Milledgeville, GA, April 5, 2024 – The Piedmont Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is proud to announce that Jon Jackson of Comfort Farms has been named a Soil Health Champion by the National Association of Conservation Districts.
The Piedmont SWCD worked with NACD to nominate Jackson based on his extraordinary work to promote soil health management practices on his own farm and advance the adoption of these practices within his community. The Piedmont SWCD supports the work of Jackson by helping to publicize his field days and farm tours, and by providing resources for other soil health related promotional activities.
Soil Health Champions are raising awareness about the benefits of soil health practices from the local level to a national one. Champions share their personal experiences using best management practices through the national network on a peer-to-peer basis and through NACD-hosted national meetings and events.
After completing six deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, Jon Jackson exited the military and was faced with many difficulties as he felt he had lost his sense of purpose. He regained a purpose when he founded Comfort Farms. Comfort Farms is a 38-acre, 100% regenerative, working farm that helps veterans in crisis. The farm has a focus of growing a variety of vegetables and livestock and sells goods onsite. In addition, Jon Jackson and Comfort Farms provide educational opportunities that give veterans in need a place to use their skills and energy to fulfill a purpose. Comfort Farms has provided services to several hundred veterans and their families resulting in thousands of visitors.
Through USDA NRCS funding, Comfort Farms utilizes several practices around the farm which gives the workers and community a better understanding of conservation. The farm uses a combination of underground drip irrigation and wobble-head irrigation to improve water efficiency. A well was installed on the farm that provides 100% of its irrigation and water needs. Cover crops are used between crop rows to improve soil health and provide habitat for local pollinators. The use of a hoop house gives a more controlled growing environment and extends the vegetable growing season. Terraces are utilized in the orchard and include wood chips between berms to help with moisture absorption and control water flow. The farm utilizes heavy use fencing to control livestock movement, to help the land recover, and for farm attendance to safely move livestock from one area to another.
“It is an honor to be chosen as a Soil Health Champion,” said Jackson. “Building soil health is essential if America is to meet the challenges of providing food, fuel, and fiber for a growing population here and abroad.”
“Jon Jackson richly deserves this honor. He will be a stellar advocate in helping to increase adoption of soil health practices,” said Ricky Yarbrough, Piedmont SWCD Supervisor.
To arrange a speaking engagement, interview, field tour, or other activity with Jon Jackson or the NACD Soil Health Champions Network, contact NACD’s Beth Mason at beth-mason@nacdnet.org or Piedmont SWCD Chairman at 707-318-8579.
