Clemson University prides itself in their contribution to agriculture. Chip Carter spent some time on campus and followed alumni around to show us their impact in our new series “Clemson Reach.”
Today we meet Dr. Tom Dobbins, the 10th person to hold the title of Associate Dean of Outreach and Engagement.
Dr. Dobbins is a seventh generation farmer and was actively in 4-H and FFA as a child. That is where his relationship with Clemson University began.
“When you look at Clemson University and what we’ve done for agriculture in this state and our proud heritage of agriculture, there is a lot things people don’t know,” Dr. Dobbins states. “Embryo transfer was perfected here at Clemson University in a lot of ways, artificial insemination for the dairy industry was perfected here, and so there are a lot of innovative things.”
He goes on to note that Clemson’s undergrad ag program is one of, if not the best in the country.
In regard to major changes in ag in the next 10-20 years, Dobbins says that innovation with greenhouses, food safety, the value of water, and the importance of proper nutrition are going to be key components.
“If I was a young person right now... one of the greatest fields to be in would be in plant or animal genetics. As we move forward, I think, that’s a field that’s going to have tremendous potential in the future; as well as ag engineering where we’re working with precision ag,” he said.