6/2/2021 - By Mike Hess

“The nomination was not from just one or two members, but rather it was from 10 FACEE members, indicating the broad reach of Jay’s time and support.” Said Bob Hochmuth, Regional Specialized Extension Agent. The Florida Association of County Agricultural Agents (FACAA) is comprised of 167 members, 10 of which nominated Jay for this award, to which he became one of four total recipients of it this year.

The Outstanding Agriculturalist Award is, “given to individuals who go above and beyond to help UF/IFAS Florida County Extension Agents in our day-to-day activities.” And Jay certainly fits that criteria. Having begun his agricultural career in 1993 and progressing his agricultural experience through his college career, Jay joined Harrell’s in 2015.

In 2016 he was recognized at the National Sales Meeting as Rookie of the Year, and in 2020 he was nominated for Sales Professional of the Year within Harrell’s. Needless to say, Jay is an extremely driven and professional individual with no plans of slowing down in the future, and those within the agricultural industry recognize this.

“Jay has been one of the most cooperative and valuable industry partners in my entire career.” Bob Hochmuth said regarding Jay’s support. Jay has opened many doors for Extension agents to conduct high quality on-farm demonstrations, paving the way and ultimately making the process for agents as seamless as possible. Providing labor, equipment, tissue sampling, and general guidance. He is always engaged in the projects he works with, providing any and all help he can with a “just tell me what you need” attitude. “He is incredible at making things happen for us and with his practical experiences, adds instant credibility to agents and out on-farm demos.”

The award is set to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the Extension Professional’s Association of Florida (EPAF), on Wednesday, September 15th.