Governor’s conservation award winners announced
The Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village was the setting for the annual Governor's Agricultural and Urban Conservation Awards. Gov. John Carney, along with Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Shawn M. Garvin, Department of Agriculture Secretary Michael Scuse, Delaware Association of Conservation Districts President Edwin Alexander and USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service State Conservationist Kasey Taylor, led a ceremony recognizing this year's honorees and signed a proclamation officially designating April 29-May 6 as Soil and Water Stewardship Week in Delaware under the theme Healthy Soils Are Full of Life.
"Today's honorees have demonstrated their ongoing commitment to improving the environment, and on behalf of the people of Delaware, I would like to thank each of them for their dedication and for their time, effort, and investment to implement model conservation practices," said Carney. "I also want to thank all of the conservation district supervisors and employees for the many and various contributions they make to improve the quality of life in Delaware."
"Much of the work we do at DNREC is accomplished through partnerships with USDA-NRCS and Delaware's three conservation districts, and these awards highlight the beneficial outcomes of these relationships," said Garvin. "This year's honorees are wonderful and diverse examples of how we can learn from the success of others and can all be better environmental stewards by taking thoughtful and important actions to protect and enhance our water and air quality."
This year's Agricultural Conservation Award winner from Sussex County is Chip Baker, H&V Farms Inc., Millsboro.
As the owner of H&V Farms in Millsboro in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, Baker has made a long-term commitment to improving water quality, using innovative methods of enhancing soil health, planting cover crops and protecting the environment. Baker farms 621 acres of corn and soybeans, and has a 50,000-broiler operation. His farm has been never-till for 25 years, and he plants multispecies blends of cover crops on all of his acres, with the goal of having all his ground covered all year round. Baker participates in the Conservation Stewardship Program for nutrient management, irrigation water management, conservation tillage, and pest management, as well as the district's Air Seeder Pilot Program. Because of Baker's innovation and interest in improving soil health and promoting soil health practices with his peers, he became a Delaware Soil Health Champion, joining a large national network of more than 200 soil health champions. In 2016, Baker hosted and shared his experience with about 115 people for an Air Seeder Demonstration/Soil Health Field Day at his farm. He also serves on the district's Soil Health Advisory Committee, providing guidance and direction to the district in regard to soil health outreach and education efforts.
The Delaware Association of Conservation Districts recognized state Rep. David L. Wilson, 35th District, as the 2017 Legislator of the Year, an annual award given for outstanding service, loyalty and devotion to conservation efforts in Delaware. Wilson has advocated for DACD in his capacity on the House Agriculture Committee and the Bond Bill Committee. He has also been an active supporter of Sussex Conservation District activities and has participated in both Sussex and USDA cost-share programs.
Delaware's Conservation Districts, one in each county, are a unique governmental unit within DNREC. Their mission is to provide technical and financial assistance to help Delawareans conserve and improve their local natural resources, including solving land, water and related resource problems; developing conservation programs to solve them; enlisting and coordinating help from public and private sources to accomplish these goals; and increasing awareness of the inter-relationship between human activities and the natural environment.
Delaware's district supervisors have a statewide organization, the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts, a voluntary, nonprofit alliance that provides a forum for discussion and coordination among the conservation districts.
