April 2024 - 4

EDITOR'S LETTER
Recognizing hard work
on behalf of growers
Every January, vegetable and fruit growers
convene for regional conventions that have a
lot to offer, from educational sessions to expo
floors that feature resources including tools
and services.
The Mid-Atlantic Fruit & Vegetable
Convention in Hershey, Pennsylvania, and
Southeast Regional Fruit & Vegetable
Conference in Savannah, Georgia, also
recognize people who have contributed
significantly to the industry.
I attended the Mid-Atlantic event for the
first time and looked forward to meeting
Bill Troxell, who retired in December after
40 years with the Pennsylvania Vegetable
Growers Association, first as executive
secretary and then as executive director. Troxell received many
accolades for his service, from growers up to Pennsylvania Agriculture
Secretary Russell Redding, who attended the convention.
Others recognized during the event include vegetable and berry
grower Steve Sample, and Penn State Extension educators Sinclair
Adam and Tom Ford, who received posthumous Distinguished Service
Awards. (Page 18.)
At the Southeast Regional Fruit & Vegetable Conference, University
of Georgia faculty Stanley Culpepper and Bhabesh Dutta were honored
for their weed and pesticide research, and work on disease control,
respectively.
The Dan Bremer Service Award, now in its second year at the
Southeast Regional event, is unique in that it recognizes work not in
furthering knowledge of growing specialty crops, but in the labor that is
crucial to harvesting the crops. This award honors those who advocate
on behalf of employers and those who support opportunities for ag
workers and went to Courtney Hamilton Griffin. (Page 20.)
We also look at research from Emily Bick and Dev Mehrotra at
the University of Wisconsin for their work on a novel pest detection
system, Insect Eavesdropper, that recently won the Entomological
Society of America's Antlion Pit competition, which encourages the
development of the entrepreneurial spirit through idea leadership,
innovation, teamwork and mentorship, according to the association.
Judging from the potential for the system, I'm sure more recognition
is in their future. (Page 6.)
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APRIL 2024 | VOLUME 58 | ISSUE 4
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April 2024

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