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Cooperative Extension: SC Women's Agricultural Network

About SCWAgN

The objectives of SC WAgN are

  • Empower women to be confident, strong stewards of the land
  • Provide unique opportunities for women in agriculture to expand their knowledge, expertise and experience in their role as agriculture producers, educators and professionals.
  • Encourage networking opportunities by building a community of women ranchers, farmers, landowners, professionals and educators.

Membership is open to any person supporting the mission and purpose of SC WAgN. The network is comprised of women farmers, agricultural professionals, agricultural educators and informed consumers committed to supporting and providing educational opportunities to women working in agriculture and ag-related businesses.

Clemson Cooperative Extension recognizes that there is a significant number of women actively involved in a variety of agriculture enterprises, forestry, and food production. Between 2012 and 2017 alone, South Carolina saw a 27.8% increase in female producers and a 56.9% increase in females as the principal producer on the farm.1 To best serve our diverse women in agriculture and forestry in South Carolina, Extension Director Dr. Thomas Dobbins and Sandhill REC Director Dr. Kathy Coleman, called on women across Clemson Cooperative Extension to come together for a unified approach in women-specific programming.

1. Perdue, S., Hamer, H. (2019). 2017 Census of Agriculture: South Carolina State and County Data (40th ed., Vol. 1, Geographic Area, p. 45) (United States, Department of Agriculture, National Agricultural Statistics Service). Washington, DC: United States Department of Agriculture.

South Carolina Women's Agricultural Network

Committee Members

Charlotte “Charley” MaxwellCharlotte “Charley” Maxwell is the Agribusiness Agent out of Horry County. In this role, Charley works with beginning farmers, women in agriculture and local agribusinesses. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in animal and poultry science and a Master of Science in agriculture and life sciences, both from Virginia Tech. Charley enjoys baking, gardening and traveling when she isn’t working.

Dr. Kathy ColemanDr. Kathy Coleman is the director of the Clemson University Sandhill Research and Education Center (REC) in Columbia. She oversees the operational and programmatic functions of the REC which is one of six Clemson experiment stations across the state. She also serves as the Agribusiness Program Team assistant director. Dr. Coleman has been with Clemson for over 34 years, 29 of which were in Governmental Affairs before being named director at Sandhill. She continues to work with the Clemson PSA Advocacy team and assists with PSA legislative strategies. She earned her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees from Clemson University and a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University in agricultural economics.

Marie Bolt is the director of events for the T. Ed Garrison Arena and Expo Center. She has a strong background in agriculture and 4-H. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science and a Master of Agricultural Education degree. Marie's past professional experiences include sales representative with Bartlett Milling Co., high school agricultural educator and FFA Advisor and Clemson University lecturer in animal science. She has also served on numerous organizational boards and agricultural advocacy groups.

Becky DavisBecky Davis is a Water Resources Extension Agent covering the nine counties of the Savannah Valley District. Becky received her Master of Science degree in ruminant nutrition from the University of Kentucky and her Bachelor of Science degree in animal science from the University of Vermont. She has over 30 years of experience as an agricultural technician at the Edisto Research and Education Center in Blackville. Much of her time was spent conducting beef cattle grazing trials of winter forages. Most recently she worked with the irrigation specialist on projects involving irrigation scheduling, sub-surface drip irrigation and crop water use. Her interests are in management practices relating to soil and water conservation.

Amber Starnes is an area Livestock and Forages Agent for Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon and Marlboro Counties. Her job duties focus on beef cattle, poultry, swine, small ruminants and horses. Workshops she is involved in include the backyard poultry workshop series, small ruminant workshop series, horse care and management, forage production workshops, cattle production workshops and youth livestock programs. She serves as the private applicator pesticide coordinator for Chesterfield and Marlboro Counties. She is also the Extension County Coordinator for Chesterfield County.

Janet SteeleJanet Steele is co-founder of the Women Owning Woodlands (WOW) Network in South Carolina. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from Virginia Tech in forestry and wildlife and a Master of Science degree from Clemson University in forest resource management. In her position as an Area Forestry and Wildlife Agent, Janet conducts site visits with landowners in her 5-county area, providing them assistance with recommendations for forestry and wildlife management, including timber harvesting, reforestation, insects and disease, non-native species and habitat management. She also works with state Extension specialists and researchers to provide landowners with the most recent information on a range of topics through webinars, workshops and field tours.

Dawn Anticole White Dawn Anticole White is the director of Clemson Extension publishing and marketing. She conducts editorial oversight and marketing activities and serves as the managing editor for Land-Grant Press by Clemson Extension and the Journal of South Carolina Water Resources. Dawn received her Master of Mass Communications degree from the University of South Carolina and her bachelor's degree in Communication from the University of Pittsburgh. She has worked in the fields of integrated marketing communications and project management for over 30 years. Dawn is a graduate of Clemson Cooperative Extension's New and Beginning Farmers Program and also completed the Master Equine Manager Certification program.

Chase Baillie attended Clemson University with the intention of majoring in agronomy and saving the world by consulting farmers on organic methods. She discovered that agronomy was not a good fit, but through some excellent guidance, she landed in the agricultural education program and found her passion. Chase grew up in Charlotte, received a bachelor's and master's degree in agricultural education from Clemson University and has focused much of her career on food safety and training. Chase served as food safety and quality assurance manager in the poultry processing industry, a consultant, auditor, and trainer in the food safety auditing business and a training and development manager in the grocery and fast food industries. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, creating in the kitchen, spending time with friends and family and occasionally playing the violin. Working for Cooperative Extension has been a career path goal for quite some time now, and she is very excited to join the Food Systems and Safety Program team. Chase is based out of the Conway office, serving Horry, Georgetown and Florence Counties.

Bethany Funkhouser Bethany Funkhouser is the Agribusiness Agent out of Darlington County. In this role, she works with local agribusinesses and beginning farmers. She grew up in Virginia where she spent her time in 4-H and FFA when she was younger. Bethany holds a Bachelor of Science in agribusiness from Virginia Tech. In her free time, Bethany enjoys painting, drawing and being outdoors.

bailee floydBailee Floyd serves as the Rural Health and Nutrition Agent for Horry and Marion Counties. Originally from Aynor, SC, she learned the value of agriculture and nutrition from a very early age. Bailee started her college career at Horry Georgetown Technical College earning her Associate in Arts. Bailee furthered her education at Coastal Carolina University where she graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Health Administration. Bailee earned her Master of Agricultural Education from Clemson University in 2023. She spends her spare time appreciating the historical sites of South Carolina.

South Carolina Women's Agricultural Network
South Carolina Women's Agricultural Network |