The Country Folks Grower team was saddened to hear of the passing of Bill Lamont Jr. in November after a stoic battle with health issues.
A professor emeritus of horticulture and a vegetable crops Extension specialist through Penn State, he is well published in academia; however, most of our readers will know him from his monthly “Cultivating Thoughts” column which has been a part of Country Folks Grower since 2021.
His output was not limited here, as his obituary notes writing efforts for “a wide variety of nationally syndicated magazines.” A 2017 profile article from the Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association lists American Vegetable Grower, Vegetable Grower News and Spudman, to name a few, illustrating his far-reaching presence across the industry. Though he has been largely retired since 2017, readers have continued to benefit from his knowledge.
Photo courtesy of the Penn State Dept. of Plant Science
Well-studied, he held two bachelor’s degrees from Lebanon Valley College and Delaware Valley College as well as a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in vegetable crops from Cornell University. His focuses through the university’s Extension programs geared primarily toward crop management systems for potatoes and vegetables. His tenure at Penn State began in 1997.
Bill remained active from the beginning his retirement curve in the late 2010s, teaching the occasional course at the university and maintaining an advisory presence through various efforts on a regional and state level.
Country Folks Grower Editor-in-Chief Courtney Llewellyn had the following to say about partnering with Bill throughout the last several years: “Bill was strongly opinionated, but I say that with the highest of praise. He had the knowledge and experience to back up his bravado, and it was always a profound pleasure to help him polish his monthly column contributions into horticultural gems. My sincerest condolences are offered to his family in this difficult time.”
Our entire team echoes those sentiments. Rest well, sir.
by Andy Haman
