FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 17, 2021

INDIANA CONSERVATION

SPECIALIST NAMED TRUSTED

ADVISER OF THE YEAR

LAS VEGAS – Last night, Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture honored the recipients of the 2021 Sustainability Leadership Awards. Leslie Fisher, Resource Conservation Specialist for the Benton County Soil and Water Conservation District was announced as the 2021 Trusted Adviser of the Year.

Providing valuable counsel to Indiana farmers and leading the district, Fisher champions community-wide solutions which enhance farmer livelihoods while making essential contributions to landscape-level sustainability outcomes across the state. She also connects brands, retailers and agribusinesses to the local farmer community, empowering them to build greater trust and demonstrate the sustainability of their supply chains.

“Fisher works directly with producers, along with agronomists and crop advisers, to engage farmers in soil health and nutrient management practices and connect them to resources that support growers in advancing watershed restoration efforts,” NACD President Michael Crowder said. “She is a true pioneer of conservation.”

In Fisher’s more than half a decade as a conservation adviser, she has successfully engaged with more than 100 farmers and landowners, generating 30,000 acres of cover crops and preventing more than 34,000 lbs. of nitrogen from entering the Big Pine Creek and downstream waterways.

“I am grateful for all the work Fisher has accomplished with landowners in the Big Pine Creek watershed,” Crowder said. “Having worked in the watershed in undergraduate and graduate school, I know and understand the importance of this area.”

Fisher relies on Field to Market’s Fieldprint® Platform to help growers understand how their practices are tied to environmental outcomes. Bringing farmers together for collaborative learning sessions to benchmark their performance and share lessons learned, she’s been able to foster a peer community of producers engaged in conservation.

“Through her efforts in the Big Pine Creek watershed of Indiana, Fisher has established herself as a trusted adviser for Indiana farmers and landowners by showing them exactly how they can move the needle on advancing water quality,” Crowder said.

NACD is a proud member of Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture, which brings together a diverse group of grower organizations; agribusinesses; food, beverage, apparel, restaurant and retail companies; conservation groups; universities; and public sector partners to define, measure and advance the sustainability of food, feed, fiber and fuel production in the United States. Visit Field to Market’s website to learn more.

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About the National Association of Conservation Districts:
The National Association of Conservation Districts is the nonprofit organization that represents the nation’s 3,000 conservation districts, their state and territory associations and the 17,000 men and women who serve on their governing boards. For more than 70 years, local conservation districts have worked with cooperating landowners and managers of private working lands to help them plan and apply effective conservation practices. For more information about NACD, visit: www.nacdnet.org.