4:22 p.m., April 6, 2009----Willis Kirk has been presented the 2009 George M. Worrilow Award for service to agriculture.

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The presentation was made last month by University of Delaware Ag Alumni Association, which established the Worrilow Award to honor outstanding service to agriculture. The award honors George M. Worrilow, who was the dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) from 1954 to 1965 and whose entire career was dedicated to the betterment of agriculture.

Kirk graduated from UD with a bachelor's degree in general agriculture and agriculture education in 1967.

A Pennsylvania native, Kirk moved to Queen Anne's County, Md., in the early 1950s. It was in Maryland that he first became an active member of 4-H and FFA during his school years.

Upon graduation from UD, Kirk took the position of vocational agriculture teacher at Laurel (Del.) High School. There, he taught agriculture sciences, animal science, and small engine repair. Kirk was also credited with expanding the curriculum to include horticulture and equine science, creating such a huge increase in student interest that an additional instructor was hired.

During his 13 years at Laurel High, Kirk single handedly established a fruit fundraiser through Seald Sweet Growers, a cooperative citrus fruit business in Florida. Eventually this sales program expanded into a statewide program for all the agriculture programs.

For 10 years, Kirk coordinated the sales and delivery of this fruit fundraiser for the entire state of Delaware. This successful program still exists today and has raised hundreds of dollars for all the local agriculture programs educational needs and extracurricular field trips.

In 1980, Kirk accepted the position of department chairmen for applied agriculture at Delaware Technical and Community College. In this position, he advised programs in production agriculture, horticulture, and poultry science until his retirement in 1998, even after which, he still continued to teach part time.

Kirk taught Sussex youth for 31 years and has left lasting impressions on many of his students and colleagues.

Kirk spends his spare time running a small farming operation in Laurel with his family. Since 1968, his wife, Joan, and two sons, Chris and Matt, have been an integral part of this family farming enterprise. As his sons grew up, they showed a strong interest in farming and that played a large role in the expansion of their farming enterprise.

The Kirk family operation includes raising broilers in 10 poultry houses on four farms. They also have a herd of registered Angus beef cows and grow agronomic and vegetable crops. Today, both of Kirk's sons own their own farming operations and have continued to be successful despite the economic hardship in recent years.

Kirk is a vital member of the Sussex County agriculture community and his contributions to education have been extraordinary.