The Georgia Cotton Commission recently recognized two University of Georgia Cooperative Extension professionals for their work in the cotton industry.
Stephanie Hollifield, Brooks County Extension coordinator, was presented this year’s Senior King Cotton Award. Ty Torrance, Grady County agricultural and natural resources agent, was presented the Allen B. Fulford Award. Both were recognized at this year’s Georgia Association of County Agricultural Agents annual meeting held in Dublin, Georgia, from Nov. 4-6.
Hollifield, who also serves as an agriculture and natural resources agent, hosts producer education programs regarding agronomics and defoliation and conducts county research on cotton. Hollifield focuses her research trials on issues important to local growers, including areolate mildew, planter downforce and defoliation tank mixes.
Torrance joined Extension in 2015 and previously served producers in Decatur, Schley and Marion counties. He serves as a member of the Georgia Cotton Commission’s Research Advisory Committee, which analyzes and makes recommendations on research programs funded by the commission. He also participates in the UGA Cotton Team’s on-farm variety trials, a program designed to inform producers on yield and fiber quality data from the numerous commercial cotton varieties available to farmers statewide.
This is the 19th year the Georgia Cotton Commission has sponsored the King Cotton Awards to recognize the outstanding contributions of county agents to Georgia cotton producers. The Senior Award is for agents with 10 or more years of experience, while the Junior Award, named the Allen B. Fulford Award, is for agents with less than 10 years of service.
The Georgia Cotton Commission was established in 1965 and is a producer-funded organization located in Perry, Georgia. Georgia cotton producers pay an assessment that enables the commission to invest in programs of research, promotion and education on behalf of all cotton producers in Georgia.
For more information about the Georgia Cotton Commission, call 478-988-4235 or go to www.georgiacottoncommission.org.
(Taylor Sills is the Director of Public Affairs for the Georgia Cotton Commission).