The National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) is a professional Extension organization geared toward Extension educators and other professionals who work in agriculture, horticulture, forestry and natural resources, 4-H youth development, community development, administration, aquaculture, Sea Grant and related disciplines. They recognized UNH Extension staff in 2020 with the following awards.
George W. Hamilton
Hall of Fame, Northeast Region, National Winner and Search for Excellence in Crop Production National Finalist
George Hamilton, food and agriculture field specialist for UNH Extension in Hillsborough County, has been recognized for his demonstrated commitment, dedication and effective leadership in job performance as an outstanding educator, as well as his association involvement at the state and national level and outstanding humanitarian service.
In his career with UNH Extension, spanning 30 years, Hamilton has been responsible for developing many of the organization’s most impactful agricultural programs. He leverages partnerships with grower associations to achieve outcomes beyond what he or his team could accomplish alone. He is an active member and leader in almost every state agricultural association including state technical committees. Read more here.
Emma Erler
Achievement Award National Winner
Emma Erler, program coordinator for the Education Center, shares her horticultural expertise and passion with staff, volunteers and home gardeners throughout the state. Erler works with master gardeners to answer thousands of questions submitted annually to the Infoline and designs and delivers workshops and presentations about gardening and nature for the state’s gardening public. She writes weekly “Question of the Week” blog posts about a range of gardening and lawn topics, regularly presents on WMUR’s Grow it Green news segment, sends out a well-received e-mail newsletter and delivers information through a Facebook Live video series called Granite State Gardening.
Publication Regional Winner: The Basics of Pruning Trees and Shrubs fact sheet (wrote and illustrated)
Video Presentation National Finalist: How to Take a Soil Sample For Testing
Carl Majewski
Distinguished Service Award National Winner
Carl Majewski has been with UNH Extension since 2002, and much of his work has focused on forage and field crop production for dairy and livestock operations across the state. His particular interests include managing soils in fields and pastures to keep them healthy and productive, exploring the use of new forage crops and promoting IPM practices for corn and forages. Over the years, Majewski has been involved in programs focusing on pasture management, corn and forage production, and incorporating cover crops and no-till planting practices into crop rotations.
Heather Bryant and Mary Saucier Choate
Website Regional Winner: Does FSMA's Preventive Controls Rule Apply to your Maple Operation?
Some maple operations have compliance requirements under the Preventive Controls for Human Food Rule of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Determining where or if an operation falls under this rule is complicated, so the UNH Extension FSMA team created an online tool that asks maple producers a series of questions and, based on their answers, tells them where they most likely fall under the rule.
Heather Bryant works with commercial fruit and vegetable producers and collaborates with a variety of partners on vegetable production research and cover cropping demonstrations at the Grafton County Farm. Heather is the leader of the UNHCE FSMA Team, which works with farms and food businesses on food safety and Food Safety Modernization Act compliance issues.
Mary Saucier Choate, food safety field specialist in Grafton County, is also a registered dietitian/nutritionist with 20 years of service in the retail food industry. She works with farmers and food processors to assist them with understanding how FSMA regulations may affect their business. She also writes articles and blogs on practical food safety for consumers.
