Ronnie Barentine
Ronnie Barentine has served as the county extension coordinator in Pulaski County since 1994. He is responsible for coordinating and providing leadership for the extension program, including programming in agriculture and natural resources, support for family and consumer science, and 4-H youths. In addition, he plans agriculture and natural resource programs for Pulaski County’s $65 million agriculture industry.
He is regarded by many as the national leader and Georgia’s foremost county agent authority in the discipline of conservation and sustainable agriculture. He was invited to participate in the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the National Association of County Agricultural Agents’ Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) “Fellows Program,” and he is honored as one of only four nationally-selected county extension agents to study sustainable agriculture in the U.S. over the next two years.
Barentine made incredible contributions to the peanut industry as well, developing the “Peanut Intensive Management Program” to assist peanut producers. Furthermore, he advanced the peanut industry with his discovery of the peanut disease, Diplodia collar rot.
Barentine also has played a significant role in the adoption of conservation systems and technologies. He has dedicated his career to the agricultural needs of some 300 local farmers. With his pioneering work in developing the method of conservation tillage, he helped Pulaski County farmers become more profitable and sustainable. “Ronnie has had a very positive impact on farming practices in Pulaski County…he has been instrumental in solving problems in conservation tillage…all our farmers now practice conservation tillage,” said farmer Barry Martin of Barentine’s devotion to agriculture.
The American Society of Agriculture and Biological Engineers rated conservation tillage number six on the list of the top 15 innovations over the last 100 years. His great achievements in this soil conservation practice and to public service make Barentine invaluable to the university and to the study of agriculture.