Takeaways
- Two UGA Extension agents, Garrett Hibbs and Josh Grant, earned national Fruit and Vegetable 40 Under 40 honors in consecutive years.
- Both agents were recognized for on-the-ground research and community service that directly support Georgia fruit producers.
- Their work strengthens local agriculture through disease diagnosis, on-farm trials, homeowner education and integrated pest management efforts.
For consecutive years, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension personnel have been named to the Fruit and Vegetable 40 Under 40 awards, presented by Fruit Growers News and Vegetable Growers News, to recognize 40 young leaders who represent the best of the fruit and vegetable industries.
Nominations open each December, and award recipients are announced the following year, with the celebration taking place during the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable, and Farm Market EXPO in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
2024 and 2025 honorees from UGA Extension include:
Garrett Hibbs, Class of 2025
Garrett Hibbs, Hall County Extension Coordinator and Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) agent, was selected for the Fruit and Vegetable 40 Under 40 Class of 2025.
Hibbs, who earned a bachelor’s degree in biological science in 2016 and a master’s degree in plant pathology in 2019 from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, was recognized for his collaborative work with farmers, livestock producers and plant professionals, particularly in diagnosing pests and diseases and supporting fruit production in northeast Georgia, including strawberry, peach, apple and vineyard crops.
As the county extension coordinator, Hibbs juggles a wide range of programs and responsibilities. He helps homeowners with landscape and water quality concerns, assists farmers with production issues and conducts on-farm research trials with small fruits. He also oversees the Georgia Master Gardener Extension Volunteer Program in Hall County, which trains volunteers to share research-based gardening information with the community.
He has expanded his collaborative programming impact in fruit production to multi-state and international audiences, including teaching and consulting with strawberry farmers in the Dominican Republic.
Even with his many responsibilities, Hibbs said his focus is always on connecting with his community.
“Receiving this award motivates me to continue serving producers and citizens in Hall County,” he said. “It encourages me to continue my research, programming and support of my local fruit producers.”
Joshua Grant, Class of 2024
Now serving in Barrow County, Joshua Grant was selected for the Class of 2024 for his work in watermelon disease research during his seven years as an ANR agent in Crisp County.
He said the award is a meaningful recognition of collaborative research he performed with Extension vegetable disease specialist Bhabesh Dutta aimed at managing Fusarium wilt of watermelon (Fusarium oxyporum f. sp. niveum), a major disease of one of Georgia’s major fruit crops and a top priority for the National Watermelon Association.
“The work here in Georgia brought industry representatives, university specialists and agents together to advance integrated pest management for this disease,” said Grant, who earned his master’s degree in 2016 from the UGA Department of Entomology, where he is currently a doctoral student. “It was and is a great honor to be chosen and to represent UGA Extension in this capacity.”
Grant said the recognition reinforces why he does the work.
“It’s always nice to be recognized for work that positively impacts others,” he said. “Regardless of awards, I love this job because it gives me the platform to make a difference in people’s lives, whether it’s helping a weekend gardener be successful or supporting a farmers market producer facing insect pressure. We’re here to serve.”
Learn more about UGA Extension and its impact across the state at extension.uga.edu.
