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Would-Be Cowboy Garners Top Honors By Jim Hamilton
Mark Green has been assisting producers for nearly four decades Mark Green is possibly the most Graziers” and “Missouri Electric Fenchighly respected pasture man- ing for Serious Graziers.” agement specialist to ever throw Still a Westerner up a high-tensile electric fence. Though decades removed from his In January, he was recognized by the American Forage and Grassland Coun- ranching youth, Green remains distinccil as the 2019 Pastureland Conserva- tively a Westerner in his boots, jeans tionist of the Year. Just two months prior and broad-brimmed hat when leading to that presentation in Greenville, S.C., a regional grazing school class or speakhe was similarly honored by the Mis- ing to a gathering of Ozarks cattlemen – and producers discern intuitively he’s souri Forage and Grassland Council. A 39-year veteran of USDA’s Natu- one cowboy who’s not “all hat.” Mark has shared his expertise in elecral Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Green is today the department’s tric fencing, livestock watering systems lead resource conservationist in Spring- and pasture management with cattle field, widely recognized among cattlemen producers in Oklahoma, as well as Kanas the area’s preeminent pasture planning sas and Missouri. He has even helped farmers and ranchers in Guatemala. and management specialist. As a student in Denver’s Westminster In nominating Mark for national honors, Diana Sheridan, district conserva- High School – where he met his future tionist for NRCS in Springfield, stated he wife, Jill Sheffer – Mark had his sights set coordinates grazing schools for producers, on a ranch management program at Texwrites instructive books, trains our staff, as Christian University in Fort Worth. In 1979, however, Green moved with and has even taught seminars for several Midwest universities and groups in other his family to Lockwood, Mo., to work countries. He has developed and helped for the Haubein Farms beef and row implement more than 700 resource con- crop operation. Green worked for a year and a half servation plans and livestock grazing sysat Haubeins, “Still with an eye toward tems throughout his career. In addition to working with individual starting the ranch management prolandowners, Green has helped the Wil- gram at TCU, but the good Lord had liam H. Darr College of Agriculture at other plans for me.” Those plans included commuting from Missouri State University develop and implement a grazing school class, and Lockwood to Springfield for a year to take night classes at Missouri State Universihe works with University ty. Tiring of that “back and forth,” the of Missouri Extension and Greens moved to Springfield, where MSU professors to teach Jill continued to work as a bookintensive grazing managekeeper at Builders Rebar, where ment and strategies. she remains the bookkeeper Additionally, Green helped today. Mark attended classes NRCS develop several pubFair Grove, Mo. and worked – construction lications, such as “Missouri jobs, hanging garage doors Watering Systems for Serious MAY 18, 2020
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and cleaning barns at the Midwest Breeders bull farm on South Campbell (now the site of Academy Sports, etc.). “I like to say I went to college on the ‘wife’ scholarship,” he said.
Grassland career began with old SCS
In 1983, Mark graduated MSU with a degree in agronomy, and in the meantime worked for three years as an intern under Ian Kurtz at the Soil Conservation Service (NRCS today) center in Ozark. It was during that internship he decided he wanted to be a grassland specialist – not really a far stretch from his ambitions to become a rancher. Upon graduation from MSU, Mark was sent to Kingston, a small town in Caldwell County between Kansas City and Chillicothe. “It was good for me, working the cropland country, ” Mark said. But in less than two years he was back in Ozark, where he remained for another eight years, and just on the back steps where he’s been based in Springfield for most of his career. Mark and Jill also bought a place near Fair Grove three years ago where they contract graze beef cattle. The previous owner called it a farm, the Greens call it their ranch, the fruition of that ranching dream they’ve harbored for
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Mark Green, left, has received many accolades from his peers for his work in grassland management. Bruce Shanks, right, of Lincoln University, and president of the Missouri Forage and Grassland Council, presents Mark with the group’s 2019 Grasslander Award.
years. “God just dumped this place in our lap,” Mark said. A place of their own gives Mark an enhanced opportunity to practice what he’s been preaching for more than 30 years. “Our job is to help producers improve their places,” he said. For some 30 years he was the district supervisor for NRCS, and only recently gave up some of his supervisory chores to work more closely with producers in designing grazing systems, coordinating grazing schools and training new soil and resource conservationists. “I was blessed with a great staff.” And he genuinely appreciates the farmers and ranchers he works with. “After every grazing school people say they got lot of good out of it. It’s not just about qualifying for program payments. They enjoy them.” It’s the same for Mark. “I really enjoy grazing and grassland management – how it all fits together. I feel blessed to be able to do this work in grassland management. That’s where my roots are.”
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