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- Marks Retires from Extension
Position in Monroe County
- By Karen Gentry
Associate Editor
- After 27 years as an Extension agent in Southeast Michigan, Paul Marks is retiring from his position in Monroe, Mich.
Marks starting working for the Monroe County Cooperative Extension Service in 1974 after more than a decade teaching vocational agriculture at a high school in Lenawee County, Mich. Starting out as a generalist working in livestock, vegetables, 4-H crops and greenhouses, Marks grew to become one of the county’s leading experts in vegetable production.
“My position evolved. I focused more strongly on vegetables in recent years,” said Marks. There are more than 100 vegetable growers in Monroe County produce processing tomatoes, fresh and chip potatoes, cabbage for fresh and slaw, fresh market tomatoes, cucumbers, pickles, cauliflower, quite a bit of sweet corn and muskmelons.
Marks is tying up loose ends and working through the end of October. An open house was held in his honor in late September. Marks’ colleagues cited his quiet way of doing important things, and his contact and sensitivity to growers’ needs. As an Extension agent, he helped farmers improve their technical skills and knowledge in the areas of insect and disease controls, soil testing, marketing, management of pesticides and irrigation. Marks is also a beekeeper and makes honey as a hobby.
He cited adaptation of IPM for vegetable growers as a noteworthy trend within the last 20 years. Educating and getting growers to use the Tomcast system to schedule tomato fungicide applications based on need, rather than timing is another development he is proud to have been a part of.
Marks served as president of the Michigan Association of Extension Agents in 1997 and has been the recipient of many awards including the Outstanding Extension Educator Award in 1990. Marks earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agriculture education from Michigan State University.
Marks is active in the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. He and his wife, Jeannine, have two grown sons, Brad and Roger and four grandchildren. They plan to remain in the area and spend more time with their family.
Ned Birkey, a fellow Extension agent, will become the lead agent and assume many of Marks’ responsibilities.
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