Longview rancher Buck Birdsong's cattle on his property north of Longview are pictured March 11. (Jordan Green/Longview News-Journal File Photo)

Born and raised in Troup, Sherman Clem’s journey through agriculture began amidst the landscapes of a family farm.

“This farm has been in the family for over 100 years,” Clem said. “’I’m 72 years old, so I’ve done it all my life.”

From his formative years, Clem’s connection to the land and its cultivation became deeply ingrained, shaping his path forward. With roots firmly planted in East Texas soil, he embarked on a journey as an enumerator, leveraging his understanding of farming practices and rural life.

Perseverance and dedication earned him the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Enumerator of the Year for 2023, an honor bestowed on three U.S. individuals yearly.

With NASDA employing over 2,000 part-time enumerators, according to a USDA news release, Clem’s unwavering work ethic sets him apart.

He’s built working relationships throughout the Southern Plains Region agriculture community, which includes Texas and Oklahoma, and completes assignments ahead of time.

“Without a doubt, Sherman Clem more than deserves the 2023 Enumerator of the Year,” said Wilbert Hundl, Jr., regional director of the NASS Southern Plains Region Field Office, in the release. “In all projects, from the complex to the urgent, Sherman Clem continually demonstrates excellence in teamwork, data collection and strengthening respondent relations.”

Clem began his career in agriculture 51 years ago, working for the Texas Department of Agriculture. In 2011, Clem started with NASDA as a NASS enumerator, partnering with agricultural producers to collect statistical data.

Enumerators contact agriculture operations to record farm and cattle business expenses anonymously. The data is inputted into a system crucial for various determinations, including but not limited to bank loans and disaster program assessments.

“When a disaster comes, [businesses] always want help, and [agencies] don’t know how to help these people if they don’t know how many people have cattle out there or what kind of crops they have,” Clem said. “It’s an information resource industry.”

An enumerator conducts interviews or makes field counts and records the information.

Clem received the award because of his “exceptional dedication to the NASS mission of providing timely, accurate and useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture,” according to a USDA news release.

“I don’t mess around; when somebody gives me a challenge to do, I work on it,” Clem said.

Clem holds a deep understanding of the complexities inherent in agricultural operations, spanning from the challenges of production to the nuances of industry communication.

“You don’t promise anything because you’re not issuing a service to them, but you’re trying to get information where they can help the industry,” Clem said. “That’s what it’s all about the industry, not just one individual.”