News Stories

November 5, 2007

CONTACT: Brenda Dawson, (530)752-7849, bldawson@ucdavis.edu

Seeking outstanding farmers and agricultural educators

Nominations are open for the 2008 Pedro Ilic Awards, which will honor a farmer and an educator who are dedicated to small-scale farming.

The awards will be presented at the 2008 California Small Farm Conference, February 24 to 26 in Visalia. Each award includes a scholarship to the conference.

The awards are named for Fresno County small-scale farm advisor Pedro Ilic, whose untimely death in 1994 prompted the UC Small Farm Program to annually honor those who carry out his legacy of personal commitment to small-scale and family farming. Ilic was one of the original advisors when the Small Farm Program was established in 1979.

The annual awards honor an educator and a farmer who embody characteristics that helped make Ilic a success. Each honoree is chosen because he or she:

Envisions what can be done and has the imagination, energy and intellect to translate that vision into a successful activity
Is part of the solution, not of the problem; critical in thinking, but constructive in approach
Is an advocate and risk taker
Is an effective teacher, instills self-esteem in others and constantly encourages others
Is a dedicated professional who believes in his or her work
Has determination, exuberance, high energy and genuine friendliness for all people, with the conviction that the smallest is as important as the biggest
Has high personal and family values

Last year’s award winners were Tchieng Fong, a Hmong farmer in Fresno County, and Mark Gaskell, a University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisor in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties.

The deadline for nominations is Jan. 10, 2008. Nominations are reviewed by a committee of staff members from the UC Small Farm Program and UCCE in Fresno County, as well as associates of Pedro Ilic. Nomination forms can be found online at www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/ilic.pdf. For more information, call 530-752-8136 or e-mail sfcenter@ucdavis.edu.

The UC Small Farm Program is a statewide research and outreach program that serves the needs of California’s small-scale farmers. For more about the program, visit www.sfc.ucdavis.edu.