2012 PRESS RELEASES
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December 10, 2012
SHENANDOAH COUNTY EXTENSION AGENT RECOGNIZED
Contact: Elaine J. Lidholm, 804.786.7686
The Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) recently recognized Bobby Clark, Extension Agent, Shenandoah County, for his outstanding participation in support of the 2011 Pesticide Disposal Program sponsored by VDACS. The award cites his overall success in promoting the proper disposal of pesticides and thereby helping to reduce a potential threat to human health and the environment.
The 2011 Pesticide Disposal Program was held in Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley at nine centrally located sites serving 27 participating localities. During the two-week effort, 58,364 pounds of unwanted or unused pesticides were collected, including 1,364 pounds of homeowner pesticides. 2011 also marked completion of the third year of the Program’s 5-year rotation throughout the State and brought Virginia’s total amount of pesticides collected to well over 1.14 million pounds since the program’s inception.
The success of the pesticide disposal program depends to a great deal on local program coordination provided by the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service. Clark exhibited both cooperation and collaboration including local coordination and site selection; notifying agricultural producers, industry, gardener and grower groups and homeowners of the availability of the pesticide disposal program, including location and the date of collection, and educating producers and homeowners on proper storage and disposal of unwanted pesticides.
Using various media, mailing lists and notification through training meetings hosted by Cooperative Extension, Clark and others effectively advertised the program and generated participation. Even as late as the day of collection he was busy on his cell phone contacting participants who had not yet arrived but had expressed an interest. These efforts were not just put into establishing and promoting the site in Shenandoah County but also for the neighboring county where there was not an Extension Agent on staff. These efforts generated nearly 26,000 pounds of the 58,364 total pounds of material collected.
“Bobby Clark exemplifies the type of cooperation and initiative needed for program success,” said Matthew J. Lohr, VDACS Commissioner, when he presented the award. Clark is shown, center, with Matt Lohr, VDACS Commissioner, and Sandy Adams, Deputy Commissioner. A high res photo is available upon request.
In addition to the Pesticide Disposal Program, VDACS recognized other individuals for their participation in Container Recycling and in Pesticide Safety Education Programs.
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