David Moore of Deltaville, Va., unit coordinator and agriculture and natural resources agent for the Middlesex County Virginia Cooperative Extension Office, received the university's 2009 Alumni Award for Excellence in Extension.

Sponsored by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the Alumni Award for Excellence in Extension is presented annually to two Virginia Cooperative Extension staff members who have made outstanding contributions outside the classroom. One award goes to an Extension specialist and one is given to an Extension agent. Each receives $2,000.

For the past 16 years, Moore has provided leadership and technical knowledge to commodity groups in Middlesex County and throughout Eastern Virginia. He is a director of the Tidewater Soil and Water Conservation District Board, where he oversees education and conservation projects. Moore has held several positions in the Virginia Extension Service Association, including district director and vice president. He was the professional organization’s president in 2004.

“David has brought a high level of sincerity, dedication, credibility, and technical expertise to bear on production, management, and marketing issues for soybeans and grain producers in Middlesex County and the Middle Peninsula,” noted Cynthia Rowles, 4-H youth development agent for the Middlesex County Extension Office.

A Lunenburg County native, Moore’s work involves on-farm research and demonstration plot work with local farmers. He assists Virginia grain producers in developing management strategies that will optimize production and maximize economic yields while minimizing negative environmental impacts. This on-farm research impacts more than 800,000 acres of grain and soybeans in Eastern Virginia, worth an estimated $145 million.

In the spring of 2007, Moore was one of three agriculture and natural resource Extension agents selected to travel to South Africa to observe and learn about major South African crop pests, including Asian Soybean Rust.

Moore earned his bachelor’s degree in dairy science and his master’s degree in horticulture from Virginia Tech. He worked in the agribusiness industry before starting a career with Extension in 1992.

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