Walter J. Clore Award
Exceptional Contribution to the Industry

This award was initiated by the WSGS in recognition of service and significant contribution to the Washington State grape industry.  The following is used by the committee to choose the recipient:
  • Service to the Washington State grape industry
  • Service to and active participation in the Washington State Grape Society
  • At least ten years activity with the grape industry
  • Active in community service

Albert Don​
2021 Walter J. Clore Award Recipient

Photo Courtesy of Kate Prengaman, Good Fruit Grower
 
He was born to a man who came to this country from Holland, wanting to be only one thing.......a farmer. Thus, he was raised and worked on the family farm until his young adult life with his parents, sister, and two brothers. Alongside his father, Jan, he raised many different row crops and later permanent crops on the Roza north of Prosser. These early hard lessons on the farm would later prove to be invaluable. When not required to work, he enjoyed playing football in high school, participated in FFA, and loved riding dirt bikes with other Roza friends and brothers. I would venture to say he got into many other varieties of trouble farm boys usually did in those days!  
 
He met the love of his life, Karen, during this time at the Sunnyside Christian Reformed Church, where he and his family were attending. They were married in 1977, and had four children. They later became members of Covenant Presbyterian Church, where he was an active member and served as an elder. 
 
After leaving his family farm, he worked for Fewel Farms for a few years until he started his career with Wyckoff Farms, where he remained there for over 30 years.  Even though he was a farmer first, he loved being the Vineyard Operations Manager. He always wanted to make things easier, faster, and find a better way to do things across the farm. He was always willing to share his ideas and learn from others at the same time. He served on the Concord Grape Research Council and earned awards across the grape community.  These awards were never something he sought, and he only appreciated doing something he loved every day.  He was well-known for his hard work and dedication across the Ag and Grape communities.   
 
Later in life, he enjoyed fishing, spending time on the Oregon coast, NASCAR, and most of all, spending time with his many family members and grandchildren! He loved to share his passion for farming with his grandchildren, and could be easily talked into giving them rides on the lawnmower, tractor, grape harvester, or backhoe.  Though his life was cut short last February, his impact on his family, friends, and coworkers is long-lasting. 
 
There are many lessons to be learned by what he did, when asked what Albert’s legacy is his son Jason said, to him Albert’s legacy is if you work hard, stay dedicated, and be humble in your life, you can do anything that you put your mind to. Oh yes, and do nothing half-ass!  
 

Past Walter J. Clore Award Recipients

2021 - Albert Don
2019 - Dennis Pleasant
2018 - Gwen Hoheisel
2017 - Lynn Mills
2016 - Art den Hoed
2015 -  Jack Maljaars
2014  - Mike Means
2013 - Keith Oliver
2012 - Dr. Joan Davenport
2011 - Deb Heintz
2010 - Tim Grow
2009 - Gary Ballard
2008  - Craig Bardwell
2007 - Marcus Freepons
2006 - Kevin Corliss
2005 - Mike Concienne
2004 - Dr. Robert Wample
2003 - Andy Schilperoort
2002 - Dick Boushey
2001 - Mike Sauer
2000 - Wade Wolfe
1999 - Dave Tobin
1998 - Dr. Sara Spayd
1997 - Helen Willard
1996 - Kermit Dorsey
1995 - Bob Early
1994 - Jack Watson
1993 - Randy Hecker
1992 - Lonnie Conners
1991 - Dr. Raymond Folwell
1990 - Dr. Wyatt W. Cone
1989 - Ray Milne
1988 - Theodore Clapp
1987 - Lloyd Porter
1986 - Ron Grow
1985 - Don Golladay
1984 - Frank Olmstead
1983 - Les Fleming
1982 - Jim Eddie
1981 - Dave Wells
1980 - James White
1979 - Warren Tomlinson
1978 - Bill Lewis
1977 - Dr. Walter J. Clore

Lloyd H. Porter Award
Outstanding Grower of the Year

This award recognizes grape growers who have succeeded in the following areas:
  • Shown five or more years of quality grape production.
  • Followed established or innovative practices on at least ten or more acres of grapes.
  • Contributed to the advancement of the Washington grape industry through significant service.

Ed Crawford
2021 Lloyd H. Porter Award Recipient

This year’s recipient moved to Prosser as a kid in 1945 from the Kittitas Valley.  His parents, Benton and Evelyn, relocated their family to take advantage of the newly established Rosa irrigation district.  He grew up in Prosser where he later graduated from Prosser High School in 1958.  He was a standout athlete at PHS and was selected to the All-Valley Football team.  He later married Janet Anderson and soon had the first of 3 kids (Lori, Caralee, and Scott).

He and his family were, along with others, pioneers in turning many acres of sand and sage into valuable farm land, in what would become the Rosa Irrigation District.  He recalls planting their first concord vineyard along Spring Creek canyon mid-1960s.  He and his mother planted the concord plants by hand.  The 4-acre block was a 2-wire vertical trellis system.  Later they added more blocks using Dr. Walt Chlore’s “double curtain trellis system”.  The system quickly became widely adopted in the Washington State Concord grape industry.  Harvest was all done by hand until the 1970s when mechanical harvesters became available.  In the 1980’s he provided test plots for Dr. Robert Wample’s research on concord grapes.  Dr. Wample was working on understanding the annual bearing effects of using a mechanical pruning system. 

In the mid 1970’s he planted his first block of wine grapes on the farm.  White Riesling was his first planting, he later planted additional blocks of Limburger, Merlot and Cabernet.  He served on the Benton County weed board for many years.  He has long valued the friendships and comradery of those that served on the board with him.  He has been a fixture on the Rosa since the beginning.  Those who know him know him to be a tireless worker and an exceptional neighbor. 

He has always been proud of his labor of love and the family that He and his wife Janet raised on the farm.  He has been long known by his neighbors as a hard and tireless worker.  To this day you may see him in the field surveying his crops or removing a few weeds.  Although he has always loved working in the field, his true love of hunting, fishing and riding his horses in the mountains has always been on his mind.  There were many days when he would start his daily irrigating at 2 or 3 in the morning so he could sneak off to the mountains for a day of trout fishing.  He proudly passed his love of the outdoors and sports to his grandchildren. 

The WSGS is proud to present this year’s Lloyd H. Porter Grower of the year award to Ed Crawford.

Past Lloyd H. Porter Grower of the Year Recipients

​2021 - Ed Crawford
2019 - Heath Cleveranga
2018 - Richard Hamman
2017 - Tom C. Judkins
2016 - Mimi Nye
2015 - Mike Miller
2014 - Jerry Pace
2013 - Randy Schilperoort
2012 - Virginia Kercheval
2011 - Dennis Pleasant
2010 - Larry Marchant
2009 - Archie den Hoed
2008 - Ken Lewis, Sr.
2007 - Albert Don
2006 - Art den Hoed
2005 - Don Golladay
2004 - Keith Oliver
2003 - Jerry Czebotar
2002 - Marvin Vining
2001 - Bill den Hoed
2000 - Lonnie Conner
1999 - Dion Bros.
1998 - Mike Sauer
1997 - John Mohr
1996 - Vernon Brown
1995 - Lynn Burns
1994 - Theodore D. Clapp
1993 - Fredrick Kilian
1992 - Gladys Murchland
1991 - Jim Herold