Horsley family named to the 2013 College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Hall of Fame
Four members of the Horsley family of Land of Promise Farms in Virginia Beach, Va., were honored last month as the 2013-14 inductees into the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Hall of Fame.
Donald and Diane Horsley, in addition to their two sons Shane and Ryan, received the award for their longstanding commitment to agriculture in the state and to Virginia Tech.
“We value the strong relationship the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has with the Horsley family,” said Alan Grant, dean of the college. “The Horsleys have been great supporters of Virginia Tech and they continue to have a positive impact on our academic, research, and Extension programs.”
The Horsleys operate Land of Promise Farms, a successful farming operation in Virginia Beach that produces soybeans, corn, wheat, swine, and beef cattle. The family also has local agricultural enterprises that include sweet corn and pecans. Their swine enterprise supplies project pigs to Virginia Cooperative Extension 4-Hers around the state and beyond.
The Horsleys have been continuously active members of agricultural and civic engagement in the City of Virginia Beach for decades and have received numerous awards for stewardship of agricultural endeavors throughout the state.
Most recently, in 2011 Don Horsley was recognized as the Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year for Virginia, and collectively the entire family was awarded the Virginia Beach Excellence in Agriculture Award in 2012. The Horsleys also hosted the Virginia Agricultural Expo on their farm in conjunction with Virginia Cooperative Extension in 2013.
Donald received a degree in animal science in 1970. Sons Shane and Ryan have also had successful academic careers at Virginia Tech. Both received a bachelor's degree and master's degree in animal and poultry sciences from the university and have also served as key players at the university’s numerous agricultural events and in myriad initiatives. The two sons have been extensively involved in the teaching, research, and Extension missions of Virginia Tech as guest lecturers for animal and poultry sciences classes, on-farm research trials with college researchers, livestock judging, and other Extension programs.
