Leonard Sitzer

With only a 10^th-grade education, Leonard Sitzer returned home from a tour of duty with the Army inChina andIndia during World War II to develop one ofPoinsettCounty and northeastArkansas’ most successful rice farming operations. He bought 2,000 acres and developed surface water irrigation systems some 20 years before groundwater became a scarce and precious commodity. His operation later grew to include additional acreage, a tractor dealership and land developed for hunting in Weiner and Batesville. Sitzer is an avid outdoorsman and wildlife conservationist. His duck hunting woods along Bayou DeView are known nationwide. He has hosted numerous public and political luminaries, including former president Jimmy Carter, scientist Warner Von Braun, Wal-Mart executive Rob Walton, former Florida Governor Lawton Chiles, Texas Senator Lloyd Bentzen and baseball Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle. Sitzer has dedicated years of service to a number of state and local boards and associations. These include 33 years on the Riceland Foods board of directors, 36 years on the Weiner Grain Dryer board and 12 years as president, 21 years on the Poinsett Production Credit Association and five years on the Farmers Supply Association board. Sitzer is an active life sponsor of Ducks Unlimited and life member of the National Turkey Federation. He was named the Arkansas Wildlife Federation’s Conservationist of the Year in 2008 for being a leader in developing and protecting wildlife habitat. Though 92 years of age at the time of his induction, Sitzer continued to serve his community and agriculture in a number of positions. His life is a testament to what an individual can accomplish through commitment to hard work and dedication.