DATE: March 22, 2007

CONTACT: Thad Williams, (843) 423-1341, ext. 103
thad.williams@sc.usda.gov

WRITER: Tom Lollis, (803) 284-3343, ext. 241
tlollis@clemson.edu

Cattlemen name county agent Educator of Year

BLACKVILLE – Marion Barnes, Clemson Extension agent in Colleton County, has been named Educator of the Year by the South Carolina Cattlemen’s Association.

He received the award March 3 during the association’s annual meeting at the Edisto Research and Education Center at Blackville.

“Farmers in the three counties he serves as Extension agent know he is willing to go the extra mile to solve a problem,” said Thad Williams, association vice president.

He cited Barnes for his studies with forage and pasture species, his efforts to promote conservation tillage for the planting of grains and legumes, his work with wildlife habitats on South Carolina farms, his special programs to acquaint farmers with noxious weeds such as tropical soda apple and giant salvinia, and his educational meeting for beef producers.

Barnes was nominated for the award by the Lowcountry Cattlemen’s Association, a group growing out of a county association organized in 1993 by Barnes and fellow Extension agent Danny Howard, who is now in Greenville County. The association includes the counties of Bamberg, Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Dorchester, Hampton and Jasper

Barnes has been with the Clemson Extension Service since 1989. He, his wife Carmen and their son Jacob live on 550 acres near Lodge that have been farmed by his family since 1856. He attended USC-Salkehatchie in Allendale for two years after high school and then transferred to Clemson, where he earned a B.S. degree in animal science in 1979.

He is a senior county agent working in Colleton, Hampton and Allendale counties.

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