Ag News
GACD names 2024 award recipients
Posted on Aug 15, 2024 at 2:40 AM
On Aug. 6, the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts held its annual Hall of Fame Banquet to honor and award those individuals who have gone above and beyond to further conservation efforts for our state. The awards are Superior Professional Support, District of the Year, Supervisor of the Year, Urban Conservationist of the Year and Conservationist of the Year. Scholarship recipients and special recognitions were also honored.
Jackson named Conservationist of the Year
Jon Jackson is the GACD 2024 Conservationist of the Year. / Photo courtesy of GACD
Jon Jackson of Baldwin County is the recipient of GACD’s 2024 Conservationist of the Year award. After completing six deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, Jackson exited the military and was faced with many difficulties as he felt he had lost his sense of purpose. He regained purpose when he founded Comfort Farms.
Comfort Farms utilizes several practices around the farm that give farm workers and the community a better understanding of conservation. Practices implemented include irrigation, wells, cover crops, hoop houses, terraces and heavy fencing. Jackson was also named 2024 Friend of Conservationist by the National Association of Conservation Districts and is a Soil Health Champion. He was nominated for this award by the Piedmont Conservation District.
Kellogg named Urban Conservationist of the Year
Chy Kellogg, center, accepts the Urban Conservationist of the Year Award from GACD Vice President Ellis Lamme, left, & GACD President Jake Ford, right. / Photo courtesy of GACD
The recipient of GACD’s 2024 Urban Conservationist of the Year award is Chy Kellogg.
This award recognizes urban conservationists for their exemplary work and strong commitment to soil and water conservation through their land stewardship, outreach, community interactions, and education in urban areas of Georgia.
Kellogg has been instrumental in providing environmental education to Georgia’s youth since 2016 where she exposes inner city students to sustainable agriculture. Through a partnership with NRCS, she is working to build relationships between local urban growers in Cobb County and NRCS, and to provide more urban agriculture focused lessons and farm tours for the community and schools. She was nominated for this award by the Cobb County Conservation District and the Marietta NRCS office.
Johnson named Supervisor of the Year
GACD President Jake Ford, right, congratulates Dewey Johnson on being named the GACD Supervisor of the Year. / Photo courtesy of GACD
In appreciation of District Supervisors’ commitment to the protection of Georgia’s natural resources, GACD presents a Supervisor of the Year award annually at Annual Meeting. The award recognizes exemplary achievements, leadership, and service to GACD, NACD, and local communities. This year, Dewey Johnson, District Supervisor representing Jackson County for the Oconee River Conservation District, is the 2024 Supervisor of the Year. Following in the footsteps of his father, Jimmy Johnson, Dewey has been an elected district supervisor representing Jackson County since 2009 where he currently serves as chair. As a former agriculture teacher, he is an active supporter of local schools and agriculture programs.
He maintains relationships with local teachers and promotes conservation education through events including a multi-county tree identification contest, recruiting students for the Natural Resources Conservation Workshop and the conservation themed poster contest. In addition, as a leading contributor of artifacts and information, Johnson has been valuable in the development and success of the Jackson County Agricultural Facility. On his farm, he furthers his conservation efforts by taking part in various USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service programs where he has applied and maintained cover crops, critical area plantings, herbaceous weed treatment, intensive rotational grazing, mulching, and nutrient management.
Turner inducted into GACD Hall of Fame
Dan Bennett, left, & GACD President Jake Ford, right, induct Sonny Turner into the GACD Hall of Fame. / Photo courtesy of GACD
Sonny Turner was inducted into the GACD Hall of Fame on Aug. 6. The GACD Hall of Fame preserves the history of the conservation movement in Georgia by recognizing individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to soil and water conservation.
Sonny Turner has been a district supervisor representing Walton County for the Walton County Conservation District for 14 years. He currently serves as a GACD Board Member serving as the Group 2 alternate vice president and was awarded GACD Supervisor of the Year in 2023 for his leadership efforts throughout his region.
Turner grew up in Greene County, helping his parents on their family dairy farm. As a young man, he became interested in resource conservation after attending Georgia's first ever Natural Resources Conservation Workshop in 1962.
Sonny received a degree from the University of Georgia in Agricultural Education with a minor in Agricultural Engineering. After teaching Agriculture Education for three years at Monroe Area High School he began a career at Walton EMC but continued his involvement in local agriculture as a 4-H volunteer and President of the FFA Alumni Association.
He and his brother, Tommy, have rehabilitated their family farm that produces hay and timber. Sonny and his wife, Bonnie, live in Monroe where they are active members of Harmony Baptist Church.
Minick honored for superior professional support
The 2024 GACD Superior Professional Support recipient is Lisa Minick with the Barnesville NRCS office.
Each year, GACD presents this award to an individual recognized as providing superior support to soil and water conservation districts in Georgia. Minick provides support to the Lamar County and Towaliga conservation districts. She is instrumental in organizing the Lamar County Conservation District’s beef cattle workshops where local farmers learn about pasture management, USDA- Natural Resources Conservation Service programs, and the promotion of healthy soil and water practices.
In addition, she maintains a quarterly newsletter for the Lamar County Conservation District, Lisa also provides review of erosion and sediment control plans on behalf of the Lamar County Conservation District and keeps the District Supervisors informed of the reviews and provides administrative support as needed.
The GACD’s also recognized its scholarship recipients. Mason Sorrow of Newton County received the GACD Scholarship, and Breyanna Williams of Clarke County received the Georgia Conservation District Scholarship at the Natural Resources Conservation Workshop.
Walton County named District of the Year
The District of the Year award was established by GACD and the Tennessee Valley Authority in 2001 to recognize the Georgia conservation district that best plans, implements, and reports a conservation program each year. The Walton County Conservation District is the 2024 District of the Year. The Walton County Conservation District has been a consistent leader in the community by actively promoting conservation to local producers and students. Over the past year, the district has hosted an urban agriculture educational event to educate landowners about soil health and plant care and spoke to local schools about invasive species and tractor safety. They provide further support to schools by awarding the Julian E. Brown Conservation Scholarship and supporting FFA Chapters. In addition, they are passionate advocates of the Natural Resources Conservation Workshop and look forward to recruiting students to attend. The Walton County District supports their local Matthews Park by hosting a park cleanup, honors a Conservationist of the Year annually, and is actively involved in GACD events and advocacy opportunities. They also participate in GACD’s Feral Swine Control program and offer trapping services to landowners throughout the county.
GACD Elects 2024 Leadership
GACD leaders, from left are: Jimmy Bramblett, Tabatha Wooten, Ellis Lamme, Jake Ford, Brian Ponder, Jim Waters & Mark Masters. / Photo courtesy GACD
On Aug. 6, the GACD announced its 2024 executive committee elected at the organization’s annual meeting. The GACD officers are: President (re-elected) Jake Ford, Alapaha Conservation District, Berrien County; Vice President (re-elected) Brian Ponder, Middle South Georgia Conservation District, Tift County; Vice President (re-elected) Ellis Lamme, Gwinnett County Conservation District; Secretary (re-elected) Jim Waters, Satilla River Conservation District, Pierce County; Treasurer (re-elected) Tabatha Wooten, Altamaha Conservation District, Jeff Davis County; NACD Representative Jimmy Bramblett, Lower Chattahoochee River Conservation District, Stewart County; Immediate Past President (re-elected) Mark Masters, Lower Chattahoochee River Conservation District, Terrell County.
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