SCFGLC members left to right: Phil Perry, Chris LeMaster, Cassie Wycoff, Jill Claasen, Kenny Mullis, John Andrae, Paige Smart.

SCFGLC wins President’s Award

The S.C. Forage and Grazing Lands Coalition has received the 2017 President’s Award from the American Forage and Grasslands Council.

The award, which recognizes outstanding service to the forage community, cited the group’s work through field days, outreach and membership growth. The coalition conducted 11 meetings through 2017 and reached more than 1,000 people associated with the forage community in South Carolina. It had a four-fold membership increase in 2017.

The award was presented at the AFGC annual conference in Louisville, KY, in January. The 2020 annual national conference will be held in South Carolina.

“It was an honor to receive this award from a national organization like AFGC especially since the SCFGLC has only been functioning for 2 years. Our dedicated board of directors has been working very hard to get organized and become productive,” said Kenneth Mullis of Blythewood, S.C. coalition president.

The coalition promotes the health and sustainability of South Carolina grazing lands. Workshops and events cover areas such as soil health for grazing management practices on pastureland, forestland and cropland; prescribed grazing; silvopasture; and wildlife management. The coalition received a national Conservation Innovation Grant to educate landowners about soil health on grazing lands through workshops and pasture walks. The grant was used to acquire several rainfall simulators, a popular workshop attraction that demonstrates how grazing management affects soil health.