MOULTRIE- The Middle South Georgia Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), a local agency dedicated to the conservation and stewardship of the area’s natural resources, honored the 2024 Conservationists of the Year in each county within its area. The service area includes Ben Hill, Brooks, Colquitt, Crisp, Irwin, Thomas, Tift, Turner and Worth counties. The Conservationist of the Year Banquet was held at Southern Regional Technical College in Moultrie, Ga on Thursday, March 20, 2025.

Congratulations to Matthew Thompson for being awarded Thomas County’s Conservationist of the Year. Thompson farms around 500 acres of pecans and 600 acres of row crops including cotton, peanuts, and corn. He also has a herd of cattle. He has utilized EQIP and CSP through USDA NRCS. The conservation practices implemented on his farm include cover crop, terraces, and maintaining waterways. Thompson and his wife have 3 boys.

The Middle South Georgia Soil and Water Conservation District is a unit of state government that directs natural resource management programs in Ben Hill, Brooks, Colquitt, Crisp, Irwin, Thomas, Tift, Turner and Worth counties. The Conservation District works with farmers, landowners, and with other units of government to educate and actively promote programs and practices that support the conservation, and use and development of soil, water, and related resources. More information can be found at www.gacd.us/middlesouthgeorgia