Two awards for excellence in publications were presented
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture celebrated the accomplishments of some of its top faculty, staff, researchers and Extension experts at UTIA’s annual awards luncheon. The 2026 ceremony was held on the UTIA campus in Knoxville on August 4. Many of the awards are gifts made possible by faculty, alumni and friends of the institute.
UTIA Senior Vice Chancellor and Senior Vice President Keith Carver hosted the celebration and praised the honorees for their devotion to the land-grant mission. “Our UTIA staff and faculty continue to overwhelm me with their enthusiasm and unparalleled expertise,” he said. “I am always in awe of their dedication to providing Real. Life. Solutions. to the people of Tennessee. These award winners represent the efforts and accomplishments this past year that will most benefit all Tennesseans and society – impacts that will have lasting benefits through teaching, research and Extension for years to come.”
Established by the late Dutch Cavender, former director of UTIA Marketing and Communications, and his late wife, Marilee, the Cavender Outstanding Award for Best Publication recognizes excellence in the development of peer-reviewed material produced by the UT Institute of Agriculture. This year, two awards were presented for excellence in publishing. The first award was presented to a single publication designed to assist agricultural enterprises with branding their business and its products and a second award was bestowed on a series of publications intended to help urban gardeners and others with limited space available on which to grow food.
Branding Essentials for Value-added Agriculture Enterprises, explains how effective branding is a crucial component of an overall marketing strategy that builds both tangible and intangible value in your business. It details eight tips to help your farm and its products stand out among competitors while building strong, lasting relationships with customers. Its award-winning authors are: Megan Bruch Leffew, an Extension marketing specialist with the UT Center for Profitable Agriculture; Michelle Lynn Childs, associate professor in the Department of Retail, Hospitality and Tourism Management; Sarah Amy Cornelisse, senior Extension associate with Pennsylvania State University; Heejin (Jeanie) Lim, professor in the Department of Retail, Hospitality and Tourism Management; and Christopher T. Sneed, associate professor in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences. It’s listed on the UT Extension website as PB1930, and available for download for free.
The second winner of the 2026 Cavender Award is a series of publications on the urban production of foods. The publications detail keys to successfully growing food indoors, outdoors and in small gardening spaces. You can download them individually from the UTIA Solutions website: Small-Space Indoor Food Production; Small-Space Outdoor Food Production; and Crops and Cultivars for Small-Space Food Production. Co-authors are Natalie Bumgarner, professor in the Department of Plant Sciences and statewide coordinator of the Tennessee Master Gardener program; Amy Dunlap, UT-TSU Extension Davidson County; Madison O’Farrell, UT-TSU Extension Giles County; and Haley Treadway, UT-TSU Extension Hamilton County.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.