American Agri-Women have awarded Protect the Harvest founder Forrest Lucas with the 2022 Veritas Award, an honor given to people who have publicly supported agriculture through the “pursuit of truth.”
Protect the Harvest, under Lucas’ guidance, was created in 2011 to defend and preserve American freedoms and to support farmers, ranchers, outdoor enthusiasts, and animal owners. Most Americans are unaware that there are special interest groups in America that have evolved into a wealthy and well-organized movement determined to change ag’s way of life. These groups aim to control agriculture, land, and water use and eliminate human-animal interaction, hunting, and fishing. Their approach is to reach their goal incrementally via influencing public opinion with misinformation and writing, funding, and marketing legislation and regulations to suit their agenda. The result is an America that is less free and less prosperous, the elimination of animal ownership and human-animal interaction, the elimination of our ability to provide affordable food for our families, and the ability to enjoy traditional pasttimes.
Lucas was born and raised in Ramsey, Indiana, and still calls Indiana his home. As the oldest of four, he comes from humble beginnings. Forrest worked on a Harrison County cattle farm in his teens to support his family. After graduating from high school, he took several jobs, from working in a muffler factory to hauling loads in a dump truck. Forrest purchased his first semi-truck and began long-haul trucking only three years after high school. He bought more semi-trucks and a convenience store throughout the next decade. Forrest met his wife Charlotte in 1979, and the couple later had a son, Morgan, whom they raised along with their children from previous relationships.
With the need to keep his trucks going down the road, Forrest developed a fascination for mixing oils and additives to improve gas mileage and overall vehicle performance. This knowledge would lead to creating several products and incorporating Lucas Oil Products in 1989. Over the last 33 years, Lucas Oil has grown to offer over 100 products sold in the United States and abroad. In addition to founding Lucas Oil, Forrest has been able to pursue many other successful business ventures. Lucas’ most notable of these ventures is in the sporting world. Lucas Oil Stadium has been the home of the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League for nearly a decade. The name is prominent in the racing world, with tracks located in California, Missouri, and Indianapolis.
The award was announced during American Agri-Women’s 2022 national convention, held recently in Bozeman, Montana. Previous winners of the Veritas Award include Agri-Pulse founder Sara Wyant, land-grant professor Kevin Folta, and The Cavalry Group co-founders Mark and Mindy Patterson.
