ORLANDO, Fla. – Dick and Jeremie Pavelski of Heartland Farms were presented with the prestigious 2011 Environmental Stewardship Award at the National Potato Council’s (NPC) 2012 Annual Meeting, held January 6-7, 2012, in Orlando, Fla. The annual award is a component of the Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program, a partnership between NPC and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to protect the environment and promote the safe and effective use of pesticides.
“Each year, NPC honors those family farms who have demonstrated a commitment to stewardship of their land and protection of our shared environment,” said 2011 NPC President Justin Dagen. “By being good stewards of the land, Heartland Farms is preserving their farm and the neighboring landscape for generations to come.”
Heartland Farms in Hancock, Wisc., was recognized for its sustainable water management practices, including the use of low horsepower irrigation pumps to reduce power usage, soil moisture probes, and low-pressure irrigation systems with drop nozzles to reduce evaporation. Heartland’s use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which includes monitoring fields for the presence of pests, establishing thresholds for treatment, and applying pesticides to targeted problem areas, was also cited.
“Land and water is the lifeblood of agriculture, and we need to ensure we are vigilant with our precious resources. At Heartland Farms, we utilize the latest technology and good agriculture practices to help safeguard the availability of these resources for generations to come,” said Jeremie Pavelski.
A video of Heartland Farm’s sustainability practices was created through the generous sponsorship of DuPont Agricultural Products. Each year, videos of Environmental Stewardship Award winners are used by schools, agricultural organizations and civic groups to demonstrate the potato industry’s commitment to sound environmental stewardship. The video is available online at http://www.youtube.com/user/NatlPotatoCouncil. Complimentary DVD copies are available by emailing spudinfo@nationalpotatocouncil.org. For more information on Heartland Farms, visit http://www.hfinc.biz.
The deadline to submit nominations for NPC’s 2012 Environmental Stewardship Award is March 15. The selection will be made by the NPC Executive Committee and presented at the NPC 2013 Annual Meeting. For more information, please contact spudinfo@nationalpotatocouncil.org or (202) 682-9456.
The National Potato Council is the advocate for the economic well-being of U.S. potato growers on federal legislative, regulatory, environmental, and trade issues. Potato growers, along with the U.S. potato industry as a whole, directly benefit from involvement in the National Potato Council. NPC supports the U.S. potato industry by monitoring issues affecting the strength and viability of the potato industry, influencing regulators and legislators on issues crucial to the industry's long term success, ensuring fair market access for potatoes and potato products, and bringing the unique issues and interests of diverse growing regions in the U.S. together on a national level. The National Potato Council is a voluntary organization supported by quota assessments from state organizations, allied industry memberships and sponsorships, and directly by potato growers through membership dues.
Source: The National Potato Council
