TOWALIGA CONSERVATION DISTRICT
High Falls State Park, located in Monroe County, GA.
The Towaliga Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD), founded in June 1944, has a rich history of innovation, education and community involvement. The District proudly serves Butts, Fayette, Monroe, Pike, Spalding and Upson Counties in central Georgia. With two supervisors serving each county, there are a total of 12 supervisors that comprise the Towaliga SWCD Board.
Simply put, conservation is an effort best achieved on the local level, in small steps and actions committed daily by caring citizens--this is why the Districts work so hard to serve, assist and advise the citizens of our conservation district. We strive to show our friends and neighbors the importance of preserving our local lands for future generations.
If you are interested in learning more about the Towaliga Conservation District or need technical assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us for more information.
District Supervisors
Ricky Minter (Chair), represents Fayette County on the Towaliga SWCD Board of Supervisors and serves as the Towaliga SWCD Chair. He is a fifth-generation family farmer, and co-owner/operator of Inman Farms, located in Inman, Georgia. Mr. Minter works with Inman Farms and the Towaliga SWCD to host the annual “Heritage Farm Days” every September. This event has been hosted for almost 30 years now.
Russell Hatcher, Fayette County
Douglas Cawthon, a Butts Co. District Supervisor, was raised in Butts County. He attended Abraham Baldwin Agriculture College. Douglas grew up raising hay and working with a cow-calf operation on his family farm. Later, he owned, operated and managed around three hundred acres of land which included a cattle production of around one-hundred breeding cows and seventy-eighty acres of hay along with some rental land. He joined the Towaliga Conservation District in 1989 and continues to be an active member. His appointment was from the sitting committee. During his twenty-nine years of service, he has served as chairman and vice chairman. He received the Towaliga Conservation District Recognition for protection of soil and water in the early 1980’s. Mr. Cawthon was a member of the Butts County Farm Bureau for many years serving on the local board, the young farmer board, serving as the chairman of the fifth district for several years.
Tommy Presley, a Butts County District Supervisor, was born and raised in Butts County, Georgia. Mr. Presley is currently treasurer of the Towaliga Conservation District and has served the district for almost 30 years. He has been committed to public service for years through his leadership, including 18 years of service as the Chairman and Vice chairman of the Butts County Board of Education and membership to Farm Bureau since 1965—some of those years including service on the Board of Directors. Presley is dedicated to soil and water conservation and responsible use as rural areas continue to urbanize.
Barry Peters, Monroe County
Jordan Vaughn of Forsyth was elected on November 8, 2022 to represent Monroe County for the Towaliga Soil and Water Conservation District. He graduated from Auburn University in 2011 with a degree in Equine Science. He helps manage his family’s cattle farm that he grew up on in Forsyth. Sustainability, soil health and water quality are major focuses on the farm. Jordan and his family have worked closely with their local USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office for years. They have made great use of NRCS programs such as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) for many years on the farm.
Matthew Bottoms, is a representative and supervisor of Pike County on the western side of the Towaliga SWCD. Mr. Bottoms also serves on the Pike County and Georgia Farm Bureau Board. He is co-owner and operator of Bottoms Nursery in Concord, Georgia, and a very active citizen in the Pike County agricultural sector.
Vacancy, Pike County
Howard Ayers, Spalding County
Stephen Noble of Griffin was elected on November 8, 2022 to represent Spalding County for the Towaliga Soil and Water Conservation District. He grew up in Jonesboro and graduated from Georgia State University. He has worked in Information Technology at Truist (formerly SunTrust) for 29 years. He is currently the Vice President and Senior Infrastructure Engineer at Truist. He has always enjoyed the outdoors and has an interest in conservation. He looks forward to serving his community in all things related to natural resource conservation and helping Spalding County continue to be a great place to live.
Tracy Boyt, Upson County
Kyle Penney, Upson County
DISTRICT SERVICES
Feral Swine Control
No-Till Drill
District outreach video
A video demonstrating equipment for various conservation minded practices on the farm including a strip tiller and roller crimper.
Meeting Information
The district supervisors meet the first Wednesday of every other month, at 11 a.m. at the USDA Barnesville Service Center at 231 US Highway 41, Barnesville, Ga 30204 unless otherwise publicized. Contact info@gacd.us to be added to the meeting notice email list.