Barber Named Extension Cotton Specialist of the Year
February 9, 2012 Tom Barber, Extension cotton agronomist with the University of Arkansas, was awarded the Extension Cotton Specialist of the Year Award at a dinner in his honor in Orlando, FL. The honor is voted upon by Extension cotton specialists from across the Cotton Belt, and is given annually during the Beltwide Cotton Conferences.
Extension cotton specialists and industry representatives from across the U.S. attended a special dinner at Sea World Orlando to honor Barber.
“Tom is a really unique guy. He works very closely with industry consultants and the growers in his state, as well as his colleagues across the Cotton Belt and makes a major impact on the cotton industry,” said Bayer CropScience U.S. Agronomic Manager Steve Nichols. Nichols was on hand to help present the award, which is sponsored by Bayer CropScience. “You can call Tom 24 hours a day, any day of the week, and he’s always accessible. He always makes himself available to his farmers, and that’s why we’re proud to present this award to him.”
2011 was an especially difficult year for growers in Barber’s home state of Arkansas, where flooding, drought-like conditions and an onslaught of glyphosate-resistant weeds have posed serious challenges. Much of Barber’s work throughout the year has focused on the problem of glyphosate resistance, as well as agronomic issues such as irrigation.
Other Extension specialists on hand for the award presentation lauded Barber for his dedication to the growers in his state. In presenting Barber with the award, University of Tennessee Extension Cotton Specialist Chris Main also noted Barber’s accessibility to cotton professionals from all walks of the supply chain.
“It really means a lot to me to be recognized by my peers in this field that we all work in,” Barber said. “To me, it means so much more coming from the guys you work with every day. It makes you feel like you are at least doing the right thing.”
Barber noted that the good working relationships shared by he and his fellow cotton specialists present at the award ceremony is a benefit to cotton producers across the Belt.
“It is a community of co-workers that we have – a strongly knit community. We all are very open and sharing with our findings, and it makes the whole industry stronger just because we all enjoy working with one another,” Barber said.
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