Governor Perdue Announces Agriculture Environmental Stewardship Award

ATLANTA – Governor Sonny Perdue announced today the Governor's Agricultural Environmental Stewardship Award.  The purpose of the award is to honor farmers who are good stewards of all aspects of the environment in their farming practices.  The award was developed by the environmental subcommittee of the Governor's Agriculture Advisory Commission.

“As I learned from my father growing up on a farm in Middle Georgia, if you take care of the land, it will take care of you,” said Governor Sonny Perdue.  “This award will show all Georgians the outstanding job farmers are doing to protect our environment and preserve our state's natural resources.”

The state will be broken down into five regions: northeast, northwest, central, southeast, and southwest.  From each of these regions a district winner will be chosen based on their application.  To review the applications, judging committees will be established for each district.  Each district committee will be led by a chairman who is a member of the Governor's Agriculture Advisory Commission.  The remaining members will be representatives from the Georgia Department of Agriculture, UGA Extension, Georgia Soil and Water Commission, Georgia Farm Bureau, Georgia Forestry Commission and the Georgia Agribusiness Council. 

From the five district winners, a state winner will be selected.  The judging for the statewide winner will include site visits to the five regional farms.  A judging team will visit the farms to see the farmers' environmentally friendly innovations and technologies.  The environmental subcommittee chairman, Rick Moss, will chair the state judging committee.  The other members of the state judging committee will consist of members from the district committees. 

Applications are due by January 13, 2006.  District winners will be chosen by February 6 and the state nominees will be judged by March 1, 2006.  During the kick-off celebration of National Agriculture Week in March 2006, Governor Perdue will announce the state winner.

Applications are available at www.agawareness.com .  Applications may also be requested by calling (229) 391-5162.