In 2010, staff of the President’s office contacted me to say that Dr. Floyd wanted me to invite 50 key farmers from the dryland region for a lunch meeting (he paid for lunch) at the Lind Station. Specifically, President Floyd wanted to address the farmers on the subject of WSU’s commitment to agricultural research. This was right in the depths of the big recession.
President Floyd’s overall message to the farmers that day (April 5, 2010) was that agricultural research was the cornerstone of WSU’s land grant mission and that there would be growth in agricultural research, not reductions, during his watch as president. Needless to say, the farmers were overjoyed and “wowed” by his message. President Floyd did a great job answering the farmers’ questions and deferred to Dean Dan Bernardo (who accompanied him on the trip) for more details. He made a huge impression on the farmers that day.
As an aside, President Floyd and Dean Bernardo spent more than an hour with me in the field that morning touring research plots at the Lind Station. Dr. Floyd wanted to know the type and extent of research being conducted at the station before he addressed the group of key farmers. As a further aside, Dr. Floyd also spoke during the noon program of the 2009 Lind Field Day.
— Bill Schillinger, WSU Dryland Research Station