Andy Swiger Land-Grant Award

J. Christopher Bergh

J. Christopher Bergh, a professor and Virginia Cooperative Extension Specialist in the Alson H. Smith Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Winchester, is the 2018 recipient of the college's Andy Swiger Land-Grant Award.

An expert in fruit crops, Bergh has worked tirelessly to help Virginia growers overcome many obstacles to producing the healthy, high-quality products that our markets demand. His work in mating disruption has been especially helpful to growers, enabling them to diminish damage to fruit from internal feeders while reducing pesticide use.

In addition to hands-on pest management assistance, Bergh has focused on putting vital information into the hands of as many growers as possible — authoring a blog and numerous publications, and traveling extensively to present his research at workshops, trainings, and meetings. He has also leveraged more than $1.8 million in federal, state, and private sector support and won numerous awards for his outstanding work.