Impact Magazine - Spring 2008 - (Page 32)

Friends of Agricultural Economics spotlight adam putnam U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam was recognized Sept. 18 as one of two 2007 Friends of Agricultural Economics for his appreciation of economics as applied to policy issues involving agriculture, natural resources, food and nutrition. The Council on Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (C-FARE) also honored Connecticut Rep. Rosa DeLauro. The awards were announced at a reception in Washington, D.C. Tom Spreen, chairman of UF’s food and resource economics department, and vice president of the National Association of Agricultural Economics Administrators (NAAEA), nominated Putnam for the honor. The reception was held in connection with the NAAEA’s biannual meeting on economics policies and funding issues important to researchers and agricultural producers. Elected to Congress on November 7, 2000, Putnam is a native of Bartow, Fla., and received a bachelor’s degree in food and resource economics from UF’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences in 1996. He currently serves on the Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises subcommittee of the U.S. House Financial Services Committee. Before being elected to Congress, he worked in his family’s citrus and cattle business. He also served four years in the Florida House of Representatives. C-FARE is a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening the national presence of the agricultural economics profession. n – mickie anderson For more information, contact: tom spreen (352) 392-1826 tspreen@ufl.edu Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame strengthen agriculture in the Sunshine State. Born in Walton County in 1934, Straughn attended UF’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, where he earned bachelor’s degrees in animal science and vocational agriculture with high honors. In 1957, he completed a master’s degree in animal science at UF, also with high honors. Upon graduation, Straughn began raising cattle and growing watermelons. In 1959, he also began working as a UF extension agent in Marion County. Three years later, with the aid of a Kellogg Foundation grant, he went to the University of Wisconsin where he completed his doctorate in extension administration in 1963. Straughn then became an assistant professor and extension program specialist with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. In 1969, he became assistant director of the extension service, and he was named director of program evaluation and organizational development in 1971. Throughout his career, Straughn also has been actively involved in the 4-H youth development program. After his retirement in 1989 from UF as professor emeritus in the agricultural education and communication department, Straughn continued to expand his cattle, blueberry, timber and watermelon farming operations to more than 2,000 acres in three locations near Gainesville. Straughn’s innovation and leadership in blueberry production has been crucial to the success of the $40 million industry in Florida. He now produces about one-third of all blueberries in Florida, and works closely with UF researchers to conduct blueberry variety trials and demonstrate new production technologies at his farms. He also has been an innovator for the Florida watermelon industry — one of the early adopters of new watermelon production technologies on his farms, including polyethylene mulch and drip irrigation. n – chuck woods For more information, contact: jimmy cheek (352) 392-1971 jgcheek@ufl.edu alto straughn Alto Straughn, a former assistant director of UF’s statewide extension service, was inducted into the Florida Agricultural Hall of Fame in February 2008 in recognition of his many contributions to Florida agriculture. Straughn’s career in agricultural research, education and commercial farming spans more than 50 years, and his leadership in blueberry and watermelon farming continues to 32 IMPACT | Spring 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Impact Magazine - Spring 2008

Impact Magazine - Spring 2008 Contents A Big Boost for Biofuels Top Priority Partnerships for Sustainable Agriculture Eliminating the Evil Weevil Invasive Pest Defeating Resistant Roaches Biodiesel Boon User-Friendly Updates for FAWN Flat-Out Great for the Grill! Laser Labeling Cashing in on Caviar Saving Water with Soil-Moisture Sensors Spotlight IFAS Development News

Impact Magazine - Spring 2008

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