Sam Jones-Ellard (202) 720-8998 Samuel.Jones@ams.usda.gov
WASHINGTON, August 3, 2010 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today honored U.S. Department of Agriculture employees from across the nation for exemplary service and achievements in the 64th Annual USDA Honor Awards Ceremony. Among those recognized were members of the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) beef instrument grading implementation team.
“USDA is the ‘Every Day, Every Way’ department because of the incredible breadth and complexity of the impact that our employees make on the nation, and today, I am proud to honor those employees who have gone above and beyond in their work which benefits beef producers, marketers, retailers and consumers,” said Vilsack. “This year’s awards reflect President Obama’s and my priorities for the department: revitalizing rural communities; providing America’s children safe, nutritious and balanced meals; conserving and restoring our nation’s natural resources; and promoting agricultural production and increasing food security.”
Much of the U.S. beef supply chain depends on official USDA beef grades to determine value and to negotiate product pricing. Because of this, employees of the AMS Livestock and Seed Program have worked diligently over the last decade to analyze and integrate technology into meat grading. Their efforts ensure that the information captured using instrument grading technology is accurate and repeatable in today’s industry setting.
“It is always a privilege to see our employees recognized for their accomplishments,” said Rayne Pegg, Administrator, AMS. “The honorees have gone above and beyond their call of duty in carrying out the Agency’s mission in enhancing a valuable service to the beef industry. This team represents only a part of our effort in serving U.S. agricultural by a very capable and dedicated work force.”
AMS employees who were part of the team receiving the honor include: William Charles; Darrell Dowd; Randall Foland; Joel Gottlieb; Richard Johnson; Larry McMurdie; Larry Meadows; Martin O’Connor; Cecil Rains; Kerry Smith; Stephen Whisenant; Paul Wiggins; and Lawrence Yates. Created in 1947, the Honor Awards are the most prestigious awards given by USDA.
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