Manatee County Agriculture Hall of Fame Inducts John O

MANATEE--John O’Conner, Jr. and Frank Connor have been inducted into the Manatee County Agriculture Hall of Fame. Both men were honored at the annual Farm City Week Luncheon sponsored by the Women’s Club of Palmetto last week.

John O'Conner, Jr.

John O’Connor has been involved in the Manatee Soil and Water Conservation District Board (MRSWCD) for the past 34 years.  During this time O’Connor has won the Florida Association of Conservation Districts Outstanding Service Award. He has served on the Board of Directors of the Florida Association of Conservation Districts for 32 years and  established the Ellis Putnal Memorial Fund to perpetuate the annual Florida State Conservation Speaking Contest for students in 6-12 grades. 

Among his many achievements, O’Connor helped develop the Manatee Agriculture Reuse System (MARS) for farmers to use recycled water instead of ground water for irrigation of certain crops. He co-founded the Environmental Land Management and Acquisition Advisory Committee (ELMAC) and was appointed by the County Commissioners to serve on the Manatee County Comprehensive Planning Committee. 

Francis "Frank" Connor

”John has always been a strong supporter of our agricultural community“, said current Manatee River Soil and Water Conservation District Chairman Gary Reeder. ”He has so generously given of his time to help in making our community a better place.“ 

Francis ”Frank“ Connor, who passed away in 1953, was inducted posthumously.  He was assigned to be the Agriculture Agent for the Seaboard Airline Railroad in 1938. The position was created to represent the rail travel and freight in the area. His offices were in Palmetto and his main focus was agriculture. Frank Connor worked to expand economic impact and increase quality and per unit productivity to Manatee County through new ideas and innovative methods. Mr. Connor’s work sent him to the fields and workplace of the farmer, cattleman, packing houses, other agents, experiment stations where he made contact with anyone who could further the state’s commercial market in Florida’s rapid growth at the time. Frank Connor raised his family on Manatee Avenue in the home that now occupies Don’s Florist. 

Farm City Week which ran from November 8-20, celebrates the heritage of Manatee County’s agriculture.