The Georgia Peanut Commission presented awards to individuals who have contributed to the advancement of the peanut industry. The awards were presented at the Georgia Peanut Farm Show and Conference Jan. 17 at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus Conference Center.

Distinguished Service Award - Marcus Evans, Georgia Peanut Commission

The Distinguished Service Award is presented to Marcus Evans, director of field services and industry information for the Georgia Peanut Commission. Evans retired in October 2018 after 31 years of service on behalf of Georgia’s peanut farmers. He has shown a true dedication to the peanut and agricultural industry through the years and has dedicated his life toward bettering the livelihood of farmers. 

In his role at GPC, Evans coordinated GPC representation at Extension grower meetings throughout the state, served on the Georgia Peanut Tour Committee and coordinated many of the promotional activities at GPC. Some of the specific activities he coordinated include the exhibits at the Sunbelt Ag Expo, Georgia Farm Bureau, American Farm Bureau, Georgia Young Farmers Association, Georgia School Nutrition Association, Georgia Dietetics Association, as well as peanut festivals in Georgia. Evans also coordinated a variety of promotions including sporting event promotions with University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia Southern and the Atlanta Braves, as well as Georgia Peanut Bank Week and partnerships with Georgia 4-H.

Through the years, Evans served on committees with the American Peanut Council and National Peanut Museum. In 2015, Evans was awarded honorary membership by the Georgia Young Farmers Association.

Research and Education Award – Dr. Corley Holbrook, U.S. Department of Agriculture 

The Georgia Peanut Research and Education Award is presented to Dr. Corley Holbrook, research leader for the USDA-ARS Crop Genetics and Breeding Research Unit in Tifton, Georgia. He also has over 30 years of experience in peanut breeding and genetic research. Holbrook has published over 500 technical             publications, and delivered numerous invited presentations at regional, national, and international conferences.  He has served on the Board of Directors of the American Peanut Research and Education Society (APRES), and the Crop Science Society of America. Holbrook has also served as president of APRES.

Media Award – Brad Haire, Southeast Farm Press

The Georgia Peanut Media award is presented to Brad Haire, editor of Southeast Farm Press. Raised in South Georgia, Haire has covered the South’s diverse agriculture for more than 20 years, working with daily and weekly newspapers, as news director of the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, editor of Farm Progress Companies Southern Farmer, and now as editor of Southeast Farm Press. His stories and photographs about agriculture have been published across the country. His video work has appeared on television stations in Georgia and websites across the region. He has contributed to segments for NBC and CBS affiliates, CNN, Animal Planet, PBS and National Geographic, too, and has produced a daily farm radio show. He’s won a handful of national awards for Extension educational materials. He lives in South Georgia with his wife, Teresa, and their two children Brandon and Charlee.

Special Award - Gary Black, Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture

The Georgia Peanut Special Award is presented to Georgia’s Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black.   For more than 35 years Commissioner Black has championed sound state and federal policies impacting food safety, science-based environmental stewardship and agricultural marketing. Recently being elected for his third term, Commissioner Black remains committed to fostering growth in Georgia’s No. 1 industry. Black devoted many hours to recovery efforts following Hurricane Michael this past fall and helped farmers have a voice nationwide on the damage to agriculture in Georgia.

Black’s love of agriculture was first sparked on his family's farm in Commerce. He became an active member of the Commerce FFA and was elected president of the Georgia FFA Association in 1975. Black attended the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, where he earned a degree in agricultural education and interned with Sen. Herman Talmadge and the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture. Upon completing his degree at UGA, Black worked for Georgia Farm Bureau as the Young Farmers coordinator for seven years before being named president of the Georgia Agribusiness Council, where he served for 21 years.

Special Award - American Peanut Shellers Association

The Georgia Peanut Special Award is presented to the American Peanut Shellers Association in recognition of its 100th anniversary. The APSA is a non-profit trade association, composed of  commercial peanut shellers and crushers.  Chartered on April 5, 1919, the association is the oldest organized group in the peanut industry. The primary purpose of the American Peanut Shellers Association is to promote the common interests of those engaged in the peanut shelling industry and more particularly, those in the Southeastern states.

The Association consists of both active (commercial peanut shellers and crushers) and associate members (other affiliated businesses). The Association provides a unified base and forum for members working closely together to advance the industry, both at home and abroad. APSA provides information to all of its members, as well as a multitude of items to aid in marketing and sales. In addition, APSA is involved in various peanut promotional projects throughout the year. The active members of the Association are the founders of both The Peanut Institute and The Peanut Institute Foundation.

The American Peanut Shellers Association is a co-sponsor of the annual USA Peanut Congress - the largest meeting of all segments in the peanut industry.

Special Award - University of Georgia Tifton Campus

The Georgia Peanut Special Award is presented to the University of Georgia Tifton Campus in recognition of its 100th anniversary. Originally formed as the Coastal Plain Experiment Station in 1919, the campus is now known as the University of Georgia Tifton Campus. It is one of three campuses that form the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, along with the Athens and Griffin Campuses.

Source: The Georgia Peanut Commission, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.