Snapfinger Farm, photo credit Ginger & Carrot Productions
GEORGIA ORGANICS ANNUAL AWARDS
CELEBRATING LAND STEWARD, BARBARA PETIT POLLINATOR, AND FARMER CHAMPION AWARDEES
Every year, Georgia Organics honors our state’s foremost leaders in the organic agriculture and sustainable food community with three categories of awards: the Land Steward Award, the Barbara Petit Pollinator Award, and, more recently, Farmer Champion awards.
Georgia Organics board members and the general public nominate potential Land Steward and Pollinator Award winners annually, which are then reviewed and voted on by the Georgia Organics board and Governance Committee.
These awards recognize farmers and food leaders who exhibit a commitment to the following key tenets of Georgia Organics’ vision:
Foster a Healthy Environment
Improve Personal Health & Public Wellness
Build a Sustainable Farm Economy
Protect Animal Welfare
Promote Food Justice as Racial Justice
Scroll down to learn more about these awards and to view previous award winners!
ABOUT THE LAND STEWARD AWARD
In 1997, the Land Steward Award was created by Georgia Organics to honor an individual or individuals who have contributed significantly to the organic agriculture movement in the state of Georgia.
This award recognizes the farmer, agricultural professional, or researcher with significant commitments to the tenets of organic agriculture, including soil fertility, biodiversity, on-farm recycling, and water quality.
Land Steward award winners not only foster a better environment through the soil, but through their larger community through leadership, education, and outreach.
The winner of the 2023 LAND STEWARD AWARD is Mary Rigdon of Decimal Place Farm
We celebrated this year’s award winners at the 2023 Georgia Organics Conference & Expo in Perry, GA!
Stay tuned to Georgia Organics’ blog The Dirt (thedirt.georgiaorganics.org) as we spotlight Mary Rigdon’s enduring work and impact in Georgia’s farming community.
PAST WINNERS
1997: Cynthia Hizer • 1998: Norman & Bonnie Nichols • 2001: Ryan Cohen • 2002: Sharad Phatak • 2003: Skip & Cookie Glover • 2004: Andrew Stocklinski • 2005: James Dean • 2006: Shirley Daughtry • 2007: Jerry Larson • 2008: Nicolas Donck & Helen Dumba • 2009: Daniel Parson • 2010: Andy & Hilda Byrd • 2011: Relinda Walker • 2012: Carroll Johnson & Dan Evarts • 2013: Lynn Pugh • 2014: Celia Barss • 2015: Julia Gaskin • 2016: Will Harris • 2017: K. Rashid Nuri • 2018: Loretta & Sam Adderson • 2019: Al Clark • 2020: Wes & Charlotte Swancy • 2021 Chris and Jenny Jackson of Jenny Jack Farm • 2022 Juan Carlos Díaz-Pérez Professor of Horticulture at UGACAES (Tifton)
ABOUT THE BARBARA PETIT POLLINATOR AWARD
In 2009, Georgia Organics established the Barbara Petit Pollinator Award to honor an individual or organization for outstanding community leadership in Georgia’s sustainable farming and food movements. This award acknowledges exceptional success in advancing farmer prosperity, healthier soil, and resilient communities by spreading—pollinating—the movement throughout community life, such as in the food industry, faith communities, public agencies, schools, and institutions.
The Pollinator Award is named in honor of Barbara Petit, a committed leader, culinary professional, and organizer who served as Georgia Organics’ president from 2003-2009. Petit passed away in 2015, but her legacy of service, leadership, and community advocacy lives on through this award.
the 2023 POLLINATOR AWARD co-winners are
Bobby Wilson of Metro Atlanta Urban Farm
and Fred Conrad of Food Well Alliance
Stay tuned to Georgia Organics’ blog The Dirt (thedirt.georgiaorganics.org) as we spotlight the co-awardees incredible impact in Atlanta and beyond.
PAST WINNERS
2009: Barbara Petit • 2010: Julie Shaffer • 2011: Teri Hamlin • 2012: Christine Anthony & Owen Masterson • 2013: Helen Dubose • 2014: Teri Schell • 2015: Eric Wagoner • 2016: Erin Croom • 2017: Tony & Linda Scharko • 2018: Kim Hines • 2019: Shirley & Charles Sherrod • 2020: Jacqui Coburn & Alex Rilko • 2021 Brennan and Gwendolyn Washington of Phoenix Gardens • 2022 Robby Astrove, Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve and Foraging Advocate
ABOUT THE FARMER CHAMPION AWARDS
A Farmer Champion is a restaurant or chef that strives to strengthen and grow Georgia’s ‘good’ food movement. With verified weekly sourcing, Farmer Champions demonstrate a commitment to Georgia producers and serve as an example to other chefs and restaurants that sourcing locally is possible
The Farmer Champion campaign was launched in 2019 by Georgia Organics to raise awareness about local sourcing, both by highlighting chefs and restaurants who walk the walk and by giving people new to the movement tools and opportunities to begin sourcing from Georgia producers.
