OSU Cooperative Extension’s Josh Bushong receives industry honor

Monday, August 8, 2016

Josh Bushong, Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension area agronomist for the state’s Northwest District, has been named the 2016 recipient of the Mark C. Boyles Oilseed Industry Meritorious Service Award.

The award is presented annually by the Oklahoma Oilseed Commission and honors Boyles, an OSU Cooperative Extension agronomist who was instrumental in helping to establish the Oklahoma canola industry more than a decade ago.

Josh Bushong, a familiar face to producers in northwestern Oklahoma as an OSU Cooperative Extension assistant specialist for winter canola from 2012 to May of this year, is now helping area farmers and ranchers tackle a broader range of agronomic challenges.

“I’ve found it very satisfying and fulfilling to help Oklahoma crop producers maximize their chances for success through our Extension programs,” Bushong said. “The challenge of solving agricultural issues keeps me engaged and pushes me to continually increase my own knowledge and skill in making available the latest research-based information.”

One of the things Bushong has always enjoyed most is visiting and communicating with producers. “It all starts with learning about a producer’s specific operation, identifying problems and then providing the best possible solutions,” he said.

As the winter canola Extension assistant, Bushong served as coordinator for the Okanola Project Funded by several sources, including the state IPM program, canola growers associations, USDA Risk Management Agency and several private companies, the Okanola Project has increased support for growing canola in Oklahoma. Growers often are able to sell canola for approximately twice of the price of wheat, and wheat that is grown in the fields following canola can reap a higher price because the crop rotation helps mitigate the presence of grassy weeds.

An early adopter of social media in his professional career, Bushong reaches an estimated 5,000 Twitter accounts per month and more than 300 followers on Facebook. In terms of traditional media, Bushong has been featured in numerous state newspapers; regional agricultural media such as the High Plains Journal, Oklahoma Farm Report, Agrinet, Farmer-Stockman and SW Farm Press, among others; and has been a regular fixture on SUNUP, the agricultural TV show produced by OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, viewed statewide on OETA and beyond via youtube and DASNR’s website.

A native of Weatherford who grew up on a farm, the Oklahoma-born Bushong is a Cowboy alumnus, having earned both his undergraduate degree in crop science and master’s degree in weed science from OSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources in 2008 and 2010, respectively.