September 17, 2008

Extension specialists recognized for outstanding careers

* Chris Hurt was named the Career Award winner. An agricultural economist, Hurt provides economic evaluations on how current issues impact Indiana agriculture. He supplies regular outlook analysis and information for corn, soybeans, cattle, hogs and Indiana farm income, as well as educational programs on the use of futures and options markets. Hurt coordinates the annual Agricultural Outlook program for the Department of Agricultural Economics and distributes results. The outlook campaign, developed with Extension specialists and educators, involves about 35 county-level meetings with an attendance of about 1,900. Throughout the year, he presents additional outlook meetings and speaks to many groups, averaging about 80 engagements per year during a 26-year period, reaching an average of 6,000 people each year. In addition, Hurt maintains outlook information on a departmental Web site and coordinates a Web site with the University of Illinois that records 20,000 hits per month. He annually receives about 220 requests for media interviews ranging from local newspapers to national media, such as the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and National Public Radio.

* Allan Miller received the Mid-Career Award. Miller, an agricultural economist, collaborates with Purdue Extension educators to organize the annual Indiana Farm Management Tour and is co-leader of the annual Farming Together Workshop at Purdue. He has worked on many Purdue Extension farm management programs and publications, including co-authoring the annual "Purdue Crop Cost and Returns Guide." In the late 1990s, Miller chaired a departmental working group that developed a strategic planning publication titled "Positioning the Farm Business." It became a basis for workshops and later a series of publications and distance education efforts. Miller helped organize training programs to help farm audiences learn to use accounting software and has been a valuable resource on farm accounting and a contributor to financial management programs. He has counseled many Hoosier farm families on farm succession planning and uses those experiences to make his classroom teaching more relevant. Miller is past president of the National Association of Farm Business Analysis Specialists and is currently president-elect of the National Farm Financial Standards Council.

* Maria Marshall was recognized as the Early Career Award winner. An agricultural economist, she leads Purdue Extension programs for small business development, providing research-based management assistance, instruction and publications for diverse audiences. She has presented workshops throughout the state, nation and world in both English and Spanish for audiences ranging from small farm owners in developing countries to highly educated technology entrepreneurs. Marshall's flagship program is the INVenture Web site, which has more than 3,600 registered users. She has taught Extension educators from Indiana and other states to use INVenture to increase their capacity to help entrepreneurs through the business planning process. Marshall's programs often involve close collaborations across campus and have a clear impact on clients. For example, during her Food Entrepreneurship Program with the Food Science Department, she offers biannual workshops that help participants make more informed decisions and avoid costly mistakes.

* The Team Award went to Retail Food Safety Program in Indiana. Team members include the Purdue Department of Food Science, Purdue Extension educators in 71 counties, Indiana state and local health departments, the Indiana Restaurant and Hospitality Association, and the Indiana Retail Grocers Association. Indiana retail food managers who work in food service and supermarkets are required to pass a nationally recognized food safety certification exam every five years. This impacts more than 20,000 Indiana businesses. To meet these needs, Richard Linton, professor of food science, developed a team to create and deliver Extension-based programs. His team coordinated food safety train-the-trainer programs for Extension educators and state and local health departments. Those trainers, in turn, deliver public education statewide. Since 1998, 486 retail food manager certification programs have been offered to more than 13,700 Hoosiers. The Purdue certification pass rate is 94 percent, compared to the national average of 81 percent. This approach has been nationally recognized and is being used as a model for Extension program development nationwide.

* Julia Wickard, executive vice president of the Indiana Beef Cattle Association, was honored with the Spirit of Extension Award. Throughout a history of support for Indiana agriculture and Purdue Extension programs, Wickard has helped Purdue specialists communicate science-based information to stakeholders in the state. Prior to assuming her current position, Wickard helped establish environmental policies in the state in positions such as director of ag and natural resources at Indiana Farm Bureau, executive director of the Indiana Commission for Agriculture and Rural Development, and director of environmental and natural resources with the Indiana Office of the Commissioner of Agriculture. For many years, she convened, organized and moderated Team Ag, a group of agricultural leaders, along with Purdue specialists, to discuss key issues affecting Indiana agriculture. She helped form the Indiana Livestock Alliance with a similar mission. At Farm Bureau, Wickard played a key role in developing a voluntary environmental management system for Indiana livestock and poultry producers intended to improve environmental performance and provide recognition for exceptional stewardship. She routinely arranges for the Indiana Beef Cattle Association board to meet with Purdue specialists to discuss research updates and needs.

Writer: Andrea McCann, (812) 798-5335, andreamccnn@yahoo.com

Source: Chuck Hibberd, associate dean of agriculture, (765) 494-8489, hibberd@purdue.edu

Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722;
Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
Agriculture News Page

Note to Journalists: A photo will be available starting at noon on Friday (Sept. 19) at http://www.extension.purdue.edu/awards/2008/

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