August 26, 2008
Florida Ag In The Classroom Honors Four Industry Volunteers
Florida Agriculture in the Classroom, Inc., has selected four agriculture industry volunteers as winners of its Outstanding Volunteer Program Award and Outstanding Volunteer Award for 2008.
Highlands County Ag-Venture and its organizers Danielle Daum and Darlene Phypers received the organization’s Outstanding Volunteer Program of the Year. Manatee County’s Murray Martin and Miami-Dade County’s Diane Massucci received the organization’s Outstanding Volunteer of the Year awards.
“These individuals donate their time and energy to help educate students around Florida about the importance of agriculture. Without them, the agriculture education programs in which they’re involved wouldn’t be nearly as successful,” said Cara Martin, Florida Ag in the Classroom chairman and assistant director of government and community affairs for Florida Farm Bureau.
“We are proud to honor and support their efforts,” Martin added. The four volunteers were honored at Florida Ag in the Classroom’s 2008 State Teacher and Volunteer Workshop earlier this summer.
Daum and Phypers helped start the Highlands County Ag-Venture program more than 10 years ago under the auspices of Highlands County Farm Bureau. The mother-daughter team worked hard to gain the support of the community and agricultural associations statewide. The Ag-Venture program is now a non-profit association on its own and reaches 1,500 students annually thanks to the leadership of Daum and Phypers.
Massucci is passionate about educating students, teachers and other volunteers about the importance of Florida agriculture. She has served on the Miami-Dade Schools Agricultural Advisory Board for more than 15 years. She is a Dade County Farm Bureau board member. She also participates in Florida Agriculture Literacy Day, Farm City Week, Miami-Dade Fair and Exposition Howdy Days programs every year.
Murray Martin has volunteered his time for many years to Lincoln Memorial Middle School’s agriculture program located in Palmetto in Manatee County. Martin has donated time, labor and supplies to several projects on campus that have enhanced the agriculture program. For instance, he re-engineered the drainage system of the school’s greenhouse so it wouldn’t flood during stormy weather. He also volunteered his time for other classroom projects.
Said Kimberley Lough, the agri-science teacher and FFA advisor who nominated Martin for the honor: “Truly, Lincoln Middle’s agri-science program is transformed because of Mr. Martin’s volunteer efforts.”
For more information:
Lisa Gaskalla
(352) 846-1391
gaskalla@ufl.edu
