Tuesday September 27th, 2011 the 2011 Annual Affiliate Members Meeting took place at Jackson Electric Membership Corporation Building Jefferson, Georgia. During this meeting it was announced that Dr. Carl F. Jordan was the recipient of the Conservationist of the Year Award for his work in collaboration with local agencies at Spring Valley EcoFarms.

Recent joint conservation initiatives at the farm include privet control and the construction of a new high tunnel for winter vegetable production.

Spring Valley EcoFarms works closely with the Oconee River Soil and Water Conservation and its affiliates to deploy projects dedicated to conservation and wise use of natural resources.

Dr. Carl F Jordan is a UGA Professor Emeritus in the Odum School of Ecology, and has been farming sustainably in Clarke County at the Spring Valley location for almost 20 years. His career in forestry, ecology, science and conservation spans 45 years.

Spring Valley EcoFarms is a non-profit organization focusing on education, research, and outreach to promote more ecologically sustainable agriculture. Its seat is Spring Valley Farm, 100 acres in the Georgia Piedmont. The vision is to reduce reliance on external subsidies in agricultural systems through incorporating free services of nature. The goal is to develop a model for conservation of biological diversity and to provide a laboratory where ecological science and theory are put to a real-world test. For more information about Spring Valley EcoFarms please visit www.springvalleyecofarms.org.

The Oconee River Soil & Water Conservation District is part of the National Association of Conservation Districts. The District includes Barrow, Clarke, Jackson and Oconee Counties. The affiliates include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Oconee River RC&D and the State Soil & Water Conservation Commission. For more information about these organizations, please visit www.nacdnet.org; www.ga.nrcs.usda.gov/; and http://gaswcc.georgia.gov/portal/site/SWCC/.