New Roots Farm, LLC, to receive the first Inspired Future Award at the ninth annual Southern Colorado Conservation Awards

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - The continued conservation of Colorado’s iconic landscapes and agricultural heritage requires dedication, gumption, and innovation.  To honor the individuals and organizations exhibiting these efforts, Palmer Land Trust is introducing the Inspired Future Award. The award will, “Celebrate individuals, programs, businesses, or organizations that are undertaking an activity or effort that boldly frames the future of conservation, exhibits gumption and grit in the face of challenges, and encourages others with the resilience and optimism it will take to advance conservation.”

The first Inspired Future Award will be presented to Sarah Hamilton and Ellen Kerchner of New Roots Farm at the ninth annual Southern Colorado Conservation Awards on October 3 in Colorado Springs.

Our country is seeing unprecedented challenges to family farms, yet America’s farmers are food suppliers, pillars of communities across the country, and vital to our economy. Hamilton and Kerchner have embraced the farm life. Their sacrifice, hard work, and love for the land are leading them to produce good food for local people using growing practices that support a diverse and healthy farm. In their work, they use natural biological systems, hand tools, and focus on giving more back to the soil than is taken – all with joy and laughter. Their stewardship ethic will build healthier soil and a healthy community while bringing agriculture into the future.

A film about their work will be created and shown at the awards ceremony alongside the winners of the Stuart P. Dodge Award for lifetime achievement, The Environmental Stewardship Award, and the Innovation in Conservation Award. The community is invited to celebrate the efforts of Kerchner, Hamilton and all the award winners at the event. More information is available at palmerlandtrust.org/2018-scca.

About the Southern Colorado Conservation Awards

SCCA is the premier awards event for conservation in southern Colorado. Since the first award ceremony was held in 2009, this event has brought attention to the hard work, the discipline, the sacrifice, and the impact of conservation work by recognizing the efforts of individuals and organizations who prioritize the identity, economy, and quality of life we expect in Colorado. Over the course of nine years, community and state-level leaders, non-profits, and national organizations have attended to honor the people who press Colorado forward by working to maintain our landscape, our biodiversity, and our farming and ranching communities. Those recognized ensure every generation has the opportunity to enjoy the Colorado we know and love.

As with years past, each award winner will be featured in a brief film at the event on Wednesday, October 3, at The Antlers Hotel in Colorado Springs. Cocktails are at 5 p.m., followed by a farm-to-table dinner and program at 6 p.m. Tickets are $135 and $65 for young professionals. Organizations can also sponsor a 10-person table. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.palmerlandtrust.org/2018-scca or contact Darcie Hannigan at [email protected].