August 6, 2024 - Braselton, GA – The Georgia Association of Conservation Districts held their annual Hall of Fame Banquet on Tuesday, August 6, 2024 during their Annual Meeting 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.
Every year, GACD recognizes farmers and landowners that are conducting exemplary conservation work on their land and have demonstrated a strong commitment to soil and water conservation through their land stewardship, outreach and community interactions, and/or education. The recipient of GACD’s 2024 Conservationist of the Year award is Jon Jackson. 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 purpose when he founded Comfort Farms. Comfort Farms is a 38-acre, 100% regenerative, working farm that helps veterans in crisis by giving them 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 funding from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, Comfort Farms utilizes several practices around the farm which gives the workers and 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. Congratulations to Jon Jackson!
In 2023, GACD started a new award to recognize 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. The recipient of GACD’s 2024 Urban Conservationist of the Year award is Chy Kellogg.
Chy has been instrumental in providing environmental education to Georgia’s youth since 2016 where she exposes inner city students to sustainable agriculture. Her outreach efforts include leading the UGA Cobb County Extension’s 4-H Club and working with Feeding Georgia on a military hunger initiative to improve food security among service members in Marietta, Georgia. 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. Chy serves as a member of the authority board at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter, is a graduate of Leadership Georgia, was involved with Georgia Farm Bureau Women’s and Young Farmers and Ranchers Committees, and is founder and owner of SociallyChy LLC and Cultured Ag, Inc., two organizations committed to agriculture and conservation. She was nominated for this award by the Cobb County Conservation District and the Marietta NRCS office. Congratulations to GACD’s 2024 Urban Conservationist of the Year, Chy Kellogg!
Pictured: Ellis Lamme, Chy Kellogg, and Jake Ford.
The District of the Year award was established by GACD and the Tennessee Valley Authority in 2001 to recognize the Conservation District in Georgia which best plans, implements, and reports a conservation program in a given year. GACD is excited to recognize the Walton County Conservation District as 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 Conservation 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 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. Congratulations to GACD’s 2024 District of the Year, Walton County!
Pictured: Sonny Turner, Dana Tripp, Dan Bennett, Matt Chandler, and Jake Ford.
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, Mr. 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. Thank You and congratulations to Dewey Johnson for his dedicated service!
Pictured: Dewey Johnson and Jake Ford.
Each year, GACD presents an award to an individual recognized as providing superior support to Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Georgia. This year the GACD Superior Professional Support recipient is Lisa Minick with the Barnesville NRCS office. Lisa 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, ensuring that community members and interested parties stay informed. 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. Thank you and congratulations to Lisa Minick for her dedicated service!
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.