The future of Florida’s agriculture industry is being secured and shaped in universities throughout the state. At Martin Law Office, we know the value of education, and we feel it’s important to give Florida’s men and women the tools they need to make a change, and to make that change count.
That’s why we made a significant contribution to the future success of Florida’s agricultural industry in the form of an inaugural grant to the Dr. George Agrios Scholarship Endowment at the University of Florida. This scholarship will benefit deserving students who are enrolled in the University’s Doctor of Plant Medicine (DPM) Program in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) department.
The DPM uses an extensive multidisciplinary approach to educating students in all aspects of the prevention, diagnosis, and management of various plant health problems. Graduates are highly skilled plant doctors with knowledge of entomology, hematology, plant pathology, agronomy, horticulture, and more. The scholarship program is named after Dr. George Agrios, who created the plant medicine program at the University of Florida in 1999. Agrios was a professor of Plant Pathology at the University for over 30 years and was committed to the study of plant diseases and treatments. He was a longtime member of the American Phytopathological Society (APS) and served as president of its Northeastern Division in 1981.
At the inaugural event announcing the scholarship at the University of Florida, we were surprised and pleased to receive a plaque from the Doctor of Plant Medicine program thanking Michael D. Martin Pa for our help in establishing the endowment.
Over the last two decades, the DPM program has produced many talented graduates who have benefitted professionally from their degree. Director of the DPM program, Amanda Hodges, explains why the doctorate program is so crucial: “There is no better way for a student to enter the workforce, where they have to solve complex interdisciplinary problems, there’s no better way for them to do that then to complete this kind of broad-based, interdisciplinary degree. At the University of Florida, we’ve created a program that is like a vet for plants.”
Our office, based in Lakeland, Florida, is a family practice that has been serving agricultural clients for decades. We specialize in representing those who have been negatively impacted by environmental issues such as pollution, flood, bacteria, pests, and oil.
We also help our clients resolve problems relating to land contamination, defective products, and denial of insurance benefits. We regularly consult with the skilled professionals who have graduated from the DPM program. As a result, we know there is no better place for our money than in investments in the future.
This column is sponsored by The Martin Law Office, and the opinions expressed herein may not reflect those of CFAN or of its advertisers.
BIO: Mike Martin is an attorney with a unique understanding of agricultural and environmental issues. He enjoys working with agricultural interests or other landowners to solve problems relating to defective products, land contamination, or denial of insurance benefits. He is excellent about communicating with his clients and their existing counsel. Mike, a Lakeland native, was introduced to agriculture as a young man. He is presently a Board member of the Florida FFA Foundation.
