Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture recently recognized three individuals and organizations that have demonstrated leadership through their efforts to advance continuous improvement in the sustainability of U.S. commodity crop production.
The winners of the Farmer of the Year, Collaboration of the Year and Trusted Adviser of the Year are selected by Field to Market’s Awards and Recognition Committee. Each recipient demonstrates leadership in the pursuit of continuous improvement, resulting in measurable results and significant impact on both agriculture and the environment.
Recognized for outstanding conservation efforts on his farm and leadership in advancing sustainable agriculture, Barry Evans was honored as Field to Market’s 2021 Farmer of the Year. Farming 4,500 acres of cotton and grain sorghum in the Texas Panhandle, Evans pioneers a resilient approach to dryland farming by balancing dual natural resource concerns of soil and water conservation in the resource-limited High Plains.
The Farmer of the Year Award celebrates his innovation and dedication to advancing sustainability while grappling with the region’s declining Ogallala Aquifer, demonstrating to his peers that it is possible to farm profitably and sustainably through an adaptive approach to conservation.
His commitment continues to yield dividends, as Evans has dramatically reduced his energy use by nearly 80% and improved irrigated water use efficiency, conserving precious air and water resources while re-building generations worth of degraded soil health.
Named Trusted Adviser of the Year was Leslie Fisher, resource conservation specialist, Benton County Soil and Water Conservation District, Indiana. And recognized for Collaboration of the Year was the PepsiCo-Unilever Soil Health Innovation Project.
Read more about Farmer of the Year Barry Evans of Kress, Texas, at https://fieldtomarket.org/case-studies-series/2021-farmer/