At Merit or Myth our mission is to engage with South Dakota farmers, researchers & conservationists to gain a better understanding of healthy, functioning soils. Meet our team who will be working tirelessly to finally solve some of the greatest mysterious still out there in regards to soil health.
Robin “Buz” Kloot, PhD
Buz started his professional life as a chemical engineer and spent 12 years in the mining/mineral processing industry in Namibia, Africa. In 1999, he joined the University of South Carolina and has been involved in various projects related to agriculture and environmental quality. Buz is passionate about working directly with farmers on soil health projects and research and how they can leverage the cover crop to improve crop performance both in terms of yield and savings in inputs. Buz’s passion for soils has moved him into the roles of storytelling through video. His documentary “Under Cover Farmers” and his recent series on the “Science of Soil Health” and “The International year of Soils”, available on line, are examples of his work and passion.
Buz is a research associate professor in the Environmental Health Sciences Department at USC’s Arnold School of Public Health and holds degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, and an MBA and PhD from the University of South Carolina.
Barrett Self
Barrett always knew that he would wind up in the creative field, but the path that got him there was as unique as it was unpredictable. After attending the University of South Carolina for the better part of 3 years and finally settling on an Occupational Technology degree from Midlands Technical Institute, Barrett set out into the audio/video field. Heading up the audio and recording responsibilities alongside partner Jesse Welnick on video, Barrett produced various training and informational videos for companies such as Michelin. In 2011 when his partner was forced to relocate, Barrett made a strong transition away from audio and into graphic design. Since starting this role, Barrett has had the pleasure of not only being the chief Brand Identity Designer for dozens of small businesses, he’s also contributed graphic content to some of the titans of the sports industry: The Bleacher Report, Athlon Sports, Slam Magazine as well as various ESPN affiliates. It wasn’t too far into this role that Barrett had the opportunity to expand his skillset into copywriting and, shortly after, social media management. As of 2016, Barrett has worked with clients from around the globe conceptualizing and contributing targeted graphic, written, and social media content.