Smith County Horticulture Agent Greg Grant received the statewide Lone Star Land Steward Award for his life’s work on his family farm.Grant, who became the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Smith County Extension agent in horticulture in October, was honored with the award given by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation during a banquet in Austin on May 18.

He was one of seven award recipients representing six ecologically diverse regions of the state. Started in 1996 by the TPWD Private Lands Advisory Committee, the Lone Star Land Steward Awards recognize the important role private landowners play in the future of Texas’ natural resources by honoring them for their accomplishments in habitat management and wildlife conservation.

“It was humbling and inspiring,” Grant said of receiving the honor. “It is very much a labor of love.”

Grant lives on what was once his great-great-grandparent’s 50-acre farm in Arcadia, in Shelby County, where he restores parcels of native habitat for the benefit of wildlife and the education of others.

Grant was born in Tyler and raised in Longview. He earned a bachelor’s degree in floriculture and a master’s degree in horticulture from Texas A&M University.

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Texas State Award Winners

The annual award dinner was held at Moody Gardens in Galveston on May 1st.  The Smith County Master Gardener Association won the following awards. Congratulations to the winners.

• Outstanding Individual – Becky Wilson – 1^st Place
• Written Education – Smith Co. Electronic Media (Facebook page & Website) – 1^st Place
• Outstanding Association – Smith Co. MG Association – 3^rd Place
• Educational Program – AgriWorld (Our Secret Garden) – 3^rd Place

Award Winners

On April 6, 2017 a number of Smith County Master Gardeners received awards and recognition for their involvement in the various projects during 2016.  To see pictures of all award winners, go to Awards & Recognition on this website.

Pictured here are Susan Stone (Master Gardener w/most hours in 2016) Greg Grant, Extension Agent, Clayton Turner (Master Gardener of the Year) and Denise Rasco (Intern of the Year, w/most hours in 2016).

New Master Gardeners and new Interns

On April 6th the 2016 Master Gardener Interns joined the ranks of the Smith County Master Gardeners after completing their year of internship.

On the same day, a new group of people (Class 24) were recognized as they begin their year of internship.

2017 East Texas Garden Lecture Series

Go to EAST TEXAS GARDEN LECTURE SERIES to view the flyer for this series which began in February and continues in March & April and picks up again in September and November. Go to Coming Events where these lectures are listed, but also other events in the region.

Newspaper Columns

After a long absence, the weekly newspaper columns, published in the Tyler Morning Telegraph each Thursday, are available on this site.

To read them, go to Garden Notes – Newspaper Columns.