Horse Creek dairyman Lanny Love and Greeneville radio executive Ronnie Metcalfe won distinguished service awards at Thursday night's 24th annual Farm-City Banquet at the Clyde Austin 4-H Center.

Love was presented the J.W. Massengill Award for Distinguished Service to Agriculture, and Metcalfe was presented the Robert C. Austin Award for Distinguished Service to Community.

The banquet is sponsored each November by the Agribusiness Committee of the Greene County Partnership.

The awards are named in memory of J.W. Massengill, who was a Chuckey dairyman and community leader, and for Robert C. Austin, Greeneville industrialist and civic leader.

Speaker for the evening was Dr. Charles Petty, a native of Arkansas who is now a member of the National Speakers Hall of Fame.

Petty, who now lives in Raleigh, N.C., and who has spoken in all 50 states and several foreign countries, entertained the large banquet gathering with 30 minutes of humor while emphasizing the importance of family and farm-city relationships.

Steve Hale, a retired Greene County Extension Leader who presented the awards, said Love manages an "outstanding Holstein herd" at Celand Dairy Farm.

Love and his father, the late Charles Love, became widely known as some of the state's leading alfalfa hay producers years ago.

The farm has won many production awards, Hale said, "all on grazing and hay, which is quite remarkable."

Love was named the state's top hay producer for three years before the Murfreesboro expo was discontinued several years ago.

In addition to high-quality alfalfa and orchard grass hay, Hale said that tobacco, watermelons and cantaloupes are also grown on the Love farm.

The Love family has always been willing to open its farm to tour groups and practice sessions for area high school dairy judging teams, Hale said.

Lanny Love is a supplier of hay to the University of Tennessee Dairy Day Sale, Hale said, and a supporter and supplier for Kids Day on the Farm, June Dairy Day and the Beef Celebration.

Love is a director and past president of the Greene County Fair Board, a director and former treasurer of the Greene County Dairy Herd Improvement Association, and is past president of the Chuckey-Doak High School FFA Alumni.

He is a member of the Cedar Grove United Methodist Church and the Nolichuckey Volunteer Fire Department.

He and his wife, Betty, have three daughters and six grandchildren.

Betty Love won the Massengill Award in 2004 for her untiring efforts to promote Greene County dairy farmers while serving as chairman of June Dairy Month.

A third member of the family, Charles E. Love was presented the Massengill Award posthumously in 2001 for his leadership role in alfalfa production.

In presenting the Austin Award to Metcalfe, Hale cited Metalfe's long service to his family's business, Radio Greeneville, and to the Greeneville Emergency & Rescue Squad.

Metcalfe began working at WGRV-WIKQ radio stations in 1968, Hale said, and was named general manager of the stations in 1981 after the retirement of his father, the late Paul Metcalfe, who was presented the Austin Award in 2004.

Hale said that Metcalfe joined the Rescue Squad in 1971 and served for 25 years, including 13 terms as captain.

Metcalfe also served 25 years on the Greene County Fair Board of Directors, including six terms as president and two terms as treasurer.

"Many of the improvements to the facilities at the fair came under Ronnie's tenure," Hale said.

Metcalfe and his wife, Nellie, have two children and four grandchildren.