Individuals from across Wyoming gathered on August 13 at Riverside Park in Douglas to celebrate the induction of Doug Miyamoto and Juan Reyes into the Wyoming Agriculture Hall of Fame. The event also recognized Neil Long as the Wyoming Ag in the Classroom (WAIC) Educator of the Year.
The annual picnic, hosted by Farm Credit Services of America, Clark and Associates Land Brokers LLC, the University of Wyoming College of Agriculture, Life Sciences and Natural Resources, and the Wyoming Livestock Roundup, is a key summer event for those involved in agriculture in Wyoming.
During the ceremony, Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis presented awards to the Hall of Fame inductees. Barrasso praised Miyamoto for his long-standing contributions to agriculture in Wyoming. Miyamoto has held various roles within agencies such as the State Engineer’s Office and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. Since 2015, he has been director of the Wyoming Department of Agriculture and was recently appointed president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.
“Doug has long been a strong voice, a selfless advocate and a loyal friend to our agriculture producers in Wyoming,” Barrasso said. Miyamoto expressed gratitude for being selected, acknowledging his respect for past inductees and emphasizing his commitment to helping Wyoming agriculture.
Lummis highlighted Reyes’s journey from Cuba to becoming a prominent ag producer in Wyoming. She described his story as “the great American success story,” detailing how he arrived in Florida through Operation Peter Pan before eventually settling in Washington state with his family. Reyes later pursued agriculture at UW and now runs MR Angus Ranch with his family.
Reyes credited his family’s support for their success: “This is a family thing. It’s always been about family for me.”
Following these recognitions, WAIC Executive Director Andrew Joannides honored Neil Long as WAIC Educator of the Year. Long began teaching using WAIC’s WyoWonders curriculum in Casper and now teaches fifth grade at Baldwin Elementary in Lander.
“Neil still teaches about outdoor recreation and tourism,” said Carolyn Jacobs from WAIC. As Educator of the Year, Long received a $2,500 cash prize funded by local organizations.
The event also included announcements regarding future developments at UW CALSNR. John Stark from UW Foundation revealed new deanships aimed at supporting university leadership.
Governor Mark Gordon emphasized agriculture’s critical role in Wyoming’s future: “Together we can make our university and our state the premier place…where we demonstrate Wyoming’s ability to manage our future.”
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