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 

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 2024 LAND STEWARD AWARD is JULIA ASHERMAN of Rag AND frass Farm

We’re celebrating this year’s award winners during the Georgia State Breakout session at SOWTH 2025 Conference at the Georgia World Congress Center on February 5, 2025!

Stay tuned to Georgia Organics’ blog The Dirt (thedirt.georgiaorganics.org) as we spotlight Julia’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 & Jenny Jackson • 2022 Juan Carlos Díaz-Pérez • 2023 Mary Rigdon

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 2024 POLLINATOR AWARD winner is

CASHAWN MYERS of HABESHA, INC.

Stay tuned to Georgia Organics’ blog The Dirt (thedirt.georgiaorganics.org) as we spotlight the Cashawn’s 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 • 2023 Bobby Wilson, Metro Atlanta Urban Farm; Fred Conrad, Food Well Alliance 

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.  

The 2024 Farmer Champion Awards celebrate these outstanding Farmer Champions: