April 11, 2022 - Callaway Resort & Gardens, Pine Mountain, GA – The Georgia Association of Conservation Districts held their annual Hall of Fame Banquet on Monday, April 11, 2022 during their Annual Meeting to honor and award those individuals who have gone above and beyond to further conservation efforts for our state.

NACD Hall of Distinction

NACD President Michael Crowder with Redding

John Redding of Walton County, Georgia, was recently inducted into the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Hall of Distinction at their annual meeting in Orlando on Feb. 14. NACD created the Hall of Distinction to recognize and honor the organization’s current and past leaders who have made major contributions to the nation’s conservation movement.

Redding’s involvement with NACD and natural resources conservation began through his service with the Walton County Soil and Water Conservation District, where he served as chair for 31 years.

Redding has served NACD in many capacities including representing Georgia as a board member, committee chair, regional chair, executive board member and treasurer. He served as the president of NACD from 2008-09. Redding is the only Georgian to serve as president of NACD since its founding in 1946. He currently serves as a representative on the Walton County Conservation District, board member emeritus for the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts, and treasurer for the National Conservation Foundation.

Redding was inducted into the Georgia Associations of Conservation District's Hall of Fame in 2013.

Conservationist of the Year

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. The recipient of GACD’s Conservationist of the Year award is Robbie Faust.

Robbie Faust is a third-generation farmer from Terrell County in Southwest Georgia. He and his family farm 1,800 acres of cotton, corn, peanuts, wheat and soybeans. For Faust and his family, soil health is a primary factor in decision making on their farm. Bellflower Farms is home to an impressive conservation portfolio that includes strip-till and no-till cover crops, terraces, grassed waterways, low pressure drip nozzles and more. As an early adopter of conservation practices, Robbie is always willing to share lessons learned and participate in projects that promote conservation. In 2020, Robbie entered into a partnership with the Lower Chattahoochee River Soil and Water Conservation District, Golden Triangle Resource Conservation and Development Council, University of Georgia Extension and USDA- Natural Resources Conservation Service to participate in a multi-year cover crop outreach and education project, hosting field days on the research and demonstration plots created through the project. He was also named the National Association of Conservation Districts Friend of Conservation at their Annual Meeting in Orlando earlier this year.

Check out the video below for more information on Bellflower Farms!

District of the Year

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 Gwinnett County Soil & Water Conservation District as the 2022 District of the Year.

GACD President Mark Masters with Tixie Fowler, Ellis Lamme, and David VanLandingham

After having coordinated more than 20 river clean up events and youth outreach events last year with almost 1000 participants combined, this Conservation District has proven itself to be a pillar of the community. One of this District’s major outreach objectives last year was to promote careers in conservation to students throughout their County. They also developed and managed a successful AgSTEM aquaponics program which equips urban educators in the Archer School Cluster with knowledge on how to implement agriculture-based science, technology, engineering and math (AgSTEM) objectives into the classroom.

The District also played a key role in the first phase of restoring a highly eroded urban 303d impaired watershed known as Crayfish Creek in Sugar Hill. District Supervisors provided engineering services and managed materials procurement, volunteer recruitment and raised over $90,000 towards the project. This project generated press coverage and has been state and nationally recognized for its grassroots capacity building and use of innovative technical approaches to restoring steam banks and riparian corridors.

In addition, The District installed high tunnels, raised beds and micro irrigation in three community gardens, engaged 2 sites through GACD’s Pollinator Initiative, and sponsored 6 high school students to GA Audubon Society’s Atlanta Urban Ecology program. After such a successful year, it is evident that this district is committed to spreading the message of conservation and assisting its citizens for generations to come. Congratulations to GACD’s 2022 District of the Year, Gwinnett County!

Supervisor of the Year

In appreciation of District Supervisors’ commitment to the protection of Georgia’s natural resources, GACD presents a Supervisor of the Year award at Annual Meeting. The award recognizes exemplary achievements, leadership, and service to GACD and local communities. This year, Tracy Grice, District Supervisor representing Polk County in the Coosa River Conservation District, is the 2022 Supervisor of the Year. She championed ag education, STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) curriculum, and hands-on learning for students in her role as District Supervisor and with the Paulding County Farm Bureau. She has been a great partner to GACD by helping garner interest in GACD’s programs among educators and students in her region. Two of the winning classes of the GACD-sponsored STEM Challenge were from schools within Tracy’s region. In addition, with a sponsorship from Coosa River Conservation District, Tracy piloted a water quality and wildlife habitat educational field day for local high schoolers with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and GACD. The students had the opportunity to spend a day in the water with DNR’s trout biologists in a North Georgia mountain stream catching, measuring, and releasing trout. The students learned about trout habitat, water runoff, the importance of stream buffers, and water conservation. We can’t wait to see what Tracy will do next. Thank You and congratulations to Tracy Grice for her dedicated service!

Superior Professional Support

GACD President Mark Masters with Northcutt

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 Judy Northcutt. Judy is the Program Assistant for the Lower Chattahoochee River Conservation District and the Golden Triangle RC&D. Judy has been the Program Assistant for 5 years. Judy rose above and beyond her position of Program Assistant and excelled in serving the Lower Chattahoochee River Conservation District and Golden Triangle RC&D. Her dedication and service in this position has truly benefited not only the surrounding community but also everyone with whom she has worked. Thank you and congratulations to Judy Northcutt for her dedicated service!

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