Larry Hottman, one winner of the 2003 Kansas Bankers Award, jokingly admitted that the main reason he began installing conservation practices in the 1970s was so he wouldn't have to bounce across ditches every time he drove across one of his fields. Thirty acres of grassed waterways and forty thousand feet of terraces later, Larry is still looking for new and better ways to conserve his natural resources.

"As time went by, I came to realize the value of nutrients that are not lost. Conservation practices, minimum till and no-till all come together to keep our soils productive," the rural Enterprise, Kansas, farmer explains. "As every farmer is aware, there are areas in any given field that never yield much, and other areas that always out yield the rest of the field. The last three years I have used yield maps, soil testing, and electric conductivity to divide fields into management zones. Then I variable rate the fertilizer application to these management zones."

Larry raises wheat, milo, soybeans and brome hay and also maintains a cow/calf herd.

Some of his experiences with yield mapping and variable rate applications of fertilizer have been written about in two different farm publications. Larry was also elected president of the founding board of the Kansas Agricultural Research Association that was for med in 2000 by a group of farm producers, researchers, and agricultural industry people. This organization sponsors field trips and workshops for those interested in precision farming.

Larry graduated from Abilene High School and Kansas State University with BS degrees in bacteriology and medical technology. Wife Geneva graduated from Peabody High School and Emporia State University with a BS degree in education. Larry married the former Geneva Merryfield June, 2, 1979, at Abilene First Methodist Church. They have a son, Alan Hottman, who graduated with a BS in Business Management from Kansas State University. Alan lives in Manhattan and works for the USDA Agricultural Research Service as a computer specialist.

Larry stays busy when he is not farming by helping other farmers with their farm computer programs and helping a friend construct houses in the winter months. Geneva stays busy helping with the farm animals, reading, and hunting for antiques when she's not teaching at Hope Elementary. The 2003 Kansas Bankers Award winners make their home in rural Dickinson County.