Forbes Walker received a Ph.D. in Soil Science from North Carolina State University in 1998 and since then has worked as the Environmental Soils specialist for the University of Tennessee Extension. As the Environmental Soil Specialist he is responsible for coordinating educational and research programs in Tennessee in the areas of the areas of cover crops and soil health, nutrient and manure management, the appropriate use of alternative fertilizer materials, waste utilization, nutrient cycling and water quality. Much of his work today is related to the impact of agriculture on the environment and assessing practices that will improve agricultural productivity without negatively impacting the environment, specifically water and air quality. He has received a number of grants from agencies such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Environmental Protection Agency, the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. He currently manages several research and extension projects looking at the impact of agriculture from the plot to field to watershed scale. Since 2015 he has been the lead investigator in a statewide $5 million climate change adaptation grant from USDA involving partners from five Universities across Tennessee