Today I attended an awards lunch for one of my true heroes – Nash Huber of Sequim, Washington. Nash won the American Farmland Trust’s Stewards of the Land award. It’s a major award, in terms of recognition and money, and it’s my understanding that this is the first time it went to an organic produce farmer. No announcement yet on the AFT site, but there is this news article and look for one in the Seattle PI tomorrow. As Nash said today, the award goes not just to him, but to his amazing crew. Check out the web site of Nash’s Organic Produce.
Organic Seed Alliance has been lucky to have Nash as a research partner for a number of years on several vegetable breeding projects. Both Nash and his farmer manager Scott Chichester have also served as educators at OSA events. People are always inspired by their integrated vision of food, farms, and the role of seed. I am.
Those of us who work in seed think about inheritance, and about the potential of better that which we pass on. Nash, coming from a farm family and having farmed for over thirty years, really gets that. You have to care for the farmland, the soil, the water, the seed, and the culture of farming – but in doing so you also have to have a vision of improving them. American Farmland Trust is a fantastic organization, and they selected the perfect farm, crew, and farm leader to reflect their values.
Congratulations to Nash, his crew, and AFT.
