Agricultural News
Miami's Mushroom Man Virgil Jurgensmeyer Honored by Governor for Outstanding Achievement in Ag
Wed, 29 Mar 2017 17:39:23 CDT
Family and friends gathered at the State Capitol today to celebrate the accomplishments of Virgil Jurgensmeyer, who was honored by Governor Mary Fallin with the Governor's Outstanding Achievement in Agriculture Award.
Jurgensmeyer resides in Miami, Okla. where he works as CEO of his family owned and operated mushroom farm, J&M Farms, which he founded with his brother Joe and business partner Darrell McLain in 1979 after growing tired of the corporate climate working for Ralston Purina where he first learned the business of fungiculture. Today, the company is solely owned by the Jurgensmeyer family and with the help of hundreds of employees, J&M Farms produces more than 27 million pounds of white button, Crimini and Portabella mushrooms annually.
Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Associate Farm Director Carson Horn attended the ceremony and spoke with Jurgensmeyer's three sons Curtis, Pat and Terry, who accepted the award on their father's behalf while he was unable to make today's event. You can listen to Horn's interview with Jurgensmeyer's three sons after accepting their father's award, by clicking on the LISTEN BAR below at the bottom of this story.
"He was very humbled to even be considered for this award," Terry said. "He's a great man - he's a guy who had a vision in agriculture and loves agriculture as a career and helps support other people in it."
Among his many achievements outside his own business, Jurgensmeyer has played a very active role in the state's agricultural community, serving as a member of many boards and associations including the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Assocaition, the Mushroom Growers Association, the Mushroom Council and as a member of the State Board of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003, was integral in the establishment of the Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center at Oklahoma State University.
"If he were here today - he would tell you that he didn't do it alone," his son Pat said. "It took a lot of family and a lot of friends. Our mom - they were married for 65 years and she was always right there by us."
By winning this award, Jurgensmeyer will join other exceptional agriculturalists of the state, with an automatic induction into the Oklahoma Agriculture Hall of Fame.
"He was very humbled to receive it," Curtis said. "I think his first comment was, 'They must have made a mistake,' that he didn't deserve it. But we're proud of him."
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