Five stories. One mission.

Five agricultural leaders were celebrated at the 2026 Missouri Agricultural Hall of Fame ceremony on April 14 at the Capital Bluffs Event Center in Jefferson City. This is the third class of inductees to the Hall of Fame, which was established in 2023.

Added to the prestigious list were Dr. Anson Elliott, John Fletcher, Jackie Moore, Jim Novinger and Gary Porter.

Governor Mike Kehoe and First Lady Claudia Kehoe met with the honorees and special guests during a private reception at the Missouri Governor’s Mansion before addressing the 400 industry leaders gathered for the induction ceremony.

“These inductees represent the very best of Missouri agriculture—leaders who don’t just succeed in their own operations but have helped shape the future of this industry,” said Governor Kehoe. “Because of their work, agriculture in Missouri is stronger, more innovative, and better positioned for the next generation. And if we keep building on that foundation together, the best is yet to come.”

Established in 2023, the Missouri Agricultural Hall of Fame honors farmers, ranchers and agribusiness leaders for their exceptional impact on the state’s agricultural landscape. Inductees are selected by a committee and celebrated annually.

“As each of these gentlemen show, you don’t have to hold a title to be a leader,” said Chris Chinn, director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture. “The hours they spent volunteering, pouring into their businesses and working their family farms cannot be matched by anyone. The love they have for the agriculture industry is clearly evident.”

Each recipient receives a custom sculpture by Missouri artist Clay Gant of “Cowboy Bronze” in Cross Timbers, featuring a beef bull, wheat and corn—symbolizing the power and diversity of Missouri agriculture.

To kick off this year’s celebration, Riglee Welty, Missouri State Fair Foundation young ambassador, led the Pledge of Allegiance, and Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper Cole Justice sang the National Anthem.

Also recognized during the ceremony were members of the Missouri State Fair Foundation’s 1901 Society, named in homage to the year of the first Missouri State Fair and established to recognize lifetime giving to the foundation. MFA Incorporated’s longstanding support for the fair places it as a “Founder’s Medallion Level” member of the 1901 Society.

“For 125 years, the State Fair has made such a positive impact on agriculture and family life in Missouri, and private financial gifts ensure its health and vitality for generations to come,” said Brent Dunn, Missouri State Fair Foundation member. “This support provides scholarships and allows new programs to be developed. It renovates those time-honored buildings that we love and helps build new ones for our families that will be enjoyed long after all of us are gone.”

Anson Elliott

On his family farm in Houston, Mo., Anson Elliott learned the importance of helping others and making an impact on the world from his mother, Ruth. Little did she know that he would grow up to be such an influential voice for Missouri agriculture and an icon on the campus of Missouri State University.

Elliott began his career as a high school agriculture teacher after graduating from the University of Missouri with an undergraduate degree in agriculture education and master’s and doctorate degrees in agronomy. He spent five years at the University of Minnesota conducting research on wild rice, before returning to Missouri in the late 1970s. He began teaching agronomy at what was then Southwest Missouri State University and became director of the school’s Department of Agriculture in 1980.

Under his 36-year leadership, the department transformed into the William H. Darr School of Agriculture—and soon grew into the nationally acclaimed Darr College of Agriculture—added the Journagan Ranch and developed a 90-acre working farm and educational campus in southwest Springfield. Throughout this time, Elliott became a recognized voice for agriculture on a regional, state and national level. He taught and mentored thousands of students through his years at Missouri State University.

Dr. Elliott and his wife of 60 years, Betty, live in Springfield and have one daughter, Hollie, and four grandchildren with her husband, Travis Elliott, who accepted the Hall of Fame Award on behalf of his father-in-law, who was unable to attend the ceremony due to health reasons.

“There is not a person in this world that is more deserving of this,” Travis said. “Anson is the most thoughtful, consensus-building, relationship-caring person I’ve ever met. I feel like I’m walking in the shadow of a giant in front of Anson Elliott and all the good that he’s done for Missouri agriculture.”

John Fletcher

John Fletcher’s lasting impact on Missouri agriculture can’t be measured in bushels or dollars but in the generations of farm families whose livelihoods he helped shape. He serves as general manager of Central Missouri AGRIService (CMAS), a joint venture of Fletcher Grain Company, MFA Incorporated and Cooperative Association No. 1 of Slater.

“To be included in the Missouri Agriculture Hall of Fame is an honor I never set out to achieve but one I’m very grateful to receive,” John said. “Agriculture is built on trust, whether it’s a handshake in the field, a conversation at the elevator or a tough decision during a challenging season. Those relationships matter, and I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by people of integrity who care deeply about doing things the right way.”

The Fletcher family history in the industry dates to the early 1900s, when John’s grandfather, Walker C. Fletcher Sr., began buying grain by the wagon load. That business eventually became Fletcher Grain Company. John joined the family business in 1975 while attending college and took the reins in 1999 at the retirement of his father, Walker C. Fletcher Jr., also known as Butch.

During John’s tenure, he helped guide the visionary joint venture that formed CMAS and opened a state-of-the-art shuttle-loader facility in 2016 to boost shipping capacity and better serve producers. In 2025, the company moved 27 million bushels of grain. Today, with more than 100 employees and six locations, CMAS is a trusted and reliable partner for local farmers in grain handling, seed, feed and fertilizer.

