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Washington Plays Prominent Role in National NRCS Campaign

Submitted by Ron Nichols, Public Affairs Officer, Spokane State Office

The Garcia family of Yakima was among eight farm families, who were chosen to be a part of NRCS’ new national Conservation... Our Purpose. Our Passion. campaign.

 The final farm families were chosen to represent a cross-section of NRCS customers for the campaign based on a number of factors, including a diversity of geography, culture, conservation practices and products.

 This past July, a film and video crew from USDA in Washington D.C. spent two days with the four members of the Garcia family.  Corey Bonsen, a soil conservationist in Yakima, assisted with the shoot and was also interviewed for future video news releases and other video products.

 Ron Nichols, public affairs officer, was among a handful of employees who created and developed the campaign, which was recently unveiled at the National Association of Conservation Districts annual conference in Reno, Nevada recently.

 “The Garcia’s were wonderful to work with,” Nichols said. “It takes a lot of time and effort to pull off a video/still photography shoot,” he said, “but the Garcia’s were very patient and accommodating and great spokespeople for conservation,” he said.

 The campaign video, success stories and other ancillary materials including door banners, a “who we are and what we do” NRCS brochure and “Thank you” cards are, or will soon be, available at the Land Care web site.

 “The heart of this campaign is telling our story through our customers,” he said.  “We all have different jobs, but most of us share a heartfelt commitment to the conservation cause. It’s reflected in the stories of these families, which are such a big part of the campaign. And these stories are manifested every day in the work we do,” he said. “In short, conservation is our common bond. This campaign gives voice to that bond – and to that shared commitment,” Nichols said.

 “If we want to retain public support for our mission, and if we want the public to gain a better understanding of the societal benefits production agriculture provides, we must continually highlight and reinforce all the ways in which cooperative conservation supports our national priorities—all the ways our nation’s producers are providing cleaner air, cleaner and more abundant water, and better wildlife habitat,” Chief Arlen Lancaster said during his address at the national NACD convention.

 “This isn’t a ‘Hey look at us – aren’t we great?’ kind of campaign,” Nichols said. “By focusing on the landowners, we’re able to translate what we do and why we do it, down to the most elemental vision of our mission,” he said. “We help people help the land. By showing the success and commitment of our customers through our success stories and in our core publications, we show how we’re helping people help the land.”

 While a total of eight customers are featured in the national campaign, every state submitted two success stories and two employee “vignettes” that are featured on the national campaign web site, as well. Washington’s first two featured employees are Jay Kehne and Eileen Jackson. Others will be posted in the coming months.

 “It’s impressive to see so many of these success stories and employee vignettes on one site,” Nichols said. “It’s even more impressive to think those are just a small sampling of the great work NRCS employees are making possible every day.”

 Be sure to visit http://www.wa.nrcs.usda.gov/news/ConservationOPOP/ConservationOPOP.html to read Washington’s success stories and to learn more about “Conservation… Our purpose. Our passion.”

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