The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is accepting nominations through March 1 for the Woman of the Year in Agriculture Award and the Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Awards. The Woman of the Year in Agriculture Award annually recognizes the achievements of women who have made outstanding contributions to Florida agriculture. The Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Awards are presented annually, spotlighting environmentally …
Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Inductees Named for 2024
The Florida Citrus Hall of Fame has announced its Class of 2024 inductees. They are Robert M. “Bob” Behr of New Smyrna Beach, George H. Streetman of Vero Beach and Leland K. Young, formerly of Bartow. They will be inducted March 1, 2024, along with the Class of 2023 inductees. The induction ceremonies and a luncheon will be held at …
Vincent Awarded Fellowship in Environmental Protection and Stewardship
University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) researcher Christopher Vincent was awarded an Early-Career Research Fellowship in the Environmental Protection and Stewardship track from the Gulf Research Program (GRP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Vincent is an associate professor of citrus tree ecophysiology in the Horticultural Sciences Department at the Citrus Research and …
Texas A&M Professor Honored
The Indian Society of Citriculture has bestowed an honorary fellowship to Texas A&M AgriLife Research Professor Bhimu Patil. Patil is in the Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Horticultural Sciences. He is also director of the Vegetable and Fruit Improvement Center at Texas A&M University, College Station. The society recognized Patil for his “outstanding contribution in the …
Sallins Receive John T. Lesley Award
Florida Citrus Packers recently presented IMG Citrus founders Michel and Veronique Sallin with the organization’s highest recognition, the John T. Lesley Award. The presentation was made at the fresh fruit industry’s annual Citrus Packinghouse Day. The award is for individuals making sustained and outstanding contributions to Florida’s fresh citrus industry. IMG Citrus operates more than 11,000 acres of citrus groves …
Citrus Hall of Fame Nominations Needed by Nov. 1
The nomination deadline for potential 2024 inductees into the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame is Nov. 1, 2023. Nominations received after that date will be considered for the following year. Eligible nominees are distinguished leaders who made significant contributions to the Florida citrus industry in any of the following fields: pioneering, harvesting, packing, processing, marketing, science and/or education. Nomination forms …
Student’s Thiamethoxam Research Honored
Work on HLB carried out at Fundecitrus by student Leandro Jun Soki Shibutani was honored at the recent Brazilian Congress of Phytopathology. The first part of Shibutani’s dissertation on the theme “Frequency of spraying thiamethoxam and transmission of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus in orange trees under constant arrival of infective psyllids” took second place in the Best Master’s Works category. It …
Fundecitrus Researchers Honored for HLB Article
Six Fundecitrus researchers recently received an award from the journal Tropical Plant Pathology, edited by the Brazilian Society of Phytopathology. The award is in recognition of the researchers’ work in the scientific article “Overview of citrus huanglongbing spread and management strategies in Brazil.” The researchers honored are Renato Beozzo Bassanezi, Sílvio Aparecido Lopes, Marcelo Pedreira de Miranda, Nelson Arno Wulff, …
Stelinski Elected Entomological Society Fellow
Lukasz Stelinski, a University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) entomology professor, has been elected a fellow of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) for 2023. He is one of six recognized for outstanding contributions to entomology via research, teaching, Extension, administration, military service or public engagement and science policy. Stelinski works at the UF/IFAS Citrus Research …
Nominations for Florida Ag Hall of Fame
The Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame, which honors producers, commodity leaders, educators, scientists and others who have contributed to agriculture in the Sunshine State, is accepting nominations for its class of 2024 inductees. There are two ways to nominate: Nominations and supporting materials must be submitted electronically no later than Sept. 1. “The Hall of Fame celebrates the rich history …
2023 Citrus Achievement Award Winner Announced
Florida Grower magazine chose Glenn Beck as the 2023 Citrus Achievement Award winner. He is featured in the magazine’s June cover story. For more than 20 years, the people who have won the award have helped shape the history of the state’s citrus sector. Some years, selecting a winner is an easy process because the person checks so many boxes. …
HLB Researcher Honored
Fundecitrus researcher Marcelo Pedreira de Miranda has received the Outstanding Citriculture Engineer-Agronomist Award from the 48th Expocitrus and 44th Citriculture Week. The Brazilian entomologist, whose main studies are related to HLB, has worked at Fundecitrus since 2008. The award ceremony where Miranda was honored was part of the opening afternoon of the exhibition week and was attended by authorities and …
Brite Leaf Citrus Nursery Awarded
The 2023 winners of Florida’s Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Award are Brite Leaf Citrus Nursery, Rocking K Cattle and Island Grove Wine Company. The winners were announced May 30 by Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson. Agricultural-Environmental Leadership Awards have been presented annually since 1994 and spotlight environmentally innovative growers and ranchers who share a commitment to protecting and preserving Florida’s resources …
Nominate a Worthy Woman in Florida Agriculture
Nominations for the Woman of the Year in Agriculture Award, sponsored by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) in conjunction with the Florida State Fair Authority, are now being accepted. All nominations must be submitted by Aug. 1. The award annually recognizes the achievements of women who have made outstanding contributions to Florida agriculture. “The Woman of …
Seeking Environmental Stewards
The Florida Farm Bureau Federation County Alliance for Responsible Environmental Stewardship (FFBF CARES) is seeking nominations of farmers and ranchers who are implementing best management practices (BMPs) to enhance and conserve the state’s natural resources. Nominations will be accepted through June 16. Farmers and ranchers may nominate their own operation or that of a colleague. Learn more about the program and …
Stelinski and Wang Among UF Faculty Honored
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has elected 19 University of Florida faculty to its newest class. The honor recognizes extraordinary impact and achievement across disciplines. Two of those honored, Lukasz Stelinski and Nian Wang, work at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) Citrus Research and Education Center. Stelinski is a professor …
Two New Florida Citrus Hall of Fame Members
The late F. Gilbert Bowen of Winter Haven and the late A.G. Smith of Wauchula will join the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame as the Class of 2023 inductees. They will be inducted posthumously in March 2024, along with the Class of 2024 inductees. BOWENFor more than seven decades, Bowen (1928–2022) was a leader in his family’s operations as well …
Oswalt Earns Extension Mentor of the Year Award
By J. Scott Angle, jangle@ufl.edu, @IFAS_VP Of all the things Chris Oswalt has delivered for the citrus industry — weather data, freeze-protection advice, Extension programming — his most valuable contribution might be his mentorship of a new generation of citrus agents. GUIDING CAREERSYou likely wouldn’t have Danielle Sprague assisting a cold-hardy citrus association in North Florida were it not for …
Wang Honored for HLB Research
Nian Wang, a University of Florida (UF) Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences professor, has been awarded one of the school’s 2022 Inventions of the Year for his work on HLB. Wang works in the Microbiology and Cell Science Department at the Citrus Research and Education Center. He worked on controlling HLB by mitigating cell death of the phloem tissues …
PIECES OF THE PAST: Milestones and Memorable Careers
By Brenda Eubanks Burnette This month marks a milestone for the Florida Citrus Hall of Fame in several areas. First, it will mark 60 years of honoring the contributions of industry leaders. Second, the 200th member, George Hamner Jr. of Vero Beach, was inducted. In honor of these milestones, a book titled “Florida’s Citrus Pioneers: Shaping a State”has been prepared …