No-tiller Bob Walker was recently named as Farmer of the Year as the organization Field to Market doled out its Sustainability Leadership Award recipients just before the 10^th Annual Sustainable Agriculture Summit kicked off.

Now in their eighth year, the awards — presented as the capstone of the Alliance's fall meeting — are given to farmers, individuals, and organizations who have demonstrated outstanding leadership through their efforts to advance continuous improvement in the sustainability of U.S. commodity crop production.

Walker co-owns and operates Walker Farms in Yum Yum, Tenn., an hour northeast of Memphis. Walker and his brother raise cattle and grow cotton, corn, soybeans, wheat, and hay, most of which is on land that has been in the family since the 1830s.

With a suite of sustainability practices that include no-till, cover crops, integrated pest management, variable rate fertility applications, and variable rate seeding, Walker only puts out what he needs, when it's needed, Field to Market says in its news release.

Other recipients of the 2024 Sustainability Leadership Awards are as follows:

2024 Trusted Adviser of the Year: Christine Bielski, Northern High Plains Division Manager for Research and Sustainability, Nutrien Ag SolutionsRecognized for her outstanding leadership in supporting farmers' journeys of continuous improvement, Christine Bielski was honored as Field to Market's 2024 Trusted Adviser of the Year.Reaching approximately 2,000 grower customers annually, both directly and through her work with her sales teams, Bielski works across just over 5 million acres in northwest Kansas, northeast Colorado, and southwest Nebraska as the Northern High Plains Division's Manager for Research and Sustainability at Nutrien Ag Solutions.

2024 Collaboration of the Year: Peninsula Pride Farms Project: Recognizing outstanding collaboration and cross-sector partnership in advancing continuous improvement of sustainability at the field and landscape level, the 2024 Collaboration of the Year Award honors Field to Market members Farmers for Sustainable Food and Houston Engineering, Inc., along with Peninsula Pride Farms, for their work on the Peninsula Pride Farms sustainability project.Enrolled in Field to Market's Project Directory, this Innovation project, located in Wisconsin, has connected downstream members of the agricultural value chain with conservation-minded farmers in a local, farmer-led conservation group to make improvements to water quality and soil health.

Each of this year's award recipients exemplifies how blending innovative, sustainable and regenerative practices with community- and collaboration-based approaches to conservation can build a more resilient and sustainable food system.

“Congratulations to each of our three awardees — their dedication to innovation and continual improvement is a testament to how collaborative efforts across the value chain foster resilience for farmers and the environment," says Field to Market President Carrie Vollmer-Sanders. “We applaud Bob Walker, Christine Bielski, and the partners involved in the Peninsula Pride Farms Project, for their dedication to advancing the sustainability of U.S. agriculture.”

The winners of Field to Market's Sustainability Leadership Awards are selected by the Alliance's Education and Outreach Committee. Each recipient demonstrates leadership in the pursuit of continuous improvement, resulting in measurable results and significant impact on both agriculture and the environment.

This year’s program was made possible thanks to the support of Nestlé Purina Petcare and Arva Intelligence. Learn more about the 2024 Sustainability Leadership Award winners at www.fieldtomarket.org/awards.

ABOUT FIELD TO MARKETField to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture brings together a diverse group of grower organizations; agribusinesses; food, feed, beverage, restaurant and retail companies; conservation groups; universities and public sector partners to focus on defining, measuring and advancing the sustainability of food, feed, fiber and fuel production. Field to Market is comprised of nearly 200 members representing all facets of the U.S. agricultural value chain. For more information, visit www.fieldtomarket.org.