McClenny, Webbers net honors at Farm-City event
By Steve Herring
Published in News on November 25, 2014 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
New members of the Wayne County Agriculture Hall of Fame were inducted Monday night during the annual Farm-City banquet.
News-Argus/STEVE HERRING
Sandra Parks Daw, left, is presented the Outstanding Woman in Agriculture Award by Anne Turner on behalf of the Wayne County Extension and Community Association Monday night.
Charlie McClenny and the late Harold and Frances Webber were inducted into the Wayne County Agricultural Hall of Fame during the annual Farm-City Banquet held Monday night at the Wayne Center.
The Webbers' children, Jim Webber, Bob Webber and Peggy Kearney, accepted the award on behalf of their family
Sandra Parks Daw of Goldsboro was presented the Outstanding Woman in Agriculture Award by the Wayne County Extension and Community Association.
McClenny lives on his family farm the Smith Chapel community, where he farms with his twin sons, John and Murray.
The Wayne County Agricultural Hall of Fame began in 1984 as a way to honor local residents who have made outstanding contributions to agriculture in the county.
Since 1984, 32 living and 31 deceased individuals have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. They are honored with a plaque, and their photographs also are hung on the wall in the Wayne Center.
"For 2014, we had an impressive group of nominees," said Jessica Strickland, Wayne County Cooperative Extension agent, who presented the awards.
McClenny is a 1973 graduate of the N.C. State Agriculture Institute and afterward joined his father, June McClenny, to begin his farming career. He became the owner and operator following his father's retirement. The farm at that time included a few hogs, some tobacco, corn, soybeans and wheat, Ms. Strickland said.
For the first few years he supplemented his income by operating a neighbor's combine for him.
With help from the Wayne County Cooperative Extension office and farming friends, McClenny began to expand his farming operations.
"Today, Charlie shares ownership with his son in three entities, McClenny Farms, 4-M Hog Farms and Mac Farms," she said. "Charlie has been a model of leadership by being an advocate for agriculture in Wayne County.
McClenny is a member of the Wayne County Farm Bureau and the Wayne County Agriculture Advisory Board. He is a member of Smith Chapel United Methodist Church and has served for 44 years on the Smith Chapel Fire Department, many as chief.
The Webbers were remembered for being instrumental in bringing the commercial poultry industry to the county.
Webber began his career as a carpenter and millwright, building feed mills in North Carolina and other states.
Mrs. Webber started in the poultry business with one chicken house in their backyard.
In 1952, Webber built his own feed mill on U.S. 70. His children continue to operate the feed mill.
In 1955, the Webbers and other local farmers built the first broiler houses on their property. The growers owned the chickens, bought the feed and then sold the chickens on the open market.
"In 1956 there was a surplus of chickens and growers lost money and were looking to get out of the market," Ms. Strickland said. "At that time, Harold and Frances started New Hope Milling's contract broiler operations where they owned the birds and paid for the feed and paid growers a fee for growing chicken."
In 1960, they built Webber Hatchery to supply chickens to the contract growers.
"In 1994, Harold and Frances constructed a processing plant on Pecan Road, which today is owned by Case Farms and has brought many jobs to the agriculture industry and Wayne and surrounding counties," Ms. Strickland said.
The Webbers were dedicated and faithful members of New Hope Friends Church, she said.
"Harold and Frances always felt you should not do things for recognition," Ms. Strickland said. "When there was a need, whether it was for their employees or community, they simply stepped up privately and pitched in."
Mrs. Daw was born and raised in Wayne County by farming parents, and when she married farmer Delanor Daw her lifestyle did not change much, said Anne Turner, chairman of the Outstanding Woman In Agriculture Committee
"Sandra became a hands-on farmer alongside her husband," Mrs. Turner said. "She worked in the fields. She drove the equipment. She gardened and she preserved the produce as well as took care of the home.
"Sandra has volunteered many hours for church-sponsored functions. As farming became more industrialized, Sandra was needed less on the farm so she took a job as a teacher's assistant."
However, even with the public job she continued to work in the garden and preserve the produce, Mrs. Turner said.
Mrs. Daw has retired as a teaching assistant, but not from her farming responsibilities, she said.