Three people responsible for making major contributions to the past, present and future of American agriculture will be recognized in October.
Former U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, pork industry innovator Wendell Murphy and antique tractor preservationist Michael Hinton—will be inducted into the National Agricultural Hall of Fame, on Oct. 23,at the National Agricultural Center in Bonner Springs, Kansas.
The Agricultural Hall of Fame was chartered by Congress in 1960 to honor individuals who have made outstanding national or international contributions to the establishment, development, advancement, or improvement of American Agriculture. Perdue, Murphy and Hinton join a roster of notables, including Sen. Pat Roberts, Eli Whitney, George Washington Carver, and John Deere.
Sonny Perdue, Bonaire, Georgia, has been a life-long advocate for American farmers, ranchers and rural communities. In 2017 he assumed the position of U.S. Secretary of Agriculture and quickly began work to make American agriculture an international powerhouse. He created the first-ever Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, ensuring American farmers would always have someone looking to establish and expand new markets abroad, bringing stabilization of prices to American farmers.
He dealt with the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis and swiftly acted to expand the Food and Nutrition Service to meet the exponential growth of food insecurity and need. He also worked to expand rural broadband initiatives confronting a national disparity and increasing number of rural farmers to access modern agricultural tools and markets.
In 2022 he became chancellor of the University System of Georgia, overseeing 27 public colleges, trade schools and universities of the state of Georgia. These colleges oversee avenues of agricultural development, from research initiatives to statewide extension services and youth agricultural education. He launched the UGA Grand Farm, a 250-acre research facility to advance technology and prepare the next generation of ag leaders.
Wendell Murphy, Rose Hill, North Carolina, is known for his contributions to agriculture in North Carolina and across the United States in the swine industry and integrated production systems. His visionary approach to swine production became the standard for the pork industry, transforming protein production across the U.S. and around the world.
Murphy Farms was established in 1962 and became one of the most well-known and successful sow operations in the nation. As his business progressed, contract feeding became standard practice. He embraced confinement technology when it was introduced and thereby pioneered the contract feeding of feeder pigs and genetics technology that produced leaner and healthier animals.
Innovations under his leadership include contract production, in-house commodity specialists, staff nutritionists, turnkey construction on custom confinement buildings, a transportation department and fleet of company trucks for transporting feed and livestock.
Michael Hinton, Hutchinson, Kansas, is dedicated to preserving the legacy of American agriculture through vintage tractors, which serve as a memorial to forefathers who worked the soil, provided for their families and fed the world.
Through visionary initiatives such as the launch of www.TalkingTractors.com in 2024, Hinton has created a vibrant platform where the stories of rural life and agricultural ingenuity come alive. He founded Antique Tractor Preservation Day with the objective to educate and create a tradition for recognizing our nation’s deeply rooted and proud agricultural heritage.
His work to generate global awareness has resulted in being awarded multiple state Governor Proclamations in 2025, 2024, 2012, 2011, and 2010 for Antique Tractor Preservation Day, plus two United States Congressional Record Statements and four USPS Pictorial Postmarks. Antique Tractor Preservation Day has been featured in national television interviews, podcasts and industry publications.
Hinton’s leadership goes beyond preserving machines—it’s about storytelling, stewardship and strengthening the bond between generations. He works to honor those who labored in the fields, advanced American farming and embodied the values of hard work, innovation and community.
