Clark Garland Receives High Honors from Alma Mater
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — In recognition of a distinguished career that has helped thousands statewide, nationally and internationally, UT Institute of Agriculture professor emeritus Clark Garland has been awarded one of the highest honors conferred by Tennessee Technological University’s Agricultural Foundation. Garland was presented with the award at the Foundation’s annual scholarship banquet on October 19, 2019.
“It’s difficult to estimate Dr. Garland’s impact on agriculture,” said Delton Gerloff, recently retired department head of Agricultural and Resource Economics. “It is likely best measured one farm family at a time. His vision and follow-through in the farm crisis of the 1980s were nothing less than brilliant. Farm families’ financial, mental and emotional health were strengthened and sometimes saved by his work—either directly by his analysis or indirectly by those he trained in the MANAGE educational program.”
Garland began his university career more than 48 years ago, working as an agricultural economist in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. During his tenure, he provided exemplary leadership and conducted farm and financial management education programs throughout Tennessee. His signature career achievement is the design, development and leadership of the highly successful MANAGE program, which employs farm management specialists across the state who work alongside Extension agents to help farm families evaluate their individual situation and assist them in improving their quality of life. More than 19,000 farm families have greatly benefited from the program, which is recognized as among the strongest and most effective in the nation.
He continues to coordinate Tennessee’s Federal Income Tax Seminars, in cooperation with Tennessee Farm Bureau and the Internal Revenue Service. Last year, seminar participants completed more than 325,000 tax returns.
Garland’s service has been recognized with numerous awards, most recently the distinguished National Association of County Agricultural Agents Service to American/World Agriculture. Other awards include NACAA’s Distinguished Service Award; the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities Southern Region National Award for Excellence in Extension; the Superior Service Award from Tennessee Valley Region Association of Demonstration Farm Families; and the University of Tennessee’s B. Ray Thompson Sr. Outstanding Faculty Performance Award and the Webster Pendergrass Award for Outstanding Service, to name a few.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in agronomy from TTU and a master’s and PhD in agricultural economics from UT.
Through its land-grant mission of research, teaching and Extension, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. utia.tennessee.edu.