Partners in knowledge—

Bob Woods and Kent Barnes close out OSU careers

by Mark Parker CNHI

Parson, Kansas — Just about anyone who’s run cattle across northeastern Oklahoma grass has gotten a helping hand from Kent Barnes and Bob Woods.

The assistance may not have been delivered directly but it has most definitely been there as the two Oklahoma State University Extension specialists have passed along solid management information through county agents, the media and neighbor-to-neighbor tailgate chats.

And the OSU grads have been doing it for a whole lot of years.

Most of that time, they’ve hung their hats at OSU’s Northeast Area District office in Muskogee where Bob is the area agronomist and Kent serves as area livestock specialist.

That will change at the end of the month when both veteran Extension specialists will retire, concluding 30-year careers.

Although Bob’s work includes crops as well as forages, the pair have most frequently functioned as a team to help beef producers transform knowledge into better operations.

“A lot of things have changed in agriculture during our careers but the challenge has remained the same—convey knowledge and help create new knowledge,” Bob Woods says. “Our first role is to train county educators. That’s job one. We provide support for them so they can provide support for the farmers and ranchers of northeast Oklahoma.”

Anyone who’s attended an OSU field day focusing on cattle has probably seen Barnes and Woods there working as a team. Their connection, however, stretches back much further as they have traveled parallel paths to their present jobs.

Both grew up on Payne County, Okla., Hereford operations—Bob near Cushing and Kent outside of Perkins. Both were active in 4-H and showing livestock. They attended OSU at the same time, both earning an under-graduate degree in animal science and competing on Bob Kropp’s first livestock judging team. Kent went to Ardmore as the 4-H agent and Bob went to Ada as the 4-H agent. Eventually, they both went back to OSU for a Master’s degree, Kent in animal science and Bob switching to agronomy.

And they landed in the district office in Muskogee in 1981 within one month of each other.

“I think we’ve complemented each other,” Kent observes. “We’ve both been connected to Oklahoma agriculture our whole lives and we both have livestock backgrounds but Bob has become one of the top forage guys in the state and, of course, that’s important to the animal science issues I deal with. If we’ve been successful, I think it’s because we’ve tried to keep learning. The basics stay the same but there’s always new information to learn, both from Stillwater and from the producers themselves.”

Bob agrees, adding, “Even for the issues that remain the same, there’s always a new clientele to provide information for.”

The Cooperative Extension model for the transfer of knowledge has played a significant role in the success story that is American agriculture, both Bob and Kent believe. It’s a system they’ve been proud to serve and one both hope will continue to serve farmers and ranchers.

“Oklahoma has been committed to county-based programs and I think the Extension Service here will remain strong,” Kent asserts. “There are a lot of good young people coming up in the system and I think Extension is needed now more than ever.”

But what about that mountain of online information available to farmers and ranchers?

“One of the biggest things we’ve witnessed in our time has been the Internet,” Bob says. “It’s a wonderful thing and there is so much more information available. That’s tremendous but I really fear the potential for misinformation. And even solid information, you have to ask yourself, ‘does it apply?’ I think that’s one reason Extension remains important.

“As Extension specialists, we work for the people of Oklahoma and we have to keep in mind that we are an unbiased source of information—honesty and knowing what information applies is our job.”

And it is the people of Oklahoma that both Bob and Kent will miss the most when they conclude their OSU careers.

“Yeah, it’s definitely the people I’ll miss the most,” Kent says. “Not only all the great people at OSU but the farmers and ranchers I’ve had the privilege to work with. I’ve always had a lot of respect for the folks in agriculture but, watching and learning and working with producers, I come away with an even deeper respect. You know, it’s easy for me to suggest to beef producers to do this and that but what I’ve been so impressed with is how they get it all done.”

With Extension work in the rearview mirrors of their pickup trucks, Kent Barnes and Bob Woods will continue down parallel roads. Both of them will continue to run some cattle and spend more time with their families.

And one other thing that will remain the same—they’ll each stay connected to the Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service.

“From now on, I’m going to be one of their clients,” Woods concludes. “In fact, I’ve already signed up for the county agent’s newsletter.”

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