PASCO - Nominations are being accepted through Nov. 26 for 2015 inductees into the Mid-Columbia Agriculture Hall of Fame.

The awards will be presented at the Ag Hall of Fame Gala on Jan. 22 at the Pasco Red Lion.

The Ag Hall of Fame organization considers South Grant County a part of the Mid-Columbia. The award was established in 2000 by the Pasco Chamber of Commerce to honor distinguished individuals in Franklin County who made significant contributions to agriculture.

It has since expanded to include surrounding counties in the Mid-Columbia region. Nominees within a 150-mile radius of Franklin County are often considered.

More than 50 individuals and couples have been honored in the 15-year history of the program.

A selection committee of the Pasco Chamber of Commerce reviews the nominations, and individuals are judged on their contributions to agriculture and to their communities. Candidates are recognized for their dedication, generosity and selflessness as well as demonstrated achievements, expertise and innovation.

Farmers, growers, ranchers and owners or employees of agribusiness firms are all eligible for nomination. The three categories of awards and the criteria are:

The Ag Hall of Fame Pioneer Award honors those who have significantly influenced agriculture with groundbreaking ideas, participation and leadership and have displayed advocacy or unselfish acts in their communities.

The Agriculture Adviser Award is open to 4-H leaders, educators, agriculture advisers and outstanding mentors who have had a great influence in agriculture or agribusiness through working with youth.

The Young Agribusiness Person of the Year is a business person who has a stellar work ethic, provides workable solutions for issues affecting agriculture, influences public policies that affect agriculture and serves his or her community through volunteering or individual leadership.

A downloadable nomination form can be found at pascochamber.org by clicking on "Ag Hall of Fame" under the Events tab. The nomination packet should contain the completed form plus additional information including:

Years of community and agriculture service - no more than 20 organizations and services the nominee has participated in.

A brief biography - one to two pages of background information, including character traits and personal interests. Include your personal sentiments and justification to support the nominee.

Attachments - photos, clippings, awards, letters of recognition, etc., not to exceed 10 pages.

Help is available for writing biographies and assembling nomination packets. For help or information, call the Pasco Chamber of Commerce at (509) 547-9755.