The Vidalia Onion Committee hosted its annual awards banquet Feb. 6 at the Hawks Point Golf Club in Vidalia, GA. The committee named the grower of the year and inducted a new member to the Hall of Fame. Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Commissioner Gary Black also spoke at the event.  J. Scott Angle, former dean and director of the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, with Vidalia Onion Committee Director Susan A. Waters. Angle was inducted to the Hall of Fame at VOC's annual awards banquet. 

Each year, the Vidalia Onion Committee selects a grower or overall farm of the year to recognize overall achievement and success as a producer of Vidalia Onions with an emphasis on quality production and compliance with the Marketing Order. The farm must meet the following requirements: registered Vidalia onion grower; has submitted reports and payments in a timely manner; has had no or few complaints to the committee office; conforms to the standards set forth in the order; and enhances and supports brand recognition.

The 2015 Grower of the Year was awarded to Jason Herndon from L.G. Herndon Jr. Farms Inc. A family-owned-and-operated business, L.G. Herndon Jr. Farms Inc. has been in business for over 30 years and now averages 500 acres of Vidalia onions each year. Herndon manages the farm for his uncle, (Bo) Herndon Jr., who was named grower of the year in 2008.

J. Scott Angle, former dean and director of the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, was inducted to the Hall of Fame. For the past decade Angle oversaw a period of significant growth in the college's instruction, research and outreach. He recruited several nationally and internationally recognized researchers to help broaden the scope and impact of the college's research. He also strengthened the links between the college's research and extension units to ensure that farmers and other stakeholders in each of Georgia's 159 counties have access to the latest, evidence-based information. In 2015, he became president and chief executive officer of the International Fertilizer Development Center.

The awards were presented by Vidalia Onion Committee Director Susan A. Waters and Vidalia Onion Business Council Director Bob Stafford. 

“It was a great honor to present the Grower of the Year Award to Jason Herndon who has served as vice chair and chairman of the committee," Waters said in a press release. "We also wanted to recognize Scott Angles’ contribution to the Vidalia industry especially since the University of Georgia has played a key role in providing critical crop research and helping the industry to improve the flavor of our premium sweet onions.”

In keeping with Super Bowl weekend, “Team Vidalia” was the theme of the banquet this year and for the first time, the VOC hosted an inspirational speaker. Raised in Vidalia, Fred Stokes is a former American football defensive end who played 10 seasons in the National Football League. Stokes played in Super Bowl XXVI when Washington defeated the Buffalo Bills.

After his retirement from football, Stokes wrote an autobiography, "The Bridge That Brought Me Over.”  In 2007, he established Fred Stokes Foods and has been working with the VOC to implement a new Vidalia sausage product at retail.