National Association of Conservation Districts

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

EVERYDAY CONSERVATIONISTS TAKE CENTER STAGE OF NATIONAL CAMPAIGN

February 12, 2008, RENO, NV—An Amish family in Ohio. Two Florida brothers famous for watermelons. A Hawaiian family besting pests with fewer chemicals. A father-son team from England realizing their dream to farm in New England. These are among the non-celebrity “celebrities” taking the spotlight in  a new campaign rolled out today by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service at the National Association of Conservation Districts’ (NACD) national conference in Reno, Nevada.

“While many publicity campaigns rely on celebrities to carry their message, the new conservation awareness campaign rolling out today relies on everyday people doing quietly extraordinary things and sharing their stories with others,” says Krysta Harden, Executive Director of NACD. “These people and thousands of others like them make conservation a collective reality,” says Harden. “This campaign gives a voice to those whose good work usually remains anonymous.”

The campaign, called “Conservation: Our Purpose, Our Passion,” was introduced by NRCS Chief Arlen Lancaster today at the general session of the NACD conference. Lancaster showed the audience an emotional five minute video featuring eight families across the Nation. “It is our hope that through the words and images of customers like these, other farmers and ranchers across the country will find a similar passion for natural resource conservation,” said Lancaster.

Caring people need help—expertise, support and sometimes money—to realize their intention to help the land—and that is where agencies and organizations like NRCS and NACD join with them to put conservation on the ground, said Harden. We know we need national policy and conservation programs, but we also need to remember that the most compelling case for conservation comes straight from the mouths of those who put their commitment into action on the land.

The eight featured landowners join a cache of over 100 stories and photos portraying conservation voluntarily undertaken by agricultural producers in every State in the Nation. The stories can be found at www.nrcs.usda.gov. Other campaign materials were on display at the NACD conference’s exhibit space and will be made available through NRCS offices nationwide.

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