In the industry, John has been a leader on numerous boards, including the National Grain and Feed Association and the Missouri Agribusiness Association. He’s active in his local community, too. He served on the Marshall City Council in the 1980s and the past 17 years as chair of the Saline County E911 Emergency Services Board.

He and his wife of 50 years, Trish, have three daughters and one son—Jeremi, Emily, Amanda and George—and 10 grandchildren.

Jackie Moore

Raised on a farm in southwest Missouri, Jackie Moore developed a passion for the cattle industry at a young age. At just 13, he attended auction school and spent his teenage years working weekend auctions, marking the beginning of a lifelong career.

After graduating in 1977, Moore married his high school sweetheart, Kristy, and went to work in Joplin. In the years that followed, he purchased several commission companies. Then in 1986, Jackie and several business partners purchased the Joplin Stockyards, starting a new chapter in the company’s story.

Under Moore’s leadership, the business moved to a sprawling facility along Interstate 44 in 1995. Since then, Joplin Stockyards has grown to be the largest livestock auction in the country, selling more than 600,000 head each year. The auction barn has become a model of modern livestock marketing, pioneering innovations such as online video auctions more than 20 years ago.

Moore takes seriously the responsibility and trust placed in him by his customers, who depend on cattle sales for their livelihood. Kristy died in 2017 after 40 years of marriage, but the Moores’ children and spouses are now involved in the operation as partners and co-owners.

Moore and his second wife, Shelly, live on a ranch near Mt. Vernon and together have five children, 14 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

“It’s all about the love of the people and the love of the game,” Moore said. “I’m just going to keep doing what God put me on this earth to do, and I don’t plan on ever doing anything else. Not many people get to do the thing they love their whole life. I’ve been very blessed.”

Jim Novinger

For Jim Novinger of Kirksville, Mo., agriculture isn’t just a livelihood. It’s a family tradition rooted in hard work, stewardship and service. A 10th-generation farmer, Jim continues an agricultural legacy that began when his ancestors came to the U.S. in 1737—80 years before Missouri became a state.

Today, he and his wife of 37 years, Lanna, farm with their son, Grant; their daughter, Brooke; and Jim’s brother, Mark, in a diversified row-crop and cattle operation. Jim’s father, Gail, established the farm in 1946 and remained active in the business until his death in 2019. Jim’s mother, Mary, now 97, still helps with bookkeeping.

“I’m grateful and humble for this special recognition. It certainly will be cherished as a significant milestone in my family’s life,” Jim said at the Hall of Fame ceremony. “The producers, agribusinesses and organizations of Missouri agriculture are working hard to feed the world. But they are also searching for ways of lifting others up and making them better. The sustainability of our industry, including our future generations, depends on this.”

After earning a degree in agricultural economics from the University of Missouri in 1976, Jim worked for Continental Grain Company before returning home in 1981 to work with Mark in growing and diversifying the family operation. The Novinger cattle enterprise now spans cow‑calf, backgrounding, heifer development and feedlot operations. The Novingers also raise corn, soybeans, wheat and cover crops, incorporating conservation practices and precision agriculture to build efficiency for the next generation.

With a strong commitment to serving his community and the agricultural industry, Jim is currently vice chairman of MFA Incorporated’s Board of Directors and has held leadership roles with the local MFA Agri Services and MFA Oil boards, the Watershed Management Commission, Northeast Missouri State Bank, MU Extension Council and First Christian Church in Kirksville.

The 12th generation has officially joined the Novinger family, with Jim and Lanna welcoming their first grandchild in April, just two weeks after his induction into the Hall of Fame.

Gary Porter

Family and farming are embedded deep in Gary Porter’s DNA. He still farms the original 80 acres purchased by his great-great-grandfather near Mercer, Mo., where Gary learned many lessons about farming by sitting alongside his father and grandfather in the tractor.

Generation after generation, the Porters have nurtured the land, growing the farm—and their family legacy. It continues today with Gary and his wife of 33 years, Lori, and their three sons—Gage, Galt and Grey—all actively involved in the farm. Gary and Lori now have two grandchildren, the next generation of their farming family, and they’ve expanded the operation to more than 10 times the acreage it was when Gary started.

“I want those acres to be better than it was when my great-great-grandfather got it,” Gary said. “I want it to be more efficient. I want it to be a more fertile. I want the topsoil to still be there. And I want to protect that farm.”

Always a competitor, Gary became active in yield contests for corn, soybean and sorghum decades ago and is a multi-year winner on both the national and state levels.

On a local level, he has served on the school board and county water board and as a county commissioner. And, when Mercer faced the loss of its only gas station, Gary and Lori stepped up—helping ensure their community had continued access to fuel, including renewable options.

Gary has also held leadership roles in agricultural organizations at every level, including the Missouri Corn Growers, Missouri Agribusiness Association, National Corn Growers and the U.S. Grains Council. He’s traveled the country and the world advocating for Missouri agriculture and building markets for corn growers.

“No matter what state or what country I’ve gone to, I’ve always been proud to say that I was from Missouri,” Gary said. “Missouri ag leads the nation, and I’m so proud to be a part of that.” 

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