Vick Family Farms founder Jerome Vick honored with Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award
Jerome Vick, founder of Vick Family Farms in Wilson, NC, recently was presented The Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award by Golden Leaf Foundation and was celebrated at a reception along with other members of the board as well as family.
Presenting the award was Mark Bradley, senior vice president and manager AgriBusiness Group First Citizens Bank Raleigh, and William (Bill) Collins, ex-officio director and senior director of major gifts, CALS, N.C. State University.
“Among the honors and awards the Governor of North Carolina can bestow, none is more valued than The Order of the Long Leaf Pine. Since its creation in 1963, it has been presented to honor persons who have a proven record of service to the state of North Carolina or some other special achievement, and to others as a gesture of friendship and good will. Upon being named to The Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the honoree receives a certificate by which the Governor confers upon the recipient “…the rank of Ambassador Extraordinary privileged to enjoy fully all rights granted to members of this exalted order among which is the special privileged to propose the following North Carolina Toast in select company anywhere in the free world:
‘Here’s to the land
Of the long leaf pine,
The summer land
Where the sun doth shine,
Where the weak grow strong
And the strong grow great,
Here’s to “down home”,
The Old North State!”
Among the recipients, you will find a few familiar names of the following North Carolinians: Charlie Daniels, Dale Earnhardt, Billy Graham, Andy Griffith, Jim (Catfish) Hunter, Richard Petty, General Henry Hugh Shelton, Colin Powell, Curtis Strange and Tennessee Williams just to name a few.
Iin a letter to the governor, Mark Orcutt of Pratt Industries shared his support for Vick: “Jerome believes in giving back to the community; be it through contributions to the church, hospital, fire departments or civic organizations. He contributes much of their success in farming to God for providing so many opportunities. Jerome and Diane both continue to be major assets in both the growth of their farming operation and the sweet potato industry. Their children and grandchildren continue to add value to North Carolina agriculture by working alongside Jerome and Diane in the farming operations. Jerome and Diane would never have believed in 1975 that their farm would be growing, packing and shipping their sweet potatoes around the world.”
Richard Linton, president of Kansas State University and former dean of the College of Agriculture at NC State University, said, “It is a privilege to provide my highest level of support for Mr. Jerome Vick for consideration of the NC Governor’s Order of the Long Leaf Pine Award. I recognize that this award is among the most prestigious awards presented by the Governor of North Carolina, and that the award is presented to individuals who have a proven record of extraordinary service to the state.
"Agriculture is the number one economic driver in N.C. with an overall impact of more than $100 billion and almost 20 percent of all jobs," he said. "It has taken strong leaders to build and maintain such an economically significant industry, and Mr. Vick is a “leader of leaders”! His voice and statewide strategy have proven to be very effective in an industry with over 90 different agricultural commodities.
"Jerome led the strategy, the advocacy, and provided financial support through the Golden Leaf Foundation and other agricultural industries," he said. "His voice and advocacy led to a $45 million contribution to the NC Plant Sciences Initiative that had an amazing ripple effect. Six years later, his leadership and financial contribution resulted in a more than $300 million impact for NC.”
“This honor represents persons who have significant contributions to the state and their communities though exemplary service and exceptional contributions. These characteristics define Jerome Vick,” said Bradley. “Jerome grew up in rural Wilson/Nash County where values, hard work and dedication are a way of life. These standards plus a never give up attitude were instrumental as Jerome grew his farm from 25 acres to 9,000-plus acres today. Farmers face obstacles each year with weather and price fluctuations and though his many health issues since 2002 have presented even more challenges for him he continues to grow his farm legacy as well as serve his local community and State on Boards and as a leader in the Ag Industry.
“Our family is very proud of our dad,” said Charlotte Vick, partner Vick Family Farms. “He has certainly set the bar high for his children and grandchildren to follow. He has instilled values in each of us of the importance of philanthropy and the value of hard work and determination. He continues to be a strong agriculture advocate and his service to local and state boards remind us how we should continue to be involved in helping to make a difference in this world. He taught us that our integrity is the most important characteristic we have and that is how we have built our strong relationships with our customers.
"God has certainly blessed our family in many ways but most importantly being able to continue to have our dad as a mentor and supporter as we move forward in the growth of our company," she said. "With his grandchildren now returning to learn the business his wealth of knowledge is a tremendous asset to not only my brother Linwood (Farm Manager) and myself but also to the next generation as they add value to Vick Family Farms.”
