Posted: 4-8-2008
Industry leader, IFAS communicator are CALS alumni award winners
A Fort Pierce citrus industry leader and a UF/IFAS communicator are the winners of this year’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Alumni and Friends awards.
Sherwood “Buddy” Johnson, who earned his bachelor and master’s degrees in agriculture from UF in 1966 and 1968, is the winner of the Award of Distinction. He and his wife Patricia own and operate Sherwood Johnson & Son Grove Management Inc., Buck Hammock Groves Inc. and Hilliard Groves Inc.
“I was elated when I received the letter,” Johnson said. “It’s a great honor.”
The Award of Distinction goes to CALS alumni or friends to recognize outstanding contributions to UF, the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, CALS and related professions.
Johnson is a third-generation citrus grower and his son and daughter are involved in the family business, as well.
As a UF student, Johnson specialized in fruit crops and was a member of Alpha Zeta and Phi Kappa Phi. He is a charter member of the UF National Alumni Association, chaired IFAS’ SHARE Council, has been on the board of directors of the St. Lucie County and Florida Farm Bureau and is a former chairman of the board for Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc. He serves on the board of directors of Farm Credit of South Florida.
He also serves as president of the Treasure Coast Agriculture Research Foundation and is a longtime supporter of the Indian River Research and Education Center. In 2005, he was inducted into the St. Lucie County Agricultural Hall of Fame.
Emily Eubanks, who earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UF in agricultural communication in 2001 and 2004, is the winner of the Horizon Award.
The Horizon Award goes to a graduate of the last decade for contributions or potential leadership in the agricultural, natural resource, life science and related professions.
Eubanks, of Micanopy, is the communications coordinator for the UF/IFAS Center for Landscape Conservation and Ecology. Besides writing news releases and providing web content, Eubanks helped create the “Gardening in a Minute” radio segment, which won five national awards in its first year and won three more this year.
As a UF student, Eubanks served as secretary/treasurer for the National Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow and was actively involved in the agricultural education and communication department.
Eubanks is an active volunteer, serving on the program committee for CALS Alumni and Friends, leading the Stars and Stripes 4-H club and coordinating Web activities for the Alachua County Cattlemen’s Association.
Johnson and Eubanks will be recognized at the Nov. 15 TailGATOR event in the O’Connell Center. Tickets are $12 and all IFAS/CALS alumni and friends are invited. Go to www.cals.ufl.edu for details.
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