William D. Fulton

William D. Fulton, of Troy. has excelled in the fruit and vegetable industry. Fulton started with a small 40-acre farm in 1954 and has since expanded his operation to more than 2000 acres of vegetables and small fruits. Fulton was a pioneer in the use of plastic mulches and row covers for the production of vegetables and small fruits. He also pioneered the use of center-pivot irrigation systems and trickle irrigation.

In addition, Fulton was an innovator of the U-pick approach to marketing strawberries, other small fruits and various vegetables. Through his experiences with strawberry production and marketing, he helped organize the North American Strawberry Growers Association, where he served as the first president. Fulton shared his innovative farming techniques with Ohio growers to benefit the industry as a whole. Other examples include his pioneering work in hydro-cooling sweet corn, use of hybrids and the use of the 1PM program to minimize pesticide.