Fields of honor: Accolade for Dr. John Tart as farmer and educator well-deserved

The greatest compliment a person can receive is that he or she changed someone's life.

And for decades, Grantham resident Dr. John Tart has done just that, both as a farmer and as an educator.

He has been an advocate for those who work the land and a mentor to young people who have their hearts on the farm.

He has fought for awareness in his community about the need for farm protection and has been a voice at the Statehouse when there was a need to remind legislators how important a business agriculture is to North Carolina.

And he combined a love of education, for which he fought hard as well, with a love of the land to inspire not only his own brood to work with the land in some form, but thousands of students who might not otherwise have considered following their dreams of having their own back 40 some day.

And recently, the Future Farmers of America of North Carolina decided to recognize that dedication and commitment by awarding Dr. Tart its Lifetime Achievement Award.

It is an honor that is well-deserved.

There is something to be said for someone who finds his passion young, who is successful in that field and who fights to make it better for those who will come after him.

Dr. John Tart seems to have known his whole life that he belonged on a farm -- and that he had a responsibility to protect not only his interests but those who would carry the torch.

And even with all of his other accomplishments both in the county and in the education field, he is still most active in the field that attracted his attention in high school.

You most certainly could call it his "passion."

Earning a Lifetime Achievement Award will not change Dr. Tart. He will still have dirt on his boots and be most comfortable looking out at a pasture or rows of crops.

But this is an honor that is given to few people -- and one that only begins to tell the story of how much one person can accomplish if he puts his mind to it.

Dr. Tart has created a legacy that has not only impacted generations of young farmers so far, but one that will influence others long into the future.

And that is something of which he should be very, very proud.

Published in Editorials on June 30, 2014 11:05 AM