2019 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 5
BY SENATOR THOMPSON
A RESOLUTION
To commend Margie Yates Jenkins for her outstanding contributions to horticulture and for
being the first woman inducted into the Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction.
WHEREAS, Margie Yates Jenkins was born in 1921 in St. Tammany Parish and
began her love of nature growing up on a farm where her parents farmed cotton, sugarcane,
and timber, and were successful cattle and sheep ranchers; and
WHEREAS, after graduating from Franklinton High School in 1938, Margie began
working for what is now the state Farm Service Agency; and
WHEREAS, in 1951, she and her late husband, Bryant, moved to Tangipahoa Parish
and planted their first cash crop, a small watermelon field; and
WHEREAS, they established their landscaping nursery in 1960 after buying fifty
acres of what is now Jenkins Farm and Nursery in Amite City; and
WHEREAS, Margie and her husband Bryant raised five beautiful children, four of
whom work with her at Jenkins Farms and Nursery, a 128-acre nursery east of Amite; and
WHEREAS, at the age of fifty-four she taught herself how to propagate plants and
has done so for the last forty years; and
WHEREAS, Margie has hosted countless educational events through the LSU
AgCenter and remains an active member of the Louisiana Forestry Association; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of her work in introducing the hardy Robin Hill variety
of azaleas, the LSU AgCenter Hammond Research Station dedicated its property to Jenkins
and named its azalea and native-plant research garden in her honor; and
WHEREAS, she has received numerous industry honors including the James A. Foret
Award, the Louisiana Native Plant Society's Karlene DeFatta Award, and the Slater Wight
Memorial Award from the Southern Nursery Association; and
Page 1 of 2 SR NO. 5 ENROLLED
WHEREAS, Margie frequently lectures across the country and is noted nationally
in the world of horticulture as one of the foremost experts in azalea propagation; and
WHEREAS, at the age of ninety-seven, with a career that spans eighty years, Margie
is recognized nationwide as one of the most knowledgeable experts on the cultivation of rare
and native landscaping plants; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction honors outstanding
contributions to Louisiana agriculture in farming, ranching, forestry, horticulture,
aquaculture, education, and agribusiness; and
WHEREAS, Margie Yates Jenkins was inducted into the Louisiana Agriculture Hall
of Distinction on March 22, 2018, during the annual ceremony presented by the Louisiana
Radio Network, LSU AgCenter, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, and the
Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby commend Margie Yates Jenkins for her outstanding contributions to horticulture
and for being the first woman inducted into the Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
Margie Yates Jenkins.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
Page 2 of 2