UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Jim Shirk, who graduated from Penn State in 1993, was recently honored with the Lifetime of Service to the Council for Agricultural Research, Extension, and Teaching (CARET) Award from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU). Shirk has served as Penn State’s delegate to CARET since 2002 — the longest tenure in the University’s history.
The award recognizes his more than two decades of leadership and advocacy on behalf of Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences and the University for the crucial role that land-grant universities play in support of agriculture in the commonwealth and the nation.
Shirk, of Lancaster County, received the award at the council’s annual conference held earlier this week in Washington, D.C. CARET is a national grassroots organization affiliated with the APLU whose representatives work with federal policymakers to ensure investment in agricultural research and extension, promote food security, strengthen water quality initiatives, build climate resilience, and support community and economic development.
Throughout more than two decades of service, he has advocated for federal support of agricultural research, extension and education by sharing the crucial role that land grants, like Penn State, play in driving innovations and training the next generation of the agricultural workforce, thereby helping to ensure that the college’s and Penn State’s priorities remain central in national policy discussions.
What makes Shirk’s service particularly impactful is the perspective he brings to his leadership, noted Troy Ott, Peter and Ann Tombros Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences.
“As a ninth-generation farmer and accomplished industry leader, Jim possesses a deep, practical understanding of agriculture, grounded in lived experience,” Ott said. “At the same time, he brings a modern and forward-looking vision for how agriculture must evolve to meet the complex challenges of today and tomorrow — whether those challenges involve sustainability, innovation, workforce development, animal health or economic resilience.”
Ott added that Shirk has “an uncommon ability to bridge tradition and transformation, honoring agriculture’s roots while championing its future.”
During his tenure, Shirk made significant contributions at the national and regional levels. Nationally, he served as CARET chairman from 2014 to 2016 and spent 16 years on its Executive Committee, including two years as liaison to the Extension Committee on Policy, helping align CARET initiatives with national extension priorities. Regionally, he served as the Northeast Region chairman for 18 years.
Shirk has worked alongside six deans of the college and four presidents of Penn State, providing continuity through decades of change. He continues to mentor incoming CARET representatives to ensure a smooth transition and sustained advocacy for the college.
Additionally, Shirk has played an instrumental role in advocacy that has profoundly influenced poultry health and biosecurity initiatives in Pennsylvania, particularly during critical periods of highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks, according to John Boney, Vernon E. Norris Faculty Fellow of Poultry Nutrition and associate professor of poultry science.
“Jim has been key in bridging the gap between industry, government and academia to develop and implement practical biosecurity strategies,” Boney said. “One of his most significant contributions was his work on a biosecurity proposal for Pennsylvania that aimed to expand Extension’s capacity to provide on-farm education and support. Jim’s dedication to animal health, strategic thinking, and ability to unite stakeholders around shared goals exemplify the values of CARET and the land-grant mission.”
With his wife, Stephanie, Shirk manages and co-owns his bicentennial family farm, overseeing a diversified grain operation and raising Black Angus cattle and Boer goats. He holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental resource management from Penn State.
Professionally, Shirk serves as poultry vaccine sales manager for the eastern United States with Ceva. He previously served as executive director of the PennAg Poultry Council, as a sales specialist in the swine division for Wenger Feeds and as a Chesapeake Bay technician.
His volunteer leadership includes the Penn State Ag Council, where he currently serves as vice president and has served as past president, and service as a commissioner with the Pennsylvania Animal Health and Diagnostic Commission.
He also has served as the past president of the Pennsylvania FFA Foundation. He holds board and advisory roles with the Lancaster Farmland Trust, Lancaster County Conservation District, and the American Egg Board Northeast Egg Caucus, among several others.