Blankenship receives nursery award
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The award, established in 1974, is designed to honor men and women within the Southern Nursery Association. For consideration, recipients must be 39 or younger, as well as members of their respective state nursery associations.
The awarded was presented at the SNA Past Presidents Awards Gala during the SNA 2005 Annual Trade Show at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis.
Blankenship grew up on a cattle farm in Warren County and graduated in 2001 from MTSU majoring in plant and soil science with a minor in marketing.
In 1993, Jerry accepted a position with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture as a horticulture marketing specialist. While there, he organized and led the first three nurserymen’s trade missions to Europe.
In addition, Jerry was instrumental in developing the Tennessee Agriculture license plate that to date has raised over $2.25 million that has been granted to agriculture commodity groups and youth organizations such as 4-H and FFA. He was also a participant in the governor’s conference on agriculture and forestry.
In 1996, Jerry went to work at Riverbend Nurseries in Thompson’s Station as sales and marketing manager and in 2002 accepted the position with Little Creek Nursery.
Blankenship was awarded the Warren County Farm Bureau Young Farmer of the Year in 1991. In 2003, he was the Tennessee Nursery & Landscape Association’s Crystal Award Winner Young Nurseryman of the Year.
In the 31-year history of the award, Jerry is the fifth Tennessean to receive the honor. Past Warren countains who have received the award are Michael Hobbs, Rickey Minton and Bill Boyd.
Jerry is the son of Bill and Wilma Blankenship. He and his wife, Beth, have three children, Katie Beth, Emilie and William.