(KLZA)-- Longtime Nemaha County Extension Educator Gary Lesoing is retiring in January.

Over the past 18 years Lesoing has been the Crops and Water Extension Educator serving Southeast Nebraska producers.

Lesoing has been responsible for garnering nearly a million dollars in grant funds to help support educational programs in sustainable agriculture for Nebraskans in the past 15 years.

Those funds were used to support local programs, host large conferences and field day events and also partner with local producers to support on-farm research.

The public is invited to help congratulate Lesoing for his years of hard work and dedication on Tuesday. December 20, from 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. at the 4-H Building at the Nemaha County Fairgrounds in Auburn.