The Mid-Columbia Agriculture Hall of Fame will induct six individuals in January, marking the institution’s 25th year of honoring local farmers, families and agribusiness leaders.

The inductees will be recognized at a dinner and gala presented by the Pasco Chamber of Commerce and the Port of Pasco on Jan. 15.

The awards are presented in three categories:

Mid-Columbia Ag Hall of Fame Pioneer Award

The Mid-Columbia Ag Hall of Fame Pioneer Award honors those who have had a significant influence on the development of agriculture and who have unselfishly served their communities. The 2026 award honors the late Fred and Lura Harris.

Fred Harris arrived in the area at a young age and set up Diversity Farm at what is now the Port of Pasco’s Big Pasco. The land was requested by the federal government in 1942 to build the Army Reconsignment Depot, giving the Harris family 30 days to vacate, according to a Pasco Chamber of Commerce news release. 

The family established a new farm location at the west end of Court Street, and the family continued the Harris Farm tradition to 2019. Lura Harris died in 1971 and Fred Harris died in 1989.

The Harris family sold the 45-acre farm in 2019, and the land will be used for residential development. 

Agriculture Advisor Award

The Agriculture Advisor Award is given to those who have had an impact on ag-advancement and educational programs. Kara Kaelber and the late Mike Meads are the 2026 recipients. 

Kaelber is the district manager for the Franklin Conservation District, where she has worked since 2005. She has been a driving force for agricultural and conservation education in the region, according to the news release, and under her leadership, programs like “Wheat Week” have reached tens of thousands of fourth- and fifth-grade students.

Meads was a 4-H leader who helped organize youth events in agriculture. He was “such an influential, positive figure in the Columbia Basin ag industry and had a passion for supporting youth in agriculture,” the press release said. 

He passed away unexpectedly in 2024. 

Impact Award

The Impact Award honors ag-related professionals or farmers who show exemplary community involvement and enhance agribusiness through leadership or technology development. This year’s award honors Steve Lancaster and Mike Poulson. 

Lancaster grew up in agriculture near Basin City and has helped family farm operations through banking for over 40 years. He has served as a board member for the Benton Franklin Fair and Rodeo and was the past president of the board 2007-08.

Poulson transitioned from farming to advocating for the ag industry starting in the 1990s. He spent time in Olympia and Washington, D.C., making representatives and the public aware of complex environmental issues. He served as vice president of the Washington State Farm Bureau and consultant to Congresswoman Cathy McMorris-Rodgers. 

Get tickets

The 2026 Ag Hall of Fame reception begins at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 15, followed by dinner and program at 6:30 p.m. at the Three Rivers Convention Center, 7016 W. Grandridge Blvd., Kennewick. 

Tickets are $75 per person or $525 for a table of eight. Go to: pascochamber.org/aghof-rsvp.