Featured Employee-- Trinette Vereen

Helping people help the land is truly the passion of Trinette Vereen. An 11-year employee of USDA-NRCS, Vereen began work with the agency as a Soil Conservationist, and then became District Conservationist in May 2004. For the past three years, she has played a major role in reaching out to small-scale farmers in her county of Williamsburg.

Vereen has worked closely with SC’s 2006 Small Farmer of the Year, German Glasscho. Vereen provided technical assistance to Glasscho to help him increase the productivity of his alternative crops, and to combat the effects of drought. Using plastic mulch and a drip irrigation system, they were able to improve the quality of his produce, . “Working with Mr. Glasscho was rewarding because he is an honest person who genuinely likes to help others,” remarked Vereen.

Vereen was also involved with planning and conducting one of the first SC Forestry Management Workshops geared specifically for small-scale farmers. She also assisted in writing a USDA Rural Development Grant that is helping a small farmer’s cooperative maintain a greenhouse. In addition, the grant is helping to fund demonstrations which educate small-scale farmers on sustainable agriculture, record keeping, and marketing their products.

Recently, Vereen was selected to serve on a national Conservation Course Design Team. This has allowed her to meet conservationists from throughout the United States with diverse backgrounds and disciplines.

“It is truly an honor and privilege to help others become good stewards of the land. When I see the pride and joy in the eyes of a landowner that I helped achieve a healthy crop or adequate water for livestock, I have an even greater appreciation and passion for the work that I do.”

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