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MSU's horticulture club gets national recognition
MISSISSIPPI STATE – The Mississippi State University Horticulture Club received numerous awards at the recent American Society for Horticultural Sciences’ annual meeting.
The club recognized as the society’s 2011 Outstanding Small Club. Presented each year by the society through its Association of Collegiate Branches program, the award salutes excellent undergraduate horticulture clubs with less than 30 members.
MSU’s Horticulture Club remains active almost year-round. The club meets monthly and raises bedding plants and poinsettias. They sell plants at seasonal events to raise travel funds for professional meetings.
The eight-member club received the honor during the society’s annual meeting, held in Hawaii. During the meeting, club members also placed third in a national competition on plant identification and quality.
Richard Harkess, faculty adviser and professor of floriculture and ornamental horticulture, said the students’ ability to apply information learned in the classroom helped them do well in the competition.
The students competed against other university clubs in five different categories: nursery and landscape, greenhouse and floriculture, fruits and nuts, vegetables and general knowledge.
Each team had three students, and all students competed as individuals in separate contests.
In addition placing third overall, the group placed second in woody ornamental crops, first in greenhouse crops and third on the written exam.
The trip was a learning experience for the students, all plant and soil sciences majors. They learned about agricultural production in Hawaii, including macadamia nut processing.
“Students raise money to pay for their travel expenses to the conference by raising and selling plants throughout the year,” Harkess said. “Five students were able to go on the trip this year.”
The university team included Wade Hummer, Sarah Smith and Tim Finnegan. Mary Spitchley participated in individual competition and Joshua Craver also attended and assisted with technical aspects of the event. Hummer placed second individually in woody ornamentals and Smith received second in greenhouse crops.
Writer: Laci Kyles
