About the Speakers
Ted Etheredge is President of ARMtech Insurance Services, Inc. and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company. Ted has been with ARMtech since 1999. He is a veteran of the crop insurance industry with over 25 years experience. Ted currently serves on the Board of Directors for American Agri-Business Insurance Company and on the National Crop Insurance Services (NCIS) where he will take over as president next year. He serves on the Policy, Procedure and Loss Adjustment (PPLA) Committee of NCIS. He is also a board member of Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau (CIRB).
David Ruppenicker, CEO Southern Cotton Growers, Inc. David is a graduate of Southeastern Louisiana University and Louisiana State University. He has served as the Director of National Affairs and Associate Commodity Director – Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation. He has also held the position of Executive Director of Louisiana Cotton Association. David currently resides as the CEO of Southern Cotton Growers, Inc. This organization represents every cotton producer in the six states that comprise the Southeast Region (AL, FL, GA, NC, SC & VA). He resides in Dawsonville, Georgia.
Alan C. York is a William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor Emeritus at N. C. State University. A native of North Carolina, he earned his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois under the direction of Fred Slife, one of the country’s pioneer weed scientists. After completion of the degree, he joined the faculty of NC State as the cotton extension specialist for the first four years of his career. In 1983, he had the opportunity to return to his roots in weed science. As weed science extension specialist at NC State, Dr. York was responsible for applied research and education in cotton, corn, soybean, peanut and small grain weed management. He was also actively involved in teaching and graduate education. Dr. York retired from NC State in 2009 after 30 years on the faculty. Since “retirement”, he has been working half-time at NC State teaching and conducting research. He also is a consultant with the North Carolina Cotton Producers Association
Mike Marshall was appointed as a Clemson University Extension weed scientist at the end of 2007. Dr. Marshall, a native of Kansas, earned both bachelors and masters degrees in agronomy from Kansas State University. As part of his masters programs he studied the biology of herbicide resistant weeds and received a fantastic introduction and education on the science of herbicide resistance. After finishing his degrees at Kansas State, Dr. Marshall earned a PhD in weed science from the University of Kentucky. He worked primarily in Extension, participating in grower field days and meetings. From Kentucky, Dr. Marshall went on to Michigan State University, where he worked for two years as post-doctoral scholar, working on ornamentals. He was a part of the team that first identified glyphosate resistance in marestail in Christmas trees. In his current role at Clemson University, Dr. Marshall works out of the Edisto Research and Education Center in Blackville, SC, and focuses mainly on the herbicide resistance of Palmer pigweed in row crops.
Wesley Everman is an Assistant Professor at North Carolina State University with primary responsibilities including weed management in corn, soybeans, small grains, and bioenergy crops. Dr. Everman has recently initiated research investigating nitrogen cycling due to weeds in corn cropping systems. Dr. Everman has also been involved in field, greenhouse, and laboratory research on weed biology, physiology, and control, and has experience in conducting research trials under GLP, analyzing data, and publishing results. Everman earned his Ph.D. from the North Carolina State University in 2008. Previously, Dr. Everman worked as an Assistant Professor in weed science at Michigan State University, a Research Associate at NC State, a Graduate Research Assistant at NC State, and lastly a Graduate Research Assistant at Purdue University.
Dr. Jeremy K. Greene, is a Professor of Entomology at Clemson University. He directs statewide research and Extension programming for insect management in cotton and soybeans in South Carolina. Dr. Greene is located at the Edisto Research and Education Center near Blackville, South Carolina, where he advises graduate students and supervises technical support staff in conducting his programs. Dr. Greene “grew up” in Charleston, South Carolina, and earned his undergraduate degree from the College of Charleston. After earning MS and PhD degrees in Entomology from Clemson University, Dr. Greene worked for the University of Georgia and the University of Arkansas before “coming home” to Clemson University in 2006. Areas of specialization include the true bugs, such as stink bugs and kudzu bugs.
Steve Hamilton, JD, CLU, ChFC, a Director with Nationwide Financial Advanced Consulting Group, was raised on a farm in central Iowa, and he will use his experience and industry knowledge to share the strategies and resources that your farm can utilize to help ensure that it is successfully transitioned. Participation in this session will provide you with a plan of action for reviewing your current plan or to implement a plan for the first time.
Edgar L. Woods, has been president and owner of Palmetto Grain Brokerage, LLC, which specializes in cash grain brokerage, futures/options trading, and farm management services since 1985. He is also President of Performance Ag, LLC, a licensed South Carolina grain dealer/merchant and is also a partner in the Agricultural Products Exchange (APEX), a feed ingredients trading company with offices in New York, Iowa, and South Carolina. He holds a Futures Series 3 license from the National Futures Association. Mr. Woods earned his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Mechanization and Business from Clemson University. He is a native of Jasper County and has lived in Bluffton since 1990. Mr. Woods serves as past chairman of the Palmetto Agribusiness Council and is past president of both the South Carolina Grain Dealers association and Southeastern Feed and Grain, a group of feed and grain dealers from four southeastern states.
