SARE seeks a good farmer or rancher...

Do you know of an exemplary farmer or rancher who truly is outstanding in the field, on the range or at the farmers market? Do you find yourself pointing to this person again and again when you need an example of a truly “sustainable” producer?

Now you can nominate him or her for a chance to win national recognition, a $1,000 prize and a travel scholarship to “On the Road to Sustainable Agriculture,” the Southern SARE regional/national conference in Raleigh, N.C., on Oct. 23-26.

The Patrick Madden Award for Sustainable Agriculture, sponsored by USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, will honor one worthy producer each year. The brand-new award will recognize farmers and ranchers who raise food or fiber in ways that are profitable, good for families and communities, and beneficial to the environment. SARE’s first director, Patrick Madden was a pioneer in the movement toward a strong, independent agriculture for small- and medium-sized growers. For more information, see www.sare.org/htdocs/events/madden/indexmadden.htm. For more information about “On the Road to Sustainable Agriculture,” see www.griffin.peachnet.edu/sare/otr/otrtri.pdf