Agriculture's Man of Action: John Jensen's Super-powered Energy Benefits Agriculture
By: Katie Jackson
Faster than a speeding bullet. More energetic than a Jack Russell terrier. Able to leap tall obstacles and get the job done. And a heck of a cook!
Okay, Superman he's not, but all these phrases do describe a man whose almost super-human energy has made him an action hero of sorts for Alabama agriculture.
John Jensen, who is currently serving as the special assistant for agriculture to AU Interim President Ed Richardson, has spent more than 33 years working for Alabama agriculture, most recently in the highly visible roles of interim CoAg dean and Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station director.
But his efforts began way back in 1972 in a land far, far away. A native of Duluth, Minn., Jensen began life with a deep appreciation for the great outdoors. "I used to hunt and fish along the shores of Lake Superior and we had a creek just 100 yards from my house that I fished," he says. Jensen's childhood excursions along the shores of Gitchigumi and to trout streams and through woods and fields also gave him a first-person appreciation for the delicacy of the environment. Even at a young age he was aware of the impact that invasive species and development had on the fish and wildlife he loved.
John Jensen moves so fast you never know where he might turn up, as the surrounding photos illustrate. He and his wife, Marianne, were captured by the paparazzi at the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans (above left)
So it seemed only natural that Jensen would major in fisheries and wildlife management at the University of Minnesota, first at the Duluth campus. He will readily confess that his academic career was not initially stellar. In fact, his high school counselor (Mr. Bitner was his name) told Jensen he should just give up on college and go to trade school. But Jensen stuck it out and finally moved to the St. Paul campus where he became a "decent" student once he got into the fisheries and wildlife classes.
Jensen earned his bachelor's degree in 1969 and immediately joined the Peace Corps, which took him to Pirapora, Minas Gerais, Brazil. There he helped low-income fishermen on the Sao Francisco River organize a 175-member fishermen's marketing cooperative. While in Brazil, he met several Auburn fisheries experts and who recruited him to join the Auburn staff as a research associate/extension expert. At the time Jensen thought the job was in Auburn, New York (in retrospect, those southern accents from the Auburn folks should have been a red flag…) but had few misgivings when he realized he was moving to Alabama. When he arrived in Auburn (Alabama) on March 27, 1972, from the cold tundra of Duluth the azaleas and dogwoods were in full bloom and he decided he could stay.
Left Photo: He has never lost his love for the aquatic…so it's not at all uncommon to spot him wetting a line whenever time and weather permit. Right Photo: Our trusty photographer Terry Rodriguez also caught him in action a little closer to home. For example, selling antiques and collectibles on E-Bay.
Actually, Jensen's early days with Auburn's Department of Fisheries and Allied Aqucultures (FAA) were not in Auburn. He was sent to Fortaleza, Ceara', Brazil, to assist the Departmento Nacional de Obras Contra as Secas (DNOCS). There he was charged with the tasks of developing extension programs to introduce fish culture to Brazilian farmers and helping established fish farmers improve their production and marketing methods.
When the Brazil project was completed, he officially moved to Auburn and from 1975 to 1979, served as a graduate research assistant in FAA and the Department of Ag Economics and Rural Sociology while working on his master's and doctorate degrees. His thesis and dissertation work focused on the development of economically feasible systems of aquaculture adapted to Alabama farmers.
In 1979, the same year he finished his doctorate, he was named Extension fisheries specialist at Auburn. In 1984 professor was added to his title. In that position he interpreted and disseminated fisheries research information for use by commercial fish farmers, fish processors and marketers and recreational pond owners. Jensen is one of the people credited with making Alabama a frontrunner in the nation's catfish industry. Below on right, The award, presented by Alfa Farmers President Jerry Newby, is the highest honor given by the state's largest farm organization. Jensen, widely known for his work with aquaculture at Auburn University, now serves as special assistant for agriculture to AU interim president Ed Richardson.
Left Photo: Jensen's been known to spend many hours at home tending orchids in a greenhouse behind his house. Right Photo: John Jensen, right, received the Service to Agriculture Award at the Alabama Farmers Federation's 83rd annual meeting in Mobile Dec. 6.
Jensen was named head of FAA in 1995, a position he held until 2001, when he was appointed to the CoAg interim dean and director positions. He served in that interim capacity until August 2004, when a permanent dean and director (Michael J. Weiss) was named. At that time Jensen was asked by interim AU President Ed Richardson to serve as his special assistant for agriculture. In that position he is helping guide a potential reorganization of Auburn's agricultural programs.
Jensen's life, while not as exciting and dangerous as that of an action hero, has been filled with adventures and accomplishments (and if you can get him to sit still long enough, he can regale you with some fabulous stories).
His talents have been recognized by many groups through the years (he won the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service Award for Excellence in 1986, the Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of County Agricultural Agents in 1995 and the Catfish Industry Service Award in 1997, to name a few). In December 2004, he was again honored by the Alabama Farmers Federation/ALFA with the Federation's Service to Agriculture Award, the organization's highest honor. He was honored for his strong support of Alabama agriculture and the state's aquaculture industry. He recently received the Distinguished Lifetime Achievement award from the U.S. Chapter of the World Aquaculture Society.
In short, Jensen's energy has brought about some remarkable advances for agriculture at Auburn and around the state. And, at least for the moment, he's still focusing that energy on agriculture, which ultimately may mean more great advances ahead.
Oh yes, let's not forget one of his greatest talents...an appreciation for good food. He often jokes that he will be remembered as "the eating-est dean in the history of agriculture," but many people also will remember him for the amazing meals he and his wife, Marianne, prepared during his tenure at Auburn. Lucky for our readers, he's agreed to share one of those recipes with the public. Check it out on page 3.