Eminent Farmer
County: Brookings
Hugh Barnett raises commercial and purebred sheep and also sell potatoes to customers in the surrounding area. Hugh was the director for the North Central Wool Growers and was involved in a ram test group sponsored by South Dakota State University Sheep Unit.
He has always valued education and the importance of sharing knowledge with others. Hugh his college education at SDSU was interrupted by World War II. He served as an officer in the U.S. Army Air Corp. He returned to SDSU to complete a bachelor's degree in Animal Husbandry and went on to earn a Masters in Swine Nutrition.
Barnett placed great emphasis on encouraging young people to pursue a higher education. He helped many 4-H and FFA exhibitors with their projects and strongly believes in raising livestock with profit rather than raising livestock to win a show. Hugh and his wife Rita have also set up a scholarship in their son's name, so that others could benefit from an SDSU education.
Barnett is known as South Dakota's Sheep King. He has been active in many FFA and 4-H sheep shows. He became a member of the 4-H Hall of Fame in 2002, and has been recognized with the Brookings County Good Neighbor Award, Friend of 4-H in Brookings County and SDSU Family of the Year Award. While president of the South Dakota FFA Association, Hugh received the American Farmer Degree.
Hugh and his wife Rita 7 children.