Beverly Herman smiled as she looked at photos of the Champaign County Farm Bureau Foundation’s 41 scholarship recipients.
The headline: Planting A Legacy.
“That’s what Ray did every day,” she thought.
Ray Herman, who passed away in June, spent his life thinking about the future. A lifelong conservationist, Ray spent his career as a soil scientist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service (now called NRCS).
After retiring in 1995, the passion continued. On a suggestion from a Soil and Water Conservation District employee, he co-wrote the Direct Seeding Handbook, a complete guide on tree seeds. In 2006, he became the first president of the Illinois Forestry Association and was named Illinois Tree Farmer of the Year in 2012 for his conservation practices.
And he started collecting acorns. From golf courses to cemeteries to universities, Ray would collect up to 500 pounds of acorns on any given day. Ray and Beverly would clean and size them for sale throughout the Midwest, selling top-grade tree stock.
The goal was clear: one at a time, these trees would make an impact.
Slowly but surely, he tucked away the proceeds from the seed sales. After Ray passed, Beverly discovered the account, and she did what Ray would have done: she thought about the future.
Those funds will be used to truly “plant a legacy”, creating an endowed fund at the Champaign County Farm Bureau Foundation to support student scholarships.
The Ray Herman Memorial Scholarship will be a $2,000 annual scholarship to support students pursuing degrees and careers in forestry, conservation and natural resources.
Said Kirk Builta, Executive Director of the CCFB Foundation, “Mrs. Herman’s goal was very clear at the onset. She wanted Ray’s legacy to continue and have a lasting impact. It was our privilege to help her achieve that through this endowment.”
The first Ray Herman Memorial Scholarship will be available as part of the CCFB Foundation’s 2025 Scholarship lineup this winter. Students can apply at www.ccfbfoundation.com/scholarship.
