Here in South Carolina and in every other state in the nation, there are many public and private organizations working for agriculture and natural resources in a variety of ways. All too often, our respective organizations get so involved in our specific roles that we forget that we’re all working for the same cause. So, in order to understand all of these roles, let’s review the organizations that we have in this state that are focusing on agriculture and natural resources.

    We have many public and private organizations in SC with a variety of divisions that are in some way involved in agriculture and natural resources. In the private sector, we have the SC Farm Bureau Federation. At the federal level, we have what reads like the letters in alphabet soup---the FSA, FSIS, NRCS, and APHIS. In addition to these federal agencies, we have Rural Development, the Food and Consumer Service, the National Ag Statistics Service, and the U.S. Forest Service.

    On the state level, we have the SC Department of Agriculture, Clemson University Extension Service, the SC Forestry Commission, and the SC Department of Natural Resources which includes Wildlife and Marine Resources, Land Resources, and Water Resources. And, because of an overlap of regulatory responsibilities with the FDA and the EPA, the Department of Health and Environmental Control also gets into the agriculture and natural resources act in this state, not to mention the overlap of OSHA with the SC Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation. In addition to government agencies, we have an abundance of non-profit boards and associations involved in agriculture and natural resources. With all of these agencies and organizations involved in agriculture and natural resources in one way or another, it’s no wonder that the public is confused.
I say all of this to emphasize that while we each have our respective roles and responsibilities, we are all working together to protect our agricultural and natural resources. We are concerned that farmers get good and fair prices, but, at the same time, we encourage conservation of land, water, and air.

    The SC Farm Bureau is a family-oriented private organization led by volunteers. Because Farm Bureau is a private organization, it has the freedom to represent the agricultural community as a voice for legislation.
The federal agencies are given mandates from Washington to follow, and the organizations on the state level have varying responsibilities. Clemson Extension Service, the technical, educational, and research arm of agriculture and natural resources in this state, is mainly concerned with showing farmers and non-farmers how to do, what to do, and when to do as far as producing and using agricultural products. Anything that has to do with agricultural and natural resource education is in Clemson’s domain.

    The SC Department of Natural Resources protects wildlife, marine life, and land and water resources. The SC Forestry Commission oversees the forestlands in the state. Some of our agencies have regulatory responsibilities in addition to our other programs and services.

    Even though all of our public and private organizations have different objectives, we are all striving to make this world a better place, and I, for one, am very grateful for them all.