If you are or have been affiliated in any
way with the University of Georgia or have
been on almost any agricultural tour at the
university, you will recognize on the cover
that unmistakable hat and profile as Benjie
Baldree.
Benjie is undoubtably one of the really
good people in this world. He started working
at UGA in 1971 as a field technician,
which he still does, but only “half time”
now for Glen Harris, UGA Extension
agronomist. He also works for UGA Assistant
Dean, Joe West, for the Ag Awareness
program at the Tifton Campus.
“When I inherited Benjie as a part-time
technician in 2003, I didn’t realize what a great gift I had been given,” Harris
says. “I quickly learned that everybody on campus loves Benjie. He knows
everybody, and everybody owes him a favor because he is always doing something
for somebody on campus.”
Although Harris says Benjie is a great field technician, his real passion these
days is the Ag Awareness program, where he gets to educate third and fourth
graders about agriculture and the environment. In fact, Benjie was recognized
recently with the “Ambassador of the Tifton Campus” award. Congratulations
to Benjie on such a well-deserved honor.
Another article this month is about Delores “Dee Dee” Darden, of Smithfield,
Va., who was recently named Monsanto’s 2012 America’s Farmers Mom
of the Year regional winner for the Southeast. One of five regional winners,
Darden was selected by judges from American Agri-Women and Monsanto
in recognition of the contributions she makes to her family, farm, community
and the agricultural industry.
As past chairman of the National Peanut Board, Darden has promoted
USA-grown peanuts on the national scale and even internationally, but it’s the
work she does in her own community that makes her stand out. She represents
all the “farm moms” out there who organize farm tours, work to educate
school kids and promote agriculture in their daily lives, all while still being
a mom, grandma and wife, plus farmer and business owner. I’m not sure
how she does it, but I’m glad she does, and congratulations, Dee Dee, for your
well-deserved recognition as a regional winner.
Finally, there is the article “Farm Bill Update.” However, as mom says, “If
you can’t say something nice, then don’t say anything at all.” So, I’ll end here.
Thank goodness we still have good people like Benjie and Dee Dee to
serve as examples for us all. PG |
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