I appreciate the opportunity to be here with you this week as the guest columnist for Everett Davis. As agricultural Extension agent in field crops on his staff, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the award winners of the Annual Awards and Recognition Banquet, sponsored by the Robeson County Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service and the Robeson County Crop Promotion Association. The banquet was held January 28 at the Southeastern North Carolina Agricultural Center and Farmers Market to recognize agricultural contributions of local farmers and agribusinesses. Robeson County ranks within the top ten counties in the state in production of tobacco, cotton, soybeans, corn, and wheat, which total over $80 million in estimated farm value.

Of the four major awards presented, winners were as follows: Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award was presented by William Davis, Chairman of the Robeson Soil and Water Conservation District Board, to Edward L. Holland, Retired Director of Robeson/Scotland Natural Resource and Conservation Service, for his 37 years of service and significant contribution toward the total advancement of agriculture in Robeson County for the benefit of agricultural producers and our agricultural economy in general; Robeson County Family Farm of the Year Award was presented by Kenneth Carroll of Royster-Clark, Lumberton, to Thomas, Angus, and Jimmy Powers of St. Pauls for involvement in their farm operation and exceptional dedication to their farm heritage; Robeson County Young Farmer of the Year was presented by John McElveen of Helena Chemical, Rowland, to Christopher Strickland of Rowland for his active involvement in production agriculture and community involvement; and Robeson County Farmer of the Year Award was presented by Ricky Oxendine of the Southeastern North Carolina Agricultural Center and Farmers Market, Lumberton, to Sybil Bullard of Pembroke, for devoting considerable effort and time beyond her normal farm operation in providing for the advancement of agriculture in Robeson County and in North Carolina. Ricky Oxendine was also recognized for dedicated service as President of the Robeson County Crop Promotion Association for 2002.

Mollye Briley Memorial Award was presented by James Moore, Extension Advisory Council Vice-Chairman, to Bobby Rogers for outstanding Extension service and dedication. A new type of recognition called "Breaking New Ground" was given to growers who do things differently while setting examples for others to follow. Sponsor for these awards was Agri Supply of Lumberton. Rodney Barbour, Store Supervisor, presented the awards to Eddie and Shorty Moore for Moore Brothers Meat; Jeff McPherson for McPherson Honor System vegetable production; and Lesley Sanderson for Sanderson Strawberry Farm.

Outstanding yield performance was also recognized. Winners of the 2002 Robeson County Wheat Yield Contest were as follows: 1st place, Leggette Farms of Rowland with 73 bushels per acre, variety FFR 566; 2nd place, P & S Farms of Rowland with 61.2 bushels per acre, variety Pioneer 26R38; and 3rd place, Luther and Eddie Moore of Prospect with 49 bushels per acre, variety USG 3209. Leggette Farms also received 2nd place in the Southern Coastal Plain Area in the North Carolina Wheat Yield Contest recognized by the North Carolina Small Grain Growers Association.

Winners of the 2002 Robeson County Corn Yield Contest, conventional till category, were as follows: 1st place, Charles Roberts of Lumberton with 192.58 bushels per acre, variety Pioneer 31G98; 2nd place, Bryan Roberts of Lumberton with 189.54 bushels per acre, variety Pioneer 31G98; 3rd place, Jimmy and Mitzi Powers of Lumberton with 160.26 bushels per acre, variety Pioneer 31R88; and 4th place, Brad Leggett of Lumberton with 154.63 bushels per acre, variety Pioneer 31G98.

Winners of the 2002 Robeson County Corn Yield Contest, no-till category, were as follows: 1st place, Rufus Cox, Jr., of Lumberton with 196.64 bushels per acre, variety DK 697; 2nd place, P & S Farms with 119.63 bushels per acre, variety Pioneer 31B13; and 3rd place, Luther and Eddie Moore of Prospect with 89.95 bushels per acre, variety Pioneer 3223.

Winners of the 2002 Robeson County Soybean Yield Contest were as follows: 1st place, Leggette Farms of Rowland with 62.9 bushels per acre, variety DP 7220; and 2nd place, Charles Roberts of Lumberton with 33.1 bushels per acre, variety Pioneer 9831. Charles Roberts also received the Most Efficient Soybean Yield for the Southern Coastal Plain Area and was also the Southern Coastal Plain Area Winner in the North Carolina Soybean Yield Contest recognized by the North Carolina Soybean Producers Association.

Extension on-farm test participants recognized were Miles E. Mercer, Jr., and Jimmy D. Powers, both of Lumberton.

Congratulations to all who have made significant contributions to our county's agricultural communities!

For more information with pictures, go to the Awards Page.

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 2/18/03