Statement
Statement From Marc Elrich on the Passing of Farm Bureau Leader, Agriculture Advocate Lonnie Luther
For Immediate Release: Monday 14 August
Dr. Lonnie Luther, President of the Montgomery County Farm Bureau, passed away this week. Our thoughts and condolences are with the Luther family, the Farm Bureau as well as all of those in our agricultural community who he worked with over the years.
Lonnie was a fierce advocate for Montgomery County farmers. He was a stalwart defender of our agricultural community and a leader that our farmers could count on. Known for his consistently calm demeanor, Lonnie demonstrated that you did not have to be loud in order to be heard and listened to.
Originally from Arkansas, Lonnie overcame polio as a child and never let it limit his ambitions. He obtained a B.A. and M.S. from University of Arkansas and then his Ph.D. in poultry science from Texas A & M. He moved to Montgomery County to work for the FDA, Center for Veterinary Medicine, Office of New Animal Drug Evaluation. He retired from the FDA to focus on his own farm and became a well-respected leader amongst local farmers becoming President of the Farm Bureau during two separate tenures.
It is bittersweet that Lonnie’s passing came on the eve of the opening of our annual County fair – an event that he loved and is very important to our farmers. I encourage all those attending to recognize that the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair thrives because of farmers like Dr. Lonnie Luther.
The preservation and protection of our agricultural reserve, as well as thousands of acres of protected farm land, is Lonnie’s legacy. Future generations of Montgomery County farmers will have land to toil and crops to grow because of Dr. Lonnie Luther’s hard work, determination to preserve and protect the land and dedication to his fellow farmer.
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Release ID: 23-019