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News and Events
Delta F.A.R.M. Celebrates 1 Million Acres
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Delta F.A.R.M. (Farmers Advocating Resource Management) was founded in October of 1998 to help farmers become better environmental steward and address regional natural resource concerns. Today, Delta F.A.R.M. has become the region’s preeminent natural resource conservation organization and is preparing to celebrate 10 years of service and the enrollment of one million acres. At 9:00 a.m. on November 6th, a formal announcement will be made at Vanlandingham Farms north of Leland to acknowledge the achievements of Delta F.A.R.M. and to commemorate the site of its one millionth acre.
After enrolling his farm into the Delta F.A.R.M. program, George Vanlandingham said, “It makes perfect sense for me and my son to participate in a program that helps landowners be better stewards of their property and the natural resources that we all depend on.” He continued by saying, “We are pleased to be the farm to put Delta F.A.R.M. over the one million-acre mark.”
“Delta F.A.R.M. helps farmers assess their current stewardship level and teaches them how to improve by adding and expanding conservation practices on the farm,” commented Homer Wilkes, State Conservationist for the USDA-NRCS in Mississippi. “The voluntary efforts of Delta F.A.R.M.’s membership and improvements made by these farmers are a testament to the ability of Mississippi farmers to meet environmental and natural resource challenges.”
In addition to advising producers on sound and economically feasible conservation practices for the farm, Delta F.A.R.M. has also begun to implement projects in several watersheds in the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta region. “Delta F.A.R.M.’s efforts in the Bee Lake, Steele Bayou, and Wolf Lake watersheds have proven that the farmers of the Delta are very capable of addressing water quality concerns through voluntary approaches,” stated Trudy Fisher, Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.
Delta F.A.R.M. Chairman, Mike Sturdivant, Jr. of Glendora, Miss., and former Chairman, W. A. Percy, II of Greenville, Miss., will moderate the announcement on November 6th. Speakers slated to attend include Lt. Governor Phil Bryant and EPA Region 4 Administrator Jimmy Palmer. After the formal announcement and comments by podium guests, a commissioned work of art painted by acclaimed artist Matthew Hasty will be presented to Delta F.A.R.M. by Syngenta to commemorate the event.
To learn more about Delta F.A.R.M. and its 1 Million Acre Celebration, visit www.deltafarm.net.