The Ohio Livestock Coalition recently named five Ohio farmers as the recipients of the 2012 Environmental Stewardship Award and one rural resident for the Neighbor of the Year Award. The awards were presented at OLC's 15th Annual Meeting and Industry Symposium.
"The Ohio Livestock Coalition puts great value in recognizing farms and individuals who have gone above and beyond to make a difference in the livestock community," says David White, OLC executive director. "I applaud this year's award winners for their tireless efforts and commitment to being good environmental stewards and neighbors."
Environmental Stewardship Award Winners
Coalition Names Stewardship Winners
The Environmental Stewardship Award recognizes the many accomplishments made by family farmers to protect Ohio's land, air and water quality and to conserve the state's natural resources.
The 2012 Environmental Stewardship Awards were presented to:
*Sheep: Steffee Farms of Dresden
*Dairy: Virgil and Lois Gasser of Creston
*Beef: Brad and Mary Ann Berry of Pleasantville
*Poultry: Meiring Poultry Farm of Fort Recovery
*Pork: Krikke Pork of Greenwich
All winners received a plaque from their industry's respective member organization. Each recipient also received a proclamation of congratulations and recognition of their commitment to the basic principles of environmental and natural resource stewardship from Governor John Kasich.
OLC coordinates the Environmental Stewardship awards program while five cooperating member organizations – the Ohio Cattlemen's Association, Ohio Dairy Producers Association, Ohio Pork Producers Council, Ohio Poultry Association, and Ohio Sheep Improvement Association – sponsor the individual commodity awards.
The Neighbor of the Year Award recognizes a rural farmer resident who has positively developed and enhanced relationships between neighbors in Ohio's farm communities. The recipient of this year's award is Stan and Karen Carmony of Carmony Farms in Wooster.
Carmony Farms received a plaque and a $250 cash donation to an organization of their choice courtesy of OLC and the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation.
The OLC, formed in 1997, is a statewide trade organization consisting of diverse agriculture organizations and individual farmers committed to advancing environmentally friendly, socially responsible and economically viable livestock farming practices.