September 20, 2021: At their virtual meeting on September 20, members of the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts (GACD) elected Jim Waters of Pierce County as GACD Group 4 Vice-President, and Chris Hopkins of Toombs County as GACD Group 4 Alternate Vice-President. Group 4 Vice-Presidents serve on the Board of Directors for GACD in representation of the seven Soil and Water Conservation Districts spanning 42 counties across Southeast Georgia.
Mr. Jim Waters owns and operates Waters Farms, a 1,000-acre farm located in Blackshear, Georgia. Waters Farms has a cotton, blueberry, peanut, pecan, and corn operation that carries a family history story that dates back to several generations. Mr. Waters says, “he wants to make sure that we all have sustainable water for the future and a good environment so that we are leaving earth in a better place for our kids and beyond.” He implements several conservation practices on his farm including strip till, and he plants pecans and grass to reduce the impacts of soil erosion. He manages his water usage by the installation of retro fits on pivots.
Jim Waters, GACD Group 4 Vice- President
Mr. Jim Waters has been married to his wife, JerriAnn, for 25 years and they have two children. His daughter, Katie, attends college in Athens and his son, AJ attends the local high school. Mr. Waters is also the Chairman for the Satilla River Soil and Water Conservation District where he has served since 2013.
Mr. Chris Hopkins is no stranger when it comes to farming. He got his start in the private cotton consulting business in 1995 and remained in that business for the next eight years. In 2004, he began to start farming on his own and established Hopkins Farms in Lyons, Georgia. During that time, he was a county Extension Agent and was farming on the side. Mr. Hopkins currently farms 17 crops measuring approximately 1,400 acres where he grows cotton, peanuts, corn, rye, and occasionally watermelons. He has a deep love for conservation and states, “to sum it up, conservation is my passion. My goal in farming is to be profitable and to leave this land better than we found it. I preach, teach, and stress the importance of conservation to kids with the many tours that I do throughout the year. I want to be a steward of our land and our resources so that hopefully future generations will have the opportunity to do what we are doing.” The current conservation practices that are being used on Mr. Hopkins farms are 100% cover crop, 100% strip tillage, quite a bit of terraces and waterways, irrigation metering devices including retrofitting from high pressure to low pressure settings using drops, and converting diesel fuel into electric.
Chris Hopkins, GACD Group 4 Alternate Vice- President
Mr. Chris Hopkins has been married to his wife, Marilynn, for 15 years and they have two boys, Banks age 12 and Luke age 8. He is currently a member of the Georgia Cotton Commission, President of Toombs County Farm Bureau, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Ameris Bank - Vidalia Branch, Vice-Chairman for the Robert Toombs Christian Academy School Board, and the finance committee for the Lyons First Baptist Church. He has served as a District Supervisor for Ohoopee River Soil and Water Conservation District since 2009.
The mission of GACD is to advocate for the conservation of Georgia’s natural resources by providing organization, leadership and a unified strategic direction to the Conservation Districts of the state. For more information on GACD or to explore opportunities on how you can support our efforts, please visit us online at www.gacd.us or on Facebook @GACDConserve.