 1962, that are the longest continually maintained no-till research plots in the world. Myers, known by many as the “father of no-till forages in Ohio” was instrumental in the development of the innovative no-tillage forage seeding system, which has received worldwide recognition. In addition, Myers has authored more than 50 publications distributed through the nation to assist farmers in improving forage productivity.
In retirement, he continued his leadership as an agricultural consultant for TMK Farm Service of Bakersville, Ohio. He was also a sought-after hay and forage show judge, and judged competitions at the Columbiana County Fair for many years.
As the statewide specialist in agronomy for Ohio State University Extension, his integrity and honesty earned him unparalleled respect with farmers, the retail trade industry, and his professional peers. He was active in the early development of the Farm Science Review, as well as serving numerous leadership roles in the American Society of Agronomy and the Malabar Farm Foundation Board. He was awarded the National Certified Alfalfa Seed Council Educator of the Year twice, and was inducted into both the Ohio Farm Science Review and the Ohio Agriculture Halls of Fame.
His wife, Marilyn, who just turned 90, lives in Dover, Ohio.
