Texas Strawberry Project team garners AgriLife Extension Superior Service Award
Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, [email protected]
Contact: Dr. Russ Wallace, 806-746-6101, [email protected]
BRYAN – The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has honored the Texas Strawberry Project with a Superior Service Award in the team category for their work in bolstering strawberry production in Texas.
Superior Service Awards recognize AgriLife Extension faculty and staff members who provide outstanding performance in AgriLife Extension education or other outstanding service to the organization and to Texans.
The award was presented Jan. 12 during the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Conference awards dinner at the Brazos Expo Center in Bryan.
The project involved 50 growers, and is a collaborative effort among AgriLife Extension, the lead agency, Prairie View A&M University and Texas A&M AgriLife Research, according to the nomination.
“The objectives were achieved through unprecedented team collaboration by engaging growers and industry stakeholders,” the nomination said.
“This project has made a difference for farmers, will help stimulate an emerging strawberry industry in Texas and will lead to satisfying consumer demand with a sustainably produced, high quality and nutritious fruit,” wrote Dr. Curt Rom, director of the National Strawberry Sustainability Initiative, Fayetteville, Arkansas, in his letter of support. “There will be multiple economic benefits as outcomes of the project success.”
In 2012, Dr. Russ Wallace, AgriLife Extension horticulturist at Lubbock, had preliminary data suggesting strawberries could be a profitable crop in Texas for small acreage and limited-resource growers. The nomination said that, with faculty collaborators, he has led an immense effort to offer grower training opportunities and increase strawberry production sustainability statewide.
The Walmart Foundation provides funds under the direction of the National Strawberry Sustainability Initiative and the University of Arkansas. As a result of the project, locally grown strawberries are increasingly in high demand in Texas, the nomination noted.
In addition to Wallace, the Strawberry Project Team members recognized were:
– Specialists: Dr. Peter Ampim, Cooperative Agricultural Research Center research scientist, and Dr. Billy Lawton, program leader, both at Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View; Dr. Juan Anciso, AgriLife Extension horticulturist, Weslaco; Dr. Daniel Leskovar, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center director; and Dr. Larry Stein, AgriLife Extension horticulturist, both of Uvalde; Dr. Genhua Niu, AgriLife Research environmental horticulturist, El Paso; Dr. Pat Porter, AgriLife Extension entomologist, Lubbock; Dr. Joe Masabni, AgriLife Extension vegetable specialist; Dr. Karl Steddom, AgriLife Research plant pathologist, and Dr. Erfan Vafaie, AgriLife Extension program specialist-integrated pest management, all of Overton; Dr. Youping Sun, AgriLife Research associate-landscape/water conservation, El Paso; and Angel Fattorini, AgriLife Communications video producer; Dr. Mengmeng Gu, AgriLife Extension horticulturist; Monte Nesbitt, AgriLife Extension program specialist-pecan/fruit/citrus; Dr. Kevin Ong, Texas Plant Pathology Diagnostic Lab director; and Dr. Marco Palma, AgriLife Extension economist, all of College Station.
– AgriLife Extension horticulture agents Vikram Baliga, Lubbock County; Keith Hansen, Smith County, retired; Laura Miller, Tarrant County; Dale Rankin, Atascosa County; David Rodriguez, Bexar County; Daphne Richards, Travis County; Skip Richter, Harris County; and Barbara Storz, Hidalgo County, retired.
