Clemson professor and state peach specialist wins communications award

Published: May 14, 2012

Desmond Layne image by: Clemson University

CLEMSON — Desmond Layne, associate professor in the College of Agriculture, Forestry & Life Sciences and state peach specialist, will receive a communications award from the National Association of County Agricultural Agents at their conference in Charleston July 15-19.

Layne’s entry, “Sweet Lessons from a South Carolina Peach Professor,” won first place in the Communications Award-Audio Recordings Category. He will receive a plaque and $500 at an awards luncheon July 17.

“Sweet Lessons from a South Carolina Peach Professor” aired on National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” Aug. 18, 2011.

“To pick a perfect peach, obviously you need to pick it off the tree yourself,” he told Melissa Block during the interview. For those who pick peaches in supermarkets and not in orchards, he had three simple suggestions: “Smell it, squeeze it, look at where it's from.”

Listen to the full interview online.

Layne shares more information about peaches on his Facebook page and on his “Everything About Peaches” website.

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