Mike Garland, PhD, Crop Development Director for AgStrong. AgStrong has undertaken to establish regional value added farmer participating processing facilities producing food grade non-GMO and expeller pressed canola and sunflower oil. www.agstrong.com
Steve Sandroni, VP of Agriculture for Crailar formally Naturally Advanced Technologies “NAT”. Crailar is investing $10 million in a processing facility in Pamplico, SC. They are working to expand flax production in the Carolina’s to over 45,000 acres. The “Crailar” process has attracted the likes of Georgia Pacific, Hanes, Levi’s, Carhartt, Target, Cintas and others. www.crailar.com
David Hull, Grain Buyer for Murphy-Brown. Murphy-Brown has made a fundamental change in how they do business. For years it was easy to get rails out of the west but now that transportation costs have gone up they have realized that whole system will change. They are buying more products in their local footprint area of the Carolina’s. Murphy-Brown is investing in the infrastructure that’s needed to accept local grain by truck instead of rail. They are spending money and making a commitment to partner with farmers. www.murphybrownllc.com
Joseph “Jody” L. Purswell currently serves as a Research Agricultural Engineer with the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s Poultry Research Unit at Mississippi State, MS. Jody joined USDA-ARS in 2005 after earning his Ph.D. in Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering at the University of Kentucky. His research program is focused on improving broiler house design and environmental control to optimize production efficiency and reduce energy usage.
Will G. Henderson, Jr., Extension Associate – Precision Agriculture Specialist with Clemson University. Wills areas of expertise are Precision Agriculture & Site-Specific Management. He has responsibilities in providing support for individuals using variable-rate technology, GIS/GPS technology, and yield monitors. Will has earned both BS and MS degrees in Biosystems Engineering from Clemson University. He is currently working on the several extension and research projects related to cotton: Evaluation of Nematode Thresholds Based on Soil Texture Utilizing Site-Specific Application of Telone II on Cotton Yield; Systems Study of Precision-Applied In-Furrow Nematicide/Insecticide (Temik™) with Uniform Seed Treatment (AERIS™, AVICTA™) Adoption in Cotton and Evaluation of Site-Specific Crop Nutrients on Cotton Yield Under Field Production Conditions.
Dr. Jeremy K. Greene, is a Professor of Entomology at Clemson University. He directs statewide research and Extension programming for insect management in cotton and soybeans in South Carolina. Dr. Greene is located at the Edisto Research and Education Center near Blackville, South Carolina, where he advises graduate students and supervises technical support staff in conducting his programs. Dr. Greene “grew up” in Charleston, South Carolina, and earned his undergraduate degree from the College of Charleston. After earning MS and PhD degrees in Entomology from Clemson University, Dr. Greene worked for the University of Georgia and the University of Arkansas before “coming home” to Clemson University in 2006. Areas of specialization include the true bugs, such as stink bugs and kudzu bugs.
Wilder Ferreira, works as an Extension Economist and Agribusiness Instructor for Clemson University Extension Service. He has been responsible for the development of economic educational programs in livestock, horticulture, and agronomic crops enterprise cost assessment, and analysis of emerging technology adoption in agricultural production. He has been the instructor for agribusiness entrepreneurship, farm management, and agribusiness management undergraduate courses. He prepares the agricultural enterprise budgets for the State of South Carolina (Extension Service) and other economic reports associated with production costs, profitability, and risk management. His expertise in Microsoft Excel, economics, supply chain, cost analysis and strategic management, and entrepreneurship has been demonstrated in his first book www.excelleronline.com.
Greg Yarrow, is Chair of the Natural Resources Division and Professor of Wildlife Ecology in the School of Agricultural, Forest, and Environmental Sciences at Clemson University. He has been at Clemson for 24 years where his responsibilities include teaching, research and extension in wildlife ecology & conservation. His work has focused on wildlife management & ecology, wildlife damage management, and integrated wildlife management on farms and forestlands. He is author and co-author of over 250 publications, including the book Managing Wildlife. He lives in Clemson with his wife Tina.
Scott Monfort, is the new peanut specialist at the Edisto Research and Education Center in Blackville. Scott joined the Extension Team at Edisto Research and Education Center on June 6, 2023 and collectively has over 10 years work experience in plant diseases, nematodes, and precision agriculture technologies in peanut and other row crops. Scott was raised in southwestern Georgia in a small farming community where peanuts, cotton, corn, soybean and wheat were grown. He earned the BSA and MS in Plant Pathology at the University of Georgia and the Ph.D. in Plant Pathology from the University of Arkansas. He began his career in precision agriculture with Gold Kist in 1993 in Georgia, where he worked in many different crops. In 1998, he joined the Extension Service as an agent in Worth County Georgia, working in cotton, peanut and commercial vegetables. Scott is excited to be joining the team at Clemson and work for the growers in South Carolina.
Dr. Glen Harris, Associate Professor and Extension Agronomist with the University of Georgia, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. He obtained an undergraduate degree from Penn State in Horticulture, he went on to Michigan State for a Masters and PhD in crop and soil science. He was hired by UGA in Tifton in March 1994 where he serves as the soils and fertilizer specialist for all crops statewide. Glen’s primary responsibility is to train and assist county agents across the State of Georgia in the area of soil fertility. This is accomplished through newsletter articles, production guides, TV and radio, phone consultations, and on-farm research/demonstrations and visits. This information is ultimately used by the agricultural producer or grower. His educational programs in soil fertility are also delivered directly to growers through county meetings, popular press articles, professional conferences, and on-farm visits.
