2026 GWC Ag Dinner celebrates Brubaker Family, local farming community

Wabash County, IN (MARCH 6, 2026) – Grow Wabash County had the pleasure of celebrating the local ag community on Wednesday, March 4, during its annual Salute to Ag Dinner.

Grow Wabash County and the Ag Committee were especially thrilled to be honoring the 2025 Farm Family of the year, the Brubaker Family, alongside the many other farmers and agricultural producers in Wabash County.

After Howard Halderman’s welcome remarks and various trivia about Wabash County’s importance to the global agriculture industry, Ted Little delivered the invocation and dinner from Poole’s Meat Market was served. Desserts were provided by Bailey’s Pizza Parlor in Roann.

Following dinner, Dr. Angie Abbott, associate dean for Purdue University and director of Purdue Extension, took the stage as the event’s keynote speaker. Abbott’s speech highlighted the great and expansive work already being done in communities like Wabash County, including the Wabash County 4-H Fair and its various programs for all ages. She also highlighted ways that Purdue Extension is planning to modernize and evolve with the times to ensure that the impact they are making today does not diminish in the future.

As is tradition, the evening’s grand finale was a celebration of the Farm Family of the Year. A video showcasing the Brubaker family and their farm was shown followed by the presentation of the Farm Family of the Year award, given to the family by members of the Merrick family, whose farm family received the award in 2025.  

Grow Wabash County is thankful to all the companies and individuals that showed their support for this annual event by signing on as event sponsors.

Platinum Sponsors: BioNutrients Ag, LLC; Keystone Cooperative

Diamond Sponsor: Halderman Real Estate & Farm Management

Gold Sponsors: Beacon Credit Union; Crossroads Bank; Farm Credit Mid-America; Granit Parts USA; Indiana Farm Bureau, Inc.; POET; Thorne Insurance

Silver Sponsors: The Andersons, Inc.; Bellar Construction Management, Inc.; Channel; Drago Indiana; First Farmers Bank & Trust; Flagstar Bank; Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance; Kopkey Manure; Meyer Building; McKillip Seeds; Quinn and Son Lime Spreading; Regional Chamber of NE Indiana; River Bend Farms, LLC; Shafer Consulting LLC; Shepherd’s Chevrolet GMC of Wabash; TruLand Equipment; Tulip Tree Title

Bronze Sponsor: Downs, Tandy & Petruniw, PC