In the News - June
2008
Extension Fruit Specialist Garcia receives presidential award
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Dr. Elena Garcia, extension fruit specialist for the
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture has been honored with the
President’s Volunteer Service Award.
This award is issued by the President’s Council on Service and Civic
Participation on behalf of the President of the United States to recognize the
best in the American spirit and encourage all Americans to contribute through
volunteer service. The award is given during National Volunteer Week, April
27-May 3.
In addition to her educational duties with the Cooperative Extension Service,
Garcia is a volunteer with Winrock International. This year, she has used her
fruit-growing expertise to help apple and pear producers in the former Soviet
republic of Kyrgyzstan.
“It’s a challenge to come from a more advanced agricultural system. There,
you have to work with a system that’s 100 years older,” Garcia said. “It’s a
challenge, but it’s quite a fulfilling experience.”
She has made two visits to the region. On one visit, she lived in a village
with a couple and their daughter. The village had electricity, but no running
water.
The village was so remote, “We didn’t even see any jets flying by,” she said.
Beyond the professional experience was the person-to-person contact in this
village.
The father of the household told Garcia that “ ‘most of my life, I grew up
thinking that Americans were really bad people.’ That’s what the Russian
propaganda was telling them,” she said. “But here we were sitting together
eating and having a conversation.”
Garcia said she was grateful to extension for the opportunity to work with
the people of Kyrgyzstan.
Winrock International is a nonprofit organization that works with people in
the United States and around the world to empower the disadvantaged, increase
economic opportunity, and sustain natural resources.
The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the University of Arkansas
Division of Agriculture.
June
4, 2008
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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