Ron and Jeanne Kelsey holding the plaque presented Sunday to Ron for Honorary Life Mem-bership in the Minnesota Agricultural Society.

FALCON HEIGHTS — The Minnesota State Fair annually elects one individual for the Honorary Life membership in the Minnesota State Agricultural Society. Superintendent of Farm Crops at the Minnesota State Fair for the past 22 years, Ron Kelsey of Lamberton, is this year’s honoree. In 2006 he received his 50 year award for fair participation.

At the age of 6, Ron contracted polio but made sure to teach himself to walk again just in time to attend his first Minnesota State Fair at the age of 7 in 1947. That same year, the current Agriculture Horticulture Building made its debut on the fairgrounds. He has not missed a fair in 75 years.

He grew up on a farm in Lewisville, MN, with his nine siblings, and the Kelsey family was dedicated to agriculture and exhibiting their award-winning crops, especially corn, at the state fair. The family has won over forty corn championships at the fair.

Ron even has a tattoo of an ear of corn on his forearm gifted to him from his family for his 75th birthday.

Ron graduated from Ma-delia High School and the University of Minnesota and taught agriculture and was the FFA Advisor at the local high school for 35 years. After retirement, a former student, Steve Pooch, state fair Deputy State Manager, recommended Ron for the position of Superintendent of Farm Crops at the state fair.

As superintendent, Ron oversees all farm crops, scarecrows, the vintage seed sack collection of 1,300 that he owns and displays each year, as well as the one-of-a-kind and very popular crop art competition.

Only Minnesota crop seeds are allowable in the crop art exhibits and no weed seeds. Ron has the responsibility to check all exhibits to see that no weed seeds are used.

Ron’s wife, Jeanne, works at the state fair with Ron and has the responsibility of do-ing all the computer work. The Kelsey’s four children have also worked at the state fair in the farm crops area.

Ron has served on the Lamberton City Council, elected as Mayor of Lamber-ton, served on the Red Rock Central High School Board of Education and for more than 50 years has been a Lions Club member. He is active in the United Methodist Church. He has a long history of leadership and volunteerism with local FFA exhibitors and serving as the soils coach for 54 years. He also annually helps students and adults prepare and exhibit their grain samples at the fair. Ron has written a weekly column for the Lamberton News for the past 57 years.

The State Agricultural Society is made up of delegates from each of the state’s 87 county fairs, plus representatives of 44 statewide associations involved in agriculture, horticulture and education. The Society is charged exclusively with the production of the annual Minnesota State Fair and management of the historic 322-acre State Fairgrounds.