Donald Seifrit, Jr. presents the Honorary County Agent Award to PVGA’s William Troxell accompanied by his wife Cheryl Troxell
The Pennsylvania Association of County Agricultural Agents presented PVGA Executive Director William Troxell with its Honorary County Agent Award at their annual banquet on November 14, 2023, at the Wyndham Garden Inn in Boalsburg. The banquet was part of the annual conference of the County Agents Association held in conjunction with several other extension related professional organizations. Donald Seifrit Jr., treasurer of the County Agents Association and a fruit extension educator in Berks County, nominated Troxell for the award and presented it along with Thomas Butzler, vegetable extension educator in Clinton County. Both have worked with Troxell in planning and conducting the vegetable, small fruit and marketing sessions at the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention in Hershey. Troxell will be retiring from PVGA this month after serving as Executive Director/Secretary of the Association for 40 years. The award highlighted the effectiveness of partnerships between extension and grower organizations in serving growers. PVGA has worked to support Penn State Extension outreach efforts by sponsoring grower twilight meetings and tours for growers besides working closely with Penn State Extension personnel and the other sponsoring growers organization to make the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention one of the premier grower meetings in the nation. The Association has contributed $1.4 million to vegetable and berry research over the past 35 years – most of it to Penn State researchers.
The award banner is an unique hide-shaped leather banner that is only made for this Honorary County Agent Award.