Department of Conservation and Recreation
Conserve. Protect. Enjoy.
Department of Conservation and Recreation
Media inquiries: Please contact Dave Neudeck, dave.neudeck@dcr.virginia.gov, 804-786-5053.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: December 17, 2025
Contact: Matt Sabas, Senior PR and Marketing Specialist, 804-786-2292, matthew.sabas@dcr.virginia.gov
Governor Glenn Youngkin Announces Virginia Grand Basin Clean Water Farm Award Winners
Ten farms honored for their commitment to soil and water conservation
RICHMOND, Va. – Governor Glenn Youngkin today announced the 10 winners of the Virginia Grand Basin Clean Water Farm Awards for 2025. These awards recognize outstanding agricultural operations across the Commonwealth for their leadership in soil and water conservation. These distinguished farms represent each of Virginia’s major river basins.
“Virginia’s farmers are environmental stewards whose innovation and hard work sustain both our economy and natural resources,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “The Grand Basin Clean Water Farm Award winners exemplify how agriculture and conservation go hand-in-hand. Their leadership ensures that Virginia’s lands and waters remain healthy for generations to come.”
Administered by the Virginia Department of Conservation in partnership with Virginia’s 47 soil and water conservation districts, the Clean Water Farm Awards honor exceptional farmers who demonstrate innovative best management practices that protect soil health and water quality across Virginia. These practices include no-till practices, planting cover crops, establishing rotational grazing practices and alternative watering systems.
“Protecting water quality is one of the most important environmental challenges of our time, and Virginia’s farmers are meeting that challenge head-on,” said Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources Stefanie Taillon. “Through these awards, we recognize the dedication that makes our agricultural community such a powerful force for conservation.”
This year’s winners include an operation that protects historically-significant sites, including Corbin Hall Farm in Middlesex County, which has over 350 years of agricultural production.
“Conservation and agriculture are deeply intertwined,” said Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Matthew Lohr. “Our farmers understand that protecting soil and water resources is essential to the long-term success of Virginia agriculture. The Clean Water Farm Award recipients demonstrate how stewardship and profitability complement each other, securing both the productivity of our farms and the health of our environment.”
“Each of these award-winning operations demonstrates that voluntary conservation practices make a measurable difference for Virginia’s environment,” said Andrew Smith, Acting Director of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. “These farms are models of excellence and show that partnerships among landowners, soil and water conservation districts and the Commonwealth can yield real results for water quality.”
Virginia’s soil and water conservation districts provide technical assistance and guidance to farmers seeking to implement or expand conservation practices on their operation.
“Soil and water conservation districts work closely with farmers every day to plan and implement practices that benefit the land and the wider watershed,” said Dr. Kendall Tyree, Executive Director of the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts. “The Grand Basin winners are outstanding examples of how conservation can be embedded in every aspect of modern farming.”
For more information and a description of each farm, visit www.dcr.virginia.gov/soil-and-water/cwfa-winners.
2025 Grand Basin Clean Water Farm Award recipients
Big Sandy – Upper Tennessee
Kristy and Jacob Waller
Smyth County
Nominated by the Evergreen Soil and Water Conservation District
Chowan River
Mitchell “Delk” Batten, Batten Farms
Isle of Wight
Nominated by the Peanut Soil and Water Conservation District
Coastal
Tommy Davis, Davis Farms
Accomack County
Nominated by the Eastern Shore Soil and Water Conservation District
James River
Todd Anderson
Albemarle County, Fluvanna County
Nominated by the Thomas Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District
New-Yadkin River
Edwards Family, Edwards Farm
Carroll County
Nominated by the New River Soil and Water Conservation District
Potomac River
Clarence and Margaret Gill, Clear View Farm
Fauquier County
Nominated by John Marshall Soil and Water Conservation District
Rappahannock River
Ronnie Russell & Evan Perry, Corbin Hall Farm
Middlesex County
Nominated by Tidewater Soil and Water Conservation District
Roanoke River
Thad and Gayle Montgomery, Double M Dairy
Franklin County
Nominated by Blue Ridge Soil and Water Conservation District
Shenandoah River
Woodbine Farms
Frederick County
Nominated by Lord Fairfax Soil and Water Conservation District
York River
Sam and W.D. Harris, Cherry Grove Farm Enterprises
Spotsylvania County
Nominated by Tri-County/City Soil and Water Conservation District
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