A LEGISLATIVE COMMEMORATION, Honoring and commending Jamie Johnson as the 2020 National Association of Conservation Districts/Natural Resources Conservation Service Olin Sims Conservation Leadership Award recipient.
WHEREAS, the National Association of Conservation Districts/USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service Olin Sims Conservation Leadership Award, named in memory of a leader in national conservation initiatives, recognizes Jamie Johnson as an up-and-coming leader who demonstrates excellence in promoting and leading voluntary conservation on private lands; and
WHEREAS, Jamie, her husband Brian, and family, farm two-thousand-three-hundred acres of crop and grassland near Frankfort, using their thirst for knowledge to find better and more sustainable ways to work within agriculture, thereby becoming an outstanding voice for agriculture and conservation not only in South Dakota but nationally; and
WHEREAS, as Spink County Conservation District supervisor, Jamie initiated a twenty-acre regenerative agriculture demonstration plot that showcases the benefits of implementing the five principles of soil health and how they can reduce dependency on herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides; and
WHEREAS, Jamie is the first vice president of the South Dakota Soybean Association (SDSA), serving on the SDSA committees focusing on producer education and outreach, as well as chair of SDSA's Conservation Committee, which strives to protect the rights of South Dakota producers to farm in a sustainable manner; and
WHEREAS, education has been a cornerstone of Jamie's work in South Dakota's agriculture community and she has highlighted women in agriculture and represented ag organizations on local television programs; is a mentor for soil health; and works with local schools, Future Farmers of America (FFA) chapters, and 4-H clubs to teach the importance of soil health to all ages by helping create the next generation of conservation-minded producers. Jamie and her husband were featured in the Merit or Myth video series addressing misconceptions for adopting conservation practices and discussing sustainable agriculture; and
WHEREAS, Jamie is a graduate of the South Dakota Agricultural and Rural Leadership Program and was a master gardener intern; and
WHEREAS, Jamie and her family received the South Dakota Leopold Award in 2019 and received the Region 7 Environmental Stewardship Award in 2020, which included a nomination for the 2021 National Environmental Stewardship Award:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT COMMEMORATED, by the Ninety-Sixth Legislature of the State of South Dakota, that Jamie Johnson be honored and commended for earning the 2020 National Association of Conservation Districts/USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service Olin Sims Conservation Leadership Award.