South Carolina Family Farm Wins National Environment Award
Yon Family Farms Honored for Commitment to Conservation
Phoenix, AZ (Vocus/PRWEB ) January 30, 2009 -- Yon Family Farms of Ridge Spring, S.C., is the 2009 National Environmental Stewardship Award Winner. The family was recognized today at the Cattle Industry Annual Convention for their "whole-farm" commitment and leadership in conserving natural resources.
"The Yons are what you would call everyday environmentalists," said Dave Petty, chairman of the Environmental Stewardship Award selection committee and 2001 national award winner. "They protect water quality, improve soil health and have enrolled every acre they manage into some type of conservation program or easement."
Kevin and Lydia Yon, who both have degrees from Clemson University, chose to follow their dream and started a farm with their three children that they hope will one day be a family legacy. In just 12 years, their farm has grown from 100 acres and 100 cows to 1,500 acres of crop, hay and pasture land and more than 800 brood cows, most of which are part of the family's diversified Angus seedstock operation.
"You're never done improving the land. We see something everyday we want to work on and make better," said Lydia Yon after being recognized as one of seven regional award winners in July. To that effort, the Yons have implemented a number of practices aimed at protecting and improving the land upon which they make a living. These include:
| | - Irrigating crops with pond-water using an efficient, low pressure watering system;
- Planting crops using a no-till, rotational sequence to improve soil fertility and reduce erosion;
- Sampling forage and soil to monitor proper fertilizer application;
- Reinforcing more than 34,000 square feet of high traffic areas around barns, water troughs and feed bunks to prevent erosion and protect water quality;
- Installing 28 water troughs and 55,352 feet of fencing to facilitate rotational grazing on pasture land; and
- Managing farm ponds to encourage healthy wildlife habitat.
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Yon Family Farms was nominated for the Environmental Stewardship Award by the Saluda Soil and Water Conservation District, with which the family has partnered to apply conservation and protection practices. Yon Family Farms is the first South Carolina farm to win the national Environmental Stewardship Award.
The award program - now in its 18th year - is made possible by the National Cattlemen's Foundation with sponsorship from Dow, U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Additional information about Yon Family Farms is available at www.beeffrompasturetoplate.org/yonfamilyfarmspresskit.aspx.
This release funded by The Beef Checkoff
Contact:
Jennifer Stolp
303-590-8920
jstolp (at) beef.org
Meghan Pusey
303-850-3340
mpusey (at) beef.org
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