Blaylock Retiring After More than a Quarter Century of Service

Auburn, Dec. 17, 2003 --- Robert E. “Butch” Blaylock’s livelihood has always depended on agriculture. He was raised on a livestock and row-crop farm near the delta town of Cleveland, Miss., and he has spent the last 28 years working with the Alabama beef cattle industry.

Blaylock said he owes much of what he has accomplished in his career to nine years in 4-H and the competitive, aggressive Extension agent who guided him as a youth.

“4-H helped shape most of my career,” he said. “We had the best agent and the most successful 4-H livestock judging team in the state.”

Blaylock earned both his bachelor’s in animal science and his master’s in animal breeding from Mississippi State University.

He came to Alabama in 1975 to put his education to work. Blaylock began in Winfield as the superintendent of the Auburn University Upper Coastal Plain Substation, where he managed research projects dealing with brood cows and sows.

Two years later, he was hired as a county Extension agent serving in Blount and Marshall counties. In 1979, he was promoted to the position he currently occupies, Extension animal scientist and began work at the Tennessee Valley Regional Research and Extension Center in Belle Mina.

Blaylock said he enjoys his job because of the people he works with and the feeling of satisfaction from “having some accomplishments—some success.

Glynn Debter, owner of Debter Hereford Farm in Horton, has known Blaylock since he first became a county agent for Marshall County. Debter said Blaylock’s help and support has proved invaluable to his farm’s success, and he is sad to see their years of working together come to an end.

He said Blaylock has never hesitated to help him, his sons Perry and James, or his farm. Debter said he remembers Blaylock helping his sons with their calves and heifer shows in 4-H.

“We think he’s one of the best,” Debter said. “He’s always been kind to young people, and adults have a lot of respect for him, too.”

Debter said Blaylock has given him advice on pasture management, feeding programs and selecting bulls.

The Debter farm has held an annual Hereford sale for 31 years.  Debter said Blaylock’s help in evaluating cattle to make sure they were up to par for the sales has been a great asset.

One of Blaylock’s first assigned projects was supervising the North Alabama Bull Evaluation Center in 1980. To this day, Blaylock has been responsible for the management, data collection and sale management of the 70-80 bulls developed there every year.

In 1992, Blaylock became coordinator for the Alabama Beef Quality Assurance Program. Eight years later, he initiated the Alabama BQA Certification Program to educate cattle producers and veterinarians on producing safe beef products. The program has certified more than 1,200 producers and veterinarians since its inception in June 2000.

Another educational program Blaylock coordinates is the Alabama Master Cattle Producers Training Program. This program, which has certified more than 1,600 since 1999, consists of at least 18 hours of training courses for cattle producers to learn the latest management techniques.           

Gerry Thompson, an Extension agent working in both Madison and Limestone counties, has had a working relationship with Blaylock for 15 years.

They first met when Thompson was a producer, and over the years, Blaylock has become a mentor to Thompson.  

“He, more than any other one person in Extension, is responsible for the way I see things in this world,” Thompson said. “He’s helped me go on a straight path.”

“He is tremendously knowledgeable about livestock, and he’s very intense and passionate about his work.”

Thompson also credited Blaylock with the success of the BQA and master cattle producer programs.

“He can communicate to the average cattleman the importance of the (BQA) program and the need to do things right,” Thompson said.

Thompson said he is sad to see Blaylock retiring because it will be difficult to find someone who can perform the job as well.

“There is no one of his caliber to replace him,” Thompson said. “His guidance will be missed.

Blaylock said he’ll spend his retirement catching up on house work and saltwater fishing. He said he also plans to explore other ways to keep busy, such as doing contract work.

“I’ll miss the friendships,” Blaylock said. “But we’ll do our best to stay in touch.”

 Article in MS Word

 Article in Text